California’s Discovery deliver another two short but potent blasts of this particular fusion between blown out fuzzy hardcore & garage stuff that, in recent years, seems to be cropping up from every crack in the asphalt, a fact i couldn’t be more happy about.
What we got here is twelve minutes worth of minimalistic, uncompromising DIY industrial noise/-punk shit by some duo from River Falls, Wisconsin. Being more of a clueless idiot tourist in this particular field, i’d describe this as what a fully electronic variant of Big Black might have sounded like. Or maybe draw parallels to the more recent but comparably minimalistic noise by Black Pus.
Just like its predecessor, the second EP by this band from Buffalo, NY turns out to be another highly concentrated dose of unconventional, inventive and at times strikingly melodic hardcore fun, also expanding its stylistic tentacles into places of garage-, fuzz- and KBD style punk.
Album-Stream →Bringing back the tape in mixtape. I didn’t do a great job this year at keeping a steady supply of these going. To make up for it, here’s a whole bunch of those things before the year ends. One with your usual standardized 12XU fare. One full of warm and cozy power pop. And as an antidote to the latter, a kinda gruff one, leaning towards the hardcore side of things. So at least i can say i made four mixes this year.
In case you wonder what verspannungskassette means… Keep wondering because it’s a pretty much untranslatable play on words.
Side A
Tracklist:
Proto Idiot – Sit Back, Relax, Enjoy
Neutrals – I Can Do That
Human Beat – Punctual Punks
Austerity – Herded
Overtime – Dehydration
Basic Human – Shame
Sandré – Potu
Kumusta – Car
2 Stroke – Crisis, Crisis
Emergency Contact – Buildings
Rank/Xerox – Cradle of Life
Spray Paint – Looking For Work
Bigpig – Eyes
Trashdog – ADHDEMON
The Nico Missile – Put It On The Table
Dennis – Knives
Cat Scan – Commodities
Uranium Club – Two Things At Once (Part 1)
The Cowboy – Swimming with the Fishies
Pist Idiots – Motor Runnin
Side B
Tracklist:
Penance Hall – Covered In Shit
Nick Normal – Windows Painted Shut
Isolation – Shift
Mini Skirt – Pretty
Patti – Color Kill
Ukryte Zalety Systemu – Swiat Ma Ksztalt
Lost System – State Of Reality
Gamma World – Midnight Sniper
Acrylics – Haze
Arse – Pressure Test
John (timestwo) – Dog Walker
The Missed – Tellurian Mistake
Dee Bee Rich – Vomit
Prison Affair – Masturbation
Crown Moulding – On The House
Civic – Velvet Casino
B Boys – On Repeat
Ex-Gold – Red Light
Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Human Race
Side A
Tracklist:
Mick Trouble – He’s Frank
Sob Stories – Danny Reed
Lost Balloons – Feed the Pain
Scupper – Pass Me By
Opossums – Promises
Woolen Men – Brick Horizon
Legendary Wings – Weather Advisory
Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys – Plastic Tears
Warm Soda – I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
Vaguess – A Long Time
Vital Idles – Seconds
Chronophage – Wedding
Side B
Tracklist:
The Resonars – The Golden Age
Alien Nosejob – People Stairs
Chook Race – At Your Door
Seablite – Heart Mountain
Omi Palone – Void
The Lovebirds – Streets of Rage
The Persian Leaps – About Your Record
Landlines – Signs Of Life
EggS – I Fell In Love
Radioactivity – Sleep
Wireheads – The Overview Effect
Side A (red)
Tracklist:
Neotypes – Banned in Hammond (Live)
Expose – Motive
Skeleton Glove – Gimme Gimme Chocolate
The Dorks – Sycophant
(The) Liquid Assets (of Ottawa) – Murderer
Cells – My Gun
Raxil – Unknown Title
Miedo – Bájate de tu nube.
Optic Nerve – Sniper
Sick Head – Pis
Foster Care – Rack Brain
Dregs – Marfa Creep
Ubik – John Wayne (is A Cowboy (and Is On Twitter) )
Xenu & The Thetans – No Es Tu Causa
Lux – Action
Warp – Sheet Cake
Speed Plans – Hell House
Goon – Ain’t Rite
Side B (black)
Tracklist:
Fried e/M – Untitled 2
Dots – Dethroned
Big Hog – Big Hog
Rinse – Pest Control (song For Hellstrom)
Dry Insides – Dawn Of The Skull
Lead – The Bad Sleep Well
Glue – Disgrace
Alien Nosejob – Bond Clean
The Uglies – Tone Deaf
Gutter Knife – Abuse of Power
Physique – The Rhythm Of Brutality
Das Drip – Gym Rat
Temple Dogs – Rabies
Hwanza – 인간공장
Blueprint – Disgust
Hologram – Simulation
Rat-Nip – NC
Ztuped – Threat of Death
Consolation – Head Down
Années Zéro – Rupture
Fuckin’ Lovers – Control
Basically, this Falmouth, UK band’s line up consists of local punks Internal Credit minus one dude. Compared to the latter’s rather straightforward garage punk, Isolation roll out a somewhat more rigid sound on their debut EP, expanding their solid garage foundation by a certain postcore edge, bringing to mind Hot Snakes or Youth Avoiders, as well as melodic post punk acts like Red Dons, Daylight Robbery, Anxious Living, Nervosas and maybe some tiny traces of Wipers. What’s not to like about that?
Album-Stream →
Okay… this is an easy one to explain. You just put equal amounts of MC5 and Bad Brains into a blender and the result will have a taste similar to whatever this group from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania does on its third not-quite-an-LP. As simple as that and every bit as electrifying as you might hope for.
Album-Stream →
This Philadelphia band’s debut tape via State Champion Records already makes an excellent first impression. Distinctly 90’s indie rock vibes akin to Breeders or more recent stuff by Melkbelly collide with rather contemporary sounding post punk elements, somwhat comparable to WALL or The Baby, radiating a wonderfully crude, off-kilter charme throughout.
Album-Stream →
Cleveland’s The Cowboy are back! Two years after their explosive debut album, the group featuring members of Pleasure Leftists and Homostupids haven’t lost their ability to kick ass with a sound oscillating between garage- and post punk, noise rock overtones, an abrasive surface combined with disarming catchyness. All this reminds me of bands like Plax, Ex-Cult, Shark Toys and Flat Worms. Also, in a rather unexpected turn of events, we get exposed to a laid back indierockin’ instrumental tune on the b-side.
Here’s an ultra neat attack made of noise-drenched hard-/postcore by a band from Denver, Colorado. Think of a curious mixture of Lumpy & The Dumpers, Anxiety, Cülo or their quasi-successors Tarantüla.
Album-Stream →
Shit Giver’s 2017 debut album left quite an impression on me with its ambitious and versatile vision of post punk, bursting with excentric ideas and unpredictable song structures. The L.A. group’s first new music in almost three years doesn’t fail to amaze and surprise once again. It’s their melodic songwriting abilities that come into sharp focus here, taking shape as an irresistible mix of post punk, power- and goth pop, developing a catchyness i wasn’t prepared for. Meaningless ignites some unexpectedly straightforward pop fireworks, complete with a borderline-cheesy sax solo, the kind of which a lesser song wouldn’t survive, but in this case i can’t help but percieve it as a well-deserved climax. Transition seamlessly continues their newfound love for gloomy pop, but also proves that Shit Giver haven’t lost their taste for elaborate structures, either.
