Wow, now that's is one marvellous debut EP by this Philadelphia group dealing in a kind of earthy, dissonant and eccentric, yet equally graceful blend of art- and post punk. The monotonous no wave-ish strumming of the opening track The Shield calls to mind the minimalism of Shop Regulars or Honey Bucket while Green Man has more of an early eighties The Fall vibe with further commonalities to, say, fellow philadelphians Toe Ring and B.E.E.F. 39X. The vicious grooves of Gangstalker, holding a delicate balance of dissonance and catchyness, are then approximately channeling some more spiky version of Lithics coupled with some dissonant Glenn Branca- and eighties Sonic Youth guitar work, a bit like we've more recently heard from Self Improvement, for example.
This Leipzig group could quite easily end up filed away right next to other german-language post punk acts like Hyäne, early L'apell Du Vide, Kalte Hand and Die Wärme... you know, the genre's - mostly berlin-based - usual suspects and as natural as this comparison feels at first glance, there's quite a bit more more going on here than just another competent rehash of the tried-and-tested formula and i see just as much similarity to a bunch of international acts - Criminal Code first and foremost but also comparisons to the likes of Negative Gears, Sievehead, recent Longings and Pyrex don't seem all that far-fetched to me.
Timmy Vulgar's Zeta Reticuli Operants In the Hell Rock Demolition Man Speed Camera Mitraille Laundry Tonight Zippo! Wisconsin Scared Of Chaka Nobody Itches Level 25 Love Collector Toner Loner Gonk Big Pig Handcuff Keep, Repeat Exit Mould 21st Century Satanic Togas Illusions Deformative Straight Away Achterlicht No Shoes
Bozo Burglar Radar & Satellite Handshake No Brains Sewer People Expest Negative Asshole Power Shovel Jackin off to moby dick Dani Alarma! Villano Inexistente Ataca Success Super .22 W.M.D.s Toy Speedy Muffler Orb Santo Blanco Abyss DE()T It's Going Great Funeral Mess Isolation Axxident Sur les pavés
Tracklist
Lohn Der Angst Exzess Freak Genes Neoware Burdo La Náusea Flat Worms Letters From the Outpost Fake Fruit Más O Menos Cherry Cheeks Wire The Bug Club Quality Pints Temporary Curse Computer Hell Beta Máximo Negativo Esperanzado Jëg Hüsker My Dawn
Patrol Cold Blood Fantasma Trabalho Invisível The Hammer Party E.M.B.R.Y.O. It Thing …In Ruins Rehash Kunsthochschule Licklash Party Line Hatula Nevela No One Taught You Fastbacks The Answer Is In Gray Paint Fumes Crime of Love
