Two noisy new artifacts brought to us by New York's exquisite D4MT label. First, there's a new extended play by hard-/postcore powerhouse Kaleidoscope on which their sound comes across a tiny bit more more simplified and straightforward than on last year's killer debut LP, yet as inspired, playful and inventive as ever. Similar things can be said about the debut album of Straw Man Army, a duo i can't find much information on, but at a quick glance they seem to consist of none other than Kaleidoscope's drummer boy and some other dude. Just as you'd expect, this is another quite adventurous ride through the realms of dark post punk both classic and contemporary, sometimes bordering on Crass-style minimalism, Wipers-esque melancholia while also reminding me of more recent eccentricities by the likes of Murderer or Wymyns Prysyn.
As was to be expected, this Atlanta group's first full length effort is thirty minutes of pure post punk bliss, reminding me, at several points, of some of the genre's best contemporaries - the rigid rhythms of Knowso and Nag come to mind, mixed with the more playful flourishes of Patti or Marbled Eye. Other valid comparisons might be acts like Bruised, Sarcasm or Labor.
Seems i forgot to post this Barcelona group's first demo a while ago, stupid me. Well, here's their newest one to make up for it and once again this is a thoroughly fun little treat of quirky DIY garage punk bearing some similarity to R.M.F.C., Dee Bee Rich, Nuts or Erik Nervous.
Another record by muteant Jake Robertson's shapeshifting project Alien Nosejob. After last year's 7" on Iron Lung Records, this is the second time he's venturing into hardcore punk. Taking advantage of the longer running time, we see him mixing things up and exploring the genre a bit deeper this time, resulting in a quite varied set of tunes. Everything Robertson tackles here, it just works admirably well.
Shame Alphabet Ray Gun Seance Rancher Head Crash Blacklisters White Piano Shifting Spudgasm Wax Chattels Yokohama Girls In Synthesis Pressure TOL Collapsing Wortlis Quozo Это Не Я Chainshot Victim Soul GAG Mad Dog Laundry Boys Mustard Monster UAV Emk True Sons Of Thunder Toob Sock Chico Perro Estamos Mejor Que Nunca Other Half Trance State Rolex Stripes Landowner Being Told You’re Wrong Remote Control Subject Ok Satán It Is Today (Believe It) Yammerer Boa Constrictor The Archaeas Reality Commander
Side B
Tracklist:
Brandy (Wish You Was) Madball Baby Speed Week Phishing Moth Work Isotope Soap The Happiest Kid on Earth Erik Nervous Toil Is Stupid Digital Leather Compass I Am The Fly Axolotl Tor Wifi Head Diode Tomothy Borky!! Post Punk Provo Ihml Escare Only Lives Neo Neos Big Chin Ruben Riley Dead Man's Rocket Ex-White My Love, The Rock Gee Tee Mutant World Sinkin' Feelings Gimme The Look Satanic Togas Hit #69 Vaguess Mask of Vanity Silicone Values Nuclear Sun Toner Under the Gun
This Seattle group has been around for quite a few years now, but it took them just as long to come up with their debut LP. Thus, it's no real surprise this thing sounds rather mature for a debut record, with a firm grip on this particular subgenre somewhere between the garage-leaning zones of the postcore spectrum and some contemporary noise rock - right in the neighborhood of bands like early Video, Hot Snakes, Ascot Stabber, Davidians or Flowers Of Evil.
Don't know how i didn't ever stumble upon this San Francisco dude's output before earlier this year, when Modern Needs released a certain killer tape called Survey of the Animal Kingdom. Well, what's more important is that he's got a new album out already and just as expected, it once again delivers loads of stupid fun made up of some oldschool US west coast shit, timeless garage punk and plenty of KBD-style weirdness. Of the current generation you might think of Launcher, Liquid Assets, Freakees, Fried E/M... or of older artifacts by The Mentally Ill, Noxious Fumes. Also this time, the generous use of Synths creates an undeniable Ausmuteants feel.
Baltimore's Lip first won my attention through a split EP with Nag a while ago. While there's definitely some similarity to said Atlanta post punk group, i'd say what they're pulling off on their latest EP bears a much closer resemblance to groups like Sievehead, Rank Xerox or Criminal Code. At times, their sound has a more pronounced oldschool goth/death rock vibe to it though, bringing to mind Disjoy or, more recently, Clock Of Time.
Garage punk by a Melbourne group sounding somewhat like a curious mix of some straightforward rockin' shit similar to Mini Skirt, Flat Worms, Ex-Cult just as much as the more playful approaches taken by the likes of Vintage Crop, Dumb.
Another solid EP by Melbourne's Moth, this time coming across a bit less synth-heavy than on their last one. Once again this takes some cues from familiar garage punk acts like Useless Eaters, Ex-Cult, Ausmuteants and early Teenanger, as well as some of the Warttman Inc.-affiliated groups like Research Reactor Corp., Set-Top Box. Also, in Digital Crisis, their sound takes an unexpected turn towards dark post punk of the Exit Group, Diät, Rank/Xerox variety.
Hardcore Punk that starts out like a throwback to the early days both in terms of its uncompromising force as well as its inventiveness, unburdened by genre rules and conventions. Then things get... even more interesting with every passing minute. Often making use of uncharacteristically melodic guitar work and catchy garage-style riffing, the Nashville group's freestyle approach to plundering their way through punk's rich history fits in just as well with more recent developments in Hardcore and bands such as Cement Shoes, Rolex or Pink Guitars.
Two years after their promising, though at times somewhat undercooked debut LP, we get to hear a way more consistent sophomore effort by this Auckland, New Zeeland trio. Their rather abstract yet always catchy compositions somewhere on the fringes of Post Punk and Noise Rock - plus a hint of Industrial - at several points remind me of Acts like Girls In Synthesis, Haunted Horses, Ice Balloons or Tunic - with a small dose of Lightning Bolt sprinkled in for good measure.
Following a 7" on Total Punk earlier this year, we now get a full length taste of this Louisville trio's raw energy via another highly reputable garage label, Goner Records. Don't expect anything clever or original about their music. Instead, expect something very familiar done exceptionally well - an undiluted blast of straight, stupid and simple, '77-flavored, balls-to-the-walls unapologetic garage punk mayhem.
