This Portland Group's third full length further refines their explosive formula of seriously noise- and slightly garage-infused postcore into their most realized and elaborate effort do date, their hyperactive vision of structured chaos constantly shapeshifting and throwing curveballs all the way, leading into all kinds of interesting maneuvers. Although no two songs are too much alike on here, the most frequently applicable comparisons i can come up with are groups such as the various incarnations of New York's Kaleodoscope, early Bad Breeeding, Acrylics and, in some parts, Crisis Man, early Video and Ascot Stabber.
The second LP of this Chico, California based group led by Jake Sprecher (of Smokescreens, Beehive and Terry Malts fame) picks the strands right up where they were left off on their amazing 2021 debut album Try Not To Think, which is to say: More of their irresistibly catchy blend of noise- and power pop, garage- and fuzz punk making for yet another high-octane bubblegum pop spectacle whose impeccable songwriting prowess never flounders even for a second!
Over the past two years, Portland label Spared Flesh Records has proven itself a real powerhouse of weird and offbeat noises in the realm of post-, garage- and art punk and this new LP by Reuben Sawyer aka Anytime Cowboy is yet another rough gem to behold. His bluesey low-key cowpunk sound comes across kinda like an incarnation of early Gun Club incredibly mindful of not waking the neighbors or a super-muted version of Parquet Courts, Tyvek, while in parts also not entirely dissimilar to that recent Peace de Résistance album. It's a soundscape that could softly lull you to sleep if it weren't for that pervasive sense of unspeakable abysses lurking just around any corner now, with Sawyers calm deep voice further adding to the music's quite uncanny yet weirdly comforting qualities.
Is that title meant to be understood as a 13th Floor Elevators reference? If so, it kinda fits (plus a ton of Kinks in here as well, i'd say…) as this LP marks the closest the eclectic project of Jake Robertson (Ausmuteants, Smarts, Drug Sweat, etc…) has ever approached classic '60s garage rock territory - a proposition that could easily turn out a recipie for pure boredom in the hands of lesser musicians, but damn… this dude simply knows how to construct and carry a catchy tune. Add to the mix lots of ancient power pop of only the saddest kind and you get an LP that will surely turn out a bit difficult to swallow for some fans of his broader work, yet also doesn't seem too out-of-place if you're familiar with the breadth of previous Alien Nosejob releases, as Robertson has already dabbled in similar fare on albums such as Various Fads and Technological Achievements (2018) and Suddenly Everything Is Twice As Loud (2020), although here he finally goes all-in on this overwhelming sense of doom, an all-devouring black cloud of deep melancholia.
Pedigree of Tournai, Belgium follow up their excellent 2020 mini-LP with another strong batch of tunes, continuing the trend of their originally more garage-leaning sound gradually moving into more of a post punk direction and even some flashes of '90s postcore can be gleamed in songs such as Trapped,S.A.D. and Bread, calling to mind bits and pieces of Jawbox, Drive Like Jehu, Polvo and Hot Snakes. Disgraced, on the other hand, has more of a melodic sensibility right out of the Vaguess, Bad Sports or Motorbike playbook. And overall, my previous comparisons to french groups á la Telecult, Nightwatchers still hold true, as well as a bunch of international acts like Sauna Youth, Teenanger, Video, or Clamm.
Having done an already pretty fuckin' neat first EP earlier this year, this duo (i think…) from Hollywood, Florida follows up on that with an even more weird, ecccentric and eclectic new cassette, once again operating on the fringes of post-, garage-, egg- and art punk. Right out of the gate i'm reminded of the first Peace de Resistánce EP's crude proto-meets-post punk sketches, combined with the relaxed acid-/space rock leanings of the latest Scooter Jay tape. Digging my Grave surprises and delights with its oddball cowpunk feel while the overall vibe and anything-goes approach most of all makes me think of acts á la Print Head, Electric Prawns 2. The brand new Anytime Cowboy record wouldn't make the worst comparison either in some places while other bits and pieces then have a distinct smell of early Snooper, Metdog, Checkpoint, Silicone Prairie… even a tiny smidge of early Woolen Men!
Hard to believe Winchester, Virginia group Power Pants have only been around for less than a year as of now, but indeed their three impressive LPs so far have all been churned out over the course of 2023 and their newest EP still shows no signs of their über-productive song machine slowing down anytime soon! This is yet another ridiculously charming treat of catchy-as-hell, kinda egg-ish garage- and synth punk pushing all the right buttons to further enchant connoiseurs of shit roughly in the vein of Ausmuteants, Set-Top Box, Gee Tee, Erik Nervous, Sex Mex or Daughter Bat And The Lip Stings.
Last year's demo by this London group has been a thoroughly pleasant occurence already and their newest EP even packs considerably more of that same kind of punch, their mix of noise-heavy postcore and garage-leaning fuzz punk at times coming across like a variant of Hot Snakes or Obits with more of a melancholic undercurrent which also kinda reminds me a lot of Wymyns Prysyn, with further credible comparisons to be made to acts such as Ascot Stabber, Crisis Man, Zero Bars, Beast Fiend and Mystic Inane.
On their fourth album, the Texas post punk overlords Institute present themselves as strong as ever with plenty of tricks left up their sleeve for keeping listeners on their toes, never knowing what they're gonna do next. Overall, the previous LP's trend towards a more melodic and relaxed sound is continued here, creeping a lot closer to the aesthetics of singer Mose Brown's NY based project Peace de Résistance, taking cues mostly from the first wave of art- and post punk groups. There's a strong vibe á la Television, Modern Lovers or early Soft Boys goin' on in songs like City and Wonder. Dead Zone then feels a bit like Wipers-meet-Saints while All The Time echoes the likes of Metal Urbain, MX-80, Suicide and Chrome. Dopamine for my Baby weirdly has a strong touch of contemporary NY group Straw Man Army to it. All of it then culminates in the epic, slightly Wire-esque closing track Warmonger.
Another insane quality release courtesy of Erste Theke Tonträger by a Melbourne group featuring members of such household names like Pinch Points, Dr. Sure's Unusual Practice, Gonzo and Dragnet. Right out of the gate we're greeted with an adventurous sound somewhere inbetween garage-, synth- and art punk calling to mind acts like Ghoulies, Set-Top Box, Isotope Soap and a bit of Erik Nervous. Second track Friends continues in that direction, then takes a sharp turn into psychedelic post punk territory somewhat reminiscent of groups like Marbled Eye, Yammerer, Waste Man or Public Eye. Break surprises with a relaxed psychedelic garage- and fuzz pop groove, followed by Ice Summit, a compact, economical garage rocker echoing the likes of Parquet Courts, Tyvek and Shark Toys. Then, shit gets truly weird with Drift - a sprawling garage-and-eggpunk-goes-progressive-rock kind of exercise unafraid to go real cheesy in the expansive middle part. Side B then comes across more homogenous, less ambitious but by no means less enjoyable, these straightforward bangers reflecting the likes of Cherry Cheeks, Smirk, Metdog, Powerplant and Freak Genes, among a ton of other shit.
