Wye Oak
Strangers 7''
Merge
2011
Rating: 9 swamp poles out of 10
Now this is what I call good bargain bin seven inchery!!! Though based on the prices on Discogs, it was a screw up selling it that cheap in the first place. Wye Oak is already a very favorite band of mine, and this record is a compilation of two covers they recorded for the AV Club - "Strangers," maybe the greatest song of all time by the Kinks, and "Mother," Danzig's best work outside of the Misfits years. Great songs recorded by great musicians is a no-brainer, just like it's a no-brainer that you should grab this should you ever stumble across it.
Idles
Mercedes Marxist 7''
Partisan
2019
Rating: 8 dead dizzy flies out of 10
Is there a more hot shit band than Idles right now? The music is good, the lyrical content is “woke as fuck” which I think is what the kids want, and the live shows are bonkers. It’s still kinda shocking I was able to see them in tiny ass Kings at the same time they were selling out 8-10,000 seat venues in the UK in minutes. The two songs here, the title tracks and the b-side “I Dream Guillotine,” are unreleased recordings from the same sessions that produced the excellent “Joy As An Act Of Resistance.” Both of these are fantastic, and it’s a shame most folks might miss out on them if they aren’t aware of this release. Or maybe in the world of all streaming/digital consumption, this is no longer an issue. I get that not every song can make the final cut for a number of different reasons, but “I Dream Guillotine” would surely be one of the favorites from the album had it been there. But it’s not. But it should be. But it’s not.
Gino And The Goons
Rip It Up
Slovenly
2019
Rating: 8.5 popped knuckles out of 10
On first listen this Gino And The Goons record breezed right past my ears. Normally, given the sheer volume of new music out these days, that would mean “Rip It Up” would have promptly gotten filed away and forgotten about. A few days later though, I was out walking around at lunch time searching for a way to quench my angry stomach and decided to give it a second listen…maybe it was accentuated by my hunger, but goddamn did this sound perfect to me at that moment. It served as a nice reminder, at least to myself, that some things don’t hit right away…sometimes a change in the listening experience will change the way you receive the tunes. Sure, your first instinct that an album isn’t worth your energy is correct 99% of the time, but every once in a while something great slips through the cracks, and I’m glad I caught this one before it was too late.
ANYWAYS – as for the actual band and music itself, Gino And The Goons are from Florida. This has now brought the list of good things about this ridiculous state up to five – Tom Petty, the Everglades, manatees, and the abundance of Cuban pork being the other four. I think this band & album would get lumped under the umbrella of “garage punk,” but more specifically it sounds like the best possible combination of the Stooges & the Heartbreakers, with a singer that sometimes reminds me of the New York Doll’s David Johansen in his delivery. The music is distorted and catchy and everything you could possibly want from an album in this genre. I’ve listened to this so many damn times now it’s hard to imagine how this didn’t get under my skin from the very first listen – opener “Watch You Shine” is a stomper that gets instantly stuck in your head, and it never lets up from there. If this is a style of music that speaks to you at all, I would be shocked if “Rip It Up” doesn’t become a fast favorite.
(Note: this record was actually self-released by the band last year, but since Slovenly just re-released it and it’s new to me I’m counting it as a 2019 release, goddammit.)
Purple Mountains
Purple Mountains
Drag City
2019
Rating: Sadness.
I had been struggling with what I might write about the excellent self-titled Purple Mountains album that came out this past summer for a little while…and then David Berman committed suicide and now I don’t really want to write anything. I’m mostly just sad about it all, and maybe a touch angry at the world, and subsequently it has made this a tough record to listen to these days. Let it be known it’s very, very good though, very Berman in all the right ways, but to quote the youth – “I just can’t right now.” I need some time to pass before I can revisit this one. Hug your family and friends, life is short. Get help if you need it, please. Maybe once the sadness passes, listen to all things David Berman, because the man was really damn good at this…I just wish that had been enough to slake his demons.
Ex Hex
It’s Real (digital single)
Merge
2019
Rating: 8 tongue mothers out of 10
“On The Mouth” is one of the all-time best Superchunk songs. Curiously, it was not actually included on their album “On The Mouth,” but rather was a b-side to the “Mower” single. This always seemed like a strange choice to me…such a fantastic, up tempo jam, and one that is still a staple of their live shows. Given their years of success it’s hard to argue with the decisions of Mac, Laura, and company, but this one always seemed like a strange oversight.
None of that really has anything to do with my thoughts on this Ex Hex single “It’s Real,” other than the similarity in that this song is also not part of the record that shares it’s same name. And my also finding it very curious. It’s a very good song also, maybe not one of their very best as was the case with “On The Mouth,” but it certainly would have fit in fine on the full length “It’s Real.” Also, it’s kind of confusing, because now when I refer to “It’s real” you have to note if you’re talking about the album or the single. THESE ARE SERIOUS LIFE PROBLEMS PEOPLE.
Oh yeah, the b-side of this single is a great Slant 6 cover, “What Kind Of Monster Are You?” If you don’t know Slant 6 you would totally believe this was an Ex Hex song, it sounds like something they would have written. Note to self: listen to more Slant 6.
Hopefully these two tracks make their way to wax at some point – I’d gladly buy the seven inch of this. Until then, you can grab it from their Bandcamp here.
Metz
M.E. 7’’
Sub Pop
2019
Rating: 7.5 wrong tires out of 10
On my list of things I never expected to hear, Metz covering Sparklhorse has to be near the top of the list, assuming such a list actually existed and I didn’t just make it up for the purposes of this dumb sentence. Apparently when a Canadian punk band tackles one of Mark Linkous’ rare upbeat tracks (“Pig”), you kinda almost get a Nirvana song. That actually makes sense when you think about it: Nirvana is exactly what you would expect when you combine noisy angst and weirdo introspection. The two other songs on this release are also covers – “I’m A Bug,” originally by Halo of Flies, which is no more interesting here than the original version; and the title track ”M.E.,” which most folks will know from the Gary Numan original, presented here in a scuzzier, more distorted format. Two out of three keepers – not bad for a grip of cover songs…I’ll take it.
Let it be noted: this is only a seven inch if you buy the Metz compilation “Automat,” as it is included as a bonus with that release (unclear if this inclusion was part of a limited edition release, or all releases). But Sub Pop also had the good smarts to also put out the seven inch as a stand alone digital single…I guess for those folks who are avid cover song collectors? Or dumbasses like me who only heard “Automat” via a definitely super legal download found randomly online that did not include these tracks.
Divine Fits
My Love Is Real 7''
Merge
2012
Rating: 7 goddamn sweaters out of 10
I'm racking my brain but I can't think of a supergroup in the last few decades that made a lasting impression...I suppose Gorillaz might be the closest, but that was really just Damon Albarn, some fake cartoon band members, and the occasional hip hop guest star. Or maybe Electronic is a better option? That duo Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner always truck me more as just a new band they were in rather than a supergroup proper...it's a distinction that is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. Back in the sixties, those drugged out ding dongs formed these type of bands left and right...Blind Faith, CSNY, etc.
Divine Fits (Britt from Spoon, Dan from Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs, and Sam from New Bomb Turks) made a totally enjoyable record called "A Thing Called Divine Fits," but I couldn't tell you the last time I listened to it. I do know I liked it. The title track of this seven inch can also be found on that release, as is typical in these situations. I suppose the real draw of this wax is the b-side, "I Was Born In A Laundromat," a Camper Van Beethoven cover that is highly enjoyable. Is it worth making an effort to seek this out? If you're really into hearing Britt Daniel sing other people's songs, yes. It is a fine cover, and reminds me that I should try listening to Camper again...they didn't really take in my younger years despite being well regarded by my peers.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Infest The Rats’ Nest
Flightless
2019
Rating: 9.5 nervous tables out of 10
There’s an overused idiom “If you don’t like the weather in [insert town/state/country name here], just wait ten minutes!” that every single person seems to think applies to whatever podunk town in which they grew up. However, the alternate version that says “If you don’t like the newest King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard album, just wait ten minutes!” is incredibly truthful. The Giz release a lot of records, but unlike others of this ilk (I’m looking at you, Robert Pollard and Will Oldham) whose output is pretty stylistically similar, these Aussies put out entire albums that are all over the map. The last one I really loved was 2017’s “Murder Of The Universe,” a heavy, prog-laden rock opera about wizards or some nonsensical Flaming Lips-esque shit. Four rather forgettable records later, they have now gifted us with “Infest The Rats’ Nest,” possibly their best work ever depending on who you ask (if you ask me, the answer is yes). If you predicted this album would mostly be an homage to eighties-style thrash metal, you should be playing the lottery or the ponies. My best guess is they have a “Wheel of Fortune”-type wheel with all music genres listed on it, and then the band records an album of whatever style is randomly chosen. King Gizzard kick it off with the Metallica-like “Planet B,” later venture into Exodus territory with my personal favorite “Organ Farmer,” go a little bit more retro with the Black Sabbathy “Superbug” and Motorhead tribute “Venusian 2,”and last but not least enter the realm of Slayer with “Self-Immolate.” The nine song album is 35 minutes long, and I’ve listened to it from start to finish more times than I can count at this point – it’s akin to listening to a great metal mixtape, it just happens to be all from the same band. There’s no way this should work as well as it does from a bunch of Australian hipsters, but there is no hint of irony here – at least for this album, King Gizzard have genuinely become a metal band, and fuck me if “Infest The Rats’ Nest” isn’t the best heavy record of the year so far (my metal friends will definitely give me shit for this opinion, because no one applies more purity tests to their music than a goddamn metalhead).
Baroness
Gold & Grey
Abraxan Hymns
2019
Rating: 9 round wheels of cheese out of 10
In no way do I mean this as snarky, but most folks even consider Baroness a metal band anymore? Your estimation on what the band "is" might considerably color your feelings on the music they're currently releasing. They’re certainly still heavy live, but as a recorded release ”Gold & Grey” has more...uh, let's call it "dark folk" tracks than rockers, and the rockers that are there should be classified as proggy hard rock at best. Mind you, despite any quibbles over classification, this record fucking rules - the scope of the thing is epic. Front man (and only original member) John Baizley has damn near found the exact formula for blending heavy songs with pop sensibilities; more importantly, perhaps his greatest gift is finding quality individuals to replace departed band members. Sebastian Thomson has been with the group for a few years now, but I’m still going to mention him every time because it still blows my mind Baroness shares a drummer with Trans Am. And the most recent acquisition, Gina Gleason, should be an even bigger head scratcher as the bulk of her experience is from performing with Cirque du Soleil...that is until you see her live, where she proves herself to be one of the most impressive people I’ve ever seen play guitar in my entire life. Her skill and backing vocals add an extra layer the band has never had before. Baroness really show off their technical chops on tracks such as “Throw Me An Anchor” and “Seasons,” a couple of personal favorites. On first listen the plethora of "slow" songs might seem out of place on a record from this band, but it’s likely this duality that really makes the more upbeat numbers stand out so much. Baroness are truly post metal – not in terms of the "post metal" genre within the larger metal world, but rather that they have transcended the metal genre entirely and are now in their own world. No one else sounds like this – and if they tried, my guess is they would fail spectacularly.
Fruit Bats
Gold Past Life
Merge
2019
Rating: 7.5 face sprinklers out of 10
I’ve been in on the Fruit Bats for a long time, from their second album “Mouthfuls” until now, and I thought I had a pretty good handle on what to expect when Eric Johnson goes into the recording studio – he’s a man who has a great ear for catchy folk-pop with a heavy seventies AOR vibe. And that description would still fit much of “Gold Past Life,” their newest release. But what I wasn’t prepared for was the title track, which sounds as if the folk Era Bee Gees were covering the disco era Bee Gees. Fruit Bats have definitely had upbeat songs before, but not one that is quite so…dancey? I don’t think that’s a word, but the point conveys. If it were still the nineties this song would definitely get released as a single with dance mix versions on the b-side. There are a few other songs that are a little more upbeat than typical Fruit Bats material, and the album as a whole is really terrific, but man…the falsetto that Johnson breaks out for the track “Gold Past Life” is the earworm of all earworms this year, and even though it’s only one-eleventh of the release, it dominates my thinking about the whole damn thing. I guess if you’re going to have one song stand out so dramatically, it’s a good thing it’s damn enjoyable.
Jay Reatard
See Saw 7''
Matador
2008
Rating: 7.5 inmates with face tattoos out of 10
Thankfully (and I wish more bands/musicians did this) the good folks at Matador decided to compile all of their Jay Reatard singles into one full-length album, thus making this seven inch not quite as vital as they sometimes can be. That said, with the title track being one of my very favorite songs by Jay, when I saw it sitting in the used bin at a local record store for a decent price I figured why the hell not own it? Just because something is unnecessary doesn't mean it's not worth adding to the collection. WHY CAN'T I HAVE NICE THINGS TOO?!?
R.I.P. Jay - you were a damn fine songwriter and performer and drugs are stupid.
Pelican
Nighttime Stories
Southern Lord
2019
Rating: 8 corporate trend reports out of 10
This "review" is more a note of me saying that (a) Pelican have a new record out called "Nighttime Stories" and (b) it's really good. For the uninitiated, Pelican are an instrumental metal band from Chicago that occasionally include prog, sludge, and post-rock tendencies into their sound. They've released at least a half dozen consistently great records in their 15+ year career, and I'm not entirely sure what words I can throw out there to spice up what they are - you either like this type of music or you don't. Pelican are one of the godheads of the genre, and "Nighttime Stories" is a damn fine continuation of their legacy. I'm particularly a fan of the second track "Midnight and Mescaline," but the whole damn record is in top form.
House Of Large Sizes / Treepeople
Split 7''
Toxic Shock
1991
Rating: 6.5 slapped bastards out of 10
I bought this split seven inch for one reason - Treepeople. I mean, I guess the max number of reasons would be two so I'm not sure why I pointed this out, but...yeah. Their track is "Neil's Down," which is also available on their second album "Guilt Regret Embarrassment," but it's not like I paid much for this slab of repitition. Like most Treepeople songs it just sounds like a noiser, more chaotic version of Built To Spill (an inevitable comparison given I worked backwards from Built To Spill to this band). This particular track is almost a little Jawbreaker-ish, which is not something I've ever thought before when listening to Treepeople.
The other side is a band called House Of Large Sizes with "Bankrupt In Hoven." I had literally never even heard the name of this band before buying this, which is actually an accomplishment given the number of years I've been listening to exactly this genre of music. This track is mid-tempo, grunge-adjacent, and has a weird time signature...it sounds a bit like an old Chapel Hill band called Capsize 7, but since almost no one remembers them or even knew them in the first place, let's just say this band is definitely influenced by Sonic Youth. It's not bad - I'd be curious to hear more of their music.
Superchunk
AF (Acoustic Foolish)
Merge
1994 / 2019
Rating: Subdued perfection.
Superchunk are easily one of my top three favorite bands of all time. “Foolish,” their fourth record released in 1994, is easily one of my top three favorite albums by Superchunk. You want to make an educated guess on how I feel about a reworked, fully acoustic version of this classic album?
Given the nature of “AF,” there’s no real reason to rehash the content, but rather what makes it different and worthwhile. First, and most importantly, it sounds goddamn fantastic - any avenue with which you choose to listen to “AF” is a perfectly cromulent choice, but do yourself a favor and ingest this with some headphones at least once. It is perfection. Second are the guests – to no surprise, many members of the Merge family show up: Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Flock Of Dimes) and Allison Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) add backing vocals, Owen Pallett (Arcade Fire, Hidden Cameras) provides strings here and there, Matt Douglas (Mountain Goats) does his saxophone thing, and finally none other than the legendary Peter Holsapple (The dB’s) plugs away on the piano on a couple of tracks. On top of that, many of the songs have been slightly reworked – as an example, “Saving My Ticket” is almost a bossa nova song now. Third – it’s fucking Superchunk. Don’t be an idiot, buy everything they put out, it’s the only way to live life successfully.
Christian Fitness
You Are The Ambulance
Self-Released
2019
Rating: 7.5 skull tongues out of 10
It’s pretty exciting to come across an album from a new band that immediately sounds familiar – it sounds like a record you might already have in your collection, only you don’t know these particular songs. I had that feeling with the ridiculously named Christian Fitness and their newest release “You Are The Ambulance.” As is typical for me, my very next thought is who does this new band sound like? I hear elements of PIL, some Devo for sure, the Fall in their quirkier moments, but what it sounded most like was McClusky – a little less agro than McClusky could sometimes be, but the comparison was undeniable. Now, being a learned man of science, my next step was to do a little research on Christian Fitness (aka punch their name into Discogs) – it appears this is a solo project (it doesn’t sound like it), or they were just too lazy to list the rest of the band. The one member listed? Andy Falkous… and if that name sounds as familiar to you as it does to me, it’s because he used to be the frontman of… McClusky. I’m not sure If this means my band comparison skills are incredibly accurate, or it’s more of a “no shit they sound the same you simpleton, it’s the same dude playing basically the same type of music just under a different name.” Regardless, I like it, it scratches that spazzy/post-punk/angular/noise rock itch that I pretty much always have in the back of my brain, and that’s good enough for me. Also: apparently this is Andy’s sixth album under this moniker (all of which seem to be self-released & digital only), so not only is the artist not new, this particular outlet for him isn’t new either. Well it’s new to me, dammit!
