Sharing the sharing.
Montreal’s Double Date With Death bring the fuzz in large doses on their new LP L’Au-Delà. Their heavy-chugging, lo-fi, garage punk sound is similar to bands like (Thee) Oh Sees and Ty Segall.
Check out “Forêt” and “Flourescent” (below) for a sampling of how good this album is.
L’Au-Delà is available now via Howlin’ Banana Records and DDWD’s Bandcamp page.
Kiwi Jr.’s debut LP Football Money is a nice trip down the 90’s indie rock memory lane, think Pavement meets Possum Dixon. Give the jangly “Salary Man” a spin for a taste. Football Money is packed with enough pop to keep you bouncing for days. I think it’s cured the sinus infection I’ve been battling for the past three weeks. Thanks, Kiwi Jr.
Football Money is out now and available via Persona Non Grata Records and Mint Records. Enjoy.
Rezin Tooth is the secret dub project of Seattle’s Nathan Spicer along with most of his fellow bandmates from Polyrhythmics. Their self-titled debut is the “never meant to be released” album that somehow Wax Thématique is magically releasing at the beginning of 2020.
We are honored to premiere their debut single “Dub Crater” (below). It’s a laid-back, dub-filled jam flavored with hints of the funk and groove goodness Polyrhythmics are known for.
Rezin Tooth lands on January 10 and is one hell of a way to kick off the new decade. Enjoy.
I am a big Jack Cooper fan. Mazes, Ultimate Painting and of course, his incredible solo album. I was stoked to hear about Cooper’s new project, Modern Nature, with Will Young (Beak>), Aaron Neveu (Woods) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers).
On their debut album, How To Live, they combine their vast musical abilities to create 10 tracks of jazz-tinged, psychedelic rock that’s packed with layers and full of depth, which is heard throughout the entire album Check out the killer groove of “Footsteps” (below) for an example.
How To Live is available now via Bella Union. I highly recommend it.
If fuzzy, spaced-out, psychedelic, kraut rock is your thing then Greece’s Holy Monitor is the band for you. Get lost in the reverbed, jangly, grime of “Golden Light” below. It’s a killer example of what these guys can do.
Ongakubaka Records has compiled both of Holy Monitor’s self released EPs onto one fine cassette (available for preorder now) which will be unleashed on July 16. Golden Light/Aeolus is also available now digitally via Ongakubaka’s Bandcamp page.
Holy Monitor – Golden Light from Golden Light/Aeolus (2016)
If grimey, head bobbing, butt shaking, garage rock similar to bands like Black Lips, The Oblivians and Thee Oh Sees is your thing, meet your new favorite band (and mine) The Omecs. Check out the speedy, sludgefest “Infrared” (below) for a taste.
Their self-titled cassette is available from King Pizza Records. It’s been on constant repeat since it arrived in my mailbox. You can also get your hands on this release digitally from The Omecs Bandcamp page.
The Omecs – Infrared from The Omecs (2014)
Troubadour Dali are out of St. Louis, MO. On their Facebook page they call their genre “a rhythm and groove pop hypnodeathjam explosion”. That’s a pretty good description. They released their second album Let’s Make It Right back in August. The album was recorded all over St. Louis, including apartments, and fallout shelters.
Thirty seconds into “Pale Glow” and I new that this was a band that I needed to hear more of. The smooth, haunting vocal harmonies mixed with the chug of layered guitars and percussion drew me right in, and I can’t get enough of it. “Ducks In A Row” is a little bit more upbeat musically, but still has the haunting vocals like in “Pale Glow”. Go buy this album.
On my radio show, Quantic (aka Will Holland) is my go-to guy, so when I realized we had not given him the proper props on these pages. I did some music mining. Lo and behold, Holland himself provides a minor motherlode on his Quantic site. I use him as a staple on the show precisely because his catalog is extensive and diverse. Holland cut his teeth on an album of downtempo hip-hop and soul, recorded in his bedroom before he’d turned 21. He’s never looked back. Eight years and twelve full-lengths later, Quantic has proved himself a jack and master of all genres, at least the one’s he’s conquered thus far. Funk, soul, jazz, house, hip-hop, dub, electronic, and on his last few albums, reggae, salsa, tropical, and cumbia. His Combo Barbaro is made up of musicians from all over the globe, including Panamanian Singer Kabir on “Linda Morena.” I’ve not only learned to never underestimate Quantic, I’ve also learned to count on him for quality and an ever expanding sonic palette.
Leave it to Kid Koala to roust me from my blogging negligence…well, Koala and friends. DJ extraordinaire Kid Koala and indie hip-hop producer Dynomite D had been working on the score to a documentary D’s cousin Jay Rowlands was making about an obscure ’70s psych rock band called The Slew. Known mostly among obsessive record collectors, who pay as much as $1000 for a copy of the band’s only album, Dust Collector, of which there are only 50 copies in existence. The documentary got shelved as enigmatic frontman (didn’t you just know there was an “enigmatic frontman” in this story?) Jack Slew backed out. Koala and D already had already remixed and retooled a lot of The Slew’s material. When Chris Ross and Myles Heskett, the former rhythm section of Wolfmother, heard the tracks, they offered to help perform the tracks live so the music could be heard by more ears. So this fall, they’re taking their show (reportedly involving six turntables) on the road, which is the only place where you can get this soundtrack-to-a-non-existent-movie-featuring-remixes-of-tracks-you’ve-probably-never-heard-before-by-a-band-you’ve-probably-never-heard-of-before, simply titled 100%.
Check Kid Koala’s site for tour dates. (Looks like the closest it’s coming to the Motor City is Chicago…or the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa).
Today we’re happy to serve up a North West smorgasbord. However, unless you can get to the Portland area within the next 48 hours or so, this post won’t do you much good. There are the MP3s. Have at ’em. That’s the reason why you’re here ain’t it? This year marks the fifth time the good people of Portland have put their collective musicheads together for a weekend of free live music. The fantastic thing about the aforementioned people of Portland is that they’re doing this all out of the goodness of their hearts. Bands, businesses, and residents all volunteer their time to put on this grassroots festival which has spawned action packed compilations that help raise money and awareness for the festival. I wouldn’t mind it a bit if I were actually there this weekend enjoying the music, the weather, the wonderful city, and of course a healthy Powell’s browse would top things off nicely. If only… Included are songs from a few bands playing this weekend. And if your attendance is more than my pipe dream, here’s the link to the schedule.