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The Gonks

The Gonks | Five Things You Didn't Know About The Gonks | 3hive.com
The Gonks | Five Things You Didn't Know About The Gonks | 3hive.com

Here are ten things I know (sort of) about the Gonks’ new album Five Things You Didn’t Know About The Gonks:

  1. They are out of San Francisco.
  2. There are 2 or 4 members?
  3. Ave Lynch plays drums and Sami Perez plays bass.
  4. Their new record has been on constant rotation since arriving at the 3hive Record Lounge.
  5. They have very witty lyrics.
  6. They play an off the wall brand of lo-fi garage-pop.
  7. Eric K. thinks they sound like Habibi – I think he’s right.
  8. The album consists of 10 songs in 16 glorious minutes.
  9. The album is released on Sonny Smith’s label Rocks In Your Head.
  10. I think Sonny Smith (unverified) sings on some of the tracks.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About The Gonks is out now via Rocks In Your Head. You can also pick it up at the 3hive Record Lounge. Five Things… is a fabulous record that needs to be heard. Enjoy a spin of “Hot Sick Vile and Fun” and “Nuns Having Fun” below.

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TRENDS

Trends | Palettes | 3hive.com
Trends | Palettes | 3hive.com

Trends is a 4-piece band out of Los Angeles. Their debut album, Palettes, is 9 tracks of slow building, gazey dream-pop tunes that are really pleasing to the ears. For example, on their single, “Branches” (below), Marina Paiz’s dreamy vocals gently guide you into a full on assault of scuzzy guitar accompanied by killer vocal harmonies that make you feel like you’ve just mainlined Karo syrup. It’s a really effective formula.

Palettes comes out on January 24. I highly recommend checking it out.

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Double Date With Death

Double Date With Death | L'Au-Delà | 3hive.com
Double Date With Death | L'Au-Delà | 3hive.com

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.

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Kiwi Jr.

Kiwi Jr. | Football Money | 3hive.com
Kiwi Jr. | Football Money | 3hive.com

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.

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Rezin Tooth

Rezin Tooth | Rezin Tooth | 3hive.com
Rezin Tooth | Rezin Tooth | 3hive.com

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.

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Modern Nature

Modern Nature | How To Live | 3hive.com
Modern Nature | How To Live | 3hive.com

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.

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Holy Monitor

Holy Monitor | Golden Light/Aeolus | 3hive.com
Holy Monitor | Golden Light/Aeolus | 3hive.com

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)

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The Omecs

The Omecs | The Omecs | 3hive.com
The Omecs | The Omecs | 3hive.com

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)

The Omecs

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Troubadour Dali

Troubadour Dali | Let's Make It Right | 3hive.com
Troubadour Dali | Let's Make It Right | 3hive.com

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.

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Quantic

Quantic And His Combo Barbaro | Tradition In Transition | 3hive.com
Quantic And His Combo Barbaro | Tradition In Transition | 3hive.com

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.