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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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En Attendant Ana

En Attendant Ana | Julliet | 3hive.com
En Attendant Ana | Julliet | 3hive.com

Parisian quintet En Attendant Ana are back with their sophomore release Juillet. It’s jam-packed with all kinds of bouncy indie pop that’s sure to cure any winter blues. Check out “Do You Understand” below for an example.

Juillet is out on January 24 via Trouble In Mind, I highly recommend it.

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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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Todd’s Favorites of 2019

2019 was another great year for music, below are my top ten favorite albums 2019:

  1. Business of Dreams – Ripe For Anarchy [Slumberland]
  2. Select Level – S/T [Wax Thématique]
  3. Pinch Points – Moving Parts [Roolette/Six Tonnes De Chair]
  4. Oh Sees – Face Stabber [Castle Face]
  5. Modern Nature – How To Live [Bella Union]
  6. Cherry Glazerr – Stuffed & Ready [Secretly Canadian]
  7. Trampoline Team – S/T [Hozac]
  8. Cold Showers – Motionless [Dais]
  9. Czarface – The Odd Czar Against Us! [Silver Age]
  10. Altin Gün – Gece [ATO]

Also for your aural pleasure (and my own), I have attached a handy-dandy playlist of some my favorite songs from 2019…

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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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Submotile

Submotile | Ghosts Fade on Skylines | 3hive.com
Submotile | Ghosts Fade on Skylines | 3hive.com

Dublin-based duo, Submotile, destroy speakers with their debut album Ghosts Fade on Skylines. Their brand of shoegazey noise-rock pummels your ears (in a good way) and is sure to satisfy any fans of bands like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. Check out “Eastern Sky Sundown” below (I suggest cranking it up), it’s amazing that a band of only two can create music this loud.

Ghosts Fade on Skylines is available on CD and digitally via Submotile’s Bandcamp page. It’s a shame this hasn’t been pressed to vinyl. Someone should get on that.

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Grow Rich

Grow Rich | Frantic Semantic | 3hive.com
Grow Rich | Frantic Semantic | 3hive.com

Grow Rich is the one man band project of Jakarta’s Abdur Rahim Latada. His latest EP, Frantic Semantic, is 4 tracks of heavy fuzz meets jangly guitars laid over the top of pounding drum beats, it’s like hardcore shoegaze. Check out EP opener “Bounce Back” (below) for a taste.

Frantic Semantic is available now via Abdur’s Bandcamp page, it’s definitely worth the $5. Enjoy.

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Select Level

Select Level | Select level | 3hive.com
Select Level | Select level | 3hive.com

Seattle multi-instrumentalist Andy Sells has been doing his thing for quite some time, (all in bands that I need to/ will be checking out) including playing bass for Nosretep, drums for Afrocop and being part of the electronic outfit FCS North.

Sells’ new project (with Joel Cuplin, Noel Brass Jr. and Jason Powell rounding out the band) is Select Level. Their upcoming self-titled album is a funktastic, 8 song romp of post-punk meets disco-groove goodness – seriously, these guys aren’t messing around, this is a solid contender for album of the year.

Give album opener “The Race” a spin (below), it’s just a small sampling of the groove packed into this album.

Select Level drops on June 21 and is available for preorder now from Wax Thématique, you should preorder this. We will also have some copies at the 3hive Record Lounge as well. You don’t want to miss this one.