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Fey Gods "Untied" cassette Frozen Bears s/t CD-R |
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Im Mel Silse "Resistance Aesthetics" cassette Meth Teeth 4 song cassette Nerve City 2007 demo & �Sole Survivor� cassette Polyps "Wheat" cassette Psychedelic Horseshit �Magic Flowers Dubbed� cassette Superstitions s/t cassette |
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Suzy Wong and the Honkeys "22" CD-R Teenanger "Banned from the Beaver" cassette |
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Tusk Lord "Summer 2008" CD-R V/A �Esta Sucia Ciudad� comp cassette V/A UV Race/Eddy Current Suppression Ring split live cassette 
Video Disease demo cassette White Load tour casette/CDR To read past reviews go here. TAPES AND DEMOS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO: |
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This tape is real boon for all you Demon's Claws completists out there, as it compiles nineteen tracks worth of odds'n'sods from a band I want to call under-rated, although I'm not sure that's true. They have been one of the finest Canadian recording acts of recent vintage and I think their invigorating take on country/blues via the garage rock template has influenced the modern rock landscape a bit more than we think. First six tracks burst out from a decently recorded live show from 2003 on their home turf (with Skip on drums and including a nice run through "Shadow of a Castle"), then it's on to various demos and unreleased nugs. Some very early demos from 2002-03 (and even a little something from 2001?), a couple of A+ tracks recorded in Germany with guest sax from DM Bob (who really makes sense as their brother-in-arms when you think about it), two Mike McHugh-recorded leftovers from what I would guess were the second LP sessions, great Waylon Jennnings and Rio Rockers ("Mexicali Baby", one of the best on here) covers, and versions of a couple singles tunes. A good mix of a few polished sounding studio numbers and some rough-sounding off-the-cuff stuff, I would imagine people would buy this on vinyl should it happen to see release via that format, and those people wouldn't be disappointed. A nice addition to the Demon's Claws story so far. 100 copies was most likely not enough for this release. Comes with download code, as do all Telephone Explosion releases, in a nice touch.(RK)
Der Racers are certainly charming gents, and I can't help but feel kinship for a band who have such a shit-fi and just plain old stupid aesthetic. "Kill Your Parents" sounds like the Rip Offs, but way worse, which means way better in this case. "Ape Shit" is barely audible jack-offery, the tape seemingly being eaten as they recorded. I think it's just great. On to side B..."Cool Jacket" is about wearing such an item of clothing. Cool jackets are tough to come by, so I can relate to the need for writing a song like this. So obvious, so simple, so sloppy. "Shit Guitar" follows in the same vein...yes, that guitar sounds really shitty fellas, you're right! I'd say this should've been released on vinyl, but the tape hiss permeating this thing might be lost in translation. Really loveable stuff here, I'm glad these kids are out there making shit music...it's like Livefastdie without the talent (and I mean that in a good way!). People who think the Trashies are at all clever or good should be hit in the fucking head repeatedly with a tape deck playing this cassette. This thing sucks in all the right ways.(RK)
Like most people, I suspect, my first take on Meth Teeth was �horrible fucking band name.� Still, my faith in Sweet Rot Records sustained and I picked up their EP. I�m glad I did since it�s a real gem that�s stayed in constant play rotation around the house. I was pleased to see this four-song cassette on the band�s merch table when they rolled through New York on tour this summer. I�m not sure if this is a demo for upcoming records (which, from the looks of their MySpace page, there are plenty of) or a stand-alone release, nor am I sure if this was made in plentiful supply. If not, it might be worthwhile to petition the band to have some more copies of this one made up and sent to distros as it would be a shame for these recordings to vanish into obscurity. Meth Teeth are a bit hard to pin down musically; punk in the way that �Slay Tracks� and Beyond the Implode are, and spun very much from the same mold. Some disparate aesthetics work together quite well in their songs�folksy guitar tracks, feedback, aggressive cymbal and tambourine bashing. For my money, �Failures Selected by God� is the standout track (and, really, one of my favorite songs I�ve heard this summer) but the entire release is great. It�s not too often that a band can pull off a homemade, relatively original sound so flawlessly, but these kids from the Pacific Northwest sure make it look easy. But they�ve still got to do something about the band name.(DH)
Some of the most interesting music to cross my path lately has been the work of lone gunmen visionaries who record their music without assistance in the privacy of their own bedroom (or basement, bathroom, garage�). Nerve City�s bedroom is somewhere down in Virginia, and from the sound of things, the view is a little bleak. There�s an atmosphere, gloomy but not hopeless, that permeates these recordings. I�m sure it has as much to do with the minimal instrumentation and pieced together recording setup as it does with the songs themselves. These eight tracks, stretched across two tapes, present a portfolio of homespun melodies, revisiting paths once traveled by the Velvets, JAMC, and others, but Nerve City has their own, fresh interpretation of the scenery. The best part is that these demos are just the tip of the iceberg�the inspiration from that Southern bedroom does not seem to be easing up as Nerve City has numerous releases lined up, including one on North America�s finest label, Sweet Rot.(DH)
It's not that often Termbo gets sent materials that include notes saying "perhaps an Alastair Galbraith fan would be sympathetic" to their release. It's great that we're crossing musical lines here that I never thought we would venture across when we started. It's energizing to see things becoming so diverse. So, Galbraith fans...I'm sure we have one here somewhere. I've heard some Plagal Grind and some tracks on Xpressway comps, but I've never fancied myself an expert of any sort on the NZ scene, particularly not this branch of the tree. From what I know this could fit the bill in some ways, but definitely not from the noisy side of the Kiwi fence I'm more familiar with. Somewhat strange acoustic folk, old-sounding, as if you're listening through a Victrola, not exactly fragile but somewhat delicate in its bare bones composition. Distant vocals (with female accompaniment at times), pastoral guitar plucking, reminiscent of rolling hills of green and fields plowed with weathered tools, not truly twee but somewhat childlike. Gentle, acoustic, earthy, simple...not the sort of stuff I'm generally allied with, but I would venture the Polyps creaky and shambling offerings (and the semi-pop structures/melodies disguised within) could reach out to some of you of like mind. (RK)
I wouldn�t guess most would consider this a must-own release, but it certainly presents an interesting piece of the Psychedelic Horseshit puzzle. Fittingly for the format, there�s plenty of experimentation going on as the band plays around with their sound. �Catch a Wave� could�ve been on the album and is their typically awesome noise-pop. Next up is �Rather Dub,� where the tape takes on a life of its own. Devoid of any melodies, the song is a droning soundscape�a completely atmospheric track. This style is expanded upon on the flipside in �Bob Dylan�s 42nd Annual Report,� which is a track full of feedback, Casio play, effects, and stray noises that runs the entire length of the side. About halfway through the song, the band joins in with a short track of acoustic guitar and vocals played directly over the noise track. When it ends, the song plays out as it began, with a hypnotizing array of noise. It�s a cool and unusual tape that I�d recommend spending some time with.(DH)
Unless you�re able to dedicate a few hours a day to letter and email writing, tape making, and package sending, it�s incredibly easy to lose track of what�s current across the world. Me? I struggle to keep in touch with my best friends and, regretful as it is, it�s just not in my nature to stay on top of an international network of punk rockers. It�s a shame because I just know that somewhere out in Prague, a band I�ve never heard of has just recorded a brilliant track that I�ll never hear. Thanks to �Esta Sucia Ciudad,� I can�t make quite the same claim of Barcelona. The tape compiles tracks picked from demos released from the city�s scene (my Spanish is poor at best, but looking over the sleeve I�m pretty sure they�re all from Barcelona). Most of the tracks were recorded over the past few years, but they go back as far as 1996 for some vintage E-150 material (their track doesn�t convey quite the same energy here that the band did live on their US tour earlier this decade). There�s a pretty good case to be made in this tape that the city has a standout scene of raw, aggressive hardcore. Across the board, the quality on the tape is high, but a few tracks standout for me�Firmeza 10 with one of the better Discharge covers I�ve heard, Residuos Electronicos� electro punk weirdness, and most of all Escroto De Rata, whose song reminds me of the more interesting early UK peace punk (RP�s first, Part 1 7�). Unless you�re already in the know, I�d recommend you grab a copy of this tape to fill yourself in.(DH)
Everybody fucking loves Australia now...message board pundits and internet bloggers and fanzine reviewers can't suck Aussie dick fast enough these days. Naked on the Vague should run for president. Fabulous Diamonds should have a holiday created for them. Most people haven't even heard the Ooga Boogas and still want to cup their balls. John Sharkey loves this shit so much he moved there. Random wombats on the street are being offered record deals. Everyone loves the "other X". Eddy Current Suppression Ring are gonna cure cancer...fuck, next thing you know people are going to be claiming they're into the early INXS catalog and start saying Midnight Oil actually made a good record at some point (they didn't). But I'll be damned if I'm not ex-fucking-cited about this shit too. It's deserved praise for the country that has created the best music in history outside of the US and UK. I'm just as drunk on Oz cock as the rest of you. And this tape is a nice stiff belt of the good juice. Recorded live at Missing Link Records earlier this year, the UV Race side sounds even better than their 7" if you ask me, and yes you did ask. You get most of the cuts from the single plus a few you ain't heard before making an even half-dozen. I love the goofy and haphazard charm of these kids, who seem like the little bros of the current Aussie-garage explosion, all wild and outta control and full of vim-n-vigor n' piss-n-vinegar. Again, even better than the 7" sez me. Rocnk'n'roll saviors (and I say this in all seriousness, I'm not being a wiseacre here...) ECSR fill up Side Bee with five of their own, live from the same show. Excellent sound on this recording all around, the boys do three from 'Primary Colours' and two you might not've heard yet ("Pitch A Tent" and the incredible "Time of Day"), making for a side full of antics that make me sad I still haven't seen 'em live outside of Youtube and even sadder that there's a chance I may never see them. Someone give them that damn Australian Grammy so's they can get paid and tour their asses the fuck on over here again. Damn. I love you Eddy Current Suppression Ring, thanks for making my life a better place to be in. Get yourself this tape quickly. Even if you don't have a tape deck, just buy it and stare at it. That'll be more constructive than listening to a good majority of other recs out there these days. (RK)
Two variations here, with slight differences, that you might own if you've seen these Eastern Seaboard hardcore rapers, excuse me, hardcore ragers on tour East of the Mississippi this year past. Both versions feature tracks from an unmastered version of what is (was?) to be their "My Wall" EP, slated for release some time in the future or past on Spin the Bottle Records. Five tracks of scuzzcore, American-style, with hard-edged guitar and broken glass vocals. I'm imaging "My Wall" is a sort of a play on "My War"...could be...it's got a cool kinda fake-out breakdown where they speed it up instead of slowing down for a mosh part. Pretty sick shit. I dig sentiments like "Endless Bummer" and "Fuck Jams" (a cassette only track) and the general sleazy vibe these dudes stink of. CD-R version has the whole EP, cassette version has two tracks from said EP plus four others on the A-Side plus a live set on the B-Side (GG and Flipper covers) that sounds like hell in a fun way. Good straightahead modern hardcore with a welcome sense of dark humor. Both of these look numbered out of 25, unsure of availability, but they do you a solid and have a downloadable version here...(RK)