OVAL/LITURGY - "Split LP" (Thrill Jockey)

 

   

WOW.Just...wow.Markus Popp, aka: Oval, has been dubbed the pioneer of  the "glitch" movement, that swept the electronic music genre in the early 90's.He's very well respected, and a staple among various music publications, and fellow electronic musicians alike.These four new tracks are the first we've herd from him in almost ten years, and despite the long hiatus, it's obvious that Popp has continued to grow musically, expanding on his minimal skittering electro, in a big way.He returns with a much bigger, beefed up sound, with the use of stringed instruments and real percussion."Kreak" opens Oval's side of things, with a scattered acoustic guitar stumbling over live drums, hinting a possible free jazz excursion about to take place.Add his carefully crafted skittering glitches, and that's just what you get.The drums continue to come in random bursts, along with colorful clicks and crackling electronic warble, with the acoustiguitar strumming out of time and slightly off key to create a mesmerizing flood of sharp, sporadic melodies.It's the longest of the bunch, clocking in at just over six minutes, and it's a nice re-introduction to Oval's new organic instrumentation.The next three tracks are short snippets of mini-movements, with the same acoustic vibe of the opener.It's good to hear from Popp again, and hopefully this project will turn out a new LP from Oval.Fingers crossed.

  The B-side offers a brilliant contrast to Oval's subtle warmth, courtesy of Brooklyn 's Liturgy.Originally a solo project of guitarist and singer Hunter Hatchet Hendrix, he's since become quite the live spectacle, with a full band backing him on stage and in the studio.The band has recently released their monstrous new full length, also for Thrill Jockey, called "Renihilation".It's their first recording as a collective, with each member contributing to the recording process,it's a definite first for Liturgy.Here, this forward-thinking black metal act gives us a nineteen minute tidal wave of ethereal movements and open spaces, blending their abrasive guitar assault with hushed electronic drones, and nods to world music."Untitled" starts out with a slow and crushing guitar riff, slightly changing octaves each time it repeats itself.It's got all the elements of modern doom metal pummeling, with some interesting drum syncopation scattered throughout it.After what seems like an eternity's worth of crashing drums and brash riffing, things take a very unexpected turn.As the chords fizzle out and melt into ringing feedback, a loner analog pulse cuts through the pink noise, with no particular melody or tempo, it's just scattered random bleeps.Eventually this single note takes shape, and creates a steady blip, similar to a radar's hum.A slow-rising choir begins to chant in a dark and affected tone, as a jumbled tribal bump enters the picture, beating along at a stumbling pace.Enter the steady build of distant guitars, and all the sudden things being to burst with color.We are now in the midst of epic post-rock bliss, with soaring melodies and thick walls of heavy chords.An electrifying feeling lies within every note of this rise, and the movement holds strong for a solid 7 minutes, before changing tempos on us more than a few times.Eventually fading out into nothingness, we are left with a single male voice that hums repeatedly, sounding like some kind ofaboriginal campfire chant, as it wanders off into the dark.This is Liturgy, free of rules and regulations.Forward thinking black metal has arrived.

WET HAIR - "In Vogue Spirit" LP (De Stijl)

  Wet Hair have crafted for us their most playful and colorful record to date.This time for the ultra-busy De Stijl label.Shawn Reed and Ryan Garbes have been playing together for quite a while now, both being ex-Raccoo-oo-oons, they display an effortless and natural syncopation, and their musical chemistry is in full bloom on In Vogue Spirit.They seem to find their way back to one another at every turn, whether locked into a deep groove, or spiraling through a ten minute free-form tangent.Their last few releases have shown them gravitate towards a more streamlined, palatable sound, focusing more on carefully structured movements.Reed's low, mumbled vocal style has been transformed into a bright and colorful instrument, and his range has certainly widened quite a bit, too.Garbes' drumming is spot on, as usual, keeping things right n' tight on all fronts.Where as with the earlier, and exceptionally minimal WH releases, it seemed as if he was filling in the gaps and open spaces with his controlled chaos, In Vogue Spirit barely has any of them.The songs are full and fully realized, with the occasional jaunt into abstract improvisation, but the majority of the album is focused and free, tightly wound and coming apart at the same time.

  "Echo Lady" is a perfect example of that statement, with it's breezy organ run and steady bass rumble, jogging along to a simple drum groove.They've taken a poppy psych-rock approach, and traded in the electric guitars for a pile of homemade electronics and deep vibrato organs.Reed's voice has a bit of stylish swagger to it, similar to one-time Night Person -Dead Luke's slightly tone-deaf crooning.It's right where it should be, and perfectly out of tune.Reminds me of La Dusseldorf's less mechanical repetitive pop perfection.THIS is how you start off a record.The following track is somewhat of a return to their minimal kraut leanings, with a breezy tune called "The Garden Room".That old Wurlitzer percussion fades in, possibly set to "Rumba", bringing along a drive of melodic bleeps and blips for the ride.It's a slow and steady drift down a river of analog trickling and casio ripples, and things are starting to sound like Wet Hair.The vocals are a bit incoherent and warbled, but delivered in an uplifting tone, creating some good vibes.There's a bit of knob twisting at one point, as they stray into more free-form synth runs, and then it's right back into Ralph and Florian style chorus hooks.This sort of awesome, stop and go control is all over this record, and the songs just seem to get better and accessibly weirder as it plays on.I wouldn't exactly call them polished, I would call them carefully spit-shined.They've taken their deep electro-collages down a few new uncharted territories, and the results are epic.The days of Suicide-esque blankness seem to be ancient history for Wet Hair, but they are an unpredictable machine, so we will just have to see.Check out their recent splits with NOTV, Rene Hell, and Peaking Lights, and an upcoming 7"/art book on NNF.Total ear and eye candy.

UMBERTO - "Freeze!" 7-inch (Not Not Fun)

 
  Part-time Expo 70 contributor, Matt Hill, returns to his beloved Italo-horror alter-ego, to give us a new seven inch that's heavily laced with nostalgia.Freeze! offers up four new moonlight romps, hot off the crime ridden streets of 1980's Los Angeles.This time around, he's got us dancing to a different genre of film score, as told through the visions of a twenty something beat cop.A wild mannered loose cannon, who plays by his own rules, and gets his man no matter what the risk.Late night jaunts through sleazed out back alleys turn to an all night stakeout, deep within L.A.'s seedy underbelly.The sound of a drug deal gone bad are all over this thing, only to be drowned out by the repeated blasts and squealing tires, from the high speed chase headed this way.Rhythms set to the crude tones of street hustles, prostitution and car theft.These tunes are spot-on, cut from a scene where crime syndicates and dream sequences collide, boombox ready and totally infectious.It's all where it should be.Soaring synth runs topple over mechanized, straight-shooter casio beats.Pounding bass samples and not-piano scales are running shit, making for some serious action flick vibes.Theme song heroes Jan Hammer and Stan Bush will surely come to mind, as well as a healthy amount of worship for Moroder's "The Chase".
   "Put An APB On Those Bastards" kicks things off with a swaggering hi-hat sprint.Before long a funk-less synth bass joins in, and they layers of sharp keys and Midi brass begins to invade your personal space.A perfect tune for questionable post-sundown activities.It's a slow cruise down the strip with the T-tops off, as two undercover cops hang their leather-patched elbows out the window of a rusted old Buick.In the reflection of their smudged aviator shades, two suspicious characters move stolen goods from the back of a truck and into an abandoned Firehouse.It belonged to a group of guys who used to bust ghosts for a living.(see "Illegal Entry With Intent To Zuul").A bit of a turn from the ethereal doom and gloom of his past two releases, but all the more addictive and totally legit.Maybe it will find it's way to cassette sooner or later, as this was made for street corner blasting and midnight crusing.Highly Recommended.

XANDER HARRIS - "Urban Gothic" LP (Not Not Fun)

  Another notch in NNF's bed post, and one of our favorites for 2011, thus far.Xander Harris aka: Justin Sweatt, conjures up thirteen unlucky tracks of nightmarish industrial doom and gloom, with his debut full length, Urban Gothic.Not unlike label mate Umberto's Italo-horror club scores, Urban Gothic further explores the dark corners of goth and industrial music.Plenty of nods to John Carpenter's dramatic sound-scapes, and Claudio Simonetti's creepy synth manipulations, laid atop minimalist, Moroder style street beats.A bit heavier on the late 80's Euro club tip than the aforementioned, but remember, this is not a film score.This is dance music for the spirit world.Creeper anthems and paranoid campfire tales put to tape.Urban Gothic is far from any painfully sequenced laptop jam, the songs are quite good and terribly addictive.The stiff, robotic elements of typical machine drumming and motorik programming bores have been removed, as Harris has apparently played all of the percussion himself, with the use of electronic drum pads.It makes for a looser, more organic approach to the grave rave.Deep synth chords fill the air, like a thick black smoke rising from a smoldering ash.Those icy arpeggios and haunting melodies just seem to slither down through the cracks of throbbing bass lines perfectly.Visions of a giant axe swinging overhead in slow motion, a ghoulish hand creeping over someones shoulder, and a smoke-filled torture chamber flood your mind's eye with each listen.Things are pitch black and neon pink all at once, a shady old house in a familiar part of town.Given the midnight horror marathon vibe of this record, it remains a totally danceable and fun listen.With song titles like "Hatchet In Your Teeth", "Fucking Eat Your Face", and "I Want More Than Just Blood", you can't go wrong.Or, you've gone terribly wrong, in all of the right ways.Killer B-horror flick stills on the cover to boot.Highly recommended cemetery jams for after-after parties and introvert bedroom clubbing.

SILK FLOWERS - "Ltd. Form" LP (PPM)

  Brooklyn's Silk Flowers return in full bloom, with their second full length, Ltd. Form.Straying away from the ominous, cold-wave blankness of their previous work, Silk Flowers deliver an album's worth of full-bodied synth-pop jams, and pastoral whatever-wave bliss.The album opens with three beat-driven instrumentals, prominently displaying their ability to create rich textures, deep chord structures and some rather impressive sequencing.It's not until the attention-grabbing "Fruit Of The Vine", that the vocals make their first appearance.The song thumps along steadily, with a tuneful chord progression that somewhat resembles Air's "sexy boy".Aviram Cohen's deep, straight-faced vocals sink down beneath the swirling synths, like an ironic, yet appropriate Ian Curtis impression.Although this ancient style of singing can sound dull and rather disinterested, Cohen's range has opened up quite a bit since we last heard him, and his gloomy voice manages finds it's rightful place within the new found complexity of his songs.Album closer, "A Brush Through The Dust" shows the Flowers in full stride, with it's soaring analog pulses and layers of trickling melodies.Cohen's words are loose, yet his lines stick right on point, backed by a staggering beat straight from the Factory Records back catalog.A fresh and tasteful take on a rather overpopulated genre.Recommended.

White Ring/oOoOO - split 7" (Emotion)

 

  Witch Haus...yup.You've heard of it.I'm sure your weirdo friends who pretend to be neo-goth introverts, but are really cool as a fucking cucumber, spit this term out at random.It makes me giggle.
White Ring is a talented young gal from NYC, who is sometimes joined by friends in a live setting.On "Roses", she conjures up some fairly dense, ultra thick synth blasts, and throws them up against crispy, bangin' machine drums.Her voice lurks somewhere between soaring melody and horrifying shriek.Both seem to work rather well next to the giant walls of analog synth wash and the heavy boom-boom-clap.I am a huge fan of their demo cd-r, which is probably long gone by now, but worth the hunt for sure.
  The flipside offers up a brand new studio track called "Seaww" from our beloved beat lurks, oOoOO.This act has been dick-stroked by just about every "top-notch" music blog you can think of, and they are about to get the same treatment with this one as well.I just love this stuff.I've seen them compared to Salem more than a few times, and I suppose it's not so far off base, but they've got their own thing going on for sure.I've even heard people compare them to "Art of Noise in drag"...pretty rad.Slow moving, tattered 808 beats, coupled with other random shakers, bass drops, and things that rattle wildly are laid out as the foundation for some rather dark and ethereal tones.
  Weird film  and voice samples are slowed down, sped up, disassembled, and reconstructed into catchy rhythms and chilling synth swells.Their music is for the most part a very dark and haunting affair, but they are good at sneaking in these very faint, uplifting melodies amongst the haze of their psyched-out whirls and ghostly beat collage.This stuff has a tendency to drift into nothingness, and stay there for the remainder of the song, or album, but oOoOO are kind of stellar songwriters, or producers, rather..whatever works for you..and most every bit of this is a compelling, ritualistic listen.Recommended.After you soak in this for a while, check out their recent ep on the young Tri Angle label..Stunning.

MI AMI: 20JFG GUEST PODCAST

  Mi Ami‘s deliriously lo-fi mix for us got lost briefly in the flooded series of tubes that connect 20JFG to the outside world. Thankfully its battered form has been secured from the depths of Sendspace.
This is like being stuck in the middle of sensory deprivation bubble in the throbbing heart of Detroit Techno circa ’89. As you near the sides the waves of distorted bass overwhelm you. You retreat attempting to find the event horizon for the vertiginous noise, sometimes straying into silence occasionally tuning to an alternate plane altogether and forever falling into bass.
  If Ableton was used for this, its emotionally damaged shell will be walking the corridors of anonymous nightclubs approaching strangers and blithely offering them quantisation services. This isn’t perfectly bland mixing – it’s welding. Tracks crashed together, fused with audio fed straight from  
  YouTube – I’m pretty sure you can hear the volume being turned up on a Mac towards the start. EQs dial in and out, not to accentuate the drop or build tension but with unfathomable almost organic logic. Like a restless animal, hi-frequencies are isolated, tossed around, dropped and fed back into the mix before the whole thing jumps through a portal to another mix entirely, glimpsing its own future (or past it’s hard to tell) before slamming back into the original timeline. For a moment. Then silence. In a mix.
 This is glorious.This could also have been a complete mess if the selections hadn’t supported this approach but thankfully each track seems part of a narcotic fever dream we drift in and out of, flicking channels within some schizophrenic PKD opera. Which I guess is like most music we love: the selection of the component parts support the unconventional ideas at their core. Well, most of the time.

Mi Ami – Deep In The Cut (4am Mix) with Diva Dompe and M. Geddes Gengras

0.3320220642145669

Play

(Via- 20JFG Blog)

BALAM ACAB - "See Birds" EP (Tri Angle)

  The recently birthed Tri Angle label, evil twin sister to the prolific Kompakt label based out of Brooklyn is pretty much pioneering the dark and ghostly dance craze known as the "witch house" movement.
 You may also known it as "drag" or "haunted haus", or the more commonly used, and personal favorite the -"ghost bump" tag.Whatever you are calling this outsider genre, it's fucking massive, and all kinds of displaced and/or jaded weirdos are just loving it.Some of other notable acts that fit this plug are Creep, White Ring, oOoOO, Modern Witch, and Sleep Over.
I'm not trying to sell you anything here by any means, but the outline is simple: take your favorite down-tempo/idm/electro act for the last ten years so, mash it together with the latest rare/unearthed cold-wave compilation, drop it down a few octaves, sprinkle a bit of hi-hat hooking atop, and clutter that with spooky voice samples and whirring drones.Now you have a "witch house" masterpiece.I'm not trying to downplay these artists in any way.But, it is what it is, ans that is that. 
Balam Acab is by far my favorite of the bunch, and "See Birds" takes us deeper into their dreamy black abyss, like some kind of pleasantly ignorable soundtrack, for a hell ride through the fire on a giant purple cloud made of gentle whispers and sharp skeletal remains.They've got this very pure and organic vibe that runs through their black veins, and ultimately sets them apart from the herd.Deep synthesizer tones swell up and slowly glaze over the layers of swirling, mysterious voice samples..
Classic 808 beats rule the pool in their world, dense low thumps and tattered claps make up most of the percussive end, with slow-paced, early hip hop production trickery to make things solid.Elements of dub, electro, soul, and micro-house are tossed into the pot and just enough neo-goth cold shouldering is poured over top, and seeps down deep into their core.Sparse, haunting voice samples rise up from the ash and dance around throughout the songs, most of them slowed down to nearly a dead hault, and doused with reverb and delays.Pure black magic.
Another attribute that sets them apart from their contemporaries, is their love for soaring, joyful melodies.Most of these acts rely on cold, gloomy dissonance, where as Balam Acab have a knack for a laying down a perfect mix of brooding creep-outs, and bright, uplifting melodies.Some of their delicate synth arpeggios are so vibrant and colorful, they send chills right up your spine, and leave you wanting much, much more.A great little ep from an act that is sure to wow us with a proper full length sooner or later.Keep your eyes peeled.Meanwhile, check out the other releases Tri Angle has to offer.Killer stuff.

UMBERTO - "Prophecy of the Black Widow" (NNF)

 
The folks over at Not Not Fun never cease to amaze me.Every month or so, a fresh batch of mind-altering sounds mysteriously shows up from this long running L.A. label, and this one caught me off guard indeed.Wow.After what seems like at least a million spins of last year's "From the Grave.." full length, I wasn't too sure if this was just a one-time thing or what, but I am happy to announce his return.Umberto is the alter-ego of which one talented young man - Matt Hill, delivers his fresh and inventive take on the sadly overlooked Italo-Horror soundtracks of the mid-seventies.Total Goblin worship at it's finest, with his own magic-dust sprinkled over it.Matt is no stranger to epic musical landscapes either,he is also the main man behind drone/psych juggernaut Expo 70,who also dish out some fantastic purely instrumental ear candy.
  With his fairly recent Umberto project, he conjures up the ghosts of early horror film and soundtrack pioneers like Goblin, John Carpenter, Claudio Simonetti, and even the more recent Zombi works.I can't help but imagine a giant backdrop flashing images of classic Argento films, in a live performance.Hill almost effortlessly creates hypnotic layers of haunting synthesizers, topped with some rather stunning synth arpeggios, as a damp low-end growl slithers around them.His tasteful use of soft synth patches, mixed with the buzzing sine-waves melts together almost too perfectly, creating a dense black cloud of deep chords and brooding swells.He's got quite a knack for melody too, which has been proven time and again with his incredible and expansive work in Expo 70, and he applies the same tuneful wizardry to these blackened electro numbers.Leaning more towards the subtle-yet-danceable downbeat, opposed to the symphonic-progressive rock styles of most of his predecessors.
  Now,this isn't s total throwback to the Italian horror genre.Sure, the song titles are spooky nods, and the artwork is just screaming "Obscure Horror Soundtrack", and yes,the music is very similar to the aforementioned acts, but with "Prophecy.." there is a much more modern and revitalizing take on this outsider sub-genre.Hill is clearly paying tribute to something that has been greatly overlooked for decades, and he is doing it so,so right.Songs for chasing someone through the woods, peeking through a stranger's window, creaking doors and some late night dancing in the dark.
Fan..tas..tic.
Artwork by Seth Johnson.Edition of 485 black vinyl lp's.

HIGH WOLF - "Ascension" LP/CD (Not Not Fun)

 
  The NNF label is by far one my favorites out there, as they continue to belt out a seemingly endless supply of brain melting psych and drone acts, by the truckload.In 2009, they released High Wolf's Animal Totum cassette, a thirty minute plus mystery ride, deep into rich,warm electronics and red clouds of acoustic/analog swells.It was rather well received by weirdo noise blogs,and drone fans alike.It's dense synthesizer workouts and gentle layers of percussion have since been compared to the sounds of Brian Eno, James Ferraro, Ralph & Florian and the like.
   With the growing popularity of this outsider genre,as well as a slew of tapes,cdr's and split records, High Wolf  has returned with another slow-burning brain candle entitled Ascension.This subtle, yet unpredictable animal comes in the form of five long songs, clocking in at just under 45 minutes.Meeting of the three Seas starts things off with a gentle sunrise drone, slowly creeping up over the treeline and warming your face.A clicking percussive loop makes it's way into the picture and things slowly start to come together.The tiny melodies begin to swell up and multiply, creating something deep and intense.By the five minute mark, there are so many layers of soft-synth bleeps, swirling treated brass instruments and tabla thudding, you will think you are deep into some ceremonial Native-American spirit worship.Absolutely hypnotizing.
  As Ascension begins to unfold, more worldly sounds are unearthed.The frequent use of woodwinds, brass, analog synths, as well as a shit ton of shakers and noise makers, keeps this from coming off as just another Ash Ra Temple or Popol Vuh tribute album.It's full of dense melodies and earthy instrumentation, and steers clear of previously covered ground whenever possible, without being contrived or a boring novelty.A massive album to truly get lost with.Best if listened to while levitating.

THE NATIVE CATS - S/T 7inch ( White Denim)

  This Tasmanian two piece start things off with a really dense, straight forward electro sounding electro beat, (not unlike those first shitty beats you made on the Fruityloops demo in '99,and then bragged to your friends about..) A simple and catchy enough bass line rides over top of it.Now It's starting to resemble something out of the early K catalog.It's kind of dark and cutesy, with just a bit of humor.. and doesn't really change at all for the next five minutes.The beat get's so redundant that you actually forget it's there at all once the monotone vocalswagger comes into play.Nothings changed yet.I can't be too sure, due to the vagueness of the few lyrics, but he keeps saying "once i was a little cat's paw, but that didn't last for long.." Which eventually grew on me, but the song lacks any real hooks or anything substantially awesome
to hang on to.A damn shame,too.
  The b-side is a much shorter track called "Lemon Juice" that gave me the same blank vibes as side one..It starts the same as "Catspaw", with a dull-yet-danceable drum machine that just repeats to no end.The semi-catchy bass line starts to do it's thing, and then the lucid, tuneless vocals begin to stumble over their own feet, and we're right back where we started.I will give them props on a spot-on cohesive record, i suppose.It's almost going into that awesomely minimal Young Marble Giants terrain, but the crispy clean production and lack of charm makes it fall pretty short of that.Dag!
I really wanted to like this, too.It's completely not awful, someone out there loves this to bits..just not something I'd come back to.So,if you dig the ultra-minimal, monotone rants-over-simple-electro-beats and bass guitar..this is your new favorite thing.Native Cats have an LP out too, and I really hope it's got more to offer than this single.
MJO

Critter Love: BEKO DIGITAL SINGLES LABEL

   Allow us a moment to tell you about one of our very favorite labels going right now,BEKO.
They are a digital only online singles label from France, and they are just wonderful.They add a new single every Monday,and they are totally free to download!There is quite an eclectic range of awesome sounds buried within their vast catalog,and their minimal,cohesive cover art is fantastic as well.Releasing everything from French pop to ambient noise, to cold wave, no wave and lo-fi bedroom projects.And that's just the beginning.Beko definitely has something for everyone,and no one.They just released two killer box sets called Beko Box 1 and 2.I suggest you head over to their site and get them ASAP.Then download everything else they have to offer.Long live Beko.
MJO

ERIC COPELAND - "DOO DOO RUN" 7" (PPM)

  After what seems like an eternity,Eric Copeland is back with another sample-fest of twisted psychedelia.It seems that with every release,he strays from the experimental sound collage of his main vehicle, -Black Dice, and pushes for a more accessible, song based approach.Such is the case with his newest single - Doo Doo Run.Two new songs,and some amazing cover art by Eric, as usual.The title track is definitely the weirder of the two.Doo Doo Run is staggering dub dirge,with whirring synths and incoherent slurs that are drowned in a fair amount of tempo tweaking.You can hear the ghost of a vintage dance hall sample trying to push it's way through the haze,but it never quite makes it out.His ability to bind these very styles into a somewhat cohesive product is impressive.
 
  The b-side takes Copeland's style in a fresh and easily palatable direction.An upbeat and extremely catchy weirdo-pop tune called Fun Dink Death.A bright and danceable drum machine provides the perfect backdrop for his distorted vocals, playful guitar samples,and homemade electronics.It's got some breezy acoustic guitar melodies floating in near the middle of the song,that accompany the laid back vibes perfectly.This is the highlight of the record indeed,and you will probably see remixes of this surface before too long.Another nice little treat from Mr.Copeland.Awesome.
MJO

GAY BEAST - "Charm" 7inch single (Skin Graft)

 

  



   It seems that far too many bands these days are so far removed and/or obsessed with their wacky neon colored cover art,and overly contrived stage antics to even remember that they're playing music anymore.Thus pushing any relevance into the background.There is a thin line between music and performance art that can easily get blurred into one giant circus sideshow.But,sometimes a group of musicians is just so naturally damaged or removed that they create a near perfect balance of absurdity and brutal honesty.Such is the case with Minneapolis' nor-wavers,Gay Beast.They have been tagged as Minnesota's premier agit-prog queer band,and though it may sound a bit corny,is not far from the truth.With last year's bizarrely awesome Second Wave album(Skin Graft)solidifying their throne in weird music,they proudly give us an equally impressive single entitled Charm.It's hard to say where these boys are pulling their influences from on this one,which makes it an all the more interesting listen.It is more likely inspired by images of future dolphins floating in space and a strange hologram obsession than anything they might listen to,though Arab on Radar,Experimental Dental School,and Brainiac are just about as close to reference points as you can get here.But,even those weirdos don't really do this group justice.The flip-side track "We Keep Our Victims Ready" is a loose yet calculated number that creeps up your spine,crawls into your ear and tickles the brain with fear and wonder.It starts with a clicking electronic pulses,until carnival synth stabs take the reigns and move things in another direction.Things begin to pick up and thump away,but don't get too comfy,their scaly guitar runs have other plans for this.Note melodies weave in and around one another,creating some kind of musical puzzle with missing pieces.It's like the members are all kind of playing their own song,and then the missing piece finds it's way to the table..Soaring falsettos turn to drunken croons in an instant,and tuneful shouts tear through the jagged half-notes.Somehow this fits all too perfectly.It's got an obviously strong prog/jazz element to it,but not too many flashy technics or glorified guitar noodling.There are more than enough time changes in these songs,and it works like magic.Equal parts confusion,fear,confidence,and invention,Gay Beast is something special,and they deserve your attention NOW.Check out their first full length- Disrobics,too.

-MJO

COOLRUNNINGS - Babes Forever EP (Self Released)

  
   OK,besides some seriously awesome/distracting/fitting cover art,and a name referencing possibly one of the worst movies of our time(or best?),this was actually a VERY fun listen.Babes Forever gets things moving right off the bat with ''San Dimas Oasis'',a playful and energetic beat-driven number,bubbling with surf-y riffs and 808 calypso beats.Their shout-along-with-me vocals pair up really well with their music,and humorous lyrics like "San Dimas Oasis takes off your shirt,it's free" just complete the package.But,Babes Forever is no one trick pony.As the tracks change,so do their mood.The songs provide a not-so-narrow spectrum,from Wilson-esque beach-pop to heartfelt balladry to electro-calypso shakers.An early 60's west coast pop influence is present in these tunes.As you ride further into their world of drugs,humor,and nude skater babes,one thing becomes painfully clear: Coolrunnings are having way more fun than you.I'm not talking Sinbad:live at the Apollo type shit.This isn't a joke band,but it put me in a great mood almost immediately.Like when a friend tells you a clever joke.Their charm sits in the fact that they can write witty,wildly catchy tunes,and not take themselves too seriously while doing it.An all too common trait in this genre.Relax dudes,it's just music.Fits nicely along side your Nerve City, Tickley Feather, and Ganglians records.A good way to kick off your summer.Get the whole album below!
-MJO

  BABES FOREVER EP

  by COOLRUNNINGS

	SAN DIMAS OASIS   00:00/03:04

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	1.	SAN DIMAS OASIS 03:04	lyrics	download
	2.	BABES FOREVER 03:44	lyrics	download
	3.	BETTER THINGS 03:36	lyrics	download
	4.	WHEN I GOT HIGH WITH YOU 02:51	lyrics	download
	5.	TRIPPIN' BALLS AT DER WIENERSCHNITZEL 03:33	lyrics	download
	6.	SLUMBERLAND 04:28	lyrics	download

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released 01 May 2010

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*New MAHJONGG track -"Wardance"

Chicago synth dudes Mahjongg are back with a KILLER motorik-machine race they call Wardance,the first single off their upcomingg LP on K Records.They have always been known for mixing it up,tearing it up,and pasting it back together however the fuck they please.Churning out every style in the book,from neo-funk,lo-fi soul,to straight up cold wave and electro bangers.They have absolutely done it again with Wardance.A driving,chaotic synthesizer war that never lets up til' it lets up.Catchy synth-arpeggios race against robotic drums that are tightly wound together in unison.The vocals are slightly treated,spiteful and coherent shouts proper for these mechanical rhythms.This is a bit of a change for them,and will most likely make for a more aggressive live act.I can only hope that the rest of this album can own up to this bitch.Awesome.Fans of Neu!, La Dusselfdorf, Harmonia, Faust and other kraut pioneers alike,take note.This is the real deal.Out July 20 on K.Listen to the track below.

Mahjongg- Wardance

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WATCH $KELETON$ DO THEIR THANG

Matt Mehlan has been making such a beautiful racket under the SKELETONS (& the "whatever he see's fitting at the time",depending on lineup and form") moniker for quite some time.I have always been a huge fan of his art,and the Skeletons stuff just keeps getting better all the time.Originally a huge cast of musicians in the "Git" era,the band has solidified their lineup to just 4 full-timers now.They've taken a more traditional route to the live setting,with full-time guitars,keys,bass,and drums and the occasional sax on hand.This new lineup has made for new ideas and sounds,and at this point the band seems to be unfuckwithable.They've got this popsoulfreejazzrockprogfolktronicanalism thing down pat.Haha..yea.
"Money" is a great record front to back,and really shows off their ability to write music together in a BIG way.A near perfect album.You'd think these boys have been playing together for 20 years or so.Chemistry,maaaannnnn,chemistryyyyyy...

I am not all exaggerating when I tell you that "Skeletons is one of the most intense and intimate live acts that I've had the honor of seeing.A burst of positive energies,precision, and subtle breaks.It was a room full of big smiles,hanging jaws,and crazy dancing.Very few pretentious dickholes.Always a great feeling.It was somewhere between the Lucas and Money tours I think,and it was absolutely amazing to say the least.If you hear of them coming to your city,don't fuck around..Buy a ticket ASAP,and a few for your buds.They will love you forever.See them do their thing below..watch them all.Subscribe!











BONUS!!!

INDIAN JEWELRY "Totaled" LP/CD (WeAreFree/Monitor)

This Texas act just continues to reinvent themselves with every release in the last few years.Personally, Free Gold! was a bit of a drag,or maybe a little stale for me,and I love this band to death..however,even that album was totally different than it's predecessor -Fake and Cheap.They both seemed to have been released at the same exact time,so maybe they were a bit rushed?Who knows,maybe I need to listen to it again.However,on their latest opus "Totaled",they have totally outdone themselves.Oddly enough,this is how i kind of always wanted them to sound.Focused,slightly damaged,and DARK.They have somehow managed to lay low and avoid the hype machine(ahem..),just popping up on random review sites and indie blogs in the last few years.Much respect to them for that.But with a name like INDIAN JEWELRY,who needs promo shwag?Not here.

Totaled is their most focused and pop-based effort to date.Not to say they've lost their weirdo charm whatsoever,but this batch of songs are definitely more accessible than what you might expect from them,and this IS a good thing.Not generally a band to wear their influences on their sleeve,but you will surely find bits and pieces of Suicide,This Heat,and Chrome floating around this stark and hazy album.Moody post-punk bumps,meshed with no wave tactics and then tucked away beneath hazy fuzz-pop-nod outs..sure.For fans of dark places,uncomfortable positions,awkward silence,sheer terror,drugs,blank stares,cold shoulders,fuzz,and pure ecstasy.A stylish and forward thinker to no end.I hope they do this for a long,long time.

EXTRA LIFE'S "HEAD SHRINKER" GETS REMIXED BY TYONDAI BRAXTON (of Battles)

Listen to Battles' Tyondai Braxton churn up Extra Life's epic chamber-ballad into a scratchy,bleeping micro-house banger.All familiar sounds have been stripped down and manipulated to-the-max.This remix comes equipped with a distorted minimal-techno thump, and robotic vocoder loops have replaced Looker's dramatic croon.Even his rich acoustic guitar strides have been given a serious chopping,then spread wildly throughout the track.A killer re-imagining.It will appear on the upcoming remix album-"Splayed Flesh",pictured above.It will also include other tracks,reworked by the likes of Justin Broderick(Godflesh,Jesu),J.G. Thirwell(Foetus),and the band's own Caley Monahon-Ward.Out June 22 on Sockets/Planaria.

Extra Life – “Head Shrinker (Tyondai Braxton Remix)”Download

MATRIX METALS - "Flamingo Breeze" Cassette Tape (Notnotfun)

Sam Meringue is Matrix Metals.You might know him from other projects like Explorers,Wingdings,or 90210(with James Ferraro).With MM's he makes some nice hazy,laid back electronic pop/dance jams.Remember that game Out Run?You cruised the PCH in a 1991 red Porsche convertible with the top down,and your arm around your lady.Genius.This is quite comparable to that soundtrack,but a bit more tasteful,and some modern instrumentation.SOME.A ton of samplers,vintage drum machines,and minimal synth-pulses ride along side some spacey guitar-jangle that reminds me of recent Ducktails records at times.It's fuzzy lo-fi production keeps the songs fun and charming.A nice little cassette for some beach cruising or a late night stroll with your Walkman clipped to your belt.Totally worth the 5 bucks it costs.Do I even need to tell you that it's super limited?Vinyl version on the Old English Spelling Bee label.Good luck.