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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DIRTY BEACHES - "Night City" Cassette Tape (Night People)

  
   Alex Zhang Hungtai is the man behind Dirty Beaches.He lists things like breakfast,Alan Vega,Martin Rev,and Willem Dafoe as his influences.After hearing this a few times,I'd say that they are all pretty obvious indeed.Although I didn't really hear much breakfast or Willem Dafoe off the bat,I did however hear a ton of Rev and Vega nods.He's got that minimal percussive-looping down nicely,along with some dense cavernous guitar-drone that glides along his breathy,hushed vocal style.It is what it is,and this strategy actually works out quite well for Hungtai.But,this is far from just another Suicide knock off.That's just the breakfast.This is the part where the W.Dafoe element comes into play..proving that Dirty Beaches can take on just about any role they are presented with,and do it with finesse and confidence.Their music is all over the map,mysterious and inventive, goes anywhere from minimal cold waver bumps(Night City Theme)to free-folk campfire songs(True Blue) in no time.He covers lots of ground in little time,yet remains cohesive and focused.A charming quality that some other genre benders have a hard time mastering.Much of their charm comes from with the grainy,lo-fi fuzziness of the songs.Nothing is too blown out or incoherent,and somewhere amongst the treble-soaked echoes and washes,there is a fair amount of melodic songwriting to be heard.A nice batch of songs for a cassette release.Killer artwork to boot.Looking forward to the upcoming LP.
 
  Dirty Beaches has a shit-ton of releases coming out in the near future on a handful of labels.Here's just a few of them to watch out for..
 *Fake tape series (B-sides) 3" CDR - La Station Radar (France)
*Omon Ra II / Dirty Beaches Split Tape - Campaign for Infinity
*Golden Desert Sun 7" - Italian Beach Babes (UK) (OUT NOW)
*U.S. Girls Split 7" - Sibling Sex

ZOLA JESUS - The Stridulum EP (Sacred Bones)

Nika Danilova is Zola Jesus.She lives in New York.She is barely of drinking age,and already has 5 or so killer releases under her belt.Her cousin is Dead Luke.She plays in Former Ghosts with members of Xiu Xiu and This Song Is A Mess But So Am I.As well as Nika+Rory,and Pris/Cog.This girl is on top of shit right now,and her music is only getting better and more defined with each release.

On her latest opus,Stridulum, Nika and the band seem to be floating towards a more cohesive and somewhat polished studio sound.Not to say that this is in ANY way a bad thing for them.It's not.The songs on Stridulum are solid as ever.They have a clarity that you can't really find on past ZJ records.There is still a deep sense of the cavernous ambiance that made The Spoils so great,but everything is pushed to the foreground this time,instead of looming beneath the vocals and blurry layers of synths.Her vocals are a perfect for this kind of production.Much clearer than their previous albums.She's perfected her Siouxie-like croon,and given it more depth and tonality here.There's some nice harmonies that show off her voice control and range.Her words pleasantly wash over brooding waves of synths,chants,and thick,primitive electro thumps.

Stridulum is by no means her first "proper" album,it's a 6 song ep.But this is Zola Jesus' finest hour.These songs will leave you empty,yet hopeful.Dark sounds for cold nights.But,through the obvious gloom and doom,they are uplifting and radiant.They are perfecting their craft at every turn.A fantastic piece of work by an extremely talented young woman,and she is is just getting started.Thank you for Zola Jesus.