Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
stillsingle reviews
Low Life – Sydney Darbs 7” EP (Negative Guest List)
RECOMMENDED
Four blasts of weatherbeaten downer punk from a Sydney trio that gives “a special thanx to anyone who embraces the 9-5, day in day out, mundane, soul destroying, mindless, clock work thinking because you are why we do this.. and we fucking detest you.” That kind of attitude is still needed in punk/the seething world, and the music of Low Life suits it, all dirgelike chords, flange pedal and space-absorbing vocals that suck most of the air out of this recording, like putting a plastic bag over your head and drawing deep. Sounds like it crawled out of a pit to harass shopping centre patrons with hopelessness, blight, and demands for cigarettes. Nods to dark early ‘80s UK punk are evident, if not necessarily intentional; it all adds up to a hissing, nasty, bruising music that has nothing but disdain for the outside world, and an inner sanctum held together by symbols and mythology. In the wake of Brendon’s passing, I do hope that their album will be coming out regardless, and that this single will not be any harder to find. A real day-ruiner, and not in an easy or obvious way. Put your shoes on, dump water in them, then go about your day, and you’ll probably be upset enough to make this kind of record yourself. Visit this link for reference only: (http://negativeguestlist.blogspot.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
1 day ago • 1 note
Skyneedle – Creepertown 7” (Independent Press)
RECOMMENDED
Brisbane’s Skyneedle plies a refreshing stripe of avant “rock” that relies not on earsplitting electronics or feelbad atmospheres. Driven by an incessant hooting from some kind of pump-driven horn, “Howlway” shambles along in an odd danceable mode. Singer Sarah Byrne juxtaposes a sultry vocal with the mutating caveman rhythm, tunelessly plucked slack-strings and an intermittent low-end grind produced by something else entirely (presumably the “Speakerboxbass” as operated by one of the quartet of noisemakers, Alex Cuffe).vWith instruments like the “Strungpanel,” and the “Latex Leghorn Drum Machine” credited, part of this record’s fun is in imagining what these homemade doodads even look like. Owing to their design and the resulting arbitrariness of the pitches produced, they evoke a crude junkyard/industrial version of far-eastern folk music. And the instrumental B-side “Creepertown” has that in droves, accompanied by a stumble of sheet-metal percussion and more of that rhythmic two or three-note hooting that alternately recalls some of Elliott Sharp/Carbon’s early large ensemble works and/or Canada’s pep-peps of noise, the Nihilist Spasm Band. It would be tempting to pigeonhole this (inaccurately) in some kind of no-wave or even neo-primitive revival, but Skyneedle’s atavism is less ritualistic/confrontational and much more playful. It might be the influence of the medium here, but the unit also deserves credit for keeping these tracks brief, wrapping them up after ideas are explored with sufficient thoroughness and before they would meander into self-indulgence. The whole limited-to-200 copies shebang is packaged in a jacket screenprinted with high-contrast, retina-confounding patterns, only adding to its mutant appeal. http://www.skyneedle.org)
(Adam MacGregor)
http://still-single.tumblr.com/
RECOMMENDED
Four blasts of weatherbeaten downer punk from a Sydney trio that gives “a special thanx to anyone who embraces the 9-5, day in day out, mundane, soul destroying, mindless, clock work thinking because you are why we do this.. and we fucking detest you.” That kind of attitude is still needed in punk/the seething world, and the music of Low Life suits it, all dirgelike chords, flange pedal and space-absorbing vocals that suck most of the air out of this recording, like putting a plastic bag over your head and drawing deep. Sounds like it crawled out of a pit to harass shopping centre patrons with hopelessness, blight, and demands for cigarettes. Nods to dark early ‘80s UK punk are evident, if not necessarily intentional; it all adds up to a hissing, nasty, bruising music that has nothing but disdain for the outside world, and an inner sanctum held together by symbols and mythology. In the wake of Brendon’s passing, I do hope that their album will be coming out regardless, and that this single will not be any harder to find. A real day-ruiner, and not in an easy or obvious way. Put your shoes on, dump water in them, then go about your day, and you’ll probably be upset enough to make this kind of record yourself. Visit this link for reference only: (http://negativeguestlist.blogspot.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
1 day ago • 1 note
Skyneedle – Creepertown 7” (Independent Press)
RECOMMENDED
Brisbane’s Skyneedle plies a refreshing stripe of avant “rock” that relies not on earsplitting electronics or feelbad atmospheres. Driven by an incessant hooting from some kind of pump-driven horn, “Howlway” shambles along in an odd danceable mode. Singer Sarah Byrne juxtaposes a sultry vocal with the mutating caveman rhythm, tunelessly plucked slack-strings and an intermittent low-end grind produced by something else entirely (presumably the “Speakerboxbass” as operated by one of the quartet of noisemakers, Alex Cuffe).vWith instruments like the “Strungpanel,” and the “Latex Leghorn Drum Machine” credited, part of this record’s fun is in imagining what these homemade doodads even look like. Owing to their design and the resulting arbitrariness of the pitches produced, they evoke a crude junkyard/industrial version of far-eastern folk music. And the instrumental B-side “Creepertown” has that in droves, accompanied by a stumble of sheet-metal percussion and more of that rhythmic two or three-note hooting that alternately recalls some of Elliott Sharp/Carbon’s early large ensemble works and/or Canada’s pep-peps of noise, the Nihilist Spasm Band. It would be tempting to pigeonhole this (inaccurately) in some kind of no-wave or even neo-primitive revival, but Skyneedle’s atavism is less ritualistic/confrontational and much more playful. It might be the influence of the medium here, but the unit also deserves credit for keeping these tracks brief, wrapping them up after ideas are explored with sufficient thoroughness and before they would meander into self-indulgence. The whole limited-to-200 copies shebang is packaged in a jacket screenprinted with high-contrast, retina-confounding patterns, only adding to its mutant appeal. http://www.skyneedle.org)
(Adam MacGregor)
http://still-single.tumblr.com/
Sunday, March 4, 2012
from volcanic tongue
Hammering The Cramps
s/t
Wormwood Grasshopper Records WG-02
Totally fantastic archival unearthing documenting this pre-Drunk Elk project from Hobart, Tasmania. The sound is classic edge-of-the-world hypnotically degraded avant lurch, with the kinda grasp of extended rock tongue that defined the more damaged group sounds coming out of the Xpressway stable but with an emphatically powerful grasp of massed No Wave guitar movements and the kinda higher-mind feel for tortuously beautiful melodies of This Kind Of Punishment. But it’s the walls of endless strung-out guitars that really seal the deal with a euphoric repeating aspect that comes over like a Valkyrie Dead C or The Clean play Glenn Branca topped off with classic wasted/desperate vocals. Hard to believe they kept themselves a secret for so long but this is fantastic. Edition of 300 copies. Highly recommended!
Woollen Kits
s/t
RIP Society RIP-024
Great wide-eyed stumble punk from this Australian group who mine the more melodic/primitive end of the Flying Nun catalogue, with keen dual vocals over two guitars and stand-up drums. There’s a hint of the Sound Of Young Scotland here, with a DIY aesthetic that reflects on Postcard Records as well as associated satellites like the early VU-worshipping Go-Betweens sides while there’s a little of The Smashchords to the way the twin guitars tangle around each other and some of the ‘deeper’ male vocals summon the ghost of Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson, which is to say that is a great side of DIY teenage rock with a classy non-musicianly appeal and the kinda winning naivety of your favourite bedroom rocker. Comes with a download. Recommended.
s/t
Wormwood Grasshopper Records WG-02
Totally fantastic archival unearthing documenting this pre-Drunk Elk project from Hobart, Tasmania. The sound is classic edge-of-the-world hypnotically degraded avant lurch, with the kinda grasp of extended rock tongue that defined the more damaged group sounds coming out of the Xpressway stable but with an emphatically powerful grasp of massed No Wave guitar movements and the kinda higher-mind feel for tortuously beautiful melodies of This Kind Of Punishment. But it’s the walls of endless strung-out guitars that really seal the deal with a euphoric repeating aspect that comes over like a Valkyrie Dead C or The Clean play Glenn Branca topped off with classic wasted/desperate vocals. Hard to believe they kept themselves a secret for so long but this is fantastic. Edition of 300 copies. Highly recommended!
Woollen Kits
s/t
RIP Society RIP-024
Great wide-eyed stumble punk from this Australian group who mine the more melodic/primitive end of the Flying Nun catalogue, with keen dual vocals over two guitars and stand-up drums. There’s a hint of the Sound Of Young Scotland here, with a DIY aesthetic that reflects on Postcard Records as well as associated satellites like the early VU-worshipping Go-Betweens sides while there’s a little of The Smashchords to the way the twin guitars tangle around each other and some of the ‘deeper’ male vocals summon the ghost of Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson, which is to say that is a great side of DIY teenage rock with a classy non-musicianly appeal and the kinda winning naivety of your favourite bedroom rocker. Comes with a download. Recommended.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
catalog
I'm going to try to keep all records currently in stock posted up here -
mad nanna - sleep tonight 7" (WG-03)
scraps - secret paradise 7" (disembraining)
stag - get used to it 7" (disembraining)
Sky Needle - creepertown 7" (disembraining)sold out
Terrible Truth's - Patterns 7" (small town living)sold out
Moffarfarrah - thread bare 7" (albert's basement)
Drunk Elk - Under Neon Lights LP (wg-01)
Unholy Floors - Womens Golf 7" (self released, i'm calling it gus-001)
Woolen Kits - S/T lp (RIP Society) Copies back in
Loose Grip - Cereal 7" (bedroom suck)
there are some problems with Blank Realm - Falling Down the Stairs 7" (NGL), in discussions with the pressing plant, but sales are temporarily stopped
Hammering the Cramps - S/T lp (Wormwood Grasshopper)
Taco Leg - Printed Gold 7" (RR/TT)
The Lost Domain - Drunken Sailor 7" (NGL)
3 Toed Sloth - Jukebox Series 7" (NGL)
Michael Beach - Mountains + Valleys - cassette(spectacular commodity)
Michael Beach - A Horse - 7" (spectacular commodity)
Songs From The Forerunner - 7" (aarght)
The Lost Domain - Blondes Chew More Gum - 2xlp (NGL)
Degreaser - Bottomfeeder - lp (NGL)
Low Life - Sydney Darbs - 7" (NGL)
Scraps - S/T - lp (BSR)
per purpose - implicating... lp (BSR)
Mark Sultan - calloused hands 7" (aussie tour issue)
Unholy 2 - lp (NGL) (aussie issue)
Eagle Boys - Kambalda (NGL) 7"
painkillers - feel the pain (off the hip) cd only
Woolen Kits - Maths 7"(R.I.P. Society)
hatefuck - 7" (NGL)
lakes - winters blade lp (inverted crux)
Ooga Booga's - Romance and Adventure (cd only) (aarght)
Alps of New South Wails - lp (back in stock)
Knifefight - 7" (from Kato Records)
Golden Staph - lp (R.I.P. Society)
Slug Guts - Howling Gang (bedroom sucks) different cover then US version
Unfuckable - 7" (aarght)
Knifefight - 7" (aarght records)
Cut Sick - 7" (aarght)
James Arthur's Manhunt - S/T - lp (aarght)
Sailors - 7" (aarght)
per purpose - 7"(bedroom sucks)
Blank Realm - Deja What? - lp (bedroom sucks)
Straight Arrows - It's Happening - lp (juvenile)
Dead Farmers - Go Home - lp (R.I.P. Society)
Texas Tea - lp (mere noise)
Undone Apes - lp (mere noise)
The Hits - lp (mere noise)
Witch Hats - Wound of a Little Horse - 12"
James Arthur - 7"
Zond - lp (R.I.P. Society)
Bitch Prefect - 7"
Negative Guestlist - magazine
mad nanna - sleep tonight 7" (WG-03)
scraps - secret paradise 7" (disembraining)
stag - get used to it 7" (disembraining)
Sky Needle - creepertown 7" (disembraining)sold out
Terrible Truth's - Patterns 7" (small town living)sold out
Moffarfarrah - thread bare 7" (albert's basement)
Drunk Elk - Under Neon Lights LP (wg-01)
Unholy Floors - Womens Golf 7" (self released, i'm calling it gus-001)
Woolen Kits - S/T lp (RIP Society) Copies back in
Loose Grip - Cereal 7" (bedroom suck)
there are some problems with Blank Realm - Falling Down the Stairs 7" (NGL), in discussions with the pressing plant, but sales are temporarily stopped
Hammering the Cramps - S/T lp (Wormwood Grasshopper)
Taco Leg - Printed Gold 7" (RR/TT)
The Lost Domain - Drunken Sailor 7" (NGL)
3 Toed Sloth - Jukebox Series 7" (NGL)
Michael Beach - Mountains + Valleys - cassette(spectacular commodity)
Michael Beach - A Horse - 7" (spectacular commodity)
Songs From The Forerunner - 7" (aarght)
The Lost Domain - Blondes Chew More Gum - 2xlp (NGL)
Degreaser - Bottomfeeder - lp (NGL)
Low Life - Sydney Darbs - 7" (NGL)
Scraps - S/T - lp (BSR)
per purpose - implicating... lp (BSR)
Mark Sultan - calloused hands 7" (aussie tour issue)
Unholy 2 - lp (NGL) (aussie issue)
Eagle Boys - Kambalda (NGL) 7"
painkillers - feel the pain (off the hip) cd only
Woolen Kits - Maths 7"(R.I.P. Society)
hatefuck - 7" (NGL)
lakes - winters blade lp (inverted crux)
Ooga Booga's - Romance and Adventure (cd only) (aarght)
Alps of New South Wails - lp (back in stock)
Knifefight - 7" (from Kato Records)
Golden Staph - lp (R.I.P. Society)
Slug Guts - Howling Gang (bedroom sucks) different cover then US version
Unfuckable - 7" (aarght)
Knifefight - 7" (aarght records)
Cut Sick - 7" (aarght)
James Arthur's Manhunt - S/T - lp (aarght)
Sailors - 7" (aarght)
per purpose - 7"(bedroom sucks)
Blank Realm - Deja What? - lp (bedroom sucks)
Straight Arrows - It's Happening - lp (juvenile)
Dead Farmers - Go Home - lp (R.I.P. Society)
Texas Tea - lp (mere noise)
Undone Apes - lp (mere noise)
The Hits - lp (mere noise)
Witch Hats - Wound of a Little Horse - 12"
James Arthur - 7"
Zond - lp (R.I.P. Society)
Bitch Prefect - 7"
Negative Guestlist - magazine
Thursday, March 1, 2012
yellow green red
Mad Nanna I Hit A Wall 7″ (Quemada)
Mad Nanna is one of the few Australian acts with a handful of 7″s that I’ve yet to previously experience, so this I Hit A Wall single arrived just in time. It’s pretty much what I was expecting – barely functional guitar-strumming duct-taped to drums that sound like they’re slowly disintegrating as the song progresses (although “progresses” is probably the wrong verb for a song like “I Hit A Wall”). Rather, the a-side plugs away like a malnourished Swell Maps, groggy and annoyed. The untitled b-side moves faster, but it’s equally unpolished, telling a serious story that is just slightly too muffled to parse. I was expecting a real bare-bones, shambolic DIY thing, and I certainly got it. I find myself just as likely to hate something like Mad Nanna as much as like it – maybe it’s the killer nonsense artwork that’s all over the cover and center stickers, or just the combined vibe of both tracks, but I can truly say I’m on board with the Mad Nanna mission. Hoping to figure out what other 7″ or two are the essential ones, and that I don’t have to delve into the sad world of CDrs to properly sustain my fix.
Mad Nanna is one of the few Australian acts with a handful of 7″s that I’ve yet to previously experience, so this I Hit A Wall single arrived just in time. It’s pretty much what I was expecting – barely functional guitar-strumming duct-taped to drums that sound like they’re slowly disintegrating as the song progresses (although “progresses” is probably the wrong verb for a song like “I Hit A Wall”). Rather, the a-side plugs away like a malnourished Swell Maps, groggy and annoyed. The untitled b-side moves faster, but it’s equally unpolished, telling a serious story that is just slightly too muffled to parse. I was expecting a real bare-bones, shambolic DIY thing, and I certainly got it. I find myself just as likely to hate something like Mad Nanna as much as like it – maybe it’s the killer nonsense artwork that’s all over the cover and center stickers, or just the combined vibe of both tracks, but I can truly say I’m on board with the Mad Nanna mission. Hoping to figure out what other 7″ or two are the essential ones, and that I don’t have to delve into the sad world of CDrs to properly sustain my fix.
Rettman's got a 'zine coming soon
LOOSE GRIP - Cereal (Bedroom Suck, 7”)
This very fine seven incher finds members of Aussie hot shot units such as Per Purpose and Kitchen’s Floor plowing through what sounds like an audition to get signed to either Buy Our or Gravelvoice (pre- Sun City Girls association, obviously) and it makes me beam like sunlight through a nicotine stained window. Where many go through the motions, these fellas seem purely locked into that precious speck in time where Hardcore was purely a suburban goon ball entity; somewhere between where IQ32 came out and Harley got his dragon chest piece. For those who file Whacky Hi – Jinks right next to their copy of Psychedelic Underground. –TR
MAD NANNA – I Hit a Wall (Quemeda, 7”)
That last Mad Nanna 7” on Wormwood Grasshopper really blew me a new one; so I was all too ‘cited to see this surprise in my mailbox a few weeks back. Laying an ear to this recent 45 has made me realize these young gents are a rare breed. They seem like the types who can wear many hats and still have you admiring just the shape of their head. Case in pernt: The above mentioned 7” seemed to be a single minded reach for the sun in an almost hippy fashion. Now on this un, both sides seem propelled by tiny, potent riffs that both tingle and chug. Sorta like a Lost Cause informed take on 3rd LP Velvets or Fowley produced Modern Lovers. And although it sounds absolutely nothing like the single before it or the single before that one (on Little Big Chief here in the U.S) they still got me on the line. I’m guessing an LP by these would be a smorgasbord of different stabs at greatness…so let’s fuckin’ hear it. – TR
http://200lbu.blogspot.com/
This very fine seven incher finds members of Aussie hot shot units such as Per Purpose and Kitchen’s Floor plowing through what sounds like an audition to get signed to either Buy Our or Gravelvoice (pre- Sun City Girls association, obviously) and it makes me beam like sunlight through a nicotine stained window. Where many go through the motions, these fellas seem purely locked into that precious speck in time where Hardcore was purely a suburban goon ball entity; somewhere between where IQ32 came out and Harley got his dragon chest piece. For those who file Whacky Hi – Jinks right next to their copy of Psychedelic Underground. –TR
MAD NANNA – I Hit a Wall (Quemeda, 7”)
That last Mad Nanna 7” on Wormwood Grasshopper really blew me a new one; so I was all too ‘cited to see this surprise in my mailbox a few weeks back. Laying an ear to this recent 45 has made me realize these young gents are a rare breed. They seem like the types who can wear many hats and still have you admiring just the shape of their head. Case in pernt: The above mentioned 7” seemed to be a single minded reach for the sun in an almost hippy fashion. Now on this un, both sides seem propelled by tiny, potent riffs that both tingle and chug. Sorta like a Lost Cause informed take on 3rd LP Velvets or Fowley produced Modern Lovers. And although it sounds absolutely nothing like the single before it or the single before that one (on Little Big Chief here in the U.S) they still got me on the line. I’m guessing an LP by these would be a smorgasbord of different stabs at greatness…so let’s fuckin’ hear it. – TR
http://200lbu.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
still single review
Woollen Kits – s/t LP (R.I.P. Society) / “22/09/11” CS (Fan Death)
RECOMMENDED
Whatever was missing with regards to legit/genuine undergrad punk/lo-fi response as provided by Woollen Kits’ first single is remedied here. They’re an Australian trio (two guitars and drums when I saw them, though there seems to be a bass on some of the album tracks), cut and decorated to fit in between the rancorous sentiments of non-mersh Midwestern American rocknroll and the soft, longing side of twee and indie pop. Certainly the band’s lyrics – usually in the “I will love you forever/But you must be true” sort of simple, idealized facsimile of 20th century pop – could raise some eyebrows, as would the foghorn vocals of guitarist Tom (last name unknown), who at best matches the slumber party timbre of Calvin Johnson. Hey, it’s the voice the dude was born with, so I’m cutting him a break. It took a few spins, and seeing this band live, to get it all to click, and I’m happy to say that it now does, their overall blare and the uncomplicated, positive energy they pass around in concert mode (duly represented in Fan Death’s cassette/MP3 download of the Kits’ performance somewhere back home), somewhere in between the Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments and Beat Happening, a rugged sound with a lovable core. They’re two fine releases that further cement Australia’s current land-dominance of quality rock music. (http://ripsocietyrecords.tumblr.com) (http://www.fandeathrecords.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
RECOMMENDED
Whatever was missing with regards to legit/genuine undergrad punk/lo-fi response as provided by Woollen Kits’ first single is remedied here. They’re an Australian trio (two guitars and drums when I saw them, though there seems to be a bass on some of the album tracks), cut and decorated to fit in between the rancorous sentiments of non-mersh Midwestern American rocknroll and the soft, longing side of twee and indie pop. Certainly the band’s lyrics – usually in the “I will love you forever/But you must be true” sort of simple, idealized facsimile of 20th century pop – could raise some eyebrows, as would the foghorn vocals of guitarist Tom (last name unknown), who at best matches the slumber party timbre of Calvin Johnson. Hey, it’s the voice the dude was born with, so I’m cutting him a break. It took a few spins, and seeing this band live, to get it all to click, and I’m happy to say that it now does, their overall blare and the uncomplicated, positive energy they pass around in concert mode (duly represented in Fan Death’s cassette/MP3 download of the Kits’ performance somewhere back home), somewhere in between the Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments and Beat Happening, a rugged sound with a lovable core. They’re two fine releases that further cement Australia’s current land-dominance of quality rock music. (http://ripsocietyrecords.tumblr.com) (http://www.fandeathrecords.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
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