Faves of 2012 – Tevs #03

List time folks!  No countdowns or limits, just rad musical thangs that kicked buns this year.  Away we go! 

Longer:

Digital Leather ‘Modern Problems’ LP- P. Trash/FDH

Guided By Voices ‘Let’s Go Eat The Factory’ LP- GBV Inc.

The Atom Age ‘The Hottest Thing That’s Cool’ LP- Asian Man

Gentleman Jesse & His Men ‘Leaving Atlanta’ LP- Douchemaster

White Wires ‘III’ LP- Dirtnap

Ex-Cult S/T LP- Goner

E.D. Sedgwick ‘We Wear White’ LP- Dischord

Legendary Wings ‘Making Paper Roses’ LP- Dirtnap

Retisonic ‘Robots Fucking’ LP- Arctic Rodeo

Mrs. Magician ‘Strange Heaven’ LP- Swami

Royal Headache S/T LP- What’s Your Rupture?/R.I.P. Society

Ty Segall ‘Twins’ LP- Drag City

Shorter:

Yacht Club ‘Nonavera’ Digital Mixtape

Warm Soda ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’ 7”- Southpaw

The Suicide Notes ‘Suicide Note b/w Beach Song’ 7”- Hovercraft

The Ballantynes ‘Misery’ 7”- La-Ti-Da

Jacco Gardner ‘Where Will You Go b/w Summer’s Game’ 7”- Trouble In Mind

Young Guv & The Scuzz ‘A Love Too Strong’ 12” EP- Southpaw

The Resonars ‘Long Long Thoughts’ 7” EP- Trouble In Mind

Cops ‘Premonitions’ 7” EP- Rob’s House

Business:

Total Punk Records- Hottest Singles Series

Hosehead Records- Coolest Cassette Label

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The Resonars= Mind Blowing!

Ex-Cult S/T LP – Brand Spankin’ #11

Released November 2012

The self-titled debut album from Ex-Cult (FKA Sex Cult) is, quite simply, a ripper.  I’ve heard them referred to as “future punk” and that’s a pretty fitting description.  Plus it sounds cool as shit.  Ex-Cult blasts fuzzy, angular and cave-person-like tunes without over indulging in one particular style.  There’s urgency to the delivery and it comes with just a touch of pop to hold the fun-yet-ragged edges together.  Produced by Ty Segall and released by Goner Records, this debut delivers instant gratification while leaving more to discover upon repeated listens.  For you Goner fans out there, Ex-Cult could easily wind up being the flagship band of their future.  Either way, Ex-Cult is here and you better hop on before you get left in their space dust.

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E.D. Sedgwick ‘We Wear White’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #10

Released November 2012

The musical trajectory that is E.D. Sedgwick is a nice little ride.  In the beginning, 1999 to be exact, the act was dubbed Edie Sedgwick and featured constant mainstay Justin Moyer along with collaborator Ryan Hicks doing jazzy post-punk tunes about celebrities.  Some time went by and Mr. Moyer picked back up solo in 2004 with more songs about celebrities in a sparse-dancey-electronic fashion.  In 2011 Justin picked up a band, stopped singing about celebrities and started adding more rock elements back into the fold.  That brings us to ‘We Wear White’, the latest effort from the newly spelled E.D. Sedgwick, courtesy of the always-interesting Dischord Records.  The album features Moyer (who goes by E.D. Sedgwick btw) on guitar/vox, JosaFeen Wells on vox, Kristina Buddenhagen on bass/vox and Jess Matthews on drums.  ‘We Wear White’ is a fantastic album of art and aesthetic.  Angular and soulful, the band perfectly executes a unique sound that is as full of attitude as it is memorable hooks.  Tight rhythms, call-and-response vocals, clever lyrics and jagged guitar propel the album from start to finish.  Everything that E.D. Sedgwick hinted it could be over the years has now come to fruition.  If you’re looking for something fresh and creative, look no further than ‘We Wear White’.

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Link Wray And The Raymen ‘Big City After Dark’ 2 X 7” – Reissue! #02

Released November 2012

Until recently, I was familiar with Link Wray mostly by reputation and the song ‘Rumble’.  He was one of those guys on my list to get more acquainted with.  Well as fortune would have it, I grabbed the ‘Big City After Dark’ double 45 reissue from Sundazed during the latest Record Store Day event.  Credited to Link Wray And The Raymen (his brothers and friends), this set features two rare singles originally released by the Mala label in 1962.  I was pretty excited to open up the mini-gatefold jacket and throw the first side on the turntable.  What came out of the speakers next was mind melting!   Featuring overdriven guitar bends with heavy protopunk leanings and backed by a tight classic rock ‘n’ roll rhythm section, ‘Big City After Dark’ sounds like what many of the latest wave of garage rockers have been striving for.  The innovation and energy of Link’s guitar playing jumps right out and doesn’t let up through the entire set of tunes.  ‘Hold It’ is even more aggressive than ‘Big City After Dark’ and ‘Dance Party Pts. 1 & 2’ sound like awesome ragers.  Link sings a bit on those ones too.  I’m not typically into instrumentals in the rock realm, but Link Wray transcends the notion of an “instrumental” and blasts it to pieces.  Link deserves even more credit than he already gets and I’m looking forward to searching for more great cuts from him and his fabulous Raymen.

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Tune courtesy of Surfadelic

Bikini Kill 12” EP – Reissue! #01

Released November 2012

The first Bikini Kill 12” EP just got the 20^th Anniversary royal reissue treatment.  Originally released in 1992 by Kill Rock Stars, this EP now comes to us courtesy of the band’s own Bikini Kill Records.  Bikini Kill was punk, fierce, smart and funny.  They demanded “revolution girl style now!” and they got it.  The positive effects of the Riot Grrrl movement are still being felt 20 years later.  What’s more, the core ethos of the movement took on a life of it’s own after it’s first incarnation and stretched out in many different directions.  The female-centric counter culture it inspired is still present in everything from music and art (think Denver’s own Titwrench Fest) to small businesses and beyond.  Now back to the record itself.  As soon as the needle dropped on the first track and that famous quote faded into the pummeling riff that begins ‘Double Dare Ya’ I was re-hooked.  The songs on this record are immediate and raw and they still hold up today.  Their best music was yet to come, but this was a statement record.  Kathleen, Tobi, Kathi and Billy were announcing themselves and letting anyone who listened know they had something to say.  The rest is pretty much history.  The reissue includes a new fanzine poster and some cool liner notes.   Although the Reissue! category of this blog was formulated to cover obscurities, this EP is most widely know as the first half of ‘The CD Version Of The First Two Records’, so having it rereleased in the original format is close enough.  I’m looking forward to more vinyl reissues from Bikini Kill, especially since CD’s suck my left one.  Wink!

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Ty Segall “Twins” LP – Brand Spankin’ #09

Released October 2012

SF, CA’s Ty Segall consistently cranks out great tunes.  Whether on his own, with his band or with collaborators the guy is a rock machine.  While the quantity of his output is impressive, the quantity pales in comparison to its quality.  Enter “Twins”, Ty’s latest album recently released by Drag City.  Mind= Blown!  I’m pretty sure this is his best album.  It is pure blown-out, psych-fuzz, garage-punk genius.  “Twins” now takes the top spot of my fave albums of the year and it’s gonna take a mighty effort for it to be displaced.  Yes, it’s that good.  There’s not much else to say.  Go have a listen.  If you don’t agree, listen again!

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Plastic 350 Records And Infinity Cat Recordings – Willing And Label #03

Nashville is a pretty happening place from what I can gather.  One needs to look no further for evidence than the tandem of Plastic 350 Records and Infinity Cat Recordings.  Infinity Cat is at the top of the hill when it comes to the current wave of garage-punk-fuzz excellence.  Acts like JEFF The Brotherhood and Cy Barkley & The Way Outsiders (previously covered on this here blog) have seen to that. But did you know Infinity Cat has a cool little subsidiary called Plastic 350 Records where there is a modest stable of pop oriented artists?  While I had heard of Plastic 350, I didn’t know much about them until my new e-pal Bob, trusty label employee, responded to the post on Cy B. & TWO.  He was nice enough to send a package of some records so I could do this spotlight. Included were copies of the two latest offerings from Plastic 350- “Space” by Monkey Bowl and “Apples And Oranges” by Art Circus.  Monkey Bowl has lush, spacious pop tunes where piano is a prominent fixture while Art Circus’ pop-craft bounces along with electronic flourishes.  These albums are a nice change of pace and sound quite fresh in a world where many of the best pop intentions get ruined by overproduction.  The gem of the package for me was “Album” by Skyblazer, released earlier this year on Infinity Cat.  Skyblazer was a short-lived project featuring JEFF The Brotherhood and a couple pals.  They recorded album in 2006 and it lay dormant until the cats at Cat pressed it to vinyl.  Think Deep Purple Mach II with a healthy dose of female vocals and you’d be in the right neighborhood.  Much appreciation goes to Bob for sharing the rad music.  Check out the Q & A below for more insight into these two fine labels.

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Three Random Queries For Bob Of Plastic 350/Infinity Cat 

1. What's been the best thing to come out of having Plastic 350 be the home of the pop-oriented music?

“When Infinity Cat started there was a very eclectic mix of rock and pop and punk, just whatever we thought was good. But about five years ago, we decided to laser-focus Infinity Cat on bands like Heavy Cream, JEFF The Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet, etc.- in other words, bands that would actually tour together. We wanted fans to know that if they liked our core bands, and we put a Hell Beach record on the site, they'd probably like that too. And that's exactly what happened. In the meantime, I was still producing cool indie pop like Art Circus and we needed a home for those records. So Plastic 350 was born, named after the first Monkey Bowl album. And we've got all kinds of good stuff coming!”

2. What is your least favorite thing about doing a record label?
“There's nothing I don't like about it- except when the Post Office lets a package sit in the sun and the vinyl warps!”
 3. Who made the Infinity Cat logo?

“Jake made that up when he was in high school. It was before we had a label- he drew 100's of them. We named the label after the drawing and picked one to be the standard.”

 

Playing Catch-Up – Tevs #02

Much as I wish I had all the time in the world, I don’t.  A side effect of my linear corporealness is that I can’t write detailed posts about all the music that I wish I could write about.  In an effort to catch up on things I want to share, below is a list of awesome records that have come out over the last several months.  So, you’re gonna have to do more digging on your own.  Trust me, it’s worth the effort!

  Mrs. Magician ‘Strange Heaven’ LP (Swami)

Royal Headache S/T LP (R.I.P. Society)

The Soft Pack ‘Strapped’ LP (Mexican Summer)

White Lung ‘Sorry’ LP (Deranged)

Something Fierce/Occult Detective Club Split 10” (Dirtnap)

The Briefs ‘Singles Only’ 7” Box Set (Modern Action)

Suicide Notes ‘Suicide Note’ 7” (Hovercraft)

White Wires ‘Crazy’ 7” (Total Punk)

Northwest Company ‘Hard To Cry’ 7” (Ugly Pop)

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Legendary Wings ‘Paper Roses’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #08

Released October 2012

Looking for fuzzy, blown-out, melodic rock ‘n’ roll bliss?  Well, look no further than ‘Paper Roses’, the new LP by Kalamazoo, MI's own Legendary Wings.  These guys had a 7” come out a few years ago that stayed on my turntable for ages.  After awhile I was thinking- these folks gonna do anything else?  The always sharp Dirtnap Records must’ve heard me and presented the world with this incredible record!  Legendary Wings strikes that balance between rockin’ tunes with your pals while poppin’ the tops on tallboys and honing tightly crafted melodies that are custom-made for repeat listens.  What the eff does that mean?  It means you can pump your fist and sing along with every track without getting bored by the pomp and polish that can ruin so many similar efforts.  Just blast the track posted here, courtesy of the excellent Get Bent, for evidence.  Once you’ve decided you agree with everything I’ve said (and you will) you can rush over to Dirtnap’s site and see if there are anymore gold vinyl versions of ‘Paper Roses’ available.  This record has jumped into the mix for my album of the year!

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La-Ti-Da Records - Willing And Label #02

A recurring theme in my record collecting seems to be random discovery. I like a band, find out they have a record out on a label that’s new to me and then… BAM! Another cool label with more bitchin’ bands. That’s exactly how I came across La-Ti-Da Records, a boutique style label from Vancouver, BC. Yup, Canada. Get used to it folks. Anyhoo, I dig The Tranzmitors and Needles//Pins quite a bit and in roaming the ‘net I discovered they had 7” singles coming out on the aforementioned La-Ti-Da. The two singles were part of a new Spring Collection that included three other singles by The React!, The Ballantynes and Fist City. Also in the pack was a cool hand screened card that featured buttons of the five bands and the label. I’m a sucker for singles series and similar things so I figured I’d get the pack. Great decision. Five excellent singles with some of the raddest packaging designs north of Mexico. Super crisp artwork on the sleeves and center labels. The tunes themselves are all outstanding. Fist City and Needles//Pins lean more towards the punk side of garage-rock while The Tranzmitors have perfected the late-70’s British power-pop sound with maximum catchiness. My two favorite records of the batch come from The React! and The Ballantynes. The React! turn in two garage-psych stompers while The Ballantynes offer up two jangly tunes heavily influenced by 60’s R&B and the girl-group sound. It’s safe to say I’m super pumped on this label and will be checking out their back catalogue to catch up on what I’ve missed. In the meantime, preview some tunes and peruse the e-chat I had La-Ti-Da’s own Tim Horner. Much appreciation for his time, especially since the crew is getting ready for The Fall Down/Get Down event they’re putting on next month. Be sure to check out their website for all their latest and greatest! 

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Three Random Queries For Tim Of La-Ti-Da Records

 1. Who designs your art- sleeves, labels, etc?

"While there’s four of us running the label (myself plus Vanessa Dandurand and Corey Poluk, who've been working double time on our upcoming weekender, The Fall Down/Get Down), Dale Davies designs all our labels and the lion’s share of our sleeves and flyers. A professional graphic designer, college instructor and design nerd, Dale has created that very decided consistency that has run through all of our releases, dating back to 2005."

2. What is your least favorite thing about doing a record label?

"Canada Post’s international shipping rates."

3. Why are there so many awesome bands in Canada?

"There truly are so, so many awesome bands in this country, both past and present. There are regional factors that can be attributed to a lot of this, but one thing that runs coast-to-coast among Canadian bands is that sorta retarded kid brother mentality, always trying to impress or outshine the older sibling. That older sibling takes the form of already established bands within the given Canadian scenes or the more influential bands stateside. Some of the bands get it completely wrong, but others raise the bar super high."

Warm Soda ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’ 7” – Brand Spankin’ #07

Released September 2012

Over the summer I was all like “Hey, who’s going to see Bare Wires?” when they were slated to hit Denver that next evening.  The answer was… nobody.  I found out they had imploded halfway through the tour that was to bring them to my fair city.  Enough has been written about that, so onward!  Matthew Melton is a songwriting machine and has quickly rebounded with his new outfit, Warm Soda (Rob Good and Sam Lefebvre round out the trio).  Warm Soda will naturally be compared to Bare Wires due to Mr. Melton’s distinctive song craft and voice, but there is a little more pep in this group’s sound.  The evidence is apparent on their debut 7”, ‘Reaction b/w In Another World’, courtesy of Southpaw Records.  The two power-pop gems on this 45 fit firmly between the aforementioned Bare Wires and another Melton vehicle, Snake Flower 2.  Vocal hooks, smart instrumentation and laid-back-yet-controlled execution propel this debut record. If history is any indication, Warm Soda will be cranking out more hits in no time!  Hurry up and get the 7” on peachy marble vinyl if ya still can. 

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Cy Barkley And The Way Outsiders ‘So Bad’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #06

Released July 2012

OK, back to some fresh offerings!  ‘So Bad’ is the new LP from Nashville’s Cy Barkley And The Way Outsiders.  Released on Nashville powerhouse Infinity Cat Records, ‘So Bad’ is like a blueprint for 21^st Century rock ‘n’ roll.  It’s pure punk trash from start to stop.  When I say ‘trash’, that’s a good adjective in my view of rock ‘n’ roll.  You know, like how ‘bad’ means ‘good’.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Cy and Co. (fellow Outsiders Josh Shearon and Cam Sarret) named the album ‘So Bad’ because it is sooooo bad!  Head bobbing sing-alongs give way to SST inspired mayhem, just to slide back into a fuzz induced melodic arena.  The LP spins at 45rpm, which is another bonus.  This is a full-length, but the dudes aren’t wasting anyone’s time.  Wanna rock?  OK, play this record and in less than half an hour you can do something else.  Like play it again.  Cy Barkley And The Way Outsiders are carrying the dirty rock ‘n’ roll torch along with the likes of Ty Segall and their label bosses, Jeff The Brotherhood.  It’s a diverse landscape out there for garage and punk inspired tunes and Cy and Co. are blazing a trail that people need to follow.  If this record is your cup o' tea be sure to catch up with the few 7”s they did before this LP.  Cy Barkley has a bunch of things going on, but let’s hope The Way Outsiders are his priority uno!   

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Check out the track 'So Bad' as posted in Nashville Cream!

Statues - Bandage #01

Today I discovered that Statues officially called it quits over the summer.  Statues was one of the first Canadian power-pop-punk bands I came across several years ago and they served as a great bridge to discovering many awesome bands and labels from our northern neighbors.  I hadn’t gotten around to doing a Bandage post yet so I figured Statues would be a fitting subject to break in the category.  Statues formed in 2004 in the town of Sudbury, Ontario.  Has anyone noticed I dig Canadian bands yet?  Over the course of 8 years Statues released four albums- ‘Aux’, ‘New People Make Us Nervous’ (my personal fave), ‘Terminal Bedroom’ and Holiday Cops’.  They also released a slew of 7”s. British Columbia's legendary Deranged Records was their primary home but they did records with a variety of labels including some in the US and Europe.  Statues were front-runners when it came to making Europe a second home by releasing records on Canadian and European labels concurrently and touring both regions regularly.  Many of their peers have been doing the same thing with great success.  Statues really excelled at cranking out KBD inspired tunes with classic pop-punk sensibilities.  I’m glad they left behind dozens of fantastic songs before hanging it up! 

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Wax Trax Records – Denver Nuggets #01

WAX TRAX RECORDS
638 E. 13TH AVE.
DENVER, CO 80203
CD STORE: 303.831.7246
VINYL STORE: 303.860.0127

Wax Trax Records is, quite simply, my favorite record store.  Period.  Not only does it have an excellent selection of fairly priced audio recordings, but it’s also fiercely independent.  When I was younger, friends and I would plan days around a trip to Wax Trax.  Later on, I lived around the corner and would browse and socialize fairly often.  I still make a point to cruise over to Wax Trax pretty often.  Wax Trax has been through some changes over the years (storefronts, staff, ups, downs) but through it all it has remained a great record store.  Its current incarnation features the Wax Trax I storefront and Wax Trax Vinyl storefront.  The WTI spot features CD’s, DVD’s and shirts.  There is also a cool little stage/venue area where bands perform during special in-stores and weekend matinees.  Wax Trax Vinyl has loads of new and used LP's and 7"s, plus a few tapes.  Being a vinyl nut, this is the place I frequent most.  Although they carry many genres in both new and used conditions, their stock of new rock ‘n’ roll vinyl records (punk, garage, indie, etc.) is a definite highlight.  The other highlight is that Wax Trax is easily the most local band/label friendly store in Denver.  They are always willing to help promote a local band's release, whether popular or smaller profile.  In the age of digital music and downloads, it thrills me to no end that Wax Trax is still thriving.  Be sure to stop by when visiting Denver.  If you live in the Denver Metro area and Wax Trax isn’t a frequent stop, get with it!  Now, let’s check out what my pal and Wax Trax employee Dave Boyo has to say:

Three Random Queries For Dave Boyo Of Wax Trax

 1. What’s the funniest thing you ever told a customer?

 “There was a dude who would wear a gas mask/air filter type mask while shopping.  He came up to the counter to ask a question.  He asks the question while wearing the mask and sounded like an airplane pilot on a radio.  So I asked him ‘aren’t you supposed to say ‘roger that’ when I gave you your answer to your question?’  The other dudes I was working with totally cracked up.  Dude never came back.”

2. What is the most requested used record?

“That’s a tough one.  There seems to be a ‘most requested’ LP for each genre.  The Beatles ‘White Album’ is the most requested overall.”

3. 45rpm or 33 1/3rpm?

“I prefer 45’s lately.  It’s always rad to discover a killer b-side track on an old 45.”

Many thanks to both Dave Boyo and Wax Trax!

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HoZac Records / HoZac Hookup Klub – Willing And Label #01 / Busy Singles #02

HoZac Records is an independent record label based out of Chicago, IL.  It was founded in 2006 and specializes in garage, punk, psychedelic, sleaze-pop and any other kind of fringe rock ‘n’ roll sub-genres you can rattle off.  HoZac (short for Horizontal Action, a zine that pre-dated the label) has been a huge fave of mine over the last few years.  They have a strong catalog that features bands that are mainstays with the label such as Radar Eyes, Heavy Times and Rayon Beach plus a slew of one-off records from bands such as Spider Fever and Gentleman Jesse & His Men.  The label has a strong affinity for vinyl and the first 200 of each pressing is done in a ‘Gold Edition’ that features not only gold vinyl (duh), but 7”s feature alternate artwork from the standard pressing.  Very cool.  The latest batch of releases includes LP’s from Puffy Areolas and The Limiñanas as well as 7”s from King Louie’s Missing Monuments and People’s Temple.  HoZac also happens to have a fantastic singles club known as the HoZac Hookup Klub.  Each 7” is limited to 500 copies and is only available through a subscription that’s on a first-come-first-served basis at the beginning of each ‘Round’. Recent singles from the Klub have come from artists such as Dan Melchior, Squish, Homostupids and a few others.  The label is quite prolific and shares a spot at the front of the garagey-punk pack with peers such as Goner and Dirtnap.  Todd, the main man behind HoZac, was nice enough to indulge me in answering three questions that you’ll see below.  I plan to wrap up future spotlights in similar fashion.  Much thanks to Todd and go check out HoZac Records if you haven’t already for cryin’ out loud!

Three Random Queries For Todd Of HoZac Records

1. Who designed your 7” center labels?

"That was me, we decided to make a classic 60s looking a-side with a uniform logo b-side and the band name printed both upright and upside down in case you're trying to read it while it's spinning."

2. What is the most annoying thing you have to do for the label?

"Probably dragging endless boxes to the post office, and/or getting our pictures taken."

3. What is your favorite record store in Chicago?

"There's so many good ones, actually, Permanent and Reckless probably get the most votes (and are closest to my place) but there's others like Dave's, Laurie's and Cyclopx that are really good too. When I first moved here in 1996, it was Dummyroom on Grand Ave just west of Ashland that had the best selection, then RAW Records in Evanston took the title around 1997 after relocating from their Voodoo Jive store out in Bannockburn. RAW was probably the best record store I've ever been to, anywhere. It was just this insane selection of everything I was interested in. They ended up selling their entire stock to Amoeba LA when that store was in it's planning stages. I've still never been to a store that would tell you to put stuff back ("ehh, you won't like this," or "this looks way better than it sounds") that you were trying to buy, that was the most sincere customer service I've ever experienced!"

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Radar Eyes - "I Am" by HOZAC RECORDS