Author: Dave

Categories
Music News

Torche vs. Robots

Torche_game

Floridian metal giants Torche have unveiled a new track from their upcoming album, Restarter, in the form of a single player computer game. The game enables fans to play as members of the band in a battle against evil robots hell-bent on destroying the city, with the carnage sound tracked by the album’s opening track ‘Annihilation Affair’. Click here to play Torche vs. Robots: Annihilation Affair.

Anyone who can beat the game is in with a chance to win a prize pack including the new album on vinyl, a t-shirt, two tickets to see Torche on their upcoming tour and stickers. To enter, contestants must upload a video to YouTube showing them beating the game with the hash tag #torchevsrobots. Winners will be announced on February 23rd.

Catch Torche live at the dates below, Restarter is due for release on February 23rd via Relapse Records.

May UK tour
22nd London, Underworld
23rd Leeds, Belgrave Social Club
25th Cork, Crane Lane
26th Dublin, Grand Social
27th Belfast, Limelight
28th Glasgow, CCA
29th Manchester, Sound Control
30th Bristol, Festival (2105)

Categories
Album Reviews Buzz Chart

POND

POND_Man_It_Feels_Like_Space_AgainPOND
Man It Feels Like Space Again
Caroline

”Soulful pop in a seashell dress, except the sea in question is the one from that bit in ‘Interstellar’ on the perpetual wave-machine planet.” – anonymous

That is just one way that the new offering from big ol’ buddy pals POND has been described to me since its release. It sounds like the sonic interpretation of having a really great time with some close friends, except that you all have the ability to transform into lava-lamps, and that’s what you do all night, every night for a week straight.

Three tracks into ‘MIFLSA’ (as I call it) you’ve been dragged aboard the Pond Rocket depicted on the cover and are heading into uncharted cosmic territory that somehow still feels like a sofa bed in your cool friend’s mum’s basement. Friendly, but slick grooves are split up by oases that float you down gently from the sonic equivalent of the East Australian Current (as seen in the 2003 computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film ‘Finding Nemo’), and out into tepid waters, where you can look back and have bit of a think.

Penultimate track ‘Medicine Hat’, however, sounds like something off Exile On Main St that was recorded in the bottom hull of the aforementioned Pond Rocket as it soars past Saturn. Other highlights include an insanely cool guitar sound in the second quarter of the behemoth title track that figure skates right over your shoulder and into your heart.

All in all, this album is pretty nuts and pretty great. The fact the centerpiece of the album is called ‘Heroic Shart’ basically sums it up – don’t take it too seriously and that makes the quasi-cosmic journey all the more fun.

Charlie Pelling

Categories
Album Reviews Buzz Chart

The Living Eyes

living_eyes

The Living Eyes
Living Large
Agitated Records

The Saints have come back and are marching in, but Australia’s The Living Eyes don’t wanna be in that number, they wanna do their own number. And that number isn’t the D4, erstwhile and ersatz garage punks. This lot sure as hell know their product and they totally own it. In fact they sell it hard. While Tame Impala and Pond do the hippy dippy do, with thousand yard stares and degrees in distortion, The Living Eyes combine the song writing sass of The Clean with the bare knuckle vigour of The Hard Ons. And if King Gizzard did garage psych, this lot do garage psycho. Less likely to hit the superfuzz pedal than do a super big piddle on your shoes.

As you might imagine from the title this is a party record, and one which Andrew WK the professional party idiot might approve. Hooky as hell, it recalls compatriot’s Eddy Current Surpression Ring, and last year’s excellent Meatbodies album, and wouldn’t be out of place in San Francisco or on Castle Face, In The Red or Goner Records. But in fact they’re on Agitated Records. This is their second album but their first was put out on bandleader Billy Gardner’s own Antifade records, a man staking his claim as a Melbourne Ty Segall by also playing in bands enticingly called Ausmuteants and Wet Blankets.

Stand-out and hair on neck stand up song ‘Guilty Pleasures’ starts off like Adam & The Ants’ ‘Antmusic’, goes all Dick Dale and ends up like The Damned before dying abruptly in a brick wall of feedback. I won’t pretend that this is high-brow, in fact it’s more like deep set monobrow but it’s one furrow that I don’t mind ploughing.

Nick Hutchings

Categories
Buzz Chart Single Reviews

Wicketkeeper

wicketkeeper

Wicketkeeper
‘All My Friends’
Facebook

It’d be foolish to be a London based trio of guitar wielding slackers without knowing that there’s a ton of other Londoners wielding their slack charms left right and centre throughout the capital city. Thankfully for Wicketkeeper, their breezy pop-smarts see them standing tall among a sea of five panel caps.

Methodically simple without being dumb, immediate without being throwaway, ‘All My Friends’ is a hook-laden, Lemonheads meets Pavement homage full of late 20s ennui. Captured live at House of Strange in South East London, their no-frills recording approach lets the song speak for itself as the raw energy pours and their slick melodies rise.

If you thrive on chunky guitar hooks and slacker charm then be sure to catch this instrument swapping trio live at The Shacklewell Arms on February 3rd with Naomi Punk.

‘All My Friends’ is taken from Wicketkeeper’s debut EP, Muscle Baby, self-released from Feb 9th.

Categories
Album Reviews Buzz Chart

Purling Hiss

purlinghiss_weirdonPURLING HISS
Weirdon
(Drag City)

As a band name Purling Hiss is a pleasing Spoonerism, nearly as satisfying as when Jeremy Hunt, Cultural Secretary’s name was catastrophically mispronounced by James Naughtie on Radio 4’s Today programme.

Weirdon is also a catchy if not mind boggling title for an album. You wonder what causes a weirdon, and is it something you can hide by crossing your legs. Released at the tail (no pun intended) end of last year on Drag City, this one slipped under the radar, but much like the record by Ultimate Painting – it’s a real grower. Part Archers of Loaf, part Pavement, part Tall Dwarfs, and at its gnarliest Male Bonding, this pop is not just angular it’s so wonky that the shelf holding the vinyl copy has just fallen off the wall of Ikea and squashed your meat balls.

Purling Hiss is basically Mike Polizze, and he makes sounding lop sided effortless even though you know his fretwork is spotless. Easily on a par with recent records by Mikal Cronin and Kelley Stoltz, it’s not razing trees to the ground, it’s not ripping them up, but it is making them bend back like Thunderbird 2 emerging from its Tracy Island lair ready to ping in your face. Like an international rescue from your January stupor.

Weirdon is out now on Drag City.

Nick Hutchings

Categories
Buzz Chart Single Reviews

The Sonics

SonicsThe Sonics
‘Bad Betty’
Revox Records

We’re all used to reunions, cash ins and very vague versions of classic bands coming back to have another go at reigniting their long lost youths but as come backs go, few can challenge The Sonics for sheer ability to pick up and kick back into where they left off some forty years later!

It’s impossible to over exaggerate the influence that The Sonics had when they detonated out of Tacoma, Washington in the early sixties. Their primal fuzz, distortion and garage rock grooves was so far ahead of their time they practically invented every form of rock music that’s come since.

The Sonics have had a few reunions over the years but this coming March 31st sees the release of their first new studio album since the release of Introducing back in 1967. Titled This Is The Sonics and due to be issued through their own label, Revox, the first taster from its grooves has just been released and ‘Bad Betty’ very quickly asserts itself as a comeback worth waiting for. High energy, explosive and full of fuzz, despite fast approaching their seventies, ‘Bad Betty’ sounds like no time has passed since and The Sonics have effortlessly recaptured the energy and aggression of their teenage years.

Produced by Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Dirtbombs) and featuring original members Jerry Roslie, Larry Parypa, and Rob Lind, The Sonics also now feature Freddie Dennis from The Kingsmen and Liverpool Five, plus Dusty Watson who played with Dick Dale and Agent Orange. And if ‘Bad Betty’ is anything to go by, This Is The Sonics promises to eclipse even their early material for amp-slashing, foot stomping garage rock mania. Bring it on!

James Sherry

Categories
Buzz Chart Single Reviews

BC Camplight

BC_CamplightBC Camplight
‘You Should’ve Gone To School’
Bella Union

BC Camplight is the alter ego of Philadelphian songwriter Brian Christinzio, who, after releasing two eloquent psych-pop albums in the mid-00’s, now finds himself reborn into his recently adopted home of Manchester. Though this seemingly simple change of location becomes intriguing when partnered with the knowledge that his brand new album is titled, How To Die In The North. Regardless, the album’s lead track, ‘You Should’ve Gone to School’, see’s the self-proclaimed “guy who blew it” eating his own words.

Opening with a bassline that could have raised the eyebrows of Bernard Edwards himself, this single sees BC Camplight boasting inscrutable song-writing prowess. His hooks are so simple it hurts. The most prevalent being a swirling, cylindrical vocal siren that looms above the chorus, surrounded by an airy and effortless chord progression that never tires. Breaking into the verse, BC explores all manner of lyrical avenues, flying through the glass in his automobile after enduring the cold harsh stare of the creatures in the air, adding a mind bending charm to this marvellously crafted pop tune.

How to die In the North is out now on Bella Union. Check out the video bellow starring Felix the cat.

Categories
Buzz Chart Single Reviews

GANG

gang_silverbackGANG
‘Silverback’
Sexx Tapes

Kick off the week with your ears stinging as Brighton’s GANG emerge with their treacherous head-banger of a new single, ‘Silverback’.

As soon as this monstrous riff kicks in you almost jolt 40 years back in time. These three scuzz mongers make no attempt to hide their love for ‘70s throwback octofuzz and maxed out organ tones that Jon Lord himself would surely give a tip of the hat to. Vocally, frontman Eric Tormey stands alone, howling his pained damnations high above the din.

Coated in sludge, GANG catapult into their filthy basement jam B-side with gusto. Mashing slack chord abuse against a fierce throat shredding mantra, this trio are daring you to question ‘Not A Reason’ as the ideal house party scream-along.

The ‘Silverback’ cassette also features a bonus mix by fellow Brightonite and fuzz advocate Theo Verney, grab a copy of this sludgy sleaze via Sexx Tapes from January 30th.

Categories
Buzz Chart

Solids

solids
Solids
‘Off White’
Fat Possum

Your teenage years are often regarded as particularly challenging ones. With the pressures of interacting with the opposite sex, learning to drive a car, trying to be a social butterfly with tons of friends, and awkwardly stumbling your way into what everyone else felt the need to call ‘the rest of your life’, it was a whirlwind of emotion for even the best of us.

But who would’ve thought these trials and tribulations of youth could be portrayed so well in a music video by a scuzz punk two piece from Montreal? Hit play below and watch the lobster boy strike out on his own and beat the bullies. The good guys always get the girl in the end, right?

‘Off White’ is taken from Solids debut album Blame Confusion, out now on Fat Possum.

Categories
Music News

POND share an insane new music video

pond

Taken from their forthcoming album, Man It Feels Like Space Again, POND enter the year with a hilarious new music video for the album’s second single, ‘Zond’.

Watch the Perth four-piece quench their thirst for the futuristic, the mind bending and the downright daft as they ride a time traveling sofa, appear as inflatable monsters and make a psychedelic mess in this hilarious new music video below.

Man It Feels Like Space Again is due January 26th 2015 via Caroline Records.