Category: Reviews

Please be politely warned, for what you are about to read should give your summer 2010 the soundtrack your ears are craving for as Monster Head Room, the debut album by Sacramento’s Ganglians is very much a contender for Record of the Year year at Crossfire.

Here’s why: this 3-piece simply have a knack of jamming a laid back beat, psyching it out until it almost breaks whilst at the same time creating a wonderful soundscape of Beach Boys infused psychedelic indie that is tinged with 60’s freak. It’s lush.

Their trippy mix of memorable, acid-tinged pop is delivered across this album from start to finish. Dark and mellow tracks such as ‘The Void’ do a very good job of instantly swimming into your veins. This personal favourite was re-recorded for the album and creeps into your consciousness enough to warrant that first morning tune that your mind plays you as soon as you open your eyes. They have that ‘cricket noise round the campfire’ shit on lock but singer Ryan Grubbs can also pack in catchy-as-hell pop melody’s throughout this album.

Highlights include the classic ‘Valiant Brave’, a mammoth track that builds into splendour much akin to Atlanta’s Black Lips whose psychedelic prowess (when on form) can be equally magical. It’s this magic though that makes this album so special as Ganglians bring with them a world that more addictive than any other record this year so far, a world that would be complimented by a dose of the best Mexican mescaline, a bath bong and a smoke machine.

They can also kick out the jams as proved on the banging ‘100 Years’ a song that one one listen made me think of bands such as The Butthole Surfers, they also bring garage-surf sounds in this collection of 13 tracks as present in ‘Blood In The Sand’ and there’s also Brian Wilson’s artistically innovative influence on tracks such as ‘Candy Girl’, another track that was rebuffed for this release.

‘Monster Head Room’ has everything you ever could have hoped for in an album at this time of the year and should give you the same buzz as your first listen to MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular. Look out for Ganglians as they are about to hit the UK for the first time ever this year and you would be foolish to miss them after hearing this record just once, yes, it’s that instant. Go feed your music habit right now and get stoked on the discovery, it will be well worth it.

Slack

Valient Brave by souterraintransmissions

The Void by souterraintransmissions

Ganglians – Blood On The Sand from jbls on Vimeo.

Sage Francis is back with a new album and this time he’s taken a very different route to his creating a sound unlike anything he’s put out before.

Sure he’s had guitar samples across his albums here and there, but this record sees him get rid of his traditional hip hop beats in favour of some stripped down acoustics and nods to punk in places.

Does it work? Well, for the most part it really does and surpasses,as a whole, his past two albums. His lyrics have always been there, regardless of the background, sharp, witty and easily quotable, but the use of real drums, even the dusty ones on Slow Man, really give him a canvas to highlight his vocals, something he does with aplomb.

It’s not a perfect album, there’s a slight dip in the middle but when he rounds it all up with the Yann Tiersen co-produced The Best Of Times [which you can hear below], that lull is forgotten, the beautiful melody emblazoning itself subtly on the listener’s ear drums. Bringing in the likes of Death Cab’s Chris Walla, Mark Linkous and members of Calexico and DeVotchKa was a bold move, but Francis has ridden the storm and come out the otherside with an album well worth listening to.

Abjekt.

Right, now I’m not a fan of mash-ups for the most part. Danger Mouse’s Grey Album wasn’t all that, Jaydiohead just made me want to bump straight up Dilla without Thom Yorke anywhere near it and Lush Life’s combination of the amazing Beach Boys with the anything-but-amazing Kanye West just made me sad. But there is finally a mash up album that I can actually enjoy and it really is a belter.

Max Tannone, the man behind the aforementioned Jaydiohead experiment has combined the vocals of Mos Def with a number of old dub tunes to great effect. Whether it’s the fact that the sunshine started peeking it’s head around the clouds the day I downloaded this or not, I don’t know, but this just gives my step a little bounce and even, dare I say it, makes me smile.

Taking in songs like Ms Fat Booty and putting nice vibesy guitar licks around them just works, it’s as simple as that. Oftentimes these mash ups just seem very contrived to me, whereby the producer has tried to just force the two songs into a marriage but without being able to give them a true vibe.

Mr Universe is a perfect example of why this album works. Hip hop scratching on the intro, a lilting guitar running throughout the entire track and Mos’ distinctive vocals running energetically around the whole thing. It’s not overbearing but it most definitely gets the summertime daydreams going.

The entire track can be streamed or downloaded here.

Is it worth it? Mos Def.

Abjekt.

While Jaguar Love might still feel the weight of their former glories, forthcoming record ‘Hologram Jams’ sets them apart from their past projects. While Blood Brothers had been a ferocious assault on the senses, Jaguar Love feels almost like that band’s trendier younger brother; all lively synth melodies and drum machine beats.

While this approach is likely to be divisive among Blood Brothers fans, at its best the record is a contagious electro-pop triumph. Single “Up All Night” is a great example, with its thumping chorus and boundless energy. While vocalist Johnny Whitney has tamed his vocal screech, he remains as distinctive as ever as his new found restraint allows for more melody. If it’s melody you’re looking for, however, then this isn’t the place to look. Like much of the record, “Up All Night” feels loud and garish, feeding the riotous punk energy you’d expect from the pair into a pop format.

This aesthetic also translates into the song’s music video, with a budget cut n’paste style that flashes with colour and enthusiasm. Like the music itself, the videos separate parts make little sense on their own, but have somehow been chopped up and rearranged into something oddly captivating.

Sleekly Lion.

Man, you know you’re getting old when bands start celebrating 20th, 25th and even 30th anniversaries of albums… that you brought 1st time around!!

Case in point; “Let’s Wreck the Party” by Canadian trailblazers DOA, that I purchased from the band after a gig at the 100 Club, London is September 1985. Years later I read that the copy I had, with a small DOA logo in the centre of the cover sleeve, was in fact a misprint, due to a cock-up at the printers, and was replaced as soon as the proper covers were pressed up. The cover of this reissue CD though is the original North American sleeve, with a photo of the band disrupting a family Thanksgiving Dinner, turkey and all!

Released on Just in Time Records in Canada, and Alternative Tentacles in the U.S.A and Europe, the line up saw Joe Shithead (vocals/ guitar) Dave Gregg (guitar) augmented by a new, but seasoned rhythm section for the bands 3rd LP; Brian “Sunny Boy Roy” Goble from the (Canadian) Subhumans on bass, and departed drummer Chuck Biscuits older brother Dimwit on drums. Dimwit had played with Shithead in their pre-DOA outfit The Skulls, and had been in and out of DOA since their incarnation…

So, revamped line-up, and “Let’s Wreck the Party” also a saw marked shift from the straight up full tilt rowdy Hardcore Punk of the first 2 albums, and a more Hard Rocking direction with great effect. I loved this album at the time and all these years down the line it still floats my boat big time, with songs that rally against money grubbing corporations, the plight of North America’s native population, mainstream media control and “General Strike” encouraged people to stand up for their rights in the work place.It’s a topical number, and a timely reminder that whilst many of us have redundancy constantly hanging over our heads, tighter working conditions and zero pay rises to deal with an ever increasing cost of living, the bosses and company CEO’s still get their six figure salaries and mega bonuses: “everything is not alright, and there’s no end in sight”. The latter track remains a staple of DOA’s live set, as does “Race Riot” with its blunt anti-racist message… “race riot, don’t buy it, we don’t want that crap – no, no, no”…

If you’re starting out with DOA, then I’d recommend you first check out “Hardcore ‘81” and “Something Better Change”, but definitely follow them up with a shot of “Let’s Wreck the Party”.

Pete Craven

As the harsh chill of winter is gradually replaced by blue skies and sunshine, Barcelona’s Delorean are ready to drop the perfect summer soundtrack. Their forthcoming record, Subiza, will make you think twice about dancing in dingy clubs and want to break out into the sunshine.

Opening track and single, Stay Close, should give you a flavour of what’s to come; all sun drenched pop euphoria and nostalgia. Although it seems abstract to associate music so closely with sunshine, every sound here seems to melt together as if left out in mid-summer heat. While the song begins with a fairly basic progression, it’s quickly saturated with idyllic backing vocals and lush background noise. Given the popularity of bands like Washed Out and Toro Y Moi in recent months, Delorean’s poppier take on blissed out synth music might well capitalise on this zeitgeist.

Following on from last year’s well received Ayrton Senna EP, Subiza (named after the Spanish town where it was recorded) will be released on June 8th. Just in time for festival season, then, so check the video below and prepare for summer!

Sleekly Lion.

Some bands become watered down versions of themselves after they’ve been around a certain amount of time. Not Deftones. In fact, with Rocket Skates it’s almost like they’re an intensely concentrated version of themselves. This track is our first taster from forthcoming album Diamond Eyes and it’s just as full of edge-of-your-seat musical and lyrical violence as Deftones ever were.

The repeated screaming of ‘Guns, Razors, Knives!’ by frontman Chino is both impassioned and pained whilst the searing guitar lines are almost out of control in their visceral nature. As much as the air of violence and raw rock sound is key in this track, it’s also clear that Deftones have honed their art to near perfection and there is an impressive display of musicianship on show.

This is a balls-out rock song proving that if a band is truly great, they can rise above even the highest levels of expectations placed upon them and come out with something that quenches existing fans’ thirst ten times over as well as piquing interest in those who may have not really paid that much attention to them in the past. Over 20 years of Deftones and they’re still going strong. Perhaps even stronger than ever. Respect is due.

Much like their band name itself, fun. make pop music which is brilliantly bright and uncomplicated. Having spawned from the ashes of The Format this sugary sheen should come as no great surprise, yet fun. are a unique proposition.

This AA side single displays the range the band is a capable of. Opener, Walking the Dog, is the more upbeat and radio friendly of the two; combining strutting guitars with a chorus that will bounce around your head for days. In the best possible way, I hasten to add.

On the flipside, Be Calm, is more quirky in tone, complete with brass and strings to create a sprawling chamber pop gem. This seems to be where the band really excels, as the band manages to show great song writing ambition without sounding overblown. Well, perhaps a little overblown, but all the best pop bands are.

fun. release their debut album, Aim and Ignite, in the UK on May 31st.

Marty McFly: I’m sorry Doc; it’s all my fault you’re stuck back there. I never should have let Biff get to me!

Young Doc: Well, there are plenty worse places to be than the Old West. I could’ve ended up in the Dark Ages. They probably would have burned me at the stake as a heretic or something…

Best get yourselves strapped tight in the DeLorean DMC-12 people; we’re takin’ another blast back to the dawn of Hardcore with Sweden’s self styled barn av den svarta hål.

On their 3rd LP these Umeå dudes continue to lay down some of the most faithful old time North American Hardcore on the planet, packed with pissed, loud, snotty and sarcastic attitude of the type that came busting out of (notably) Southern California in the early Eighties. It’s an era that easily hits a Classic on the punk-o-meter, and Regulations go straight for the good shit…. (early) ‘Flag, Circle Jerks, Adolescents, Germs, and the title track has got a definite Flipper-ness to it… cool!

I’m really digging the dozen tracks on “To Be Me”, this is my idea of sharp melodic punk, with barely any of the songs breaking the 2minute mark, and when they even stretch to an incredible 3:18 on “Down the Street”… you can be sure this ain’t no feeble power ballad. Hard to pick favourites, but “Baghdad Beach Party” is a gnarly surf punk salvo, bang up to date with its blunt statement on the mess the West has caused in the Middle East, and I love the sentiments of “In The Shadow of a Mall”… U.C life is not the life for me!

I don’t think you will hear many better punk albums than “To Be Me” this year.

Pete Craven