choir croak out them goodies

Mannequin Men - s/t

2012-01-24T23:13:00.000-08:00

About three years ago, I had the chance to see Chicago's Mannequin Men play at the FYF (back when it was still manageable and being held in Echo Park, at that). They were one of the more obscure bands forced to play an early afternoon set to a half-full Echoplex, but nonetheless turned out to be one of the better bands to perform that weekend. I assumed I'd never hear from them again.

As it turns out, however, Mannequin Men have gotten even better, and they released one of 2011's most worthwhile rock albums. I'd hate for this group to disappear without much attention outside of their home base, so give 'em a shot if you're into sad slobby men, beer, and loneliness. Review and samples linked below...

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/mannequin-men-st-lp-2/

Mannequin Men - Cheryl Tiegs (this one's about batin')

Mannequin Men - Why Do I Get

Purchase Mannequin Men

New Chelsea Wolfe!

2012-01-17T21:23:00.001-08:00

2012-01-11T12:07:00.001-08:00

2012-01-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

Middle Class - Out of Vogue

Middle Class - You Belong

2012-01-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

The most optimistic video I've ever seen about Holocaust survival.

2012-01-09T23:44:00.000-08:00

2012-01-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

REFUSED ARE PLAYING COACHELLA!!!!!!!

2012-01-05T21:59:00.000-08:00

Adam Ant, you were beautiful in 1993.

And though you've got some Jack Sparrow thing going on with your facial hair, you're in amazing shape today.

And though you've postponed your U.S. tour, you've moved your Los Angeles date from February 2 to...my birthday. I'm so very happy.

Soundcloud is the new My Space.

2012-01-05T18:43:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy home recording of the Babies' "Trouble," in promotion of their spankin' new EP of demos from 2010 and 2011, Cry Along with the Babies, released as a 12" on January 24 (and digitally this coming Tuesday). This is what Cassie Ramone does with her time when Katy Goodman's off Tweeting in morse code and the Vivian Girls' various drummers are busy quitting.

The Babies - Trouble by New Images

Frankie Fuckin' Rose

2012-01-04T20:11:00.000-08:00

Frankie Rose. I developed a big stinky ladycrush on you after you abandoned the Dum Dum Girls and released a fine-ass record in 2010. Your tough surf rock, your true Arthur Russell cover, those dreamy little swirlies you drew up and down the proverbial walls with those guitars - the whole lot of it was beautiful. And now you're set to release a new record. So why'd you ditch all that good stuff to make a contribution to the ever-growing pile of 1980s imitations? This fucking '80s revival's been dragging on for what, seven years and counting?

(New record Interstellar gets released February 21 on Slumberland.)

Frankie Rose - Know Me by Slumberland Records

Yay for Orange Juice ripoffs!

2012-01-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

Sea Lions - A Cloud by Slumberland Records

Franc Cinelli - Blue Christmas

2011-12-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

MORE CHRISTMAS!! Buy the single for LOTS AND LOTS OF SHARING.

So, this happened.

2011-12-13T17:42:00.001-08:00

Jesus Christ, it's Christmas time. I do believe tomorrow is the day to bust out the partridge in a pear tree.

In any case, it's time to post something new from Sam Mickens. It seems he recorded a Christmas album for his pal Zac Pennington (Parenthetical Girls) last year, and as of today, it's been released for the masses to enjoy. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is particularly nice.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://shatteryourleaves.com/album/a-christmas-gift-to-you-zac-pennington"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;A Christmas Gift to You, Zac Pennington by Sam Mickens&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

For the sake of equality, I'm still waiting for a good novelty Chanukah song to be made. In the meantime, here's a picture of Paul Stanley. To fill the hole.

2011-12-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's free! But you should bring toys to donate. Tonight.

Pujol - Nasty, Brutish, and Short

2011-12-07T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hallo. Review of this here Pujol record. This, here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/pujol-nasty-brutish-and-short-cdlp/

(and yes, I am five and snicker when I say "Pujol")

Pujol - Point of View

Purchase Nasty, Brutish, and Short

New Year's Eve Eve! Woo

2011-12-06T22:58:00.000-08:00

Fuckin' THIS.

2011-12-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Normally, I'd tell you to use your donation money on the crucial stuff - food banks, medical research, fluffy animals, etc. This time, however, I'm going to put a good bit of effort into suggesting that you make a contribution to a musical cause. Jherek Bischoff (previously of artsy Seattle groups the Dead Science and the Degenerate Art Ensemble, also both excellent) has put out a few good solo albums since the Dead Science apparently broke up (see guitarist Sam Mickens, transplant to Brooklyn). Bischoff's going to be putting together a live show with the Wordless Music Orchestra, and collaborators like Mirah, David Byrne, and Greg Saunier, as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival, set to occur in Manhattan on February 4. He needs your money.

He's trying to raise $5000 in order to fly out all necessary parties. Help a brother out. The incentives he's giving away as thanks for donations are pretty worthwhile, so think of this as buying music. Which is something you used to do, anyway. Plus, he's a Virgo, which means he puts a lot of care into his work. You know.

Donate here.

Proof of how rad he is:

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://jherekbischoff.bandcamp.com/album/jherek-bischoff"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Jherek Bischoff by Jherek Bischoff&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Tamarrah (if you live in L.A., NY, Austin, or Vegas)

2011-11-23T19:49:00.001-08:00

(It's hard to read, so click here for info if the above text is too teeny.)

J.J. Burnel appreciation time.

2011-11-21T22:57:00.001-08:00

Ever!

2011-11-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

How nice! A Neverever residency at the Echo every Monday in December.

Neverever - Wedding Day by Slumberland Records

Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler/The Dream

2011-11-12T22:50:00.000-08:00

Hallo, my review of the new Oh Sees non-LP has been posted elsewhere; I say non-LP because it's actually a double-EP, which more bands ought to do if they're worried about the record slipping by track six. The band also headlined a marvelous, costume-ridddled show in Los Angeles a couple days before Halloween - it's funny to think that just three years ago, they were opening for the Mae Shi at a tiny venue like the Smell. Surely John Dwyer will finally become famous one of these days...

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/thee-oh-sees-carrion-crawlerthe-dream-cdlp/

Thee Oh Sees - The Dream

Purchase Carrion Crawler/The Dream (you won't regret it!)

Jesse Morris

2011-11-12T22:34:00.001-08:00

Here's a fellow who used to busk in San Francisco and recently passed away. He was also featured in the San Francisco Gate less than a year ago over his work with country band the Man Cougars. He did a mean Johnny Cash imitation and had begun recording this album several years ago but never finished it. Proceeds from the sales of his unfinished country-punk record will go toward his memorial service in December; obviously, you can stream or download it for free, but you may as well help out with costs and put in the mere five bucks to do so. Obit in the SF Weekly can be found here.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://differentfur.bandcamp.com/album/i-wanna-take-it-all-back-in-memory"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;I Wanna Take It All Back - In Memory by Jesse Morris&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Thee Cormans are coming...

2011-10-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Speaking of surf rock...the Halloween countdown begins! Halloween Record w/Special Effects was just released in time for (you guessed it) Halloween. And should you be lucky enough to live in Southern California, Thee Cormans will be making some live appearances with the likes of Nobunny and the sweet, sweet Mark Sultan in the very near future.

10/28 - Burbank, CA - Viva Fresh Mexican Restaurant

10/29 - San Diego, CA - 'Til Two Club

10/30 - Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar

11/25 - Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar

(Dude. It's free and it's in Burbank.)

Thee Cormans - "Open The Gates"

The Bombay Sweets!

2011-10-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Safe but pleasant surf rock record from a former Selby Tiger. In a nutshell.

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/the-bombay-sweets-cd-ep12-ep/

The Bombay Sweets - I Take You Alone

Purchase a bunch of vinyl by the Bombay Sweets.

Christine Leakey

2011-10-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

New pleasant surprise entered the inbox this week; Christine Leakey - why, she just leaked a few songs into my inbox, har har ugh - is a darling Canadian lady in her upper 30s who not only enjoys making cashew cheese and blogging, but is coming out with a record this January. The loungy, mildly jazzy teaser for her debut solo album (Tapping Trees in a Trinket Box of Treasure) is available for free on her Bandcamp page (as is everybody's music, it seems). These songs are soft and sweet, her aesthetic more retro than the music itself, and if you tend to crave artists like Eleni Mandell, the Real Tuesday Weld, or - by a slight stretch - Azure Ray, Leakey may be the lady for you.

Christine Leakey - Lovely

(Also, some mild Facebook stalking tells me she's a Stranglers fan, which makes her a winner in my book...)

deadCAT - R.I.P.

2011-10-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://deadcat.bandcamp.com/album/r-i-p-ep"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;R.I.P. EP by deadCAT&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Well, hello there. Recently received a note from the approximately 21-year old Britt Teusink of Atlanta, Georgia, a fellow who makes noise pop under the name deadCAT and names his songs after...his dead cats. I'd like to think that this is what would have happened to Ariel Pink had Pink not grown up in a wealthy section of Los Angeles.

Gothic vagina time: Chelsea Wolfe

2011-10-18T19:15:00.001-07:00

Chelsea Wolfe was on KXLU's Demolisten two years ago, and MTV is finally picking up on her about now. Woo MTV! Certainly for Portishead fans, or those trotting onto on the Zola Jesus bandwagon.

P.S. She's opening for the Black Heart Procession at the Satellite in Silverlake on December 3.

New! For fans of Batman, the Dead Science, and all things dapper...

2011-10-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://shatteryourleaves.com/track/witchs-cauldron"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Witch's Cauldron by Sam Mickens&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://shatteryourleaves.com/track/lord-death-man"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Lord Death Man by Sam Mickens&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Pre-order Slay and Slake here.

What a fuckin' great record store. Go to this tomorrow (if you live in L.A.)

2011-10-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Jacuzzi Boys - Glazin'

2011-10-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Another one o' them power pop goodies, except it's about 70% goody. Not bad, though, and I do love it when a song is sung by a fancy lad.

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/jacuzzi-boys-glazin-cdlp/

Jacuzzi Boys - Glazin'

For a giggle, before I stop being lazy and start posting actual things

2011-10-11T20:13:00.001-07:00

2011-10-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Big ass edit: New Henry Clay People video.

Liz Green. Meee-ow, sort of.

2011-09-26T23:27:00.000-07:00

Marvelous video, good song. Liz Green almost reminds, vocally, of what Florence (of she and her Machine) could be with a bit of extra maturity and creative flair. Also have a listen to "Hey Joe" (no, nothing like a Make Up-style cover of pure magic, but good nonetheless). It's off new record O, Devotion! set for release on November 14.

Liz Green - Hey Joe

2011-09-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

The new Dum Dum Girls record is streaming fo' free and the Dum Dum Girls will be playing (also fo' free) at Amoeba in Hollywood tomorrow at 7pm. Yay vaginas!

Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams by subpop

New Twilight Sad! New Twilight Sad!

2011-09-21T21:26:00.001-07:00

The Twilight Sad - Kill It In The Morning by Fat Cat Records

the fuck?

2011-09-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Boston Spaceships - Let it Beard

2011-09-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

What a fuckin' fantastic record from Bob Pollard, people who weren't in Guided by Voices, people who were in Guided by Voices, and a solid stream of guests like Colin Newman, J. Mascis and Tahoe Jackson. The band is already kaput, a handful of years in, but do yourself a favor and buy this record.

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/boston-spaceships-let-it-beard-cdlp/

Boston Spaceships - Tourist U.F.O.

Purchase Let it Beard

Polvo - Heavy Detour

2011-08-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

There's an analogy floating about the internet that goes, and I paraphrase: “Pizza is like sex – when it's good, it's great, and when it's bad, it's still pretty good.” Surely the same could be said of Polvo, a group formed in 1990 that split eight years later and then made an unexpected but welcome return in 2009 with In Prism. The only way to rate Polvo is against themselves, because they've always been a step above others in their genre – wildly guitar-driven indie rock (very much in the “'90s alt-rock” sense) that would pave the way for math rock, with riffs challenging but not overindulgent, unconventional tuning, and Asian-inspired flair.

To say that their comeback record was a bit of a disappointment only holds true when measured against their own best records – arguably Today's Active Lifestyles and the Celebrate the New Dark Age EP, respectively released in 1993 and 1994. The same could potentially be said of their late '90s releases as well, though; an album like Exploded Drawing contained memorable parts (refer to the opening riff of “Fast Canoe” for one), but was somewhat dull next to what the band had previously created, and was capable of creating.

So, “Heavy Detour.” Polvo quite possibly realized the appeal of their earlier work after the release of In Prism, which was well and good as a rock album but boasted none of the embellishments that had once set them apart. “Heavy Detour,” then, the first single off a new record that's yet to be named or dated, sees a return to those Asian-inspired pulloffs that adorned their work from the mid 1990s. Only here, they get lost in a fair bit of overproduction and a synthetic orchestra that weighs too heavily, disappointments topped only by the fact that Ash Bowie's darling lisp has been replaced by a voice in bluesy rhythm that sounds raspy, aged, and tired. B-side “Anchoress” is more a return to form and reminds of a bit of “City Spirit” (Celebrate the New Dark Age), but also begs to be forgiven for its flat vocals, and finds the group sounding as creatively spent as they have ever been, which, again, means that the track would pass for a decent single from any other group, and is an example of a band that fares better than most reunion efforts. But for a band of Polvo’s caliber, it doesn’t provide the thrill of anticipation that’s needed to try and lure in the crowd prior to a fresh record or tour.

Polvo - Heavy Detour by MergeRecords

A. Grimes - Sextape

2011-08-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hiya, hello. This recently released EP (labeled Sextape, natch) was brought to my attention recently; the ambiguously named A. Grimes is a group out of Atlanta, and yes, they'd fit on a lineup with Black Lips - time to get that out of the way, I think. They'd also fit quite well on most lineups of L.A. venue the Smell, as a messy, lo-fi, vaguely-Gypsy-punk four-piece. Emphasis on messy. Fun!

A. Grimes' Sextape by A. Grimes

If you're into it, also have a listen to one of their earlier singles from the spring, "M.I.L.F."

A. Grimes - M.I.L.F.

2011-07-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

Who's this handsome fella? Why, it's Simon Reynolds. He wrote this book:

It was a pretty good book about the postpunk movement. No, it was a damn good book about the postpunk movement. Simon Reynolds has also written a book called Retromania. He's going to be in Los Angeles tomorrow promoting and signing it. Hoo-ray!

Skylight Books

1818 N. Vermont

Los Feliz

5:00 pm

13 & God - Own Your Ghost

2011-07-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

Little has changed since the 2005 debut of 13 & God, a supergroup of sorts comprised of Germany's the Notwist and Oakland-based Adam "Doseone" Drucker, Jeffrey "Jel" Logan and Dax Pierson, who otherwise parade around as Themselves and a large chunk of innovative hip hop band Subtle. Much like the latter half's work with Subtle, in particular, the first record by 13 & God was a bit dreary, with Dose's lyrics more contemplative than the simpler wit and rhyme typical of rap, brought to a lesser degree of urgency by the Notwist's downtempo instrumentation. And this is characteristic of them, still, in 2011.

What has changed is that, just prior to the release of that first record, keyboardist Dax Pierson was paralyzed during a tour accident with Subtle – an event that would force him to go entirely digital as a musician (and, as he's previously blogged, as a music consumer). As a result, he's forced to play a less active role with respect to touring and collaborative recording. As a member of 13 & God, online communication has replaced the possibility of physically recording with the Notwist in Germany, and Pierson's voice has become his biggest asset. And yet, this hardly affects the record – not because his role was insignificant in the first place, but because 13 & God records feel very much like Notwist records with an added bit of thunder, and Dose’s nasal vocal spinning.

Whereas Subtle and Themselves can take on heavier beats, or even an angry, somewhat bitter political or anti-(fill in the blank) message hovering above and throughout Dose’s nerdy wordplay, the Notwist provide a more somber coolness – Themselves give a shit and then some; this isn’t so much the case here, and lyrics seem less a focal point this time around, although “You can’t get the eat out of death” is a line appearing on no fewer than three songs on Own Your Ghost.

But 13 & God are at their best when that coolness is broken; a hint of that Oakland magic begins to come through on “Janu Are,” where Markus Archer's unwavering coo-as-chorus is backed by a steady and toned-down tuba beat that almost reminds of a bass/clarinet hybrid. The low buildup of the record finally satisfies in its final four tracks, with “Death Minor,” a pure piece of noir and perhaps an update on Portishead’s “Wandering Star,” leading into “Sure as Debt,” an aggressive, bass-heavy dancehall-style track that serves as the album’s climax, and falling beautifully into “Beat On Us” and “Unyoung” (completed from a demo by Pierson). This record is perhaps not entirely consistent with itself, but it is consistent with the relationship between bands that 13 & God established on its debut.

13 & God - Unyoung

Purchase Own Your Ghost

2011-07-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Iceage at Amoeba Records in Hollywood tomorrow at 7pm!!

Klak Tik - Must We Find a Winner

2011-07-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say a few words about Sufjan Stevens before moving onto something more current. Stevens, at one point, had caused me to stop in my tracks with his whimsical and minor orchestral arrangements, and of course, his lyrics – songs like “Flint” and “For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti” had, eight years ago, caused me to rethink what it meant to be a good songwriter. The stuff was beautiful. And sure, maybe his state projects, all two of them, were based off research and not firsthand accounts. But boy, he nailed his words well. And his music set a tone well enough that he could have muttered the alphabet and still made me cry. It should also be noted that he was the first banjo player I could name without following with the word “corny.”

But the more attention he received, the more he began to come off as a snooty dad who decided it better to spend his media time accusing Vampire Weekend of being an “Afro-beat Ivy League pop” novelty, which he is entitled to do but which was somewhat unnecessary, and eventually his music began to look more like acting than genuine feeling. Which really made him no better than the music he criticized.

So, for that more current something. Last month saw the full-length re-release of Must We Find a Winner, from Klak Tik, a project from Copenhagen-born Søren Bonke and his team of seven, currently based in the UK. In a nutshell, the record is gorgeous. It is chilling and it is whimsical. It is clean and simple, yet full and warm. The acoustic guitar strings are as necessary and prominent as each brass piece. And it sounds as though there might be a hint of something genuine behind Bonke's voice, other than, you know, research.

At times (e.g., “Driverless Train to Expo”), Must We Find a Winner recalls the clean style and recording quality of the last Kings of Convenience record, with moments of silence so pure you could hear the drop of that proverbial pin; at others, like “Tomme Domme,” and “I Am Your Memory,” it is very much the stuff of Sufjan Stevens at his 2003 best. And as the group is quite outwardly influenced by him, I'm sure they'd be flattered to know that they pull off the qualities that once gave him his largest fanbase.

Klak Tik - The 2nd Wave is Sometimes Bigger

Klak Tik - Tomme Domme

Purchase Must We Find a Winner

Vaginas are pretty cool.

2011-07-09T01:55:00.000-07:00

I recently came across an article from a 1996 issue of New York Magazine (thanks, Google Books) that ran a feature on women in rock, in which artists like Nina Gordon, Liz Phair and Exene Cervenka expressed a likelihood that men would go back to dominating the charts after a brief chimera of neo-feminism came and went and made a novelty of female musicians. I think this happened, but I don't think it was initially an issue so much of the novelty of the female musician so much as the female rock musician. Hell – look to the riot grrl movement, even, which abruptly ended and no longer seems to exist outside of Olympia.

In the late '90s, it came to be that for every PJ Harvey, Justine Frischmann or Courtney Love, there was a Beth Hart, Jewel or Abra Moore, and then some. And maybe that defined the difference between 1996 and 1997 – if 1996 was the year that women stood a chance in the rock world, Sarah McLachlan destroyed that chance, to an extent, by bringing the Lilith Fair to life in 1997 and ironically making a novelty out of the female musician. How? By lumping together every remotely successful female folk musician of the time and creating a fresh stereotype. Not only did the ballsy female rock musician become near-extinct in the mainstream as she gave way to the limp-voiced Lilith Fair stage subject, but Lilith Fair itself killed the possibility of women outgrowing the novelty title as it brought a label to the idea of the female musician in general. And the concept of the feminist, perhaps once “angry,” “bra-burning” and “lousy in the kitchen,” now turned to a picture of the female hippie with unshaven armpits and at least one song with a yodel of sorts. A soft, watered-down version of third-wave feminism. Fuck you, 1997.

That said, it kills me a little to lump together some whatsits on a couple of new girly rock bands. But it seems appropriate because they're quite similar, and, interestingly, largely reminiscent of the early-to-mid-'90s grunge and shoegaze periods. Which I love.

The first, Is/Is, has roots in Minneapolis and have self-referenced themselves as a “witch-gaze trio,” which is strangely accurate. They're like a grungier, more assertive version of Mazzy Star – a personal favorite of mine, nostalgic or otherwise – and they're currently celebrating the release of a 7-inch, which follows up their This Happening EP. Video for “Eating Hourglasses” to follow. Immediately.

Is/Is - So Long (off This Happening)

The other grungy, girly offering of the evening is a band called SneakPeek, and they're not actually an all-girl band (they're merely female-fronted), but bring an extremely similar sound and style to Is/Is. They're local to L.A., from Echo Park, and half of the group consists of a couple, the male side of which is former Willowz guitarist Aric Bohn. They are, essentially, what I wish the Dum Dum Girls sounded like, and are somewhat reminiscent of Dum Dum Girls' track "Stiff Little Fingers," in a nutshell. Largely nostalgic for the female/female-fronted grunge and shoegaze period that ought to have been more prominent in the '90s. They also have an EP scheduled for release this summer and will be at the 5 Star Bar in L.A. on July 22.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sneakpeek.bandcamp.com/track/waytoomuch-early-demo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;WAYTOOMUCH(EARLY DEMO) by SNEAKPEEK&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://sneakpeek.bandcamp.com/track/western-sky-early-demo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;WESTERN SKY(EARLY DEMO) by SNEAKPEEK&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

This is SWEEEEET and you should legally STEAL it.

2011-07-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://explodinginsound.bandcamp.com/album/holy-moly"&amp;amp;amp;gt;HOLY MOLY!! by Exploding In Sound presents...&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Sundelles on Daytrotter, woo!

2011-07-06T22:23:00.001-07:00

Speaking of Daytrotter sessions, a session was recently posted that features San Diego natives/faux Brooklyn band the Sundelles, a member of whom is Trevor McLoughlin, brother of the Soft Pack's Matty McLoughlin. FUN!

Download the session fo' freeeeee. You can support them with moneys at www.sundelles.com.

Mi Ami - Dolphins

2011-06-30T00:21:00.000-07:00

No sir, I don't like it.

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/mi-ami-dolphins-12-ep/

Edwyn Collins on Daytrotter

2011-06-27T00:11:00.001-07:00

And in case you missed it, Daytrotter hosted a session with Edwyn Collins last week. It's not only worth downloading, what with his live acoustic versions of Orange Juice's "Falling and Laughing" and 1994's "A Girl Like You," actually quite good done this way, without the spacey, pseudo-David Bowie quality of the original, but Daytrotter's posted a write-up on him that's really fucking heartbreaking. Their description of his appearance, after a double cerebral hemorrhage that took place six years ago and unfortunately shows in his slurring voice, and in his lyrics for "Losing Sleep," is rather crushing. But they give him the credit he's worth, and in return he gives them a great session. Go snag it!

Download the whole thing here.

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey!

2011-06-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

Pierce near the end of his life.

Well, lordy. It's just about what would be Jeffrey Lee Pierce's 53rd birthday, and, as with any brilliant songwriter/bandleader, he's already snuffed it. So, fifteen years after his death, I'm going to celebrate him by posting some of my favorite Gun Club songs from their best records.

The unfortunate thing is that by the time Pierce died, I was only 11 going on 12, and too busy with Bush and Nada Surf to find out that the Gun Club had existed. So, they were an early adulthood discovery. But my first time hearing Fire of Love was a thrill - god, it was exciting to find such a record in existence. Even as an adult, where nothing is forbidden and all the things that seem exciting in childhood become anticlimactic, Fire of Love is a record that, on both first listen and most recent listen, makes me feel like I'm sneaking a listen to something that no one else knows about. It's like the most thrilling secret I could struggle to keep to myself. And when I listen to it in the privacy of home, and share it with no one, I feel like the coolest fucking person on the planet. It's just that good. And it holds up so incredibly well, thirty years in.

The only thing better than discovering Fire of Love, in fact, and this altogether genre of cowpunk that I'd never before placed in a genre, was discovering that 1982's follow-up, Miami, was even better. More cohesive, more mature both musically and a bit lyrically (and, I suppose, the lack of that forbidden "n" word found on Fire of Love, which would be absolutely banned today, made me more comfortable listening to Miami). Not to mention that great version of CCR's "Run Through the Jungle," the only occasion on which I've found success in liking a CCR song. And beyond this record, to find 1987's Mother Juno, and discover that Pierce and his rotating lineup could not only throw down country and blues with an untouchable punk spirit, but that they could also offer a song as unexpectedly lush and delicate as "The Breaking Hands."

The Gun Club became a favorite as soon as I heard them, and they'll probably stay in my top five for a good number of years. I'd be an idiot to idealize Pierce, because the truth of the matter is that he drank himself into a coma and died at 37, and he spent his childhood in places like Montebello and Granada Hills, which aren't exactly glamorous much. But he reminds me of the spirit I recall Los Angeles having in the '80s, something it's lost since, and his music was nothing short of brilliant. So, I'm going to call it a night and say, "Happy Birthday, and thanks for giving me that rare something to get excited about."

The Gun Club - Fire Spirit

The Gun Club - Ghost on the Highway

The Gun Club - Bad Indian

The Gun Club - John Hardy

The Gun Club - Bill Bailey

The Gun Club - The Breaking Hands

If you don't own Fire of Love, Miami, or Mother Juno, you ought to. Go buy them. Fire of Love comes out on vinyl July 5. And for superfans, Early Warning has great versions of their stuff, including a marvelous acoustic version of "Promise Me."

Range Rats!

2011-06-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. Been meaning to post a bit about this find for a few months now - lord knows there's more where that came from - and am pleased to have a few spare minutes to spend on it. Having been a fan of Dead Moon for a few years, and Pierced Arrows since catching them on Valentine's Day 2008 with Black Lips (oh, lordy, what a nice time for a hyperlink), it was a treat to discover another project by Fred and Toody Cole, a one-off called Range Rats that appeared to last only for one album's worth of material, and which preceded Dead Moon.

Recorded in 1986, the Range Rats' only record is a low-budget home recording by the couple out of Clackamas, in that vague genre of cowpunk that doesn't seem to get made much anymore (see: Gun Club, Lone Justice, Blood on the Saddle). In fact, it's ridiculously simple: Fred, Toody, and a drum machine. And given such, the record gets a bit repetitive in its faux-nostalgic formula for the old west. It's unlikely that they could have kept this formula up for long, so it's quite lucky that Dead Moon formed shortly after the experiment. But its faux nostalgia found a natural jumping point in Fred's previous band, the Western Front, and it's got some hokey but fun chugga-chugga-choo-choo-style novelty to boast.

Fred Cole's turning 63 later this year, which pegs him at around 38 for the Range Rats recording; while most musicians hit their highest worth in their earliest years and are sorting out day jobs by the time their late 30s roll around, Cole hadn't even begun his time in the bands that would find him at his best known, not to mention that he hadn't yet recorded his best work. This Range Rats record is likely a novelty find strictly for fans of Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows (as might be the case with other, earlier bands of his, like the Lollipop Shoppe), but it's a cheery little adventure that fills a half hour nicely.

Range Rats - Lonely

Range Rats - Over the Gun

For some additional Fred/Toody Cole action:

The Western Front - Orygun

The Rats - Sacrifice

The Lollipop Shoppe - Don't Close the Door on Me

Sweet lord, miracles done gone happened!

2011-06-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Could it be true? The Gris Gris, playing live with King Khan?!

7/11/11 - Empty Bottle (Chicago, IL)

7/15/11 - The Echo (Los Angeles, CA)

7/23/11 - Oakland Metro (Oakland, CA)

It's true!!!

Big PJ Harvey geek-out time!

2011-05-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Running through PJ Harvey's album spread, from Dry to Let England Shake, she's not only one of the most versatile musicians around – a grungy soloist, a pop singer, a piano balladeer – but she's gone through enough phases to divide her audience into so many categories. Not in the Woody Allen sense, that she's had a clear cut “good period” and “bad period,” because she is too careful about her work to allow such a thing, but in the sense that one might prefer her wailing toughly to “Rub 'Til it Bleeds,” while another might prefer the delicate precision of her voice on “Is This Desire?” and a third might prefer the way she goes apeshit on “Taut.” How many singers or musicians could you say, with equal breath, are both tougher and more elegant than you? She stands alone, save, perhaps, for her frequent collaborator, John Parish, who works similar magic.

I'd first heard PJ Harvey at something like nine years old, when I caught Beavis and Butthead making Family Ties references (“hey look, it's Mallory”) during an airing of “50 Ft. Queenie.” Admittedly, I didn't give much thought to her except to associate her with Justine Bateman, until I rediscovered her at fifteen. And, my god, to run across 4-Track Demos saved me from what could have been additional years of MxPx and Sum 41. In her early 20s she sounded powerful, tough, quirky, aware of both her sexuality and her strength.

Since then, she's shown herself to be a brilliant singer not only due to her versatility, but because she's one of few singers who can effectively act with her voice. Sure, she can imitate, and she's garnered tons of Patti Smith comparisons – she also hiccups like Siouxsie on “Let England Shake,” and channels, of all people, Sarah Brightman on “On Battleship Hill.” But she acts. On “Shame,” she sounds shaken up. Listen to the desperation coming through “C'mon Billy” or “Send His Love to Me.” Or the comedienne that shines through her growls on “Maniac” and “Claudine, the Inflatable One.” I could go on for days. And it would be pointless because you already know how brilliant she is.

That said, while I'd love to promote the fuck out of Let England Shake, it seems to be faring just fine. So I'll share a recording of a concert that Harvey and her band performed in London in 2004, an acoustic show that includes, among others, a great version of the unreleased “Uh Huh Her” and a Fall cover.

PJ Harvey - Live in London 2004 (full download)

And of course, some marvelous bonus downloads:

PJ Harvey - Daddy

PJ Harvey - Airplane Blues (with John Parish)

PJ Harvey - Maniac

Help me help Los Angeles!

2011-05-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hello, all. Yes, times are slow here, musically, and yes, there will be more music to offer later this week. Good things, too. Very good things. In the meantime, if you have a spare moment and a spare dollar (or many - many are better than one), I'd be super, super, super happy if you stopped off at this page I've created in order to collect donations for the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank.

If you're not a resident of Los Angeles, you can certainly put in a donation despite the fact. For some perspective, there are approximately 3.7 million people in Los Angeles, and an estimated 80,000 homeless in Los Angeles on any given night. Not counting those 80,000, consider the number of those who are housed and working or unemployed, simultaneously of a low enough income to require assistance. This is where organizations like the L.A. Regional Foodbank come in. I'm particularly proud to say that they redistribute perishable food through their Rapid Food Distribution and Extra Helpings programs, about which you can read up on here.

Donations can be made here. I've set a goal of $500, but would be thrilled to see that amount exceeded.

Sad things from the world's opposite end.

2011-04-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a new Carl Barat solo single, off the Death Fires Burn at Night EP, which is set for release on May 2. It's called "This is the Song," and it's certainly no "Run with the Boys," which smacks of George Michael a bit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, of course:

Catching up on seven-inch pieces, part two.

2011-04-25T22:49:00.001-07:00

...and speaking of 7-inch releases that are at least six months old...

I had the chance to see Cheap Time in Downtown L.A. in March, and as predicted elsewhere, their live set is indeed much tighter and more thrilling than on their most recent record, which had let me down a bit. Also, Jeff Novak has marvelous cheekbones in person. But I digress. Opening for Cheap Time was Dead Meat, a trio from San Francisco by way of Florida who'd fit well on a concert lineup with bands like the Jesus Lizard, the Melvins, Pissed Jeans, and perhaps Tomahawk. The surprise of the night, they were sludgy, consistently hard, and as with all great bands, they've got a marvelous drummer (Robert Pagano).

Anyway, bass player James McNeal was quite nice and handed over a copy of their full-length Early Recordings on cassette when I purchased their 7-inch for "The King," and it's all-around a worthwhile snag. The album and single were released in 2010, and both feature snazzy artwork by Kelly Williams.

After a bit of careful Facebook stalking, I come to find that the guys in this band are younger than I am. Jesus H.

So, that's that and here's this:

1A. The King (MP3)

2A. Electric Head

2B. Rubber Snake (MP3)

Purchase the 7-inch single of "The King" (limited to 500 copies)

Catching up on seven-inch pieces, part one.

2011-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hallo there, time to share a few goodies I've picked up at the shops and shows in the last month or two - the most recent Record Store Day of two weekends' past re-ignited a certain enthusiasm that'd been waning in the recent year (so much dance music to sift through, as of late, and it's not my cup of anything, much). So it's time to share what has been tickling my fancy, new or old.

First, the Hives released a 7-inch - Tarred and Feathered - in the summer of 2010, yet it somehow slipped past me (and a load of others, given how little their name's been spoken since Tyrannosaurus Hives) until I happened upon it at a local shop in L.A. Not quite got the energy of their earliest, but it's got three punk covers, and they're not half bad. Come download the second of three:

1A. Civilization's Dying (Zero Boys)

1B. Nasty Secretary (Joy Ryder and Avis Davis) (MP3)

2A. Early Morning Wake Up Call (Flash and the Pan)

No U.S. tour announced thus far, and gee golly, they're a goody live, but they are in Europe this summer, and for a mere 62 Euros (90 USD!), you can purchase one of their fur hats.

2011-04-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's music and it's free! (for now)

2011-04-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Why, hello there. There's a brand spankin' new Henry Clay People EP up for a free stream, and you can find it by clicking here. You can also see the Henry Clay People get sweaty and fatigued on a Coachella stage later this week.

Otherwise, here's a spiffy button that'll allow you to download a song off the new EP, "California Wildfire."

Additionally, the brand new (as in, comes out April 12) Crystal Stilts album, In Love with Oblivion, is available for free stream on the Hype Machine right now. And it's awfully good - the band can best be summarized as a combination of the most overcited influences in rock, meaning there's an Ian Curtis imitation crooning its way over Velvet Underground-drumming that leads into a bit of T. Rex glam. And there's spacey, '60s-style kitsch all throughout. But the record is somehow not boring, not contrived, and is all in all a really fun listen. "Sycamore Tree" and "Shake the Shackles" are particular favorites.

Oh! And guess who's playing at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles on May 6? Yes, that's right. These guys!

Kristin Hersh, hooray!

2011-04-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's about time - Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses, 50 Foot Wave) released a memoir called Rat Girl last year, and she's finally promoting it in Los Angeles this weekend. Hersh will be at Stories Cafe in Echo Park this Sunday, April 10, at 2pm. Funnily, I was listening to "Not Too Soon" at work this afternoon when I received an email popup letting me know about this very event. "I must go!" I said. And so must you.

Throwing Muses - Not Too Soon

Purchase The Real Ramona (20 years old this year...)

(Yes, I know it's Tanya's voice and not Kristin's, but that's beside the point)

(And while using parentheticals, "Garoux des Larmes," off 1987's The Fat Skier, was released when the ladies of Throwing Muses were 21. 21?! Could you have written songs like that at 21?)

The Psychic Paramount - II

2011-03-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

Addeeeetionally, my review of the newest Psychic Paramount record has been posted:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/the-psychic-paramount-ii-cdlp/

Waited a good six years for this sophomore record, and it was well worth the wait. If you like the downloadable bit below, off new record II, check out their excellent debut, Gamelan into the Mink Supernatural.

The Psychic Paramount - DDB

Purchase II

Beary nice. And he's still got time to return his paws.

2011-03-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

2011-03-20T17:34:00.001-07:00

For the next 8.5 hours (until 2:00 am PST), LivingSocial will match all donations of $5 to the Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami Fund via the American Red Cross.

Donate HERE.

BIG GEEKOUT WOO

2011-03-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hallo friends. To the point, then: Jack Rabid, my favorite-y favorite-ist magazine editor (of The Big Takeover) has a podcast on BreakThru Radio, and he posted one yesterday. It's got goodies from Wire, Edwyn Collins, Berlin Brats, Off!, and mo'. No, he doesn't pay me. And yes, you can listen to him by clicking here. His voice is corny and enthusiastic, like his editorials and interviews for The Big Takeover. In fact, the very thing that got me hooked on the magazine was his '90s nostalgia and unabashed enthusiasm for the music, and the way he integrates himself into everyone else's scene during interviews by exclaiming, "Yeah! Me too! Me too!" every time a musician describes any sort of prior experience in touring or recording.

Rabid on Edwyn Collins, post-stroke: "At the age of 51, he is not done."

Way to fend off the death pools, Jack.

2011-03-14T22:51:00.001-07:00

OH GOD YES

2011-03-08T19:54:00.001-08:00

Sam Owens...

2011-03-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

And then, there are the softer bits, because indie kids like soft bits. This fellow named Sam Owens released his fourth (and apparently first publicly released) record a few months back, How to Build a Clock, and it's sort of a solid singer-songwriter joint from someone who's too whimsical and fancies him too much of a musician's musician to be labeled a mere singer-songwriter. Waltzes and fanciful instrumentation and a voice that sounds frankly like a bored Tony Lowe (Fast Piece of Furniture). Richard Swift fans should be all over this shit.

Sam Owens - Sad Day Guitar (Variation II)

Sam Owens - How to Build a Clock

Purchase How to Build a Clock

And download his Daytrotter session from May 2008, which is significantly more stripped down and was allegedly made possible by way of Craigslist rideshare.

Why the above demonstration of proper peeling? Owens is also an illustrator and designer for hire! Check out his work at samowens.org.

Garagey things.

2011-03-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hooray, new Ty Segall! And now we get to wait until June, when his new record of the same title comes out on Drag City.

_________________________________________________

I'm behind on these great Scion A/V garage releases; last week, a split from Sex Beet and Human Eye came out - check out this here spectacular cover art, actually:

The Human Eye track, "Martian Queen," is oh-so-spacey and sounds very Beehive and the Barracudas. And Sex Beet's "Alone" should please Rezillos/Revillos fans.

Human Eye - Martian Queen
Sex Beet - Alone

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Last month's Scion A/V split was between the Strange Boys and Natural Child, and it sounds like a whole lotta America smashed into seven minutes.

Strange Boys - American Radio
Natural Child - The Jungle

Deerhoof - Deerhoof Vs. Evil

2011-02-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

Well, hallo again. Here's my disappointing verdict of the newest Deerhoof record, released in full last month:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/deerhoof-deerhoof-vs-evil-cdlp/

Why disappointing? See, the best part of Deerhoof is their drummer, Greg Saunier. And there's such a tiny little fraction of what could be on this record, with regard to him, and in contrast with every other Deerhoof record. Their range is fantastic as a group, and certainly they're versatile and skilled musicians, but I fear there will never again be another "Flower."

Deerhoof - Super Duper Rescue Heads!

Deerhoof - Let's Dance the Jet

Purchase Deerhoof Vs. Evil

Celebration came back!

2011-02-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

It's beyond me why Celebration isn't better known, or why Katrina Ford isn't given more credit for being the fantastic singer she is. The above was recorded last month, along with a stripped down version of "Pressure" (off the marvelous 2007 album The Modern Tribe), for two.

If stripped down versions aren't your thing, they've finally (finally!) released a new record, Hello Paradise, and they've gone and pulled a Radiohead and offered up the digital version for whatever you'd like to give them. And they've pulled a Radiohead while pulling a Matthew Friedberger, making this the first collection of songs in a series called Electric Tarot. Free streams and/or downloads in full, though they would also appreciate any buyers of the vinyl version.

Celebration - Hello Paradise (link to full album)

(Of note: It sounds nothing like their first two records!)

...speaking of bands that lost out on Frankie Rose...

2011-02-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Vivian Girls, back when Frankie Rose was their drummer.

See how unhappy they all were?

'tis the season for new albums by '60s girl group-influenced, all-female garage rock bands who used to have Frankie Rose as a drummer. This spring sees new releases by Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls (between them, there are, I dunno, like, seven girls), and they're both pretty decent! Some snippets:

A much happier Vivian Girls, with new NEW drummer Fiona Campbell, a replacement for Frankie Rose replacement Ali Koehler, who left to drum for Best Coast, quite possibly the best career move she'll ever make.

Vivian Girls - I Heard You Say

(from Share the Joy, out April 12)

They will also be at the Smell in Los Angeles on Feb. 22.

Hey look! It's Frankie again. This time with the more

articulate Dum Dum Girls. Alas, 'twould not be for long.

Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High

(from the He Gets Me High EP, out March 1)

It should also be mentioned that Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls - the token redhead (dare I say "the one with the bangs") - has her own side project, La Sera, and her record comes out this Tuesday (!) on Hardly Art. Check her out here.

La Sera - Devils Hearts Grow Gold

La Sera - Never Come Around

Marissa Paternoster, you make me wish I were a lesbian.

2011-02-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

She is quite possibly the next Justin Bieber.

Matthew Friedberger - Napoleonette

2011-02-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

Yel-low! Review of the new solo Matthew Friedberger record here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/matthew-friedberger-napoleonette-lp/

Quick tip: It's nutters!

Matthew Friedberger - What a Weird Weird Weird Weird

Purchase Napoleonette

The Barettas!

2011-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hallo,

Here's a small something from a few ladies out of Ontario - the Canadian one, not the one in California that's home to little but a crap mall. The Barettas sent over a nice note about their blue-collar upbringing in Hamilton, noting the following:

There are no trust funds in Hamilton, so each of us has taken on a couple jobs, usually a combination of cleaning houses during the day, and tending bar at night. The reward, and real purpose for these jobs is that it lets us make music and blow off steam at every other possible opportunity.

And sometimes it's forgotten how hard musicians can work. So, let it be said. Their seven-inch single, "Touche," can be had for free (or, in their words, "for FRRREEEE"), and it's got a nice poppy swing to it, actually reminds me quite a lot of "Trying Too Hard" by Love is All, with an undoubtable Gwen Stefani-circa-1996-vibrato in the vocals. Go stream or download it at Bandcamp.

Sorry. BANDCAMP. And perhaps purchase the thing thereafter (er...in Canada, at this one shop...hrm...).

Oh, Sammy

2011-01-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

The gorgeous and talented Sam Cooke would have been 80 years old today. There will likely be a hearty mix to follow, but until it gets posted, here's a demo version of "You Send Me" that I found a couple of years ago. It's since become my favorite recording of his.

Sam Cooke - You Send Me (demo)

Kelley Stoltz - To Dreamers

2011-01-21T23:02:00.000-08:00

The consistently good Kelley Stoltz released a new album last October, and it's parhaps for fans of Richard Swift and or the Kinks, and it's called To Dreamers, and I've written a review of it, which you can find here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/kelley-stoltz-to-dreamers-cdlp/

Kelley Stoltz - Bottle Up

Kelley Stoltz - I Don't Get That

Purchase To Dreamers (and a couple of others, too)

EDIT: Kelley Stoltz will be opening for his idols, Echo and the Bunnymen (eeee!) at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on May 21. Go! If not for Stoltz, then for the Bunnymen, who put on a hell of a show.

Hay guys

2011-01-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

...need I remind you that Monotonix are hairy and like to play in the air? And that Ty Segall is a baby-faced badass? Hurrah!

Cheap Time - Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations)

2011-01-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

Christ, can't see the word "situation" without thinking of that goddamn ab-man on Jersey Shore. Anyway. Holiday break is over, back to it.

Review of the newest Cheap Time record, posted here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/cheap-time-fantastic-explanations-and-similar-situations-cdlp/

This album, it makes me so sleepy. There's a whole lotta potential in this Novak fellow, and he's released some grand stuff (including a split with Bad Sports back in August), but this one sounds awfully tired and used up for having been recorded by someone only in his mid-20s. Suffers from that Craig Nichols slur and every chord strum is FUCKIN' EPIC without needing to be. But yes, there's a whole lotta potential.

Cheap Time - June Child

Cheap Time - When Tomorrow Comes

Purchase Fantastic Explanations

2010-11-23T21:05:00.001-08:00

Poly Styrene from X-Ray Spex is coming back and she and her daughter have made a song called "Black Christmas," which you can watch here.

Also, Vice put up a fancy little documentary on garage rock and it's really quite enjoyable. Watch, watch, watch.

Les Savy Fav - Root for Ruin

2010-11-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

Review of the most recent Les Savy Fav record, unfortunately with the term "beary nice" edited out. The record's not bad. It's actually pretty good. It sounds like a Les Savy Fav record. Which makes it pretty good.

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/les-savy-fav-root-for-ruin-cdlp/

Les Savy Fav - Appetites

Purchase Root for Ruin

AH JESUS THIS WILL BE AWESOME

2010-11-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

The Fresh & Onlys - Play It Strange

2010-10-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Review of the new Fresh & Onlys record! Right here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/fresh-and-onlys-play-it-strange-cdlp/

Genuinely one of my favorite records to come out this year, and they're opening for Clinic this fall! (At the Troubadour in West Hollywood on November 20)

The Fresh & Onlys - Fascinated

The Fresh & Onlys - Tropical Island Suite

Purchase Play it Strange

Oh, Ari.

2010-10-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

By now you've likely heard that Ari Up of the Slits passed away, allegedly from untreated cancer, yesterday. I was actually sitting at a Hugh Cornwell show when I heard the news - quite appropriate to be watching a fellow Brit active from the '70s forward, I s'pose. And it was perhaps the first time I've been shocked and saddened by a famous death since Lhasa after the new year, the only ones prior to that being Lux Interior and perhaps Elliott Smith.

There's probably not a female punk fan out there who could claim to not like the Slits - I'm not going to throw out a long spiel about how they were role models for women in music, blah blah, because I wasn't around in the '70s to see them open for the Clash and I'd feel like a phony if I did go on with that argument. But I did discover them as an old teenager/young adult, probably like most did several decades ago, and even knowing that the music was over 20 years old by then, and that women had become punk rockers and musicians since, the female thing being nothing special by the turn of the millenium, I still found myself wowed, because really, no one sounds like them, even to this day. Cut sounds more like a jungle soundtrack than anything else I've ever heard (well, that side of an Animal Collective show I caught sometime six years ago, anyway). And their live recordings are sloppy and rude, as they should be.

But then, Ari Up. I feel lucky to live in a time when so many bands from my parents' record collections have reunited and toured as middle-aged groups celebrating their classic efforts. The Slits are one of these - I had the chance to see them at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in late 2006, and though my initial impression was that all the kids and new members made the reunion sort of a forced gathering, with Hollie Cook's attention-whorism not yet earned given who we were there to see (no, I don't care who your father is), my impression by show's end was that, fuck, the band had sort of become a family, this combination of teenagers and middle aged mums. And Ari Up was like an outgoing, happy mom, pulling the whole thing together and providing balance to Tessa Pollitt's solemn face, throwing her helicopter dreads about the air and dancing in a neon swimsuit-type thing, and showing off her L.A. pride, because years prior, her kid had been born in "Cuuul-vah Cityyyy!" She made music fun. A lot of musicians take themselves seriously because music is art, or whatever. And the chance to see a woman sing with spirit, rather than prettily, like someone's watching, and dance, and swear, and have fun on instinct, is so badly lacking at present. The privilege to watch her sing was a onetime thing, but I'm thrilled to have had it.

The Slits - Split (live 1978)

The Slits - Vaseline (live 1978)

The Slits - Enemy Numero Uno (live 1978)

Purchase Live at the Gibus Club, recorded in Paris in 1978.

Mo' junk

2010-10-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hiya! I'm a bit behind on this, though better late than forgotten - a new 7-inch came out on the Scion A/V Garage series earlier this month, and this time it features Kid Congo Powers (most famous, really, for being a founding member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and leaving the Gun Club and the Cramps at the wrong time in their respective careers), as well as Hunx and His Punx, who recently supported a touring Frankie Rose and the Outs (and will probably suit John Waters fans relatively well).

Download of both tracks available here (yes, fo' free!)

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Number two. The lovely Fat Possum Records is going to begin reissuing a whole mess of T. Rex albums, beginning with The Slider on October 26. You can pre-order this one here. That Bolan fellow was a hottie.

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For those sad bastard Americana lovers, Nick Loss-Eaton (a very nice fellow and publicist in Brooklyn who, in the past year, promoted a great record by Nick Curran) has released an EP as Leland Sundries, and you can hear his deep, deep voice and hear some deep, deep thoughts at his website, where there's a stream of his music and a nice little link with which you can purchase it. He'll be touring the South and the Northeast this fall - have a look at the schedule.

Leland Sundries - Elegy

The Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car

2010-10-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Review of the gorgeous new Twilight Sad 12" located here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/the-twilight-sad-the-wrong-car-12-ep/

Remixes are unnecessary, but left untouched, the band can basically do no wrong.

Purchase The Wrong Car, then watch the videos of their acoustic performances at Drowned in Sound that were posted a few days back, then watch the video for "The Wrong Car" to find out what you just bought. (It was totally filmed in L.A.!)

Tim Kasher - The Game of Monogamy

2010-10-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

'ello. Looky here for a review of Tim Kasher's solo debut.

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/tim-kasher-the-game-of-monogamy-cdlp/

Tim Kasher - A Grown Man
Tim Kasher - Bad, Bad Dreams
Purchase The Game of Monogamy

Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle

2010-10-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

Review of the new Blonde Redhead record here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/blonde-redhead-penny-sparkle-cd/

It's got all sorts of tracks that'll be heard overhead in your local branch of Forever 21.

Blonde Redhead - Here Sometimes
Purchase Penny Sparkle

Frankie Rose and the Outs

2010-09-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

Review of the debut record by Frankie Rose and the Outs, HERE!!

In a nutshell, this record is undoubtedly a product of Frankie Rose's efforts in several other bands, and though done and done again in style, is nearly flawless. One of the better albums to come out this year, surely for fans of her former bands Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts, or Dum Dum Girls, and yet, a bit better than all of the above. Arguably.

If you're in L.A., she'll be at the Smell this Saturday, and the Echo this Sunday. Woohoo!

Frankie Rose and the Outs - Don't Tred

Frankie Rose and the Outs - Save Me

Purchase Frankie Rose and the Outs

The Vaselines - Sex with an X

2010-09-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hallo, here's a mostly-sad review of the new Vaselines record, behind this here link. Much like the last Thermals record, this was a "dear lord, please let me like this--ah shite, I don't like this" sort of experience. Read a more articulate explanation here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/the-vaselines-sex-with-an-x-cdlp/

The Vaselines - Sex with an X

Track by track explanation here. Which somehow makes the record seem better than it is on its own, if only because Eugene and Frances are so damn cute and articulate.

The Thermals - Personal Life

2010-09-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, people. I started writing for a new web 'zine thingy, called Your Flesh. It's not new. I'm new to it. The Thermals have a fifth album out. It is new. My review of the record, like me, is new to Your Flesh. Looky here:

http://yourfleshmag.com/music/the-thermals-personal-life-cdlp/

And here is a video for the Thermals' new single, "I Don't Believe You," starring the lovely Carrie Brownstein. I give the concept a five out of ten. Sort of like the record. Pains me to write that, given how much I love this band. C'est la vie.

Recording quality like tin cans, in this monthly post.

2010-08-31T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hallo, friends. It seems a good time to make a monthly appearance here and post pieces of the wonderful Scion A/V Garage 7" records that've been getting released this year.

This week, they've got a split from reunited Memphis garage band Oblivions and Andre Ethier (former Deadly Snakes frontman, not the - erm - baseball player), and the respectively rough and rootsy qualities of each single provide a good impression of variety for something that only features two tracks.

Oblivians - Oblivian

Andre Ethier - Promising Rainbows

If you like Andre Ethier, I'd recommend this one, which I listened to quite a bit midway through college. Nice trebly Americana recording (which is apparently now hard to find, save for iTunes and Target, so it seems).

Released earlier in the month was a great split between Cheap Time and Bad Sports. Also not to be missed if you like your music to sound like tin (which I do...hopefully you do, as well).

Cheap Time - Proper Introductions

Bad Sports - Would You Wait for Me Too?

P.S. Cheap Time is loads of fun - more info on them here.

Oh, and speaking of rad garage rock, the Gories are coming to L.A. next week.

Dead. Dead. Very very dead.

2010-08-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Death is nigh.

Funnily, I'd never given much thought to either of these, except that I'd often run across Mitch Miller's compilations in the vinyl clearance bins and get him momentarily confused with Rolf Harris, the other fellow with the pointy goatee, who is very much still alive, and upon his death, my first thought was, Mitch Miller wasn't already dead?? And as for Hebb, I spent years treating "Sunny" as one of my very favorite songs, having run across it on an unlabeled compilation at one point, never having a clue who'd sung it, only to look him up one day and find out not only his name but that he has some other brilliant stuff to his name. So this is that, and perhaps the biggest admittance of musical ignorance that I've announced to this day. But here are a couple'a songs.

Mitch Miller and the Gang - Silent Night
Why, it's like Christmas in August!

Bobby Hebb - Sunny
This is quite nice as well.

WHOA FUN

2010-07-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

6pm at the Echoplex, July 24!

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Side note!

The lovely and elegant Will Stratton has already recorded a third record, and it will be out at the end of this month. It's gonna be bee-yoo-tee-ful, I can smell it. Listen to the first two tracks off New Vanguard Blues RIGHT NOW.

Hoo-ray!

2010-07-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's coming, it's coming!

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New musics!

Frankie Rose and the Outs - "Little Brown Haired Girls"
(Out in September on Slumberland)

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Round and Round"
Purchase Before Today

Pierced Arrows - "The Doorway"
Purchase Scion A/V Garage split 7" (with Black Lips)

Meursault - "Sleet"
Purchase All Creatures Will Make Merry

Marco Mahler - Laptop Campfire Speed

2010-06-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

Were every musician to have a “schtick” of some sort, that belonging to Marco Mahler would be the ability to create perfectly symmetrical shapes with sound; his songs drive subtly with a forward movement, but using enough of a constant push that they can play soundtrack, in mind, to the construction of a linear path, and the building of squares. This description seems abstract, but it's not so silly when considering that most music brings to mind a particular memory or idea – that the vision to pop up would be an abstract image and not a face or landscape, then, is how to best explain his music, which is never overpowered by any of its few elements, or as dreary as it ought to be given the pieces that comprise it.

“Beautiful Monsters” finds you stuck in a rhythm, tapping along, perhaps to those taps already programmed, perhaps to the cyclical movement of Mahler's acoustic guitar, and when “Cell Phone Antenna Trophy” begins, you wind up being carried into the same gentle rhythm, so easily sucked into a trance by these few sounds, not even distracted by the musician's Bill Callahan narration, which is hardly sung at all. And in fact, this pattern continues through the album's conclusion, never pausing, with the exception of “James Alley Blues,” a cover originally by Richard Rabbit Brown, which is perhaps the weakest track here if only because Mahler's low range is stretched a touch. But the song stands out as a rainy day blues number that lets Mahler's guitar ability shine, and is an unexpected break, on this record, from what is now apparent as his signature style.

Laptop Campfire Speed is a welcome return for Mahler, whose debut was one of my favorites of 2007, whose records are like Multi-Panel's “Night Stranded Drummers” on constant repeat, and whose next release will hopefully require something less than a three-year timetable.

Marco Mahler - Soft as a Train
Marco Mahler - Cell Phone Antenna Trophy
Purchase Laptop Campfire Speed (released today!)

Neverever!

2010-05-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hallo, it's been a while. Trying to get back to this stuff.

On with. The Champagne Socialists (Jihae Simmons Meek, former Royal We, and Wallace Meek – aw, a love story! – formerly of Bricolage) are now called Neverever. And they've got a debut record coming out May 25. Appropriately, they embody the musical stereotypes of '80s Glasgow and '60s Los Angeles: jangly, poppy, sunny, treble-heavy. And they're going on a mini tour of the northeast. How nice.

Some old stuff:
Champagne Socialists - Blue Genes
Bricolage - Lucinda Said

Look for Neverever tour dates and stream their NEW songs! They'll be trotting along the American Northeast in late May, rounding things out with a local show to promote their new record, June 14 at 2 Headed Horse (1770 Glendale Blvd, Echo Park).

Neeeewwwhollygolightlyahhhhhhhhh...

2010-04-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs have a new record!
Buy it and then see them on tour. Go!!!

Apr 6 2010 - The Nick - Birmingham, Alabama
Apr 7 2010 - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack - Little Rock, Arkansas
Apr 8 2010 - The Prophet Bar - Dallas, Texas
Apr 9 2010 - Emo’s Alternative Lounge (Indoor) - Austin, Texas
Apr 10 2010 - Mango’s - Houston, Texas
Apr 12 2010 - Plush - Tuscon, Texas
Apr 13 2010 - The Casbah - San Diego, California
Apr 14 2010 - Spaceland - Los Angeles, California
Apr 16 2010 - The Blank Club - San Jose, California
Apr 17 2010 - Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, California
Apr 19 2010 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, Oregon
Apr 20 2010 - Capitol Theatre Backstage - Olympia, Washington
Apr 21 2010 - Media Club - Vancouver, British Columbia
Apr 22 2010 - The Funhouse - Seattle, Washington
Apr 23 2010 - Red Room - Kennewick, Washington
Apr 24 2010 - BLVD *EARLY SHOW* - Spokane, Washington
Apr 25 2010 - Neurolux - Boise, Idaho
Apr 27 2010 - Hi Dive - Denver, Colorado
Apr 28 2010 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, Nebraska
Apr 29 2010 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, Missouri
Apr 30 2010 - The Firebird St. - Louis, Missouri
May 1 2010 - Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, Tennessee

Listen to new stuff here and old stuff there.

Slang Chickens - Slang Chickens

2010-04-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Slang Chickens have been churning out a steady stream of live performances around Los Angeles since forming a couple of years ago; the tracklisting that’s finally been pressed onto a self-released record is essentially the setlist that’s been helping them build an audience since 2008, and to some extent this works against the band’s favor. The live energy of the band, an amplified version of their cowpunk, electric blues and local rock blend, does not translate as well as hoped on these studio recordings, the production too clean comparatively, and Evan Weiss’ vocals only emphasized as some awkwardly slick yet nasal version of JP Hasson (former Pleaseeasaur).

“Club Love” has a good rhythm to it that’s cheapened a bit with too much electric fuzz; “Let’s Microwave” – though an apparent live favorite – is filler, raucous for the sake of being so but lacking a case for the idea that a song can be great despite mediocre lyrics, and “Blues (Dripping Down My Leg)” is a heavy blues track that breaks down unexpectedly into a Latin bridge and then bounces back.

“Parasited Out” is a quickly paced pop song that sounds rather reminiscent of the Soft Pack (who, perhaps coincidentally, have a song called “Parasite”), and yes, the likeness has been suggested elsewhere. No two songs here are alike, and while there is no confusion of identity, the record is not consistently rough as with their live presence. They get tons of Gun Club references, but what they don't have is a leader with frantic energy, wailing as though his life depended on it (though, hell, anyone looks overly stylized next to Jeffrey Lee Pierce). But everything about this band is so damn likeable, and they could certainly make an excellent case for a live record. Step two.

Slang Chickens - Tropics
Purchase Slang Chickens (or stream it!)

There's stuff to do in Los Angeles every day!

2010-03-28T02:40:00.001-07:00

(Click on the poster to make it legible.)

Miles Kurosky - The Desert of Shallow Effects

2010-03-05T12:04:00.000-08:00

This solo debut was arranged with the assistance of more than thirty musicians and vocalists, adding touches like oboe, toy piano, accordion, pots and pans and finger snaps, Kurosky himself credited with the iron fist (sorry, Iron Fist) that holds the mess together in a single space.

Certainly, there’s a lot of Beulah on this record – namely, a good deal of work by multi-instrumentalist, vice-producer and ex-Beulah bassist Eli Crews, as well as drummer Daniel Sullivan, keyboard player Patrick Abernethy, and guitar/keyboard player Pat Noel. And it seems Kurosky’s gone back on his lack of desire to perform under his own name. So, after multiple surgeries, a marriage, a bittersweet move in and out of L.A., and four years of song construction, here’s a post-Beulah Kurosky.

This is the much-expected pop record that appropriately follows Beulah’s breakup, which occurred just prior to bigger-is-better indie pop taking off halfway through the last decade. As a result of his timing, which was perhaps ahead of the game during Beulah’s run, not so much today, this style of pop has the potential to feel a touch stale today, though it's nice and full, like his pre-Yoko period. But the lyrics are the thing, and this album is an effort spanning approximately four years, so issues of timing can sort of be tossed aside.

And it's got some beautiful gems. “She Was My Dresden” is simple, and a love song of the most subtle variety, a bit of a heartbreaker. Album conclusion “West Memphis Skyline,” like much of the record, reads like a story, a firsthand narrative that perhaps hits its high point at such: “He said it’s true that Jesus loves his sinners, but in the end it never really matters because He falls in love the same way as us, and if you think He feels no pain just wait ‘til His heart breaks.” Where this leads? “I was stoned out in the avenues, but I still found my way back to you. Where nothing in this world really matters except the sound of my own heart’s patter.” It doesn't go so far as "he wouldn't ever cut his heart out for you," but the man can still pair some words that are sweet and true.

Purchase The Desert of Shallow Effects
See him on tour.

The Soft Pack! - s/t

2010-02-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Soft Pack finally released a “debut” full length this month, and it's about time, seeing as they've been performing under this name since not long after their first and last record as The Muslims was released. In those last couple of years they've shifted over to Kemado (current home of Langhorne Slim!), switched up 50 percent of the band (bass player Dave Lantzman and drummer Brian Hill – the latter of whom just may be the best drummer in L.A.), and have made the transition from San Diego to Echo Park. And, hell, they're getting some nice features now, like this one the L.A. Times wrote up on their effort to tour ten Southern California stops in a single day, in promotion of this new record.

So, the record. It's really bleedin' good. All this stuff about Modern Lovers this and Velvet Underground that is sort of out the window – actually, scratch that. It's like variations on “Someone I Care About” to fill the length of an LP, but more deadpan than silly, thanks to Matt Lamkin's delivery (and mother of god, the Times referred to such as not unlike Charles Grodin, perhaps scarily and accurately). There's not a lick of filler on this record, which, due to Hill's brilliant energy, is more retro punk than easygoing surf rock, as had been the case with the first Muslims album. The best part about these songs is that they're even better live.

This is a very sloppy review that says little. Apologies. Just listen to the stuff.

Where they've been:
The Muslims – My Flash on You (Love cover, B-side to “Extinction” 7-inch)
The Soft Pack – Grinding Halt (Cure cover, A-side to its own 7-inch)

Where they are:
The Soft Pack - More or Less
Purchase The Soft Pack

choir croak out them goodies

Mannequin Men - s/t

New Chelsea Wolfe!

The most optimistic video I've ever seen about Holocaust survival.

Soundcloud is the new My Space.

Frankie Fuckin' Rose

Yay for Orange Juice ripoffs!

Franc Cinelli - Blue Christmas

So, this happened.

Pujol - Nasty, Brutish, and Short

New Year's Eve Eve! Woo

Fuckin' THIS.

Tamarrah (if you live in L.A., NY, Austin, or Vegas)

J.J. Burnel appreciation time.

Ever!

Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler/The Dream

Jesse Morris

Thee Cormans are coming...

The Bombay Sweets!

Christine Leakey

deadCAT - R.I.P.

Gothic vagina time: Chelsea Wolfe

New! For fans of Batman, the Dead Science, and all things dapper...

What a fuckin' great record store. Go to this tomorrow (if you live in L.A.)

Jacuzzi Boys - Glazin'

For a giggle, before I stop being lazy and start posting actual *things*

Liz Green. Meee-ow, sort of.

New Twilight Sad! New Twilight Sad!

the fuck?

Boston Spaceships - Let it Beard

Polvo - Heavy Detour

A. Grimes - Sextape

13 & God - Own Your Ghost

Klak Tik - Must We Find a Winner

Vaginas are pretty cool.

This is SWEEEEET and you should legally STEAL it.

The Sundelles on Daytrotter, woo!

Mi Ami - Dolphins

Edwyn Collins on Daytrotter

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey!

Range Rats!

Sweet lord, miracles done gone happened!

Big PJ Harvey geek-out time!

Help me help Los Angeles!

Sad things from the world's opposite end.

Catching up on seven-inch pieces, part two.

Catching up on seven-inch pieces, part one.

It's music and it's free! (for now)

Kristin Hersh, hooray!

The Psychic Paramount - II

Beary nice. And he's still got time to return his paws.

BIG GEEKOUT WOO

OH GOD YES

Sam Owens...

Garagey things.

Deerhoof - Deerhoof Vs. Evil

Celebration came back!

...speaking of bands that lost out on Frankie Rose...

Marissa Paternoster, you make me wish I were a lesbian.

Matthew Friedberger - Napoleonette

The Barettas!

Oh, Sammy

Kelley Stoltz - To Dreamers

Hay guys

Cheap Time - Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations)

Les Savy Fav - Root for Ruin

AH JESUS THIS WILL BE AWESOME

The Fresh & Onlys - Play It Strange

Oh, Ari.

Mo' junk

The Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car

Tim Kasher - The Game of Monogamy

Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle

Frankie Rose and the Outs

The Vaselines - Sex with an X

The Thermals - Personal Life

Recording quality like tin cans, in this monthly post.

Dead. Dead. Very very dead.

WHOA FUN

Hoo-ray!

For a giggle, before I stop being lazy and start posting actual things