punk slime ALL OF THE time
05/22/2013 Leave a comment
Let’s lighten things up with a funny Nobunny interview. Watch as Nobunny discusses his preference to stay pantless, a shitty show at the Cake Shop, and knowing when you’ve touched too much aka “crossed the line.”
05/20/2013 Leave a comment
“3 AM Spiritual” from the new album, Soft Will out on June 25 (Mom+Pop). Fixing to be a doozy.
05/16/2013 Leave a comment
Sally Cinnamon makes the best vids! Here’s an unreleased Hunx song, I’ll be keeping an eye out for.
05/13/2013 Leave a comment
Check out this Heartland interview with Smith Westerns. It covers a lot of band history, if you’re into that sort of thang. Keep your eyes peeled for their upcoming album, Soft Will out on Mom + Pop (6/11). And if you’re a Boston fellow, catch them at the Sinclair (Cambridge) on Saturday, July 27!
05/11/2013 Leave a comment
Everyone’s favorite band on Die Slaughterhaus (except for Black Lips, of course), Deerhunter is heading on tour again and if you’ve been paying attention then you know that they just dropped their sixth album, Monomania on 4AD. The new LP shows off the band’s ever growing niche for writing strong pop/rock ‘n’ roll songs, while still maintaining the raw, garage edge they created back in their Die Slaughterhaus days.
Deerhunter is playing at the Royale in Boston on Monday, September 16. Check out the full tour dates below.
18th May – Ekko Le Guess Who Festival, Urecht
20th May – Vera, 9711 NV Groningen
21st May – AB Club, Brussels
22nd May – La Trianon, Paris
23rd May – Primavera, Barcelona
30th May – Optimus Primavera Sound (Porto), Porto
7th June – Governor’s Ball (7-9th June), Randall’s Island, New York
21st June – ATP Festival curated by Deerhunter 21-23rd June, Camber Sands, Camber
23rd August – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix
27th August – Harlow’s, Sacramento
30th August – Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver
31st August – Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle
3rd September – Music Fest NW, Portland
6th September – Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City
7th September – Bluebird Theater, Denver
9th September – Fineline, Minneapolis
10th September – Metro (Chicago), Chicago
11th September – Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland
12th September – Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto
13th September – Skully’s, Columbus
16th September – Royale Night Club, Boston
20th September – Union Transfer, Philadelphia
21st September – 9:30 Club, Washington DC
22nd September – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
1st December – Hostess Club Weekender, Tokyo
http://4ad.com/artists/deerhunter/live
05/11/2013 Leave a comment
Band: The Reatards
Label: Goner
Year: 1998 (original release), 2011 (reissue with Fuck Elvis We’re The Reatards)
On January 13, 2010 rock and roll lost one of its most prolific practitioners, Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr. aka Jay Reatard. Jay was only 29, but in his short time on this planet he had built up an intimidating discography comprising of at least 75 vinyl releases, all of which he recorded by himself, typically in his living room, giving Jay’s recordings a raw, intimate, lo-fi aesthetic. I have always been a fervent admirer of his solo work, but it wasn’t until recently that I truly appreciated his first band, The Reatards and their debut LP Teenage Hate released in 1998 when Jay was only seventeen years old. It is now being re-released by Memphis garage label, Goner – the same label that initially released it in 1998 – to celebrate the short life of its creator.
Teenage Hate is honestly unlike anything else I have ever heard. There’s an authenticity to it that is almost unreal. In eighteen songs, seventeen year old Jay creates a soundtrack for youth rebellion. Jay sings about the very issues that affect him on a daily basis. In opener, “I’m So Gone,” Jay laments, “I’m so gone, I got no home.” It’s songs such as this where the teenage hate in the title comes through. Having dropped out of school after 8th grade and moved out of his parent’s house soon after, Jay lived in some of the tiniest, cheapest houses Memphis had to offer; hardly a place to call home.
Jay shrieks and curses with the fervor and unabashed vulgarity of scum punk legends GG Allin and Darby Crash. Teenage Hate’s sound is as brutal as the lead singer himself. The record’s rackety, lo-fi production is simply dirty and will turn off most listeners, but charm those of us that love gritty garage. Sonically and musically, The Reatards owe a large debt to fellow Memphis garage punkers, The Oblivians, who served as mentors for the young Jay. Like The Oblivians, The Reatards create simple, sloppy and straight to the point punk rock songs, taking heavy influence from the blues, 60s garage and its imitators, as well as Memphis’s own Sun Records (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison) The Reatards, however, put a much deeper emphasis on immediate pop hooks.
Most songs have clear hooks and lyrics that are easy to sing along to. “When I Get Mad” could be an anthem for drunk, incoherent, pissed off boys across America: “When I get mad I don’t think/said I don’t give a shit about anything/when I get mad I’ll break anything/cause I don’t give a fuck about anything.” It’s not poetry, but that’s what is great about it. A poet would add metaphors and other pretty things to articulate the frustration of being seventeen. But, Jay is a real teenage punk in the midst of all the bedlam a poverty stricken, teenage, rock ‘n’ roll musician must endure. On this track, Jay sounds like Elvis on robitussin singing out of a garbage can. Truly beneath the noise, his vocals have a touch of traditional country, blues, and 50s- early 60s rock ‘n’ roll. Jay is simply telling his story with these songs.
Songs like “When I Get Mad” highlight the authenticity I spoke of earlier. Jay didn’t bullshit. When he said he’ll break anything, he meant it, as it was not uncommon for Reatards shows to culminate in broken beer bottles and blood. Often singers are far removed from the words that come out of their mouths, but with Jay everything is very direct and painfully real.
Jay’s presence on this record is undeniable, but his bandmates also play a big role in Teenage Hate’s overall sound quality. Steve Albundy Reatard plays the bass and Elvis Wong Reatard bashes away on the drums, both serving as the driving force behind these songs. Jay is the main songwriter and he created the hooks, but the songs wouldn’t sound nearly as catchy without the other Reatards. All three together are a juggernaut, like a burnt out 97’ Buick going 110 mph, they are relentless. Each song is extremely fast, averaging about a minute and half. In fact, they fly by so quickly that you have to listen to them at least a few times to truly appreciate the songwriting and pick up on some of the subtle influences.
As much as I love The Reatards, I will say that eighteen songs can be a handful. Eighteen songs of grimy guitars, muttered vocals, and lyrics about “teenage whores” can wear you down after a while. I wouldn’t say that by the end of the record, The Reatards are a one trick pony, but you feel like you get the idea long before it has reached its conclusion. The strongest songs are at the beginning, “I’m So Gone,” “Stacye,” “When I Get Mad,” “Outta Of My Head, Into My Bed,” but there are solid tunes throughout the whole album. I feel like some of the later tracks would stand out to me more if I heard them on their own, somewhere else, but after hearing so many other, somewhat similar songs they just feel weaker. The album’s closer “I Can Live Without You,” (the longest track at a whopping 3:06) lacks the excitement of an earlier song like “Stacye,” (misspelled for whatever reason) which is much more immediate with its Bay City Rollers styled chants “S T A C Y E.”
At its heart, Teenage Hate is a collection of classic themed pop songs buried beneath a slimy ramshackle production. It’s harsh, it’s filthy, it’s honest, but above all it’s fun. As visceral and volatile as this record is, it’s ultimately a fun rock ‘n’ roll record in the traditions of Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, and The Ramones. This record is just the beginning of Jay’s career, foreshadowing what he would later master in his synth punk band the Lost Sounds and with even wider success as a solo artist, earning him a place on Matador Records. Alas, Jay’s life and career ended shortly, but this re-release is a testament to Jay’s legacy, with it now garnering far more attention than it ever received in its initial run. Web sites such as Pitchfork now seem to be writing about every new posthumous Jay release, helping to popularize not only his garage music, but the often ignored punk sub-genre as a whole. Garage rock and Jay Reatard are like the anti-indie hero, the anti-Conor Oberst, if you will. This music isn’t a joke in any way, but it’s all about having fun and not taking yourself too seriously. Just look at the band’s name.
05/07/2013 Leave a comment
Bands: The King Khan & BBQ Show, Bloodshot Bill, Aykroyd
Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Venue: The Sinclair (Cambridge, MA)
First time at the Sinclair, place gives me the willies! What is this monstrosity before me? I almost feel like I’m at some quasi House of Blues. For a few moments, I forget where I am, I think I am in some other city, some foreign land. Then I see King Khan and Mark Sultan/BBQ at the merch table and all is well. I am in the right place, it’s April 10, 2013 and The King Khan & BBQ Show are back in Boston! Last time, we saw these two on stage was way back in October 2009 at the Middle East Downstairs. Great times! One of the finest shows we have ever witnessed. Since then, we’ve seen King and Mark separately several times as King Khan & The Shrines and Mark Sultan solo, respectively and those were all kick ass shows, but KKBBQ is superior. After saying some hellos, we make our way to the stage.
Aykroyd plays first and you may remember them as The Needy Visions, y’all know. The one from that Maine Coons song, “Fast and Easy Livin.” Maine Coons, you know, one of the greatest bands of all time. Quick, here’s their bandcamp page: http://themainecoons.bandcamp.com/album/s-t We’ll just act like this never happened. But, enough of those dogs, I mean cats, I mean that dude, ehhhh, Aykroyd/Needy Visions is the topic of discussion and they totally rule, looking like mighty beings on top of this massive stage in front of me. I look up and see lead vocalist/guitarist Dan Shea making bizarre faces and awkward, uncomfortable, high pitched shrieks that are oddly appealing. The whole band sounds top notch, like a blend of 90′s “college rock,” right cause everyone who plays music goes to college – err like Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, and other bands of that era that didn’t hail from our great state of Massachusetts mixed with classic rock. It’s ginormous Sam Potrykus flails about and passionately rocks out on bass, whilst he boogies around in his funky, unusual dance style. With all of this eccentric behavior in mind, it brings me back to nearly three years ago when I first saw The Needy Visions opening for No Age. That was a sick performance, but I enjoy this one even more.
Sam and Dan are the masterminds behind Bodies of Water Shows, Boston Hassle, and the Boston Counter Cultural Compass. They represent the Boston underground better than anyone else and best of all they have a killer taste in music. Dan name drops the Compass, which is available at the merch table and the band expresses their gratitude for being on this bill tonight. Dan says, “We love King Khan & BBQ, A LOT.” So, do we, Dan! You guys rule and promote so much great music around here that I probably would have never heard of otherwise. In fact, any Boston garage/punk slime KKBBQ fans reading this, if you haven’t heard of Boston Hassle or B.O.W. check it out. I’ll bet you a PBR that you will dig at least one if not numerous fun loving rebel rousers making plenty of punk slime noise in your very own backyard. Here’s some links:
http://www.bostonhassle.com/
http://bowaac.blogspot.com/
http://www.bostoncccompass.com/
http://theneedyvisions.bandcamp.com/
And then there was Bloodshot Bill… Bloodshot Bill has appeared on my list of people to see live for at least two years now. Much like King Khan and Sultan, who he has collaborated with in Tandoori Knights and The Ding Dongs, respectively, Bill is no bullshit, real, old school, greasy rock ‘n’ roll. No trendy, mindless fluff; it’s not a haircut band to paraphrase one, Ian St. Pe. Though he does slick his hair with his own brand of grease known as “Nice ‘n’ Greasy!” But, greasy hair aside, also like his Canadian comrades, he is an incendiary performer, and tonight is a blistering, steamy show.
Bloodshot Bill has the Mark Sultan set up: stomping the drums with his feet, clutching his guitar real, real close, and melting everyone’s brains with an incredible voice. It’s an obvious comparison, considering both men are collaborators, they play solo, and they play this raw, original style of rock ‘n’ roll. The original rock ‘n’ roll as it was meant to sound. But, the comparison should end there, because they are actually quite different. Bill channels Chuck Berry, Elvis, country, and rockabilly with a nasty, fiery punk edge. Dude sweats and spits unlike any other performer. He spits more than that lady in Heavy Cream!
What I love about Bloodshot Bill is his interaction with the audience. He can hold a crowd real tight and when he wants to let them loose, he can. When he tells them to shout “YEAHHHH!” They do it on command. It’s hard not to obey Bill, with his enigmatic, unique sounding voice. His range is unbelievable and he switches back and forth from high to low, low low. Sounds like an animal at times. How is a human making these noises? It’s not just Bill’s voice, however, that entices me. The musician sounds like a full band all by himself and he puts his entire body and soul into his performance. He shakes his hair violently and taps on his guitar, banging on the strings. You can tell he’s having fun, everyone’s having fun, that’s the idea. One woman even throws her black bra up on stage haha. Definitely one of the more distinct and skilled performers I have seen to date. Catch Bloodshot Bill live or on record. Check him out here: http://www.bloodshotbill.com/
The King Khan & BBQ Show is one of the original KLYAM beloved bands. King Khan and Mark Sultan/BBQ are legends, responsible for much of the music I have come to love over the years. As usual, the duo come out on stage, dressed up in some wacky, colorful attire. King Khan stands towards the front of the stage, on guitar and vocals, while Mark sings, plays guitar, and plays drums with his feet. Together, the two rip through three albums worth of rock ‘n’ roll classics, getting everyone in the Sinclair to dance and mosh in the process. KKBBQ represent the fun spirit of rock ‘n’ roll as a whole. Their mixture of punk and doo wop is unmatched. Some bands may be able to master these styles and combine them in an effective way, but this duo’s music ranks up there with the best of the best themselves. Sultan’s crooning is comparable to that of Sam Cooke, while King Khan’s deep, doo woppy voice harkens back to 50s groups like The Five Satins.
In between songs, there is constantly inner band banter in which the pair crack jokes, amusing themselves even more than the crowd itself. You can tell these two are good friends and there’s a sarcasm to them that is pure entertainment. The set tonight is not too different from the one we experienced three and half years ago, which isn’t a bad thing, because the band plays most of the songs a die hard KKBBQ fan would want to hear. Some of my favorites include fast, punk driven bohemoths, “Fish Fight” and “Zombies,” sing a long, doo wop anthems, “Waddlin’ Around” and “Invisible Girl,” or soft, gentle, love songs such as “Into the Snow,” which display Sultan’s vast, intimidating vocals. Then there’s the straight up funny songs like “Tastebuds.” I love screaming out the filthy nonsensical lyrics to this song (“Tastebuds on your cunt/So you can lick my booty from the front”), but I get an even better kick out of hearing most of the kids around me completely fucking up the words. They also play one of my favorite songs from Invisible Girl, “Truth Or Dare,” a great, heavy punk number with some of King Khan’s best vocals tonight. I don’t recall this one from the previous Boston show, so it’s a pleasure to finally hear it live.
The moshing is fun, definitely a sweaty, beer flying frenzy, but not nearly as chaotic as I expected. I never lose my sense of place or whatever. Per usual, King and Mark are exciting, lively performers, but I feel like King is more animated when he is performing with The Shrines. Mark, on the other hand, seems to be more fervent in this setting than when he plays solo. That’s just my reaction anyway. I’ve seen Mark Sultan only a few times and he’s just as passionate, but I feel like he is more entertaining when he interacts and plays beside King Khan. In some ways, they bring out the best in each other. At the end of the day, these two are legends and they bear their souls for rock ‘n’ roll. This show is a lot of fun, but not nearly as marvelous as that initial KKBBQ performance I experienced several years ago. Still, I’m always grateful to see one of my favorite bands live and I look forward to the next show.
Set List (in no particular order):
“Fish Fight”
“Zombies”
“Too Much In Love”
“Waddlin’ Around”
“I’ll Be Loving You”
“Into the Snow”
“Pig Pig”
“Hold Me Tight:
“Treat Me Like A Dog”
“Dock It #8″
“Invisible Girl”
“Tastebuds”
“Truth Or Dare”
“Shake Real Low”
“Why Don’t You Lie”
There may have been more…
KEWL CATS: This is the latest segment in KLYAM live reviews. A shout out to the new and old pals we encounter at shows. It was terrific seeing Eric and Kelly from the Atlantic Thrills, Ryan from Fagettes, Justin from Earthquake Party!, Dan from Aykroyd/Needy Visions, and of course Kiyal, the KLYAM guardian angel. Y’all rule.
This was the first song I ever heard by The King Khan & BBQ Show!
04/28/2013 Leave a comment
Woah, this looks like a nice little spot to catch a Deerhunter show. This is a recent live performance of the title track from their latest release, Monomania. I don’t know why, but it always take me a while to get into their albums and then when I do I can’t stop listening to them.
04/18/2013 1 Comment
Ahh this is my favorite song from the new Peach Kelli Pop LP! Check out the music video and listen to the whole album here: http://peachkellipop.bandcamp.com/
