All posts by G. Gordon Gritty

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LP Review: ATLANTIC THRILLS

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Band: Atlantic Thrills
Release: 2/2014
Label: Almost Ready Records

Atlantic Thrills have long been in the hearts and mind of KLYAM: from my first time seeing them open for Black Lips in Providence in 2011 up ’til their most recent outrageous release show (our 17th AT gig). Here we are, with a tangible release of the catchiest, slimiest bag o tricks that the Thrillz have been cooking up for a few years now. I liken Atlantic Thrills to the Lips 2007 widely exposed Good Bad Not Evil – not many people knew of the Lips degenerate legend prior to GBNE and damn did they ever miss out. Same thing with the Thrills here; now’s the time to be privy to their shenanigans.

Our first real taste of this LP came in the summer with their single “Day At The Beach,” rollin bones, hit of acid, you name it, singer/guitarist Dan Tanner sings about it on this oldies resurrection that would make the bands of the ’60s raise an eyebrow or two but dance along just the same. Speaking of which, this is a good times kinda album. A sinister show of respect to the proto-punk, garage, and psych big boys of years past and present. VU, Dutronc, Los Saicos (perhaps the mightiest of spirits haunting ‘Problems’,  ‘Boozin All Night’, ‘Holy Mountain’ and ‘Give It Back’) The King Khan and BBQ Show and Lips whose never-stop mosh and bop in-citations are present from the opening notes of ‘Lie To Me’ and the tribal politikal geetar frenzy ‘Blind Lead The Blind’.

I could listen to this album all day and never get tired – though I have found myself doing this crazy sorta head bobbing that is almost dizzying. The three guitarists – Dan, Eric Aguiar (bass), and Kelly Riley (guitar) – go back in forth with their shouts and screams, a prominent feature of the Thrills. Drummer Josh Towers whacking and kicking hard while smiling his face off. In my opinion, ‘Light Shines’ has these quintessential Thrills features down to a Thrillscience [new word], OHHH OHHH! ‘Light’ has been a staple in their live set for I’d say almost two years at this point so yeah man, of course I’m giddy about this. Oh right, longevity! By now y’all have repeatedly watched ‘Acid Rain’ at the Wooly Fair (classic YouTube) in its fuzzy stompy glory; this recorded version got that wild middle section intact leading Eric on to Punk Rock Suzy. Imma go out on a limb and say ‘Acid’ is the oldest and sweatiest of the bunch. So while the record is thru and thru no frills rock ‘n roll – debauched levels up near 11 – there are a couple tunes ‘Drugs In It’ and ‘Foreign Lands’ penned by Kelly that are Golden Malt Shop jukebox numbers, except the only Malt in Riley’s Shoppe is a Colt 45 and some funny tasting Rice Krispy Treats to boot. The record comes to a close with “On My Mind” and “Give It Back,” I love singing along to these OGs and bumping into people, becoming that girls freshman year mistake or mid life crisis. Selfish but hey these guys have been there before, I think.

Hope by now you get the idea that ATLANTIC THRILLS is the rock ‘n roll album of 2014. Well I’m sure there’s gonna be some other amazing releases, but this is kinda like when we heard Lips for the first time and named some site after their song. Ya I went there! Hear this album, go see this band, and you’ll get the idea why I’ve been so intrigued over the past few years and can’t stop letting people other know what’s up!

A1 Problems
A2 Day At The Beac
A3 Boozin’ All Night
A4 Acid Rain
A5 Light Shines
A6 Foreign Lands
B1 Holy Mountain
B2 Lie To Me
B3 Drugs In It
B4 Blind Lead The Blind
B5 On My Mind
B6 Give It Back

klyamrecommended

Mannequin Pussy, Music, Show Alert

Mannequin Pussy “Clue Juice” Vid / Show 2/15 @ Ill Spot

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Mannequin Pussy, “Clue Juice” from Impose on Vimeo.

Brooklyn’s Mannequin Pussy put out a well fueled rock ‘n roll long play in 2013 called Gypsy Pervert; “Clue Juice” from that album got a video premiere at Impose a little while ago. It features some neat live footage.

For a similar scene, head over to Ill Spot here in BOSTON on Saturday, February 15, where MP will be playing! This 2nd Chance Valentine Show is sure to in the words of Ben Katzman ROK

I only caught a mere few minutes of Mannequin Pussy when they came around town with Lust-Cats of the Gutters in October so this time I KNOW to make proper arrangements to catch it ALL.

Music, Secret Lover, Tours

Secret Lover TOURING U.S.A !!!

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Worcester spook pop stars Secret Lover are currently in the midst of a long, long tour that goes all over the United States of America. A lot of these exciting shows are taking place at DIY spaces – all the more awesome. Check ’em out, they’re probably stopping by your area! HERE is the FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/448603891916930/

1/5- Stamford, CT at Seaside Tavern w/Final Frontiers and Jacques Le Coque
1/6- Pittsburgh, PA at ANDREW’S BASEMENT w/ The Final Frontiers + General Fantasy
1/7- TBA. DETROIT OR COLUMBUS CONTACTS GET AT US!
1/8- Bloomington, IN at Rachel’s Cafe w/ The Final Frontiers, Two Bands from Canada + Bad Psychic
1/9- Chicago, IL at The Plains Project w/ The Final Frontiers, Bill Tucker + TBA
1/10- Milwaukee, WI at Center Street Free Space w/Nevada Greene + TBA
1/11-Minneapolis, MI at Pine Cone Castle w/ Bill Tucker + Grow Fangs
1/12 DRIVING DAY ALL DAY
1/13- Missoula, MT at VFW Hall w/ TBA
1/14- Olympia, WA w/ (maybe!) Dog Jaw + TBA
1/15- Seattle, WA at Victory Lounge w/ Neighbors and The Webs
1/16- Portland, OR at Firkin Tavern
1/17- Eugene, OR at The Wandering Goat w/ The Dobis
1/18- Oakland, CA at A HOUSE w/ NO BABIES + Baus +Straight Crimes
1/19- LA at Complex w/ Snow Wite + Their Only Dreams + Skin Town
1/20- HANG IN LA
1/21- Phoenix, AZ at Pages Per Content launch party!
1/22- HANGING WITH DAVE’S UNCLE
1/23- Denver, CO at Rhinoceropolis w/ TBA
1/24- Dallas, TX at King Camel w/TBA
1/25- Little Rock, AR TBA
1/26- New Orleans, LA at down some alley with a generator w/ Gay Bar Mitzvah! + TBA. THIS IS JOHN’S BIRTHDAY.
1/27- Gainesville, FL TBA
1/28- Savannah, GA at Hang Fire
1/29- Athens, GA at Go Bar w/TBA. THIS IS DAVE’S BIRTHDAY.
1/30- DAY OFF
1/31- Charleston, SC at King Dusko w/ Southern Femispheres
2/1- Washington, DC TBA
2/2- Baltimore, MD TBA

And of course listen to The Lasso – six song EP they dropped last month!

BUFU Records, Dylan Ewen, Free Pizza, Local Music, Music, Tours

Free Pizza & Dylan Ewen TOUR; D.E. “Resentment” VIDEO

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It’s a beautiful thing – officially termed The BUFU 20 Minutes Or Less lil BB Tour featuring triple slicers Free Pizza and real talk duo Dylan Ewen (that’s one axeman Dylan, and the other dude drummer Chris G). They’ll be going up down and all around the New England/New York area, kicking off at a special place in JP, up to Brattleboro, down to Providence at Machines With Magnets, northwest to Feeding Tube in NoHamp, then straight to Death By Audio.

All these dates and venues can be accessed via that FB events page link above.

Also, check below a new music vid from Dylan Ewen – live in the studio with a lil green screen trickery

Local Music, Music, reviews, SARALEE

It’s Never Too Late: Part 2 – SARALEE [SARALEE]

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SARALEE – “Saralee”

LABEL: Ride The Snake Records 

Our town’s own SARALEE released their self titled debut full-length earlier this year by way of Ride The Snake and yup, I am a happy man. SARALEE’s that rare band that I fondly remember seeing then obsessively continuously listen to ’til the present. That was two and a half years ago roughly. Sounds a little intense I know – but you go ahead; open up seven song Demo. Positively I can say, this record Saralee is more of the same as that: intimate, nostalgic, rock and roll. Leave the labels on your desk, the duo go hard, go soft, go at a pace that works so very well for them. They haunt the rest of us. As I hear this record through my speakers, the drum set in my room is vibrating. There’s no obvious drumming on “Bugs In My Coffee,” but I picture Lee’s set making similar noise. Sara and Lee complement each other so well that their minimalist aesthetic is a continuous stream of ‘gettin it right’, just really how they like. It reminds me of my very first basement show which wasn’t that long ago. A perceptive experience that you want to perpetually familiarize yourself with. That’s Saralee and with them I can’t quite find any points of musical reference. Pop music for the non-masses, it’s too real stuff for most people to handle. I feel this way about The Beets as well. Count every song as a favorite of mine though special props to “Jackalantern House” as one that’s sorta planted on the back end of Side B, but has that trademark saralee ending that ya, I can never properly write about. Check out the organ part that concludes “Lead The Fire” for enchantment. Also this is the most neatly packaged record that I bought this year with silk screen cover and insert. Very nice.

SIDE A
1 Lead the fire
2 The Motion
3 White pipes
4 Sidewalks
5 Silence

Side B
6 Children of the night
7 Hesitation
8 Cold Feet
9 Jackalantern House
10 Bugs in my coffee
11 On a train

klyamrecommended

Music, Nobunny, reviews

It’s Never Too Late: Part 1 – SECRET SONGS [NOBUNNY]

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So it’s the end of the year and I realize, damn I never got a chance to write about some things that are truly the shit – highly deserving of some KLYAMing. That’s where I am right now – screw professional journalism with its timeliness. It’s nice to sit or bop around with stuff for a bit and truly enjoy. It’s too easy to be all key pounding XXXXXXXXXXXXXX after a day of listening. So you’ll be seeing some posts like these – replacing year end lists, for me anyway.
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NOBUNNY – “Secrets Songs” – LP

LABEL: Goner Records

If y’all haven’t noticed over the past four years, we’ve got that perpetual NOBUNNY fever. And we’re hoping it’s contagious! For far longer than our fervor, Nobunny’s graced the world of music with his gold glove of rock ‘n roll – performance and sound recording. Cassettes, CDRs, vinyl singles, full length’s, he’s done it all. Love Visions (2008) is the release that set the underground punk/garage world afire, a powerful enough LP that makes the squarest of triangles rip out a mic, karaoke, and create demented sounds all whilst making Double Bubble salesmen lose their hat. In other words, buy that LP if you haven’t. And then there’s Raw Romance (2009) a grab bag of largely tenderly menacing acoustic recordings from bunnyman who can, yes, do it all. And I fondly remember jotting stuff down about First Blood, almost analyzing it. To be a kid again. Shoulda just wrote ‘FUNNER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE’ – ’cause a good 40 months later I’m motorheading and blowing dumb like it was new. All the wonderful records have this timeless quality, yup here I say it: Secret Songs is a sweet package deal like its predecessors.

I don’t know why deconstructing Nobunny is a joyous celebration for a guy like me – it is a mystery that I compare to a journey, destination unknown. Secret Songs was recorded by several individuals in various locations spread throughout the land (props to these familiar folks) – all tunes written and performed by the lone Bun man. That alone is more than impressive, but his references sweep in and out of early rock ‘n roll, speedy PUNK, bubblegum garage, you name it. Yet as I say time and time again, there’s nobody like NOBUNNY – that discernible figure screams, whistles, adds a lil Australian vocally, covers The Kids of Widney High. I could go on and on about lil parts here and there in each tune or that fine insert – lyrics, most in pen on ole white lined, these kinda personal touches that make Secret Songs what it is. If ya got a mind and soul congenial for sounds that are everyday, no day, warm, rotten. I’m not much a dude for same ole same ole musically, modern rock ‘n roll’s DIY master Nobunny ain’t about that either. Tell a friend, this is for REAL!

A1. Bye Bye Roxie – Yes!!!!!!
A2. True Vulture – Yes!!!!!
A3. Pretty Girls – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A4. Trouble In Mind – YES!!!!!
A5. It’s Pathetic – YES!!!!!!!!!!
A6. Lizard Liars – YES!!!!!!!!!!
A7. Rotten Sweet Tooth – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B1. Do The Stooge – YES!!!!!!!!!!
B2. My Blank Space – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!
B3. Little Bo Bitch – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B4. Red Light Love – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B5. The Birthday Girl – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B6. Buried In A Bong – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B7. Lovin Lovin You – YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

klyamrecommended

Music, Thee Oh Sees

Thee Oh Sees On Indefinite Hiatus

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Thee Oh Sees @ The Well, NYC
Thee Oh Sees @ The Well, NYC, 9/2012

“This will be the last Oh Sees show for a long while” – John Dwyer, December 18, 2013.

Thee Oh Sees – the name dates back to 1997 when Dwyer first called his work “Orinoka Crush Suite” – have easily built a name for themselves internationally as the lushest of rock ‘n roll bands, releasing literally tons of high quality records and touring nearly non-stop. For fans of the band, especially those who’ve seen them throughout the years in San Francisco, this must be exceptionally difficult; the band’s presence could almost be taken for granted, knowing they were always up to something good.

Dwyer is moving to LA and Brigette Dawson is heading to Santa Cruz. Mike Shoun and Petey Dammit will remain in SF. All four of these talented individuals have put in dizzying efforts in the band and I can’t wait to see what they’ll be doing next!  On a KLYAM level, Chris and I first heard about the extraordinary Oh Sees in October 2009 outside Harpers Ferry [Allston, MA] at the recommendation of Billy Grave, who was drumming for Nobunny at the time. It wouldn’t be long until I was hooked on the band. They ventured into an array of styles whilst carving out an unmistakable Oh Sees sound. 2009’s Help is a personal fave along with 2011’s Castlemania – these being more primitive garage/psych releases in their extensive discography. Their more extended jams of recent days (as seen on Carrion Crawler / The Dream, Putrifiers II, and Floating Coffin) are killer as well – bestial, humming, CATCHY.

For those who know Thee Oh Sees well indeed, you know all this and have your own favorites. If for whatever reason you haven’t had a chance to really check out Thee Oh Sees [you probably haven’t been on KLYAM before!], do so. It’ll be a lengthy pursuit but totally worth every second. On one final note, I’m grateful to have seen Thee Oh Sees for the first and only time in New York last September playing with Ty Segall no less. Like all the greatest shows I’ve been to, this one was non-stop movement; long time fans, new ones, probably would have knocked the band down if it wasn’t for the tall stage acting as a barrier. This is what it was like at most Oh Sees shows, I imagine!

Best of luck to Thee Oh Sees, see you guys soon