Austin Texas’ own Dangeresque is a band you ought to be checking out…right about now! Start with their Quit Your Day Job EP (http://dangeresque.bandcamp.com/) which is by and large groovy and features solid singing chops for a style of music that oft is more lackadaisical! The fuzzy stomper “Walking Dead” has an immediate catchiness not too far off stylistically from The Soft Pack or The Orwells while a tune like “Always Leave A Note” is more bare bones with swift reverby guitar work!
Their latest Boots EP will be released on cassette on Halloween. It is a step up sonically and features some more instruments, a lil’ country, and those good ole kinda guitar licks that I was just bragging about. Stay on watch for more information.
Guerilla Toss is a crazy, cool band that are hard to miss around the Boston underground scene and one that I highly recommend to those out there that need an extra kick in the balls when consuming music. Just check out their mind bending music and you’ll see what I mean: http://soundcloud.com/guerillatoss By the way, here’s a live review I did from a little while back:
“Ahh yes Guerilla Toss, a name I have heard literally tossed around these parts for several months now. Finally, I have the opportunity to see what other music lovers have christened as “amazing.” And I must say I truly did not anticipate them to be as awesome as they are. Guerilla Toss’ set is filled with walls of noise, weird time signatures, insanely danceable grooves, and the lead vocalist’s unending shrieks. I have seen countless vocalists scream their hearts out, but this frontwoman totally steals the show. Her enthusiasm is unlimited as she bops around, up and down, demolishing through the sausage fest that consumes the Ant Cellar; she turns all the men into boys in two seconds. I usually am not a huge fan of this kind of screaming in vocals, but her yalps just seem more genuine, like they are coming from some deep, dark place. It sounds as if she is being bludgeoned to death, I love it! I also have to note the slick, stylish, bright red, “Beat It” era Michael Jackson leather jacket being worn by the guitarist, looking good my man, looking good. Guerilla Toss’ performance is one that will stick with me forever (literally Glen says this to me during the show, and he is correct at that, though I remember all the shows!) for my favorite moment in their set is when the vocalist leaps toward me, grabs my skull and hurls my wee body back into the crowd. This jostling, trance-like gesture of showomanship sends the pre-pubescent boy in me into paroxysms of ecstacy. When the set finally hits its conclusion, I notice that there is some blood pouring down my arm. In fact, as I am writing this now, I can still see the little dent in my arm from which the blood flows. If I could frame that teeny scar as a mini Guerilla Toss @ the Ant Cellar memento I would. Though that seems unecessary because after this KLYAM debut the band will be rocking in my psyche anyway. FUN!!!”
Fat Creeps are a sweet band from Boston I saw Friday night at O’brien’s Pub. It appears they have been making a name for themselves and playing numerous shows around these parts, including one with Bundles of Joy, a band with Wakefield roots (Wakefield, MA is KLYAM’s hometown!) Fat Creeps are not the most conventional rock band, but they crank out some really catchy, inspiring tunes. I highly recommend this band to fans of unique pop music that places a stronger emphasis on passion over musicianship; so basically good music.
Here’s a video of the Fat Creeps playing at the Dirty Douglas in Lowell on Novermber 22, 2011. I’m kicking myself now for not attending this show. I procastinated as usual and had to write a Psychology and Women research paper. The irony is that Fat Creeps would have fit perfectly with my researach on women in music!
Been wondering what Harlem has been doing lately? Well drummer/guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Curtis Omara has this cool band, Grape St. Harlem people will dig it and it definitely has a different perspective on things than Harlem (albeit in a minor way).
Great production and the overall ‘sound’ of a record can really do wonders in getting a man/woman hooked to music. Well, the immediacy of Ketamines explosion is outstanding. I compare them to The Hussy in this regard. From the second you click play or drop the needle, you know you are in for high voltage fun. The guitars are a la Jay Reatard and bands of that nature and the vocals are full of reverb and echo. Typical you’d think. But, there are a bunch of other little sound effects/extra layers of instrumentation that do indeed separate Ketamines from most rock n roll/punk outfits. Extra notable examples: “Teenage Rebellion” and “Midnight Dawn.” Check out their LP Spaced Out (Southpaw/Mammoth Cave). Ten tracks of 2-3 minutes of fun a pop. Look for them around your neck of the woods when they tour the US in May and June.
Dirty Virgins– Sick band from “Allston Rock City” as they put it on their facebook page; they got the psych-garage punk slime deal down pat, definitely nice music to get busy to. I saw them at the Dirty Douglas a couple of weeks ago and it was a stellar set for sure. Oh and of course, one of the best band names of all time!
Here’s a link to their Band Camp page: http://dirtyvirgins.bandcamp.com/
and
Love Handles– West Palm Beach, Florida’s Love Handles follow in a similar vein with their own raw brand of psych punk, but they delve into the more demented side of the style. There’s certainly a stronger psychedelic feel and I hear elements of Syd Barrett era Floyd, The Mabuses, and even a little bit of Deerhunter. Here’s a link to their Sound Cloud Page: http://soundcloud.com/westpalmbeotch/love-handles-phony-folk-singer and http://soundcloud.com/westpalmbeotch/love-handles-gold-chain both can be found on the “HANDLED” 7″ released by West Palm Beotch.
Hooking Up is a band from Virginia. To describe them, I would say thick and exciting. From the sounds of their 7″ Groin Pains (Evil Weevil Records, 2012), the band is pretty straight-laced, just a real distinct rolling bass, drums, and vocals. The bass and singing style really stick out. The tunes flow so nicely. From the 7″, I love it all, but in particular the opener and closer, “Heavy” and “Sell Yourself.” The former reminds me of The Orwells in its solid production and groove. “I liked it when you were hot shit!” Nice screams and noises in the background at the end there. “Sell Yourself” starts out sparse and melodic before cranking it up several notches. ‘Course the melody never fades and we are left with something the Lovely Feathers might have done if they decided to be less weird, crunchier, and ballsier. The hooks are everywhere.
Well, for starters, check out that 7″ at their bandcamp or from Evil Weevil. And I’m in luck…they are playing at the Whitehaus on Friday March 9.
Australia’s sunshine state is a veritable breeding ground for this surfy garage pop sound, and the lads from DUNE RATS are killing it. Hooking up a slew of international supports as well as throwing down at a handful of east coast parties, they just scored a slot at The Big Day Out, Australia’s premier home grown festival (and somewhat of a right of passage for Aussie bands). They have an EP on Bandcamp (its only $6 chump) featuring POGO, a song that has given them some much deserved attention. Here’s the video, filmed at the Mt Gravatt quarry in Queensland, fuck it rips!
Dune Rats
Dunerats.bandcamp.com
Based: Australia
For fans of: Best Coast, Dinosaur Jr, Smoking weed, Yuck
Spending as much time in New York and the UK as back at home, Australian lads Bleeding Knees Club are killing it right now with their garage-punk raucousness. Riding the waves from their Virginity EP and relentless touring (supporting the likes of Wavves and Lightspeed Champion, no less, as well their own headline shows) they’ve quickly made a name for themselves as purveyors of loose surf-garage-punk. They’re recording their debut album which should drop early 2012, keep your eyes peeled. This is the first cut from the album, it fucking rips!
Bleeding Knees Club
Based: Australia
For fans of: Wavves, Best Coast, getting high.
Saralee is an awesome duo from Boston; one of the finer bands I have seen in the past year in general, but especially around these parts. I saw them last night at an epic show at Gay Gardens/G.G. Allin’s Broken Home/Nose/Dick along with some other solid souls: Fat History Month,Big Mess, and Florida= Death.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 