Coconut Coolouts - Cult Doughnuts (Scotch Tapes)

From the get go the Coconut Coolouts pile straight into some cretin rock that fuses a little of the Ramones punk stomp with some organ fuzz of the Mummies. The song titles on this singles collection also hints heavily to what you would expect with tracks like 'Pizzafest', 'Nerd Holocaust', 'Punk House Part 1' and 'Pizza Regret'. They definitely share ground with current bands like Mean Jeans and Personal & The Pizza's with some garage punk, some power-pop, touch of glam and a love for pizza and monsters.

I have had this on the review shelf for ages (along with a bunch of Scotch Tapes releases that need reviewing)and as soon as i put it in to listen to, i felt like i knew the songs already. I cannot have listened to it more than 2 or 3 times in the past year but here i am singing along whilst doing the washing up and humming the chorus' whilst playing with the cat. It is infectious to a fault and will no doubt be ringing through the mass of empty space between my ears for days to come.

The recordings are pretty primitive on some tracks, but then they list Captain Caveman as inspiration, and if he manned the mixing desk then it would make total sense, maybe only in my head,to get that authentic primitive cave stomp going on.

As there seems to be only a handful of 7"s and one LP to the CC's credit, this tape is a perfect jumping off point and is both good for social dance parties and bedroom hair brush/mirror sessions.
 
Also posted on Ghost Panda!


Tracklisting

1. Intro
2. The Spinaround
3. Pizzafest
4. The Monsters Crash
5. Do The Dolphin
6. Spell It Out Dummy
7. We Drink Blood
8. Pizza Regret
9. The Last Man That You Will Ever See
10. I Want To Come Back From The World of LSD
11. Mary Anne
12. Intro Part 2
13. Punk House Part 1
14. Nerd Holocaust
15. Yeah, Right?
16. Swim
17. Messed Up Man

coconut coolouts music video from craig downing on Vimeo.

Jonesin' - For a Good Time (self released)

This tape fell into my hands after meeting Matt & Jen from Jonesin' whilst both our bands were playing a festival in sunny Sardinia. The sun had been out, the drinks had been flowing and we all shared a similar language which resulted in alot of mutual put downs and high fives at unfunny jokes, but hey, we were on holiday! If memory serves, i didn't pay for this and drunkenly demanded it after telling him how good my tape blog was? Sorry Matt, i hope this review makes up for it!

This tape is the second album from this soon to be married duo, who when playing live, sing and dance over a breaking down boom box kicking out their happy and carefree indie pop. Mostly it reminds me of this girl/boy indie band from a while back called Joy Zipper, who also had this sun stained California vibe with a few elements of the lo-fi twee thing that alot of bands in London do, like Internet Forever and Pens. It's also pretty cool to see a couple doing this together, sharing the love with synchronised dance moves!

This tape has made me smile whilst walking to work in the rain since returning from Sardinia and i will have it on standby as my motivator to make it to that early train on time!

For all things Jonesin' go here

Jonesin' - For A Good Time

1. Been There Done That
2. Paint
3. Aliens 2
4. 3D Glasses
5. Wouldn't It Be Wonderful
6. I Wanna Pass Out
7. Bring me The Head Of Carlos Santana
8. Vampires At The House Party
9. WWZD
10. Wizard Robes
11. Look Don't Touch
12. Skippin' Class
13. Sunglasses At Breakfast

Weird Dreams - 4 Song EP (Sleepy King Cassettes)

Weird Dreams self titled tape is the first release for Sleep All Day Records little brother tape label Sleepy King Cassettes which has kicked off in good style with these four  garage punk / doo-wop/ glam tracks that are all pretty catchy, but with a romantic heart on sleeve kick to them, kinda like a late era slowed down Jay Retard playing doo wop, with a little hint of T-Rex.

There is also a definate mid 90's indie feel in the guitars but with really sweet vocals, especially on 'Birthday Blues'. After seeing their first gig, it became apparent that they only recorded these 4 songs as this is all they have written so far, and it was all they played in their 10-15 minute set. But it is always better when i'm left wanting more than beeing bored by 45 min wig outs by bands who no one knows or cares about yet. I'm looking forward for more Weird Dreams soon.

Only 50 copies from SAD or Rough Trade

Weird Dreams - EP (Sleepy King)

1. Hurt So Bad
2. Where'd I Go Wrong
3. Birthday Blues
4. Little Girl

  Where'd I Go Wrong? by Weird Dreams


  Weird Dreams - Hurt So Bad by Brattwell Recordings

Mazes - Mixtape

I have to start by giving the IBB blurb which describes this tape as:

'In the tradition of Sebadohs 'The Freed Weed' and the series of Fucked Up mixtapes, Italian Beach Babes will be releasing a 30 track mixtape of covers, acoustic versions, alternative takes, samples and ideas from the band Mazes.'

And this tape does exactly what it says on the can, with loads of tracks culled from loads of different sessions and ideas. Kicking straight off is 'Huffing NV' which is basically just Jack with his guitar plugged in which then quickly moves into 'Church Street' with its distorto keyboard refrain and fuzzy backing vox that barely lasts a full minute. All these 30 tracks keeping on going like this, a non stop mix of full band studio takes,  bedroom 1 man takes and over fuzzed home recordings.

There is definately two great albums worth of ideas on here and i'm really glad these recordings are coming out now, like a pre-emptive 'Suitcase' for the UK's answer to Robert Pollard. The are definate Guided By Voices-isms on here, but not in an American lo-fi way, more so in the way that the tape flows with everything thrown in for the listener to wade through, letting your favourites climb out of the speakers themselves. Also, the version of 'Bowie Knives' on here is my favourite, what can i say, less is sometimes more!

Buy from Italian Beach Babes, only 50 copies on lilac cassette.

Mazes - Mixtape (Italian Beach Babes)


1. Huffing NV
2. Church Street
3. Urgh
4. I Don't Wanna Know
5. Bowie Knife One
6. Shuffle Board
7. A Metric Tower
8. Athens Song
9. What D'Ya Reckon
10. I Don't Know What's Wrong
11. I'm A Smoker
12. No Way
13. Iz It?
14. Checkers
15. Jarin & Jay Don't Like This
16. Sand On Your Neck
17. Munchkins
18. Temperton Tecker
19. Jump
20. Illegitimate Love
21. Urgh x 100
22. Shit Priest
23. Don't Worry Baby
24. Dire Strait's Brothers In Arms
25. Vampire Jive 1
26. Fingers
27. Amelie
28. Eva
29. Till I'm Dead
30. Danny Elfman
Don't Worry Baby - Mazes by Suffering Jukebox

Clorox Girls - Demos, Rarities and Early 7"s (Burger)

I love this band. Watching them live is so fun with obligatory crowd surfing, Black Flag covers and fun time mayhems, whilst their 'This Dimension' LP was top my 2006/7 jams. This tape collects together songs from 7"s, alt versions of songs you may already know and love and some stuff i have never heard.

If you are new to the Clorox Girls then this tape is for you, with a perfect of mix Ramones punk, the snotty-ness of early Red Kross and the Germs with the power pop of the Exploding Hearts. Its a killer mix, with most of their songs making great hook filled A-sides. The one constant in the band is Justin who has also moonlighted in a hundred great punk bands whilst travelling the world, and on here he has taken his experiences and  recorded one of the tracks in three different languages, German, Spanish and Italian (i think?). The acoustic demos at the end are well recorded and not throw away in the least, whilst the alternative take of 'Hitman' is a fuzzed out and less clear version, but still super fun.

I have always loved the Clorox Girls and always thought it was shame they were not as appreciated as i thought they should be, but for any fan, this tape will be a great collection addition, and for any newcomers it's a great start. Well done Burger for keeping up the quality!


Tracklisting

1. Baby
2. Get Away
3. Hitman
4. Trashy Daydream
5. This Dimension
6. Animal Eyes
7. Eva Braun
8. In My Mouth
9. Walk The Streets
10. Novacaine
11. Trashy Daydream 2
12. Nicht Miene Stadt
13. Mi Cuidad Natal
14. Minha Cidade Natal
15. Genocide (demo)
16. Bad Girls (demo)
17. Marina's Vampire

King Tuff - Was Dead (Burger Records)

I had this tape on my walkman for a good week before i realised that Mr. King Tuff himself, was also the singer in Witch (who happen to have a certain J Mascis on drums) and the brains behind new SubPop power pop signings Happy Birthday, whose 'Girls FM' song was glued to my brain for a good month.

Does this knowledge change the tape? Not really. King Tuff sways a little more to the glam side of punk, but with his foot still in the garage door? It is all pretty sunny too, regardless of the lyrics and album title, with those melodies that float around in a happy way. Almost like if J Mascis had jumped in on a Jay Reatard session, good time rock n roll jams all the way. I was a little sad to think this tape was the nail in the King Tuff coffin since Happy Birthday have started to make waves, but the King Tuff myspace says that new songs are coming soon. I'm holding on for the next stage in KT's resurrection, and i am sure it will be as much fun.

Side A

Dancing on You
Connection
Sun Medallion
Lazerbeam
Lady
A Pretty Dress
Ruthie

Side B

Just Strut
Kind of Guy
Freak When I'm Dead
Animal
Stone Fox
So Desperate




also posted on Ghost Panda Digital

Ty Segall - S/T & Lemons (Burger Records)

Picture courtesy of  Panda Digital

If you have read any of my tape reviews for Tapelove or pieces for Ghost Panda before, then you may have worked out that I have a lot of love for Burger Records. It is by far and away my favourite label, for tapes or otherwise, and with this new tape they have surpassed themselves by re-issuing the first two Ty Segall albums that they had previously released as a nice 2-albums-on-one tape package, for the same low cost of one tape! They have also extended the same 2-for-1 love to both of the excellent No Bunny albums ('Love Visions' & 'Raw Romance') they had released and promptly sold out of.

So, we have the 'Self Titled' debut by Ty Segall kicking off on side A. For the newcomers to Ty Segall, he is up there with the best of them for recorded output. Off the top of my head I can think of his input to The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Sic Alps, Party Fowl, The Perverts and the Ty Segall/Mikal Cronin collaborations, each band with a nice back catalogue of their own, and he still looks like he is in his early 20's! All of the bands he has played in have traversed a variety of styles all stemming from garage punk, with elements of surf, noise, psych and punk thrown in. His solo stuff strips it back a notch with this first album mainly consisting of one guitar, vox and simple drums which he plays with his feet live, the original one-man-band set up. This doesn't stop him from kickin' out the jams though, with a continued ferocity to match his full bands output. In fact, these songs are his most concise with party bangers like 'You Should Have Never Opened That Door' and 'Pretty Baby (You're So Ugly)' and slow burners like 'The Drag' and 'You're Not Me' making an incredibly rounded first solo full length.

Flipping over to side B we get the whole of 'Lemons', his second record (not including 'Horn The Unicorn', the collection of singles and early material) which sounds more like a band effort, reflected in his three-piece band line-up to tour this record. Starting off with 'It #1' a mid-paced fuzzy stomper with a dirty repetitive riff below some scratchy single note solos, kept constant by some sharp snare hits. The pace is picked up through the record, but it still feels purposely refrained, giving all the songs room to breathe rather than speeding through them for the sake of it, with the drums keeping the songs together as much as the guitars, which seems understandable as he drummed in any many bands as he has played guitar. There is also a lot more in the way of harmonies and backing vocals with this album too, which really elevates them and adds another layer to the usual ultra-reverbed out vocals


The two albums sit nicely next to each other on repeated plays and the differences are only ones of production and recording. I keep on expecting Ty Segall and his fellow cohorts in Thee Oh Sees, Fresh & Onlys, Dan Melchior to release a dud record as they seem to kick out an unlimited amount of albums, E.P's, 7"s and comp. appearances as well as constant touring, but the ball is rarely dropped. Quality and quantity? If this was the heyday of delta blues I’m sure there would be rumours of soul selling to the man downstairs, but hey, if it’s good, just keep the records coming.

This tape is essential, and probably the best starting point to Mr Segall's huge discography, but like a gateway drug, it will lead to more purchases and a slimmer bank balance. You've been warned.

Side A = Self Titled

Side B = Lemons

Posted simultaneously on Panda Digital 

Teeth - Jammers 2008-2009 (Milk)

I'm totally down with Teeth!!! I hope that with the arrival of their 1st 7" on Moshi Moshi they will get the chance to play to more people and have large crowds of indie/punk/rave kids dancing to their tunes. Coming out of the recent lo-fi explosion from the UK, but instead of the standard 3 piece power trio of guitar, bass and drums that is taking over, Teeth!!! have Veronica on vocals, Ximon on Laptop and Simon on drums, albeit a stripped back kit with an electronic kick. The first time i saw them they had an audience of Brighton/London punks dancing their socks off. Infectious and aggressive.

I came away thinking it was like the glory days of Troubleman and Dim Mak records when indie kids were experimenting with electronics but bringing their punk ideals and spirit forwards, like the Numbers and Erase Errata split record or the Tigerbeat 6 record label.

This is their debut tape which is all the early recordings, home demos and practice rehearsals which are still exciting to listen to, just a little more fractured and damaged than their new tracks. These 10 tracks are pretty psychedelic in the meltdown and punk in their delivery and if they are not making you dance around the bedroom, they will harshing your mellow in the best kind of way.

The only minor criticism i have is that the tape is just that, a tape. It had no artwork and was just a green tape in a clear case with the song titles written on the side in pen, which have already been rubbed off, hence the lack of song titles for everything below. It's a minor gripe for an awesome tape.

Buy from www.milkrecords.bigcartel.com/

Tracklist

1. If I Ever
2. Who's Afraid of Detroit
3. Detox Wigga
4. EarBlower
5. Hulk Dash
6. Dorks
7. Total ??? Lay
8. ??
9. Dead Boys
10. ???

Video of song for new 7" on moshi moshi

V/A - Crocodiles UK Tour Tape (Loud & Quiet)

If you live in a large city in the UK and regularly go to independent record shops, chance is you may have stumbled over Loud & Quiet magazine, a old print newspaper style music rag that actually covers some good bands from the UK as well as our foreign friends. This is the tape they made to promote the Crocodiles UK tour which has a new track as well as tracks from some of the UK bands that supported them on their trip around our little island.

Obviously i'll start with Crocodiles, a two piece band from San Diego that sound a lot like the Jesus ands Mary Chain and many of the bands around today. I have their album but don't normally get past the first side, all the songs have their merits but in a row they seem to meld into one and doesn't hold my attention. But this isn't a review of their LP, so i will say this song 'Hollow Hollow Eyes' is as good as their good songs with a nice organ thrown in the mix. Mazes step up next with my fave track of theirs so far. Seriously, if this was released on Matador in the mid 90's it would have been on MTV, 'Summer Hitz' does what it says on the can.

Next is Golden Grrrls who i love and am biased about as i released a tape for them and totally heart their self titled tape and live shows. Although this is buried under some lovely fuzz and cloud drones, you know there is a great pop tune waiting to come out, and live they are more of a full band affair that shows the great Scottish heritage, which is my way of saying they remind me of The Pastels (a good thing). Finishing off this side is Cheatahs, with a track from Nathans tape onParadise Vendors Inc. Blown out recordings again covering a good pop song that really changes when you see him live. Sweet vocals float over the top with one of the catchiest chorus on this tape that is part Guided By Voices and part The Bitters cave pop.

Side 2 kicks straight in with those sexy bastions for repetition from Brighton, Cold Pumas with a really early track that only hints at the potential these guys are now stepping up to. 'Day Monk/Night Monk' is noisy like most of their tracks but not as poppy as they became with 'Jela' and 'Beat Mystery'. Brighton / London is represented next in the shape of La La Vasquez who punch their way through 'Don't Rush Me' which flows like a Girls In the Garage track for the Captured Tracks generation. Mega catchy bass lines too!

Next is the power garage punk of The Hipshakes that is a punked up does of Nuggets sort of tune. Short, fast and Paisley maybe? I really like it and recommend getting their new tape album on Scotch tapes. The next band, Egyptian Hip Hop is my least favourite on here. Multiple vocals over keys and gtrs and drum machines which just seem to float about and not head in any defined direction. Pretty boring i thought in an inoffensive way.

Good tape made up of previously released tracks, but still worth getting for the unreleased gems on here. www.loudandquietcassettes.bigcartel.com
Side A

Crocodiles - Hollow Hollow Eyes
Mazes - Summer Hitz (Main Dyke)
Golden Grrls - Duane Denison
Cheatahs - Lycanthropy

Side B

Cold Pumas - Day Monk/Night Monk
La La Vasquez - Dont Rush Me
The Hipshakes - Not Like I've Had Before
Egyptian Hip Hop - Rad Pitt

Kommie Kilpatrick / Champions of Breakfast - Split tape ( self released)

Kommie Kilpatrick also sent me this tape when they sent me their self released 'Weird City' tape (reviewed below) which is on the KK side is all covers of Champions of Breakfast and vice-versa. I like it when bands kick out the odd cover with friends bands, but 9 tracks?

The KK covers of COB seems a little slower than their 'Weird City' releases, and with a change in songwriter comes a change of lyrics, so the old fare of young dumb scum punk is replaced with some real Swords N' Sorcery content with talk of dragons and spells and song titles like 'When Trolls Roam The Earth'! The 3rd track also drops in some nice keys action whilst the last track,'Nasty Bunz' reminds me more of their own tracks, a little faster and a little snottier.

Flipping over the tape i get Champions of Breakfast take on Kommie Kilpatrick which was not what i expected. Instead of Orc filled fantasy metal i get electro beats and processed vocals, a few glitches and some straight up dance rock. It's pretty funny hearing these beat inspired tracks with repeated 'Get Punched In the Face' over and over, but ultimately its only funny once and I'm probably gonna stick to side one and my ever growing fondness for Kommie Kilpatrick.

www.myspace.com/kommiekilpatrick
http://www.myspace.com/thechampionsofbreakfast

Kommie Kilpatrick - Weird City (self released)

I think everyone needs a few dumb punk records in their collection, maybe the 'Cretin Rock' of the Ramones or the majority of NoFX's back catalogue, a little Angry Samoans or some modern dude punk like Mean Jeans and Personal & The Pizza's. Either way I get cravings for a bunch of peeps not taking themselves too seriously, just kicking out some good, simple, short fast and loud punk/hardcore.

Kommie Kilpatrick from Detroit, Michigan sent me this tape which is full of song titles like 'Bad News Beers' and 'Skate, Die, Stink' which makes me smile as they stumble from tune to tune. The one thing that came to mind repeatedly was Red Kross 'Born Innocent' era with that angry youth attack.

This is not anything new, but that's not why i listen to this stuff. I listen to it as it makes me happy on that long walk to work and occasionally pushes me to give a little fist pump when i think no-one else is looking.

Tracklist:

Kommie Kilpatrick - Weird City

1. 2 Girls 2 Fuck
2. Amateur Cool
3. Crash Your Car
4. (I Don't Wanna) Get Stabbed Tonight
5. Friday Night
6. Bad News Beers
7. I Need Dinner
8. Outta Here
9. Runnin Wild!
10. Skate, Die, Stink
11. Creature of Habit

buy from www.myspace.com/kommiekilpatrick

Welcome Home 'Diggin' The Universe' A Woodsist Compilation -V/A (Woodsist)

A tape collection from the Woodsist label is either a must have purchase for you or just another standard of the recent lo-fi zeitgeist. I am personally in the former camp for the majority of this tape and having recently fallen in love with label owner Jeremy Earls own band Woods through 2009's semi-breakthrough Lp 'Songs of Shame', I am glad to have a new tune kick off this nice piece of black plastic. The high pitch Neil Young-esque vocals suck me in as do the warmth of the recordings, with great simple pop songs that glue themselves to my mind using stripped back acoustics and hand clapped percussion.

Run DMT play a warped and delicious psych pop that could be lifted from an unknown Olivia Tremor Control record. Elephant 6 revivalism already? The heaviness of White Fences sends shocks with some dirty organs and squalling guitar whilst the Fresh & Onlys effort maintains their pedigree whilst also chasing the Dan Melchiors,Thee Oh Sees & Ty Segall's for the title of amount of records released each year.

I'm new to The Mantles and Skygreen Leopards and enjoy them both, whilst Alex Bleeker goes alone without his Freaks or Real Estate to finish off this first side nicely.

The biggest surprise to this Woodsist Comp. tape for me is liking the Moon Duo song, loving even. I'm not a fan of Wooden Shjips and their psych-prog wig outs, but the bass led riff on the Moon Duo track is great, totally not what i expected at all from them.

City Center don't offend, but don't enthrall either, whilst Cause Co Motion take things up a notch wit their jaunty anglophile messy indie punk before rolling through into new boys Art Museums whose 80's synth and guitar brand of pop sounds like a Captured Tracks band with an affinity to emotionally sappy songs that fill each and every John Hughes teen classic.

Nodzzz Lp and 2 x 7" are always up high in my play lists so a new track is very welcome with 'Old Clothes' having a much rawer live recording sound, but song wise, it could have come from any of their releases. I don't expect grand departures with Nodzzz, and I'm sure disappointment would only follow an Animal Collective style change in direction, so the same great guitar pop songs keeps on pleasing.

Finishing up the tape is a Ducktails song that removes the swirling keyboard melodies and summer repetition we are used to and goes with an acoustic guitar piece that sounds more like Matt's other day job as guitarist for Real Estate, just minus band. I could really do with a lot more of this type of Ducktails songs, incredible.

I'm sure this tape will sell out in seconds as do most things on Fuck It Tapes/Woodsist but i know it will soon drop as a nice piece of vinyl, definitely an essential '2010 purchase.


Tracklist

Woods - I'm Not Gone
Run DMT - Richard
White Fences - The Love Between
The Fresh & Onlys - Heel Toe
The Mantles - Bad Movies
Skygreen Leopards - Catch
Alex Bleeker - Gettin By

Moon Duo - A Little Way Different
City Center - Box of Rain
Cause Co-Motion - Over U
Art Museums - Darling Are You Out Of Your League Again
Nodzzz - Old Clothes
Ducktails - Sun Out My Window

get from www.woodsist.com

Dum Dum Girls - Blissed Out (Art Fag)

I'm pretty sure that this sold out almost immediately on pre-orders, impressive for 300 copies of a so called dead format. It did help that these copies were only available from Art Fag Records (who have released Graffiti Island, Crocodiles, Pens and Ye Olde Maids etc) and special ltd tape colours were given to Sub Pop and Rough Trade records, good company by any standards.

This tape has not yet left my bag since i got it, heavy rotation will soon become worn out tape if I'm not careful. I fell for the DDG's like everyone else after her first 12" EP which stood out above the hoards of lo-fi releases that get online hype, with catchy as hell songs lying under a layer of fuzz and reverbed out vox. We have all those tunes on this tape, with songs from all her first releases, splits and comps and a few extras, including Delta 5 and Black Tambourine covers. In fact the only negative about this grey cassette, is that i thought it would have cover of G.G Allins 'Don't Talk To Me' on it, which is by far away the best G.G cover to grace my ears and is totally made her own. It's a small gripe, I'll get over it.

If you see this for sale, buy it before it becomes ebay gold, which it probably is already. If not, just tape it off a friend and photocopy the cover like we used to do.

Side A

Ship of Love
Hey Sis
Throw Aggi
Catholicked
Let It Be Me
Mercury Mary

Side B

Brite Futures
Put a Sock In It
M.Y.O.B
Longhair
Dream Away Life

get from www.artfagrecordings.blogspot.com or from Rough Trade (UK) or Sub Pop (US)

The Bitters - East General ( Release The Bats)

I still haven't worked out if i like this yet. I have been putting off this write up as i think this album is a grower, it has definitely some killer parts to some of the songs, but it just doesn't sink in easily and some of it still grates my ears. I was a big fan of the 'Wooden Glove'EP that came out last year on Captured Tracks, its big choruses, triumphant guitars and killer dual vocals. This doesn't give me the same want to play it over and over again. But it's not bad. I think. I don't know?

I may have to file it under records-that-may-grow-on-me-but-i-probably-wont-listen-to-enough-to-let-it. Maybe it's because it sounds pretty grunge, one of the musical eras of my childhood i don't look back on with rose tinted specs? I do get an itching to listen to Babes in Toyland again. This is wrong. Or is t?

I'm sure all of the Young Guv's fan boys will have this on every format anyway along with the other 27 releases he has put out recently. That's not a dig at bands putting out lots of records, if the songs are all good enough to release then do it, and from what I've managed to pick up, i like alot of it, just maybe a bit more than The Bitters.

The Bitters - East General (release the bats)

1. Wild Beast
2. Nurtured Disease
3. Nails In The Coffin
4. No Anchor
5. Beggar
6. The New Real Way
7. East
8. Impatient As Can Be
9. Bitters Bust
10. Travelin' Girl
11. I'm Feelin' Good

get from italianbeachbabes.bigcartel.com (UK) or www.releasethebats.com

The Bitters - Travelin' Girl from Mexican Summer on Vimeo.

Ale Mania - Essayes ( Sixteen Tambourines)

Ale Mania is 2 dudes from San Diego who also moonlight in Beaters who kick out a nice line in noisey garagey punk tunes, which carries across a little to some of the tracks on this cassette, but it is buried or nestled under layers
of swirling synths, gated drums and smooth vocal lines. I feel like i'm in a seedy 80's dive full of synth punks and bent police drinking cheap liqueur to drown sorrows.

By no means is it tropical in sound but it has a sense of heat to it, sweaty moist heat. Post punks layers sweep in, but it is too accomplished to portray the simplicity that post punk sometimes follows, and it has a sense of soul to it and i imagine if played in the right place it would get people onto the dance floor.

These tracks are culled from their recent 7"s on Volar and Hell Yes!! Records and some compilation appearances with a bonus exclusive track, in a similar vein to the recent Beaters cassette on Suplex Cassettes. The packaging also came in a nice protective plastic sleeve like an LP and the artwork includes an acetate interpretation of the artwork tucked inside, again great attention to detail which sets certain packages away from others. This tape is highly recommended if you already like this band and essential if you have no Ale Mania in your life.

Ale Mania - Essayes (sixteen tambourines)

1. Lustfulfistful
2. Robust Universe
3. DC Rails
4. I've Let Myself Go
5. Ramp Age
6. Vomitpig

http://sixteentambourines.bigcartel.com/

Ale mania-robust universe by Suplex

Blessure Grave - Live In Oakland, CA ( Italian Beach Babes)

The second in the Italian Beach Babes live tape series (the first being the Male Bonding/Fair Ohs live in London tape) which sees the gloomy death punk Blessure Grave kicking out a New Years eve set in Oakland. The thing that often puts me off live sets is not being able to hear very well, more often than not the recordings are overblown to the point of unrecognisable noise, which is fine if you're listening to a Wolf Eyes tape but annoying if you're straining to hear the hooks of a good song. This tape sounds great, the bass has a real treble twang and doesn't take over the mix and the vocals are pretty well pushed with everything else.

But what does a Blessure Grave live set sound like? I have missed out on the 12" on Captured Tracks and the large amount of 7"s dropped in the last year so this is my first BG experience. I can mainly hear an 80's post punk feel to it, with the low Ian Curtis quiver to the male voice and a gentler 45 Grave esque feel to the female one, with the guitars driving the music that is not far from Echo & The Bunnymen or The Gun Club. I generally don't find myself going for alot of bands that could ever be lumped as 'Goth' as its a very lazy term and doesn't really mean much, apart from maybe the band has more black jeans than Bermuda shorts? Yes, this is not tropical and it lies somewhere in the void between depressing, ethereal music and aggressive punk/post punk.

I honestly did not think i would like this as much as i do, and its a great way to jump into a band that has alot of material out there, for a cheap cost, so well done Italian Beach Babes, you did it again!

Blessure Grave - Live In Oakland, CA / 31/12/09

1. Intro
2. Steps
3. Interlude
4. 90 Plus Days
5. Come Back
6. Stranger In The House
7. Reduce You to Black Smoke
8. Interlude
9. Motion Sickness
10. Parallel Lives
11. Shadow
12. Learn To Love The Rope
13. Outro

www.italianbeachbabes.bigcartel.com to purchase

Daniel Higgs - Devotional Songs of Daniel Higgs (Open Mouth)

At this point, i have come to realise that Daniel A.I.U Higgs is as close to a cultural icon to me as they come, along with Billy Childish. Both have a large discography of great music, have made innumerable amounts of paintings and great works of art, written books of poetry and done pretty everything they wanted to on their own terms, both with a slight nod to the eccentric side of life.

Daniel A.I.U Higgs delivers a tape of tracks that have been collected from a variety of sources and in many cases are just a voice, banjo and a tape recorder, with a variety of drone instruments that sound like harmoniums and sruti boxes. It's the delivery of these banjo ragas or vocals word plays that make all of Higgs solo work so mind warping and exciting. I get lost in his recordings and with no song titles on this 90 min tape, it makes it easier to just lose yourself and let Daniel take you on a psychedelic trip with tales of Eden, God, and the Kingdom of Death. To avid fans of Higgs solo work, you will recognise some of the tracks on this, but with many being played live or recorded at home with a simpler set up to his recent vinyl released albums. Sound quality has never prevented him from exercising his ability to tell a story and if anything, the tape format provides a perfect platform to really experience Daniel Higgs.

Whilst searching this tape out from Open Mouth tapes, make sure you get the new 'Say God' Lp on Thrill Jockey which literally blew my mind when i first dropped the needle on wax, and left other recent purchases in the dust. Essential.

Only place i found to buy is here:
http://www.mimaroglumusicsales.com/artists/daniel+arcus+incus+ululat+higgs.html

Male Bonding - Daytrotter tape (Sub Pop)

If you were one of the lucky 300 people who either pre-ordered the 'Nothing Hurts' LP from Sub Pop or snagged a copy of this tape at their stage dive fest of a launch party in London then well done, you hold a copy of Male Bonding's latest tape effort which is the songs from the Daytrotter session they did in March 2010 whilst on tour in America.

As the inlay notes states, they arrived with tour buddies Vivian Girls to both record their sessions only to find that they had to record a stripped back 'acoustic' style session due to recent noise restraints. Alot of bands would crumble under the weight of having certain pedals turned off and amps not cranked up, but it works for Male Bonding, allowing the vocals to come through with very restrained drumming from the usually hard hitting Robin Silas Christian. The Vivian Girls also provide some sweet back up harmonies, replicating what they had done on album closer 'Worse to Come'. At only four songs and with the dulcet introduction of bassist Kevin Hendricks of 'Hi, we don't mean to harsh your mellow, we are male bonding welcome to daytrotter' this is a great addition to one of the best albums of 2010.

If like me you didn't pre-order the LP from Sub Pop because popping to your local record shop is easier, then try the band as they have a small boxful to sell, along with a few copies of the split 7" with Graffiti Island, Old Blood and Rapid Youth which is a mile marker in records you must have!

Male Bonding - Daytrotter Tape (Sub Pop)

1. Daytrotter Introduction
2. Before Its Gone
3. Worse To Come
4. Can't Dream
5. Your Contact

Get from the band when they are on tour or if you pre-order the LP from Subpop.com

Male Bonding "Year's Not Long" from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

Kid Romance - Thriller / Killer (Captured Tracks)

I can't really avoid talking about the recording on this tape, which is so poor, probably the poorest of any release i own, that i never find myself listening to it. I know a song is judged on the song itself, but if i cant hear it then its pretty pointless. The second track 'Glitter & Ash' i think is a poppy rock n roll punk track but fuck knows if thats what it really is? I would hate to write off this band because of this tape, but i know 1 mic practice room recordings can be alot better than this release. Sorry Kid Romance, the tracks on the 7" that this tape came with were not much better either. I'll listen up again when they buy a 4 track or a good dictaphone.

www.myspace.com/kidromance
www.capturedtracks.com

Kid Romance - Thriller (Captured Tracks)

1. Fuck Punx
2. Glitter + Ash
3. Blood Worms
4. Fuck Sharks
5. Psychic Tele
6. Crazies
7. No Freedom
8. Darlin
9. Shadow
10. I Use Electricity
11. No NO NO NO NO NO
12. Telepathy
13. Piss Cop
14. Phantom Track
15. Hail Satan!

Golden Grrrls - S/T Tape (Self Released)

I will tell you immediately that I'm biased on this tape as i have released the 2nd Golden Grrrls cassette which was a split with Boredom Boys (Merida from La La Vasquez & Andy from Teen Sheikhs,)so i will get straight into why you should track down this self released gem. The tape itself is an overdubbed Rita Macneil tape, so even if i hadnt liked it, i could've turned it over for some crooning from the rotund Canadian singer songwriter. The artwork itself lies on the esoteric side with 3 panels of strange artwork and a total absence of track titles or information, leaving the music just to speak for itself.

Starting with a short track of heavily effected guitar, the first proper track starts with a some distorted drums, a cutting organ line and tinny guitar line with some fuzz ridden vocals that bring on a robbie pastels for kids who dig blown out production. Its upbeat and not as doomy as some of the blank dogs stuff, but would definately fit in with some of the acts Captured Tracks have released.

The next 2 tracks keep a simlar pace with tom heavy drums and post-punk styled single note guitar lines before a breakdown comes with some awesome droney noises thatloop around like some eastern influenced repetitive mantra. I like it when a band purposefully or by total accident plans the ebb and flow of a release regardless of format so the pace and styles of the whole product is right, not just the individual tracks, and especially as the tape format doesnt allow for the skipping and jumping of tracks that most of us are used to, this choice is being made for you.

The final tracks get a bit sunnier in disposition and one in particular i reckon would sound great if cut to the '1979' Smashing Pumpkins video? Maybe thats just me? Anyway, this is 6-8 tracks of noisey indie from this Glasgow band which i hope someone has the sense to put out a vinyl release soon.

Write the band and see if they have any left for sale here:
http://www.myspace.com/goldengrrrls

Golden Grrrls @ Glasgow Social Centre 18.12.09 from Winning Sperm Party on Vimeo.

Personal & The Pizzas - Raw Pie (Burger Records)

It's funny how much the cover of this tape tells you about the music contained on this tape. Firstly, these guys love pizza enough to write songs about it, include it in the band name and on the front cover. They also love The Stooges and take influence from them and The Ramones equally. The are either really funny or totally ridiculous, again probably in equal measures!

The tape kicks of with the man himself, Personal, introducing himself and the first track, which he does inbetween many of the tracks, and even going so far as to explain that he can read on the track 'I Can Read'. No hidden meanings in these tracks! As they have stated themselves on their myspace page, 'ONE RAMONES RIFF + ONE STOOGES RIFF + REALLY DUMB WORDS' which is a good enough distillation of this singles compilation.

Straight from the first song on this tape, The Pizzas let you know that they can shred, with the guitarist shredding like James Williams did on 'Search & Destroy'and then they can drop down to a more mid paced tune, like 'I Want You Around' or any number of slower Ramones numbers. I hate the fact that most of this review is mentioning the 2 influences they self reference, but i would find it hard to describe it in any other way? New Jersey surburban dumb punk made by the tall elder brother in Everybody Loves Raymond inbetween mouthfulls of meatballs??

Recommended for pizza parties, sleepovers and short drives.


Personal & The Pizzas - Raw Pie (Burger Records)

1. I Don't Wanna Be No Personal Pizza
2. I Dont Feel So Happy Now No More
3. I Can Read
4. I Aint Takin You Out
5. Brass Knuckles
6. Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me
7. Knuckles #02
8. Pizza Army
9. Tearjerker
10. Never Find Me
11. 7.99 For Love
12. Pepperoni Eyes
13. Dont You Go in That Ground
14. Toss That Pie

www.burgerrecords.webs.com

Shannon & The Clams - I Wanna Go Home (Burger Records)

As this tape has very rarely left my tapedeck since it arrived, i can see this easily being one of those bands i will obsess over, and probably buy the vinyl from 1-2-3-4 Go! records so i wont get upset when i wear out this tape. Shannon & The Clams start off with an amazing Girls in The Garage esque song called 'Troublemaker' which has this haunting backing vocal track with an upbeat motown soul beat with Shannons amazing vocals driving the track forwards. As much as i'm a big fab of non-musical musicians and the punk/lo-fi/garage aesthethic of any one can do it and find that this approach presents much better music, it is nice to really hear a voice this amazing. I'm sure that comparisons to Beth Ditto will be made if Shannon & The Clams keep making records, which is unfair and obvious in the strong, soulful female voice in a punk band sense but relative in the fact that it made my spine tingle like it did the first time i heard 'Movement' by Gossip.

Not all the songs are straight up garage, with some nice 1950's slowdance feelers that have that dreamy sound our boy L. from Spectrals is hitting right now, with as much Phil Spector and 60's soul as Nuggets/Pebbles comps.

I really enjoy the vocal interplay between Shannon and the male gutarist, both being able to wail over each other succesfully. As a bonus to this tape, they have included the 4 songs from the 'Hunk Hunt' 7" which i'm made up about, missing out on it as it was stupid expensive to buy over here in the UK. I can't stress enough how you must buy this tape or the LP and how this band need to play London!

Shannon & The Clams - I Wanna Go Home (Burger Records)

1. Troublemaker
2. The Warlock In The Woods
3. You Can Come Over
4. Surrounded By Ghosts
5. Cry Aye Aye Aye
6. Take It Back
7. Scuffle With The Clams
8. Blast Me To Bermuda
9. Cat Party
10. Waiting For You
11. When You're On
12. I Wanna Go Home
13. Blood
14. Hunk Hunt
15. Would You Love Me If I Was Dead
16. Heartbreak

www.burgerrecords.webs.com

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin - 'Reverse Shark Attack'

I was a big fan of the noisey as hell 'Pop Song' 7" these two productive chaps put out last year on Goodbye Boozy Records with its distorto-garage punk and sci-fi guitar lines, so i'm glad they are back with a full album, nicely put onto tape by what is fast becoming my favourite tape label, Burger Records.

Starting with the stomp and swagger of 'I Wear Black', you can tell this won't be a subtle record like some of Ty's solo stuff. The vocals seem a bit lower and dirtier with a hint of Lux Interior to them, and although for people like me who love anything these guys have done before like Charlie & The Moonhearts, Epsilons, Traditional Fools, Party Fowl etc this is forging a slightly different path and i wouldn't immediately judge this album against previous efforts. There is a fair amount of delay and noise effects, and i think some nicely overdriven organ/keys too which gives it a little bit of spacey feel, often coming in over the straight up four-to-the-floor sections to make the whole record an interesting listen.

There is also a cover of Pink Floyd's 'Tale Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk' which they have managed to make their own, as it nestles with the other tracks nicely. I don't know the original at all, but i'm going to presume its a Syd Barret era tune from before the prog took over the psych??

At the end of the Album is the a 10 min long freak out of a title track, starting out as a pretty psychedelic and effect driven tune with vibrating vox that starts out not as aggressive as the previous songs on this tape, which then drifts into an acoustic guitar passage with only the reverb drenched vocals remaining before the drums ride back in and the main hook is repeated on the guitars. It starts to freak out more and more with shrill brass coming in as the songs starts to climax before a stuttering sonic meltdown that finally segues into a Dick Dale surf riff that keeps on building and building building before a sharp clattering stop, bringing to an end this tape in a triumphant way.

As these two dudes seem to kick out an endless amount of records, i'm hoping there will be more from this awesome duo that builds on this album of aggressive psych, garage and punk.

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin - Reverse Shark Attack (Burger Records)

1. I Wear Black
2. Drop Dead Baby
3. High School
4. Ramona
5. Doctor Doctor
6. Bikini Babes
7. Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk
8. Reverse Shark Attack
   

Ty Segall & Mikal Cronin "I Wear Black" from Claire Marie Films on Vimeo.

Sauna Youth - Distractions

Here is the second Sauna Youth tape in a matter of months, which is always a good thing for me. This tape takes on a few similar characteristics to the last cassette, with a black & white photo cover and all the songs on one side, bar a single longer song/remix on the b-side but instead of just all SY songs, this time we get a mix tape format with practice room recordings of songs from thefirst tape mixed in with an amazing bag of tunes. If you haven't read the last SY tape review then just scroll down to the first blog entry and catch up on what you have been missing, which is poppy power punk/hardcore, crossing the line between Career Suicide, Brutal Knights and The Ramones but with a psych/garage edge.

Now onto the mixtape selections, which is down to Pines (gtr). With every song choice you get an SY track wedged in the middle for fun, and to kick off the tape you get an African welcome with a Ghanian funeral intro segueing into 'Weird Fiction' by SY and then a Mahmoud Ahmed track, an amazing Ethiopian singer from the 60's & 70's who is probably most know now to his inclusion on sevceral of the Ethiopiques comps. We have some great modern Garage punk from UV Race, who along with Eddy Current Suppresion Ring are bringing back good Australian punk music. I always enjoy a bit of Nodzzz who crop up half way through as do the Airfix Kits, who i have not heard before but screamed Television Personalities to me. Mix in some minimal electronics from Raymond Scott, some power pop of Frosties and a Polynesian vocal & percussion troupe called Chief & Orators Sasa and you have a magic mix in your deck.

The other band that isn't Sauna Youth that grabbed my attention on Side A is Solar Powers, which is another practice room live jam, with 2 members of SY (Pines & Boon) joined by a Cold Puma and a NRWS member. Kinda krautrock-y in its repitition but laid back in its approach, its not as full force as Cold Pumas, in some places like early Trans Am, or not?

Finally the B-side, which is a drugged out/drawn out composition of drones and bells, conversations and found sound, walkabouts and pitchbending. This piece was written to this piece called 'E2BN1BB' and more pieces will probably be written to it in the future. I don't know if this tape is still available as it was made just for the Brighton Zine Swap, but hit up the band to see if they have any left.

www.lostinidea.blogspot.com

Sauna Youth - Distractions

Side A

1. Ghanian Funeral Intro
2. Sauna Youth - Weird Friction
3. Mahmoud Ahmed - Aynotche Terabu
4. Sauna Youth - Des Animaux
5. Frosties - Tigers Eyes
6. Chief & Orators Sasa (Polynesia)
7. Sauna Youth - Lists
8. Solar Powers - Roman Numeral 2
9. UV Race - Gore Orphanage
10. Sauna Youth - Big Bobbles
11. Nodzzz - Highway Memorial Shrine
12. Sauna Youth - E2 Bang Bang
13. Raymond Scott - Night & day
14. Sauna Youth - Eurozone / Rolando
15. Airfix Kits - 80's Aesthetic
16. Sauna Youth - Delta Caps

Side B

1. E2BN1BB

The Super Vacations - Good Wood (Scotch Tapes)

The Super Vacattions 10 track tape is a slow burner. i keep on coming back to it and have probably listened to it more than most of my new batch of tapes, especially the ones from the ever amazing Scotch Tapes from Canada. It definately reminds me of the music me and my friends used to listen to out of a broekn car speaker when we were 18 and driving around in my friends first mini, which means mid 90's psych like Olivia Tremor Control, Elephant 6 and the Lilys, some seminal lo-fi like Sebadoh & Guided By Voices , mixed in with some 60's psych/garage, but more the Haight-Ashbury scene than the agressive Pacific North West.

If i was to think of current bands i would say The Fresh & Onlys just because they both give me that Jefferson Airplane sense of songwriting and possibility of a freak out. I'm really digging this band and will probably track down their new Lp on Shadowplay and new tape on Snakefork.

Good Wood (Scotch Tapes)

1. Good Wood
2. Tse Guars
3. Sea Song
4. Congratulations
5. 10 Second Freak Out
6. Yellow Hissing
7. Bee Hive
8. Ask a Comb
9. Solid Gold
10. The Void

www.scotchtapes.ca