CiTR

As expected, missed records from 2009 keep rolling in, with the Meercaz LP on Tic Tac Totally (reissue of Gulcher Records CD from early 2009) currently dominating the stereo. For those that are also late to the game on this one, Meercaz is based outta Portland, Oregon and even shares a member with one of my favorite bands from that city, Meth Teeth. Definitely one of those records that doesn't sound contemporary, but more like some long lost mid-70s proto-punk group hailing from some industrial city in middle America. Heavy riffage, tone deaf vocals and plenty o' weird analog synth bleeps and burps thrown in for serious left tiltage. Songs range from two-minute, fist pumping MC5-styled jams to seven-minute stormy industro-punk excursions. Highly recommended.




Also late on the 2009 chopping block is the sprawling 2LP speaker shredder that is the new Shit & Shine. Over an hour of repetitive riffs that sound spewed through slashed amps and run over with a rusty lawnmower. 229-2299 Girls Against Shit also makes brief dalliances into dub, disco and, uhhm, race car humour(?). Yeah, anyways, fans of the early, damaged end of the Butthole Surfers and even the overkill fuzz-sludge of The Goslings are urged to pay attention.



The painfully limited-run of the Siltbreeze 10 inch compilation Skulls Without Borders dropped in the mail slot last week, and it's an odd mix of folks trying to share the same airspace. Puffy Areolas make a nasty punk-splatter and give high hopes for their forthcoming Siltbreeze debut LP; Chickins, an FNU Ronnies off-shoot, put down a quirky number complete with raygun guitar shots; Dan Melchior plops down another grumpy blast of fuzz riffs and off-kilter guitar solos. The flipside, featuring Kurt Vile, Tommy Jay Band and Sic Alps, will be played next week...



Heading back over to this side of continent, AFCGT (aka A Frames Climax Golden Twins), who have been given much love here on ETMS, drop their vinyl-only (!) release via Sub Pop next week, and I was lucky enough to be able to provide a sneak peek. Not much has changed from the Seattle juggernaut, hell, if anything, the 5 piece have beefed up their sound considerably on the more amped up tracks, and waded even deeper into their more experimental side. Not yr typical Sub Pop release, but we're pleased as all hell they've decided to put this one strictly to wax.

Swimming up the coastline back to our city, Tassles sent over a few intriguing tracks of drifting bedroom electronic pleasantries. Tassles is better known in Vancouver as Sean Orr, who helms the shit detector on Beyond Robson's Morning Brew and fronts the recently reunited post-hardcore revisionists Taxes. Tassles sees Orr relaxing his jaw for a few and learning to relax a little bit. You probably won't see Tassles open for Taxes anytime soon. Either way, someone out there release fucking something from either of these...asap!



Banana Head (aka Zully Adler, head of Goaty Tapes) also was kind enough to send some new jams my way. Brand new cassette of solo loner jams, absolutely perfect for these bland winter days. Goaty Tapes has come a long way since its inception a few years back; brand new tapes by HNY (awesome cassette on Not Not Fun reviewed here), Russian Tsarlag and Paradise Sisters, who have a forthcoming 12 inch due out soon on De Stijl. In the works are cassettes by El Jesus De Magico, Psychic Reality (split 12" with LA Vampires forthcoming for them on Not Not Fun) and Goaty will also head into LP territory with an Ancestral Diet full length. Get stoked, people.



Hot off the heels of the much-loved seven inch, Brainbombs offshoot No Balls release a full length LP on Sweden's Release The Bats. And, of course, its in a disgustingly small pressing of 300 and sold out before it was even outta the pressing plant. Not far off the Brainbombs aesthetic of violent, hammering repetition, but, this time around with just drums and guitar, plus the occasional sax squlech and distance vocals, which may or may not be appallingly misogynistic. This meager pressing has annoyed me enough to share a ripped version with ya'll (courtesy of Soundeyet).




Tassles "Brother Soft" unreleased mp3, 2010
Indian Wars "Carol Anne" s/t 7" (Bachelor) 2009
The Intelligence "Gettin' Classy" split w/ Unnatural Helpers 7" (Dirty Knobby) 2009
Fair Ohs "Automatic" Obscene & Violent: A Tribute To GG Allin 7" (Italian Beach Babes) 2009
Male Bonding "You Hate Me And I Hate You" Obscene & Violent: A Tribute To GG Allin 7" (Italian Beach Babes) 2009
Chickins "Chickin Den" Skull Without Borders compilation 10" (Siltbreeze) 2009
Dan Melchior "1000 Times" Skulls Without Borders compilation 10" (Siltbreeze) 2009
Puffy Areolas "El Jita" Skulls Without Borders compilation 10" (Siltbreeze) 2009
Meercaz "Unlust" s/t LP (Tic Tac Totally) 2009
Shit & Shine "Have You Really Though About Your Presentation?" 229-2299 Girls Against Shit 2LP (Riot Season) 2009
AFCGT "Black Mark" AFCGT LP (Sub Pop) 2010
No Balls "Come Clean" Come Clean LP (Release The Bats) 2009
Oneohtrix Point Never "Russian Mind" Russian Mind LP (No Fun Productions) 2009
Afternoon Penis "...Jack Of Hearts" split w/ Eskimo King LP (Abandon Ship) 2009
Banana Head "Take It Back" In The Tubs CS (Goaty Tapes) 2009
Blue Sabbath Black Cheer & Nihilist Assault Group "untitled" Planned Obsolescence LP (Gnarled Forest) 2009