Black To Comm "Before After (Thrill Jockey)"
Black To Comm
Back to reality
Back to the here and now, yeah.
Before After (Thrill Jockey), the latest from Marc Richter’s solo project Black To Comm, is described best by the people that know him best. Thrill Jockey. “a hallucinogenic journey through polar extremes of emotion and to the outer reaches of sound, the perfect companion piece to its darker predecessor.” A masterclass in the manipulation of sounds, this is sure to freak out your parents and earn the praise of your most discerning friends. Check out the Negativland meets Yann Tiersen sounds of “Eden-Olympia.”
Xenu & The Thetans "Xenu & The Thetans (Slovenly)"
Like our buds at Slovenly Records say about this new self-titled record from Mexico City’s Xenu & The Thetans “it’s not rock-it scientology here, gang. This is that primal punk rock madness that pours outta yer pores when you just wanna belt out some Germs / Bad Brains style ‘core and get nasty.” Couldn’t have said it better myself! That’s why I didn’t even bother trying. Come on! Like they said! Get nasty and check out “Amigos Muertos.”
Guache "A People’s History of Gauche (Merge)"
D.C.’s Gauche is here with their latest, People’s History of Guache (Merge). What they’ve done is make your tattered copy of Howard Zinn’s book A People’s History Of The United States the second most exciting People’s History in your collection. Bouncy, angular, funky, spindly power post-punk pop excitement is the name of this game. The kind of rock music you could (and should) be dancing to. Are their themes weighty? You bet! Will you notice? Well, if you pay attention, sure you will silly. But also, these anxious tunes could just as easily wash over you if you let them. Check out the Joy Division meets B-52’s sounds of “Flash.”
Imperial Teen "Now We Are Timeless (Merge)"
As a people, we’ve been lucky enough to be listening to Imperial Teensongs for over 20 years now. I mean, you HAVE been listening to Imperial teen, right? After all, their confessional, frank, indie-leaning electro-pop tunes are the stuff late-nights are made of. Now We Are Timeless(Merge) is exactly what you want it to be (and that is a very good thing to be after all). Total songwriting magic–with an emphasis on the craft of pop songwriting that is (ahem) all too absent from a lot of music these days (damn kids and their Soundcloud…). In fact, we should make this album a masterclass in songwriting chops that should be mandatory for all bands 30 and under. Professors Roddy Bottum, Will Schwartz, Jone Stebbins, and Lynn Perko Truell will be handing out your syllabi soon! You like earworms? Who doesn’t (besides dogs), well don’t you dare walk away from “Walkaway”!