Just finished mastering the Sweatshop Boys recordings. Power pop from Israel!
Archives for the month of: October, 2011
Uzbeks reviewed.
“Ever since I blogged about Uzbeks two weeks ago, I’ve been listening to their LP Goggles & Flipflops pretty much nonstop. Because of that, I’m pleased to announce that the Israeli punk group has a fresh new song out, a sub-2 minute banger called “Black Magic!” This track is in a similar vein as the full length album, with a sloppy, fast-paced punk sound that skirts the line between hardcore and classic 70s punk. Check out those vocal harmonies!
“Black Magic!” will appear on an upcoming 4-track EP called Snaps, which will be released as a tape on Spastic Fantastic Records. Find more information about the upcoming release on the song’s soundcloud page.”
See the original post here.
“SOMETHING MEN hail from somewhere in England (is it Worcester?) and just released their debut 7″ on EZPZ Records. They take on a grass roots rockabilly type of garage rock that is invigorating yet somehow mysterious.
Despite Something Men not really trying to hide anything in their music, there’s still this puzzling element that gives everything a mysterious edge, which can best be detected in “Birdy Roof”. Even though we know they’re not hiding anything, it still sounds like something is hidden in the cracks – something we don’t know but they do. However you shouldn’t be confused. We’re not trying to say this music is missing anything, because that would be a huge mistake.
“Birdy Roof” is a lazy sounding bluesy shuffle that treads along at a medium pace, riddled with all sorts of crunchy and twangy guitar licks that help produce this wet and dripping psychedelic element within. They really flip the psych switch to the max a short bit past the halfway point of the song. It’s subtle in the sense that they’re not trying to destroy your ears with unnecessary noise, but goddamn does it come on heavy. Heavy like you can feel countless fists pummeling you into the ground, endlessly weighing you down and overpowering you no matter how hard you try to get back to your feet – like you slouched down into your chair and you never want to rise back up, riding the lazy but driven vibes up until the last quivering note.
On the flipside, “Mud Brown Mistress” sticks more to the garage rock side of the fence. A throbbing bass deep below drives the rest of the song head first into another rusty and unsettling psyched-out onslaught. Unpredictable chicken-scratch guitars somehow complement the swift rhythm until they steadily calm back down in one organized and sensible motion. That being said, these guys know exactly what they’re doing and how they want to do it. At this time we can only hope to have more from Something Men in the near future. Snag their 7″ while ya still can because once people realize what is going on here, it’ll be too late!”
Review taken from here, where you can also listen to the whole 7″.
“Second album by Portland’s Red Dons (members of The Observers, Clorox Girls, etc). Fake Meets Failure was originally released on CD and LP by Vancouver’s Deranged Records, and here we are doing a limited edition cassette pressing of the album.”
Another HajjiHusayn master reviewed in Maximum Rock and Roll.
“Wow. This is some catchy tuneage. “Sue Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is a classic pop-punk number that gets things started off just right. It’s up-tempo, it’s catchy, and it has lots of guitar. And things continue along exactly the same way. My only complaint, and this isn’t a real complaint, is that there are only six songs. Don’t tease me like that I want more. This is clearly a power pop band and not a pop punk band. (KK)”
Another HajjiHusayn master reviewed in Maximum Rock and Roll.
“Wow. This is some catchy tuneage. “Sue Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” is a classic pop-punk number that gets things started off just right. It’s up-tempo, it’s catchy, and it has lots of guitar. And things continue along exactly the same way. My only complaint, and this isn’t a real complaint, is that there are only six songs. Don’t tease me like that I want more. This is clearly a power pop band and not a pop punk band. (KK)”
Here’s a song from the forthcoming Alchemists record I mixed and mastered. A new band from Volta Redonda, Brazil.
“By this point, most of you probably already know and / or love RED DONS. For those of you who don’t, this band is comprised of members of the OBSERVERS, CLOROX GIRLS, and BORN/DEAD. As for influences, I can hear X and WIPERS the most, and maybe even some MISSION OF BURMA here and there, but not as artsy. Their overall northwest sound brings it all together nicely. Highly recommended! (BD)”
Taken from the Red Dons website where you can listen to the whole 7″.
A review of the Mondo Ray‘s Hypnotised 7″ mastered by yours truly.
“Also out now on Windian is Mondo Ray’s “Hypnotized,” backed with “Nothing.” This is a cleaner, less raucous single than the Penetrators’ release. It’s a very angular, chiming kind of garage – sort of like what frequently makes its way onto In the Red these days. It blasts through your stereo so quickly that you’ll find yourself repeatedly flipping the single, desperate for more of their music.
It’s a big sound from a trio, with the guitars ringing like there was a chorus of them. The rhythm’s a little down in the mix, with David da Cruz’s riffs the clear focus of the title track. As with the Penetrators’ single, the b-side outshines the a-side, if only because it showcases all three members far more equitably as it alternates a piercing, throbbing, pulsing rhythm with high harmonies and big riffs.”
Listen to it here and read the rest of the reviews.