If the coming months in punk music are going to continue to be so stacked there’s not really going to be any room for me to pontificate on the state of affairs in the punk world. Suffice to say, that’s not entirely a bad thing. With that said, the last…
Nothing has ever been quite as on the nose as a Melvins record featuring the bassist from Butthole Surfers coming out on 4/20. The weirdos of the grunge movement are back again with Pinkus Abortion Technician, this time including two bass players. It’s just as weird as it sounds, and…
Each month, we always seem to come to the same conclusion when it comes to our Editors’ Picks column: Friday release days open the floodgates and unleash a seemingly endless stream of quality new music. But while some of our Editors and Contributors sit down gleefully each week to dive into this newly stocked treasure…
Black Pudding is a garage-rock trio who can rock a mean fuzz sound while coating it with cheesy lo-fi production and intoxicating hooks. The band are still very early into their career, building some hype through the release of singles such as these ones “Sci-fi Si” and “Tillagio”. Nonetheless, the band have a clear goal for their sound to fit this ongoing modern trend of fuzzy garage rock, because while this doesn’t reinvent the wheel, this will surely please any fans of the style. These tracks at times act as a hazy trip of distortion and slurred vocals, but these guys can pen a catchy hook and some sharply humorous lyrics among their warm bedroom rock.
With time, Josh Scogin will be able to release music without it immediately being compared to his work in The Chariot. That time isn’t upon us yet, as fans of the Georgia legends still hanker for them, tearfully screaming “long live” at anyone and everyone within earshot. The second release from Scogin’s stripped down ’68 project should help these lost souls in finding new comforts, away from the mayhem and maelstrom that The Chariot offered. Two Parts Viper is one part Southern Americana, one part ex-The Chariot Josh Scogin and one part wonderfully over the top rock and roll. But 2014’s Humor And Sadness was made up of much and such the same measurements. Has the sound evolved enough for ’68 to finally become a stand alone entity?
Garage rock is one of those more amorphous genre tags that nevertheless has a very identifiable sound to it. You might not be able to describe what it is exactly beyond fuzzy guitars, generally lo-fi production, and punchy, catchy songs, but you know what it is when you hear it. It’s not a style I’m totally enamored with as oftentimes the stripped-down approach comes off as a bit too facile and simple, trying to make up for a lack of depth and with immediacy and charismatic energy. Hailing from Los Angeles, Meatbodies are proving to be an exception to the rule for me, though most of that stems from their evolving way beyond simple garage into something far more interesting and fun.
The new Japandroids album, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, kicks off in their instantly recognizable style. The title and first track on the album immediately bridges the gulf of the five years since their last release, Celebration Rock. The band keeps the party they are throwing with this…
