Built on a Weak Spot

Looking back it’s a bit surprising to see that it’s already been three years since the last full-length release from Ceremony. For whatever reason their previous album Disappear seems much more recent than that. That aside, they’ve just released their newest album Rocket Fire through Killer Pimp and it delivers on a set of ten swift shoegaze influenced pop songs.

The background of the band is largely the reason I was interested in them in first place some odd years ago, with members Paul Baker and John Fedowitz playing in the long since defunct Skywave. It didn’t, and still doesn’t, come as much of a shock that a large part of Skywave’s sound carried over to Ceremony. Where Skywave was notoriously loud and more so focused on the noisier aspects of their sound, Ceremony works in slightly more melodic grounds while still remaining quite abrasive at times via heaps of distortion. By the sound of it, Ceremony have somewhat crawled out from beneath that gloomy black cloud here on Rocket Fire, leaving behind a portion of the darker imagery and sound on Disappear. And while I was I pretty big fan of that album, I believe the upbeat nature of Rocket Fire has really allowed them to open up things a bit and develop a sound that is more pop structured and reminiscent to some of the more amazing noise-pop bands around in the late 80’s/early 90’s. In short, I think there is a nicer variance here. And while many may frown upon the whole shoegaze revival wave of bands out there these days, Ceremony is not one to pass up or simply disregard. Mr. Baker and Mr. Fedowitz have been doing this far longer than any sort of “revivalist” movement may have started and it shines through greatly in Ceremony’s music.

Ceremony – Someday [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Rocket Fire, it is available through Killer Pimp both on CD/LP. In the meantime, enjoy!

In my continuing efforts to play catch up on things that I had originally intended to get to before the move, here is another record that just recently came out that I’ve been giving plentiful amounts of attention. I wrote about Weed Hounds and their stellar demo cassette that seemingly everyone loved as well not too long ago on the blog, so I think that was my main motivation for buying this split originally. I hadn’t heard much of Dude Japan before this record, aside from a some tracks here and there and everything that I heard sat pretty well with me, so there was a bit of anticipation to get to hear more of them too.

Released by Rok Lok records in conjunction with SNCL earlier this month; Dude Japan offers two quick and rather pleasant cuts of indie-rock that kind of lies somewhere between Superchunk and Archers of Loaf. The first track of theirs “Smile & Shut the Fuck Up” starts off with everything seemingly out of tune; however quickly brings it back together to turn into a bit of a carefree/summertime anthem. They pretty much hit the mark when it comes to the sort of feel good indie-pop rock that came out in the 90’s, I’m definitely digging it. Look forward to more.

Weed Hounds put down one track here titled “Hard Drivin’” on the flipside and it’s yet again another winner of fuzz filled indie-pop. For whatever reason I seem to be drawn more to Laura Catalano’s vocals on this track more so than really anything that I heard on the demo. Whatever the reason may be, I hope it continues. Fans of the band and their demo will certainly want to pick up this split.

Dude Japan – Smile & Shut the Fuck Up (stream)
Weed Hounds – Hard Drivin (stream)

For those interested in picking this up, here in the US you can hit up Rok Lok or for those overseas head over to SNCL to get a copy. Definitely worth the cash.

By now most have probably realized that I’ve switched over to WordPress, which is considerably better for this blog. The only downside of the move is that everyone that was subscribed to the blog via a feed will probably need to re-subscribe if you’re looking to still receive updates. Apologies for the inconvenience, I do hope everyone makes the jump and thanks to everyone out there for sticking with me!

It seems Averkiou aren’t the only ones immersing themselves in the sweet sounds of noise-pop/shoegaze in Gainesville, Florida. I recently picked up a copy of Needs Medicines from Nervous Systems and was met with a catchy offering of fuzzy pop songs that captures a lot of the charm that made a lot of similar bands during the 90’s endearing due to some of their imperfections in combination with their enthusiasm. Not exactly sure where it fits in, but there definitely hints of Guided by Voices, Henry’s Dress, etc. to be found here. Those who enjoy quick and to the point noise-pop should definitely give this a try.

Nervous Systems – Sound Effect for Deafening Silence [MP3]

For those interested, Needs Medicines can be obtained through Obscurist Press or Tonevendor. Also SNCL has some copies for those in the UK. Do pick it up if you like what you hear.

As you can see I finally got a scanner so you won’t have to see crappy photos of albums lying on my nasty floor. Well, at least the ones that fit that is. At the very least all the nifty inserts that I couldn’t properly capture in photo before will now be able to be seen. But moving on…

All My Blues for Sale is one of many singles that LA based Jackknife put out over the time they were together. This one being one of the last items the band released. They were fairly prolific however, releasing a handful of singles on a various number of labels and a couple EP’s along with a full-length album that appeared on Sympathy for the Record Industry in 1994 titled Drugstar ’69. The album doesn’t necessarily hold up as well to their material that is scattered about on singles, which seemed to feature the band at their rawest and amped up. As far as trashy garage rock goes, these folks cut a few gems and you could do far worse in deciding to go back and scour their discography. Good stuff.

Jackknife – All My Blues for Sale [MP3]
Jackknife – I Heard You Knock [MP3]

I am fairly certain this isn’t too hard to obtain through the usual methods of eBay, etc. That probably goes for the majority of their material. At the very least their full-length is on Amazon for super cheap.

Back in 2005 Lostmusic Recordings released this seven song EP titled Smoking at Gas Stations from the one man band project The Crack Babies based out of Sweden. During its initial run of very limited copies it sold out and was then offered as a free download, which amassed quite a few of those. However with the aforementioned label now gone and nowhere to download, Odd Box Records has risen to the demand after persistent requests to do another limited run of the album on CD for anyone that missed out the first time. If you’re a big fan of 80’s noise-pop, lo-fi, or just JAMC worship in general then by all means don’t miss out on it again.

The Crack Babies are very much what you think they are, incredibly blown out shoegazy noise. However, on this EP the decibels are driven even further upward landing them in the same area as fellow past limit pushers Skywave. Whether the aesthetics of the record were intentional or not (it was recorded with an extremely low budget), the results greatly work to its advantage. At times the vocals hit a high blown out yet muffled pitch that often reminds me of Scott Cortez’s work under the Astrobrite moniker. Anyway, check out the tune below.

The Crack Babies – Shine [MP3]

For anyone interested in pre-ordering a copy of this re-issued limited run of this EP, then head on over to Odd Box Records to get in on that. I definitely recommend it for anyone that considers themselves a fan of noise-pop or any of the other mentioned artists in this piece. Enjoy!

I had been waiting for this album from Norway’s Maribel to come out ever since hearing their single for “Taste the Trash”. Thankfully they didn’t waste any time getting their album out, as Aesthetics was just recently released through Quince Records and if you’re a fan of noisy MBV inspired shoegaze then I suggest picking it up. They definitely take a page or two from the recently reunited greats, but I also pick up a lot of Medicine vibes too as they seem to have no problem venturing out from the sugar coated melodies and applying an abrasiveness that is certainly noticeable at times. To these ears though it’s very welcome and in fact I would probably enjoy this record even more if it kept with that focus. But despite that, Maribel seems to build a good portion of their sound around a heavier garage-rock slant while working in the same sort of gnarled guitar rhythms that dominated much of the genres sound in the late 80’s/early 90’s. It wouldn’t surprise me to find this one at the top of the heap of shoegaze related releases at years end; a very solid debut album from these guys for sure.

Maribel – Ecstatic [MP3]

Thankfully this just became available here in the states, thanks to Tonevendor. Definitely pick this up from them if you enjoy the tune above.

Anyone out there ever pick an album based on hearing a song or two thinking the rest of it was going to be like those? If so, then you’ve probably found that most of the time that doesn’t end well. However, there is the rare occasion where something comes completely out of left field to really surprise and ultimately impress. Black Cock and their recently released debut Robot Child with a God Complex pretty much shattered any preconception of what I thought I was going to hear when I initially purchased the disc. I’m not necessarily sure what I was thinking I was going to hear, but I am pretty sure it wasn’t this. However, after listening to Robot Child with a God Complex a few times through now, it’s apparent that whatever I was expecting wouldn’t have held up to this.

Funny thing, I began to write this late last night around 4 in the morning, but by that point the sound of lying down on a comfy bed was just too much to resist. However, while laying in bed I began to think about when I worked odd hours at my old job, remaining awake for practically 24 hours or more and how the state of sleep depravation that I would feel kind of related to how Black Cock basically sound. There are moments of dreamy synth that go from soothing to jarring and just downright creepy at a moments notice. The same goes for Whitney Jordon’s vocals, which tag right along. Their music is ultimately the soundtrack you would hear in those last moments where everything/everyone around becomes nothing but muffled noises and just general incoherency. The difference being Black Cock is far from incoherent, as they’ve seen this sound all the way through with pretty great results. There is dashes of everything from Jesus Lizard to early Faith No More to be found here. One write up mentioned that they showed flashes of an old 4AD band, which I can very much agree with…however more so like if they had collided head on with a diesel or something. This is very cool stuff nonetheless.

Black Cock – Harvey’s Machine [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Robot Child with a God Complex, then head on over to the bands website. Also, the whole album is streamable through their Bandcamp site and available for digital purchase for those who prefer that method. Enjoy!

Just picked this up a couple or so weeks ago and have been enjoying the tunes included within courtesy of the Olympia, WA based band Sisters. Despite coming out through the Parts Unknown label late last year I haven’t seen a whole about this record, I guess maybe it’s a bit too much of a throwback for some? Who knows? Either way, I am digging it and anything that manages to successfully channel the likes of Yo La Tengo, Sonic Youth, and My Bloody Valentine to create this sort of raucous lo-fi mess is absolutely fine by me. The band effortlessly mixes up tempos quite nice with tunes that range from garage punk intensity and bite to the wonderful psych inspired slow burn featured on the albums final track “Caspian Term”. All of which are continually wrapped in a fair amount of needle tapping distortion. Give it a listen if you will.

Sisters – Fire Escape [MP3]

For those interested in picking up the self-titled record from Sisters, then it can be had over at Parts Unknown. It’s worth it.

Coming out this Tuesday (EDIT: The album has been delayed until the beginning of February due to vinyl plant delays.) is the debut full-length from the electrogazers Screen Vinyl Image. Ever since hearing their first EP The Midnight Sun over a year or so ago the wait for a full-length has become increasingly hard. Thankfully that will all be alleviated this week when they release Interceptors. The album will come out on Safranin Sound & Custom Made Music. Anything that has been associated with Safranin thus far has been ace and Interceptors certainly continues that trend.

For those not familiar with Screen Vinyl Image, the band contains former members of shoegaze group Alcian Blue. Some of the members have also done work in Skywave and Ceremony. A lot of the darker atmospherics that were found in some of the aforementioned bands have certainly carried over to Screen Vinyl Image. Combine all of that with doses of harsh feedback that carry a very heavy psychedelic vibe and plenty of pop driven synth and you have a slight image of where the group is coming from. Interceptors easily makes good on the few releases that have come before it leaving no doubts that Screen Vinyl Image will certainly be a force for some time. Check it out.

Screen Vinyl Image – Fever [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Interceptors, it’s available for order right now through Safrinin Sound. Definitely pick this up if you enjoy what you hear.

Backfeed Magnetbabe was the first album from the Austin, TX based noise-pop/indie-rock group Sixteen Deluxe who formed in 1994 with members Carrie Clark, Chris Smith, Jeff Copas, and Lyman Hardy. Hardy would depart before the debut however to focus on Ed Hall with Bryan Bowden stepping in to record with them in the meantime. The album would then go on to be released in 1995 through the Trance Syndicate label, which was home to a number of other excellent Austin area bands. They would also find a permanent drummer in Steven Hall the following year. The success of their first single and Backfeed Magnetbabe would eventually land them a spot on the Warner Bros. roster where they proceeded to release one album (Emits Showers of Sparks) in 1998 before eventually being let out of their contract. The band would go on to release one final album in 2000 on Sugar Fix called Vision Take Me, Make Me, Never Forsake Me before calling it quits.

Not to slight any of the bands other material, or later material for that matter, however I’ve always been particularly fond of Backfeed Magnetbabe. I doubt it’s any coincidence that it happens to be their noisiest/loudest album, at least in my opinion. There are definitely some fine moments on later albums as well, but I’ll leave that up to you to explore if you wish. I’d definitely suggest it if either of the songs posted below do anything for you.

Sixteen Deluxe – Fetus [MP3]
Sixteen Deluxe – Floor 13 [MP3]

Although all of the stuff on Trance Syndicate is out of print these days it’s not hard to track down. In fact Amazon still has multiple copies of Backfeed Magnetbabe for as little as a penny. So definitely pick up a copy if you don’t already own it and enjoy the tunes.