Rettsounds - The Anti-Music List Music List

Watery Love

Like many of you, I could give two slurps of ass broth from a hobo’s boot about what someone thought of 2011 in regard to music. But here I am and there you are and we need to kill the time somehow. So hows about a list of stuff that came out last year sound-wise that I like? How about 15 or so records? Will that do ya? I hope so.

1) COP CITY/CHILL PILLARS — Held Hostage on Planet Chill (Florida’s Dying, LP)

I hate to sound like a cliché machine (Too late! Am I right, people?), but no other record that came out of nowhere this year befuddled me as much as this'un. The band name, the cover, the sound… all the way down the line I felt mind fucked. It’s what the Shadow Ring would have sounded like in ‘97 if someone played Graham Lambkin a copy of

Behind the Magnolia Curtain

rather than the

Extended Voices

compilation on Odyssey. I’m sure you know

exactly

what I mean.

2) LOST TRIBE — s/t (Blind Prophet, LP)

Finally, someone heard my plea for a present-day band that sounds like

Rising from the Dead

-era U.K. Decay. Does this mean 2012 will be the year I finally get my Pushed Aside meets Bob Seger System hybrid dream band?

3) DIVORCED – Separation Anxiety (Untapped Resources, LP)

I already spunked mightily about this LP a few times in the column this past year, so I’ll keep it short and sour: The sound of retardation has never sounded so choice.

4) FLESH WORLD – Planned Obsolescence (Pederast Prophet, cassette)

For those who have some belief that present day hardcore is just some sort of chains-and-studs minstrel show, please listen to this cassette and then promptly go blow the rotting corpse of Idi Amin.

5) MEG BAIRD – Seasons on Earth (Drag City, LP)

The sublime rendition of The House of Love’s Beatles and the Stones on this album had me trolling eBay to find a copy of the 45 I traded off many, many Anglo-sucking years ago. Then I realized I didn’t need the stupid 45 anymore; I could just download it, listen to it a few times, and move on to the next project. Next thing I’m gonna work on is finding out more about this whole "cyber-porn" thing the guys at work keeping yapping about.

6) CUFFS – Privilege b/w Archer (Ride the Snake, 45)

I never paid attention to these dudes’ previous band, Pants Yell, due to the fact of that being a horrible name. But this 45 hits all the sweet spots when it comes to making pristine indie-pop that doesn’t make me wanna vomit up the St. Vrain river.

7) THE LOST DOMAIN – Blondes Chew More Gum (Negative Guest List, double LP)

The Lost Domain is a 20-plus year running concern of two Brisbane residents, Simon Ellaby and David MacKinnon. Since they do what they do for themselves and not the back-smacking glory, some of us (me included, of course) were unaware of their greatness until we heard this recently done up double LP set of a cassette release recorded way back in 1995. Listening to this incessantly over the past few months has been both a revelatory and depressing experience. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy as hell to hear this in the here and now, but to think of what an impact this communal lurcher would have made on me if I heard it upon its release is a real willy shrinker. This would have sounded amazing lined-up against Letters from the Earth, No Dolby No DBX, Operation of the Sonne, The Wicker Image and many other platters those acid-soaked weekends on Nichol Avenue back in ’96. Christ… someone cue up If I Could Turn Back Time. I wanna weep.

8) HYGIENE – Public Sector (La Vida Es Un Mus, 12”

The sound of boredom hasn’t sounded so true in many, many years.

9) OMEGAS – Blasts of Lunacy (Parts Unknown, LP)

These guys wrote themselves a tall order when they said in these very virtual pages this year they wanted to sound like "If the Germs were a band from Astoria on the New Breed compilation," but I think they pulled it off BIG TIME on this one. They have played many times in this area in the past year, but certain things have prevented me from going out and seeing them (like being a full grown man).

10) LOWER PLENTY – Mean (Radio, cassette)

This is marked as a 2010 release on its J-Card, but please don’t be such a pain in the ass. This assembling of bearings has some members of the UV Race and Deaf Wish doing something like the Cannanes or the third Velvets LP but a bit more hippy dippy. If I remember correctly, there is both a vinyl re-do of this and a brand new LP of stuff on the horizon for ’12. Thank the Lord much, much later.

11) UNITED WATERS – Your First Ever River (Arbitrary Signs, LP)

I heard some were taken aback by this LP, since all they knew of Brian Sullivan, aka United Waters, before this was his power guitar thudding in the duo known as Mouthus. Whatever. It might have a bit more bleeps and quiet moments than his usual ruckus, but it still shows Brian to be a dab hand at murking up any sort of sonics to fit his smudgy, psychedelic vision of beauty. Check out the video.

12) SATELITES OF LOVE – Seaside (MILK, 7”)

This one squeaked right in there a few weeks before the end of the year and soundtracked many a lonely, eggnog sucking night. I never went to an early 90s basement show on acid, but I figure this is what later day Angel Hair would have sounded like under such substances. I can’t fit into my striped shirt no more, but I can still "feel it" enough to doff my cap to this.

13) WATERY LOVE – Die With Dignity (Siltbreeze) and Two Thrills (Negative Guest List, 7”)

Listen, I like using indoor plumbing. When I feel the need to use such a pleasure, I’m gonna listen to Watery Love. Now if they’d only make a 12” so I don’t have to get up and change sides mid-drop.

14) Various Artists – NEW BREED TAPE COMPILATION (Lushlife/Wardance)

Something tells me a bigger stink could have been made about this important document from late 80s NYHC being reintroduced to the world. What do I have to do, show you my Abomb-A-Nation tattoo or what? Having this classic all wrapped up on two pieces of vinyl complete with the OG booklet and everything makes me as warm and tingly as a crotch shot taken during an Outburst set.

15) LAURICE – Best of Laurice Vol. 1 (MIGHTY MOUTH, LP)

Harry Howe’s tireless work to unearth the archives of Canada’s former number one male dance vocalist two years running is really something to be applauded. I don’t know what kind of turn my year would have taken if I didn’t have such ditties as I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In, He’s My Guy or Rock Hard around to massage the vessels of my overworked anger machine.

…And all those records and bands I wrote about in all those other columns last year, they’re good too.

How’s that?

Previously – Take Off Your Furry Suit and Listen