RETTSOUNDS

Violent Apathy

‘Tis the season when many music writer-types squeeze gallon after gallon of sweat from their foreheads trying to come up with the perfect list of the perfect music for the not-so perfect year. If it’s all the same to you, I would like to sidestep that tradition and just get on with the business at hand–talking about recent sounds that brought stiffness to my goods. Having said that, I can’t say that watching the end of the year approach hasn’t made me wistful for all the fun I had this summer in the Midwest while on tour for my book. If there’s one thing that sticks out the most from the summer, it’s the sets laid out by Kalamazoo’s Violent Apathy, who reunited for the book parties. Watching vocalist Kenny Knot shimmy around in Blublockers and Alan Vega’s gym outfit is forever burned into my memory, and I want to thank those dudes personally for making a little boy’s dream come true. My new dream is getting them to go on a nationwide tour with Sweet Maya called “The Monsters of K-Zoo” and watching the country take a collective dump.

If you’ve ever taken a toke from a joint dipped in Freon you probably know your way around the slim in content but burly in sonics discography of Philly’s Birds of Maya. Those who have taken more than a toke from said joint might also know Purling Hiss, B.O.M guitarist’s Mike Polizze’s “song oriented side project.” Two full lengths from the Hiss have stumbled out of their smoky lair and into the blinding daylight over the past few months and I gotta say me likes one more than the other. The one titled Public Service Announcement on the Woodsist label didn’t do too much for me, to be honest. Some moments of its Saturday morning sunshine vibe hit me in my warm spot, but overall it sort of sounded like a forced lo-fi pop record made for a label that makes a lot of lo-fi pop records. The one done on the Richie label entitled Hissteria was a little more up my alley, as it seems more steeped in the psychedelic punkaroo vibe the Birds are known for. But instead of the rambling jams you get four long tracks spilling over with so many ideas that the song structure can barely contain them. Whiskey induced swagger sidles cheek to cheek with glammy stomping and acid mumbling and it all sounds like the dream I’ve been waiting for night after night. Not unlike watching a large lady in a tight dress, you’ll listen to this over and over waiting for some sort of audio equivalent of a booby to fall out of the chaotic murk so you can smile the smile of someone who’s witnessed a great moment in time all to themselves. Top drawer.

[audio:http://viceland-assets-cdn.vice.com/blogs/en/files/2010/12/purling-hiss-spaceroots-limerace.m4a]
Purling Hiss – “Spaceroots Limerace”

Sometimes down at the local watering hole, I hear the locals get into heated debates on who’s the better limey wanna-be band from Cleveland: Cider or Brainwashed Youth. I just eavesdrop and laugh to myself knowing: a) both are virtually the same band and b) I have the just (and I mean just) released Brainwashed Youth single back at the cottage, warmed and ready for my drunken arrival. Entitled The Trilogy, the thing will fulfill all your stupidity needs for months to come. If you consider yourself too good for the strains of “Dad, Give Me My Fucking Allowance” or “Brainwashed Regay Song,” then please tighten your ascot a tad more to cause asphyxiation. Both the Purling Hiss and Brainwashed Youth jams can be got here.
[audio:http://viceland-assets-cdn.vice.com/blogs/en/files/2010/12/englsh-country-garden-no-sun-no-rise-no-good-no-tomorrow-brainwashed-youth-01.mp3]
Brainwashed Youth – “English Country Garden No Sun No Rise No Good No Tomorrow”

Am I too late to jump on the Taco Leg bandwagon? Just caught this Aussie toddler trio’s US debut performance in Philly a few days ago and was bowled over enough to let the missus purchase their 45 from them after the gig. What can I say? I’m a gentleman! I know Mr. Sharkey yanked his flank steak over them awhile back on Viceland, but I want my chance to say funny things into the microphone about these kids too. Sure, they’re inept as hell, but at least it’s an honest ineptness and not a cutesy wutsey version that’s there to pleasure dickless wonders and pedophiles. It’s as if Taco Leg took the lessons of the early K Records stuff and pushed it into the proper direction, free of barrettes and cardigans, and I applaud them from the highest mountain for that. I found out later that the little bastards had a tour-only cassette for sale as well… I would’ve had the lady buy that too! Their 45 has been out on the much hyped Fan Death label for a minute now, so pick it up. I got in touch with the CEO of said label axing for some free product to write about, but got the cold shoulder. Hey buddy, if you want to miss out on the men-wearing-lady-jeans demographic that read Rettsounds, then that’s your business… going down the toilet.

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Taco Leg – “Sunbathing in Squalor”

I’ve been keeping tabs on San Francisco’s Hank IV for awhile now, since I’ve always enjoyed anything guitarist Anthony Bedard’s done with his previous units, The Resineators and The Icky Boyfriends. And let’s not get into my appreciation for vocalist Bob McDonald’s time in the early 80s Colorado jumblecore unit Bum Kon… we’ll be here all night. Their first two full lengths didn’t make me throb too much, but I can’t stop listening to their latest LP–the rather obviously entitled III–released on the always estimable Siltbreeze label. I remember reading on the innerwebs someone wrote that Hank IV made him proud to be old. They just make me proud to be a human for five minutes, which is a pretty big accomplishment, I assure you. I don’t know if the rest of the guys in this band are ex-Midwest pats, but there is something very Middle American about the vitriol they spew so effortlessly and economically (eight songs in twenty-five minutes!) that makes me think of people like Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, Death of Samantha, etc. And there certainly ain’t nothing wrong with that, palsy. If I had to tell you to choose between this and the Circle Pit record recently released on the same label, I’d without a doubt point you in the direction of this little number for the simple fact that Hank IV truly don’t give a fuck, rather than wanting you to think they don’t give a fuck. Plus, I don’t think Anthony Bedford uses as much lipstick and eyeliner as that one member of Circle Pit. You know the guy.

[audio:http://viceland-assets-cdn.vice.com/blogs/en/files/2010/12/hank-iv-garbage-star.mp3]
Hank IV – “Garbage Star”

If there’s one band that’s really kicked my keister this year with releasing extremely worthwhile platters that take up very little of my time, it’s got to be the Brooklyn/Jersey Shore band, Night Birds. From the first earful, it’s pretty obvious that they must keep the shit that was released on labels like Posh Boy, Frontier and other early 80s SoCal punk labels close to their turntables and/or crotches, but I got nothing but love for those sounds, so I’m fine with that. But this isn’t some Xeroxed beach-bum daydream–it seems these guys are Jersey all the way with angry goofball lyrics that would make Bruce “Cookie” Wingate proud. All I know is when vocalist Brian Gorsegner sings “The human race is useless man, and they should all be killed,” I actually believe it. They’ve got two 7″‘s out so far, the “Killer Waves” single on Art of the Underground (which I think is gone) and a self-titled one on Grave Mistake. They have a new one coming out on No Way Records in a month or so. Snatch ’em all up and I might smile at you one day.

[audio:http://viceland-assets-cdn.vice.com/blogs/en/files/2010/12/night-birds-thrilling-murder.mp3]
Night Birds – “Thrilling Murder”

The recent surge of kickass Latino hardcore bands coming out of Austin, Texas centered around the larger than life mastermind Eddie Leal is something I’ve been trying to get a grip on for a few months now. I’m not going to claim to have a solid grasp on his whole thing yet, but I have to say I’m digging what I’m hearing in the name of “research.” You’ve got Deskonocidos, you’ve got Vaaska, you had Bastard Sons of the Apocalypse (RIP), and now you have my favorite out of the bunch, Criaturas, who put out a seven song actual demo tape over the summer. The bedrock of their sound is in the typical D-Beat/Motorhead hybrid mold of Leal’s other bands, but there’s all this flanged out guitar and little bits of improvised form destruction to make it sort of weird-like. And don’t forget vocalist Dru’s shrill Spanish ranting and zipping all around the rush of sound–it’s enough to make you want to sport a tie-dyed Crucifix shirt next time you don your bullet belt and head down to your local punker basement show. Check them out on their MySpace and ask how to nab one of these things.

While we’re at it, let me tell you that the aforementioned Vaaska just put out a 12″ on the 540 label called Rudio Hasta La Muerte that lives up to its title. Straight up crusty blare that has the sound of blind rage and the stench of old bologna sandwiches. Trade in your forty bottles to score one.

[audio:http://viceland-assets-cdn.vice.com/blogs/en/files/2010/12/esclavos-vaaska-01.mp3]
Vaaska – “Esclavos”

When I want to clear my mind of all this aggro spinning around me, in both the real world and on my turntable, I throw on this rather handsome looking re-do the Yoga label did of the sole LP released by Ted Lucas in 1975. I know this thing has been yapped about on every blog run by a bearded ponce, but please don’t let that deter you from its beauty. Lucas’ voice is somewhere between Skip Spence and Ron Elliot, with a very sweet and smoky floatability, and his way around the fret board and other exotic instruments will have you packing your shit and moving to the mountains of Northern New Mexico in no time flat, trust me. Just do me a solid and hang the cover over the mantle of that cabin you just procured out there in San Cristobal, OK? Thanks.
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Ted Lucas – “I’ll Find A Way (To Carry It All)”

That’s it for now. If you’ve got anything you’d like to see on Rettsounds, feel free to send it to me c/o Vice and hopefully I’ll see it sometime soon.

‘Til then — TR