Garage Explosion: Film.

To find out what American garage rock looks like (and to know what it’s like to be in an independent band) right now, VBS toted a bunch of cameras around the USA and found a scene that was vibrant, loud, eloquent, effed-up, and nearly impossible to define. The musicians, artists, writers, deejays and label owners that we talked to could only be united by a single common thread—their commitment to music that they enjoyed, on their terms, at whatever cost necessary (or, in some cases, unnecessary). We met nice, smart, funny people who love rock and roll, don’t traffic in B.S., and had the wherewithal to pick up a guitar (or complementary instrument) at some point in their young lives, put their face to a microphone, and manage to not think too hard about what was going to come out. Join us for Part One of New Garage Explosion!! With a nod to the genre’s founding fathers (bands like The Lollipop Shoppe and MC5), we travel first to Memphis to mind-meld with Magic Kids and to go head-to-head with Jay Reatard in the last interview he filmed before his death in January of this year. Next we hit Detroit, where watch The Dirtbombs wreck a bowling alley and talked to Dave Buick about the power of the hand-printed record.

We meander off on all kind of fun tangents with various garage luminaries, with a tip of the hat to the glorious unit of sound that is the vinyl record—especially the ones rare enough for an enthusiast to blow a month’s rent in exchange for one. Hear bands like the Black Lips, Davila 666, Pierced Arrows, and the Dirtbombs discuss the appeal of using a four-track, the freedom of recording in your bedroom, the perks of installing a vinyl-cutting machine into your den, and the unique satisfaction that comes from seeing your own record. We also get treated to wild, wonderful, and exclusive live performances from rippers like the Clone Defects, Vivian Girls, and Thee Oh Sees.

We step into the kitschy pink playhouse that is Oakland’s Down at Lulu’s, the record store-slash-vintage boutique-slash-hair salon-slash-lifestyle emporium owned and operated by Hunx and His Punx’s Seth Bogart and his business partner Tina Lucchesi. Here we address tough topics like how to negotiate the itinerant rock and roll schedule with petty worries like paying rent. Also, tour: is it work or play? We learn about important things like steering clear of “band rooms” in punk houses, and that you needn’t worry about the safety of your cat if a possum breaks into your house while you’re gone. This section’s exclusive performances include the Younger Lovers, Golden Triangle, and the Intelligence.

See the film at VBS.TV: VBS.TV – http://www.vbs.tv/

 

 

Wavves – Live at the Market Hotel

 

 

HOLY FUCK.

Magic Kids – Memphis

This album is really good. It makes me happy.

The end.

xXXX!!

Rachel Chin.

 

Honeybone: Soul on Fire

Soul on Fire is Dunedin band Honeybone’s debut E.P. As a first release, it definitely sounds as though this band rushed into recording.  The E.P. comes through the speakers well thanks to the wise choice of having it mastered by Dale Cotton. This said, it falls down due to the key elements of Honeybone’s musical style and unfortunately their musicality.

This E.P. shows Honeybone are still struggling to distil their influences. There are many occasions when one is listening to a song from Soul on Fire and has a sense of déjà vu as if you’ve heard this before. Time and time again the influence of the Datsuns and the White Stripes can be heard. In fact, it sounds like the members of those bands procreated to result in the song “Vagabond.”

Honeybone were let down musically on two levels. Firstly and most disappointingly, there are blatantly out of tune vocals evident on the recording. This is inexcusable as when recording you get 1001 takes if you need them to get the music right. Listeners will be horrified when hearing the chorus of “Happy” as the two vocalists clash repeatedly. To make matters worse the same mistakes are evident every time the chorus comes back suggesting some copy and pasting went on during production.

Soul on Fire also lacked creativity in the organisation of their songs. The song structures are predictable. Riff, Verse, Chorus, Riff, Verse, Chorus, Solo, etc. Some of their riffs had potential to grow into good songs but they were often only constructed on one musical idea. “Free Your Soul” is an example of a song where a riff was dragged out to the extreme. This song is three minutes too long and only based on the main chords of the key (I, IV and V). It leaves musicians begging for more complexity and the everyday listener begging for the end.

Honeybone are a young band and play their instruments well. Although Soul on Fire is not a release of the year, there is a possibility that future endeavours could be worth a listen if they find something to differentiate themselves from the “generic” label.

Ben Madden.

2.5/5

Sora Shima Exclusive Preview

By some stroke of pure insanity Hamilton cerebral stunners ‘Sora Shima’ have decided to give This Room Is Wrong an EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW of their recently released B-Sides collection ‘LOVEYOU’.

To experience the three beautifully crafted pieces click below, and be sure to catch Sora Shima on their Sth Island tour in 2011.

LOVEYOU – SORA SHIMA

http://www.facebook.com/sorashima

http://www.myspace.com/sorashima

SOUTH ISLAND TOUR 2011
————————–

———–
Feb 3rd @ Dux De Lux, Chch
Feb 4th @ El Santo, Lyttleton
Feb 5th @ XII Below, Dunedin

OK! Crazy Fiction Lady – Mystery Dinosaur Railroad

When young bands build their reputation almost exclusively on fun, participatory and engaging live shows – the studio can be a dangerous place. With many crucial elements missing, bands may find themselves (and consequently their songs) lacking energy, passion and the ability to connect with their audience.  Dunedin’s OK! Crazy Fiction Lady, are in part, one such band. Over the course of this year, the trio has gained a deserved reputation for some of the most entertaining and exciting shows around with chanting, party-poppers and ridiculous amounts of smiling the norm. These facts therefore weighed heavily upon my mind as I begun to listen to the groups full studio debut “Mystery Dinosaur Railroad”.

However, as the self-titled opening track began, I had a strong feeling this EP would leave me with a smile upon my face. With punchy, upfront radio production ‘OK! Crazy Fiction Lady’ is a simple piece of catchy pop, its self-reverential nature falling safely on the fun side of pretentiousness. Its chant filled ending losing none of its live excitement, giving the listener the almost unstoppable urge to sing along.

Unfortunately, follow up ‘Fuck Pop’ does not survive the shift from the stage to the stereo in the same manner. Its chorus (bearing similarity to TFF’s ‘Fucksurf’) continues past the point of enjoyment reached in the live setting losing impact and taking away from the frantic versus and superbly buzzy almost Tom Morello styled guitar solo.

Thankfully the final two studio tracks on the EP align themselves with ‘OK! Crazy Fiction Lady’ with their vitality and fun. EP centerpiece ‘Books’, easily the mellowest component is a shimmering respite although suffering from some slightly frustrating audible bass audio clipping.

It probably seems overkill to mention the word ‘fun’ again, but in summation: fun is the essence of OK!CFL. While they’re not going to be making a life changing opus’ anytime soon, they will be having serious amounts of fun. And if you give this EP a listen, you might just too.

 

3.5/5

 

 

Tommy Ill Live Review

“Listening to HEALTH just to stay relevant, listening to Sleigh Bells just to stay relevant, listening to Best Coast just to stay relevant… listening to Tommy Ill just for the hell of it…”

Expectations are interesting things. One’s expectations can virtually make or break event, before it has even happened. As I walked to Wellington based rapper Tommy Ill’s show last Friday, I’ll be the first to admit I was filled with expectations and preconceptions. Thankfully, (for my own sake) with Tommy Ill – all expectations should be checked at the door.

Not only does Ill dismiss or entirely ignore the stereotypical pit falls of hip-hop, such as posturing and self-aggrandizing, he instead takes a refreshingly interesting approach; sampling everything from 50’s pop to downbeat piano, with danceable and thoroughly enjoyable songs about headaches, heartache and hangovers.

From the outset, Ill’s live show is irresistibly fun. Sporting a ‘wolf mask’ and ably supported by his hype men, Ill bounces around the stage, enters the crowd and even climbs atop the bar. Cheered on by a modest, but extremely enthusiastic crowd  (seriously, half these kids knew every word of every song) Ill’s enthusiasm easily captures the crowd and converts any doubters.

For this reviewer Tommy Ill proves a shining of example of where hip-hop in this country should be heading. Clever, self-depreciating songs with tight production and most importantly: FUN.

Knives at Noon – Glitter Guts

Recorded late last year, Glitter Guts has been a long time coming for Knives At Noon and those of us eager to get our hands on it. It certainly does not disappoint, delivering a satisfying taste of their thundering pop rock fusion which they term doom pop.

It begins with the main single ‘Violins and Violence,’ which quickly escalates into their characteristically foreboding synth pop. The mood spirals into a dazed and otherworldly outro reminiscent of Showbiz-era Muse.

Listeners are then thrown into ‘Human Heart From Modern Art,’ which exhibits spacey vocals and noticeably less synth, giving way to a welcome lead guitar to drive the song instead. The final chorus is perhaps the victim of too much volume balancing, and could have been a more explosive finish after the extended breakdown and towering buildup.

Some struggle with ‘Licking Plastic’ in Knives’ live sets because its dance potential is limited in the verses. It fares much better on Glitter Guts. The song has such raw dynamics that it’s hard not to be suspended by the eerie heartbeat-driven verses and infected by the ironically poppy chorus. Couch’s drumming in this song is capital.

‘Thunderveins’ creates a Health-like atmospheric quality without sacrificing its punchy dance energy, similar to what Klaxons achieves on their 2007 album. Volume balancing again slightly reduces the chorus and hook impact, but this remains one of the strongest songs on the EP.

All the songs are simple in composition and in structure, but Knives At Noon has produced a cohesive and memorable EP packed with as much energy as their sonic live performances. Synth is sexy.

4/5

Brendan McByrde

Guards – Guards EP

Following in the vein of recent success stories such as Wavves and Vivian Girls, Guards offer up a resoundingly satisfying first release, combining 60’s pop with the low fi ‘shitgaze’ that is streaming out of the States. However, what this outfit has to separate themselves from the bandwagon hordes is stunningly hooky tracks such as opening track ‘Resolution of One’. With authentic organ motifs (think of any Zombies track), infectious melodies demanding constant redress and calm and rolling drums, the Guards EP is consistently gratifying. Furthermore, it is quite remarkable that such a convincing sixties aesthetic can be mastered by predominantly two contributors.

Although much of the lyrical content is indecipherable the accompanying melodies are esteemed enough to be stand-alone, prevailing beyond an initial listen. Featuring Chairlift’s Caroline Polacheck and Cults, on ‘Trophy Queen’ and ‘Sail it Slow’ respectively, a psychedelic dimension is progressively introduced, providing driving rhythms and soundscape vibes. Again the conventional use of ‘ooos’ and ‘aaahs’ reflect the melodious sixties notion.

The EP then resolves solely back to the duo’s tuneful and surf-style pop, gathering momentum with ‘Don’t Wake the Dead’ to fall into folk ballad ‘Crystal Truth’.

With leanings towards The Arcade Fire the EP closes with the anthemic ‘I See It Coming’ leaving the listener sufficiently content in its wake. Though this release is simply emulating a popular and reputed genre the song writing is of a calibre amply pointing to the ‘Guards EP’ being one of the most worthwhile and invigorating releases this year.

4/5

Idiot Prayer – Live at Refuel 22 May 2010 EP

 

After rapidly ascending into the Dunedin music “elite”, post-rock alternative new comers Idiot Prayer prove their might on this dirty fuzzed gem of a bootleg.

Recorded direct to mini-disc during their support slot for Collapsing Cities at Refuel, Idiot Prayer display healthy doses of earth shaking muscle, while creating sonic landscapes that hold the attention of listener.

Grounded by simply astonishing drummer Sam Brookland, whose sheer power behind the kit can be felt through the speakers, songs like ‘Sasuage Spectrum’ sizzle with energy and bite. ‘Spectrums’ extended, driving intro finally giving way to a danceable mid section, once again lead by Brookland’s pounding drums. “Death of a Hippy’ follows, with a more overtly melodic structure allowing guitarist Tim ‘Tiddy’ Smith to create an enveloping sound of layered fuzz, swirling around the listener. Here bassist David Ager, proves solid and inventive – with his style reminiscent of Pixies’ bassist Kim Deal. His simple yet catchy playing serving the song rather than attempting to steal the spotlight.

Standout track ‘Beautiful’ is gradually built around a reflective guitar motif slowly building intense via Brookland’s drums until once again subsiding as Smith tears his lungs on the emotional stirring single line of vocal, “How can you heart hurt, if its not attached to your body”.

However for all its positives, the fact remains this is still a bootleg. Its limited quality impacted by the nature of Idiot Prayer’s music with heavy audio distortion occurring throughout; the mini disc unable to cope with the sheer volume of the band. Still an enjoyable listen and certainly enough motivation to get those interested to the next Idiot Prayer show

This recording along with Idiot Prayer’s Radio One Number one single ‘Black Black Eyes’ can be download for free on: http://idiotprayer.bandcamp.com/