El Buzzard - El Buzzard

Year: 2004

Label: self released

I've posted another record by this band earlier on this blog, and I had this one cued up and ready to go a long time ago, but forgot to get it up here. Sorry about that. Not that you knew I was going to get it up here...but...well, you get my drift.

If you liked the aforementioned "Gringa" record then you'll like this one too. It was their first album, and it leaned a little heavier to the faster, more unhinged side of their songwriting prowess. Later in their "career" they slowed things down, started fucking with odd (anti)production techniques, and coated the punk with a creeping sludge. This version is kinda of a noise rock via west coast power violence attack. Whatever you describe it as, these motherfuckers were going for it, and the results were pretty alright by me.

*Originally posted 10.02.08, reposted 04.26.17, reposted for the last time 09.21.22

DL

V/A - We No Fun - Athens-Atlanta 2009-2010

Label: We No Fun
Year: 2010

You are excused if the minor scene politics that accompanied the release of this record flew right over your head, as they weren't that big a deal anyway, and I don't think anyone cared 15 minutes afterwards.
Short version; Atlanta was chronicled in the documentary 'We Fun', which spotlighted the garage punk scene that centered around Rob's House and Die Slaughterhaus Records, and featured Black Lips and their satellite system. All good fun I guess, but those bands only represented one side of a much larger underground world of music, and the working musicians who made their own orbits may or may not have felt short changed by the lack of coverage in what was billed as a sort of "this is Atlanta" type film. Or maybe they never took it that seriously. Probably not. Or maybe.
Whatever the case, 'We No Fun' became the clearinghouse for another version of the city (and neighboring Athens), exposing a seedier underbelly of sorts. Less 'rock club' and more 'eviction house party', you know? The sounds of guys and girls weaned on smelly punk rock shows getting their kicks giving kicks.

The Bands:
Vera Fang - shout at the devil, and then continue shouting at everything and everyone else ever. Forever.
Brass Castle - the twin towers of power come staggering out of the gates with this motorik damage Kraut fuck that threatens to cloud over your weekend. Stay inside.
Retconned -try playing a Slaves 7" in a floppy disc drive and this paranoid chant is about right.
The Sunglasses - frayed edge post hardcore noise blow out. Easy cum, easy go home and eat a pizza.
Judi Chicago - dance floor freakazoid . I would hang the DJ, but he slit his wrists hours ago.
Hollow Stars - post punk informed stomper.
Lay Down Main - a touch of DC post hardcore propulsion commandeered by Atlanta noise rock alums who now how to rock noise.
SIDS - death-rock-y synth spazz that drags the corpse of a hundred mid-nineties emo bands through the swamps of your black memory. Their track gets split across two cuts.
Skin Problems - trash can Geza X ugliness, busted robot rock.
HAWKS - brutish, disrespectful, and easily agitated. Mouthbreathers to boot.
Thy Mighty Contract - threw you for a loop, but circles back to help you home. Loud on loud.
Chrissakes - back against the wall low blow throwing unstable types. Quintessential noise rock.
High Marks - Suicide solutions. Minimal to the max.
Chopper - if your friends started a motorcycle club for fun, this would be the house band.
Electrosleep Int'l - throw your future against the wall and laugh as the remnants slide dripping to the floor of your mind. Overboard always.

*Originally posted 05.17.16, reposted 09.14.22

DL

Seaweed - Bill

 

Year: 1992

Label: Sub Pop

Seaweed sort of mastered a very specific version of punk rock that leans heavily into the catchiest parts of indie rock, but always keeps the guitars cranked and the tempo charging enough to steer it back onto the punk highway. I wish this could be called pop punk without conjuring up all the awful spirits of Fat Records and SoCal bros in boardshorts and Pennywise t shirts. Because truly, this is what the term pop punk SHOULD mean; it's punk but with pop harmony earworms buried in the charging guitars. But alas, much like the term "emo" has been co-opt and bastardized, so has "pop punk." 

Oh well, Seaweed would probably appreciate not being labelled as such anyway. Can't blame them. But I do love them. And I love these two songs, one of which would show up on the 'Weak' album that came out the same year, which is an all time favorite record of mine. If you were keeping score.

DL

Alabaster Suns - Alabaster Suns

Label: Iron Pig
Year: 2009

Previously mentioned in the Capricorns post below here you have a five song , the only five songs from this band that I know of, noise rock/post hardcore/semi-metal powerhouse.
In this band you can really hear the influence of Kevin Williams' old band Fabric shining through with the disjointed staggering rhythms, and the post hardcore heft. In this band, they have added more volume and thickness to the sound which becomes the link between this project and Capricorns (which this band emerged from). You will also note that while Capricorns are roughly 60% instrumental, Alabaster Suns are about 45% so. There are vocals in every song, just not lots of them. Which is fine. It works.
So, if you fancy your noise rock loud and with a dose of metallic swing (a la American Heritage), then I recommend going with this guy(s) here.

*originally posted 09.23.15, reposted 09.02.22

DL