Single File

Winter 2012 SINGLE FILE Update!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:14:00 -0500

SORRY.

Radar Eyes - Miracle b/w Me & My Dogs

HoZac Records (2011)

This is Radar Eyes second HoZac 7” (their first was part of the second round of the HoZac 7” singles club, probably the best in that set), preceding their debut LP coming early this year (also on HoZac). Actually surprised that these guys aren’t more hyped right now, they’ve got all the right moves, better songs, and are holding their own amongst their contemporaries who are also working in this similar as-yet-unnamed emerging genre that HoZac is doing a great job stitching together and making cohesive with bands like Woven Bones, Wax Idols, X Ray Eyeballs and probably even Jacuzzi Boys. “Miracle” on this 7” is really nice, super laid back and hooky, worth seeking out.

Apache Dropout - Radiation 7”

Mexican Summer (2011)

Hold my nose and grip another “must have” “limited” single on Mexican Summer, the label I hate the most. How do they keep landing all the good bands, and why do bands continue to work with these guys? Why can’t I stop myself from buying records with their imprint? I had a brief love affair with the Apache Dropout LP that came out early 2011, but for whatever reason I haven’t listened to it since, something rubbing me the wrong way. The two songs on this 7” are fine, but also slightly rubbing me the wrong way. All things considered, I would pass on this one.

Apache Dropout - Shot Down b/w Sister Burnout

Trouble in Mind (2011)

On the other hand, here is Apache Dropout on Trouble in Mind, one of the best small labels going right now, who are everything Mexican Summer wishes they were. Also, here is Apache Dropout with two songs that reminded me of why I liked them in the first place. Whereas the Mexican Summer 7” screamed “half assed”, this 7” comes alive with two great songs that sound fully realized. I think the key to future success for Apache Dropout is abandoning the Velvets and exploring their Bowie side the way they do on “Shot Down.” Absolutely killer.

Von Zippers - Nothing Can Bring Me Down b/w I’m Blue

Lemon Session (2011)

Yes, yes, yes! I was really excited to see a new 7” from The Von Zippers, who are the answer to the question “who do you want to be when you grow up.” Calgary has had a lot of great bands come and go, but the continued presence (and influence) of The Von Zippers is something of a miracle. They just get it, they have always had it, and I hope they will always have it. The two songs on this 7” are as raw and vital as anything they’ve released, and this record is essential, well worth your time and money.

Unnatural Helpers - Blackmarks 7”

Lemon Session (2011)

Lemon Session really knocked it out of the park with this new batch, maybe just in terms of bands that I already love, but all the same. Unnatural Helpers are all over the place on this new 7”, from straight up rockers in the vein of The Intelligence - “Blackmarks” and “Nuclear Boots” to other-wordly GBV-esq experiments like “Crying Jug”. All in all, another band like The Von Zippers with grey haired members who are proving that rock and roll is not necessarily a “young mans game.” If more young men had bands this good, the world would be a better place.

The Throwaways - Friday Date 7” EP

Self-Released (2012)

Remember that Sled Island when Yo La Tengo, Broken Social Scene, Mogwai and Wire bored you to tears in a mosquito-infested park? I don’t ‘cause I was at Tubby Dog watching the uber-charming debut of The Throwaways. I really do love this band a great deal - I recorded their first 7” (split 7” with Spastic Panthers) and once skipped out on visiting my dad, who was recovering from heart surgery, so I wouldn’t miss a Throwaways set at Broken City. The five songs on their new self-released single are everything that is good on this earth, and when it hits Calgary late February, it is essential that you go find a copy. I mean it.

Long Weekends - Don’t Reach Out b/w Show Your Face

Noyes Records (2012)

So I joined the Noyes Singles Club sometime last summer, and I really had no idea what I was getting into at the time, other than I would sporadically get a 7” by some Halifax bands who I knew nothing about… and that’s about it. I’ve been 100% on board with everything so far, and the Long Weekends continue the winning streak! Jangly garage pop mixed with a heavy dose of “East Coast” sound. You know the one. In the 90’s, all my Alberta pals were obsessed with all those East Coast bands, to an extent, many of us still are because sometimes it seems like EVERY SINGLE BAND IN HALIFAX IS GOOD.

The Ballantynes - The Message b/w The Railtown Abbey

La Ti Da Records (2012)

In my imagination (and maybe there only), Vancouver bands like Chains of Love and The Ballantynes come are coming as a direct counterpoint harsh, nihilistic Emergency Room scene (that I still enjoy, for the most part). I am sure that this is a gross oversimplification, but this new wave of bands seems so far removed that it can’t just be pure chance. To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction. This debut 7” from the highly stylish The Ballantynes (check out that sleeve!) contains two note perfect Motown styled rave-ups that are full of energy, soul and sunshine. You just cannot help but get pulled into the gravitational pull of good vibrations that this record emits. Already a contender for 7” of the year one month into 2012!

Guided By Voices - We Won’t Apologize for the Human Race b/w The Unsinkable Fats Domino 7”

Matador Records (2011)

I own more Robert Pollard-related albums than any other musician. I think the total for my Pollard vinyl has to be around 100, a crazy number for sure. Though you’ve heard that the new LP “Let’s Eat the Factory” from Guided By Voices is a “return to form” and Pollard’s “best in years”, that isn’t exactly true. See, the highly prolific Robert Pollard is really smart, in that he doles out a few “classics” on every album and fills the rest with filler, and the new GBV is no exception. In fact, is new 7” has two of the best songs from the new LP, an advanced teaser to get the fanboys (i.e. me) salivating. Too bad the rest of the LP wasn’t this good, really.

Best of 2011

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:55:00 -0500

Looking at this list I’d say it’s been an unusually good year for new music, with the great bands of this era continuing to blow-out genre and combine sounds in innovative and endlessly exciting ways. I really had to resist putting records that I put out myself on my own label this year - Mammoth Cave Recording Co, releases that have been completely absent from this column, so I will leave it up to you to check out the 7”s we released by Krang, Topless Mongos, The Gooeys, Korean Gut, Needles//Pins, Lantern, B.A. Johnston and The Mandates (not to mention Bloodstains Across British Columbia and Bloodstains Across Ontario).

1. Apollo Ghosts – Money Has No Heart 7” EP
Geographing Records (2011)

I called it in July: 7” of the year! Apollo Ghosts “Money Has No Heart” 7” EP still gets repeat listens six months on. I’d go as far as calling Adrian Teacher’s homage to his local/regional inspirations a “mini-album,” a complete package, and everything you’ve come to expect from the Apollo Ghosts. Success in modern music requires talented people to pull inspiration from multiple sources, and this record just does that so well. Apollo Ghosts probably slip under a lot of radars because people have such a hard time classifying the music, this at the same time exactly what is so great about them. Completely essential.

2. Dirty Beaches – No Fun b/w Nowhere Fast
Italian Beach Babes Records (2011)

If you’ve been following this column in 2011, you will have seen a great deal of Dirty Beaches coverage, mostly because he’s put out so many damn 7”s this year and I love/want them all. The “No Fun” 7” gets #2 spot because I’ve also been on a Stooges kick this year, and I love the way that Dirty Beaches boils the Stooges “No Fun” down to its bare essence, really adding layers of creep to the song. The B-Side “Nowhere Fast” is a churning, evil-sounding hellride that is up there with the hits on Badlands. I expect Dirty Beaches to show up on a huge number of year-end lists, what a run, and I can’t wait to see where he goes in 2012 after re-locating back to Montreal.

3. Boomgates – Layman’s Terms / Nothing
Smartguy Records (2011)

While 2010 was the year that Eddy Current Suppression Ring broke with Rush To Relax, 2011 was really dominated by two ECSR side-projects – guitarist Mikey Young’s Total Control and vocalist Brendan Suppression’s Boomgates. Total Control’s Henge Beat was my favourite LP of 2011 – a rare, perfect album that is actually better than anything ECSR has released to this point. That said, Boomgates, who released two killer 7”s this year, are somehow just as good. It has everyone on the planet who follows this type of music scratching their collective heads at the level of talent that this small group of people have. I can’t wait for the Boomgates full length, and I’m dying to see what happens with ECSR next .

4. Needles//Pins - Drop it b/w Kalifornia Korner 7”
Scumbuzz Records (2011)

Three Vancouver bands in my top 5, and the sounds couldn’t be any further apart. Far from the weirdness of Dirty Beaches or the quirky-intellect of Apollo Ghosts, Needles//Pins play it straight on their debut 7”, dropping all pretenses and just writing good songs. Take “Drop It,” a four-on-the-floor, hook filled song that evokes early Teenage Head and is content with its simplicity. In a perfect world, this would be a chart-topper, impossible not to like. I was lucky to go on tour with Needles//Pins in August, and though my usual rule is “watch the band you are touring with every other night”, I was happy to watch every set. Their full-length will be out in 2012, gonna be a banger for sure. Get this if you haven’t yet.

5. The Shrapnelles - Asscabular 7” EP
HoZac Records (2011)

The Shrapnelles “Asscabular” 7” was released on the Alberta-friendly HoZac records, and got a lot of love on my turntable this summer in spite of the fact that it is titled “Asscabular,” a joke that I refuse to understand. Pay no mind, because the three songs on this single rule;“My Mom is Hot” and “H.I.V” are a lesson in garage-rock-done-right, with the reverb cranked to 10, the fuzz pedals cranked to 5 and the four-part vocal harmonies combining in an ear-pleasing way. “Dessert Furs” is the standout here, a breathtaking torch song that how much depth The Shrapnelles have and how much potential is here. Expect great things.

6. Ultrathin - Glass City b/w Don’t Mess
Badmaster (2011)

Montreal’s Ultrathin have been around for a couple of years now, and this 7” proves that the time they spent developing their sound and writing songs was worthwhile.

As I said in my review earlier this year, this is the sleaziest 7”s to come around in a while, but since that review, I’ve actually seen Ultrathin in a live setting (sleazy basement club in Toronto), and bore witness to the sleaze-fest live. Guess what? I loved every second of it; Ultrathin is one of the best in the country right now, and it will only be a matter of time before everyone else finds this out as well. Mean as hell.

7. Cousins – Secret Weapon b/w Speech 7”
Noyes Records (2011)

Modern rock music forgot how to move, Cousins is the band that attempts to set things straight again. Both “Secret Weapon” and “Speech” surge and pull back, they weave and twist and generally feel alive. Both songs are immediately likable mostly because they suck the listener into a world where dynamics are king, and in a world of solid-wave-form rock, this is welcome noise. This record hasn’t left the active listening pile since I got it in the Summer, I put it on at parties all the time, a lot of staying power. I’m on board, can’t wait to hear more.

8. Midnight Snaxx – A Guy Like That / Jackie

Total Punk (2011)

I have no intellectual reason for loving this 7” as much as I do. Honestly, these ladies had me at the hook in the verse of “A Guy Like That”, specifically the “oooh” part. It triggers something in my lizard brain that keeps me playing this god-damned song over and over again. I’ve listened to “A Guy Like That” so many god-damned times in a row that I’ve lost track of hours, standing alone over the turntable and absentmindedly re-setting the needle; in writing this review, I just listened to it ten times. I don’t even care about the B-Side, “Jackie,” which is still pretty good. I’ll even admit that I’ve re-started the song after they stop doing the verses just to hear the “ooh” part again sooner.

FAVOURITE LONG PLAYERS OF 2011

1. Total Control - Henge Beat

2. Steve Adamyk Band - Forever Won’t Wait

3. Video - Leather Leather

4. Dirty Beaches - Badlands

5. Moon Duo - Mazes

6. Destroyer - Kaput

7. Eric and the Happy Thoughts LP

8. Sex Church - Growing Over

Dirty Beaches / Conor Pendergast Split 7” Soft Power Records...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:08:55 -0400

Dirty Beaches / Conor Pendergast Split 7”

Soft Power Records (2011)

Dirty Beaches covering Johnny Cash’s “The Singer”? A 7” Limited to 300 on a European label that sold out, more or less, instantly? For Dirty Beaches increasingly rabid fanbase, this is the records that dreams are made of. Among the other things that Dirty Beaches Alex Zhang Hungtai is doing so well right now: using all of his recent attention towards helping out some of his lesser-known friends through splits like this with Conor Prendergast and his recent split 12” w/ Ela Orleans. In this case, Predergast makes lo-fi guitar/synth music that, at times, reminds me of Joan of Arc (in a good way). At this point, Dirty Beaches is so consistently good that all I want is more.

The Splinters - Carcass b/w Cactus 7” Southpaw Records...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:06:32 -0400

The Splinters - Carcass b/w Cactus 7”

Southpaw Records (2011)

It is so easy for a band to sound cool these days, but the result is often a case of the chills. Take a formula, stick to it. Don’t show any emotion (uncool). The end result is that it is really hard to gain any real traction with listeners without emotion. I’m hardly advocating for an emo renaissance, but the bands that are able to maintain that balance are huge. The only reason why anyone cares about The Arcade Fire (see: 100,000 people going to see them at Pop Montreal, Polaris) is because they connect, first and foremost, on an emotional level. I’ve been obsessed with this Splinter’s record because I connected to it on an emotional level, which in the current musical climate is a huge risk for them. This Splinters 7” is warm, melancholy and really good.

Puffy Aereolas - Gentleman’s Grip 7” HoZac Records...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:01:37 -0400

Puffy Aereolas - Gentleman’s Grip 7”

HoZac Records (2011)

Puffy Aereolas are apparently one of the top-tier live bands going right now, right on top on my list of “need to see” live (a list that is depressingly small at the moment), and this 7” just stokes those flames even higher. Take, for example, “Gentleman’s Grip”, a song that barely contains, finally able to take The Stooges Funhouse to the next level by combining rock and roll bombast with a tasteful free jazz aesthetic. Imagine: a band that is actually taking chances. Crazy. Puffy Aereolas make every other band on the planet working in this vein look safe.

Black Bug - Police Helicopter 7” EP HoZac Records (2011)...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:58:34 -0400

Black Bug - Police Helicopter 7” EP

HoZac Records (2011)

HoZac’s used to put out lots of synthy bands that sound like Black Bug - Volt, Spider, SYZ, Catatonic Youth. Blank Dogs did their best single (“Yellow Mice Sleep”) on the label, and that Catatonic Youth record holds up as one of the best 7”s released in the last ten years, so it is nice to see HoZac go back to it’s roots a little on this release. Sci-fi synth-filled nihilism is what Black Bug do best, and here they prove themselves worthy of any initial hype surrounding them. Way into this, one of my favourite HoZac’s this year!

Nu Sensae - Tea Swamp Park 7” Fast Weapons Records “Tea Swamp...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:54:43 -0400

Nu Sensae - Tea Swamp Park 7”

Fast Weapons Records

“Tea Swamp Park” first appeared as part of the Bloodstains Across British Columbia 7”, a song so good it gets another chance to play in the sun on it’s own 7”. “Tea Swamp Park” tones down Nu Sensae’s trademark nihilistic skuzz and goes for the quiet creep instead. “Gumbo” and “Dust” here go back to familiar Nu Sensae territory, Andrea Lukacs terrifying growl and Daniel Pitout’s superhuman drumming, though it is nice to see Nu Sensae expanding on their formula here, working in melodies and trying out new song structures, and news of them adding a guitarist has people (rightfully) excited. Nu Sensae remain on of the most excting, challenging bands working in Vancouver right now.

The Ceiling Stares / The Super Vacations - Split 7” Velocity of...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:52:42 -0400

The Ceiling Stares / The Super Vacations - Split 7”

Velocity of Sound Records / Sweaters & Pearls Records (2011)

Of all the music blogs I still read in 2011, Seven Inches (Everyday) remains a favourite, and continues to introduce me to singles that I might otherwise ignore. Far from a music critic, blogger Jason Dean is a music enthusiasts, excited about everything and shamelessly positive. This split 7” is the first record on his new Sweaters and Pearls label (released in collaboration with Velocity of Sound Records), and I have to give him cudos for finally doing it. The single in question is a good start, a split 7” from Pittsburgh’s The Ceiling Stares and Virginia’s The Super Vacations, who both work in a similar vein of upbeat, hook-filled indie rock established in the mid-90s, and worth checking out for people who are into good times and still-fresh nostalgia.

Le Face / Dva Damas – Split 7” EP Psychic Handshake Records...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:46:00 -0400

Le Face / Dva Damas – Split 7” EP

Psychic Handshake Records (2011)

Montreal’s Psychic Handshake Records releases another winner here with this split 7” between two LA bands - Le Face and Dva Damas. I’m already familiar with Le Face, have most of their records (etc), however they are a band I’ve liked but never really loved. The Le Face side of this split is as chaotic and broody as anything they’ve released, and I actually think I prefer my Le Face in the 7” format, pretty much the exact amount for me. The gloomy minimalism of Dva Damas on the flip got me very excited, especially “Man Skin Pants. ” Everything on this single is good, but that song alone is good enough to track this single down for.

Nectarine Pie - Dreamdaze b/w Chameleon 7” Southpaw Records...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:41:23 -0400

Nectarine Pie - Dreamdaze b/w Chameleon 7”

Southpaw Records (2011)

Nectarine Pie is another great record featuring Mathew Melton (Bare Wires) and other members of the Oakland Garage scene that you need to check out, pronto. Melton’s music is endlessly listenable, with every release containing nuggets like “Dreamdaze,” a song which I’ve been playing the hell out of over the last month or so. With Necrarine Pie, Melton and crew go on more of a heavy-psych kick that goes in a new direction, but retains the pop sensibility of his other project (aka: hooks). Fans of Elevator/Eric’s Trip take note: this one’s for you. Highest recommendation.

Single File - September 2011 ($1 Bin Edition!)

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:43:00 -0400

As July/August have been particularly slow in terms of interesting new 7” singles, this month’s edition of Single File will instead talk about dollar-bin singles I bought in record stores across Canada when I went on tour with The Moby Dicks and Needles//Pins. October’s column will (likely) go back to the old format. Enjoy! – Paul K Lawton

New Order – Ceremony b/w In a Lonely Place
Factory Records (1981)

a lot of work went into deciphering Curtis’ lyrics from a rehearsal tape when it came time for New Order to record “Ceremony”, the last Joy Division composition before Ian Curtis’ untimely suicide. As Curtis did not leave lyrics behind, Bernard Sumner and Peter hook ended up re-writing the lyrics for the first verse and the chorus. The New Order version on this single (different from the 12” version which is usually the version found on singles compilations) is new to me, production-wise sounding more like Joy Division than they ever did afterwards, which makes it impossible not to ponder the greatness that could have been. “In a Lonely Place” is similarly great, though sounds very “early New Order” and thus less interesting. Well worth seeking out. Holds Up.

The Northern Pikes – Teenland b/w Heartaches Heartbreaks (Open Up)
Virgin Records (1987)

Crazy that a band like The Northern Pikes, from lil’ ol Saskatoon could get a song like “Teenland” on the airwaves. and daresay it was a better time. Textbook definition of indelible hook when, after showing this score to my clueless band-mates, I started singing “Teeeenland hoooo / teeenland hoooo” from 20+ years of patchy memory. A real Can-con power-pop nugget here: great song, tasteful 80’s production, floods of nostalgia. B-Side suffers in comparison; the less said about it the better. Holds up. (a side note – did anyone actually read the article associated with The Sheepdogs Rolling Stone Cover last month? One of the most offensive pieces of music “journalism” I’ve read in a long time and a huge slam on Saskatoon and the people who live there. Why are locals excited about this “win”?).

Nothing to Lose / Goat Boy – Split 7”
Slow to Burn Records (1995)

This was gripped based on a dim memory of liking these bands when I was 17, and also because Slow To Burn was one of the best Canadian punk labels ever; the M-Blanket Records and the Render Useless 7” alone make this label hall of fame worthy. Weird to remember that, in 1995, the two best Canadian music scenes were in Winnipeg and Victoria, though to be fair, both cities are again showing signs of life. My memory is shit; this record is actually pretty bad. Goat Boy play really fast “technical” political punk rock that was going for Propaghandi but, in 2011, sounds more “generic crust band.” The Nothing to Loose side sounds a little better, melodic hardcore, but definitely of the time. Maybe this was mind-blowing in 1995, but does not hold up.

Order of Importance – Snide 7” EP
Valicro-Porridge Records (1997)

Another 7” record that I sold off in the “great hardcore record ebay sell-a-thon” of 2002 when I was sick of carting around crates of embarrassing hardcore/grind/screamo records that I couldn’t care less about. I remember buying my first copy from Aram Arslanian (Champion, Betrayed, etc) from his distro the night one of his bands stayed at my house and he spent like five hours playing/selling us records. Though I’m not really into screamo (duh), I kind of dig this, emphasis on the kind of. Reminds me of Reversal of Man or Frail, both bands I would consider the best in this genre. I laughed when I pulled out the insert with a full essay written in 4-pt font, white letters on photocopied black background (high in my own personal order of importance: readable font size). Doesn’t hold up.

The Paperbacks / Projektor – Split 7”
Self Released (?) (2000)

“Skinny Sidewalks” is the high point of The Paperbacks catalogue, sounding (to me) most like Doug McLean’s older band The Bonaduces (one of my top 10 all-time favourite bands). The further McLean got from The Bonaduces territory, the less I cared, Bonaduces were just that good. As a rabid Bonaduces collector (anyone have the demo tape they wanna sell me?), so I was really excited to find this because I didn’t even know it existed. On the flip, I remember thinking Projektor were pretty good at the time, but I have to say this is way better than I remember them being. Really good single, holds up!

The Parkades – Attack Me b/w The Man Insane
Roto-Flex (1994)

In the mid 90’s, Al Charton (Von Zippers, etc) released seven amazing 7”s of the best garage rock Calgary had to offer, and this Parkades 7” is my favourite of the batch, to the point that I buy a copy every time I see it (I have three now). I remember seeing The Parkades around 1995 in Lethbridge wearing Hazmat suits or something and loving the hell out of them. If this single came out in 2011, people would eat this up, but I think they may have been slightly too forward thinking for the time. The 7” contains two lo-fi, one-take-wonder garage-rock nuggets that burn up my turntable every time I throw this on, with “Attack Me” getting stuck in my head all the time. Amazing stuff, totally holds up.

Love and Rockets – So Alive b/w Dreamtime
Polygram (1989)

“So Alive” was a huge hit when it came out in 1989, and in light of Daniel Ash and David J’s previous work in Bauhaus, fairly confusing. Slick 80’s production, “So Alive” sounds like it could be a Robert Palmer single, very un-gothlike and poppy. That said, in 1989 I was 11 and hadn’t heard of Bauhaus yet and I loved the hell of this song. B-Side “Dreamtime” comes in at almost nine-minutes, a studio-experiment penned by David J complete with droning guitar and swirling disconnected voices probably confused the hell out of people, and for that I can give it a pass and even suggest checking this out if you are into Bauhaus or being a total creep. Holds up.

Teenage Head – Picture My Face b/w Tearing Me Apart
Bootleg (1978/????)

Whoa! I didn’t spend $1 on this 7” ($8), but the spirit remains. Needles//Pins had been playing “Picture My Face” on this tour, and after hearing it every night for a week, Evan and I (who run Mammoth Cave Records) spent the long drive from Thunder Bay to London, ON discussing plans on ponying up the money to do a proper reissue of Teenage Head’s debut single. Flash forward a day later, and we find that some entrepreneur has already been hard at work bootlegging this single for some time now. Either way (and ethics aside), I’m just happy to finally own this gem, and everything – from the quality of the sounds to the picture sleeve – are top notch. Holds up!

The Steve Adamyk Band / Sonic Avenues Split Euro Tour 7” P....

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:18:28 -0400

The Steve Adamyk Band / Sonic Avenues Split Euro Tour 7”
P. Trash Records (2011)

Steve Adamyk has had some love in Single File previously, for good reason. Of all of the bands working in the power-pop/punk vein right now, The Steve Adamyk Band are doing it the best, making the right moves, I can’t think of many bands in this genre who are able to effectively evoke the past and yet still moving forwards. The two songs here, on a limited-run tour 7” is as good as anything he’s done to date. Sonic Avenues are working in a similar vein, and certainly keep up their end of the bargain here. No complaints, seek this one out.

Chains of Love – You Got It b/w Black Hearts 7”High Scores...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:18:12 -0400

Chains of Love – You Got It b/w Black Hearts 7”
High Scores Recording Library (2011)

Chains of Love have a lot going for them right now, voted Vancouver’s band most likely to “make it” (whatever that means anymore). The idea is almost too simple: take all-stars from Vancouver’s garage scene (You Say Party, Manic Attracts, Mode Moderne), add the texture of Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” production, collect $200 when you pass GO. Everything is impeccable here – songs, production, arrangements, playing, vocals (the vocals!), but outside of that I don’t have anything to say about this. If you are into Spector, 60’s Motown, this is your new favourite, but this record is more or less citique-proof, made to be gushed over.

Plague Rats Throughout History - Comorbid 7″Self Released...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:17:59 -0400

Plague Rats Throughout History - Comorbid 7″
Self Released (2010)

Recent digging into the Winnipeg underground keeps turning up gems, with new bands like Microdot, Atomic Don and the Black Sunrise, This Hisses, Slattern and maybe my favourite – Plague Rats Throughout History – getting me excited about my hometown again. In the 90’s, Winnipeg was a mecca for cutting edge and forward thinking music, and then something happened (The Weakerthans getting wildly popular? Probably.), and most of the city either went soft or way, way too hard (we can hold The Weakerthans responsible for both). The Comorbid 7” contains 12 songs under a minute long, and all of the songs are fast, frenetic and scary good. Reminds me at times of early Reatards, except a bit more spastic, and needless to say I’m way into this one. Welcome back Winnipeg!

Dirty Beaches – No Fun b/w Nowhere FastItalian Beach Babes...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:17:46 -0400

Dirty Beaches – No Fun b/w Nowhere Fast
Italian Beach Babes Records (2011)

Since WYRD FEST, I’ve been increasingly obsessed with Dirty Beaches, and it was with growing desperation that I sought out all of his singles (still looking for “Golden Dessert Sun” if anyone is holding!). There have been three new 7”s released in the last two months – a split with US Girls, a split with Connor Prendergast and this 7” featuring a cover of the Stooges “No Fun.” Surprise, they are all more-or-less impossible to find already, and I love a hunt (it’s really all I have left these days). Dirty Beaches boils “No Fun” down to its essence, and brings out the creepiness of that song, while “Nowhere Fast” sounds like a slow train to hell. High quality all around.

East Infection Compilation 7” Foul & Fair Records...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:17:32 -0400

East Infection Compilation 7”
Foul & Fair Records (2010)

Four-bands appear on this great introduction to the East-coast lofi garage scene. Mess Folk seemed to be everywhere last year, for good reason as the song on this single suggests. Meat Curtains bang out “Get Rebel” with enough force to punch a hole in the floor. The Strawmen still sound like the Oblivians in a good way, “Devil Be Gone” is probably the best thing on this record, and a nice progression from their earlier single. The Shats finish the job with “My Swingin’ Girlfriend”, vague power-pop premonitions. Mission accomplished, I’m jealous of your scene.

Cousins – Secret Weapon b/w Speech 7” Noyes Records (2011) The...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:17:16 -0400

Cousins – Secret Weapon b/w Speech 7”
Noyes Records (2011)

The second single in the Noyes singles-club is just as high in quality as the Dog Day single released a couple months back. Not sure why, but I had resisted checking out Cousins for so long, mostly I think because of their name (who likes their cousins?), but having to hold my spot at the now-legendary Oh Sees Sled Island set at Broken City meant that I was forced to watch Cousins. Guess what, I liked what I saw! Cousins actually aren’t too far off from the Oh Sees, heavy, repeating rhythms, high-pitched male vocals, but they add the East Coast Sound/charm to the mix for something that sounds fresh and gets me all sorts of excited.

Apollo Ghosts – Money Has No Heart 7” EPGeographing Records...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:16:30 -0400

Apollo Ghosts – Money Has No Heart 7” EP
Geographing Records (2011)

Adrian Teacher has written some classic songs with his Apollo Ghosts project, and so it is a little unsurprising that this record would be of high quality. What is surprising is how mean Apollo Ghosts sound on this recording. To quote the press release, this single is “an homage to the Vancouver punk scene circa 2007-2010….i.e. a post-30 interpretation of Nu Sensae/B-Lines/Chris-a-riffic…an allegiance to the Nanaimo 4-track scene and Lethbridge garage.” These constraints certainly seemed to have pushed Mr. Teacher into new creative ground, and I really hope that they stick around to explore this territory more because I love this. Money Has No Heart is contender for 7” of the year, ultra cool.

Odd Box Singles Club – Various 7”sOdd Box Records (2011)Odd Box...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:16:08 -0400

Odd Box Singles Club – Various 7”s
Odd Box Records (2011)

Odd Box Records just released their first batch of their long-anticipated singles-club, here is a quick rundown. Athens, GA band The Humms turn in my favourite song from the club with the lovely acoustic “Jupiter”, while One Fathom Down from London, UK provide some muscular psychobilly. Of the two songs from The Give it Ups, I really liked the nervous awkwardness of “Knives Chau,” a catchy fucking song! Awfully monikered Santa Monica Swim and Dive Club from Ann Arbor grew on me, reminding me of Belle and Sebastian (in a good way). The Blanche Hudson Weekend from Leeds sound like Jesus and Mary Chain with female vocals (so… Black Tambourine), and was one I kept playing for a bit there. Finally, Horrowitz from Nottingham have their polished brand of Pavement-esque indie-pop on lock. A great start to this fine singles-club!

Stalwart Sons / Slates – Split 7”Revolution Winter Records...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:15:55 -0400

Stalwart Sons / Slates – Split 7”
Revolution Winter Records (2001)

Stalwart Sons and Slates just make so much sense together on one record, a dream pairing for two of Alberta’s finest bands. Released by Kevin Stebner’s Revolution Winter imprint, Stalwart Sons and Slates are both working in a similar heartfelt, post-hardcore vein that is heavy on the anthems. Stalwart Sons is probably the more forward thinking of the two, these two songs further carving out the sonic worldview they’ve been building since inception. Slates sound like the fully realized band that I was so taken with when I saw them at Sled Island this year, effortlessly going between dark and broody on “Fabian” and punk-as-fuck on “Chinook.” Well done.