Iron Lizards - Hungry For Action

 

Like the bastard son of Zeke and Electric Frankenstein, 

Iron Lizards play a hugely addictive mix of garage punk rock’n’roll.

   

Machine gun solos are fired out from fuzz pedals set to kill over 

insanely catchy but primitive riffs. Hey droogies, bang your heads up 

and down to these killer tunes which make you want to break things, 

drink heavily or just shout in strangers faces about the new band 

you have just heard! Get hip to the new priests of boogie, smell the 

stench of amps turned up to 10 and worship at the altar of “fuck you!”. 

This is high on my album of the year list.

The Freeks - Full On

"Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa" - so spake Rob Tyner on the legendary
Kick Out The Jams album. The Freeks are blazing the same trail
as the MC5 ..... 

Whilst not quite the mission statement of "Dope, Guns and
Fucking in the Street" - the incendiary rock'n'roll of the Motor
City Five + the burning attack of The Stooges have left a burning
legacy that few bands have ever managed to equal.

But - and this is a big "but" - The Freeks have taken the banner
and produced an album full of passion and high-octane punk
rock'n'roll that many bands have tried before but never with
such results as this.

Psych garage rock played with heart and soul - what's not
to like? Screaming fuzzed-wah solos are machine gunned out
over the cranked up riffs with deadly results. Reverb vocals yelp
and groan with an infectious groove and let's not forget the tunes .....
melody combined with power and catchiness making each quick-fire
track an event worth playing over and over.

The Freeks also know when to embrace their slower, more trippy
side - several songs have Electric Prune/The Nazz type vibe complete
with Hawkwind space effects to really get things cosmic.

As a side note, the band contains ex-members of Fu Manchu, Nebula &
Roadsaw. Rather than combing into a "super-stoner band", they have
to be praised for following their own path.
This is highly recommended to anyone into proto-punk/garage rock.

Many thanks to the band for sending this to me.

Also thanks to the always tremendous Heavy Planet for turning me onto these guys.

Order from the Freek store Here

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Johns - House Of Wrongheads

Band request from Buffalo, New York.

Johns are a five piece that features ex-members from one

of this blogs favourite bands - The Fucking Hotlights.....

who have sadly decided to call it a day.

Ryan describes his new project as more polished and pop

structured than the Hotlights but I feel he is being modest.

This is a great mix of garage rock and post-punk that fuse

melodic tunes with off-kilter chords to excellent effect. 

Fairly clean guitars are thrashed, giving the convoluted

tunes an eerie feel, helped in no end by the female

backing vocals.

Riffs are hypnotically played, with variations slowly being

exposed during the song passages. If you ever grooved out

to BATS or Young Widows, check this out.

Name your price from Bandcamp

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The Gary - Remains

Band request from Texas.

The Gary have a stripped back, brittle punk aura that sounds

like Albini has been recording them. He did, in fact engineer

last years El Camino EP but with this album, they have

gone down their own path - the music is down to its bare

bones which allows the melodic passages to shine through.

The track order makes everything flow along, giving you

the vibe of the Pixies covering Gun Club songs using

a recording studio deep in the heart of the desert.

The vocals have a world weary atmosphere which reinforces

the lyrical content. 

They are on tour in October and will be hitting Europe with Joe 4 - 

who I am currently interviewing!

Bio: 2012 marks the fourth release by Austin , TX trio The Gary, an LP titled Remains, the follow-up to last year’s Albini-recorded El Camino EP. This also marks their first full-length since 2010’s acclaimed Logan. 

The Gary began in 2008 as an informal gathering three friends with instruments, with no more ambition than to get together and break up the monotony of the workweek. Somewhere, between the discussions of music, family, favorite beer, and job-related woe, songs began to form, resulting in the Chub EP, a 7 song document of “blue-collar angst and disillusion” released in 2009. Upon an outpouring of regional interest, The Gary quickly established themselves among the burgeoning Austin music scene, and their debut EP began to receive accolades from both local and national press, much to The Gary’s surprise. 

Songs continued to accumulate, and an LP materialized- 2010’s Logan. The album was well-received, and The Gary began taking their act on the road. While in Chicago, they checked into Electrical Audio studios and recorded a session with Steve Albini. This was released in early 2011 as El Camino. Shortly after the release of El Camino, the band was invited to tour with Martha’s Vineyard Ferries, a “summer fun band” featuring Bob Weston (Shellac, Mission of Burma) and Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine). 

The Gary did two recording sessions- one in August 2011, the other in March 2012- in Denton TX at the Echo Lab with Matthew Barnhart of Tre Orsi behind the console. Both of these sessions make up their new LP Remains, out September 2012 on Sick Room Records LTD. They will be touring Europe in Autumn 2012, along with a few U.S. dates.

Listen to album at Bandcamp

Details on when release date is at Facebook

Buzzmutt - Static In The Minds Eye Chpt 1.

Band request from San Francisco.

Buzzmutt play an interesting mix of psych/punk/experimental

music which holds your attention in an ever changing collage

of sounds. They have taken a garage psychedelic template

and expanded it to include lengthy, slow songs of thoughtful 

instrumental passages going into raw proto-punk blasts of

noisy garage rock which would not sound out of place on a

"Nuggets" album.

Buzzmutt are not living in the past though, this is psych music

for now and deserves your attention.

Bio: As active members of San Francisco's music community, Scott Franklin, Jesse Olswang, Eric Alonzo, and Chaz Anton found in each other an instant musical connection, recording their first song together the first time the four ever found themselves in a room together. Like a chemical reaction each member a catalyst for the others creative drive. Logging in hours and hours of recordings over 2011, they have selected a batch of songs for a record to be called Static in the Minds Eye, chapter 1. 

Static in the Mind's Eye, Chapter 1 is the first full length album from SF's experiemental noise rock band Buzzmutt. Lyrically, The songs in this album unfold from one into the next as a cryptic tale, a modern, urban Hero's Journey. Musically, the album itself is also experienced as a journey, complete with dark and winding paths, a few thunder storms, strange characters, some pleasant surprises....and at least one or two alien beings. 

The journey begins from a place of shedding the past and moving forward. Themes of newness and higher awareness take us further into the story as things get more complicated; exploring ideas of language and dreams, until we are delivered at the end of the sonic adventure- perhaps, seeing and hearing things just a little differently than before. 

Reflected in the album, as well as in Buzzmutt's live performances, Franklin's Vocals call out to us from the ocean of sounds, offering fragments of poetry to guide the journey. Jesse and Eric's intricate and pounding rhythm section allows scott and chaz to explore the elements of feedback; noise; and chaos, employing circuit bent electronics and exploring the elements of feedback all weaved within and around buzzmutt's unique style of tightly structured songs. 

Most of this album was recorded in early April 2011 in Emerville, CA by Varun Kerjiwal. The rest of the album was recorded by Jesse Olswang at Off Deep End Studios in San Francisco, where the band pieced together and meticulously layered the richly textured sounds of the album over an 8 month period.

Because they are good guys, you can name your price at Bandcamp

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Objects - Interview

Having been blown away by "Wear A Different Head" by the band Objects, I wanted
to know more about them - Dawid kindly agreed to be interviewed ...... read on.

My previous post is Here

Who is in the band and how did you get together?

Hi Tony ! Thanks for the interest man, we appreciate it a lot !

Objects are:

Olek – vocals,guitars

Jarek – bass

Dawid – guitars

Luk – drums

Getting together was pretty typical band thing. Me and Olek have been friends for years and decided to play some music together. Olek was friends with Luk, so we got together and started jamming. It was really lazy, unprofessional hanging around in the rehearsal room. Then Luk left the country for like 2 years and we just stopped playing. He came back. We made our own rehearsal room and started the band for real. Then we met Jarek and thought he's an awesome bloke, he liked the music so he joined us. That's pretty much it. Nothing dramatic going on :) 

Are you in the band full time?

Not at all man. Actually right now we're having  some kind of break, beacause Luk is gone again haha. We try to figure something out with that. We all have our jobs and lots of other stuff. I personaly treat the band as something really personal, a thing which just happens when the circumstances are right and is something very different from all the other full time activities.

Is there a big hardcore scene in Poland or is it pretty underground?

I think it's not that big, underground for sure, but pretty strong. Everyone knows each other which is a good thing. As for our band I need to say that we're not particulary from the hardcore scene at all. No one knows us haha. We came out of nowhere and no one knows who we are. Some our friends do. Well, the music is not strictly hardcore or punk. It's the attitude and the approach which is more likely to be hardcore/punk thing. We are really and honestly a garage type of band with straight forward, spontaneous, careless approach to writing and playing music which is aggressive, raw, personal. If that's not punk than tell me what is haha;)

Do you have to put on your own gigs or are there plenty of places to play?

There are plenty of places to play and the number of venues is still growing and what's really good – they're becoming more than just regular bars etc. You can gig in some cool places.

Our plan is to gig in rather unusual places, not really prepared for live shows. Just to show how it's really made and how does it sound in our rehersal room.

What has the general reaction been to your release "Wear A Different Head"?

Suprisingly it is really great ! We knew from the start that some will really enjoy it and some will totaly diss it. We aim to spread the word more internaional (what is happening right you know :) ) It seems that people from the US and UK really enjoy it a lot ! We even had a featuring and a small interview with T-Mobile Music which is a pretty big and serious thing that I would never expect to like our stuff. 

The sound is fantastic - powerful and aggressive .... do you record almost live or approach the studio in a different way?

Thanks man !

We are amateurs man, honestly. Half of us is really musically retarded haha. The other half knows what's going on. The studio thing was a really cool story. We're friends with Maciek Wasio, a musician, songwriter, producer. He's an awesome dude who really helped us and to be honest – had major influence on the way we look at the band right. Well, me for sure. We were drinking in one of archways somewhere and he said he wanted to hear our set. He liked it from the start, even though said it was retarded and we cannnot play haha. After 20 minutes he knew just what to do to make it sound really badass...We went to Rolling Tapes Studio in Srebrna Góra. Amazing place, great people, loved it. We made the record in one day. Maciek made the gear set up which took like almost the whole day and then we played the set three times live. Shabang! Done. Then he mixed and mastered it at home. Generally he made a fuckin awesome job.

We really enjoyed it and totally agreed with the whole live recording concept. It was true for us, cause the music is made rather spontanious, on the spot and pretty careless. Thanks to that approach it stayed that way.

To sum up, it was : 1day, 9 songs, 20 minutes haha

Your album is free to download - do you find places like Bandcamp are able to get your music out to a much wider audience than just gigs and friends?

Album is totally free. You can also order a limited edition handmade CD from us, where you set the price. All of the money goes to animal help in our hometown (and fuck you all ignorant bastards who think it's marketing ! It's not, we try to help animals everyday from a long long time ! Not only this time. Sorry needed to say that ;) ) Bandcamp is great and yes, I do think it really helps. Like the whole internet. It's really easier than back in the days when we were teenagers. What helps even more are such awesome music blogs as this, honestly !

Are there any bands in Poland that other readers may not of heard of before that we should check out?

Definitely! You need to check out:

Moja Adrenalina

Woody Alien

Mothra

Neuma

Nyia

Antigama

BNNT

Local great stuff to support:

Ass To Mouth

Guantanamo Party Program

We Are Idols

Dead Dingo

you should check out Maciek's Wasio (producer of 'wear a diff. Head') band Ocean and it's last album „Wojna Świń” (war of pigs) – awesome sounding rock shit !

You should easily find them on the web (facebook, youtube)

What does the future hold for you?

Hard to say. Some violent music that's for sure ;) We plan to get together as soon as possible and work on some new material to extend the set length to like 30 minutes and gig. Fingers crossed for that one!

Maybe a music video, cause some of us are working in film industry. We have some stupid ideas for that one :)

You've been interviewing Dawid from Objects.

Objects would like to thank you for your interest and support man !

We will keep you posted about any worth stuff goin on in the band!

All The Best Bro !

Dawid

Lantern - Burned Youth (2012)

Request from Pigeon Row, Canada.

Here is their press release:

Philadelphia's Lantern returns with a second tape release for Night-People, this time in the form of a reissued tour only cassette that highlights the band's evolution over the course of 2009-2011. Despite being a bit of a retrospective, Burned Youth feels very whole, considered and complete. Overall, the fidelity of these recordings is a bit more hi-fi than the band's recent Night-People tape Stranger I Come/Stranger I Leave. The destroyed, psyched-out proto-punk (Stooges/Denudes) inspired squall of that release isn't really present on this more archival material. For these recordings Lantern seemed to be approaching things from a more Texas/Delta blues and Their Satanic Majesties era Stones influence with a good bit of Texas garage psych thrown in the mix a la the Elevators and Parable of Arable by Red Krayola. This is really fun music regardless and feels like its own take on classic rock and roll aesthetics.

This is lo-fi rock'n'roll that has an almost weary country rock feel to things,

with acoustic guitars being at the front of things but when the fuzz comes in

you get a taste of Mazzy Star and hints of the Velvets at their most reflective.

You get laid back tunes with a 60's garage vibe - what's not to like?

Buy from Bandcamp

Band info Here

Big Black Cloud - Dark Age (2010)

A huge sounding album full of garage punk played

with fuzz box set to kill.

Lots 0f noise rock thrown in - think Jesus Lizard

type groovy ridden riffs - and like David Yow, the

singer sounds slightly unhinged!

Lots of feedback and a hint of heavy psych - they

also have an infectious, almost rockabilly feel

to some of the songs - much like the standout

tracks from the Eighties Matchbox B-Line.

Listen

Band Info

Monotonix - Not Yet (2011)

Israeli Garage Rock produced by Steve Albini.

They have a raw sound that hurtles from song

to song with gritty vocals overlaying the manic

guitar riffs that race along with the relentless

drumming.

There is more than a hint of the Jesus Lizard

in the arrangements but tempered with a real

garage vibe, it is more like filthy punk rock'n'

roll attitude with chaotic results.

Listen

Buy

Acid Eater - Black Fuzz on Wheels (2010)

What do they put in the water in Japan?

Acid Eater are from the same school of thought

as Guitar Wolf but have decided that more distortion

was needed! Fuzz on the vocals, drums, cymbals -

even the space between tracks seems distorted.

But the psych type keyboard riffs are clean!

Garage rock played at full volume - little surf

guitar breaks slotting in nicely - a healthy

disregard for vocal niceties - breakneck

punk tunes - delicate ears be warned!

Overload your speakers here!