NATURAL CHILD are back with their sophomore LP For the Love of the Game on Burger Records. This power rocking trio takes their classic rock and roll sound and fleshes out with some new styles and new ideas.

1971 was easily one of our favorite records last year and it’s looking like that could happen a second time around. Natural Child haven’t slowed down and now after just dropping this second LP they’re already working on a new 7″ – but we’ll deal with that later. Since 1971, this Nashville trio has certainly stepped up their game in both the instrumentation department as well as song writing while still maintaining what they do best – rocking the fuck out and having a good time.

This becomes evident in many of the songs, but there’s a few where they take a different route and try some new formulas. This includes songs like “That’s How I Got to Memphis” with it’s weeping guitars and “No One Writes Sad Songs Anymore.” Granted “That’s How I Got to Memphis” is a cover originally sung by Tom T. Hall, but it still evokes the same feeling. It also goes to show that Natural Child aren’t afraid to try something new and clean up pretty nicely when they have to. The good thing about that is they don’t always have to clean up. This is where more rowdy tracks like “She Got a Mind,” “Baby,” or “D.T.V.” come into play.

“Baby” probably turns out to be the most easily accessible track on the record, followed by others like “8 AM Blues” or “She Got a Mind.” The classic rock vibes are literally overflowing from a track like “Baby,” where the band offers us a rockin’ good time with plenty of positivity – not to mention dueling searing guitar solos and a hardheaded attitude that’s tough to crack and easy to love. “She Got a Mind” sees the band sticking to their roots with a ridiculously heavy and heated psychedelic edge that possesses the song and takes it on a path of its own. Suddenly you find yourself being swarmed by throbbing bass lines and a scorching guitar that literally steals the show until the very last note. This brings to mind a later track like “D.T.V.” The beginning features a gradual guitar build-up until they can’t contain the rage anymore and put the pedal to the metal. From here on out it’s a streamlined blazer that courses through your veins and gets the blood boiling. You should be warned now that this fiery onslaught will certainly require a few extra plays.

Aside from this stuff, there’s still plenty of other things you will encounter along the way. “Paradise Heights” is definitely a reggae song which might be a hit or miss for some, followed by the twangy, folksy “Faces of Death Blues.” They close it all out with one last banger in “Ain’t Gonna Stop” which is definitely a fitting title. It leaves you hope for the future, which apparently for Natural Child isn’t too far around the corner. I speak, of course, of their newly announced 7″ on Jeffery Drag Records (go download that shit for free while you still can).

At this point it would be ill-advised to ignore Natural Child. So here’s what you do – go to Burger Records and buy the damn vinyl.

She Got a Mind –

Baby –

That’s How I Got to Memphis –

D.T.V. –

My Rating: SS
Genre/ Tags: Alt-Country, Rock, Psychedelic
For the Love of the Game LP: Tracklist:
1.) 8 AM Blues
2.) She Got a Mind
3.) Baby
4.) That’s How I Got to Memphis
5.) Hey Little Girl
6.) No One Writes Sad Songs Anymore
7.) D.T.V.
8.) Paradise Heights
9.) Faces of Death Blues
10.) Ain’t Gonna Stop

BUY the LP directly from Burger Records – 350 on black vinyl !
Natural Child on Facebook

Past Related Posts:
Find Natural Child in our Top 25 Albums of 2011
White Man’s Burden 7″ (Infinity Cat Records)
Strange Boys/ Natural Child – Scion Split 7″
1971 (Infinity Cat Records)
SOTD #11 – “Shame Walkin”

THEE HOLY GHOSTS hail from Gainesville, Florida. This is their self-titled EP on Shithouse Records which covers a wide range of influences, ranging from bluesy garage rock, 50s doo-wop and pulsing surf punk to name a few.

Together the three piece band recorded this collection of songs on a four track recorder through the months of February and March. The results were excellent as they left with a 25 minute batch of music that makes it difficult to call these guys anything but a solid garage rock band. They bring to mind a band like the Estrogen Highs (or even Dead Ghosts) who also manage to bring a good amount of musical variation to the table and that’s exactly what Thee Holy Ghosts have done here.

They set the tone early on with “I Can’t Take It,” an absolute surf-rock banger that shows these guys are ready for a good time. A bit later, a song like “Saturday” holds some folksy country vibes with it’s twangy guitars, while another track like “Seen a Ghost” offers up a rowdy form of shuffling garage rock that will force you to get your feet moving. Following that, the untitled track screams evil, twisted surf rock and a later track like “Ghetto Pop Song” proves to be the most accessible with its glimmering guitars and crooning vocal howls. Toward the end of the EP “Standing Alone” is where the 50s doo-wop comes into play, followed by the foreboding “Tribute to Charlie” to close it all out.

Check these songs below and see just how much Thee Holy Ghosts can vary their sound. Also, don’t forget to go download the entire EP for free. Hopefully this isn’t all we get to hear from these Gainesville garage rockers.

I Can’t Take It –

Seen a Ghost –

Ghetto Pop Song –

Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Lo-Fi, Pop, Experimental
Thee Holy Ghosts EP: Tracklist:
1.) I Can’t Take It
2.) Gimme Your Love
3.) Saturday
4.) Seen a Ghost
5.) Untitled
6.) Sand in My Beer
7.) Ghetto Pop Song
8.) Cops
9.) Standing Alone
10.) Tribute to Charlie

DOWNLOAD the entire EP for free on Thee Holy Ghosts Bandcamp !!!
Thee Holy Ghosts on Facebook

CREEPOID and SHORES joined forces for a split 7″ released by No Idea Records for this past Record Store Day. Both bands include a track apiece which gives us some insight to their current status.

For Creepoid, this is their first track put to vinyl since the release of Horse Heaven at the beginning of last year. As for Shores, their inclusion is like the precursor to their upcoming LP Leavening on No Idea Records which is due out this summer.

At first before listening it might take a minute to figure out how these two bands fit together, but as proved by this lone single they have some striking comparisons. Both bands exercise their challenging “soft-to-loud” rock formula that starts off lazy and dirgy until the momentum swings and they lay it on heavy. This is something we already knew Creepoid were capable of and they show that excellence here again with their grungy rage. As for Shores, these guys have some tricks up their sleeve as well. Their track begins with warming layers of guitar goodness which slowly but surely unfolds into a jangly and subtly destructive breakdown. The calming vocals sound masked by a thin layer of reverb, which guide us through the track from its slow start to its towering finale.

So in the end, if this track is any indication, the upcoming Shores LP will definitely be an interesting listen. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. In the mean time, check out these two songs below.

Creepoid – Golden String –

Shores – Weak Trees –

Genre/ Tags: Rock, Grunge, Alternative, Post-Rock
No Idea Split 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Creepoid – Golden String
2.) Shores – Weak Trees

BUY the 7″ directly from Midheaven – comes on swirled color vinyl !
Creepoid on Facebook
Shores on Bandcamp

Past Related Posts:
Horse Heaven LP (No Idea)
Find Creepoid in our Top 25 Albums of 2011
Yellow Life Giver 7″ (Phonographic Arts)
Interview/Performance w/ Creepoid
Weekend Megapost w/ Creepoid & Shores

mic check @ the Crosby in Santa Anna ’09

Jel & Odd Nosdam, founding members of Anticon, have been very busy lately. They took a few minutes to sit down with me and talk about their current and upcoming projects. Enjoy the Nosdam enhanced interview as you read the text below.

You guys just put out the Kenny Dennis EP with Serengeti. Can you tell me a little about Serengeti and his alter-ego Kenny Dennis?

Jel: Serengeti, Mr. Dave Cohn from Chicago, he got worldwide recognition off of his Dennehy song…Dennehy right?

Odd Nosdam: Yeah. That was the first song of his in that character, the Kenny Dennis character, that made a lot of noise on the Internet. That was actually the first stuff that we heard of his.

Serengeti recording raps @ Nosdam’s Burnco

Jel: We were sparked on Kenny Dennis before we even heard the Serengeti stuff that was more him and not in the character.

Odd Nosdam: We met him about three years ago, and we spent the last two and a half years or so just recording lots of music with him. At this point we have two albums, also the Kenny Dennis EP…

Jel: It’s been very productive…it’s just fun because he’s doing the character. We take making music with him a little more lighthearted and we want to make it fun…

Kenny Dennis disappointed w/Jel’s grill skills
photo by Rebecca Hava Lynn Miller

Odd Nosdam: Yeah, if you want to know about Kenny Dennis, just get on the Internet. We’ve been really fortunate to have really well written reviews on the Kenny Dennis EP  that explain the back story.

You said you have two albums with him, have they been released yet?

Odd Nosdam: There are two albums. The first one: C.A.R…. The second one is called C.A.B.

C.A.R. comes out June 26th.

Jeff you just put out a new record called Greenball 3.5, and that is part of a sequence of Greenball records. Why is this 3.5 and not 4?

Greenball 3.5 cover art by Paul Pot

Jeff: 3.5 because it’s just a taste of what you would get from an actual Greenball.

Where did the name Greenball come from? Why has that become your franchise?

Jel: Same thing with Jel. It’s just made up dumb shit. It’s not that thought out actually.

This record comes with a poster of an SP1200. Is that what you made the record on?

Jel: Exactly…MPC actually. All the Greenball stuff…the first one was all SP1200. It’s just old beats that I’ve revamped or whatever.

Odd Nosdam: Jel also has an album called 10 Seconds…

Jel working on the SP1200 @ Burnco

Jel: Yeah and that was all SP1200 as well

Odd Nosdam: It was dedicated to the SP1200.

And 10 seconds is the maximum sample rate you can have on an SP1200?

Jel: Yeah

You two have collaborated a lot over the years. When you guys work together is there a clear division of labor?

Jel: Yeah. We’ve worked on that more.

Odd Nosdam: We do most of the work at my place so I do most of the mixing and I have a lot of short cuts and tricks and things that I can do…

Nosdam photo by Bre’r

Jel: and I’ll sit down and tweak shit and then Dave will clean it up. We both equally go back and forth with sequencing and weird other shit with the songs, like, you know, “that didn’t sound right”  so then we fix it.

Odd Nosdam: When Jel is working on his solo stuff I’ll just kind of hang out and listen to what he’s doing. Sometimes he’ll go for hours (lol)…I just try to listen with a critical ear like “OK, is what’s happening right now…should I go in there and maybe try to steer him in a different direction?” Sometimes I’ll just come in and say “man, that sounds great” or just “keep going with it”. Then he’ll take a break and I’ll go in there and refine stuff or just listen and do rough mixing of what’s there to get a better idea of what it’s sounding like.

How did the two of you meet? 

first time together on stage @ Scribble Jam ’99

Jel: It was in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Odd Nosdam: 1998. Scribble Jam. It was through Doseone.

Jel: and Yoni.

Odd Nosdam: Mr. Dibbs

Jel: We’d go down there and everybody that was sparked on each other musically, we all found like “hey, we’re all like minded!” That’s kind of where all the Anticon stuff first sparked…

Nosdam photo by Charlie Barr

Odd Nosdam: The first time I met him he had his SP1200 and a crate of records. I was pretty blown away by what he was able to do with that machine because at that time I had a Dr. Sample 202 which doesn’t have a sequencer on it so I was sequencing by ear on tape. Then when I met Jel I was just like, holy shit! I can’t believe that you can actually create sequences where you have multiple samples and chopped up drums that are all riding together. So that was a big eye opener for me.

Jel: Crazy. That was probably four years of working on that machine at that point because I got it in ’94.

Jel @ Missouri Lounge in Berkeley, CA

Odd Nosdam: We’ve done so much shit together it’s ridiculous. We’ve toured together. We DJ together all the time at the Missouri Lounge every Wednesday night…

Jel: 10 ta 2

Odd Nosdam: we do remixes together…

Jel: yeah…

—————————————————-

In addition to the Kenny Dennis EP and the two upcoming Serengeti records, Odd Nosdam and Jel have remixed the classic Kenny tune “Dennehy” which will be released on the forthcoming Kenny Dennis 7″. Jel is planning to release another solo album sometime next year which will be the follow up to 2006′s Soft Money. This July he will be opening for Sleigh Bells on their summer tour.

Buy the Kenny Dennis EP from Insound                                                                              Buy Greenball 3.5 from Fieldwerk Recordings                                                                        Follow Anticon on Facebook and Twitter

Jel opening for Sleigh Bells:
07-02 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
07-03 Boston, MA – House of Blues
07-05 Montreal, Quebec – Corona
07-07 Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
07-09 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
07-10 Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
07-12 Kansas City, MO – Beaumont Club
07-16 Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
07-17 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater
07-18 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls

After coming out of nowhere last year, BLASTED CANYONS are back a second time with their new EP 2nd Place on Castle Face Records. This new EP features the same discontented and noisy rage that characterized their debut.

If there’s any band out there right now that truly knows how to assault your ears, it’s definitely Blasted Canyons. Their self-titled debut from last year made that undeniably clear in just over a half hour. Now with 2nd Place they seem to have done it again but things seems a bit more straight forward this time around instead of just sloppily flailing out in every direction (which wasn’t exactly a bad thing). Everything sounds like it’s been cleaned up around the edges with the exception of a few tracks.

Six songs make up their new EP for 18 minutes of ear-blasting noise-punk which features anything from swirling noise attacks riddled with metallic cacophony (“Finken’s Lament”) to more off-center pop monstrosities like “Liquid Fiend” or “Manson Eyes.” “Liquid Fiend” features blazing, fuzzed-out guitars that drive the song right into a lysergic synth hook that takes the track to a whole new level, which easily helps display their much more refined sound. Even before that, “Get High” proves this right at the start by opening the EP with a bang. Matt Jones guides us through the pulsing rhythm with his sharp, resonant howl, creating this totally unsettling track that will swallow you whole with its quivering guitars and stomping chorus. Check it below.

Get High –

Liquid Fiend –

My Rating: SS
Genre/ Tags: Punk, Experimental, Lo-Fi, Noise Rock
2nd Place EP: Tracklist:
1.) Get High
2.) Liquid Fiend
3.) Holy Geometry
4.) Finken’s Lament
5.) Manson Eyes
6.) Glass on Your Pillow

BUY the EP directly from Insound
Blasted Canyons on Facebook

Past Related Posts:
Blasted Canyons s/t (Castle Face)
Find Blasted Canyons in our Top 25 Albums of 2011

NICK WATERHOUSE came back with a brand new single for Record Store Day last month. It’s a split release from Innovative Leisure on 8″ wax with the ALLAH-LAS on the B-side.

Waterhouse offers us one brand new song which features his vintage big band sound and that moody swag that makes his lyrics memorable as they drip with attitude. Believe it or not, Waterhouse actually used these lyrics from the original Allah-Las version of the song and put them on top of a new song he was composing (see this link for more info). He howls with authority throughout the track with his raspy “oohs” and “aahs” in-between the call and response vocals, all while the funky guitars follow right in his footsteps. The second half of the track see’s these wet and funky guitars combine with the broken, jazzy keyboards that helps give this song its raw, authentic vibe. The B-side version (which is the original version) by the Allah-Las sounds much less rough while also somehow sounding a bit more mysterious. It has a much more traditional sounding garage rock twang that gives it its own special edge and in the end it works wonders for the song. With that in mind, it’s almost like we’re getting the best of two different worlds within one solid single. Now it’s time to hear for yourself – listen to both sides below!

Nick Waterhouse – Don’t You Forget It –

Allah-Las – Don’t You Forget It –

Genre/ Tags: Rhythm & Blues, Garage Rock, Soul
Don’t You Forget It 8″: Tracklist:
1.) Nick Waterhouse – Don’t You Forget It
2.) Allah-Las – Don’t You Forget It

Nick Waterhouse – Official Website/Blog
The Allah-Las on Tumblr
The single was limited to 500 for Record Store Day – not sure where to get one now folks! Try Discogs or eBay

Past Related Posts:
Is That Clear 7″ (Innovative Leisure)
Find Nick Waterhouse in our Top 30 7″ Records of 2011

PLATEAUS – who were responsible for one of our favorite 7″ singles last year – are back at it again. This time they are putting the finishing touches on their upcoming 7″ from Hozac Records. To hold us over in the meantime, they just set free this brand new music video for the song “Do It For You” which will appear on the new 7″. We had a minute to catch up with the band and ask them about their new single and the new video – see what they had to say below.

The new music video for “Do It For You” is pretty rad. What was the inspiration for such an exhilarating video?
Chris: I guess the inspiration for the video would be the song. We gave the song to our friends Dusty and Derrik and after listening to it that was the concept they came up with.

And how exactly was that video created?
Chris: The video was made by Dusty Dirtweed of Mushroom Necklace and Derrik Acosta of Mega 64. Dusty made pretty much everything you see in the video by hand. He made almost everything out of pizza boxes and glue, then painted them. After everything was made him and Derrik made a set in his garage and filmed the video. Derrik then took all the shots and edited the photos into an animation.

What can we expect from Plateaus in the future after this new 7″?
Kevin: We are going out to Chicago real soon for the Hozac Blackout Fest, we’re playing a bunch of shows on the way out and on the way back. It’s gonna be fun, Red Cross and Roky Erickson! Also stoked to crack a Mike’s Hard with San Diego hometown heroes “The Spider Fever.”
Chris: We have another 7″ coming up shortly after the Hozac one, and an LP coming out this fall (both on Art Fag).
Jon: Expect to see us on the road more for sure.

There you have it folks. Plateaus seem to have their work cut out for them between now and the start of the summer. In the meantime the video above for “Do It For You” should hold you over until they start dropping these new records. Sit tight!

Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Garage Rock, Pop

Past Related Posts:
Beach Coma 7″ (Art Fag)
Find Plateaus in our Top 30 7″ Records of 2011

GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH are currently putting the finishing touches on their 2nd full length LP. The album, titled Chest Crawl, drops May 22nd from the Dirtnap Records label which is surely a fitting home for their grimy, psyched-out strand of surf rock. “Boomerenga” is an excellent example of this sound being put on display. The song is guided along by twangy guitars with an evil edge while swift percussion and chunky bass lines work to keep the rhythm. These elements all combine for a ridiculously sloppy (and somehow sexy – did you see that album art??) blend of garage and surf rock that sounds particularly careless while also sounding wet. The lead guitar slithers and slides across the track which really helps create those slippery, unsettling vibes. Throughout the rest of Chest Crawl the Portland trio offers up plenty of tricks, the most notable being those blood-pumping instrumental tracks which have a truly vintage sound. See what they’re all about in the track below!

Boomerenga –

Genre/ Tags: Surf Rock, Garage Rock, Lo-Fi

BUY the LP directly from Dirtnap on May 22nd (no pre-orders)
Guantanamo Baywatch – Official Website
Guantanamo Baywatch on Facebook

Past Related Posts:
Oh Rats! 7″ (Jonnycat Records!)

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from KING TUFF but his sophomore LP is just around the corner. Wild Desire is his latest effort coming from the Suicide Squeeze label and it’s an excellent indication of good things to come.

By now most of us should already know what King Tuff is capable of. His debut LP Was Dead was more than enough to capture attention from all directions and now that appears to be happening again with his upcoming sophomore LP on Sub Pop. However, before that record hits the shelves, Suicide Squeeze Records was nice enough to leave us with this rocking 7″ to keep our mouths from foaming.

Two new tracks of glamorous King Tuff greatness are etched into this fine slab of 7″ wax which is now unfortunately sold out. The “wild desire” is literally palpable within this ecstatic single, where King Tuff puts his epic guitar skills to good use in this exhilarating, hook heavy masterpiece. After hearing something of this magnitude, it’s hard not to think that his upcoming LP will be anything less. And we’d be fools to think that way. If the album contains more of this dazzling strand of rock and roll, it’s only going to push King Tuff further into the spotlight. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Right now you can go and preorder his upcoming LP from Sub Pop – the first 300 orders come with a King Tuff patch! Better yet, they also mention a limited number of red, white and blue splatter vinyl which won’t last forever. It’s first come first serve, so act fast!

Wild Desire –

Hole in My Head –

My Rating: SS
Genre/ Tags: Pop, Rock & Roll, Alternative, Glam
Wild Desire 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Wild Desire
2.) Hole in My Head

BUY the digital MP3s directly from Insound – 7″ is sold out!!
King Tuff on Facebook
Follow King Tuff on Twitter

Past Related Posts:
SOTD #18: King Tuff – Just Strut

Benjamin Scott plays bass and sings in Chicago band Brain Idea. OUTSIDE WORLD is his side project which just released a brand new, self-titled cassette EP.

Going from what we already know about Brain Idea, it’s not too hard to figure out where this music is coming from. It falls into a similar vein with Brain Idea’s past material and as said by Scott himself, this music may even be “a bit more straightforward.” With the exception of one drawn out song like “Where Were You (Seems So True),” that is definitely the case. In just over 20 minutes the cassette offers melodic guitars with a slightly jangly edge, but nothing too noisy or overwhelming. Self-titled track “Outside World” shows off an element of innocence that makes these songs sound sweet while making them easily accessible. The same goes for the reverb drenched “All Day,” which kicks off with echoing guitar chords that seemingly indicate a warming atmosphere. However, the song changes momentum before the halfway mark and we’re swept away in a mysteriously fizzing abyss which lingers around until the end of the track. Hear these tracks below and then go listen to the rest of the cassette on the Outside World Bandcamp.

All Day –

You May Think –

Genre/ Tags: Pop, Post-Punk, Noise Rock
Outside World CS: Tracklist:
1.) Everyone Sees
2.) Outside World
3.) All Day
4.) Reach Out
5.) Where Were You (Seems So True)
6.) You May Think

BUY the cassette directly from the band on Bandcamp – only $5 and limited to 100 !
Outside World on Bandcamp

Past Related Posts:
Brain Idea/ Heavy Times LIVE in Philadelphia (11/19/11)
Cosmos Factory EP (Mexican Summer)