Song of the Day #20: Guantanamo Baywatch – “Boomerenga”

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

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Song of the Day #19: Cousins – Speech

COUSINS are a four piece garage rock band that formed in Halifax in 2009 by Aaron Mangle. “The Palm at the End of the Mind” is the name of their sophomore LP on Saved By Vinyl, consisting of nine tracks of totally sharp and raucous garage-pop music that also manages to be quirky and highly energetic. Of the nine tracks, “Speech” just might be the most fitting example of this wildly frantic energy. This rowdy track starts out with a jangly bang and rarely ever settles back down afterward. The song is driven by crunchy guitars and a pounding, unpredictable drum pattern that will keep you guessing with each new pulsing measure, bringing the “manic energy and underlying calm” together in one strikingly memorable three-and-a-half minute track. You’d be a fool to miss it below – after the first 15 seconds you’ll see.

Speech –

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

Cousins on Bandcamp
Cousins on Myspace
Read about Cousins on Pigeon Row for a bit more info.
Not sure where to buy this one…sorry folks

Song of the Day #18: Strange Hands – Smell

STRANGE HANDS have just dropped their first proper full length album from Shit Music for Shit People. The album features 11 full tracks of their quivering garage rock sound, which proves that Strange Hands are a force to be reckoned with. The album, titled Dead Flowers, sees the band sprawling out in all directions, ranging from energetic pop-punk (“Trapper & Dodger”), swirling, instrumental acid trips (“Dead Flowers”) and hard-hitting, psyched-out bangers (“First Poem”, “Bunny Slipper”, “Smell”) that all manage to go above and beyond to hit their mark. Songs are heavy in the keyboard/synthesizer department, which ultimately helps intensify the lysergic and psychedelic properties of this album.

With an album like this one, Strange Hands have made it clear what they’re capable of and the results are nothing short of exhilarating. Take a song like “Smell,” which has the pedal to the metal from start to finish. They rage on through with shredded, stream-lined guitar shards, creating an all-out punk monstrosity comprised of scorching solos with an element of innocence that is easy to endorse. Now if you like what you hear go and grab your copy of the vinyl. It’s official release date is May 11th, so sit tight!

Smell –

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

PREORDER the LP directly from Shit Music for Shit People – out May 11th !
Strange Hands on Facebook

20th Century Tokyo Princess – I’ve Never Been Happy & I’ve Never Had Fun CS

20TH CENTURY TOKYO PRINCESS is a noisy, three piece garage rock band fronted by 37 year old Ted Clark who works in a liquor store. Together this trio declares war on your ears with their lethal sound. Continue reading “20th Century Tokyo Princess – I’ve Never Been Happy & I’ve Never Had Fun CS”