Matt Lee: August 27, 2014

1 – Sudonistas – Heavy Gardening (Independent)

Sudonistas are Nashvillian and carry a sort of batter-fried pathos that carries strains of Guided By Voices as much as embraces the 90’s college rock steaz. If these guys weren’t American I would suspect someone had smuggled some Thrush Hermit rekkids to the south. Tear-ekingly beautiful.

2 – Dust From 1000 Years – Moon (So Hard Young Boy)

This is a hella intriguing band from Indiana. Drone-y, deserty, with psych metal leanings of Om or Comets on Fire , these guys have some beautiful darkness to offer in their very diverse oeuvre, running alongside the slow-core psych movement but still rocking a lone wolf patch, one eye on the wild.

3 – Bad History Month – Bad History Month (Exploding In Sound)

I like any band that makes a fun loving package out of their releases, as this LP from Boston’s Fat History Month does so well, coming as it does with extra art, a comin book, a CDR. I love it, it’s really a New England thing, I think, to go the extra distance, make cool things cooler. I’m thinking like Fat Day or Excusemwa or the like. It serves just to gild the lily to this band’s incredible songwriting, which is complex but still loose enough to get sloppy to.

4 – Lungbutter – Extractor (Misery Loves Company)

Montreal’s Lungbutter lives up to the name, slanging some thick neanderthal sludge on upstart label Misery Loves Company. Stream of consciousness yelps over lawnmower riffs and some great, thick breakdowns, brings to mind Uranium Orchard . Some of these riffs are endless, a dweeb-metal triumph.

5 – Midnight Masses – Departure (Superball)

I guess these guys are getting somewhere, and deservedly so. Killer harmonies over thickly hi-fi dubbyness, they are a lovely syrup for the the brainpan. Almost hearkening back to trip-hop, the tracks are transporting and awash in greatly aspirational harmonic constructions.

6 – Elephant Stone – The Three Poisons (Hidden Pony Records)

Psychedelic sitar driven bliss out from former High Dials dude, Elephant Stone are sitting on the psych throne right now, edging just this close to throwback but with a keen edge of damaged synaptic joy, geared towards your next psilocybin tango.

7 – Jesuslesfilles – “Le Grain D’Or” (Independent)

Beautiful full length, just hatched by Montreal’s Jesuslesfilles . Brash and loud and sexy, the chord changes flow laconically over a stoned-out beat. There are mysterious rooms aplenty in this unique niche they’ve built for themselves, here veering into epic dream-pop harmonies that dive into hard as fuck garage slide. A joyful noise that makes pushes you gently into the debauched night of the soul.

8 – Saxyndrum – Tah Hum (Art Not Love)

Sample of lush and simple drone from enigmatic group Saxyndrum , soon to drop on compelling local micro-label Art Not Love . Drone being a delicate art, I’m stoked to hear what other enticements the full length will have to offer, based on this great sounding vignette.

9 – The Yips – Air Loom (Independent)

Oh man, do I love The Yips ! They are from Ottawa and live up to every bit of their self-styled “Ouija Rock” genre. Pulling from a hundred idioms to weave something wholly unique, their new jam Air Loom hits on all sides, heavy, melodic, driving. Instant party.

10 – Gay Shapes – Moss 008 (Moss Archive)

I leave you this week with admittedly one of my favorite jams, Gay Shapes from Worcester. This new tape on Moss Archives is a saucy lick of the inner ear. Well placed bleep-bloop that opens up slowly with some buchla-esque Subotnick steaz. The synthscape is definitely chewy and gratifying, a bit sweet and a bit nutty. Like peanut brittle, say.