Quiet Arcs – I’ve Been Feeling Kind of Temporary EP (Quiet Recordings)
The first and thus far only release on their own label is also this Philadelphia-based band’s only physical release to date (they have released three previous digital EPs and have a brand new digital-only Lp) as well. That’s a shame, though, as this is absolutely stunning early ’90s style post-hardcore that fans of Deadguy or any early ’90s Am Rep band will absolutely salivate over. The one caveat is that after reading and hearing the depressing lyrics of songs like “Constant Sutures,” I worry for the mental health of singer Larry Wiechecki. Hopefully, he’s OK, as the old hardcore kid in me will take about a dozen more releases like this! For now, though, I’ll have to settle for the new digital Lp! You can hear it here.
Rogue Wave – Live at Pancake Factory Studios
Rogue Wave’s recent session at Pancake Factory Studios in Brooklyn is one of the best “Rabid Sessions” yet. You can listen to it here.
Superchunk – “FOH”
Though they’re about to release the wonderfully-named single “Me and You and Jackie Mittoo” as a single leading up to the release of their forthcoming I Hate Music, this is the second song they’ve released (at least digitally) from I Hate Music and it is awesome. Picking up right where they left off on 2010’s career-best Majesty Shredding, this one (which stands for “front of the house”) rocks like a No Pocky for Kitty or On the Mouth era banger, but with a subtle maturity and knack for melody that characterized their later era more.
Let’s Active – “Every Word Means No”
RIP to Faye Hunter, who sadly committed suicide last week.
Elvis Costello and The Roots – “Walk Us Uptown”
When I first heard about this collaboration, I was skeptical. After all, despite the fact that Elvis Costello is my favorite artist of all-time, I haven’t been a fan of his last few recent releases. If the rest of the album (due out in September) is more like this, though, it’ll easily be my favorite thing he’s done since at least 2008’s Momofuku. As such, though, with The Roots‘ fantastic backing, this sound very much like some of the hip-hop and r’n‘b influenced tracks on 2002’s excellent When I Was Cruel or perhaps 1997’s “The Bridge I Burned” (which originally contained a sample of Prince‘s “Pop Life” before the purple one put the kebosh on it). I like it a lot!
Very Americans – “Back from the Dead” EP (Ship Out)
I know very little about this Harrisburg, PA based band, but I’m glad their bassist Garrett Rothman (formerly of the excellent early ’90s band Junction, which featured the songwriting and guitar playing of a then unknown Gregg Foreman, later of The Delta 72 and other projects) sent this to me. Unlike Junction’s post-hardcore and occasional goth leanings, this is pretty straightforward but thoroughly enjoyable ’90s style indie rock. Think a lighter Superchunk or perhaps The Jealous Sound or Knapsack and you won’t be too far from the target here. You can find them and listen to the A-side of this single here.
Silver Screams – “Climbing Mt Rumpke”
Describing themselves as “punk rock and roll,” this brand new band from the Boston area is not far off as these rough demos remind me of some of the finest work of The Wipers (particularly 1983’s Over the Edge). You can check them out here.
Derek See – “She Came This Way” EP (Psychedelphonic Records)
Please see my full review here.
Heavy Cream – Danny (Infinity Cat)
Though this 2010 Lp by Nashville’s Heavy Cream was reissued on the same Infinity Cat label last year, I was able to find an original in a used bin recently. While it does have the signed tour DVD, it doesn’t have the download code. However, the vinyl sounds great and the sound is still raw and in your face, but a bit less muddy than 2012’s Ty Segall-produced Super Treatment. If anything, this Lp proves that their patented mix of The Runaways, The Ramones and ’77-era stylings of The Damned with trashy lyrics mix was very much intact early on!
Public Image Limited – Public Image (Virgin)
Since this excellent debut Lp from 1978 finally just got issued in the U.S. via Light in the Attic (I picked up the reissue but yet to listen to it), I figured I’d give the original (thanks to Geoff Wardzinski for sending me a spare copy) a spin. It sounds stunning (both the vinyl and the hypnotic, repetitive, Krautrock-like music on it) and like a predictor of not just post-punk but early ’90s noise-rock bands as well. And “Religion” is as blasphemous as Crass‘ “Asylum” from a year earlier as anti-religion rants go. More to the point, this is the only album on which the classic PiL lineup of John Lydon, Keith Levene, Jah Wobble and Jim Walker all performed together and it sounds more like a band effort than much of Lydon’s later work does (even the also excellent Metal Box).
