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ARC FLASH - "Recto Verso" single
I heard this seven inch was coming out as I was beginning work on this issue so when I lad the chance to hear a stream
of it I decided to take the plunge. "Fault/Bone" is a catchy, almost acerbic rocker forged with a jumpy yet catchy
guitar hook and an uptempo vibe that that guide you from primitive rock to otherworldly laser like parts and a hybrid of world
music and spaced out, almost alien elements. "Leaves" is a mid-tempo driving rocker with an almost lo-fi feel, crude
guitar tones and a rawness that seeps through the speakers. Both songs carry on Arc Flash's uniquely spacey take on art meets
punk that takes the listener to another dimension, a place where they wonder whether what they hear is real...or in their
minds. I know James and Mark have been busy so it's great to see this single come out. (BOONE)
(replayrecordsusa.com)
ALICE BAG AND THE SISSYBEARS - "Reign of Fear"/"XX"
This new single from Alice Bag and the Sissybears (her new backing band) piqued my curiosity when I first heard of it
so I decided to give it a listen. "Reign of Fear" is a tense blast of melodic punk with a tinge of HC that attacks
the current use of fear as a weapon in our society to keep us divided. "XX" is a near poppy blast of punk flavored
rock'n'roll that has a hook that lasts almost for days. Both songs deliver with driving guitar parts and a beat that refuses
to let up throughout. What emerges is possibly one of the best singles of the fall with power to spare and an in your face
take on their subject matter. Alice Bag released a great, if underrated, album a year or so ago so it's good to see her carrying
on the sonic torch with her new band and single. I wonder what the next album will be like. (BOONE)
(Don Giovanni Records. P.O. Box 628. Kingston, NJ 08528. dongiovannirecords.com)
DEERHOOF - "Mountain Moves" LP
Once in a while an artist may find themselves busy but compelled to create a comment on the time. On Mountain Moves,
Deerhoof unleashes a batch of acerbic underground rock songs that take the band's near trademark guitar skronk and experimental
take on music and sound and branch out into other sonic areas to include elements of prog, free jazz, pop, and a slight hint
of electronic music into the mix. Lyrically, this album is the band’s reflection on life under electoral vote winner
Donny from the muting of voices outside the mainstream to politicians not responding to their constituents to a small handful
of covers of staples Singers and Bob Marley songs and more. It's a confrontational record that takes the musical challenges
the band is known for and vents it into an all around attack on a dystopian culture. Deerhoof has harnessed their experimental
take on rock into an album that's surprisingly accessible while remaining what they are. (BOONE)
(Joyful Noise Records)
FLAMIN' GROOVIES - "Fantastic Planet; LP
2017 has been a year with plenty of musical surprises, including when news broke that the classic lineup of Flamin' Groovies
would release their first album in nearly 40 years. On their new album, the band offers up some jangly power pop with hints
of roots rock and psychedelic rock woven in on occasion. Built on dual jangly 6 string (and sometimes 12 string; or at least
12 string sounding) guitars that sometimes simmered into overdrive, these personal songs detail life, love, longing, and the
like with a vibe similar at times to 60s British Invasion groups or early psychedelic rock and pop as reverb laced guitars
meet simmering leads (and the occasional backwards guitar line) and hooks that stay in the pocket throughout. In other words,
the Groovies emerge as themselves, mining elements of the various stages of their past to create a n album that can be introspective
and jangly one minute, bluesy and greasy the next. While a lot of people tend to treat power pop as some brief moment frozen
in time, Flamin' Groovies manage to take the subgenre into some directions that, while a little different, complement it well.
If you haven't checked this out yet, do so now. (BOONE)
(Sonic Kicks/Severn)
L7 - "Dispatch From Mar-A-Lago" download single
As the autumn equinox marked the end of the summer of 2017 and the days started getting shorter the reunited L7 took us
all by surprise by announcing the release of a new song. "Dispatch from Mar-A-Lago" tears down the barricade with
a catchy punk rock rave-up that uses a crunchy guitar fueled hook to build a sonic attack on the actions of electoral vote
winner Donny and his minions. The track is driven almost into the red guitars and a drum attack that cuts like a chainsaw
join together to create a sonic blast that's both angry and fun at the same time. In their first new song in 18 years L7
channels their sounds into a sonic weapon to capture the temper of the times and comes out almost like the band never left
us. If you haven't heard this by now by all means track it down and give it a listen. (BOONE)
(Don Giovanni Records. P.O. Box 628. Kingston, NJ 08528. dongiovannirecords.com)
PROPHETS OF RAGE - LP
Decided to give this a listen when I discovered it was out recently and was curious about what they'd do since seeing
them play live at the end of summer last year. Prophets of Rage unleash an album that's an angry blend of rap .metal, funk,
and some experimental sounds. Song wise, they tackle the problems of the world around us such as the surveillance state and
its attack on the individual, racism and xenophobia, homelessness, life under electoral vote winner Donny and more along those
line. Built on tight grooves with a blend of DJ scratch/mixing and sometimes effects twisted yet on target slabs of guitar
tone, these songs are delivered with a sense of anger and a lot of raw energy that carries on the legacy of the band members.
Coming off the unexpected formation last year and their first EP, this album finds Prophets of Rage building on their roots
and steering away from rap rock and no metal cliches to create something truly heavy on multiple levels. (BOONE)
(Prophets of Rage/Concord)
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