Track: Hell Shovel - Summer’s Over
Hell Shovel is the psychedelic endeavor of Jeff Clarke from Montreal’s Demon’s Claws. The band has been slightly on the reclusive side since it’s inception releasing a few albums in extreme limited runs through labels such as the German based Sound Of Cobra Records. Over the past year, it seems as though Clarke has focused his attention on bringing Hell Shovel out of the dark and placing it onto your LSD soaked brain. The band toured the U.S. with Acid Baby Jesus last year and is set to release their debut LP through Slovenly on May 29th. “Summer’s Over”, which you can listen to below, was originally released as a 7” through Gingerpig Records, but is making a proper return on the upcoming LP Hated By The Sun.
Guest Mix: Mongrel Zine
Take a romp through the archives of the Vancouver based Mongrel Zine, an old fashioned black and white zine that features interviews and reviews of the best in the underground. They also include a CD mix with every issue, so they’ve picked some of their favorites for this tasty little comp of the comps. Download it here. Listen to more mixes here.
All these songs have appeared on our Mongrel Zine comps. Mongrel Zine is a print zine and CD Comp edited, designed, photocopied, folded, and stapled by Janelle and Bob Scott. Get it at www.mongrelzine.ca.
Podcast: It’s A Mess - Episode II
By A.A.Yuen and Douglas J. Sweeney
“It’s a Mess” is a podcast that sandwiches some of our favorite garage jams and L.A. local bands between dick jokes and giggles.
In Episode II, Drew and Doug share time between HAMPAD’s illustriously shitty studio setting and a dingy apartment in L.A.’s very own Echo Park. They piece together the ruins of some recent parties that brought themselves on HAMPAD in a segment meant to explain to you, listener, what the fuck we mean when we say “HAMPAD”, and they run through some jammy gems.
(The sound quality is still pretty shitty, but we’re working on that, kids. We’re poor.)
Here’s the music:
Ghost Animal - “Change Your Mind” (Summertime in Heaven)
Demon’s Claws - “Laser Beams” (The Defrosting of…)
Lazy Mary - “Last Queen” (Crazy Hairy EP)
School Knights - “Never Needed” (ALL DAWGZ GO 2 HEAVEN)
Heavy Cream - “Tina” (Danny)
End Bumper (as always): Vera Lynn - “Goodnight, Wherever You Are”
Stay tuned next time for a very special in-studio guest, some live music, and a lot more suck.
Love,
Messy-pie
Writers: A.A. Yuen, Douglas J. Sweeney
Producer: Brian Eno
Post-Production: A.A. Yuen
Review: Hell Shovel - Sonar elastici, il pianeta si risveglia
By Paul Blawat
Ok. So I listened to Hell Shovel’s Sonar elastici, il pianeta si risveglia* and thought, “Hey, did I forget that I dropped acid and my ears are on fire?” As it turns out, it was only Hell Shovel’s corrosive psych rock burning a hole in my mind. Wowzers.
Hell Shovel is the warped mind childe of Demon’s Claws lead warbler Jeff Clarke and Dox Grillo (also of Demon’s Claws); an insane blend of Arthur Brown psych terror, giallo-esque soundtrack creepiness, and 60’s fuzzed-out awesome.
The first track is speaky Animals/Arthur Brown psych jam; ‘nuff said. “Polar Magnetics”: whoa, not sure what happened, but the tape goes all backwards and stuff. Killer freak-out, man. I really dig “Fed to the Cat”. Coulda been the scene track for a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western duel, or 70’s creepo psycho killer hitchhiking through the desert. “Blow Holes and Q-Tips” is a straight up 60’s rocker; fuzzed up, raved out, fuck yeah!
I missed these weirdos live at a Gonerfest after party; I am an idiot. Don’t be a dumbass, too; go see em’, and get the EP at Sound of Cobra (if the site doesn’t blow up your web browser).
*I have no idea what this means. Hey, how ‘bout you Google translate? Huh. This is what ya get: Sonar Rubber bands, the planet is awakening. I still have no idea what’s up with this.
Tour Dates: Acid Baby Jesus
Coming all the way from Athens, Greece is Acid Baby Jesus, one of the most scuzziest garage acts I’ve gotten into over the past year. They’ll be making their way to U.S. in September, but not before playing a handful of dates in Europe, to play a ton of shows across the South and East Coast with London’s Black Mamba Beat (ex-members of Black Time) and Montreal’s Hell Shovel (members of Demon’s Claws). If these guys are stopping in your city you’re definitely in for a hell of a show.
Acid Baby Jesus’ new 7” Hospitals is available now via Slovenly. Check out the title track below and the full tour dates after the jump.
King Khan To Form All Star Country Band
That’s right, King Khan has set out to form a country band taking inspiration from Lee Hazelwood, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings! The band is called Khanwood Clarke, and will feature Jeff Clarke (Demon’s Claws), and Sean Wood (The Spits). Before the band gets things underway, their going to need a little help. King Khan has started a kickstarter campaign in hopes of getting Sean Wood a trip to Berlin, Germany to record at King Khan’s Moon Studios. The band has promised all sorts of goodies in appreciation of your support, including writing a country song with your name on it!
The kickstarter campaign can be found here. Check out a demo of things to come below, and a hilarious video of Sean Wood asking for your money!
