Review: Cheap Time - Wallpaper Music
By Paul Blawat
Jeffrey Novak is prolific. Almost suspiciously so.* Some musicians have that special drive; intense bursts of creative genius in which each LP, 7”, song, and note is both calculated and magnificent. Novak is one of these rare artists. He’s the “man behind the curtain” of Cheap Time, a Tennessee-based trio, and purveyors of some of the finest punk rock and roll over the past few years.** Their brand new LP, Wallpaper Music, is a continuation of that musical excellence. Novak’s razor-sharp vocals,*** Cole’s fuzzed out bass, and Ryan’s sensational splish splash drum pummeling are at the peak of their raw powers.
“More Cigarettes” reminds me of Mommymen-era Geza X, with greater than KBD production. I’ve been humming this all week walking ‘round town.**** Doo-doo-doo-doo-ooo-ooo, doo-doo-doo-doo-ooo-ooo, doo-doo-doo-doo-ooo-ooo, doo-doo-doo-doo-ooo-ooo - that’s how ya do a solo. Damn. “Straight and Narrow” is an Oz rock fireball of fuzz with hints of Cosmic Psychos, the Fluid, and Thee Hypnotics with a tinge of the MC5. Power pop punkness of a grandiose scale, and possibly the finest use of hand claps since “No Fun”. “Take it if you Want”: Eternally Yours Saints meets Rolling Stones c. “Street Fighting Man”. Laid back, sprawling, just distorted enough guitars pair well with Novak’s diatribe. And there’s flute? Eh. It works. “Dream it Up” and “Night to Night” surge on with 70s power punk shine, funneling toward the LP’s closer “Underneath the Fruit Flies”. The last track clocks in at 7:28 and I’ve listened to it on multiple occasions. Nods to Hawkwind aside, Cheap Time’s closest attempt at an epic (thus far) is an odd journey.***** Moody organ intro, wild buzzsaw bass, tripped out backing vocals, essential Pete Townsend solo, reverb up the wazoo—this one’s got it all folks. Must kill live.******
Wallpaper Music is out now via In the Red Records.
*Did he meet Billy Childish at the Crossroads? I’ll leave that assessment to you, loyal readers.
**”People Talk”, from their debut s/t LP, is a still a favorite of mine. Was I crushed when I found out that it was a cover? A little.
***Like an angry, raw Ray Davies.
****One of many reasons people been staring at me?
*****No. Not that Journey.
******I’m of course talking about the penultimate 25-minute version that has or will be attempted at some point.
Interview: Thee Cormans vs. The World
Here is a list of things SoCal surf trash monster band Thee Cormans hate: surf music, surf bands, Portland scenesters, the Black Lips, current rock and roll, DJs, modern rockabilly, and your band. No need to feel special about, either: Thee Cormans hate almost every band in the world, which was why they started theirs.
“Horrible bands made us start because every band is horrible,” says the Shaved Ape, drummer for Thee Cormans. He names a few admittedly terrible bands. “The list could go on and on forever. Just look at all the bands on In the Red.” In the Red being their own record label. Pause. “This interview could get us in a lot trouble, but luckily only four people look at your website.”
Review: The Consumers - All My Friends Are Dead (Reissue)
What was going on in Phoenix, Arizona in the mid-70s? Musically speaking, you had your typical cover band fare of the day. I mean, the people wanna hear the hits at a bar on Friday night! Presumably, like the countless other young men and women that formed punk bands at the time, the Consumers were fed up with the ho-hum rock music and disco that adorned corporate radio, watered down and fed to the hungry masses, and jumped at the chance to transform themselves into a punk band. What do you do when you can’t find a good song on the radio? You’re probably pissed off, and rightfully so, not only at the length of some of those tracks, but what you may also see as hopelessly contrived and downright boring. So, like any good citizen, you get good ‘n’ angry and write a punk song—one that cuts right to the point. Tossing a righteous rage and burning energy into the mix, the Consumers had a distinctly West Coast-flavored “hardcore punk” sound before most people had probably even heard of Black Flag. Yeah, take that, Phoenix!
Inspired by British punkers like the Sex Pistols and the Damned in their early stages, what’s an American band to do? Well, retaliate to with something faster and more hard-edged, naturally, but equally as energetic and confrontational—a kick to the jaw. From what I understand, these guys played to hostile audiences in their hometown, which doesn’t seem that surprising. The rednecks were looking to kick the snot out of anyone who dared to play that England or New York style of shit, let alone a band playing original material in a different style than what they were used to. Punk wasn’t cool, at least not in most states. Those, like the Consumers, that were brave enough to make that kind of statement weathered the storm.
Recorded in ‘77 or ‘78, All My Friends Are Dead wasn’t released until the mid-90s by In the Red, who probably had their minds blown just by the mere fact that it was recorded when it was and were thrilled to issue it. Angry, 99% bitter, in your face, really fast, and just plain (for sheer lack of a better description) fucking awesome. The blazing punk anthem “Anti Anti Anti” jumps out at you, the unofficial slogan for that blank generation of punk and, well, probably GET BENT. The lyrics and themes are pretty standard as far as punk is concerned (mocking consumer-driven society, religion, crooked politicians, highlighting teen angst), but they’re still timeless and relevant—doesn’t our teen angst seep its way into adulthood from time to time? In “Concerned Citizen”, they throw a “Mr. President, you are not my friend!” on the table, attacking and questioning authority, critical of the government’s interests. You know the formula already: you find something to get angry or excited about and churn out a little ditty. Raw power, baby. “Dream Hits” perfectly captures alienation and hostility, a sense of apathy and an escapist attitude when confronted with the world’s problems. “Get Out” is fifty confrontational seconds of pure piss and vinegar; a favorite, for certain.
The story pretty much ends where the guys said their collective “fuck you” to Phoenix by laying down their less-than-twenty-minute record on tape, packed up, and headed out to L.A., no doubt in search of like-minded souls. The Consumers were short-lived, but members would go on the form 45 Grave, which stuck a few of the Consumers’ staples in their repertoire here and there in the beginning. As it stands, All My Friends Are Dead is a hair-raising document that sounds great today. It’s gladly been reissued over at In the Red recently, so go get it while you can. It should have no problem weaseling its way into your record collection alongside the likes of Damaged (hell, even, Black Flag’s first EP with Keith Morris on vocals), the Bags’ compilation, (GI), and Avengers.
Review: Thee Cormans - Biker Bitch 7”
Batshit wildmen Thee Cormans are back with another big, greasy slab of instro-trash for you to lose yer mind to. Last time, they gave all you little ghoulish boys and girls a proper Halloween celebration with Halloween Record w/ Sound Effects. Now, with another release on In the Red, it’s all about chain-smoking biker bitches, leather jackets, and a mouthful of exhaust. Mustering up some Mummies swagger, a rockin’ surf-instrumental tradition that trails back to 60s badasses like Davie Allan and the Arrows, and all the sleazy, musclebound grit that keeps garage punk alive, those wacky Cormans are pleased to fill yer ears with these two latest jams of theirs—”Biker Bitch” and its flip-side, “Cumin’ and Goin’”. Oh, you know what I’m getting at…
Check out the amusing promo for Biker Bitch here (don’t you wish more bands did these?), and pick up a copy from In the Red before they’re all gone. Those five hundred copies (the first two hundred come on red vinyl) just might go quickly.
Track: Davila 666 - Pa Que Vives
“Pa Que Vives” is the A-side off of Davila 666’s upcoming 7”, to be released by Brooklyn based lablel Oops Baby Records. It and it’s B-side “Sera Sera”, aren’t exactly new tunes, they were originally written in 2007, but they’re new to me and I’m sure to most of you guys too. It’s definitely enough to tide us over until Que Viva El Veneno, the bands 4th LP, 3rd for In The Red, drops later this year.
“Pa Que Vives” will be out February 7th. You can still pre-order a copy over at the Oops Baby Store. Sorry, all the Puerto Rican Flag vinyl have already been sold out.
Review: Mouthbreathers - Anxiety 7”
By Burgers Rana
Brad, Derek, Kyle and Zach are your go-to bar buddies and they also make up the pretty impressive Lawrence, KS booze-punk outfit Mouthbreathers. Through the classic “playing any gig anywhere” motto and word of mouth help, the Kansas group had been asked to record a 7” for the prolific In the Red Records.
“Anxiety” is a skuzzy three minutes of maximum rock ‘n roll (yeah, I said it). B-side “The Creeper” is dark-fun ride with a Dead Kennedys/Modern Convenience twist. Five hundred copies are set for their debut release and a record is promised to come out sometime next year. Whether or not In The Red does it still remains to be seen.
I also dig Kansas artist Kenneth Kupfer’s sinister Daytrotter artwork for the sleeve; check out his site for some pretty cool comics and other illustrations.
Review: Mark Sultan - Whatever I Want / Whenever I Want
From the first note of Whatever I Want, the talented Mark Sultan, aka BBQ, reacquaints us with his blend of doo-wop, catchy rock ‘n’ roll, and pop-influenced punk. I’ll spare you the lengthy history lesson; if you’ve gotten into his other bands, like the Spaceshits or the King Khan & BBQ Show, then you know the drill. With a sense of humor and party-ready vibe, Sultan knows how to charm his audience by breathing fresh life into that old rock ‘n’ roll sound. At its best, songs like “Axis Abraxas” and “Song in Grey” can send the listener rockin’ and reelin’. “Livin’ My Life” is an excellent jam that sort of plays like a Stones song with better vocals and, just to break it up, “Quit the Human Race” sounds like an 80’s hardcore song, but much like the album’s title implies, Sultan is an individual with diverse tastes and he’s gonna play whatever he wants. The songs are enough to get your average ol’ stick-in-the-mud to even shake ‘n’ wiggle. As far as most of it goes, just think of Buddy Holly gone punk, and don’t forget to dig that epic ending “Never Coming Home”.
Separating itself from the relatively more upbeat pop jams of Whatever I Want, Whenever I Want is its more “experimental” counterpart. Again, though, it plays like a sampler of everything that Mark Sultan is capable of musically. “Keep Em Satisfied Pt. 1” and its second half bring a little gospel flavor to the table, while “Sweeter Than Wine” is a perfectly sweet little doo-wop-pop ditty with Sultan’s trademark wailing croon. Swaying rock ‘n’ roll tunes like “Not Another Day” definitely shine, while the eight-minute drone “For Those Who Don’t Exist” has got to be one of the most intriguing, if unexpected, things he’s ever done (hint: it’s entirely atmospheric and includes free jazz style saxophone). Also, who else can make singing about pancakes sound so damn good?
You can get both of these albums on vinyl from In the Red. There’s also a CD version called Whatever/Whenever available, which compiles thirteen songs from the two LPs if you’d like a handy condensed version.
Review: Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler/The Dream
Thee Oh Sees, who need no introduction around these parts, are back with their second record of the year. On Carrion Crawler/The Dream, which is essentially two EPs coupled into one cohesive release, John Dwyer and co. carry their usual quirks into a dizzying, psychedelic atmosphere. Instead of the relatively short songs that made up the goofier and more vocally oriented Castlemania, this record offers several longer, denser tracks and the results are much more instrumentally focused. The band really jam on tracks like “Contraption/Soul Desert” and “Chem-Farmer”, the latter of which contains what is perhaps the band’s most driving drum rhythm to date. “The Dream” reaches nearly seven minutes of garage/psych face-melting, with a hypnotic, NEU!-like groove at its core. Highlighting what they excel at, they manage to sound equally stoned and infectious on tracks like “Opposition” and “Crushed Grass”, both of which are propelled by tasty basslines.
In around a decade, the band already have quite the prolific discography—averaging better than the Fall so far?—and Carrion Crawler/The Dream is definitely one of their most engaging works. Order it at In the Red and turn it up.
Review: The Spits - V
These strange, scuzzy mutant punks are back for another round with LP number V, and are still an electrifying cross between the Ramones and a science fiction novel. They’re the band that’s playing some skeezy dive bar in the middle of a UFO invasion without a care in the world. The Spits are known for being concise—the album’s a little over eighteen minutes, which is only a few minutes longer than IV. Self-deprecation is the norm with tracks like “My Life Sucks” and “I’m Scum”. A few of the songs come off a little more alienated and paranoia-inducing than usual, especially “Last Man on Earth”. Overall, it’s the Spits we’ve come to know and love—dumb punk fun with keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, and slacker vocals.
Get the album at In the Red.
Video: The Spits - Fed Up
I think it’s criminal to call yourself a fan of punk rock if you’ve never seen The Spits live. For over a decade these guys have been putting on some of the best, most memorable punk shows known to man. I mean come on, giant skulls with flashing eyes, smoke machines that don’t turn off, crazy costumes and a punk sound that’s as catchy as it is painful, what else could you want out of a show? Ernie Quintero, who’s their road dude I’m assuming since he’s done tour videos of The Spits in the past, has compiled some highlights of The Spits’ recent tour and packed them into 53 seconds of “Fed Up”, taken from their just released LP The Spits V.
The Spits V is available now on In The Red Records.
