NEW SONG: Joanna Gruesome - "Sugarcrush" from Weird Sister, out Sept. 10

We recently featured music from Cardiff noise pop group Joanna Gruesome via HHBTM and Fortuna Pop - it was a single, "Do You Really Wanna Know Why Yr Still in Love with Me" b/w "Lemonade Grrl" (WYMA post here). They're ready to release their first album, Weird Sister - and in addition to Fortuna Pop over there, have enlisted Slumberland in the US.

Here's an advance track from the album - "Sugarcrush" - same great guitars, same lush female vocals. It's actually a little faster, and the tension between the super-sweet vocals and the rushing guitar and rhythm section (and the last minute's descent into guitar-driven chaos) creates terrific expectations for this record:



They previously shared another advance track -"Secret Surprise" - and I'm sharing it with you, to make you want to get this thing when it comes out. This one starts out with a tougher edge, shouted vocals, but their guitar attack and harmony vocals are in there, too. They create and relieve a lot of tension with this stuff - it's exciting music:



Joanna Gruesome website
Slumberland Records

New Noise Pop Discovery: Joanna Gruesome

Another super-catchy lo-fi garage rock discovery from HHBTM Records - Joanna Gruesome. HHBTM has the first 7" from this Welsh noise-pop band. There will also be an album out later this year on Fortuna Pop, but for now we can buy these two delightful cuts from our friends in Athens.

Stream "Lemonade Girl":



Boy/Girl harmonies and buzzsaw guitars - a delightful combination. You can order the limited edition vinyl from HHBTM here.

And from the comments section (Youtube poster named Andunemir), we got alerted to this great video:

New Pop/Punk Discovery: Shy Mirrors - Negative Collector

Shy Mirrors (Mike Downey, a Swede by way of Chicago, IL) is a fantastic discovery - their new album, Negative Collector, may be the best thing you hear this week. It sounds like Weezer having a fight with the Ramones. It contains elements of garage, surf, punk and power pop and the thing about it is, it's better than I can possibly make it sound.

If, like me, you continue to enjoy the sounds of Jeff the Brotherhood, Pujol and the patron saint of Rocksteady74's WYMA output, Ty Segall, you ought to waste no more time reading - just give a listen.

Free downloads are available for the tracks streamed above:  "Tinted Windows" - a 1:50 guitar jam that calls to mind the ..., and for "First Wave Out" - an even wilder skate-punk sounding track that just thrashes its way through 1:43 at the end of the record. You getting this? Sub-2:00 jams, Ramones comparisons and Weezer melodicism (is that a word?)... sure, you can have these two songs for free, but you ought to buy the whole thing. Not only will it improve your music collection, but it will encourage Downey to record more music.

Negative Collector is out this week on Big School Records.

Shy Mirrors Website

New California Jangle Discovery: Sweater Girls - Sweater Girls Were Here

Sweater Girls are a California band featuring super-sweet female harmony vocals, jangly guitars and a bit of a punk backbeat... and boy, is their music catchy. Their new album, Sweater Girls Were Here, is a celebration of Southern California very much in the way that Best Coast's and The Go-Go's music was, and there are similiarities between them, but differences too. Sweater Girls don't have quite as much reverb, and probably a little more jangle on the guitars, and most of all, there are times you could overdose on the harmony vocals - so light, high and sweet are they. Check out lead track, "Infatuation Street":



I think "Fast Forward" is my favorite song on the record, and for a good portion of the song, the girls are just singing "La la la, la la la" over buzzsaw guitars and that nifty backbeat.

Here's a video for "Fred" - same formula, same delightful result:



I think when a band has a sound that works for them, they are well-served by working to perfect it and sharing it with the world. Based on Sweater Girls Were Here, I think Sweater Girls have the same philosophy.

As I mentioned in my review of Detective's However Strange, I had read that a recent show in LA featured Sweater Girls, Seapony (which we also like a lot and which Scott reviewed here recently) and Detective. Here's a video from "Part Time Punks"... Starts out with Seapony, Sweater Girls at about 3:10 and Detective at 4:55. Lucky audience...



The album is out this week (9/25) on HHBTM Records.

REVIEW: Turbo Fruits - Butter

Nashville is still Music City USA. It's just that, with the presence in Middle Tennessee of rock bands like The Turbo Fruits, Jeff the Brotherhood, PUJOL, Wild Cub, The Excuses and the Ettes, that moniker no longer refers specifically to the country stuff they're making over on Music Row. There is a burgeoning rock scene - all over Nashville and Middle Tennessee - and many folks here will tell you their favorite band is The Turbo Fruits.

Their new album Butter is a pretty straight-ahead rock record, but it hops around a bit between what's commonly called "garage rock" and some of the glammier stuff you might expect from, say, The Strokes - or, going back in time, maybe Marc Bolan. What they have in common with those other bands I mentioned is an attitude - and real skill at combining punk, glam and good old guitar rock.

Most of the record features a pretty fast pace and wild guitar work - from opening cut "Where The Stars Don't Shine" with its heavy bottom and fast psychedelic guitar lead,



--to the punk metal of "Ain't The Only One Having Fun":



--the bike-culture celebration "Harley Dollar Bill$":

Turbo Fruits - Harley Dollar Bill$ from Serpents & Snakes on Vimeo.

and surf-rock workout "10 Years" and club fight anthem "Don't Like To Fight".

But lest you think that's all they've got in their bag of tricks, they vary the tempo and produce some quality songs that almost pass as ballads: "Sweet Thang" has a plaintive quality that wouldn't be out of place on a Walkmen record and "Catch & Release" swings fairly gently, albeit with plenty of tasty electric guitar licks. The record is terrific, and a lot of fun to listen to.

Butter was released last week (9/11) on Serpents and Snakes Records... you can buy it from the band at Turbo Fruits website.

Ringo Deathstarr - new video for "Rip" from forthcoming album Mauve

You may recall we posted about Texas psych/shoegaze band Ringo Deathstarr a while back - first, a review of their last album Colour Trip in 2011, and then more recently when they were looking for help with their current project, an album entitled Mauve.

Well, good news is, they got the help they needed and the thing is on track to be released by the end of September. The lead single "Rip" will be out next Monday - here's the video:



Ringo Deathstarr are Elliott Frazier (guitars & vocals), Alex Gehring (bass & vocals), Daniel Coborn (drums).

Ringo Deathstarr Facebook

Ringo Deathstarr needs your help...

Austin's terrific psychedelic guitar rock band Ringo Deathstarr is working on a followup to 2009's Colour Trip, and they have made a video to ask for your help in getting it made via PledgeMusic.

This pledge trend, essentially offering fans the opportunity to become patrons of their favorite bands, it is very interesting.



If you like this kind of music (think Jesus & Mary Chain, Swervedriver), I can think of a lot worse places for you to place $10.

Crocodiles - new video for "Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)"

Here's a video Crocodiles have released to accompany the track "Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9) from their upcoming album Endless Flowers:



This is a terrific song - among all the elements you have to have to play noise pop like this well, the Crocodiles have them all: a propulsive drummer, hypnotic harmony vocals and noisy, jangly guitars. Really looking forward to this record, due for a June 5 release on Frenchkiss Records. Previously, we posted about the upcoming album, a teaser video the band has released and a free download of this song. Here's a link to the post.

The Stammer - "Follow the Leader" from The Stammer EP

The Stammer is a Philadelphia-based postpunk band - incorporating psych, garage and some great guitar lines. Like the pace, the drumming, noisy keyboards and the layered guitars. First song, "Follow the Leader", is a quick trip - 2:16 to be exact, and a good taste of what they're up to. You can download and check it out for yourself:

Download of "Follow the Leader".

And you can sample or buy the whole thing here:



You know what occurred to me? If you, like me, ever wished the Walkmen would pick up the pace a little bit sometimes, check this out. Feels like the drummer's driving the car, and I like it.

Crocodiles - New Video for upcoming release Endless Flowers

I like the Crocodiles a lot - wrote about them in the early days of WYMA, and it turns out they've got an album coming out in June. Check out this infomercial:



Free download of "Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9) here via RCRD LBL.

Sounds great, heavy on the psych, punk and pop...

They're touring, too - if you see them, let us know what you think of the new stuff.

APR. 11 BROOKLYN, NY GLASSLANDS
APR. 12 NEW YORK, NY MERCURY LOUNGE
JUN. 10 DALLAS, TX HOUSE OF BLUES*
JUN. 11 AUSTIN, TX STUBB'S (outdoors)*
JUN. 13 SAN DIEGO, CA HOUSE OF BLUES*
JUN. 15 LOS ANGELES, CA HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM*
JUN. 16 SAN FRANCISCO, CA WARFIELD THEATRE*
JUN. 17 PORTLAND, OR ROSELAND THEATRE*
JUN. 18 SEATTLE, WA SHOWBOX AT THE MARKET*
JUN. 19 VANCOUVER, BC MALKIN BOWL AT STANLEY PARK*

* supporting The Temper Trap

REVIEW: Margot & The Nuclear So-And-So's - Rot Gut, Domestic

Rot Gut, Domestic is Margot and the Nuclear So-And-So's third album. Their leader is singer/songwriter Richard Edwards, and this record is a set of songs that he labels "panic rock". We recently featured an advance single, "Prozac Rock" and I remarked on the punk content. That's certainly in evidence on the rest of the record, but so is a real sense of musical variety. The rock songs rage on, and the ballads are sweet and affecting. There's a real sense of humor - if you find an artist with this kind of musical talent and a sharp sense of humor as well, hold onto him. From the ballad "A Journalist Falls In Love," a sad tale told from the perspective of a reporter who falls in love with a death row inmate only to have to witness his execution, this is the story of his opening line, as it were:

"Yeah, I know I killed a few
But none of those women were you"

And there's a really good rock song featuring the chorus "Arvidas Sabonis/ Come back, we miss you" - I mean, really good.

Edwards' voice is strong enough to carry real buzzsaw rock songs like "Shannon" and "Disease, Tobacco Free" but clear enough to carry the ballads here. In addition to the aforementioned "Journalist" the band also slows down for "Frank Left" which reminds me of a Paul Westerberg ballad, and the really beautiful album closer "Christ".

Here's a free download of "Shannon" via Soundcloud, where you can also stream a couple other songs, "Frank Left" and "Prozac Rock":



And here's a video for "Prozac Rock":

Margot-Prozac Rock from Margot Cloud on Vimeo.

This is an excellent rock album with a big sound - it's ambitious, and there's nothing better than hearing a talented artist aim high and hit the target. They'll be on tour all over the country starting March 31. The album will be out March 20.

Margot Website

New Terry Malts video for "I Do"

We reviewed Terry Malts' album Killing Time at the start of the week, but they earned another post with a new video for album track "I Do". Good stuff!

Terry Malts - I Do from Slumberland Records on Vimeo.

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REVIEW: Terry Malts - Killing Time

OK, listen up -- the answer is Killing Time. The answer to what question, you ask? Well, actually, it is the answer to a number of questions. For the last six weeks or so, what have I been doing in my study for hours? Killing Time. What have I done on weekends instead of yard work? Killing Time. What have I turned to when I just wanted to listen to an album? Killing Time.

Killing Time is the enthralling 34 minutes of chainsaw pop from Terry Malts, released tomorrow by Slumberland Records. What is chainsaw pop? With Terry Malts punk pace, "chainsaw" guitar, aggressive drumming and a bass that is so upfront that you'll look over your shoulder to see if the dude is standing behind you. Why not judge for yourself with opening track, "Something About You" --


Terry Malts is Phil Benson (bass and lead vocals), Corey Cunningham (guitar and vocals), and Nathan Sweatt (drums and vocals). Resident of the Bay Area, they previously released a cassette and two 7" singles. Killing Time, which is out tomorrow on Slumberland Records, is their debut full length. My current favorite track is "No Sir, I'm Not A Christian" --
No Sir, I'm Not A Christian by corey_lee. Uploaded with BandPage by RootMusic

This album has the pace and attitude we crave from a punk pop album, but it is special because of it brings much more to the table. The baritone vocals are superbly delivered, the lyrics manage to be insightful and humorous ("your love make me nauseous") and it overflowing with melody and hooks. It is one of my top three albums of the year so far.

"Tumble Down"


I've enjoyed our time together here, but I've got to go -- it's Killing Time.

"Nauseous"


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