Strange box set?

New 7″ box set, ltd to 100 copies, feat BRAINBOMBS, HOMOSTUPIDS, POPPETS and BLACK BUG here: http://tinyurl.com/df69p9

I’ve got some other stuff coming shortly…

Drunkdriver – Knife Day 7″

A. Knife Day
B. January 2nd 

Label/Buy: Fan Death Records
Listen: Myspace (although if you want to listen to a specific track from this 7″, you’d be better off going to Fan Death’s Myspace, linked through their site linked above)

If Drunkdriver’s full-length LP from last year, Born Pregnant, was not enough for you, then have I got some good news for you. in the Their new 7″, Knife Day, finds them pushing their already punishing hardcore sound to even higher levels. I don’t know if the single format suits these guys more or if the up-and-comers at Fan Death caught these guys at their best, but this single is Drunkdriver at their most focused.

Here is some honesty for you: I was (that last word is key) not a huge fan of Born Pregnant until I listened to this latest 7″. This single has sold me on Drunkdriver. Enough that I went back, revisited their LP and yes, you may now consider me a fan of this Drunkdriver. On Knife Day, it sounds like they have gone even farther in their mission to lead their listeners into pummeled submission. I hesitate to say that they’ve gone “all the way”, as that says that they have nowhere left to go. For all of our collective eardrums, I’m hoping that there’s still some unexplored level of sonic punishment they haven’t reached yet.

Public Service Announcement: Down in the Ground

Don’t order records from Down in the Ground Records. This label “released” 4 records in late 2k8 – an Alters 7″, a 3-way split with COLD CAVE / BLESSURE GRAVE (the dude from which apparently runs Down in the Ground) / CROCODILES, a Blank Dogs 7″ and a Wounded Lion 7″.

I ordered the split, the BD and the Wounded Lion, but have only received the 3-way split. Mind you, these records were ordered in DECEMBER. Fuck that.

Part of this was my fault – one should never pre-order 3 different records in a row from an unknown label, just a scam waiting to happen. I get how life can catch up on a person, I get that sometimes things take time, but this is just stupid.

Don’t throw your money down the toilet.

The Flips

a: That Girl Stacey
b1: I Still Wanna Be His Girl
b2: Baby (It’s Gonna Be Alright)

Label/Buy: Bancroft Records
Listen: Myspace

The Flips are a Milwakee girl-band super-group, with former members of Tuff Bananas, Plexi 3, Sugar Stems and many other awesome bands coming together for a rousing collection of pop confections on their debut 7″. I’ve had this record for around a week now, and it has received more than its fair share on the turntable. Borrowing heavily from 60’s girl groups (gang vox, wall of sound production, general awesomeness) with the flair of a modern revivalist (look at that sleeve!).

This record is my new girlfriend.

El Jesus de Magico – Scalping the Guru LP

Label: Columbus Discount Records
Listen: Myspace (the songs on tthis LP aren’t on their player but still, if you haven’t heard them, get an idea…)
Buy: Scratch

Here’s what I was going to do: I was going to write a big, long post detailing the latest batch of releases from Columbus Discount Records. Then, I realized that despite me enjoying the Pillow Talk 7″ a LOT, I didn’t have much different to say than what CDR’s website has to say about it, that I didn’t have much at all to say about the Outer Spacist 7″ (it’s good), and that the Dan Melchior is…Dan Melchior (note: not a bad thing).

However, as you might have guessed, the El Jesus de Magico LP that was released with the above is the one that really caught me off-guard. Up until now, what I’ve heard of these guys (namely the Funeral Home Sessions and Unclean Ghost 7-inches) gave no indication that they were about to put something like Scalping the Guru out. Until now, they’ve been putting out some pretty exceptional lo-fi psych-punk jams and if they continued in this direction, I doubt many would have complained.

Their new LP, Scalping the Guru, is something else. El Jesus de Magico decided to go all kraut rock on us, creating 2009’s first possible best-of-the-year contender. What does it sound like? Imagine these guys trying to cover Amon Duul II’s longer, heavier dirges, somewhat failing to recreate the former’s sound (El Jesus is a little less on the proggy side) but succeeding completely in creating a new sound for themselves. These songs strike a perfect balance between abstract/jammy and a psych sound that is completely focused.

My only complaint is that the whole record is barely longer than half an hour and when you’ve got a kraut-y sound like that of Scalping the Guru, that’s barely enough.

While this record is sold out almost everywhere, Scratch apparently still has it on sale. Don’t blow it.

Captured Tracks – 7 new releases!

On top of the new Blank Dogs and new Dum Dum Girls 12″s that just came out (Captured Tracks 01 and 02), you can now order Captured Tracks 03 to 09. This label, curated by Mr. Bank Dogs himself, is coming out of the gate with SEVEN new releases. If you go to this Terminal Boredom thread,
you can order 03 to 09 all at once, which is nice because it saves you shipping and time. Plus, when that package comes, your mind will be completely blown.

Check out this list (commentary from the label): 2 cassettes, 2 7″, 2 12″!

CT-003 REPAIRS CS EP.
Debut release. Four tracks of ‘74 Germany+’79 Sheffield+’09 Australia.
http://myspace.com/repairsband
Ltd. to 250.

CT-004 WOODS 7″ Single.
WOODS are a real band. These are two of their best songs. Listen to the B-Side “The Dark” on their site.
http://myspace.com/woodsfamilyband

CT-005 Brilliant Colors 7″ Single.
Their 2nd 7″. You have the first on Make a Mess, right? The best.
http://myspace.com/brilliantcolorssanfrancisco

CT-006 The Mayfair Set 7″ Single.
Dum Dum Girls and Blank Dogs co-op band. More, more sad hits. (Reference intentional.) Slightly oversized envelope sleeve. Half w/ silver print, half w/ gold.
http://myspace.com/themayfairset

CT-007 Gary War “Opens” CS EP.
The Gary War live group is alive. Recorded on WFMU’s great “Choking on Cufflinks” show. Conveniently made available on the supposedly inconvenient cassette format. Ltd. to 300 copies.
http://myspace.com/garywargarywar

CT-008 The Bitters “Wooden Glove” 12″ EP.
The Bitters are the Cave Pop stars of the future.
http://myspace.com/bittersband

CT-009 Blessure Grave “Learn to Love the Rope” 12″ EP.
Doomsday duo make it to the large format.
http://myspace.com/blessuregravesd

Sweet Sixteens 7″

a1: Sixteens Theme
a2: She Said Alright
b: When the Sun Comes Up
Label: Spin The Bottle Records (purchase here)
Listen: Myspace

Lafayette’s Sweet Sixteens have just released their debut 7″ on Toronto’s Spin the Bottle Records. Nobunny-esq ragers on the a-side (you know – Ramones riffs + drum machines + trashcan production) and a slow jam on the b-side. The party songs are awesome – “Sixteens Theme” featuring party-blowers, “She Said Alright” works on getting the blood going, though it is the lament – “When the Sun Comes Up” – which features the prominent use of the “March” rhythm on a Casio-SK1, is the highlight here. If you love Nobunny, Romanc Novels, Eric and the Happy Thoughts and Hunx, there is no reason why you wouldn’t love this too.

Death – …For the Whole World To See LP

Previously on Seven Ten Twelve…

Label: Drag City
Listen: Myspace or Chunklet (for mp3s)

Today, February 17th, marks the release date of Drag City’s newest reissue, Death’s …For the Whole World To See.

The backstory of this record is admittedly less fascinating than Drag City’s other recent reissue icon, J.T. IV. For the sake of not telling a story again word for word, let’s make it short. Basically, three guys from Detroit formed a band. In 1974, they recorded a full-length for Columbia Records. Said label wanted them to change their band name to something more marketable. They said no and instead, self-released the Politicians In My Eyes 7″ in 1976. Since then, that 7″ has become a highly sought-after collector’s item.

However, like J.T. IV, the story has resulted in a fantastic record. The seven tracks on …For the Whole World To See have been called a literal predecessor to the Bad Brains. While I can hear it, Death sound a lot more like a traditional rock’n'roll band than the Bad Brains’ punk style. Not that I’m complaining, I just think Thin Lizzy would be a more suitable comparison to make, if you’re into that kind of thing (and the recording date of this predates the release of Jailbreak by two years!). I really want to single out tracks to highlight on here but hell, with only seven tracks, all of them are worthy of classic rock anthem status. These should be played on classic rock radio, and it would be, if said radio stations had a farther reach.

As far as I know, Drag City has sold out of the LPs on pre-orders but check the distros listed at the side. Soon enough, they should have some in. Better yet, check your local record store if they have it in. Copies of this, I hear, are not as scarce as the J.T. IV LP (which has just been repressed, as a matter of fact).

Sacred Bones New Release Fest

My favourite record label Sacred Bones has FIVE new releases that you can order from their site right now, which is pretty damn exciting. What a treat! All of these still have the “Special Editions” available still.

Zola Jesus New Amsterdam CDR

It has taken me a while to get into Zola Jesus – basically because I haven’t really given it a lot of time. I got that Die Stasi XXperiments compilation which features a bunch of “Crimson Wave” artists like US Girls, Cro Magnon and the Zola Jesus song on that blows everything else out of the water.

Gary War – Zontag 7″

This might be too easy, but Gary War totally reminds me of Blank Dogs, but sounds like he exists in his own world at the same time.

Spirit Photography – Time is Wasting 7″

Featuring members of Christmas Island (whom I like a great deal), this one is the one I might be most looking forward to out of this whole batch – broody, kind of reminds me of early Bauhaus with drum machines. Stoked for their upcoming 4-way split with Sharp Ends and The O’Voids!!

Max Elliott: The Nature O’ Nature 7″

For my $$$, the Jerkwave cassette from Max Elliott was my favourite (aka: most listened to) cassette release from 2k8, so of course I am excited to hear more! Had no idea that he was a member of the UBER (too?) prolific Absinthe Minds, but I guess that makes sense.

Pink Noise – Gold Light 7″

More Pink Noise is always a good thing. If you missed out on the Sacred Bones LP from last year, you need to get on that asap – Ebay Save Search that shit!

____________________

I’ve been “composing” this post for like an hour now, and I’ve had CNN on in the background. Top news story : a fireball of some sort over Texas! They are saying “space junk”, but I think we all know that is an obvious cover-up. When is the American government going to come clean about UFOs?

Apollo Ghosts – Hastings Sunrise LP

Label: Self – Released

Listen: Myspace

My friend Jarrett Evan Samson (who I’ve “known” for a long time on various Guided By Voices message boards, but who is a member of such awesome bands as Collapsing Opposites / Role Mach / Shipyards; he is also going to be part of the Endangered Ape vinyl debut soon-ish! This is a lot of information for a bracket. Perhaps it should have been a footnote? Too late now…) sent me this record from The Apollo Ghosts in the mail because he just thought I should hear it. Which, in my opinion, is a pretty nice thing to do. I’m trying to figure out something to send back. Maybe a copy of the NoBunny record? Turns out that I had been hearing about this record from another online “acquaintance” Ryan Catbird (who I “know” from the Destroyer message board, and who runs the only indie-centric music blog that I still read), and I am embarassed to admit that I was going to order a copy for myself, even though Jarret said he was sending me a copy. I was waiting for Payday actually, and then “MAGIC” here is

This might be the nerdiest opening paragraph in 7/10/12 history.  Internet friends!

Like a Destroyer record, Apollo Ghost’s Hastings Sunrise is all about unique vocal delivery delivering clever lyrics. In this case, Adrian Teacher employs a variation of the classic baroque-pop style that evokes the romantic-pop of the mid 80’s. Even with the emphasis on that voice, delivering those lyrics, there is lots to grab onto here – from the great production (JC/DC studios, just like a Destroyer record!), to the two minute pop-songs floating around this album. Most of these songs hover around the two minute mark, which gives the album a sense of urgency from start to finish even when the songs slow down and Teacher takes on the role of plaintive crooner (“Ghost, Get Out of My Apartment” reminds me of that awesome Devon Williams album from last year).  Album highlight comes in the form of the jittery second track, “Land of the Morning Calm” which, at two-minutes is one of those songs that advocates finish/restart/finish/restart behavour – one of the best pop-songs I’ve heard in a long time. At 300 copies on vinyl (available through their myspace page), Hastings Sunrise is a debut that marks the start of a brilliant career.