[engl] Hoaries are an accomplished group of self-professed gray-hairs plying their goods in the noise rock arena to which there should be no mystery when you stop and consider they exist as somewhat a continuation of the late, great Denton, TX outfit, White Drugs (Amphetamine Reptile). Though unquestionable peers of other sovereign noise rock contempos the likes of METZ and so forth, I for one give HOARIES the creative edge. Their shape-shifting rebukes warp and bend the sonic panorama like no other; they drain the Tin Man’s oil can and take that blood to lube all the rusty gates in the ‘hood, they do, they do. At times the sound of a pair of high-functioning alcoholic plumbers swinging over-large industrial wrenches at one another within a careening bouncy house. Belligerently mid-tempo bulbousness that’ll knock your nose out of joint yet still manage to dish some hooks that you will find hard to shake. For fuck sake, they even manage to make a SADÉ cover work—strange choice, strange doings. Go figure. - Peter Davis, Your Flesh Magazine After a series of singles, a brief tour and a split 10"ep, the "pandemic" gave the band time to fully develop the new material and to reach their final form with Jeff Helland (White Drugs) leading the way on vocals and guitar, the perfect pairing with Christian Breit on second guitar (also of White Drugs), new bass warrior Bobby Weaver (from The Paper Chase on Kill Rock Stars) and Clay Stinnett (Boom Boom Box, Ghost Car) still in the drummer's seat propelling the songs forward. Featuring a bone-rattling mix by Matthew Barnhart (METZ, Superchunk), this debut full length feels more like a record from a band that has been around the block and thru the alley a few times already!

[engl] INTENSIVE CARE is the phoenix from the ashes of COLUMN OF HEAVEN, a band we all loved and few understood. Bright and angry. Don't relax and think this will be any easier for you to figure. Pure bitterness, cynicism and furor here. The amount of idiocy in the world is confounding. Let this reset your barometer. Art by Jonathan Bauerle. 500 copies on black vinyl. Thank you.

[engl] Bonkers hardcore/noise rock from Connecticut filled with snot, vitriol, and contempt. Soaked in sweat, alcohol, and likely some other substances, Maniacal vocals with a post-hardcore groove. "Sometimes in life you come across a band or a song or an album and wonder: what the fuck was I doing in my life up until this point that I’ve not yet come across this. In addition to heart-wrenching retroactive FOMO, you’ll likely feel a strong sense of betrayal. How could someone not have referred me to this? You people call yourself friends?... ...The music itself is a beautiful custom blend of noise, hardcore, and punk. Though (vocalist) Tarek claims to hate writing them, his lyrics are fantastic. A targeted, brilliant wordsmith I aspire to someday match in skill. In listening I’m reminded of Pissed Jeans, Infinity Land, and fan-favorite, Chat Pile. Of the band's writing process I’m told “one of us will just come up with a dope ass riff and just ride off of it.” - Abbie Bateman, NoEcho.net

[engl] It’s Everyone Else will shatter your preconceptions about electronic music. This male/female duo from Slovenia create a merciless mix of alternative, industrial and noise using nothing but synths, samplers and vocals. Their piercing effects cut through distorted bass lines and huge electronic drums, culminating in cathartic live performances that will leave you gasping for air.

[engl] Ajo Sunshine (say it with me folks, “Ahh-Ho”) is heralded by an alarming horn ensemble, stabbing with the dramatic urgency of a killer’s theme in a midnight movie. It’s a jarring but appropriate entry point for this brilliantly blasted listen, an array of exquisitely sharp edges punctuated by kaleidoscopic respites of throbbing warmth and surprising tenderness. J.R.C.G. (Justin R. Cruz Gallego)’s previous work with Seattle’s excellent Dreamdecay may foreground the broad strokes here, but he’s pushed things way outward in terms of his sonic palette. Abutting field recordings captured from rodeos off Ajo Way, a stretch of highway that leads you westward out of Tucson Arizona directly into the sun, both acoustic instruments and gleaming walls of synthetic noise are framed in dour and dissonant chord shapes, crackling with overdriven drum mics and seasick waves of distortion. It’s homage that plays out like a collage, a dream switching from station to station, a series of dedications broadcast on late night radio. All pin-hole size images from scenes never seen whole, strung together in but one version of complete.

[engl] The debut EP from Limerick's alt rock noise duo Japanese Jesus. 12" black vinyl EP with printed inner sleeve. Limited Edition of 150 copies.

[engl] JOHN DWYER: SYNTHESIZERS,TAPES & EFFECTS NICK MURRAY: DRUMS, PERCUSSION BRAD CAULKINS: TENOR SAXOPHONE, ALTO SAXOPHONE & SELMER ELECTRIC SAX MOON PHOTO BY JPD RECORDED, MIXED AND EDITED AT STU STU STUDIO BY JOHN DWYER

[engl] Trap kit, hand percussion, homemade percussion instruments and electronic percussion overflow with extra weirdness. Sick pop rhythms grinding through the wasteland. Sand in your hair and bugs in your teeth. Hand on your knife, knife in your sheath Grimy bass burps through a fried stack And the crack of the snare is a mighty pink smack Bells, whistles, conga, and vibes This is a drug record One thousand times

[engl] JOHN DWYER guitar, synths, pan flute, cuica, hand percussion, space drum and effects. RYAN SAWYER drums GREG COATES upright bass ANDRES RENTERIA on conga, bongos & hand percussion WILDER ZOBY on synth and mellotron

[engl] JOHN DWYER : GUITAR, SYNTHESIZERS, HAND PERCUSSION,TAPE LOOPS, CUICA, VOICE RYAN SAWYER : DRUMS, HAND PERCUSSION, VOICE PETER KERLIN : STAND UP BASS, ELECTRIC BASS THOMAS DOLAS : SYNTHESIZERS, CLAVINET, MELLOTRON, ELECTRIC PIANO KYP MALONE : MODULAR SYNTHESIZER BRAD CAULINS : TENOR SAXOPHONE, SELMER MARK VI VARITONE SAXOPHONE MARCOS RODRIGUEZ : GUITAR LAENA “GERONIMO” MYERS-IONITA : VIOLIN ANDRES RENTERIA : CONGA, BONGO, HAND PERCUSSION JOCE SOUBIRAN : TENOR SAXOPHONE RECORDED LIVE, MIXED BY JOHN DWYER AT STU-STU-STUDIO DEC 2019 COVER PHOTO BY JOHN DWYER

[engl] Announcing Gong Splat What’s this? Today’s holiday gift? One final transmission from the core of the planet! Cresting slabs of concrete and powdered bone rich soil Improvisation freak flag flitters atop a gutted highrise Ryan Sawyer on drums Greg Coates on upright bass Wilder Zoby on synth and mellotron Andres Renteria on conga, bongos & hand percussion and John Dwyer on guitar, synths, pan flute, cuica, hand percussion, space drum and effects. This one is spitting fat and neon night light city drives White in the corner of the pilot’s mouth Furry, fuzzy and frenetic Motorik and full of blood-rich ticks Maggots unite! There’s a show tonight! Welcome back humans. Fantastic collage art by Dan Lean Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by John Dwyer in the peak of dope smoke lock down

[engl] "Walk the dog. Exercise. Make art. 'The mind is happy when the body is' Things I can potentially fill my days with if I am stuck at home for months on end… Then, one day, I hear a frenetic, free drummer playing in his garage a few blocks from me. And I think “interesting”. I stand outside his garage staring at the wall, like a fool, for a minute, then decide to leave a note on the car parked there. This is how I ended up meeting and working with Ted Byrnes. He wasn’t creeped out, and he ended up sending me a pile of truly spontaneous drums recordings from the carport to work with. I decided to have every musician come in one at at time and just take a wild pass at their track over the drums. None of these people had ever met or played together. I was the connecting thread. I scratched the surface initially with electric bass, saxophone, guitars, cuica, synthesizers, flute and effects, but soon realized I would need heavy hitters to make this place habitable. Greg Coates, upright bass expressionist extraordinaire, hacked through the dense weeds, vines and frayed cabling. He lays the map out and makes breathing room. Space to swing a cat. Tom Dolas (keys), my often foil, came in and began tip-toeing through the rubble and refuse. Dotting the layout with flecks of light, flights of fancy and potential tangential trajectories. Then the finisher, Brad Caulkins on horns. As always, Brad came in like grace itself, scanned the floor for food, and huffed and puffed and blew the house down. He takes a bruiser situation and lends it some warmth and hospitality, old school. After I spent a bit of time mixing and editing this down to a palatable offering I couldn’t help but think about human consumption. Our limitless need for material possession, for emotional acknowledgment, for as much information to be thrown in our faces in our very short time here on this mortal coil. We are buried in information. We are constantly hungry and perhaps too smart for our own good. We leave behind us a wake of destruction. Of course, there are moments of great beauty, ingenuity and compassion along the way. You just have to know where to look. Thus, “Endless Garbage” seemed a fitting title. A cacophonous and glorious sketch of ourselves. For fans of Albert Ayler, ECM records, Gong, improvisation, sustainability and consumption” John Dwyer

[engl] Kevlar Bikini strikes back with their fourth album meaningfully named "OPT-OUTism". This Zagreb-based hardcore punk trio delivers another comprehensive collection of immensely powerful tunes, which have been saturated with gracious servings of magnificent elements of metal and noise rock. The band sounds vital, relevant, highly energetic throughout the entire album without any intention to decrease the intensity and slow down. We are talking about the band who did this whole social distancing and self-isolation thing long before it was cool. As a result, they have a new album "OPT-OUTism", which provides sheer sonic aggression separated in ten high-octane compositions, loaded with threatening vocals, massive riffs, catchy basslines and a badass drumming performance that will certainly shake your entire body.

[engl] Each and every one of these tracks is a cluster bomb of barbed and melodic shredding and it’s impossible not to be swept along by the vigour of it all. - Pete Woods, Ave Noctum

[engl] La Glissierre is Chris Breit (White Drugs, Banos y Banos, Hoaries) and a group of choice collaborators. But the heavy lifting, both creatively and as a recording engineer, is all Breit. The band mutates from punk camouflaged as Pere-Ubu pop on wax; to manic emotionally-charged Blacktop-esque garage rock on stage. It is a band to see and hear in all forms. Autobaños, to me, is about songwriting and impulse; it’s both scenic and introspective; both noisy and riddled with catchy hooks. Bands like Red Mass, Lamps, and Tyvek all come to mind. And there’s some of the gloss of The Fresh & Onlys, Creative Adult and Purling Hiss invading tracks like Overpunk and Bluebonnet Plague. But none of these bands have the surl and humor that Chris’s vocals grind into each track. Nor do they contain his experimental approach to guitar. Think Ben Walkers (Country Teasers) in his most punk rock, yet socially acceptable, form. This album is a dark beast looming in the corner wearing sparkly shirts and riffing major highbrow dad jokes. Full disclosure, Chris is a dear friend of mine. And, when your friends present this kind of gift to the world, you kinda wish they weren’t your friends, so that your praise and admiration of their art can’t be confused with nicety. It’s a tremendous work of songwriting and my admiration of his abilities borders on jealousy. - Jeff Helland (White Drugs, Hoaries)

[engl] Over the course of its two-decade existence, Lightning Bolt has revolutionized underground rock in immeasurable ways. The duo broke the barrier between stage and audience by setting themselves up on the floor in the midst of the crowd. Their momentous live performances and the mania they inspired paved the way for similar tactics used by Dan Deacon and literally hundreds of others. Similarly, the band’s recordings have always been chaotic, roaring, blown out documents that sound like they could destroy even the toughest set of speakers. Fantasy Empire, Lightning Bolt’s sixth album and first in five years, is a fresh take from a band intent on pushing themselves musically and sonically while maintaining the aesthetic that has defined not only them, but an entire generation of noisemakers. It marks many firsts, most notably their first recordings made using hi-fi recording equipment at the famed Machines With Magnets, and their first album for Thrill Jockey. More than any previous album, Fantasy Empire sounds like drummer Brian Chippendale and bassist Brian Gibson are playing just a few feet away, using the clarity afforded by the studio to amplify the intensity they project. Every frantic drum hit, every fuzzed-out riff, sounds more present and tangible than ever before. Fantasy Empire is ferocious, consuming, and is a more accurate translation of their live experience. It also shows Lightning Bolt embracing new ways to make their music even stranger. More than any previous record, Chippendale and Gibson make use of live loops and complete separation of the instruments during recording to maximize the sonic pandemonium and power. Gibson worked with Machines very carefully to get a clear yet still distorted and intense bass sound, allowing listeners to truly absorb the detail and dynamic range he displays, from the heaviest thud to the subtle melodic embellishments. Some of these songs have been in the band’s live repertoire since as early as 2010, and have been refined in front of audiences for maximum impact. This is heavy, turbulent music, but it is executed with the precision of musicians that have spent years learning how to create impactful noise through the use of dynamics, melody, and rhythm. Fantasy Empire has been in gestation for four years, with some songs having been recorded on lo-fi equipment before ultimately being scrapped. Since Earthly Delights was released, the band has collaborated with The Flaming Lips multiple times, and continued to tour relentlessly. 2013 saw the release of All My Relations by Black Pus, Chippendale’s solo outlet, which was followed by a split LP with Oozing Wound. Chippendale, an accomplished comic artist and illustrator, created the Fantasy Empire’s subtly ominous album art, and will release an upcoming book of his comics through respected imprint Drawn and Quarterly.

[engl] Hypermagic Mountain, Lightning Bolt’s 4th album has been unavailable for nearly a decade since it’s 2005 release. Back as a double LP including a full drawing by Brian Chippendale as the D side Etching! The package includes a large scale 4-page book (previous pressings included a cd size book). Recorded at Machines with Magnets and Lightning Bolt’s home by Dave Auchenbach. Lightning Bolt play with abandon that is unmatched and remarkably undiluted and this album is just one more example of that raw power and sound. They are often called one of the loudest rock outfits in existence, both on record and on (or famously, off) the stage. Brian Gibson creates sounds that are unexpected and remarkably varied with his virtuosic bass playing and his inventive approach to the instrument, centered around melody rather than rhythm. The dizzying fury of Brian Chippendale’s drums twist from primal patterns into disorienting break beats as his distorted, and echoing vocals weave more melody into the mayhem.

[engl] Ride the Skies is the 2nd album by Lightning Bolt, and this rerelease makes it available to fans for the first time since it's original release. Compared to their first album it's cleaner, tighter, recorded in studio rather than live. Which is not to say this is boring or sanitized in any way, Lightning Bolt never fail to make magic, filling a space with loud, raw sound. Sounds of synth or guitar turn out to be bass, and riffs become patterns, become a beat in the background, become a wall of noise, become a clear sound above it all. Lightning Bolt are known for the sound that truly comes into it's own in this album. Outside of their 7 acclaimed albums, they're known for frequent & exhilirating live shows, and this reputation has created a market for their older titles. Ride the Skies is rereleased with deluxe packaging featuring jacket art that was designed by Brian Chippendale for the original release but has never been realized until now. Recent Thrill Jockey Lightning Bolt re-releases seem to move as quickly as the Brians playing live, as old and new fans jump at the rare opportunity to finally get an old favorite in a shiny new jacket."

[engl] Lightning Bolt play with abandon that is unmatched and remarkably undiluted since the duo’s formation 25 years ago. They are often called one of the loudest rock outfits in existence, both on record and on (or famously, off) the stage. Brian Gibson creates sounds that are unexpected and remarkably varied with his virtuosic bass playing and his inventive approach to the instrument, centered around melody rather than rhythm. The dizzying fury of Brian Chippendale’s drums twist from primal patterns into disorienting break beats as his distorted, looped, and echoing vocals weave more melody into the mayhem. Amidst the fray there has always been shreds of a pop songs discernible in the eye of every Lightning Bolt song. For their seventh full length, Sonic Citadel, Gibson and Chippendale have done the daring, stripping away some of the distortion mask to reveal the naked pop forms as never before. Their relentless energy, inventiveness and, unrestrained joy still drive their songs, pulling you in and compelling you to bounce and yes, even sing along. Over their career Lightning Bolt’s incomparable sound has been built on the ebb and flow between the power of raw, unbridled simplicity and a boundless, childlike sense of wonder. Sonic Citadel marks the duo’s most varied and diverse work since their seminal album Wonderful Rainbow, exploring a large breadth of emotions between and within each song. Gibson and Chippendale again recorded with the esteemed Machines With Magnets to capture the abandon of their music with clarity and Gibson’s incredible dynamic range clearly to make the record as visceral an experience as their live performances. The pummeling “Blow To The Head” and swirling “Van Halen 2049” bookend the album with two of the most ferocious songs in the band’s catalogue, with the former built as a Black Pus (Brian Chippendale’s solo outlet) track on steroids. In stark contrast, songs like “Don Henley In The Park,” and “All Insane” take on almost conventional pop shapes despite being entirely spontaneous pieces crafted in the studio. “Hüsker Dön’t” too defies expectations as one of the poppiest songs in their discography with a chugging but clear chord progression and some of Chippendale’s least distorted vocals. These wildly varying approaches are a testament to the duo’s immeasurable capacity to explore new sonic territory organically, and largely through improvisation. For the bulk of Lightning Bolt’s work together, they have slowly molded improvised jams which sometimes take years to develop on the road. The song “Halloween 3” may sound familiar to fans who have seen the band live in the last 15 years, and is named after a popular video of the duo performing an early version of the song. Sonic Citadel, however, also prominently features songs which began as solo recordings, be it a Black Pus 4-track recording or a series of looped bass figures from Gibson. In the four years between album releases, each member’s increasingly prolific creative endeavors limited their time to create together. Brian Gibson was the sole artist, musician and co-designer of the acclaimed video game Thumper, which has since proliferated across a multitude of platforms, and won countless awards including the 2019 Apple Design Award. Brian Chippendale, who has always created the band’s visual art, released the graphic novel Puke Force, was included in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time,” and recently collaborated with fashion designers Eckhaus Latta. Coupled with their consistent touring, as well as Chippendale recently becoming a father, the duo took the challenge of their time constraints head on as a compositional tool. By keeping some songs more direct and focusing on their central ideas, the duo managed to increase the overall intensity of their music while leaving space to for the songs to breath and stretch out live. The impact that Lightning Bolt has had on underground music since its inception is immense, and remains pervasive beyond any genre tag that has been attached to them. Sonic Citadel is the work of band unafraid to challenge themselves, unbound by expectations, joyfully defiant, and possessed of the same inventive curiosity which set them apart on day one and is unmatched still 25 years later.

[engl] LOINS is a three-piece noise-rock-post-punk-whatever band from Helsinki, Finland. While still a relatively new band with only one self-titled EP under their belt, rest assured, the members are already pros and have been doing this for 20+ years in various bands (including the fantastic Baxter Stockman). While the first release was more of an introduction to things to come, on AFTERGLOW the band is really finding its true identity. The overall tone may feel bleak at first, but there is much more hope underneath than might catch the ear at first listen. It might sound complex, but it is really just plain rock and roll for shits and giggles. Complexity comes easy, darkness is natural, and it takes an effort to ignore it. So, chin up, don’t overthink it, and enjoy this blast from LOINS. For fans of NoMeansNo, Baxter Stockman, and the deep dish Chicago style Albini flavored Jesus Lizard /Touch & Go school of rock.

[engl] Since its depraved and characteristically ugly Australian birthing in 1986, Stu Spasm's Lubricated Goat has remained a cock in the ass of decency. Stu has worn the devil's red cloak proudly, through a revolving door of musical confederates, trans-Pacific moves, bizarre and unrepentant television nudity, a celebrated underground rock marriage and divorce, six albums, countless tours, even a stabbing. His vision remains unchanged. Reptilian Records proudly serves up The Great Old Ones as a lustful orgy of aural hedonism. It's a celebration of the first ten years of mayhem cut to tape. This long-awaited disc collects newly recorded stabs at songs from previous Lubricated Goat albums (all painfully out of print), some singles, and a track from Stu's band Crunt (feat. Members of Babes in Toyland and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion). Insanity, free will, intellectual hedonism, the devil's hand in fine dining. Tracked at Studio G in Brooklyn, NY in May of 2003, this set is blazingly fresh, and sonically superior to the originals. Stu has assembled a distinctive and essential line-up featuring Natz from Cop Shoot Cop, and Ant from New York scum-rockers the Spitters. The quartet is as limber as they are tight, and boast superior musicianship to all those that have preceded them. The old songs swing and rock with unparalleled confidence. Stu's vocals perfectly distill Bon Scott's bawdiness while holding Captain Beefheart in a full-frontal checkmate. While early material reeked of the abrasive noise-skronk of the Birthday Party, and synthed-out art-damage of Pere Ubu and Suicide, time wore on and Stu added greater dynamic flourishes, fleshing out his earthy scatology with the black magic of well-defined songcraft. Truly, the bastard can play the guitar. The Great Old Ones considerably ups all the antes, the band playing with the deft confidence and sure-handedness of a well-oiled touring rock machine. It's not even funny how much better these versions are over their predecessors. Good, confident rock always trumps even the best and worst intentions of art.