So, if you weren’t really bored of hearing about Wavves, you’d probably be wondering what Nathan Williams was doing before all the hype, backlash, stage breakdowns and fights with Black Lips that followed. Well, he was playing in a pretty good “tropical psych-folk trio” called Fantastic Magic and he dressed like like he played in Devendra Banhart’s backing band. They played a bunch of shows, released a CD-R, a tape and a 7″, and then split up. So what happened to the other members of the group? Well, two of them, specifically Matthew and Sundar, became Heavy Hawaii. Read more »
Sea lions inspire the Sea Lions
Sea lions are awesome and not just for the fact that they are really good at dancing, have tusks and are killer surfers. These tusked Pinnipeds are also righteous music warriors who once tried to fuck up the Jonas Brothes and have inspired the kids of sea lion hotspot Oxnard, California to put down the guns and pick up the C86. Read more »
GERMAN MEASLES ARE SICK (OR ILL – WHATEVER LAME PUN YOU PREFER)
The bad thing about the endless versatility of viruses and diseases is all the unstoppable death that they spread. The good thing is that we’ve been given plenty of good band names by this microscopic death squad: the Germs, Anthrax, Aids Wolf, Cancer Bats, the Cramps, Pestilence, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Tuberculosis Boy. It’s inevitable that there’s a thousand bands called Swine Flu already (and equally inevitably that 500 of them are noise bands). That must make Avian Flu feel a little old-hat. Anyway, here is the next entry into this dubious pantheon: the German Measles. Read more »
The dawn of Dominant Legs
Dominant Legs is the project of Ryan William Lynch, with a little help from the alliterated Hannah Hunt. They make fragile pop songs that sound like Arthur Russell covering Aztec Camera’s back catalogue. Perhaps this is how Roddy Frame’s early recordings would have sounded if he’d grown up in San Francisco instead of East Kilbride. The music also shares a little of Ariel Pink’s misty eighties nostalgic spirit. See if you like it (you will, you fucking cynic) by listening to the track below. Read more »
Devon-o-rama
Anyone remember Osker? When I was googling the name of Devon Williams, whose music I am thinking about today, I discovered his past. It seems he was in one of the most controversial pop-punk bands of their time, who pissed off the mohawked masses with their criticisms of punk conformity, their sincere stage presence, and by not being idiots. They were also known for once supporting NOFX and taunting the crowd by telling them the headliners hadn’t released a good album in years. Yep, they were the most ‘punk’ pop-punk band out there. Read more »
Vice Singles Club, 7 September 2009
When you’re a kid it’s pretty standard for a gang to demand a picture of a naked woman to get into their club. If you have an older sister, odds are it’ll be one of her. It’s pretty similar for the Vice Singles Club, only we want naked pictures of anyone with a single out this week. So, for example, if you applied today, we’d be demanding a Bananarama lesbo sandpit adventure snap and a picture of Mika’s cock in a burger bun. Read more »
Let’s hit the City Center
City centres are generally places to avoid – shopping by day and boozing by night. Okay, okay, we all do both, but you know, some people do it in really obnoxious ways. Okay, okay, we all do it in different obnoxious ways, but, well, some of us are pussies, and others are alpha fucks who fight us.
Vice Singles Club, 1 September 2009
We had our bi-annual Vice Singles Club meet at the weekend. It was awesome, someone baked this cake out of seven-inches and then we did a quiz. Can you name the members of Roxy Music who aren’t called Bryan? No? Then you wouldn’t have won the quiz and it’s probably lucky you didn’t come along. Read more »
Full Spectrals sound
Wavves, Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Blank Dogs, now this. I sincerely apologise for hitting you with another one-man garage band, but it seems that’s the way things are going these days. I’m guessing the reason these friendless wonders are recording on their lonesome is that they are bored of other musicians meddling with their grand garage vision and just want to get on with it. Although, less tactful people might suggest that they’re just unpopular. Either way, I am happy to sit and listen. Read more »
Neverever be a champagne socialist
Neverever used to be called the Champagne Socialists, but something made them change their name. Maybe it was a new-found awakening in socialist spirit that meant they put down their Bollinger and are now out on the streets fighting for Obama’s evil healthcare system. Perhaps they are scared of right-wing Americans who might think that they intend to stab them in the heart with the sword of socialism. Or more likely, they just didn’t like the name. It was a little try-hard. Read more »
