The Monsters

The Monsters

31 08 2020

The Monsters

(Bern, CH // Voodoo Rhythm Records)

„The Monsters » were formed in 1986 in small-town Bern, capital of Switzerland. Their sound is a fuzzedout mix between 60ies garage punk, wild teenage trash rockabilly and primitive rock’n’roll. Its 187% no MTV and top 100 shit! The actual lineup is guitar, bass and the so- called clonedrum: means 2 drummers with only 1 1/2 drums, hitting thhe same bassdrum from each side.
Besides the countless shows in Switzerland „The Monsters » played extensive tours through Europe including Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Austria, England, Denmark and Spain. In 2003 the band toured Argentina, Brasil and New York. The Monsters are a kickass live band who will burn every stage down.

Over the years „The Monsters » recorded 6 albums, several singles and ep’s and apeared on countless compilations. The record „Youth Against Nature » was recored in the now famous Toe Rag Studios (London) by Liam Watson and Robert Butler (Miracle Workers). „I See Dead People » came with a 1000-piece puzzle, booklet, sticker and button and was allready sold out during the tour.
The Monsters appear on Voodoorhythm Records, Switzerland. The label is famous for it’s taste and style, as it is for the beautiful artwork. Voodoorhytm is run by Beat-Man, who (by accident…) is also the singer and guitar player of The Monsters. Beat-Man played – and still plays – in other projects called Lightning Beat-Man, Reverend Beat-Man, Die Zorros and some more. As a one-man-band he toured all of europe, played venues such as Jazz Festival Montreux, Frat Shack, Dour Festival, Eurocene and Las Vegas Grind (USA) on the same bill with acts like Dick Dale, Public Enemy, Ramones, Prince, Ramstein, Bob Log III and more.

‘N’ROLL TRASH…
GO SEE THEM LIVE ON STAGE…. THEY BLEW YOUR BRAIN AWAY WITH LOTS OF CHAINSAW MASSACRE GARAGE PUNK AND PRIMITIVE ROCK’N’ROLL TRASH

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Straight Arrows

Straight Arrows

31 08 2020

Straight Arrows

(Sydney, AUS // Agitated Records)

With a string of BIG hits behind them, STRAIGHT ARROWS are fast becoming one of this island’s most popular underground groups. The Sydney band have spent their time honing their fresh reverb-laden, fuzzed out, psychedelic punk sound into scrappy perfection on their own terms, and in the process have gained a cult following and an outstanding reputation worldwide.

After spending the last while touring the UK/Europe, then hitting the USA with the Oh Sees, their brand new chart-topper ‘Out and Down’ is the first single of their album ON TOP! released in 2018 ; an ode to a friend’s recent coming out, an invitation to celebrate, and sure to be the start of big things for the group.

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The Intelligence

The Intelligence

31 08 2020

The Intelligence

(Seattle, USA // In The Red)

Fittingly born at the dawn of the 21st Century, The Intelligence’s brand of art-smarm surf has become a touchstone for with-it rock ’n’ roll of the era. Perhaps a surprising assertion, especially considering their primitive and personal origins, but one cemented by the dedication and continual reinvention fostered by main-brain Lars Aldric Finberg. For all their longevity and prolificacy, The Intelligence is a restless, ever-evolving vehicle for Finberg, showcasing his presumably patented knack for sharp pop songwriting that rides waves from both the past and heretofore unknown.

Before the jets have cooled from the recently released « Live in San Francisco » LP (Castle Face Records « nothing but hits » says Oh Sees producer/heckler John Dwyer) The Intelligence have announced their 10th album « Un-Psychedelic in Peavy City ». Recorded all analog/no computer hidden way up in the northern California woods with Tim Green (Bikini Kill//Wand/Melvins). 

Building on the newfound freedom of last years Ty Segal produced « Moonlight Over Bakersfield », leader Lars Finberg’s oddball solo LP, we find the band unhinged and inspired, stretching out with longer songs even bigger drum sounds and bass as the secret weapon. Here is the Intelligence at their most Devo minimalist giving the tape machine room to breathe in this Pro-Tools wasteland. 

After the polished decay of 2015’s Vintage Future the band have retired the keyboards and drum machines and moved out of the garage and into the basement and unplugged the lights. Songs like « L’apple du Vide » and « Mute Me » are among the bands punkest moments while « Year of the Vet » and « Auteur Detour » deliver a new self-described « No-Wave Santana » vibe. 10 albums into their career the Intelligence have found a way to distill their previous strengths and still move sideways.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6srUqIfd4Fc 

 

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Wolfmanhattan Project

Wolfmanhattan Project

10 07 2020

Wolfmanhattan Project

(Los Angeles, USA /// In The Red Records)

Who knows what possessed Mick Collins, Kid Congo Powers and Bob Bert to hook up for the Wolfmanhattan Project? But good thing they did, because here we have giddy garage contraption which combines Collins’ sci-fi obsessions, Powers’ hallucinogenic visions and Bert’s power-house pound—along with a hefty helping of fuzzy r ‘n r mayhem. This first full-length follows the “Smells Like You” single from 2015 (included here at track seven) in fine, trippy, weirder-than-you-were-expecting style.

The three principals are all legendary in a crusty, underground way. Mick Colllins spliced electric blues to garage stomp in the Gories, then rifled through Motown, Detroit House and Bubblegum in the ever-entertaining Dirtbombs. Kid Congo Powers played a role in two of American punk’s defining outfits, first the Gun Club and then the Cramps; more recently he’s backed Nick Cave in the Bad Seeds and recorded a string of wonderfully warped, tripped out garage albums with the Pink Monkey Birds.Bob  Bert was Sonic Youth’s first drummer (before Steve Shelley), and he’s also played with the Chrome Cranks, Pussy Galore and Lydia Lunch’s Retrovirus. (Lunch turns up for a cameo in “Jar in the Staircase.”) That’s a lot of rock and roll history right there, but none of it weighs on their hard-knocking, rough-housing, just-out-of-true grooves. They play hard, with joy and eccentric intelligence right here, right now.

– Jennifer Kelly

 

King Khan Unlimited

King Khan Unlimited

8 07 2020

King Khan Unlimited

(Montréal – Berlin – Bordeaux , CA – DE – FR /// In The Red Records)

For almost 15 years King Khan has been collaborating with America’s favourite punk rock legends, The Spits. Sean Spits and King Khan had a vision to make a giant punk rock family collective from all around the world and have recruited only the finest people for this all-star punk rock royalty band. From Bordeaux, France, Looch Vibrato of Magnetix on guitar, Remy Pablo of Weird Omen/Escobar/NoFear on drums, and the amazing Fredovitch (of the Shrines) on Bass and last but not least the greatest showman since Eddie Murphy… King Khan on the mic. 

Featuring his majesty’s dream line up of Bordeaux’s finest rock‘n’roll lifers, The Magnetix and Fredovitch (from King Khan & The Shrines), King Khan Unlimited’s new slab of punk rock is chock full of stinging social critique delivered with wit and a wry smile. Their first single “Pigment of Your Imagination” tackles the complicated topic of pigment as related to the tidal wave of racism all over the world. “Pigment of Your Imagination” also features Eamon Sandwith from The 

Chats professing his love for, uh, Shea Butter amongst other things… 

A few words from His Majesty: “Here comes King Khan’s first offering off of the new King Khan Unlimited Opiate Them Asses LP! ‘Pigment of Your Imagination’ is a song about the fragile world we live in and how something as common as the pigment of our skin has separated the world and fuelled the ignorant agendas of the old boys network that has its hands on the throat of justice, peace and liberty for all creatures on this planet. It’s pure rock n’ roll with a twist of consciousness and a very special appearance from Eamon from The Chats admitting his profound love for body oils and soft jazz…” 

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