Indierock | Alternative 389 Items

We're all familiar with this story: the pandemic struck, and people found themselves confined to their homes, left alone with their thoughts. Amidst various musical projects, Shelby Cinca reached out to his former bandmates with the idea of creating and instrumental album in the style of FRODUS—a desire that had never materialized during the band's active years. Despite the challenges of life and logistics, the project began to take shape as Nate and Shelby brainstormed and organized their ideas. They recalled an offer from their fellow DC friend and prolific musician, Aaron DC Edge, to provide raw drum tracks. Shelby accepted Aaron's offer to kickstart a rhythmic foundation, and soon the project came to life. Some tracks remained faithful to the original demos, while others underwent substantial editing. Eventually, songs began to take form in an organic manner, despite the geographical distance between the collaborators. Conceptually, the group aimed to craft a soundtrack for a post-human world, inspired by a cryptic phrase hidden in the artwork of Frodus's last album: "when man dies, we become wolves again." These songs conjure images of overgrown and ruined cities, the return of wildlife, and the interplay of light and darkness, peace and savagery, coexisting in the after- math of humanity's downfall. Without the prominent narrative of anguished vocals, the vistas emerge in the mind's eye without barriers, allowing for a more subtle and profound exploration of the themes.

Two brand new tracks by The Courettes on RED Colored Vinyl. The A-side will also feature on the band's next album! The B-side exclusive to this release! Both tracks feature guest vocals by La La Brooks of The Crystals! 'California' is a song we wrote on our first tour in California last year. We wanted to bring all the sunshine and some psychedelic vibes from The Byrds, the Laurel Canyon, and tons of 12-string guitars to our songwriting. But somehow the lyrics kept some black clouds. It talks about traveling and leaving your loved ones behind. Any musician on the road can relate to this. Although you can have a great time around the world, you're always missing someone. Home is really where your love is. We are very proud of this track, and on top of it we have a guest vocalist. The legendary singer La La Brooks - yes, from The Crystals, the lead voice on the classic 'Da Doo Ron Ron', one of our favourite Phil Spector produced songs of all time. To have La La singing with us is an absolute delight and honour. It's so surreal that we haven't even realised it has really happened! For the mixing our producer Soren Christensen has teamed up with the fantastic Darian Sahanaja (who produced and mixed no less than Brian Wilson's SMiLE album) to enlighten even more the Californian good vibrations. So open up your windows, let the sunshine in and play this one to the max!

What Kind of Human Have I Become is a new vehicle helmed by Matt Plunkett (Cuticles, The Trendees, etc.). Conceived as a solo endeavor, the designation got a bit blurry following an invitation to record his new songs with Stefan Neville (Pumice, etc.) at the studio he shares with Ben Holmes (Oksun Ox, etc.) in Auckland.

Once in the studio, Plunkett’s songs puffed in a wholly new way with Neville at the controls, and backing and bits from both Neville and Holmes perhaps channeling Nag and Bendie. Fans of Matt’s past and current activities will find much to rejoice in here; Avoiding The Diggy Diggy Dogs plucks three songs from the sessions. More to come in due time.

As subjects of a recent career spanning vault-clearing anthology, the likelihood that more old recordings by The Strange Girls might surface was an unlikely one. Thankfully it’s just what happened. Culled from leaky audience video recordings, Truly & Lyric features two Clayton Noone songs that never surfaced elsewhere. These date from around 2002 and feature the core duo of Kaaterama Morehu and Noone. Draped in artwork by Mark Anderson (Greymouth), Truly & Lyric offers another fleeting glimpse at The Strange Girls’ downcast beauty in action. Limited to 200.

Baltimore’s Doubt are on your head with their new EP, Held In Contempt. With their single “The Hard Way,” the newest Get Better Records (HIRS Collective, Open City) band kicks the door in from the first second with fast, pummeling drums as vocalist Claire Abila contemptuously snarls at objectification. Each portion of the song is optimized for the dancers, as Doubt evenly pairs fist-pumping punk with slamming mid-tempo hardcore. There’s nothing missing from this song, or the entire EP. If you don’t feel the need to move to this, check your pulse.

Jeff Poot (witches With Dicks, Awful MAN, a hundred more) is back in action with an Uncontrollable Frank on bass and our fave art guy Henderson (shorebirds) on drums for another Boston pop-punx packed EP chock full of 10 songs! That's right, 10 songs, 45 rpm, punk shit! Just get it cus it's sick.

Finally! A Doc Hopper release on Dead Broke! 90's pop-punk underdogs from the greater New England area & some of the best to do it. This is a collection of demos, leftovers + non-LP cover songs. First collected in 2000 intended for a disbanded Go-Kart Records release. Only self-released by band on CDRs for “final” year of shows back then. Art by Ray Ahn (the Hard-ons) Color by Tom Lowell. 100 Puke Green Tapes pressed.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin pop-punkers are back with their first new material since 2007! The Chi-Tels pummel through 3 awesome new songs, plus a Dictators cover! More power-pop this time around, tinged with melodies, but still that fast paced punk you expect from these DIY punk vets.

Summoned by the elders of Krautrock and re-defining their sound through occult rituals and old witchcraft, Hodo Gaia 保土谷化 gives a first glimpse into a captivating soundscape with their debut single Collarbones. Motorik rhythm and gut punching bass forms the cauldron that holds a psychedelic brew with bewitching vocals floating on the surface. Influences of non-western sounds and musical concepts enrich the taste and round up the intoxication. The more delicate side that lives from haunting minimalism is the other part of the experience. Get high and calm down.

What can be said about Chuck Berry that hasn't already been said? One of the architects of rock 'n' roll, whose influence extended far beyond his American contemporaries, crossing the ocean in the early '60s and becoming a reference point for the entire British Invasion. Sleepy LaBeef always included Chuck's classic tunes in his repertoire, as early as 1965, as demonstrated by his fabulous version of "you Can't Catch ME" on his debut single for Columbia. Sleepy's powerful voice, combined with the country-rocking vibes that permeate the track, make this version a real crowd-pleaser. Keith Dennis was part of the duo Keith & Troy, from which Troy Cory emerged, an artist who had some impact in the '60s and '70s. In contrast, Keith only released a couple of solo singles, but one of them included one of the best versions ever made of Berry's "almost GROWN." Perfectly produced and instrumented, it becomes another standout track. "dear Dad" is one of Chuck's last great songs for Chess in his initial stint with the company. New Zealand artist Bobby Davis made a tremendous revision of it shortly after, for Zodiac Records, on a very little-known single, reissued here for the first time. Curley Money has the honor of closing out this EP, and indeed the entire Blacked! collection, with his version of "little Queenie" for his own label, Money Records. Originally released in 1965, the record would be reissued by Curley himself in the mid-'70s, another magnificent example of how Chuck's black rock 'n' roll also influenced country and rockabilly artists, even in terms of form and instrumentation. Curley's version rocks like a demon, it's hard to believe that it came from an artist who was already over forty when he recorded it. With this volume, Blacked! concludes its collection. In total, there have been 8 EPs and 32 songs, featuring both well-known names and others that would hardly ring a bell to any rock 'n' roll aficionado. But always with the philosophy of including excellent songs that have been rarely compiled until now. Magnificent examples of how the influence of black rock 'n' roll and rhythm & blues artists set the pace for many white kids when creating their repertoires.

Those who have had the opportunity to see Bobby Gonzales Trio live, you will have noticed the power, energy and versatility of his forceful live performance. Bobby Gonzales, leader, vocalist and guitarist of the band, reviews his musical career with bands like Coronados and Trash-Tornadoes bringing sparks to their Gretsch and his Fender amp and delighting everyone those who want to see this six-string virtuoso and one of the banners of rockabilly-psychobilly-swing still active. If it's the first time he visits you, don't you should miss the opportunity to see him live!

No Doubt performed at Irvine Meadows numerous times over the years, including a main-stage slot at KROQ's annual Weenie Roast in 1996. This performance was part of the Tragic Kingdom tour. This edition features 4 bonus tracks with 1991 demos produced by Flea.

Following the label’s 9 minute sell out of it’s recent Mark E. Smith BBC “football results” lathe cut, Feral Child return with a cracker. A split LP featuring two of mainland Europe’s finest experimental electronic artists, Germans Phantom Horse and Belgiums’ Innercity. 2 side long epics of rich exploratory, kraut tinged Electronica. Phantom Horse offer up “Pink Star”, a side long slowburner (with production by Kohn’s Jurgen de Blonde) built around opening drones and sporadic kosmische themed synth flourishes. We’ll mention Cluster again in a moment, but this has its head pointed firmly towards the legendary work of Moebius and Roedelius. A lovely track, kinda cleaner and more sonically polished than it’s flip, but that juxtaposition increases the records’ appeal here. For these ears, it’s Innercity’s epic “Ali” that steals the show here and is easily worth the proverbial price of admission on this one. A monumental, moody, side long piece of lo-fi drum machine enthused electronica recalling some imaginary dream collision of the very finest Conrad Schnitzler flavoured K/Cluster or first 2 LP Kraftwerk with latter day industrial, electronic pioneers of our own, early Cabs, Clock DVA, Throbbing Gristle, Robert Rental et al. Just magnificent and we don’t say “hike it right up” lightly…. Label head Dom has long had Hans Dens -and his Innercity project- pencilled in for releases on his previous labels Deep Distance and Polytechnic Youth which -for one reason or other- never materialized but their coming together here is exquisite and the track is a monster, my “new” track of the year thus far; talk about it being worth the wait…. A lovely record, in a limited one time pressing on vinyl through North London’s homespun Feral Child label.

Sixth album by The Legendary Tigerman (aka Paulo Furtado), his first recording in a trio format with Paulo Segadaes (drums) and Joao Cabrita (baritone sax). Recorded at Rancho de la Luna (Joshua Tree) and produced by Johnny Hostile (The Savages, John & Jehn) and Paulo Furtado.