Showing posts with label Crush Grove. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crush Grove. Show all posts

TOWNER “Towner EP” C13 (Crush Grove)


Presumably the cover is an illustration depicting the back of Towner the four-piece band onstage playing to a crowd of five outraged or indifferent people. It took me a while though – normally the back of the band isn’t used in press photos (or, in this case, images). Towner, which I’m guessing is short for “out-of-towner” (because, you know, the life of a touring band), play it fairly straight, copping mid-1990s indie/college rock that’s easy on the ears and just fine for any dorm room situation. The singer has a sort of speaky-version Black-Francis-meets-Peter-Garrett-from-Midnight-Oil voice. Not hard to enjoy. Dunno why that dude in the tie is angrily covering his ears or that one girl is yawning – there’s nothing really offensively loud, obnoxious, or boring. The texty girl gets a pass – everybody texts at shows.

 

WOOD CHICKENS “Must Die” C4 (Crush Grove Records)


I can do so many things in four minutes. One is listen to this Wood Chickens EP and get blasted by the sheer snot-punk of it. Do you think SST Records would’ve been in on the Wood Chickens back in the day? I do.

Another thing I can do in four minutes is empty the dishwasher.

Wood Chickens can actually PERFORM four songs in four minutes, which I find amazing. The tracks are fast, loud, and pissed off. The tape ends with a 28-second blast of shredding and shrieking. But this isn’t grindcore, if you can believe it! This is something more along the lines of the cowpunk (their tag) mixed with 1980s LA worship. Gotta love that.

Wood Chickens are probably a lot of fun live, so find out where they’re playing this weekend. If it’s the weekend already, find out where they’re playing next weekend.

Thank me later.




--Ryan

KP & ME "Sex Cells" C20
(Crush Grove/Sound Workshop)





Yeah Yeah Yeahs meets the Datsuns. Pretty alright fun. If you like garage-y punk, you’ll enjoy this tape. No surprises. Nothing to hate. Just pretty alright. Yup.

https://kpandme.bandcamp.com/album/sex-cells
and/or
https://crushgroverecords.bandcamp.com/

-- Jacob An Kittenplan

WET HEAVE "Warm Shrimp" (Crush Grove)




Now we're talkin'! Part punk, and when I say punk I mean 60's punk; part Jonathan Richman and a sprinkling of surf and you have three piece Wet Heave from Bloomington, Indiana. This combo offers up a 12 track tape which, best I can figure, is from 2015 and from start to finish is engaging and refreshing.

Why you ask? Well, I'll tell you. Because everything sounds familiar yet different. They borrow but don't steal. Right out of the gate with "PWH" you hear the combined influences which are the foundation of a new sound which is unique and pure Warm Shrimp. Other highlights include "Russian Girl," "Psycho" and "Rubber Room."

For those so inclined, the tape comes with a download card so you can take your 'Shrimp anywhere. Don't dismiss this perc lightly because if you're like me, you'll want to listen to this repeatedly. The tape otherwise is packaged in your standard Norelco plastic case with J-card.

Sadly, it appears Wet Heave is no more. According to their Facebook page they have moved on but we can cling to this fine outing and only hope they somehow find it in themselves to regroup at some juncture for another recording session. It's burger time indeed...highly recommended.


-Bob Zilli