(Obligatory) Top 3 Party Platters of 2012

Just a quick spew on a few real gassers here that rung my bell in 2012:

• Shannon & the Clams "Ozma" b/w "Muppet Babies theme" (1-2-3-4 Go! Records)



Sort of a tear-jerker on the plug side of this one by the Clams (written about Shannon's departed doggy friend), but chock full o' catchy...all is balanced out by a blastin' b-side of one my fave tv themes from childhood.





• Link Wray and the Raymen "Big City After Dark" b/w "Hold It + "Dance Party pt. 1 & 2" (Sundazed)



Don't wanna hear the guff about this being a reissue to cash in on twirpy Record Store Day--it is a dyn-o-mite double 45rpm release any which way ya spin it, baby...4 classic cuts from Mr. Guitar, comfortable howlin' at home on the hi-fi or scorchin' a strip bar's sound system.





• the New Surfriders "Kokomo" b/w "Good Vibrations" (Norton Records)

In the pure crazy category is this inept magnum opus: a "rebirth" of the Surfsiders of sorts, all over some latter day Beach Boys noise...and baby is this bonkers! Both tunes use the same backing music and sung in a drunken doo-wop...must be heard to be believed!

Tweet

the Lean Few - Creepy Simple Cool EP

Here goes a fine specimen of sleazy rock'n'roll, that just rolls baby...it's Charlie-town, SC boys with the beat, the Lean Few--a four-piece fronted by the infamous Rob the Throb (of his one-man-band fame by the same name) & as proclaimed by the group, #1 party band in their land of beaches 'n' bongs...the boys released this lil beast of an EP last month to the foggy-minded masses fer free...& it's a beauty in the same ballpark as early-era Black Lips, but with a hint more southern swagger & no psychedelic blather...& baby I dig it!

Take a whiff of their wares they call Creepy Simple Cool over on their bandcamp.com, kids...
& as always, squares beware...enjoy the noise...

Tweet

Well Well Well (If'n It Ain't) Ass/Bastard

Boy howdy! Here today, kiss 'em bon voyage mañana, the Columbi-Yeah group widely known (especially to the ladies) as Ass/Bastard had a rip roarin', slop'n'bop shindig last Friday fer their truly epic album release, Well, Well, Well, If'n It Ain't Ass/Bastard...11 licks of loudness and low brow no-no party pounders...fans of Chuck Berry and early '70s-era Stones should be all ears here...and in the middle of all the million sellers on the record, it adds a wink to my eye and skip to my hip that the gentlemen of Ass/Bastard thought enuf even to write a ditty about the duke of kook, yers truly, duly dubbed "Jimmy Spazz"! ...dig it below:



And natch y'all need a copy fer yer next baby-boppin', riled up record gatherin' so snag a slab directly from the band...or catch these cats at their far-too-soon farewell show September 24th at Bey's in 5 Points

Tweet

the Hussy - Cement Tomb Mind Control

Lo, some basement slop'n'bop from wild Wisconsin duo, the Hussy...quick, catchy, & (natch) pretty damn trashy, their LP Cement Tomb Mind Control lays down some party licks and a crazed vibe that really clicks, provin' it don't take an army of musicians to get yer rear to into party gear!...these kids are the sound of teenage garagepunk fun, get ya some!

Or better than read, hear some highlights on bandcamp, champ!

Tweet

Shannon & the Clams - Sleep Talk

I rarely do the new-album-anticipation, ants-in-my-pants dance, but ever since I saw Shannon & the Clams last year in Athens, GA I've been sweatin' & shakin' at the notion...now the platter is out & I'm goin' bananas!

Sleep Talk could be a sleeper to the less that sophisticated slop'n'bop listener & honestly I snoozed thru my first spin, but now I'm wide wake & this record has thee shake! Clams fans are usta ruff'n'tumble doo-wop meets girl group meets surf-punk sound of their prior spinners and this dinger keeps ringin' that bell, but dare I say in a slightly sweeter way, baby...so if I Wanna Go Home was the party disaster platter, this new LP must be the after-shingdig soirée...not as much rambunctious but still a few rollickin' numbers ("the Cult Song", "King of the Sea") shuffled into a mix of mid-tempo boppers ("Baby Don't Do It", "Done With You")...I really dig the emphasis on girl group wallop, which is what really cuts this beat combo more than a notch above the in-crowd, natch...while the title cut just kills me, my stand-out may be "Oh Louie" due to the intentional (?) send-up to the legacy of prior Louies (do I really need to yak anymore about that!?!)

I don't think I can describe in dribble here how much I dig this band and this record will be on deck fer the foreseeable tropical future...ya need this sucker on yer hi-fi, like yesterday baby...& if ya ain't singin' along by the time the needle hits the end-of-record hiss, get yer ears checked kids!

Couple o' sample songs to get yer music noodle a-doodlin' below

Tweet

Orange Iguanas - Orange Iguanas

Even though it's just barely warm this lil' tape makes me wanna go Summertime ape!...yes, I said tape, unga-bunga...Orange Iguanas have cut to the juvenile core of great garage-pop on this six-song-slap...whispers of K Records songsmithery can almost be heard in a sonic-crush between Smith Westerns and the Epsilons...& bonus bops to this band's vocal group (take note everybody!), once we all start singin' along the song just sounds all the sweeter...the a-side makes this cat go a wee wilder than the flip but this cassette is a pure cruisin'-to-stay-cool soundtrack...gimme the heat and the beat, baby!

If ya need one of these suckers fer yer audio tape playback party device, rewind yerself right here

Tweet

Trent Fox & the Tenants - Mess Around EP

And just when this man thought garagepunk was a goner, I hear a Mid-West heartbeat from Trent Fox & the Tenants...They got that filty'n'fun thing down baby, with snotty songs on a party platter made to shatter yer shimmy pretentions!
A very Black Lips-friendly sound, yet a bit more focused on the meat'n'potatoes subject matter & music of us sore losers...the a-side of this seven-incher sets the record straight with some traditional slop pop...the b-side gets a bit more adventurous but still socks ya with a wallop...5 frenzied songs in all!


Here's a taste, via live video of the title track:


Another fine vinyl vendible from Kind Turkey Records

Tweet

Wheels On Fire - Cherry Bomb EP

Wheels On Fire was born to make garage-pop greatness...I knew it when "Bad Lie" blasted beautifully outta my hi-fi many months ago...And now I'm greeted with this fiery short-play record from that band from the other Athens (technically the other, other)...A bit raunchier to my eardrum-dum-dums but with tunes like three-pronged fishhooks...there's an element of frenzy just beneath the surface of these songs that will sing to ya...Can we start callin' this the new sound of power pop? Oh Jimmy, did that jibberish of a genre label just come out...yes, indeed!

So what ya get to hear here is the explosion of three finely sparked sonic gems plus a "late night" demo that all goes ka-boom, baby...all sticky sweet like nitroglycerin...I can see what Jack O. sees in them (cuz honey, the lead vocalist comes from the same school of singin' as Mr. Oblivian) and the organ work is knockin' on orgasmic...think a softer sexier Marked Men with plenty of Elvis Costello and Big Star sprinkled all over...not all the way gloriously-zombifyin' yet life-affirmin' like the "Bad Lie" 7-inch but baby if it got any closer it'd be on top of it!

snag this lil firecracker from Kind Turkey Records, kids

Tweet

First 4 Trouble Makin' Singles from Trouble In Mind Records

First off let me say I love singles...& by singles I mean those tunes that jump outta the speakers and slap ya so silly & simply in the ears that they leave a permanent mark! And seriously, what better format fer said singles than the shit-hot sound of seven-inch spinnin' records, kids.

So, when I heard that Bill & Lisa Roe (of CoCoComa fame) had in a whirlwind started a garage record label with a wild, wishful premise I was all ears...and the premise ya ask: "every band's take on the two-and-a-half-minute pop song." (direct from Lisa's larynx, at least on good word from this Chicago Reader article)

Now garage-pop...hmm...that term can go so many ways schizophrenics would have a field day, and from all I've heard the bands on Bill & Lisa's Trouble In Mind records so far have had nuthin' but goddamn frolickin' fun! What follows is my ruinous reviews of the first 4 platters they've put out...and inspired by Lisa's lovely record label lay of the land, I'm gonna keep each blatherin' to a two-and-a-half-sentence tirade:

	CoCoComa - TIM001 The a-side, "Ask, Don't Tell" is a frantic, 'fuck-you' dancer fer the kids with plenty of that trademark CoCoComa ferociousness...the flip ("the Anchor") is pretty catchy too and keeps remindin' me of a dippy Richard Hell-style dirge fer some inexplicable reason...killer kick-off fer their label!
	the White Wires - TIM002 Easily thee most poppy of all the 7 inchers here & both sides about my fav subject: girls..."Pretty Girl" grabs ya by the balls and hops all around while if we turn her over "Goodbye Girl" is the best send-off song, full of perfect garage-pop vox and hooks...snag it now, slaggers!
	the Fresh & Onlys - TIM003 Being how psychedelic their sound is it's my least liked, but growin' on me like a magic mushroom..."Laughter is Contagious" goes far-out like an Electric Prunes pounder and backwards we find the "Horrible Door" which sets the stage fer a delirious dream on speed...crazy, man!
	Sonic Chicken 4 - TIM005 A couple of great garage-slop stompers leadin' off with "Surf on a Plane", with it's wild tempo change-ups and organ work...on the b-side we get smashed by "Crushed" in all it's Black Lip-sy glory...can't stop spinnin' this 'un, sickos! Git it!

Ifin' ya noticed we're missin' TIM004 here ...where'd it go...I wants to know! All in all, these first 4 singles should all be on yer wishlist, but don't take my word fer it...get yerself this wild wax right here!

Gots to say if Trouble In Mind keeps puttin' out quality singles such as these my bank account is gonna be in trouble fer sure! Dig it!

Tweet

thee Crucials - Give Me...A Keg...Of Beer

Let me say all this noise right here at kick-off:

* I LOVE this groop...lots.

* Full Disclaimer: I got mentioned in the liner notes ...what fer, I ain't quite sure...maybe they knew I'd review their album and give it a glowin' write-up...actually maybe just cuz me & Shake are buds...let's not harp on this, kids...I partied too hardy last nite and I just need to listen to Give Me... & get my head on straight...

Now that I got that outta the way, the review:

Rabid rockers and frantic, full-on fits of garage goodness...thee Crucials did an amazin' job of capturin' their live likeness on this, their first long-play album on Kaiser Records. The record spreads a pretty wide swath of party pounders, some brand new and some tried-and-true tunes...and we're all lucky that the band known fer crazed live shows could actually get this insanity down on record...no easy feat I'm pos-i-tive, baby.

What thee Crucials have here fer the years are not only some of the catchiest choruses and licks but tunes that demand not only the attention of yer head, but mo' importantly to me, yer feet! I wish more bands had the wherewithal to keep it fun (but not overly silly)...this band's album continues the time honored tradition of acknowledgin' "what they doin' ain't got no soul...gonna show ya how to rock'n'roll"...it shakes, it stomps, it sears yer ears!

There's a lil something fer all the garage fiends: fuzz-busters like "Crucials Are Go!" & "She Loves Her, Yeah", open-heart, loud lovesongs like "Doe Eyes" & "Now You Gotta Break My Heart", plus simple shindig starters such as "Can't Sit Still", "You Ain't the One" & "Squares Beware"...A total listenin' experience to lose yer mind, baby...dig it!

I'm also ecstatic & proud that upon multiple listens it's clear that thee Crucials are takin' back the title of "frat-party fracus" music from the grips of mainstream morons...y'all can file this swell LP in with Paul Revere, Sam the Sham, the Woggles, & the Untamed Youth, not that DMB gar-bage!

You need this one, kids...at least two copies cuz yer gonna wear out the first one, guaranteed!!

Tweet

Rock'N'Roll Monkey and the Robots - Back to Beatsville

A happy fun-time album just over a half hour, Back to Beatsville goes fer kitschy and post-modern and gets away with it in spades, my friends...shakin' lots outta the garage rock tree but unafraid to whip it with machines fer the real strange fruit, Rock'N'Roll Monkey and the Robots are a party group...can we say this group owes a serious debt to the Cramps (I can dig it, baby) and just about every rock group just out fer kicks (read: none of that "serious music" garbage)...gots to say this group's originality is growin' on me (& that's a lot comin' from this here slop-snob, kids, as I ain't typically a fan of this stripe of style) and worth multiple spins on yer hi-fi...highlites are "We Want to Hear You Howl", "Time Machine", "Zombie Attack!", and "Do the Rock'N'Roll Monkey"...really kids, do the Rock'N'Roll Monkey!

Tweet