Back in Black | Heartbreaking Bravery

June 15, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 30

Well, it finally happened. Waatch This is officially back on track and back to its regular every-Sunday rotation- and this week was particularly stacked. There was an incredible Serious Business feature from BreakThruRadio on Hive Bent, a beautiful Allston Pudding session with Saintseneca, and Mansions turned in what was arguably their best performance for an absolutely incendiary run for Little Elephant. None of them made this week’s installment. There were various reasons that kept each of them out and what wound up being featured was a fairly eclectic mix of full sets, single songs, old favorites, and at least one face that’s completely new to this site. So, sit back, relax, continue on with some day drinking, and Watch This.

1. Bob Mould – I Don’t Know You Anymore (The Current)

Bob Mould should be a household name by now. One of the most influential and well-respected songwriters to emerge from the 80’s/90’s DIY punk/hardcore heyday, he’s already amassed an army of untouchable classics that have his name on them and he’s in the midst of a staggering resurgence that’s currently seeing him match his past glory. Beauty & Ruin is one of 2014’s best and isn’t in danger of losing that position by year’s end. It’s driven by gems like “I Don’t Know You Anymore” which Mould recently deliver a commanding solo performance of for Minneapolis’ 89.3 The Current. That can be seen below.

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2. Archie Powell & the Exports – Everything’s Fucked (Jam in the Van)

This isn’t the first time that this song’s appeared on this site and the feelings towards it haven’t changed. “Everything’s Fucked” is a song that aims to scorch the earth that surrounds it and shows a total disregard for anything attempting to get in its way. Here, the band delivers a fierce, ragged performance of it for Jam in the Van during their SXSW stay and hold absolutely nothing back. It’s a jolt of energy that’s strong enough to inject a jump-start into any dreary Sunday; keep it on file for those occasions.

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3. Hop Along (unARTigNYC)

unARTigNYC is back in a big way this week: this is the first of three videos the channel posted that will be featured as the extended closing sequence for this week’s Watch This. Now, this will come with a touch of Deja Vu for any longtime readers of the site as Vol. 15 also featured a full Hop Along set that was also posted by unARTigNYC that was also captured at Saint Vitus. Lightning can strike twice. The only real differences are the sets and the fact that this was a Pitchfork showcase that also featured Pleasure Leftists, Frankie Cosmos, and the band occupying this installment’s fifth slot All of the new material Hop Along has been playing out is pointing towards one thing; whenever that record drops, it’s going to be a big deal that a lot of people will be very passionate about. Expect to see a stream of praise coming from sites like this one the moment that happens. For now, just enjoy the fact there are things like this out there to keep everyone excited (and deeply impressed).

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4. Charles Bradley – The World Is Going Up In Flames (unARTigNYC)

Are there any stories in music from this decade more inspiring than the ascension of Charles Bradley? It’s sincerely doubtful. Plucked from obscurity during his days as a James Brown impersonator, he impressed all the right people and wound up signing a deal with Daptone Records, the most influential label in soul. Before that moment, and during the interim, the now-65 year old Bradley went through some extraordinarily harsh times. Almost dying and experiencing great personal tragedy didn’t deter him, though, and in 2011 his debut record No Time for Dreaming was met the same way his sophomore effort, 2013’s Victim of Love was: they both garnered immediate acclaimed and helped elevate Bradley to being one of the biggest names in his genre. Now affectionately known as “The Screaming Eagle of Soul”, Bradley has greeted any kind of interest with overwhelming appreciation and humility. If there’s one thing to feel good about in music, it’s his success- a success driven by charisma and raw natural talent.

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5. Perfect Pussy (unARTigNYC)

Perfect Pussy, the band whose name makes Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan blush every time she says it, headlined the recent Pitchfork showcase at Saint Vitus. They also now have a commanding lead as the band featured most on this site, which should mean that close to everything’s already been said about them here. While that might be the case, I’m not even close to done talking about Perfect Pussy and I doubt I’ll ever be. Part of the reason for this is their high-velocity live show. Each of their shows is its own beast, though they all seem to clock in at around 20 minutes, which are infused with the most blistering whirlwind of sound and unrepentant aggression anyone could imagine (this fact has caused a lot of confusion from people who aren’t familiar with hardcore and the people that don’t understand how quickly high-intensity physical exertion can lead to dangerous levels of exhaustion). Vocalist Meredith Graves greets the triviality of those complaints the only way she knows how: with a smile (for proof of this, check the :40 mark for a memorable quip). Her lyrics are some of the most unflinchingly honest I’ve ever encountered and, impossibly, stand as both a complement and contrast to the band’s performance. In prose, Perfect Pussy can come off as slightly withdrawn and full of guarded desperation- but even then, it’s so forward that it feels like that same gut-punch the live show so readily and consistently provides. Here, the band’s in fine form, Graves is the physical manifestation of an internal maelstrom or three; Shaun Sutkus project a steely, detached calm to provide some stability behind his setup of synths; the rhythm section of Greg Ambler and Garrett Koloski both make sure they’re as physically present as Graves is and guitarist Ray McAndrew keeps his head down while providing an additional thrashing body. If it sounds chaotic, it’s because it is- it’s also all so improbably controlled that it makes their sets unforgettable affairs- no matter how long or short they wind up being. Add all of these qualities to the fact that Graves is currently one of the most outspoken public figures in an ongoing fight against multiple kinds of oppression and Perfect Pussy winds up exactly where they should be: as one of the most important bands that we’ve got. See them (and support them) as soon as humanly possible.

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April 21, 2014

Archie Powell & the Exports – Holes (Music Video)

It wasn’t too long ago that Archie Powell & the Exports earned themselves both a write-up and a best-of mixtape inclusion for the incendiary ripper “Everything’s Fucked”. That song was the first to tease the band’s upcoming record, Back in Black, which promises to show a rawer and more ragged side to the Chicago-based quintet. Since releasing that as the introduction piece the band have been carefully doling out bits and pieces of the record but nothing has been as impressive as the recently-released music video for “Holes”, which earned itself an impressive feature on Consequence of Sound and featured heavy involvement from Audiotree.

“Holes” comes courtesy of Brian Racine and an impressively assembled crew who made this video as eye-catching as possible, in the best of ways. All of it’s shot in keeping with a classic video game aesthetic (in terms of palette and presentation it’s not too far removed from Edgar Wright’s largely misunderstood Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), apart from the few avant-glam shots thrown in for good measure, and packs a hell of a punch. It’ll also drive up a desire to either play arcade games, grab a drink, or start a band- so fair warning. All told, this is just further evidence that AP&tE are ready for bigger things and have their sights set on achieving them.

Watch “Holes” below and then play some arcade games, grab a drink, and start a goddamn band already.

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February 17, 2014

Archie Powell & the Exports – Everything’s Fucked (Stream)

First off, sincerest apologies for the gap in content posting. Much of the delay is due to an issue that’s close to being resolved and will (finally) result in the posting of the 13th Watch This installment. Apologies aside, the lack of content means there were a few things that slipped through the radar and couldn’t be given a timely post. That’s where ragged Midwest punk-leaning powerpop staples Archie Powell & the Exports come in. “Everything’s Fucked” (an appropriate sentiment for the current delay situation) is the first track the band’s allowed the public of their upcoming Back in Black LP, a follow up to the extraordinary Great Ideas in Action.

If “Everything’s Fucked” is indicative of the rest of Back in Black then the band’s grown even more incendiary over the brief amount of time that’s lapsed. Everything that made their past work so worthwhile is retained in full but there’s a greater urgency in the band’s controlled chaos. From the distorted acoustic opening chords through to the explosive finale, that noticeably elevated urgency drives the song off the rails and charts its own damn course. Considering everyone sounds like they were lit on fire before someone hit record, the fact that the studio didn’t burn to the ground when this thing was tracked is kind of astonishing. There’s a reckless go-for-broke mentality that permeates “Everything’s Fucked” which makes it one of the most infectious things the band’s ever done. Frantic and catchy as hell, “Everything’s Fucked” just might be an apt example of the band’s manic determination. If that winds up as being even half as propulsive as “Everything’s Fucked”, they may just generate enough momentum to push them onto much bigger things. Keep both eyes out, lock up the children, and listen to “Everything’s Fucked” below.

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