Basement Punk | Heartbreaking Bravery

August 15, 2014

Big Ups – Justice (Music Video)

There were a lot of treasures revealed in the weird little corners of the music world this site loves to mine today, including a full album stream (courtesy of Kanine Records) of Beach Day’s Native Echoes, an unofficial video of Ty Segall’s “Susie Thumb“, and an official music video from doom overlords Windhand. Additionally, there were streams for excellent new songs from GAMES, Abattoir Blues, and, especially, Nude Beach. Mostly, though, today belonged to a band who are no strangers to this site: Big Ups.

Eighteen Hours of Static, Big Ups’ most recent record, set the tone for what’s proven to be a tumultuous 2014 back in the middle of January. Since then, they’ve toured fiercely, experienced a growing profile, and quite an impact on this site’s Watch This series. The band also seems to have an eerie predilection for anticipating things on a large scale, something that could serve them very well in the future- and something that made the video they unveiled today for “Justice” so jaw-dropping.

Given the extremely unfortunate events happening in Ferguson, MO regarding journalists and journalistic rights, a video showcasing the plight and persecution of such a figure is not only timely but incredibly arresting. That “Justice” furthers its plot into a torturous state of affairs involving a grotesque allegorical sequence involving a bloodthirsty parasite that only adds to the overall discomfort. As aesthetically jarring that sequence is, it’s worth noting that “Justice” is a visual feast that’s soundtracked by Big Ups’ very peculiar brand of post-hardcore. The whole affair is intense and extremely disquieting, which will likely continue Big Ups’ deserved ascension in name recognition. This is a timely piece of multimedia art that’s worth watching and reflecting on. Don’t miss it.

Watch “Justice” below, read up on the situation in Ferguson, and buy Eighteen Hours of Static from the band’s webstore.

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August 14, 2014

Follies – I Make Sense (Stream)

Over the past few days, there’s been a lot of great content to be unveiled. This is including, but certainly not limited to, a great new Dead Soft video “Everything”, a stream of a new Parlour track for an upcoming compilation from the always-outstanding Marshall Teller imprint, a look at the upcoming album from the deservedly legendary Blonde Redhead, and a new stream from Big Mess (courtesy of Allston Pudding). There was a great new self-titled EP released by Crossed Wires, a first look at Trust Fund‘s side of their impending split with Joanna Gruesome, a new song from Colleen Green, and an engaging music video from The History of Apple Pie.

Now, 2014’s already seen a treasure trove of genuinely great releases bearing the Double Double Whammy stamp and they’re adding to that already enviable streak with an impending split between Wishbone and Follies. The latter of those two bands has raised anticipation for this release considerably by offering a glimpse at their side by offering a stream of the damaged, feverish “I Make Sense”. It barely eclipses three minutes but packs so much raw lo-fi weirdness into them that it’s difficult to gauge the run time at all.

Changing at the drop of a dime, there’s a myriad of fascinating influences all gnawing at each other in the forefront of “I Make Sense”, rendering it a winsome mess that’s utterly entrancing. Whether it’s outsider pop through a psych lens or a new breed of shoegaze-influenced post-punk or just an unfiltered version of Phil Hartunian’s personality (he’s the driving voice behind the Follies project), “I Make Sense” still stands as a gripping piece of music that, like all of the best art, is impossible to completely define. There are very few songs that have been released in the past month to be this courageously weird- or this unrelentingly hypnotic.

Stream “I Make Sense” below and make sure to pre-order the split from Follies’ bandcamp.

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August 11, 2014

Girl Tears – Candy Darling (Stream)

Near the end of July, Girl Tears put up the first glimpse at their upcoming full-length, Tension, with “Candy Darling”. It’s a charging bit of scuzz-punk that barely eclipses a minute in length and announces the Los Angeles-based trio as an act worth paying a lot of attention to. Tension will be the band’s debut record and they’ve secured a release through the excellent Sinderlyn Records, furthering their prospects at making an impact on an audience far greater than the one they’re enjoying now.

“Candy Darling” itself a snarling bit of lo-fi outsider punk mastery; micro-punk at its finest. Operating like a cathartic joyride, “Candy Darling” practically flies off the handle from the moment it starts, barreling forward with a natural intensity characteristic of the best kind of immediacy (one that sticks). Blink and it’s done, so make sure both eyes are wide open because this is something that deserves to be witnessed.

Listen to “Candy Darling” below and make sure to pick up a copy of Tension when it’s released on August 26.

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August 10, 2014

The Ar-Kaics – Be My Baby (Stream)

Last week Richmond’s The Ar-Kaics released one of the better punk records of 2014 on the always-reliable Windian Records, who have celebrated the achievement by offering next to the whole thing for streaming on their soundcloud. Even though all of the band’s self-titled full-length is worth spending a serious amount of time with, there are a few songs that have established themselves as early highlights, including the brooding stomper that is “Be My Baby”. Channeling the underlying tension and sense of subtle dread that informs the majority of The Ar-Kaics into an eerie tour de force, it demonstrates the band’s complete and total understanding of what makes their music so memorable.

More than just about any song on the just-released full-length, “Be My Baby” possesses an innate and unshakable purpose, which will likely lend itself to an unlikely longevity. The Ar-Kaics are generally at their best when they try to play up their influences and on “Be My Baby”, 60’s pop and creeping 70’s pysch are given even footing, allowing the song to find life as an arresting bit of nightmare pop. It’s all over in under two and a half minutes but it all sticks, thanks to a niche aesthetic that suits the band extraordinarily well. There’s a feeling of unease that sticks around long after the song winds down, ensuring it a spot among the year’s more fascinating works.

Listen to “Be My Baby” below and order The Ar-Kaics from Windian Records here.

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August 10, 2014

Joanna Gruesome – Jerome (Liar) (Stream)

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There were a very small handful of songs to be unveiled in the past few weeks that warranted extreme levels of excitement and Joanna Gruesome‘s “Jerome (Liar)” was definitely one of them. Essentially a preview for a very promising upcoming split the band has coming out in late September with the equally great Trust Fund, it’s also a perfect reminder of what made Weird Sister one of last year’s best releases. Wide-eyed, pissed off, riff-happy, and prone to spastic bursts of sonic chaos, “Jerome (Liar)” is Joanna Gruesome at their best.

An unashamedly pop melody practically floats over the impact-heavy collisions of the verse sections and syncs up beautifully with a monstrous chorus that recalls the very best of Rather Ripped-era Sonic Youth. “Jerome (Liar)” also has the benefit of being an atypically short song for the Cardiff band, lending it even more immediacy than the staggering amount the band’s become renowned for so effortlessly possessing. Their teeth become fangs and retract again but they’re always locked in a vice-like grip on whoever’s fortunate enough to get in their way. This is impassioned outsider pop at it’s absolute finest- and most shoegaze-friendly. HHBTM Records will be handling the US release and distribution of the split while Reeks of Effort will cater to the UK. Both labels are worth investing time in and, if “Jerome (Liar)” winds up being the definitive song of this split, this very release may very well become the crown jewel of each respective side.

While details of Joanna Gruesome’s impending split with Perfect Pussy (which this site was beyond honored to have the pleasure of announcing) are still scant, this release seems more than poised to hold everyone over- and likely past- the day that anxiously-awaited release finally becomes available.

Listen to “Jerome (Liar)” below and pre-order the 12″ here and the cassette here.

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August 10, 2014

Sonic Avenues – Bored With Love (Stream)

Sonic Avenues released a masterwork back in 2010 with their debut full-length, which is why it went out of print- which, in turn, is why Dead Broke Rekerds is reissuing it with two bonus tracks. One of these tracks is “Bored With Love”, a song originally intended for a split with Steve Adamyk Band (the bands share members). It would have been the title of that split but, due to unnamed complications, the release never saw the light of day. Sonic Avenues and Dead Broke are now amending this by offering it as one of two bonus tracks on the reissue.

“Bored With Love” is a gem of a song, highlighting seemingly all of the band’s best qualities through it’s manic, near-perfect two minutes and 39 seconds. Not unlike their fellow Canadians in Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs, Sonic Avenues excelled at meshing the best elements across a variety of genres- most notably outsider pop and basement punk- into something distinctly unique and outrageously fun. All of that’s exemplified by “Bored With Love” which is probably worth the price of the reissue on its own. With songs as good as this one, it’s a wonder it took four years for this LP to go back to press but it did go back to press and is currently available as a pre-order. Don’t let it disappear without grabbing a copy, who knows when it’ll be available again.

Listen to “Bored With Love” below, pre-order the record from Dead Broke, and read more about the song over at New Noise Magazine.

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August 9, 2014

Cayetana – Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving (Stream)

Cayetana have been making a major push recently after developing a reputation for themselves based on the strength of their live show and incessant touring. Recently, the band went on tour with The Menzingers who also brought along site favorite Lemuria and PUP, raising their profile- and expectations for their new material- to staggering heights. If that pressure was weighing on the band, it doesn’t show- the first glimpse they’ve offered at new material, “Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving” is an exhilarating leap forward for a band that seems ready for national attention.

Boasting one of the catchiest vocal melodies of the year, the song’s a super-charged blast of basement pop that sounds both completely unhinged and gleefully effortless. Cayetana appear to be in full control of their craft, which bodes well for Nervous Like Me (due out September 9 on Tiny Engines), which “Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving” is taken from. Veering back and forth between an insanely fun sugar-rush during the verse and a decidedly more contemplative (and somber) passage offers up a contrast that keeps the listener on their toes and keeps the song fascinating. It’s an extremely tantalizing first look at Nervous Like Me and will be whipping audiences into a frenzy for as long as it’s played.

Listen to “Scott Get the Van, I’m Moving” below and keep both eyes peeled for Nervous Like Me.

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August 9, 2014

Purling Hiss – Learning Slowly (Stream)

In a quest to continue making up for the time lost to the month-long festival coverage dedication, several gems have been unearthed. Most of these songs have been in heavy rotation since first appearing and several even soundtracked the long festival editing process. Purling Hiss’ “Learning Slowly” earned its position as one of the most-heavily played while the NXNE and Pitchfork spots were being finalized. Jagged and hypnotic, “Learning Slowly” is a personal best for Purling Hiss and one hell of a tease for the band’s upcoming Weirdon.

Purling Hiss have made a career out of spiky lo-fi basement punk and “Learning Slowly” sees them continuing steadily on their quest to perfect the genre. Easily their most accessible- and catchiest- song to date, “Learning Slowly” could prove to be an effective warning shot for a (deservedly) broader audience. Fortunately, the band’s kept both their character and integrity in tact, which will likely take Weirdon a long way. Purling Hiss has a few things to say- and as “Learning Slowly” seems to indicate, they’re all worth listening to.

Listen to “Learning Slowly” below and keep an eye out for Weirdon‘s eventual release via Drag City.

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August 6, 2014

The Midwestern Charm – Bloodbath (Stream)

Over the past few years Milwaukee-via-Oshkosh act The Midwestern Charm have gone through their fair share of changes. Most immediately evident, though, is the fierceness that characterizes their just-released sophomore full-length, Growing Pains, that was almost entirely absent from their self-titled debut. Trading a prominent Ryan Adams influence in for a sound more indebted to The Lemonheads was a move that paid off, as Growing Pains is easily the band’s finest material to date. While the whole record’s worth several spins, it’s the lead-off track that really stands out.

“Bloodbath”, more than any other song on Growing Pains, is indicative of what the band’s like in a live setting; relatively unhinged, not afraid of feedback, and unashamedly ragged. All of it’s anchored by an emphatic vocal performance from bandleader Connor S. La Mue, whose frequently trenchant lyrics help elevate The Midwestern Charm past a lot of their would-be peers. While it did take La Mue years to settle on finalized lyrics for “Bloodbath”, there was never a bad version of the song. As the band evolved over time, so did “Bloodbath”, with special attention being paid to Ryan McCrary’s searing lead guitar work. Ultimately, the song wound up not just being a personal best for the band but one of the best songs to come out of WI this year (incidentally, a few members of The Midwestern Charm are also directly responsible for a few other truly great WI-based songs from this year thanks to their status as members of The Sleepwalkers). “Bloodbath” is basement pop at its finest.

Listen to “Bloodbath” below and make sure to catch The Midwestern Charm live as soon as humanly possible (a list of tour dates can be found here).

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July 11, 2014

NXNE Day 4: Creep Highway, Perfect Pussy, Frankie Cosmos, Swearin’

A note: All night tonight Heartbreaking Bravery will be running photo galleries from the recent Toronto trip. All of these galleries will have full reviews to accompany them in the near future. The preceding galleries all came with additional notes out of necessity but this will be the short reminder that runs with the remainder. Enjoy the photographs below and keep an eye out for the upcoming reviews.