scuzz pop | Heartbreaking Bravery

May 14, 2014

Dead Stars – Someone Else (Music Video)

Old Flame Records continue to build themselves one hell of a catalog. Next month the label will be releasing what looks to be the umpteenth great record in the past few years that they can lay claim to; this time around it’s Dead Stars’ Slumber. They’d already teased Slumber with “Crawl”, an undeniably great basement pop song that owed a debt to the late 80’s/early 90’s SST scene as much as what was happening at that time over in New York. A little scuzz and a lot of melody is a happy meeting point to arrive at and it’s where Dead Stars find themselves once again with “Someone Else”. This time around, they’ve paired that song with a decidedly lo-fi video that winks at a long list of their influences. Micah Weisberg and Bill Dvorak directed the clip, which looks like it was shot on Super 8, and features the band miming the song in locations that range from a basketball court to a gas station to a food truck. Improbably, it comes off as more charming than tired, and suits the song nicely. Aspiring DIY directors, look to this clip for proof that you don’t need to worry about a budget. Potential listeners, start paying attention to Dead Stars.

Watch “Someone Else” below and get in a game of pick-up basketball before the sun disappears.

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March 11, 2014

Playlounge – Waves and Waves and Waves (Stream)

Let’s get this out of the way at the top: Playlounge are a London-based guitar/drums/vocals duo. They play scrappy scuzzed-out pop music that recalls a lot of bands that operate within the confines of that format. There are traces of Japandroids, No Age, and PS I Love You (among others) to be found all over their music. What differentiates them from the pack is the sheer velocity they conjure up. Where Japandroids are almost consumed by a desire to sound huge, it comes off as a byproduct here rather than a focal point. PS I Love You are willfully off-kilter and Playlounge don’t really seem to will anything; they just fucking go for it. No Age have their arthouse tendencies as well- chiefly, their obsession with damaged lo-fi. Playlounge just hint at an interest in those kinds of things, while actually sounding damaged- not in terms of recording quality, but their actual physical state of being. It makes for a strangely cathartic listening experience. “Waves and Waves and Waves”, yet another preview of their upcoming LP Pilot, showcases all of these qualities and more. It’s available for both streaming and download below. Take advantage of it.

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March 5, 2014

Creepoid – Baptism (Music Video)

As Noisey has already attested Philadelphia is absolutely killing it right now. One small part of what makes Philadelphia such an intriguing spot can certainly be attributed to Creepoid, a weirdo psych-punk quartet. Their just-released self-titled (out on No Idea Records) is already one of 2014’s highlights and the band just released the video for standout cut “Baptism”. Impressively, the video more than lives up to the track; it’s an impossibly perfect complement.

Mixing Super 8 footage with a controlled loop and overlay technique, director Wade Vanover has said the approach was meant to examine the inevitable disintegration of memory. It’s a powerful subtext that provides “Baptism” itself with a few extra layers of emotion, tinging it with an all-too-real sadness. It’s something that sinks in despite the visual assault that’s expertly designed to disorient the viewer. That the track is called “Baptism” only lends itself further to what ultimately ends up being an all-encompassing narrative. Birth, movement, and decay are all represented in some way or another, making this one of 2014’s most stunning achievements.

“Baptism” can be watched below and Creepoid can (and really should) be streamed in full here.

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March 4, 2014

Silence Dogood – Chairman of the Bored (Stream)

Chairman Of The Bored

Michigan power trio Silence Dogood have been stealthily cranking out incendiary lo-fi scuzz pop EP’s since 2012’s Sound of Silence. Master of Puppets (the band’s stock and trade lies in tongue-in-cheek appropriation) is the band’s 10th (yes, 1oth) EP and opening track “Chairman of the Bored” sees them taking their apathetic nihilism to new heights. It’s not unfamiliar territory for a band who frequently finds their feet firmly planted in reactionary status. What it does do, however, is grab the listeners attention. Immediately.

“Chairman of the Bored” opens with some quick guitar stabs before guitarist and vocalist Cameron Mahoney makes a startling announcement. Those opening lines? “Me and my friends make our own rules- we burn down churches and piss off schools- and we’ll burn you too.” And he’s only just getting started. As the song grows darker, so does the lyrical content, hitting an apex with the couplet “some smartass kid made fun of my town/chained him to my truck and showed him around” before following it with a characteristically bored and detached delivery on “who’s laughing now?”

Mahoney’s lyrics have always been startling and one of the band’s strongest selling points. “Chairman of the Bored” definitely raises the stakes on their unpredictability though, definitely proving that their is no topic or character narrative they’re afraid to tackle. Their brand of post-punk works in tandem with that aspect of their music as a perfect complement. By striking a balance between contrast and accentuation they’ve landed on something weirdly irresistible.

Hear “Chairman of the Bored” below and remember that presentation isn’t always glorification. Seriously.

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Tag: scuzz pop