Week in Rrrock

As many readers know, I listen to a lot of music. Too much. A lot of it amounts to indulgent turds but light always shines through the release pile. I don't focus on the negative, however, as too much exists in the world already. Besides, why chat about something bad when so many good sounds surround you. Without further ado, here's a look at the rotation this week.

Smegma's 33 1/3 (Important, 2007) unfairly dominates speaker-time. In thirty-plus years of existence, the band never varied its attack. The album at hand largely employs a similar tactic as their Tim Kerr records but that method never proved boring. Turntables, rock guitars, reeds and wacky whistles still provide the template for the band's bewildering psychedelic improv. Both sides of 33 1/3 contain heavy, thoughtful grooves and virtually no filler. Long live LAFMS.

The heaviness of Ex-Cocaine's Esta Guerra (Siltbreeze, 2007) shoots point blank at the brain and leaves a mess of stream-of-consciousness thought in its wake. The feedback-friendly Montana hippies construct an epic beast of a guitar album with their sophomore effort. Even the tribal drum solo entrances the listener. Sadly missing is a type-written anecdote about sled dogs and Montana Freemen. Ramirez rocks, maaaannnnn!

I never purchased the first Cheveu 7" because of the band's French name. Actually, I never purchased it because everyone kept yapping about the band last summer. Siltbreeze this and DIY that. "Well, if they remind people so much of the old Siltbreeze bands, how come they're not on Siltbreeze?" I thought. I purchased the new 7" from S-S the other day after much debate and the single rocks. The A-side, "My Answer is Yes," bounces like a classic downer garage song better than anything on Nuggets. A psychotic vocal and guitar bridge transforms the song into Devo in a robot insane asylum. "Lola Langusta," the B-side, reminds me of early Flamin' Groovies with it's twang guitar rhythm and greaser attitude.

Also never wanted to check out the hyper-prolific noise mongers in Fossils but last week I discovered they made a split cassette with classic Canadian sound-molesters Nihilist Spasm Band on Wintage, the label that gave us the fantastic Mouthus/Women in Tragedy split. NSB's side rocks with their trademark free-range death-rock improv. It's always great to hear anything the guys crank out, especially when they're on the ball. Both tunes also feature post-Fugs retard vocals/poetry we love these Canuks for. But...wait for it....Fossils actually cream NSB with long-form improv heavily-indebted to Airway and the Doo-Dooettes (didn't want to say L.A.F.M.S. again...oops). Fuzzy tape experiments warp already fantastic sessions and horrific, wonderful guitar antics. Twisted keyboard excusrions and drugged-out feedback blitzes. Guess I better ready the wallet. BASTARDS! Why do you have to perform so WELL?

Clockcleaner destroyed AS220 with their noisy snot-punk last night. The band use guitars as dissonant noise makers and the bass as a killer riff generator. Each tune stretched into a sludge-noise black hole and the show ended with the band's take on The Breeders' "Divine Hammer," the noisiest and loudest thing I heard all night. The lead singer also made out with a good-looking girl in front of her boyfriend and hit beer cans into the crowd with a bat before leaving the stage. Great guy. I always liked the group's debut, The Hassler, but the band called it garbage. Got the new record on Richie last night and it smoked a hole in my psyche this morning. Helluva damn single with "Frogrammer" providing an infectious garage-y groove and "Early Man" conveying some psychotic desires in the metal confines of a mental asylum isolation booth. Also on the bill at AS22o were Breathing Fire, a sludge band with sick power violence breakdowns, and Brain Handle, an energetic throwback to mid-80s hardcore. Check Fusetron for availability.

I enjoyed the Deathroes set leagues more than the Religious Knives set at this year's No Fun Fest but enjoy the Religious Knives 12" more than the Deathroes full-length. Whereas Deathroes let their sound build to a bloody apex at No Fun, they begin at the bloody apex on their full-length. Sixes usually builds an unsettling feeling until it explodes with murderous rage but, joined by Gerritt, the two battle for harsh supremacy. The result is a mixed bag with moments of sheer brilliance and mundane stretches. Side B outweighs Side A with a sputtering sound bomb in the making transforming into a virtual crime scene with blown eardrums strewn about. In all, definitely an act to watch. However, Religious Knives slay with two psychedelic white boy dub tunes. "Luck" starts with a few emerging chords and organ sounds creating an unsettling hallucinogenic feeling as in Pink Floyd's "Echoes." Intensity never buds and, instead, a sense of invigorating dark-thought meandering swells. A sorrowful prayer kicks in two-thirds of the way through the jam, adding a mournful chant to the bluesy dub. Dark psych moods continue with "In the Back," a scratchy tale of cracked-voice madness. Heavy, heady head trips both available from No Fun Productions.

Slicing Grandpa's Chaos Midnight contains the band's most professional artwork to date with a glossy sleeve depicting a shadow stalking a girl. The glossiness spreads to the record, which blends all Slicing Grandpa's primal sludge elements into a Swans-like dirge. Their junkyard rhythms are oddly missing but weirdness still penetrates the goth fuzz. Both sides feature actual well-defined tunes and the usual Butthole Surfers-meet-L.A.F.M.S. lunacy. Could be a new direction for the band or just a sign of them using the studio as an instrument. Either way, highly recommended. In an edition of 500. I'll bet one pops up somewhere near you.

Pissed Jeans' Hope for Men sounds better on vinyl, as does Pink Reason's Cleaning the Mirror.

Not Not Fun put out the second best guitar fuzz album of the year with Heavy Winged's We Grow (see above Ex-Cocaine record for first). Now, self-professed "death jazz" mongers Ettrick kick out the jams with Feeders of Ravens. While the band certainly does not freak speakers with layered skronk like Borbetomagus, they sound like Albert Ayler imitating a No-Wave band with Ed Wilcox at the skins. How exactly does chaotic-but-structured soul pair with soulless structured chaos? Very well. Matter-of-fact, wouldn't mind listening to this band for the majority of the day. EXCELLENT!

Finally, a change of pace with future Sub Pop darlings Tall Birds' Action 7" on Shake Appeal. The single presents two swell rock songs that command ass shaking, both reminiscent of guitar-heavy rockers from Big Star's #1 Record. Terminally great garage-pop with a twist of glam. Well-constructed and catchy-as-hell. The reformed New York Dolls wish they could write these two tunes. Hell, David Johanssen wishes he could write this tune in '74 (Thunders probably could). Look around. Available everywhere for the next few weeks then on eBay for upwards of $30 in a month.