Keel Her - Riot Grrrl | Track Feature

Keel Her give us a supple and thoroughly charming off-kilter lo-fi pop music. There is enough nostalgic punch to keep any 20 something year old satisfied for a few hours pleasure. Rose Keeler-Schäffeler's soaks her ram shackled songwriting in references of the past with a tongue in cheek mentality that seems to honor and poke fun at all the moments in pop culture which she could seemingly hold dear.

"Riot Grrrl" kicks starts everything here and is Keel Her's first "hi-fi" musical statement. She leaves her comfortable, presumably smokey, bedroom and enters an actual recording studio. The guitars are still jangling away and Keeler-Schäffeler's recognizable melodic hooks are all in place. There is a clarity and accessibility that her own home-recorded output can only hint at. The more professional attitude and recording quality could be a factor of this being one of her most widely available releases to date but also feels like a natural progression the DIY pop songsmith.


For Keel Her's US debut Gnar Tapes go back into Keeler-Schäffeler's demo vaults from the past year or so to dig up some of the best treats that may have gone overlooked. "Steve Holt" is a fine example of what she is capable of committing to tape all on her own. It is falling apart while simultaneously congealing into perfection. Yum...

Keel Her's "Riot Grrrl" 7" will be available this December 3rd by Critical Heights while her self-titled US debut is available now via Gnar Tapes. 

Dawn Fauna - Indian Summer Mosquito Shake | Track Feature

Dawn Fauna is a sweet breeze or descent into bliss. An easy ride through the New England brush by way of Laurel Canyon. The pieces are in place for some prime psychedelic folk-rock here. The group includes Anna Rochinski whose distinct voice and bits of nagging melodies may be familiar to some as being an integral part of like-minded jangle inflected songsmiths Quilt. It is an almost wispy sound akin to a eyes on a long expanse about to be undertaken or face to the breeze attitude.

Dawn Fauna's lone bandcamp track "Indian Summer Mosquito Shake" is an incense infused folk rock gem, which incorporates moments of the genre's great moments of years past and present. The guitars are jangling and some backwards organ moves begin to seep into the mix. The sound may not extend much further than what Rochinski normally attends to in Quilt, along with giving a clue into her role in that group, but why try and fix something that isn't broken?

Dawn Fauna's "Indian Summer Mosquito Shake" is available now via the group's Bandcamp.

Robust Worlds - Best Wishes | Track Feature

Robust Worlds is some mighty fine music to roll on into fall with. The man rambling and jamming his way through this pretty killer set of tunes is Chris Rose. De Stijl Records, who are releasing his debut album Emotional Planet, claims to have first seen him playing barefoot soI believe it is safe to say he probably isn't too stuck up. You may even want to hang out for a hour or so and unwind. Best Wishes may be one of the immediate of the album tracks from start to finish. I shines in its place on Emotional Planet.

"Best Wishes" isn't leaps and bounds any other tracks but is something of the greatest distillation of what Robust Worlds is does. It maintains a subtle blend of emotions that shine even though there is a significant blurriness to the proceedings. It is hard pressed to make a word out of what he's saying most of the time and that could possibly be the greatest flaw as it seems like the words are in place. Regardless that may be an irrelevant point that world at large is generally obscured mixture of he said she saids anyway. This is definitely one to spin a few times and spend some time with before hoping for another to see how Rose builds as a songwriter.

Robust Worlds track Best Wishes is available on the album Emotional Planet via De Stijl Records. Also be sure to check out his tourdates below

9/28 Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis w/ Paw Paw

9/29 Albuquerque, NM @ Moldspores w/ Alan George Ledergerber

10/2 Los Angeles, CA @ Human Resources

10/8 Portland, OR @ Howling House  

10/10 Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern

10/11 Missoilas, MT @ Top Hat w/ Shahs

The Go - Secular Century Man | Track Feature

The Go seem to hold some sacred place on the totem pole of the garage rock totem pole. It's not hard to see why with tracks such as "Secular Century Man" whose attitude can put some swagger in your step. Their music is deceivingly simple dipping into the pools of 60's and 70's rock music that only those from the Paris of the midwest can do. The group have been built a mammoth of an underground rock legacy since releasing their first album in 1998 on Sub Pop and as such have also built up quite the back catalogue of music that never saw the light of day. This is where the ever reputable source for garage rock glory comes in Burger Records to release a 5 cassette box set of unreleased music by The Go spanning the years 1996 - 2007.

"Secular Century Man" shows the group wearing shoes of classic mod forebearer's from the swinging 60's. The track opens with powerful and crunching guitar hook that will lead down the rabbit hole of hard rock-isms to come or have passed. This wouldn't be out of place on an album by The Creation or The Who for that matter. After all The Go don't sound as if they are reliving any particular moments in time rather living in them.

The Go's compilation album Unreleased: 1996-2007 is available now via Burger Records.

Gap Dream - Generator | Track Feature

Sometimes a good tune can travel a long way. The fall is coming on but Gap Dream's "Generator" is keeping me warm. Something of a bubble gum biker tune if you will. The track's guitars never seem to keep still, squirming, and dancing their way to the finish. Think of Gap Dream as an alternative of what would happened if after Spacemen 3 dissolved Sonic Boom felt the calling of the warm west coast breeze and left to go fill his lungs with some medicinal smoke. 
Fulvimar's harmonies smoothly swirl by in a similar manner as like-minded psych-poppers Woods have in recent years. You could peg Gap Dream as part of the never ending mining of 1960's west coast psychedelia and concise almost teeny bopper style pop. The guitar jangle is just right and the organ keeps the textured pulse moving. You can even almost tell that Gap Dream has a photographic memory of each and every melody the Beach Boys ever created. But that would be unkind as this is no revivalist retro one-offs, rather an update on classic motifs. 
Gap Dream's track "Generator" will be available via Suicide Squeeze this September 25th. 

Phemale - "A Colonial Fire" | Track Feature

Phemale's "A Colonial Fire" and entire album Root Terror for that matter is at a cross roads somewhere between  classic sci-fi soundtracks of year's past, the industrial thrust of much of underground electronic music of the 1980's, and some kosmiche music thrown in to spice up the pot a bit. There is nothing like the electronic solo artist to really get to the heart of total weirdness. Maybe it is the solitude of solo work that does it, a certain degree of isolation that brings one to the outer limits. But who knows maybe Phemale is a social extrovert party monster at heart.

I mention this because there does seem to be some idea of writing "hits" or at least music that steps beyond the readily inaccessible. "A Colonial Fire" wouldn't be out of place in some apocalyptic film from the 80's. It could be the soundtrack to some lo budget Blade Runner. Where the composer working with what's in front of them produces the haunting ambiance which maybe the flicks only resounding success, even with the tape hiss at maximum capacity.

Phemale's track "A Colonial Fire" is available now on Free Music Archive.

Mighty Challenger - There Is No Other Way | Track Feature

Mighty Challenger bursts out of the opening gates with the melodic almost pop gem "There Is No Other Way." The project of Tom Gluibizzi (who some may know from his current project Hidden Fees or his previous role as a co-founder of Psychic Ills) goes out on his own with a refreshing blend of songwriting that stands out from what many folks these days seem to be up to. It is true that some reference points could be made to music of west africa as well as some classic rock moves of the 70's onwards. At the heart of this music is some fine tuned compositions break from any predefined genre placement.

There is a subtle rhythmic edge to the whole affair found in the Reggae like emphasis on the off beat & some the soft percussive shuffle that keep everything moving. It is possible that one can look at the similar groove oriented music Gluibizzi's other projects have had in the past for some reference points. "There Is No Other Way" is not dance music but it carries the beat well and has the potential to bring a little added bounce to the step of any listener. Mighty Challenger creates an ideal musical mixture that is perfect for the waning summer days.

Mighty Challenger's "There Is No Other Way" is available now on the project's debut 7" directly from the artist.

(Via the fine folks at RCRD LBL)

Hobo Sonn - Weeping From Eyes Three, Four and Five | Track Feature

Hobo Sonn's "Weeping from Eyes Three, Four and Five" is a satisfyingly creepy ambient brew. At some indistinct moment repetitive loops, drum rhythms, & electronic pulses begin to become ritualistic in their effect. The side turns into something of a key, summoning the beyond,  almost resembling a shaman's magic. But what else is the general listening public going to expect when seeing that this is one half of a split LP with the incredibly prolific Decimus (Pat Murano of No Neck Blues Band etc).

Throughout "Weeping from Eyes Three, Four and Five" Ian Murphy carefully mixes samples taken from the entire spectrum of . The slow churn of the tide & backward voices reciting incantations sit alongside subtle washes of synths and some overarching atmospheric murk. This is perfect for the next Ouija board party you have.

Hobo Sonn's track "Weeping From Eyes Three, Four and Five" is available now on a split LP with Decimus on Kellipah Records.

Gregg Kowalsky - Electronic Music for Square and Sine Waves | Track Feature

Things are often lost or rather transformed in translation. It is almost analogous to a cut-up by Brian Gysin or William Burroughs or even a collage by Max Ernst through their transformation of a pre-exisitng entity. The same may be said of what happens when a work that employs the use of multiple sensations. In the case of Gregg Kowalsky's "Electronic Music for Square and Sine Wave" the work is grounded in the interaction of sound and space, something not readily transferable to purely audio recordings. Yet Kowalsky makes it work and beautifully at that.

In this format it seems like the emphasis of "music" as stated in the title "Electronic Music for Square and Sine Wave" comes to the forefront. As the releases press release states it is composed of multiple layers of sound sources and processing including "tuned an AM radio to random interference between channels, static abstractions that bookend the work." Beyond this  for "the core of the piece, Kowalsky used contact mics to process this, and other, sound source(s) as he moved around the performance space." The space in which the composition was performed and recorded is removed from the listeners vision and perception. It is a mortal separation between how the composition was originally received and what it now is.

But is this is not a bad thing. Separated from space and movement the overarching aesthetic nuances of sound manipulation are more readily revealed. It is at the heart of the audio work that deep listening practices can begin to work. Kowalsky creates a web of overtones and subtly moving harmonics to great effect, tones that gently wash over ones surroundings and possibly reactive their sense of time & sound in space.

Gregg Kowalsky and Jozef Van Wissem's album Movements in Marble and Stone will be available via Amish Records as an entry into the largely fantastic Required Wreckers Series this September 4th.

Eric Copeland - Flushing Meats| Track Feature

Eric Copeland is back with yet another solid 7" mind melter. The phase shifting, beat infused, audio trickery is still in full swing here, little surprise there. Copeland has built his entire solo career slowly advancing his unique blend of ADD riddled and THC infused music to new heights. His recent string of 7" singles has  given ground to him being a true connoisseur and purveyor of some the most experimental and accessible music out there today.

"Flushing Meats" reflects past efforts, most notably Alien in A Garbage Dump from 2009, while not necessarily retreading any ground. A tapestry of sound and intertwining rhythmic elements keep some forward momentum while never revealing in what direction anything is actually going in. The B side of "Gutterhouse" continues the perfect audio remedy for those looking to turn their reality into a oozing sugar sweet syrup mess. This is beyond noise, this is beyond crazy beats, settling on a new alien terrain. Copeland may be out of the garbage dump but he is still holding onto the key ideas that were fermented there in the first place.

Eric Copeland's "Flushing Meats" 7" is available now via Calico Corp.

Trabajo - "Bodega Cat" | Track Feature

Traversing some almost ancient ground here. Trabajo create a nice blend of electronics that seem to take a grab bag of influences before putting them all into the juicer for our delight. There are hints of musical fruits from all over the map ranging from kraut-rock like exercises in kosmiche introspection and moments of electro-ethnic forgery my mind readily associates with early Gang Gang Dance to name a few without ever really hitting the nail on the head.

The track highlight "Bodega Cat" from the group's EP (2012) is a foray into some pseudo-minimalist kalimba compositions. This ode to every corner store's feline friend is exacting in it's percussive precision building up the energy until some atmospheric vocals enter calling for a heavy drum breakdown. The rest of the album follows suit weaving in and out of a the blur of the a hot and busy street.

Trabajo's EP (2012) is available now from the group's bandcamp.

Volunteers Park - Tragic Pote | Track Feature

Stepping out on his own, Aviram Cohen (formerly of Silk Flowers and Soiled Mattress & The Springs), finds his own voice just fine. Volunteers Park acts as an extension of his former projects an eventual progression of the sound really developed with Silk Flowers hues of black comedy & an electronic music full of sequenced synths and drum machines whirling. The proceedings are now a bit more loose and dare I say intimate than any group can ever really pull off.

It seems like natural selection or progression has led to Volunteers Park. A statement that may seem funny when considering the almost entirely electronic nature of this music. But funny indeed as Cohen croons in "Tragic Pote" with all sincerity while speaking of some school-age trouble full of cavities and murdered bus drivers (which is way more endearing than how that may sound thanks to Cohen's particular singing voice). This is a short treat and hopefully there is more to come.

Volunteers Park's "Tragic Pote" is available now as via De Stijl.

Samara Lubelski - Wavelength | Track Feature

Samara Lubelski seems to do no wrong. Whether she's behind the board helping engineer and record some classic recordings by any number of fantastic "underground" groups such as Black Dice or Oneida to name just a couple or in the limelight with her own extensive body of work solo and with her previous group Hall of Fame there just always seems to be something there. The right blend of gentle, melodic folk and bits of all of psychedelic noise seep into everything she has a hand in.

"Wavelength", taken from Samara's upcoming album of the same name, stands out in her catalogue as one of the most upbeat fast tempo songs she has yet to release with any of her previous albums or projects. Yes the floral guitar passages remain but it's as if she's had a strong cup of coffee before setting out on this work. It suits her too, the instrumental track soars into the ethers of space and time before returning home bringing with it a small gift from the universe straight to your home speaker system.

Samara Lubelski's Wavelength will be available via De Stijl Records this July 24th.

Koudede - Alam-in | Track Feature

It is occasionally so that at times of great political struggle and cultural upheavals throughout history some of the most enduring works of art spring to life. For Koudede and the Tuareg people, maybe it is not seen in this manner. I must admit there is something lost in translation here, or lack there of rather. Much has been made of how modern times have all but isolated and marginalized the nomadic way of life that the Tuareg are traditionally known for.  As a result the blues infused track "Alam-in" comes off  to the uninitiated listener a somber yet uplifting energy from the music. Whether through the group harmonies, swinging upbeat tempos, and guitar sinews weaving a melodic swirl around the listener.

Koudede is not content to stick with a traditional acoustic. While working in the full band setting he is able to let the guitars buzz around the rhythm section, including full drum kit, in all directions. The 7" is the newest entry in the now legendary Guitars From Agadez series which brought to many people's attention other bands from the region such as Group Inerane & Group Doueh. Though the culture and people behind this music are experiencing some of the greatest upheavals and struggles in their entire history as the unacknowledged nation state of Azawad faces an extremely uncertain future. What this will mean for the Tuareg people and their tremendously moving song forms is another questions entirely.

Koudede's  is available as a limited 7" now via Sublime Frequencies. 

Ghost Wave - Sunsetter | Track Feature

This is some classic fuzzed out pop right here, the kind that New Zealand and Australia seem to have a patent on. There are some usual suspects that come to mind when it comes to upbeat sunshine jangle op from below the equator, but we won't get into that right now because it is a hairy subject and we don't need to tangle up the situation here. 

The group's "Sunsetter" combines just the right amount of jangle and pop finesse to allow everything around you to breeze on by. It's like seeing the world through some paisley sunglasses for a minute or too. Maybe kick back a little on the way somewhere. Does that make sense? So it goes I always say. Ghost Wave meet their peers at eye level while providing their own spin on a contemporary "classic" sound.

Ghost Wave's "Sunsetter" is available now for free via the group's bandcamp.

ILLLS - "Goods" | Track Feature

Sometimes things just fall into place, into a groove if you will. Hitting the kind of spot only a slushy can touch. Something to cool you down in the increasingly hot weather and provide a sweet sugar rush. Oxford, Mississippi duo ILLLS pretty much do just that in a proverbial sense. "Teeth"taken from their debut EP Dark Paradise is a hook laden track that seems to just keep getting better.  Just with all sugar coded gems some dental work down the road some accompanying dental work will be needed.

The video sees the duo wondering around jamming and making some disgusting entree. A little off putting considering the general upbeat and pop-oriented of the tune, I guess the hints of psychedelic weirdness permeated throughout have landed thfese guys somewhere else. In between there gross recipe we see the group in some dramatic setting hinting at the anthemic nature & strength of their music.

ILLLS Dark Paradise EP is available now via The Sound of Sweet Nothing.

Highlife - Valley's Lap | Track Feature

Taking a break to allow the understated turning of time drag on offering a moment of solitude can be a hard thing to find. "Valley's Lap" finds Doug Shaw deep within his most serene aura-laced compositions under the Highlife moniker yet. The track really picking up, or slowing down depending on how you want to get into it all, after the Gang Gang Dance inflected (Shaw is a live member of the group) introduction that combines a visceral droning pulse and some warped voice echoing "I've been in this town so long, so long to the city." A possible ode to Shaw's current home residence in  New York as the the heat and humidity are starting to seep in.

After we get past this rather cold meet and greet at the beginning Highlife kicks into motion with what he does best and lets his beautiful voice soar over a repetitive shimmering drone of a sample. A strange narrative built upon loose metaphors as the subtle feeling of ennui threatens to overtake the listener, or this listener. A deep and meditative listen into the "Valley's Lap".

You can check out Highlife's "Valley's Lap" at his soundcloud and check out his most previous release Best Bless available via The Social Registry.

Creation Myth - Savor | Track Feature

Creation Myth come at the listener with the force one has after a long night out and returning home in the cold chill of morning air, potentially still a little restless. The soundtracks for the someone's sobering come down. The trio's track "Savor" rests itself upon some airy melodic clouds reflecting down upon the listener. The vocals are barely there both literally and metaphorically as they flirt in and out, offering few moments of clarity reinforcing the gentle drone and guitar patterns.

The group's entire collection of demos straddle this same line. At times they feel like the underscore of a scene from a David Lynch film.  This is not necessarily a bad thing but it doesn't make for the most versatile listen, with few peaks to bring any sudden shifts of tension. Maybe though it was indeed meant for those early morning treks. Perhaps I'll  find out one of these days.

Creation Myth's "Savor" is available now direct from the band.

Girlseeker - "Dream" | Track Feature

Before I really begin I want to say Girlseeker  one of the best band names I have come across in some time. I'm not sure if "Girl" is being used as an adjective or what but I dig it. Monikers aside "Dream" from their recently released 1-800-GREED is some class A post-Ariel Pink pop that has everything from minimal synth crazes, completely charming dead-pan vocals, & the perfect hook for the occasion (I'm quite sure what that is though as I don't understand a word here).

The group hail from Copenhagen, Denmark & combine all of the kitsch aynth pop antics of your favorite new wave cassette that been baking in the back of your car. Just the right amount is retained & the rest transformed into a new living being. Or at least that's the case with these dudes.

Girlseeker's 1-800-GREED is available now via well a whole slew of folks including Big Love, Denim Hologram, Silver Ghosts, KRAAK, New Images, Music City, Underwater Peoples, Insula Music, 4:2:2v2, & Release The Bats.  

Sedition Ensemble - Tax | Track Feature

Occupying that fine cross section of politically motivated groove music that seems to bear hallmarks from every corner of NYC's late 70's early 80's underground. Sedition Ensemble's Regeneration Report has classic written all over it yet for some reasons feel through the cracks of above ground (even if marginally so) history. The group was founded by Ed Montgomery, a San Francisco transplant living in New York City, & included Hector Lavoe, Larry Harlow, & Bern Nix (Ornette Coleman's Prime Time & The Contortions) to name a few.

If the lead track "Tax" is any indication of what else is to come on this album then we can expect a quintessential mix of underground political ideologies & cultural fusion. The latin influence in particular is hard at play here. I'm not sure if Montgomery's latin influence came before or after his move from San Francisco to New York but would wager a pretty penny (that is if I gambled) on the latter as the big apple had it's own thriving Latino music scene at the time. It's a great blend of radical post-hippie politics made music.

Sedition Ensemble's Regeneration Report is available now via Sol Re Sol Records.