The Sound Of Cobra label strikes fast and hard with its latest release "Easterfaust" by Glaswegian heavyweights Cosmic Dead. We flipped our lids for Cosmic Dead's self-titled debut on Cardinal Fuzz so read on to find out the thrilling tale from Sound Of Cobra about this here ripper:
"Since 2010, The Cosmic Dead have been exploring the outer reaches of Krautrock, doom and psychedelia, tasting the extremes of sound and fusing them into a single, all-enveloping web of stratospheric riffing, otherworldly ambience and kosmische textures that has spread itself across countless shows throughout all Europe
“For anyone who hasn’t yet stood before the Dead and their live homage to the cosmos, expect religious devotion to synthesised dreamworlds, subsonic grooves, guitaristic splendour and the vast, hypnotic sounds of Hawkwind and Popol Vuh eternally jamming in the Möbius strip of time and space”
Remember that satanic drug thing you didn't understand? Forget about it! Here comes the new breed and it's a fierce and fiery force! A creeping barrage of sound that embodies the spirit of heavy psychedelic freak-outs from the Godz and Hawkind to early Monster Magnet („25... Tab“-era) and Acid Mother's Temple to set you afire. Want some? Tune in, turn on, get burned!"
!!! More like Cosmic Alive! "Easterfasut" is 2 side-long cuts of slowburn psychrawk astonishment! Those above references of Godz, Hawkwind and Acid Mother's Temple are totally apt, but Cosmic Dead is no paltry rehash… this LP fuuuuckking smokes! The playing is super tight and in the pocket, the tracks ebb and flow, and turn on a dime. And these cats really know how to incorporate dynamics, things get slow and low when they need to, yet when things need to explode Cosmic Dead blasts off into lunatic fringe psychedelic wailings of the "highest" order! Grab one of these immediately cuz this is a primal platter of all things great and needs to be on your turntable like yesterday! SUUUUUUUPER RECOMMENDED.
Obnox is BACK and with a VENGEANCE!!! Teamed up with 12XU Records once again, his latest joint is "Louder Space" and like we've learned before, you gotta PAY ATTENTION to what Bim has up his sleeves cuz the good jams just never stop. But just don't take our word for it, read what Dangerous Minds has to say -
"It’s never happened before and it may never happen again—Obnox have recorded in a real studio. After an LP, a 2xLP, and over a half dozen 7”s recorded in a dumpy punk flophouse's living room on a let’s just say “experienced” half-inch tape deck, Cleveland OH’s biggest brotha Bim Thomas has tracked his new full-length at Columbus, OH’s Musicol Studio. Is “Louder Space” Obnox’s “Tallahassee?” Oh God, no.
That glorious rust belt/disgust belt grit and grime that makes the ‘Nox the ‘Nox is ALL there, good people. Call it Soul Noise, call it Splatter Gospel, hell, call it Urban Contemporary, who cares that it’s taken. From the lumpen stomp of “Primetime Sista,” to the boldly experimental anti-funk of “How to Rob ‘The Punk Years’” and “Red-I,” to the COMPLETELY SICK, fuzzed-out, industrial psych-blues of the jaw-dropping closer “Feeling Real Black Today,” Thomas’ punk spirituals satisfy the soul on “Louder Space” more than ever before. Obnox’s soul/punk fusion just keeps getting dirtier, more organic, and if this white boy may dare to say so, blacker with every go-‘round. You gotta get in on this shit, people. If you’re not on this train yet, it’s time. - Ron Kretch, Dangerous Minds"
YES!!!!! We thought last year's "Corrupt Free Enterprise" was mind blowing, but HOLY HELL Obnox ups the ante even fucking more on "Louder Space." With some extra time and better equipment at his disposal, this album is more potent, searing, hypnotic and heavy hitting than we even thought possible. Bim's soul/punk/hiphop/garage explosion of influences is boiled down to a wall of sound so epic, fuzz coated, layered and warped that it sounds like nothing else. Take the rustbelt R&B outta the Dirtbombs, the reverb gospel outta the Oblivians, the psych destruction outta Monoshock, the studio wizardry outta Madlib, the blues outta the Blues Explosion and the balls out crazy proto punk sleaze outta Rocket From The Tombs and you might get close to a description. Maybe. But really YOU JUST NEED TO HEAR TO BELIEVE and believe you will.
So if you still haven't checked out Obnox yet, the TIME IS NOW. And if you have, man you're in for one tasty garage punk wrecking ball of a treat. Seriously "Louder Space" is not gonna leave our turntable til summer. And it's a sure bet to be on many of our top ten lists at the end of the year. SO ACT NOW AND GET THE LIMITED GREEN WAX VERSION, cuz "Louder Space" is SSSSSSUUUUUUPPPPPPEEEEEERRRRRR RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!
7in - Obnox - Used Kids EP - $5.99 - BUY
More Obnox??? WHY YES OF COURSE!!!!! WE CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH!!!! So luckily for all of us RnR junkies, 12XU Records is releasing a side dish of sorts to Bim's soon-to-be-classic "Louder Space" in the form of the "Used Kids EP." You should already have yer wallets out, but read on if you need that extra nudge -
"Bim's new 'Louder Space' masterpiece was only narrowly spared double LP status, hence the hasty/confusing 33 RPM, flip-the-sides and interrupt the grind of "Used Kids", a new classic in the Obnox canon (though "cannon" works just as well in this instance). Big thanks in advance to Columbus, OH's Used Kids Records (1980 N. High Street) for NOT SUING US.
If you think Mr. Thomas' prolific nature is tough on your shelf space, spare a thought for all the inferior artists who he's humiliating on what seems like a monthly basis!" - 12XU
AGREED, and this part 1 / part 2 single is just gonna get flipped over and over again time infinity 'round these parts. So yeah it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!! Not much else needs to be said.
LIMITED EDITION ON RED VINYL!!!
Our spiritual brethren over at Captcha Records are once again bringing the high quality vibes with yet another fine-as-a-diamond release from the impeccable Lorelle Meets The Obsolete. Get the full story behind this blissful shoegaze churner directly form the label peeps:
"(The album is called ‘Chambers’ because, while they recorded it, they felt like they were in various enclosed places far from home and everything else.)
“Most of the songs came out of jams, while the tunes on the first two albums were structured either by Lorena or me,” explains The Obsolete, aka Alberto González. “It’s a really straightforward record. To me it doesn’t sound as hazy as the first two and, as it’s the first time we worked with someone else behind the board, it’s Cooper’s interpretation of Lorelle Meets The Obsolete. Then Sonic Boom cranked the volume up!”
He’s right. The result is a surprisingly direct record which, despite locking into a pulsating krautrock groove on ‘What’s Holding You?’ or getting lost in a fog of white noise on recent teaser track ‘Music For Dozens’, always retains a very human heart and soul. There is diversity too – from the slide guitar and driving bass on the out of control rave up that is ‘Sealed Scene’ to the narco-blues of ‘Dead Leaves’ and the folky, melancholy ‘Grieving’.
The big influences that came into play while making ‘Chambers’ were Austin psych- rockers Holy Wave’s ‘Knife Hits’ album and the Ty Segall and White Fence collaboration ‘Hair’, which more than explains the garage-rock sensibility that pervades here.
Also mentioned in their impeccable list of influences are Nico, Syd Barrett, Broadcast’s 'The Noise Made By People’, Albert Camus’ existentialist tour de force The Myth Of Sisyphus, Julio Cortázar’s short stories and Michael Azerrad’s snapshots from the US underground scene of the 1980s, Our Band Could be Your Life.
Thanks to the incredible ‘Chambers’, Lorelle Meets The Obsolete could soon be yours."
Chalk another one up for the mighty Lorelle Meets The Obsolete! "Chambers" finds the group in top form after seemingly endless touring honing their craft. Pulsing rhythms, lysergic guitar trills and breathy entrancing vocals all combine to make a monster record of psychedelic shoegaze majesty. These ten tracks of motorik groove finesse and flutter and tickle your earholes with washes of desertscape hypnotics and galaxy spiraling space rock as fine as they come. Lorelle Meets The Obsolete are one of the many current killer groups hurtling through the atmosphere with their varied brand of interstellar jamz and we say keep 'em coming! As all things Lorelle Meets The Obsolete related, this one is ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED.
STELLAR unheard New Zealand pop from The Spies, an undocumented piece of late-Seventies Kiwi-pop released courtesy of Siltbreeze! Read the gospel straight from label head Tom Lax himself:
"The Spies bear the unique distinction of one of New Zealand’s true missing pieces in the Underground puzzle. With no audio documentation ever seeing the light of day in their time (1978-79, Wellington), the band really did exist in a you-had-to-be-there bubble. Historically (as in, now) known as hatching both George Henderson (later of The Puddle) and Christopher Plummer (who also thumped heads in Shoes This High), The Spies possessed a lithe but keen awareness of both the Canterbury and DIY movements that were taking place back in Old Blighty.
The Battle of Bosworth Terrance imagines a bridge connecting Kevin Ayers and The Desperate Bicycles—a much-needed safe passage over a mysterious chasm you never knew was there. The fact that these recordings exist at all is nothing short of miraculous serendipity; the story is beautifully retold by Mr. Henderson in the liner notes. If you’re thinking forgery, theft, drugs and distinctive footwear (Alpaca boots perhaps?), congrats, the sniffer is working just fine. Besides the heretofore unknown music, also included are photographs, lyrics and text. It’s only taken 30+ years, but the larcenous abandon that was The Spies is finally willing and able to be heard, read about and seen for the first time.
Pressed in a one-time edition of 500 copies, The Battle of Bosworth Terrace includes a digital download card."
Siltbreeze is long past proving themselves to be a reputable source for all things NZ-related and The Spies LP is a worthy addition to the canon! A brilliant band, (who must have been amazing live) that does indeed bridge the gap between jangling, off-kilter pop smersh & dissonant, obtuse post-punk. We're hearing ripples of folks like Wire, Soft Boys, Pin Group, Shoes This High, Victor Dimisch Band, Young Marble Giants and the like; wafts of that unmistakable zeitgeist after the initial throb of punk lit fires under the asses of misfits everywhere. Everything WAS possible and you didn't HAVE to know what you were doing to create a masterpiece. DIG IT, but don't waste too much time - "The Battle of Bosworth Terrace" is a ONE-TIME pressing of 500 copies and are likely to disappear faster than you can say "Titmachine". RECOMMENDED.
Hopefully we don't need to convince ANYONE of the genius of Joe Meek and his undeniable footprint on the sound of pop music, but JUST IN CASE; may we present this compilation of Meek productions that span the spectrum of Outer Space-related weirdness to just plain strange otherworldly rock! Released in a miniscule pressing on the 'Chump Change' record label - READ ON:
"A trip through the productions of pioneering genius Joe Meek. Here we have a mix of hits that have appeared on comps before and real out there obscurities. Designed to be highly listenable. Never a dull moment amongst these songs that cover subjects close to Joes' heart such as Vampires, Love (and the lack of it), Death, Outer space, the Human soul, Buddy Holly, and more. Artists featured are The Blue Rondos, The Blue Men, Jason Eddie and the Centremen, The Sound Offs, The Moontrekkers, Johnny Leyton, The Cryin' Shames, Mike Berry, The Outlaws, Chick Lewis, Glenda Collins and even Joe himself warbling out a tune. One time very small pressing so please don't sleep."
AMAZING. These tunes run the gamut from rockabilly-inflected R'n'R to cosmic instrumentals to straight-up weird pop tunes as only Meek could record 'em - this shizz sounds INCREDIBLE to our ears and is an impeccably curated set of tunes! Seriously DO NOT SLEEP on this one, as these aren't likely to be available for long - RECOMMENDED.
LP - Cheater Slicks - Live Vol 3 - $14.99 - BUY
Columbus Discount just unleashed the third installment of their ongoing live series from the mighty and unruly Cheater Slicks!!!! And this might just be the best volume yet! So don't ponder this one too long, and read on below -
"CHEATER SLICKS Live Vol. 3 is comprised of two songs. Each has a running time of around twenty minutes. The A-Side track, “Thinkin’ Some More” was recorded at the Khyber Pass in Philadelphia PA in 1992. The B-Side track is a cover of the Velvet Underground’s Sister Ray, recorded at the Summit in Columbus, OH in 2009. It was never in question that the Cheater Slicks are a great band. This recording illustrates why the Cheater Slicks are one of THE great bands. This records makes clear that the same strand of DNA that malfunctioned and made mutations like the Cramps, the Bassholes, the Velvets, Nervous Norvus , the Stooges, Suicide, et al also went horribly wrong and made the Slicks. This document, when taken with their other two live releases and their studio output, is the most compelling argument to date that the Cheater Slicks are one of the last bands that are unquestionably of the same continuum of the greatest rock bands in history." - Columbus Discount
AMEN! If this kinda statement was made about any other band, we'd have to disagree, but the Cheater Slicks have been and still fucking are one of the most killer, loudest and talented garage punk bands to ever destroy our ears!!!! And "Live Vol. 3" is just like having them play in yer living room whenever you want. Two EPIC SIDE LONG JAMS that are more blown out, vicious and mesmerizing than anything else you'll hear all year long, this album just makes us even more fanatic about the Slicks. And dare we say this version of "Sister Ray" will change your fucking life!!! Fans of Birds Of Maya, the Oblivians, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, the Bassholes, Obnox and any like-minded RnR miscreants need "Live Vol 3" now. There is no doubt about that. RECOMMENDED L A M F !!!!!!!!!!!!
BACK IN STOCK!!!
Dark, frantic punk from this Columbus, OH trio! We scored a few copies of their s/t debut direct from the band themselves when they stopped thru town - released on Bloomington label Let's Pretend Records, read what they have to say:
"Dark, anxious, paranoid, manic, obsessive, melodic, misanthropic, gothy, punk, punk from Columbus, OH. Like if Wipers, X, and Dead Moon were somehow one band. But forget comparisons, Nervosas is their own animal. 18 bangers...like 18 ender enders. These songs ooze talent and precision, ranging from break-neck hardcore skate punk tempos to a few mellow rockers to surprise ya just when you think you got it all figured out. Don't sleep on this!!! Go skate to this shit!!! (500 Double LP's pressed on clear wax! w/ screen print on the D side. Double sided screen printed inserts)"
Nervosas come out kicking with 3 sides of dark, scuzzy & agitated punk rock in the vein of The Wipers, 45 Grave or (early) Christian Death with desperate male/female harmonies piercing the cacophany. These guys keep it lean & mean, with concise, & memorable hooks too - Midwest punk (filtered thru the Northwest) at it's finest! This is the clear vinyl second pressing - still has the insert as well as the killer screened 4th side! Grab this fast, cuz it's likely to vanish quick-like - RECOMMENDED!
LIMITED EDITION ON RED VINYL
SHIT YEAH, after reissuing their 2009 album "Back To Zero" on vinyl last year, our tight bros over at Homeless Records have unleashed a BRAND NEW Night Terrors album onto our unsuspecting turntables - "Spiral Vortex"! Buckle up and prepare to dive into the maw of the VORTEX:
"Melbourne horror synth heavyweights The Night Terrors return with their new album Spiral Vortex. Featuring the haunting theremin melodies of Miles Brown, plus an orgy of vintage electronics, Spiral Vortex sees the band build upon their post-prog roots to explore a broader universe of warped psychedelia, thunderous dreamscapes and dark cosmic dance."
Essentially the project of one Miles Brown, Night Terrors exude the creeping dread of vintage Italo horror business - we're talkin' Frizzi, Goblin, etc but laced with a modern whiff of folks like Zombi, Umberto, Espectrostatic, and the like. NO GUITARS here folks, but the synths, bass and theremin more than make up for it, pulsing with a lyrical quality that makes this album sing like the soundtrack to a lost slasher movie - live drums too (provided by Damian Coward), that propel the whole thing forward more organically than the icy grip of a drum machine. If you're a fan of anything we've mentioned so far, don't hesitate and get this now - we've got the uber-limited splatter vinyl and they're ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED to go quicker than the flick of the devil's tongue! RECOMMENDED!!
