Exclusive Music For Dust Storms
Exclusive music for dust storms. This is just a snapshot of what goes on while I try to write of this music here. The desert gets angry. Alas like sands in the hourglass.. This time we have some tight NYHC by Ekulu. Kept hearing the name around and then they were live on Axe To Grind podcast and that sealed the deal. Anatomy Class singing Reflector Shield. If you dig powerful and dreamy indie pop and you are not WoW – ed by this then I am truly at a loss. Andy Bell proving that his electric songs hit just as hard unplugged. Another Health and Rifle Club track. This time they go for more driving rock , peppered with synth. Wye Oak and Ethics round this silly little piece out. Wye Oak with an old, newly released song and Ethics…well do you like Slowdive at all ?!
Ekulu – Unscrew My Head
This New York City band runs the gamut on hardcore and many of the styles (for lack of a better word) one may find within hardcore. If you remember or research the late 80’s hardcore bands.. you will hear the crossover come in. Ekulu has that lid on its sound secured tightly. Escuchar aqui https://ekulu.bandcamp.com/album/unscrew-my-head
Unscrew My Head opens with a slow momentum building intro. Proven Wrong and Who’s In Control has a flavor of its own but the underlying sentiment feels alot like Cro Mags Death Camps.
Half Alive showcases a more tribal beat with soaring guitar squeal.
Ekulu are students of the past, but they seem to know how to re create it into their own. As a guitarist, I can tell you, for me, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to come up with basic sloppy bar chord hardcore. It does take effort to take power chords and arrange them in a way that offers dynamics and groove. Ekulu got that.
Half Alive and the next song Pick Your Fight has a mosh part too, as I said, they run the gamut, but it is not cookie cutter ish. Title track? F – unky drum beat. Picture music for guys to do double armed windmills. This track has the most rap influenced cadence in the chorus. It is very far from rap but if you remember the very late 80’s NYHC heavy hitters it’s very much like that. Ends with some ruthless drumming. Praise EKULU for that.
Next is Crossed. Right out the gate is harmonized guitars. Yes it’s been done before, but you know what it works. The rest of Crossed is a fast tempo spin and shove across a mosh pit where kids are goin off. The second to last track Wake Up is more ass kicking. It’s fun ass kicking though. Urgent mini solo. World of Uncertainty (Sandman’s Theme) slows down a bit but not much. Ekulu could be going for heaviness to close out this LP.
Unscrew My Head overall is great time. I’d like to hear some variation that deviates from the snapshot of New York Hardcore they are zoning in on. Conversely from a hardcore standpoint, there is plenty of variety in tempo and technique. Very strong torque on this slab.
Anatomy Class – Reflector Shield – single
Shields up or down , this single disarmed me. “Everything you want to learn and all the games you want to play” Anatomy Class lay down lyrics that capture hopeful aspirations coupled with extremely tuneful vocal melodies. This single has such melody and songwriting that my mind labels it “dreamy” and “sweet”. At times I feel I’m getting too much dreamy and sweet music. When I hear Reflector Shield though, I say to myself, ” Well, like dessert cake, better make room for this, there is always room for vocals , guitars and rhythm as heard in Reflector Shield. It’s rich, but not overly sweet.
Ant Rosen’s voice projects and reassures that you can count on the skyward tones to ease any doubts you may have.
It’s emotive without the whininess you get from some bands that shall remain nameless. The guitar tone is also rich. Just enough crunch and gain to have a thick edge when the drive/ distortion is engaged. When the guitars go clean, it’s smooth like your favorite car wash.
I’ve read Anatomy Class may be influenced by Lemonheads, Swervedriver and a few more. I hear some Bandwagonesque Teenage Fanclub and maybe a touch of Superdrag Regretfully Yours. If the rest of the material is of this stature, I am very eager to hear what they have.
Andy Bell – All On You – Sonic Cathedral Records
Somehow this slipped passed the goalie. All On You EP came out in June. Additionally Andy released no less than two other pieces. Another View https://andybell.bandcamp.com/album/another-view and See My Friends EP Likewise this is an important EP for Meatsheet’s summer. Fans of RIDE are truly missing out if you’re not listening to 2020s the View From Halfway Down. This is the acoustic stripped down version of that LP you get four songs from last years LP. Plus two additional songs that’s been kicking around.
When I heard these four acoustic versions from The View From Halfway Down it just gave credence of how accomplished the song writing is on Love Comes In Waves.
The immediacy, intimacy and crispness of Andy Bell and an acoustic guitar is what sold me. Without electric effected guitars bass and synth these songs hold up strong I’m of the opinion that you really can’t lose but just a person and an acoustic guitar. The one caveat is that said person makes all the difference in the way they play or the way they song right or both. Luckily Andy Bell has a Magic Touch and a brilliant sense of songwriting. I’ll put my back issues on sale in order to scrounge up the dough for this EP.
Wye Oak- Electricity – Merge Records
Before I barf my two cents onto the internet. Here are words from Andy Stack. Andy is one of two members of Wye Oak. Jenn Wasner being the other. Wye Oak have been making music a long time. This track is from the early days aka Civilian LP.
Andy : “On ‘Electricity’ I was really bashing the drums in a way that I never would now, and I hear that same abandon in Jenn’s singing. The recording has much of what defined the first phase of Wye Oak: an urgent push and pull between chaos and beauty, and a hard-hitting attempt to push out as much sound as we possibly could from our duo setup. It’s not who we are anymore, but I still relate to the old feeling, and I still get goosebumps when I listen to these recordings. Everything old is new.” Listen to the official audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEKL_BGrIcU
Electricity is probably the most percussive I have heard from this band. They do not forsake their knack for melody. The attack of the song is just more punk rock, Wye Oak is not an overtly punk rock band , soundwise. This is a great track that shows they’re even more multi – faceted in tone and delivery. Civilian is not my favorite of theirs. I’ll take Shriek and 2020’s work (AEIOU) all day. However Civilian demands more attention from me. If it can spawn a b side such as Electricity, then I am probably not listening to it with enough focus. I’m going back to it.
Quick Blurbs – Meat Speed Round
Health and Rifle Club – Geneva – Single
Real quick, Health and Rifle Club are desert dream poppers like me. I’ve written about them here https://meatsheetfanzine.com/5-ways-to-be-cool-hypnotizing-chickens/ Geneva is the latest single from forthcoming EP “Physiology Remembers” which will be out soon. This club is not a bunch of youth in their parents basements/garage coming out with brilliant stuff by chance. This is fully realized and coming from a place of knowing, i.e. experience more than thinking. So, if you like synth and guitar driven alternative pop Geneva scratches the itch. Geneva is so far one of the most aggressive of the H + R Club’s suite of songs. Listen to one of other favorites “Tropics Can’t Stop Us” on the groups website https://healthandrifleclub.com/
Ethics – Kiss Forever – single and video
Ethics are definitely wearing their heart on their sleeves and its a sleeve print that reads Slowdive. I don’t know if this is going to hold up over time. My opinion is more favorable than not.
Layered guitar dream rock. Thick orchestration, and feeling like you had one too many pain killers. Breath heavy low and high vocals like Neal Halstead and Rachel Goswell (insert your other faves) The video? Slomo kissing. Rather than babble , you can watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsEi2R8gcK0 Kiss Forever is quite beautiful in tone. Word of caution though if you don’t want to support Apple Music and the other nameless cheapskates that underpay artists (hint, app logo is green) then it is harder to find this band. This EP ,also called, Kiss Forever seems promising.
Andrew WK – Everybody Sins – Single and Video – Napalm Records
Meatsheet is a religious free zone. I’ll give AWK a pass for a few reasons. I gave him a harsh hasty bad review in the past. Also he doesn’t specify who God may be on his new record (not yet) God Is Partying . Thirdly sin is really a slippery slope. If you buy into it too much , you become ridden with shame and guilt. That is the antithesis of AWK’s partying and all inclusive positive message.
Thus, I’ll assume AWK is just trying to expand his influence into vague “God” worshippers. The song Everybody Sins is a heavy metal anthem with heavy being the emphasis. Head banging riffs. Heavy toms and bass drum. Chorus and breakdown is trying hard to recreate the early 80’s.
Is that Andrew? He don’t look so good LOL 
Everybody Sins reeks of that one kid who worshipped DIO and hung out in the woods in isolation or with a pack of other denim clad dirt metal merchants. Production is on point as it should be for someone like AWK who has been releasing music for easily over 20 years. I can’t see myself spinning this one track on repeat. However I would include it on a playlist with similar staccato headbanging riffs that border on mosh. Look for entire LP September 10
Kurt Vile – Run Run Run – Single – From I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground and Nico (Various Artists) – Verve Records
Long time KV fan here. They seem to get better and better. Popular opinion ? Unpopular? I am unconcerned. Run, Run , Run is a toe tapper and heel stomper originally done by Velvet Underground. So many waters it dips its dogs into. Classic Crystals aka Phil Spector beat can’t lose. A bassy distorted growl that slinks behind it just as the Velvets do.
Kurt’s vocals seem to broadcast more and are less laid back, maybe due to thinking of the spirit of Lou Reed’s vocals in this track. The attack of the vocal has renewed vigor compared to Wakin On A Pretty Daze and earlier LP’s The opening guitar riff could be ZZ Top’s folk cousin. You don’t get the raw scree of feedback or the guitar that sounds tinny and guttural (as head in original), but this track’s polishedness still works to its favor. Apparently there is a new LP and this is just one of many covers. B’lieve I’d like to hear it.
Ok kids, bye for now, the lesson, the moral of this whole story? Dust storm music is better than sweet chin music. Guard your grills, eat some cheetos for me, and stay safe.