New Drag On Girard – Post American
Drag On Meatsheet. Still not feeling this blog. Aside from a scattered review or two, the creativity and content isn’t flowing like it used to. Dark times. Recovered an old hard drive hoping to find some buried photos from 20 years ago. Instead it yielded maybe a handful of pics.
However I am compelled to mention MSPAINT’s latest Post American LP and Purling Hiss’s Drag On Girard. Due to the fact I am a fan and air conditioner of these groups of sweet but no nonsense individuals. Also ad space available on blog and new zine. So message me. Use contact tab or meatsheet@hotmail.com. Make sure you put “Ad” or something to sort out spam in the subject.
Purling Hiss – Drag On Girard – Drag City Records
Meat Sheet Fanzine covers Purling Hiss and Mike Polizze ‘s projects ( solo Polizze, Birds of Maya) so here is the latest from one of my favorite Philly guitarist / artist.
Will skip the two singles I’ve already reviewed here https://meatsheetfanzine.com/fly-philly-eagles-fly-new-tunes/ and focus on the other tracks on the latest body of work, Drag On Girard.
First of the songs not released as singles is Something In My Basement.
This track starts jangly, rough, but hummable.
The guitar bends and trills almost egg on the drum and bass to follow along. Baby is next and covered above in the link. Joyously sing along to this one. If hard indie rock can be celebratory this is the track.
Moving onto Out The Door. Title alone reminds me of the fast talking customers who are looking for a fair deal. Such as “How much out the door? ” This song starts with slower tempo. Add some fuzzy arpeggiated guitar sounds for measure. It builds into a more jangly tune that asks you to follow along. Much obliged. I am not a huge student of Dinosaur Jr but I’d be silly to not comment that the delivery of Out The Door reminds me of J Mascis era right before or during the days when they first play Lollapaloza or Green Mind, Where You been era .
However it still offers the Purling Hiss rugged warmth of instrumentation and swing that I come to know.
When The End Is Over features effective minor chords strumming out the intro. This one brings the tempo down a bit but makes up for that with guitar licks galore. The bending of the notes in unison towards the 3:45 mark really drive the mood home. What is the mood? Perhaps the content feeling of walking home late at night on a warm Philly night? What do you get from this one ?
Stay With Us is next. This one is a real treat. Feel good thud and stomp. Burrowing, playful vocal hooks. More than likely, if by some chance , I HAD to pick a favorite, I might choose Stay With Us. This could be a power rock anthem that contains the quality of melodies you hear in the bands like Cheap Trick, Big Star, Sweet etc.
They are all gems on this platter but this one sticks with me in a special way.
Second to last is title track Drag On Girard. This song releases as I write. A track that commands a deeper listen, lest you lose some sonic layers with a casual spin. One apparent thing I find in Purling Hiss / Birds Of Maya (the more recent material) is a guitar run or motif repeated and jammed on until it becomes almost a meditative thing. As is the case and motif on this number.
Granted its still very hard rock ( use of distortion/ drive, drum flurries, driving bass, chant like vocals) but given the length of over seven minutes I tend to wander. Meaning this in the best way. I reckon this is akin to some sort of trance like therapy for the players and any engaged listener.
Zen like garage rock zones of sound fer sure.
Concluding the album is Shining Gilded Boulevard. In the case of High Bias, the last full length by Hiss, this is the song that they stretch out their limbs on. To the contrary you could say there are several numbers on High Bias and Drag On Girard that feel like a pure and fun jam. It’s serious, rehearsed, yet still very much like a laid back free for all in spirit.
A really cool thing is how I can definitely tell that it’s Mike playing.
The tone is in the hands and fingers and not every sod with a guitar stands out, but Polizze does for me.
The playing is not overly technical. The notes and strums are tuneful and are given air to breathe, ring out, and when appropriate bleed together. But make no mistake, Polizze can throw down if need be. This is a fresh album that will usher in the spring and summer good times. Philadelphia rides again.
MSPAINT – Post Amercian – Convulse Records
I fucking love this band. Post American delivers. I have blathered on about them a bit. Please see any link below for more on that.
Here is the short story. A bunch of seekers from Hattiesburg MS that seem to find their groove.
Approachable if you dig punk rock but very concussive music. Staccato and steeped in hardcore, sans six string guitar.
Synth to provide treble and accentuate the fuzz riddled bass guitar. Most of their tracks make we want to pace around and or stomp around.
Onto the record Post American. https://convulserecords.bandcamp.com/album/post-american
First is Information. One can probably hear this one track and either ” get it” or not. MSPAINT play with hard soft sounds. But it’s the hard that provide the framework on these songs. That and Dee Dee’s decisive and cut through lyric delivery.
Second is Think It Through. If Information is the first level of the MSPAINT video game Think It Through is a level change, perhaps level two ?
Different audio terrain but same band, feel, and album
Still driving the tones home but the synth has tonality that scrolls along like you are traveling and playing in your mind’s eye. Next is Acid. MeatSheet writes of this. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/fly-philly-eagles-fly-new-tunes/ Contemporary synth power boogie at its best. Goes hard too.
By this time you are primed for the anthemic Hardwired. This track previously released on S/T MSPAINT EP. Next is Delete It. Covered here. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/fly-philly-eagles-fly-new-tunes/ Special vocal guest, Ian of the band Militarie Gun.
S3 opens to low frequency bass that is so low end it may fuck with your ears. after so much loud music I had to rewind it to make sure my ears and brain were not imagining a rumble.
Decapitated Reality is probably the the most intense of the songs that are exclusive to Post American. That is to say of the songs that appear only on this LP. Decapitated Reality feels like 2 or more songs.
Decapitated Reality bends and meshes genres. Giving some grind core inspired vocals in the middle ground of the overall sound. Tempo change that could be a dirge like mosh part. Quinn on drums has a Godflesh like effect in the way the snares and bell of the high hat are hit.
The title track is on point. A machinated assembly line like beat. Whirring synth bleats. Super heavy bass frequencies abound.
The lyrics are not posted on the bandcamp but its safe to say there is a message and if I had any good sense I’d ask vocalist Dee Dee. This way you get the info from the source of its author. Imagine that.
Free From The Sun stands out with the story like , new wave synth chords. This track may be the most ‘pop’ of all them however I think the fans of pop music might not know what to make of it. Let’s face it MSPAINT are onto something creative. Creativity does not usually cross over. But let’s hope in this case this group will get what it needs to keep forward momentum.
Titan Of Hope is here in link once again https://meatsheetfanzine.com/fly-philly-eagles-fly-new-tunes/ . A great companion to Free From The Sun as far a keyboard tonality, overall vibrations. Last but not least is Flowers From Concrete. A deceptively lush and quiet intro is destroyed by industrial , hard hitting MSPAINT tones.
Buzzsaw low ended hums and growls complemented by straight forward beats. In the background I can hear a little bongo like sounding drum. This makes for a fucking cool beat I would never think of creating. Ending with a jagged, shearing drone, Post American closes. I’ll do that really big nameless internet blog one better and say this record is a 9.25 out of 100.
Side By Side – You’re Only Young Once – (reissue 12″) Revelation Records
Approaching this as if you, the reader, do not know Side By Side… here is the 5th Revelation recording re released. Although I don’t have vinyl listening capabilities nor do I collect vinyl, I can say this release is essential to anyone who loves classic hardcore.
The energy and immediacy is undeniable.
So this is probably sold out on wax by now, but you can always create a buzz for repress or maybe get lucky and score a copy or two. https://revhq.com/products/side-by-side-youre-only-young-once
If you have heard these tracks , you know what I mean. It’s raw, youthful in spirit and makes me want to dive off furniture into imaginary crowds. Late 80’s New York hardcore at its finest before it starts to morph into other different sounds (such as mixing funk with metal and the like, late 80’s was a trip). This 12 ” though ? Crucial listening.
Don’t forget to support the bands in this post, checkout @johnmeat on YouTube for more MSPAINT and alternatives to the mainstream mediocrity that plagues music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtTeA3vDmOs&list=PLp9aKx_tzSczIlvleTtwytuDxn9mkMftK&index=3