I listen to A LOT of new music, but get to write about very little of it these days due to constraints of time and otherwise. This hopefully regular column is an attempt to share with others a little bit more of the astounding sounds that I come upon on a daily basis. – Dan
Full on free jazz with the delightfully bent inclusion of electronics from this trio. Coming to this from my recent discovery and subsequent write up of W-2. THE FRIGHTFUL RELEASE is the new record from Ben Bennett on percussion, Chris Welcome (also of W-2) on synthesizer, and Sam Weinberg on saxophone. Brooklyn based. Released by RENFUSA RECORDS.
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Latest from the Norwegian ISAK ANDERSSON. New to me, but he’s been at it for a long time. “Train Tune” comes from DIVERTIMENTI 2, Andersson’s latest. It’s a bubbly electronic thing (but not tooo sugary). I’ve always loved the bubbly stuff.
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From one of my favorite Boston labels, DIVERGENT SERIES (and ANTHEMS OF THE UNDESIRABLE), comes this UNHOLY amalgamation of hardcore, sludge metal, and industrial sounds. A bit surprising to find through DIVERGENT as they usually only trade in squalid nihilistic electronic sounds, but a very welcome surprise. This is some nasty stuff. INTENSIVE CARE is the band. VOYEURISM is the record. They’re from Toronto, and have (recent) stuff out on fucking IRON LUNG RECORDS also. Prime experimental-ism alive and well presented in a loud n’ ugly context. Full of very engrossing tangents and plenty heavy as fuck. When you are wishing there were more bands that did something with the building blocks laid out by early GODFLESH you can now turn to INTENSIVE CARE. Guess this originally came out late 2016.
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14 songs, none more than 2 minutes. That’s TURN ME ON DEAD MAN the first full length from Boston/ Providence outsider punks FUNERAL CONE. They’ve been around for a while though. Their use of the farfisa is dangerous. And all members are major science fiction fans (just trust me). And the sound is all their own. A post-punk/ hardcore/ street punk/ garage punk concoction that is obviously the work of regular players of Dungeons and Dragons. Doug Demay has released the record on his wonderful 100% BREAKFAST label which has been home to the local likes of FAT DAY, GERTY FARISH, SKIMASK, EXUSAMWA, and (NEW ENGLAND) PATRIOTS to name just a few. Keeping cool company these F CONES. “Creep Show” is served extremely hot I must say. It’s like a cross between the MONKS and the MISFITS with Dan Wars barking alright and meeting his perfect foil in the yelps of Kelley Parsons. “New Brain” might be my favorite though. Love that riff, and boy do I ever need one. A+ New England crypto-punk.
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Montreal’s KEE AVILA (Vicky Mettler) has given us a new track called “Sponge.” It’s an intoxicating synth bass groove, demon guitar, borderline avant-twee take down of my expectations. The vocals are exceptional, layered, drifting, and coming together at times in harmony amid the ever inwardly circling of the instrumental. I’ll have more of that please.
