Reviews

Back to Beat

Romskip 05 EP

Track one and I’ve got mixed emotions. I find the vocals a bit much. I feel like he’s trying too hard. Musically, it’s pretty cool. It’s deliberate and plodding, but catchy as hell. The bass really draws you in. It’s almost kind of funky, but with an eeriness. There’s a lot going on, which doesn’t always work for me. By track three, they’re starting to mix in some backing vocals. Overall, I think I like it, but I think maybe they take it just a little too seriously for me to really get on board. I dig that the vocals are in their native Norwegian. Shout out to Bergen, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Romskip Dagens Ungdom 12″

Pretty interesting garage/psych/rock/punk band from Bergen, Norway. Treading the preverbal tightrope between the sleazy underground and higher aspirations, they fall a little too far in the middle for my taste. A worthwhile listen, though, as they walk through musical territory once covered by the HIVES and the LEATHER NUN with plenty of Euro ’60s pop sensibilities thrown in…but still a little safe for these ears.

Sklitakling Vi Har Hørt Det Før (del 2) 7″

It looks like a bleak hardcore record…but inside that white-on-black cover are two doses of gloriously addictive Norwegian garage punk. “Byfjord” feels ripped out of 1983—a mid-paced lumbering track with verses that build to an inevitable chorus and a guitar that seemingly exists to punctuate the vocal spurts. It’s a great track even though (or especially because) it leaves you hanging…and then the flip. “Staten” is a timeless track, like GENERACIÓN SUICIDA taking a time machine to 2003 København. Group vocals, infectious bass lines, and a constantly jangling guitar that seems to drag the drums onto the dancefloor. This is everything punk is meant to be.

Sklitakling Vi Har Hørt Det Dør (del 1) 7″

This is a solid two-count of crunchy, earnest rock songs from Norway. It kind of exists in some limbo between garage and something more straightforward. The guitar work is stellar, with staccato rhythms that prick like pinpoints while the drums remain playful throughout. Vocally, there’s a lot going for the sound, too, with some feral theatricality that gives way to effective gang vocal chants. If I spoke Norwegian, I’d definitely want to be shouting along by the end of this short and sweet salvo of tracks.

Sklitakling Sklitakling LP

This full-length by Norwegian punk band SKLITAKLING is really, really good. It blends riot grrrl influences with a sort of early hardcore punk delivery into a bopping sound that is tempered by the Nordic perspective—a raucous but refined approach that often calls to mind Swedish greats REGULATIONS, with that sort of toeing the line between really good hardcore and pop sensibilities. Catchy lyrics and furious riffs that fill your mind for the rest of the day are abundant, while the indignant mentality creates an emotional cloud of incensed focus. The predilection towards sonic experimentation leads songs to occasionally take on a post-hardcore bent with quick, over-and-done jam session moments sprinkled in. The instrumental track “Stonerboner” is a wicked slice of guitar-and-bass-driven exploration that captures the multitude of influences that gather to create SKLITAKLING. This single instrumental is enough to garner attention with its spontaneously evolving rhythm and minutia of rock inflections, but there is still a whole album worth of tracks to enjoy and obsess over. Taken as a whole, this album is well worth the trip!

The Frantic Five I Need You Mine / The Very First Day 7″

Faithful, fuzzy, Farfisa-focused ’60s garage from this long-running Greek outfit. Both tunes are mid-tempo shakers, not terribly remarkable, but hitting all the necessary marks in order to qualify as a legit aping of Ugly Things styles. It’s obviously no match against the original ’60s sources or the ’80s/’90s budget rebranding. It’s just sorta “there,” maybe even by design. Yawning in my Beatle boots.

The Higher State Codeine / Clouds of Doubt 7”

This is pretty straightforward. You’ve got a band firmly rooted in ’60s garage rock covering two ’60s garage rock tunes. The first one is a slower number, full of organ and tambourine. Combined with some very somber vocals, it definitely creates its own darkness. The B-side continues along the same lines, though this cut is definitely more upbeat and a more catchy number. Still, with both cuts, the lack of a real drum presence is noticeable. All that said, I find myself strangely drawn to the record. There’s something interesting in there that draws me in. This one is perfect for a series by Back to Beat called “Moody Garage.” It is just that. 

The Hiveminds The Hiveminds LP

From Norway, the HIVEMINDS deliver solid mid-tempo (to uptempo) garage punk that has a DOORS eeriness about it. It’s catchy as all hell and sounds like it’s right out of the Nuggets catalog. Scandinavians are connoisseurs of rock’n’roll music. Hell, maybe they’re connoisseurs of all music. You get that in a lot of their music. This one is garage-y throughout, with some moments of New Wave, but it retains that somberness from start to finish. In addition to the DOORS, think of the GUN CLUB. Nice organ work. Good stuff.

The Loons Cry Cry Cry EP

The LOONS, led by Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine, present four cover songs on this EP. As is to be expected, the songs are expertly and authentically performed. Included are songs by the UNRELATED SEGMENTS, the SECOND HELPING, 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS, and the BUSH. Another fun release in Back to Beat’s Moody Garage series.

The Maharajas Don’t Call My Name EP

Wow. Right off the bat, I’m intrigued. This sounds like some serious ’60s surf ballad stuff, like maybe it’s some sort of Nuggets/Back from the Grave-type thing. But the band members’ names (Lilja, Lindberg, Guttormsen, Karlsson) all look very Scandinavian, which makes me think it’s new. (Also, if you believe the “tags”, they’re from Bergen, Norway, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.) The Scandinavians are very talented at creating a sound. It’s like they all have degrees in Rock Music History. Musically, it’s measured, meaning it’s very deliberate, almost purposefully just a tad slower than you might expect, which creates a somberness that permeates the whole record. The B-side, it seems, is two covers. I’m going to wear this one out.

The Nettelles Do You Believe In… LP

The NETTELLES are a fun, garage-punky ’60s-style (mostly) girl group. Catchy, rollicking songs with surfy guitars and stomping drumbeat. It would be easy and lazy to compare them to THEE HEADCOATEES, but they definitely have that sound. It’s lo-fi and sassy. Sadly, singer, co-founder, guitarist, and songwriter Clare Scrivener passed away from cancer in August 2020. A loss for fans of great garage music, but at least we have this debut LP.

The Tenderfeet Black Winds / Hold Back the Sunrise 7″

This is Volume Two in the “Moody Garage” series. That’s an understatement. Two cover songs that tell harrowing tales of broken hearts. The music is mellow and beautiful, but the lyrics are extra dark. The chorus to “Black Winds” includes “Oh lord, let me die.” “Hold Back the Sunrise” includes the line “Don’t let it shine for me.” If you enjoy pretty garage rock with extra downer lyrics, this record is for you. It’s definitely for me.