Reviews

Crass Lips

Body Shop Hissy Hits Live at Pulp Arts cassette

Catchy, garage-y pop from Orlando, FL. BODY SHOP formed while the members’ bands were on pandemic hiatus. As the title says, this cassette was recorded live at Pulp Arts studios. There are a couple of songs that were also included on BODY SHOP’s debut Fl3sh World. These versions are rougher and tougher, the music more lo-fi while sounding more powerful. The vocals are extra breathy and occasionally remind me of Siouxsie Sioux, especially on “Love’s a Blonde.” Fun stuff.

Period Bomb 24-Carat Clit cassette

Miami-based project that blends no wave, weirdo pop, and electro-punk into a sound that is hard to pin down but often exciting. Opening track “Melodaze” sounds like a CHICKS ON SPEED and SCREAMERS collab, drum machines and synths colliding with nonchalantly spoken vocals. “No Puedo Ser Nada” flips the chaos switch, evoking a feral LYDIA LUNCH locked in a closet. “Deal with God” continues this no wave streak with atonal singing and a squawking saxophone in the background. Standout track “Might Not Survive” showcases the band at their best—an otherworldly KATE BUSH-style mutant ballad played out over rolling bass and a disco beat. The unique sound and theatricality of singer Cami’s voice hearkens back to the early “anything goes” days of L.A. punk and is worth a listen. FYI, ARIEL PINK, guest on Tucker Carlson and a visitor to a particular rally involving a former president, did some production work on this and released a split tape with the band. Make of that what you will.

Reaches The Land Is Kind cassette

Solo project from Brooklyn, NY. It’s impressive how all-over-the-map this is, being that all the music and production is done by one person. Stylistically, every song is a bit different so it’s a little hard to pin down. The different songs span into areas of new age, new wave, synth-wave, synth-pop, dance pop, and there’s even a song on acoustic guitar that sounds kind of like solo SYD BARRETT stuff, you know, without the gallons of psychedelics. A lot of this is definitely out of my wheelhouse, but it’s very well done, and the aforementioned pseudo-psychedelic acoustic song, “Psychiatrist With A Sample Bin,” is actually pretty good.

Period Bomb / Rosé Perez Born in a Bag split cassette

This was my first exposure to ROSÉ PEREZ, and I don’t think I fully understand it. It sounds as if the YEASTIE GIRLZ wrote a musical in an attempt to make close-minded masculine dudes uncomfortable. I have, however, previously been exposed to the performance art piece known as PERIOD BOMB more than a few times. While I do respect the never-say-die attitude they have to constantly tour despite losing members, making more merch from the road, etc., I just wish more time and effort went into finishing the product before it was exported. This is essentially just noise parading as a band. The drums and bass occasionally have a comprehensive groove they lock into and repeat, but the guitar is just used as a noise-maker, which was particularly evident the one time I saw them play where rather than using a guitar pick the singer/guitarist played her instrument with a corncob. I am sure this has appeal in the art-noise-punk circle I am not familiar with, but the constant question of “how much art can you take?” regularly echoes in my head, and the answer for me is “not this much.”

Vomitatrix Vomitatrix cassette

I am not well-versed in noisecore, but from what I remember of seeing BASTARD NOISE, MERZBOW, and SEX MOB (featuring JOHN ZORN), VOMITATRIX aligns with their sonic insanity. However, VOMITATRIX adds more carefree, psychedelic guts to their music. This is chaotic but with formation. Disturbing and unhinged but not without consciousness. I think VOMITATRIX would be a thrill to see live. From Jupiter, FL—I’m feeling more like from Jupiter the planet. Some of the song titles are more disturbing than the maniacal structures (think A.C.). This is “free death,” in the musical genre sense. Like JOHN ZORN, what do you do with yourself when an audience standing there expects you to “play”?