Reviews

Grog

Raya Raya cassette

Ultra lo-fi, synth-accompanied garage punk from Madrid. Sounding like a mix of CONEHEADS and CHERRY CHEEKS, the six short tunes here buzz with ear-catching guitar and synth leads. The laidback, sung/spoken vocals maintain the vibe without overpowering it. Standout “Simpatia” has a mysterious hook and a theremin-sounding synth warble that buries deep and refuses to let go, but really, all the tracks flow so well that it’s better to just listen to the whole thing and repeat. Enveloped in near-surf levels of reverb and sounding like it was recorded on a boombox down the street from the band, this tape is truly a no-fi affair, but you can’t deny the musicianship and energy. If you are on the lookout for bouncy egg-punk, this is about as good as it gets.

Titanium Exposé Disorders cassette

Hailing from the Netherlands, TITANIUM EXPOSÉ offers a high-voltage synth punk experience with their debut Disorders. Deranged garage riffs with moments of rockabilly lead the charge, but the star of the show is without a doubt the earworm synth lines that cut through every other instrument and establish their dominance throughout six songs. Vocals drowned in reverb make room for the crazy instrumentation of the songs by providing emphasis without trying to be too in-your-face. Drums are super crunchy and energetic, just the way I like ‘em. Honestly, TITANIUM EXPOSÉ’s Disorders sounds like the lovechild of the CONEHEADS and DIODE, and I’m totally here for it.

V/A Palestine Solidarity Compilation, Vol. 2 cassette

The second volume in an ongoing series of compilations to help raise funds in solidarity with Palestine. You get 27 tracks from 27 different artists contributing unreleased demos, covers, and live versions of songs, so you already know there is great diversity of sounds to be had, and new gems to uncover from bands like SPREAD JOY, CITRIC DUMMIES, SICK THOUGHTS, URANIUM CLUB, and more. The content that makes up this compilation doesn’t matter that much, even though it is a great collection to be sure. But the content as a vehicle to try and help others is and should be the focus here.