This is dance-infused garage rock with samples of lots of various instruments. The singer is doing a TOM WAITS kinda thing. I really dislike TOM WAITS. I really dislike this record. They’re from Brazil.
This is a nice little international garage punk treat. REPTILIANS hail from Turkey and play some inspired axe-shred garage with distorted vox, reminding me a little of the long-gone TYRADES. They get two tracks here, of which “Occult Chemistry” is the rocker. You can’t help but be filled with visions of how much fun a garage punk show in Turkey must be. BANG BANG BABIES from Brazil only get one track to shine, but damn if they don’t pull it off well with a nice CRAMPS, LINK WRAY, and SUBSONICS-inspired track. It’s all a big blurry party. Enjoy and don’t think too much.
We’re in desperate need for a new wave of garage that doesn’t feel like an echo of an echo of the past. There have obviously been great garage rock duos that loom large over the scene, and THEE DIRTY RATS feel in step with the tradition, but the use of cigar box guitar that truly sounds like shit (not a compliment in this case) and distant and muddy drums makes most of the affair feel hollow. One high point that actually uses the crappy sound to an almost motorik effect is the uncharacteristically effective “Headache.” I could hang if the rest of this LP sounded the same, a blood rush of nearly industrial rock that touches base with SUICIDE and NEU! more so than anything from the garage canon. Likewise, the following track “Plastic Veins,” with its JESUS AND MARY CHAIN bubblegum goth aura, satisfies by doing something not altogether new but with a steely confidence and bummer vibe that I just want more of. Like any subgenre, the formula works best when used against itself, and I wish this Brazilian two-piece took that more to heart.
Graduating from the 7” format of the first volume is this second tribute to Atlanta’s SUBSONICS. The band’s lo-fi, minimalist songs allow for interesting interpretations. The bands doing the covering are from all over the globe, including KID CONGO POWERS, SLOKS, BLACK MEKON, BANG BANG BABIES, DISTURBIOS, COLT COBRA, and more. A fun collection whether you are familiar with SUBSONICS or not.
