Reviews

Tomatenplatten

Black Heino Pfaffenbrot / SchÁ¼sse Von Links und Rechts 7″

This is the first volume in a series of singles recorded on a Tascam 4-track. BLACK HEINO cranks out plenty of volume from the limited but versatile machine: The garage punk romp of “Pfaffenbrot” leaps out of the grooves and grabs you by the throat. The flip is a German-language cover of MAGAZINE’s “Shot By Both Sides” sung from the point of view of an internet troll. Overall, a worthwhile if not essential exercise, and anyway, the single appears to be already sold out.

Eastie Ro!s The Peel Sessions 10″

These cheeky German chappies never actually recorded a Peel session, bless their hearts. But who’s to say that if John Peel was still alive, that he wouldn’t bring them into the studio? Six songs of scrappy, garage-inflected power pop with German vocals. Though clearly indebted to the more tuneful bands of punk’s heyday, EASTIE RO!S have much more in common with more recent Australian practitioners of the style, falling somewhere between the instant classic riffs of ROYAL HEADACHE and the casual, sun-baked EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING approach. Great stuff, I have to say. Peel would approve, I think.

Eastie Ro!s Eastie Ro!s LP

From Berlin, EASTIE RO!S do a mature take on classic ’77 style. Playing smart and straightforward rock songs sung in German, the band’s tight sound teeters on melancholy and flirts with post-punk without ever going all the way. From catchy tunes like “Du in Meiner Hand” to moodier processions like “Jack Beauregard,” they do a good job balancing somber undertones with an inherent youthful charm. It’s punk for grown-ups that retains plenty of rip and bounce.

Es War Mord In Der Miesosuppe EP

The 4 Track Mind series from Tomatenplatten delivers once again with a stunning slab from ES WAR MORD. The purity of approach might be what sets this record apart—the drums are like getting punched in the face by a metronome and the vocals are snarled with passion, while the band delivers forceful mid-tempo punk rock that is deceptively complex. Short starts and odd riff maneuvering give way to precise leads all in the context of a ridiculously tight attack. I’m trying to imagine HOAX playing a set of EA80 covers…but with skate punk solos. Everything this label does is worth your attention, and this record is no exception.

Mir Express Pass Auf Mein Schatz / Tu Menti 7″

Instantly addictive hard-driving analog synth from Berlin. The label calls it “industrial boogie” and I’m pretty much helpless here because that nails their minimal dance aggression. The synths are dirty and dark, the clanging of early CABARET VOLTAIRE reinvented as dancefloor smashers, it’s a near perfect adaption of the sound—clearly drawing from (and emulating) the past but still sounding urgent and…present. Can’t gush enough about this one, except to say that two songs is not enough, and that the ridiculously limited “4 Track Mind” singles series from Tomatenplatten (this is Vol.02) are going to be the death of me. Superb.

Tics Agnostic Funk 12″

Eight tracks of jagged funk-punk from this Cologne group. Quirky, stop-start rhythms plus wandering bass-lines punctuated by hyper-speed funk guitar form the foundation for these terse, varied ruminations on modern society. The songwriting is complex, the playing polished and accomplished—a potent mix of fIREHOSE, TALKING HEADS, and BADGEWEARER. Fantastic stuff.

Tics Flash Language LP

This is an album brimming with post-punk, disjointed funk, and spoken word with backing harmonies, following the paths of CRISPY AMBULANCE, the FALL etc. I would not consider this LP in an adjacent standing with the majority of records typically reviewed in these parts, but provoking? Yes. Fun and oddly enticing to return to? Yes again. Kolsch bohos TICS at first came off like an aging tribute band, but at second spin, there is a lot more to unpack. Fractured songs that mix dance rhythms with shouted pleas alongside synthetic guitars and tin metronome drums tapping away. It’s all assembled in a way that gives more with each listen.

Ufosekte Sickness EP

I know I’m biased, but this could easily be a version of ADD/C from an alternate universe. One where they lived in Frankfurt and played synthesizers. Of course, the songwriting isn’t quite on par with our Chattanooga heroes, but don’t take that as an insult, y’all. Fast, super fun, and I’m pretty stoked on it, even if some of the riffs and most of the howling are absolute matter of fact pure Daniel.