Everybody’s Gone Surfing

July 29, 2010 at 8:16 am | Posted in Locals Only, Music, Riding the Wild Surf | 4 Comments
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This started out as a post about a couple new surf inspired songs.  I was going to write about the new Bombon tape and Surf City’s upcoming album, but for some reason my mind wondered and this turned into something else.  By no means a definitive list of surfing songs. One or two have a tenuous claim to be called surfing songs, but in my stream of conscious they all shoot the curl.

The song Vic by Animals that Swim is about going to see Vic Chestnut, getting drunk and yelling out Surfin’ USA when Chestnut asks for requests. Chestnut’s response: Yeah, like I’m going to do a surfing song.
mp3: Animals That Swim – Vic (from Workshy)


Dick Dale is considered by many to be the originator of the surf guitar sound. Bombon who hail from the Minutemen’s hometown of San Pedro, California have been sharing the beach with the kahuna of surf guitar. These three ladies drop in on Dale’s scene and shred.
mp3: Bombon – Bouncy (from El Part Con Cassette on Burger)


Surf City may or may not be surfers.  The got their name from the Jesus and Mary Chain who definitely did not surf. Being from New Zealand the probability of the band owning boards is somewhat high.  I can picture them coming in after a good set with water still in their ears, plugging in their guitars and blasting it.
mp3: Surf City – Crazy Rulers of the World (from the upcoming Kudos album. Mp3 snagged from Microphone Memory Emotion)


Plunging the depths of the surf genre in the 80′s were the Surf Punks.  They combined Surfer Joe with snotty punk aesthetics.  They were the ultimate locals, ruling the beach, hating the valleys and spoiled brats from Malibu. Their first album is considered a cult classic in the right circles.
mp3: Surf Punks – My Wave (from My Beach)


The Fizzbombs were from Edinburgh, Scotland.  Apparently on cold days in December these girls would put on wetsuits and surf the North Sea.  Now that’s either dedication or just plane crazy.
mp3: Fizzbombs – Surfaround (from the Surfin’ Winter EP)


If you haven’t heard the Surfaris‘ Surfer Joe, then that needs to rectified.  Surfer Joe was a released as a single by the Surfaris.  The flip contained Wipe Out, definitely the best surf 45 record ever released.
mp3: Surfaris – Surfer Joe (from Wipeout)


We end with the sunset.  Jack Nitzsche’s Lonely Surfer is kind of atypical of the surf genre sounding more Peter Thomas than Beach Boys, but it is so good at evoking the dude on his board waiting for the last good set of the day as the sun sinks below the horizon.
mp3: Jack Nitzsche – The Lonely Surfer (from The Jack Nitzsche Story)

Three Cheers for Edwyn Collins

July 26, 2010 at 9:51 pm | Posted in Don't Call It a Comeback, Music, mp3 | Leave a Comment
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The seventh solo album from former Orange Juice front man Edwyn Collins is the first one he’s made since his near death experience (a brain hemorrhage in 2005) and it promises to not only be star packed (Johnny Marr, Roddy Frame, the Cribs, Drums, Magic Numbers, Franz Ferdinand, Dave Ruffy, and Paul Cook) but if the title track is any indicator a return to the bountiful pop cornucopia of the mid 90′s Georgeous George and I’m Not Following You.

The album is called Losing Sleep and comes out 13 September on Heavenly in the UK. The cover features Collins’ bird drawings which he began doing after his stroke.  He couldn’t play guitar, but he could draw and drawing birds he says helped him immensely in his recovery.  From birds to pop hooks, Edwyn Collins is on the road to full recover as is evidenced by the title track from Losing Sleep. It is the first song to be released from the record and it features Collins in full northern soul mode.   It’s a beauty and for the price of your email address it can be yours.

Sign up for the Edwyn army here to download the mp3 for free.

Coastering: Basementcast #12

July 14, 2010 at 10:17 pm | Posted in Basementcast, Music, Podcasts | 1 Comment


photo from Vintage Seattle

The coaster enthusiast in you will delight in the latest edition of the basementcast. It is built of wood, rickety, jarring and a guaranteed thrill ride that feels like it’s just about ready to fall apart. No need to go to your nearest amusement park, pay $50 for admission, $10 for a hot dog and wait in line for every ride.  Just hit play and experience the heartburn of the hot dog and the stomach churning of the roller coaster. It won’t cost you a thing, only your valuable time.

download: basementcast #12 (~178 MB)

Crack Habit – Summer Babes from Babe Summer EP

Golden Town – Super Wild Horses from Fifteen
Halve – Beaches from In a While 7″

Police Lights – The Cute Lepers from Smart Accessories
 Chapel Market – Animals That Swim from Faded Glamour: The Best Of Animals That Swim

Shadow – Grass Widow from Past Time
Total Life Forever – Foals from Total Life Forever

Our Composition Book – Wild Nothing from Gemini
On The Beach (The Ladder Descends) – Nick Nicely from Psychotropia
Nova Mars – DiMaggio from Di Maggio

Passion For Water – Liechtenstein from Passion For Water 7″
Speed Reaction – Spirea X from Fireblade Skies
Coconut Shampoo – Neverever from Angelic Swells

Seeking Love – Bare Wires from Seeking Love
The Thresher – Abner Jay from The Original Folk Song Style of Abner Jay
The Big Stick – Minutemen from 3-Way Tie (For Last)

Doin’ Me In – Jason Falkner from All Quiet On The Noise Floor
Meds – Stephanie from Stephanie
Gotta Get The First Plane Home – The Kinks from The Kink Kontroversy

Not Exactly D.L.E.R.C. – Cud from Leggy Mambo
At The Indie Disco – The Divine Comedy from Bang Goes The Knighthood
Mr. Tinker – Harry Nilsson from Aerial Ballet

Crazy For You – Best Coast from Crazy For You
Tracks Of My Tears – Aretha Franklin from Soul ’69

Forever After – The Young Sinclairs from Chimeys
It’s About Time  – The Pandoras from Children Of Nuggets

Gay Human Bones – Harlem from Hippies

Les Cox (Sportifs) Killing Rock n’ Roll.

July 7, 2010 at 10:56 pm | Posted in Music, mp3 | 1 Comment
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Les Cox (Sportifs) don’t sound like they just released an album last week. They sound like they could have been born in the late 70′s post punk scene. Their dissident noise accented by choppy rhythms, minimal crunchy guitar and Christopher Rollen’s heavy accent makes me believe that they are the rightful heirs to the stolen chalice of arty lo-fi art school pop that Yummy Fur snagged from the Fall, Fire Engines and the first Modern Lovers record.

Scheiß Mit Reis is the first full length album from the Newcastle, UK band.  It follows an eight song ep that came out two years ago on Stop Looking and a 7″ single last year on Clunk Click.  Each release has seen the band progress.  Last year’s Total Straightness single was ace, especially the A-side The Hand and the Heep and Scheiß Mit Reis sees the band continuing with a full head of steam.  The Cox (can I say that?) can get downright silly with songs like God Vor Domma and the title track.  The former sees them employ Adam Sandler accents to somewhat amusing effect while the latter ends with the punch line: But I don’t like rice!.  Then there is the song C.O.A.S.T.A.L.M.O.T.H.E.R.F.U.C.K.E.R which in some alternate reality is the hit of the summer with kids blasting it out of their parent’s minivans as they wait for the red light to change as Les Cox spell it out.

It isn’t all shits and giggles with these smarmy art school boys.  John E Millais is a story song about the English painter reminiscent of Johnny Horton and Dead Beat Formula deconstructs, dismantles, and kills rock n’ roll and then realizes that all that isn’t quite necessary as Bo Diddley shows them the light.  Mixing Up the Cordite is an anti-war and anti-establisment song commenting on the current and past geopolitical ignorance of the masses that enable governments to wage wars in far off places to general apathy with lines like Well I hear there’s a war on in a country I don’t know, and  Well, I couldn’t care less who wins the war. The songs are played in a rudimentary minimalistic way and if you don’t pay close attention you could easily assume that it’s one goofy art school joke after the next, but scratch the surface and it becomes much more.  It’s only the middle of the year, but I can safely say Scheiß Mit Reis will be in my year end top ten.

mp3: Les Cox (Sportifs) – Dead Beat Formula (order up a hard copy of Scheiß Mit Reis from Sea Records or go digital)


mp3: Les Cox (Sportifs) – John E Millais


A little background:

mp3: Johnny Horton – Jim Bridger (from Greatest Hits)


mp3: The Fall – Rollin’ Dany (from This Nation’s Saving Grace)


mp3: Minutemen – The Big Stick (from 3-way Tie for Last)


mp3: Fire Engines – Meat Whiplash (from Hungry Beat)


mp3: Modern Lovers – Government Center (from The Modern Lovers)


mp3: Yummy Fur – 801 (from Sexy World)

Sweaters By the Pound

July 4, 2010 at 11:47 pm | Posted in 7 inch, Give Away, Vinyl | 3 Comments
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Athens, Georgia label Happy Happy Birthday To Me reaches across the continent to pluck the Sweater Girls from sunny warm Los Angeles, California.  Having lived in SoCal, I know that you don’t really need many sweaters living there.  Although after living there for a while, the body acclimatizes, the blood thins and you end up thinking you’re cold when it’s 75 degrees because you’re used to 80.  That five degree difference is bone-chilling and a sweater can be just the thing.

Being that it’s summer you probably don’t need a sweater even in SoCal, but the Sweater Girls have put out a single that you do need.  The three song single that sold out of its initial pressing reminds me of the  Softies and the Cat’s Miaow.  They tread the fine line of too cute and passive aggressive which from an indiepop point of view is the sweet spot.  As luck would have it (actually thanks to Happy Happy Birthday To Me) I’ve got an extra copy of the Sweater Girls single up for grabs.  To put your hat (or sweater) in the ring send me an email  (finestkiss[@]gmail.com) with Sweater Girls 7″ in the subject line.  I’ll do some kind of random pick on Friday for the winner.

mp3: Sweater Girls – Haven’t Got a Clue (from the HHBTM single)

Nouvel Katerine

July 1, 2010 at 8:08 am | Posted in La France | 4 Comments
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Finalement, a new Katerine album is on the way. It’s been five years since Robots Après Tout. It’s not like he’s been slacking though, in between he’s done a jazz record with Alban Darche, appeared on the Olivier Libaux orchestrated Imbécile, and done a French version of the Pippettes called Les Vedettes. All these efforts were good, but it’s on his solo records where you can get the full Katerine experience, and if you’re familiar with Katerine you know that each one is a different experience. The new album is called Bla Bla Bla and is due 27 September on vinyl and CD. Here’s the streaming title track and the songs to be included on the album.

01. Je M’Éloigne D’Autant Que Je M’Approche
02. Bla Bla Bla
03. La Reine D’Angleterre
04. Les Derniers Seront Toujours Les Premiers
05. Des Bisoux
06. Bien Mal
07. Liberté
08. La Banane
09. J’Aime Tes Fesses (avec Jeanne Balibar)
10. Philippe
11. Il Veut Faire Un Film (avec mes parents)
12. Moustache
13. Sac En Plastique
14. Té-Lé-Phone
15. À Toi – À Toi (avec ma fille Edie)
16. Parivélib’
17. La Musique
18. Vieille Chaîne
19. Morts-Vivants
20. Cette Mélodie
21. Le Rêve
22. Juifs Arabes
23. Musique D’Ordinateur
24. Le Champ De Blé

And if that isn’t enough Katerine for your, head on over to his Katerine Francis et ses Peintres site where he has been uploading a new cover song every Monday since the beginning of 2010.  Cliquez sur une étoile dans la nuit et d’écouter Katerine.

Intelligence on the Intelligence

June 30, 2010 at 2:05 pm | Posted in Seattle | 2 Comments
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The new Intelligence album is called Males and is out on In The Red on 24 August. (I feel like MBV…actually this post would stop after the first sentence, the album artwork would be larger and a lot more of you would be looking at this if that were the case.)

This record is reported to be a full band effort as opposed to the regular Lars doing it all himself thing.  As evidenced by the track list it contains some songs previously released elsewhere, though they are undoubtedly rerecorded.  Chris Woodhouse is in the producer’s chair again, as well as now being a full time member of the band.

1.  Bong Life
2.  Tuned To Puke
3.  Sailor Itch
4.  The Universe
5.  Like Like Like Like Like Like Like
6.  Estate Sales
7.  Mom Or A Parking Lot
8.  White Corvette
9.  The Beetles
10.  Chateau Bandit
11.  Males

In other related Intelligence news: this Thursday is the final Trainwreck of the summer.  Trainwreck is the monthly party that happens at the Orient Express where half of the Intelligence (Finberg and Susannah Welbourne) get all gussied up and perform as Puberty.  You don’t want to miss it.

The Cave Comes Alive

June 30, 2010 at 1:01 pm | Posted in Comet Tavern, Gigs, Seattle | Leave a Comment
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Ty Segall & Idle Times at the Comet Tavern, Seattle | 28 June 2010

Prior to Melted I was on the fence about Ty Segall. After seeing him at the Sunset Tavern a few years back opening for Thee Oh Sees and Intelligence, I was kind of amazed how he played guitar, drums and sang all at once, but I thought the songwriting on his first two albums was  monochromatic and sonically they seemed a little flat. It was all  three chord jams that pegged the VU meter in the red. Listening to his self-titled debut or Lemons all the way through could be monotonous and a little bit mind numbing. Somewhere along the way Segall eschewed the garage for some acid.  Last year’s Reverse Shark Attack record he did with Mikal Cronin  and the single on Trouble in Mind (that included a cover Echo and the Bunnymen‘s Do It Clean) hinted at a move toward something a little different.  His third album Melted which came out earlier this month on Goner meets those heightened expectations and  is leaps and bounds ahead of than anything he’s done to date.  It’s got this rich garage-y psychedelic sound, and sees Segall hitting a sweet patch with regards to his songwriting.  Melted boasts songs so good they could make you start believing all of the wunderkind accolades this guy was getting early on are valid.

I’m not sure if the packed house at the Comet cared whether or not Segall was branching out as a songwriter or not. They mainly cared about getting their PBR’s and rocking out. The bar seemed a little overwhelmed for the thirsty mass of Ty Segall fans on a Monday night, but Segall was more than obliged to provide the jams for the rocking out part.   The set was sprinkled with a couple new songs, some older ones, but mostly concentrated on the new album. He set the bar high early on with the song Imaginary Person. While good on record, this song really shined displaying its huge unabashed pop hooks. Segall looked all California, with his sun bleached Surfer Joe locks and his laid back, rocker attitude. He sweetly dedicated songs to his muses, his home state California and the girl at the merch table, but forcefully delivered the garage jams. The set ended with Caesar, the song from Melted that features piano and Thee Oh Sees’s John Dwyer of going nutty on a flute. There was no piano or flute at the Comet just a killer song with a huge chorus and a room full of sweaty Ty Segall fans wanting more.

mp3: Ty Segall – Imaginary Person (from Melted, destined to be one of the better albums of the year)

Seattle’s own Idle Times opened as a three piece and sported a new drummer.  Leo Gephardt who is usually in the band only stepped out of the crowd and played guitar for one song, leaving Brian Standeford to handle all the guitar and vocals the rest of the time.  This downsizing didn’t seem to alter Idle Times’ ability to rock out. In fact, I think every time I see Idle Times I’m more impressed by them than the last.  To me, their songs evoke Led Zepplin and Bad Company without being too obvious. Their first full length is due soon from Hozac and is something you should keep your eye out for.

Unsuppressing the Tago Mago

June 28, 2010 at 8:11 pm | Posted in Music, Seattle, Vera Project | Leave a Comment
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Eddy Current Suppression Ring at the Vera Project, Seattle | 27 June 2010

Last night at the Vera Project was the second Eddy Current Suppression Ring gig in as many days here in Seattle. Saturday night’s one at the Funhouse with Partman Parthorse and A Frames opening would have been my preferred show, but last night was the one I was able to attend, and I was put through the ringer by a couple hardcore bands that played first (I missed the Unnatural Helpers super early set). I’m a punk rock fan, but I never really got into hardcore. It comes off as too forced, contrived and you can’t dance to it. You can stage dive, but since all the bands last night set up on the floor that wasn’t a possibility (Q: Why does the Vera Project have a stage? A: Uh, I’m not sure). I guess you could also slam to it, but no one was doing that, it was a crowd full of head bobbers for both Iron Lung and the Slices. I couldn’t even bob my head, I just kind of endured it.

After the pummeling, polite gentlemen punks Eddy Current Suppression Ring was much needed relief. I don’t even think I would go so far as to call The Melbourn, Australia band punks. Their songs, may be informed by punk, but many of them extend into these shuddering-inducing Spacemen 3/Can-like jams that many punks would disavow. In a kind of immaculate conception, the band were born at a record pressing plant (Corduroy Records) where they use to work, and not an electrical substation as their name would suggest.  As the band set up and plugged in, singer Brendan warmed up with leg stretches the way a runner would, and then tightened his belt and put on his gloves transforming him from mild mannered dude to the maniac that stalks the stage like he is part avian, part dementia victim.

Instead of overwhelming our ears with relentless forced intensity though, Eddy Current Suppression Ring coaxed and cajoled it out of their songs.  Tuning Out began unassumingly with the raw chords of Mickey’s guitar, then bass and drums and finally Brendan’s vocals.  Each verse seemed to build on the next with the band feeding off each other, forming it into a turned-out groove.  The highlight of the night had to be I Admit My Faults which also started out slow and minimal, then built to a peak somewhere in the middle, and then somewhere after that Mickey’s guitar dropped out revealing a rhythm section that literally put shivers down my spine.  The entire room seemed to lock into the groove, the space time continuum slowed, I blinked and everyone was dancing and smiling, and I think I saw Lars Finberg of the Intelligence on the floor hanging onto Mickey’s leg.  That song last night was like a drug literally, altering minds and making people go nuts.  It wasn’t all long songs and jams, the band played stuff from all three of their albums including some under three minute highlights like Walked Into a Corner, Anxiety, Memory Lane, and It’s All Square, but it was the ones they stretched out that won the night.

mp3: Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Anxiety (from the highly recommended Rush to Relax)


Here’s some dark video of It’s All Square:

Update From Seattle

June 24, 2010 at 10:10 pm | Posted in Music, Seattle | Leave a Comment
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In case you were wondering, summer has yet to arrive in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s nearing the end of June and we’re just now starting to shed our thick blankets of clouds and precipitation.  So enough with the weather update, let’s move onto the  music update.  This weekend is has a lot of music packed into it.  The rock and roll marathon is Saturday and there’s a band every mile.  I don’t know too many indie rockers who run marathons (not enough irony in it), but even if you’re not a runner you can get up early to see BOAT, the Purrs and the Redwood Plan play along the route.  If you’re not an early riser, the annual Georgetown Music Fest is this Friday and Saturday and starts a little later.  Friday the bands start at 6:00 PM and Saturday things get underway at 2:00 PM.  The line-up is always worth a trip down to the south of end of town and this year is no exception with Webelos, Pica Beats, Pink Snowflakes, Hotels and the Tea Cozies all playing.

If you’re more the stay at home type the rest of this post is for you. We’ll start with the  GGNZLA crew striking again, this time with the new Partman Parthorse record.  The song that’s gotten a lot of mileage around town is Emerald City Dollar Bin which is one big giant diss of Seattle bands.  Partman Parthorse are arty punk rockers and could never be accused of being too soft, cuddly and melodic, but it’s pretty funny to hear lead man/horse Gary Smith take the piss out of the Seattle indie scene (Dutchesse and the Duke? They make me wanna puke/Mount St. Helens Vietnam Band, more like Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Bland). If you’ve ever seen Partman Parthorse, you know then that Smith likes to strip down to his skivvies when they play.  Partman Parthorse? More like Partman Part-Underwear Model Wannabe.  Bonus: cover of the Intelligence‘s World Is a Drag.  They’ll be opening for Eddy Current Suppression Ring and the A Frames tonight at the Funhouse.

mp3: Partman Parthorse – Emerald City Dollar Bin (don’t be a dummy, get Emerald City Dummies from GGNZLA)


Consignment are a band that seem to be pals with the Shackles who’s Carlos Lopez (you may have seen his hilarious video for Butt‘s Panty Exchange) shot their video for sleepy sounding Always Tired. The band recently put out a cassette on Hi Shadow and have a 7″ due soon on Vancouver, BC’s Sweet Rot. If you’re like me, high and dry with no cassette player and waiting for the vinyl, here’s the Carlos Lopez directed video for Always Tired to tide you over.  The next Consignment gig is Monday, July 19th at the Comet Tavern.

The Night Beats sound like they should be from Austin instead of Seattle with their Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Black Angels, Woven Bones inspired sound.  No. A quick check and I can confirm they are from the Northwest.  I can also confirm that they have a 7″ due out on Chicago’s Trouble in Mind in July.  A couple of weeks ago Insound made it their mp3 of the week (whatever that means, besides a free song for us), and local blog Seattle Subsonic have been all over them as well.  Night Beats play Black Lodge on Monday, July 5th and will be at this year’s Capitol Hill Block Party.

mp3: Night Beats – H-Bomb (soon to be released on Trouble in Mind)

Picking up where the Turn-ons left off are Hunting Grounds.  They’ve got three songs up currently on Band Camp.  They’re all slow burners that definitely have a highly stylized UK slant to them.  It’s kind of precious stuff with whooshing keyboards evoking barren fields and gray skies.  I’m always pleasantly surprised when a local band goes all anglophile, and Hunting Grounds with these three songs have have me reaching for my  Suede, Sub Circus,  Roxy Music, and Bowie records.  Hunting Grounds play this coming Thursday, July 1st at the Blue Moon in the University District.

mp3: Hunting Grounds – Life In Ice

Former Catheter and Tall Bird Brian Standeford and his new band Idle Times finally have a full length record coming out after a couple of singles.  The self-titled album is coming out on Chicago’s Hozac later this summer.  You can get a preview over at Hozac’s blog thing.  They’re streaming Hey Little Girl in all of it’s paint peeling stupendous-ness.  Get an even more in your face preview when they open for Ty Segall this Monday, June 28th at the Comet Tavern.

Stream: Idle Times – Hey Little Girl

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