| ARNO DE CEA "ALOHA FROM CESTAS" LP, Time Tunnel Records And Jason R 2003 |
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We already know Arno De Cea from great French garage punk surf compilations - "Get The Guitar Off Your Ass" (check older No Brains Zine Reviews). He was part of power surf duo Stef And Arno. As the promo sheet says, this record was originally planed as double CD of Stef And Arno - one CD by Stef and one CD by Arno. Unfortunately the duo split, so we have Arno's part on LP - cool album called "Aloha From Cestas". Music is still great mix between surf, garage trash and other stuff. Record starts with spacey surf instro "Cestas Intergalactic Anthem". "La Salie" and "Third Eye Motel Girl" are weird vocal surf garage psych, while "Maka'u" and "Do The Kanibal" are fast short and furious surf instros with space synth noises in "Maka'u". "nao Faz Mais Do Que Passar" closes A side - great surf jazz bossa exotica with rhythm box - real killer! B side starts with instro trash surf killer "Honi". Second song "Casse Toi De Ma PLage" is one of my faves - fast vocal garage trash surf. "Earthlings Are From Venus" could be great new style: surf synth pop - really great with weird analogue synth spacey noises and sounds and vocoder vocal. "Cestas Space Invasion" follows in a same style - well it's instro with bit more experimental and avant-garde moments, but also with analogue synth. "Aloha From Cestas" closes this great LP - space surf bossa, again with beautiful synth and rhythm box. This album is totally crazy and weird, lot of different styles melted into relaxing own Arno style. I think that No Brains Zine readers should pay more attention to Time Tunnel releases 'cos till now I only heard only great stuff from them!
Time Tunnel: http://www.timetunnelrecords.com
Jason R: http://www.jason.fr.fm
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THE A-SIDES "GOING GONE / SEING SUZY" 7", Prison Jazz Records |
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The A-Sides are from Philadelphia, USA and they are strongly influenced by 60s British beat and mod bands like The Kinks, Pretty Things, Small Faces ... What I specially like about The A-Sides is that they are not pure retro - they don't try to catch that typical 60s sound. Well, through their melodies you can hear what they have in their record collection. "Going Gone" is catchy mod beat track that can also be from the end of 70s / early 80s - 2nd wave of UK mod / power pop bands. Other side of this double A-side 45 - "Seing Suzy" is even better, more souly and groovy, but also bit more raw. Great Keith Moon drum breaks and cool vocal. Prison Jazz Records is new label to me and this is their 2nd release - real killer and I hope to hear more from all of them in the future!
Prison Jazz Records: http://www.prisonjazz.com, prisonjazz@prisonjazz.com
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| BLACK LIPS "WE DIDN'T KNOW THE FOREST SPIRIT MADE THE FLOWERS GROW" CD, 2004 Bomp Records
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Black Lips are from Atlanta US and they play garage punk with 60s and 80s influence. But their music is not only garage punk there is also enough space for experiment. It's not easy to describe their style. They have also something Velvetisch, but also lot of blues. Songs on this CD are recorded on 4 different places so the sound and production vary a bit. Still Black Lips are pretty cool, well you need a bit to get into their sound. My favorites are "Time Of The Scab", "Notown Blues" (with cheesy 60s organ that gives nice psych dimension) and "Ghetto Cross". Black Lips have raw lo-fi sound. Their roots are in 50s and 60s, but they sound very nowdays. CD ends with hidden experimental track "Hope Jazz".
Bomp Records: http://www.bomp.com
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| BLACK TIME "BLACKOUT" LP, Concrete Life 2004 |
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Members of Black Time already have quite long experience with bands like: Hotwires, Action Time, Sexaphone, Sumbway Slims ... Well most of these bands are unknown to me - unfortunately. Black Time are from UK and their music is really difficult to classify. When you see the list of stuff they listened during the recording session for the Blackout album, you will probably understand why I have such problem. Here are some names who's influence is most hearable in Black Time music: Fall, Pussy Galore, Warshaw, Hound Dog Taylor, Guitar Wolf, Mummies, Black Flag ... As you can see this is really cool mix of late 70s / early 80s post punk wave, trash garage punk and mid to late 80s noise rock. Black Time are really great band, their songs are pretty different, trashy, dark and cool. Singer sounds sometimes like Pere Ubu singer from his very early days. Rhythm section is very raw, simple, but straight into your head. Guitar and bass have trashy garage punk sound, but they play in post punk wave style. "Blackout" album is new blood and very original sound for garage punk today. It's very difficult to pick out faves 'cos music is very compact and it's not collection of songs, but spheres. Recommended for fans of Catholic Boys, Ponys, Real Losers ...
Black Time: therhythmhive@hotmail.com
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| BOB URH AND THE BARE BONES "THE HOO DOO GARAGE DEMO!" demo CD, 2004
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"The Hoo Doo Garage Demo" CD contains 11 songs by Bob Urh (Ultra 5) and his pals - The Bare Bones. It's not easy to describe his style, it's some kind of weird mix between garage punk, americana with some Velvet Underground, psychobilly, Johnny Thunders, psych spices - psychotic semi acustic desert music. Songs are recorded low fi, but sound quality is pretty good. Arrangements are minimal and it fits good with Bob Urh vocal and his songs. The world of Bob Urh is very strange - something between imagination, dreams and reality. Just check some titles like "Bad World Revisited", "Cracker Daddies And Crockadiles", "Red Skin Man Intro" ... If you can imagine Roky Erickson join Giant Sand with lot of booze and other means, you will know what I'm talking about.
Bob Urh And The Bare Bones: http://www.ultraproductions.org, losdevilinis@hotmail.com
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