Blog Archives

April 16, 2012

The Daily Choice: Cool Ghouls – Ghost Song

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The Daily Choice

Cool Ghoul’s first TDCed song, “Witch’s Game” was, as described by me, “a shocking 5-minute opus” that “breaks in to a thrashy sort of ode to rock ‘n’ roll.” I expected a similar sort of long form garage rock explosion, “Ghost Song” leans heavily the twang of 1970s country rock spiced up with a surprisingly funky little bass beat and some catchy back-up vocals. To say the least, it’s another step in the band living up to the promise of their three-song EP. Lets all raise our hands if we’re excited for Cool Ghouls. Okay, good. Me too.

Cool Ghouls play the Save KUSF Benefit at Benders with Uzi Rash on 4/20 and then at Sugar Mountain in Oakland with Shannon and The Clams later this month.

Their self-titled debut LP is due out this summer.

Cool Ghoul – Ghost Song

Source: Positive Destruction

March 26, 2012

The Daily Choice: Grass Widow – Goldilocks Zone

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Grass Widow have been chugging along as a three-piece, high-end, multi-harmony garage rock group since I slunk down to San Francisco three years ago. And there’s good reason for this: consistency. Grass Widow has a good thing going, three multi-talented musicians, each with voices like baby angels from outer space, playing solid, dependable, often times head-banging garage rock. If you listen to their first album or you listen to their newest album, the songs are different, but the sound has stayed the same (even through the brief spell with notorious polish factory Kill Rock Stars). Don’t think I’m saying that Grass Widow isn’t an original, unique, I’m not – I’m just saying that I know every time this trio of talent releases a new album, I’m going to pick it up knowing exactly what I’m getting, and that what I’m getting is great.

Grass Widow’s newest album Internal Logic pops in to stores on their label HLR Records on May 22nd.

San Franciscans can see them in all of their glory at 1-2-3-4 Records with Chain & The Gang and Uzi Rash on March 30th.

Grass Widow – Goldilocks Zone

February 10, 2012

The Last Spurm Show Tonight at Black Lodge

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Breaking up is hard to do. Everyone is doing it.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry. A famous professional athlete and a woman millions of other men would like to get to know intimately. Will and Jada. Ike and Tina Turner.

Unfortunately for my tender heart, many Seattle bands are breaking up as well. Spurm is not the only one who will be breaking up this year. As for the rest of the bands, I’ll let their passion play reveal itself on its own terms. I hate when people tell me the ending to a movie I’ve never seen.

Is it unprofessional to put a sad emoticon in the title of a blog post? Because I would like to right now. I’d like to spell out the title of this post in “smiley face” tears.

In case you don’t know, Spurm played one of the best sets I have seen by a band since I first set foot in Seattle in September of 2007. You can read about their glorious 2011 Capital Hill Block Party set at Cha-Cha here. I was losing my mind during their performance. If I were more familiar with the band at the time, I could have written at least five thousand words painting you a picture of their quirky, charismatic greatness. Sure, I’ve heard the name Spurm time and again living in this overcast city. You’ve probably their name a myriad amount of times as well.

I mean, it’s Spurm. It sounds like Sperm.

Gentle readers, sounds aren’t enough. You need to feel Spurm. You need it all over your face. I want to see it stain your jeans. I want you to fashion it into jewelry. Don’t forget to brush your teeth.

You might think this is getting weird. I’m going to one-up you and say this shit already was weird. There’s a certain greatness in being easily misunderstood. Musical postcards. Funny-looking costumes. What band below the age of 30 has even heard of covers The Who? Being weird is not a novelty for Spurm, oh no. Their strangeness is transcendent.

Hold on a second, let me roll on the ground and try to explain to you that I wrote these lyrics. These are the lyrics. I really need more lyrics.

Gosh darnit Spurm! I’m going to miss you!

WAIT, let us not forget what other bands are sending them off in style: Uzi Rash have played the Black Lodge a couple of times and they are from Oakland. What does that mean? That means they are tougher than you. They play the kind of tunes that’ll prove it.

The Unnatural Helpers wrote my favorite song in 2010 (Sunshine/Pretty Girls). If they don’t play this song tonight, I will use weaponry and fighting tactics I have learned from the game Skyrim and kill everyone in the audience. Wimps are the kind of band that will put your hand in a warm bucket of water when you’re sleeping so that you may soil yourself. They’re secret botanists. Shhhhh.

The show starts at 930 pm. Be there.

February 2, 2011

The Unnatural Helpers at The Black Lodge Tonight

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The Unnatural Helpers ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

“To be the man, you have to beat the man…WOOOOOOO!!!!!” – “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair circa 523 B.C. after he somehow survived a death sentence by putting his executioner in a figure-four leg lock. The Unnatural Helpers are not fighting off death but they are “the champs”, if my Best Local Song of 2010 has any legitimacy in the eyes of the people. Jabroni’s, my make believe awards have the realness of Santa Claus during the Christmas shopping season. Even though I tend to mildly obsess over Sunshine/Pretty Girls, the Unnatural Helpers have written quite a few catchy songs believe it or not. Many of them you’ll find on their latest release Cracked Love and Other Drugs. The best kind of affection either becomes broken eventually or feels like the best kind of drugs. Come to the Black Lodge tonight, pick up the album and you’ll get the best of both worlds.

Uzi Rash is not what you think. At first I thought this was going to be the most insane grindcore band on the West Coast. That’s not exactly it. Then I was going to start off by saying “Uzi Rash is Gucci Mane’s favorite Rock n’ Roll band.” That’s no longer happening. This band is an electrified, more diverse version of the Violent Femmes. I can see that some of you are confused by that description. I think this is something that you’ll either appreciate or despise. You won’t experience any middle of the road feelings here. Ease your self into it. Start off with the song New Masks and go from there.

Do you know indie rock? Sure you do. Do you know the most despicable genre known to man? A genre fool of buffoonery and laziness? I’m talking about garage rock. Luckily for you, Idle Times are merely noisy indie rock. None of that “How’s your mother?” bullshit here. No small talk. Just rock music with a familiar feel.

What the fuck? I didn’t know Flipper was playing the Black Lodge? Oh, what’s that you say? Flipper with Krist Novoselic on bass aren’t going to be making an appearance on Eastlake? That’s good because I can’t find any of my Flipper albums. I would feel left out if they actually did play. Oakland’s Knifey Spooney wins the award for most Flipper-like bass line on School Fire Pictures. That’s not a bad thing, I’ve been known to encourage Dolphins. Besides the Unnatural Helpers, I expect this band to rock the most tonight. What the world needs now is more sloppy noise.

The show starts tonight at 9pm. If you don’t know where the Black Lodge is, ask a friend punk. Or just walk up and down Eastlake. The choice is yours.