Words by Jonathan Stout
When not doing freelance writing, Jonathan Stout is heavily involved in the NKY and Cincinnati music scenes as the Marketing Manager for Kentucky based venue The Southgate House Revival and founder of DIY Recording label Lo Fi City Recordings. He’s also an active musician, performing and recording with Sleepy Drums, Mutt Fuzz, Burnt Cabins and gewgaw.
The Raveonettes made their highly anticipated return last month with the release of Pe’ahi II (Beat Dies Records). Coming 11 years after Pe’ahi, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo don’t miss a beat and act like the time that has passed was just an illusion. Further honing in on their mix of Jesus & Mary Chain noise pop, surf and 50’s sodashop pop, The Raveonettes deliver 31 minutes garage psych bliss that surely won’t disappoint longtime fans (and may bring them some new ones as well!). But don’t be fooled, there’s some experimentation into uncharted territory as well here. Songs like “BLACKEST” seemingly combine everything loved about the band while also propelling expectations further, in what feels like a brief 3:32 runtime. The song covers a lot of ground quickly, beginning with a reverb soaked jazzy, Chet Atkins style guitar part, that soon gets bum-rushed by a supremely fuzzed out rhythm guitar and surfy lead over top of a fat booming drum machine. Pe’ahi II is full of these kinds of sharp turns, from the soft and melodic to the very noisy. All backing up songs expressing isolation, longing and vulnerability, harmonized beautifully by both members in a predominately high register. The combination is at times not only exciting, but also poignant and eerie. Although Pe’ahi II’s runtime is relatively brief, they cover a lot of emotional and musical ground. It may have taken 11 years to get here, but I’d say it was worth it, considering how inspired and energized they sound.
You may not recognize the name Charles Moothart right away, but I assure you, you know who he is. Guitar ripper of FUZZ, drummer of GØGGS, and longtime secret weapon of Ty Segall, it’s time we give this powerhouse some attention and let him step forward – away from supportive rolls – and since last year’s Black Holes Don’t Choke he’s been taking full advantage of his time away from these acts. He returned last month with Chaotic Shimmer (In The Red Records), a fresh EP containing 6 tracks that follow closely in the footsteps of Black Holes. The release begins with three fuzzy psych rockers in his patented style but as the tracklist progresses, the styles begin to vary as well. “Bring to Bloom” is a beautifully melodic bluesy acoustic piece akin to one of the McCartney tracks on the The White Album or maybe even one of the early David Gilmour led Pink Floyd tracks. “Caught Waiting” gets back to rockin’ but shifts between live and programmed drum parts that link together the song’s jarring transitions. The experimentation goes even further on album closer “Music for the People,” an ominously pulsing composition incorporating many electronic elements coupled with swirling lead guitar parts. All in all, it’s a very solid offering and I’m excited to hear where the muses of this release lead him.
Celebrated guitarist and songwriter of Galaxie 500 and Luna, Dean Wareham, released That’s the Price of Loving Me (Car Park Records) in March and I’ve already returned to it quite a few times since then. It captures so many of the best elements of his strongest past material with such a confident, comfortable and calming delivery. The production and arrangements featured on these songs are tasteful and often even breathtaking when listening on headphones. Warheim’s signatures are all here in spades- airy vocals, soft drums, surfy, reverb soaked guitar, occasional string arrangements and songs that slowly build with witty, thought provoking lyrics. Furthermore, tracks like “New World Julie” and “Dear Betty Baby” sound more like Galaxie 500 than anything I’ve heard him release in awhile, which is exciting. iIt’s a powerful release in many ways, as there’s a certain underlying emotional heft felt throughout and repeated listens reveal further things to love.
Nearly 10 years after Automaginary, Bitchin Bajas and Natural Information Society have reported back with Totality (Drag City), an absolutely hypnotizing collection of instrumental compositions. Combining Natural Information Society’s “all-world jazz” with Bitchin Bajas microtonal soundscapes, one can expect this collection to get far out and stay there. The opening title track is a long playing meditation that builds and recedes, much like waves coming in and out from the shore line. Channeling the Sun Ra Arkestra, it shifts between ambient abstraction and an intentional, rhythmic pulse. There are a lot of tones and rhythms to explore here, which makes the release great for both deep headphone listening as well as long car (or acid) trips. Since they both excel so powerfully on their own on the fringes of jazz and experimental music, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the music they’d deliver together would be exceptional, but who knew it would work this well?
We’ll be back next month with even more new tunes to talk about, so keep your head up! There’s always more new music to be heard!