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.
Genre-bending band Tropical Fuck Storm will release their highly anticipated fourth album, Fairyland Codex on June 20 via their new label home, Fire Records. Fairyland Codex finds the band running a full gamut of emotions – from the chaotic opener “Irukandji Syndrome,” to the Nick Cave like balladry (and sonic call back to members’ previous band, Drones) of “Stepping on a Rake” and the title track, juxtaposed with the disjointed funk of “Teeth Marche” and “Bloodsport,” the band provides very different approaches from composition to composition and keep things increasingly. Recorded with co-producer Michael Beach at the band’s Dodgy Brothers studio in Nagambie, Australia, the band benefits from multiple songwriters, which really helps to give Fairyland Codex an intriguing amount of variation. One of the most unique and uncompromisingly creative modern bands, Tropical Fuck Storm continue to raise the bar and there’s a lot to unpack here, from mysterious and thought provoking lyrics, to song structures that twist and turn at a moment’s notice. Fairyland Codex is bound to be an album warranting multiple returns.
Bong smashing punk-metal heshers, Zig Zags returned at the end of May with Deadbeat At Dawn (Riding Easy Records), a collection of 10 rippers that blaze by in a fiery fast 33 minutes. Capturing the same rejuvenated energy displayed on their previous release Strange Masters, Deadbeat At Dawn busts the door down, wrecks the place and takes no prisoners. Honing in on influences mainly stemming from ’80s hardcore, thrash and crossover, Deadbeat At Dawn captures a distinct heavy sound that you don’t hear expressed as often anymore. Straightforward, no frills, un-ironic riffing, created purely out of the love of the music.
Crown prince of modern psych, Ty Segall (who coincidentally produced the early Zig Zags material) returned with his newest offering, Possession (Drag City) at the end of May. For artists as prolific as Segall, it can be hard to keep up such a regular release schedule while also remaining fresh and interesting. But with his recent albums Three Bells and Possession he’s solidified a comfortable foundation that brings together the fundamentals of his earlier work with – dare I say, a maturer sound? And by mature, I mean he’s settled well into his craft – everything feels very natural and unforced. For Possession, Segall leans into the sounds of ’70s Laurel Canyon and biker rock, nuanced with class into his patented brand of psych rock. What results are some fantastically written and arranged songs that are still filled with fuzzy, crackling guitar solos and hooks that will have you coming back for many replays. Segall doesn’t necessarily try anything new with Possession, but instead delivers a grouping of songs that collect and showcase his many pre-established strengths with confidence and clarity.
May also brought the much anticipated return of Stereolab with Instant Holograms On Metal Film (Warp Records). This collection of 13 compositions won’t disappoint any longtime fans, as these recordings and arrangements are as richly expressed as ever with new sounds and nuances exposing themselves with every listen. Their established sound, which can be most simply described as 60’s lounge psych meets Kraftwerk, is still very much the focal point, and it’s a sound they’ve perfected to a soothing beauty. The songs with lyrics often juxtapose serious themes of existential dread with driving, catchy melodies. Such is the case with the fantastic “Aerial Troubles”, where Lætitia Sadier sings “Greed is an unfillable hole (Insatiable) / Avid the fear of death” over an upbeat, infectiously melodic lead guitar and danceable beat. And so goes the entire record, culminating as a true celebration of both the light and dark sides of the human experience.
We’ll close this edition with Kadavar’s sublime new release, I Just Want To Be A Sound (Clouds Hill). Just a heads up to anyone who hasn’t checked in with this band in awhile – they’ve developed into quite a different beast! Beginning their career with vintage styled stoner rock/proto-metal, they’ve since spread out to incorporate all aspects of the modern psych rock umbrella. But on I Just Want To A Sound they craft 10 adventurous tracks that use their earlier material as a jumping off point, from which they blast far away from in short order, embracing more modern sounds than ever. The opening title track is huge stadium ready psych-pop, centered around an infectious guitar hook, more akin to MGMT or mid-career Flaming Lips than Black Sabbath. It automatically sets the stage for the listener to expect the unexpected, which is ultimately the best advice when recommending this release (which I can’t do emphatically enough!). The varied songwriting styles and attention to detail aren’t the only things that make these songs pop- the production of this record is also huge! Is this Kadavar’s attempt at big league pop crossover stardom? I’m not sure, but as long as they remember they’re a rock band (unlike *cough* Kevin Parker *cough*) I think they’ll be alright. I Just Want To Be A Sound is a truly exciting collection of songs that solidifies this band as real contenders among the world’s heaviest heavyweights of psych rock.