Tweak Bird – Undercover Crops

Going into this review the term stoner pop crossed our gaze and it has to be said an audible groan escaped. Not having been introduced to US rockers Tweak Bird before this, the worst was feared to be honest but it took no time for their new EP, Undercover Crops to dispel all worries. The seven track release is delicious, a gnarly scoop of sonic bubblegum ice cream which burns as equally as it leaves one drizzled in sweet pleasure. Though the term does kind of sum up the creations of the Los Angeles based duo it also trivialises what is going on, the intricacies and subtleties at work beneath the astringent embrace dismissed by its reference. The best way to describe the release is imagine Hot Hot Heat in a feisty embrace with Torche with extra mischievous encouragement from Red Fang and Morningwood. Yes, it is that unique.

Undercover Crops is the second EP from brothers Ashton and Caleb Bird and follows their self titled album of 2010. Recorded over a long weekend in June with Toshi Kasai, who alongside Dale Crover produced and recorded both debut EP Reservations and album, the new EP brings something new to the genre, year and to those like us who had never met the band before, the heart, something  just unexpectedly thrilling.

The first track, Moans, immediately throws things into confusion. Having expected stoner, pop, actually both, the track offers up a repetitive electro rubbing. Its industrial dusted atmosphere is openly provocative and its aural voice, like the unrelenting repeating of words, droning but also the ignition of a maelstrom of thoughts in the brain. It is undeniably magnetic and easily ensures the stay for the whole and admittedly pretty brief journey of the release will be full and intent, eagerly awaiting the unpredictability on offer.

The following track People soon has the heart leaping, its scuzzy baritone guitar riffs and sonic blistering an abrasive extreme to the flowing falsetto vocals of Caleb. The darker though still mesmeric and far from heavy tones of Ashton, bridges the two opposites whilst within the music itself the track twists and swerves with finesse and infectious charm. To those earlier comparisons regarding the sound of the band, this song certainly vocally, springs forth thoughts of B52s just as strongly.

The hypnotic bluesy breath of Psychorain just sizzles on the ear and emotions, its again mesmeric pull from within what is an acidic and caustic presence is just irresistible. The track is like being encased in electrified bubble wrap, the highly charged sonic cage of sound and enveloping whispers leaving the senses tingling whilst being hit by exploding rhythms and popping riffs, and just as devilishly addictive.

All the tracks are brief, only one managing to worry the three minute mark, and that is the only complaint. By the time you have managed to grab a first proper breath since the start, you realise it is actually over and feel quite disappointed. During its engagement though time is a concept lost, the likes of the excellent Weight with its heavy slightly schizo energy and synapse manipulation alongside Pigeons ensuring nothing else exists whilst they are at play. The second of the pair has a breeze of surf rock permeating its melodic elegance and near corrosive guitar strokes across flesh and thought. Like on all the tracks, the raw air which everything within the song is immersed by is inciteful and intrusive, not to mention insatiable though so is the eagerness to devour it in return.

The release finishes with the sensational Bunch ‘O Brains, a track which leaves you in the same state as the subject of the song by its end, and Know It All, another slice of contagious psych and noise rock brought with a sludge blues driven rich heart. It is an impossibly addictive close to a quite brilliant release. As with all the songs, lyrically the band do not stretch literary circles but the repetitive lines and uncomplicated structures just completes the songs, ensuring nothing is too intense or demanding and perpetually absorbing.

Released via Volcom Entertainment, Undercover Crops is brilliant, simple as, and Tweak Bird the immediate focus of a retrospective investigation followed by the swallowing up of their earlier works. We defy you to try and resist not doing the same once they take over your ears and heart.

Grab a free download of the track People below

http://www.tweakbird.com/

RingMaster 01/11/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

Dope Body: Natural History

Baltimore band Dope Body is predominantly tagged as noise rock but they should just be under the category eclectically unique. They are likely to be alone in the list which is as it should be as despite the band drawing on a flourishing feast of influences and suggestions no one truly sounds like or comes near to Dope Body. With the release of their new album Natural History they have widened further that divide between themselves and the rest. There are plenty of exciting and discord driven noise rock artists out there but none use the tools with an imagination and skill to create songs which are maybe raw and jagged in their surface but have a rounded balance, an instinctive and rich life, and are near abhorrently senses disassembling.

Natural History is the second album from the band and named after the The Museum of Natural History in their home town where they played their first and meant to be one off show. Formed in 2008 the band felt and knew from the destructively chaotic sounds they were creating and success of the night this all felt right so they continued gigging and creating. Released via Drag City, Natural History is pure sanity bending air fragmenting sonic poetry and possibly the best aural treat since the big bang. It is a release and sound which will work for you or not but if it does its genius in its simplicity and complicated inventiveness.

How to describe the band? Well it is impossible as you will see when we mention some of the tracks but imagine a primal mix of At The Drive In, Hot Hot Heat, Morkobot, The Three Johns, World Domination Enterprise, and most definitely early Wire. Oh you can add a slither of your favourite sludge, stoner, and grunge band too for good measure…and still not really come close. It is an individual sound to the band which will bring different references from each individual who hears it, something one wishes all bands would give the problem of.

Dope Body makes initial contact through the disorientating Shook. At first it drops falling essences of sonics through the air before a bass pulse begins its bruise of the atmosphere and the vocals of Andrew Laumann score the ear with caustic and disentangled melodies. Air ripping and blistering the song is a sludge/doom driven intensity littered with inquisitive and ultimately challenging pokes and disturbances, a mighty corruptive start to check if one is up for the fun ahead.

The following Road Dog is quite simply wonderful and the first of an unrelenting feast of brilliance to leave one breathless and with the biggest smile possible. Stirring up the ear with prickly guitar strokes and near smooth melodies alongside perfect infectious hooks, the song explores the senses with acidic enterprise around the prowling bass of John Jones and the eager vocals of Laumann. It has that primal early Gang Of Four rhythmic core with a Clash/Rocket From The Crypt punk sound especially with the additional mid reggae additive. The garage feel of the song is strong too and all in all is simply magnificent.

Beat and Twice The Life manipulate and ignite the passions further. The first is a striding beast of discord, its bulk rippling and pulsating with sonic guitar from Zach Utz and ear splicing melodics which spear the air with predatory menace and venomous intent. The track circles like a ravenous wolf its sounds gnawing on bone and synapses to leave one floundering in pure bliss. The second takes a lighter approach with the unpredictable rhythms of David Jacober puncturing its distressed yet mesmeric warm breath, again that reggae/punk air lights up the senses. Of course the song is wonderfully as disturbed as ever.

Arguably the best track on the album Powder is pure infection and just as dangerous as any illicit contagion. Insatiably eager and disturbingly joyful, the track with a grin as sinister as the hook is impossibly irresistible, easily and willingly draws one into the riot of senses fragmenting ingenuity.

Every song is immense; the snarling caged manic Out Of My Mind and the twisted rock n roller Weird Mirror just two delicious slices of further brilliance. That is the most apt word for the whole of Natural History and when a release ends on a bonus track like Alpha Punk, a near one minute pure Wire homage with the song sounding like the bastard cousin of Mr Suit or 1.2.X.U., you know it has been something special.

Dope Body is without doubt one of the most exciting bands in music right now if not the most and Natural History quite possibly album of the year, it will take something truly outstanding to match it.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DOPE-BODY/310914069790

Ringmaster 13/07/2012

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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