Blood Brothers and Sisters

As well as being a talented songwriter and indestructible DIY force, Paul A Rosales has been recording and producing bands in his local Southern California for the past seven years. Now he has decided to release a compilation of these recordings via his blog to showcase all his friends’ bands. Featuring two tracks from each by Tan Dollar, Pearl Harbor/Puro Instinct, Cosmonauts, Muddy Flowers, Dash Jacket, Stellarphone, Moon Pearl and Paul’s own band Wonder Wheel, the mix is like a metaphorical and mutual pat on the back to all these great players in the flourishing scene. All of the bands have the distinctly casual, creative West Coast vibe that we know and love, and some of the songs are previously unreleased, including the Pearl Harbor (now Puro Instinct) mp3 below. Paul says, “Some of these names you have heard before, some not at all; either way you will enjoy the lush collection of California dudes and dudettes.” Stellarphone’s two rowdy garage blasts are a highlight, as are Moon Pearl and Wonder Wheel. Click the link below to download the whole mix and tell us your faves!

Pearl Harbor- Hubbsian Lament: MP3

Click to download free Wonder Wheel Presents compilation

Wonder Wheel- Blog

Posted by Sarah Gooding under California, U.S.A
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Get Into My Hot Tub

Paul Andrew Rosales’ AM pop is soaked in so much reverb, echo and distortion that it splinters into a million pieces and regroups to form his delicately distorted psychedelic pop. With the exploratory propensity of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and the crusty murk of Kurt Vile, there are elements of dance in the repetitive rhythms and abstract instrumentation. Rosales’ debut 12 track album Wonder Wheel I dropped on Tuesday (via Care in the Community Recordings) and in typical prolificacy railcars has released a remix of one of the songs. ‘Changed Faster’ is a rhythmically-shifty, texture-rich ode of emotional turmoil with eerie gypsy melodies strained through effects. railcars’ remix slows it down and adds his trademark drum machines and effects to give it a more peaceful, floating feel.

Wonder Wheel I is an eclectic bunch of songs recorded between 2006 and 2009 that submerge Rosales’ emotional concerns in murky experimental pop. He sounds stuck somewhere between a celestial time-warp and a classy disco synth rave on ‘Never In Love’, with mutilating laser synths penetrating the muddy jungle rhythm and warped vocals that almost sound like a twisted Zach Hill. Other songs are poppier such as the catchy ‘Nautilis Cry’ and ‘She Tells Me’ – classic pop full of disdain and dejection, with wallowing repetitive melodies that will stick in your head for days. Bass-heavy dance takes hold in ‘Freeway’, and ‘Eroneous Love Song’ is like interpreting animal speech. But no matter what, Rosales’ edgy, echoey vocals remain harrowing, loopy and atmospheric.

His prolific other project, Wonder Wheel, which has seen him collaborate with the late revered DIY musician R Stevie Moore during its six years, seems to put out a new album every few months. Rosales, with Raul Esparza and Danny Gonzalez, released a four-track Demonstration EP last Friday that you can download for free on their blog. There’s also a tour of the UK and Europe currently being booked for October and November.

Paul A Rosales- Changed Faster: MP3

Paul A Rosales- Changed Faster (railcars ‘machine heart’ remix): MP3

Paul A Rosales- Clarity Dissolve: MP3

Paul A Rosales- Myspace

Posted by Sarah Gooding under California, U.S.A
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Urinating Cops

One day a girl goes psycho and smashes everything in her house and then goes on a badass reign of terror over town, lighting things on fire, jumping on top of cars, carving up fences and spitting in peoples’ faces. Even though it ends with the cops, she’ll never give in. She makes out with her reflection in a dirty mirror to a soundtrack of distorted drums. This is the new video for ‘The Sacto Smile’ by thrash king Zach Hill, featuring a pants-wetting performance by his girlfriend, model Liz Liles. It’s probably the best music video I’ve ever seen. The brain-shattering track comes off Zach’s new album Face Tat, out on October 19 on Sargent House Records, and features contributions from members of No Age, Devendra Banhart, Zach’s bygones collaborator/Tera Melos guitarist Nick Reinhart, Diamond Watch Wrist collaborator/Prefuse 73’s Guillermo Scott Herren, Zach’s Hella bandmate Carson McWhirter and Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier. This song is a huge departure from Zach’s considerably more commercial sounding last album Astrological Straits; perhaps touring with Wavves has brought more of a lo-fidelity sound to his consciousness. Regardless, it’s an album to anticipate.

UPDATE: In a statement released today, Zach explains the meaning of the new album’s title as musing on a theory he’d heard that people with facial tattoos potentially have a higher suicide rate than people without facial tattoos. He also says on Face Tat he experiments with destroying sounds “so that the source of the melody, rhythms, vocals, etc, is not recognisable or traceable, and then building these things into abstract forms of pop music with conventional structures.” This includes the sound of urinating on a stack of Rolling Stone magazines, kicking in the screen of a computer, and arguments on the street.

Zach Hill- Memo To The Man: MP3

Zach Hill- Ummer of Love: MP3

Zach Hill- Myspace

Posted by Sarah Gooding under California, Sacramento, U.S.A
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Imaginary Insomnia

Sleeping People, Rumah Sakit and Three Mile Pilot are three of Kenseth Thibideau’s more famed projects, but it’s his first solo album that is creating all the excitement right now. Due for release on July 20, Brooklyn Vegan recently previewed a few tracks. The two songs come across shady and skin tight with a thin Krautrock lining; one spelling M-A-T-H rock with a Battles vibe (’Moon 2′) and the other leaning more towards Bauhaus and the rhythmic guitar pop of The Bats (’Black Hole’). Lie back and listen to the music cascade as the repetitive guitar picking bubbles and drops like rain, scattering out into a beautiful pattern like well designed art. If the music could be an image it would be a collage built layer upon layer, becoming a fixture with a dark green fluorescent glow.

Past bands Thibideau has formed himself all have a strong post-rock slant, with a loosely fastened math rock structure. You can hear it coming through in his solo work but it’s dumbed down to a delicate haze, with the crunchy rhythms making way for a smoother, cosier finish. If you’re into bands like The Chills, Foals, The Soft Moon and Talking Heads then you’ll likely dig this.

Repetition, Kenseth Thibideau’s solo debut is out on July 20 via Temporary Residence Limited.  

Kenseth Thibideau- Moon 2: MP3

Kenseth Thibideau- Black Hole: MP3

Kenseth Thibideau- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, San Diego, U.S.A
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Nomadic Dreamers

These four girls from Los Angeles make wonderfully exquisite post-punk music. However we’ve been a little bit slow to catch on to their kindled success, in their short career they’ve already been featured in NME, The New York Times, The Guardian and Dazed and Confused, plus they have been picked up by Rough Trade Records. They’re currently on tour in Europe and will be returning home to tour the US in June, including a slot a Lollapalooza.

Like a semi-concious dream, Warpaint’s music is restless and at times spirals out of control, but it somehow manages to thrive on its own awkwardness. A large chunk of their songs push the six minute mark and they move through time on a passive, non-aggressive path, drawing the focus towards their wavy rhythms and beautifully formed harmonies. Theresa Wayman and Emily Kokal share the lead role and their voices rebound like softly spoken soul singers; all dreamy and candy-coated like a posh little Goth girl walking along Venice Beach under the cover of darkness. And it’s refreshing to hear no element of chillwave, in fact Warpaint ride an anti-chillwave buzz, peddling a sound that has more meaning and a stronger emotional connection with the listener. They’re more akin to CocoRosie if the Casady sisters had Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo playing guitars, or a more winter-y Cat Power if she was joined by Denise Roughan and Frankie Rose.

In 2009 the band released their debut EP titled Exquisite Corpse, produced by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The sole EP currently forms their back catalogue, but they are half-way through recording a debut album which will be released via Rough Trade Records later this year.  

Warpaint’s singer and guitarist Theresa Wayman also stars in the upcoming film Pete Smalls is Dead, alongside Steve Buscemi, Rosie Perez and Tim Roth.

Warpaint- Krimson: MP3

Warpaint- Elephants: MP3

 Warpaint- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, Los Angeles, U.S.A
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Pacific Division: All Time Fav

Ever since Sarah introduced me to Pac Div I’ve been totally mesmerised by their brutally honest hip-hop. She stumbled upon the California trio last October when they were named by Spin Magazine as one of the acts to watch out for at CMJ ‘09. I’ve been obsessing over their Church League Champions Mixtape for a good eight months and it’s become my most played hip-hop release of all time. You can still download the mixtape for free, here’s the link.

Pac Div has been promising us an album, but we’re still waiting and it looks like we’ll be waiting for quite a while longer. Thankfully they’ve given us a new mixtape, titled Don’t Mention It. Marz Lovejoy dropped a track from it three days ago and it’s sparked a chain reaction of internet hype. She features on ‘Shine’, the mixtape’s twelfth track and is one of several guests, including Ty$, Dom Kennedy and Chip Tha Ripper. Don’t Mention It is the perfect successor to Church League Champions, cut up with comedy, R’n'b, gospel and more booming hip-hop beats. Booming, minimalist beats; Pac Div don’t commercialise their sound, they keep it clean, focusing on wordplay. Sixth track ‘Overcome’ is the best example of Pac Div stepping up their game, diversifying into politics. Backed by a beautiful gospel harmony from a scratchy backing track the trio turn on the Obama administration, speaking about poverty and the realities of living in a recession where the poor are getting swept to the gutter and the capitalist regime’s survival package involves cutting jobs without offering a substantial solution to help the unemployed. It’s a powerful song calling for action, evoking memories of the civil rights struggle and reminding us that the fight for equality is far from over. ‘Here We Go’ carries a similar message, attacking the way America treats the underprivileged, questioning the government’s involvement in stereotyping the poor based on personal experience and using real life anecdotes. But even though there’s a political side to Pac Div, there’s also a side to Pac Div that is casual and unobtrusive, where they rap about chilling with their friends and visiting the local grocery store. CLC was based on these playful motifs so perhaps it’s a sign of the changing political climate that Pac Div has diversified into a more serious dialogue. What ever the reason, Don’t Mention It perfectly complements Church League Champions, proving that Pac Div has the ability to touch on issues important to the African-American underclass while still addressing more trivial subjects.

 Pac Div- Overcome: MP3

Pac Div- Shine (feat. Marz Lovejoy): MP3

Download Pac Div’s Don’t Mention It Mixtape for free

Pac Div- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, U.S.A
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 Sending Letters To Loved Ones

I recently watched Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man for the first time and on my way to work yesterday I revisited one of my favourite albums of ‘09, Castanets‘ Texas Rose, The Thaw & The Beasts. In an odd way they kind of re-triggered my fascination with folk music. Today I spent the morning scanning Myspace for some sweet new folk songs, eventually ending up at the Bicycle Records website, one of the world’s finest indie record labels.

I was drawn to one artist in particular, Christina Antipa, whose voice reminds me a little bit of Cat Power. Antipa sings above a wash of finely plucked acoustic guitar and an orchestral pattern that derives from her past as a classically trained Oboist, occassionally adding a gentle drum beat or some diced up electronics. Her voice is soft and soothing, speaking to the painfully alone and the wilful romantics whose evanescent glow light up the modern world. It’s hard to fault Antipa as a songwriter, her awareness and knowledge of folk music drives a powerful back catalogue, from her first release in 2003 to her most recent, 2009’s The Royal We. 

She lived in California when her first album was released, relocating to Seattle in 2004. In 2006 she released Everything Starts To Sing, which is described as her “sad-core” album due to it’s depressing, disillusioned content. On The Royal We she opens up again, embracing her romantic side and collaborating with Polka Dot Dot Dot’s Jordan O’Jordan and Shenandoah Davis. Her duet with Jordan O’Jordan is perhaps her most ambitious song. Amid a sea of cooing saw and a tip-toeing Casiotone they weave their voices together, soaking the atmosphere in a rich North-West medicine.

Christina Antipa is in the process of adopting the name Songs For Animals. In a statement on her Myspace page she says, “This way when I play or record in a band with other people, they will be included.” She’s currently touring under both names.

You can purchase Everything Starts To Sing and The Royal We from the Bicycle Records website.

Christina Antipa- Beautiful Place: MP3

Christina Antipa- Where Are You Going Whoever You Are: MP3

Christina Antipa- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, Sacremento, Seattle, U.S.A, Washington
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Cold-blooded Reptiles

Brain Miller from Foot Village just sent me this brutal black metal remix of ‘Grace’s Death’, remixed by Best Coast’s Bobb Bruno. There’s no images to cause any madcap controversy, but if there was they’d probably broadcast Grace’s eyes being gouged out by a lonely night walker dressed in a long black trench coat, before raising a bayonet above his head and viciously slashing her to pieces like in a sadistic Chinese horror film. It’s even scarier than the original song, which appeared on Foot Village’s 2009 album Anti-Magic. On the original version Grace screams like a wilting flower dying a long agonising death. The boys add a Gothic chant and then the song turns celebratory, dishing up some heavy metal guitar riffs and the Village’s customary multi-percussive drum beats. Bruno’s mashed all that together and the result is pretty fucking devilish. You’ve been warned.

Foot Village- Grace’s Death (Bobb Bruno remix): MP3

Foot Village- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, Los Angeles, U.S.A
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Exabibitionist

Brian Miller (Foot Village, 20 Jazz Funk Greats) loves E&E, in fact he loves E&E so much that he has just released their debut album on his record label Deathbomb Arc. E&E is primarily the project of Elijah Crampton, but as you’ll hear on ‘Gate’ he employs Angie Olsen and Ashland Mines to sing a few verses. It was actually Angie’s singing (and her lyrics) that made me fall for E&E in the first place, then I heard Crampton’s crazy instrumentation and I was totally hooked.

E&E come from the same eclectic Los Angeles scene that bought us Abe Vigoda, Foot Village, Rare Grooves and many other amazing artists. But Crampton is definitely one of the weirder ones, making spacey disco pop and alienating everyone with his piano jazz, using midi keyboards and an old piano. There’s a touch of late ’70s sci-fi action going on but it’s on a pretty minimal level; Casio enthusiasts could probably even name the exact keyboard he’s using. It’s the minimalism that makes it cute.

E&E’s debut album is out now through Deathbomb Arc. “This will prob be in my top 3 albums of the year,” according to Brian Miller, so get it!

 E&E- Gate: MP3

E&E- Polvolito: MP3

 E&E- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, Los Angeles, U.S.A
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I Want To Stop Crying

Here’s a wee gem delivered direct from San Francisco, in the vein of New Order, The Chills or Bauhaus. Luis Vasquez sends a flood of ’80s inspired doom forward in time, unloading a brisk but encompassing dose of your favourite bygone heroes. His first prescription filled is a 7″ titled Breathe The Fire, out now on New York label Captured Tracks. The title track has Vasquez whispering in a clandestine monotone, sulking like a newborn bushwhacker over a bleating bass line while attempting to drive off into the distance. He adds a subtle, but simple guitar riff to steer the song out onto the highway, and just as the wind starts blowing through your hair he withdraws, surrendering like a lapsed stoner fallen silent at the wheel. It’s lifeless but somehow full of energy, fulfilling an empty void.

The Soft Moon- Breathe The Fire: MP3

The Soft Moon- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under California, San Francisco, U.S.A
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