Gravy Train : The Menz ep (Purr records).
3 girls giving, one guy taking" is how they outrageously describe their band. Chunx, Funx, Hunx and Drunx are an incestuous family of the B-52s' bastard daughters and are ready to bring you a punkrapcasio revolution.The record opens by a "how to." The voice over talks as those living-room work out video tapes. Got the tone? Now use it to read what follows: "one additional word of advice, if you get behind listening to this record, simply go back to the beginning of the cut and start over, all you need is some patience and a little practice and soon you will be disco dancing with the best." You don't need this, though, you will automatically go back to the beginning... or maybe it's brainwashing... I don't know, one thing is sure: I am addicted !What could we call this? minimalelctropoppunk, in the best Le Tigre/Julie Ruin style with some Chicks on Speed crazyness on top of it. Keyboards played with one finger and beat going up and down at will (check out how "heart attack" is a wave that dies and comes back, whereas "you made me gay" turns into a hurricane), the Yeasty Girlz without the a capella side.... messy description, I hope you are following (no, I am not pretentiously doing some name dropping here, I am just trying to express feelings and that's not my specialty, obviously) The lyrics are very simple and fun, they talk about everyday life in their songs: "you made me nervous, girl!", "I like to get paid and have sex for days", "I go to the high school to find me a bitch" (well, at least it's somebody's routine). And yes, they ARE often talking trash, so don't be surprised if your sister starts using explicit lyrics at the dinner table. The best example is probably their he said/she said anthem "(you made me) Gay" or how Hunx herself, combining repulsive sexual tactics with an even more repulsive smelling vagina, single handedly turned Hunx into a flaming homo (I thought you liked it that way/naw, bitch, I'm gay). An extremely fun e.p., light and genuine. It sounds a bit like a high school band if we lived in Daria's reality, or as the 'natural' evolution of punk if the name of McLaren had never been associated to it and if the mainstream 80s hadn't been so glittery.... This band is pure, fresh air !
https://gravytrainomg.bandcamp.com/album/menz-ep
Madigan : 88 ep (Moonpuss Records). When Madigan moved from Washington state to San Francisco, she remembered to put her genius in her suitcase, next to her own, private MoonPuss record label. Madigan's intense and oh so personal guitar and cello playing will take you her charming wave. She is a Calypso of the seas. Her work is as amazingly poetical as ever. It is delicate and subtil, strong and organic. It is a heartbeat with all the different rhythms the latter allows."Vigil" will stick to your mind from the very first listening and will stay there forever. Madigan's songs build up from water drops to high tide waves in an angry ocean breaking on a cliff and back. She is very personal, talking to everyone of us with the same authenticity. She is inspiring freedom herself.
Bronco Busters : 7 inch. Hey LuvIf you missed the release party, you have to get this concept vinyl, thick and good as a pancake on a hangover day, NOW. The three Oslo-based power-popers/sweet punkettes got even more raw ("rawer?"... too short a comparative to describe them!), achieving what I find to be a more definitely "Bronco Buster's sound." It feels very authentic since it is less produced, although the songs are very tight. Take a powerful garage rock performed in a three stars garage.... the Mustang's engine is still roaring, though (Broncos and Mustangs have the same horse power, ok?) "Try Me" is a jewel of Brtish power-garage-pop! Also, what's really cool is that you get the DIY movie with the soundtrack. If you look at the pictures fast enough, you can see our heroins actually move.... for the first time in my life, I enjoyed curling.