In The Red   Page 6

Hunches

Exit Dreams

In The Red

The Hunches are Portland's finest purveyors of cacophonous garage, delivering ragged-edged rock 'n' roll with such devastating hidden melody, one is left wondering how the band crammed such pop into the noise cavalcades. Having released two previous full-lengths, The Hunches are back with Exit Dreams, their third (and possibly final) album that captures their fiery live form on wax once more.  It's a veritable melee of vicious guitar savagery and lo-fi freak-out fugginess, the perfect follow-up to Hobo Sunrise--a raging riot of an album that leaves ringing ears, bloody mouths, and shot-to-shit synapses sizzling with amplified excess.  Not that Exit Dreams is a one-dimensional thrill. There's much more to The Hunches than simple shock bombast. Over the course of twelve tracks, the outfit navigates styles known to explorers of under-the-radar rock, each time twisting the tried-and-true into forms best-fitting their singular focus. This is The Birthday Party hijacking Big Star's Third and juicing adrenaline into their eyeballs; it's the give-a-fuck Velvets getting loose and pissing off the neighbors while The Wipers chuck stones at their windows; it's the top-up for the tinnitus that only just wore off some four years after the last time The Hunches rode through this town.  The Hunches might be departing us, but the four-piece are leaving with a bang sure to raze these walls to the ground. It's time to set fire to everything and dance inside the encircling flames, facing fate with a wicked grin.  "[The Hunches] blast extremely hard,...

Submarine Races

Hard To Look At, Easy To See

In The Red

"Watching the submarine races" is a euphemism for making out (and more) in a car. It's the kind of thing a cop would say to be funny when he knocks on the fogged-up window of your Chevy parked in back of the Safeway to ask what you're doing there at 1:00 a.m. This Submarine Races is a three-piece from Chicago, Illinois, fronted by Ian Adams, formerly of The Ponys and Happy Supply. The Submarine Races play spiky art pop that displays Adams's love for literate UK post-punk as well as the simple but sublime songs of The Easybeats and '60s girl groups. The group is powered by Adams's serpentine melodies, 12-string Rickenbacker leads, and adenoidal vocals, which blend the elegantly wasted plaints of the Only Ones' Peter Perrett and the nervy quaver of the Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano. Bassist Steve Denekas and drummer Paul John Higgins give a jolt to Adams's originals, which are marked by his lovelorn lyrics.   On Hard To Look At, Easy To See, the band's second album, the Submarine Races deliver thirteen tracks that rock harder and are even more infectious than their debut. Adams's pop chops have never been sharper and his anglophile leanings recall the best tunes of Monochrome Set or Pastels. Denekas chips in with a lacerating garage free-for-all, "Let It Go," and the disc even includes a cover of pipe organ magician Korla Pandit's "Harem Bells."

Mystery Girls

Incontinopia

In The Red

Green Bay, Wisconsin's Mystery Girls were mere teenagers when they started out. Now in their early/mid-20s, the boys (er, Girls) have delivered their most cohesive work yet on their third album, Incontinopia. It's unclear what Incontinopia means but it's a good bet that copious amounts of marijuana smoke were involved in choosing it.  Recorded a couple years ago, Incontinopia has sat on the shelf while the band relocated and readjusted. Like a fine wine, Incontinopia has aged beautifully--its sound is rich, full, and earthy. Adding a dose of psych weirdness to their patented garage-punk-R&B sound has resulted in the band's finest moment. Vocalist Casey Grajek's raw-throated vocals have never sounded more powerful and guitarists Jordan Davis and Mount Mathieu D'Congo's dueling solos harken back to the MC5 and Yardbirds. This is great stuff that sounds immediately classic.  Culled from several sessions and stacks of recording tape, Incontinopia was assembled by bassist/drummer Mike Zink, whose abstract approach to editing has given the album a weirdness that brings to mind Head-era Monkees colliding with Funhouse-era Stooges. Yep, Nesmith meets Asheton--it's that good!  The Mystery Girls have laid low the past couple of years but upon the release of Incontinopia that will change. The band plans on a full US tour to be followed up by a swing through Western Europe. Be sure to catch them when they hit your town--bands this good don't come around very often.

Black Time

Double Negative

In The Red

London's Black Time have carved a hefty reputation for themselves over the past few years through scattered tours across Europe and the US, numerous limited-edition 7-inch records, two dense yet danceable long-player albums, and a manifesto that, among other things, espouses "fuck and rage" and the "heavy vampire sound."  Double Negative is the latest full-length in the Black Time canon. Fans of the band's previous output will not be disappointed, especially if they want to hear the fractured, art-damaged scree of their singles forged with the trebly garage punk of their two albums. The trio of Lemmy Caution, Janie Too Bad, and Mr. Stix outdo themselves here and turn in the most fully realized Black Time release to date. If you've been aching for Messthetics and Back From The Grave compilations, then look no further. Double Negative is the absinthe you've been wanting to drink.  Known for their propensity for all things black, Black Time carries their theme of bleak darkness to the nth degree. With tracks like "Skeleton Factory," "Blot Out The Sun," "Little Death," and "I'm Gonna Haunt You When I'm Gone" (featuring lead vox by Janie), you know you're in for the feel-bad record of the year.  Watch for Black Time to spread their bad vibes on their East Coast tour this fall.  "Not for the faint-hearted at all, this is extreme rock 'n' roll at maximum; if you can listen to this twice in a row then you are extremely sick in...

Vivian Girls

S/t

In The Red

***BACK IN STOCK!!! As recounted in songs by Comet Gain and Walker Kong, the "Vivian Girls" are the seven sisters who feature in Henry Darger's posthumously published fantasy epic, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. Tribute has also been paid by everyone from poet John Ashberry to Sufjan Stevens, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Camper Van Beethoven, Fucked Up, the Residents' Snakefinger, and ex-Maniac Natalie Merchant--and now by Brooklyn noise-pop band the Vivian Girls.  With their debut 7-inch on their very own Plays With Dolls Records already sending out waves of panic and adoration to the outer limits of the underground pop contingent, the Girls have become the newest breakout sirens of the New York loft-pop brigade. Within seconds of hearing their seductive three-part vocal harmonies lushly interwoven with chest-pounding waves of beautiful feedback, it's obvious that their songs are hard to resist, especially if you find yourself keen on the mid-'80s noise pop trifecta of The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Vaselines, and the Shop Assistants.  The Vivian Girls' self-titled debut album appeared recently on Mauled By Tigers Records in a vinyl-only edition of 500 which sold out before the band had completed their recent three-week US tour. In The Red now proudly presents the re-release of this essential pop platter in both vinyl and compact disc formats. Swirling noise topped...

Lili Z

The Two Of Us

In The Red

After previous achievements with Volt, The Splash Four, The No-Talents, and her past collection of home tapes, Lili Z. comes back with fifteen new 8-track cassette living room recordings.   Twisted into shapes that vaguely resemble seam-bursting garage punk, the songs' (thirteen originals and reworkings with Lili Z. lyrics of a Bela Bartok piece and an old Rondos chestnut) charm lies in their unpredictability. Sometimes it's a little late-'70s punk rock, sometimes it's catchy, metronome-like electropunk, sometimes it's pure guitar noise freakouts, and sometimes it's experimental tooling around. B.ut most of all, it's pure Lili Z., recorded at home at her most intimate.   A sort of musical diary, The Two of Us comes with a stunning, full-color gatefold sleeve of Lili's collages and meticulous illustrations for each song. This vinyl edition is limited to 1000.  "Dark-sounding but maintaining a ... playful energy, blazingly fast at times yet with plenty of ... slow-simmer brooding and crawling. Lili's made a better sounding record in her home than most full bands could hope to achieve in a studio." --Terminal Boredom   "Lili knocks out fifteen new tracks of sophisticated raw minimalism, carefully balancing menacing rip-saw guitar and pulverizing drum machine crashes with intricate songs that have clearly forged a permanent spot for the most revered female force in punk." --Victim of Time

Davila 666

S/t

In The Red

Hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Davila 666 is one of the biggest rock 'n' roll attractions in the country. Over the past two years, they have amassed a large local following and their shows have a reputation as must-see spectaculars. A Davila 666 set functions almost like a theatrical event, as the band presents a thematic environment in which viewers are called to interact with props and exotic dancers. According to singer Carlitos, "Davila is a living homage to the sex, drugs, and good times of rock 'n' roll we all idolize." Their sound is the combination of obvious rock 'n' roll classics like the Stones, Stooges, Velvets, and Dolls, along with less likely influences such as Mazzy Star, Li'l Wayne, and Plan B. "We are like Menudo (the group--not the soup) on lots of drugs," says Carlitos.  Davila 666, whose name combines references to a notorious Bayomon city slum with the number of the beast, recently toured the West Coast, where they made fans in every town they played and alliances with like-minded bands such as The Spits, Black Lips, and The King Khan & BBQ Show. All of their songs are sung in their native Spanish but that doesn't stop English-speaking audiences from dancing on tables and going crazy at their shows.  Davila 666 is smart, sarcastic, and aggressive--as all young bands should be.

Reatard, Jay

Singles 06-07

In The Red

By now, the late Jay Reatard should be known to most everyone paying any attention to this whole indie / punk / pop / garage / blahblahblah. Former front guy for The Reatards and Lost Sounds as well as a solo sensation, the man was nothing if not prolific. After recording his debut solo LP, 2006’s Blood Visions, Reatard released a slew of singles and EPs on labels across the globe; all were pressed in limited quantities and now fetch serious coin.  Re-mastered by the ’Tard himself, Singles 06-07 collections of all his out-of-print non-album tracks from that productive two-year period, making it possible to hear these gems in one straight shot, sounding better than ever, without flipping over a pile of 7-inch platters. The CD version of Singles 06-07 includes a live DVD showcasing some choice performances of Reatard and his incredible live backing band. The vinyl version is a double-LP housed in a beautiful gatefold sleeve.

A. H. Kraken

S/t

In The Red

Out of Metz, France comes the ugly and brutal noise-punk of A.H. Kraken. Their name is an amalgam of a facist dictator and a sea monster, and their sound is a wild, intense blur of bludgeoning rhythms, industrial clatter, scraping guitars, and caterwauling vocals. Citing influences as disparate PiL, Motoerhead, US Maple, Suicide, Flipper, The Shaggs, and Chrome, A.H. Kraken could implode or explode at any given second. Everything is yelled in barely intelligible French, so it's impossible to say what they're bellowing about, though one song is titled "Kevin Costner Est Un Acteur Americain." When bassist/vocalist S.J. was asked, he assured that the lyrics are "all about peace and love." Be skeptical.  A.H. Kraken are pure, unrestrained throttle-burn. They create landscapes of sound with instruments that are obviously getting the shit beat out of them. This mega-decibel audio destruction at its most overwrought is not for the faint of heart.  "A.H. Kraken are the best band in France." --Jack from Volt

Cheap Time

S/t

In The Red

Henderson, Tennessee's Jeffrey Novak is a name familiar to those who pay attention to the whole lo-fi-garage-punk underbelly of today's indie scene. He's released a handful of singles and at least one album on labels in the US and Europe as a one-man-band and with his former group, The Rat Traps. He's been at it for nearly five years and he's barely in his twenties. Cheap Time is his newest and most serious endeavor to date. Founded with Jemina Pearl and Nathan Vasquez of Be Your Own Pet, Cheap Time set out to recapture the essence of teenage schlock rock scuzz of such heroes as Redd Kross and The Runaways. Along the way, members shifted, as did the band's direction. An obsession with '70s glam power pop a la Sparks, The Quick, and Milk 'n' Cookies grew, and the music took on a twisted new slant never hinted in any of his previous projects. The results are the current line-up of Cheap Time and this full-length album.  Cheap Time's self-titled debut is 28 minutes of snotty punk pop perfection. From the New-York-Dolls-via-Germs screech of "Tight Fit" to the anglophile power pop of "Ginger Snap" to the bubblegum bounce of "Trip To The Zoo," this debut has instant classic stamped all over its bratty face.  Catch Cheap Time on tour with Jay Reatard this spring!

Dirtbombs

Play Sparks

In The Red

Talent is an asset and Detroit's Dirtbombs surely have it. To accompany their new album, We Have You Surrounded, is this brand new 7-inch single on which the band pays homage to label-mates (and one of their favorite bands) Sparks. Side A is "Sherlock Holmes" (a cut also featured on the new album) which was originally released on Sparks' Angst In My Pants. Side B, available exclusively on this single, is "Nothing To Do," a song originally released on the 1975 Big Beat LP.   This single comes in a handsome color picture sleeve, which also pays tribute to Sparks' record covers.

Dirtbombs

We Have You Surrounded

In The Red

The Dirtbombs' fourth full-length is jam-packed with more of their soulful, Detroit-style, fuzztone-fueled garage-punk-pop-rock 'n' roll that has made them a popular favorite with club-goers around the globe. Mick Collins and his merry band of miscreants' twelve slices of sonic thud kick the party into high gear and show off a vast array of unexpected influences. In fact, the opening track has been acknowledged by Collins as his tribute to Mark E. Smith and The Fall.  The Dirtbombs are as known for their tasteful selection of cover tunes as much their stunning originals, and this record carries on the tradition with fantastic takes on songs by comic artist Alan Moore, Portland, Oregon stalwarts Dead Moon, and labelmates Sparks. That said, the originals here are what you really want to write home about. From the Stooge-oid "Ever Lovin' Man" to the finger-poppin' "Indivisible" to the extendo free-form psych jam of "Race To The Bottom" to the Euro-pop of "La Fin Du Monde," The Dirtbombs prove once again they are a rock 'n' roll force to be reckoned with who will have no problem outliving the NME-sponsored hype of their hometown way after ten more trends and haircuts have been built up and torn down.

Sonic Chicken 4

S/t

In The Red

From Perpignan, France comes the Sonic Chicken 4 with their long-awaited, self-titled debut album. After releasing a string of seven inches which have received glowing reviews in zines, webzines and blogs across the globe, and playing dates in Europe and the US, SC4 have agreed to let In The Red release their first full-length. The band plays a fuzzy, ultra-primitive brand of garage stomp that owes equally to ’60s pop, The Velvet Underground, Back From The Grave comps, girl groups, and Jaques DuTronc.  This title will be released on vinyl LP only but will include a CD of the record inside so that buyers can still put it in their iTunes.  “Sonic Chicken 4 are the only band I was ever scared to follow.” —King Khan of The King Khan & BBQ Show   “‘Right Side of Woman’ stands out as a sterling example of bubbling pop. I wouldn't be surprised if this gem ends up on some 2025 Powerpearls-type of comp. They’re approaching things from a charming, totally unique slant compared to what’s in fashion at the moment, and the results are fantastic.” —Terminal Boredom

King Khan & Bbq Show

S/t

In The Red

In Montreal, Canada, Black Snake and Mark Sultan played in the underground punk-garage band The Spaceshits. Following that band’s demise, Sultan banged drums for Canadian garage rock legends Les Sexareenos. Black Snake transformed into King Khan and relocated to Hamburg, Germany to become the Maharaja of ’60s super-soul with his band The Shrines. After the Sexareenos split, Sultan traveled the world with his guitar, serenading Brazilians, Laotians, Americans, and the French with his one-man band BBQ. One day a light bulb went off in their heads and they decided to join forces—The King Khan & BBQ Show was born. They released their debut album, recorded by DM Bob in Hamburg, on Goner Records in 2005. The record was deleted soon thereafter.  In The Red presents this long-overdue re-release of this classic in a newly expanded package. There are two bonus tracks not originally available on the Goner release, brand new artwork, and the LP version features a one-sided second disc containing the band’s first demo. This is a must for any fan of real rock ’n’ roll music. Take off your pants and dance.  “This is what it’s all about; swinging music by eccentrics with an ear for a tune…. the pair’s raw attempts at doo wop are simply sublime.” —Mojo   “This CD has improved my sex life! Ever since I got it I have had better orgazms.”  —Darla, CDBaby.com

Spencer, Jon Blues Explosion

Jukebox Explosion

In The Red

Formed in 1991 after the demise of Jon Spencer’s seminal hatefuck band Pussy Galore, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion has always included drummer Russell Simins and guitar ace Judah Bauer. Taking cues from rock, punk, R&B, garage, hardcore, and hip hop idioms, while transcending the limitations of each, the Blues Explosion created a new sound which they’ve spent the last 16 years honing and redefining. Their music is as deft and bold and life-affirming as the Meters, the Magic Band, or the Birthday Party.  Beginning in 1992, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion earmarked songs from their recording sessions for their Jukebox Single Series on In The Red. The singles, which were based on a similar series done by rockabilly legend Charlie Feathers in the 1970s, featured some of most incendiary, hyper-charged tunes the band ever cut. From their spastic take on Chain Gang’s “Son Of Sam” to “Ghetto Mom” (the final single from 2002) these seven-inch sides always showcased the band’s full-throttle punk rock side.  Now, for the first time, all five out-of-print singles have been collected in one place on Jukebox Explosion, along with eight previously unheard rarities from the band’s early days that are every bit as action-packed, frantic, and furious.  Jukebox Explosion captures one of the most exciting, original, and influential bands to emerge in the 1990s at the absolute peak of their powers. If you dig rock ’n’ roll music, this stuff is absolutely essential.

Intelligence

Deuteronomy

In The Red

If musicians painted images with their instruments, The Intelligence’s soundscapes would be set in a grainy, ash-gray world, among piles of scrap metal and busted machinery, with discarded computer parts blinking in cobwebbed corners and factories belching out toxins at irregular intervals. It’d be a black-andwhite wasteland of humanity, a post-apocalyptic industrial revolution, warmed only by the distant loops of a delayed, disembodied guitar riff. At the center of it all would be Lars Finberg, delivering deadpan lines like “Going out with you is like going out with a cop.” He’d be pounding bent garbage-can lids with one hand and programming distorted beats on his keyboard with the other, a one-man laboratory of intoxicating post-punk experimentation.  The music is so jagged and cinematically poetic and dusted in clouds of lo-fi noise that listening to it at different times can conjure completely different visions. It’s par for the course for Finberg, who has participated in some of Seattle’s most exciting musical forces such as the A-Frames and The Dipers. The Intelligence are demanding attention in and beyond the Northwest, creating a new direction in sound based on the fundamental elements of bands like The Fall and PiL, yet beneath the post-punk clang lies a serious pop sensibility.  These pop chops have never been more noticeable than on Deuteronomy, the band’s third full-length. Finberg swears that The Zombies’ Odyssey and Oracle as well as early Bee Gees albums influenced his direction, though it sounds like Here Come The Warm Jets...

Lamps

Lamps

In The Red

Throwing sparks like two gigantic rocks grinding against each other, Los Angeles’ Lamps seem intent on doing things their way. Fronted by the unimpeachable Monty Buckles, the Lamps’ music alternately careens, crashes, throbs and urges.  This is mongoloid frenzy music. Are they paranoid, frustrated, or merely disgusted with humanity? The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. When a band has a dash of Necessary Evils, a dollop of Karate Party, and a fairly heaping mound of their own chemical blend, we should always be available. The trio’s debut LP had primitive, cavernous aggression that pounded asses into submission, while their released follow-up shows a very nice progression. Phase two of the Lamps’ recorded journey is marked by more adventurous and expanded sonic approaches, while retaining the thuggish essence that satisfies the planet of the apes.  • New full-length from Los Angeles trio, following 2005’s vinyl-only debut  • Primitive with a hint of progression, though still (un)satisfyingly ugly  • Reminiscent of Necessary Evils, Karate Party  • No export restrictions

White, Miss Alex And The Red Orchestra

Space & Time

In The Red

Raven-haired Chicago youngster Miss Alex White and her Red Orchestra have been blasting out their staggeringly simple, yet sonically monolithic sound for over two years now and developed a dedicated following in the Midwest of the USA. It’s no coincidence that their new album title, Space & Time, is also one of the secrets of their impressive sound. How they manage to fill space within songs with lush and satisfyingly timed tones of rock-n-roll’s bleeding edge, in this age of constant desperation, is a wonder to the ears. Space & Time takes the sound and style of their debut album and ups the ante. Ex-Clone Defects Wes Kerstens and “Fast” Eddie Altesleben and recently acquired bass player Eric Villa really put this band on the map, musically and creatively.  The songs have greater depth, timing, and inner frustration that extends itself through Kerstens’ lurid and devilishly delicate guitar strangulation, and are balanced and anchored by an amazing rhythm section. Miss Alex’s unstoppable vocals, which seem to explode in every direction, keep the raw simplicity and primal forces in focus. The influence of The Modern Lovers, The Jesus & Mary Chain, ‘60s garage, and ‘70s punk are all evident here, yet the result is something very original. Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra will be taking their act to Europe this summer to spread the love beyond middle America for the first time. It should be a blast.  • Sophomore full-length by Chicago garage act  • Influences include The Modern Lovers and The Jesus &...

White, Miss Alex, And Her Red Orchestra

Space & Time

In The Red

Raven-haired Chicago youngster Miss Alex White and her Red Orchestra have been blasting out their staggeringly simple, yet sonically monolithic sound for over two years now and developed a dedicated following in the Midwest of the USA. It’s no coincidence that their new album title, Space & Time, is also one of the secrets of their impressive sound. How they manage to fill space within songs with lush and satisfyingly timed tones of rock-n-roll’s bleeding edge, in this age of constant desperation, is a wonder to the ears. Space & Time takes the sound and style of their debut album and ups the ante. Ex-Clone Defects Wes Kerstens and “Fast” Eddie Altesleben and recently acquired bass player Eric Villa really put this band on the map, musically and creatively. The songs have greater depth, timing, and inner frustration that extends itself through Kerstens’ lurid and devilishly delicate guitar strangulation, and are balanced and anchored by an amazing rhythm section. Miss Alex’s unstoppable vocals, which seem to explode in every direction, keep the raw simplicity and primal forces in focus. The influence of The Modern Lovers, The Jesus & Mary Chain, ‘60s garage, and ‘70s punk are all evident here, yet the result is something very original. Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra will be taking their act to Europe this summer to spread the love beyond middle America for the first time. It should be a blast.

Sultan, Mark

Sultanic Verses

In The Red

Mark Sultan, better known as BBQ of one-man band and King Khan & BBQ Show fame, has been pounding out his own stew of R&B, rockabilly, garage, doo wop, psychedelia, punk and whatnot since he was a mere child fronting Montreal’s Spaceshits. Releasing a slew of albums and touring relentlessly, Sultan has established quite a reputation as a songsmith and vocalist of the highest caliber. On Sultanic Verses, he ups the ante and fleshes out his normally stripped down approach … just a bit. While still retaining the rawness of his previous endeavors, Sultanic Verses features accompaniment from backing musicians and (gasp!) the odd overdub here and there. Sultanic Verses mines the same territory of vintage era rock styles of his previous recordings, yet he stretches the boundaries to areas his musical endeavors have never gone. The ghosts of the Velvet Underground as well as Sam Cooke cannot be ignored here. Like all of the records with which Sultan has been involved, Sultanic Verses sounds out of time and timeless.

Volt

S/t

In The Red

France’s Volt returns with their debut full-length album, the long-awaited follow-up to their now-out-of-print four-song twelve-inch EP. Lili says, “Our music is full of holes and black/white contrasts. War between instruments—guitar lurking, then crashing down on synthesizer while girl and boy french kiss and flirt. So far our songs deal with: a pack of wolf-dogs barking, a romantic man in love with a nun, communicating without understanding, sex and new stuff, feast of snakes, couples, and mental paralysis.” Todd says, “Jack, Lili, and FX go deeper into the dark corners of your brain where disco dancing and obtuse punk noise collide with smeared lipstick and French-fried boners. Unsettling electro rhythms under subtle vocal transmissions turn your stomach and pry their way into your heart with the scathing, yet melodic, simplicity that has to be heard to be believed.” Jay says, “Wide-grooved and satisfying darkwave from Lili Z. and Jack A, famous French garage punk lovebirds and former respective members of the No-Talents and Splash Four, and their secret weapon ‘FX’ on synthesizer and theremin. Equally at home in the Paris dance nightclub as in the dank basement punk bar, with a synth-led electric charge that's as often angry and aggressive as it is whimsical and fun. The loud attack just screams off the vinyl.” Laurent says, “Autant le dire, Volt c’est l‘electropunk dans ce qu’il a de meilleur.” In The Red says, “YEAH!! Get the debut album from VOLT!”

Demon’s Claws

Satan’s Little Pet Pig

In The Red

Hailing from Montreal, The Demon's Claws emerged from a healthy rock'n'roll scene that also gave the world the King Khan & BBQ Show, Les Sexareenos, The Sunday Sinners and a multitude of other like minded roots rock deconstructionists.   The group was brought to the attention of In The Red by The Black Lips, who proclaimed, "The Demon's Claws are the best band we've seen on tour in the last year," an opinion to be taken very seriously as The Black Lips are on tour about 300 days a year and know their rock'n'roll better than most. The Canadians were signed immediately followingtheir first ever LA show. Part Gun Club, part Back From The Grave, part lo-fi distorted crunch, part young Mick Jagger with a mouth full of pills, they play with an "aw, fuggit" swagger, falling all over the beat then pulling it together before anyone gets hurt. Like flooring a V8 down a back road, they let the gravel fly but somehow always avoid the ditch. Inside this shiny gem you'll find glimpses of deserts and rattlesnakes, bits of blood and guts, some love and jerkin' off and even a couple of honest-to-god country songs. 

Sparks

Dick Around

In The Red

Dick Around is the first US single from Sparks' latest album Hello Young Lovers. The brothers Mael insisted from the get-go that the track was their choice for a single and In The Red are honoring their wishes, releasing a radio edit that pares down the seven-minute album version to a three-and-a-half-minute bombastic rocker.   "If the public were only allowed to hear one song from the new album," says Ron Mael, "I have no doubt that 'Dick Around' would be the one selected to best encapsulate the spirit and scope of our new work."   The track is featured on a seven-inch vinyl edition -- backed by a live version of "Hospitality On Parade" recorded May 20 at The Avalon in Hollywood -- and on CD accompanied by three different live tracks, an alternate version of "(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country," an interview with Ron and Russell conducted by Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols and two videos. This is an absolute must-have for any Sparks fan.

King Khan & Bbq Show

What’s For Dinner?

In The Red

***BACK IN STOCK ON VINYL!!!  "Now, I could tell you about BBQ (aka Mark Sultan), his past in bands like Les Sexareenos or The Spaceshits or his solo records on labels like Bomp. I could tell you about King Khan's pseudo-celebrity in Europe, or his past in The Spaceshits, or how his band, The Shrines, are a ten-piece soul-funk revue that have been described as the tightest band in the world. But these names and facts probably mean nothing to you, so let's talk about the real nitty gritty: The King Khan & BBQ Show.  "First, I must say that these guys are fuckin' blood brothers. Real tight. They played all over the place in an aforementioned band outta Montreal and they're the best of friends to this very day. When Khan settled in the land of kraut and honey, the two maintained they'd reunite some day and lay waste to this miserable world.   "And so it began. In 2002 they jammed in Khan's Nazi-bunker rehearsal space and the black magick remained intact. Songs flowed like blood from a cancerous abscess. They took it slow, honing their craft, playing sporadically around Germany and Spain to crowds outraged by their incredible sound and orgiastic, anarchic live show.   "Two guys. One smashing a snare, bass drum and tambourine with his bare feet, molesting his guitar and singing like a possessed angel. The other spinning and howling like a freak and belting it out on his guitar like a...

Submarine Races

S/t

In The Red

Up periscope, sailor! There’s some hot-rocking on the horizon. Submarine Races are a threesome of arty rocker-types from Chicago, Illinois. Started by guitarist/vocalist/explorer Ian Adams (Happy Supply, The Ponys), drummer/seaman Paul John Higgins, and bassist/best mate Steve Denekas (Entertainment, The Countdown), the ’Races borrow freely from the entire Easybeats catalogue, commandeer the Modern Lovers’ understated efficiency, and all but sleep with the entirety of mid-to-late 1980’s twee, British guitar-pop bands. Submarine Races’ signature sound is both calculated to be derivative and absolutely authentic. Considering the current state of rock’s apish bravado and emotionally impaired dildo-ery, these guys remind you why you put The Pastels on mix tapes in the first place. They also happen to know what a good haircut can do for a young band’s confidence in “the game.” With a handful of jangled melodies, some polite lyrics, and plenty of charm, the group has its coordinates set for your stereo. Let’s just hope they don’t “deep-six” you when your hatch is cracked.  Submarine Races’ self-titled debut release was recorded in Chicago at El Goodo Audio. They even used the sonar recording technology found in the Soviet Alpha Class Diesel-Electric Attack Submarines! No joke. The band hope to sell an immeasurable amount of records, as long as piracy (both on the internet and at sea) is kept at bay. Nevertheless, their popularity is surely surfacing —supporting top acts such as The Dirtbombs, Maximo Park, and The Sights in the first week of their existence, The ’Races’ reputation for...

Black Time

Midnight World

In The Red

The point is talent over ability, ideas over proficiency, energy over competence — action, time, and vision. Add some musical instruments to this confusion and the resulting mess is Black Time — shambolic but passionate, hollerin’ and wailin’ at the dying of the red light. If you pay attention to zines, blogs and websites dedicated to sub-underground rock, then no doubt you are aware that Black Time have been getting favorably compared to Crime, Pussy Galore, The Electric Eels, The Cramps and The Fall. A string of hopelessly limited edition vinyl 7-inches and 12-inches have stoked the fire. The hype is justified in this case, as Midnight World, the band’s second full-length, is the perfect marriage of chug-a-lug, primeval drumming, opaque layers of guitars, new wave cinema references, ’60s and ’70s punk, lo-fi static and overwrought vocals from frontman Lemmy Caution. The best UK export since The Country Teasers, Black Time will be touring the US Summer 2006, and they are not to be missed.

Country Teasers

The Empire Strikes Back

In The Red

***AVAILABLE AGAIN ON VINYL!!!  “In the industry, I am the only complete man...” sang Country Teaser’s B.R. Wallers, quoting Naked Lunch, back in 1995. If modesty didn’t forbid, he might’ve been speaking of his own band. Is there another current group operating at such a high level musically or lyrically? Evolving out of a prolific home recording project in the late ’80s influenced by The Cure and Butthole Surfers, The ’Teasers debuted as a beguiling mixture of deconstructed country and dissonant post-punk. “Boycott the Studio” was their manifesto: “You will not find music where it is shown, only where it is hidden...”  The Empire Strikes Back, the group’s eighth full-length, was recorded in Oregon — 90,000 kilometers from the band’s home in London — when In the Red made good on a promise to find the band a live-in studio with an amenable engineer (Rich Wells of Portland’s Supreme Reality Studios). Far from a sanitized “studio recording,” the album is as damaged and unpredictable as any Teasers album (only with better microphones). The band’s humor remains as strangely contradictory as ever, with Wallers juggling a cast of personae as far-flung as P.G. Wodehouse, Ice Cube, Winston Churchill, and Bill Hicks.  Is The Empire Strikes Back a concept album about race, England, and Star Wars, or did the band just find something unwholesomely amusing about the juxtaposition of fascism and Industrial Light and Magic? Via fax, all five members answer “Definitely.”

Sparks

Hello Young Lovers

In The Red

*** On their incomparable new album, Sparks protest predictability, obliterate the ordinary and demand utmost respect. Hello Young Lovers is cinematic, bold, and lyrically liberal, with moments of sheer beauty, dissonance and harmony. It may not win a Grammy, but an Oscar’s not out of the question. Never, never, has there been an auditory assault of such magnitude presented in the realm of pop music. When SparksÕ last album Lil’Beethoven hit the streets critics lauded and applauded, fans smiled smugly with overdue vindication and fellow musicians wept when faced with the reality that, once again, Sparks had raised the bar by which all other albums should be judged. Now the Angeleno brothers, Ron and Russell Mael present Hello Young Lovers, their twentieth album. To achieve such enormity and expansiveness they worked in a limitless vacuum for the best part of eighteen months. The only inspiration taken from any current music was the provocation to go as far as possible in the opposite direction. When writing and recording Lil’ Beethoven, Sparks broke the rules, but in creating Hello Young Lovers the rule book has been thrown away.  Once again, the Angelenos are joined by Tammy Glover on drums and guitarist Dean Menta with special guests Jim Wilson on guitar and Steve McDonald on bass. The resulting album is an extraordinary masterpiece.

Black Time

Blackout

In The Red

*** Black Time hails from London, England. They are skinny, black- clad boys and girls with bad attitudes and a desire to make intrusive, obnoxious rock’n’roll music. Their debut, Blackout, was recorded, mixed and mastered entirely in analog and pressed on heavy-weight virgin vinyl in a limited edition of several hundred. Immediately heralded by hipsters in the know as the latest, greatest rock’n’roll band that matters, the album quickly soldout, becoming fodder for collector scum the world over. Black Time play out very rarely and when they do it’s quite an event. The select few who have been initiated into this cult of sound have reported a loss of speech, hair and bowel control after witnessing a performance. The band plans to bring their act stateside in 2005, to the Deep South in particular, with a revue featuring leather biker-boys, wall-projected homemade slasher films, whip-cracking tiger-girls and well-respected media professionals eating their own shit live on stage. This is the heavy vampire sound. The sound of the undead stumbling through the twilight, feeding off broken, youthful dreams, unable to stop their endless march or neutered howling. Black Time stands between us and the things which soothe but do not heal — the magnet-pull of American rock’n’roll records, cheap tobacco, tea, beer, movies and radio — the things George warned us about. 

Deadly Snakes

Porcella

In The Red

Heavily influenced by 1960s r’n’b and rock’n’roll, The Deadly Snakes have an in-depth knowledge of music from that golden era, yet cast off any notions of mere reproduction. The band released their first album, Love Undone, in 1999, followed by I’m Not Your Soldier Anymore in 2001 and the critically acclaimed Ode to Joy in 2003.  Confidence and genuine talent ooze from the grooves of Porcella and, despite an energetic and revamped sound, the group never strays far from its rock or soul roots. Guided by competent hands, toy pianos, mellotrons, organs, horns, strings and percussion are fashioned into good, new-fashioned rock’n’roll — at times soft, thoughtful and heart-wrenchingly passionate, at times fast, furious and unquestionably fearless.  Porcella is one of those rare albums that has depth without bottom, no limits and certainly no place for conformity. Respecting the roots of the music they create and reflecting those elements in their own work results in a dazzling palimpsest effect. The unity of Porcella — ripe, rapacious yet refined — will convert you and then pervert you.  

Intelligence

Icky Baby

In The Red

***Seattle, Washington's Lars Finberg is unstoppable and responsible for some of the best music blasting out of the underground at the moment. Lars structures the A-Frames' post-apocalyptic pop world where he handles drum duties. Then there's the diabolical Dipers, where he throws down that lo-fi noisy rumble of burning trash and car-wreck rock wiping the shit blood all over your blue suede shoes. But his main vehicle, The Intelligence, combines the best of all worlds in a wonderland of sonic horizons, poppy dance field rock, and if ya have time to think, brilliant lyrics. Intelligence utilize melodic acoustic guitars with wire-cutting electric riffs, crushed keyboards, jumping jack fun drums and singalong vocal melodies. The recording sounds like they crawl inside a beat-up trashcan to bang out the hits while tumbling down a granite mountain covered in volcanic ash.   Their debut album, Boredom and Terror, was first released on CD by Omnibus Records and later on LP by Narnack. It featured thirteen perfectly crafted songs that were created by Lars on his home recording unit. Icky Baby, their much anticipated follow up, was recorded with a full band on selected tracks and mixed in with Finberg's usual demented home recordings. The result is a much more aggressive Intelligence than heard previously-- a sound much closer to the band's live performances than their debut album. Be prepared to have your mind blown!

White, Miss Alex And The Red Orchestra

S/t

In The Red

In The Red is proud to announce the debut full length from Miss Alex White, recorded at Ghetto Recorders with Jim Diamond. Backed by The Red Orchestra (Wes and Eddy of The Clone Defects), this raven haired 19-year-old blazes quite a trail over the ten tracks included here.  Miss Alex White hails from the backyards, gutters and smoke-filled hideouts of Chicago. The formula for her music is simple enough — two guitars, a drummer, and a voice. The songs have familiar roots: spinning around the living room to The Who as a kid, driving down I-90 blasting The Modern Lovers, dancing to Ike and Tina instead of studying, waking up to “1969” every day for a month. At the same time, her music is a perfect example of elements of what has come before used to create something raw, unique, and intriguing. You get two-, maybe three-chord numbers that shimmy and skid over punk and blues with a dose of broken soul. A sound that’s altogether lovely and terrifying.   But Alex’s voice is what makes this band worth the time. Rising up out of a whirlwind lifetime full of scraped knees, battered hearts, and sweet revenge, Alex has a dirty bomb lodged where her voice box is supposed to be. She’ll make you wanna cry, fight, and dance and she’ll never reveal just how she does it. Get on your feet, listen up, let your jaw drop, let your hips shake — maybe you’ll be lucky enough...

Dirtbombs

If You Don’t Already Have A Look

In The Red

*** In the nearly ten years The Dirtbombs have existed, a lot of bass players have come and gone, a lot of touring has been logged, and a lot of singles released. Because anybody who gets in touch with Mick Collins and can cough up a small fee for studio time can release a Dirtbombs single, some of the Dirtbombs’ very best tracks have seen the light of day only on seven inches pressed in small quantities (often released in foreign countries) that go out of print almost immediately. Hell, some singles were given to labels that never actually released the damn things. This 52-song double-CD collects Dirtbombs singles sides and comp tracks - including eight brand new songs and several previously unreleased older recordings, all re-mastered. A handsome 24-page booklet of photos and notes by the band augments this massive package. 

V/a

Static Disaster - Uk In The Red Sampler

In The Red

*** This cheap In The Red sampler is the perfect introduction to one of the coolest labels around. In The Red stands alone as a repository for the highest-quality, scuzziest, nastiest, snarlingest garage punk around, and also some of the most accessible garage pop. More than 70 minutes of prime cuts from the label roster, mixing forthcoming, already released, and unreleased tracks.TRACK LISTING1. The Dirtbombs • I Can’t Stop Thinking About It2. The Hunches • Static Disaster3. Reigning Sound • Drowning4. Cheater Slicks • Walk Up The Street5. The Deadly Snakes • I Can’t Sleep At Night6. Lost Sounds • Trails/Fears7. Blacktop • I Think It’s Gonna Rain8. The Ponys • Chemical Imbalance9. Country Teasers • Success10. King Brothers • Lulu11. Dan Melchior’s Broke Revue • I’m A Robot12. The Bassholes • Microscope Feeling13. The Mystery Girls • Silver Turns To Gold14. The Piranhas • Girls Like It Too15. The Screws • I See You, Baby16. The Hospitals • I’m A Bug17. Clone Defects • Shapes Of Venus18. The Horrors • Cold Blooded19. VOLT • I Don’t Feel So Good20. The Intelligence • Tropical Struggle21. Speedball Baby • Do Ya Wanna Scratch It?22. The FUSE! • League Of Women Voters23. Knoxville Girls • That’s Alright With Me24. The Necessary Evils • Drag Pow Wow Drag25. Andre Williams • I Wanna Be Your Favorite Pair...

Country Teasers

Live Album

In The Red

*** London, England’s Country Teasers’ long overdue live album documents the sheer splendor of what is the Country Teasers live experience. Recorded in various locations across the UK and the USA, the imaginatively titled Country Teasers Live Album captures the band at its rawest, most powerful, most spontaneous and most drunken. Painstakingly assembled from the vast archives of Country Teasers live recordings by frontman Ben Wallers, Country Teasers Live Album collects some of the finest gems from the combo’s various live broadcasts, board tapes, handheld audience bootleg recordings, and a couple of surprises. Off the cuff cover versions from the likes of the Butthole Surfers, Randy Newman, New Order and The Brainbombs can all be found here as well as curse words, false starts, song fragments, abrupt edits and audible tape hiss.   • Long overdue live album by London’s premier trashmakers • Covers of songs by Butthole Surfers, Randy Newman, New Order, Brainbombs

Ponys

Celebration Castle

In The Red

*** After a year of solid touring the States and abroad, The Ponys deliver a sophomore album that more than lives up to their press and hype. Recorded with Steve Albini, Celebration Castle continues on the same course as The Ponys’ debut - elements of pop and punk styles of the ‘60s. ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s combined in a sound that’s surprisingly non-retro and fresh. Celebration Castle promises to leave not a dry seat in the house. 

Human Eye

Human Eye

In The Red

***From the ashes of punk stalwarts The Clone Defects-- who broke up in October '04-- rises a new and incredible band fronted by Defects' Tim Vulgar. Human Eye has rotated more heads than an exorcism televised during half-time at the Super Bowl. Vulgar calls what Human Eye does alien punk, though it is primitive enough to recall the basic blues boogie of The Gories or The Bassholes colliding with Throbbing Gristle or Chrome. You know, earthy but art-damaged.  The quartet recorded the twelve tunes for their debut with Ryan Sabatis of the Piranhas in his basement studio over the course of several months (though it could have been done quicker had the drummer not been jailed for burgling audio-visual equipment from a school). Only in Detroit does one find musicians of this caliber. Figures it was the drummer. 

Lamps

S/t

In The Red

***It is with pride that In The Red announces the debut release from Los Angeles-based Lamps. This ten-song vinyl-only debut takes awkward discomfort and good times to new lows. L.A.'s answer to a stupid question, Lamps bring a new definition to the term "power trio," while rewriting the book on "Fuck Everything." There's something of genuine fright, intimidation, and confusion when three completely unassuming, painfully normal-looking young men get on stage and the first thing out of singer Montgomery Buckles trap is, "The next time I see you, I'm gonna push you down the stairs," sung the only way he can-- like the most abused, agitated, salivating pitbull behind chainlink that's ever made your stomach drop. He is angry for too many reasons to name, but you can find one of them in the form of bassist Tim, who does everything in his power to subvert all seriousness by way of extreme clown-like antics of a certain homosexual mental illness, while drummer Josh keeps the best primitive, metronome beat since Nick Knox. This all culminates in some of the best anti-wanking, anti-poetic, anti-anything that'll be taken away from us by the same people who beat us up in high school, irresponsibly mean and ugly music for those of us who are through with trying to be cool cuz tomorrow's gonna suck, regardless.

Hunches

Yes No Shut It

In The Red

Loud, noisy, aggressive rock'n'roll - this is what The Hunches are all about and they deliver it in spades. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, and averaging 20 years of age, The Hunches have a knowledge of rock'n'roll's heritage that betrays their youth. They draw on all the classic influences one would expect from any great rock'n'roll band (e.g. Stones, Saints, Captain Beefheart, Dolls, Stooges, Cramps, '60s punk, '70s punk, blues, etc.), and handle it with irreverent abrasiveness. The result is totally their own. Pure nastiness filtered through rock'n'roll romanticism. "Got Some Hate" is a dose of unadulterated punk rock bile. "The Ballad" is pure heartfelt slow-dance groove. Their cover of The Electric Eels' "Accident" is total, fuzzed-out noise (literally; there are three separate vacuum cleaners overdubbed on this song, one which is inhaling screws).  Their live shows are the things of legend - they tear shit up with reckless abandon. This is what it was all about in the first place. This is exactly how it should be done. This is raw rock bliss. This is the debut from The Hunches. 

Lost Sounds

S/t

In The Red

***BACK IN PRINT ON VINYL!!! Has been unavailable for almost 2 years!  Note new price.  Memphis, Tennessee’s Lost Sounds’ fourth and final album is by far their most infectious and catchy. Their demented, aggressive approach is still intact, but never so perfectly presented and crafted as it is here. The twelve-track full-length was originally released in 2004; this timely vinyl repress comes on the heels of the band’s debut 7-inch reissue, still hot-hot-hot on the lips and ears of synth-punk maniacs everywhere. Lost Sounds delivers succinct song structure and bottomless-well-style access to fucking unbelievable hooks. Take a track like “And You Dance,” for example: You’re like,  “Oh, I like that keyboard part,” and, “oh, I can’t believe that it went into that next part even though it sounds so perfect that I must’ve heard it before somewhere else.” But you didn’t. You heard it now, for the first time. A band that can pull off that weird deja-vu illusion with their songs commands awe, and you gotta stop doubting that a band could come up with catchy intensity this original. A band like Lost Sounds could have, and does.