Thursday, May 30, 2013

REVIEW: The Spyrals s/t (Mock)

The Spyrals play throbbing, echo-y garage psych with just enough chords to keep it interesting.  They take a decidedly more "classic" approach to this music than their San Fran brethren, but that's OK with me.  This full-length sounds dirty while still being exceptionally mixed and recorded...a tricky tightrope to walk sometimes.  Get it here.

REVIEW: Girls on the Beach / Jensen Serf Co. - Splif Tape (selfie)

We love Jensen Serf Co., but I couldn't find a link to their half of this split.  Fortunately, Girls on the Beach still give us plenty reason to mention this split cassette release... This band has a penchance for the doo-wop/early r&b and channel it in a very Ramonsian way.  Its definitely not as "beachy" as I thought it'd be, but who cares?... Its damn good pop music.  Get it here.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

PICTURE SHOW: Apache Dropout / Thee Tsunamis / Blank Realm / Uh Bones

Had a great time at this show.  Had more fun later at Nathan's house.  Maybe the case of bud light lime strawberry margaritas in a can was in poor taste, but at least we were rocking out to some choice 45s courtesy of Nate's jukebox.  Forgot to take pictures :(

Click here for more photos.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

REVIEW: Space Trash s/t (self-released)

ATTENTION: if you want your asses blown out play this LP.  And when your ass blows out it won't be nearly as blown out as Space Trash's guitar tone.  Ramones chords, atonal vocals, songs about DMT... what more to you want?  Name your price on the bandcamp.  Get it here.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

REVIEW: The Eeries - Home Alone (Evil Weevil, Burger)

Most Beatle-loving bands aim at reproducing the classic sound by way of instrumentation and arrangement, but tend towards a slicker, more modern approach to recording. The Eeries are the almost the opposite.  Their arrangements and tone differ a lot from the fab four... For starters, they lack of a second guitar. Also, they have a trashy garage punk sound that echoes and jangles around harmonized melodies while the rhythm section batters away underneath.  That being said, their songs and lyrics borrow heavily from the B-boys, but they still make it their own. I really like this band.  Can't wait to hear more. Get it here and here.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

USELESS GARBAGE: Why Pick On Me? Pins

BUSY BEAVER HOOKED IT UUUUHHHHP! Be the first young socialite to dawn one of these at your next dinner party.  You'll be the talk of next week's bridge meeting..promise.  Available the next time you bump into me or by email. ypickonme [at] gmail [dot] com subject: "bowl cut guy button"

Monday, May 20, 2013

REVIEW: Peoples Temple - More For The Masses (Hozac)

I've been dragging ass on reviewing this LP which I have been thoroughly enjoying ever since it was released in November of last year.  It's a delightfully eclectic collection of 14 tracks that range in style from surf to proto-punk to blues to psych to garage to new wave.  In our current music climate its rare that a band will risk stepping out on a limb and just play shit they like.  That's what People's Temple have done on More For The Masses and prove that a band can pull it off if only they have the balls to do it.  Get it here.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

REVIEW: Cool Ghouls s/t LP (Empty Cellar)

Janky, jangley garage-psych-pop out of San Fran (big surprise). Wow.  Cool Ghouls are reeeeealy cool, y'all.  Get it here.

REVIEW: Ross de Chene Hurricanes - The Jailbird 7" EP (self-released)

More sweet, sweet garage punk sounds from down unda...Ross de Chene Hurricanes throw down fer realz on their latest 7" marrying the sixties with modern garage tendencies.  This release hammers away over three/four chord changes whilst offering up sonically interesting tones and off-kilter swagger.  Mmm...that's good gnocchi.  Get it here.

Monday, May 13, 2013

THE PRICE IS NICE: Norton Records - "Sandy Specials"

I'm sure many of you are aware that Norton Records headquarters got hit pretty bad by Hurricane Sandy.  A good deal of their record storage facilities were submerged in dirty hurricane juice.  The good news is the legendary garage rock label weathered the storm with the help of lots of volunteers who waded through the muck to save as much as they possibly could.  This tragedy has a silver lining though: Norton is offering deals on what they're calling "Sandy Specials." These are discs that got damaged in one way or another, but have been cleaned up and apparently play/sound fine.  They have selected titles available with limited edition "Sandy Sleeves" as well as bulk deals.  Get them here.

REVIEW: Laughing Leaves - Everyday 7" EP (self-released)

Hot off iamtheleastmachivellian's feed, Australia's the Laughing Leaves pay homeage to the sixties garage and early punk, but filter it through their unique sonic palette.  Fuzzy bass lines, twangy guitar riffs, rollicking drums and echo-twinged vocals float over four-chord songs that are cleverly arranged, tuneful and fun.  Laughing Leaves are familiar and strange at the same time in all the right ways.  Get it here.

Friday, May 10, 2013

REVIEW: Son Of A Gun / The Morons Split 7" (Lo-Fi Supply)

Lo-Fi Supply's debut release features two amazing Chicago garage-punk outfits.  Son of a Gun and The Morons are very similar in their approach, but bring their own sensibilities to the blown-out, lo-fi punk genre.  Its always exciting to hear new shit, but when its in your own backyard and its THIS good it swells my bosom with pride.  This split 7" is a hot-dish-a-raw-power.  Both bands are playing at the SubT on Sunday.  Get it here.

REVIEW: Wimps - Repeat (1234 Go, End Of Time)

by Steve Wichelecki

Raucous California-style punk rock with an extra scoop of sloppiness, Portland's Wimps have that happy, bouncy though oddly sinister sound inherent to many West Coast punk bands of the late '70s and early '80s. A record that makes you want to pogo right out the window, 'Repeat' is a cavalier collection of barreling punk tunes chronicling hangovers, cheeseburgers, waking up late and other assorted minutiae of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Dirty-clean guitar jangles around dirgey female vocals and a driving rhythm section for a hypnotic, dance-worthy aural experience. Rumor has it Wimps will be here in Chicago this August, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Buy the album here.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

REVIEW: Todayshits - Tour Tape

by Steve Wichelecki

If you live in Chicago and are reading this you've undoubtably heard the name Todayshits more than a few times over the past three or four months. Shrouded in mystery and speculation, the group, or at least its founder, James Swanberg, is rumored to write, record and post a new song every day to the band's tumbler account. Whether or not this is totally fact, it is certain that over the past few months Swanberg has put together a three-piece band with members of Magic Milk and The Sueves that has been steadily building momentum, playing out around town practically once a week.

On the fast track to becoming as ridiculously prolific as Daniel Johnston, Todayshits has just released their newest offering, the 20-track "Tour Tape" album. Taking the short, sweet and simple approach, "Tour Tape" is comprised of fantastically lo-fi ditties on universal themes such as love and heartbreak, drugs and The Ramones. Marked by clever lyrics and oddly ingenious songwriting, the bare-bones garage jams on "Tour Tape" take their cue from '50s rock-n-roll ballads, doo-wop and chanted lyrics a la Dee Dee Ramone. The result is music that feels relaxed and effortless, that lulls the listener into a calm, day-drinking-on-a-sunny-Sunday-afternoon tranquility. See Todayshits for free Friday, May 17, at the one-and-only Cole's Bar.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

REVIEW: Strange Mutations 7" Box Set Vol. 2 ft. Cosmonauts, LENZ, Teenage Burritos and Fine Steps(Volar)

As far as I'm concerned San Diego's Volar Records (motto: "community, not competition") is one of the best labels in the country right now.  Case in point: their latest box set release. Strange Mutations Vol.2 features new tracks from Cosmonauts, LENZ, Teenage Burritos and Fine Steps. The four tracks made available on soundcloud are solid as hell.  Definitely worth the twenty-spot.  Pre-order it here.

REVIEW: Teardrop Factory - Topshop EP 7" (Faux Discx)

I love it when all I have to do is check my email to find good music.  Teardrop Factory was kind enough to send us a message about their upcoming 7" EP- due out May 27.  They've offered up "Vanity Unfair" to give us a tiny taste of what we're in for. Its is the sort of track people smoked weed and went skateboarding to in 1991- hard and trashy with a dash of pop sunshine.  Can't wait to hear the rest.  Get it here.

Friday, May 3, 2013

INTERVIEW + SHOW PICS: Lantern (from Philly)

Ok, folks...here it is, the very first Why Pick On Me? interview.  We sat down last night with Lantern after their show at The Subterranean.  Vice magazine recently called them "The Best Band In Philadelphia."  I don't know many bands from Philly so I can't confirm this bit of hyperbole, but these dudes have got to be in the top 10...at least.  They play raw, stripped-down, often Stooges-esque rock n' roll.  We talked about possums, Tony Hawk skate videos and The Watchmen...

WPOM: First off, who are you and what do you play?

Zachary Devereux Fairbroter. I play guitar, bass and sing.

Christian Simmons.  I play battery.

My name is Emily.  My middle name is "Christian."  I don't know, for some reason my parents thought my middle name should be a boy's name. [she plays bass, guitar and sings as well]

WPOM: So were you going be named Christian if you were a boy?

E: Well, actually I have 2 older sisters.  I think they wanted a boy.

Z: They definitely wanted a boy.

WPOM: Did they make you play tee-ball or something?

E: No...Well, its my Dad's fault.  Its always the guy's fault.  The guy determines the gender.

[laughter]

E: The guy determines the gender...biologically speaking.

Z: Possums have four babies and they're all the same gender.

E: Whoa...that's cool!

C: Is your dad a possum?  Where's the fourth girl?

WPOM: This is my first interview and I'm already capturing some gold...solid gold...anyways...So you're on tour with THE VEILS...how did that come about?

E: Um, well...Sofia [THE VEILS bass player] emailed us about a year ago asking for a song.

WPOM: For a compilation?

Z: No...it was a licensing thing.

WPOM: Oh.  So she hooked you up with some sweet moola?

Z: Nothing every came of it.

WPOM: Damn it.

E: We were out of touch for over a year and then, while we were on tour, she emailed us again and asked us to do some shows and we said "yes."

WPOM: How long have you been on the road together so far?

E: This is our first show playing together.  We played a couple shows in Cleveland and Bloomington before this.  It was more like a practice.  Our band hadn't played together since our last tour so it was nice to practice.

Z: We played some "rehearsal spaces."

E: Haha.  Yeah.  We got paid to rehearse.  We actually got like eleven dollars.

WPOM: Really?

Z: that's including our CD sale, right?

E: No. I think we made sixteen dollars...no wait...Zach gave away a cd so we actually made $16 minus how much our CD costs. [I'm guessing its $5]

Z: It worked out though.  I woke up this morning and the guy we gave the CD to "liked" us on Facebook.

E: Oh wow!...He was actually really cool.  He was skateboarding by the show and he heard us playing so he came in and listened to our set.

Z: We have an affinity with skateboarders...Our first band sold a song to a Tony Hawk video.  The same song was also on his Youtube channel as well as Thrasher's channel.  It was also featured on that show "Ridiculous" on Mtv.

WPOM: So what's up with this CD you guys are selling?

E:  Let's not call it a CD...It was originally released on Bathetic Records over a year ago.  That was the last thing we released, but we've been sitting on an LP for quite some time now.  We're putting it out on Sophomore Lounge- a label run by Ryan David in Louisville, Kentucky.  It'll be out in early July.  It's going to be called "Rock n' Roll Rorschach."

WPOM: Is that a reference to something?

E: Its from The Watchmen.  Its a graphic novel.

Z: I personally recommend striking every remark made for the last 2 minutes.

E: I'm not a comic book nerd, but its really good.  You should check it out.

WPOM: Will do.

***CLICK FOR PHOTOS***