I suppose you’re going to require some kind of editorial introduction to this page? You always do, why is that? Next you’ll be demanding we proof read the damn thing. You’ve got three pieces on three albums just down there and I’ve got place to be or at least gallery walls to bang my head against and a whole load of things I should have done last week or yesterday or washing up, the washing up needs to be done and well…
J.R.C.G – Grim Iconic...(Sadistic Mantra) (Sub Pop) – Bites of this have been flowing our way all summer, little tastes that catch ears, details that have pulled us in, toes dipped as it were, the time to dive in properly is upon us. This is Justin R. Cruz Gallego’s Sub Pop debut, and rather like his increasingly all over the place label, J.R.C.G is rather hard to pin down, to find that musical identity, that vital finger print. Is it all a bit scattergun? has he thrown everything in here with his Krautrock, his post-punk and his occasionally experimental kitchen sink? Is it moody, as serene as Gene (what became of her anyway?), does he know where he’s going? That’s a good bit. Yes, the Tacoma-based music maker’s second album is driven by what might be argued are opposing forces, by semi-noisy abstractions and tightly structured beats, by his anguish and hints of dissolution and Yes, Grim Iconic does wed (now and again scouring) electronics to what are sometimes hooky bits of tunes, it is about the bits more than anything, the bites, the colours, the slices of cake, the side streets he heads down…
Shooting Daggers – Love & Rage (New Heavy Sounds) – Anyway, yer man from Chaos Theory just reminded us we hadn’t said anything about Love and Rage, well actually we’ve probably said a lot (as well as painted a lot) on both subjects during the long lifetime of this damn time-eating Organ thing, what we haven’t done is said anything about the Shooting Daggers album that goes by the title of Love And Rage. A defiantly angry album, a positive defiance, a healthy anger, a charging demanding forthright debut from the self proclaimed Queercore three piece. The London band’s album came out back in February, yer man from Chaos Theory was going on about a gig they’re playing on one of his Theory bills next March, jezzzzz, I don’t know which gig I’m going to next week, I can’t be thinking about gigs that are happening next year! We do need to be thinking about albums that happened back in the Spring though, especially when they’re as blisteringly good as this one – see. time-eating, there’s never enough of it…
What we have here is a raging London based-three piece, vocalist and guitarist Sal Pellegrin hails from France, bassist Bea Simion is originally from Italy, drummer Raquel Alves is from Spain, and don’t you just love the way these things come together in London. The trio are proudly non-binary, proudly noisy, defiantly punk rock but not just about confrontational hardcore noise, there is light and shade, some beautiful detail, reflective and inward looking when they need to be. Of course most of it is blisteringly confrontational hardcore punk rock defiance. a breath of brutal fresh air and attitude that’s backed up with a keen sense of craft, a need for tunes, dare we mention melody? Grace? Colour? Shooting Daggers are not a black and white band, they’re a bit more than just another angry punk band and if they are angry then it really is a positive energy here. Those closing two minutes really are beautiful, hey, the whole thing is…
Bandcamp / Linktree / Facebook
2: Blevin Blectum – Multitudes of Venom (Deathbomb Arc) – New bleep and bite from Blevin Blectum, it sounds kind of menacing in a futuristic kind of way, future shock maybe? Tomorrow being the beginning of uncertainly and all that, venom running around your mind. These words mean nothing of course, it is all about the links and listening for yourself and really who reads all this, you just go listen to the music we recommend don’t you? You know if it wasn’t worth your rime or indeed time then it wouldn’t be be here, you know how picky we are. Love the way it evolves and yes, it does sound like there’s some hyperdolphins in there with the other strangely coloured things that swim by, not so menacing now the venom is starting to flow, kind of relaxing and very very (very) different, deliciously delightfully so and let’s go round again (baby we’ll turn back the hand of time), it is Tuesday morning after all and rather rewarding, two pieces, both fifteen minutes long, uniquely rewarding, strangely comforting and does some of it sound like a Stanley Kubrick movie soundtrack? Right place at the right time? I’d be perfectly happy to jsut have this running on repeat for a few weeks….
“Blevin Blectum returns for her second release on Deathbomb Arc with
‘MULTITUDES OF VENOM’. Evolving directly out of 2023’s ‘OMNII’, and in particular Blectum’s approach to touring in support of that album, this latest offering finds her swerving into the wilder side of this sonic universe. Broadcast live and raw in an early morning slot at KZSU’s tried-and-true annual DAY OF NOISE marathon, ‘MOV’ is one instance of an infinite deck of sonic card shuffles. Submerge into the deep sea/time/space zone where hyperdolphins frolic alongside medusae with funky red stomachs and transparent zootaxian toxins. Blevin Blectum is half of the beloved group Blectum from Blechdom. In 2023 she toured through EU and The Wire magazine published a four page feature on her work. A complete list of her collaborations, projects, and accolades would give the impression she is omnnipresent”.
Bandcamp / links /Deathbomb Arc
THE ORGAN 