Welcome back to the Listen Up, Nerds Newsletter. Thanks again for reading. Quite a few of you subscribed after Tuesday’s post about bringing back the artform of hating, but every week, I try to give you something good to listen to, or recap whatever I got into over the past couple of weeks.
First off, let’s talk about Crushed. I’ve written about their music before in the newsletter, but the full Extra Life EP is out today in cassette form on Funeral Party. If I have but one regret, it’s that I no longer own a car with a cassette player. This EP sounds like it would be at home in my old Honda Civic with that extra hiss of the tape through a 27-year-old sound system. But then I think you’d miss out on exactly how rich this thing sounds. The band’s singles showed some serious potential to shake up the dreampop canon, yet the full EP somehow exceeds all expectations. “Waterlily” was a perfect introduction to how this band sounds, and “Coil” showed promise to what they could become, but I have been geeking out over the final swell of “Respawn” for weeks. It’s my favorite song of the year. The band’s insistence on not making the shoegaze that everyone else seems to be making right now is absolutely what separates them from the pack in sound and in presentation. It’s perfect in the way that it takes risks but is so, so thoughtful. I tend to gravitate towards big, sweeping instrumentation with huge, sudden dynamic shifts, but this is something else. Extra Life is one of the most exciting records in recent memory just for how dense it is without being intimidating. It’s got so much going on, but wouldn’t sound out of place on terrestrial radio today or 30 years ago. Bre Morell’s (Temple of Angels) vocals cut through the thick, almost overgrown instrumentation on this record like a hot knife through butter or floss through cheese (it’s a valid technique for cutting cheese, you cretins) or whatever else slices through something soft. I want to sink into this record on a hot summer night, when I’m longing to be home in the air conditioning but I’m in the company of people I love, so I won’t leave.
The next release I wanted to cover is a SPLIT between two California bands I love, Madhouse and Firestarter. Not only is this a split, it’s a joint release from two labels (Advanced Perspective and Extinction Burst)! I love hardcore!!!! I miss the split release so much, and you really don’t see them as often as you once did. In the early 2010s, it felt like everyone was putting out splits because they were the most economical way to get your music on wax and sell it out. The split format lent itself to a lot more creativity in packaging and in partnerships. Emo bands from opposite coasts could collaborate on a split and then do tours together, hardcore bands could release a record with a country band and nobody would bat an eye. Anyway let’s talk about this split.
Firestarter plays heavy straight edge hardcore that wouldn’t sound out of place with early Rev Records music like Inside Out or Chain of Strength but Bold is probably the closest comparison. They still sound modern and definitely sound more west coast with a metallic influence you don’t get from East Coast bands who are more concentrated on a classic Youth Crew sound. The two-guitar approach works well for them, and the chorus on “Lost In Time” right before the big breakdown is giving off real “Straight edge is a BROTHERHOOD” vibes. Actually now that I say “Brotherhood,” that’s a great band to compare them to. Brotherhood was a Seattle straight edge band that had members of Sunn O))) and Sunny Day Real Estate. They also had one of the best 7” covers of all time. I recognize that this is a lot to live up to, but I assure you that Firestarter is sick as can be.
The other side of the split is from Inland Empire freaks Madhouse. In two minutes, they beat you over the head with two songs that sound like war. Both songs feature pounding drums and divebombs that sound like a WW2 fighter plane more than anything musical. Madhouse is the truth. I’m looking forward to whatever’s next from them, and I hope it’s a 12” EP or something. I would love to get a five-song, five-minute EP from them that’s one-sided. It’s so funny to know that, when you get a record with a ton of smooth plastic on it, the lack of sound is a warning that the sound on there is going to knock you out.
As I mentioned, the split above is a joint release between Advanced Perspective and Extinction Burst, the two best current labels operating out of California. There’s really no competition. I have watched AP like a hawk for the past few years because I know that anything they touch, I’m probably going to enjoy. Extinction Burst joined that league recently after I checked out the very sick Jade Dust EP and especially now that they’re releasing the new 7” from Washington DC’s Demand. The new Demand EP isn’t streaming in full just yet (check tomorrow it might be up) but if you buy it from Extinction Blast, you get an immediate download. I’ve listened to it at least five times this week and it just goes. It’s a perfect hardcore EP right in line with anything else I’ve recommended on here. If you like music in the vein of No Warning, Fury, or Mindset, it’s here.
This month, I’m trying to keep up with Larry Fitzmaurice’s old Music Writer’s Exercise on twitter. The idea is simple: you listen to something new every day and write something about it. In execution, it’s been a little hard for me in the past but I’m keeping up well. My first week was comprised of heralded indie releases I’d never listened to, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve sorta kept my nose out of bookish/twee stuff and I really regret not digging into that Alvvays record from last year sooner. That’s such a feat. I have no idea how they dug into that spot that sentimental ‘80s tracks always hit but didn’t make it feel corny or schmaltzy. It just felt real. Maybe it’s more real to me as someone who spent a good amount of his 20s using Sports by Huey Lewis & The News as a breakup album.
This week, I’m listening to a bunch of electronic and IDM stuff in attempts to understand Bushwickians who walk around with huge-ass headphones in the middle of summer. I may never get it, but I’m really digging Maxinquaye by Tricky right now. If I start getting those small little line tattoos and wearing mocknecks, a reader needs to snap me out of it. The other record I’m all about is very dark past by crimeboys. They’re called CRIMEBOYS. That’s an immediate download in the Listen Up, Nerds home. The album itself is this vivid but dark mix of ambient jungle and plunking dance music that feels like you’re either walking home coming down from a rave or like you’re stealing an ATM. It’s like Turbo Burial. The cover reminds me of the phrase “fluorescent grey” from that one Deerhunter EP but I think that’s an apt descriptor for how it sounds. Drab, yet in your face. I love music that sounds like a chase scene, and this slots in somewhere between Collateral (2004) and Drive (2011).
Next week, I’ll be back with deep esoteric knowledge and winning lottery numbers. Thanks for your time and attention.