Interview with Bardus

I recently took a walk with Bardus through downtown Columbus before the final show of their 2015 tour.  Along the way we talked touring, deep dish pizza, and their upcoming album.  Here is what they had to say:

Overall, how was the tour? The tour was very good. We played in a few new cities to us, saw some old friends, made some new friends, played with bands we liked, so we were definitely pleased with the whole tour.

Of the ten stops, which day was the worst? We had a day off and ended up driving over 12 hours from Savannah GA to the middle of Indiana to get closer to Chicago. It was a rough stretch, but we were all mentally prepared and got it done.

When on tour, what are sleeping arrangements?  Did you have to sleep in the van at all?
It was a mixture of hotels and houses.  When we were able to find a couch to crash on, that was great, but we stayed in a couple of hotels along the way.  Didn't do any sleeping in the van on this tour.

What's the weirdest or worst show you've ever played? They're all weird.

Best act you saw on tour, not mentioning any of the guys playing tonight with you. Buildings from Minneapolis killed it as usual. Them Teeth in Grand Rapids were awesome as well. It's really hard to say which one is the best, I feel like every band we played with were very good and all had different sounds and styles. It's nice when shows are diverse and not just the same thing for 3-4 straight bands.

Chicago deep-dish, how was it?  Is it overrated?
It was good.  It is almost a novelty for people from their though, only tourists get it because it is so thick.  It was literally a brick of cheese and meat.  We got a meat lovers and could really only eat about a slice each.  It's not overrated though.

You recently recorded at Converses' Rubbertracks after winning some contest for free recording time.  How was that and how does that compare to how your used to recording?

Rubber Tracks was real good. We recorded with Will Putney and were able to hammer out 2 songs we'd been playing live entitled "Monolith" and "Sky King". It was similar to the way we normally like to record which is live as we feel it gives our songs more life and helps us hit our groove zone that we aim for at shows and at practice.

Those tracks are going to be on the upcoming album 'Stella Porta', when is it coming out?  Any physical formats been chosen yet? We are recording it in early September with Steve Poponi who just did the latest Fight Amp record, at his studio in South Jersey.

No release date or formats have been chosen yet.
We are an unsigned band so everything we do is paid for by us in Bardus.
When we released "Solus" we had to make a decision, get physical copies, IE records, cd's, which cost a bit, or transportation, so I got a van and we released it on our own digitally and thanks to the support of many, have been able to go on tour a few times and continue to play live as much as we can. We'd love it if someone liked it enough to release it physically, but until then, we'll do what's best for Bardus and accessible for people to listen to it. 

What does 'Stella Porta' mean? It translates to  star gate.

Will you guys give me a heads up once Stella Porta is all done? Absolutely. We'll be playing it in its entirety at Kung Fu Necktie in Philly on September 24th with Columbus' own Bridesmaid and philly's own, Hells. 

Stream a copy of Bardus' debut Here, and be on the lookout for their upcoming later this year.

Worm Crown- Trauma (2015)

I had never heard Worm Crown before until stumbling on it on Bandcamp.  Real glad I did.

Worm Crown is a three piece band from Australia that take their cues from punk music.  Honestly if the guitarist played traditional punk music and the vocalist said Oi a few times, they probably wouldn't have stood out to me.  But fortunately it sounds like the vocalist and guitarist spent less time listening to The Clash and more time listening to Fugazi.  While the end result is a little slower in BPM, the vocals come in clean and the guitars come in dirty.

If you only have time to listen to one song off the album, but want to know what this album is all about, I would suggest "Limbless".  I don't think it is the highlight of the album (I'll let you decide that for yourself), but I do think it sums up the band's sound the best and encompasses the various styles you will hear on the rest of the tracks.

Stream and buy it Here.  Also, feel free to use the comment section to let me/ them know if you wish they released it on any other formats than CD (I know I wished for cassette or LP). 

So Stressed- The Unlawful Trade of Greco-Roman Art (2015)

I decided to revisit So Stressed's 2012 Attracted to Open Mouths prior to writing this, and was surprised at how fresh of a sound it has.  Right from the start the album does a fantastic job of stretching everything out just slightly too long; not so long that it is boring, but just enough that every bit is unsettling.  My biggest complaint with Attracted to Open Mouths was how this tension of sound left after the first couple tracks.

With The Unlawful Trade of Greco-Roman Art, So Stressed bring a much more straight-forward noise rock sound to the table.  While I was hoping their follow up would move towards the more harsh and experimental, it does not.  Despite immediate disappointment, So Stressed's album does manage to refine their sound into a polished, cohesive mess that is worth any noise rock fans time.  Unlawful Trade showcases better instrumentation, vocals, production; everything feels refined to a fully-realized sound. 

If you grew up listening to metal but have a taste for noise rock, this is a great album for you to pick up.  Regardless, noise rock fans looking for a solid 2015 album should take a moment to check out their Bandcamp.  Also, it is for sale on cassette, LP, and CD (I think), so support it if you like it.

Auxiliary Mammals- (DEMO) (2014)

It seems every year I find an album from the previous year that is top ten noise rock albums from that year, and would have been on my list if I heard it in time.  This time it is the 2014 DEMO from Auxiliary Mammals.  Sure DEMO isn't quite an album (its a demo, duh), but it has album art and, most importantly, is very, very good.

While less than 15 minutes, this introduction to the band showcases everything I hope they remain being about.  The vocalist does a great job throughout scream-rambling in a way that feels off-kilter but not out of sync.  Meanwhile the band shows its influences like Arab on Radar without being cookie-cutter copies; they have their own sound all figured out and it works.  Tracks like "Banshee" and "Halo" show they can handle abrupt, immediacy with tact, and really the entire album flows without a single moment I feel should have been left out.

I know Auxiliary Mammals has a 7" coming out soon, so support them and pick it up when it drops.  More importantly, let hope they get around to giving us a proper debut album and don't drop off like so many other "potential" bands (I'm looking at you Gila Monster).

Stream this beast Here.

Super Luxury- Ten Solid Years of Applause (2015)

This album was the first noise rock album of 2015 I gave a serious listen to and I suggest you take the time to check it out too.  Leeds based Super Luxury are a noise rock band featuring two of the guys in Cattle.  As Chris from the band told me, the band is more influenced by Fugazi than his other band (no surprise given that one song is titled "Ian Mackaye made so much money out of Fugazi that he lives in a solid gold house and drives a solid gold car and he sits on his driveway but he can't go anywhere because the wheels are made of solid gold"), proving this still is a genre that enjoys tongue-in-cheek song titles.

This album has a little bit for everybody on it.  Fans of bands like Dope Body will enjoy the more upbeat rock tracks like "Constant Delicious" and "Salem Tears", while the track "Drunk on Power" probably sounds most like Fugazi to me.

While this band may not have that funky bass I felt buried in Cattle's EP, they have traded that out for a tight, high quality release that makes 2015 all the more promising.

Stream a few tracks Here, where you can purchase the album as well.

2015 Update

Now that I am finally done with my 2014 countdown, I can begin looking ahead at 2015.  Already we have some great albums out that I want to begin to review.  Even more exciting though, Procurement Records will be releasing 50 copies of White Spot-Father Songs on cassette in early April.  The guy sent me the album to review and I asked if instead I could release it...couple months later and here we are.  If you come to the blog with any frequency, please take the time to at least stream it and give it a listen.

So long as this does decent enough to cover my costs of publishing it, Procurement Records will do its best to continue releasing physical copies of noise rock we love. 

That said, go pre-order a copy now.  All profits on new releases by Procurement Records will go to the artist and they retain the rights to their music; what other label can say that?

Whitespot.bandcamp.com

Top Ten Noise Rock Albums of 2014

The holidays are upon us, so for the third year in a row, I have a top 10 noise rock albums of the year list.  This year I heard a little over 30 noise rock albums (for some reason I never got around to properly listening to the new Shellac or Oozing Wound albums though).  Again, this year there was some seriously great releases in the genre and making this list was pretty difficult, as not every good noise rock album could make the list (sorry Doomsday Student).  

That said, here’s the list:

10) Silent Front- Trust

A good opening track goes a long way for an album; Trust’s “Mechanical Grip” is a great one whose only fault is it almost overshadows the rest of the album.  The vocals here sound extremely similar to Zebras’ 2012 self-titled to the point where I have a hard time not writing a whole review simply drawing comparisons.

Overall, if you are looking for noise rock that has its roots in metal, this may be right up your alley. 

9) Fashoda Crisis- Almost Everyone is Entirely Average at Almost Everything

Here are the highlights: Reminds me of Mclusky, good range of sounds, sometimes the lyricism needs work, but you’ll have that.

What really matters is why this album is on the list.  At times I do find moments that are miss in some of these tracks, but I think tracks like “Postanova” and “A Eulogy of Sorts” showcase this bands potential.  Also, I can make a pretty similar statement for Mclusky too.  Despite this, the songwriting is just really well done and Futures of the Left should take notes.

8) The Great Sabatini- Dog Years

This album is some noise-core that definitely has its roots in metal.  Still, the album rocks.  Right from the get-go, The Great Sabatini bring an onslaught of sound.  As the album progresses though, they take a few steps to move their sound out of the traditional metal sound.  “Periwinkle War Hammer” is more rhythm focused, and the acoustic “Aleka” comes most unexpectedly.

You can purchase/ stream it in full Here.

7) Braining- Peel Off The Coating

Technically an EP, but I loved it, so it’s on the list.  Maybe it’s the vocalist’s range and style, or maybe it is just that this entire album feels so loud; regardless, from start to finish the album does a fantastic job of hooking the listener and reeling them in.

I could take the time to write a longer review, but the whole album is 10 minutes, so just take the time and listen to it yourself.

6) Bukkake Moms- The Chronic

If I were to go back and revise my 2013 noise rock list, Bitch Teeth would be on there.  Unfortunately I did not hear their 2013 effort, Fukkstorm, until early this year.  But, for fans of Arab on Radar, I would recommend that cassette over any of AoR’s offshoot’s.

Bukkake Moms is Rick Eye’s (of Bitch Teeth) main band and The Chronic is their seventh album.  Like many artists in the no-wave/noise rock scene, Bukkake Mom’s often mix absurdest lyricism with sexual themes, and tend to pull it off fairly well. 

When compared to their previous works, the Chronic currently stands as their magnum opus.  The vocalist seems to have mastered his delivery style, and this album finds a nice balance between no-wave and structured sounds and occasionally delivering some extremely catchy songs (I’m looking at you “Crime School”).

Take a listen below to “Crime School” and then pop on over to their Bandcamp where you can stream the whole album and purchase a CD.

5) Big Black Cloud- Lessons in Fuck You 2

At the start of this album, I always think of Arab on Radar, but really, after you get a minute or so in, Big Black Cloud come into their own sound: loud, angular riffs thrown over a relentlessly pulsing bass drum.  One of the best surprises on this album is that the group is comfortable with instrumental tracks and has them strewn in throughout.

Sometimes this band reminds me of a more relaxed Oozing Wound, and sometimes a more relaxed punk outfit.  They are a mix of punk and metal, but the best of both parts: never too heavy or too loud.

“Disappointment” is probably the best track to listen to if you want to check the band out, so I have it embedded below.

4) York Factory Complaint-Lost In the Spectacle

This album definitely caught me by surprise. Harsh static drones, industrial electronics, overdriven vocals: Lost in the Spectacle is like bastard child of Wolf Eyes and Sunn O))).  If that either sounds off-putting to you, or you don’t know either of those artists, than this probably is not a release for you.  If that sounds like something up your alley, however, then this will probably be an album you don’t want to miss.

Lost in the Spectacle is quite literally that; a spectacle.  By the time the listener is even halfway through the album, is continual droning begins to sink in.  As “Commodified” begins, the album slowly switches from attempting to scare you off to entrancing the listener.  

3) Animal Lover- Guilt

This 12” made it into my top three because it is probably the best example of ‘noise rock’ that I can think of from the year.  I mean every good noise rock buzz word needs used when describing them: ‘Dissonant’, ‘angular guitar riffs’, ‘sharp/metallic tone’, well you get the point.  When I begin writing my review of this album I found myself having a hard time choosing which tracks to point out because this album is consistently good.  “Lucky Pastures” showcases some of the best song writing in noise rock this year and “Neighbors” is a great closer for the album.

The album is under 20 minutes, and well worth your time.  Stream it below and check out their Bandcamp where you can also purchase a live cassette version.

2) Cowards- World Champions in Male Chastity

After I wrote up a full review of this album earlier this year praising how great it was, the band emailed asking how I had found them.  Sadly I imagine that was because how little love this album got this year.  Well, regardless, I suggest everyone take a moment to check out this band as they are the best new noise rock act of the year, bar none.  The male/female vocal combination works great, as does the mixing of spoken/sung lyrics over tracks that seem to be folding in on themselves and collapsing.

I already wrote up a pretty lengthy review Here, but really I suggest you don’t bother reading it and instead just listen to the album.

1) White Suns- Totem

Sinews was great, and Totem was the next logical step for White Suns’ journey into the noise-filled abyss.  Totem starts out attempting to overwhelm the listener with an assault of sound.  This seems almost intentional, however, given that the listener needs to be aware of how abrasive moments will be on the album.  Really, the best moments on this album are not those previously described, but the moments in between, where White Suns create a buildup of tension on the listener, who knows that at any moment the sound may collapse into an absolute chaos.

Even in its most silent moments, Totem is able to carry a heavy weight to its sound.  This album is captivating, and the poetic lyrics, while minimal, become quite poignant.  I think many listeners will agree “My guide’s face is made of mirrors, my guide’s face looks like my fathers” is a truly memorable moment in this album, and too few albums today have such a memorable moment.

USAnails- Sonic Moist (2014)

Let's start off with giving a quick shout out to one of the best noise rock blogs in the world.  THIS ONE.  I constantly find great music from this little blog, so it's time I showed it some love.  That said, USA Nails is one such find that stood out.

The singer reminds me of the higher pitch singer of White Drugs mixed with Stephen Pederson of the White Octave, and songs like 'Shite at the Palladium' show off a similar songwriting to White Drugs.  For those who don't know White Drugs, think Amphetamine Reptile.

Rather than continue throwing out unknown and obsolete bands, I'll leave this review relatively short and say that this album is some fantastic, albeit run-of-the-mill, noise rock.  The band is even best when they capture that traditional angular noise rock sound with their instrumentation.  Tracks like 'Am I A Man Or Not' make their less standard tracks like 'Oh Caroline' seem lackluster in comparison.  Sure to some it may sound like a backhanded compliment to say they are great at a generic sound, but there is a reason that style instrumentation is the trademark of lots of great noise rock bands.  USAnails seem to be on the path to carry that flag for all the people like me out there looking for just that sound and to me that is great news.

Above is a link to one of the tracks on this album.  Check out their blog to preorder this on vinyl or cassette (which I would totally preorder if it shipped to the states).

Grizzlor- When You Die 7" (2014)

Grizzlor is a band I have been meaning to get around to writing about since the release of We're All Just Aliens earlier this year.  Usually I don't write about singles, but a review of their stuff has been long overdue.

Grizzlor's sound is one that lies someplace between Oozing Wound and stoner-grunge music.  With When You Die , the group has really begin to refine this sound and fall into their own.  Immediately the first track, "No Time", shows that this band is only getting better.  Their vocalist sounds more confident, and their overall sound is much fuller.

I have been waiting on a full LP since I heard these guys back in January, and I guess I am just gonna have to keep waiting, but this single was great and just has me more excited for when they finally do release a debut LP.

Take a listen and order a copy of it Here.

Cowards- World Champions in Male Chastity (2014)

This album came out of nowhere.  I have seen almost no press for it whatsoever, and that is sad given how great this thing is.  I know nothing about the band, but rather than research them to give you background, I'm just gonna skip that step and describe this album.

World Champions in Male Chastity is a diverse album as far as noise rock goes.  the album features a male and female singer, but no tracks have them sharing vocals.  with the first few tracks, the male vocalist leads, with a mixture of spoken/sung words.  By the third track, "Butter Tooth", I was starting to fall into the groove of their sound and it begin to really sink in with me.  Once the fifth track, "Let's Talk About Our Feelings", came along I was thrown for a loop.  The female vocalist starts the track off with a great crooning sound, only immediately to start singing "I'll show you my parts, if you show me yours".  Over the next few tracks, this lady kills it and really changes the momentum of the album.  At times, like on "Daughters Touching Fathers" the group has an early Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound (with lyrics that reminded me of the great Yusef Komunyaa poem 'Stepfather: A Girl's Song).

For the final few tracks the album comes back to the sound of how it opened.  By this time, the change felt great, and "The Ballard of Low Looker and Button Eye" is a fantastic closing track.  Since I found this album I find myself coming back to it more and more.  I can almost guarantee this album will be in my 2014 list at the end of the year, so I suggest that you take a moment to see why.

Listen to the album Here, and support them any way you can, cause they deserve it.

Public Housing- Public Housing (2013)

Public Housing is haunting.  Right from the get-go, "Modern Breathing" lets you know what you are in for; harsh, brooding music that marches on like a funeral procession.  For those that know Robert Beatty (Hair Police), the production here is very similar to his 2013 album, Mercurial Rites.  Musically, however, Public Housing have a much larger sound, soaking the background sound in constant feedback and squeals.  While this full sound is quite opposite of much of Mercurial Rites, overall the underlying feeling of both albums is quite similar.  Dread.

Another album from last year that begs comparison to Public Housing is Dreamdecay's N V N V N V.  From a songwriting standpoint both albums focus on a slower, drawn out presentation.  Moreover, the vocalists sound quite similar and sing in a very similar manner.

Over the course of its four tracks, Public Housing manages to become quite a daunting listen.  Side B starts with "Caskets", a track who stays straight noise until over a minute-and-a-half.  Even then, noise music is still probably the best classification of the sound on this entire track.

There is a good chance this isn't for you.  But if you are a fan of noise music, like some of the artists mentioned in this review, or are feeling a little adventurous, give it a try.

Stream and purchase the album Here.

Biscuit Mouth- Doing it Right and Doing It Well (2014)

This album was a great surprise.  With vocals someplace in between Mclusky and Zebras, biscuit mouth is are the black keys of noise rock.  They really aren't the best, but the duo has created a solid album which captures the essence of the genre, is an easy listen, and most importantly is fun.

When I first listened to this album I was immediately blown away by the great acoustics of the vocalist.  To me, Biscuit Mouth is a band built around showcasing his awesome voice.  What's more, right from the opening track you see that the band isn't interested in verse, chorus, verse, chorus; rather many of the track keep a continual progression to the lyrics in a storyteller fashion.  Sure much of what he sings is indistinguishable, but the smooth, unbroken flow was a pleasant surprise seen all too little.

Once the third track, Gregory pointer, kicks in it becomes apparent how confident the singer is in his voice.  Absences of noise are filled with his crooning voice.  On my first listen it wasn't until this track that I realized how much potential this band really had.  While this isn't my favorite track on the album, it is one that showcases what the band does best; angular guitars, a harder blues style drumming, and entrancing songwriting.

From there, this album remained strong.  "You want something" may be my favorite track.  While it starts out relatively simple, the lyrics fit the sound perfect, and sound like Bob Dylan wrote them.  Moreover, at the 3:30 point the song style switch really kicks off the second half of the album.

If I had any one qualm with this album it would be that it is only two people.  Really, the band could benefit with a good bassist filling up the sound.  Moment of tracks like Sonny Mottram would have been much stronger if the guitarist could play while that guitar line was played by a bassist.

I found this album looking through random blogs with little visits.  If you stumble upon it reading my little blog with little visit, I suggest you take the time to give this a listen like I did.  I doubt you will be disappointed.

Listen to and buy it here.

White Suns- Totem (2014)

It took me a while to fully digest Totem.  On first listen I knew I loved it, but its a lot to take in.  Having listened to Sinews quite a bit, I was glad that Totem picked up right where that album left off. 

With "Priest in the Laboratory", White Suns are immediately showcasing their signature sound; harsh noise rock that swells up into a dissonant break for vocals to be yelled.

White Suns' are not a band for someone new to noise rock, and Totem pushes even further into the harsh noise territory than their previous albums with tracks like "Disjecta Membra" and "Fossil Record".  If you are a fan of bands like Air Conditioning, Aufgehoben, and Sightings, however, this album is right up your alley.

For most listeners, "Clairvoyant" will probably be the most memorable track, with its screamed out "My Guide's face is made of mirrors.  My Guide's face looks like my fathers." lingering on after the album is over.

I was fortunate enough to catch them last night, and quickly snapped this photo.  Their live set was great and I highly recommend you try and catch them next time they come to town.  You can listen to Totem Here, as well as purchase a copy of the album and see tour dates.

Greys- If Anything (2014)

The Toronto band, Greys, debut album, If Anything, is a great addition to the 2014 noise rock/post-punk releases heard this year.  At the faster songs, like "Use Your Delusion" remind me of current bands like Metz, White Lung, and (now defunct) Shoppers.  Slower tracks, like "Flip Yr Lid", remind me of Nirvana.



This album probably wont make any top ten lists for the year, but that is okay; afterall, some of the funnest albums I have in my collection don't deserve to make any top ten lists.  And this album is fun, with tracks like "Adderall" really capturing the vocal sound of groups like Wavves.  Additionally, much of the album sounds like  Roomrunner's 2013 album, Ideal Cities, another album that finds that balance of accessible punk and harder rock while maintaining a fun vibe.

Why not check out a few of the tracks Here, and purchase the album while your there.

Poino- Bon Ick Voyeur (2014)

With Poino’s second release the band definitely show an evolution of their songwriting style.  While overall the music is still in the noise rock genre, the sound is much more daring, with major shifts in sound on each track. “lenod” has moments of new wave sound backed up to heavy guitar riffs and even near empty portions with only repeating guitar swells.  Other tracks, like “Pinking”, feel very math rock influenced.

I have always found Gaverick’s vocals hit-or-miss, even in Giddy motors, but on this album they tend to be solid.  The opening track, “Bird Trick”, has the most off-putting vocals on the album.  Fortunately, this was the only track I found grating in that aspect.  I was happily surprised that the album contained a mix of instrumentals thrown in, as it really helped the vocals not feel overstayed and remain fresh sounding.

Overall, “Burnt Birthday” was the strongest track on this album. 

I have found little noise rock I have enjoyed this year, except this album and a couple others.  Even more of a reason for you to check it out.  Listen to it and buy it Here.