AFS v. 234 ~ Late Night Text-Fest

With the new releases by The Rebel, The Pheromoans, and Graffiti Island ruling my turntable lately, I've been pondering a lotta delightfully ponderous textual music that is exceedingly English...so much so that it sometimes makes Mark E. Smith sound like John Cougar Mellencamp. Of course, nothing is ruling my turntable quite like the new Dan Melchior und Das Menace LP--Obscured by Fuzz (just out on Topplers from Scotland and distro'd stateside by SS and Florida's Dying--and even this LP gets rather recitative on the fun deadpan bits of "The Citadel". (More about that album later!) Tonight's show certainly dabbled with quite a lotta textual audio there in the second half-hour, and even some Americans (Weyes Bluhd, Russian Tsarlag, and a certain Mr. Jack Monahan who is as sarcastic and mithering as he is mysterious (you ever heard of him? (thought not!))) and Frenchies (Crash Normal). Also, I'm excited to announce that my girlfriend just got the test-presses back for the forthcoming Low Blows LP by Mattress, so watch the Malt Duck Records website for news about that in the next few weeks, and get ready for him to tour the USA in late September and October.

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THE DULL | I Hate the Motorcyclist | v/a: Barricaded Suspects | Toxic Shock 1983
WOUNDED LION | Friendly? | Friendly? 7" | In the Red *new
NO TREND | Blow Dry | Too Many Humans... | No Trend 1984
LITTLE CLAW | Frankie | Human Taste | Ecstatic Peace/Not Not Fun *new
LITTLE CLAW | Crawl Around Inside | Prickly Pear 7" | Columbus Discount *new
GAS | Pushing Against Me | Compressed Gas 7" | Siltbreeze *new (orig 1996-98)
THE AXEMEN | Beer und Flintstones | Scary! 2xLP | Siltbreeze *new (orig 1989)
THE AXEMEN | Shacked Up in Yr Egypt Tomb
THE REBEL | The Pot | Aiming Low 7" | Lexi Disques *new
THE REBEL | Kung Fu Zulus | Mouthwatering Claustrophobic Changes | Junior Aspirin *new
SHADOW RING | Disrupt the Band's Breathing | Lighthouse 2xLP | Swill Radio 1999
SHADOW RING | Oyster Shell
THE PHEROMOANS | The Man Who Wolf Whistled | Revamper 7" | Convulsive 2009
THE PHEROMOANS | Late Night Mad-Fest | Savoury Days 7" | Savoury Days *new *request
MATTRESS | Roll Roll Roll | Low Blows | Malt Duck *forthcoming *request
CRASH NORMAL | Crisps & Cheese on the Sofa | Unrealistic Tracks 7" | Compost Modern Art *new
CRASH NORMAL | So Sure
WEYES BLUHD | Liquor Castle | Liquor Castle 7" | ??? *forthcoming
RUSSIAN TSARLAG | The Master's Speech | split 7" w/ Lesson Lesson Lessen Relearn | West Palm Beotch *new
JACK MONAHAN | Poems | v/a: Shadow Mouth: Compilation One | Shadow Mouth 1987
SMEGMA | Between Two Worlds | v/a: Tarantismo Summit Vol. #1 | Rampage *new
SABAH | Hayhet Yabuzalef | Evening With Sabah | Alkawakeb 1960s/70s?
SAN KAZAKGASCAR | Slain by General Plantar Wart | Idle Ships | Lather *new
PLANKTON WAT | Occult Blues | Dawn of the Golden Eternity | DNT *new
PUMICE | The Dawn Chorus of Kina | Persevere 7" | Soft Abuse *new
EXILES FROM CLOWNTOWN | Something Somewhere | self-titled 7" | Greatdividing *new
METH TEETH | World Is Going to End Soon | Everything Went Wrong | Woodsist *new
GRAFFITI ISLAND | Demonic Cat | Demonic Cat 7" | Fin du Monde *new
DAN MELCHIOR UND DAS MENACE | Smut! | Obscured by Fuzz | Topplers *new
JOHNNY ILL BAND | Rocketship | self-titled 7" | Kaboodle *new
KURT VILE | Summer Demons | Fall Demons 7" | Skulltones *new

So far in 2009, Dan Melchior has already released a stunning double-LP--the lush, ghost-ridden Thankyou Very Much--and a bevy of 7"es in an array of styles. Now, Topplers outta Scotland has released another outstanding new album by Dan (und das Menace) called Obscured by Fuzz, which flirts with a louder, brasher, more contemporary lo-fi sound. But while it may be more au courant, it's no less incomparable because Dan's delightful earnestness, lyrical cleverness, and impeccable hooks and guitar phrasing join the top of the class in this field, and the unmistakable Melchior personality shines through. The cover is also brilliant...yet it is splendidly anachronistic! Thankyou Very Much is still the masterpiece of 2009, but this is just as essential as just about any other great record I've gushed about so far in 2009. On tonight's broadcast, you'll hear one of the most fantastic guitar solos of 2009 before my nervous finger sent off the debut Johnny Ill 7". All the more reason for you to buy it ASAP!

Now, I don't wanna jump the gun too early on hyping the next Mattress (Miss Malt Duck still must test out all the test presses painstakingly before approving them (knocking on wood now!)), but lemme just say that if you agreed with the Nick Cave-meets-Suicide comparison that reverberated throughout the worldwide music blog echo chamber, then this time, get ready to hear a touch of Tuxedomoon 'cos Rex has drafted a drummer and picked up a guitar. Old fans should not worry, though...I'm sure they'll still dig Low Blows immensely. It strikes me immediately as his best work yet!

Another favorite of mine who've really outdone themselves on their new album is Little Claw. Human Taste has been on Ecstatic Peace CDs for a few weeks, but the vinyl LP has finally dropped on Not Not Fun. Recorded in various times and locations spanning over 2000 miles and several months--and with a large cast of contributors (including Damon from Tyvek/Puffy Areolas, Ju Suk Reet Meate of Smegma, sublime PDX-sax-man Kelvin Pittman, and others--this album's rather pastiche-like, but remarkably more cogent than either the first or second album. I can't tell if it's something more like a miracle from a southern-Ohio protopunk time capsule, or, does this get filed next to XYX as the blueprint for the next generation of god(dess)head ladypower?

Speaking of ladypower...Check out this cool record I found for $5 at Mississippi Records last weekend in Portland by Lebanese singer Sabah. I first heard this a couple years back when Scott Soriano played it on KDVS, and then I saw several Sabah records at his place. I've been looking ever since, and happily found two LPs there! These records deliver some beautiful Middle Eastern headswirlin' folk texture with some of the most staggering female vocals ever heard. When she wavers the pitch on those deep extended, flattened notes, she will stop you dead in your tracks.