Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Heavy Heavy Low Low- Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock

Party grindcore anyone? That’s about the most accurate description I can conjure for the brand of tunes these crazy San Jose kids belt out. Heavy Heavy Low Low caught on in underground circles and word of mouth with their spastic brand of blast beats and nauseating guitar riffs and got a deal with Ferret in 2006 after several self-released EPs. Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock (based on several inside jokes the band enjoyed while touring) is their second full length on Ferret.

Upon first listen, HHLL seem to have abandoned the grindcore and thrash a bit in favor of more of a mathcore meets southern metal sound a la label mates Every Time I Die, but the comparison ends there. The car’s still all over the fucking road as humorous lyrics collide with spaced out experimentation, jazzy undertones, angry metal breakdowns, and a Black Flag cover.

Thank god for bands like this who insist on putting out pervertedly fucked up music.

Heavy Heavy Low Low myspace

Monday, July 28, 2008

Paint it Black- The New Lexicon

Hardcore has a saviour. Or maybe an anti-hero. Either way, Paint It Black don’t give a fuck. From the remains of Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, Dan Yemin has breathed new life into a dying genre seeming with fake bullshit. Three records in and the band has redefined hardcore punk and themselves seeing new ground charted in each release. Their debut CVA was a mindfuck of straight ahead hardcore in the vein of Black Flag, DOA, and any other hardcore band of the 80’s that mattered. Their sophomore release Paradise was more melodic but stilled dripping with pissed off mayhem. Their third release for Jade Tree sees the band teaming up with producer J. Robbins (of Government Issue and Jawbox fame) and Oktopus (Dälek’s mastermind producer) with something so dark and angry that you would think Steve Albini was at the reins. All hail the New Lexicon.

This record manages to take the mood of the first two releases and spit them out into an ugly, beautiful explosion. Full of poetic scathing and political aggression, the New Lexicon is apocalyptic. Ambient interludes weave in and out of a filthy sea of low end feedback like a venomous serpent ready to bite its prey. And when it does you’re fucked.

Look out for guest vocals from Naked Raygun legend Jeff Pezatti. Nihilism never felt so invigorating.

Paint It Black myspace