Rock / Indie Recommendations May 2014

Review: Well, it has to be said that Karl 'Regis' O'Connor has a knack for discovering more than just techno. This latest Downwards missile is a mini-LP from the foreboding Autumns, an introspective Irish outfit working on the outskirts of both punk and techno. It's a band which knows how to blend the two, without seeming forced or out of place. "Tired Eyes", for instance, knocks out a gorgeous guitar riff which is moulded and re-shaped thanks to a heap of delay. It might sound simple, but they way Autumns do it different, more challenging on the ear but nonetheless seductive. As new post-punk music goes, thank *&%! for this! Finally a proper EP of two-chord nastiness!

Review: "Woods' brand of pop shamanism has undergone several gradual transformations over their past few albums, but on "With Light And With Love", the tinkering reveals an expanded sonic palette that includes singing saw, heavier emphasis on percussion, and a saloon piano that sounds like it was rescued from a flooded basement. Distinct from both the stoned volk of their earliest recordings and the kraut-y dalliances of more recent fare, "With Light And With Love" showcases a more sophisticated brand of contemporary drug music that owes more to "Magical Mystery Tour" than motorik.

"If you've ever thought of Woods as a pop group comprised of weirdos, or a weirdo band that happens to excel at playing pop songs almost in spite of itself, "With Light And With Love" provides a corrective in the form of songs that show these two elements as natural, inextricable bedfellows. Throughout the album, vocals are frequently emitted through Leslie speakers and guitars perform one-string ragas like Sandy Bull reared on shoegaze and skate videos. An album of deeply psychedelic, deeply satisfying songs for a new age of searchers, of Don Juan and Animal Chin alike." - James Toth

Review: Dark Entries is proud to release "Versions Of A Life", a collection of recorded works by London post-punk band Ski Patrol.

Formed in 1979 by singer Ian Lowery and guitarist Nick Clift, the band played moody, epic, angular music. Active until late 1981, Ski Patrol's musical and lyrical output mirrored the dub-reggae influences of their Brixton and Ladbroke Grove home-bases, the civil unrest of post-punk Britain and the freedom to push aside the rock rulebook as had been done by their peers PiL and Gang Of Four. They self-released their first single in early 1980 with the help of Rough Trade and came to the attention of Malicious Damage, a label & management operation, formed to release the early works of Killing Joke. This association produced the band's biggest success, the 1980 indie chart hit "Agent Orange" (featuring Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman on synth).

"Versions Of A Life" collects Ski Patrol's recorded output in one place for the first time. This anthology also shines a light on the darkly comic, paranoid, often elegiac gutter poetry of the late Ian Lowery, who passed away in 2001. Including the band's first two singles, previously unreleased mixes of their third single and three unreleased songs from their last studio session. All songs are remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in a glossy jacket with an unreleased photo of the band. Each copy includes a reproduction of a promotional poster with lyrics from 1981 designed by Mike Coles, the Malicious Damage house artist responsible for the label's iconic album and single covers.

Review: This is a reissue of Bikini Kill's second EP, "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah". Recorded in 1992 with Tim Green (Nation Of Ulysses) at The Embassyia group-house in Washington, DC, it was the first Bikini Kill release to feature the band's song, "Rebel Girl." Originally a split EP with the Brighton, UK-based band, Huggy Bear, the B-side now features seven previously unreleased Bikini Kill songs drawn from era-appropriate live shows and practice tapes. The artwork has also been updated to include archival photos and liner notes from the Bratmobile's Erin Smith, Comet Gain's David Feck, and the members of Bikini Kill.

Bikini Kill was a feminist punk band based in Olympia, WA and Washington, DC, forming in 1990 and breaking up in 1997. Kathleen Hanna sang, Tobi Vail played drums, Billy Karren (aka Billy Boredom) played guitar and Kathi Wilcox played bass. Bikini Kill is credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early '90s via their political lyrics, zines, and confrontational live performances. This EP is the second release in a larger campaign to reissue the complete Bikini Kill catalog on vinyl and CD.