Java.NOV.2016

HARPER AND THE MOTHS
Mixtape
THE DARTS
The Darts EP
WOLVVES
Paradox Valley
On Halloween Day Harper and The Moths released a
surprise joyride for their fans. Mixtape collects five
songs from the 1980s heyday of MTV that the band
pulls off faithfully. One thing that makes this EP pop
even more, adding authenticity, is that the band used
the original songs’ midi patches for the synths. The
songs are guilty pleasures, but no one should really
feel guilty about loving them.
Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me” is the record
opener, and it was the first song I thought of when
lead singer Harper Lines mentioned the project to
me. They are going all-out here, and that’s what you
can expect from the rest of the record—magnificent
synth pop daydreams and sexually ambivalent
New Romanticism. Next up is “Rumors,” originally
rendered by Timex Social Club. It almost plays like
Harper and Kelsee Ishmael doing karaoke to the
backing track of the original. It’s pretty stunning for
an oft-overlooked hit. Also, Ishmael’s vocals take on a
much bigger role on this record than ever before.
Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” is a nice
surprise and could almost stand as a single on its
own terms for Harper and The Moths. Once again,
it’s a faithful rendition; it just so happens that
Lines’ voice is perfect for the caffeinated histrionics
required. I had hoped A-Ha’s “Take On Me” would
appear here, and it does. Let’s face it, it had to be on
here. Once more, this is perfect for Lines’ vocal range
and his classy swagger. “West End Girls” by Pet Shop
Boys concludes the nostalgia trip that is Mixtape.
Brilliant fun!
The Darts are a new all-grrrl garage-rock group
featuring Nicole Laurenne (The Love Me Nots, Zero
Zero, Motobunny), Christina Nunez (The Love Me Nots,
Casual Encounters), Rikki Styxx (The Two Tens) and
Michelle Balderrama (Brainspoon). This is an exciting
and dark record that sounds cathartic as all hell. When I
mentioned that to Laurenne, she immediately said, “It’s
my favorite record I’ve ever recorded.” It’s not difficult
to see why. This is six songs that take off like a demon
from Hell and never stop once. It is a heavy record in no
uncertain terms, like Melvins heavy, and a bit of a shock
at first. But after a few listens, you’re screaming right
along to every song and it’s fantastically liberating.
“Running Through Your Lies” immediately gets
you set for the rest of the record—heavy fuzz bass
blistering through the amp, vocals in the red, a ghostly
Farfisa organ deep in the mix, buzz-saw guitars and
furious, frenetic drums create a sweltering sound that
consumes all of your garage-rock desires. The anthemic
“Revolution” is a favorite and definitely one of the
catchiest in the collection—as much homage to classic
garage rock as it is to the grrrl rock movement of the
1990s.
There is something about “Carry Me Home” that
reminds me of punk pioneers Suicide, and I think it’s
the bass and organ combination. The pace is only
momentarily slowed by “You Got Me,” but the need
for lyrical clarity on this heavy-as-hell number becomes
apparent soon enough. “Take What I Need” should be
an instant single because not only does it have that
Farfisa on blast, it also has the catchiest pop aesthetic
and fantastic harmonies. I am certain that a soundtrack
is waiting for this song somewhere. The Darts’ debut
ends with “Ramblin’ Stone,” which has the same
marked heaviness of the opener and bookends this fine
slab of wax perfectly.
Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman
Wolvves are a paradox unto themselves. Upon breaking
up over a year ago, Aydin Immortal commented that
he wanted a sound that would fuse hip hop with more
avant-garde rock and pop influences. Wolvves has more
than delivered on that promise with Paradox Valley.
Their shift in sound is immediately apparent from the
textural instrumental “Intro.” It leads into “Ivory Drive,”
which was the first single released earlier this year,
announcing their reimagined lineup and sound.
The record eases seamlessly into the more aggressive
and brilliant “With My Niggas,” which comes off as
the absolute quintessence of the sound Immortal had
been searching for, while finding pure lyrical gold. The
dreamy “Interlude” follows like a come-down after the
previous track. It’s a woozy swoon of a song, filled with
intoxicating references to forties and snorting Vicodin.
“Harriets 1 & 2” serves as something of a centerpiece
to the record, with a minimalist arrangement that
veers away from rock as much as it veers from hip
hop, working more like a spoken-word tone poem on
part one, while part two is an exploration in drum and
rhythm. It finds more in common with Frank Zappa than
anything traditional.
“Into It” may be the shortest track on the record, but
it’s one of the most powerful—a shotgun-rapid rap
questioning activism and the commercialization of
dissent. “Gasoline (Live)” sounds more like proto punk
in the tradition of records by The Velvet Underground,
Modern Lovers and Television. The second single,
“Bouquet of Lightning,” follows, and it’s still one of their
best songs to date. The album finishes with the stunning
“Billie Holiday.”
For more on these events and other highlights of
the Phoenix music scene, check out Mitchell’s blog
at http://soundsaroundtown.net. For submissions
or suggestions contact him at mitchell@
soundsaroundtown.net
JAVA 33
MAGAZINE