Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
T.O.S.O.<br />
The Cleanse<br />
SNAILMATE<br />
Existential Anxiety<br />
WOLFZIE<br />
Homebody Friends<br />
By the time I got a hold of T.O.S.O.’s last non-demo<br />
release, “Soul Junk,” it was too late to talk about it,<br />
which was a shame because I had fallen in love with<br />
their unique live performances, which are different<br />
every time. Their energy, vitality and creativity on<br />
stage may not entirely carry over to record, but their<br />
new EP, The Cleanse, makes a damn fine attempt<br />
at it. T.O.S.O. is Zac White, Marc Ellis, Eric Ellis and<br />
Evan Dorney, along with any guests they may need.<br />
“Hungover Forever” is the perfect way for the band to<br />
reintroduce themselves on record, mixing the pathos<br />
of Lou Reed with the sound of the Butthole Surfers.<br />
It’s dizzying, confusing and wonderful all at once, like<br />
the band itself. There are more shades of early Black<br />
Flag and Dead Kennedys on “Lye,” which is odd,<br />
because they aren’t really hardcore punk, but the vibe<br />
is there somehow. “Fried Piper” continues our journey<br />
of debauchery (yes, there’s something of a concept at<br />
hand), and it takes a psychedelic bend recalling Syd<br />
Barrett and early Floyd, with a hint of Flaming Lips for<br />
some extra scorch.<br />
Kicking off the second half is “Burnout,” a great indie<br />
rock tune and a touch of slacker anthem. “Cicadadoo”<br />
is nearly a straight-ahead rocker that has one of the<br />
most memorable hooks on the record. Their songs<br />
are strange, but for some reason this one sticks with<br />
me and gnaws at my mind. “Head Movies” concludes<br />
The Cleanse with the same kind of heavy bass that<br />
commanded the start, but the neurotica of this song<br />
brings the record to dizzying heights for its finale,<br />
placing the crescendo in the middle to bring you<br />
down for a soft landing.<br />
Having completed their Escargot trilogy last year<br />
and then compiling those tracks into the Love in the<br />
Microwave album, the only thing left for Snailmate to<br />
do before heading out on another cross-country tour<br />
was record another record. When Snailmate released<br />
their Escargot EP in 2015, it seemed like it would be<br />
a side project for Kalen Lander and Ariel Monet, but<br />
then they started touring, people started loving it,<br />
and in time the trilogy was complete.<br />
Existential Anxiety is the first EP to follow their<br />
debut concept, and it’s a brief four banger that, if<br />
nothing else, lets you know that Snailmate is here<br />
to stay. “Night Life” is the opening track, and it is<br />
all over the place in all the right ways, including<br />
a harrowing introduction, followed by a Lander<br />
rap that includes some sly references to previous<br />
singles. Snailmate keeps it weird and slightly<br />
terrifying on “I Woke Up For This?” With their<br />
patent combination of soul-shaking screams and<br />
entertaining rapped verses, they are cementing their<br />
intrinsically weird alchemical sound.<br />
“On You” steps aside for a moment and introduces<br />
some new dimensions, and it’s a total showcase for<br />
Lander’s stream of subconscious hip hop. They’re<br />
eyeing this up for the first single or video, and it<br />
should be. As fantastically strange as this band gets,<br />
it’s somehow slightly more accessible than usual.<br />
“3D Glasses” finishes this installment perfectly. As<br />
you sit and stare in the silence afterward, unsure of<br />
what to do next, your nervous system is not the same<br />
as when the record began. As much of a continuation<br />
of Snailmate as this is, there is a noticeably different<br />
vibe in their post-Escargot landscape, which excites<br />
me even more about this duo’s future.<br />
Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman<br />
What’s that? You were expecting the next WOLFZiE<br />
record to be The Memory Department, Pt. 2? Nah,<br />
WOLFZiE is in it for the long game, so you’re going<br />
to get Homebody Friends right now. WOLFZiE’s aim<br />
is having the comfiest cult around, and if you’re chill<br />
and somewhat antisocial, you may be a Homebody<br />
Friend too. This is their soundtrack, and it opens with<br />
the stunning dream-like trip hop of “You,” featuring<br />
Tru Vonne, melting more genres in a minute than<br />
you can hope to come up with, sinking you into the<br />
musical equivalent of a down comforter.<br />
Jimmy Sticcx and Bubba Dak are featured on “7<br />
Works,” which delivers a fantastic flow over<br />
WOLFZiE’s trippy musical backdrop, hitting some<br />
key interplay with your neurons. “What You<br />
Need” gets into some psychedelically reworked<br />
jazz that’s as fascinating as it is hypnotic. The<br />
brief “Seeds” follows, with strange modulations<br />
and a wild soundscape designed as a link track to<br />
what follows. “Mau” features Roqy Tyraid with a<br />
righteous, amazing tirade that extols the beauty of all<br />
that is black.<br />
The record concludes with the title track, a stunning<br />
instrumental that gives you a taste of the cozy cult,<br />
where you text your friends from bed with no intent<br />
of leaving the comfort of home. Technology has<br />
allowed us to socialize without the discomfort of<br />
actually socializing. It’s also a pretty dance-ready<br />
number. And if you’re wondering, Homebody Friends<br />
do a lot of dancing at home alone if the music’s right.<br />
This is it – this is legit Homebody music.<br />
For more on these events and other highlights of<br />
the Phoenix music scene, check out Mitchell’s blog<br />
at http://soundsaroundtown.net. For submissions<br />
or suggestions contact him at mitchell@<br />
soundsaroundtown.net<br />
<strong>JAVA</strong> 33<br />
MAGAZINE
Change language