Friday Cover Up #2 - Riding No Fucking Where

Normally I'm struggling for good covers to bring the week to a close, but today we are inundated! First The Horrortones, now this compilation of Ride covers conceived by cool blog Clicky Clicky Music from bands of Boston to celebrate the seminal album Nowhere. Poor Ride - they are the oft forgotten shoegaze band to rise out of that MBV/Swervedriver/Slowdive scene, but Nothing is a phenomenal record. There are some recognisable names on the list for eagle-eyed Sonic Masala perverts, with both Soccer Mom and Young Adults gracing these pages with various pieces of loud discontent (YA's 'Decay' is close to the best thing on here, and the best they have sounded). However other bands stood up to be counted also, with Gary Lyon in particular impressing with his elegiac take on 'Paralyzed' (and his brave rearrangement of the composition really makes it his own). Sure, like most covers compilations the new versions fail to eclipse the originals, but that is impossible with such material. Best case scenario though is that these young bands deliver on their promise and offer diligent, worthy interpretations - and can't wish for more than that.


Head here to get a free download, and enjoy!

Young Adults - Decay (Ride cover)
Soccer Mom - Dreams Burn Down (Ride Cover)
Gary Lyon - Paralyzed (Ride cover)

Have a good weekend, kids!

Friday Cover Up #1 - The Horrortones Souled Out.

Leave it up to rock'n'soul cover behemoths The Horrortones to put out something as irregular yet delectable as a triple 7" box set. These guys only play like twice a goddamned year! Seriously though, it's great to have these consummate pleasure machines put tracks on wax, and the six songs on display will have you greasing your hair back and shimmying in no time! Just try to resist the decadent, blitzed charms of 'W.A.S.T.E.D' or the swinging frenzy of 'Mojo Hannah'. None of the band members even know where 'They Don't Know' comes from, but the tune does James Brown and hootenannies proud (trust me, such extremes can co-exist). And it wouldn't be The Horrortones without a Dirtbombs cover - or at least a cover of the Dirtbombs covering The O'Jays ('Living For The Weekend').


Courtesy of Mere Noise, there are only 150 of these suckers on planet Earth, so pre-order this diamante delicacy here. The launch is on Friday June 1 at The Beetle Bar, where they will be joined by Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side, Cannon and Lovely Legs (who have just finished recording tracks for an upcoming cassette - I've heard the unmixed tracks and they are special!) And look at that poster! The caricatures are more life-like than the band members in person!

The Horrortones

The next band to come off the Mere Noise Meltdown honour roll is...

The Horrortones. This behemoth of a Brisbane supergroup slash institution slash intermittent rockabilly raconteurs are currently working on a triple 7" box set, which is hugely exciting. The band revolves around ex-Vegas Kings frontman Pete, with a steady backing band and a revolving door of hangers on. The bands cover the gamut of ace Brisbane band - the aforementioned Vegas Kings, The Grates, Texas Tea, SixFtHick, The Stress of Leisure, Wiseacre, The Tremors, Gin Club, Giants Of Science, Butcher Birds...the list goes on and on. The membership is fluid, its all about drinking with buds and having a good time (space permitting). The M.O. is to funk the fuck out, have a hell of a time, systematically destroy everything and everyone in sight, and wake up the next day in a perpetual state of amnesia and pain. And seeing as they list King Khan, The Dirtbombs and Reigning Sound as influences, there isn't much else to do than ensure you catch one of their shows... (And due to their reticent nature to get things down, all I have is this not so great video of them covering King Khan & the Shrines' 'Saba Lou' from back in 2009. Still, as more about the box set comes through, I will let you know).

Hunting The Narwhals

I picked up this 7" a few weeks ago for three reasons.

One, I was on a recording buying binge and couldn't help myself.

Two, I wanted to support local bands, especially good ones.

Three, my mate Dan who plays in the band wouldn't give me a free one.

Instrumental surf rock bands need to err on the side of Dick Dale or The Shadows if they want to avoid being thrown in with the Best Coast crowd, which Narwhals do well. Its at times funky, at times moody, at times addictive, at times surly, at all times it floods the place with hooks.

Unfortunately it's nigh on impossible to see them live anymore due to members being flung far and wide. That said, have a listen to a couple tracks below, hunt down their 7" here through Mere Noise, and then hunt the members down and give them crow pecks, noogies and Chinese burns until they play once more!

Narwhals - Cosmic Reef
Narwhals - Hell's Gates