Splendid Spook Houses Of America

This song has saved my life today. After a heady weekend at Splendour In The Grass (working on reviews and publications, seeing some great sets from Explosions In The Sky, Father John Misty, Mudhoney and Dirty Three, but mainly having a hazy blast with friends and "acquaintances"), travelling back to Brisbane from Byron Bay at 6am wasn't conducive to a happy Uncle Masala. Then I stumbled across New Jersey quartet Spook Houses and their track 'American' that is on their upcoming LP Trying. That flat vocal when he drawls "I'm drunk and I feel like shit" says it all, let alone the fat bass line and the explosion of happy noise halfway through the blistering track. It's an anthem towards the inane beauty inherent in being young and dumb, which is usually what going to a festival is fuelled by. I know nothing else about this band AT ALL, but this is enough. They saved my life - now I am indebted to Spook Houses.


Trying is out soon on Philly label Evil Weevil. You can pre-order it here.

Video Vacuum - Per Purpose, Father John Misty, Lyonnais, Strange Hands

Damn if it hasn't been a batshit crazy week! I even missed posting on a Monday, that nigh on never happens. Well, after the sell out show Sonic Masala put on at The Waiting Room on Friday night (happy snaps on their way), it's no wonder. But I'm desperate to put my nose back to the millstone, so here are some vids to take your mind of the fact that it's Neck Yourself Tuesday, hmmm?

Per Purpose have been not so quietly killing all and sundry in Brisbane over the past couple of years. Here is a DIY video for their 'Warburton' track which I really enjoy. For some reason Per Purpose remind me a bit of The Drones on this one - certainly not a bad thing, although I'm not sure that was what they were working towards. Nevertheless, it's a killer track.



Last week I posted about Father John Misty, and even showed the excellent video for 'Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings' featuring the excellent Aubrey Plaza. Here is the third single from Fear Fun called 'This Is Sally Hatchet' - and it is even crazier in content than 'Hollywood Forever...' was! Love this drugged visionary. It's incredibly slick, and has me celebrating violence - win win?



Now I haven't mentioned Lyonnais before, but the Atlanta band's psych/drone meanderings are some excellent meditations on the existentialism of space...or something. It's great regardless, and this montage of natural desert landscapes and societies is a perfect complement to their music. I really rate this band, and so should you.



Finally we have the criminally underrated French garage band Strange Hands. Check out their debut album Dead Flowers - it's amazing technicoloured splattered vinyl, a great record, and can be gleaned from Azbin Records here.

Play Father John Misty For Me

Father John Misty isn't the new cult leader on the blocks, although from his sounds his would be a killer cult to get tied up in. No, it is the new name for J Tillman, one time Fleet Fox and now chillin on his own dime. He has a record coming out on Sub Pop called Fear Fun. Now, I never hated Fleet Foxes - I thought their last two albums were OK, and they still go down as the first band I ever saw at a Glastonbury, and I was stoned, and they delivered - but I've never understood the avid fandom that surrounds these guys, nor other of their ilk (that said, I'm a Bon Iver sap, but whatcha gonna do?). Tillman stepped away from the skins of Fleet Foxes, which some may gawk and scratch their noggins over, but this moniker he has given himself surely has done wonders. Not that it's exactly an inexplicable notion that Fear Fun is great - Tillman has released seven previous albums under his own name, and his four year tenure in a band renowned for intricacies and massive-scale harmonies would have given him new ideas. No, the real surprise on this album is how much fun it all is - which then points to the album's title. There really is nothing to fear when tracks such as the great 'I'm Writing A Novel'. Also, the film clips for the singles off this album are pretty amazing - expect another in our next Video Vacuum, but I just couldn't resist the Aubrey Plaza starring 'Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings', of which you can download at your leisure below. God she's awesome. Lucky it's a brilliant song too.


Fear Fun is available here in sexy pink vinyl and with a rad tee too - get in there!

Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
Father John Misty - Nancy From Now On