Uneasy Intelligence

Lars Finberg has been attacking the mundane and successful for nigh on a decade now, either through his excellent and sadly defunct post punk project A-Frames or through his now collective garage quirkfest The Intelligence - and with latest album Everyone Has It Easy But Me. Jumping from Casio twitches to rollicking rumbles, hip-swaying 60s pop covers and acoustic whimsy, the ideas are far-reaching and abundant yet all with that pitch-black sneer and caustic tut-tutting that Finberg delivers so well. Much of this musical legacy is in keeping with Finberg's work band, the John Dwyer dynasty Thee Oh Sees, and some of the schizophrenia inherent with that collective can be gleaned from this record.


I have always loved what Finberg has involved himself with, and on Everyone Has It Easy But Me he is near his best. An eclectic album, sure, but one that electrifies more intensely with each listen, and the lyrics are spot on...something that seems to fall by the wayside in this day and age. You can grab it through In The Red here.

The Intelligence - (They Found Me On The Back Of) The Galaxy
The Intelligence - Sunny Backyard

Falling In Love In The Slaughterhouse

I'm a little concerned about the extreme levels of "appreciation" I have for Ty Segall. Seriously, I came to the San Franciscan's world through 2010's Melted, went back to the beginning, then rolled right through - and there isn't anything I haven't disliked, and a lot of which I love to death. T-Rex covers? White Fence collabs? Contributions to small labels? Playing with Sic Alps? I've even had the pleasure of interviewing AND meeting him, twice. Jesus wept.

Now we have Slaughterhouse, his first foray as Ty Segall Band (featuring another awesome SF garage demon, Mikal Cronin). It is the most frenetic, balls-out release he has put to tape, which he has readily admitted as this was his "heavy metal record". And it is amazing. It is unabashed, shamelessly pedal down raucous rock n roll, written by incredibly gifted musicians who love the craft. It is, above all else, fun - there are amazing harmonies on tracks like 'I Bought My Eyes' and 'Tell Me What's Inside Your Heart' - and proves that it isn't necessary to record in a dumpster to be "authentic". I goddamn love this record - and you too, Ty.


Slaughterhouse is out through In The Red - definitely buy this! I'm positive that another record is just around the corner too (and he's about to start touring the States with Thee Oh Sees, who also have a new album on the way), so let the man-love continue!

Ty Segall Band - Mary Ann
Ty Segall Band - Wave Goodbye
Ty Segall Band - I Bought My Eyes

Ty Segall's Slaughterhouse Eye Sale

As if his excellent collaboration with White Fence, Hair, wasn't enough, San Franciscan wunderkind Ty Segall has another album bearing down on us called Slaughterhouse, under the moniker Ty Segall Band (said band features the also amazing Mikal Cronin plus some other stellar members of the SF garage scene). It is a much more raucous effort that uses more bottom end and aggression, keeping in line with Segall's admission of wanting to do a more "metal" record. We posted the first cut "Wave Goodbye" here (the track is also linked below) - here is another track. When I saw that song title I immediately thought of a Simpsons episode - this is the one (naht nidit nyong):



Segall doesn't know how to suck, so this is an exciting release. Slaughterhouse is out June 26 on In The Red.

Ty Segall Band - I Bought My Eyes
Ty Segall Band - Wave Goodbye

Triple Ty Treat

I haven't been lathering you with Ty Segall-isms, so you may have thought that the whirling wunderkind had gone quiet. Au contraire, mon frere! The San Francisco garage ratbag has released a shit tonne of stuff.


Firstly we have the split tour release Segall did with French psych ruffians The Feeling Of Love (another awesome, and in my eyes/ears/head a criminally underrated band). One track each side, heretofore unreleased. It's rough and ready, which is more Segall's M.O. than The Feeling Of Love (their Dissolve Me release may have been a little cut-rate, but still comes off as slick and sexy), but altogether ace.

Ty Segall - It's A Problem


Now there is the oft-spoken of collaboration with Tim Presley AKA White Fence, the result being the twenty-nine minute LP Hair (out through Drag City). Both dudes have their idiosyncratic stamp all over these tracks, and it is a truly excellent album. Although too short, as the album races towards its conclusion like a bat out of hell. These guys complement each other, showcase how the lo-fi psych garage movement has many more corners left to shine a light on, and are ever closer to smashing through the glass ceiling. They are their only limitations, which is inimitably exciting news.

Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A GameTy Segall & White Fence - Scissor People

Finally we have The Ty Segall Band, which also features the excellent Mikal Cronin. So far I have only heard this one track, but it is enough to have me rabid with excitement. Slaughterhouse isn't out til June 26 (through In The Red), but it is clear that Segall's promise to deliver something heavier (with a focal point being Black Sabbath) and more melody. Well, the below track has prog psych rock written all over its sweaty, red-eyed face.

Ty Segall Band - Wave Goodbye

These next three releases are in the bag, and there is promise of more in the near future kids, so keep saving your pennies, never get complacent, because another Ty Segall release will always be around the corner (they don't call him "Five To Eight" IE "how many albums out per year" for nothing...)

Mark's Sultanic Mish Mash, Whatever And Whenever He Wants It

Mark Sultan does like to rub people up the wrong way. That said, Ive spoken to the guy a few times and found him to be an ace dude. Fair dues. The fact is, he has been thrashing the garage flag here, there and everywhere for a very long time, and is consistently producing top-shelf stuff. He is releasing two albums, titled Whatever I Want and Whenever I Want respectively. Both will come out on vinyl on In The Red Records. However, you can get a conglomeration of both albums in one package called Whatever/Whenever. Its got 7 tracks from each album, so it's basically a sampler. Really, it is good. But you need to get the albums and hear the 12 other tracks left behind! There are some Bobby Darin/Buddy Holly ghost harbouring on there, alongside many other rad touchstones, and if that sounds exciting (which it fucking should), invest. It covers every gamut of rock music, has collabs from members of Black Lips and The Spits, and promises to be seven shades of brown awesomeness.

Mark Sultan - Let Me Freeze
Mark Sultan - Axis Abraxas
Mark Sultan - Sing In Grey

Is It Right Or Wrong To Be Feeling This Dissolving Love?

Ah, Dissolve Me... I have had this album for what feels like forever, but has probably only been a fortnight. I have had 'I Am Right And You Are Wrong' for months though, and that has been enough. The Feeling Of Love are a French three-piece that have mutated from the warped mind of G. Marietta (from A.H. Kraken). Dissolve Me is infectious as all get out, insisting on metronomic drums that permeate the entire album, some incessant organ pumping, and Marietta's growling guitar and bark, all combine to create some addictive arse-shakers with serious attitude to burn. I really like this one - it's a diamond in the rough.

Dissolve Me is out now through Kill Shaman Records - grab it here.

The Feeling Of Love - I Am Right, And You Are Wrong

Thee Oh Sees' Good/Bad Break

San Francisco has an incredibly warped scene going on, if the psych garage proponents coming out of there are any indication. The piece la resistance has to be Thee Oh Sees, who is mainly John Dwyer, and is mainly cracked as all get out. Latest album released earlier this year, Castlemania really divided the musical intelligentsia. Sure, its weird as fuck, but goddamn if I didnt love the pants off it. Recorded around the same period, Carrion Crawler/The Dream is coming out through In The Red Records. Yep, two LPs this year! And it appears, from this cut at least, that Dwyer is delving back into the dirtiest of his rock roots, which should have a lot of people breathing a sigh of relief. In my opinion, this is amazing, but I was always bound to say that... Just as awesome, a TOS track was played on Breaking Bad last week - one of the best shows currently on TV, and quite possibly one of the best shows EVER. Just sayin...

Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler