NOISE BOYS: You’d be forgiven if, at first blush and without listening, you mistook the self-described “dirty Southern grindcore” group Skabbard to be a ska band. I mean, come on, right? That said, these dudes positively channel so much authenticity into their boombox-y demo-quality tracks that it’s easy to imagine this trading hands as a bootleg cassette tape once upon a time. To wit, there’s not a single intelligible lyric across the new four-song EP Screamin and Dreamin (sic), nor is there any heaviness to its bottom, even when they are clearly trying. What you do get, though, is about seven minutes of terror that refuses to take itself seriously in even the tiniest way. This is also available as a limited edition compact disc, too. Take a spin over at skabbard.bandcamp.com.
GET YOURSELF TOGETHER: Guitarist Robert Lee Coleman will return to The World Famous Thursday, June 8 at 8:30 p.m. Coleman is a Macon native best known for his work with Percy Sledge and James Brown’s band The JBs. He is a powerfully compelling performer, and the first time I saw him play I was mesmerized. This performance is a benefit for the 2023 Hot Corner festival. The suggested donation at the door is $20, so if you’re inclined to kick that down, I’d suggest getting there as early as possible and getting a good spot up front. Find out more and hear some tunes via facebook.com/robertleecoleman and robertleecoleman.bandcamp.com.
SONGS FROM THE WORKSHOP: It’s been a couple of years since we had any new music from guitarist and songwriter Grayson Hauser. Well, he’s got a brand new collection of tunes out now named Sunset Blues, which he is encouraging everyone to just go grab for free from Bandcamp. He reported to me that he recorded this at home and handled mixing and mastering himself, which is why it’s free. The record opens with the sing-speak low country groove of “Dark Room Blues.” From there, Hauser continues on his path of exploring all sorts of styles, but somehow retains the ability to make them coalesce into something listenable. For example, there’s the strummy and trilly Allman Brothers-esque “Simpler Times” which pairs nicely with the deconstructed echoes of “Song of the Lonely Desert Flower.” The aggressive, nearly ZZ Top-ish riffs of “Badlands #2” performs a similar setup to its neighbor “The Mauve Zone,” which is, in the simplest terms, straight-up ambient noise, albeit with semi-recognizable instrumentation. Take some time and give this a listen. Clock in at graysonhauser.bandcamp.com.
HAVE YOU GOT IT YET?: Preorders are open now for the new album by Locate S,1, Wicked Jaw, which is slated for release July 28. This new album was produced by project head and founder Christina Schneider and engineered by Drew Vandenberg. The whole record features 10 tracks, but the lead single, “You Were Right About One Thing,” is available now, and it absolutely drips with the same cold distance vibe listeners would get from, say, Sniff-N-The Tears’ “Driver’s Seat,” but with decidedly more grandeur and a phenomenal arrangement. The album will be available on LP and cassette, as well as via digital download. Hear the new single and place your orders at locates1.bandcamp.com.
FIRST LISTEN: In the notes for the new two-song EP Calamity from Athens atmospheric black metal project Cold Hearth, composer Tim Rowland reports that he tracked these back in 2019. He also notes that these songs are “rooted in the suffering, blood and turmoil of the frontier American West.” Each song is deeply steeped in theatrical presentation and, indeed, they stretch their arms way past a simple “black metal” tag. Most notable is the lack of the traditional black metal blast beats in favor of more traditional rock-metal styles. The first song, “For Those Who Trespass,” works as a sort of overture for the pair, and the second, “No Land Of Promise,” is the more aggressive of the two. No word yet on any further forthcoming material, but these are free to check out as we speak. Find them at coldhearthmusic.bandcamp.com.
AND ALSO WITH YOU: Continuing this week’s apparent sub-theme of super-short records bathed in challenges comes the new two-track release, Dear John…, from Iodine Watt. The lyrics are from the book of Revelation, Chapter 9. The first track, “Part 1 – The Lamb and Book” has a gently meditative trip-hop beat behind it with a nicely tinkling piano. The second, “Part 2 – The Seal Dealer,” has an anxious string background, oscillating synthesizers, an electro beat and an overall sense of being unsettled. Not much else to say except try it on for size over at iodinewatt.bandcamp.com.
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