WHATCHA GHANA DO?: Pre-orders are open now for CD, vinyl and digital download copies of the upcoming re-release of the album Is What You Make It by TaxiCab Verses. This project is the brainchild of musician Jim Wilson with his cast of thousands, and this album was done in collaboration with Kofi Atentenben and the Warriors (Accra, Ghana). The album originally came out seven years ago in 2016, but this re-release arrives courtesy of Strolling Bones Records. The music here was inspired by Wilson’s time in Ghana, and the group name comes from the various slogans and statements Wilson observed written on taxis while there. Lay your money down over at strollingbonesrecords.com or preview a track and buy it at taxicabverses.bandcamp.com. It is slated for release Oct. 20.
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE: Visual artist and musician Alexei Gural, who has made art in Athens for decades, released a full-length album last month titled Altar. It’s a largely ambient record, but quite deliberately performed and full of instrumentation. Its deft use of rhythm (especially on sparse tracks like “Uncharted Chasm”) is a really charming aspect, and probably reaches its apex with the barely-there trip hop of “Raindrop Toast.” What’s so great about this release is how utterly listenable it is. For the most part, even among records I sincerely enjoy and artists I sincerely respect and appreciate, the ambient/experimental/noise arena can be a real test sometimes. This record is like a cool breeze whose reappearance is welcome. Find it at alexeigural.bandcamp.com.
ONE OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD: Punk rockers Beat Up have a new split single out with the folky-anarcho Cowboy Kerouac named We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Sub. Beat Up’s contribution to this is the song “Straight to the Bottom of the Ocean (Sub song),” the group’s pull-no-punches viewpoint on the implosion of the Titan submersible craft. It’s an uncharacteristically folk-based tune that depends heavily on the Irish folk tradition for its music, and the folk tradition in general for its storytelling and moral stance. Basically, it makes the point that those who died in the deep sea accident were victims of their own hubris. But it really feels like the point the band is making is that their actual crime was being rich. Their individual paths to such status—some of which may indeed be unseemly, inhumane and unethical—aren’t even discussed, though. Plus, the song ends with the morbid wish of “…it’s such a shame it couldn’t hold a hundred more.” The tune itself is fine, but the whole thing seems really mean spirited and a lost opportunity to really dig deeper into the song’s subject. Cowboy Kerouac’s track “Rise Up” is a by-the-numbers punk folk tune that name-checks all the usual suspects and boogeymen, and ends with the Chairman Mao-level murder-as-retribution wish of “All the landlords, managers and financial kings/They all bleed the same when their necks are wringed/When the masses rise we’ll be seeing red/And we won’t stop ‘til every billionaire is dead.” So, all you billionaires out there better watch out, because here comes Cowboy Kerouac. All the above said, these topical songs attempt to undertake serious issues that are important to talk about, but each fails in its own particular way. In other news, Beat Up released a teaser single for another split single it has coming out named “A Million Lifetimes,” and it succeeds greatly in expressing much of the same sentiment mentioned above. It’s poetic, thoughtful and genuine, and also rocks. Find all of this stuff at beatup.bandcamp.com, and for more information, please see facebook.com/beatupband and cowboykerouac.com.
THE FUTURE MAY NOT BE WRITTEN, BUT IT’S SCHEDULED: Pre-sales are still open for the Futurebirds-curated festival experience Highball which takes place at Atlanta’s Pullman Yards Oct. 21–22. Single day tickets are $65 ($125 for VIP) and two-day passes are $95 ($225 for VIP). This lineup is like a reunion of old friends in a lot of ways, and it’s easy to imagine Futurebirds putting this bill together. Featured artists are Band Of Horses, The Head and The Heart, Futurebirds (of course, and they’re playing each night), Wednesday, Seratones, T. Hardy Morris, The Whigs, S.G. Goodman and Hotel Fiction. While this event is not age-restricted, anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. There are some specific restrictions regarding re-entry, bags, etc. so please be sure to read the FAQs on the event’s website. For all other information and to purchase tickets, please see highball.live.
THE AGE OF QUARREL: Hardcore rockers Snuki put out its newest release Deprived Of Life in July, but reported to me that they just had cassette versions come in stock. Man, I’m telling you, this thing just smokes. While it certainly pulls a lot from classic 1980s hardcore, any particular reference points are extraneous as this era provides the musical linguistics for huge swaths of the heavy music scene. That said, Snuki’s ability to hook listeners by swinging reliably between blast beat intensity and four-on-the-floor circle-pit rhythms is spot on. Hell, the entirety of “Yellow Sea” followed immediately by “Deathproof” would be a sufficient introduction to the entire genre. The whole thing is utterly enjoyable and undeniably invigorating. Find it at snuuuki.bandcamp.com.
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