 Bootlegs by S.S. Cretins |
>> Blasting out of the freakers’ fringe this winter was the garage outfit S.S. Cretins. And the blast was instantly hot — the four-piece hammered together the razor-sharp EP The Worst of S.S. Cretins, a sonic unity of old world R&B flavor, spastic six-string hooks, and a deep obeisance for the glossed-over worlds of ’60s psych. It felt raw, right, particularly when the group began demonstrating the summoning of those long lost imperfect hits out in public. But that was March; this is now, and the group have pushed forth with their weirdnesses in another dizzy little EP called Bootlegs, all five songs oiled and slanky with primitive rock power and punker’s bite. After two records, we can confidently say that S.S. Cretins are true students of the professionally shitty sound: the snare action is splintering; the guitar frequently squalls; and the moaning, groaning vocals convey their messages via madness more than reason. Yeh. Do hear their work at sscretins.bandcamp.com.
>> Been tickled to see some new venues for rock/punk/whatever shows recently, among them the back room of Urban Farm Fermentory (where the Italian experimental rock band Father Murphy threw their dark gauntlet down a couple weeks ago), and this weekend, the Woodfords Club, which hosts the anarchist folk/punk band Ramshackle Glory, an Arizonan group who count accordions and trumpets and organs and total guilelessness in their songwriting. They play with the upstart garage-thrash band Sweet Teeth, a newer project fronted by the fearless-as-fuck Alison Slattery, and the punk-birthed folk act Holy Shadow this Sunday night. The Woodfords is a concert hall usually reserved for classical or big band or avant-jazz projects, so we dig this curveball pairing very much. Bonus: it’s totally chem-free and donation-based ($5-10 range), though the organizers won’t turn anyone away for lack of funds. Always pleased to see folks going off-script about where to play music, and this particular event gets maximum style points for accessibility. 7:30 pm; 179 Woodfords Ave.
>> Out of nowhere, Greg Jamie (O’Death, Blood Warrior) and Evan Parker (If and It) released a lovely collection of covers last month, tackling songs by Cat Power, Sun Kil Moon, Neil Young, Bonnie Prince Billy, and others. Reverent and serene, it’s right in the wheelhouse of the musical tastes you or someone you love have cultivated the last 10 years. Listen: gregjamie-evanparker.bandcamp.com.
