Made In America - Shark?

At least a couple of times a week I’ll spend a few hours at night trolling the depths of the internet for new music. This both alleviates occasional boredom and feeds my obsession for ear candy. I like to think that I have a pretty good finger on the pulse of what’s out there but in all reality I don’t, not even close, and more often than not, I’ll miss out on a band with some worthy tunes. One of those bands was Brooklyn, New York’s, Shark?

I caught Shark?, yep, pun intended, as one of the two openers for post-punk icons Mission Of Burma a couple of weeks ago at The Earl in Atlanta, Georgia. They were at the tail end of a small tour with a stop through Austin at South By Southwest on their way back home. I must admit that they didn’t get to me at first. Even now I wouldn’t be able to pick out the opening song from a playlist. I only remember that it was a somewhat mono-drone, fuzzy experience and I could even be wrong about that. It was probably as awesome as the rest of the set ended up being. 

Frontman Kevin Diamond knows how to write a song with a head-bobbing groove and a hook that will land the dourest of listeners. I know, the fishing puns, can’t stop, won’t stop. While inching my way towards the front of the stage I invisioned Shark? as a rock and roll love child between The Pixies and The Strokes who received the choicest DNA from both bands. 

 

But the song that did it for me and has been on constant repeat for the last two weeks is the song Shark?, from their 2012 album True Waste. The song was the set closer and it closed the deal for me. I immediately darted for the merch table and netted a copy of the album, on cassette no less. Thankfully there was a digital download card.

So enhance your life a little and check out “You Don’t Love Me Anymore”, fall in love with this band like I did, and then listen to their latest single “California Grrls” from their upcoming album Savior on Old Flame Records, expected to be released sometime this summer.

Here's a link to Shark?s latest single "California Girls" via Soundcloud.
More Shark? music available for a listen on their Bandcamp page.

Made In America - Wildcat! Wildcat! and Bleached

Here in the U.S., spring is slowly emerging from its winter slumber bringing color back to our faces and more importantly into our lives. By “color into our lives”  I mean that the time is near for the South by Southwest festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. For fans of music, comedy, film, and related technology SXSW offers more than a week (this year it’s March 8-17) of live music and comedy, film, and forums and related technology, it’s a literal feast for the senses. 

In a U.S. state where everything is bigger, SXSW Music is the largest music festival of its kind in the world, with more than 2500 "official" performers/bands playing in more than 100 venues and focuses mainly on new talent in the music and film industry. 

Two bands in this year’s lineup who are due to make their breakout is Wildcat! Wildcat! and Bleached. 

Wildcat! Wildcat! are a Los Angeles based trio that specializes in creating infectious synth-based pop goodness that is sure to have you humming to yourself long after the end of the last track. My first listen evoked memories of MGMT and Neon Indian.

Together since 2011, the band’s earliest releases Mr. Quiche and End of the World Everyday came at the beginning of 2012. A double A-side 7” single for Mr. Quiche and The Chief was released later that summer by Neon Gold Records. Those three songs plus Please and Thank You are available for a listen on the Wildcats! Wildcats! website via Soundcloud.

Wildcat! Wildcat! - Mr. Quiche

Sisters, Jennifer and Jessica Clavin, formerly of LA's favorite all-girl punk outfit Mika Miko, make up the Los Angeles band, Bleached. Close your eyes and envision The Ramones, in tank tops and short shorts, basking under a West Coast sun. I know, you can’t un-see that image, now add absurdly catchy guitar-driven So-Cal (Southern California) post-punk and you have yourself your next summer soundtrack.

Having previously released three buzz-worthy 7” singles, Carter on Art Fag, Francis on Ooga Booga, and Searching Through The Past on Suicide Squeeze, the band is schedule to drop their debut album Ride Your Heart on the Dead Oceans Label on April 2^nd.

Bleached - Searching Through The Past

Do yourself a favor, listen to the this song through to the end and then "come on back".