The Paranoyds “Memory Foam”
Los Angeles’ The Paranoyds continue their streak of reminiscent sci-fi boogie with “Memory Foam”. On this unearthed outtake from their ‘Carnage Bargain’ recording session, the band ruminates on the tedium and loss of innocence that comes with adulthood. “Memory Foam” is a playful track with a rhythm that encourages you to do a dance and evoke the spirits to ward off all the guys without jobs still living off of their parents.
SadGirl “Learn to Swim”
On the surface, SadGirl’s 2019 album Water harkened back to the feel-good music of the ‘50s and ‘60s, but like so many of the greats from the Sun, Motown, and Stax catalogs, the sunny melodies often hid turbulent underlying themes. The use of water as a metaphor continued within the SadGirl camp as mastermind Misha Lindes composed their new single “Learn to Swim.” Originally conceived as the beginning of a follow-up album, the song’s themes of fluidity and transformation—learning to swim rather than treading water—took on a new scope in the wake of the pandemic. “With all of the shake-ups and cancellations, I felt like the song needed to get out there,” says Lindes. “It seemed too relevant to everything that was going on. I want people to know we’re still here and we’re gonna be here after this has all settled down. Adapt and thrive.” The sentimental acoustic guitar chords, woozy melodies on keyboards and electric guitar, and lullaby vocals were recorded to 8-track tape in Lindes’ living room, giving the dreamy pop song an added patina, a reminder of the distance of time and our constant journey forward.
LA’s Death Valley Girls have made a name for themselves by churning out a desert-blasted blend of rowdy proto-punk and primitive heavy metal steeped in cosmic idealism and third-eye consciousness. Their first new offering since tearing a hole in the sky with their 2018 album Darkness Rains comes in the form of a two-song seven-inch, “Breakthrough.” The title track is a cover by Atomic Rooster, though the band discovered the track through a rendition by Nigerian outfit The Funkees. With its grimy guitar riffs, fire-and-brimstone organ, and combative chorus, it’s as if the song was originally written with Death Valley Girls’ brand of stark transcendental rock in mind. But it wasn’t just the pulse and melody that drew the band to the song. “It spoke to me because of the lyrics about breaking free from an invisible prison… we all have invisible or visible prisons we are trapped in,” says vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Bonnie Bloomgarden. The song discovery coincided with the band’s interest in Damien Echols of West Memphis 3 and his ability to endure his imprisonment by learning to astral project through meditation. The b-side is another cover—a ramped-up version Daniel Johnston’s loud-quiet-loud anthem “Rock ‘N’ Roll / EGA.” It’s a total rager, but it’s also a bittersweet song for Death Valley Girls as they had the rare privilege to briefly serve as Johnston’s backing band. Ultimately, the two songs have a deep and profound connection to Death Valley Girls, both in their spirit and in their aural alignment. Suicide Squeeze Records is proud to offer up the “Breakthrough” seven-inch in a limited edition one-time pressing of 750 copies on Half Purple & Half Black colored vinyl.
“Pretty (Ugly Before)” b/w “A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free” holds the distinction of being the last recording by Elliott Smith to be released while he was still alive. Originally released as a single in August 2003, the songs were a part of the recording sessions that would ultimately yield the acclaimed posthumous album From A Basement On The Hill. The two songs serve as a powerful reminder of why Smith became the voice for a dejected generation. This repress is limited to 500 copies on half electric blue & half white color vinyl.
Michael Nau’s solo career began with songs crafted and composed in private moments, later to be shared with musical compatriots and reimagined with auxiliary input on records like Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread, Mowing, The Load EP, and Some Twist. These early drafts were stashed away in the vault as Nau strode forward, but after a taxing spring of touring in support of his latest album Less Ready to Go, and recording and self-releasing the stripped-down informal release So On So On, Nau found himself hunkering down at home and rediscovering old gems in his archives. The search yielded a new digital collection of Nau’s initial forays into solo work, bundled together as Demo Versions, 2014 to 2017. In their initial incarnations, these songs were less about the end result and more about the discovery. “They’re the seed,” Nau says of the material. “These recordings are essentially the writing of the songs… written and recorded at the same time. There’s something exciting about them for that reason. It feels magical any time the start of a song arrives, let alone gets ‘finished.’” These early drafts don’t just serve to shed light on the creative process or expose the malleability of Nau’s songwriting approach; they often frame the material in an entirely new context. Demo Versions’ opening track “The Glass” is a bare-bones affair of acoustic guitar, bass, and vocals—a breezy Sunday morning song that sounds markedly different than the layered lounge-rock approach that later appeared on Mowing. “Light That Ever,” with its wall-of-sound production, serves as a climax to Some Twist, but in its infant stage on this collection, it’s a beautiful, intimate folk song. Ultimately, all ten songs off Demo Versions, 2014 to 2017 reveal a new side to these fan favorites, with Nau’s lush arrangements and unorthodox accompaniments largely absent, and the simple beauty and grace at the heart of the material at front and center. Suicide Squeeze is proud to offer up Michael Nau’s Demo Versions, 2014 to 2017 to the world via digital platforms.
Where L.A. Witch’s self-titled album oozed with vibe and atmosphere, with the whole mix draped in reverb, sonically placing the band in some distant realm, broadcast across some unknown chasm of time, Play With Fire comes crashing out of the gate with a bold, brash, in-your-face rocker “Fire Starter.” The authoritative opener is a deliberate mission statement. “Play With Fire is a suggestion to make things happen,” says Sanchez. “Don’t fear mistakes or the future. Take a chance. Say and do what you really feel, even if nobody agrees with your ideas. These are feelings that have stopped me in the past. I want to inspire others to be freethinkers even if it causes a little burn.” And by that line of reasoning, “Fire Starter” becomes a call to action, an anthem against apathy. From there, the album segues into the similarly bodacious rocker “Motorcycle Boy”—a feisty love song inspired by classic cinema outlaws like Mickey Rourke, Marlon Brando, and Steve McQueen. At track three, we hear L.A. Witch expand into new territories as “Dark Horse” unfurls a mixture of dustbowl folk, psychedelic breakdowns, and fire-and-brimstone organ lines. And from there, the band only gets more adventurous. Play With Fire is a bold new journey that retains L.A. Witch’s siren-song mystique, nostalgic spirit, and contemporary cool. Despite the stylistic breadth of the record, there is a unifying timbre across the album’s nine tracks, as if the trio of young musicians is bound together as a collective of old souls tapping into the sounds of their previous youth.
While singer and multi-instrumentalist Bonnie Bloomgarden and guitarist Larry Schemel knew their intention for the album before a single note was written, the actual nature and direction of the music was a mystery. The initial inspiration for the record came from the jubilant spirit of Ethiopian funk records the band had been listening to on tour, but once they began to channel the songs it seemed like the music came from somewhere not in the past but in the future. In the weeks leading up to recording, Death Valley Girls relied on their subconscious and effortlessly conjured Under the Spell of Joy’s eleven tracks as if they’d tapped into the Akashic Chronicle and pulled the music from the ether.
The album opens with “Hypnagogia,” an ode to the space between sleep and wakefulness where we are open to other realms of consciousness. The song slowly builds along a steady pulse provided by bassist Pickle (Nicole Smith) and drummer Rikki Styxx. Tripped out saxophone bleats from guest player Gabe Flores swirl on top of the organ drones laid out by guest keyboardist Gregg Foreman. The band’s choral objectives for Under the Spell of Joy are established right off the bat, with Bloomgarden’s melodic invocations bolstered by a choir, giving the album a rich and vibrant wall-of-sound aesthetic. The song ominously builds on its hypnotic foundation until it opens up into a raucous revelry at the four-minute mark. The portentous simmer of the opening track yields to the ecstatic rocker “Hold My Hand,” where verses reminiscent of Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting For The Man” explode into big triumphant choruses. From there the band launches into the title track, which marries the griminess of The Stooges with an innocence provided by a children’s choir chanting the album’s primary mantra “under the spell of joy / under the spell of love.” Death Valley Girls have always vacillated between lightness and darkness, and on “Bliss Out” they demonstrate their current exuberant focus with a patina-hued pop song driven by an irrepressibly buoyant organ line laid down by keyboardist The Kid (Laura Kelsey). A similar cosmic euphoria is obtained on “The Universe,” where alternating chords on the organ help elevate soaring saxophone and keyboard lines out beyond the stratosphere. If you’re looking for transcendental rock music, look no further.
(reissue)
As the world continues to literally burn, The Paranoyds return with a much-needed dose of musical levity. It’s been nearly a year since the Los Angeles-based outfit released Carnage Bargain, their debut full-length, and this new release, a two-song seven-inch, is a total embodiment of their every influence.
Their identity — a band fueled by campy horror movies and garage rock — is more evident than ever on this seven-inch, beginning with the organ-fueled opening of A-side “Pet Cemetery.” Featuring the sounds of off-kilter keys alongside a chugging guitar line, and expansive experiments, “Pet Cemetery” has become a staple of the band’s live performances, resulting in a sea of zombie-fied headbang every time it’s played.
Despite the obvious heaviness that surrounds a track entirely centered on undead lovers partaking in PDA, there’s an undeniable undercurrent of fun. Previously recorded during sessions for the band’s full length-debut, this unofficial anthem for underworld romance was being saved for a special moment.
On the record’s B-side, is “Hotel Celebrity,” a single that’s darkness isn’t quite so overt. An examination of aging, and the fruitless celebrity pursuit of superficial perfection, The Paranoyds share in a not so sincere toast to Hollywood.
The single was among the last sessions at the famed Tiny Telephone, a San Francisco-based recording studio. The track is a sneak peek at the future, if there is a future beyond all this shit, of what musical direction The Paranoyds might be headed in next.
The Coathangers The Coathangers
The eponymous debut album by The Coathangers is a whirlwind ride of a band at the most frenzied, celebratory, and free moment of their existence. As a standalone record, it’s a brash and bawdy rocker sure to please anyone who likes their rock n’ roll sweaty and messy. As a piece in the band’s legacy, it’s an exhilarating reminder of the band’s youthful care-free beginnings. Suicide Squeeze Records is proud to offer up the deluxe remastered version of The Coathangers to the world on December 4th, 2020. This latest version of the album includes the bonus tracks “Wife Eyes” from the Hard Candy EP and the title track from the Never Wanted You EP. The Coathangers will be available on vinyl, which features expanded artwork by Bradford Cox (Deerhunter, Atlas Sound) in a gatefold jacket.
The Aislers Set closed out the last century by sculpting endearing and infectious songs out of the best elements of the rock n’ roll’s pop luminaries—from the wall-of-sound of ‘60s girl-groups to the austere melodicism of The Velvet Underground on through the charisma of the revered C86 Brit pop scene and to countless niches in between. The Bay Area band contained enough grit to win the touring companionship of Sleater-Kinney and Bratmobile yet buoyant and charming enough to be name-dropped by Belle & Sebastian. Yet for all the praise and accolades bestowed upon their three studio albums and numerous singles, The Aislers Set slipped into dormancy in 2003 when founding member Linton left San Francisco for New York City and fellow guitarist/vocalist Wyatt Cusick relocated to Gothenburg, Sweden. Those chillier climes may have something to do with the last-tracked Aislers Set song—the standalone holiday duet “Cold Christmas.” Recorded by Linton and Cusick over the holidays of 2010, “Cold Christmas” contains all the seasonal magic of A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector filtered through the scrappy charm of indie rock. The songwriting duo trade verses against a backdrop of jangling electric guitars and trumpet calls, with Cusick offering up a warm hearth and Linton opting to enjoy the winter landscape. The one-off track could very well be an ode to the geographic distance between the songwriters, but its simple description of pining for loved ones during the holidays is both timeless and universal. After ten years, the unseasonably sunny “Cold Christmas” is finally available to the public. Suicide Squeeze is proud to present this unearthed future holiday classic as a digital single on all streaming platforms.
