Shake Appeal is a column that highlights new garage and garage-adjacent releases. This week, Evan Minsker discusses the latest releases from Michigan garage stompers the People's Temple, Montreal's PyPy, Australian groups Ruined Fortune and Ausmuteants, and Oakland post-punks Wet Drag.
The People's Temple: Musical Garden [Hozac]
Those Lansing boys in the People's Temple have become a reliable staple in the garage-pop landscape. On their third album, they're still ripping and stomping as well they were on Sons of Stone and More for the Masses. Sure, their stuff leans vintage Nuggets (see the tambourine on "Handsome Nick"), and once again, they wear that sound well. But perhaps their finest work comes on "I Don't Mind", where they let their vocals echo and ring with minimal backing—just the ethereal, distant sound of what might be a tape machine. Of course, they're also ready to turn up the power, which they do exceedingly well on the appropriately titled "Fast Thrills". Thus far, they're three for three and show no signs of letting up.
The People's Temple: "Handsome Nick" on SoundCloud.
PyPy: Pagan Day [Slovenly]
It's a persistent, fuzzy chug that opens PyPy's Pagan Day, but the subsequent guitar solos make it immediately apparent that this LP is an absolute ripper. This Montreal band are over-the-top, balls-out ferocious. On "New York", Annie-Claude Deschênes screeches, seethes, and roars, her voice evoking the awesomely unpredictable and at-times demonic barkings of Nina Hagen. PyPy sometimes manage to quiet down a bit: On "Molly", there's a sort of call-and-response narrative and an acoustic guitar in the background—but again, they eventually bust out a huge guitar solo. Erratic and consistently thrilling, Pagan Day is an all-around impressive debut.
Ruined Fortune: Ruined Fortune [Hozac]
Late last year, Sydney's Angela Garrick released a solo LP as Angie. Now she's got a new album out with a new band: Ruined Fortune is Garrick and Nic Warnock, head of R.I.P. Society and member of the Bed Wettin' Bad Boys. Their debut LP simmers and seethes in darkness, leaning closer in hue to Sonic Youth or Chrome or Swans than the power pop of the BWBBs. Songs like "All Seeing Eye" and "Transparent Faces" have catchy central hooks, but the atmosphere is dense and thoughtfully paced. Ruined Fortune thrive in the low end—their guitars go deep, both of their voices tend to stay in their lower registers, and it's tempting to call the bass the key ingredient of their bottom-heavy sound.
Ruined Fortune: "Black and Red" on SoundCloud.
Ausmuteants: "Felix Tried to Kill Himself" [Goodbye Boozy]
Goodbye Boozy's got a big pile of killer new 7"s out (from Wet Blankets, Trio Banana, Hierophants, and the Frowning Clouds), but none is more eye-catching than the latest from Melbourne's Ausmuteants. Yes, that's partially because of the insane artwork (which brings to mind Raymond Pettibon), but also: This is a totally awesome song. "TAKE AWAY THE RAZOR BLADES," they shout-sing—a dark instruction backed by a perfectly vicious chug. It all ends with a completely incredible, too-short guitar solo. This band's debut album Amusements is out now via Aarght and getting a U.S. release from Goner on April 1. Look for it.
Ausmuteants: "Felix Tried to Kill Himself" on SoundCloud.
Wet Drag: Silhouette Yeah [Smart Brains]
For me, the word "cassingle" will always bring to mind going to Kmart in 1996 and seeing an entire display shelf of the Spice Girls' "Wannabe". The format traditionally called for the "big hit," maybe a B-side, and usually some alternate version of the "big hit." So calling Silhouette Yeah a "cassingle" feels off for some reason; it's only nine minutes long, but it's a fully realized, fully cohesive release from Oakland's Wet Drag. It's got a frenetic sense of melody—the only sturdy sonic element on "The Cream and the Clear" is a rollicking bassline. They rip out instruments altogether in "Work Drag", which is an a cappella track featuring a series of blunted "do do do" vocals and some spat-out percussive sounds ("whap"). It might not make it to the Kmart display shelf, but still: Silhouette Yeah is awesome.
Also worth hearing: The latest single from Chicago's Radar Eyes (via Hozac); the Empty Set LP from Charlotte's Brain F≠ (via Grave Mistake); a reissue of Venezuelan punks Deskarriados (via Cabeza de Vaca Records).
Radar Eyes: "Positive Feedback" on SoundCloud.
Deskarriados: "En la madrugada" on SoundCloud.