Shake Appeal is a column that highlights new garage and garage-adjacent music. This time, Evan Minsker looks at a retrospective comp from Red Aunts, plus new records by Ajax, Vanity, Deformity, Legendary Wings, and TIT.
Red Aunts: Come Up For a Closer Look [In the Red]
In the past couple of months, Ty Segall, Timmy's Organism, and Davila 666 have released collections of singles—but the compilations covered such recent tracks that anybody who'd been frequenting the 7" section of their favorite record store would likely have the material on hand. Meanwhile, In the Red have plumbed the past: Come Up For a Closer Look is a double LP greatest hits collection that offers an introduction to the Long Beach punk band Red Aunts. From 1991 to 1998, the band—Terri Wahl, Kerry Davis, Debi Martini, and Lesley Ishino—made terse, playful, raw punk records for Sympathy and Epitaph; they did garage-scrappiness at hardcore's breakneck pace. (Later, Wahl made cupcakes, too.) If you're not acquainted with this band, you should remedy that; this comp is the perfect entry point. (It's also got liners by New Yorker pop critic Sasha Frere-Jones. Ooh la la.) And seriously, if you haven't heard "Krush", go do that.
Ajax: Ajax 7" / Deformity: Deformity 7" / Vanity: Vain in Life [Katorga Works]
No surprises here, but with their latest batch of releases, Katorga Works have another pile of successes on their hands. There's the impressive debut album from Vanity—well-written and raw rock'n'roll hooks layered with sewage-monster vocals. They've got a brutal, ass-kicking 7" from the hardcore punks Ajax that is late but serious entry into 2014's list of essential singles. (Also great? The Yes-style typography on the cover.) Even less forgiving is the noise-caked speed punk of Deformity. Their second 7" is a split release between Katorga and Toxic State, and it is 100% essential. All of these hit stores next week.
Cellphone: Excellent Condition [Telephone Explosion]
It opens with a minor key melody on a vintage-sounding synthesizer, coming on like a John Carpenter soundtrack. What's lurking around the corner? An awesome and aggressive punk tune, that's what. Toronto's Cellphone pile up screams and galloping power chords over the horror synths of their Excellent Condition opener "No Wind in Hell". This is aggressive, heavy music that ties together disperate universes: dystopian-future-rock is belied by the more tactile realm of punk rock. A riveting listen.
TIT: TIT [FDH/Volar]
Why stop with one dark-sounding synth record? Here is TIT, whose self-titled 12" travels pretty far away from the realm of "garage rock". If guitars have a role here at all, it's hard to tell. Why is this thing pertinent to this column, then? Well, it's a project by the Hussy's Bobby Hussy and Digital Leather's Shawn Foree, and it's out via FDH and Volar. There are some great songs, and it ends with a longform synth jam that's appropriately titled "8m 50s". For more synth-centric fun from FDH, check out the new record they just released by SGNLS, too.
Legendary Wings: Do You See? [Dirtnap]
"Why have you done this? If you're looking for pizza, you've come to the wrong place." The sample that opens this Legendary Wings album sets the stage for this goofball, pop-art leaning garage outfit from Kalamazoo. This is fast-paced, catchy, uncomplicatedly fun music. Also, what the hell is going on in Kalamazoo lately, you ask? NOTHING! EVERYTHING! Considering recent successes and jams from No Bails and Choke Chains, it definitely seems to have become a hub for bands making excellent, weird records. Three bands is officially a trend! Kalamazoo is officially blowing up in 2015, and you heard it here first: Eat it, New York Times style section!
You should also listen to: Heart Healing, the new album from the French psych pop outfit Volage (via Howlin Banana).