Shake Appeal is a column that highlights new garage and garage-adjacent releases. This week, Evan Minsker discusses the latest from California punks Scraper, Detroit's Growwing Pains, Sudbury's Strange Attractor, Denver's Pizza Time, and something called Star Spangled Banana.
Scraper: Scraper [Cut-Rate]
Earlier this year, Scraper put out a killer 7" on Drag City's offshoot God? Records. Their full-length debut is out now on the new California label Cut-Rate, and it's a record full of muscular, vicious punk. Their songs are about getting stoned, driving around in shitty cars, and skateboarding. While the lo-fi hiss surrounding their sound is sign enough that this is a trashy rock'n'roll album, they seal the deal with some laughably over-the-top violence on "Kill From the Heart": "I'm gonna kick your ass"... "You fuckin' pig, give me a drink"... "You need to be shot". It all reminds me of this guy who sat uncomfortably close to me on the bus one time and tried to intimidate me into helping him steal 90 beers. Vaguely threatening, ready to party.
Growwing Pains: 17 Songs About the Same Girl [Urinal Cake]
This album's title is not a joke: Hamtramck, Michigan's Growwing Pains have written a debut album's worth of songs all about one special lady. (Though according to Urinal Cake head Eric Love, they initially wrote 22 songs about her.) Whoever she is, she's quite the muse—this album is completely great. Growwing Pains' sunny melodies, use of keys, and powerful delivery recalls the manic joy of the Barbaras. There's something frantic and desperate about the tone of songs like "Tonight". Then, after a full album high energy rock songs, things comes to a comparatively gentle finish with the jangling hum of "Ellen's False Teeth". Since there's a firm concept in place, the song titles offer a glimpse into the stories within: "Toothpaste", "Call Me Up", "Turn Off the Lights", "Misogynist", "Break Up". All 17 songs offer catchy, diverse melodies. (Stream the full album here.)
Growwing Pains: "All the Time" on SoundCloud.
Strange Attractor: Back to the Cruel World [Mammoth Cave/FDH/Resurrection]
There's plenty of punk rock immediacy on Strange Attractor's Back to the Cruel World, but a little patience goes a long way to let this album's strange, sometimes chaotic universe unfurl. Not that this is Quadrophenia or anything—there are three songs on the B-side called the "Total Shit" Trilogy and most of these tracks offer under two minutes of punk fury. But the Sudbury, Ontario band offer something more than meets the eye: "Gimme Something Else" has a narrative about addiction, while "In Your Eyes" features an impressively restrained bridge. There's an array of percussion on "I'm Trying to Wake You Up" that adds nuance to their otherwise fast, booming, kit-centric approach. While the singer's voice has a quality that could accurately be described as "rat-like", this ain't just mindless speed punk.
Pizza Time: Quiero Mas [Burger]
Look, I know you can see the art on the left over there, so you've probably already started to write this one off as a novelty record. This next sentence is not going to help change your mind: Pizza Time are from Denver and their LP Quiero Mas is sung entirely in Spanish. So this is the part of the blurb where I try to convince you to look beyond the salivating slice on the left and give this album a chance: It's actually good. These are well-crafted, minimal garage pop songs that feature some solid guitar work. Their opening track "La Verdad" could pass for one of Nobunny's better songs. Their handclap-filled song "Tan Bajo" is catchy and spare, though it's a ballsy move to give your garage pop song the same name as a Davila 666 album. They're an entertaining seven tracks; the album's available to download for free.
Star Spangled Banana: Pebbles 2000 [Agitated]
There's not a lot of information out there about Star Spangled Banana, though their very literal Warholian album art seems to suggest that they're a pretty tongue-in-cheek outfit. Their attack is similar to the beefy leanings of Purling Hiss (especially stuff like "Midnight Man"), though there's a lot more clarity in Banana's sound. "Sex bomb baby, oh yeaahhhh," they sing on their cover of Flipper's "Sex Bomb", all but confirming that this is well-executed, acid-washed goof rock for the stoner set.
Star Spangled Banana: "Let Me" on SoundCloud.
Star Spangled Banana: "Sex Bomb" on SoundCloud.
Also Worth Hearing: The snotty new single from Tucson's Sneaky Pinks—a new 12 track collection from the band is due in 2014 (via Almost Ready).