Category Archives: Trashy Tuesday

Trashy rock from Madison

Trashy Tuesday: The Hussy

Welcome to another edition of Trashy Tuesday: our weekly celebration of all things lo-fi, sleazy, and raucous. Why? Because we like it sleazy here at Incognito HQ. But enough of this yakety-schmakety. Let’s get to it.

Some bands (maybe without even trying) capture my attention before I hear a note of their music. The Hussy caught my attention because – well – because hussy is such a great and underused word. The band’s Bandcamp page declares that this is a two-piece trash band from Madison, Wisconsin. I’ll tell you one thing; these guys aren’t giving you any false advertising. The sound certainly is trashy…with a healthy dose of psychedelia, particularly in “Woodland Creature.”

Of the songs available on Bandcamp, my favorite is “Rezhand.” The harmonica almost sounds like you’re about to hear a Bob Dylan song. Then you hear the vocals that sound like they were recorded on a harmonica microphone in a basement (and that’s not a bad thing). The only trouble with this song is that it’s too short.

That about wraps ‘er up for another edition of Trashy Tuesday. I hope you like The Hussy as much as I do. Until next time, take it sleazy.

selfies

Trashy Tuesday: Selfies

Welcome to another edition of Trashy Tuesday, loyal reader. I know what you’re thinking. I went with something trashy for ‘Billy Monday, but what can I tell you? I’m a sucker for the trashy sound. I will say that the trashy sounds featured today are a little different than the trashy sounds we featured yesterday. But in the words of Pete the Cat (not the one from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), “It’s all good.”

Bad Blood begins with some guitar sound that can only be described as sludgy. Have a listen for yourself and see if you disagree. I should give you a caveat though. If you’re looking for slick sounds (and if you are…you’ve made it to the wrong blog, but go ahead and have a read anyway), this is not it. This is the kind of lowdown, fuzzy, lo-fi goodness that drags slick, overproduced sounds through a lake of used motor oil, then parks them in a vacant, dusty (and windy) lot.

Selfies is not a band for everyone, but then the next time I write about a band that is for everyone will be the first time. However, if you like your music with a sludgy sound and a lot of energy, Selfies will be a good addition to your collection.

 

bluesfuckers

Trashy Tuesday: Bluesfuckers

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. A lot of Spanish bands sure are doing garage rock right. Maybe Farfisas are dirt cheap in Spain. I don’t really know how to explain it, but I’m sure not complaining. Bluesfuckers steps right into line with some of the other great Spanish garage bands that we’ve featured here.

I should say that I don’t really understand any of the lyrics of this band…except for the word zombie in “Festa Zombie.” But then I don’t have to. Who needs to understand lyrics when you can hear fuzzy guitar, primal rhythms, and a Farfisa that transports you back to 1963?

Granted, any one of the songs on this EP are a good example of the trashy sound we love. But if you want a song that encapsulates what Trashy Tuesday is all about, check out “Quant de Fill de Puta.” (OK, so puta is another word I understand.) The guitar sound in this song is about as lowdown and fuzzy as you can get, and you will probably feel it somewhere deep in your gut. Just give it a listen and tell me if I’m wrong.

The band finishes the EP with another wonderfully trashy song made even trashier by the harmonica. Seriously, this is a call to all rock n roll bands out there…I don’t need more cowbell, but I sure could go for more harmonica. It is such a simple enhancement to rock n roll.

If you like some of the other Spanish garage bands we’ve featured here (Wau y Los Arrrghs!!!, Duo Divergente, etc.), you’ll like Bluesfuckers.

diarrhea_planet

Trashy Tuesday: Diarrhea Planet

Welcome to another edition of Trashy Tuesday, our weekly post dedicated to low class and high volume. I ask you, loyal reader, what is trashier than a band with the word diarrhea in its name? Now, a lot of folks would probably be turned off by such a name. It certainly doesn’t pass the grandma test (would you be ashamed to say the name of your band to your grandma?), of which Bobbo Byrnes of The Fallen Stars is a proponent. I, for one, am not dissuaded by the name, no matter how crass it may be.

A publicist recently told me that she is obsessed with Diarrhea Planet. After listening to the band, I can see why. This is essentially everything I could want in a Trashy Tuesday band. This band has short, hard-hitting songs, dirty-sounding guitar (with some definite AC/DC influence), and vocals that are shouted instead of sang. Oh, and did I mention there is some Ramones influence too, especially in songs like “Warm Ridin’.”

One of the things I like to think about when I listen to music is the perfect setting for a particular album or band. It would be easy to say that this is perfect music for driving. And it’s true…to a point. This is great music to have in the car because it is raucous and will definitely keep you from thinking about work (and who wants to think about work?). However, I feel like I’m not giving you enough if I say this is good driving music. This is excellent for drinking PBR tall boys while sitting in the bed of a pickup truck (on blocks) next to a doublewide. Or a fight. If there is a house band for a fight with broken bottles in a dark alley, Diarrhea Planet is it.

That about wraps it up for another edition of Trashy Tuesday. Until next time…keep it trashy.

nightmare_boyzzz

Trashy Tuesday: Nightmare Boyzzz

It’s true as the old song says that, “You can’t judge a book by looking at its cover.” That being said, the cover of the Nightmare Boyzzz CD is sufficiently trashy to capture my attention. Just look at that thing. How am I supposed to just overlook that? Obviously I couldn’t.

The sound of this band is like a punch to your earhole. And let’s face it, when you can’t go anywhere without hearing the spectacularly boring hit by Lorde, your earhole could use a good punch. Just listen to that guitar at the beginning of “Valium.” Pow! Not to mention the vocals that sound like they were recorded using a mic wrapped in duct tape. Sure beats the stuffing out of a pop song sung by some Kiwi teenager.

If that’s not enough for you, just check out the sonic explosion of “Bender.” This is two minutes and 18 seconds of pure rock and roll. “You Have No Friends” is a pretty good example of rock and roll too. It’s raucous, raw energy with trashy guitars and a rhythm that…well, let’s just say that if you hear this in your car, it will get you to push the pedal to the floor.

Bad Patterns by Nightmare Boyzzz will be available on 26 November from Slovenly Records.

Trashy Tuesday: The Skeleton Beats

Searching for garage punk on Bandcamp is always a good way to find bands to feature for Trashy Tuesday. It’s even better when I find a female-fronted garage-punk band.

Just last week, The Skeleton Beats released a new five-song EP and it is good stuff. Amy von Eerie’s vocals are tough, just as any garage-punk frontwoman’s should be. Her vocals make her sound like the kind of chick that would just as soon punch you in the neck as talk to you. It’s pretty easy to think about another rock chick when you hear Amy von Eerie: Joan Jett. And the instrumentation is pure 70s rock. This band believes in down-and-dirty guitar riffs played loudly. And that is exactly how you should play this EP: loudly. Just listen to that bass line about 2 and a half minutes into “Paramour.” If that doesn’t get your lower half moving, I have no idea what will.

I’ll just say it for the record. If you don’t like The Skeleton Beats, you just don’t like rock n roll. And you probably spend an inordinate amount of time shouting at cars that drive by as you sit on your front porch sipping lemonade – without too much sugar of course. After all, how are you supposed to maintain that sour disposition if you put too much sugar in your lemonade?

wau_todo_roto

Trashy Tuesday: Wau y Los Arrrghs!!!

It was a little like Christmas when I visited Bandcamp and saw that Wau y Los Arrrghs!!! has a new album available. When it comes to trashy rock n roll, this band is the bee’s knees, baby! It has the great qualities of garage rock: volume, energy, and just the right amount of madness. Now, is it as crazy as Cantan en Espanol – the album that is pretty much the gold standard for raw and crazy garage rock? It’s hard to say from what I heard. “Fruta Podrida” and “Tres Cabezas” seem crazy enough that they could easily fit on Cantan en Espanol.

Regardless of how you compare it to the band’s other albums, Wau y Los Arrrghs!!! deliver just what you’d expect: fuzzed-out guitars, organ, and vocals punctuated by a lot of primal shouts. If you’re already a fan of this band, you won’t be disappointed. If this is your first time checking out this wonderfully trashy band from Valencia, Spain…you’re welcome.

duo_divergente

Trashy Tuesday: Duo Divergente

Some bands just seem like they were made for Incognito. Duo Divergente is one of those bands. Let me just lay it out for you. This is a garage-rock duo from Spain. If you’ve read this blog at all, you know how big a sucker I am for both Spanish bands and rock n roll duos. This one doesn’t disappoint.

One thing is readily apparent as soon as you press play on this band’s Bandcamp page. This band has a real retro sound. In fact, “Chico Jot Down” sounds a lot like French girl groups of the 60s. I’m not sure how this band dresses (aside from this one photo), but when I hear this song, I imagine the two members dressed in mod black-and-white outfits.

“La Serrana” is pure primitive goodness. The guitar and drums are simple and raw, but what really brings this one to Trashy Town is the sustained “AAAAAAAAAAAH” in the backing vocals. Play this for people without giving any information about the song, and I bet they won’t guess it was recorded in 2013.

Duo Divergente only has two songs on its Bandcamp site, but those two songs whet the appetite for more. I can’t wait to hear what this band does next, and I think I’ll like it just as much as this small sample.

 

It's a party for your ears.

Trashy Tuesday: Honey Badgers

Welcome, loyal reader, to another edition of Trashy Tuesday. In case you’re just joining us, this is our weekly celebration of the loud, lo-fi, and raucous. This band from Buena Park, California, delivers all three of those ingredients in spades. But don’t just take my word for it. Listen to “Funky C” – especially the chorus. I’d love to see this song performed live because I’m sure it would get people jumping into each other.

The funny thing about this band is that while the guitar is raw and loud, it’s pretty clean too. It stands in pretty good contrast to the raw quality of the vocals. This band has a way of making every song into a free-spirited romp. “Bumstick” is a song that captures the energy and sound of 60s garage rock. For a real curveball, listen to “Meat Mountain.” This song sounds like what would happen if you hired the garage band down the street to play at your hoedown. And hey, if you live in the kind of neighborhood that has hoedowns, why don’t you invite your humble narrator? I’ll even see if I can score some moonshine for the occasion.

If you’re a regular here for Trashy Tuesday, I think Honey Badgers fits real nicely into your collection. It’s garage, it’s a little psychedelic. It’s a party for your ears. If you want to wait for the vinyl, the album will be available from Resurrection Records in November. If you want to get the album now, you can score the MP3s on Bandcamp for the low price of $7…or about the same as a good breakfast burrito.

Trashy Tuesday: The Frights

The Frights: Raucous surf music from San Diego

The Frights: Raucous surf music from San Diego

They say good things come to those who wait, but in reality good things come to those who go looking for them. Take The Frights for example. I encountered this band while searching for garage-punk bands on Bandcamp. I would say the payoff was pretty immediate.

“Rip and Dip” is everything you Trashy Tuesday fans want in a song. It’s LOUD, raw, and short with a dash of surf added for good measure. One of the best things I can say about this song is that it sounds like the guys had a cab waiting outside when they recorded it. It has that kind of urgency and energy about it. There’s that, and there’s the fact that you can tell they didn’t do dozens of takes of this song. They got in there, knocked it out, and finished.

“Wow, OK, Cool” is a song that really gets my attention. This is trashy surf at its finest. It has a rumbling, psychedelic surf sound, and the vocals sound like they were recorded in a basement with a microphone wrapped in duct tape. (No, that’s not a criticism.) And the drums in this song are about as raucous as you’ll hear anywhere.

If you’re a fan of surf music with an edge to it, be sure to check out The Frights. The band has two EPs available for your listening pleasure on Bandcamp.