Tag Archives: San Diego

Trashy Tuesday: The Frights

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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.

 

 

Incognito pick of the week: Lexington Field

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Lexington Field: American fiddle rock

Lexington Field: American fiddle rock

I’m not going to lie to you, loyal reader. One of the great things about doing this is the steady stream of new music that comes my way. This one arrived in my PO box and my first impression of this San Diego band was the sticker inside the envelope declaring this “American fiddle rock.” That is a perfect description of the sound of Lexington Field. The second thing that caught my attention is that Incognito Guest List writer Matt Maulding plays the accordion on this album.

Now when you think of a fiddle in a rock band, what sort of music comes to mind? Probably Celtic rock. There is some heavy Celtic influence in this band, but while a lot of Celtic rock bands go heavier on the Celtic, this one goes heavier on the rock. First off, this is a rock n roll fiddle if I’ve ever heard one. Secondly, these guitarists are not afraid to show off their chops. Just listen to the song “Fireworks” and “The Chemical Worker’s Song” and see if you disagree. Also, there is some real anger in the vocals. All that being said, Lexington Field also has some amazing harmonies in its tunes. “Daniel Plainview Has a Drinking Problem” is a great example of the harmonies you’ll hear from this band.

One thing this band has in common with a lot of Celtic rock bands is that it is not afraid to put a heavy message into its songs. Take “The Chemical Worker’s Song” for instance. In this song, Beau Gray sings about how every day as a chemical worker brings you two days closer to death. “Cursing The Man” is another good example, but more than that it is also easily relatable. After all, most of us probably curse The Man every day.

No Man’s War is an album filled with emotional rocking songs. Fourteen of them, so you certainly won’t feel cheated. If you like Celtic rock, I have no doubt that you will like this band also. No Man’s War is available now.

Incognito pick of the week: Low Volts

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The new album Oh My Stars will be available next week

The new album Oh My Stars will be available next week

How did I find Low Volts? I did a search for slide guitar on Bandcamp. (Yes, Virginia, it really is that easy to find new music.) When I clicked on Low Volts, I saw not only the tag slide guitar but also “soul, dirty, blues, and swampy.” I ask you, loyal reader; how was I supposed to resist that? After listening to Twist Shake Grind Break, I found out that Low Volts has a new album coming out next Wednesday. I have this to report. If you are a fan of Jon Spencer (in any of his incarnations but particularly Heavy Trash), you will like Low Volts.

This guy plays energetic and dirty rock and roll with blues influences. He admitted that the new album is a little more rock than Twist Shake Grind Break, which has more of a dirty blues sound.

I have to say that my favorite song on Oh My Stars is “Bloody Knuckles and a Hickey.” I like this not only because it includes the word hickey and tells the story of a rough previous evening. I like it because this tune has the slide guitar that I dig so much. It gives the song the lowdown feel it needs for the subject matter. If you like dirty, raw rock and roll that sounds like it’s being played by a guy with his hair on fire, check out Low Volts.