No Other - Option C / Opaque

Another banger from
Negative Fun Records and their Singles Club. This one a lot different from the Hot Dolphin offering. The A side Option C brings to mind the Riot Grrrl era and bands like Bikini Kill with it's droning vocals and simplistic rhythms. The B side Opaque reigns as my favorite of the two. Perking up the ears with some instant gratification.
Melodic, upbeat and a step up in musicianship. The vocal delivery is more focused and enjoyable.  I love the bass line and fuzzed out guitars that run throughout. They give the song a psych meets surf rock vibe that really takes you in some nice directions.

There are a few remaining copies left at Negative Fun's bandcamp. Here You can also purchase it as part of NF's Singles Club box set Here or try contacting the band personally.
No Other present some really cool elements in these songs. Inspiring the listener to surf, party and start a riot along the way. This was quite an enjoyable listen. I'm looking forward to seeking out more music from this band. Until then. James Damion

The Cartwheelers - "Hot Socks! It's...The Cartwheelers"

Hailing from New Brunswick New Jersey. The Cartwheelers, a duo comprising of
Kevin McSorely
(guitar / vocals) and
Stefan Dias,
(percussion / vocals) play a saucy mix that includes garage, surf rock and a seasoning of Latin rhythms. The EP's jangly rhythms and quirky, off kilter vocals serve as endearing characteristics.

The opening track 'Birds' is an absolute joy. It's crazy latin inspired percussion and warm chorus are as addictive as any three minutes and eighteen seconds could be.
I almost immediately felt myself losing all inhibitions and going completely spastic on my make believe dance floor. The vocals took me to Nerdville where I felt I was hearing a crazy mix of  Brian Sella, (The Front Bottoms) Gordon Gano, (Violent Femmes) and Scott Thompson (Meet Pause). Pretty good company if you ask me. The Cartwheelers look to be off to a impressive start. I'm glad I had the chance to ride along for a bit.
It was certainly a blast.
James Damion

The Cartwheelers  Bandcamp

The Recordettes - Debut 3 Song EP

On their debut EP the Brooklyn foursome known as The Recordettes deliver three campy as hell tracks that bring a slightly modern twist to some long gone sounds.
The band brings to mind everything from classic acts such as the B-52'a to current party rockers
The Everymen. Elements of Doo Wop, Surf, Garage and 60's Phil Spector girl group sounds all in short order.  "Candy Store" sounds a lot like it's namesake with 50's "At the Hop" meets 60's Phil Spector girl groups sound (Ronettes, Crystals) and the EP's best track."Shower Requested" is a "Back to the Beach" inspired romp that draws comparisons to Dick Dale garage/surf instrumental. "John Waters" by far the least likable of the three tracks that features a male lead that can only be described as a more campy
(if at all possible) Fred Schneider. Though the sound serves as a  a nice cheeky ode to the past.
The delivery fails to go beyond coming across as even slightly amusing. Just not my bag of magic beans. James Damion

Get it Here