Tag Archives: White Reaper

In The Pharmacy #84 – August 2015

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Sixteen killer new tracks from the US, UK and Canada. New music from All Dogs, Kurt Vile, Low, SPORTS, La Luz, Fuzz, Cristobal and the Sea, Ultimate Painting, Dilly Dally (pictured), Fictonian, TRAAMS, Lou Barlow, Wilco, White Reaper, Shopping and !!!. Music that is in turn scrappy, melodic, choppy, angular, slack and funky.


All Dogs ‘That Kind of Girl’
“And I know that I am always fucking up your world / you are better off not messing with that kind of girl”.
Treble heavy female-fronted melodic indie rock with 90s inclinations, first featured here with in September 2013 with ‘Lovesong’ (ITP #41) and back in January with ‘Georgia’ (ITP #70).
[All Dogs]

Kurt Vile ‘Dust Bunnies’
A drum machine and a repeating guitar pattern ground this song in rhythm while keyboard and bass are aloud to meander and explore the edges of the melody and KV’s distinctive stoner vocals take us on a tale of having a “headache like a shot vac coughing dust bunnies”. Elsewhere it’s all red with white noise, bars and “an invigorating fix and a black lung” from puffing on a cigarette. The song pivots with a nod to Sam Cooke’s ‘Wonderful World’ and Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’ and by the end our hero is ready to get away from the fog “it’s hard to think with a squashed brain…I can’t talk over all that racket / what’s there to feel but totally wacked…I want to to put out the cigarette, leave it behind, hold you real close, take you by the hand. We’ll walk away.”
[Kurt Vile]

Low ‘What Part of Me’
After the low end gravitas of ‘No Comprende’, this initially feels lighter. A drum machine and Mimi Parker’s wordless vocals intro the song over some distorto-fuzzed bass and some trebly, metallic guitar. Then the vocals proper kick in it and it seems to be about the alternating wonder and claustrophobia you might experience in an intense 20+ year relationship. “What part of me don’t you know? What part of me don’t you own?” “Sometimes it scares me to death / sometimes it takes all my breath”. This duality has it’s own mirror in the music when the fuzz drops away to reveal the beautiful clarity of Alan and Mimi’s voices. Taken from the new album Ones and Sixes (Sub Pop, September 11).
[Low]

SPORTS ‘Washing Machine’
There’s a country inflection to Carmen Perry’s vocals that complements the rough edges of their fuzzy, melodic, garage punk power pop. Taken from forthcoming second album All of Something (Father/Daughter records, 30 October).
[Sports]

La Luz ‘I Wanna Be Alone (With You)’
Brooding, near-other worldly sci-fi surf pop from the band’s excellent new album, Weirdo Shrine (Hardly Art, out now).
[La Luz]

Fuzz ‘Rat Race’
Sabbath-indebted number from Ty Seagll’s heavy psych rock outfit’s forthcoming second album, the aptly titled II (In The Red Records, October 23).
[Fuzz]

Cristobal and the Sea ‘Fish Eye’
“Around the lake with a girl that I know…she licks my neck like I’m gellato”. More excellent stuff from the Anglo-Spanish-Portugese-Corsican quartet. Self-described tropicalia pop, though afro psych pop would also fit the bill.
[Cristobal and the Sea]

Ultimate Painting ‘Kodiak’
Lazy, VU indebted meandering guitar art pop from the band’s second album Green Lanes (out now on Trouble in Mind Records).
[Ultimate Painting]

Dilly Dally ‘Desire’

This gets better with every listen. Raw vocals from Katie Bell and guitars that are equal parts The Breeders and Blue album-era Weezer (they self-identify as #softgrunge). From the Toronto band’s debut album, Sore (October 9, Partisan Records).
[Dilly Dally]

Fictonian ‘Little Blue Book’
Waltz-time number with judicious use of piano, whistling and the New London Children’s Choir from the buzzy UK multi-instrumentalist.
[Fictonian]

TRAAMS ‘Succulent Thunder Anthem’
Chichester skewed pop band who blend influences such as Iggy Pop, Krautrock, McLusky, Women, Abe Vigoda and Pavement to come up with the likes of this undeniably catchy driving garage punk number that heralds their forthcoming Modern Dancing album (FatCat, November 13) the follow up to 2013’s Grin.
[TRAAMS]

Lou Barlow ‘Moving’

The Dinosaur Jr / Sebadoh / Folk Implosion man teases his first solo album in six years Brace the Wave. Lest we forget, Lou was championing the ukulele way before it was all the rage (though he avoids the worst excesses of that instrument by modifying with heavier strings). His voice has taken on a richer, almost Vedder-like resonance over the years. It suits both him and this song.
[Lou Barlow]

Wilco ‘Taste the Ceiling’
Lovely understated number from Wilco’s superb surprise released new album Star Wars (out now, dBpm).
[Wilco]

White Reaper ‘Friday the 13th’
Another highlight from the Louisville, KY garage punks debut album, White Reaper Does it Again (out now, Polyvinyl).
[White Reaper]

Shopping ‘Why Wait’
Following on from the international release of their debut album earlier this year, the London post-punk trio give us the first taste of the follow up Straight Lines (out September 11, FatCat)
[Shopping]

!!! ‘Freedom! ’15’
Sacramento dancepunks tease their forthcoming fifth album with a funky monster that nods back to their earliest records. If there’s one criticism of this tune it’s that it’s so good it could stand to be a good few minutes longer. Extended dance mix please!
[!!!]

In The Pharmacy #83 – Late July 2015

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Seventeen new tracks from the US, UK and Australia. New music from Kurt Vile, Chvrches, Wilco, Sports, Royal Headache, Best Friends, Girls Names, La Luz, White Reaper, Fans, Protomartyr, Ultimate Painting, Ducktails, LVL UP, Major Leagues, Cowtown and Cold Beat.

Kurt Vile ‘Pretty Pimpin’’
The opening track from KV’s forthcoming album b’lieve i’m goin down…(September 25, Matador). After the success of his former band The War on Drugs’ breakthrough Lost In The Dream seems like Kurt has raised his game again. Produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck) and featuring Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa on drums, don’t let Vile’s laidback delivery make you b’lieve he’s leaving anything to chance this time round.
[Kurt Vile]

Chvrches ‘Leave a Trace’
Electro Jockpop taken from second album Every Open Eye, September 25.
[Chvrches]

Wilco ‘Pickled Ginger’
Taken from their surprise free release new album Star Wars (out now, dBpm). This is a grittier album than the last couple of pop leaning albums. Download the whole album at the link.
[Wilco]

Sports ‘Saturday’
Gambier, Ohio US punk powerpop / indiepop band. Taken from their forthcoming second album All of Something (30 October, Father/Daughter).
[Sports]

Royal Headache ‘Another World’
Sydney’s finest with another slice of garage soulpunk from their forthcoming second album High (What’s Your Rupture?, August 21).
[Royal Headache]

Best Friends ‘Holy Mountain’
Taken from the Sheffield garage pop types rather tasty second album Hot.Reckless.Totally Insane (out now, FatCat).
[Best Friends]

Girls Names ‘A Hunger Artist’
Black-clad Belfast band subvert pop with chiming guitars, motorik beats and dark lyrics. This is the second track taken from their forthcoming third album Arms Around A Vision (October 2, Tough Love), following on from April’s excellent stand alone single ‘Zero Triptych’ (ITP #76).
[Girls Names]

La Luz ‘Sleep Til They Die’
Haunting slow number from the Seattle surf pop band’s second album Weirdo Shrine (Hardly Art, August 7).
[La Luz]

White Reaper ‘Candy’
Lo-fi garage rock from the Louisville, KY band’s new album White Reaper Does it Again (out now, Polyvinyl).
[White Reaper]

Fans ‘Born Into’
A touch of The Strokes and their early ’00s contemporaries on the latest single from this UK band. This is the title track of a forthcoming EP.
[Fans]

Protomartyr ‘Why Does it Shake’
Detroit post-punk band, previously featured here back in February 2014 with ‘Come & See’ (ITP #51) follow up their Under Color of Official Right album with the first taste of The Agent Intellect (Oct 9, Hardly Art)
[Protomartyr]

Ultimate Painting ‘(I’ve Got The) Sanctioned Blues’
Lo-fi, Velvet Underground indebted pop from second album “Green Lanes”, (August 7th, Trouble In Mind Records).
[Ultimate Painting]

Ducktails ‘Surreal Exposure’
New Jersey, US. Following on from ‘Into the Sky’ (ITP #81) and Church (ITP #82) here’s another track from Matt Mondanile’s (Real Estate) latest album as Ducktails, St Catherine.
[Ducktails]

LVL UP ‘Blur’
Lots of Slanted and Chanted-era Pavement to be heard in the work of this Purchase, New York band, but also a hint of the Elephant 6 collective. Previously featured here with ‘Soft Power’ (ITP #61) this time last year.
[LVL UP]

Major Leagues ‘Someone Sometime’
Brisbane jangle pop band with their first new music since their sublime 2013 EP, Weird Season.
[Major Leagues]

Cowtown ‘Castle Greyscale’
Leeds band with catchy “variant mutant pop”.
[Cowtown]

Cold Beat ‘Cracks’
Last featured here this time last year with ‘Other Side of The World’, Hannah Lew (formerly of San Francisco’s Grass Widow) returns with more gothy electro pop with post-punk guitars. Taken from forthcoming album Into the Air (Crime on the Moon, September 4).
[Cold Beat]

In The Pharmacy #81 – Late June 2015

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Sixteen new tracks from the US, UK, Canada, Sweden, Chile and Spain. Indie rock, freak-folk, post-hardcore, garage punk, dreampop, post-punk, electronic pop, psych rock. New music from Low (Alan Sparhawk pictured), Wolf Alice, Ducktails, Weaves, jj, White Reaper, Desaparecidos, Shannon and the Clams, mewithoutYou, Palehound, Grave Babies, Widowspeak, Ancient Sky, The Holydrug Couple, Haberman, and Meg Baird.

Low ‘No Comprende’

Low release the first track from their forthcoming eleventh album Ones and Sixes (September 11, Sub Pop). Although they have long outgrown the slow-core tag of their earliest records, the pace here is unhurried and power is conveyed through minimalism.
[Low]

Wolf Alice ‘Lisbon’
One of many highlights from the London band’s long awaited debut album My Love Is Cool (out now, Dirty Hit)
[Wolf Alice]

Ducktails ‘Into the Sky’
Last featured here back in September 2013 with ‘Honey Tiger Eye’ (ITP #42) Ducktails return with a new album St Catherine (July 24, Domino).
[Ducktails]

Weaves ‘Tick’

Toronto band play catchy indie rock with singing guitars.
[Weaves]

jj ‘Truce’
The Swedish experimental pop duo return with their first new music since last year’s third album V.
[jj]

White Reaper ‘Pills’
Louisvile, KY garage band with another taste of their debut album White Reaper Does It Again (July 17, Polyvinyl).
[White Reaper]

Desaparecidos ‘The Left is Right’
After a 13 year hiatus, Conor Oberst’s punk band return with their second album, the follow up to Read English / Speak Spanish. All those years of focussing on Bright Eyes haven’t dulled his righteous anger and the new record, Payola, bears the influence of “70s/’80s punk & hardcore like T.S.O.L. and Cro-Mags; early ’80s power-pop, the Vapors and Tommy Tutone”.
[Desaparecidos]

Shannon and the Clams ‘Corvette’
A band in love with 50s and 60s vintage forms of rock and roll return with an album fueled by break ups. This is a downbeat number, a million miles away from their last appearance here ‘Mama’ (ITP #54), but just as compelling.
[Shannon and the Clams]

mewithoutYou ‘Lilac Queen’
Post-hardcore types with a crafty track from their rather special Revelation-inspired Pale Horses album.
[mewithoutYou]

Palehound ‘Molly’
ITP favourite Palehound (aka Ellen Kempner and friends) return with the first track from debut album Dry Food (Exploding in Sound Records, August 14). (Bugger. Appear to have accidentally re-used ‘Drooler’ rather than the new song ‘Molly’. Follow the link to hear the newer song.)
[Palehound]

Grave Babies ‘Something Awful’
Seattle goth-influenced types return with a more brooding take on new wave and a bass sound indebted to The Cure. Taken from their forthcoming Holograpic Violence album (Hardly Art, July 24)
[Grave Babies]

Widowspeak ‘Girls’
Brooklyn dreampop duo return with a languorous shuffle taken from their forthcoming album All Yours (September 4, Captured Tracks).
[Widowspeak]

Ancient Sky ‘Garbage Brain’

Brooklyn droney psych rock band with a track from their new album Mosaic (out now, Wharf Cat Records).
[Ancient Sky]

The Holydrug Couple ‘Concorde’
Suitably agreeable, instrumental dreampop from the Sacred Bones signed Chilean duo.
[The Holydrug Couple]

Haberman ‘Vida Muerte Vida De Un Mirlo’

Buenos Aires-born, Barcelona based guitarist Fernando Moresi-Haberman is a guitarist ingrained in open tunings and the finger picking style of John Fahey and those that have followed him. This is a demo from the artist newly signed to FatCat.
[Haberman]

Meg Baird ‘Back to You’
Stunning freak-folk from the former Espers-mainstay. This is taken from her third solo album Don’t Weigh Down the Light, the follow up to the wonderful Seasons on Earth (both albums through Drag City).
[Meg Baird]