BORIS
Never put Boris in a corner. The Japanese sludge legends are always ready to throw a curveball whether it’s disappearing for a few years only to release three albums in a short span, or radically changing up their sound. Even by randomly picking three Boris albums over their 28-year career you may not recognize the band. Start with the 2005 masterpiece ‘Pink‘, then check out the dance-pop (yes really) of 2011’s ‘New Album‘ and the droning, ambient, industrial noise of last years ‘Love & Evol‘. Now in 2020, the year that is full of surprises, we have a new Boris album called ‘No‘ and holy crap it is a stunner. Hardcore, metal, thrash, progressive noise, psychedelic rock, stoner sludge, and soothing ambient sounds. It’s all here under one roof. It’s Boris and it’s face-melting heavy.
DISCO JUNK
Melbourne lo-fi egg punk band Disco Junk are very prolific (try 18 albums in the span of one year), and they’ve been dropping gold, first with last summer’s 4-track EP – ‘Underage Punk‘ and now on their new split 7″ (with Collective Hardcore). They continue to amp it up with some snotty garage punk that almost teeters over the edge into hardcore. I have no idea which song I like better ‘I’m No Good With Numbers But I Know Which Tram I’m On‘ with it’s driving rhythm and fuck you attitude or the flip ‘Printer Jam‘ with the vintage Dead Kennedys feel. Anyway, can’t wait for more, and it probably won’t be long.
PONS
Pons, from Burlington, Vermont make a glorious racket for a trio and the frenetic ‘Jimmy Two-Time‘ from their forthcoming debut album is a glammed-out psychedelic fever dream. It’s a visceral anxiety attack of a song until the last third when the bong reaches you and everything slows down in a swirling cloud of smoke. Think MGMT mixed with a high dose of THC.
KORTO
It’s been a few years but French trio Korto has released a new 4-track EP. It is a meandering sonic experience, a mosaic of psychedelic rock, shoegaze, spacey atmospherics, and some jazzy afrobeat, all tied together with a progressive flourish. Just sit back and revel in the expert musicianship. Headphones recommended. Out now on Six Tonnes De Chair Records.
DUSTY MUSH
French psych garage trio Dusty Mush are known for two albums, 2014’s self-titled record, decidedly more hooky garage rock, and the second, ‘Cheap Entertainment‘ released in 2017, a collection of blown-out fuzzy psych-jams. Their new EP ‘Rainbow Creatures‘ will please anyone into ‘Cheap Entertainment’ or those with a passing interest in Melted-era Ty Segall. It’s noisy and overloaded with distortion and power.
