Unpiano | Music Blog

A precursor to the legendary New Zealand band the Tall Dwarfs, Toy Love was the short lived punk project by Dwarfs front man Chris Knox and guitarist Alec Bathgate. Amped and gritty, but teetering on the edge of New Wave with strong pop sensibilities, Toy Love is considered one of the first stepping stones to the Dunedin Sound indie-pop scene of the 80s (as documented by the amazing Flying Nun label). The over-amped dirge of Aussie contemporaries like The Scientists or X, mixed with the punk-dying-to-be-pop of the Soft Boys, this ripper was my morning drive “Fuck You, Job” song for a month.

Toy Love – Pull Down The Shades

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The annual SmmrBmmr festival takes place in Portland Oregon starting tomorrow. Festivals are usually a giant drag, but this big DIY blowout is always a heap of sweaty fun and features a lot of bands I’ve written about here on this little blog. Last year’s fest at the Rotture was insanely fun and involved more stage-diving than a mid-80′s GBH show and the near-collapse of the 2 story, 300 person back patio (full of people, thanks to Thee Ohsees). This year its at Plan B and won’t disappoint, see you there?

FRIDAY /13, 6PM – MAYYORS, G. Green, Burning Yellows, Woven Bones, Lamps, Meth Teeth, Myelin Sheaths, Wounded Lion, Therapists, Fist City, Manic Attracts

SATURDAY /14, 4PM – The Intelligence, Guantanamo Baywatch, Mean Jeans, Butts, Shannon & the Clams, Dead Ghosts, Old Blood, Sex Church, C’mon Everybody, Besties, Young Prisms, Pipsqueak, Okie Dokie, Christmas, Indian Wars

SUNDAY /15, 4PM – Cumstain, TRMRS, Audacity, Idle Times, White Fang, Flip-Tops, Meercaz, Todd C, Timecopz, Bare Wires, Pure Country Gold, Leaders, Denizenz, Overnight Lows, Pity Fucks

This great slab of punky girl pop has been getting a lot of play from me lately. Originally recorded in the mid-80s, this Swiss trio would fit right in with the wave of C-86 bands that would later influence the likes of Black Tambourine, Velocity Girl, Tiger Trap and the recent revival of like-minded acts. Every track on this reissued LP is a fun, fuzzy romp. It’s great to know that there are still forgotten bands from this era with enough great material to warrant a quality re-release like this one.

Chin Chin – Never Surrender
Chin Chin – Even If It’s A Lie

Exuma was the stage name of Tony McKay, a Bahamas born musician who pieced together an uncommonly unique style of music from his influences; calypso, junkanoo, reggae, African and folk music as well as his fascination with obeah, Caribbean folk magic/religion similar to voodoo, which makes its way into a lot of his lyrical themes. Oddly enough, Exuma started out in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 60′s, probably got bummed out by the eternally annoying Joan Baez (I would have) and dropped it to hammer together a 7-piece island mash-up. Reminds me of a lot of jamming African funk, but with a twist of mysticism and island smoothness (countering his rough, gospel-like howl), not to mention a few slower, heart-string-tugging soul ballads.

Exuma – Exuma, The Obeah Man
Exuma – Dambala

Los Angeles’ Wounded Lion have really come into their own this last year. Their first few singles were good, but this latest slab of wax on In The Red is solid, old-timey fun. Dirty, quirky garage-pop with tongue-in-cheek lyrics that remind me of Jonathan Richman’s off-kilter bantering. Mixed with a fun live show, here’s another band you shouldn’t sleep on.

Wounded Lion – Friendly
Wounded Lion – Big Boots

//photo by justin roman

Yikes! That last post was really depressing. To offset that drudgery, here comes Philly’s Reading Rainbow who take the exact opposite approach to the winter blues and blow a huge hole of fun right through the middle of it. I can almost hear them saying “Hey blizzard – you’re super cold, but we’re gonna play in you anyhow!” Seriously though, these guys have been having some pretty awesome looking shows out there and you would be wise to see them if they come to your town. I really like when band’s have fun blogs too, it sort of makes the whole picture complete or something. Did I even talk about their songs at all? Whoops.. well they’re good too.

Reading Rainbow – Underground
Reading Rainbow – I Will Follow You
Reading Rainbow – The Sun Is Out

//photo by mikey valdez

I saw these guys a couple of weeks ago on tour from Vancouver and they were pretty awesome. They couldn’t afford to bring their drummer or bass player on tour with them so it was just the two girls (Alie and Celina) out front clapping, playing guitar and singing. They were all rushing, and nervous, and messing up but it ruled anyways (or probably because of that). I think I actually sort of like the live stripped down version better than the recordings but what can you do. I bought their cd for four dollars and now it’s what I listen to when I want to be in a good mood all day. They also make me think of K Records in a big way. In fact, why are they not on K Records right now?

Kidnap Kids – Ghost Love
Kidnap Kids – Ghost
Kidnap Kids – Lolita
Kidnap Kids – Seeds
Kidnap Kids – Bottle Rocket

Bonus:
Kidnap Kids – Crank That (Soulja Boy Cover)

//photo by jason fisher

Eat Skull dropped a new one and wow is it the hottest 80s New Zealand underground pop record to not come out of of New Zealand and not be from the 80s. What a fucking lovely trainwreck this band is. The whole LP is marvelous but worth it for this track alone.

Eat Skull – Heaven’s Stranger

//photo by sarah cass

Holy shit, Thee Ohsees have a new one and its amazing of course, duh. I’d say, “why bother writing about this band again“, but they are pretty much the best art-pop band since the first three-or-so B52s records so fuck it. They are shredders live, and their last few records have been so solid and packed with hits its hard to believe that faggy Ben Gibbard projects are all over top 40 radio and Thee Ohsees aren’t. I’m going to fault the fact that they continuously put out albums on failing trust-funded labels that go out of business the day their record comes out or try and pay them in coke. I’m hoping Larry does them right on this one, ’cause it smokes. The flute solo in Meat Step Livley floors me.

Thee Ohsees – Meat Step Livley
Thee Ohsees – Enemy Destruct

Bonus:
Episode of Forest City Rockers featuring Thee Ohsees
Additional footage of Thee Ohsees

//photo by thomas dromer

I saw Japanther the other night at The Hemlock and it made me really happy. I think I may have smiled for the entire time they were playing, even as my knees were being bashed against the stage and I was being elbowed in the head. I’ve seen them play shows maybe a dozen times over the years and I have to say that I may have had fun at every single one. How many bands can you say that about? I really wanted to find the song they were playing the other night where they sing “We don’t give a fuck what you write on the internet, we don’t really think that you know who you fucking with” but I didn’t have any luck. Does anyone have that song around? I want to post that song on my music blog a hundred times. Fuck it, I should just make the whole music blog that one song. Just kidding, but I hope no one takes what I write seriously on here. I only write things to say because the songs look lonely up here all by themselves.

Ps.. When I decided to change my life around and quit my cushy IT job a couple of years back, the song “midtown” just happened to be in my car as I was driving over the bridge on the day I left and I played it as loud as i could with all the windows open. I think it was one of the most exciting things I have ever felt.

Japanther – Energy
Japanther – Midtown
Japanther – Change Your Life
Japanther – Boyz Donut Cry
Japanther – The Dirge
Japanther – Um Like Yer Smile Is Totally Ruling Me Right Now