by Nick Hanover
If you live in Austin then you already know there’s too much damn music to keep track of. And sometimes you just want to sift through it in bite-sized chunks. We totally understand. Allow us to introduce you to The Latest Toughs, five tracks from five bands to get you up to date and make each of your workdays a little easier.
Slugbug- “0xBAADF00D“
It’s been three years since Paul D. Millar graced us with new Slugbug recordings, but he’s been plenty busy in that time, producing some of Austin’s best local talent, namely Big Bill. But yesterday, PDM quietly unveiled Stupid Rock, an EP he has apparently been working on since January of 2013. “oxBAADFooD” is what’s currently standing out to me, morphing as it does from a dusty Stones Throw groove to electro power pop to a hazy proggy conclusion. The rest of the EP feels lighter and more casual, but “oxBAADFooD” is ambitious and sprawling enough to temporarily satisfy my thirst for a full length Truck Month follow-up.
BLXPLTN- “How Many Shots”
There were hints of melodic sweetness amidst all the fire on BLXPLTN’s debut album Black Cop Down, but on their new single “How Many Shots,” the band hints that upcoming follow-up New York Fascist Week will tip the balance a little more in the favor of hooks. The track recalls early The The but it narratively details the trauma and tragedy the black community is facing on a daily basis, building to a shoegazey burst of melodic catharsis that then culminates in the heartbreaking refrain “You are not alone,” heartbreaking not just because of TasZ’s somber delivery but also because of how often sentiments like this need to be expressed lately.
D.O.S x Pale Soul- “Voodoo”
Although Austin emcee D.O.S. and Seattle producer Pale Soul have been working together off and on since 2002, their new EP Derringer Arts marks their first exclusive collaboration. The result is so dynamic and cohesive I can’t help but wonder what took them so long. Lead off track “Voodoo” feels like the reunion of two longtime collaborators who are surprised by the strength of their reunion, D.O.S. even briefly pausing from his authoritative and smoky delivery to shout out how great Pale Soul’s beat is. And why wouldn’t he? The song propels itself on a slinky, jazzy groove, a perfect fit for D.O.S.’s constantly shifting flow. It’s enough to make you wish for more crosscountry collaborations between Austin and Seattle acts.
Bondage- “Want”
New punk quartet Bondage introduce themselves with a flip of Sex Pistols’ snottiness on “Want,” where the want is gender fluidity instead of anarchy. Musically the song (and the rest of the demo it comes from) recalls Sleater-Kinney’s sludgy debut for Chainsaw Records, only with more energy and a cavernous yet raucous vocal delivery. Or maybe the better comparison is L7 raised on prime UK punk instead of LA rock. Regardless, it’s hard not to give in to Bondage’s demands by the end.
MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR- “All of My Friends”
Is there some sly self-reflection going on in MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR’s new single “All of My Friends?” The chorus goes “All of my friends/Are fucking useless/Now that I got what I wanted,” and the song appeared at the same time MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR announced that not only had they been signed to Punctum Records, but they would also be appearing on HBO’s Viceland. Who needs friends when you got shit like that going on, right? Joking about MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR’s casual friend tactics aside, the song itself is full of the kind of hyperactivity that also makes you wonder if these friends maybe just couldn’t keep up, mutating from a plodding garagey number to a flurry of intense stop-start rhythms. The chorus takes it slow, but I reckon that’s only so the knowledge that MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR doesn’t need you to have a good time settles in.
Nick Hanover got his degree from Disneyland, but he’s the last of the secret agents and he’s your man. Which is to say you can find his particular style of espionage here at Ovrld as well as Loser City, where he mostly writes about comics. You can also flip through his archives at Comics Bulletin, which he is formerly the Co-Managing Editor of, and Spectrum Culture, where he contributed literally hundreds of pieces for a few years. Or if you feel particularly adventurous, you can always witness his odd .gif battles with his friends and enemies on twitter: @Nick_Hanover