Pop Dr(((O)))nes: Episode 64

Siltbreeze continues along their winning path this year with a re-issue of The Doozer's "Great Explorers". Issued last year on CD via the Pickled Egg label, Great Explorers might have been overlooked if it wasn't for the ear of Tom Lax. Based in Cambridge, England, the Doozer shares more than a striking vocal resemblance to his hometown hero, Syd Barrett. The direction is slightly more folk oriented than Syd's better known work with Pink Floyd, so it resides nicely alongside the bent psych-folk output of his solo career. This is, however, much more than a homage. I'm actually at a loss of words to describe how great this is, so here's a much more in depth look at this amazing LP.

Pearl Harbor "Slivers Of You" Puro Instinct 12" (Gloriette) 2010
Frankie Rose & The Outs "That's What People Told Me" s/t LP (Slumberland) 2010
Altar Eagle "Battlegrounds" Mechanical Gardens LP (Type) 2010
The Doozer "God Does Not Need Light" Great Explorers LP (Siltbreeze) 2010
The Intelligence "Like Like Like Like Like Like Like" Males LP (In The Red) 2010
Manual Zombie "Sledgehammer" Fresh Milk CS (self released) 2010
No Balls "Countdown To Kill" Problems That Will Solve Themselves 7" (Diskad) 2010
Blessure Grave "Dragonaut" s/t 7" (Mishka NYC) 2010
Outer Limits Recordings "L.A. Skyline" Foxy Baby LP (Not Not Fun) 2010
Tomutonttu "Likaiset Pilvet" split w/Oneohtrix Point Never 7" (Alter) 2010
Hype Williams "Untitled 5" Untitled LP (Carnivals) 2010
Twinsistermoon "The Big Sand" Then Fell The Ashes LP (Blackest Rainbow) 2010
Isengrind "Where The Morning Dawns" Modelitewnik LP (Blackest Rainbow) 2010
Natural Snow Buildings "Case, Resurrected" v/a-Menagerie #2 (Blackest Rainbow) 2010
Bitchin Bajas "Zone 4" Tones/Zones LP (Important) 2010
Caboladies "untitled" Live Anywhere (Aguirre) 2010
Rene Hell "Room 7" Club Speed CS (Ekhein) 2010
Bill Orcutt "Way Down South (excerpt)" Way Down South one-sided LP (Palalia)

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 64 here (right click link, then Save As)

Pop Dr(((O)))nes: Episode 63

Haven't been this pleasantly miffed by an album like this in some time. Hype Williams, a duo based out of the UK (not the guy responsible for this) who have recent seven inches on De Stijl and Second Layer, plus a cassette on the Pop Drones regular, Goaty Tapes (issued under their Paradise Sisters moniker), have released their thus far defining statement with this new LP on Carnivals Records. Blending samples of exotic instruments with blunted beatwork, warbled keyboards, and the occasional vocal appearance, then smothered in a thick and hazy lo-fi production, Hype Williams have concocted a new strain of hypnagogic pop that, well, pretty much drops the pop out of the equation and ups the hypnagognic end. This looks to be sold out at the source, but Fusetron have a few copies left. If you miss out on this, you certainly won't have to wait long for the next release: a 12" is due on De Stijl in November, followed by another on HIT.

Unnatural Helpers "Useful Things" Cracked Love & Other Drugs LP (Hardly Art) 2010
Kitchen's Floor "Dead Shits" Loneliness Is A Dirty Mattress LP (Bedroom Suck) 2010 *reissue of 2009 CD issued by RIP Society
Big Troubles "Desire For A Certain Thing" s/t LP (Olde English Spelling Bee) 2010
Hype Williams "Untitled 7" Untitled LP (Carnivals) 2010
Holy Strays "The Waves" Hyperion CS (Not Not Fun) 2010
Topaz Rags "Crown Center" Crown Center 7" (Not Not Fun) 2010
Swanox "Dawnrunner" Dawnrunner CS (Not Not Fun) 2010
Bitchin Bajas "Zone 3" Tones/Zones Lp (Important) 2010
Guilty Ghosts "Renee" Enigma Variations CS (Words+Dreams) 2010
80 (Sun) "Naom (excerpt)" s/t CS (Mayan Chorus) 2010
Josh Burke "Omni Bay" Prana LP (Aguirre) 2010
Pale Blue Sky "Someday" split w/Cloaked Light 12" (Arbor) 2010
Eleh "Repose" Repose one-sided LP (Important) 2010

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 63 here (right click link, then Save As)

**update** there is no sound for episode 63 or 62 right now, though the issue is being worked on. Check back here later this week.

Pop Dr(((O)))nes: Episode 62

It seems like every week we have a new band to play from that island Australia. Cassettes and LPs by the likes of the Twerps, Zond, Circle Pit, Fabulous Diamonds, Dead Farmers, Royal Headache, Blank Realm, Deaf Wish, UV Race, and many more have been taking up plenty of shelf space and radio time over the past year or so. Last year RIP Society, which is pretty much the go-to label down there right now, issued a CD by Brisbane band Kitchen's Floor, garnering acclaim in their own region but not much elsewhere. Now, with the LP re-issue on Bedroom Suck, looks like Kitchen's Floor might be getting some much deserved attention. Anyways, lets get to the meat here--these three young fellas make the kind of DIY depressed pop that we just don't get to here often enough around the offices of ETMS/Pop Drones. Gently guided buzzsaw guitars, primitive drums and vocals that sound as if they were recorded immediately after rolling out of bed. Though No Wave keeps popping up in reviews, it's really only part of the equation, as the band use that abrasiveness and apply it to these brash yet catchy songs. 11 tracks in around 20 minutes. Unless you want to cough up a ridiculous amount of cash to have this shipped from Australia, you'll want to head to Permanent Records right now if you live North America. They just got some copies of this and a few others from RIP Society, though I'm sure they won't last. Absolute highest recommendation. Snatch it asap!

Moonhearts "Death Star Pt. II" s/t LP (Tic Tac Totally) 2010
Woven Bones "I've Gotta Get" s/t 7" (Hardly Art) 2010
Pregnant "Safe & Sound" s/t LP (Burn Books) 2010
The Ether "I Need You" Folly CDR (Patente) 2010
Kitchen's Floor "Left" Loneliness Is A Dirty Mattress LP (Bedroom Suck) 2010 *reissue of 2009 CD on RIP Society
Kitchen's Floor "Regrets" s/t 7" (RIP Society) 2010
Rene Hell "Walking In Tune" split w/Pete Swanson LP (self released) 2010
Oneohtrix Point Never "Wayland Lincoln Border" split w/Tomutonttu (Alter) 2010
Josh Burke "Gliding" Prana LP (Aguirre) 2010
Caboladies "untitled 2" Live Anywhere LP (Aguirre) 2010
Ossining "Moons" I Will Be Missed LP (Digitalis) 2010
Mark McGuire "Off In The Distance Pt. 1" Off In The Distance LP (Cylindrical Habitat Modules) 2010
Radio People "Now Where" s/t LP (Digitalis) 2010
Pete Swanson "U.O.B." Where I Was (self released) 2010

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 62 here (right click link, then Save As)