Wolf Eyes
“Stabbed in the Face Pt. I” b/w “Rat Floods” & “Stabbed in the Face Pt. II”
Sub Pop
Weirdly popular mitten state noiseniks Wolf Eyes’ first single — well, this is actually a three-song 12-inch — for the finest from Skidaddle, Wash., is an entirely perfect introduction to the band’s two main sonic gears — namely provocative and evocative. “Stabbed in the Face Pt. I” (and “Pt. II” for that matter) plies the Wolfie’s tested formula of gradually-building metronome martial pulse punctuated by empty space, broken electronics and screams that could just as easily be drills or trapped girls. Live, this is the Wolf Eyes stuff that gets the glue-sniffing, post-hardcore kids worked up into a lather, crawling all over one another for speaker proximity and gladly taking a body check from grinning, stage-diving Wolf-er John Olson. Not as powerful on record, though you can see how it can equal audience catalyst. Wolf Eyes’ other patented move is to get evocative, as they do on “Rat Floods” — a mini-epic of environmental noises that sucks you in only to leave you wondering where the hell you are in the end. In all, Wolf Eyes might just be that entirely new kind of evil suburban parents have been waiting for.
Dykehouse
“Chain Smoking” b/w “FYD”
Ghostly International
Lord, there’s nothing more sublime than a well-executed breakup song and “Chain Smoking” is uncut Ringwald-era Psych Furs-on-shoegaze tapped right into the main vein that connects every grown-up with their inner reject. Shit, John Hughes, it’s rumored, is thinking about making a decent flick about teen angst again … just so he could use this song! The chorus is singsong enough that you’ll probably chirp along despite best intentions, despite rhymes that cast traditional guidelines like cliché and bald emotionalism aside in favor of chasing down fleeting moments of hopelessness. And the lyrics are just saucy enough to guarantee zero radio spins in this puerile and febrile era. Oh, and “FYD” isn’t so bad, either. It stands for “Fuck You Dry.” From the sublime to the ridiculous and back again in the span of ten minutes, this waxing is, like, sooooo Dykehouse.
Scott Morgan’s Powertrane
split single with
Sweet Justice
“Beyond The Sound” b/w “Outta Site”
American Ruse
En haiku:
Airborne, of the street
Heavy Music, side of psych
Damn, Scott’s still got it!
Non-haiku:
The b-side’s a pile of steaming crap.
Chris Handyside is a freelance writer for Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected]
