Thor Harris, Doom Dub: Delight in the dub-heavy pessimism of Austin’s percussive auteur, joined by contemporaries Jordan Geiger, Jamie Stewart, Yoko Ono, David Yow, and the departed Lil Bub.
Fossil Arm, In Bad Decline: Millennial post-hardcore production emphasizes Nineties noise rock reliquiae in the trio’s studio debut, following last year’s two-song 7-inch taster.
Acid Roulette, Depopulation: Named after Scorpion Child’s swan song, members of the heavy psych-blues troupe proceed with an astringent four-song scorcher months after a noisy Eastside inauguration.
Sex Pümp: Party punk gets disco fever with the eponymous entrance of these raucous live circuit New Wavers, turning in bump after synthetic bump of hip-shaking hits.
Bug Hungly: Dropping squarely on the punk end of death rock, flange-ridden shreds and sci-fi synths propel this demo from Bone Deth BMX crew riders.
Shitbag, Furnace: Taking full ownership of the term “sludge,” the nine-track burner wades through muck and mire with down-tuned doom crust, ending on the sidelong “Rogue Furnace.”
Dry Guy, The Tight Album (Part II): Post-punk fivepiece follows a January antecedent with four more songs of concentrated cacophony with wailing vox recalling Midwest avant noise technicians Racebannon.
Black Mercy, For the Man That Has Everything: Eight songs in 10 minutes, the 7-inch adheres more to old-school hardcore than to powerviolence, floorpunching through notables “You’ve Been Warned” and “DNR.”
Easy Prey, Relentless Struggle: Sophomore platter from this noise rock fourtet cuts an angular post-hardcore wallop, falling back on vox shouted through discordant fuzz and a battering ram kit.
Betty Goop, TV Dinner: An entrée of endless consumption, the heterodox art-punk quintet serves an 11-course meal with hyperactive New Wave and post-genre seasonings.
This article appears in May 29 • 2020.