Seeing Blue Cheer Sunday night – dressed like they should have been playing Bike Week in Daytona Beach, but still annihilating Emo’s through a cloud of smoke – proved there certainly may not be a cure for the summertime blues, but loud music definitely helps. If, like me, you don’t tan very well and festivals aren’t really your scene and you’ve got asthma, well, you’ll be spending most of your summer indoors. Here are some recommended summer jams.
The 2-disc Silver Monk Time: A Tribute to the Monks (Play Loud!), out in support of an upcoming documentary on the band, comes out June 19. Comprised of five American GIs stationed in Germany in 1964, including Texan Roger Johnston, they started out playing standard Brit rock. Then, as legend has it, singer Gary Burger stood his guitar against his amp during practice while he took a leak, and discovered their music would sound much cooler with feedback in it. Pair that with a live show where they sported monk haircuts and wore ropes around their necks, and there was really no other band like it in the mid-Sixties. Check standouts from the Fall (“Higgle-dy Piggle-dy”), Mouse on Mars (“Monks No Time”), Silver Apples with Alan Vega (“Silver Monk Time”), International Noise Conspiracy (“Shut Up”), and the Gossip (“Drunken Maria”). A few of the songs even include Burger. His duet with Faust works; his with Alec Empire is pretty bad.
Pissed Jeans
Hope for Men (Sub Pop)
Are Sub Pop’s latest signings, like, reverse-emo? That’s what debut Hope for Men, out June 5, leads us into its darkened bedroom to believe. Over massive Jesus Lizard-y guitar riffs, oft-shirtless singer Matt Korvette shouts about his “fantasy world,” where he’s a “special guy” who eats pizza and watches videos. Elsewhere, over an even grimier riff, he barks “I’ve still got you, ice cream!” And on “Secret Admirer” he grunts uncomfortably close: “Well I’ve got something to tell you. I’m not trying to be a creep.” The pain and frustration of being a grown-ass man. This is the Sub Pop I remember!
Ringo Deathstarr
The local fuzzmongers have been swirling around in Austin’s reburgeoning bliss-out/drone community, really like the Jesus and Mary Chain, and should be heard live. You’re in luck – they play Thursday at Emo’s.
The Schla La Las
All-girl garage rock from London that makes you feel dirty and excited like Thee Headcoatees circa Girlsville. Their latest is the double A-side seven inch “1,2,3,4”/”Put Your Guitar Where Your Mouth Is,” but the single “Gotta Go” has other ideas.
Monotract
Trueno Oscura (Load)
Representing Miami via Brooklyn via Load Records, singer/bassist Nancy Garcia’s breathy shouts administer an electro-hot-flash from Sonic Youth’s gutters.
No Age
Weirdo Rippers (Fat Cat)
Comprised of ex-Wives Randy Randall and Dean Spunt, the L.A. duo’s debut, out Aug. 28, delivers windows-down punk rock and could solidify L.A. as the next Seattle. Or something.
Silver Daggers
New High & Ord (Load)
Sax, anxiety-attack guitars, tribal beats, a few ladies from Mika Miko. Another L.A. band that’s made the Smell ground zero for a whole lotta art punk weirdness. “Ghosted” and “Displacement” get the major sax attack.
Gang Gang Dance
Retina Riddim (The Social Registry)
CD/DVD of live and experimental collage-type footage. Check them out June 22 at Emo’s and trance out to their NYC electro rain dance. Warning: DVD may not be suitable for epileptics.
Dinosaur Jr.
Live In the Middle East (Image Entertainment)
After you and your friends finish playing eight hours of Guitar Hero and taking bong hits, relax and watch original dude’s dude of guitarists J Mascis indulge a near-illegal amount of solos and ignore Lou Barlow.
Battles
Mirrored (Warp)
NYC fourpiece – featuring the screwed vocals of Tyondai Braxton, son of Anthony, and ex-members of Don Caballero and Helmet – blade runs through soul, electronic, experimental, prog, and rock for one of this year’s most interesting albums. June 24 at Emo’s.
Sir Richard Bishop
While My Guitar Violently Bleeds (Locust Music)
His white-hot performance opening for Animal Collective could have made the title of his new album fact, as the Sun City Girls guitarist continues his savage interpretation of Middle Eastern strum.
Electric Dress
(No Fun Productions)
Jim O’Rourke, Merzbow, and Carlos Giffoni go head-to-head-to-head in a no-holds-barred effects match, recorded live in Tokyo. This should be made into some kind of reality show, where the three also live together.
This article appears in May 25 • 2007.