Melbourne, Australia’s Grey Daturas tone and drone, circle and shriek, like vultures picking the guts out of feedbacking guitars in the Australian Outback. Cut in oasis Austin at Infinity Recording Studios and released by local vinyl downpressor Emperor Jones, 22 minutes of ambient instrumentalism build into the biblical sandstorm of “Owly Claw” b/w “Hammer,” a 12-inch black slab sure to stimulate exploration into the Daturas’ post-rock eclipse. A new 7-inch split divides Texas rover Daniel Francis Doyle and Fort Worth punk quartet Koji Kondo but multiplies their manic itch and twitch. Doyle’s pair of songs from his bipolar EP History of Consideration – Judas Lizard meets Okkervil Bog? – tag-teams two extremes, “Pitching Arm” unleashing an angular bean ball from the bug house and “Your Cursive” jotting down Will Sheff-ish misgivings. (Look for a third track from History around South by Southwest on a half-and-half with Austin’s Ralph White from locals Furniture Records.) KK’s Give Us Your Guts side, meanwhile, rabids five hardcore progs in the time it takes a fat lip to swell. The Black‘s Donna EP, on 78757 imprint K Woo, delivers a six-pack of tracks on album-sized vinyl, the local trio spritzing more twang than balsamic vinegar. Peppering a bare-bones barroom sweep, Donna blows a smidgen of Dylan harp on “E Folk (I’m Not Saying)” and later ambles a short length of Highway 61 on “Eshu Blues.” Buddy Holly might have woken to a hangover with the “Chicken Doctor” administering to his guitar.
This article appears in February 15 • 2008.
