Musical
Summits

Past
Lives,
Tapestry
of Webs,
Suicide
Squeeze

A post-
punk vibe
permeates Tapestry of Webs: chicken-scratch guitar, dubby
bass, tribal drums, atmospheric saxophone, and Jordan Blilie's
alternating whispers and shouts (the press notes smartly praise
the local quartet's "roiling, skewering rhythmic sensibilities").

It helps to have producer Steve Fisk (the Screaming Trees, Pell
Mell, Pigeonhed) on board to add texture and unpredictability.

I wouldn't say Past Lives don't have their own thing going on,
but at times they remind me of Gang of Four, Shriekback, and
the Clash (in their quieter, spookier moments). Consider their
debut a musical summit between Seattle, London, and Leeds.

Click here to download "Hex Takes Hold."



Judgement Day, Peacocks/Pink
Monsters, self-released [4/13/10]

There are no guitars on this record.
-- Judgement Day

Peacocks/Pink Monsters arrives in one of the more elaborate
packages I've ever seen. The entire case is a CD-sized book (the
disc resides inside). The liner notes, which detail the making of the
record and the collaborative painting on the cover, are printed on
card stock. It looks cool, but doesn't seem completely...necessary.

As for the music, this Bay Area trio (Bright Eyes violinist Anton
Patzner, cellist Lewis Patzner, and drummer Jon Bush) issues
the kind of improvised music-school noodling on their second
record, after 2004's Dark Opus, that tends to leave me cold—
they call it string metal—but those with a taste for dramatic,
Pelican-like prog-jazz instrumentals may feel otherwise.

Click here to watch "Cobra Strike."



The Strange Boys, Be Brave, In the Red

On their second album, Austin's Strange Boys layer strain-
ed and strangled vocals over a lo-fi country-garage stomp.
Be Brave reminds me a bit of the Black Lips...after sever-
al years, a bunch of smokes, and a boatload of whiskey.

Off-putting at first, this one's a grower. To quote my pal, Na-
than, "I liked the first record well enough, but once I saw them
live, they won me over. I mean, who else in music has a girl on
stage simply keeping time with an umbrella? That tops the
tambourine guy in the Brian Jonestown Massacre!"

The Strange Boys play Seattle's Comet Tavern on 3/31/11.

Venus Bogardus, Spitting at the Glass, Five03 Records

Now based in New Mexico, Britain's Venus Bogardus
(James Reich, Hannah Levbarg, and Luke Carr) combine
cabaret, glam-rock, and post-punk, resulting in a control-
led, yet theatrical sound. Listen closely, and you can hear
echoes of David Bowie, the Doors, and Sonic Youth, par-
ticular on conversational centerpiece selection "Brett
Smiley Pile-Up," which clocks in at 18 minutes.

Click here to download "Judy Davis Lips."

Endnote: For more information about Judge-
ment Day, please click here; for Venus Bogar-
dus, here or here. Image from This Is Book's Music.