Oman Ra II members re-emerge Gooeys cut record on Mammoth Cave
It’s two been two months since the last No Rest for the Obsessed column but what can I say? The summer heat makes it hard to get things done. That’s a lame excuse of course as the restless hordes of artists record labels and home tapers have been keeping busy whether I’m writing about them or not. Consider this an attempt to catch up.
First and foremost let me toss some hosannas at the powerhouse trio known as Lantern . Frontman Zachary Fairbrother — previous leader of the psych-rock ensemble Omon Ra II — started off in Halifax moved to Montreal and has recently landed in Philly. Backed by the bodacious rhythm section of bassist Emily Robb and drummer Sophie White he sets loose a tornado of riffs overdriven solos and seething snot vocals not heard since the glory days of Hasil Adkins.
To date the band has released a pair of cassette EPs for the Iowa City-based Night People label a two-song quickie for the excellent Craft Singles series and a split tape with equally awesome noise-rock duo The Ether on Halifax’s Electric Voice . Up next Lantern makes its vinyl debut with a sure-to-be-ripping 7-inch for Lethbridge’s Mammoth Cave Recording Co. Good lookin’ out!
Needless to say that’s not all our neighbours to the south have been doing. Mammoth Cave recently dropped a killer new batch highlighted by Calgary quintet The Gooeys. The latest project of Monroeville Music Centre main-man Craig Storm — featuring a members’ list from Topless Mongos Grown-Ups and newest addition Jean-Sebastien Audet of Faux Fur — gives up the Scary Black Cherry Nap 7-inch an addictively off-kilter power-pop warble fest.
Vancouver’s Korean Gut play sinister surf-rock on Your Misery Our Benefit while the Bloodstains Across Ontario comp rounds up the White Wires Tonetta an unreleased cut from Shadowy Men From a Shadowy Planet and many more all on the theme of their home province. Finally get your mitts on a limited edition tour split from the Moby Dicks and Needles // Pins for garage punk at its hookiest.
Saskatoon native and current Dublin Ireland resident Gary Mentanko appeared in the first edition of this column with an EP from his dreamy ambient drone project Depatterning. Now he’s back with a lovingly packaged double 3-inch CD set entitled The Huddled Tone / The Huddled Town. Floating through the mutated melody of “Auld Lang Syne” it flickers in and out of focus for a spookier update to his ghostly tonal explorations. Grab a copy while you can.
Winnipeg’s Prairie Fire Tapes also issued an impressive batch recently. Label co-founder Cole Peters dips into murky waters with his Secret Girls project and latest release In Hiding . Like a monster lurking in the shadows these ominous minimalist pieces seem poised to attack at any moment. Jeremy Van Wyck of Shearing Pinx steps out solo as Mongst for the awesomely titled Water Water Everywhere But Not a Drop to Drink packed with overblown amp fuzz backwards-masked instruments and all manner of unsettling experiments.
PFT’s other half Chris Jacques gets his turn on the White Dog Family Band’s latest Escape The Mystery II. Side One is a scrambled 30-minute studio collage of synths guitars field recordings and vocals from his seven-year-old son while the flip is a self-described “de-mix” laying down slathers of space echo Lee Perry samples and stereo pan effects. Like a vision of Kingston through the eyes of Freddy Krueger this nightmarish trip never ends.
Lastly Victoria’s Babysitter has been burning it up as of late. After self-releasing three cassettes — Tape I Tape II and Tape III natch — the revolution rock freedom fighters saw Edmonton’s Totally Disconnected drop the latest volume. Tape IV sparks with the same brand of shambling shreddery and damn-the-torpedoes lyrics with a few hazy slow jams thrown in for good measure. Keep a look out for Tape V soon and catch ’em on tour this September.
