🐣 GENIUS — 2226

The dust that this track kicks up the dust caught in lances of light coming in through a boarded up window the dark humid nature of it and the basement punk feeling of it the slapdash half-asleep DIY dream of the track sloshes against your ears like an old pair of jeans. It is in the harsh comfort of this track, its vintage photo smouldering cigarette atmosphere, where inexplicably a subversion of this sort of music dwells. Garage rock, abrasive punk-flavoured guitar music features lyrics that are blunt, to-the-point, aggressive. But in this, '2226' by Busan-based band GENIUS – that is 지니어스 in Korean – the lyrics are so cryptic that they are practically non-sequiturs. It begins with the biggest of all: "Hey dear brothers and sisters / Today I don't wanna take it / Don't make me a bird / Don't make me an ashtray."

At other times, however, the lyrics are in their simplicity quite blissful: "Today I don't wanna drink beer / It makes me full / I just need hot water in the big cup." To hear such strange poetic words floating along to scratchy sweeps of lo-fi guitar, to attitudinal scoops of bass and racketing drums, it was refreshing. When we asked the creators of this gently raucous track about the concept behind the song, the guitarist replied enigmatically, "I want to be happy with my dear brother and sister. That's it." According to the email we received back, many of his lyrics revolve around "rebirth and transcendence." For such big ideas to live in this short tract of grunge-tinged guitar music feels like a reflection of inebriated philosophising, the persistence of big thoughts no matter who or where you are, the discovery of the meaning of life half-drunk at the bar; the song's final line, "We can… be happy more", echoes hopefully like a mantra.

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• 🔔 This is taken from the band's August 2017 album 별바다 (Byeolbada, i.e. Sea Of Stars), released on Korean label BGBG. This you can purchase via the GENIUS Bandcamp. You can also watch on the video for '2226', which was directed by Soohwan Swan Park. The artwork, a folded 1000 won note, was created by a photographer named 김기조 (Kim Kijo).

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🐣 CUESTA LOEB — GRASS IT GROWS

'Grass It Grows'? Well, the title of this "anthem to self-acceptance and individualism" can be explained by Cuesta Loeb, its creator. "No one tells grass how to grow," she says. "It just does, free of any force or pressure." The lyrics in the song are wonderful, speaking of grass that isn't under obligation "to be tall and green", and "travelling at the speed of me" amongst other things. It's an individualistic song alright, but written with simplicity, adorned only with this analogy of grass growing, a quality that impacts and aids its message of freedom.

And aside from the lyrics, how it's done, the sludgy bass underpinning palm-muted guitars in a basic riff, the slackeresque melodies, the dripping distortion, the fuzzy chorus, the combined dreamy lo-fi pop grunge of it all, where Weezer meets Warpaint—it's how it's done. Cristina Cuesta Loeb's voice range from the track's softly spoken verses to singalong chorus, the vocals firstly sidling and coy before launching into a sky of sound, layered and rich and uplifting, suiting both the instrumental and the journey of the song's words: from the innocuous grass on the ground, a leap up into the boundless feeling of freedom. W-o-w.

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• 🔔 The supreme loveliness of 'Grass It Grows' is taken from Cuesta Loeb's EP, out later this year.

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THROWING UP MEDICINE [VIDEO]

Throwing up is something that I really don't like doing. The very thought of it is really disgusting. Even just thinking about it, before I've written about it, is enough to make me feel a little grossed-out. Yeah that's right, I DISLIKE emesis. And who doesn't? It's a vile, repulsive thing. Stinks so bad. Half-digested food and stomach doodads. G-r-o-s-s.

And that's what Throwing Up works really nicely as a name for a punk-type band. Fortuitously, there is a punk band called that. They are from London and there are three people in it, as you can see from the photo. NME described them as a "DIY shit-storm" - way to ambiguate, I can't even work out what that means. They themselves describe their genre as "errrrghhh" - and I'm with them there - but sometimes people like to read a label before they listen to something.

For me, they are more like a three-piece band from London who sound like a clash of double-time punk driven by undistilled distorted guitars, a little like the punkier dimensions of Smash-era The Offspring, and grunge-garnished vocals that almost growl at you with a contradictory mix of lassitude and venom. That's what I get from this song anyway: 'Medicine'.

I kind of... hate the video. The people in it really freak me out and one of them reminds me of a creepy character from The Mighty Boosh. But as for the song, yes, it's got that good 'n' hearty punch-to-the-face appeal about it that makes punk music so satisfying to listen to. Though I'm never quite sure who's doing the punching - am I being punched by the music? Punching myself whilst listening to the music? Punching the music? None of them actually. It's just a satisfying feeling of pent-up aggression and energy that nobody can deny.

It seems to have about it a little of l'esprit de l'escalier ("spirit of the stairs") - the feeling of knowing exactly what you should've said after the moment to say it has passed. Looking back on shitty things and vocalising your opinions. That's why punk's good. Cough it all up an' that. Anyway this comes from upcoming album Over You out 8th July on O Genesis Recordings.

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GIRL BAND YOU'RE A DOG // WHY THEY HIDE THEIR BODIES UNDER MY GARAGE?

Who doesn't love a bit of noise? There's nothing more satisfying sometimes than undergoing a brain operation with a sledgehammer, by which I mean listening to LOUD NOISES! Loud music, should I say. Cause yeah it's music still. Be it Bach or be it Girl Band, it's music.

Speaking of Girl Band, I first heard of them ages ago, think it was on HEALTH's Lastfm page and they came up. It made sense that they did pop up because, well, they're noisy, just like HEALTH. In any case, I was recently notified of their continuing existence and in fact increasing popularity and the fact that they had a few new songs floating around and as such became pretty set on writing about them. I mean, I like their sound a lot. It's kinda... blunt-instrument-scraping-along-a-blackboard-to-a-drumkit-made-of-French-bangers-and-broken-glass, you know, Nirvana-meets-the-21st-Century kinda sound. Grunge-noise? Genre this and genre that.

In October 2012 they released the fabulously titled France 98 EP - which you can download here, free, for reals - and only now am I hearing it... boo hoo. I was gonna write about all of it but I really would write a lot so I have decided to focus on just one track, 'You're A Dog' (although special shout out to last track 'Second One').

Reminds me a little little bit of Nine Inch Nails' 'March Of The Pigs', but aside from that it's a beast unto itself. This Dublin band really know how to make some noise eh? The riffy ultra-twisted-Kinks-style guitar is like a drill or a some kind of angle grinder recorded and put on loop, so lovely is that overdrive. The vocals screech and scratch and everything together would seem rather ungainly if it weren't supposed to sound that way - everything has its place. Damn good grungey sound.

Secondly we have a quite-recent cover of the terrifying 'Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?' by Blawan. This I really enjoy. It's taken the experimental side of the original and transposed it into sweaty punk noise language. There's still a dance edge with that thumping kick drum, that's for sure, but everything else is pure noise and I love it. The mind-numbing repetition of the eponymous refrain swells and screeches as the song punches its way ahead, all the while overdrive guitars whirlwind like cars in a cheese grater. Though in some ways I prefer their own original stuff, their take on this techno song is really something and reminds me very much of HEALTH, whom I love. Noise noise noise.

Omg not bad amirite? If you like this kind of thing. If not, you're probably thinking 'wtf cuz?!' - then what-the-EVz to you. I'll be skipping along to see Girl Band at the Old Blue Last on 2nd May, next Thursday. They are on tour at the moment so do have a look on their Facebook page below for deets on dat yeah.

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BEAK> BEAK>

I had no idea that this band even existed, the UK-based BEAK>, until a couple of days ago. More to the point, I had no idea that it was formed and is fronted by Geoff Barrow from Portishead. Why? I have no idea - I guess if you don't look you don't find.

So I had a wee listen to their 2009 self-titled debut album and was super impressed at the way everything sounded - raw and energetic, but well-produced and polished at the same time. It's a kind of minimal mix of strong bass mixed with erratic beats that all provide foundations for washed-out vocals, harsh effect-laden whipped-up guitars and other ambient sounds that all provide for a pretty majestic experience, I've gotta say.

It runs through all sorts of genres, from the wonderful pure synthtastic electro of opener 'Backwell' to the psyched-out ambient dub of 'Ears Have Ears'. The psychedelic grunge post-rock spook-fest that is 'Ham Green' comes out of nowhere and fills the air with real crunchy bass some ethereal just-in-earshot yelling and a lovely bit of heavily phased guitar solo madness towards the end. It's that sound that you can't get away from though, that triumphantly energetic atmosphere that seems too good to be true.

But it is true. Geoff Barrow and bandmates Billy Fuller and Matt Williams recorded the album "live in one room with no overdubs or repair, only using edits to create arrangements." So that's how they get that amazing sound, like you're listening to a live take - BECAUSE IT IS ONE. All the songs were also written in Bristol during a 12 day period, meaning that this band just goes up and up in my estimation - there's a lot of talent here. Even the pure noise of 'Barrow Gurney' is cool to listen to, acting as a scuzzy introduction to the chilled and gentle lounge chants of 'The Cornubia'; yes, they sure know how to create a dynamic.

The album ends on strangely dystopian tribal electro vibe, it becoming the final echo you hear before the music fizzles out - its first half cries with beats and bass, the second is bristling with harsh experimental electronic noise, reverb and distortion flying around until the last second.

But the stand-out track, for me, is the understated buzzing fly presence of 'I Know'. Carried through to its end by a galloping skiffly sped-up hip-hop beat, this is the perfect song to put you in a daze and keep you there - it's very easy to lose track of time listening to this song. There are some wonderful Ian Curtis-esque vocals skulking in the background that drop quietly with the bass that provides the beef for this brilliant song.

So, as you can tell, this is definitely worth a listen. And being the nice guy that I am, I've shared the album below, along with the track listing. Enjoy these sultry sounds.

1. Backwell - 06:14
2. Pill - 05:34
3. Ham Green - 06:27
4. I Know - 05:01 (could've been 0:30 - could've been 10:43)
5. Battery Point - 07:10
6. Ears Have Ears - 04:22
7. Iron Acton - 05:00
8. Blagdon Lake - 04:43
9. Barrow Gurney - 02:01
10. The Cornubia - 04:00
11. Dundry Hill - 07:37
12. Flax Bourton - 02:49



• Check BEAK> on Bandcamp
• And also on Myspace
• And here's their little Wikipedia page

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