Why didn’t anyone tell me Car Seat Headrest shreds? Fans of the Cloud Nothings’ heavy era and Built to Spill will be asking themselves the same question once they play, “Vincent,” the first single from the band’s upcoming, second album on Matador Records.
There was a time, not long ago, when Philadelphia shoegaze revivalists, Nothing, were known for being the most powerful of the bunch of ’90s throwbacks. Then, they signed to a label with financial backing provided by Pharma Bro. Let’s not talk about Pharma Bro. Asshole has already gotten enough face time from trolling the globe. More importantly, Nothing are back on their old label home, Relapse Records, and have a new release, Tired of Tomorrow, due out this May. And if lead single, “Vertigo Flowers,” is any indication of what’s to come, recent events have made Nothing an even stronger, louder and badder band.
Not the RIOT GIRL! shredfest of their early work, “Hungry” finds White Lung operating in more melodic territory, as if they’ve graduated from Bikini Kill records to Fugazi records. When one considers the fact that RIOT GIRL pioneers Sleater-Kinney were often referred to as the female Fugazi, it makes perfect sense. The world spins round and what is new is old is new again, even for female Fugazis.
Cool has a name, that name is The Liminanas. The Paris duo is so effortlessly cool, so nonchalant in the way they fuse garage rock, psychedelic pop, and lounge room kitsch, they can even release a song called “Garden of Love” with a guest appearance by Peter Hook of New Order, and Peter Hook is the second coolest thing about the song. The first is The Liminanas.