The Outsiders: Vol. 16
Not all of Stereogum's favorite sounds conform to what folks expect us to cover. In this space, resident Bananafish fetishist Brandon Stosuy focuses on bands, albums, singles, and villages in Sweden that may otherwise pass by unnoticed. This installment's virtual milk crate contains Crystal Stilts, Factums, and Babe, Terror.
A couple weeks ago I was listening to and really enjoying the Crystal Stilts' self-titled Woodsist EP. It reminded me of some of the lo-fi, somewhat fuzzy, ultimately infectious music Chemical Imbalance would've championed, Slumberland would've put out, and I would've tracked down via Ajax back in the day. Lovely, melancholic under-the-weather Ian Curtis-on-Spector-and-American soil garage, or something.
Ironic then that when I did a Google search to see what I could find out about the band I happened upon a rave review at Pitchfork via old Chemical Imbalance (and current YETI) editor, Mike McGonigal, someone who always, to me at least, seemed more interested in sound than his own critical ego.
[Crystal Cake Shop photo by Jonny Leather]
It's great MM's found a venue like Pitchfork to spread the word to the kids. Today he gives another 8.3 to another worthy band Eat Skull. I don't really pay attention to much music criticism in general (my head would explode), but I do pay attention to specific people who I think have great taste. Fun, then, to have an interest seconded by someone who I think gets it, and for the right reasons.
Crystal Stilts - "Crippled Croon" (MP3)
That's an older recording -- October 2005 -- from the Woodsist EP. You can hear more at their MySpace. They have a full-length of new material forthcoming -- yes -- on Slumberland.
[Factums]
Another band that makes me think of those old Chemical Imbalance issues -- and, in this case, Siltbreeze in its heyday -- is the Chicago/Seattle trio Factums. You can listen to more of them at their MySpace. Turns out they previously have material on Siltbreeze, so there's that theory confirmed ... the kind of discovery I find exciting -- stumbling upon shit and piecing it together yourself, not via PR or a concentrated push or hype pull. I know, very romantic.
Lastly, here's a new track from one-man São Paulo, Brazil haunted vocalist Claudio, aka Babe, Terror, a project I almost didn't include in the Outsiders because after digging it, I saw it blogged about by Sasha Frere-Jones. But hey, sounds are sounds. He supposedly has an EP out 9/5, and lists the Beach Boys and Ariel Pinks, etc., as influences.
Babe, Terror - "Nasa Goodbye" (MP3)
Claudio kindly passed along the MP3 for this new track, too.
Babe, Terror - "Mount Dorothy" (MP3)
You can hear more at his MySpace. AIDS Wolf, No Age, and Bodies Of Water are in his Top 12. Maybe that math makes some sense, especially if you consider Dean and Randy's more ambient stretches. And then do some creative multiplication and subtraction.
[Potential cover for the Babe, Terror EP]
A good pairing for some of this installment's sounds is Pumice, who I featured a few weeks ago.
Posted at 5:24 PM in MP3, The Outsiders
Tags: Babe Terror | Crystal Stilts | Factums
that crystal stilts song is one of my favorite things i've heard in so long.
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Thanks for the kind words -- and I'm psyched to check out Factums! There's so much great music these days and I feel way behind on a lot of it.
Most music writing is so bad -- much of mine included -- why would you follow it? It would be like trying to find the best Wendy's restaurant in Toledo or something. OK, not that bad, but anyway I guess the fact that I've often disparaged my own "profession" is why I'm ummm, writing for P'fork kids for next to no $$! Hah.
Siltbreeze resurgence is pretty exciting; I never fully loved the label in its heyday but they're batting a pretty great average right now. So I guess now is their heyday? Anyway, I'll shut up now and my ego thanks you again...
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Thanks for commenting ... It's true re: music writing (and, yeah, I need to implicate myself as well). There are certain names I trust and return to ... but it's even better when you're able add to that list w/ new voices ... so I keep my eyes open. I hate being able to guess what somebody's going to say before I read their piece. This happens way too much. Too much timid or status quo or painful ego-driven writing.
re: Siltbreeze. I grew up in Southern NJ, outside of Philadelphia, and would make weekly trips to the Record Exchange to grab all the Siltbreeze records at that time -- Harry Pussy, Dead C., Charalambides, Strapping Field Hands, Gate, Shadow Ring, A. Galbraith, A Handful Of Dust, etc. I was way (way) into NZ stuff then ... hence the 'heyday' for me. Also, those Harry Pussy records are classics in my personal canon. I'm really into what the label's doing now, definitely, but those records got to me at a more susceptible time. Or something? Maybe it's just time/distance/nostalgia?
While you're here: What else are you digging these days?
Thanks again for writing.
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brandon, i totally agree with you. and this is why i enjoy your writing for the outsiders series (and other random places where i've seen your name attached to a great piece).
both you and mike picked a good one writing about crystal stilts. they're one of my favorite finds of the year. in addition to the new zealand bands they often get compared to, they almost remind me (a LITTLE) of beat happening.
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Thanks, Douglas. Much appreciated.
I can hear Beat Happening in there, for sure. I hadn't thought of that until you said it. I've been listening to Crystal Stilts A LOT. Keep getting better. I'm really looking forward to that Slumberland LP...
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Hey Brandon--
How you doing? My friend Caleb sent me releases on his label today and one of them's a great Factums LP! Yay for that.
I can totally see where that era of Siltbreeze was groovy, but like Harry Pussy never worked for me. I like them better now, but I still prefer Bill O's first band, the very GBV-like Trash Monkeys, better. And I was always more into classic Flying Nun stuff than Xpressway stuff, much as I love a shit-ton of Xpressway acts. I dunno, some of that later NZ stuff is too obscurantist, mumbly, intentionally lo-fi and just the singing really sucks. Even This Kind of Punishment -- the vocals make me want to punch a puppy or something. It's pretentious. But so much of the music I like can have the very same things levelled against them.
I was in touch with Dead C as soon as I heard their Flying Nun record; I was even slated to release a Dead C record in the US before anyone (along with Liz Phair's Girly Sound stuff) but both the fact I was in business with a crook and was working on a big drug habit at the time put my little label with Shimmy Disc (See Eye -- only did 4 releases) in the shitter before that could happen. But it's all for the best that I've only had failed record labels --really. Well, I'm about to start one with Eric from Mississippi Records. The comp. I dod for them, 'Life is a Problem,' has sold really well and I loved doing it. We'll see.
Lately I listen to lots of gospel, and then other new-ish acts I love are: Inca Ore, US Girls, Grouper, Valet, White Rainbow, Ghosting and others for that somnabulist sort of trip.
Wooden Shjips are great -- love that happy psych. vibe of theirs so much! Also Sic Alps, Tyvek, Blank Dogs, Naked on the Vague, Pink Reason, they're all pretty great. Hyped to fuck but still great. Grass Widow is exciting, too.
Neo-C86ers like the Vivian Girls (my favorite new band -- and Frankie drums in the Stilts now), Cause Co-Motion!, Lodger, a few others...
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mike, you have tremendously good taste. not only do we share a deep love for vivian girls, but i also love valet, white rainbow, wooden shjips, and blank dogs.
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Aww, thanks man. What's your label?
I see you already had said what I did about Frankie being in both groups now. I really think she's kind of a genius with those vocal arrangements.
New YETI out in a few months will have new/ unreleased music from the Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts, Clean, Sun City Girls, Valet, and a bunch of others, by the way, hooray.
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RE: frankie being in both groups: j.b. from the stilts and i have a friendly correspondence through myspace, and i geeked out to him about them touring with the viv girls, and he was like, "you know we share a drummer, right?" i was understandably stoked.
RE: new yeti: JESUS TAP-DANCING CHRIST! excuse me while i change my pants.
RE: the label i'm on, it's an upstart online/vinyl label called borrowdeer, based out of portland. my album's out digitally through the label (and my blog) now, and we're putting out a 7" in the fall, hopefully followed shortly thereafter by my record on 12". borrowdeer has quite a few other acts, ranging from folk to lo-fi electronic stuff. they're putting out a free online comp in august, too.
i hate to be one of those "please listen to my shit" types, but if you head over to my blog and grab my e-mail address, send me yours, and i'll send you a .zip file of the unmastered version of the record (which, coincidentally enough, is going to be mastered by adam forkner).
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p.s. i say "hopefully," because borrowdeer is relatively unestablished, so both the 7" and the full-length LP will be self-funded.
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Agreed with Douglas, Mike -- we're on very similar listening kicks these days. (Though I'm also listening to a lot of American black metal ... and grind and goregrind, largely from Mexico, where it seems to be working the best). But indeed, have covered Inca Ore, Grouper, Valet, etc., in past installments of this column ... that new Grouper especially gets me. Someone who does both the somnabulist thing and eccentric black metal well is Caina. His new one's a lot better than his past stuff (it's out in the fall on Profound Lore). Nails the different things I'm looking for/loving these days. Anyhow, your list is right-on.
Very cool that you're starting a label. Any more info on that? And good news re: the new YETI. You should do a release show!
By the way, this is great: "Even This Kind of Punishment -- the vocals make me want to punch a puppy or something. It's pretentious." Ha ha. How about straight-up Peter Jefferies? Last Great Challenge... is one of my favorite albums of all time. Cakekitchen?
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the label -- not much to report for definite yet. it's happening but we can't agree on a name yet, need to wait a little for $$ for it, and there are three projects at least in the works for starters but none are done deals now and i've no interest in jinxing. it'll be vinyl only, short-ish runs but nothing ridiculous. i love skulltones, but why do only 300 7"s of something people like or likely will? not my trip. cake kitchen and p. jefferies can be super awesome, yes. i need to re-listen to 'great challenge' -- it's been awhile.
late later this year or else in jan., i hope to finally also launch my magazine RUGBURN -- basically, dirty YETI. very dirty YETI. have been kind of working on that for like 7 years now! hah.
ps: dude, do these guys pay you? i lost my amazon gig -- had been writing for them for 10 years and was an editor there for 4 of those -- no changes are permanent, of course. am looking for more places to work but only where i'm not stepping on anyone else's toes (and of course where i'm wanted).
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me and the guy who runs my label share a deep affinity for "converging in the quiet." we geek out over that song a ton. i can't wait for the full-length, either! they myspace'd me and told me that their EP is full of old/unmastered shit, and they can't wait to put out something new and actually produced. they're really nice folks, too. it makes me happy for the success they've been having as of late.
and i had no idea they shared a drummer with vivian girls (probably my favorite new band of the year)! i geeked out pretty hard when i found that out.
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Crystal Stilts were fantastic opening for the Vaselines at Southpaw last week. I urge you to see them live.
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