New releases, Tuesday, August 4
Slim pickings again this week, but there are a few new releases worth checking out.
Iron Age‘s The Sleeping Eye is perfect for fans of Fucked Up. This Texas band mixes elements of hardcore and psych rock, although not as adeptly as their Canadian counterparts. The songs are fairly epic, and bear more than a passing resemblance to Mastodon, sounding something like that band’s surly, less polished cousins. It is, as the kids say, “brutal.”
No One’s First and You’re Next is the newest from Modest Mouse, although not really, because it’s a b-side collection of songs that didn’t make it onto Good News for People Who Love Bad News or We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. All the songs were previously released as a series of 7″ singles. The video for the lead single, “King Rat,” has the distinction of having been worked on by both Heath Ledger and Terry Gilliam.
Fruit Bats are one of those bands that just don’t get the notice they should. The Ruminant Band is the band’s third for Sub Pop, and looks to be a continuation of their slightly world music meets indie rock vibe. Sub Pop calls them a band that has “refused to shy away from light,” which is damned accurate. The Fruit Bats are one of those acts to whom I listen to rarely, but wonder aloud “why don’t I listen to these guys more often?” when I do.
