Fan Death

Taco Leg – ‘Taco Leg’ LP
Taco Leg are the best band in the world. No, seriously. The Perth trio of Andrew Murray, Simon Morrison, and Richard Ingham has been blowing us away since we first came across their Myspace page shortly after starting Fan Death. The currently out of print Freemason’s Hall 7” (FDR- 004) may initially have confused and irritated listeners from Cottesloe to College Park, Maryland, but the record itself is an essential document of the recent Australian underground, two trebly tracks about architecture and boredom in Western Australia. Following that, Taco Leg released Painted Gold, a three-song 7” on noted Philadelphia rock label Richie Records/ TestosterTunes, and had a US tour in late 2010 that coincided with the release of the McRib. Taco Leg’s self-titled LP wastes no time in making its mark, its 12 tracks clocking in at just under 20 minutes. Many of these tracks barely crack the minute mark, but like their Perth punk ancestors from the Victims to Extortion, their songs are direct and lodge in your brain until you find yourself thinking about “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. If you’re familiar with Taco Leg, the elements are all there – minimal guitar lines and stripped-down, proto-punk drumming, with singer Murray’s unforgettable voice intoning cryptic lyrics. This is the record where they’ve fully honed their sound, and very nearly have learned how to play their instruments. Whether it’s on the shambling swagger of “Shut It Down,” self described “Detroit hardcore” song “Find Me,” or the tension of “I Can’t Decide” (not a Black Flag cover), Taco Leg perfectly encapsulate the feeling of being young and bored without being boring. Members of Taco Leg also appear in a number of other great bands, all of which are incredible and essential to check out, including: Pauline Manson, Constant Mongrel, Whalehammer, Pond, and Ringhams garage-punk/ prank call project Ring. RIYL: Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Bratmobile, The UV Race, Swell Maps, K Records 1982-1993

Purling Hiss – ‘A Little Off Center (Live at WFMU)’ CS
For those who have been living under a rock, Purling Hiss is the brainchild of Mike Polizze (Birds of Maya). Though the Hiss started out as a four-track bedroom project dating back to the earlier part of the 2000s, their killer sound and even more killer songs couldn’t just be restricted to vinyl. Merging the blistering guitar shredding of Les Rallizes Dénudés with the pop sensibilities of GG Allin & The Jabbers, Purling Hiss released three LPs on Richie, Woodsist, and Permanent Records in the span of just one year, and later played their debut shows opening for Kurt Vile and The Violators in 2010. A Little Off Center was recorded during the tail end of that first tour and reveals a band that sounds as if they’d been getting in the van for years. This cassette has choice live cuts from both the self-titled and Public Service Announcement LPs, along with tracks that would appear on the then-unreleased EP, Lounge Lizards, subsequently released on Mexican Summer in 2011. Songs such as “Run From The City” and “Almost Washed My Hair” display the raw strength and control that Purling Hiss demonstrates live, while “Voices” highlights their loose feel. By the end of this set it’s evident that A Little Off Center is way more than just a live release, it’s a document of a band staking their claim as one of the best rock bands around. It’s no surprise once you see Purling Hiss live that they’ve won over the bands they’ve toured with from Wilco to Dinosaur Jr. Expect a new LP from Drag City in 2013. RIYL: High Rise, Mudhoney, Raspberries, Kurt Vile and The Violators, Les Rallizés Dénudés

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