The Make-Up

(Washington D.C, USA // Drag City, Dischord Records)

THE MAKE UP is the Washington, DC group that re-defined underground music in the middle and late 1990s with their peculiar and incendiary blend of gospel, garage and yeh-yeh music. 

Known for their dynamic and interactive live presence at hundreds of shows across 5 continents, the group also recorded 7 LPs, 14 singles and EPs and and collaborated on films, videos, pamphlets, and happenings. They toured extensively as a headliner and with groups such as Royal Trux, Sonic Youth,, Fugazi, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Lung Leg, Harry Pussy, and many others. 

The group has been called “dazzling … best dressed … martial … terrifying.” Their shows were known to feature communication, sermonizing, crowd participation, and dancing virtually unknown in the staid world of indie and garage rock. Their style was perfect, with matching Mao style jackets, with new versions designed for each tour. 

The group was widely copied as well and precipitated and inspired a wave of “garage” imitators in the 21st century who often had commercial success but lacked the spark, character, nuance of the Make Up. 

Occasionally, when the moon is bright and the wolfsbane blooms, the group has come out of hiding for rare and exciting personal appearances since disbanding in 2001. 

They are making one of their rare returns now for a short time only, available for very special events. 

Featuring Ian Svenonius on vocals, James Canty on guitar, Michelle Mae on bass guitar and Mark Cisneros on drums, and performing classics such as “they Live By Night”, “I am Pentagon”, Walking on the Dune” , “Here Comes the Judge,” “Every Baby Cries the Same,” etc, the Make-Up is as extraordinary as ever. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ohDSjgd-Y&feature=emb_title 

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Wireheads

(MELBOURNE, AUS // TENTH COURT RECORDS)

Brigid Dawson

(Los Angeles, USA // Castle Face Records)

Announcing the debut LP from Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network – “Ballet of Apes”. Tip-top of our osmosis list is the first quiver of tunes from Brigid Dawson and her newly minted Mothers Network: wise warnings dyed in dark hues, knotted and hard-won torch songs from the edge of a turbulent sea, bittersweet balladry spun in defense against evils familiar and unknown.

Lovely though it may seem from a distance, the striation of loss quicksilvered throughout provides weighty balance to her contralto lilt. Those familiar with her harmonic counterpoint from her time in Thee Oh Sees or in OCS know she can belt as well as lullaby but there’s a fresh and smolderingly heavy swing in her step on display here that we mightily dig.

“Ballet of Apes” tapestries together sessions that read like a who’s who from outside our own castle walls – in Australia with Mikey Young (Total Control/Eddy Current Suppression Ring), in San Francisco with Mike Donovan (ex Sic Alps), Shayde Sartin (ex Fresh & Onlys/lifetime ringer) and Mike Shoun (ex Oh Sees/Peacers), and in Brooklyn with instrumental heavy-weights Sunwatchers – and the results are spellbinding. At the focal point of this maelstrom, our lady, as if illumed by candlelight, intones, pleads, consoles – white magic perhaps but it carries with it the anodized tang of blood. This is thrillingly potent stuff and it’s out on Castle Face May 22 .

Matt from Castle Face Records.

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Pearl Earl

(Los Angeles, USA // Dreamy Life Records)

Pearl Earl is a neo-psychedelic quartet founded by frontwoman Ariel Hartley (guitar/vocals) and drummer Bailey K Chapman in Denton, TX. The band is now located in Los Angeles.

With heavy nods to spacey prog rock and golden era glam rock, Pearl Earl has the ability to invoke the cosmic nostalgia of the past while carving new territory of its own neo-psychedelic universe. Once described as “Pink Floyd in the sunlight” the band’s live performances are captivating and euphoric with an ominous grin.

Their music is edgy, and has a broad range of flavors that go along with trippy psychedelic melodies and even heavy doomy riffs at times.

The band has done several tours in the US and shared the stage with such bands as Oh Sees, Post Animal, The Black Angels, Acid Dad, Frankie and The Witch Fingers, Black Lips, Allah-las and played major festivals such as Levitation and SXSW.

Pearl Earl is releasing their second album, “It’s Dread” via Green Witch Records (NYC) in June 2023 and are available for touring USA in June July, August. Europe/UK in September 2023.

Red Mass

(Montreal, CAN // Mothland Records)

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