Corker - A Fitting Compensation (Guest review by Ralph J Rivera)

  

  It's not often that I hear a new record these days and have to immediately listen to it again because the first listen left my jaw on the floor! "Corker" from Cincinatti, Ohio have released what is possibly the MOST "Modern" sounding record of 2023.

   After releasing the amazing EP "A Bell That Seems To Mourn" in 2021 they spent the last year and a half working on the masterpiece that is "Falser Truths."  You can get the album on vinyl or as a name your price download : https://corker.bandcamp.com/album/falser-truths

  The first half of the album (1-6) is what I have no other words for except perfectly executed "Goth/Death Rock". Until you get to the 7th song "A Fitting Compensation" where they flip the switch and turn into this amazing "Post-Punk" band that destroy all genres & just close out the album with 3 songs you'll want to hear over & over again. "Sour Candy" is one of the most infectious tunes you'll ever hear. THIS may very well be a contender for "Album Of The Year". Here's the song where this album enters "God-Mode".

  A Fitting Compensation...

Pawns - Monuments of Faith

  I think it's fair to say the chatroom exploded when I played today's song on the latest show. It was definitely one of the best received tracks I've featured. It's by Oakland, California, band Pawns and it's definitely going to be in my best of 2019 list.

  Pawns are a dark punk (goth/anarcho/post-punk) 4 piece comprising Jenna Rose (bass), Noel Mateus (guitar), Gage Allison (vocals) and Stephen Reader (drums). They've been together since 2014 and previous releases include a couple of 7"'s and 2017 album The Gallows. Earlier this month they released a new ep, Monuments Of Faith, and it's a bit of a stunner. It's on Near Dark Records and available on 12" vinyl or digitally : https://neardarkoakland.bandcamp.com/album/monuments-of-faith-ep

  You can get more info here : https://www.facebook.com/pawnsnyc/

  Of the 3 songs on the eph, the one I'm featuring today is the title track. When I was much younger, I'd go to a pretty cool student night club called the Sugar House. My drunk younger self would brave the dancefloor to shuffle around to tunes like Temple Of Love (Sisters Of Mercy), Walk Into The Sun (March Violets), Spiritwalker (The Cult), Kick In The Eye (Bauhaus) etc. With it's stunning juxtaposition of gloomy ambience and frantic uptempo drumming this would have gone down an absolute fucking storm. Monuments Of Faith...

DIÄT - Foreign Policy

  Today I'm posting a song that was probably the favourite track of the night with the guys in the chatroom when I played it on last week's Just Some Punk Songs show (show saved here : https://www.mixcloud.com/mick-fletcher/just-some-punk-songs-070419/). It's taken from the album Positive Disintegration by Berlin post punkers DIÄT. It's their 2nd album (following up from 2015's Positive Energy) and you can find it on Bandcamp here :   https://ironlungpv.bandcamp.com/album/positive-disintegration-lp-lungs-121

  It was available via Iron Lung Records on vinyl but it quickly sold out (it's being repressed). There's 8 darkly atmospheric tracks which sees the band "add a bit more of a pop zap to the ever present post punk dreariness of modern Berlin life." Comparisons are often made with the likes of Killing Joke, Joy Division and even Wire. I find the best way to listen is laid on the sofa with my eyes closed and my headphones on. It's easy to float away on a tide of swirling guitars and insistent beats. Embrace your inner goth and go with the flow.

  This song is one of the more upbeat ones, it's called Foreign Policy...

Ötzi - Hounds

 

(photo by tash de valois)

 
  Ötzi are a dark post-punk trio from Oakland, California who formed in 2014. They announced themselves with a S/T demo before releasing debut ep Gong Show in 2016. Last year they put out their debut album Ghosts. Upcoming releases include a new limited edition tape titled Part Time Punks Sessions, a 4 song John Peel sessions style ep that will include reworkings of some of their best songs plus new single Ballad Of Oiwa. You'll be able to snap up this new ep on their European tour which kicks off tonight in Barcelona. You can find more details on their Superstition tour here : https://www.facebook.com/Otziband/     

 You can download their music here :   https://otzi.bandcamp.com/

 To coincide with the tour, they've just released the video you can see below. I've got to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of darkwave/goth but this song and indeed the whole album are great. Despite being all the things that this genre is noted for (dark, haunting, introspective etc) this is actually also pretty upbeat. The drums conjure up visions of misty forests, the guitars swirl and the lyrics are suitably ambiguous. It's been 30 years since I listened to bands such as Xmal Deutschland on John Peel but I recollect they had a similar (if slightly less upbeat?) vibe.   Anyway, this is Hounds...

You are my baby girl 
Don’t pretend to be happy 
I know I’m disappointing you 
It’s as plain as this red moon 
Red moon, red moon 
That you dance under 
Red moon, red moon 

Inside in time 
take me through the night 
Inside in time 
take me to the light 
Inside in time 
elevate the light 

The water moves like skin 
The night is centering 
Come walk with me 
Hecate, call your hounds 

You are my oracle 
Descend down to me 
My lunacy in your eyes 
As big as this red moon 
Red moon, red moon 
That you dance under 
Red moon, red moon 

Inside in time 
take me through the night 
Inside in time 
take me to the light 
Inside in time 
elevate the light 

The water moves like skin 
The night is centering 
Come walk with me 
Hecate, call your hounds 
Call your hounds 
Call your hounds 
Call your hounds