MURROWIND

Minimum fidelity, maximum determination. Long periods of atmosphere punctuate extended bursts of raw and primitive black metal. Whatever MURROWIND may lack in proficiency (not much), they more than make up for with intensity. It's not pretty....and it's not supposed to be. Also, these fukks are from Kentucky, which leads me to believe that the desperation in these voices is, in fact, real. 

MURROWIND

ELSINORES

I found this tape instantly compelling...washed out garage punk/pop with a waver in the tape, a warble in the vocals, and the catchiest tracks this side of early '90s indie rock. Not afraid of riding a good hook, Kentucky's THE ELSINORES will make fans of blissed out garage punk weak at the knees and hopefully win over a few codgers in the process. Consider me one of the latter.

CHAPTER I

CROSS

Sometimes it just sounds like a garage-psych/goth/jam session...and then sometimes it gets weird. The 5 minute "Sharon Days" could be a BIRTHDAY PARTY/DOORS hybrid, and then they follow it with "Life Not Dead," which basically sounds like the previous cut but on klonopins. Dreary, meandering tracks that drunkenly swagger with a confidence that shines a light to the fog, as if to remind you that CROSS know exactly what they are doing, that the apparent lack of direction (or motivation?) is nothing more than a ruse to tempt you to move along. Don't fall prey. It's a trap. The thing you will move along to is boring and predictable. Stick around for a while. Get weird.

PRESSURE MESSAGE

MA TURNER is affiliated with this project, and this cassette comes from Chondritic Sound - that's TWO stamps of quality to shine light upon any shade of doubt.

SALAD INFLUENCE

Melancholy rarely sounds as good as on this airy six track offering from Kentucky's SALAD INFLUENCE. Vocals float above the recording, guitars jangle and drunkenly sway while the band plays the most perfect modern incarnation of '80s college radio alternative that I've heard since the first incarnation of '80s college radio alternative. The tracks breathe, and the careful, deliberate construction of the songs and their placement on the tape is subtly stunning. "Feeding Time" is an absolute pop classic, followed the six plus minute warbling dirge of "Re(a)d" that sounds as much like a struggle as a lament. Sink in. 

S.T.T.

MA TURNER

It's Halloween, so you can play these sounds in your haunted house. Or you can just turn off the lights and turn up the volume and your world will become a haunted house. You get to choose, I'm only here to help.

RANKING DRIVER

A fine offering from our friends at Nostilevo.

ASHLEY ALLEN: THE SHAKIN' PAGANS

This Shakin' Pagans demo on the A side is a pure rockin' burner, just vocals and guitar but shit is super edgy and even on slower numbers like "Drive Me To The Bottle" you get the impression that this cat has something cooking far beyond some proto-hipster retro country shits. This might start out as one man rockabilly meets Buddy Holly, but tracks like "Wasted Life" are undeniably punk as shit...and even more so in the context of 1986 Kentucky. Ashley gets a "full band" (or at least a full compliment of instruments recorded on a 4-track) on the flipside, and the shit gets darker...it also gets better (the "Hands Of Time" number is indescribably brilliant). I do not expect many of you to dive into this one, but those who do will be justly rewarded.

DEMON-STRATION

BAD SALLY

Tell me you wouldn't buy this cassingle for $1.00 when you came across it in a box of religious tapes in a thrift store in New Mexico. Go ahead, tell me it wasn't worth the gamble. Now let me sweeten the deal:  BAD SALLY are from Henderson, Kentucky and their contribution to the world of butt rock was self released on the band's Party Time Records. That pretty much erased any hesitation.

ALL I EVER WANTED // YOU FOUND ME

WRETCHED WORST

The hand written sticker on the tape case read: Buzz-saw punk as balls bass bum-out! Have Fun! 

A few dollars and 21 minutes later I was a happy man.

WOMEN FROM RATS // HANGED FROM A CROSS

POOR WHITE TRASH

It sounds just like it looks. Somewhere between ANTI-SEEN and NINE POUND HAMMER in intent, but Brutal Truths is primitive teen angst in execution. Take one man, put him in Lancaster, Kentucky, and give him a 4 track - this is what you'll get. A couple of legitimately killer tunes ("Junkie," "Shut Your Mouth," and the "fuck you"/pickslide combo that closes "Don't Wanna Hang Out With You" is perfection) mixed with GG ALLIN attitude, rampant misogyny and the manifestation of complete alienation. Or maybe it's just a redneck with a tape recorder.

BRUTAL TRUTHS