The Lost Sounds “Memphis is Dead”

sfilzen — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:47:51 +0000

The Lost Sounds “Memphis is Dead” 2001. Big Neck Records on smoky vinyl (2018 repress I believe). Experimental, dark garagey noise rock with elements of punk, surf and psychedelia. The Lost Sounds were Jay Reatard (aka Jay Lindsey who died in 2010, from the Reatards), Rick Crook (also from Reatards, Sweet Knives) and Alicja Trout (Sweet Knives, River City Tanlines). We saw Trout perform with River City Tanlines last month at Dirtnap Records Fest where she and her band blew us away; we got this record from her then (the River City Tanlines LP is long out of print). Memphis is Dead is super-witchy (see their reworking of The Lollipop Shoppe‘s 60’s psychedelic “You Must Be a Witch” if there’s any doubt) and weird with creepy keyboards, wailing vocals (courtesy of Trout) and a lot of raw noise. It’s great! “It’s My Dream” is a total nightmare, “Disease” is an all-out angry punk rager and “Don’t Bother Me” is both evil and totally danceable. “Inside My Head” and “I’ve Lost It” are the most accessible songs on the record, both are quick 60’s-style organ-forward garage boppers sung by Jay Reatard and provide a tiny bit of musical levity to an overall super-dark album.

While the title track “Memphis is Dead” does not actually appear on the record – it appeared on the EP 1+1=Nothing (Empty Records, 2000) – it’s one of the only videos of the band from that time available.

The post The Lost Sounds “Memphis is Dead” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

The Mistreaters “Grab Them Cakes”

sfilzen — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 20:39:41 +0000

The Mistreaters “Grab Them Cakes” 2000. Big Neck Records.The first release from local Milwaukee power-grunge-punk-rock band. Very local: the guys still live in my neighborhood (hi Kevin and David!). Sooooo good and absolutely blistering live performances: we saw them play often at the Cactus Club – sadly I missed the show when the Mistreaters appeared with the White Stripes.

I interviewed the band for The Shepherd Express in 2000 when they told me the story behind recording this album. In order to capture the raw intensity of their live performances, they recorded “Grab Them Cakes” during a couple of afternoons in a friend’s living room (with the help of several cases of beer.)

The Mistreaters went on to release “Playa Hated to the Fullest” in 2003 on Estrus Records and a self-titled album in 2012 on Dusty Medical Records (guitarist Kevin Meyer’s label) after playing their last show at the Cactus Club in December 2011.

The post The Mistreaters “Grab Them Cakes” appeared first on Vinyl From The Vault.

big neck records Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

The Lost Sounds “Memphis is Dead”

The Mistreaters “Grab Them Cakes”