Tag Archives: running

Album Review: Running, Wake Up Applauding

Running, Wake Up Applauding (Castle Face Records, 1/15/2016)

Blistering, relentless new long player from Chicago’s Running.

Building on 2013’s excellent Vaguely Ethnic and subsequent singles, Running return with another set of vertigo-inducing punk/psych/noise/drone/whateverit’sgoodsojustlisten.  Wake Up is a loud record that begs to be played loud:  layers upon layers of reverb and drone textures mix with the jagged shards of feedback; largely indecipherable, muzzled vocals at the center of the sonic maelstrom.  This is the soundtrack to a paranoid schizophrenic’s psychotic break,  careening blindly through dark alleys in search of respite from the voices, the shadowy figures emerging from formless shadows.  Tension, tension, tension.

The lightning ride manipulation of guitar feedback is even more up front than on past releases, like 2014’s Totally Fired.  The band’s sound still includes a fair bit of the scorched earth hardcore of early Black Flag and of more experimental bands like Flipper, as well as early doom metal (lots of circle pit bridges).  There’s also room for aggressive, PiL post-punk, spazzy noise a la bands like Scratch Acid, and even a bit of a ROIR tape Bad Brains vibe (particularly on “Fucktown Reality”).

The album art appears to be a cross-section of skin, with an arrow indicating “running” just beneath the surface of the derma.  Appropriate, somehow, for a record that burrows deep.

Wake Up Applauding is out now, on Castle Face Records.  Since it’s basically impossible to find much of anything about this band – they have a Soundcloud page, in addition to the bio page on the Castle Face website – here’s hoping for some advance notice when next they emerge from the lab and tour.

Highlights include:  “We Never Close”, “Fucktown Reality”, “Wake Up Applauding”, “Art Seen”, “No Wave Jose”.

Track Review: Running, Totally Fired

Running, the Chicago band whose excellent Vaguely Ethnic was previously reviewed here on thegrindinghalt.com, return with a new 3-track single (is that an EP?) – “Frizzled” – due July 22 on the Drag City (Ty Segall) label imprint, God? Records.  

“Totally Fired” is track 3 – stream it above and hear samples of this and the lead track at http://www.dragcity.com/products/frizzled.  An intrusive squall of feedback stumbles into a roiling hornets’ nest of guitars, vocals, drums and bass clamoring to be heard from beneath a gauzy cocoon of distortion.  The song lurches fore and aft until being rather rudely interrupted around the 2:40 by a sound resembling either a fax machine or modem dial (perhaps I’m dating myself with these references?).  The remainder of the track is a push/pull battle between this noise and the main tune – who wins is in the ear of the beholder.

The early Nirvana influences from Vaguely are still present, mixed with some Ginn-like guitar work and sounds that wouldn’t have been out of place on records by more outré 80s hardcore bands like Flipper or Government Issue.  A welcome, noisy return.

A Little House Cleaning, pt. 1

For my first post, I thought I would spend a few words discussing some of the music I’ve been enjoying over the past six months or so – music that, in a just world, would be all over the radio.  Think of this as the written equivalent of a “clip show”, if you will, but with ever so slightly more effort involved.

Jessy Lanza – Pull My Hair Back (Hyperdub, 9/9/2013)

Janet Jackson and Depeche Mode hanging together in the chill out room (they still have those, don’t they?).  Twenty-first century blue-eyed soul from the Great White North.  Whatever:  slinky percussion, whispery vocals and arrangements that unfurl over the course of a song.  Many 80s touchstones (the aforementioned Ms. Jackson (if you’re nasty), DM and Prince) abound, but don’t mistake for revisionism.  The moment at the 1:37 mark of “Giddy” makes me just that.  Highlights include:  “Giddy”, “Against the Wall”, “Strange Emotion”.

Out Cold – Invasion of Love (Heavenly Recordings, 9/17/2013)

Side project of Simon Aldred, lead singer for Cherry Ghost (a band worth investigating, if you’re not familiar).  Where his primary vehicle builds drama largely courtesy of lush arrangements, Out Cold accomplishes same through chilly synths and programmed beats.  Aldred’s warm, sometimes thin voice is pushed forward in the mix to great effect.  Dancier cuts like “Murder Black Corvette” and (personal favorite) “Sorrow” sit side by side with cooler fair such as “Fingers Through the Glass” and “All I Want”.  Highlights include:  Fingers Through the Glass, Sorrow.

Sampha – Dual ep (Young Turks, 7/29/2013)

Sampha’s voice is instantly recognizable – in a good way.  I first came across it through his work with SBTRKT and have followed it through collaborations with the likes of Jessie Ware (I drew the line at Drake).  Building from a base of voice and piano, the songs somehow manage to maintain their organic quality even when surrounded with electronic beats and embellishments (check the sound on “Demons” – always makes me check my phone for an incoming message when I hear it).  Highlights include:  all of it.

Running – Vaguely Ethnic (Castle Face Records, 8/6/2013)

Big, loud scuzzy rock and/or roll.  Guitars distorted and aggressive, vocals reverbed and, well, aggressive – tapping into a rich vein including early Black Flag, Electric Eels, Birthday Party; perhaps a soupçon of first album PiL.  Great album to:  pogo to, sit and eat Cheetos with, or clean the bathroom to – the world is your oyster.  Would love to check these guys live – the production gives a sense of the energy produced.  Highlights include:  “OoOo OoOo OoOooo”, “This is a You Problem”.

Youth Code – s/t (Dais Records, 8/13/2013)

LA duo carrying the torch for industrial music that proves something danceable can also pack a punch.  Rhythmically and sonically harkening back to early Wax Trax and bands like Skinny Puppy and Front 242 (to name just a couple), this breathes new life into a genre that – at least to these ears – became dominated by over the top, metal cock rockiness.  Vocals sound as though they are being screamed into a storm of the band’s own creation.  Highlights include:  “Carried Mask”, “What is the Answer”.