Monthly Archives: November 2014

Review: Black Beach, The Youth Is Out There

Black Beach, The Youth Is Out There (self-released)

Been a while since I wrote about some good ol’ rock ’n roll, so time to rectify…

Black Beach is a 3-piece hailing from Middleboro, MA, USA.  Their two-track ep (is two tracks an ep?  we won’t judge), The Youth Is Out There, is music to sweat to – part punk, part garage, all rock; fuzzed-out guitars and vocals washed out to the point of incomprehension, duct-taped together by a manic rhythm section (so many crash cymbals….).  The MC5 and Mudhoney in a chicken fight with The Thermals and The Stooges.  Brilliant.

Released in July as a free download on their band camp page, which also has a couple of other tracks to sample (spoiler alert: they’re good, too).  Since the bandcamp embed is not working, I can’t let you preview the ep, so go get it – it’s free – and, while you’re at it, go see their record release show at the Middle East on December 10.

New Music: Belle and Sebastian, The Party Line

Belle and Sebastian, ‘The Party Line’ (Matador)

Taken from to-be-released Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance (due January), this track shows a different side to the well-established Glaswegian outfit’s sound.  While B&S have never shied away from dance rhythms, past grooves reminded more of Ready, Steady, Go – this cut is more Dance Party USA; a shimmering, glossy piece of late-80s club, complete with whiteboy funky lead guitar and a snaky (synth) bassline.

This tune may yet inspire the band’s notoriously bookish fans to discard their cardigans and do the Roger Rabbit – ‘Where’s Me Jumper’, indeed.  Check out the video, below.