Gonjasufi: Heavy, industrial elements, sauntering, apocalyptic, vocals a la tindersticks, moaning and writhing, middle eastern melodies, overdriven, compressed, glitchy, massive attack, trip hop, portishead, black metal elements, denver based echo beds, creeping, murderous, gut-wrenching carolyn shadows, delay feedback, dark with gritty textures, Sumach Ecks, yoga teacher actor, warp records
AJJ: formerly andrew jackson jihad, folk punk, pat the bunny, ghost mice, bomb the music industry, phoenix arizona, crunchy, americana swing, a little synth work, vocals up front and quiverin, if you never checked em out but loved car seat headrest ‘my brain is a human body”
Ryley Walker: Rockford, Illinois, gorgeous, warm, tinkling, plays with dissonance, blend of electric and acoustic instruments, kevin morby, hiss golden messenger, playing with Mac Demarco on eTown here in boulder on september 1
There is a filing cabinet in a dimly-lit backroom of your mind. Inside are contained feelings of dread, scraps of paper with dark secrets scrawled across the page, and a whole host of all your greatest fears. If you want to take a peek inside, Gonjasufi holds the keys. Sumach Ecks’ new record “Callus” weighs a thousand pounds, and saunters through speakers with a murderous swagger. The record is a nightmare mix of trip-hop, industrial, and black metal–best played loud. Massive Attack and Portishead would be proud of “Callus,” if not even a little jealous.
Gonjasufi is represented through Warp records, the label for the electronic elite such as Aphex Twin and Oneohtrix Point Never; “Callus” is proof that Gonjasufi can still hang with the big boys. Track “Carolyn Shadows” is particularly gut-wrenching, the last seconds hit with a feedback delay loop that rips through your skull. I would never expect this record to come from an actor and yoga teacher, I guess Ecks has a couple personalities tucked into those skin tight pants. If you have been feeling quite too joyful recently, a bit happy-go-lucky, and want to turn it down a touch, blast “Callus” the new record from Gonjasufi, and all your problems will be solved.
If you were a fan of The Bible but thought it lacked a bit of folk-punk crunch, I have just the thing for you. Highly anticipated sequel “The Bible 2” is the newest release from AJJ (formerly Andrew Jackson Jihad). If you’re thirsty and angsty, let these black-clad Arizona punkers soothe your soul. AJJ walks the line between americana swing and crunchy punk with style.
If you dig Car Seat Headrest and wanna venture into a little folk-punk, start with the track “My Brain is a Human Body.” The most low-fi track of the album, the song has a couple simple chords, distorted and quivering vocals, and hard-hitting percussion. This record will clearly find a home with fans of Ghost Mice, Pat the Bunny, and Bomb the Music Industry!, but “The Bible 2”’s catchy melodies will turn the ear of listeners from all backgrounds. Don your black skinny jeans, and slip into “The Bible 2,” the new record from AJJ.
The most wholesome of this week’s records, “Golden Sings That Have Been Sung” from Ryley Walker is a twilight summer drive. Country-flavored guitar and tinkling background instrumentation makes the record immediately nostalgic. From Rockford, Illinois, Ryley Walker holds a sort-of down-home attitude coupled with a splash of dissonance. If you loved the Kevin Morby record from earlier this year, or have a Hiss Golden Messenger cd in your van, Ryley Walker will be right up your alley. Lead singles “The Roundabout” and “The Halfwit in Me” are both gorgeous songs, the other tracks on “Golden Sings That Have Been Sung” have a good amount of diversity. Songs range from soft-spoken verses to rock and roll bliss throughout the recording.
Whether you have a hankerin’ for doom, punk, or country, you can check out new records from Gonjasufi, AJJ, and Ryley Walker this week on Radio 1190 KVCU.
by Elijah Jarocki