HEADACHE CITY- Knee Jerk Reaction - 7"

from punk planet #66

Headache City- S/T 7"
New wave here, new wave there, new wave everywhere. Let me tell you, though, that this isn't the '80s synth pop that the Epoxies play. We have something different, something hard to pin down. It totally has the late '70s to early '80s tempo and song structure. You could say the Stranglers and other bands of that era, but I just don't feel comfortable with those comparisons. Shit Sandwich has a handful of great singles, and Headache City is a three-song slab of heaven. I have been playing this one over and over and still haven't quite figured out what makes it so right. Take out the keys and this is a lost punk classic; throw them in, and you have a new hit. -Eric Action

Hearts Of Animals - ST

Quite the find here, a natural bridge between straightforward indie pop traditions and some more daring territory, where I thought Tickley Feather might be headed. I’m much more fond of this Mlee Marie’s work when it’s abstract and loaded with delay, skronking horns, and a psychedelic/free mindset at play. And luckily, two of the four tracks here fit that description; opener “Stars Say No” being the hit, and the most far-reaching track here, and the repetitive gait of “Stop Talking” a mincing, relentless blast of blue sunshine. Truth be told, the pop songs are good too, just not as unique as the other tracks. Very excited to hear more of what she’s doing. Good one.

FROM Dusted, Still Single

His Electro Blue Voice - Fog - 7"

Man o' man, is this what it is like to give birth? The puppy was conceived last year and, through much pain and language snafus, it is finally being birthed. So what does this little monster sound like? Ahhhh let's go back in time to 1983 and a place called Europe where tons of DIY bands were releasing their take on gloomsters like Joy Division, Crisis, and the Cure. The sounds were a bit more primitive than that Holy Trinity, and also rawer and wilder. Fast forward to now and that sound is currently being tapped into by Frustration and now His Electro Blue Voice, a mysterious trio from Lake Como, Italy. Much more emotive than their Paris cohorts, fronted by a semi-unhinged, charmingly incoherent vocalist, HEBV teeters on the edge and twists into odd deconstruction of their songs. Hand screened sleeve.

Hollertronix - # 7 EP - 12"

The seventh volume of the landmark Hollertronix 12" series introduces us to the Boogie Down Bottle Nose Dolphins, a new tag-team consisting of Diplo and NYC's DJ Eli Escobar (who also has a Money Lotion release in the works). Always one step ahead, this series introduces us to the next manifestation of the Bmore edit with six stone cold party tracks for the brains and ears. The strange concoction "Betty(1)" is our immediate favorite here, and helps us remember why this series is so jocked. Diplo then follows up his classic "Goldigger" remix with a remix of the new Kanye-Daft Punk track "Stronger(2)." Lastly, unpredictable as ever, Eli digs into the Trax vault for a remix of Ralphie Rosario's "You Used to Hold Me(3)." DJ Eli, whose known amongst his club DJ brethren for his edits, delivers the no-brainer club bangguhs to earn those paychecks. First up, check the Dolphins' remix of "DANCE(4)" by those French doods, then a riot-causing MJ remix(5), and finally a Diplo remix of "Groove Is In The Heart(5)." Need we say more? Recommended.

Hollywood - Big Mouth - 7"

Holy Cobra- Keep Your Hands Off My Stuff - Cassette