Not only is Mark Lanegan way cooler than you, so are all of his friends—Isobel Campbell, Greg Dulli, Josh Homme … and now British multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood. Lanegan and Garwood paired up for their debut collaboration, Black Pudding . The album is parenthetically enclosed by two Garwood guitar instrumentals—the title track and the suitably named, British folk-infused “Manchester Special.” Both smolder with leavened warmth. Meanwhile, Lanegan, like kindred troubadours Cave, Cohen and Waits, remains a conjurer of all things uncomfortably familiar: sin, sorrow and salvation. “Cold Molly” and “Mescalito” are both sexy and electro-tinged. “Death Rides a White Horse” is a blissfully nihilistic heroin ballad, while “Shades of the Sun” pleads for redemption. (M. Brianna Stallings)
Various Artists Garage Swim (Adult Swim)
Sure, you love garage rock, but that Nuggets box set is gathering dust on your bookshelf. If you’re looking for something new that still sounds old, download Garage Swim , a free 15-song compilation of unreleased tracks courtesy of Adult Swim. “Devil Again” by Thee Oh Sees perfectly captures the core energy, with dashes of glam for good measure. Roller rink-disco skates through King Tuff’s “She’s on Fire.” Surf exotica sways King Khan and the Gris Gris’ “Discreate Disguise.” JEFF The Brotherhood goes psych-sludge on “Melting Place.” The southern twang on “Covered in Ice” by King Louie’s Missing Monuments hearkens back to Big Star. It’s a summer soundtrack with tambourines and bass drums galore. It’s also the same boy-centric sausage party many still believe garage rock is/was, but oh well. (M. Brianna Stallings)
Resin Cum ÒAct V: ArbeitsscheuÓ (Gay Noise)
Just last week Resin Cum released a brand-new EP right before this El Paso duo set out on tour. Since the group began in 2008, each recording is a new act in the larger work. The title of this 22-minute opus refers to a Nazi classification of undesirables: “work-shy” in German; Resin Cum keeps it real like that—really heavy, occultish and primordial. Arbeitsscheu is ideal headphone music, with a lot of varied and ominous low-end subtlety going on in the interstellar reverb chamber of noise, doom, drone and post-rock that the record inhabits. RIYL: The Body, Earth and Godspeed! You Black Emperor. I think they’re playing ABQ on May 29, so keep your eels peeled. (Derek Caterwaul)
