This five-song, 20-minute EP by Manchester producer Holy Other is sort of reminiscent of the soundtrack to a late ’80s / early ’90s erotic drama. Not that that’s a bad thing. The music is part moody drone, part slow jam—but with a bunch of bleeps and smashes and creaks and Casio tones thrown in—and it’s strangely uplifting. Listen to it (here: bitly.com/alibiwithu) through full-size headphones when you want to chill out. (JCC)
The Devil Whale Teeth (thedevilwhale.bandcamp.com)
Another indie band. There are hundreds of them out there and, let’s be honest, a lot of them sound the same. Salt Lake City act The Devil Whale fits into that homogenous category. Its second album, Teeth, contains good melodies made by talented musicians. It’s just lacking originality. That said, something working for the band are the lyrics—they ooze creativity. "Your pulpits are pounded by midgets afraid of looking up,” sings frontman Britton Jones on "The End (Isn’t Coming)." Nice poetry, but if you’re searching for unorthodoxy, you may want to look elsewhere. (SB)
Davila 666 Tan Bajo (In The Red Records)
Everyone in garage land is talking about Davila 666. Sneering Spanish vocals are laid over three-chord rock and roll played with such passion one can smell the beer-sweat in the feedback. I wish I knew what they were singing about, but thank Santeria it doesn’t really matter, the delivery is so fine. If you missed this Puerto Rican punk band at Corazón earlier this year, never fear—the new record sounds just as good as the live act. (GP)
