Click on the pictures for more info on each release.
Review by Mor Fleisher-Leach
The UV Race is a lot like Melbourne’s version of Black Randy and the Metro Squad—endearing and catchy, doesn't fit in anywhere specifically, and sometimes has a “horn section”. The lyrics are needy and musicianship is minimal. But what makes the UV Race stand out is a keen sense of quirky, dry humor—something that is sadly missing from most contemporary American bands.
Homo is the UV Race’s second full-length record, released by Los Angeles’ In the Red Records. The album sees the group exploring its proto-punk roots. Its attitude is a mix between Lou Reed’s melancholy and Jonathan Richman’s apathy (before the solo soul-man days). The tracks are symphonies of one note, one finger, one chord, one-two-three-four-strum action. They’re good—lots of upbeat numbers about feeling down.
UV Race is one of those “I Don’t Give a Fuck” bands—my favorite kind. They play the kind of music you could play. They’re accessible and honest. Music scholars probably hate this stuff. They say it like it is, play it like it is.
Review by Mor Fleisher-Leach
Holy shit, Rob Tyner's back from the grave! Not really, but Sydney Australia's Dead Farmers come pretty darn close. The spirit of this album is one-of-a-kind, not a rip-off by any means (and we all should know by this point that much of rock 'n' roll these days is just a rip-off). These guys give it all they have, with minimal yet intricate song writing, harmonic vocals, and three-chord philosophies. Like the Byrds, but more fucked up.
Go Home, released on R.I.P. Society Records in 2010, is Dead Farmers' first full length LP. They had just one other 7", "Violence" (Aarght Records) out prior to this release. The music is raw and relentless, the perfect mix of garage-punk ethos and psychedelic era head-nodding.
The album's first track, "Suns of Thunder," gets things kickin' quick. A mix of abrupt guitar riffs, I-don't-give-a-fuck lyrics, drum poundin' and heart stoppin' excitement. I hope they start their live sets with that one. (Someone should pay these guys to come out to Los Angeles in the near future. I hope you read that, big time money pimps and pimpettes.)
And the best part? This manic record was recorded, mixed and mastered at guitarist David Akerman's house. I don't know if they used a 4-track (I just like to think they did), but it's all a bit reminiscent of the old Chris Knox/Flying Nun recordings of the late '70s/early '80s. That's a good thing. I hope that comparison doesn't get me in trouble--and if it does, I'm just an American in a big ol' Kiwi vs. Aussie debacle. Believe me, America has done far worse.
Check out Dead Farmers. Buy a ticket to Sydney and see them play. Or just buy this album and make pretend. Either way, you'll be doing yourself a favor.