Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse added to 2012 Recommended Albums

Ty Segall has released a number of solo albums over the last few years, but Slaughterhouse is the first under Ty Segall Band. The distinction is significant; this album is huge-sounding, and undouubtebly sets a new precedent for Segall's San Fransiscan garage rock peers.

The basic mix for Slaughterhouse consists of Stooges garage rock, the heavy riffing of Sabbath, and just a pinch of the Cramps' weirdness for flavour. This formula makes it essential. The ultimately terrifying doses of acid psychedelia contemporaries like Thee Oh Sees pump into their music is reduced to a minimum: Segall's experiments in these areas are much more the focus of the other album he's released this year, the White Fence collaboration Hair. Slaughterhouse's heaviness is what sets it apart from the rest of his work so far. It's about as dark and sludgy an album of this style could get, and all of its qualities are reflected in its extremely scuzzy low recording quality. The guitars, bass and drums are never short of oversaturated, and as much as Segall's vocals vary - from high range yelps and screams ("Slaughterhouse"), to deep grouchy Howlin' Wolf reminders ("That's The Bag I'm In") - they usually end up indecipherable. Only when strange Beatles-like melodies are employed ("I Bought My Eyes") can Segall's lyrics be clearly heard.

This is unimporrtant for this record. The recording quality of classic proto-punk LP's such as the Stooges' Funhouse is what gives them such a mythic quality. Incidentally Slaughterhouse could be considered a modern reinterpretation of that album: if the similarities in name and sound aren't enough, consider the ten-minute closing instrumental "Fuzz War" and it's similarities to "L.A. Blues", not to mention the guitar riffs that frequently conjure up the tenacity of the late Ron Asheton.

Delights aplenty are to be found elsewhere on Slaughterhouse. "Tell Me What's Inside Your Heart" lasts under four minutes, but its unstoppable breakneck speed make it feel much longer. It backs onto "Wave Goodbye", an impossibly heavy, brooding tune that begins much slower; its opening bass riff dominating the mood of thee next four minutes or so. But the album doesn't skimp on the fun: surf-rock finds its influence on "Muscle Man", as classic rockabilly does on "The Tounge". The band's cover of Bo Diddley's classic single "Diddy Wah Diddy" ends unfinished, with Segall yelling "FUCK THIS FUCKING SONG!", yet this outtake feels spirited enough to just work in the context of the album.

2012 has so far been full of exceptional rock albums, and Slaughterhouse finds itself easily amongst the pick of the best. It's brutal, visceral but above all fun and engaging, and shows a lot to the numerous other records in this style that come out this time of year. It just rocks, plain and simple. Even if that is a phrase I seem to be repeating. Immediate satisfaction calls for immediate responses.

Click here for the rest of the 2012 Recommended Albums list

Japandroids - Celebration Rock added to 2012 Recommended Albums

The term "rock and roll" presents a number of different ideas, sometimes contrasting. Japandroids represent many of the common principles of rock through the ages and in its many guises, yet strip them down to the bare essentials. Brian King and David Prowse sound like two guys that with all the money, fame and riches in the world would continue wiith their two person lineup, black and white aesthetic and most importantly, their intense life-or-death approach they convey in their music.

Maybe it's because they know they'll never reach the top, may never get the girl, and might eventually grow old and resentful that they continue in such a way. Their sound isn't complex: a combination of garage rock and Paul Westerberg with particularly emo-sounding lyrics over the top. Their instruments sound pretty much the same on every track. A few albums into the future this attitude may get tiresome, and already can be exhausting to just listen to, but for now they remain one of the most exciting rock bands out there.

Celebration Rock follows Japandroids' 2009 debut Post-Nothing, an album written when they were already on the verge of breaking up. Uncertainty is still a theme in their music, but is overshadowed by passion and determination. It's an extremely optimistic and inviting record for the most part; singer/guitarist Brian King sounds like he wants the whole crowd on his side, that every fan is important to him. Everything about this album is at least a small improvement than that on the first. The production is much cleaner, allowing every power chord, snare rush and "oh-oh oh!" chorus to feel as direct as the front row of the crowd. The songwritting is more focused, and each track has a cluster of memorable lyrics. The whole album is sequenced in such a way that it only intensifies with every minute: it takes the penultimate track and lead single "The House That Heaven Built" to reach it's emotional peak, and with the weight of what's come before it's probably the most euphoric moment on the record.

I feel as though I'd not be doing this record service if I didn't mention "Younger Us". Released as a single back in 2010 it's been on my iPod for a long time now, and is still one of my go-to songs for immediate, visceral satisfaction. It remains the best song Japandroids have ever written for my money, and makes an excellent home in this record. "Remember that night you were already in bed / said "fuck it" got up to drink with me instead" is lyrical perfection, and sums up the Japandroids' experience exactly: late nights, alcohol, nicotine, caffiene, anything to pour your soul out to. It would have been a very respectable choice for Song of the Year had it not been released previously.

Overall Celebration Rock feels like a late-night record, a drive through the rain, a personal journey as well as a collective one. It comes from a world where it's totally ok for fully-grown guys to pour out their feelings into music, to expose themselves completely, where others would hide behind layers of metaphor and double-meaning, and where "Adrenaline Nightshift" is an acceptable name for a song by a band that calls themselves "Japandroids". But they sound like best of friends playing punk music for their lives, and represent the hard-working, even mundane aspects of doing so. The fact their journey is something we can so often relate to makes it one of the most exciting of all. And as you hear the fireworks closing the steady comedown of "Continuous Thunder", you realize Celebration Rock is a near-perfect celebration of that.

Celebration Rock is out on Polydor in a couple of days, and is still streaming at NPR Music.

Japandroids - Celebration Rock and Big K.R.I.T. - Live From The Underground streaming at NPR Music

I should point out that at this time the Japandroids album stream appears to be broken in that the track "Continuous Thunder" replaces "Younger Us". Fortunately "Younger Us" was released ages ago and can be downloaded below. Just pause the stream at 21:52, play "Younger Us" and pick back up at 26:50. Not ideal, and hopefully it'll be fixed soon.

UPDATE: Japandroids stream appears to have been fixed.


Here's Celebration Rock, which comes out next Monday via. Polyvinyl.

*Japandroids - "Younger Us"

No problems with the Big K.R.I.T. stream. Here's Live From The Underground, also out next Monday via. Island Def Jam.

Single of the Week is back tomorrow, so come back to fnd out what it is.