BUM KON – Drunken Sex Sucks (Smooch) – I love when I get a brutal and raw album in the mail that is virgin to my ears and I am still able to listen to it straight through without losing interest. Named after Korean Police Officer + Mass Murderer Woo Bum Kon, BUM KON is an old Denver punk band that released two LPs and the very rare 5-song Drunken Sex Sucks 7” back in 1983. The album, Drunken Sex Sucks, compiles all their studio recordings from the DSS 7” session. Bum Kon is true 80’s hardcore, anti-Reagan/TSOL era punk influenced by Husker Du yet manages to mimic Black Flag without being cliché. If you weren’t paying attention and their track “Giving In” was playing, you would think it was Dead Kennedys. Bum Kon’s Drunken Sex Sucks reminds me of parties with a lot of broken glass and an era of crusty black and white handbills. Giving In mp3 and Drunken Sex Sucks mp3
CRYPTACIZE - Dig That Treasure (asthmatic kitty)– this is the ‘softest’ band I have booked since Gowns last year. This trio’s new album is 31 minutes of quirky, yet sensual, low-fi dreamy-pop sing-a-longs, which is an appropriate assessment when they have a song titled “Cosmic Sing-A-Long”. Every song seems to create a scene in a book that changes emotions depending on who is singing. For some reason, Cryptacize reminds me of the band Quasi, even Numbers, but without the catchy hooks. Portions of Dig That Treasure can even be compared to the Belle & Sebastian side-project Looper, but with actual hooks. I can’t wait to see Cryptacize pull this off live with Florene and Tulsa’s Callupsie at Club Dada on June 20th.
iKillCARS – at ease with your haste (self) I have only heard three songs from this Austin garage/punk trio and now I am waiting to hear more. If you dig Brooklyn’s Panthers or Los Angeles’ Icarus Line, then you will have no problem getting into ikillCars. audio player They will be playing with Austin's Death is Not A Joyride and Dallas' Tiger Moth on June 7th at Pastime Tavern.Death is Not a Joyride - the Human Zoo (self) You know I dig bands that wear masks. So expect good things. review to come.
