Eureka California: Crunch
(HHBTM)
Eureka California refuses to be jaded, bringing teenage exuberance to deceptively smart material. You hear it in the snare drum that starts off “I Bet You Like Julian Cope” like a cheer in a high school gym. The title refers to the ‘70s UK musician, but it could just as well be addressed to a crush. Propelled by Marie Uhler’s drumming, Jake Ward delivers hook after hook with the confidence of a singer who can name-drop Descartes and then laugh it off: “And I think therefore I am/ And I think like a man.” Full review | hhbtm.comMuuy Biien: DYI
(HHBTM)
Athens’ strongest and sharpest punk band, Muuy Biien has evolved by leaps and bounds on its second LP. It’s laser-cut, throat-throttling stuff, boiled down clean to the bone. Gone is the shambled fuzz of the debut; think more Gang of Four or even early Bauhaus. Ominous ambience weaves together the focused blasts of visceral tunes—it sounds strange, sure, but trust me, it coheres crazy well. You haven’t heard Muuy Biien, though, until you cram yourself in a tiny room with 50 other people and find yourself careening across the floor in time with the rumbling melodic bass. Full review | hhbtm.com
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