Jamming to New Low Culture

lowcultureBeing a huge fan of the stuff Dirtnap Records has put out over the last, well, forever, it should be no surprise that I’m in love with this Low Culture tune. I’ve covered the band many times before, so I was excited to hear that the band were announcing Places to Hide, their newest LP. The sound’s immediately recognizable, furious buzzsaw guitars, power chord hooks and a quick pace that blasts you through the track right away. Turn up this tune, rock out in your office chair, then look to get your hands not he new LP when it’s released on September 9th.

Have You Heard Hotman

hotmanIt’s amazing that in all the hubbub about music cities dying no one is really discussing how difficult it’s been for a lot of musicians to even eke out a living in one band…they often turn to two or three different projects.  Maybe that’s the case for Joe from Low Culture, or maybe he just loves to play music.  This track below opens up with a kinship to Guided By Voices, which initially caught me, though it travels to an entirely different territory as the song drives on, pushing more towards the punk direction that you might associate with Joe’s other band. Hotman only has these two tracks, but they’re NYOP, and they’re both super rad, so get on it.

[audio:http//www.austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Hotman-Ghost-Love.mp3]

Download: Hotman – Ghost Love [MP3]

New Track from Low Culture

ironsheikThere’s no hiding my affinity for all things Marked Men related, but I was really surprised by how undervalued Low Culture were (relative to all other MM spin-offs/relationships).  If you’re smart, you’ll go give a listen to their debut Screens, which is phenomenal.  But, they’ve been hard at work recently, and they’re doing a split EP with friends Iron Chic.  We got a peak at one of their tunes, and it’s exactly what you want from the band…there’s just enough pop and just enough punk to make it into the perfect ear candy. Get your hands on a copy HERE.

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Low Culture – Screens

Rating: ★★★☆☆

If there’s one thing I’ve been able to count on for some time, it’s been the delivery of solid punk rock records from Dirtnap Records.  They’re at it again in 2013 with their first release, Screens by Low Culture.  Hailing from New Mexico, the band pumps out a grittier version of your modern power-pop, using furious pacing and jagged guitar chords to add an extra dose of energy.

“Screens” kicks off the entire affair, almost blasting off immediately with a punk rock anthem that blurs the lines between traditional punk rock and modern garage-pop.  A quickened beat, encouraged by the pounding rhythm of the drums, makes this one of the albums stand-out tracks.  Seamlessly, Screens moves along into “I Feel Your Ghost.”  It’s here that you first begin to notice a little bit more of a guttural influence on the vocals; this is one of the minor effects that carries the group away from the majority of their peers, at least in sonic comparisons.

While a great deal of Low Cultures latest effort has a tendency to stand in the territory of their punk/power-pop fusion, there are a few songs lurking here and there that allow listeners to absorb something a touch different. For me, you can tell by the opening guitar line of “Touchy Feely” that you’re in for something that varies from the group’s standard fare.  It jumps into a forceful vocal delivery, almost barked in your ear, though they do create a bit more classic alternative melody that enters towards the latter half of the song.  A few songs later you find yourself at “Nightmare,” providing that pummeling sound that one can only assume entices those in a live setting to circle about.  While I appreciate the variation in songwriting, these two examples are also probably the hardest for my ears to connect with during an average listening experience.

My favorite piece of Screens has to be “Trying to Quit.”  It’s sort of a sloppy garage ditty, which has me bobbing my head and tapping my toes as I write these very words.  It also features a softer vocal, though you can still hear a hint of strain; its presence makes the song immediately accessible and memorable, regardless of your personal tastes.  The group comes close to repeating this feat on the following track, “California,” although it takes a second or two longer to fully grasp the apparent pop sensibility in the songwriting.  Like the opening two tracks, this is a good 1-2 punch.

For my two cents, I’ve had a blast listening to Screens, blaring it on the home stereo time and time again.  Sure, there are some weaker spots, but even those I don’t mind playing all the way through.  While Low Culture waivers slightly in monotony, the record’s brevity allows them to avoid such traps, leaving music fans with an album you’ll spin on the table repetitively.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/01-Screens.mp3]

Download:Low Culture – Screens [MP3]

Rock N’ Roll from Low Culture

I know I’m struggling here on Friday, so I definitely needed an energetic pick up, which is lucky for me since I just got this great Low Culture tune.  There’s no pretense here, it’s just fast paced rock, in the vein of what I’ve deemed power punk.  It’s filled with hooks, especially in the chorus, yet there’s just a hint of gritty anger that blows your hair back.  They’ll be releasing their album, Screens, on my favorite Dirtnap Records on January 9th of next year.  You need energy and fun? You get Low Culture.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/01-Screens.mp3]

Download:Low Culture – Screens [MP3]