DUSTED-
Night of Pleasure/Day Creeper
split 7" EP
(self-released)
Night of Pleasure have had some records out on Columbus Discount, and after some synthesizer fuckery, they have another one – standing up, hairs on end, lo-fi to the point of damage to their sound. "Hipster Downgrade" makes these guys seem like observational comics, but aside from the distored yawp of the singer's voice, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what the deal is with hipsters. What is their deal, anyway? If you have a band that sounds like Jawbreaker recorded through pinned outs in a busted 4-track, does that make you a hipster? By the end of Day Creeper's first song I started getting that sinking feeling that everybody's into making pop music now. And while this wouldn't sound so much like the Ohio these folks live in, steeped in the climate of having Times New Viking pretty much around and having succeeded in their own way. And I was getting bummed out, but then "My Blue Screen" came on, and showed Day Creeper leaning hard on rhythm, doing really interesting things like leaning on one key of an orgam for the length of a "solo," and the general chop that the production leaves all over the chorus, and you start to remember why bands from Ohio are always more interesting than the rest of what's going on. One out of four, no doubt, but that one is exciting enough to warrant the whole record. 300 copies, hand-stamped sleeves.
(email arrozazul at yahoo(dot)com)
ONE TRUE DEAD ANGEL-
Day Creeper / Night of Pleasure -- 7" [self-released]
Day Creeper and Night of Pleasure are both from Columbus; the former are new to the scene, while the latter have been out a while, with a single on Columbus Discount Records. On the Day Creeper side, "And How!" is driven by simple but insistent drums, vague nods to pop sound, and guitars delving into clever progressions and occasionally laying back to accomodate a relatively (for punk, anyway) sophisticated arrangement that comes to an abrupt end when you least expect it. "My Blue Screen" derives a lot of its power from snarling, fizzy guitars and a blunt (but tight) simplicity that plays out quickly and wastes absolutely no time in delivering its message. NOP's two tracks find them just as racuous and pleasantly lo-fi as always; "Spasm Chasm" opens with insistent galloping bass and is soon augmented by lots of crashing and bashing; "Hipster Downgrade" is a more frantic burst of energy, drowning in treble and the charming no-fi sound greatly in evidence on their earlier single. Why they had to put this out themselves is beyond me; I'm kind of surprised CDR didn't pick it up (although to be fair, they put out so much stuff that budget considerations become an unpleasant consideration sooner or later, I'm sure). Cool stuff, especially on the Day Creeper side, although you'll probably have to acquire it directly from one of these swell bands.
AGIT READER-
Night of Pleasure and Day Creeper Water the Beach
As far as releases in the Beach (that is Columbus, Agit-Base), there's been a seasonal drought. It's a wonder and surprise that the new Night of Pleasure/DayCreeper split 7-inch came accompanied by full-mini-LP CDRs by both, exposing the actual depth of both bands and giving an accented punch to this time-centric piece of noise. Why not release a no-label, black 'n' white, on-the-cheap document of what this still-going summer of '08 has felt like (frustration, stasis, random face-melting spurts)? Did he say pink skull?
Day Creeper is the latest on the turf, but my how each and every step they make is not to burn the flesh. This duo has a chemistry that belies their rookie status. There's Spartan punctuation at each simple turn of these big riffs and melodies. That synergy is especially prevalent on "My Blue Screen," the big organ and twinkle choogler that ultimately wins out. The untitled disc that came earlier in the week shows much more range (find "The Problem at Hand") by cramming some discernable lyrics into the angular twists the guitarist's Richman-esque charisma exudes.
Night of Pleasure thumb their noses to any hierarchy in this town, and that's a refreshing gesture on this flipside. In the lacquer, they're becoming Columbus' grimiest—yet literal—punk group. I always come back for Dave Treneff's abrasive and equally smart guitar gnash. Sonically they've grown by gathering more moss, and on "Spasm Chasm," and more pointedly "Hipster Downgrade," they've muscled Turks-ish testosterone (dig the drum fills) into bummy quarters. One can't argue that "Hipster Downgrade" isn't one of this year's catchiest barbs
I was really pumped to see a package from 71 W. Tulane, Columbus, aka Saltair 2, in my hallway last week containing the brand new split 7" between pop-powerman Day Creeper and basement patriots Night of Pleasure, 'cause quite frankly there haven't been any budget parties like they throw in Clintonville here in Brooklyn. What I'm saying is I needed a freebie.
Not that this split isn't worth your hard-earned cash, because it is, as it features some of Cowtown's hardest working dudes and the best tunes they've written to date.
Night of Pleasure have really gelled since adding new bassist Michael J. Hinze (two posts in a row, what am I gay for the guy?) to the mix, all Summer seeming determined to crunch out tighter sets and better tunes. They've recently wrapped a week-long tour of the great Midwest in support of this platter which I'm sure they're very proud of, as the songs reveal a new-found bravado in their sound. "Spasm Chasm" throbs for a solid minute until Dave Trenoff's guitar slashes through the whole groove, essentially engulfing the song. "Spasm", though, plays out as one long intro to what maybe NoP's best song yet, "Hipster Downgrade", a three-chord anthem featuring singer Jim Cowman's most melodic moment. Beneath the feedback and pounding rhythm is a flat-out expertly-written song. To top it all off NoP continue their tradition of including vintage nudity in their design. Well done.
Day Creeper is the year-old project of Aaron Troyer (Outerspacist drummer, Malabar Brothers guitarist), one of the freshest songwriters out of Ohio I've heard in years. He writes upbeat power-pop comparable to recent acts like Romance Novels or the The Pizzas. His songs are suitable for both the simple guitar-drums set-up (what he's done live) or a more fleshed-out group sound, and he chooses to display both sides here. And apparently Aaron is allergic to duds, as I've heard at least an album's worth of tunes, each one better than the last and all played to perfection, medium-rare. Anyway, "And How!" features the more stripped-down trebly sound, complete with a xylophone lead, while "My Blue Screen" boats a fuller, in-the-red production. There's keys, bass, raw guitar, a great singalong whoosh and a snarl to it that vintage Costello couldn't even touch. Great job Aaron! More, please.
You can get this puppy from the bands spaces or maybe
Florida's Dying.
Goner may get some back in stock.
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