TeenSpot “Aggressive Inline Skating ” EP
Somewhat of a Portland supergroup, TeenSpot is comprised of members from other established local bands (The Shaky Hands, Your Rival and Paperbrain) with a definite garage styled Superdrag meets Guided By Voices vibe. “The Hero” gives us a fuzzy lo-fi anthem with steady guitar rhythm and howling vocals, and each track gets progressively better. “Outside” and “Leave Me Guessing” recall Big Star or Velvet Crush in spots. The rough filtered vocals work wonders on “Upon Your Heel” and “On The Floor.” Overall, great indie bedroom fuzz that should make Robert Pollard proud.
Wyldlife “The Time Has Come to Rock & Roll”
Billed as four dudes raised by alcoholic wolves. This NYC band adds equal amounts of The Ramones, early Joe Jackson and The Stones, shake vigorously and you’ll pour out a tall glass of Wyldlife. Excellent punk power pop with all the trimmings open things up on “The Right” and the stand-out single “Saturday Night.” These are balls-to-the-wall, hook-filled punk rock anthems that cry out for air guitar. “Wasted” continues at cruising speed with a nod to bands that played and partied all night long. The wild bass on “Sonofabitch” recalls The Eels meeting Led Zepplin, just thumping piss and vinegar.
Naturally, the albums second half can’t keep this quality up? It almost does with one lone dud (“Guardian Angels”) but more highlights here include the Jagger-like riffing on “Trash” and AC/DC styled intro on “Cowboys and Slutz.” Plus the guitar buzz and hand claps go together quite well on the sign off “Out On The Run.” Highly Recommended!