SAWTOOTHED

Puppy Dog

sawtoothed — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:30:53 +0000

LA’s all-girl 3-piece Puppy Dog are well aware that being in the deeps throws of recession doesn’t mean toning down on rock & roll – you’ve just got to make do without extravagance. Armed with just a glockenspiel, drums and the rather sweet idea that “everything can be a song,” they’ve got a tape of minimal, shouty pop songs lasting barely over a minute coming out this month.

www.myspace.com/killpuppydog

Obits

sawtoothed — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:19:56 +0000

So we all know that Hot Snakes are one of the greatest bands of this decade, right kids? Perfectly combining punk rock and musical efficiency, Hot Snakes were one of the tighest, most thrilling bands of the decade. Everything was honed down to the bare minimum, although you barely notice it when the dueling guitar onslaught of ’10th Planet’ is roaring away like two cars head-to-head in a high-speed rally.

John Reis’ new band The Night Marchers was a particularly disappointing affair, featuring plenty of Mexi-rock posturing and not much in the way of tunes. His Hot Snakes/Drive Like Jehu accomplice Rick Froberg’s new band, Obits, which holds much more intrigue.

Their debut album, I Blame You, comes out on Sub Pop next month, but the label has released a free download of the track ‘Pine On’ to bide the time until then. A clean-guitar recorded-filthy affair, the song lacks the tough-guy power you’d expect from his old band. Instead it takes rhythmic garage-rock and manages to be heaps more exciting than most bands with a few volumes of Nuggets to their name, sounding like it will dance you to death rather than pummel you.

Katie The Pest

sawtoothed — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:52:34 +0000

Long Beach resident Talia Rose has been recording under the moniker of Katie The Pest for nearly ten years, remaining virtually unknown for reasons that we’ll always mystify us. Her sickly sweet songs of nostalgic garage-pop are underpinned by sepia-tinged guitars and clattering lo-fi drums, whilst off-key harmonies give a charm and grace that make you feel as if you feel as if these songs were never meant to be heard by you. The perfect soundtrack for the ice-cream socials she’s become so fond of playing.

Katie The Pest – Spit It Out