Self-Cut Bangs/Laverne
Self-Cut Bangs
Self Titled // Independent
I’ll admit I am a bit of visual person. Naturally I picked Self-Cut Bangs for the super fun cartoon of a girl playing baseball and she’s about to throw the biggest baddest pitch. It brought me back to playing softball when I was a kid and also all the bad bang trims I did on my daughter when she was toddler! Sorry always had crooked bangs my girl! (Cover Art credit goes to @hamburgerhands) I also want to say I took notice of the score on the board on the top right corner... SCB-9 LP-1. Self-Cut Bangs has 9 songs on this album. This album being their first LP. I thought that was very clever.
Coming to us from Calgary, Alberta, Self-Cut Bangs is a sweet candy rush of a self titled album full of Pop Rocks and Big League Chew bubble gum. Don’t tell you never tried pairing those together when you were a kid. It’s fuelled with snarly-gnarly guitars, candy coated vocals, and the harmonies are the special sprinkles on top. This album is truly delicious! Brought back bike rides and pockets full of gummy candies for me… Simpler times.
The pandemic has brought us back to our roots, taught us how to be innovative and keep creating. This album was spawned out of Saturday afternoons where Cayley O’Neill (Dark Time) and Shawn Petsche (Napalmpom) wrote, composed, and recorded everything from their apartment… a song a Saturday. It became almost ritual. Before they knew it they had enough for an LP that was ready to share with the world. I’m sure glad they shared what they created. It’s truly a breath of fresh air!
The album starts off with “Pillow Talk,” a real banger with a deadly music video entirely of WWE2K16 on XBox. I really enjoyed the ass kicking it had to offer! You’ll surely get a kick or a pile-driver out of it!
”Perfect Posture” is the anthem I think many of us need right now. I’ve been feeling the changing of the seasons and knowing what’s to come so the grungiest of guitars and the lyrics really brightened things up for me as I hope they will for you....
”Chin up! Chin Up! It’s time to Stand Up!”
Thanks for the words of encouragement Self-Cut Bangs!!
With so many fantastic tracks on this album I found it hard to narrow down stand-outs. “Ace” had a catchy guitar riff I got into. But I thoroughly enjoyed “After All” for it had the perfect blend of rockabilly and grungy goodness!
Self-Cut Bangs may have started out as a way to kill time for Cayley and Shawn but I certainly hope to hear more of this project in the future!
Love Always,
Green Noreen
Laverne
Lack Of Vocation // Independent
Lack Of Vocation is the second full-length album by the Vancouver-based garage/post-punk band Laverne. Laverne was formed by Pherbie Midgley (bass), Geoff McLennan (drum), and Max Anderson-Baier (guitar and vocals) in 2017. They have been an active band in Vancouver since, with its first full-length yarrow (2018) under their belt – and in the anticipation for Lack Of Vocation, the band has released two singles: “90s” and “Matter of Fact.” The new record was recorded at Midgley’s home, and he handled the engineering duties to capture this further development in the sound that Laverne had established for itself in its debut record.
Lack Of Vocation is a thorough 14-track record running at around 31 minutes, so I will give some general comments first and then turn towards some of its highlights. The album covers a lot of ground as far as Laverne revisits the themes and building-blocks of the band’s sound. Lyrically and sonically, the band sounds raw and emotional. Each composition is balanced out with a healthy blend of steady beats, groove orientated bass lines, and fitful spasms of guitar. The first two tracks provide a solid introduction to the full-length. “90’s” is the opening track, and it is a solid illustration of the base that Laverne is going to be building with swaggering vocals and rhythmic sways to get right into it. “Chummy” picks the pace up in the way that it carries song with bratty vocals, often times verging into spoken word. As tracks like “Peace” and “Greatest Hits” come around, Laverne really shows off their punk edge with scrappy, energetic guitars and impactful vocal deliveries. By contrast, the album also does not shy away from slower paced songs that reel things back to the base of making catchy, rhythmic songs: “Not So” is a powerful song that showcases this side of Laverne quite exceptionally.
Upon a few listening sessions, I ended up getting into some tracks that just got stuck in my head: “Mould” is probably the earliest one of them as the “old that glitters is gold” lyric got stuck in my head – and given my awareness of the fine juice that is their Instagram meme content, I cannot help to wonder if the song is a Shrek reference or just incidental. “Fell” is one of best tracks in the entire record (if not the best), as it as catchy as it can get. “Fell” really captivates the intimate and delicate sound Laverne goes for, especially as it comes across as a conversation and a form of storytelling lyrically – not to mention the vocal production at the beginning, which really sets the tone for this excellent track. Meanwhile, “Fads” came across as the closest that Laverne gets at sound akin to hardcore punk in the style of Drug Church and Ceremony. Then there is “Twitchy Eyes,” which is the second last track of the record. This is one of the slower tracks of the record and it stands out for me on the same level as “Not So,” save for “Twitchy Eyes” atmospheric noise intro which really makes the second last track feel as if it is coming out of a deserted planet. Lastly, Laverne made sure to put a certified, strong finisher track to their new album with “Shots.” This track is just fun and one of the more energetic takes on their sound, which by the end of the album left me satisfied with my overall listening experience.
Either you know Laverne by the solid work in their prominence in Vancouver’s underground scene or by their consistent and haunting internet presence – as I dug into Laverne, I was pleased to learn that they are Garfield and philosophy enthusiasts just like myself (What a curious venn diagram!). And now, Laverne comes to remind you once again that their strong meme game on Instagram is not the only quality work they can produce. Laverne’s testimonials include gems like: “You guys play too often. Perhaps, play less.” And unfortunately, their Sled Island performance had to be cancelled due to a portion of the on-going world cataclysm we are all witnessing. However, since there are few if any shows foreseeable, for now I will follow the three rules set out by Laverne to compensate for this lack: 1) Listen to Laverne, 2) Listen to Laverne, and 3) Abolish Prisons.
- Simone A. Medina Polo
