Drunk Elk Brief Plug and Appreciation

Drunk Elk. They are from Tasmania. They don’t have anything new out, but they are perfect, demented, tragic and beautiful sounding. Syd Barrett and Jandek-level psychedelic depression rants for vocals, while vaguely post-punk guitar and bass thrum in the background. No drums. They don’t really sound like anyone, but I am reminded of SF’s FACTRIX who made a couple brilliant records in the early Industrial-era which crossed over into psychedelia at least in effect. Anyway, quarantine has led me into some of the dark corners of my record collection.

Power-Pop Popcorn Double Feature

R.E. Seraphin – Tiny Shapes (Paisley Shirt Records)

R.E. Seraphin is a band and a person, Ray. He’s been involved in some other Bay Area and Austin projects, but this is where it’s all coming together. This has a classic SHOES 1970’s homemade power-pop feel along with some of that southern jangle which turned up later in the new wave-era with the likes of THE dB’s. His vocals are blunt, almost spoken which is a nice contrast to the snappy pop-rock music. The songs are simple but adorned with hot rod guitar riffs like you might hear on a CARS record. The sound is not too lo-fi or hi-fi, mixed perfectly by an ex-member of THE MANTLES, I am sold.

Be Afraid – Remember Fun (Hidden Bay Records)

Hidden Bay must be combing the camps daily to find new artists. Here’s a charmer: BE AFRAID, great/silly band name. “Remember Fun?” they ask in the title. “Not really, no I don’t.” I have to mention BIG DIPPER and THE EMBARRASSMENT again for the tenth time in this column (sorry!), but it fits. There are two singers weaving in and out and a prominent Farfisa type organ like ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS used on their great run of early LP’s. This is way more slack than ARMED FORCES, but it does have great chords for sure. I’m loving all this new indie-pop stuff. It’s booming out there. While Pfork is strategizing the next trap/emo tween click storm, I will continue to cover the sub-underground that is thriving everywhere.