Magik Markers Brief Celebration and Bandcamp Notice

I woke up today with the urge to spill some blood from my pen about one of the best bands of all time. Take it into consideration that I know the people in this band, but I write this column for free, and you get what you pay for. Magik Markers were monsters live in their early years, as well-documented on the many albums you can enjoy on their revamped Bandcamp page. Take the anti-musician momentum sounds of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks or The Dead C in punk mode, add SST spoken word side-trips, throw in playful violence and instrument smashing and you have a classic MM’s set. Their studio work improved with age, culminating in 2013’s Surrender to the Fantasy, the perfect middle-ground between The Garbage & The Flowers pop deconstruction and an easier to digest Live Skull record unjustly marked down in the bargain bin. This trajectory bodes well for a late-period masterpiece supposedly in the making. Stay (de) tuned.

Flowertown – s/t (Paisley Shirt Records)

Before the world ended, San Francisco was having a moment, a cozy scene, dreamy, jangly or noisy creative pop sounds flourishing even when capitalism was trying to drive us all into the ocean. A couple of refugees from those bands I was enjoying regularly joined forces in this quarantine project. Maybe they got out the 4-track just to kill time, but they ended up outdoing their main projects. Classic slow-motion chord progressions from Velvet Underground’s third record and doo-wop hum behind languid vocals. Yo La Tengo’s May I Sing with Me had similar slow jams with the two main personalities taking turns at the mic.  I am also reminded of the gentle 90s pop band Cat’s Miaow from Australia. Flowertown’s lo-fi sounds are warm and inviting with just enough vocal presence, reverb and charm. Proceeds from this release go to support a small SF DIY art/performance space.