Clubs EP recording Session: 1/7/2009

I show up at the Diamond Factory recording studio around 7 pm. It is the same place where San Marcos/Austin band Newlywed recorded their soon to be released Fear Country ep and from what I hear on entering, Clubs’ ep is getting the same treatment.

The studio is located in North Austin in an industrial park off of 183. Apparently there is a whorehouse nearby and I am told that I can get an expert handjob for 35$ or so. The front of the converted office suite is dark when I show up and even though I’ve been there before I am momentarily uncertain that I am in the right place. There are no signs of life other than an old couch, vcr/tv, and lots of empty candy wrappers in the front room, but I hear the faint sounds of a muffled guitar coming through the walls and I follow them into the main recording room. It is large and mostly empty except for an old, out of tune piano in the corner, a microwave, some soundproofing material mounted on the walls, and an Orange half-stack with three mics in front of it. The mics are running into the side room where Travis, the producer, is sitting with Clubs’ guitarists Alexander Beggins and John Nichols. I am told that bassist Foster Farmer and drummer Fran Aguera are already done with their parts. Nichols is recording a lead part for one of his songs and I sit down to listen. The song sounds surprisingly heavy and the unfinished track is already building into a multi-layered experience. Nichols is recording on a black SG, for a slightly thicker tone than his Telecaster ---which he uses live--- would produce. When the lead guitar part is finished Beggins takes the guitar and records a couple of brief overdubs of rhythm parts. They finish the song and even the un-mastered, vocal-less, results are intimidating. I stay for a bit longer and watch the band finish up the few remaining guitar parts, use Nichols’ phone to look up the whores-next-door, find that they are surprisingly attractive, do a half-hearted mental search for sleigh-bells, try some gross energy spray, then leave.

I’ll have to be content to wait until the as of now untitled ep is released to hear what the vocals/finished product sounds like, but in the meantime Clubs are playing the Newlywed cd release show on January 17th with Newlywed, Earth Eater, Cactus Peach, (and possibly a surprise guest??)

-S.B.

Newlywed - Fear Country: Release Date: 1/17/09

So driving from Austin to Houston is pretty fucking boring. You should know what I'm talking about if you've ever made this drive. I-10 sucks. So to lighten my hate for this terrible excursion, i popped in the new album from newlywed (a couple weeks before release date b/c i get special privileges). 100 miles later, i find myself starting over the album for the 5th or 6th time. It dawns on me, this album is fucking good. Starts strong, ends with what i personally think is the best song on the album. Incredible production value done by Diamond Factory's Travis Bonner. moving on...

1) Paranoia Will Destroia - great start to the album. Fierce, fast, hard, soft, sexy, soothing, mosh-worthy. Zach Brigham's top-notch vocals on this song, exercising his ability to sing and yell simultaneously, juxtaposed with the raging, brutal instrumentation provided by Jeff Blum, Fran Aguera, and Jordan Kennamer, exhibits a perfect beginning to the journey into the fear country. 9/10

2) Unholy - Possibly the most controversial track on the album, featuring brutal backing screams from guitarist Jeff Blum layered in an almost echo-like answer to Brigham's leads near the end of the song. Luckily, you can take a listen to this track before the release show on their myspace. 9/10

3) Clownfields - While still an impressive song, i feel this track may be the weakest on the album. Although, i should add that this song does prove an impressive example of Aguera's drumming. 7/10

4) Mirage Hotel - Another of the album's gems. One of, if not the best song on the album. Everything about this song is perfect in regards to the hardcore/punk rock/metal standards. It's angry. It's fast. And it makes you wanna get up and break shit. 10/10

5) Charcoal Soul - Brilliant song, i feel may be tied with Mirage Hotel for best song on the album. The song erupts with roaring bass, loud-as-fuck drums, and some nice feedback/walking guitar riff, and soon dilutes into droning guitars, and a dominating drum beat, all of which are lead with delicious screams and lyrics describing a suicidal, drugged-up mistress. 10/10

6) Meet Your Maker - Although the shortest "actual" song on the album, this one proves to be just as powerful as the rest. Like Clownfields, it does help propel the album as a whole, and while it doesn't add anything to the album, it certainly doesn't take anything away. 8/10

7) Noise - this is exactly what it says it is. Intro to the title track.

8) Fear Country - The title track, and i feel the best ending for the already sterling album. My personal favorite track, i truly love the end of this song more than any other moment on any of their other songs. the duality of Brigham's yell, matched against Blum's brutal scream gives me goose bumps every time i hear them chant "You will feel safe for the first time in years/You will feel safe for the first time in years" and while completing this album for the 10th time today, i finally feel safe wanting to go break shit with a hammer. 9/10

Overall this album shows much more musical merit, originality, and talent than their predecessor, Louder Than God, which i may, or may not, review some time soon. Up for download on SnoCap and will be released on iTunes, CDBaby, and Waterloo Records very shortly. The hard copy of the album will be released on January 17, 2009 at the Triple Crown in San Marcos, TX.

9.3/10