THURSDAY NOV 01, 2018
Material Girls
"Material Girls only come out at night. The Atlanta sextet indulge in glam and goth while maintaining a percussive no wave edge on their new album Leather. It’s a pointed balance, but the combination comes naturally for these gutter dwelling creatures who cut their teeth on the sweaty Atlanta nightlife, and is enough to summon the ghosts of CBGB and Andy Warhol. The 8 song record explodes with post-modern sleaze and over the course of 30 minutes, the band ride a wave of malaise towards a decrepit paradise. After a promising 4 song EP and a year spent touring, including a few dates supporting the B-52s’ Cindy Wilson, the gang is sharper than ever thanks to the addition of guitarist Robbie Rapp (Muuy Biien) and bassist Meghan Dowlen. The Siouxsie-inspired shrieks of Dowlen are a particularly sharp dagger in the Material Girls arsenal, which alternates between squalling psychedelia and apocalyptic post-punk. Echoes of Richard Hell and Pere Ubu flow through nihilistic lyrics, uncaged performances, and inventive riffs. Leather is a study in contrasts, an illustration of Material Girls ability to deconstruct the tired tropes of punk while pushing DIY music to new heights of zoned in, drugged out chaos. On the surface, this experiment is artistic and abstract, but the visceral energy of Material Girls leaves no room for hazy intellectualism. They vomit on expectation with makeup smeared faces, toying with desire, and keeping the listener tied up in Leather. Out July 2nd via Irrelevant Music (US) & Exag' Records (EU).
"Material Girls only come out at night. The Atlanta sextet indulge in glam and goth while maintaining a percussive no wave edge on their new album Leather. It’s a pointed balance, but the combination comes naturally for these gutter dwelling creatures who cut their teeth on the sweaty Atlanta nightlife, and is enough to summon the ghosts of CBGB and Andy Warhol. The 8 song record explodes with post-modern sleaze and over the course of 30 minutes, the band ride a wave of malaise towards a decrepit paradise. After a promising 4 song EP and a year spent touring, including a few dates supporting the B-52s’ Cindy Wilson, the gang is sharper than ever thanks to the addition of guitarist Robbie Rapp (Muuy Biien) and bassist Meghan Dowlen. The Siouxsie-inspired shrieks of Dowlen are a particularly sharp dagger in the Material Girls arsenal, which alternates between squalling psychedelia and apocalyptic post-punk. Echoes of Richard Hell and Pere Ubu flow through nihilistic lyrics, uncaged performances, and inventive riffs. Leather is a study in contrasts, an illustration of Material Girls ability to deconstruct the tired tropes of punk while pushing DIY music to new heights of zoned in, drugged out chaos. On the surface, this experiment is artistic and abstract, but the visceral energy of Material Girls leaves no room for hazy intellectualism. They vomit on expectation with makeup smeared faces, toying with desire, and keeping the listener tied up in Leather. Out July 2nd via Irrelevant Music (US) & Exag' Records (EU).
The Pleasure Point
"Ask vocalist JayCub Lake (Muuy Biien) when the Pleasure Point was conceived and he’ll obliquely tell you the group has always existed in some “shape or form.” But while that may possibly be true in the abstract philosophical sense, the reality is the trio morphed out of the experimental Athens group CottonMouth whose last release was the 2014 hr ep. Since then, Lake and his Pleasure Point cohorts, bassist Bobbie Rapp (Material Girls) and DJ EA Shorts, have moved to Atlanta and started concocting a hazed-out hybrid of murky hip-hop, smooth funk, contorted pop and whatever else the threesome have discovered swirling around their proverbial kitchen sink. Give a listen to “half-way,” the first single from the trio’s upcoming American Singles, and there’s quite a bit to unpack, a cavalcade of reference points to explore if you so choose (check out that sly slice of West Coast G-funk the follows the chorus). But mostly you’ll discover a steady flow of woozy beats and narcotic grooves that expand, contract, and then dissipate like so much blunt smoke. At times, it’s difficult to decipher whether the group is just goofing on their own version of seductive, late-night R&B, or if everyone is just really faded and reveling in the moment. Truth be told, I’m not sure it matters. Either way, it’s is a spellbinding listen, perfect for early morning smoke sessions or aimless midnight drives. As for the Pleasure Point, it will be interesting to see how the project develops and evolves in 2018. There is the new record to look forward to, of course, and a couple of release shows, but look beyond that and things get a little cryptic, not unlike their music. “we plan to perform!” Lake exclaims over email about the trio’s future plans. “we plan to make u shake ur butts! we hope to help u escape ur bubble and think critically about messaging and perception. are we losing that ability or is it still able to be saved? we don’t have very many answers but we gots lots of questions! just like u!”" -Immersive Atlanta
"Ask vocalist JayCub Lake (Muuy Biien) when the Pleasure Point was conceived and he’ll obliquely tell you the group has always existed in some “shape or form.” But while that may possibly be true in the abstract philosophical sense, the reality is the trio morphed out of the experimental Athens group CottonMouth whose last release was the 2014 hr ep. Since then, Lake and his Pleasure Point cohorts, bassist Bobbie Rapp (Material Girls) and DJ EA Shorts, have moved to Atlanta and started concocting a hazed-out hybrid of murky hip-hop, smooth funk, contorted pop and whatever else the threesome have discovered swirling around their proverbial kitchen sink. Give a listen to “half-way,” the first single from the trio’s upcoming American Singles, and there’s quite a bit to unpack, a cavalcade of reference points to explore if you so choose (check out that sly slice of West Coast G-funk the follows the chorus). But mostly you’ll discover a steady flow of woozy beats and narcotic grooves that expand, contract, and then dissipate like so much blunt smoke. At times, it’s difficult to decipher whether the group is just goofing on their own version of seductive, late-night R&B, or if everyone is just really faded and reveling in the moment. Truth be told, I’m not sure it matters. Either way, it’s is a spellbinding listen, perfect for early morning smoke sessions or aimless midnight drives. As for the Pleasure Point, it will be interesting to see how the project develops and evolves in 2018. There is the new record to look forward to, of course, and a couple of release shows, but look beyond that and things get a little cryptic, not unlike their music. “we plan to perform!” Lake exclaims over email about the trio’s future plans. “we plan to make u shake ur butts! we hope to help u escape ur bubble and think critically about messaging and perception. are we losing that ability or is it still able to be saved? we don’t have very many answers but we gots lots of questions! just like u!”" -Immersive Atlanta
Michael Myerz
Michael Myerz is a hopeless romantic caught in a world where stone cold hipsters hide their fears and anxieties behind emotionless masks. His staggering output of 20 plus albums is a testament to his perseverance in the face of an industry that rewards monotonous clones and fashionable dullards. Along with his tremendous amount of recorded music, he has been on bills with such artists as Run the Jewels, Mastodon, Mickey Avalon, Captured! By Robots, XXYYXX, Curtis Harding and MC Chris, and has been written about in publications such as Vice, Rolling Stone, and Creative Loafing. He has had far more experience in this industry than the currently celebrated, and it’s about time he’s paid his dues.
Michael Myerz is a hopeless romantic caught in a world where stone cold hipsters hide their fears and anxieties behind emotionless masks. His staggering output of 20 plus albums is a testament to his perseverance in the face of an industry that rewards monotonous clones and fashionable dullards. Along with his tremendous amount of recorded music, he has been on bills with such artists as Run the Jewels, Mastodon, Mickey Avalon, Captured! By Robots, XXYYXX, Curtis Harding and MC Chris, and has been written about in publications such as Vice, Rolling Stone, and Creative Loafing. He has had far more experience in this industry than the currently celebrated, and it’s about time he’s paid his dues.
