Joanna Gruesome: “Last Year”

Joanna GruesomeDo kids still bitch and moan when the weather’s bad and they’re stuck inside? Valid question, right? You can arguably do more inside than outside these days, even if it’s not necessarily the best for your overall well-being. Growing up as an only child with a bowl cut and an overbite, rainy days were something of a crucible for me. Not too long ago, I had nothing to do so I made a jellyfish out of paper plates, acrylic paint, string and spare buttons. Same goes for Girlfriend Mel — except her project was a giant taco piñata. Being bored tends to do that to you, I guess — you eventually figure out how to make something with what you’ve got, or it rots you to the core. As they say: “Only boring people get bored.” Continue reading

Terry Malts: Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere

Terry Malts: Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere

Slumberland; 2013

It could be that I’ve just been feeling exceptionally misanthropic lately, but I keep getting wind of happy, cheery music and it keeps making me suuuuuuper uncomfortable — as in the way you feel when you see someone unaware that they are humiliating themselves in public, especially when it’s due to hubris.

When that happens, I find it’s always better to go loud, fast, and when possible, irreverent. If that sounds a lot like punk to you, you’re pretty spot on, but we’re not going full-throttle today. This is the day we take a look at Terry Malts‘ newly-released second full-length Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere, which features more of the SF trio’s blend of chainsaws and lollipops. Ah yes, the two-part cure to misanthropy. Continue reading