OOIOO - Armonico Hewa

OOIOO
Armonico Hewa
(2009, Thrill Jockey)
RIYL = Gang Gang Dance, Boredoms, Ponytail

I understand that the Boredoms are pretty much experimental psych rock deity, but I have to admit that I have always preferred OOIOO (the band which Boredoms drummer, Yoshimi P-We (yes, that Yoshimi), created after the Boredoms kind of evaporated). And OOIOO absolutely, positively kill it on Armonico Hewa. It appears that as we sneak closer to the year’s end things are only picking up speed. The last couple of months have just been stellar. And now we have Armonico Hewa, the pinnacle achievement in a long line of increasingly awesome albums from OOIOO. For those who are unfamiliar with the band, here are some instructions when listening to Armonico Hewa: (1) Blast this thing loudly! The record is the spiritual successor to Gang Gang Dance’s inscrutable Saint Dyphmna and as such benefits from block party volumes. (2) Make sure you do some face exercises because there is a good chance that you will be smiling all the way through this manic, Japanese glee/funk/psych/rock/+ anything-and-everything-else fest. OOIOO’s musical constructions feel borderline Frankensteinian as lumbering monstrosities ever falling into electrified chaos. Proper descriptions are going to fail me here because OOIOO’s polyrhythmic kaleidoscope is too all encompassing. However, some semi-constants amongst the bliss-inducing rock chaos are beautifully wiry guitars that flex your bones, hollow/hallowed krauty pummeling and thick muscle-upon-muscle bass grooves. Oh, and we can’t leave out the vocals (these too being used solely for instrumental effect). I mean, the vocals! They sound like the opposite of a group exorcism, their vowel heavy chanting made for the purpose of opening up bodies for claiming by ghosts (though, only freakin’ sweet ghosts need apply, like Slimer or something). I’m listening to “Konjo” as I write this and the chirps in the background it sounds as if the band is startling puppies by stepping on their unsuspecting tails. It’s absolute confetti hilarity of Katamari proportions on Armonico Hewa. You can see that the album affects me in a somewhat nonsensical way, so it is probably most appropriate to just leave you with a hearty recommendation, as if you didn’t know.

-Thistle

Backtracking

I decided to start an intermittent list (we’ll see how long it lasts) of records that I’ve recently come into contact with or have reunited with or whatever, that aren’t from 2008, but are still managing to take up a good portion of my listening time. Let me know about the past gems you have been digging lately in the comments section.


OOIOO
Taiga
(09.2006, Thrill Jockey)

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get mitts on Taiga from Boredoms-offshoot-band, OOIOO. The delay is even more baffling since after Gold & Green I officially owned up to liking Yoshimi’s (yes, that Yoshimi) all girl psych punk onslaught even better then their almighty forbearers. Well, late or not, it was only a matter of time before I caught hold of OOIOO’s opus. Along with Shugo Tokumaru, this may very well be the best thing Japan has ever exported. Streaming on Thrill Jockey

Stefan Neville
Do Not Destroy…
(05.2006, Last Visible Dog)

To say that I have “reunited” with this album is a little miss-leading since it has been pretty re-emerging pretty consistently since the day I got it. Stefan Neville is the mastermind behind Pumice and this is his only (as far as I know) record under his own name. Equally lo-fi and somehow more of a noisy ramshackled mess than his Pumice work, Do Not Destroy… is an utter essential. Samples on Amazon

Tiger Bear Wolf
S/T
(05.2005, Hello Sir)

Tiger Bear Wolf is a frantic mix of post punk and blues rock that falls somewhere in-between Domestica-era Cursive, At the Drive-In, Fugazi and Black Mountain. Filled with searing guitar energy and scorching lo-fi hooks that will have you doing air guitar freak-outs alone in your room before bed. So so good. Tiger Bear Wolf - "Something Worth Saving"