POTTY MOUTH – “Sun Damage” LP
Ack! I love this band! Their band name may clue you in somewhat to their deal, yes they are named after a (classic!) BRATMOBILE record, and the plaintive simple guitar is definitely reminiscent of brat-sound, but they have their own distinct and charming viciousness that comes maybe from making a band with your best girls in a small town in Western Mass. The music is ridiculously catchy, it’s got a looseness to it but is still somehow urgent and powerful, two guitars play off each other in a manner that reminded me of CASUAL DOTS style, underscored with a real ear for melody and dissonance. Abby’s vocals are really cool and matter of fact, and as soon as I heard the first note I furiously attempted to get their earlier tapes, which are equally great (you can listen to them for free online too and I advise it if you want sounds like the FRUMPIES playing early B52′s). POTTY MOUTH falls somewhere between the sickest grrrl sound and early punk snot, like BUZZCOCKS “Boredom” meets “Cool Schmool” which is to say, they are amazing! (LG)

$13 ppd to orders@ridethesnakerecords.com

Potty Mouth, straight from Massachusetts, have been Girls Get Busy favourites for quite a while, and judging from their latest 12” EP, it isn’t difficult to see why. The 6 track ‘Sun Damage’ EP is a near perfect example of the recent riot grrl revival. Potty Mouth are 4 ass-kicking ladies, whose speciality is angry songs with relatable lyric and a punk edge that are totally infectious.
Some GGB readers will have already heard ‘Kids’, and will have probably seen the video that accompanies it. ‘Kids’ is a future theme tune for disenfranchised grrls, and is a feisty song about not wanting to grow up. Similarly, EP opener, ‘Hazardville’, the infectious sister track to ‘Kids’, about the frustrating nature of hometowns, is a song that many will instantly relate to, and connect with, and this is where Potty Mouth really shine. It’s obvious from ‘Hazardville’ alone that the subject matter is rooted in the frustrations and annoyances of growing up, the awkward stage between being a teenager, and finally being a responsible adult. The rest of the EP continues in this vein, with songs like ‘Dog Song’, where the protagonist of the song imagines themselves as a subservient dog, and the feminist ‘Girls XL’. The subject matter touches on a lot of different themes, but the lyrics are always backed up by singalong refrains, and strong riffs from the rest of the band.

With their infectious punk and indie hybrid, Potty Mouth are set to be big. They successfully take the feisty-ness of riot grrl, add some massive tunes to it, with an extra shot of emotion to boot. ‘Sun Damage’ as a whole really shows off the formula the band have created, and the EP is a great collection of solid and self-assured songs. The band are touring around the US over the next few months, but fingers crossed we’ll see Potty Mouth visit us in the UK very soon.

You can listen to the EP here:
http://pottymouth.bandcamp.com/album/sun-damage-12-ep

Potty Mouth’stumblrandtour dates!

Ride the Snake is very excited to bring you the second 7″ single by indie pop quartet Cuffs. Hailing from Cambridge, MA, Cuffs is the new project of Andrew Churchman, who led the highly acclaimed, and now defunct, Slumberland Records outfit Pants Yell!. Supported by members of Big Troubles, Reports, and Boston psychedelic rock legends Major Stars, the group takes a scholarly approach to pop music and DIY history. Their first single made quite a splash; selling out quickly and bringing the band personal invitations to play with the likes of Destroyer, Real Estate and the Pains of being Pure at Heart.

“Private View” and “You Could Come True” are Cuff’s latest songs and arguably, their best to date. The A-side charges out of the gate with frantic drums, jagged chords and gang vocals. The song still maintains the melodic jangle Churchman is known for but the band is given enough space to get wild and top it off with Crazy Horse-style leads. “You Could Be True” brings the B-side to place somewhere between ’80s New Zealand and early-’90s Chapel Hill. The pace is reflective and wistful while the group channels their inner Chills and adds a dash of Sister-era Sonic Youth.

These two songs are what 7″s singles were made for. Immediately unforgettable guitar pop that will have you lifting the needle back to the beginning of the record over and over. File this next to your Verlaines, Feelies and early Matador Records singles.

http://soundcloud.com/cuffs-1/private-view-7-a-side/s-awPoH

Life Partners “Music is Hard” LP
Life Partners have been at it for a half-dozen releases at least by now, grinding out records and carving out their little niche for the true believers. I don’t think anyone who hears a Life Partners record would ever say they’re a shitty band. They’re a smart outfit, perhaps too smart at times, reflecting the New England weirdo hippie-slash-punk DIY scenes of Forced Exposure/Twisted Village and whatnot. Clever music for clever people. Or something like that. Anyway, Life Partners do plenty of things well: goony Gulcher-esque proto-punk, burnout folk-rock, lo-fi metal-psych (“Are We Practicing Tonight?”) and honestly their best tunes come about when they just sound like a really really good bar-rock band playing some cooking originals. They do some bad shit too. The title track is a bit funny but almost becomes an SNL skit. The vocals get a little too wacky on a few of the tracks, but at least the lyrics are good enough to make you forget their few sins. It all gets a little snarky after a side’s worth, but they hit the target more often than not. Wayne Rogers twiddled the knobs for his Major Stars’ cohorts here, so it sounds fantastic for the duration. If you’ve never heard this band, get the “AIDS of Spades” 7″ and work from there.(RK)
(Ride the Snake // www.ridethesnakerecords.com)