Underground Zine Release first compilation
Play Dead are changing the world. They haven’t invented the cure for cancer, and they may not be furthering world peace, but they are bringing the quality of self-released publications to a whole new level – small fries you may say, but tasty fries nonetheless. They’ve managed to insert the DIY ethics of a zine into a more professionally produced package; a winning combination that has seen their print run swell to a respectable 4,000 per month – not bad considering it’s still free of charge. Now entering their second year of business, Play Dead have decided to release (on their own label, of course) their first compilation; the crudely (and rather optimistically) titled ‘The Shit’, which they tout as “a celebration of the great wealth of artists they’ve supported over the years”. Here here.
The Letters Organise make a decent enough start to proceedings, before Hitechjet pick things up with some irresistible vocal melodies enriching their distinctly hardcore stylings. Beecher then proceed to decimate all before them with the classic ‘Let Them Drown’. You really can’t argue with Beecher (and if they’re anywhere near as tough as their music, you wouldn’t really want to); they’re one of the finest bands to come out of the burgeoning UK metalcore scene, and one of those rare cases that manage to capture their blistering live intensity on disc.
65 Days Of Static provide some interesting sample-driven industrial noise, with a manic drum’n’bass rhythm section meaning that they come across more Hive than Pitchshifter. Humanfly’s punked up American Nightmare brawl sounds incredibly dirgy after the crystalline electro-sheen of 65 Days, and is hampered by a low recording level and a ridiculously abrupt finish, which comes after an exhilarating yet laconic one and a half minutes. It’s a shame Metronomes didn’t take such a judicious stance over their running time, with the rhythmically steady ‘Swiss Prints’ becoming repetitive well before it finally runs out of momentum.
Like a fat person’s bed (or the new BMW 1-series, car fans), the compilation sags a bit in the middle; going a tad whiny and, dare I say it, [i]emo[i] (gasp). The downward spiral begins with The Milwaukees who are, to be frank, a bag of crap, and also surprisingly includes the normally great My Awesome Compilation. ‘Butterflies’ is probably the weakest effort I’ve heard from them, with it’s overly polished and Americanised surfaces sadly lacking the deliciously jangly enthusiasm seen in the likes of ‘Our Lives: The Sequel’. Team’s truly original guitar sound saves the day, with a unique instrumental that forms a perfect post-rock partnership with Caterpillar Ghost’s more rumbling Mogwai-like number.
Secondsmile donate ‘My Tribute To Those Eyes That Can Sink Ships’; the pick of their current EP, which is followed by Jets vs Sharks’ urgent lo-fi punk, with a clean melodic bridge lifted straight from the Thursday book of songwriting. November Coming Fire provide the last shot of discordant fury, before Tanaou try a last minute sabotage with some whiny Cursive-lite claptrap. The not-quite-there vocals (complete with mandatory female backing) and stereotypical piano tinklings are wholly unconvincing – it’s the album’s title-track, minus the definite article. If you like the more pathetic parts of Brand New’s first album then this could be just the thing for you, but being a loser with no taste you won’t like the rest of the compilation, so stop reading this and go polish your McFly action figures you muppet.
Ricky Votolato’s modest acoustic offering ‘Mix Tapes/Cellmates’ ably shows Tanaou exactly how to make an emotionally sincere song without coming across like a preening teenager. Aside from the great title (a comment on the two sides to living with a partner I assume), his nimble Elliot Smith style finger picking and Dylanesque harmonica flourishes deliver an unexpected highlight, and would’ve stolen the show if it wasn’t for Jeniferever. Those pesky Swedes.
Play Dead have wisely chosen to end with their ‘You Only Move Twice’, because after a song as good as this, the only way is down.
The tracklisting would benefit from a minor reshuffle; if the Team and Caterpillar Ghost tracks were moved to sit before Jeniferever it would’ve created a nice post-rock outro, and Secondsmile would follow the ‘emo’ bit better, with Rocky dividing the two – still, if I was picking hairs I’d shave off Tanaou and The Milwaukees before playing with the running order, so it’s no big deal.
Despite the monkeys in it’s midst ‘The Shit’ is a fine compilation, filled with music of the exacting standard that you would expect from such a choice publication. So here’s to changing the world, one little step at a time.