I should be releasing my best of 2008 list next month at this time. As a preview, you can bet that San Francisco’s Sic Alps will be firmly planted in the northern latitudes of the list. This isn’t your father’s unwashable, filthy, no-fi psychedelic rock scuz – Sic Alps twist, creak, and thump, taking you on a cosmically damaged romp through west coast good vibes and future shock trepidation.

Why I didn’t czech out the group earlier is a mystery to me. Their debut Pleasures and Treasures was released on Animal Disguise, home to my good friends Warmer Milks. The latest, U.S. Ez, has a comfy place on the Siltbreeze roster with the likes of Charlambides, The Dead C, and hey look, U.S. Girls (see below). Sic Alps certainly drink from the same goblets as the highest in psych rock royalty, but they also bring the goods to back up their seat at the table.

I was casually listening to my iTunes on shuffle whilst engaging in some fast-track multitasking when “Clubbing For $$” came on and I thought “hmm, I don’t recognize this Alexander Skip Spence song.” Both Skip Spence and Alps vocalist Mike Donovan retain a subtle, gorgeous quality through raspy timbre and decimated, hissing melodies, suggesting that both gentlemen have seen the true face of God and didn’t like what they saw. “Gelly Roll Gum Drops” also provokes this same, insane electric folk feel, with a bit of 13th Floor Elevators style celestial boogie and some general Holy Modal Rounders headfuckery tossed in to give this exercise in tape reverb fortitude some serious lift.

I’m also reminded of my favorite work of Neil Michael Haggerty in U.S. Ez, so imagine my elation when I found out they play as his backup band every now and again. The blitzkrieg of fuzz on “Massive Place” might make Mudhoney feel retarded. But enough of comparisons. Comparisons are lame. I’m listening to this record right now as we speak, and all that needs to be said is that it’s so fucking good. I hope Sic Alps sell a billion records.

Get this album, or else the terrorists will win.

I finally got around to listening to Chicago’s U.S. Girls, and it’s everything I could’ve hoped for. “Buzz Chant,” which you can find on WFMU’s latest Free Music Archive compilation, is gentle enough to subdue and hypnotize, but menacing enough to make an excellent Halloween season soundtrack. Speaking of that FMU comp, I know they’ve been giving these things out for free around NYC – anyone care to send me one? Puh-leeeze?! Anyway, I can’t do much better describing U.S. Girls than Scott W’s description from Beware of Blog, so I’ll let him talk: “Packing nothing more than a reel-to-reel tape deck, a mic, and 2 stomp boxes, U.S. Girls delivered a maelstrom of classic pop filtered through something unknowable and kinda crazy, I don’t know what it is. I’ll indulge the facile “A meets B” thing by saying imagine Phil Spector covered by The Conet Project, or The Dave Clark 5 as done by a gang of angry ghosts. It’s strangely still pop music, stripped of all affect, leaving behind the pure emotion and meaning of songs like “Bits and Pieces” and The Kinks’ “Days”.”

Finally, this jam has been a favorite of mine for a while. It’s from Atlanta’s The N.E.C., which stands for something awesome but I’ll be damned if I can remember. I discovered the N.E.C. through my friends Tight Leather (lots of SHOUT OUTS on today’s entry, eh?), who often trade shows between Lexington and Atlanta. The N.E.C. is, simply put, a nasty and fun Nuggets meets Psychocandy psych pop howler. The band has a full length coming out early next year on Double Phantom that I’m bound to discuss often on this blog, so in the meantime, enjoy “Young Wax” and get stoked.

Everything rules.

MP3 :::
Sic Alps – Bathman
Sic Alps – Sing Song Waitress
Sic Alps – Clubbing For $$
Sic Alps – Gelly Roll Gum Drop
U.S. Girls – Buzz Chant (Live on WFMU)
U.S. Girls – Prove It All Night
The N.E.C. – Young Wax