Boasting pulsating rimshots, d-punk bass lines, and female vocals that sound like a German nanny fronting a riot-girl band, Wetdog initially come off as kind of a dirty boots version of Deerhoof’s ADD garage-skronk aesthetic, but achtung!–first impressions are deceiving here, so put your “Mediocre!” buttons back in the drawer. The girls’ new album Frauhaus! has one foot in the shit-gaze movement and another recalling the gleaming-amateur looseness of the Shaggs, complimented by unexpected touches of found sounds and flea-market synths. The lyrics are pleasantly absurd, and every time you expect them to get lazy and ease into some post-Slumberland girl group chorus, they opt out to explore their fondness for bad taste, cramming in some other disparate element that barely hangs on the beat. Sounding like one of Frank Zappa’s neglected childhood toys brought to life, this strange time capsule of new wave, slapstick, garage-punk, angular distortion, and musique concréte is a gutsy offering that is both behind and slightly ahead of it’s time.
You can snag Frauhaus! at the Piccadilly Records shop.
For Fans Of: The Shaggs, Deerhoof, The Raincoats
MP3 :::
Wetdog – Round Vox
Wetdog – Long Long Time to Go
