Philthkids

Sweatpants EP

Loose Squares

This is friendly fast techno, light, nimble on it’s feet, from this Canadian group.  “Sweatpants,” is the most frenetic, it skitters around the dance floor, and indeed any floor.  The first few beats of “Push” remind me of Devo’s “Whip it,” before “Push” goes careening off in other, much different directions.  “Doggs,”  the last track, is built around a single line, “This goes out to my Doggs,” and is the most mellow of the three tracks.  It’s also fun, even sweet, the way this line is delivered, with flowing music that’s built around it.  The Kids are more than all right, as this EP gets you moving toward whatever you want or need to do. http://www.loosesquares.com                                                                                               
Andrea Weiss

R. Ring

Fallout And Fire

Misra Records

This 7-inch single, on vinyl from Misra and a download at iTunes, is rocked up folk, one of my favorite types of music.  It’s a male/female duo -- Mike Montgomery from Ampline, Kelley Deal of the Breeders, and knitter extraordinaire. They play their guitars in swirling, almost psychedelic ways, or loud, straightforward and hyper-melodic, and either way make music thrilling to hear.

“Fallout and Fire” is Kelly’s side, or rather, if you’ve seen the artwork for this single, the “orange” side, as in the fruit, as much as the color.  This is where the guitars are straightforward, and hypnotic, as is Deal’s sweet singing. No drums, and the song doesn't need any, as it has enough of its own rhythmic pulse to drive it.

“See,” Mike’s side, or the “banana” side, does have drums, by Kristan Svitak of 1031 Skateboards, and his drumming is nice and frenetic.  Here is where the guitars grind and swirl, in a short, sharp blast. But Mike’s vocals are the calm in the storm, reassuring and resolute.

So what do these songs mean? Mike says, “There's enough imagery there for you to extrapolate whatever meaning suits your mood as you're listening. It's no fun if we spell it all out!”  So, my thoughts, “Fallout” first. Maybe it's about nuclear fallout, maybe Kelley’s waiting for the right moment to start shooting, or she might really want to get away badly from something, or someone.  In “See” Mike is taken away, as is his friend, to wherever, for whatever purpose, and willingly. Or it could just be a memory of a dream.  But these songs are not dreams, they’re for real, and really good.  http://rringband.com  http://misrarecords.com/artists/r-ring/ http://www.1031skates.com/

Andrea Weiss