07 May 2011

THE SMELL


Fred handed me this last weekend while I was in his house, and I was excited. I've heard mixed reviews about this new SF band, but everyone agrees that they are...something... and a band that can universally mystify and frustrate both fans and detractors is a band that I want to get behind. Synth punk might be the easy tag, but this keyboard driven punk is another animal entirely, perhaps more in line with late '70s SF art/punk freaks than anything that has come since. The vocals have a distinct BLATZ quality, but they seem aloof and only partially connected to the music they accompany. A carnival thrill ride awaits you, John Waters will be your guide, a trip through the less attractive and more exciting pockets of The City. I love the myriad of music and people that fall under the generous "punk" umbrella in this town, and I love when I listen to a demo and I am more confused at the end than I was before I pressed play. I also love that THE SMELL's version of "Skulls" is even weirder than the one I posted earlier this week.



6 comments:

SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENTS said...

i may not care about the music the new music that come's out of sf but i am glad that my home town still has a punk music scene city hall and the sfpd tried to kill the music scene in 2000 and 2002 they did cut a big chunck out of it closed so many cool club's fucker's i'm glad faild to kill it all.

Street Justice said...

when i saw the smell at the knockout a bunch of my too-cool friends told me they were going down to the other bar while they played, "i saw them already and they aren't my thing." it only made me want to see them more, and i loved them. anything that can channel screamers, x-ray spex, and oingo boingo while somehow being even weirder and more confrontational sounding is totally my thing. thanks for this!

Will Jrot and Richie said...

Any idea where this tape can be ordered? I saw them play last night, didn't have the cash, neglected to ask for an address.

buddha said...

please reupload

the wizard said...

re-upped

Anonymous said...

Any further info on this band? Like maybe other associated projects? Almost nothing about them on the internets and having seen them back in 2011 I'd love to see other stuff these folks are doing.