Week #19: Cold Showers / Blithe Field / The Bell Peppers

As you might be able to tell from the bleary-eyed bleakness of the picture above, Cold Showers are pretty much the epitome of contemporary post-punk. As the latest addition to Mexican Summer's wonderful roster, these abrasive renegades have come equipped with colossal riffage, swathes of distortion/feedback/reverb and (oddly) snarling boy-girl harmonies. Sonically, they are as-scary-as-hell. To describe their bloodcurdling aesthetic with a little analogy: the band would be the by-product of Sonic Youth's remains after visiting hell and discovering The Birthday Party. You can listen to 'I Don't Mind' below.




Blithe Field began as a solo project back in 2006 to make 'instrumental music that had more of a full band sound', making use of instruments as diverse as melodicas, acoustic guitars and Rolands. The outcome was confounding: hypnotic amalgams of folk and electronica i.e. folktronica. 'Crushing', a newbie, is built around simple yet enrapturing guitar loops and overlaid with the sounds of children's screams. It's his best work yet. Think a mellower, more enchanting post-rock outfit comprising just one guy. Download for free below.




Being named after a vegetable is not quite as rubbish as being named after an animal with a job (*ahem* that's you Pigeon Detectives), but it's still pretty awful. Fortunately, The Bell Peppers' lyricless music is exemplary, and that more than makes up for it. Led by rolling basslines, infused with intricate axe solos, their unique surf-pop overtly hearkens back to the 60s.Their new EP 'Cooking With The Bell Peppers' is a fantastic listen, and also a free download: