Disappears

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Press release
Soundclips

4...according to our Brian on Thu 01 Apr, 2010.

Disappears. Nice name. It is indeed rare to find a straight rock orientated band on Kranky. But when it happened, they were bound to be pretty ace. This band make my kind of music too. Riveting together such elements as stoner & space rock, the more tripped-out end of NZ indie rock and adding a little dash of Krautrock into the bargain, 'Lux' is a thrilling, downtuned, fuzzed-up ride with dingy vocals, some scintillating guitar work, monumental basslines & solid drumming! Perusing the tracks I find 'Pearly gates' is Sonic Youth meets Hawkwind with a spot of Wooden Shjips, 'Not Nothing' reminds me of later period Wire and the title track recalls some of the stranger elements of the Flying Nun roster doing a kind of cerebral spacerock boogie. There are certainly strong Spacemen 3 elements here without any real degree of pastiche. They sound too taut & thrilling & fresh for all that. I think this record will make a lot of old heads really happy as they've got something to offer fans of countless sub-genres whilst delivering a powerful, original album that I feel will stand the test of time!

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* Disappears are that rarest of musical things, a 'rock' band affiliated with kranky. But at least they are a rock band and not some less than reasonable facsimile, because let's face it; most bands using that descriptor would not sonically intimidate your grandmother if she were alone in a dark alley. And deliver the granite the Disappears do from the opening chords, delivering scuzzy, driving rhythms that certainly imply a threat of ill will.

* Drawing on a combined reverence for reverb, heavy tremolo, distortion, delay and repetition, Disappears play minimal rock music inspired by krautrock, punk rock, the mid 80's New Zealand scene, and a bit of everything in between. And in their minimalist approach the band finds their real strength, hammering home chord structures that are tried and true and can and do remain fresh in the hands of the right talents such as these.

* As a wise man once said, "keep it simple stupid".

* This is the debut studio full length from this Chicago quartet after two singles and a limited live album, all self-released by the band.

* FOR FANS OF: 90 DAY MEN, SPACEMAN 3, FLYING NUN RECORDS

* Press quotes:
- "Reverberated fuzzy guitars, punchy rhythm, a shoegaze aesthetic, totally damaging heaviness, and a touch of retro chic on acid Chicago's Disappears are everything thats great about rock and roll. They lit a fire under my ass so severe that I still keep the Solarcaine stocked." The Decibel Tolls
- "A sprawling, shadowy blend of Krautrock drone and garagey melodic hooks." Chicago Reader
- "Like the muzzier Cleveland bands of the 70's/80's." The Wire
- "Disappears straddle the fine line juxtaposing quiet dream pop and threatening sound penetration in perfect stride." Victim of Time
- "Cleverly fusing the raw energy of garage rock with a spaced-out post punk vibe - Its a totally revved up sound that is as groovy as it is jagged." Foxy Digitalis

* TRACKLIST: 1. Gone Completely 2. Magics 3. Pearly Gates 4. Marigold 5. Not Nothing 6. Lux 7. Old Friend 8. Little Ghost 9. New Cross 10. No Other

5...according to Nathon.

Just listening to this nice and loud on the headphones on the way back home...fucking off my fellow commuters...and it's really bloody good.

I think Brian sums it up v. nicely: has all the familiarity of the likes of Spacemen 3 without crossing the (thin) line into plain, boring plagiarism.

It's kinda hard to describe how they do it because there's nothing you haven't heard before one way or another here, from Iggyesque vocals to (and I *swear* this works) bloody U2-like riffs punctuating at least one track ("Magics").

Touches of Snapper in there too, Sonic Youth, Wooden Shjips...yup, lots here to keep an old git like me happy.

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!