Darker With The Day

Nick Stephan

Wednesday

12:00 AM - 2:00 AM

Darkening the pre-dawn hours with a mix of experimental, underground and alternative music from Meanjin/Brisbane and beyond.

@darkerwiththeday4zzz

 

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18 September, 2024

This morning's episode features an interview with David Yow, vocalist for The Jesus Lizard, who have just released Rack, their first album in twenty-six years. 

Plus the following review, featured just prior to Hide & Seek by The Jesus Lizard.

The Jesus Lizard: Rack (Ipecac/Mushroom)

Released September 13th, 2024

Twenty-six years is a long time between drinks. The Jesus Lizard have lain dormant for longer than most bands have careers and few could have predicted that 2024 would herald a new album from the group that Steve Albini once described as, “The best band of the 90s, hands down.” Rack continues the band’s predilection for four-letter word titles and proves that one shouldn’t be cynical of all bands who reform and record after long periods of inactivity, for it delivers all the manic energy of their early classics; and then some.

The Jesus Lizard defined an era of rock music that existed in the shadows of grunge that was far too challenging and terrifying for greater public consumption. One critic famously described frontman David Yow’s vocals as sounding, “like a kidnap victim trying to howl through the duct tape over his mouth.” Despite this, the group received significant critical acclaim during their career which lasted from the late 1980s until the turn of the last century. Reforming sporadically and touring over the years, the band kept any new material they were working on a secret until the album announcement earlier this year.

Kicking off the proceedings is Hide & Seek, a song that barges out the gate like a pissed-off bull with a matador in its sights. It may not be as memorable as the menacing guitar opening from Then Comes Dudley or the barn-burning stomp of Boilermaker, but it is fearsome in its intent, indicating that The Jesus Lizard are —to borrow a crass Australian colloquialism— not here to fuck spiders.

Hide & Seek formed a trio of singles, alongside Alexis Feels Sick and Moto(R), that were drip-fed to the public prior to Rack’s release, each one raising the bar —and the anticipation— for the album’s eventual release. Alexis Feels Sick brings bassist David Wm. Sims to the forefront, commencing with a repetitive bass line that builds tension and provides the song with its musical anchor. Sims’ playing is often overlooked in discussions about the band, but his style is unique, providing a sleaze-funk counterpoint to the group’s often chaotic sound.

Rack runs for a lean thirty-seven minutes and for the duration of the record the band rarely takes their foot off the gas. What If? is the —almost— exception and the closest thing the record has to a slow number; although those seeking a ballad should apply elsewhere. Heavily rooted in the rhythmic interplay between Sims and drummer Mac McNeilly, guitarist Duane Denison contributes his signature, spidery guitar while Yow’s lyrics beg the question, can we ever completely know, or trust, those around us?

It’s always a pleasant surprise when heavily anticipated albums not only meet but exceed your expectations and Rack is one such record. The fact that it took twenty-six years makes it all the more astounding. Put simply, this is as good as anything in The Jesus Lizard’s back catalogue. I can only hope that Rack is the dawning of their renaissance, with even more great records to follow.

Nick Stephan 

Nick Cave & The Bad SeedsShow Intro - Darker With The Day (Excerpt)AUS
LoidisAnnouncer Backing Track - Love's Lineaments (Excerpt)
CampingsexUnd Sie Alle 12:01:25
The Jesus LizardWhat If? 12:13:55
InterviewDavid Yow (The Jesus Lizard) Part 1 12:18:19
Scratch AcidFor Crying Out Loud 12:33:17
The Jesus LizardElegy 12:36:45
InterviewDavid Yow (The Jesus Lizard) Part 2 12:42:51
The Jesus Lizard Hide & Seek 12:55:01
Big BlackThe Model 01:02:24
Spirit BunnyMarshmallowsLOCAL 01:05:14
Electric Prawns 2Short CircuitLOCAL 01:08:40
Chiffon Magnifique (Feat. Fhae)AloneLOCAL 01:17:13
Locust RevivalI.W.T.F.K.YLOCAL 01:22:22
Blue DinerMorningsideLOCAL 01:25:35
Nice BiscuitLove That Takes You UpLOCAL 01:29:34
James HowardLife Doesn't Move Through Time, Time Moves Through LifeAUS 01:07:26
Connor D'NettoWitnessAUS 01:46:45
JonnineSpring's DeceitAUS 01:47:29
HTRKHAAUS 01:55:31
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