Shifters / Parsnip: Hip Blister 12” (Future Folklore) Brand new 6-song (3 songs from each group) EP from these two Australian bands who should be familiar to Sorry State’s followers. Shifters have put out a slew of records over the past year and I’ve liked them all, but I was less enthused with their debut LP on Trouble in Mind. Maybe they just work better in the EP format because I like these three tracks a lot. In everything I’ve written about the Shifters I’ve said they sound like a mix of the Fall’s early stuff and Velvets-influenced New Zealand bands from the early 80s, and that remains true here. If you liked their early stuff, you’ll enjoy these three tracks. As for Parsnip, their earlier records sounded a little different from one another, and this one sounds a little different from those. The first track, “Counterfeit,” is a nice power-pop tune with a Number Ones-esque walking bass line. “Dailybreader” has super high vocals that might test your tolerance for twee, while the record’s title track is a little more rocking and riff-based, making it my favorite track on the record. I’m not sure that Hip Blister is the place to start with either of these bands, but if you’re following all the hip new Australian sounds you’ll want to pick this up.

The Cowboys: The Bottom of a Rotten Flower 12” (Feel It) Latest full-length from this great band from Indiana. They have a confusing discography, but by my count The Bottom of a Rotten Flower is the band’s sixth (!!!) full-length album in five years, though only the latter three have seen vinyl pressings (their first LP on Lumpy / Drunken Sailor compiled the best tracks from their earlier cassette-only albums). The Cowboys resist the descriptions I usually write, because while I rely on a lot of band comparisons, they don’t seem to be working with their influences in the way most contemporary punk bands do, or if they are, then I’m not familiar with those influences. Instead, the Cowboys strike me as songwriters and players of the type you don’t see too often anymore. The have little pretense about them; they have no “image” and they don’t seem precious about the process of making and releasing records. Instead, they write song after song. Those songs are always good and sometimes they’re great. They also vary widely in style. The Bottom of a Rotten Flower has everything from Billy Joel-esque piano rock (“Now with Feeling”), Real Kids-style 50s-influenced power-pop (“Open Sores”), Smiths-esque rockabilly pop (“Happy Armageddon”), and a whole heap of energetic, punky power pop songs that remind me of 70s punk bands like the Undertones, the Lurkers, and the Boys. I like that there’s so much Cowboys material out there and that the band forces you to come to their music on their terms… it’s a similar approach to bands like the Fall, Guided by Voices, or the Stooges. The Cowboys don’t sound like any of those bands, but they have a similar relationship to their listeners. I’m sure it’s possible to enjoy The Bottom of a Rotten Flower as a simple collection of pop songs. In fact, I have a hunch that’s what the band wants you to do, but the Cowboy’s approach and demeanor are so intriguing and so foreign to our historical moment they’re worth paying attention to.

Man-Eaters: S/T cassette (self-released) Debut cassette from this new Chicago band feature members of Tarantula. Tarantula is on hiatus at the moment and Man-Eaters pick up where they left off. Over the course of the many Cülo and Tarantula releases these folks have locked into a distinct and memorable sound, and if you’re a fan, you should keep an eye on Man-Eaters. That being said, this project has a slightly different vibe. While “Nasty Bits” sounds like it could have been a Tarantula song with its melodic, Husker Du-esque guitar riff, most of the other tracks have a heavier, more rock-and-roll vibe that reminds me of the Dead Boys at their toughest and meanest. “Carbona Guerrilla” (great title!) and “Taste Concrete” are great examples of this style, and “The Electric Umbilical Cord” adds in some off-kilter rhythms and psychedelic elements into the mix. If you’re a fan of Cülo and / or Tarantula, you’ll want to pick this up.

Rosey Dust: Keep for Life 7” (Square Wave) Debut single from this power-pop band. The a-side is a big-guitar, classic-sounding power-pop track that reminds me of Big Star or Tim-era Replacements with its chiming guitars and energetic (but not punky) rhythm. Songcraft is important to Rosey Dust as “Keep for Life” is a long track with a lot of parts, but the song has a logical forward movement that sounds perfect for mid-80s alternative rock radio… if such a thing existed. The b-side takes a similar approach, but slows down the tempo a hair and ups the guitars’ shred and fuzz levels into the J Mascis region. I don’t think Rosey Dust is for the punks necessarily, but these are two superb power pop tunes.

States of Nature: Collide-A-Scope 7” (self-released) Debut EP from this Bay Area, California band featuring former members of Sterile Mind. States of Nature’s sound reminds me of the post-hardcore I was listening to in the 90s, particularly Drive Like Jehu, Fugazi, and Jawbox. Like those bands, States of Nature use inventive rhythms, have complex and dynamic arrangements, and have a penchant for the occasional big, Nirvana-style chorus. The production is powerful, the playing is top-notch, and it scratches that itch for complexity and ambition you might develop after a few days of listening to nothing but primitive d-beat. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands give this a try… it rocks.

Redness: Killer Bees 12” (no label) Redness is a little-known art-punk band from Cleveland, Ohio, and this record is a reissue of their 1980 7” expanded to a 12” for maximum fidelity. Killer Bees is some of the most out-there art punk I’ve ever heard. As the label’s description notes, you can hear traces of influences from weirdo touchstones like Captain Beefheart and the Residents, but Redness sounds way more homemade, chaotic, and confrontational. “Gran Torismo” and “Creme Rinse” contain traces of melody, but “Little Debbie” and “Primitivjam” sound like the most out-there krautrock experiments minus any trace of musicality or technical ability. The mix of instruments sounds almost random, with horns and synths sharing space with drills, saws, and god-knows-what percussion. If you’re looking for the weirdest of the weird, look no further. You’ve found it.