White Night, “Weird Night” (Burger, 2016)
A couple different strains of the Burger “sound” converge here, winsomely nasal power-pop cotton-candy-twirling on the one hand and hazy psych-punk shuffle on the other. Add it up and a good time is had by all.
Try 2, 3, 6, 8
4/7/19
White Mystery, “Outta Control” (White Mystery, 2016)
Alex White still has the most soulful wail in garage-punk, she and her “bro” (?) still pull off the thundering BoDiddley shuffle-beat like nobody else today, and to top it off this is their most tuneful, most varied and silliest effort to date.
Try 2, 7
11/19/16
White Fence and Family Perfume, “Vol. 1 & 2” (Woodsist, 2012)
Without Ty Segall, White Fence is less hard-driving, but this actually lets the sound cut loose into the most no-holds-barred psychedelic exploration of this neo-garage era. Not only is this stuff genuinely, exhilaratingly lysergic and unpredictable, it’s tethered to fine songwriting. Seriously, this guy is fucking tremendous.
Try 4, 5, 17, 20
5/23/12
Wham!, “Fantastic!” (Columbia, 1983)
Debut album from George Michael’s eventual Superstardom launchpad that damn near earns its exclamation marks. Rudimentary technopop souped up with canned-pineapple-esque Latinoid rhythms forms a backdrop for ear-snagging sing-songy vocals that play pseudo-political Brit-haircut-pop sloganeering for maximum silliness and fun.
Try 1/1, 1/ 4, 2/1, 2/4
4/7/19
Wendy and Bonnie, “Genesis” (Sundazed, 2008)
The original “Genesis” LP, written and performed by these teenage sisters, is one of the absolute most gorgeous, enchanting psych-folk-pop albums from the late ‘60s, crystalline songs shining through a light but brilliant curtain of studio sound. This reissue includes fine contemporary outtakes and ephemera, but “Genesis”-the-original is in a class by itself.
Try A/1, A/5, B/4
5/23/12
Weekend, “Red” (Slumberland, 2011)
New EP shows these guys stepping somewhat aside from the wall-of-grey-guitar-churn Velvetsisms of their “Sports” LP. This has a nice jangly/moody vibe at times, but it’s still plenty propulsive, and now with proto-pop flourishes too.
Try 2, 4
1/6/12
We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It, “Bostin’ Steve Austin” (Vindaloo/WEA, 1986)
Fuzzbox were outliers on the mid-‘80s UK C86/lo-fi guitar-noise-pop thing. Their sound was unique and unmistakable – thin, low-end guitar buzz over a fast, skiffle-style beat, drenched in echoey female vocals with all four members gleefully singing over one another, barely in key. It’s almost dub-like, a happy party in a haunted house.
Try A/4-6, B/4
4/11/11
Wavves/Cloud Nothings, “No Life For Me” (Ghostramp, 2015)
Definitely a just-for-fun side project but the tossed-off vibe adds in raw impact what it subtracts in full realization. Sound is what you’d expect, halfway between Wavves’s surf-brat post-HC singsongisms and Cloud Nothings’s Stooge-Ubu-derived Midwest angst-drive grid-screams.
Try 3,7
11/10/16
Watery Love, “Decorative Feeding” (In The Red, 2014)
Musically and emotionally dissonant garage-punk that staggers around in a mid-tempo migraine that effectively imparts to the listener their sweeping disgust with contemporary life. Like Tyvek waking up in a cold basement wearing nothng but urine-soaked briefs.
Try 1, 9
7/15/14
Wapassou, “Wapassou” (Lion Productions, 2015; original release 1973-74)
Eccentric French prog, mostly drumless and minimal/droney, but in a peculiarly rickety, rustic/folky way, like a cross between Neu! and the Shaggs.
Try 2, 4
11/10/16