Inscrutable Records

Permanent Opposite

s/t

Inscrutable Records

***"With this self-titled debut, Permanent Opposite presents a narrative approach to exploring themes of alienation, depression, love, loss and the lifelong pursuit to find one's way. We're led through that pursuit as longtime Austin songwriter Jared Leibowich plays with a dissonant combination of lyrical melancholy and rhythmic guitar pop. With each track we move back in time, witnessing pivotal scenes in a protagonist's life. Point of view shifts as we come to know this character and circumstances that bring us to the first track's scene—loved ones grappling with his unexpected death.This record examines the innermost experience of a person struggling with identity, encountering glimmers of hope and inspiration before and after hitting rock-bottom. With help from engineer John Dieterich (Deerhoof), Leibowich recorded all parts solo in-studio—in some ways this is fitting, as this narrative is a highly personal look at coping, the meaning of life, the unfairness of reality."—Allison Error (Dial Error)

Living Dream

Absolute Devotion

Inscrutable Records

***"Living Dream arrived on the scene just when we needed them, diversifying the contemporary DIY underground with ripping, kaleidoscopic guitar pop. With Absolute Devotion comes a step up in production and an articulated vision for the band on display, leaning into a triumphant darkness teased in their understated 2023 self-titled tape. Living Dream share a timeless combination of intertwined guitar melodies, low end pulse, hypnotic tambourine and a dignified dual vocal style.Absolute Devotion sounds like a fully realized effort all their own, drawing from David Roback's paisley underground standouts but here emphasizing a celebration of treble and use of tape sound, reverb, field recordings and wordless vocals. What makes this release even cooler is that it is an unlikely but inherently midwestern endeavor, born out of what must be a tight-knit Indianapolis scene. A dive into Kayla Pappas and Stephen Orban's musical projects reveals a mysteriously prolific, genre-expansive and inspired world (Mudslut, Elk Manakin). These folks absolutely geek over music and it shows."—Allison Error (Dial Error)

Evinspragg

The Neo Forms of Soliloquy

Inscrutable Records

***"Evinspragg is the byproduct of focused consumption, built on a bed of Hardcore and bathed in Wobble-Wave synths and Industrial clatter. The Neo Forms Of Soliloquy is a testament to turning over every stone. Parse the sound and witness an unrivaled depth of knowledge. Comb the vast wastelands in the background of any Robocop scene and you’re bound to catch the vibe. A bleak and isolated world, rife for deconstruction. The skittering guitar riffs, rubber legged basslines, and precise turn-on-a-dime drumming buoy a lyrical fortitude built on deliberation.Forget Devo-fried Egg Punk. That’s old hat. Passe. A fool’s errand. This is the NEW wave. This is Egghead Punk. Just don’t get it twisted. It ain’t some nose-in-the-air pseudo sophisto junk. We’re talking thinkin’ person’s punk. Maybe Uniform Choice screaming 'Use Your Head' wasn’t just for the cropped mop sport-o punks? This one’s for the Freakers, the Art Punkers, and the metal faced Industrial wastoids."—Dan Agacki

Johnny Skin

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Inscrutable Records

***A handsome 9 song debut offering by Johnny Skin, that teardrop mystery from the candy store. This is his mutation of bleeding heart rock n roll—50s romanticism, 60s pop, 70s No+New Wave. Make way for greaser no wave. It’s as if Booji Boy hopped on stage with Suicide to sing “Out in the Streets.” With pulsing primitive drum machines, harsh synthesizers, sizzling guitars, Johnny shows us both sides. It’s an album of dualities—Skin to Leather, Love to Hate, Light to Dark. He sings up high for one and down low for the other. And a bonafide pop hit that “Misery.” Moody heartthrobs dance and weep when Johnny opens up and bleeds. A triumph for home recording and a testament to the longevity of raw attitude rock n roll. Johnny forever.

Lust Online

Go Outside

Inscrutable Records

***"Reach out and touch grass. Is the secret to self-actualization on the other side of your bedroom window? That which was intended to bring us together is tearing us apart." "On Go Outside, Lust Online—the Oklahoma City dream-pop and synthpop quartet of Maddie Razook (vocals, synth), Lacey Elaine Dillard (bass, background vocal), Connor Schmigle (guitar, drum programming), and Donald James (drums)—asks listeners to step out of the blue-light haze and into a world of authentic feeling. As an opener, “Ms. Brightside” stifles the inner monologue for the sake of connection and mindful pleasures. The steady-rolling synths of 'Go Now' long for whimsy and the freedom of untethered motion. While a warm bass and driving, wiggle-worthy rhythms make this album the band’s sunniest effort yet, there are welcome curveballs—see the metallic snap of 'Prada 120' or the palpitating beat that underscores 'Surreal Landscape.' Go Outside is of course an invitation into literal nature, but the prison of the mind can be as suffocating as any four walls. Comfort zones rarely foster growth. The challenge then is to forfeit familiar isolation for community or, as Maddie urges on the closing track, 'blend, blend'' with the wider world." "Indeed, Lust Online melts down rigid ego, melding the mind with surreal September skies and plugging listeners into a shared state of being. Part thesis, part mantra, part question, Go Outside offers a transformative sonic journey, brimming with lush reverberations, in under thirty minutes—solace amidst the chaos of modern existence. See you outside."—Ben Luschen. RIYL:...

Picture That

Strum

Inscrutable Records

***"St. Louis natives Shawn and Allison Durham are carriers of a special magic. It’s that inner essence that blossoms beautifully wherever friendship and compassionate expression are found. Picture That, their new band, captures this energy perfectly." "Together and separately, the twin sisters have contributed their essential selves to bands across the U.S.A. in service of art and community. They got involved immediately as passionate show-goers, booking punk bands at their high school, playing in their own bands, and nourishing the people that make up this vast and brilliant international pop underground. The musical world of the Durham twins is beloved by all who know them, but to the uninitiated, it is like hidden treasure. Now, Inscrutable Records is sharing the map to this secret world with the release of Strum, Shawn and Allison’s debut as Picture That." "Recorded masterfully with Philip J. Lesicko (Glow in the Dark Flowers, The Funs), Strum showcases the Durham twins’ singing, lyrical talents, and multi-instrumental prowess. A whole world emerges with opener “Undercover Letters.” It evokes more than just a rock band, topped with a transfixing vocal melody that sets the stage for the record ahead. “Try” has the heart and soul of an independent-rock classic while feeling like a totally new transmission. Shawn and Allison conjure the sublime with Strum, using the palette of guitar-driven post-punk, a touch of C86 style, and a poetic thoughtfulness. The songs stretch wide, reflecting on growing up, dreaming big, and the charms of the mundane. As Picture That,...

Famous Mammals

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Inscrutable Records

***"Famous Mammals were already going to be fantastic the moment they decided to form as a pandemic avocation in 2020, considering they’d been birthed from the flames of recent Oakland, CA scene-definers Rays, The World and Andy Human & The Reptoids. Yet when their wonderfully sharp & confounding self-titled tape came out in 2021, they were better than that, even. Their initial sound clicked along, searched and then found oblique treasure in a deep DIY post-punk void one might associate with 39 Clocks or the Swell Maps - sometimes aggressively sharp and pointed, other times given to captivating and off-centered murky quaalude meandering in all the ways you love. I’m a big fan of Stanley Martinez’ vocals and guitar, and have been since the first time I saw & heard Rays, and he transported his A-game to a recording session yet again. Likewise Amber Sermeno—we all swooned for her fronting The World, and while we only get one lone track w/her vocals, it might even be the best thing on here: the chugging & propulsive 'Unspoken Chair'. Andy Human—well, that guy just moves from strength to strength, excelling as a bass player here and general instrumental conductor of an echoey and wide-open sound partially transported from the hinterlands, moors and home studios of 1979 Northern England. To my ears, this was the first truly great set of recordings to emerge from a 'pandemic band', and now that they’ve gone on to be a full-fledged recording project and occasional touring band...

Pleasant Mob

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Inscrutable Records

***"What a genuine relief it is to know that for every monstrous blow the world delivers, musicians are able to create things of beauty in stark contrast to an oversaturation of ugliness. To be sensitive and soft during undeniably hard times is a brave act, and the music of Pleasant Mob is as defiant as it is endearing. At a glance Pleasant Mob evokes a carefree spirit, but below the surface, their uncluttered compositions are a comforting utopia. Their judicious use of tone, color, and melody strike the perfect balance between masculine and feminine energy—take that Piet Mondrian. Their clarity and resolved tension has smoothed down the sharp edges of rock and roll into a joyous flower powered jangle. In 2022, Chicago’s Raidy Hodges of Spread Joy adopted a new neo-psychedelic musical identity and released a two song cassingle via Feel It Records. Resetting once again, Hodges has a whole new supporting ensemble: Tessa Sebastian - Bass, Timothy Makowski - Guitar, Daniel Lynch - Keyboards, Hana Chew - Drums and all sharing vocal duties. Hodges and Chew’s vocal chemistry is undeniable, adopting indie pop art school charm and adding in ‘60s lite-psych romance. 'Are you scared to be happy?' was a mantra of sorts to the 1980s C86 scene. I honestly have no idea if anyone is truly happy in 2024, but I welcome Pleasant Mob’s ability to make me believe the answer could be yes. RIYL: postcard-length vignettes, breezy tempos and pillow-soft harmonies flanked by 24 karat golden hooks."—Tracy...

Soup Activists

Mummy What are Flowers For?

Inscrutable Records

***"Must we bleed to buy a bridge? A life led punk takes a left turn to there and back again lane, and we find Soup Activists. This is St Louis’ new mutant pop, Martin Meyer’s solo studio project (and ensemble live band). Mummy What Are Flowers For?, the act’s new LP on Inscrutable Records, is punk’s gift back to pop. Friends, penpals, and mail order maniacs will all be told, a princely player with a heart of gold journeyed to Lawrence Kansas to record and rock. With Sweeping Promises, MM ignored the studio clock. SP’s Caufield Schnug behind the board and Lira Mondal in front of the mic, providing supporting vocals. Songcraft has always been an essential part of Marty’s world (Lumpy and the Dumpers, the Wad, Cal and the Calories, Fried E/M) and special care is provided on Mummy. There’s the crackle and verve of Dolly Mixture, the slyness of Television Personalities, and the pure fun of the Freshies. The pogo is an apt dance for album openers 'Jeffrey Jarvis' and 'Boys With Plants.' Curiously dressed adolescents lay the groundwork for 'Matching Teens' and its swinging organ and crunching guitar. Lira’s singing is furiously focused and fulfilling on “The Times,” bottled fun. 'It’s a hit! It’s a hit!' These are the screams I hear each night in the Soup Activists concert audience. Let 'Some Doves Don’t' be your introduction to new wave. 'Chaos Girls' is an anthem for the apocalypse that dances dangerously in a zone of perilous joy....

Tia Rosa

Misterio Lounge 3000

Inscrutable Records

***“There’s no stopping the froggies from hopping”. Tia Rosa’s psychic elevator goes up to Misterio Lounge 3000, the palace of their self described Electronic Frog Pop. In late 2021, Sam Ortiz (Cáustica Espástica), JJ (Vats) and Gabriel Guiterrez (Lysol, American Nudism, Vats) got together, adopting the popular brand of pre-packaged pan dulce Tia Rosa as their band name. Following a string of self released cassettes and domestic tours in 2022 they spent most of last year recording these eight tracks between their homes in colonia Asturias and colonia Navarte, Mexico City. Misterio Lounge 3000 reaches behind the mirror, charming the sinister 80’s minimal electronic/post punk of Algebra Suicide onto programmed latin rhythms and experimental/new age soundscapes common in 70’s cosmic music. There’s lots of room to groove here and each track feels like a new stop down an expansive astral hallway. 'Kelly' drives close with its crunchy guitar and radio interference, “Elevador Síquico” captures the sway of joyous pixelated flowers. 'Glass Frog' begins with sampled frogs and ends in a delightful psychedelic freakout. 'La Oscuridad' and 'Floating Hour' build on the mysterious lounge feel with their respective smooth flute and sax solos. From start to finish Misterio bounces softly like a Miró painting come to life. Mutant elevator music for obscure prophets, flute lovers and froggy dancers alike. A freakadelic electro oddity for the ages. It’s the new strange sensation and it’s happening now. Frog pop is here. Tia Rosa has delivered."