I love noise rock. Like I really love it, but it is so hard to find bands that do it well. Half the time when I find a decent noise rock band they have broken up by the time I discover them. You’d think noise rock type music would be easy to make. Right? Just be fuzzy, wild, moody, and then do some weird shit. Well half the time there’s too much of one of the ingredients and the band is just un-listenable.
However, this is not the case with German post-noise-rock-sludge trio HEADS.
(Technically one of the members is Australian, but they are based out of Berlin).
HEADS. first caught my attention when they dropped their self-titled six track EP / Album. It was everything I wanted from a noise rock type band with the perfect amount of fuzz, wild, mood, and weird all mashed up together.
HEADS. dropped their proper full length Collider, in April of this year and the band basically just expanded on and improved on what made their self-titled release amazing. These guys just know how to create great songs with great tone, dynamics, and structure. It really hits in all the right ways.
I’ve been meaning to give HEADS. and Collider some coverage for some time now, but hadn’t found the proper time to do it until now because HEADS. are currently on their first U.S. tour. Sadly there is no Salt Lake City date, but I get that they need to hit the bigger markets on their first U.S. run.
So to shout out HEADS. amazing new album and first U.S. tour dates I decided to ask HEADS. front man Ed Fraser what his favorite, overrated, and underrated albums were. If you aren’t familiar with this feature here’s a couple examples, here and here.
Favorite Albums
Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
I first heard this record driving through country as a 20 year old and I was blown away, I had to stop on the side of the road to listen. It changed the way I thought about music. This was different to what I’d heard before – a lack of guitar player ’riffs’, enigmatic heartbreak vocals, and a rhythm section that shines in its repetition. I saw them play to a half-empty room in Melbourne a month later (I went alone because none of my mates were interested haha) and I was convinced.
Cherubs – 2 Ynfynyty
The guitar noises on this record freak me out. Such an amazing way to put songs together. And those distorted often incomprehensible vocals, man. I really love everything Kevin does. We were lucky enough to have him contribute some parts on one of the tracks on Collider and I’m really thankful for that.
Overrated Albums
Metallica – everything
I’ve never understood why people like this so much. When I was a teenager people constantly assumed that I was a Metallica fan and would give me albums as birthday presents – it was probably because I had long hair and liked guitars. To me it’s all hilarious, it’s supposed to be a parody of itself right? Although having said this – one of our running gags in Heads. is to put “Sanitarium” on at full volume whenever somebody is getting too grumpy in the tour van, so I can appreciate that. “Just leave me alonnnnnnnne”.
Underrated Albums
Spencer P Jones – Fugitive Songs
Cowboy rock from the real deal, and definitely not very well known outside of Australia. A fantastic guitar player with some perfectly shaky vocals to bring it home proper. Highlight – “She’s Not Kidding ‘Round” – in my opinion one of the most matter of fact and greatest songs ever written about domestic disharmony.
Total Control – Typical System
This whole record is brilliant, I love it from start to finish. Total Control do get credit, but they should be getting a lot more of it. The sometimes use of minimalism coupled with some real interesting variation between tracks, and then with this slightly under the surface aggression just waiting to pop. So good.
HEADS. U.S. Tour Dates Here:
08-22 Richmond VA – Strange Matter*
08-23 Baltimore MD – Ottobar*
08-24 Philadelphia PA – Ortlieb’s*
08-25 Syracuse NY – Gorham Brothers*
08-26 Brooklyn NY – BK Bazaar*
08-27 Detroit MI – Cellarmen’s Brewery*
08-29 Louisville KY – Kaiju*
08-30 Bloomington IL – Nightshop*
08-31 Chicago IL – The Burlington*
09-01 Minneapolis MA – Mortimer’s*
‘ w/ Vincas
* w/ Multicult