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RELEASE: Split Cassette - 'Live at the Lowbrow Lounge' (A side) - 'Holy Moley' (B side) ARTIST: King Kongo (A side) - The Plastic Fangs (B side) Well today we're trying things a little different with a cassette tape review - yes! Those quirky little doodads we all spent hours taping The Offspring* and Metallica** off the radio onto are back! (*Pretty Fly For A White Guy went pretty hard back in the day. **So did Enter Sandman. Happy react only, please).
Courtesy of Brisbane legends Valley Heat Records, the fates have aligned and two of Brisbane's finest scuzzy surf-rockers and long-time gig buds King Kongo and The Plastic Fangs have combined to release a limited run split cassette - and the end result is a spectacular lo-fi outing that both celebrates and annihilates with its boisterous beats, disorderly reverb and a reckless smattering of some classic DIY rock.
Side A serves up King Kongo and their 'Live at the Lowbrow Lounge', allegedly named after a real-life lounge room the band once played a gig at. Opening up with a self-deprecating intro, similar to when your favourite pissed mate gets on the mic at a wedding, the tracks to follow feature a barrage of psychadelic surf-rock that doesn't skimp on the noise and grit - tracks like 'Hot Dogs' and 'Stingray' make you picture Hunter S. Thompson at the beach with raunchy riffs and rowdy vocals, and overall it's a fun little proto-punk package that pairs delightfully with Side B.
And speaking of Side B, we switch over to The Plastic Fangs and their EP 'Holy Moley', which had previously sat around completed and collecting dust since 2016. And while the EP itself is a beautiful messy array of surf/punk goodness, it comes with a bittersweet tinge as the band have since announced that the impending launch party for this collaboration will also mark the final curtain for these veteran Brissie rockers. But what a way to go, with rollicking tracks like 'Never Liked That Dog' and 'Dingo Moon' taking you back in time with some dirty punk and 50s inspired rock throwing its raw, frenetic tones in your face (and ears).
If you've ever wondered what it sounds like if Point Break and Pulp Fiction got drunk together riding a skateboard - this release has got you covered, and this Saturday both bands will be celebrating the release of their shiny new cassette with a stomping live show/farewell for the Plastic Fangs in Brisbane. More info below!
PRE-ORDER KING KONGO Vs. THE PLASTIC FANGS HERE
For more King Kongo info head to: www.facebook.com/KingKongoBrisbane
For more The Plastic Fangs info head to: www.facebook.com/ThePlasticFangs
BY TIANA SPETER