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Eldorado music video directed by Grace Carter
Influences
Toronto schoolyard show no mic just boombox
Sounds Like
SOUND JUDGEMENT HOUSE SHOW
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WILLAMETTE WEEK PRESS 6/5/09 Mattress gets lumped into the same category as many of Portland’s dance and electronic acts, but in truth Rex Marshall is using his solo project to cook up an entirely unique brand of weird. Backed by a series of tape-recorded synthesizer tracks, Marshall crafts apocalyptic dirges that thrive on his baritone—so strong that it even rivals Tom Waits’. Were this insufficient to inspire a creeping sense of dread in listeners, Marshall also ensures that his performances are almost uncomfortably intense, couching frantic tunes in equally frantic visuals. SHANE DANAHER.
Heavy Duty
By Josiah Hughes/Exclaim Magazine (Canada)
Portland's Mattress centres on the claustrophobic bedroom soul of weirdo Rex Marshall and his synthesiser. But on Heavy Duty, his debut full-length for Edmonton's Reluctant Recordings, his minimal, dark electro beats take a backseat to his sinister songwriting. Opener "Pollution" sets the tone with its eerie sounds and hopeless lyrics, while "Go Ahead and Litter" almost gets dance-y, with its dead funk guitar drone. The real gem is closing track "Bring It Down," with its heavy synths and melodic singing, showing a little heart amidst the creepiness. Limited to 300 and featuring shiny artwork courtesy of the Doers' Sean Maxey, this is a rare treat in outsider pop. (Reluctant)
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MONGREL ZINE #7 IS OUT NOW
The new Halloween issue of Mongrel Zine is full of spooky delights!
Haunted George schools us on Halloween sound effects and his
Garagepunk podcast Haunted Shack Theatre, King Louie charms us with
tales of stealin’ Lil Wayne’s wardrobe girl and drinking with Fats
Domino, Vancouver’s newest garage band Indian Wars find the best
skateparks, Inservibles tell us about Mexico City’s best tacos from
what is a shitty mechanics workshop during the day and taco stand by
night, a rare interview with the late Billy Van from The Hilarious
House of Frightenstein, vintage Halloween collector Mark Ledenbach,
plus Box Elders, The TVees, Hard Feelings, HYPSTRZ, The Orpheans,
Corpusse, Telekrimen, and tonnes more…
This issue includes Mongrel Zine Vol. 4 CD Comp with 28 tracks
including Bloodshot Bill’s “In the Graveyard…!” written especially for
this Halloween issue of Mongrel Zine!
The new True Margrit CD - The Juggler's Progress - is now available for pre-order, along with t-shirts and artwork, photo and drumheads, check it out here: http://bit.ly/7Cu8J
Next shows: October 28, Jazzbones in Tacoma, WA October 30, Mississippi Pizza in Portland, OR October 31, Nana's Irish Grill and Pub in Newport, OR November 1, Muddy's Hot Cup in Arcata, CA November 5, Molly Malone's in West Hollywood, CA
Our tour wraps up with the big show at San Francisco's best rock club, Bottom of the Hill! For the complete show schedule, check here: http://bit.ly/1UgGqQ
"In the old days, according to conventional wisdom, punk rock records sounded shitty because getting access to a professional-quality recording setup was prohibitively expensive. These days, you can turn a laptop into a recording studio for less than it costs to buy a used touring van. So when a record sounds shitty in 2009, it's either because the bands are just bad at recording music or it's a deliberate aesthetic choice, an intentional nod to those bygone times and their innocent "authenticity." With the backing of indie heavyweight Matador, scuzz-punks Times New Viking could presumably produce pristine pop nuggets if they wanted to, but instead, on latest album Born Again Revisited as much as on previous releases, they make a clipped, fuzzy, blown-out racket, roughing up the obvious hooks of their songs until they are bruised, bloody things. They're great live." - WWEEK
Online Now!
