Playlist: Trash Sound Conglomerate
From the depths of the cleanest dumpster come Trash Sound Conglomerate, a trio of punks giddily hollering at the cliff’s edge of the world - big loud apocalyptic queer mayhem amid the GREAT DECAY.
Does that make sense? It will once you listen to their debut album, Constant Crisis (listen here), which they released back in May. Klaxon-like distortion radiates off “Full Life Crisis,” and from there, it’s a head-first jump into a pool of sewer runoff and Skittles water. Rarely is a band name so accurate. Gwen May (Gwen Static) and Kath Trosch (Kat Trash) sometimes just play instruments and other times wield giant fucking serrated knives scraping the background; behind them, Matt Porter (Matt Bogie) keeps the tempos classic punk with a snare that sounds, fittingly, like a garbage can.
What sets them apart is their unpredictability — though the record is mostly punk, it’s still a fool’s errand to tell from moment to moment where exactly they’re headed, which makes it arguably even more punk. Blasts of noise and faulty wiring on “Slut Walk in Corpse Paint” lead to the sunny ‘00s bounce "of “Re/evolve,” which eventually erodes into the black metal blast of “Gov’t Fist Fuck” and a series of frantic snippets as things devolve in chaotic, capitalism-addled fatigue.
If I’ve done an inadequate job summarizing what makes Constant Crisis one of the best punk releases this year, the band can help me! They’ve put together a playlist of songs that they love - everything from local acts (WILTING, Rat Queen, Hurry Up Snufkin, etc.) to punk mainstays (Dead Kennedys, Jeff Rosenstock) to, yes, Nirvana. They’ve also provided just a touch of context via some questions we’ve asked. Listen and read below plz and thank u
What is one recommended listening activity for this playlist?
Drink a cup of coffee, smoke a joint, and play Five Finger Fillet.
Name an influence on your music.
The answer is two-fold. On one hand, we have Ween: a band that has no rules, no two albums sound the same. They have a creative freedom that allows them to do just whatever the hell they want. The second is Jeff Rosenstock who makes the most heart wrenching punk rock with the catchiest hooks. Jeff is a force of pure vision and craftsmanship. His songs are perfect. No notes.
What other media has you hooked?
We watch horror movies all year long. Come quality or crap. We need monsters and we need them now. Gwen's been really into The Locked Tomb books, which is about lesbian necromancers in space. Katy can be found reading crime thrillers, suspense, and mystery novels. Matt just won't shut up about Avatar: The Last Airbender.
("Matt thinks they're a firebender, but we all know they're an earthbender." -Gwen)
We've all been watching Mighty Boosh together after practice too. We really just wish we were comedians.