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Rare Treats CD Review From Never Nervous Blog

Never Nervous Blog
Rare Treats
Wolf In People's Clothing
Gubbey Records
By: Phillip Olympia


Modern day lo-fi recordings can be hit or miss, especially when depending on simple drum machine loops and thin fuzzy guitar sounds to carry every song. When given that basic inscription, we often are presented with a stale offering of rough, unfinished sounding tunes ad nauseum. This surprising collection of music from Rare Treats certainly detours this apparent trend as every song stands out on its own while the overall sound of the album is incredibly raw, inventive, and pretty fucking cool.

While listening to Wolf, it is impossible to nail it down to a particular brand or point out exact inspirations. Patrick Thompson, the mastermind behind this operation effectively picked apart different genres and succeeds in doing so. On "Vacuum of the Worst", there are obvious hints from the early 90's grunge sound that work favorably with Thompson's breakable distorted vocals and chugging guitar riffage. The title track features a Misfits-like guitar and drum combo that work well with some seriously mischievous melodies. My personal favorite is "Walking", which sounds like it could've been inspired by a Devo composition from the New Traditionalists record.

While Wolf is excellent, it seems that Thompson's Rare Treats is just getting started. It seems he's barely scratched the surface on what could potentially follow this release. However, it is exhilarating to have an unexpected record like this fall into your lap. Certainly recommended.

Rare Treats CD Review From Leo Weekly

LEO Weekly

Wolf in People’s Clothing
Rare Treats
GUBBEY                                                                                                                                                                                    By Peter Berkowitz


As far as Christmas presents go, receiving Louisville folk artist Patrick Thompson’s lo-fi recordings as Rare Treats was a nice surprise under the ol’ LEO tree. His bio states that Thompson “wanted to make a record that didn’t sound entirely like it came from Louisville, Kentucky,” and by that standard, it mostly succeeds. Though traces of ’90s forerunners can be detected, the Rare Treats blend of DIY punk, metal, art and underground riffage reduced to the most basic elements is more reminiscent of the underappreciated Wipers or very early Sebadoh than Slint or Rodan. Though distortion is employed, melodies remain clear and purposeful, and Thompson’s relaxed approach is a welcome change of pace from the many careerist bands who put too much effort into sounds unworthy of big, expensive productions. This Wolf manages to simultaneously sound as fresh as tomorrow and as authentic as a lost 1991 recording, demonstrating that whatever you think the Louisville sound is, those sounds can always surprise you.
 

Review Of Unreleased Furlong Record Pony Up! From Leo Weekly

Leo Weekly

By: Stephen George

Furlong takes the lead Louisville’s anti-punk punk rock scene

The gentlemen behind Gubbey Records are something of a maniacal lot, that rare breed between ultra-creative geniuses and musical miscreants dead set on destroying that which surrounds them with weird, altruistic noise-pop. The guys who started a label to kickstart their own self-recorded musical projects offer Furlong: an excellent band, their band, a strange and new band that will destroy Louisville in the best way, by exploding onto the scene in a raging fireball of anti-punk punk rock and changing people’s perspectives on distorted guitars and the general lewdness of loudness. Seem like a fair amount of contradictions? These guys make your head spin like that.

The Gubbey men have arranged an eclectic, enticing four-act showcase at The Rudyard Kipling for this Saturday. The Audrey Ryan Band, a sort of alt-jazz-folk-rock group on tour from Cambridge, Mass., will open the festivities. Local beatnik refugee Ron Whitehead and his highly-talented wife, Sarah Elizabeth, will perform spoken word poetry and acoustic guitar tunes. The pair have dedicated the set to Whitehead’s old stomping pal, the great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, who put a bullet through his brain last Sunday (see more on HST on page 14). Local bluegrassers Troublesome Creek follow.

Then comes Furlong, Louisville’s punk rock answer to Captain Beefheart, a loud and beautiful mess of experimental sound garbed in the same pop sensibilities that made grunge so user-friendly. The band has recently upgraded to version 2.0, bringing along bassist Chris Hoerter. There’s a new EP in the works, Pony Up, a continuation of that which began on last year’s magnificent sampler, The Indestructible Gubbey Records Sampler CD Vol. II. Furlong’s “Ride My Train of Un-Agape Love” stole that show, even from its alter-ego Funkus, whose “Sexual Investigators” was a train wreck of Bootsy Collins-esque pure funk from the ’70s that’s as hysterically funny as it is funkaliciously adept.

Take from the new EP Truck Stop Whore, a bright and melodic Velvet Underground-style dirge of pretty chords underneath a story about a truck driver who “can’t wait to fuck my truck stop whore.” The complementery high-pitched “oohs” and “ahhs” reminiscent of early R&B perfect the tune’s mindbending contradiction in terms. The lyrics are clever and pertinent, despite the comical vulgarity.

“Blood Red Panties” is considerably heavier, opening with an ominous bass line that explodes into a full band (piano included) headbobbing jump. The opening line sets the tone: “blood panties on the bedroom floor/don’t you know you should lock the door/outside I wait all day for you.” After a pair of verse-chorus-verse runs through, the song evolves on a piano riff into a speedy psychotica of sound, then quickly fades to silence.

Much like their equine-influenced name, Furlong’s music takes the thoroughbred approach, spending most of the time in rigorous and fruitful training, preparing for the fleeting bursts of hysterical speed and power that only make sense on this band’s record, in that kind of deep, pure context. Using that ambience as an indicator, it’s hard to imagine this show as anything less than a carnival, or at the very least, a horse race.

BY STEPHEN GEORGE
sgeorge@leoweekly.com

Furlong
Saturday, Feb. 26
Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak St.
636-1311
$5; 10 p.m.

 
 

Show Preview From The Courier Journal

The Courier Journal

BY: Jeffrey Lee Puckett

Gubbey Records presents …
Dave Rucinski, one of the honchos at Louisville's Gubbey Records, has pulled together an entertaining show tomorrow night at The Rudyard Kipling, 422 W. Oak St. (10 p.m., $5). There will be a sad note, as Ron Whitehead will spend part of the evening commemorating the late Hunter S. Thompson. Otherwise, he and Sarah Elizabeth will combine post election poems with interludes of mountain music. The rest of the lineup features the Audrey Ryan Band, an alternative jazz band from Cambridge, Mass., that incorporates elements of rock, folk and Latin music. Louisville's Troublesome Creek will handle the bluegrass, and Rucinski's band, Furlong, will wrap it up.
 

Review of The Indestructible Gubbey Records Sampler CD Vol.2 From Louisville Music News

Louisville Music News

Making it Matter

The Indestructible Gubbey Records Sampler CD Vol. II (Gubbey Records)
Various Artists
By Kory Wilcoxson

Gubbey Records is determined to make Louisville music matter again. Founded in 1993 by Dave Rucinski, the label has witnessed the local music scene's wax and wane over the past decade. With this second sampler, Rucinski is doing his part to showcase the diversity of local offerings.  The sampler is noteworthy for the range of styles represented. Listeners are treated to everything from the "locomotive sex rock" of Furlong (the website's description is better than anything I could come up with) to the P-funk vibe of Funkus' "Sexual Investigators" to The Chocobots' "Days Like This," which calls to mind early Elvis Costello. Another standout on the disc include the almost indescribable "I'm Gonna Grout Your Bifka," a collection of obscure and witty TV samples played out over what sounds like a perverted version of Disneyworld's "Electric Light Parade" theme. The song is credited to Mr. Samples, who is actually label founder Rucinski. The sampler is worth picking up at a local store to hear proof of a pulse in the local music scene. For more information, visit the label's website at www.gubbeyrecords.net  
 

Review of The Indestructible Gubbey Records Sampler CD Vol.2 From Velocity Weekly

Velocity Weekly

By: Josh Hammond

Great Gubbey!
As mysterious and hotly debated as the whereabouts of "Leonard: Parts 1 through 5," so is the question of the final resting place of "The Indestructible Gubbey Records Sampler CD, Volume I."  That question, however, has been rendered moot with the glorious release of "The Indestructible Gubbey Records Sampler CD Vol. II: When Gubbey Attacks." The Louisville label, home to such subtle gems as Funkus and the S---house Poets, has released another sonic buffet of its bands. In addition to the above, bands like Furlong, the Touched, Mr. Samples and the Chocobots pop up on "When Gubbey Attacks!" a loud and quirky odyssey of Louisville music. Even Gubbey's founder, Dave Rucinski, shows up, doing a cameo under the moniker Mr. Razzledazzle on the Funkus tune "Sexual Investigator." He also takes a turn with Mr. Samples "I'm Gonna Grout Your Bifka," a random electronic indulgence.  It's not clear whether Rucinski is running a label or just giving his friends an outlet for their musical fancies. We're not sure it matters either.