Useless Eaters

This is weirdo garage punk with some surf and new wave-y parts from Nashville, TN. Hard to tell if Useless Eaters are playing guitars that sound like fucked-up keyboards or if there is a keyboard that drowns out the fucked-up guitars. I honestly could care less because I happen to really like it. Sometimes just being a stupid music fan and not some musician is awesome because you don't have to over-analyze the shit out of how every little sound is made. Other times it's frustrating because you can't describe it to people without sounding like an asshole.

There are some easy comparisons to make here. “Life on a Grid” sounds like Digital Leather, “Black Night Ultraviolet” is very Wavves-ish, and the bass line in “Malfunction” recalls The Stranglers and Gang of Four. There are probably plenty of places to tuck in a Jay Reatard or Ty Segall reference here too. I don't make these comparisons to demean this band in any way, but rather as a few simple points of reference. The songs “Moody Bitch” and “Addicted to the Blade” could be the soundtrack to a Southern California surf blog. You know, those ones with lots of pictures of skinny dudes wearing striped tee shirts under jean vests, with sailor caps on and stuff. Maybe throw in a button or patch with a picture of an anchor on it and a wrist band that used to be the top of tube sock. Yeah, you get it.

Well anyway, if weirdo garage punk with surf and new wave-y parts and fucked-up guitars and/or possibly keyboards sounds like something you'd dig, like I do, then Hypertension is right up your alley.

8.0 / 10 — Nathan G. O'Brien