Week 2: Indonesian punk rock, Open Mike Eagle, and an Homage to ELO

This week, the Six Old Guys take a trip to Indonesia, which turns out to be a “sick” punk and indie rock haven in the Pacific, spend time with the funniest (and among the most insightful) MC in the rap game, and head back in time (and an uncle's record collection) to reconsider the "genre-mashing" work of ELO.  

New Album(s): Get Lost by The Battlebeats and Sick Girl by Sourmilk. “Hahaha. Are you ready to rock and roll, motherfucker?” Those are the first words I ever heard from The Battlebeats, a band led by punk rock impresario Andresa Nugraha, on one of their early collections. Although the Battlebeats hail from Bandung, Indonesia, they sound like a band firmly in the CBGB rotation circa 1977, and those first lyrics continue to define the essence of their sound: brash, no nonsense, and combative punk. “Get Lost” is the third 4-song EP from the Battlebeats in 2022, issued on Halloween, which feels like it must be one of the highlights of the calendar in Battlebeats-land. Like the numerous releases before it, these four tracks pick up where the Ramones left off sonically: straight-ahead garage guitars, driving beat, no drum fills. What the lyrics lack in complexity or variety in subject matter, they emphasize in simplicity and even hostility.  The track “I Don’t Like You,” for example starts off: “I want to punch you in the face/I want to beat the hell out of you/You better fuck off/Get out of my way/Don’t ever come back again/’Cause I don’t like you.” Not much left to parse in this track or really any Battlebeats song, but when you need a jolt that leaves you punching the air, this is the band to turn to.  

On that “Get Lost” EP, the Battlebeats have two songs about sickness around them: “Make Me Sick” and “Brainsick.” 18 hours away in Denpasar, Indonesia, a new band called Sourmilk has released its first single, also focusing on an aspect of sickness. “Sick Girl” features a more lush and rich sound than that of their country-mates, but the lyrics share a thread in their directness and their frustration. But where the Battlebeats takes you to the grimy urban atmospheres of New York and London in the late 70s, Sourmilk takes you to Manchester or Portland in the 90s. We only have one single so far, but it’s an intriguing start. And clearly there’s a lot of musical promise emerging in Indonesia. (Brad)

[W]here the Battlebeats takes you to the grimy urban atmospheres of New York and London in the late 70s, Sourmilk takes you to Manchester or Portland in the 90s.

Brad

Album from an upcoming/recent show: Anime, Trauma, and Divorce by Open Mike Eagle. “I talk a lot of shit/But I’m not bilingual.” Open Mike Eagle is unique among MCs over the last 10 years for his focus on humor. He doesn’t use humor like MCs in the 80s with a slapstick, juvenile, or over the top fashion; instead, he writes clever and sometimes biting social commentary, of the type seen in his Comedy Central TV show, “The New Negroes.” The height, for me, is “WTF is Self Care,” from what may be the best rap album ever about mid-life angst (hardly a major selling point, but hell, this is a site written by guys dealing with mid-life angst). In that track, Mike takes aim at the world of remedies and methods the 2020s present to us to deal with our mental and physical ailments, noting he can’t quite get on board. Take these bars: “I'm tryna make it smell flowery/Bitch, I got allergies/I'm in the spot, got a sweet roll/Tryna hold onto a tree pose/It's like seeing what my body needs/Maybe that’s a lot of weed/Yeah, get a cup massage – that shit works, bro/Shit fucking hurt, though.” In tracks like “Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes,” he upends the images of bling- and sex-obsessed MCs by reminding us that they, too, will end up where the rest of us mortals do: “And even now/rap is older than it's ever been/And young warriors develop into veterans/Pure phase with the gray hair peppered in/Setting reminders to take their medicine.” The production and samples are generally pretty basic, mostly just vehicles for the lyrics.  Mike’s flow also doesn’t vary too much, but that bothers you less when you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for the next line. If you are in DC, join me for an insightful laugh at the Open Mike Eagle show at Songbyrd on December 4. (Brad)

 Album being rediscovered (at least 10 years old): Electric Light Orchestra’s A New World Record. A few years ago, I inherited my uncle’s vinyl collection.  As the very oldest of the boomer generation, my uncle’s collection is solidly classic rock, with an over-representation of Bob Seeger, owing to my uncle’s lifetime spent in Detroit.  (A dirty secret-- most of his collection seems to have once been owned by “Carol,” who wrote her name on about 80% of the collection.  There was no “Aunt Carol,” and I never met a girlfriend named Carol.  So, Carol, if you happen to read this, please let me say, “Thanks—you have superlative taste.  But you’re going to have to pry these records from my cold, dead hands.”)

I’ve been slowly working my way through these classic rock albums, which I was thoroughly steeped in, growing up in the 70s and 80s.  My project was to try and appreciate these albums as the living works of art they once were, instead of the lifeless, background wallpaper to my childhood they had become. 

And it’s worked—to a degree.  Some of the albums are worse than I even remember (REO Speedwagon, I’m putting you on blast), but others I’ve gained a genuine appreciation for. 

The albums that have really stood out are those that attempted to synthesize disparate genres.  One that I find to be surprisingly compelling in this vein is Electric Light Orchestra’s A New World Record. 

Jeff Lynne’s combination of elements of orchestral pop, disco, 50s rock, and heavy rock prove to be an irresistible combination.  The album begins by leaning heavy into the conflicting elements, with “Tightrope” kicking off a minute-plus Moog-led orchestral introduction, complete with Gregorian chorus, that drops straight into a 50s inflected pop song. 

I picture the DJ at the roller rink dropping the needle on this one in 1976 and instantly filling the rink, bringing out everyone from the burnouts to cheerleaders—the high watermark of genre mashing.

Charles

But the final element that really puts it over the top for me is a certain joy in ELO’s songs.  “So Fine,” for example, bounces along with such happiness that it makes you want to skip.  This joy that infuses the album just makes it irresistible.

The standout single is “Do Ya.”  The song is an absolute rocker--so undeniable that Bob Mould straight up lifted the riff for “It’s too Late.”  I picture the DJ at the roller rink dropping the needle on this one in 1976 and instantly filling the rink, bringing out everyone from the burnouts to cheerleaders—the high watermark of genre mashing.

This isn’t going to be a popular rave for a lot of the punk rock faithful.  With its over-the-top production, it’s the archetype that punk was rebelling against.  But Carol and I say nuts to them if they can’t find the joy in this album. (Charles)