[engl] Marvin are a three piece band from Montpellier France. Two years of marathon songwriting sessions, passionate collaboration, and meticulous engineering have resulted in Barry, their third album, second for Africantape and the first in the USA for Sick Room Records LTD. Marvin is known across Europe for their frenetic live shows, and this record is an attempt to capture the feeling. Like three mighty gods, Emilie, Greg and Fred use all their powers to create some of the most glorious, sexy electro-punk to sweep across the landscape. Imagine that a storm is brewing, the heavens torn asunder. From the west you have solid, riff-heavy rock and roll, the electricity of AC/DC infused with the venom of the Jesus Lizard, blowing through town like a fierce wind. From the south we see another current approaching, bombastic, throbbing, sensual, Eno-inspired, big-beat electronica. These two forces collide and intermix to produce music that is upbeat, energetic and boisterous. The different elements hit you at different times, the visceral rumble of an 808, the squeal of a synth, thrashy-swirly live drum fills, guitar licks that pop and shimmer like lightning, all in all serious torrent of sound that ignites the whole room and gets everyone dancing. Drummer Greg Marvin adds, “We basically made this record because we love touring and were tired of playing the same songs at our gigs.” For that matter, to keep things fresh, Marvin has joined up on the road with colleagues and friends Pneu, Papier Tigre and Electric Electric, forming La Colonie de Vacances, a quadraphonic project were each band plays one corner of the room, with the audience standing in the middle, creating a one-of-a-kind experience, and managing to shape these affinities into a single exciting live act. Keeping things fun, keeping people excited, and keeping music alive is what this band is all about. RIYL: The VSS, Trans Am, Civil Civic, Holy Fuck, Chevreuil

[engl] Finally here, second longplayer by these Portland garagepunk stalwarts! “For people who’ve invested a lot of time and energy mapping the vast, complicated genome of the local punk community, Portland’s Chemicals are something of a supergroup. Comprising members of Cyclops, Triggers, Sleepwalkers, RIP and Straitjacket—among countless others—the band plays loose-limbed garage punk, free of frills but not without surprises: Check out “No Reason to Stay,” from recently released second album For Real, For Life, Forever or Whatever, with its basically two songs, with two different tempos, ingeniously fused together by a ripping bass solo. It’s powerful stuff, sounding like the product of lifers who’ve been around the dirty, trash-strewn block a few times.” – Willamette Week