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Losing Today Magazine: Scarling. 'Band Aid covers the Bullet Hole' (Sympathy for the Record Industry). Okay admittedly a little late with this one, but \ohey\c sometimes you just can't keep a good tune or three down. Currently to be found doing sizeable damage on the 'Blisscent 2' compilation from Blisscent Records and holding its own among a welter weight of gliding guitar ensembles most notably the Meeting Places, A Northern Chorus and the storm chasing Skywave, 'Band Aid covers a bullet hole' is the debut release from LA's Scarling. a knuckle rapping taster for their recently released full length 'Sweet Heart Dealer'. Scarling. are the latest in a long line of melody based noise niks currently setting alight Stateside, formed out of a chance meeting between guitarist Christian Hejnal and ex Jack off Jill vocalist Jessicka, this quintet (who incidentally look like the bastard offspring of John Cale with fully signed up membership cards to the local Jean Paul Sartre existentialist debating society) cleverly marinate varying degrees of goth and shoegaze with a hammer like noise attrition that appears all at once threatening, hostile and yet curiously beguiling. Pressed on red vinyl and housed in a sleeve depicting artist Mark Ryden's 'Wounds' painting, 'Band Aid covers a bullet hole' is a chime happy bruiser with bite, a bit like opening a brightly wrapped present on Christmas day and finding you've just unlocked a Pandora's box letting loose onto the world a scheming array of mischievous sprites and delinquent demons. Taking their cue from the likes of Lush, Bang Bang Machine and Curve, Scarling. offer up an alluring bait and like the fly to the spider your drawn instantly into their colourfully woven web, Jessicka's almost child like naive vocals cutting loose deceptively from angelic invitations to sinister mockery perfect act as a foil for the dreamy wash of cascading melodies themselves routed by barking bursts of fuzz and life sapping fury. 'H/C' is a little more direct in intention, a curdling mix of locked down heavy bearing grooves, claustrophobic vibes and grinding swamp like menace that exudes such a wretched feel you'll be itching for days. If you get the CD version you get the added treat of a cover of Radiohead's 'Creep' which if anything ups the self loathing factor by a considerable margin to spine tingling extremes and has the band giving a commendable chilling account of themselves. Essential, as if it was going to be anything less.
Beautiful.: As their first single, Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole serves as a twisted and melodic theme song to hallucinating insomniacs everywhere. The song is a freight train of bizarre lyrics and thundering music, ready to run you over so hard it'll knock you back to the womb and still leave you thirsting for more. H/C, about a "fabulous gay drug user", shows a still harder edge to Scarling., as the heaviest song on this CD and probably to be one of the harder songs on the album. The profane and yet irresistably catchy lyrics will leave you thinking, "What the HECK..." and "Oh my god, that's brilliant" at same time. Creep, a spectacularly executed Radiohead cover, shows a particularly fragile and effectively brutal side to Scarling., with Jessicka's signature "scream til it bleeds" vocals. Jessicka's violent screams, the throbbing bass, and the background of breaking glass will be throbbing in your head for days.
scarling. scarling scarling.: I'm speechless here's a great review. Scarling Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole Sympathy Records Hey you wanna be floored? Wanna have that starry-eyed look on your face? Wanna be in love? Well, who the heck doesn't want to run through that gauntlet of emotions when brains, beauty and brilliance are right before them? Not I, my good man. I'm all about falling head over heels and knee deep in all the gooey stuff. What vixen has caught my fancy on this wonderful day? None other than the band Scarling and this tease of an album. Lemme tell you something "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" aint gonna cut it, not today, not on my watch. However, maybe these obvious genius's are onto something. Isn't there a saying in the industry "Always Leave Them Wanting" ...if that's the case, consider this a free lesson folks, cause man do I want more. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Who the heck is Scarling and why should I care? With your interest peaked, here's the story. There once was a screaming, raging, female outfit by the name of Jack Off Jill. If you don't know who they are..I'm sorry. I was a huge fan and still am, but if you came expecting JOJ part 2 you can get off now. Once JOJ disbanded, head mistress Jessicka had no intentions of retreading the past and her former brand of riot-girl metal. She soon met guitar player and future writing partner Christian Hejnal. Their relationship had a rocky beginning, and although they had no interest in playing music together, they exchanged numbers anyway on the off chance that one day they might see eye-to-eye. Clearly they clicked on a musical level. After several line-up changes, the band's current - and best and most beautiful - incarnation was solidified. The boys, Garey Snider (drums) and Kyle Lime (bass), are pretty enough to pass for girls; and guitar player Rickey Lime (formerly of all-girl Olympia-based Shotgun Won) solidified the core. Bring in world famous musician and producer Chris Vrenna (NIN, Tweaker) and this is a far cry from chopped liver. This leads me to the actual Ep. It took me longer to type this than to listen to it 4 times. That's right, it is brutally short, at under ten minutes and only 3 tracks. BUt, anything doing is worth doing right..and this a flawless 3 song preview of things to come. They combine a thousand influences and come off as shoe-gazers, edgy, and mysterious...all likable attributes. The guitars swirl all around your head ala My Bloody Valentine, almost atmospheric, it's enchanting. This is a long way from music to sleep to, though. Jessicka's voice doesen't even sound real, it reminds me of a fragile doll. Upon thinking this she breaks quickly and violently. On the Radiohead cover of "Creep" she roars the shrillest "Your so Very Special" it gave me chills. On the title track "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Holes" she spouts the Scarface staple "Say Hello to my Little Friend" and as her voice trembles through the voice box, you realize how unforgettable and amazing this is. I'm mad, downright furious that they could leave us like this...a ten minute glimpse, and gone. Alas, they have left one hole in me that a band aid won't cover for now. Don't worry though, I'll be waiting...patiently. scarling.net 4/5 (deduction for walking out 10 minutes into our date) RIYL: My Bloody Valentine Lush The Cure
scarling ---- Band Aid Covers The Bullet Hol \oEP\c: This is the best cd ever very good but can be depressing as sad lyrics and beat can be described as gothic rock but also a bit like courtney love and hole not as punk as jack off jill though i would defently recomend this cd to absolutely anyone at all I LOVE THIS CD i really am in love with it the songs are great
just a taste of what's to come . . . .: this amazing cd single for "band aid . . ." will blow you away. for anyone who is a fan of the cure, my bloody valentine, lush, etc. also may appeal to indie fans out there. NOISE ROCK at it's finest. delicious & sickly sweet sounds will mesmerize your musical taste-buds. if you miss this one you should be kicking yourself!!! "h/c" is fun & fast, & the cover of radiohead's "creep" blows the original out of the water. noise vs. pop. excellent guitar work. amazing vocals. check out their album to be released soon . . . "sweet heart dealer."
| Artist: | Scarling | | Binding: | Audio CD | | EAN: | 0790276071629 | | Format: | EP | | Original Release Date: | 2003-12-16 | | Release Date: | 2008-02-18 | | UPC: | 790276071629 |
Tracks:- band aid covers the bullethole
- H/C
- Creep
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