Die! Die! Die!
Locust Weeks
4 Track, EP (2006, Etch N Sketch)
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Related: Die! Die! Die!.
Unsurprisingly, Die! Die! Die! are short and sharp with a limited vocabulary. Only one track on Locust Weeks makes it beyond three minutes and the whole thing is over in less than ten. According to the trio from Dunedin, New Zealand, their line-up was settled during an argument over which American hardcore band was better: LA’s Black Flag or Washington’s Minor Threat. Die! Die! Die! retain the urgency of those seminal groups, but only half the rage and seemingly none of the politics. They sound like the clatter of shrapnel compared to Black Flag’s monstrous car crash, making a tinny cacophony of art-punk with great bass lines and obscure lyrics. On ‘Untitled’ a repetitious wail of “girl got your soul” morphs into “girl, God you’re so… beautiful.” Since their first release Die! Die! Die! have found a heavier bottom-end, flirting here with funk bass and marching-band drumbeats. Over the top are oscillating fret-scrapings and the occasional jangle. Locust Weeks will battle it out with the new LP from Auckland’s The Mint Chicks for our favourite NZ art-punk export of late – while my money’s on the latter, this is still a good listen. And for the record, Minor Threat are so better.
by Andrew Ramadge
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