Grrrl Friend: Happening now (2011)

"Grrrl Friend's first tape is soaked like bong water on the carpet with pop melodies disguised as shreddy guitar rockers, gazer punk dreams, goth trip outs, and grungey bong-rock rippers; an instant classic that has already spread like scabies over the internet. One of the darker drips on Happening Now is "Dirtgasm", a shoegazed nightmare anthem for cold nights in the city and bored junkie fantasies. The contrast of the male and female vocals on certain tracks, including the title track, "Doppleganger 12-Step" and "Hydroxozine", bring back memories of 80s college rock gems like early Sonic Youth and REM or New Day Rising-era Husker Du. Frenetic Minutemen-meets-Boredoms no-waver jock jams like "How Allah Stole Christmas" and "Black Jesus Christ" are more reminiscent of mid-late 80s NY, the time and place of birth for band leader Duffy "Rongiland" (a nickname from his days booking and working sound for punk shows in his native Long Island, NY). Duffy claims Grrl Friend to have gone through over 20 members, with him being the one constant, but much of GF's past is shrouded in a haze of confusion and pot smoke. After relocating to Portland he eventually moved into show space and hang zone House of Preblon, a hub for many of PDX's best young punk bands and HQ for video site Indie Rock Sucks. The songs on this cassette were written, performed and recorded to be an album and the playback is supreme. This is stoner rock; euphoric, sometimes nostalgic, a little paranoid, kind of sloppy and totally beautiful. But it's also pop music so beneath all the fuzz, reverb and darkenss there are real songs that stick in your head, like bong resin on the brain. (Tracks: Happening Now, How Allah Stole Christmas, Doppleganger 12-Step, Dirtgasm, Black Jesus Christ, Hydroxozine, By a Thread, Pet Frownz, Beastiality BBQ, II, I Explode, All White People Look the Same (To Me), Not Happening Now)" (Read: gnartapesandshit.com)