GILGONGO RECORDS

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SHEARING PINX - "Poison Hands" CD (GGGR-009).
CD reissue of a double 3" CDr, originally release on Not Not Fun records.

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SHEARING PINX.
Full-length recording from Vancouver, Canada's no-wave take on Unwound. A reissue of a double 3-inch CDR, originally released by Not Not Fun. After nearly 30 CDr and cassette releases over the past two years, this was the gem that shined through. Noisy and catchy and fun. “Gnarly skronk-shred jams that morph into free shriekback post-jazz dead-zones.” Featuring members of Channels 3+4 and In-Flux and the head-honcho behind the beyond rad short-run / vanity label, Isolated Now Waves.

REVIEWS. (from both issues)

(Jazz for Hipsters / jazzforhipsters.blogspot.com).
From the first few seconds of this album one can already begin to gather that Shearing Pinx is not a typical punk band by the Sonic Youth-esque guitar tones. I feel that this group is very heavily influenced by Sonic Youth, considering the vocalist (while male) sounds like Kim Gordon. But instead of being influenced by the melodic structure like most bands, Shearing Pinx seems to be a child of Sonic Youth’s punk rock sound. With Poison Hands Shearing Pinx makes a pretty strong contribution to both punk and experimental music. The punk appeal comes in a lot of the guitar distortion, short songs, yelling vocals, and fast tempos. The experimental element is found in songs like “Blood Corridor” and “WhiteMud.” The group’s songwriting is also above the typical punk band, found in some of the syncopated guitar riffs in songs like “Cursed Love Matter.” One of the best tracks on the album is “Pumpknot” which has a great guitar drone bridge. One of the most intense tracks is the closer “WhiteMud” which has a very cool fast opening, which eventually dissolves into about nineteen minutes of very fast, loud, improvised noise. While this album is very cool, the band deserves more of a recommendation. They play a fantastic live show, and one can get a better sense of their musicianship live. Anyone interested in punk/hardcore music should check this band out, but I’m sure Moonchild fans will love it too.

(Mashnote / mashnote.net)
Originally released on Not Not Fun as a 2x 3"cdr, Shearing Pinx' "Poison hands" gets a second and bigger chance on Gilgongo records. Was it worth the trouble and investment ? I think so. Shearing Pinx play the kind of no-wave/noise rock with all the right elements taken from their more well known predecessors. If i mention bands like Trumans Water, Unwound and even old (read:good) Sonic Youth you know what's up. One guitar is responsible for thick, sometimes dissonant chords while the other one changes between high end freaks and stinging riffs. Singer Nic Hughes' voice is just perfect coming close to a youn g Thurston Moore at cetain times. There's 7 tracks like this on the album. Driving with that required urgency. As a closer you get the 21 minute long noise/jam/etc.. track "White mud". It definitely breaks with the already set atmosphere and flow. Although it begins and ends in a more structured way, inbetween it's a mish mash of noise, snare molestation and free jazz drums. To be honest, it's my least favorite of the bunch. Not my cup of noise, i'm more of a think dens droning noise kinda dude. But see, that's my only remark. I'm glad i got to hear this band. In the world of limited noise/no-wave releases it's easy to let bands slip under your radar because of ltd releases etc.. Now i got a new name on my 'to-check-out' list. - Jim Faes

(The Z Gun / z-gun.org).
When an album opens up with a Karate Party by way of A Frames bass blast count me among the convinced. When what follows veers off the KP/AF path and into its own terrain, call me smitten. When I am told that that bass blast is reall a guitar, I am putty. Vancouver’s Shearing Pinx has me. Please, my mail box is open, send whatever you want, I’ll listen. Originally released as a limited run 2 x 3” CD on the great Not Not Fun label, Poison Hands is modern day post punk/no wave with lots of loud and tons of energy. The guitar work is great, the songs are fantastic, and, hell, there is nothing wrong here. Even the 20 minute noise jam that ends this CD is listenable. My only complaint is that this is not on vinyl. A CD rerelease of a CD seems like a waste to me. -- Scott Soriano.

(Fake Jazz / Wes Neal / fakejazz.com).
When my original, defective copy of this album went all kinds of popping spasm hell on me during "Stairs," I didn't realize that the CD wasn't supposed to be making the microwave death rattle noises that were coming out of the speakers until they continued into the next track. That should give you little glimpse into this album's aesthetic. Truly, this double 3 inch CD release doesn't veer into abstract noise realms until the single 21 minute track on the second disc. The leading (and shorter) disc finds Shearing Pinx in the sort of clanging, skittering noise-rock that makes you unsure if the repetitive riffs are the band playing or the CD skipping. While I don't think the band is wishing to explore the same "purposefully defective" idea that Fly Pan Am did on Ceux Qui Inventent N'ont Jamais Vécu, Poison Hands has the teetering-on-implosion feel that FPA's sophomore album did. Shearing Pinx are at their best when they lock into a heavy, driving riff and let singer Nic Hughes salivate on the mic, which luckily happens on pretty much all the songs. The style is homogenous but for an 18 minute disc of such intensity, that's a blessing. Highlights include the opening "New Gospel," the short "Crime Waves," and the aforementioned "Stairs." Disc two, "Whitemud," begins no different from the first disc with a straight-up rock song that is the album highlight but quickly devolves into a harsh live skronk that sounds like the band is literally trying to rip their instruments apart. This is the highest of compliments. Drums and vocals leave for the bulk of the track while effects-aided guitars create a sea of lacerating drone 'n' noise. Pulled back to 'normality' the end of the track finds us with stuttering rhythm and yelling. While truthfully a little better at the spastic destruction of the first disc, "Whitemud" allows the band to showcase a different side and side which with a bit more practice and integration into their other sound could create some really really fascinating albums. Being a Not Not Fun release, the album is lovingly and beautifully hand-packaged complete with spraypainted foam pegs for the CDs. A dissonant and sick debut from a promising band.

(Perte Et Fracas / perteetfracas.org) - in French.
Cette présente chronique ne va pas vous narrer la folle aventure de ce groupe canadien. Peine perdue. Le groupe lui-même doit être incapable de vous dire de tête le nombre de productions qu'ils ont sorties. En deux ans, ce trio de Vancouver a réalisé une bonne vingtaine de disques, la plupart en version cd-r et, must du must à l'ère du tout numérique, en cassette, le truc old-school qui redevient hyper à la mode. Ou comment faire d'un truc vintage quelque chose d'à nouveau branché. Génial. Tout ça distribué sous le manteau bien sûr. Je ne comprends pas la volonté de ces groupes. S'échiner à composer de la musique, de la bonne musique, et ne pas vouloir la partager, la faire entendre à un plus grand nombre. Comme si ils en avaient rien à foutre. Ou encore un truc à la mode que je ne pige pas, un truc d'élitiste mal placé. Mais je vois le mal partout. Leurs compos leur brûlent les doigts tout simplement et il faut la coucher au plus vite. Une attitude punk que l'on retrouve dans la musique. Punk à la Sonic Youth. Shearing Pinx a beaucoup écouté les New-yorkais pour n'en retenir que le jus bouillonnant. Laisse tomber les mélodies. Les structures s'établissent dans un format rock mais ce qu'il en ressort, c'est larsen et saturation, les deux mamelles de l'apprenti punk, le matos saccagé à la fin, la batterie made in Bob Bert (le batteur historique de Sonic Youth qui s'est vite ennuyé de ses potes pour former par la suite Pussy Galore et Bewitched), du tribal, du smashing noise dans la face et des guitares généreuses qui prennent le pouvoir. Jusqu'à pousser le vice à avoir un timbre de voix ressemblant à Thurston Moore. Vous avez tout ça sur ce qu'on peut considérer comme le premier véritable album officiel du groupe, Poison Hands. Un album réalisé à l'origine par Not Not Fun records en 2006, version double cd-r 3'' avant que Gilgongo n'ait eu la bonne idée de présenter ça à un plus large éventail que leurs petites amies et les cousins de la famille. C'est joué à fond et ça se termine par 21 minutes où il ne reste plus qu'à tout détruire (si vous ne craquez pas avant) dans un grand champ de désolation noise-rock qui a fini par oublier le rock. Vous n'entendrez sans doute jamais le reste de leur discographie alors tentez votre chance sur cet instantané bien bandant. Shearing Pinx vient de sortir son second album (Ultra snake sur leur propre label, Isolated Now Waves) qui avec un peu de chance nous arrivera avant 2010.