VIDEO PREMIERE: Animal Lover - DREAMHOUSE

Kelly Kirwan

Maybe chaos isn't a ladder—maybe it's the adrenaline-fueled melody mismatch that Animal Lover seems to relish. The midwestern trio formed from the fragments of past, punk-infused projects like Høst and Gumbi, and found in each other an affinity for shattering the mold. Their sound skitters between post-hardcore, avant-punk, and elements of abrasive jazz to create a riotous indie rock, as if the three bandmates put these respective genres in a blender, flipped the switch, and watched the pulverized pieces splatter across the wall. It's a needle-to-the-heart, I-said-God-damn kind of fervor, which is particularly gripping on Animal Lover's single, "DREAMHOUSE," off their upcoming Stay Alive LP.

The swirl of dissonance, high-flying guitar riffs, and sweat-inducing beat enters instantaneously, as vocals akin to a rally cry barely break through the sonic bedlam. The single's paired video begins with a black backdrop, a blank canvas for the animation to come. Lines that mimic audio waves oscillate across the screen, their colors pixelated as if they'd been spray-painted and then transposed to become a throwback special effect. Tiny outlines of men frequent the hoopla, all the art feeling plucked from MS Paint or hand drawn (in a retro-cool fashion).

The background shifts to waterscapes and the green, lens-filtered image of an island, as the motif of triangles permeate the montage. It's a semi-abstract collage which nearly reaches two minutes, a nod to Animal Lover's dip into art-punk and their love of layered genre. "DREAMHOUSE" is the kind of song that demands your attention, a rebel yell that barrels in and finishes with a flurry, fomenting a taste for anarchy in your chest.

Interview: Peter Kernel

Sarah Tembeckjian

Mixing bluntly punk vocals with experimental instrumentation, Swiss-Canadian duo Peter Kernel have come up with a refreshingly unique and energetic brand of art-pop that very nearly defies classification. Their most recent LP, Thrill Addict, certainly lives up to its name by frantically bouncing around between aggressive, playful, and contemplative atmospheres, and manages to do so without a single track feeling out of place.

We recently caught up with Aris Bassetti, one half of the group (absent Barbara Lehnhoff), via email. He filled us in on Peter Kernel's roots, their take on the creative process, and the perils of writing music with a significant other.

ThrdCoast: What are your respective musical backgrounds?

Aris Bassetti: Musically we grew up very differently. I hated music until 1991. Till then i only listened to dialect comedies on the national radio and when the music started I turned off the radio. Then I discovered the song “Gypsy Woman” by Crystal Waters, and I thought that maybe music wasn’t so bad after all. Luckily just a few days later I discovered Nirvana, and I took off and perhaps I even went a bit too far - by the age of 19 I only listened to experimental noise projects like Merzbow, KK Null, Ruins, Masonna… and considered other music null. Barbara grew up in the middle of nothing in Canada, and on the local radio station they didn’t play any electronic or dance or techno music, only rock and roll. It was natural for her to become a "punk rocker" teenager. Then throughout the years she discovered other alternative rock bands. When we met I was still listening to a lot of noise stuff and she really enjoyed it. When we started playing together we evolved our listenings and now we love a lot of different kinds of music. Lately we listen to a lot of meditation and classical music.

TC: What’s it like working together? What’s your process from start to finish?

AB: Working together with your partner is the best and the worst thing ever. By “working” I mean spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week doing the same things together all the time. It’s great when everything goes well and we’re happy and motivated, but it gets really hard and dangerous when things start going badly because there’s no one waiting at home to reassure you - we’re sad and angry and the same time. And often we have to fight for everything we do, decide, and create - but this is our power, because after these fights we’re left with something we both love and we’re both ready to defend.

TC: Your music is quite theatrical and attention-grabbing. Is this something you strive for during the writing and recording process?

AB: I think that it’s something coming from our Italian roots mixed with our cinematic skills. We love when music narrates something, even without the voices. And at the same time it’s something unconscious. We write the music we write first off to exorcise our fears, anxiety, or anything that disturbs our existence, and probably a lot of people live the same emotional states. That’s why our music receives attention. Maybe it’s liberating.

TC: How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?

AB: I would say that it’s passionate but simple music done by two people that are working hard to live an exciting life. Taking risks and making mistakes.

TC: What are some of your major influences, together and separately?

AB: It’s impossible to separate what we are since we’re together all the time. Really, all the time. The influences are many, but mostly don’t come from music. We’re very influenced by our lives, our relationship, our friends and families, things we saw, we tried… all those things that touched us in one way or another. We’re like sponges.

TC: What do you want audiences to take away from your most recent album? What should we be listening out for?

AB: We would love to know that our music can be part of people’s important moments. Imagine how great it is to know that your music is the soundtrack to a kiss, a victory, a night out, a vacation, a workout or a dance.

REVIEW: Happy Fangs - Capricorn

Will Shenton

“Excuse me, sir. Do you have a minute to talk about rock and roll?”

So interjects Rebecca Bortman, lead singer of Happy Fangs, in the middle of Capricorn’s opening track. It’s a cheeky question, delivered with heavy reverb during a short break in the sludgy, driving guitar and drums, and probably more than anything it’s an invitation not to take the rest of the album too seriously. In an independent scene that’s threatening to drown in its own self-reference and synthesizers, this San Francisco homebrew has provided some much-needed levity with good, old-fashioned, high-energy rock ‘n’ roll.

Drawing from influences as varied as Black Sabbath and The Beach Boys (comparisons to Yeah Yeah Yeahs are inevitable as well, given Bortman’s gleefully frenetic vocals), Happy Fangs are a distillation of all that is head-bangingly fun. The group consists of just three members – Bortman on vocals, Michael Cobra on guitar, and Jess Gowrie on drums – which creates an atmosphere in which the listener isn’t bogged down by unnecessary complexity. Their music isn’t simple, but it’s refreshingly straightforward.

Where 2013’s self-titled EP was perhaps more of a throwback piece, bringing to mind the teenage rebelliousness of Joan Jett, Capricorn is polished, dark, and demonstrates an originality that isn’t beholden to the band’s spiritual predecessors. “Contagious,” the second track, is the first indication that these guys have tapped into a relatively untouched niche and made it their own. It’s a power-punk anthem, propelled by vocals that range from anticipatory crooning to explosive screams, and the resulting sound is infectious.

With this, plus later songs like “In The Morning” and “Controlled Burn,” Happy Fangs show without a doubt that pop sensibility and intelligent songwriting aren’t mutually exclusive. A healthy dose of lyrical poignancy from time to time (“To love is to have / But to want is too grand / When you know it can’t be yours alone / Owning doesn’t mean / You get to control”) adds depth to what could, in less capable hands, be somewhat forgettable pieces. On the other hand, they can still goof around with something like “Hiya Kaw Kaw,” a song about a metaphorical “vulture schooled in martial arts” that deals with repressed emotion and self-expression.

As punk and straight-up rock scenes enjoy a resurgence, especially here in San Francisco, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Happy Fangs break out to a national audience with Capricorn. Their confident energy and irresistible catchiness seem a perfect storm for people who need a little break from low-key, art-house electronic music. And as with any band that puts so much focus on its live performances, we’re excited as hell to see them at the Rickshaw Stop this Saturday.