#Salad Boys

[dustedmagazine]

T54 — Drone Attacks: Expanded and Remastered (Ally)

Drone Attacks ~ Expanded and Remastered by T54

“Julie K” is, perhaps, the money track from this retrospective, capturing the droning buzz, the rocketing propulsion, the echoey romantic ache at the heart of this short-lived Bunnyman-into-Bailter Space-ish post-punk outfit. We get it twice, maybe three times on this expanded reissue, first as it appeared on the 2011 Drone Attacks EP, second in a rougher, more abrasive and distorted live studio version and third (possibly?) in a demo experiment in pure sonic texture called “Julie’s Last Wish” which may or may not be related to the EP cut. The song is a glorious, guitar-blaring grand gesture, touching Sonic Youth’s feedback-addled transcendence and cutting it with a 1980s new wave infusion of melody.

T54’s Joe Sampson would go on to found the jangle-popping Salad Boys, whose 2018 This Is Glue sat that year at #3 on my year-end list. I confessed, “Always weak for NZ lo-fi and equally a fan of the early R.E.M., so of course I fell for this buzzy daydream of a record.” But here, with bassist Sam Hood and drummer Matt Scobie, the noise is louder, the pop is shrouded shimmering layers of dissonance. T54 sounds like certain Clean songs, and so did the Salad Boys, but oh, my lord, they are different Clean songs. Think “Point That Thing” live, versus a nice, well-behaved “End of My Dream.”  

“CR Model” is, if anything, even more fuzz-crusted and frantic than “Julie K,” its soft, slanting vocals skittering uneasily over a roiling bed of clash and distortion. It also gets two airings, and the second is even more viciously serrated than the first.

A few of the songs that T54 tries out live in the studio appeared a couple of years later on the band’s sole Flying Nun record, In Brush Park from 2013. “Oh Nina” saunters fuzzy and unstrung through lyrical banks of jangling haze, a reasonable precursor for the Salad Boys sound that would emerge a few years later. “Life Is Swell,” too, has a noddy, hypnotic lilt to it, the drums gathering for a thundering gallop under fragile vocal melody.

The demos are, on balance, less concerned with song structure and more interested in sonics. “Le Snack” hazards some wild, spiraling guitar experiments. “House Music” is definitely not house music, in the Chicago dance sense, but a twitchy, narcotic exploration of two-note guitar licks and drifting abstract vocals.  

In Brush Park got a bit more attention than Drone Attacks, given its Flying Nun association, but even so, outside of New Zealand, most people missed T54. This expanded version of the debut EP is a fine way to catch up, and well worth your time if you like the harsher, dronier sounds of Bailter Space and Sonic Youth.

Jennifer Kelly

[bandcampsnoop]

8/5/22.

Ah, Melted Ice Cream...my favorite label from Christchurch, New Zealand. There have been so many great releases from this label run by Joe Sampson (Salad Boys).

This release is Violet French backed by The Horrible. Violet was originally from Dunedin but now lives in Christchurch (where The Horrible are also based). The music and vocals have the feel of Opposite Sex or Terror of the Deep (which I had forgotten how much I love).

But French's vocals and melodies also hint at the beauty and range of Natalie Merchant. The band is made up of members of Kool Aid, Dogfish,Wurld Series and Kane Strang.

This is one of favorite releases in a while.

[fleshmonger]

Rotating Sandwich Mood Board

Rotating Sandwich Mood Board

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

so how about that update, huh

[giraffeinachinashop]

salad rule

[jincheeto]

Older doodle I did in response to a funny comment on this image and never posted lmao

[ghouljams]

me going through all of your cowboy!ghost writing giggling knowing my grandpa who raised me had the same government name as price and I’ve lived in the south my whole life with my little country accent. This is pure dopamine

Aaaaaah this makes me so happy to hear!!! Cowboy!Ghost is such a sucker for a country accent, he is truly living his best life as a ranch hand. No one can tell me he wasn't made for mommas to dote on, absolutely swarmed at the potluck. Actually hold on...

You lost Simon pretty much as soon as you set your 9x13 of chess bars on the folding table. He'd grumbled enough about being dragged here you thought he'd at least stay close by. Your daddy was already on his second cup of sweet tea, chatting with one of the neighbors, Soap's bothering his nun, Gaz is raiding the burnt ends, where the hell is your boyfriend?

You only spot him because he's a solid head taller than the woman surrounding him. You have never seen someone look so utterly uncomfortable and utterly at peace in your life. He already has a full plate and you've been here less than a minute. One of the women pats his arm, another reaches up to pinch his cheek, all of them cooing over what a fine young man he is. You press your lips into a thin line to keep from laughing.

He thanks them quietly, the barest hint of a smile on his lips. You can almost feel them vibrating at his accent.

"You're a long way from home, doesn't your mother worry about you?" One of them asks. Simon's eyes dart to meet yours.

"She's gone," You mouth "ma'am" at him, reminding him to be polite, "Ma'am." He looks back at the ladies who all nod their heads quietly, taking a moment for him.

"Well," Another starts, her voice drawing the attention of all the others, "I'm sure she'd be glad we found you then, with how thin you are." At that you do laugh, watching the confusion on Simon's face as all of them nod solemnly. As if they hadn't been admiring his muscle two seconds ago.

[wyldhunt]

DENRID | PERSICA | MARREC | CAHIR | TIERNAN | EMRYS

↳ Do not fear difficulty. Hard ground makes stronger roots.

[athenamineblox]

Thierry shitposts..,

Thierry by @vellichorom

[vellichorom]

god walks the hidden valley, weaving inbetween the desolate walls & laughing as i get lost

i’m not even supposed to be here, much less alone. i don’t do well alone.

this he knows.

[bandcampsnoop]

9/2/22.

I first heard and bought a T54 (Christchurch, New Zealand) release several years ago when I first "discovered" the Melted Ice Cream label (Christchurch, New Zealand). I remember they were bundling cassingles and T54 was in one of those bundles.

Years later, Ally Records (Raleigh, North Carolina) is reissuing "Drone Attacks", originally released in 2011. Here is their "press release" on Bandcamp:

Before New Zealand’s Salad Boys, there was T54, also fronted by Joe Sampson, joined by Matt Scobie on drums and Sam Hood on bass. Originally released on CD in NZ in 2011, Ally Records is proud to be putting out an expanded and remastered limited double vinyl edition of T54’s "Drone Attacks" -- their first EP now with additional tracks, including home recordings and live in the studio, and it's housed in a full- color gatefold jacket. If you're a fan of Joe's other bands, or other NZ stalwarts like The Clean, The 3Ds, or The Gordons, you're in for a treat!

T54's second album was released on Flying Nun Records. Ally Records is also releasing another The Cakekitchen LP.

[leclercskiesahead]

Them discussing how to convert to in-person sex after having car sex on track

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

i have a Scene - a Plot if you will - that backs this as context. y'all are gonna have to trust me on this one <3 or read the tags...

[wormturned]

It's a beautiful fifteenth of March, and you are a horrible senator

[chibimationss]

2021 - 2023 salad fingers art!!

realized recently that i've never actually posted any of this anywhere publicly, i usually would only share it in discord servers (david firth's server) or with small groups. so, without further ado... enjoy mr fingers and his friends!!

and this isn't all of it, so brace yourself for the posts to come >:3

[bird-inacage]

City Boy Log | Jaejun x Jihan: Kisses

So this came out of nowhere into my recommended, and I got swept in by the superb kissing. The kissing👌

After a little digging, I found out it's a Korean BL webseries which is framed like a series of Youtube vlogs. I had no idea at first if I was watching something candid or produced. It feels like a mixture of both. Pretty clever idea I have to say because it's hard to tell what's scripted and what's done on the fly. Makes the acting feel really natural.

Each vlog (aka episode) is only 10 minutes long, so short and sweet.