Blood on the Wall
Mary Susan (7")
Fat Cat Records

Blood on the Wall is a rock trio based in Brooklyn, NY, which brings the lo-fi drawl back into alternative lo-fi indie rock. Singing/songwriting siblings Brad (guitar) and Courtney (bass) Shanks plus drummer Miggy Littleton make the threesome. They sound rough and dirty, and don't make music for the masses.

Blood on the Wall's debut album (Blood on the Wall) came in 2004. Awesomer followed in 2005 (in the US, on The Social Registry label), and was released in Europe last year (by Fat Cat). "Mary Susan" is the second single lifted from the album. A slow-floating track with a simple bass line, reminding me of early days Superchunk - only with a little less speed. Brad's vocal sounds desperate and is definitely thrown from the heart.

The flip-side is an alternate version of a song from their debut called "On My Mouth" (no relation to Superchunk's On the Mouth). It's a bleaker moment, a bit more down Pavement's alley, but without the right ignition. Which is a shame. But "Mary Susan" makes me want to check out more sounds from this gang.

Copyright © 2007 Håvard Oppøyen