Review #159: Pigeon Religion - Scorpion Milk (Single) (2009)

SCORPION MILK (Single)

Year: 2009

Genre: Punk Rock
Sub-Genres: Post-Punk, Noise
Label: Parts Unknown Records
Tracks: 3
Length: 6 Minutes
Style: Weird
My Rating: 6/8

Well damn, know one thing I really hate? When you find out about a really good new band, and then subsequently find out that they JUST BROKE UP! It really sucks. Happened before with Mika Miko, and now Pigeon Religion. Well, maybe they really didn't break up, but Wikipedia states otherwise. I hope Wikipedia is wrong. Well, Pigeon Religion is a pretty cool, weird post-punk band from the deserts of Arizona. Pretty original sounding, but it's got a cool vibe to it. The songs are all pretty neat... sort of reminds me of early Sonic Youth but a little less depressed-sounding. The band released a ton of 7" singles during 2008 - 2010, and this is one of them, so I'll talk about it for you, now.

1. Scorpion Milk
Nice beat and drum sound. The song starts off with just that and some jingly guitar-feedback sounds. Then there's a real cool bassline that sounds like something that Flipper would write and a relatively clean-sounding rhythm guitar. The singer's voice sounds really cool... the style of chanting works real well with this music. The song ends with the thumping bass pedal and accumulation of spaghetti-like noise. If spaghetti could make sounds, that iz. End of Side A.

2. White Fluff
This one's slower. There's a real ominous, spacey guitar riff. The singing is more screamy this time, but it's a sloppy drunken type of scream, not a concentrated one. This conjures up a delightfully disoriented fuckhead flailing about at wit's end on stage. Some of those noises the guitars make are pretty gawdamm funnie.

3. Shootist
The shootist: one who shoots. This is the fastest song on the record. It's more hardcore-like as far as speed and energy goes, more concentrated in a linear streak with minor wriggling to either side by means of the erratic mannerisms of the vocalist. There's even an electric organ solo in this one! The song slows down to a complete mess of sonic sludge towards the end. The vocalist moans and laughs on like a true mad-man.

Very good and interesting! It's non-forumlaic, the songs aren't too long and there's enough variety to keep it interesting, it's got that wild freak energy to it that we love, and yes, it iz good. Apparently these guys' live shows were real crazy and often busted by policemen and angry club owners (assholes). But I'm sure this record provides hints towards that in itself. I just wish I could see them! They broke-up just a few months ago after a summer tour that lasted until about late July or early August, but that sucks ass and you should all send a jillion angry letters telling them we're going to commit a mass-suicide if they don't get back together. Or maybe just keep listening... I dunno. Had some canned sardines today... they were alright... I guess...