UNCLE ED'S GUIDE TO THE MEERCAZ DEBUT CD Meercaz is Mozzley M.
(a.k.a. Muzz a.k.a. Muslim Delgado) of Portland, Oregon. Mozz sings and
plays guitar (plus keyboards and bass). He's assisted on his debut
Gulcher CD by Jason Dollar, Matt, Jen Stefanick [sic], Clay Silva,
Jesse, and Maura Arraj. Muzz is based in Portland, Oregon, and looks
not unlike the young Jimi Hendrix (boss 'fro, bro!). He's previously
released one vinyl single on his own Point Wrex label. The
Meercaz sound is hard to pin down, which is pretty bitchen considering
the fact that it's shameless ROCK! The production is simple yet
experimental. The approach is primitive but spacey, simultaneously
"retro" and "futuristic" without batting an eye. It's aggressive guitar
music that's "punk" in its DIY manic quality, but with an aesthetic
that's much closer to the late 60s and early 70s. To my ears, Meercaz
is one of the handful of things in recent years that matches what I
think modern rock music SHOULD sound like (and rarely does).
(Ed's listening aids: bongloads of good bud & leaf leftovers, half
mini-bottle of Mexican tequila, cheap red wine, VHS of Invasion Of
The Bee Girls [1973 flick w/ biker fave William Smith & big-bosomed
Anitra Ford] on TV w/ sound turned down.) 1. "Legend": Clangin'
feel-good neo-proto-punk (?!) that sounds like some long-rumored
unreleased "pop" track from the first Stooges LP.
2. "Lovesick":
Big flyin' wedges of guitar-riff abandon. Testosterone power rush.
"Portland New Wave Night 1972" (listed as one of Mozz's influences at
myspace.com/meercaz. Other influences: "Andy Warhol's Bad Hair
[not the musical] 200 Motels Target and old school VCA video Old
Britain"). This was the flip side of the 2007 Meercaz single.
3.
"Future News": Noisy strychnine-laced fuzzkill instrumental w/
freestyle lead stuff and synth stings hovering throughout.
4.
"Manic Mirror": Primitive (and yeah, I'll do the quotes again) "pop"
that has a totally DESTROYED London '65/'66 vibe, even intelligible
vocals unlike many Meercaz "tunes."
5. "Fan Of A Daze": Extremely
listenable instrumental that does "actually" (pardon my french) come on
like Muzz's hairstyle predecessor, Mr. Hendrix. Of course it sounds
more like a loop of a Jimi lick, beautifully repetitive and aggressive
even in its casual lope. Hot stuff!
6. "Unlust": THE hit single
of 2007 in Slippy Town! Only 200 pressed, though, so you are welcome
from Gulcher Records for its inclusion here. It's a frantic rocker so
simple and brief that it leaves you instantly wanting MORE! Well, here
it is surrounded by lots MORE!
7. "Nothing": Kinda sub-Hawkwind
twiddlin' & riffin' in a way nice manner, while the "song" has all the
brain power of David Peel or the early Stooges. GRUNT!
8.
"Troubled Hand": In some dimensions, this IS "Louie Louie": crazy,
primitive, spacey . . . rock & also roll. Not to mention a funky bass
line. And OH MAN THAT GUITAR! GOJOHNNYGONE! Don't you wish you were
listening to "Louie Louie" in THAT dimension right now? Me gotta go!
[fade on synth in mad-robot setting]
9. "She Piece": Chunky stew,
man. How many modern heavy groups use tambourines? I can count to 1 . .
. meet Meercaz, suckers! Ooh, that guitar thing, like the Byrds on
steroids! And then the long break-down/out . . .
10. "Defeated At
Home": And finally (WOW!) it's flower pop (no quotes!), albeit still
surrounded by the trademark Meercaz mud. Sit on the floor 'n cross yr
legs 'n pass that thang, brutha. Zonnnnnne.
Get it!
Crawlin' Ed Flowers Slippy Town |