Get Gone

Recently I was sent a parcel of CDs (and tshirts, and stickers) by the good people at Goner Records, in Memphis TN. There was a stack of great stuff in there, but here’s a note about a few I want to mention in particular.


CoCoComa are a three piece out of Chicago, playing frantic 2 and half minute garage songs mostly about girlfriends- well, relationships, at least. It’s sharp and sweet and hugely entertaining. Two of my faves, "Too Tired" & "Read My Mind" are up on their myspace for your perusal.


Digital Leather, aka Shawn Foree, is essentially a one man studio based act, who’s bolstered by a band when he plays live, as he does on the second half of this disc. Songs like “Simulator” & “Styrofoam” evoke the best of 80s synth pop, but with a much harder stranger edge. Just what “She Had A Cameltoe” evokes is a bit harder to explain, but here’s a shot of the single cover art:

And finally there’s “Make It Stop!”, a 24 track collection by mushmouthed raconteur and Memphis legend Ross Johnson.

He has a bit of a past- some of this was recorded as long ago as 1979, when he was part of Alex Chilton's band during the recording of "Like Flies On Sherbet". The tunes vary from sloppy rockabilly to lazy funk, but it’s the lyrics that are the killer here- check out “Goin’ To The Get High Shack” and “Signify”. Some of the funniest and truest things I’ve heard in a while.

And while we’re on the subject of great new CDs...