HTRK/Hate Rock Trio

Some talk of them on other threads but I think this band is great enough to warrant their own.

Clearly a minority opinion but so what

I like 'em. There's the kind of band that written up in magazines that I only ever see on hair salon coffee tables. Better than Celebration. Much better than the Kills. Rougher than Long Blondes. Glad to find out that they are carrying on after the death of a member.

people go nuts for them here. i thought their early stuff was pretty lame, but they've honed what they do to a pretty good extent that i have a reasonable respect for them these days. what i've heard of their latest recordings sound strong.

I got this below in PR mail today and I read somewhere now that their bassist killed himself last year. Well.

HTRK COVERS SUICIDE’S “SWEETHEART” ON NEW 12-INCH SINGLE

ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER US TOUR DATES

NEW ALBUM ‘WORK (WORK, WORK)’ OUT SEPTEMBER 6 ON GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL

Listen to “Sweetheart” now:

http://soundcloud.com/ghostly/03-sweetheart-a-k-a-love-you/s-dG5Jw

Watch an “Eat Yr Heart” Release Promo Video now:

http://vimeo.com/ghostlyint/sweetheartteaser

Listening to Work (Work, Work) now, my first exposure to this band. I like what I hear but somehow based on the samples I had heard I was assuming it was going to be a little more cohesive and song-y. I like every single sound on the album but the way the songs are put together irritates me.

I like every single sound on the album but the way the songs are put together irritates me.

pretty much my feeling on the band in general. people are going completely apeshit here about the album and for me it's barely there

I'm starting to like this a bit.

Really think ILX should pay them more attention. Marry Me Tonight was a perfect soundtrack to a surreal late-night grocery run.

Man, I don't think I've heard these guys since the mid-aughts - think they blurred together w/Fabulous Diamonds. Any individual recent tracks stand out to investigate?

I think they may in fact be good.

"HA" (from Marry Me Tonight) is everything I love about The Birthday Party's Prayers on Fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c65YvppLlg

"Synthetik" is my favorite of the Work (Work, Work) set.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m93XcD7TDo

Good tracks, very underappreciated band.

Any love for the compelling "Psychic 9-5 Club"?
I've been obsessing over its cool desperation since listening to the album stream that went up a few weeks ago. Such a great record.

i'm definitely a fan of it

yeah I was really into it and not a lot of stuff produced in that style does much for me these days. possibly lazy thinking here but could see a lot of ILM types liking it too

I had no idea there was a new album. Really love them. Last two albums were great.

Is that really the album cover they went with? Oh dear.

Not sure if this (nsfw), which was splashed over their online presence for a while, would be better.

The Cosey Fanni Tutti guest appearance "Feels Like Love" is a nice passing of the torch moment.

There's a new EP - http://boomkat.com/vinyl/1190439-htrk-body-lotion

£13.99 for three tracks :/

yeah if it's a choice between that and the oake 2LP for the same price...

ahhhh I'm so glad you bumped this, I was trying to remember the name of this band the other day & for the life of me couldn't

Psychic 9-5 Club is the shit!

new 12" this month

Blast from the past this. Ten years ago, on the cusp of a cocaine addiction, I was into HTRK for a few weeks. Within no time at all I abandoned gloomy music for northern soul, rocksteady, whatever styles of music couldn't possibly be negative if they tried. 18 months clean I'll probably give this a go again.

Finally listened to the Standish/Carlyon (a related band, but I'm not sure how related they are) album. Cant believe I seen them so long ago, 2012?

Great album, but I still have fond memories of the way "New People" was played live, sadly cant find any youtube live performances of that one. I'm sure the album ranked high on a big site's year end list. Hope they make another album but it's been a while.

Unfortunately two times I played the cd (out of maybe 10 or 12 times) it sounded flickery towards the end in a bad cd-r way. I'm afraid I'll play it years later and it wont even work. I had this problem with the Lush box set and I hate to think that this is becoming a real issue with labels using cheap cds (?) I love cds, don't do this to me, music labels.

Should get Psychic 9-5 Club soon.

it is the shit (noted above)

I think Standish/Carlyon are over? But post-S/C solo vehicles Time For Dreams and CS + Kreme both worth checking out (and sonically thread-appropriate)

New album Venus in Leo coming next month - https://htrk.yourcomicbookfantasy.com/album/venus-in-leo

preordered!

Cool.

hey this new album is really good - Nigel is playing guitar again so it feels more of a piece with their pre-"9-5" material - but the songwriting has changed up again - some more finely crafted song structures than previously? verging on proper pop at times, but in a veiled kind of way, and still retaining HTRK signature vibes

and (in keeping with the cover pic) a more suburban feel - for me a little bit Twin Peaks / Less Than Zero and a touch of The Cure

despite stanning hard for this group I wasn't particularly anticipating this release but very taken with this

It's out (for those of us without advance access)

holy shit the Missy cover!

debating whether to listen now at work, or do so in the customary manner later today: lights really low or off, slumped in a chair in my living room

as always it's a nocturnal creature
"New Year's Day / Eve" amazing, whole album amazing

Yeah NYD a big highlight for me too

Saw them live a few weeks ago, that one and Mentions really stood amongst the new stuff

Great to see a Pitchfork review apparently totally ignorant of Psychic 9-5 Club which they didn't review at all in 2014, talking about the contrasts between the new album and Work (Work, Work). What the hell.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/htrk-venus-in-leo/

New film score - instrumental, lots of big analogue tones. Limited 500, vinyl only - https://boomkat.com/products/over-the-rainbow-b6bdbada-80a4-4912-af32-b146996b7187

Well, vinyl and digital, he says after shelling out for an LP and getting a lossy MP3 before seeing the FLAC option.

that film score is pretty dope!!

just discovered this band. 'venus in leo' is amazing.

I heard the hit song "I Keep Forgetting" by Michael McDonald for the first time in many years and I thought the bass part sounded quite a bit like Standish/Carlyon's "Moves, Moves". Maybe there's loads of songs that have something like this but it stuck out to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMPDzCtD0o0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC25toWnPHc

Second video doesn't sound quite right to me, but I often find that when playing stuff on laptop speakers, I'm not the best judge.

it's vampire time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcI4feezLqc

HTRK released a bandcamp only (?) digital only (?) single in 2020 that was really great

and have heard great things about Jonnine's solo LP - waiting til my vinyl copy arrives

Robert if you dig Conrad's basslines and haven't checked out CS & Kreme it's definitely worth a listen

if anyone missed it, there was a great guest appearance from jonnine on this loraine james track that came out earlier in 2020:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_oonJva4ls

xp yes "Real Headfuck" made it onto my annual mixtape, I love it

and have heard great things about Jonnine's solo LP - waiting til my vinyl copy arrives

This is such a great album - six months in and I'm still uncovering new layers, which is a pretty neat trick given how spartan it feels on first contact. Highly recommended.

https://htrk.bandcamp.com/album/rhinestones new one is good if a lil wispy

I’ve struggled to connect since they became a duo but not with this one. Love it front to back. One of those records that seems slight but is gathering weight and depth with each pass. Better as a headphone listen.

It really is great, feel like I am losing my grip on reality when I listen closely. The acoustic guitar parts on "Straight to Hell" are so weird and unsettling.

Real Headfuck is the standout for me, but I'm not totally sold on the rest of it yet. But it took a while for Venus In Leo to really get its claws into me and now I think it's one of the best albums from the last few years by anyone, so I'm going to be patient and wait for it to reveal itself over time

Headfuck is brilliant but it’s been a year or so, they really hushed things since then

This is a really mesmerizing record. It ends up akin to Grouper at her most song-y.

New album is SO GOOD and their BEST ONE YET and would have figured highly in my 21 ballot if I'd got round to listening to it in time. I notice that it's on a label called N & J Blueberries - is this a reference to the opening line on CS + Kreme's Snoopy ('where did blueberries go?') or do I just need to get out more?

The CS in CS + Kreme is Conrad Standish, aka Mr Jonnine Standish

But it took a while for Venus In Leo to really get its claws into me and now I think it's one of the best albums from the last few years by anyone, so I'm going to be patient and wait for it to reveal itself over time

Only listened to Venus In Leo a couple of times and was not sold on it, will need to revisit

New album is SO GOOD and their BEST ONE YET and would have figured highly in my 21 ballot if I'd got round to listening to it in time. I notice that it's on a label called N & J Blueberries - is this a reference to the opening line on CS + Kreme's Snoopy ('where did blueberries go?') or do I just need to get out more?

― paolo, Sunday, January 30, 2022 6:07 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Jonnine Standish: Nigel texted me with an image from a fruit company, which was a logo on a punnet of strawberries. The logo was “N&J Strawberries” and Nigel said “our new label lol” and I texted back “lol I love it.” And we were gonna be called N&J Strawberries and then for legal reasons we had to change it to N&J Blueberries (laughter).

https://toneglow.substack.com/p/tone-glow-079-htrk

Been listening to this a lot. This is the first album I’ve heard of theirs and intentional or not it sounds like a major touchstone for them is the group Weekend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9WCCHHoepw

Aaah love that Weekend song so much and never made the connection but you’re right

hey now:

‘Death is a Dream’ new album of rare cuts from the last couple of years out April 29th (digital on Bandcamp)

also you can buy an N&J Blueberry's mug now, just in case you were wondering where did blueberries go?

https://nj-blueberries-store.creator-spring.com/listing/n-j-blueberries-mug

https://mockup-api.teespring.com/v3/image/-O0foEhccwJYvBmgXBwS1RD-xXw/800/800.jpg

(man, my spelling is getting worse by the day wtf)

hey now:

‘Death is a Dream’ new album of rare cuts from the last couple of years out April 29th (digital on Bandcamp)
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Monday, 25 April 2022 23:52 (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

This is amazing! I fucking love it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wohWnmdwg6A

That is gorgeous thank you

Yes.

Love that "New Year's Day" bit "I've got a sinking feeling I'm gonna do the wrong thing eventually". Very beautiful.

Interesting choice to follow it up with a track called "New Year's Eve", I need to listen closely.

i don't think there's any explicit narrative connecting the songs, but yeah, what an amazing ending to an album those two songs make

new jonnine album is out:
https://jonnine.bandcamp.com/album/maritz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3IXuzBvwTc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSBPwhPJkIE

Speaking of Jonnine, I stumbled on her talking about Rowland S Howard etc on this 4AD-focused podcast a couple of days ago:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZLRXG5ecAZlx3dRXu8atn

i adore this band and have binged their back catalog so hard over the past year. i love the more stripped-down warmth of the last few albums but i think my fave thing they've done is 'work (work, work)', that decadent gauzy narcotized quality of it is so intoxicating to me. exquisite 'walking around the seedy part of the city late at night' music. very excited for whatever they do next

yeah totally agree re work - i was vaguely aware of them prior but when that LP came out i was out-of-nowhere obsessed in a way I hadn’t been since Disintegration cane out - listened to it relentlessly for months - like, totally surprised to be crushing so hard on a band/album at a stage of my life when i thought i was past that kind of intense teenaged relationship with music

and i think i remember Jonnine talked about it as somewhat directed at teenage girls / her teenage self perhaps - but that disaffected anhedonic quality also resonated really deep for me drifting aimlessly through corporate life and trying to remember how to feel human emotions

(was also really impressed by the way they actually addressed the fact of work in their work - like, i think they explained the title as referring to the effort to earn a living - and the effort of having a creative project - and the effort of maintaining a relationship/s - and that each of these 3 was a full-time commitment yet we are expected to cram them all into the same 7-day week)

i saw the album launch at an incredibly hot and sweaty sold out show in a basement bar in sydney - i have seen them play a literal dozen times since but that show is in my top 10 ever, just that combo of seeing the band you love at the exact moment they are stepping into their power - they opened with Fascinator (omg what a song) and then played most of the album and it was hypnotic

this video is from a few days later and captures some of that vibe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkF3xO3z3Cw

anyway didn’t mean to write an essay! but enjoyed thinking about loving this album - so thank you for the prompt

really cool to hear Jonnine on the new actress album

missed that. thanks for the heads-up

htrk weather here now, thanks all for the reminder that i should be listening to them more

listened to it relentlessly for months - like, totally surprised to be crushing so hard on a band/album at a stage of my life when i thought i was past that kind of intense teenaged relationship with music

this is basically my relationship to this record, too.

that explanation of the title is interesting, lends another dimension to the proceedings. they were living in berlin at the time they were writing the album, right? based on interviews i've read with them it seemed like they were all kind of miserable there, even leaving sean's death aside.

that concert sounds amazing. i've watched bits of that church performance before, the sound quality of the recording isn't the best but the video still conveys how immense those songs are, would've loved to see their shows from this era. the part time punks radio version of "fascinator" is my favorite one and that live version sounds even more enveloping/abrasive, damn

yeah pretty much the only ‘band’ that matters now. tapped in to the beyond-the-veil

Man, where has this band been all my life, only discovering them now. Loving Rhinestones and pretty sure will end up adoring the electronic stuff

For me, Psychic 9-5 Club is the smoky heart. They’re such unassuming people but the comment about crossing beyond the veil nails it exactly.

Listening to “Give it Up” with the speakers cranked so the electronic sizzle of the drum machine background noise hangs in the air like a malevolent entity

glitchy remix of "dream symbol" by loraine james

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzT8c_FZfk8

Debating whether to go see them live. Doesn’t sound like it would be much fun

i've seen them a couple of times and would recommend going. i definitely had fun.

I’ve seen them 3 or 4 times - it’s both what you would expect, and also a lot more compelling. Jonnine’s voice is remarkably powerful given how lowkey it sounds on the records.

still haven't seen them, would love to though. playing at oto in london this month but that sold out pretty quick i think

think I'm on record somewhere above re the first time I saw them being a top 5 gig for me

having caught them multiple times since then they are always worth seeing I think, bring a great deal of vibe, one of the few bands that I would regularly check out touring their new record or whatever

the show supporting Rhinestones was really special, realised it was the first time I'd seen them in a seated venue, different feel with lots of hush and focus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wohWnmdwg6A

That clip is something. Fast Friend in particular sounds precious.

Never got into this group but I'm into this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4xoc3O2g7w