Having released some of the most severely underrated Garage records since 2009, Seth Sutton, the creative architect behind San Francisco’s rawest Garage-Punk trio Useless Eaters, has now become an important figure in the city’s consistently acclaimed musical climate. Through five LPs, including their most recent ‘Bleeding Moon‘ (released on fellow San Franciscan influence and Thee Oh Sees frontman John Dwyer’s label Castle Face), the band have delivered caustic punk rock through a fuzz-drenched, lo-fi production for many a prolific year. From their beginnings in Memphis to their current inhabitation of California, the group have released various, now rare 7″ singles and B-Sides on different independents, which have now been compiled on an extensive Singles collection, set for release next month on Slovenly Recordings.
‘Singles: 2011-2014‘ is a remarkably cohesive exhibition of Sutton’s various rough ideas and collaborations, for which in turn provide more than solid Garage gold. Everyone’s favourite psych-devil Ty Segall co-writes the 2012 single, ‘ I Hate The Kids‘, a typical impression of the sort of raw, destructive attitudes both Sutton and Segall have developed sonically over the years. It’s an overwhelmingly powerful display where untempered snotty antagonism has never sounded so fun. ‘Addicted To The Blade‘s dirt-encrusted slink through it’s progressions is made all the more undeniably delectable by Sutton’s insouciant drawl, while ‘Bloody Ripper‘s cosmic-charged glam-punk is as sultry as it is damn sinister, an electric hook running through it’s veins as the frontman warns “don’t get caught, with a knife in your back“.
Sutton’s progression from bright-eyed enthusiast of Post-Punk anti-heroes and metaphorical student to the late great Jay Reatard to prolific artist himself is so simply evident in the comprehensive catalogue he has single-handedly produced. ‘Singles 2011-2014‘ is an effective introduction to Sutton’s catalogue, one which delivers consistently immersive craft in what has become a prolific career.
‘Singles 2011-2014’ is set for release on Slovenly Records on 13th April (UK) & 14th April (US), Pre-Order is available here.
Useless Eaters are set to play Brighton Sticky Mike’s on 30th March, with Lost Dawn supporting. See the event details for more information.