If the idea of singing drummers conjures nighmarish visions of a befanged Phil Collins sucking the blood out of pop's bloated corpse, then fret no more kids, for the antidote is at hand.
STUFFY G sings and plays drums. He's probably a normal enough bloke, but you'd never guess it from the whirlwind indie racket he stirs up with gleefully crazed cohorts THE FUSES. Their vein-bulgingly intense album "Join Me Or Die!" was a ferocious little gem of a record that the late John Peel took to his heart, while the future holds sessions with Steve Albini lurking in the wings. Not a bad prognosis.
New three-track single "Where's The Captain?" can't hurt either. Yes, the title track's already a confirmed fave from the album, but in this re-recorded, uber-maniacal taut'n'wired form it's irresistible. It's agoraphobic indie rock of the highest order that comes on like Guided By Voices being duffed up by The Stranglers and coming out all the better for the drubbing. Mega. Besides, any single with a chorus that implores: "Don't call me a weirdo!" has gotta be in contention as one of any year's best, surely.
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This being Leeds' big-hearted Wrath Records, they've coaxed two exclusive b-sides outta Stuffy and co, too. The first, "Austin City Limits" is a dense, moody instrumental and this time sounds like The Stranglers circa "Black & White" meting out punishment to Rocket Science and dangling them bollock naked from the top of the Eiffel Tower. For a laugh, like. By the Fuses feverish standards, closing track "The Papkis" is merely a lope, but a wonked-out and enjoyable one with (erk!) real call and response vocals and Jen Fuse peeling off a warped slide solo. Hooray!
"Where's The Captain?" and its' attendant tracks are a fine series of (barely) controlled local explosions from a band who are making like the depth charge beneath the hull of indie rock. With some help from Albini, the next one could well go off the scale.
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