Canyons/Tigon/Foreign Theaters “Can’t Have Nothin’ Nice” LP

3.30.2011

Canyons/Tigon/Foreign Theaters - Can't Have Nothin' Nice A split release from The Ghost is Clear Records, Mayfly Records, and Melotov Records, this LP sees Canyons (Kansas City), Tigon (San Francisco), and Foreign Theaters (Kansas City) teaming up for a total of 12 tracks/33 minutes broken up into chunks of two songs per band. Canyons explores an aggressive "noise rock" style with surging rhythms and angular riffing aplenty. A really interesting recording that adds an extra layer of discordance to their already warped-sounding delivery adds to the experience. It sounds like maybe the guitars and bass are just a hint out of tune with one another, and the additional distance created by the mix throws in some peculiar textures that actually work really well for this approach. Tigon has a similar overall impact but definitely focuses more on blending in frantic tempos, hammering basslines, and ultra heavy dirges—not to mention a wider vocal attack that combines harsh, low-end shouts with higher screams/yells and some partially spoken passages. Their tighter and more controlled sense of dissonance makes for a much darker atmosphere that really stands out, too. It's also worth pointing out that their compositions tend to run about twice as long as those of the other bands. If I was trying to write a concise one-liner to describe Tigon I'd probably go with "Neurosis-influenced noise rock with sparse hints of powerviolence." And again similar yet different, Foreign Theaters is the most stripped down and to the point of all three acts, capping most of their tracks at less than two minutes each and possessing more of a hardcore/punk type of energy. The staples of solid "noise rock" are all firmly in place, though: Killer bass runs; spacious rhythms that follow a driving, midpaced throb; dissonant riffing that occasionally flirts with a chaotic edge; and so on. All three bands are a great match for one another, and that makes for an enjoyable split LP that's absolutely worth a listen—especially for existing fans of this niche. Stream the whole thing below via Bandcamp:

Each copy of the vinyl comes with a digital download, but you can also purchase the split digitally from The Ghost is Clear for a mere $3!? You can't beat that...