The Born Losers, Bashface, Earth World
Recommended
Following up a hyper-charged 2013 reunion show, the Born Losers return again with exactly 33 copies of a new/old record in tow. Originally formed in 1997 in Anchorage, Alaska, the band migrated to Portland in 2003 only to disband a couple of years later. Frontman Ryan Sollee went on to form the Builders and the Butchers, and the legend stayed legend... until now, again. The record is essentially a redux of their 2004 LP, Dead Man, but this new take expands on the band's older material, spouting fiery garage-punk not unlike Murder City Devils on tracks like "Code Red." "Make Me Die Tonight" parlays a more traditional punk milieu, with guitarist Gabe Castro's razor-sharp riffs leading the march. Opening is math-prog wunderkind Bashface and the electro-pop delights of Earthworld, featuring Builder and Butcher Ray Rude. Earthworld's psych grooves run deep on their self-titled debut release, pitting vocoder dreams over spacy beats and extraterrestrial melodies. RYAN J. PRADO