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Need to know: Weekend are a trio from San Francisco that formed just over a year ago. Taking cues from the noise pop, lo-fi and shoegaze scenes, they’ve harnessed a sound fronted by rampant rhythms and screeching buzzsaw guitars that is somehow punishing yet tuneful. Early sold-out singles this year on shit-hot labels like Mexican Summer and Transparent set the tone for their debut album, Sports, which comes courtesy of indie pop haven Slumberland.

In a 100 words or so: You could argue that Weekend have bled their influences dry on Sports: the Jesus & Mary Chain’s piercing feedback, the suffocating production of My Bloody Valentine’s earliest Creation recordings, the punchy no-fi stature of No Age. But they do it well, and Sports is a perfect example of successfully formulating such a sound. “Veil” moans and drones like any number of the tracks from the JAMC’s Barbed Wire Kisses, but finds distinction by stressing melody ahead of the noise. The stabbing hiss on “Youth Haunts” is as damaging as a sonic assault by A Place To Bury Strangers, but without the headache. “Age Class,” on the other hand, marches like Joy Division, had Martin Hannett forced them to record in a slaughterhouse.

Best track: “Monday Morning”

R.I.Y.L. The Jesus & Mary Chain, A Place To Bury Strangers, No Age, My Bloody Valentine, Loop, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Flying Saucer Attack

Rating: 8/10

Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Buy on vinyl.

Sample: “Monday Morning/Monongah, WV”

Website: MySpace.com/WeekendMusic

Tags: Slumberland, Sports, Weekend

Posted on Thursday, November 25th, 2010 at 6:13 pm by Cam and is filed under Blog, Reviews, The NewMusic.

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