Within the last six months, Negative Fun Records, a joint project between two friends living in New Hampshire and North Carolina respectively, has become more than a little exciting. The label's first releases, the Red Hex "Shoulda Known" single and the Dripping Slits/She Rides split single, are as excellent as they are different. Both have some sort of punk infusion going on; that being said, the split has a clear hard rock or metal influence rather than being straight punk records.Needless to say, I was not prepared for one of the label's upcoming releases. When I first heard the Alpha Cop/Carton split, I was shocked. The two songs on the record are another example of juxtaposition at its finest. I'm not going to give too much away, but it should appeal to fans of most genres to say the least.
I will talk about Alpha Cop though. Alpha Cop is a band that has its roots wound through the Western United States before it ended up in Raleigh, at least for the time being. Their song "Low Flags" is a blast of virtuosity bolstered by a mastery of sonic progression. It begins with angular guitar strokes tickled by finger picking, a syncopated drum pattern, and a yearning voice before descending into a heavier attack of guitar chords. The song is a suite of sorts composed of four movements. The final movement draws out a crying violin that trails into silence. It's a complete song, but it leaves the listener with an air of questioning. This paired with the lyrics about the fall of a Native American village paint a starkly beautiful picture.
You can check out the new single on the Negative Fun Bandcamp! HERE
The band also created an excellent and equally mysterious music video, which I am more than honored to premiere on my blog. Check it out!
