John Dwyer, the main man of everybody’s favorite fuzzed-out garage rock outfit Thee Oh Sees has a long resume to his credit. He was Brown in Pink and Brown, he played in The Drums (the San Francisco one, not the active Brooklyn group), Yikes, and Zeigenbock Kopf among many, many others. Prior to Thee Oh Sees project becoming his full-time focus, Dwyer led Coachwhips from 2001-2005.
Probably because the format hadn’t started to rebound back in 2002, Coachwhips’ 2002 studio debut Hands on the Controls was never released on vinyl. Before you get upset, you should know that Castle Face, the label Dwyer co-owns, is remedying that by reissuing Hands on the Controls on September 3. In addition to six new songs, the package will feature restored artwork, photos from Dwyer’s collection, and, knowing Castle Face, will probably be on some sort of colored wax.
The Coachwhips played a gloriously messy brand of primal, heavily distorted, lightning-fast punk rock; “lo-fi” doesn’t begin to describe it. The group’s 2002 debut studio album, Hands on the Controls, is a 30-minute, 19-song ode to sex, drugs, rock & roll, and gratuitous violence. To give you an idea of what you’re dealing with, some of the (best) songs on the record have titles like “That Bitch is Gonna End Up Dead,” “Look Into My Eyes When I Come,” and “Sex Like a See-Saw,” with nearly unintelligible vocals and blaring guitars all at a blistering pace.
• Castle Face: http://www.castlefacerecords.com
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