REVUAK

HUAK is a Maine based noisy post-punk group that has been giving Portland kids bloody ears for years. When I say they are noisy I mean they are LOUD and noisy! I have seen these gentlemen perform a few times and every time they play, they make it very clear that they are here to play and not just fiddle with their instruments until you are put in a state of slumber. No. These folks will stump a mud hole in you and roll you into your grave. (Maybe not that aggressive but definitely a site to see, especially Jake the guitar and vox who is as tall as a tree and can barely stand up in your basement).

HUAK also has a new album. Did you know that? I Did.

Huak - Yorba Linda (2011)

The album kicks off where they left off with Sleep Debt. But once you get into it, you may soon realize that Huak has surely sharpened up their sound/skills from their previous efforts. The unpredictable instrumentals accompanied by the unpredictable vocals (and lyrics) become much more effective and refined. And maybe that's just because the recording is polished or time was taken. Maybe it's all the cool new FX they put in the album that you can hear right out of the gate. I think it's the overall direction and how easily you could listen to every song one after another without feeling full or lost.

Or... maybe it's just because the album artwork by Kris Johnsen (owner of Pinecone and Chickadee and the chill guy who sometimes works front door at the Space Gallery) is super good as well as mind-fuckingly pretty epic. Is that a mountain of hair?

All in all I'm just glad that Huak are still playing and are gracing us with new shit!  They didn't lose any creativity or funk... hell, they gained some! It's clear, it's noisy, and it's new!

A nice marketing tool (more advertising tool really) these guys came up with to promote their single "Ex Ghost", was having a butt ton of local acts remix the hell out of the thing. This Ex Ghost Overload Maxi-Single for Your Smoothest Enjoyment Times includes re-mixtures by the likes of Glass Fingers, Of The Trees, Foam Castles, Computer at Sea, Matt Houston of Pamola/Red Medicine, and a mysterious Tree Fingers (who should collaborate with Glass Fingers and Of The Trees to form Of The Glass Tree Fingers). It's a sweet listen and racks up about 14 remixes (one that's even a rework of the Tree Fingers remix by J Flash) that are begging to but on your car mixtapes.  It also includes the single version of Ex Ghost along with pt. 2 and a couple of songs that didn't make it on Yorba Linda. One of those songs is Sleep Debt pt. 2 which I was really excited about because Sleep Debt is my favorite Huak song. It's mostly just an improve song and nothing more though. Oh well. Maybe some day they will make a Sleep Debt pt. 3 that will fill my hopes back up!

For the remixes, the best one for me has to be the Of The Trees mix then the Glass Fingers mix in second place.

Huak - Ex Ghost Overload Maxi-Single for Your Your Smoothest Enjoyment Times (2011)

This one's artwork was created by Milo Moyer-Battick (cousin of super hip cat on the street, Jakob Battick).

Check these albums out! And while your are at it... Check these loud mother-effers out! They know how to have a good time in Maine.

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