Local lo-fi outfit Blackhawks go East meets Midwest for their latest split cassette Black Girls. Released on the LA-based label Two Michael Jordans (MJMJ Records), Blackhawks’ latest couples the "garageland" antics of Minneapolis outfit Radiator Girls. Cohesive and quirky, Black Girls’ fuzzed out vocals and buzzing riffs are genuine and earnest, mixing the perfect dose of awkward dissonance with each track. Opener “Sunday Morning” blends countrified, twangy guitar riffs with airy vocals and instrumentation to lure listeners into the joint effort. Discernibly more polished than Side B, Blackhawks shaking intro to “Indigo” shimmers melancholic and longing with undertones of hope implied by the chilled out croon of “I know I could be someday…/well I do hope I do.” Bending riffs and atmospheric sounds reminiscent of AnCo feel familiar yet essential to the album’s second, leading into the semi-acoustic swell of fittingly psyched out Spaceman 3 cover “More Rainbows”. The weight of “More Rainbows” distributes itself in the tide-like shuffle of its progression, bringing to mind Brooklyn’s Beach Fossils with its room-noise production and surf pop subtleties. Synonymous with the emotives of HoZac’s Garcia and Everton, Blackhawks’ melodic romantics unfold with a similar wanting, lush yet understated. Needless to say, Side A of the cassette plays out crisp and forthright, making the most of precise lyrics, sincerity, and heartfelt beats. With the A-side fading out with the humming vibes of “HIGHHH”, the cassette’s flipside begins with an endearing frustration by way of delectably nervous tempos and jangly riffs. With the start of “Eerie Body”, the vocal delivery of Radiator Girl’s mastermind Nick Henderson sounds out in howls and near shouts. Amplified by garage-y licks on guitar (think of Oakland’s Shannon and the Clams), “Eerie Body” is a sweet chant with rough edges that beg not to be smoothed out. “Go Pills” slow and raspy start expands to layered repetition, casting Henderson’s repeats of “I want her anyway” into vividly wrenching yelps. Like Vermont’s Happy Birthday or No Bunny slightly sedated, Radiator Girls’ antics are hot quirk at its best. In short, MJMJ’s Black Girls’ is a cassette rarity. You can purchase the cassette or download the tracks HERE. – Dianca Potts