Those who decry modern technology as something that keeps humans isolated and music overproduced will be swiftly hushed by "Hello Dog Friendly", a split EP by two bands who became friends over Soundcloud, despite being separated by a continent AND an ocean. West America, an LA duo that draws rowdy crowds in spite of singer/guitarist Hannah Shoenfield’s tender lyrics, delivered with more fraught emotion than one would expect from a punk band. It’s no wonder they hit it off with Porridge Radio – the band feels uncannily similar in spirit to West America. They’re both noisy, with little care for polished takes; but their rawness counterpoints the poetics that lie beneath.
Both bands also have a penchant for eerie moments of experimentation – on West America’s track "Gentrify the Moon", I mistook presidential candidate Ben Carson’s voice, on a bizarre sample talking about stabbing someone, for David Liebe Hart’s (the man who puts on creepy puppet shows outside the Hollywood Bowl after concerts). On Porridge Radio’s end, standout song "Get Out of My House" feels gentle and ghostly, with distant moans floating over a sighing accordion.
The split is to be released digitally and on cassette January 13th, by Memorials of Distinction in the UK and Have To Do This in the US. Preorders are available now at the Memorials of Distinction Bandcamp. – Brittany Scheffler