Thursday, July 07, 2022

TJ Cabot - King Grove EP


I know I brought many of you and your loved ones to tears by suggesting that TJ Cabot would be permanently separating from Thee Artificial Rejects. It seems, for now, that my speculation was correct. Minus a crack team of supporting hooligans, TJ Cabot resumes the role of solo artist on his new EP King Grove. Millhouse Deville does make a guest appearance on one track, but word on the street is that he has committed himself full-time to his new metal band. Maggie and James McKaskill have been spotted peddling counterfeit Quebec Nordiques merch in abandoned shopping centers. Father Angus McMullen is now serving as spiritual counsel on the competitive donair eating circuit. Whatever happened to Skookie Tobin? Apparently you have to watch one of those Netflix true crime shows to find out. Left to his own devices, TJ Cabot brings the heat on this triumphant return to action. Comprised of four recent demos plus an amazing cover of Eric's Trip's "Need," King Grove EP is a perfect little slice of DIY budget punk. The influences are hard to miss: Rip Off Records, Killed By Death comps, early Boston/New York punk, Devo, murder punk, The Stooges....you know, a whole lot of unassailable stuff! You've got to love an EP that can go from the lo-fi Real Kids vibes of the title track straight into the full-on savagery of "Tumbleweed (Lining Up the Dominoes)." And did I mention that the Eric's Trip cover is amazing? This is all great stuff, and it's still hot off the presses (recorded in May & June). TJ Cabot continues to crank out some of the finest home-recorded garage punk out there. I am frustrated to discover that this EP has been out for five days, yet I only became aware of this fact today (Thanks, Niek!). How did my Facebook algorithms fail me so miserably? I can't even engage in an offline conversation about how much more valuable sex robots would be if they could double as private chefs without getting sponsored ads for sex robots and private chefs. Yet somehow TJ Cabot's grand announcement of new solo material was kept from my feed. Imagine how much better my weekend could have been! Just you watch: the ads for donair joints will begin popping up momentarily. 


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