TACO LEG "S/T" LP

TACO LEG are the best band in the world. No, seriously. The Perth trio of ANDREW MURRAY, SIMON MORRISON and RICHARD INGHAM has been blowing us away since we first came across their Myspace page shortly after starting Fan Death. The currently out of print Freemason's Hall 7" (FDR-004) may initially have confused and irritated listeners from Cottesloe to College Park, but the record itself is an essential document of the recent Australian underground, two trebly tracks about architecture and boredom in Western Australia. Following that, Taco Leg released Painted Gold, a three-song 7" on noted Philadelphia rock label Richie Records/TestosterTunes, and had a US tour in late 2010 that coincided with the release of the McRib. Taco Leg's self-titled LP wastes no time in making its mark, its 12 tracks clocking in at just under 20 minutes. Many of these tracks barely crack the minute mark, but like their Perth punk ancestors from the Victims to Extortion, their songs are direct and lodge in your brain until you find yourself thinking about "Raiders of the Lost Ark". If you're familiar with Taco Leg, the elements are all there—minimal guitar lines and stripped-down, proto-punk drumming, with singer Murray's unforgettable voice intoning cryptic lyrics. This is the record where they've fully honed their sound, and very nearly have learned how to play their instruments. Whether it's on the shambling swagger of "Shut It Down," self-described "Detroit Hardcore" song "Find Me," or the tension of "I Can't Decide" (not a Black Flag cover), Taco Leg perfectly encapsulate the feeling of being young and bored without being boring. Members of Taco Leg also appear in a number of other great bands, all of which are incredible and essential to check out, including: Pauline Manson, Constant Mongrel, Whalehammer, Pond, and Ringham's garage-punk/prank call project Ring. (Fan Death Records)