Coachwhips
Get Yer Body Next Ta Mine [reissue]
CASTLE FACE
7/10
Coachwhips burst out of San Francisco in the early 2000s, under the aegis of John Dwyer. Dwyer had made a name for himself as one half of Pink and Brown, a Lightning Bolt–esque outfit that sounded like a generalized anxiety disorder. He funneled his energy into Coachwhips, a band with a primal take on rock and punk all mixed into one lo-fi explosion. They were an incredible live act—showing up at house parties, bus stops, street corners… Now with the knowing hindsight of Dwyer’s successes with Thee Oh Sees, the earliest Coachwhips records are again unleashed onto the hungry public. Get Yer Body is originally from 2003, and it’s a sandblasted spin on garage rock with nearly every song clocking in under two minutes. Think Billy Childish, the Gories, or Pussy Galore—or a teenage Bo Diddley playing Suicide—recorded through a plastic microphone with exploding amphetamine riffs, indecipherable lyrics, and shambling percussion. But the howling hooks that Dwyer excels at creating, as well as moments where the chorus spins into some weird drone or the noise peaks at such a high level and stays there, prove that Coachwhips are an essential part of how the Thee Oh Sees became the best live rock-and-roll band around.
