Strange Cages – ‘Desert’
Well, well, well, Wednesday has come around again, and while the sunshine is shining, the beckoning of that ever-fleeting fancy of the weekend is growing louder and more obtuse. In the meantime, though, feel free to suckle at the garage-psych teat Far Out has placed in front of your gaping mouth. That teat comes in the form of Brighton trio Strange Cages and their song ‘Desert’.
Built up of whirring guitars and a relentless and poignant vocal, this track has the same ferocity you would expect to hear coating the walls in the sweat of the dirtiest, heroin-dripping 1960s club. Its influences are many, but it draws most fervently from The Stooges and other American teenage insanity, and with it, it brings necessary carnage.
‘Desert’ clearly denotes its title origin, sounding both vicious and cold while still sounding homemade and raw. Producer Theo Verney has accomplished this with effortless class and realism, keeping the skin-tingling riffs and pounding drums zipping through your veins for days after your first hearing.
Strange Cages’ mix of Garage, Psyche and Punk in the grand scheme of music isn’t a particularly new idea, but it has a fresh and raw sound which resonates across an otherwise repetitive scene. Playing with themes of raucous love and cold-hearted joy, the band really excel in this record with a clear DIY ethos. Strange cages spraying their technicolour, amphetamine-riddled piss across the industry, marking their territory for their own exciting future.
Released as a free download, we suggest you not only get this on your iPod, phone, or other device—we’re not picky—as soon as possible but also keep your eyes open for any upcoming gigs. Strange Cages are notorious in their native Brighton for being as passionate as they are unhinged, establishing themselves as one of the must-see live performers. When coupling this with the potential this record sets out for them, we think 2014 might just be Strange Cages’ year.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.