Nice Guys and Black Beach have teamed up for a split 7″, trading blows for a 9-minute psych punk onslaught sizzling up from the basements of Boston. The record was mastered in-house by Black Beach bassist Ben Semeta, boiling down a typical Friday night at Black Lodge to its purest form and encompassing its sound in full stereo. Take a listen to Poor Posture by Black Beach, which is lifted from the 7″.
Nice Guys are a quartet made up of Alex Aronson (Guitar/Vocals), Matt Garlick (Guitar), Jake Gilbertson (Bass/Vocals), and Pete Bayko (Drums), has had a prolific five years, putting out several releases including similar splits with bands like Free Pizza, Miami Doritos, and The Fagettes. Their portion of the record was produced by fellow Bostonian Ian Doerr (Creaturos, Mini Dresses) at Love Magnet Studios in Roxbury, MA. With a sound that combines frantic lead vocal shrieks with buzzy riffs slow-cooked in a potion of sweat and bong resin, Nice Guys has electrified stages shared with the likes of Fidlar, Jeff the Brotherhood, and Nobunny. It’s when they split a bill with the same band they’re splitting this record with that things really become a blur.
Black Beach, originally from the South Shore of Massachusetts, is riding the momentum of a breakout 2016, which saw them play stages like Boston Calling Music Festival and be featured on comps like The Record Co.’s Boston Sessions, Volume 1. The trio of Steven Instasi (Guitar/Vocals), Ben Semeta (Bass), and Ryan Nicholson (Drums) released its furious debut full-length, Shallow Creatures, last year, which led them to multiple East Coast tours and shows with the likes of LVL UP, Bass Drum of Death, Wolf Alice, Acid King, and more. Their portion of the split was recorded at Converse’s Rubber Tracks Boston studio by Paul Kolderie (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Radiohead, Hole), formerly of Boston’s legendary Fort Apache Studios. With a cave-like wall of sound that’s both recklessly punk and stuffed with grungy grit, Black Beach’s sound has spread across the northeast, finding them on bills with bands of many styles and even securing them a Boston Music Awards nomination.
The Nice Guys/Black Beach split was recorded throughout the summer of 2016, and will be available for purchase in spring of 2017. The two bands are teaming up to release it through their own one-and-done label they’re dubbing Burner Records, printing a limited 250 copies, half of which will be in a special Coke bottle green vinyl. For more information, visit Nice Guys on Bandcamp or Black Beach on Bandcamp. You could also visit them at Black Lodge, but you’ll have to ask a punk if you want to find it.
Black Beach and Nice Guys tour dates
6/15 – Boston, MA.(Album release Party)
6/16 – Philadelphia, PA.
6/17 – Brooklyn, NY.
6/18 – Providence RI.
