Darker-side shoegaze & 80s post-punk with psychedelic art rock bent, but look out, their punk roots are showing. Lots of distortion, lots of feedback. Oft-indistinct, moody male vocals, a combo of synth, electric guitars & a snare-heavy drum machine for a retro Echo / Ride / Velvet Underground / Spacemen 3 / My Bloody Valentine sound. If the Jesus and Mary Chain covered the Germs and threw in a few dreamy Air ballads, it would sound like this.

Crocodiles are Brandon Welchez (vocals) and Charles Rowland (guitars, synth), both formerly of San Diego hardcore punk band The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower. They’ve chilled out considerably on this side project, but haven’t lost their venom. Live, they are backed by prerecorded bass and a drum machine and seem to wear Wayfarers constantly. I am willing to bet two shiny pennies that “Crocodiles” is a nod to the Echo album of the same name.

try: 3, 5, 2, 9 FCC: 6 (but a great track)

1. no vocals. church organ held up to a tape recorder mic, and then played back so loud the treble cracks. (0:48)
*2. it’s... the JAMC. distorted guitars, muddy vocals, a somewhat endearing ringing noise and a tin can drum machine. (4:36)
*3. tight, fast, danceable. clangy guitars, more prominent punky vocals, a bass line that actually walks, a jagged, jerky beat. highly recommended. (2:32)
4. slower, shoegazey waltz. full-chord piano vamp, high, airy vocals and a tambourine. scale-stepping melody line throughout. (4:15)
*5. pure punk rock! fast-paced, busy snares, driving synth-bass, grainy echo-boom vocals. at times, this guy actually sounds like darby crash. (2:44)
6. FCC “ass” -- killer bass-and-tambuorine-driven groove, smooth and slinky all over. strutting / plodding. protracted feedbacky wind-down ends the track untidily -- might want to cut out abruptly at 2:56, or fade out around 3:36. (5:05)
7. it’s... ride. (yes, the band.) bright, slow, melodic. oceanic high vocals, wavering synth. no drums. (3:19)
8. quick-repped tribal tambourine and drum with single-strum chords. builds and builds, but somehow never really arrives anywhere. (3:33)
*9. sleepy track, soothingly repetitive. starts & ends w/padded video game keys. uptempo drums and croony vocals at 2:05, for a shoegazey lullaby sound that’s really quite pretty. (7:13)