This Little Underground: New local releases + concert picks

NEW LOCAL RELEASES

Even though everyone loves the holidays, some of the sounds of the season can eventually turn some a little Grinchy. For those of us to the left of the Mannheim Steamroller lowest common denominator, Ray Brazen — Orlando’s king of left-field rock — has served up a welcome alternative this year to the season’s typical corny pap. Recently unveiled on Bandcamp, the 2021 version of his holiday record, the Brazheim Bulldozer EP, doubles the length of the original 2010 release with three new bonus tracks of Christmas spirit ripped straight out of the garage.

Besides being the best addition to the collection, the fresh cover of “Feliz Navidad” that Brazen did with Los Jarritos comes with a noteworthy background story all its own. The new act is a Bobby Clock and the Soda Pops spinoff band formed by surviving members Brazen and drummer Cesar Marquez.

Named after the Mexican soft drink and thus continuing the soda motif, Los Jarritos have over the past few months been recording and releasing songs hot and fast over on Ray Brazen’s Soundcloud page. Since their September formation, the pair have already dropped a salvo of seven raw and blistering nuggets that also includes covers of Los Dug Dug’s and my favorite Heartbreakers tune of all time, “Born to Lose.” They’re rough but ready, and definitely worth a spin.

One of the more revelatory discoveries in quite some time is the excellent new album Death of a Spiral Eater by Orlando’s Floridian Homicide Unit. An auspicious debut, the collection is an alluring 11-song introduction to their noise-pop vision. Like the Legends’ darker, more experimental cousin, Floridian Homicide Unit cast a spell that in turns intrigues, coaxes and unsettles. And that tantalizing fog of strange pop loveliness is now available on Bandcamp as a name-your-price download.

For those of us to the left of the Mannheim Steamroller lowest common denominator, Ray Brazen has served up a welcome alternative to the season’s typical corny pap with an expanded version of ‘Brazheim Bulldozer’

CONCERT PICKS THIS WEEK

A virgin sacrifice by all the city’s old punks is what I’m imagining must’ve happened to account for this week’s live offerings. As always, be cool and mask up if you go out.

D.R.I., Intent, Swift Knuckle Solution,

Tommy Frenzy, Sick Talk: The first of the hard icons to storm through town are crossover thrash kings Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, at whose show you can go see all my old skate buddies get back in the pit and hurt themselves. Flanking them will be a full bill that fittingly runs the spectrum from thrash to classic punk, featuring Arizona tourmates Intent and notable native acts Swift Knuckle Solution, NYC OG Tommy Frenzy and Sick Talk. (8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, Will’s Pub, $15-$18)

BY BAO LE-HUU

RAY BRAZEN | PHOTO BY JIM LEATHERMAN

Futurebirds: Both of their Central Florida dates may be a little out of the way, but this Athens band is amazing and worth the short drive in either direction. In their formative days during the early 2010s, this Georgia group came through Orlando a couple of times and absolutely stunned with their dreamy and forward country-rock sound. Since then, they’ve quietly become one of the best, and possibly most underrated, bands of their class. With a widescreen psychedelic twang rendered in lush pedal steel and grand rock production, they pack more deep country marrow than most of their Americana contemporaries with tendencies progressive enough for the discerning indie set. Few acts today are bearing the Southern rock torch with as much youth, distinction and relevance. Heard live, their tall sound is a big sonic experience. Between their Lakeland and Melbourne appearances, you’ve got two chances to catch this outstanding band. (7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, Union Hall, Lakeland, $15-$20; and 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, Pineapples Moon Room, Melbourne, $15)

Circle Jerks, Municipal Waste,

Negative Approach: The other punk hall-of-famers to blitz Orlando and reprise the glory days are California hardcore pioneers the Circle Jerks, who are coming here ahead of their first full North American tour in over 15 years to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their seminal debut album, Group Sex. Be sure to show up early because they’ve loaded the bill with maximum cred by bringing along Virginia crossover thrash heroes Municiapl Waste and Midwestern hardcore legends Negative Approach. (8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, Plaza Live, $29.50$49.50)

baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com