Male Bonding - Ruff demos & Bratwell Sessions (2009)

A raw, riveting and raucous surprise came steam barreling full-din-ahead out of London, England this year in the form of Male Bonding, who's full-length debut, Nothing Hurts was issued on Sub Pop this past May.  Fitting squarely in the same rapid-fire, distorto-punk camp as Wavves and Japandroids, MB's inspiration delves back significantly further, specifically to Bug-era Dino Jr. and the feedback-addled sprawl of early Sonic Youth. Before I address the music that concerns this entry, here's a quick assessment of Nothing Hurts that I recently penned:

Any group that liberally picks from the low-hanging fruit of SST Records halcyon, 1980s harvest (namely Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr.) is a champ in my book.  London’s distortion-prone Male Bonding hem together noisy jams with pummeling delivery, and some surprisingly thoughtful melodies.  The band doggedly subscribes to lo/mid-fi aesthetics, with echoey vocals and profoundly booming acoustics, not far removed from the their contemporaries Wavves, who are also charting an upward trajectory. Thought it offers some calmer respites amidst the clamor, Nothing Hurts is sheer noisenik manna for the ages. For you Vivian Girls fans in the audience, they contribute background vox to the album closer “Worse to Come.”

I know little of the band's discography pre-Nothing Hurts, but I did find some demos and rehearsal sessions that I assume were cut last year, if not 2008. Both feature a smattering of alternate, work-in-noisegress cuts that would be curtailed slightly for the album, and some unreleased material too. Bitrates vary, but the Bratwell Sessions sound exponentially better than the Ruff demos. Make of these what you will.  

Ruff Demos
01. Hatred
02. Pumpkin
03. Years Not Long
04. Staring at My Problems
05. Some Power Issues
06. Lick Him With Fists
07. Pirate Key
08. Fail
09. Dino
10. Paradise Vendors (rehearsal)

Bratwell Shed Sessions
01. Pumpkin
02. Years Not Long
03. One Door Closes Another Door Closes
04. T.U.F.F.
05. Full Bonding
06. Lick Him With Fists
07. Advert

Ruff Demos: Hear
Bratwell Shed Sessions: Hear