L.A. based label, Mock Records has been around since Dec. 2011. Founded by Bert Hoover, Erik Lake, and Jake Whitener, these guys have put out records for bands like Isaac Rother & The Phantoms, Froth, Jesus Sons & Mind Meld. Their latest release is a split cassette between Hooveriii & Joe Gorgeous, aptly named SPLITTER. It features 5 songs from Hooveriii (Los Angeles), solo project of Bert Hoover of Mind Meld / Jesus Sons, and 6 songs from Joe Gorgeous (Fort Worth, TX), led by Joey Gorman of The Longshots.
All the Hooveriii songs were recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder. I personally loved this side. Maybe because I’m secretly a fan of drum machines and a sucker for fuzzy guitar riffs. Hoover’s voice also goes well with the vibe. It’s upbeat, garage-synth and as a one man project, very lo-fi, DIY. I’m into it. Fave song: “Electric Eyes/Flower”.
The Joe Gorgeous side is a little more polished and a lot more glam. Fave song: “LA at Night”. Maybe because I’m a sucker for LA or because it’s grungier than the rest. The whole cassette is pretty chill and def worth a listen.
SPLITTER comes out Friday, Jan. 27th via Mock Records. Did I mention it’s limited edition on yellow cassette?
Photo by Mock Records