Pop. 1280 are the post-punky, crust-flicking Booger Dawsons of the new wave of Brooklyn Birthday Party skronkmos -- slow, lurching, tribal, skeletal, slightly unhinged. Similar bands like recent Hardly Art signees Golden Triangle and YIMBY graduates Preacher And The Knife have been turning Death By Audio into their private Nick Cave-flavored Junkyard for a while. But Pop. 1280 is definitely the sickest, the band most likely to spit in their hand before they shake yours. Their music is intentionally grungey, dismal, and icky--a sound that fondly remembers that punk rock is supposed to be gross. Says lead singer Chris Bug, "Before I lived in New York, I was living in Shanghai, China, which is a seriously filthy city. I think this undercurrent of filth and sewage and parasites is the most fascinating part of city life and it is something that inspires all of our music." Their debut 7", Bedbugs, is a self-released frightmare that captures New York's layers of filth perfectly, recorded live in a room with very few overdubs, "Bedbugs" hinges on a disgusting, farty Flipper bassline and vividly discusses a very real, very current problem in New York's itchy underbelly.

Bootblacks is a Brooklyn-based post-punk band featuring members of The Holy Kiss and Woman. Their sound combines the intensity of bands like The Birthday Party and Sonic Youth with the catchy melodies of bands like New Order. They have a split 7″ with their German sister-band Monozid out on Major Label Records, and are preparing the release of their first full-length album, produced by Peter Mavrogeorgis of Bellmer Dolls, featuring one track produced by Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds/ Grinderman. They frequently play NYC and tour Europe annually.