Cassette Gods
THE NAKED TUNGS “Distract Myself” C20 (self-released)
"Austin’s the Naked Tungs crush the indie rock fastball into the upper deck. The male/female vocal dichotomy and sugary licks and riffs recall forebears like Juliana Hatfield and Imperial Teen. I dug around a pile of CDs after listening to Distract Myself and pulled out a couple and remembered what it was like rummaging around record stores in 1995 and 1996. The internet was for choad-pokers back then – we were collectors! Physical media was required even if it was heavily distorted or angered power pop. It was earnest. It felt eternal. Even when we were like, “Do we really need these encoded plastic discs?,” it felt like torture to get rid of anything. I hope you don’t get rid of the Naked Tungs’s Distract Myself. It may take you back twenty years from now to now, which will inevitably remind you of twenty years ago, from now. The Naked Tungs warp that space-time continuum, they just do. With their licks and their riffs and their distortion and the male/female vocal dichotomy. It’s like a different time, constantly."
–Ryan
THE NAKED TUNGS “Distract Myself” C20 (self-released)
"Austin’s the Naked Tungs crush the indie rock fastball into the upper deck. The male/female vocal dichotomy and sugary licks and riffs recall forebears like Juliana Hatfield and Imperial Teen. I dug around a pile of CDs after listening to Distract Myself and pulled out a couple and remembered what it was like rummaging around record stores in 1995 and 1996. The internet was for choad-pokers back then – we were collectors! Physical media was required even if it was heavily distorted or angered power pop. It was earnest. It felt eternal. Even when we were like, “Do we really need these encoded plastic discs?,” it felt like torture to get rid of anything. I hope you don’t get rid of the Naked Tungs’s Distract Myself. It may take you back twenty years from now to now, which will inevitably remind you of twenty years ago, from now. The Naked Tungs warp that space-time continuum, they just do. With their licks and their riffs and their distortion and the male/female vocal dichotomy. It’s like a different time, constantly."
–Ryan
Razorcake
NAKED TUNGS, THE: Distract Myself: CD
"This four-song EP is reminiscent of rootsier-inspired new wave from the ’90s. The second song, “Warming Up,” moves at a mid-tempo rock pace with nicely done blasé vocal delivery. The rest of the songs move at a lackadaisical pace with a little swing. The last song, “Making You Guess,” ends the EP with some Sonic Youth-esque chord beating. If you’re into this sort of thing, the songs are well conceived and well recorded: definitely worth checking out."
–Billups Allen (Self-released)
NAKED TUNGS, THE: Distract Myself: CD
"This four-song EP is reminiscent of rootsier-inspired new wave from the ’90s. The second song, “Warming Up,” moves at a mid-tempo rock pace with nicely done blasé vocal delivery. The rest of the songs move at a lackadaisical pace with a little swing. The last song, “Making You Guess,” ends the EP with some Sonic Youth-esque chord beating. If you’re into this sort of thing, the songs are well conceived and well recorded: definitely worth checking out."
–Billups Allen (Self-released)
KVRX 91.7
REVIEW: The Naked Tungs - Distract Myself
"Originally from Florida, The Naked Tungs moved to Austin as a band to pursue music. In addition to gigging constantly, even at a few KVRX shows around town, they have managed to self-release this follow up EP to last year’s Hear it Calls(which also clocks in at just five tracks). Distract Myself covers a lot of ground and does not fit neatly as just garage rock, although it certainly is guitar driven. Track 1 “Shut if Off” starts with a ripping guitar solo, and goes into alternate time signatures in a very non-math-rocky way. It starts hitting punk towards the end. It’s also about The Naked Tung’s take on the pervasiveness of screen addiction. Track 2 “Warming It Up” is the only track on the EP to feature male vocals, and they’re very 80s-alternative in the way where they don’t really care how “good” they are. That’s not what it’s about. “Crossing” is classic rock n roll cool, a la Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, and even the Dandy Warhols. “One of Them” draws brooding cutes from Sister-era Sonic Youth. “Making You Guess” is the most psych-based number, with a motorik, jangle-locked groove, and an effects-driven solo towards the end. Overall, the record covers some breadth and is a consistent effort from a local band that continues to grow."
-Mixmaster Ethan
REVIEW: The Naked Tungs - Distract Myself
"Originally from Florida, The Naked Tungs moved to Austin as a band to pursue music. In addition to gigging constantly, even at a few KVRX shows around town, they have managed to self-release this follow up EP to last year’s Hear it Calls(which also clocks in at just five tracks). Distract Myself covers a lot of ground and does not fit neatly as just garage rock, although it certainly is guitar driven. Track 1 “Shut if Off” starts with a ripping guitar solo, and goes into alternate time signatures in a very non-math-rocky way. It starts hitting punk towards the end. It’s also about The Naked Tung’s take on the pervasiveness of screen addiction. Track 2 “Warming It Up” is the only track on the EP to feature male vocals, and they’re very 80s-alternative in the way where they don’t really care how “good” they are. That’s not what it’s about. “Crossing” is classic rock n roll cool, a la Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones, and even the Dandy Warhols. “One of Them” draws brooding cutes from Sister-era Sonic Youth. “Making You Guess” is the most psych-based number, with a motorik, jangle-locked groove, and an effects-driven solo towards the end. Overall, the record covers some breadth and is a consistent effort from a local band that continues to grow."
-Mixmaster Ethan
KTSW 89.9
Distract Myself by The Naked Tungs
"The Naked Tungs are back at it again with their second EP, Distract Myself, which they released only a little over a year after their first EP Hear It Calls. This EP, like the first, only features five tracks; each is so rich with their mystifying psych-rock sound that it only needs those few to fully draw in and satisfy a listener. Starting out as a cover band from Florida members Sarah Ronan, Hersh Cohen and Cooley Curzel have been together since 2013, but have only been established as their current band The Naked Tungs since February of 2017 after moving to Austin and finding their drummer Riley Corcoran. Despite The Naked Tungs only being fully established a year and a half, their band sounds incredibly put together allowing for each instrument and vocal presented in Distract Myself to compliment each other magnificently. The EP opens up with “Shut It Off,” featuring the vocals of Ronan that somewhat mirror those of Courtney Barnett, giving it a moody punk undertone that makes you want to jump up and down on your bed and dance around your room. All of the tracks feature Ronan as lead vocalist, except track number two – “Warming Up” – where Cohen takes over for a change of pace. The EP then ends with “Making You Guess,” a more toned down song that you can just groove to due to the even paced drums of Corcoran. Every track on this EP flows very well into the next, making for something you could easily listen to on repeat for a couple of hours if you so pleased."
-Danielle Ortega
Distract Myself by The Naked Tungs
"The Naked Tungs are back at it again with their second EP, Distract Myself, which they released only a little over a year after their first EP Hear It Calls. This EP, like the first, only features five tracks; each is so rich with their mystifying psych-rock sound that it only needs those few to fully draw in and satisfy a listener. Starting out as a cover band from Florida members Sarah Ronan, Hersh Cohen and Cooley Curzel have been together since 2013, but have only been established as their current band The Naked Tungs since February of 2017 after moving to Austin and finding their drummer Riley Corcoran. Despite The Naked Tungs only being fully established a year and a half, their band sounds incredibly put together allowing for each instrument and vocal presented in Distract Myself to compliment each other magnificently. The EP opens up with “Shut It Off,” featuring the vocals of Ronan that somewhat mirror those of Courtney Barnett, giving it a moody punk undertone that makes you want to jump up and down on your bed and dance around your room. All of the tracks feature Ronan as lead vocalist, except track number two – “Warming Up” – where Cohen takes over for a change of pace. The EP then ends with “Making You Guess,” a more toned down song that you can just groove to due to the even paced drums of Corcoran. Every track on this EP flows very well into the next, making for something you could easily listen to on repeat for a couple of hours if you so pleased."
-Danielle Ortega
The Mad Mackerel
Introducing >>> The Naked Tungs
"The Naked Tungs are a four-piece indie rock band from Austin, Texas and will release their second EP, Distract Myself on the 24th August. You can check out Crossing from it below, which melds grungey garage guitars with slightly woozy, drawn out vocals and a psych-rock sensibility to create a most satisfying listen. It calls to mind a slightly more energetic Coke Weed and anyone with Pavement, Parquet Courts or Wolf Alice records in their collection should enjoy this… a lot."
Introducing >>> The Naked Tungs
"The Naked Tungs are a four-piece indie rock band from Austin, Texas and will release their second EP, Distract Myself on the 24th August. You can check out Crossing from it below, which melds grungey garage guitars with slightly woozy, drawn out vocals and a psych-rock sensibility to create a most satisfying listen. It calls to mind a slightly more energetic Coke Weed and anyone with Pavement, Parquet Courts or Wolf Alice records in their collection should enjoy this… a lot."
Emerging Indie Bands
The Naked Tungs - Crossing
"The US garage quartet The Naked Tungs will be releasing the EP Distract Myself on the 24th of August.
Lifting the listener straight back to the freneticism of the iconic EP Spiral Scratch, The Naked Tungs are far more than a pale imitation as they resonate of the frustrations, tensions and anxieties of life in the ’10s with that similar raw unconstrained and uncontrived energy that marks out for a band I am looking forward to hearing much more of in due course. The middle of the five songs Crossing was made available as a stand alone single on the 24th on bandcamp."
- Tim Whale
The Naked Tungs - Crossing
"The US garage quartet The Naked Tungs will be releasing the EP Distract Myself on the 24th of August.
Lifting the listener straight back to the freneticism of the iconic EP Spiral Scratch, The Naked Tungs are far more than a pale imitation as they resonate of the frustrations, tensions and anxieties of life in the ’10s with that similar raw unconstrained and uncontrived energy that marks out for a band I am looking forward to hearing much more of in due course. The middle of the five songs Crossing was made available as a stand alone single on the 24th on bandcamp."
- Tim Whale
KTSW 89.9
The Naked Tungs: Hear It Calls EP Review
"Very rarely does an EP leave listeners as fulfilled as The Naked Tungs most recent release, Hear It Calls. Often the brevity of an EP is a limitation to listeners trying to delve into the music; however, The Naked Tungs offer rich psych-rock sound and dreamy vocals in longer songs, just enough to satisfy in five tracks. Although the four-piece group officially formed, recorded and released their debut EP in less than five months, The Naked Tungs sound as if they’ve been together for much longer. Hear It Calls opens with “Someone Else,” featuring Sarah Ronan’s long drawn out vocals reminiscent of Courtney Barnett. Ronan’s even repetition asking “How could that be me?” is offset by Hersh Cohen on a shrieking lead guitar. Cohen compliments Ronan’s vocals extremely well in “Hear it Calls,” a track that clearly demonstrates the groups’ Parquet Courts influence. The last track, “It’s Alright” includes quick, jolting percussion followed by heavy, head-banging cymbals. The five tracks included on Hear It Calls are an amazing synthesis of psych rock, garage rock and post-punk revival that leave listeners satiated. Although The Naked Tungs are based in Austin, all the members migrated to central Texas from Florida."
- Holly Hearn
The Naked Tungs: Hear It Calls EP Review
"Very rarely does an EP leave listeners as fulfilled as The Naked Tungs most recent release, Hear It Calls. Often the brevity of an EP is a limitation to listeners trying to delve into the music; however, The Naked Tungs offer rich psych-rock sound and dreamy vocals in longer songs, just enough to satisfy in five tracks. Although the four-piece group officially formed, recorded and released their debut EP in less than five months, The Naked Tungs sound as if they’ve been together for much longer. Hear It Calls opens with “Someone Else,” featuring Sarah Ronan’s long drawn out vocals reminiscent of Courtney Barnett. Ronan’s even repetition asking “How could that be me?” is offset by Hersh Cohen on a shrieking lead guitar. Cohen compliments Ronan’s vocals extremely well in “Hear it Calls,” a track that clearly demonstrates the groups’ Parquet Courts influence. The last track, “It’s Alright” includes quick, jolting percussion followed by heavy, head-banging cymbals. The five tracks included on Hear It Calls are an amazing synthesis of psych rock, garage rock and post-punk revival that leave listeners satiated. Although The Naked Tungs are based in Austin, all the members migrated to central Texas from Florida."
- Holly Hearn
The Deli
The Naked Tungs releases deubt EP
"Austin's The Naked Tungs recently released their debut EP, Hear It Calls, an intriguing blend of garage, new wave and roots rock which showcases the band's natural pop sensibility and charming lo-fi character. With subtle time signature changes and diverse instrumentation - from touches of pedalsteel guitar to lead tones reminiscent of Hendrix and The Clash - each song in the five track release has its own unique structural and tonal flavor. Hear It Calls is a promising introduction to a band with potential."
- Ethan Ames
The Naked Tungs releases deubt EP
"Austin's The Naked Tungs recently released their debut EP, Hear It Calls, an intriguing blend of garage, new wave and roots rock which showcases the band's natural pop sensibility and charming lo-fi character. With subtle time signature changes and diverse instrumentation - from touches of pedalsteel guitar to lead tones reminiscent of Hendrix and The Clash - each song in the five track release has its own unique structural and tonal flavor. Hear It Calls is a promising introduction to a band with potential."
- Ethan Ames
altrocklife
Review: Hear It Calls
"The EP begins with opening track Someone Else, setting things off with a catchy and upbeat guitar solo, which repeats throughout the song. Female vocalist Sarah R. provides the vocals for this track, and whilst her voice might not be technically perfect, her attitude comes across really well. The last 30 seconds or so of the track is made up of an awesome instrumental, notable for its interesting drum fills. Lyrically the track talks about how people can change under the influence of drugs, and this theme of partying, drugs and alcohol carries on throughout the rest of the EP. Next up is the EP’s title track, Hear It Calls, this time sung by male vocalist Hersh C. The higher pitched guitars and more focus on cymbals, as well as the slight echoing effect on Hersh’s voice, gives the song a more indie feel compared to others on the EP. This is a really fun track which adds to the party vibe mentioned in the lyrics running throughout. My favourite track on Hear It Calls is definitely Valium And Vodka, and I can understand exactly why the band decided to release it as a single. The track is a great summation of The Naked Tungs’ sound as a whole: Sarah’s vocals are at their strongest here, and the instrumentals feature a strong bass line, interesting plucked guitar features, and inventive drumming. The EP’s penumtilate track is All Of This, possibly the most grungy track on the EP, which suits its low-fi production perfectly. Hear It Calls is then rounded off by Its Alright, the longest track on the EP at over six minutes long, which really lets the band stretch their creative muscles and just jam. You can listen to Hear It Calls on the band’s Bandcamp page, or alternatively stream it on Spotify – just pop The Naked Tungs into your search bar. If you’re a fan of Band Of Skulls of Wolf Alice, I reckon The Naked Tungs are a band you definitely need to get into."
- Katie Boyden
Review: Hear It Calls
"The EP begins with opening track Someone Else, setting things off with a catchy and upbeat guitar solo, which repeats throughout the song. Female vocalist Sarah R. provides the vocals for this track, and whilst her voice might not be technically perfect, her attitude comes across really well. The last 30 seconds or so of the track is made up of an awesome instrumental, notable for its interesting drum fills. Lyrically the track talks about how people can change under the influence of drugs, and this theme of partying, drugs and alcohol carries on throughout the rest of the EP. Next up is the EP’s title track, Hear It Calls, this time sung by male vocalist Hersh C. The higher pitched guitars and more focus on cymbals, as well as the slight echoing effect on Hersh’s voice, gives the song a more indie feel compared to others on the EP. This is a really fun track which adds to the party vibe mentioned in the lyrics running throughout. My favourite track on Hear It Calls is definitely Valium And Vodka, and I can understand exactly why the band decided to release it as a single. The track is a great summation of The Naked Tungs’ sound as a whole: Sarah’s vocals are at their strongest here, and the instrumentals feature a strong bass line, interesting plucked guitar features, and inventive drumming. The EP’s penumtilate track is All Of This, possibly the most grungy track on the EP, which suits its low-fi production perfectly. Hear It Calls is then rounded off by Its Alright, the longest track on the EP at over six minutes long, which really lets the band stretch their creative muscles and just jam. You can listen to Hear It Calls on the band’s Bandcamp page, or alternatively stream it on Spotify – just pop The Naked Tungs into your search bar. If you’re a fan of Band Of Skulls of Wolf Alice, I reckon The Naked Tungs are a band you definitely need to get into."
- Katie Boyden