Sometime ago I wrote a post on a record by Xylouris White. As I explained then, Giorgos Xylouris of Xylouris White is a Greek-born singer and lute player. As a young man, he immigrated to Australia and has made records blending Cretan folk with jazz and new wave. More importantly, he is also a member of a famous Cretan mountain clan; his uncle Nikos Xylouris started as a traditional folk musician but transcended all that to become one of the country's most beloved and respected singers of all time. He died in 1980, aged only 43, passing the torch of Cretan music champion to Giorgos' father, better known with the nickname "Psarantonis". What I didn't know until I watched documentary "A Family Affair" is that there's yet another generation of Xylourises: Giorgos' kids Apollonia, Adonis, and Nikos. They were born and raised in Melbourne Australia, where they were exposed to a lot of different music styles; Cretan, of course, but also punk rock and a lot of AC/DC. The whole family has since remigrated back to Crete, where the Xylouris youths hatched this little dynamite. It all started during the pandemic lockout: the boys, who earn their daily bread playing traditional instruments at weddings and festivals, switched to electric guitar and drums and started jamming, while their sister became the singer, main lyricist, and general frontperson of the group during the live performances. They released an EP in '22, and this LP last October (or is it a mini-LP? despite having 9 tracks, it's actually only 20 minutes long). The music is very fast and energetic, reminiscent of Black Flag, of Riot Grrrl archetypes Bikini Kill, or -closer to home- fellow Aussie troublemakers Amyl And The Sniffers. Favorites: opener "100°C" which somehow carries echoes of Rage Against The Machine, followed by "Sales", "Data Collector" and "Pink Tax"; these remind me a bit of Motörhead - until the vocals kick in, that is. Then the resemblance evaporates; Apollonia spouts the lyrics like a machinegun. "Angry" is the longest track, and it's one of those cases where the title says it all. It's also -along with the eponymous closer- the closest Frenzee get to thrash metal (think Suicidal Tendencies). The whole of the album really is a great little blast of manic energy and righteous anger. Highly recommended, I can't wait to witness this band live!
***** for 100°C, Angry
**** for Sales, Data Collector, Pink Tax, Ask Me Again, What's Wrong With Me
*** for Rats In Here, Fear No Fear
