Paint Fumes

The Paint Fumes (from Charlotte) are set to infuse the Get Down with hard-driving, psychedelic garage punk this Thursday, Jan. 19.

“Taco Bell eatin’ voodoo magician mad dog 20-20 drinkin’ night train ridin’ lucid dreams,” reads the Paint Fumes biography, which may or may not give you a sense of their music. According to their Facebook page, influences such as “paint, glue, roach spray, Carbona,” contribute to the band’s sound.

Whatever the fuel is that feeds it, Paint Fumes churns out an exciting, gritty yet melodic wall of sound.

Band members Elijah (vocals/guitar), Brett (guitar) and Josh, aka Pinche Gringo (drums), joined forces fairly recently, but the trio already has a strong musical chemistry. This may be due in part to the fact that, since forming, Paint Fumes has been hitting the road hard. In fact, this week they are just back to North Carolina after shows in New York City and other points North.

Needless to say, things are falling in place for the group, who just signed to Slovenly Recordings (home to kindred bands The Spits and Acid Baby Jesus). According to the label, the debut Paint Fumes 7” (out soon) will “bring the supreme scuzz, and enough wail and feedback to hold you over until you can huff their “Uck Life” long player in Winter 2013!” - Decline Radio

Among the derisive words most often slung at garage rock, “simplistic” is without doubt the trendiest. It's easy to understand why: Garage is, by its nature, a regressive genre, stripping rock 'n' roll down to its riff foundations and infusing them with as much energy as can be mustered. It's the kind of music a novice guitar player can learn with relative ease, but mastering it requires incredible passion, the kind of energy that can make the old new again.

Despite all this, it feels like false praise to say that Charlotte's, Paint Fumes, sound like their leader is a first-time guitar player. Still, it’s true: Elijah Von Cramon picked up the guitar in January 2011. By the end of the month, Paint Fumes had played their first show. His inexperience suits this group, as they approach typical rhythm-and-blues arrangements with a spirit of true discovery, flying off the rails in fast-paced tantrums.

That Paint Fumes arrive so perfectly formed after just a year of existence has a lot to do with the space in which they gestated. Von Cramon was the booking force at the now defunct Sewercide Mansion, a pivotal Charlotte house-show hot spot that saw the rise of a new fleet of restless Queen City rockers including Brain F? and Young and in the Way. Playing with these bands gave Paint Fumes the support and inspiration they needed. Josh Johnson, who played the house as his one-man-band alter ego Pinche Gringo, joined the Fumes on drums.

The house also helped them land a record deal: A kind word from Greek band Acid Baby Jesus, who hit the Sewercide on their way through Charlotte, hooked them up with the respected garage imprint Slovenly Recordings, who recently released the band's Egyptian Rats single and will also put out their full-length debut, Uck Life, later this year.

The single proves Paint Fumes to be one of the most thrilling garage bands in the state. The title track slinks to life with a sticky bass line; “Panic Attack” lives up to its names with lightening fast guitars and Von Cramon's wild-man howl. In one short year, Paint Fumes have turned inexperience into a relentlessly energetic assault. Just think how good they'll be by September.—Jordan Lawrence - Hopscotch Music Fest

Recap of the fest; photo. - VICE

Of the dozen or so songs slated for Uck Life — the forthcoming debut LP from Charlotte's feisty and furious Paint Fumes — "Sewercide" doesn't immediately seem the most important. It is, however, the most stripped down, powered by ragged guitar shambles and what sounds like a single tom for percussion. Singer Elijah Von Cramon howls about late-night debauchery and neighbors almost calling the cops. The intermittent intelligibility of the words reflect the rock 'n' roll delirium that not only inspired the song but gave birth to one of this city's most promising garage-rock offerings.

"Me and Josh (Johnson, the drummer) were walking down the street, about to go get some beers in my neighborhood," Cramon says of the day he penned the scuzz-blasted ditty. "He had just gotten fired from his job and thought his car got towed but found out the next day that it did not. It was just someone else's car. We were just walking down the street after practicing or whatever. I had my guitar. And I had glass in my foot and shit, and I was bleeding. I wasn't wearing shoes though, like an idiot."

These circumstances are tame compared to the raucous shows that went down at his Sewercide Mansion, the now-defunct house party hotspot that Cramon lived in and booked bands for during Paint Fumes' formative months. In addition to pulling in nationally known garage and punk heavyweights, Sewercide was instrumental in the rise of Charlotte's recent onslaught of top-notch loud bands, with outfits like Joint D? and Young and in the Way playing early gigs in the Mansion's grimy basement.

Cramon formed Paint Fumes early last year, the result of a fortuitous New Year's resolution. The goal was to learn his way around the guitar and start a band like he always wanted to do. He booked a gig in late January and recruited his friend, Brett Whittlesey, as a second guitarist. It was the first proper band for both of them, and that inexperience led to an energetic and uninhibited approach. A great example is "Panic Attack," a highlight from this year's Egyptian Rats EP. It's a taut, high-impact jam powered by vicious riffs that cut at odd angles, mostly because the guitarists had little idea which way they should go.

"A lot of the early stuff is about having panic attacks or just feeling stressed out and not knowing what to do," Cramon says, explaining he had just quit drinking, which was an early source of the nervy energy which has become Paint Fumes' calling card. "It just came out super-weird and energetic. It was very spazzy. I don't know if you've ever quit drinking, but it's like having the shakes and nightmares and shit and feeling fucked up. That definitely had a lot to do with it."

More than just the dirt-crusted womb in which the Fumes's music gestated, Sewercide Mansion provided connections integral to the band's success. Guitarists Cramon and Whittlesey hooked up with drummer Johnson after his one-man band, Pinche Gringo, rolled through town. A Sewercide show with Greek garage-psych outfit Acid Baby Jesus connected them with underground mainstay Slovenly Recordings, which will release Uck Life later this year.

"In those beginning stages, I didn't think that anything would come out of it," Cramon laughs. "I never thought it would happen this fast. I mean, this is my first band basically. I didn't think it came that easy. I don't know if it usually does or not." - Creative Loafing Charlotte

Metal bands seem to have a talent for coming up with names that match their sounds. When you hear "Slayer" or "Napalm Death" or "Skeletonwitch," for example, you know what you're going to get—shit's gonna be dark and shit's gonna be fast. Charlotte band Paint Fumes aren't even on the same side of the fence as, say, Pig Destroyer, but they similarly sound exactly like their name. Their recent debut full-length, Uck Life (Slovenly), is a spinning top of dizzying, brain-fried garage that ought to bring back fond memories of that time your friend blacked out from huffing gas duster in your parents' garage. Front man Elijah Von Cramon drags his sandpaper vocals over parched guitars that wind out of control so consistently it has to be on purpose. Paint Fumes never turn into just another garagey bore, instead bookending the wild trip of the seven-minute title track with the straightforward, catchy "School Days" and "Walking Song." —Kevin Warwick The King Khan & BBQ Show headlines; Paint Fumes and Bazooka open. - Chicago Reader

If you are planning on doing some petty vandalism in the next few months boy do I have the soundtrack for you – Paint Fumes excellent three song EP Egyptian Rats. It is full of the kind of music that makes drinking cheep beer, wearing second hand clothes and breaking windows seem like a good way to waste a few hours on a Wednesday night. Heavy in rebellious spirit and a punk meets garage meets honky-tonk attitude this fucker makes me feel like I could land the head cheerleader if I had the right set of wheels and just the right mix of pissed off and not-give-a-Fuck attitude.

Is that statement creepy coming from someone who is nearly 40?

Probably, let’s just move on.

Paint Fumes comes from the stacked with greatness roster over at Slovenly Records, which is probably the best label going right now for this brand of angry, energetic, and downright amazing rock n’ roll; and Egyptian Rats carries on that legacy to perfect pitch.

Whether it’s the steady rumbling and fuzzy bass driven shit kicker of a title track, that feels like what I imagine a night at the speed way would smell like, the feel of an alcohol fueled night of madness and unforgettable fun vibe of Waste of Time, or the hopped up on speed frantic Saturday night rumble feel of Panic Attack; Paint Fumes have come to ugly up the scene just a bit, kicking off the false veneer and spray painting a dick on the hood of your car.

You know, Rock N’ Roll the way Rock N’ Roll should be. - SYFFAL

I recently made the mistake of inviting Paint Fumes to crash at my pad. I ran into them in outside of a local soup kitchen in the posh Park Slope section of Brooklyn. I instantly knew from their scent that they were in fact the legendary Paint Fumes. A band I find equal parts amazing, sonically devastating, brilliant and erotic. We got to talking and it turned out that they needed a place to crash for the night.

I though cool, no problem, I have space and I dig what you do. Pay it forward right Haley Joe you little devilish prick.

That was 3 weeks ago. These fuckers have turned my once tranquil home into a house of horrors complete with a rank smell, Asian women, Wall Street types, a tire fire, a meth chef who also makes some mean sushi. My dogs vanished two weeks ago, right around the same time they made a delicious, but gamey stew. I have had to padlock myself into the back bedroom out of fear for my safety. They had a Puerto Rican biker gang camping out here for christ sakes.

I can't wait for these fuckers to leave, I need some sleep and a shower and I think I have an infection.

I love these fragrant pricks.

PAINT FUMES INTERVIEW….NOW!:

SYFFAL: Our readers are a collection of borderline illiterates and reformed Scientologists who suffer trust issues, especially with the elite media types. For some reason they have turned to us as their go to source for new music. So help us help them by answering the following: Who the Fuck are you?

Elijah: A gang of retards with psychedelic pajamas..I am Elijah von Cramon AKA Pinche's hubby (soon to be divorced)

Pinche: i'm a po'boy. i make po'boys for a living. i like to eat popcorn and cereal. i like to play records for people who don't appreciate them. i like the way my peepee smells when i eat asparagus, which is all the time. i'm in love with schlitz beer. my name is joshua eli johnson. "Pinche Gringo"

SYFFAL: I feel like you are just quoting Bohemian Rhapsody. Who does what in the band?

Pinche: josh plays drums and fries pickles. Elijah plays guitar and sings. Brett plays guitar and drives the van.

Elijah: I play guitar and attempt to sing, and get lost on tour. Pinche (Josh) plays the shit outta the drums. Brett plays weirdo noisy lead guitar

SYFFAL: I feel like Brett is going to kick one of your asses in the next two weeks for not letting him speak in this interview. What is the strangest thing you have ever done with a two liter soda bottle?

Pinche: Made crystal meth in a moving car with said soda bottle.

Elijah: Made a gravity bong out of it and got really, really high. To quote Damon Zex.."HIGH AS Fuck"

SYFFAL: fucking stoners, everyone knows the correct answer is anal. Your EP Egyptian Rats made me long for my days of petty vandalism and huffing gasoline. Was this your intention? If not what did you hoped to get across.

Elijah: Our intention was to make people have really bad dreams, huff a variety of things, and hopefully induce vomiting in public

Pinche: i hope that you went online and ordered yourself some sheila "metal cleaner" and put it in a white bread bag and huffed the shit out of it. forgot your Coney Island white fish and impregnated your mother.

SYFFAL: Pinche, I don't appreciate you sassing me like that, I have backhanded people for less. Speaking of petty vandalism, lets say I became the sheriff of whatever the Fuck town you grew up in and I gave you Cart Blanche to spray paint whatever you wanted on the front door of you high school principals house. What would it be? If you have no issue with your principal just answer "You can't spell Principal without Pal"

Elijah: What's Cart Blanche? I don't think I have ever huffed that before. High school was a blur, I don't remember my principal at all, but If I had the chance to do that I would prolly just spray paint the black flag logo, but instead of it being black bars, it'd be black dicks.

Pinche: No Draculas allowed

SYFFAL: That is just a good rule of thumb in general Pinche. Sounds like you are doing him/her a favor. Maybe you two pricks are ok after all. I met Joel my partner in all things SYFFAL in 1999 at a local watering hole in Boise, ID. We were both their for Valentine's Day Karaoke in hopes of landing some desperate and chubby ladies for the night. Sadly it was just the two of us and a Spanish business man who was confused by the name of the bar (Steel Stallions) and thought it was a gay club. Joel and I almost got into a fight because we both signed up to sing Walk by Pantera. Luckily Ramon talked us down and after a few drinks and some awkward glances, we realized that we had a lot in common and swore on that day to start SYFFAL.com, and take the details of that night to our graves. How did you guys meet and when did you know you had something special?

Pinche: We met at sewercide mansion. i had just played a Pinche Gringo show, i ate a bunch of speed, i was skateboarding down a huge hill while the sun was coming up, i r - SYFFAL

Paint Fumes are gearing up for the release of their first full length Uck Life with this brand new video and a tour with Bazooka, dates here. The video is a perfect visual representation of their psychedelic sound, with the fuzzy, washed out colors speaking to their fuzzy, washed out sound, feeling like a two minute acid trip of “what the fuck is going on.” The album drops on November 20th, but you can peek 3 other tracks on the Slovenly bandcamp here. - GET BENT

If the Paint Fumes were a pair of pants, they’d be a pair of Levis 510™ Super Skinny Jeans*, ‘cause their songs are TIGHT!

Hailing from Charlotte, NC, the Paint Fumes’ Egyptian Rats EP (Slovenly) will strip the paint off of something that is hard to get paint off of.** Like your hands, when you have to use turpentine. Hey, the Paint Fumes’ music is like rock ‘n’ roll turpentine.

A-side “Egyptian Rats (Gypsy Blood Cult Caboose)” sounds like a punk rock joint from ‘96 replete with Oblivians’ guitar solo (circa “Memphis Creep” era). The children of Twas the Night Before Christmas have “visions of sugar plums” dancing through their heads; upon listening to the Paint Fumes, I have visions of Thee Mighty Caesars, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (Crypt style) and the Dirtys meandering through my mind. Here’s a wild live version.

B-side features two tracks: “Waste of Time” and “Panic Attack”. “Waste of Time” is good. Real good. Kicks out some fuzzed-up reverb to 11, Teengenerate/Spaceshits stutter rhythm. “Panic Attack” harbors many of the same traits as “Waste of Time”. Damn fine Mighty Caesars solo in this one.***

You should probably order the 7” now. Here. It’s only $4.75. Or you could buy live ants here for $4.75. But they’ll die and rock and roll never does. I’d go with the 7”.

*Apologies for the blatant sponsorship grab. I need some new pants.
**See what i did there? I used an adjective from the band’s name to describe their sound, albeit not really well. Ok. Enough with the tomfoolery.
***These cats could have been on Crypt Records anywhere from ‘96 to ‘99 and nobody would bat a lash. Someone charge up the flux capacitor. - GET BENT

One new up and coming band you GARAGE PUNKERS need to check out right now is north carolina's PAINT FUMES, who are about to release their freaking rowdy debut long player, UCK LIFE, on SLOVENLY RECORDS.......

I haven't come across a FUZZ BENT CAVE STOMPING GARAGE PUNK BAND THIS EXCITING ALL YEAR LONG.........forget just living in the past with those old CRYPT, SYMPATHY and NORTON lps, PAINT FUMES ARE THE NOW SOUND...... taking their demented crazed rock n roll up to ELEVEN, they're a molotov cocktail of nofi killed-by-death punk and nuggets-era psychotic garage reaction..........

So totally recommended for those who get fucked up to THE MUMMIES, THE SPACESHITS, THE RIP OFFS, REATARDS and/or THE NEW BOMB TURKS......

SLOVENLY described the HIGH YOU'LL GET HUFFING THE PAINT FUMES AS "The Gories advanced experiments in industrial blues colliding with Cheater Slicks’ sonic exercises in murder, and Oblivians fucking it all away....." SOUNDS LIKE A FUCKING SOLID ENDORSEMENT TO ME........

preview some tracks from UCK LIFE below...... and grab it from SLOVENLY when it hits the record stores later this month... - Tiny Grooves

Photography slideshow - We Live in the City: Jackie Roman Photography