UNNATURAL HELPERS

Relenting only for the occasional drum fill, the drums are all hi-hat/crash trash. Guitar chords are cranked through what sounds like a cheese grater on top of a Marshall Stack (lol wut?). The bass is that classic pick-pounded 80s thrash following the guitar around like a rabid puppy. But the vocals--man, the vocals. It's the thing that makes Unnatural Helpers so instantly satisfying. Not in a nostalgic way that some modern punk-garage treads garbage in, riff-recycling and attitude assembling, but in the sense that you still love hearing so-sweet kiss-offs hollered (not screamed) atop a loud-fast band that doesn't sound heavy, but impossibly, irrepressibly scrappy--hell, almost skinny. Like the smallest-smartest kid in gym class out benching every jock fuck before kicking the teacher in the balls and storming out triumphantly to go read Origin of the Species. Or something like that.

And we stand back, totally impressed. We, the lucky attendees of Total Fest XI of course, where Unnatural Helpers are gracing us with their presence this year. They even have a new album coming out this fall on Hardly Art appropriately titled "Land Grab," because--as previously addressed--their music has a kind of rock-conquerer feel to it, invading a continent of hungry ear-drums and freeing them from the tyranny of bad rock writing (my sincerest apologies). I'll let the pros handle this kind of damage.

Go here to listen to a track off their new album, or look below to watch an in-studio from KEXP.

TOTAL FEST 2012: INSTALLMENT 3

That's right, Total Folks. We're posting the final batch announcement of this year's Total Fest line-up. Not that we've saved the best for last, but this batch is a gut punch combo: old heads, well worn travelers, noisy weirdness, hefty stoner, playful pop, psych fix, and riff ration. A few strands are still lingering, but we'll have you caught up by the week's end. As with the last two announcements, we'll expand on each of the bands in the following days. Stay tuned.

Cousins Milwaukee, WI

Harkonen Seattle, WA / San Fran, CA 

InternationalPlayboys Missoula, MT 

KingElephant Missoula, MT

Magpies Missoula, MT

MjolniirDXP Denver, CO

Needlecraft Missoula, MT 

ThePharmacy Seattle, WA

Sedan Portland, Or

Shane Hickey and his Magical Ukulele.... and Jerry! Missoula, MT

Tacocat Seattle, WA

Tenement Appleton, WI 

Torche Miami, FL

Unnatural Helpers Seattle, WA

VTO Missoula, MT

Wizard Rifle Portland, OR

THE TRASHIES BRING THE PARTY TO TOTAL FEST.

We're proud to share the news that Seattle's The Trashies will be hitting the road this August and playing our little party here in Missoula. They've been kicking around for a while now and if you've not heard these fellas before, prepare yourself for a damn good time. And just a warning - you'll probably wake up Sunday morning in your neighbor's yard and not remember the feel-good, booty-shakin' psychedelic surf punk party jams you and yr friends danced your ass off to the night before, not because it wasn't totally radical, but it probably had something to do with the two empty forty bottles you found duck-taped to your hands. We're looking forward to the Trashies at Total Fest... and a little sketched out.

They've got a new record coming out this summer, the first in a while, so get stoked. Check out some songs from their past couple releases on their 'space and this nice live clip to hold ya over.

TOTAL FEST WELCOMES THE UNNATURAL HELPERS

The past couple of years it seems like Seattle has produced two things, facial hair and dudes with facial hair playing music I can only imagine astronauts listen to when they are going into hyper-slumber on their way to Mars. So you can imagine how refreshing The Unnatural Helpers are to a scene I always associated with all out rock n’ roll, for gods sake Seattle you have fucking Mudhoney! With whip tight drumming and punch-drunk guitar riffs The Unnatural Helpers fuses together no-nonsense, straight to your brain rock tunes. These dudes don’t mess around either; they get to the point with songs clocking in at an average of two-minutes each. Anything longer would seem - well - unnatural.

Dean Whitmore (The Diapers, Intelligence and Welcome) serves as drummer, lead vocalist and primary force behind The Unnatural Helpers surrounding himself with an ever-revolving lineup that has included members of The Lights, Kinski, The Intelligence, Dutchess and the Duke and Idle Times. So half the fun of The Unnatural Helpers playing Total Fest is one can only imagine who will be showing up to play along with Whitmore.