Music: Special-K ‘I Can’t Hear You: Early Tracks and Remnants’

Today we’re bringing you the first ten tracks from I Can’t Hear You: Early Tracks and Remnants, the new album from Vegas indie rock band Special-K.

So who is Special K? “The band came together last August when a mutual friend referred Justin Ptak (Drums) to Jake Lasky (Bass) and me” explains the band’s guitarist/vocalist Aldred Basiga. “We kind of had one jam, and pretty much hit it off from there.  The name Special-K was just really just a name that I picked out of the blue.  It was supposed to suffice until we all thought of a better band name, but it stuck.  I like it now, didn’t like it so much before.  The dash is important by the way, it’s the only thing that distinguishes us from the other ‘Special K’s’ out there.  And will probably save us from getting sued in the future.”

Special-K draws from a diverse group of musicians for inspiration on I Can’t Hear You, resulting in a rather unique sound. “Musically, all three of us have pretty different tastes” Basiga explains. “Justin is more into punk, Jacob is really into 60s proto-punk/psychedelic music, and I’m really into 80s, 90s indie music/experimental rock.  I’d like to think that the end product of all that stuff kind of leads to us.  As far as bands that directly influence the band, people think we sound like either Built to Spill, Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, or Pavement.  Doesn’t bother me though, I love those bands.  And Guided by Voices.”

When it came time to record their debut full length, the band had a very clear idea in mind. According to Basiga, “The main thing with recording this album was that I was really adamant to do the whole thing live.  Our friend John Gabaldon was the only person we knew at the time that could go through with it and make it sound good.  We recorded the whole thing at his house, which was pretty nifty.  He had good recording equipment, and was generally professional throughout the entire process.  We did the whole band live instrumentally at first, then I would come in and add vocals later, or a couple guitars.  Pretty easy process, took two days to get the album done.”

If you like what you hear, you can pick up the album in person this Friday, Nov. 20 at The Womb Room with an eclectic lineup also featuring Good Grief, Sometimes, and Bee Master.

I Can’t Hear You: Early Tracks and Remnants release show
Lineup:  Special K, Good Grief, Sometimes, Bee Master
Date: Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.
Location: The Womb Room
Admission: All-ages, $7 for a physical CD (the album will also be available digitally on the same day for $5)

About the author  ⁄ Emily Matview

comics, music, coffee. @emilymatview

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