Over the past decade or so Lee Lo-Fi has released a stream of masterful albums that have become all time favorites for me. I’m not 100% sure if Lee still goes by the moniker Lee Lo-Fi anymore, but that’s OK – that’s how I think of him. And lo-fi is the name of the game with his albums. A one band band (like that first Foo Fighters album), Lee dishes out jams that owe a bit to Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, and other bands of that indie / grunge / experimental ilk. Recently Lee has also incorporated hip hop vibes into his repertoire – hey, if Kim Gordon can do it, so can Lee. Amazingly – it all works. Truly. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to review Lee’s releases in 2023, but believe me – they were all up to par. Death Threat Cassette’s first release of 2024 is the amusingly titled EP, Double Denim Dojo Vs The Stonewash Sensei. Just typing that brought a smile to my face.
The mini album starts off with Pointless Positivity – a melodic slab of stoner indie rock. One thing I should mention – I absolutely hate fake positivity. So, I was immediately roped into liking this song. Lee’s singing like a mix of J. Mascis and Kurt Cobain throughout the song, which I love. Towards the end of the song Lee tries on some vocal affectations which made me laugh. Nice start! Kiss Kiss Goodbye is a nice grunge workout. I played air guitar to this track and loved every second. The Pissed Evangelist is my favorite song on the album. Melodic, rocking, and a bit of a hip hop influence bleeding through. These are strange times in the world, and I think this song speaks to the hypocrisy that is ever so prevalent among the holier than thou crowd. A fantastic song. Right As Rain is another grunge workout that works on every level. The vocals on this song are outstanding. Style is a cover of an old song by the Lemonheads – one of my favorites from the mid 90’s. In Lee’s hands the song gets a rave up work out and loses some of the drugged-out vibes of the Evan Dando original. An excellent cover. The EP closes with a demo version of a song called Wristwatch. Unusual way to close an EP, but Lee does whatever he wants, which I admire very much. Slower vibes, with plaintive, emotional vocals. Great way to close this mini album.
You can pick up the album here. I’m looking forward to what comes next from Lee / Death Threat Cassette.
Verdict: Indie Gem
For Fans of: Dinosaur Jr., J. Mascis, The Lemonheads, Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon
Tracks:
- Pointless Positivity
- Kiss Kiss Goodbye
- The Pissed Evangelist
- Right As Rain
- Style (Lemonheads Cover Bonus Track)
- Wristwatch (Demo Version Bonus Track)