GUIDES

In the subversive tradition of best post-punk music, the debut EP from Los Angeles trio GUIDES is conceptual, discomfiting and abrasive. And beautiful in all those ways. “Abstract Mind,” which comes out Friday, is the work of singer-guitarist Chris Cogswell, drummer Jayson Larson and bassist Be Hussey, all of whom have stellar credits playing other local outfits. It comes from a visceral place, in all its glorious melodic eccentricities, blasts of shoegazing and stream-of-consciousness imagery. Have we “lost it,” as Cogswell asks in “Get Conceptual”? “I wanted to write lyrics that went well with the expansive music we were making, including … the kind of melody that can only be heard while dreaming. That was my goal,” he says. “It’s our way of saying ‘This way, into the Abstract Mind.’” - Buzzbands.la

[The LA trio tinker with post-punk to the brink of goth on their new track.]

Touching on the darker side of post-punk to the point where it brushes the icy shoulder of goth, Guides’ music strikes an impressive balance between taut energy, murky atmospherics, and ostentatious bursts of catharsis. Tightly performed but allowing enough room for abstract blasts of atonal drones, it’s the kind of combination of tension and release that had critics hurling hyperbolic praise to Viet Cong this year. If Guides continue in the direction that new song “Pictures on Pictures” heads, then such acclaim won’t be far off at all.

“The song is about that intangible place that we all get sucked into when you’re with someone,” says singer/guitarist Chris Cogswell. “There’s this sensation that you’re outside of time. You get that fishbowl tunnel vision. Air gets thin. Someone else is talking. It sounds like your voice. But it’s someone else.”

“The band (along with collaborator Luke Ehret) went into the studio live room and just started rolling 2” tape one night,” adds bassist Be Hussey. “What came out was a stream-of-consciousness, unfiltered song. It was direction-setting, as it helped focus our energy on capturing the band live, rather than editing or studio constructions. We just had to finish the lyrics and tighten it all up. But, of course, as bands go, we had to over-think it a few times before coming back to our original thoughts.”

Guides’ Abstract Mind EP will be released 25 September. - Popmatters

GUIDES is a post-rock act from Los Angeles preparing to release a new EP, Abstract Mind, on September 25. The track “Pictures On Pictures” is a dark, groovy tune with a healthy amount of fuzz. The band will embark on a 10-date California tour starting September 18. Download “Pictures On Pictures” below. - Magnet Magazine

Layers of sonic fuzz toe the line between warm and dangerous throughout “Abstract Mind”, offering a beautiful and engaging struggle between melody and sharpness, with Cogswell’s dream-like lyrics complimenting the frenetic energy. - Ghettoblaster Magazine

I’ll be completely honest: I threw this CD in the player right after The Alan Parsons Project and forgot I’d made the change for a couple of tracks. It’s not because Guides don’t have their own sound—they do, and it’s great—but rather because their new EP feels nostalgic, akin to not-so-dead favorites like Depeche Mode. Abstract Mind EP is a synth-heavy revisit to the ’80s that combines strong vocal melodies with tried-and-true pads and effects. This is a solid listen that’s especially great for having on in the background. Under a microscope, though, there are sounds I’m not so fond of—sort of soupy, effect-heavy walls of noise—but the majority of what is done here is done well. Overall, the melodies are crisp, and many of the guitar licks got stuck in my head and kept bringing me back for more. –Alex Blackburn - Slug Magazine

by Kevin Bronson on June 9, 2014

Like a lot of experimental rockers, new L.A. trio GUIDES dally in textures and tones, but in their abrasive riffage and pummeling rhythms lay a sense of purpose that make you question your comfortable notion of “pretty.” The music is the work of singer-guitarist Chris Cogswell, bassist Be Hussey and drummer Jayson Larson, who, among other projects, have the bands Marjorie Fair and Radar Brothers on their resumés. The menacing “Careful, I Was Every Sin” is from a three-song 7-inch/digital release the band has on the way July 1. “Careful” hurts so good when the big guitars kick in just shy of the 2-minute mark. - Buzzbands. LA

When the Velvet Underground met up with Sonic Youth, this is the crew they spawned in their wake. - Midwest Record

When we last heard from GUIDES they were planning on releasing a debut EP. Instead they scrapped it, lost a member, and recruited a different “guru” for each new recording session. Now releasing a self-titled 7″ on June 24th, the veteran indie rockers (Marjorie Fair, Radar Brothers) have embarked down an esoteric path full of experimental structure, vague melodies, and a shoegaze-worthy wall of sonics. - Free Bike Valet

Newly formed LA group Guides may be fresh, but they certainly aren’t inexperienced. Featuring members of Death Cab for Cutie and Radar Brothers, they have a knack for memorable melodies and driving riffs that will make you sit up straight and listen. Check out “Be the One I” below! - Radio K