Cassette Season

Eugene garage-rock trio VCR

VCR
VCR

Kneeling at the altar of The Kinks, The Pixies and Nirvana, Season One!, the debut album from popular Eugene garage-rock trio VCR, has finally arrived. And rest assured, it’s fantastic.

The self-produced album, recorded in Portland on analog tape, features Chase Clarke on guitar and vocals, Emily Hurt on bass and Tyler P. Howard on drums.

“Outta My Head” is a three-chord blast of pummeling proto-punk ecstasy — a lesson that rock ‘n’ roll is best served recklessly noisy and defiantly tuneful (while staying in-tune remains optional).

Throughout the record, Clark howls like Frank Black, strangling hook after hook from his long-suffering guitar. VCR owns every bit of feedback, all the tape hiss, every whoopsy-daisy wrong note and clattering, rushed backbeat like a badge of lo-fi, punk-rock honor.

“Although the album has some of our signature sloppiness,” Clarke explains, “the album has life, especially if you listen to it loudly. That’s who we are.”

He adds: “It sounds like you’re at a VCR show and that’s what I’ve always wanted for us.”

Season One! is available on cassette at VCR shows and can be sampled off VCR’s Bandcamp page.