Album Review - Crocodiles- Upside Down in Heaven

The roots of Crocodiles start with a band called The Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower- Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell. There’s not a ton about the band on the internet but the gist of the info is that they would play concerts anywhere that would let them and they would be wild.

In fact, I saw TPtBUtET and I saw them at the local Botanical Center and while nothing “internet legendary” happened, it was a wild show.

TPtBUtET lasted five years and two albums. Their style definitely picked up from Black Flag but also called to mind artists like James Chance and X Ray Spex - a mix of West Coast hardcore punk, jazz, No Wave and Dischord Records

After a few adjustments, Crocodiles emerged with the perfect sound for the times. 2009s Summer of Hate and 2010s Sleep Forever were released on Fat Possum Records to great acclaim. The noise of the previous band now refined into something more melodic pulling from post punk, psychedelica and shoegaze

With time, trends change and fashions change and the band continued but further from the indie rock limelight.

I fell back in love with Crocodiles in 2020 when they released a series of EPs called Shitty Times where they covered a list of artists like Madonna and Lou Reed to the Crass endorsed anarcho punk band Zounds and Henry Badowksi and even more obscure choices.

I think the exercise did bring a new fire to the band. Upside Down in Heaven is album # 8 if you don’t count the EP compilation and it’s as solid of a beginning to end listen as anything out there this year.

An Album of the Week for the website Tinnitist who recounts the story of the band moving from San Diego to New York to LA and changing lineups a few times, as well. It does seem the band has found a niche of power pop meet garage rock meet fuzzy psychedelica. Other reviews compare the album to the Stiff Records label artists, the Strokes and the Black Lips and point out the 10 songs that fit into 30 minutes. If any of these things are of interest, then check it out