FUCK BUTTONS
Street Horrrsing

As a couple of young knob-twiddlers in Bristol, England, Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power dreamed of becoming the next Ministry. Instead, they’ve become Fuck Buttons, and it’s a good thing they did. Clocking in at a continuous 50 minutes, their debut LP has its share of pounding keyboards, thick slabs of noise and throat-tearing vocals. But for all that blood-red pulsating, there’s a fair amount of tinkling piano arpeggios, and the thing that separates Fuck Buttons from everyone else is their ability to balance these extremes. “Sweet Love For Planet Earth,” which is awfully dissonant for a love song, still has its quiet moments. The bone-rattling, monkey-screeching “Ribs Out” gradually gives way to the pulsing keyboards of “Race You To My Bedroom” and the droning, fuzz-toned church organ of “Bright Tomorrow.” For all its ear-splitting feedback, there’s no excess testosterone anywhere on Street Horrrsing, creating a gently deafening sense of peace that makes it equally suited for head-banging or meditation. [ATP, www.atpfestival.com]

—Kenny Berkowitz