Written by: Dave Cantrell

If you’re like us here at SEM, your early listening life, when the hungers of the curiosity were at their sharpest and most insatiable, was well-served by that most wondrous of full-lengths the compilation album. Personally, by my late 20s, I owned some eighty-plus comps on vinyl, and while the bulk of those are long gone here forty years later, I have to confess that, thanks especially to deep-diving DIY label Messthetics and its US counterpart releases under the Homework imprint, supplemented by more recent collections from the likes of the Cold Transmission label and others, the V/A shelf out in the garage, while not quite approaching that earlier accumulation, is nonetheless beginning to groan a bit from the assembled hordes. With that as our context, you can understand why we get so stoked when a new installment of the impeccably-curated Typical Girls series from the ever-tasteful Emotional Response label arrives. Based out of Arizona and founded by Stewart Anderson of Yorkshire UK-based lo-fi legends Boyracer fame, the first five of these were chockful of exactly the kind of plucky individuality that underlines, with some emphasis, the V-word in V/A. And where this is the place in an introduction of this nature where we throw out quick thumbnails of a handful of tracks, this time we’re going that one (or two or three) better by letting the person responsible for this study in quirky musical invincibility – Camylle Reynolds of Midnite Snaxxx, Bad Daddies and part of the crew at Maximum RocknRoll – give you their own quick lowdown of each track. As much as we have confidence in our own ears, we know it is always wise to defer to the inside source. So, click on that first track from The Linda Lindas – which, it must be said, brings us back to the above-mentioned era all over again – and get the skinny while you bask in the inerrant joy and shiny young ambition that is Typical Girls Volume 6. [get emotional here]

The Linda Linda “Claudia Kishi”

Don’t let The Linda Linda’s youthful zeal be mistaken for anything but pure power.  They continue their ascension to greatness with “Claudia Kishi”, an ode to Asian-American Baby-Sitters Club character Claudia Kisihi.  Sweet, melodic, and packs a punch.

Fake Fruit “No Mutuals”

Fake Fruit, hailing from Oakland California, offers up “No Mutuals”, an undeniably cool riff heavy jam with their signature laid back vocals, forcibly creating a bob and sway in the hips.  Just try and resist.

Naked Roommate “Wandering Thum”

Naked Roommate, a perfectly quirky foursome (members of The World, Andy Human, Blues Lawyer), dish-out “Wandering Thum”, a sassy, bass driven electro dance track that warbles in orbit around the moon and back.

Cindy “Thin as Flags”

Cindy is a true indie dreamer with “Thin as Flags”, steeping in heavy drapery, just a slow lovely drift through sleepy consciousness.

Swab “Nothing to Lose”

Melbourne’s Swab unleashes “Nothing to Lose”; a swift and fierce pummeling of both vocals and knuckle heavy guitar riffs. A true ripper.

Selofan “Black Box”

Selofan from Greece continues to craft their distinct discontented sounds with “Black Box”, an experimental coldwave dance reverberation.

Sweeping Promises “Falling Forward”

Vibrant and punchy, Sweeping Promises’ is a rebirth of cool.  “Falling Forward” is straight in the pocket of Kleenex/Liliput and Delta 5-ish goodness, but with their own modern flex.

Wet Specimen “Abraxas”

Wet Specimen’s “Abraxas”, takes their time with a warped, Twin Peak(ish) tune that’s both melodic and off-kilter.  New Zealand weirdness at its finest.

Glass Beads “Music Box”

“Music Box”, from Ukraine’s Glass Beads, is a haunting weave of melodies that will send a coldwave shiver down your spine.

Lande Hekt “Lola”

“Lola” is a charming, deliciously lush and melodic tune with ethereal vocals from British band Lande Hekt.

Body Double “Critter”

Walking the razor’s edge of goth and indie Body Double’s “Critter” is restrained but still bursting at the seams in both syncopation and sonance.

Provoke “Prison Strike”

Oakland DIY hardcore Provoke, churn, burn, build-up and breakdown “Prison Strike” is a proper serving of metal and thrash.

Persona “Old Man, Young woman”

UK duo Persona conjures an experimental, quiet contemplative sound with overlaying harmonizing weaved in “Old Man, Young Woman”.

Luu Kurrkuun “Luu Kurrkuun”

Finnish Luu Kurrkuun is perfectly imperfect with their self titled song “Luu Kurrkuun”. An unglued chorale with a fierce drawl, and succinct out of step chord progressions.

Squid Ink “Sundown”

Proud Fresno Black femme punks, Squid Ink, claw back with thick bass, distorted guitar, and forceful verbal glowering, “Sundown” is a bona fide diatribe against white fragility.

Optic Sink “Landscape Shift”

Experimental nowave synth beats and unmistakable perfect off-centered vocal drone from Natalie Hoffmann of Nots are featured on “Landscape Shift”.  Minimalistic and unnerving.