Terry Malts - "Tumble Down"

"Up on the hill I held your hand / Both of us so drunk we couldn't stand / Making our way in the moonlight / Wondering what death would be like / ba-ba ba-ba tumble down / ba-ba ba-ba the hill with me / ba-ba ba don't be afraid / ba-ba ba-ba of what you cannot see."

It's hard to believe Terry Malts are the same guys that played in the clean-toned Smiths-worshipping Magic Bullets. The two San Francisco bands certainly share a knack for ear-catching hooks, but with Terry Malts singer Phil Benson's vocal sit on top of a wild white-capped sea of gnarled and jagged guitars that the band aptly dubs "chainsaw pop." But once you get past the assault of roaring fuzz, an armful of gooey bubblegum pop awaits. And that's what's so striking and wonderful about a track like "Tumble Down"—the contrast. Just like the pink Terry Malts lettering on the band's black and white Killing Time LP cover, those dark humming riffs of guitar only help to enrich Benson's bright pop instincts. Just try listening to "Tumble Down" without mouthing those irresistible "ba-ba ba-ba's." It's ain't easy.

Terry Malts - "Tumble Down" (from Killing Time)

And because this contrast is hilarious...

Magic Bullets - "Lying Around" (from Magic Bullets)