Wednesday, 31 October 2007The Bridge Gang - London SKy Tonight on Sounds Experience The Bridge Gang London Sky Tonight / Sarahs Brother Sounds Experience Release Date: 29/10/07 500; black vinyl The bridge gang have declared this to be their 3rd and last single they are calling it quits. They also claim not to be influenced by The Wire or Orange Juice, and not to have formed at art school. Maybe this is some kind of reverse psychology to make me want the single even more. Maybe they aren't disbanding after all and will keep releasing 7"'s forever. On earlier tracks like 'Neutrino', and 'The money will roll right', I hear the early 90's feel they were going for, real distorted guitars, big drums, lots of crashes, that post metal/punk influenced sound. Jose sounds like a voice cracking english kurt kobain at times on the earlier stuff, but on this London Sky tonight single, they are taking a slightly gentler direction, with a more pop than punk harmonic sound. This could be the obligatory slow jam so the kids get out on the dance floor. This could also be later-era Ramones. Sonically they have made the move to the East coast and sugar-coated the sound. The guitars have less distortion and the recording quality is decidedly improved. Some might say their sound has matured, aged like a wine cooler...bandmates Lucy and Bret join in on the choruses and turn the sweetness here up to 11. Jason Dean Labels: london sky tonight, orange juice, ramones, sounds experience records, the bridge gang, wire
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Monday, 29 October 2007
Tony Donelly / Luff split Neil Young covers on American Laundromat records
Tanya Donelly / Luff split
Heart of Gold - Tanya Donelly / Tell Me Why - Luff
American Laundromat Records
Released June 23rd, 2007
500 copies, clear gold vinyl
These two artists are covering Neil Young on this split from American Laundomat records for a great cause. All proceeds of this single go to Casting for Recovery, a breast cancer support organization.
American Laundromat has been putting together some amazing tribute albums lately. They just sold out of a Pixies tribute album 7" of unreleased tracks, not on the full length. It sounds like an impressive collection of covers, everyone from Mogwai to They Might be Giants contributed. I'll admit, I missed out on the limited 7"...but not on this split pressed in anticipation of the Neil Young cover double disc to be released in February. Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young. They are keeping busy at American Laundromat.
Tanya Donelly has an impressive resume, having been a part of Belly, Throwing Muses and the Breeders, I think this is the first solo vinyl 7" she has ever released.
A low cello riff echoing the chorus kicks the track off and is soon joined by acoustic guitar, accordion and banjo, giving this a nice alt-country feel. Her unmistakable voice fits this track perfectly, eventually she starts harmonizing with herself progressively more and more, creating an angelic choir towards the end.
I really liked the Luff side and their cover of 'Tell me why?' It begins really slowly and unrecognizable, then a super low-fi shoegaze washes in. Is it possible this is even slower than the original? The drums have a great loud room sound and it's something that could have been missing for me in a the original, it gives the track a more organic, spontaneous feel. Behind everything is some kind of static or signal distortion atmospherics reminding me of a Space Needle cover of Cinnamon Girl, that was completely covered by distortion and hiss giving it this eerie feeling of a long lost recording. Sheila's vocals is really close to the high falsetto of Neil, and at times I forget I'm listening to a cover. This band amazingly has one self released album, and this looks like their first venture on vinyl.
Of course you're going to be singing along with both tracks, and the packaging is great, it's a nice touch pressing it on gold vinyl. Recommended.
Jason Dean
Labels: american laundromat records, belly, casting for recovery, heart of gold, luff, mogwai, neil young, pixies, tanya donelly
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Friday, 26 October 2007
The Brownies - Means to an end on NR One records
The Brownies
Means to an End
NR One records
Released 29/10/07
edition: 250 on Blue vinyl
'Means to end' from the Brownies
The Brownies make no apologies for 'liking a bit of mainstream' from time to time. Their myspace reads like a bad yearbook joke of likes and dislikes. Everything from Bob Marley to Grand Theft Auto to Allen Ginsburg is listed as an influence. Are they covering all their bases or just trying to see how many things they could possibly fit on a list.
Their first single on NR One records sounds like it includes a little of everything musically as well. They have taken the two guitar theory, the bloc party quick helicopter scale double layered notes followed by the explosions of power chords chorus. Handclaps on top of snares. The chorus repeats one time and then the bassline burrows in. If it sounds like a formula it's not. Sophie matches the hard and soft, her voice floating up to crash down in in this hardly 3 minute punk inspired but polished pop charmer.
The b-side? Well your guess is as good as mine, it wasn't posted anywhere, but if it's half as good as the A-side, go pick up one of these 7"' which have been severly limited to 250 copies. They will be gone fast.
Jason Dean
Labels: NR One records, the brownies
posted by Jason @ 22:22 0 Comments
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Tuesday, 23 October 2007
Fignt Like Apes - Jake Summers on Cool for Cats records
Fight Like Apes
Jake Summers / Battlestations
Cool For Cats Records
Release Date: 24th September 2007
Fight like apes happened to play a gig and were signed immediately. Not even looking for it, that's when the best stuff happens...what can you say? If something is that good you'd better snap it up before it's gone. They had barely even recorded an EP, but that was good enough for Fifa records, who promptly released it. This new single is their second seven inch release and has two incredible A sides 'Jake Summers' and 'Battlestations.'
You couldn't make up a band like this. This 3 piece evolved out of not being able to find a guitarist and then lead singer Maykay just thought the synth could take over that duty and with enough weird crappy pedals (their words) turned up all the way, it would work. It does, but not just as a crazy sound assault, they are writing catchy tunes after all, and they aren't taking any of this too seriously as their lyrics attest to. They reference b-movies, karate, David Carradine, ..the ususal. I'd normally be a little weary of these overused trendy references from every upcoming band who have never even seen an Atari, but here the attitude is right, it genuinely fits.
Take, 'Jake Summers'. It seems to be about a broken down porn star, 'he's got a Californian jacket and a fortified tan' but this is where MayKay shows what she's got vocally. Just when I started to get worried...(she has such a great warbly classical voice at times, she has to know it, but nice is nice with an acoustic guitar, not where I hope this is going) and then she completely goes for it, screaming like the electro/punk acts I've been loving lately... These are Powers, SIDS, The Coathangers...this has to be even more amazing live. I know I missed them at CMJ in NY, but I hope at least they got some recognition from the bloggers and labels.
'Battlestations' keeps up the fuzzed out energy and I think I might even like it better. This is the track I keep turning up and up every time, and pretty soon I'm at 10. But then those crazy pedals are kicked on, and theres an even louder noise coming out of my stereo, that's the Apes attack.
I have to say this is the rare case of the seven inch being the strongest material from a band, it's not just the great single with a live or demo track. This is really all they have layed down on tape so far, and I can't recommend this more. It's one of those seven inches that will be gone too soon and be remembered as a humble beginning to a great band.
Jason Dean
Labels: battlestations, coathangers, fight like apes, jake summers, karate, SIDS, these are powers
posted by Jason @ 15:20 0 Comments
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Friday, 19 October 2007
Bearsuit - More Soul than wigwan casino on Fantastic Plastic records
Bearsuit
More soul than wigan casino / Duran Duran
Fantastic Plastic Records
Released Aug. 20th, 2007Edition of 1000
Bearsuit is like a great experiment, 6 people, an ensemble. Which can either be the best or worst idea. Everyone at band practice throwing their two cents in. Are they doing what's best for the sound? Touring is a nightmare...that's a lot to fit in a van and share a hotel room.
Bearsuit reminds me of another band I can't explain why I Bunnygrunt, and by that I mean I know why I like them, it's on the instinctual level, but on paper you wouldn't think it could work. They have this kind of throw conventionality to the wind approach to instruments and song orchestration. Acapella, triangles, staccato punk trumpet. From one track to the next you don't know what you might get.
They can get a tad too cute sometimes, but it's quickly forgiven. I know this is a band that serious sad bastards might dismiss, but if there is a tiny love for the experimental or insane then given the chance Bearsuit will defy your expectations of what a pop song can be.
Jan, Cerian and Lisa from Bearsuit have a side project called Keytarded, and...that's right...it's an all keytar band, They cover 'Love will Tear us apart' the most inappropriate cover for an all keytar band, but that's a perfect example of why I love Bearsuit. This is the stuff rock and roll myths are made of.
Cat Spectacular was a great first album and they seem to have kept their frantic spirit up with all members intact for another two albums and tons of 7" singles. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment.
Here's another picture disc offering of shouting, guitars, and yes Duran Duran.
Here's to Bearsuit.
Jason Dean
Labels: bearsuit, cat spectacular, fantastic plastic, keytarded, wigan casino
posted by Jason @ 15:22 0 Comments
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Thursday, 18 October 2007
The Old House - Weekend driver on Louder than bombs records
The Old House
Weekend Driver / Group Texts of Best Wishes
Louder than Bombs records
Released Oct 8th, 2007
500 pressed
There is a huge void left by the absence of Pavement, the side projects of Mr Malkmus are great, I love them in their own way, but the first two Pavement albums ushered in a new era of lo-fi, in fact they essentially popularized the lack of sound, only to come full circle by brighten the corners, settling into a mellow studio sound. Maybe bands have stayed away from this sound because it's impossible to go down this road and even hint at a connection which will overpower every 7 inch.
Not to be confused with that home repair show, The Old House is going back to those early years, the guitar sound is clean on top of lazy distortion underneath, and vocals that start with the guitars, it's that immediate, no time to waste on intros and creating a mood, these are the songs, listen to this half pop constructed out of what's left from a 50 dollar guitar and the scraps of lyrics on torn napkins.
Weekend driver is that anti-hook, anti anthem gem that if you close your eyes, it's the second coming, and it couldn't be soon enough. I hope they aren't taking themselves too seriosuly, this track is half about attitude, don't try too hard, or all bets are out the window. I know you are in it to win it, but I don't want to hear it. Let me imagine the myth...the band meeting at their crappy fast-food jobs, getting together on the weekends, that's who I want to succeed. There's a lot of joyfull oh whoa oh oh oh oh's which make perfect sense.
On 'Loud Noises' (the only complete track on their myspace) it sounds like Steve Malkmus sing talking and Tim Kasher from Cursive yelling every other end of a verse, it's the best of both worlds. You can hear the lack of convention, the willingness to take chances from individuals that are pushing boundaries together, this is only the beginning. The flip side has a fuzzed up beat, everything running through a crappy speaker and then reworked by layers of vocals on top...another impressive offereing. Nothing bad so far.
Fact is, they know how good they are and they are only going to give us clips of the tracks on their myspace, it only makes me want this that much more and saddens me to think stateside we are missing out big time...hopefully only for the moment.
Jason Dean
Labels: cursive, louder than bombs records, pavement, the old house, weekend driver
posted by Jason @ 11:26 0 Comments
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Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Play Guitar - You're an outline on black mountain music
Play Guitar
Black Mountain Music
You're An Outline / Try Not To Lie
Released Aug. 12th, 2007
1st press: 300
'Your an Outline' has a great buildup to some semi Jay Mascis style vocals over some strummed electric guitar from the early Sebadoh school of anti-solo. (Bear with me as I'm dropping the late 90's references like crazy).....This takes me back to the Lily's, the harmonies, sudden switch of rhythm, an almost 60's feel...or Eric's Trip, slight experimentation, building up guitars and hidden vocals or even Dump at his most melodical. Really this could fit perfectly in that era's Subpop catalog, when it was all cassettes and 4 tracks.
It's all mixed around the same volume, nothing is overpowering anything else, all leveled out. Then they throw you with some crazy time signature changes, the drums all of a sudden completely break out, not like in a math rock way, but more of a lackadaisical rhythm change, just to let us know they can, over and over when you least expect it.
They are that mix of 2 girls and 1 guy on jangly guitars, really trebly, like the Swirlies, that's the best comparison I can think of, the early, low-fi Swirlies where it just sounded like your friends, albeit some talented ones, just hanging out. Play Guitar sounds accessible and fun, and I would gladly apply the temporary tattoo and put on the B-side.
Jason Dean
Labels: black mountain music, dump, eric's trip, play guitar, sebadoh, swirlies
posted by Jason @ 05:29 0 Comments
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Friday, 12 October 2007
Manhattan Love Suicides - keep it coming on Lost Music records
Manhattan Love Suicides
A1 - Keep It Coming
A2 - Thinking Is Killing Me
B1 - Head Over Heals
B2 - Sitting Target
lost music records
released: October 5th, 2007
This is the best kind of 7"...the mini EP. 4 tracks and a chance to really hear what a band is about. It's way better than just an A-side obvious single from the album and a B-side...this is 4 tracks of get-to-know-ya.
And if you want to get to know some friends of the sound of the Jesus and Mary Chain, then you are in luck. They pay homage to these reverb giants down to the sunglasses and trenchcoats. There's a lot of distance in every mix, the guitars range from supporting foundation to straight feedback and it's a nice contrast to the sweet reverb vocals of Caroline. I could see how it could be included in the C86, twee scene, but MLS seems like they hang out with the punk kids, the later era punk kids who hang out in the bad part of the parking lot and smoke, but in a non-threatening way.
It's like the Velvet Underground fronted by Mazzy Star. But not as depressed or slow...velvet underground you can dance to?
They remind me of the Ravonettes, another era challenged fuzzbox happy group leaning towards the updated 50's hotrods and surfing days sound.
4 songs mean they carefully crafted these sonicscapes which come in at a couple minutes a piece, but sometimes the best songs leave you wanting more.
Jason Dean
Labels: jesus and mary chain, lost music records, Manhattan love suicides
posted by Jason @ 09:31 0 Comments
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Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time on On the fringe records
Noah & the Whale
5 years time / Jocasta
On the Fringe
1st press - 1000
The thing I really like here immediately is the layered vocals and that Charlie, (the frontman) isn't trying too hard to sing. So many bands lately are fighting to sound like they are emotionally whining over top of anything good that might be happening. It seems obvious: less is more....look at Jose Gonzalez. I think it's the first sign of a bad band, the overcompensation...or maybe the problem is, half of these bands are singing the way they think they should sing? They are imitating bands before them, and it's irritating.
Either way Noah and the whale seem pretty genuine, they might be overdoing it a little with the royal tennenbaums aesthetic or the bad 70's suburban motif, but it makes sense with the attitude of this band. They like buying crazy pants at the thrift store and walking around town, finding an old Victorian couch in the trash and dragging it back their apartment because it matches the crocheted throw rug....and the cats love it.
They are just having a sincerely good time, and this song gets into your head, the whistling and chorus, it's deadly. Charlie sounds like a more approachable Jens Lekman with the same
attitude and random lyrics. Don't be put off if it sounds like they are headed down that sappy twee road which I agree is dangerous because it's so easy to go too far. But like early Belle and Sebastian, I'm buying what they are selling...it's all in the delivery. You wouldn't let a lot of people get away with sentiments like this, but they just can pull it off, and my cynical side hates them for it.
Jason Dean
Labels: 5 years time, belle and sebastian, jens lekman, Noah and the whale, on the fringe records
posted by Jason @ 02:39 0 Comments
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Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Atlantis / Karhide split on Field records
Atlantis/Karhide split 7"
a) Atlantis – This is Heavy
b) Karhide - Ride
Field records
Released: Sept. 22, 2007
I was just talking to a friend about how I'm still going through an instrumental post-post rock phase. I can't get enough of pelican, explosions in the sky or anything even remotely connected to or emulating. Atlantis wasn't going that direction at first but around the five minute mark it's become completely saturated with a thousand guitars. There still is a club/electronic feel to this track, and I think it could have benefited greatly from some live drums, it keeps reminding me this is a computer.
At first it sounded like... well a little like a lost dj shadow track, from entroducing, I don't know what's going on lately, then some reverb cure guitars come in, and I think we're headed towards disintegration, but a static sample starts tearing it all apart, and comes back together with layers and layers. It's nice...still just a little too studio clean for my tastes it doesn't break away from a million effects on a million guitars jamming... somewhere close to the end there is something interesting happening in the complete breakdown... but then it's back to the computers with an ambient fadeaway.
Karhide hails from maine, according to his myspace, and I can see how this track could be created there. Of course all I can see is a rocky coast and waves just pounding it. It's probably raining too. It's moody and life is hard, and boring. I'm almost hearing Red Sparowes, but a really high pitch feedback sound is making this really difficult to like. There's more rock than electronic influence here, it just takes a minute to come through. I hope this is played live with guitars. I would love it if there was a backing track to a guy standing onstage shoegazing along building waves of sound up.
Maybe this is a new subgenre being created by these two, they certainly are related (thank you field recs). Maybe that's the next step, get rid of the other musicians and create an electronic foundation for guitars to work out their issues.
Jason Dean
Labels: Atlantis, explosions in the sky, instrumental, Karhide, pelican, post-rock
posted by Jason @ 03:33 0 Comments
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Monday, 8 October 2007
The pyramids - Hunch your body on Domino records
The Pyramids
Domino records
Release: Oct 8, 2007
What makes something psych? To me it's based in that fuzz, kind of warm sounding distortion, with the treble turned all the way down. It's buzzing, sustained guitar sound... maybe looped with some reverb added. Whether it's 13th Floor Elevators or Dead Meadow it all seems to be headed towards an inevitable fog of noise every instrument is fed through. For myself I trace it back to early Jesus and Mary Chain and hearing barbed wire kisses for the first time. There were barely recognizable vocals over layers and layers of guitar, coming from inside the biggest cave ever recorded. I couldn't believe someone was really taking sound to that extreme limit. It changed the possibilities for my feeble high school mind...unfortunately they never got that back, but it was groundbreaking. Like listening to a live show from beyond the fence, could be recorded and released as an album.
You could even make a case for an offshoot psych manifesting as early 90's shoegaze, slowing everything down by half and forgetting the solos.
The Pyramids are a side project of the Archie Bronson Outfit, consisting of the ABO's lead singer and guitarist, and they are very much leaning from the folksy-psych side of ABO to the super-psych side of bands like the Wooden shjips. The thing with the pyramids that steer them away from traditional psych is lead singer Sam's yelling vocals which are something akin to the Makeup.
'Hunch you body...' was recorded, along with the rest of the album in less than a week, and it's probably the best thing for it, it sounds loose, a little unrehearsed. This could easily have been overproduced, but it's sticking to the garage and unfortunately they intend to stay there, probably not touring with this material according to their Drowned in Sound interview. It's too bad, because this sounds like it could really shine live, dominating the crappy 60's tribute sounding wastes of 7"'s that are pressed daily.
Plus I really want a pyramid shaped 7" (of course), that's the best part.
Jason Dean
Labels: archie bronson outfit, distortion, fuzz, hunch somebody, psych, shoegaze, the makeup, the pyramids
posted by Jason @ 08:35 0 Comments
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Monday, 1 October 2007
Falling out of cars - Do you come away on Hooked up records
Falling Out of Cars
Do you come away / Glass
Hooked up records
7" color - edition of 500
Released Sept. 17th, 2007
I don't think shoegaze will ever find it's rightful place in rock history. Right now it's a footnote with a few notable bands and albums, but it was over as soon as it began. Whether it was the inevitable slagging of a too quickly heralded movement, or just over saturation, rest assured staring at banks and banks of pedals is here to stay. It takes the form of torch carriers Film School or in psyche-overlords Wooden Shjips. If there is a wall of indistinguishable sound to be made, then sooner or later it will take you back to where it all began with Ride and My Bloody Valentine for those short months in the early 90's.
But of course there is more going on here, Falling out of Cars is working with a nice haze of distortion/washy sustained forever guitar, recorded at full volume on top of a lot of other guitars, all layered together, but lead singer Kris is practically upbeat in 'Do you come away?'. The vocals are still awash in reverb, but unlike a lot of the shoegaze stuff I remember, where the vocals likably became another texture, blending into the guitar sea, here they are right in the middle, carrying the track away from traditional shoegaze and into Jesus and Mary Chain territory with a crunchier slightly math-y edge towards the end. There's a combination dying to happen shoe-math.
'Glass' is a little different story...I was glad to hear them steer away from the usual ultra low tempo buildup of no energy this genre can suffer from. And if the A-side was any indication than this track was deceptively going to rock soon. It eventually breaks out of what's expected but suffers from a somewhat uninspired delivery... it is a B-side after all. Falling out of cars does not shy away from the guitar solo either. It could work if it went on longer or really pushed the limits of this borderline blues sound. It sounds a little off... a little out of place here, tacked onto the end.
Still if you are still listening to MBV, Ride or any of their contemporaries then this may be a new direction you'll be interested in...along with that new Film School album.
Jason Dean
Labels: falling out of cars, film school, hooked up records, my bloody valentine, ride
posted by Jason @ 07:38 0 Comments
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