Index7 Blog

Kinski / Bardo Pond as Sonic Attack on Trensmat

2008-11-19T16:27:00.004Z

Artist: Kinski / Bardo Pond
Title : Sonic Attack (Lords of Light)
Label : Trensmat
Catalogue No : TR015
Country of Origin : Ireland
Quantity Pressed : Not Specified
Posted Date: 25th Sep 2008
Release Date : 1st Nov 2008

The research I've been doing for this is blowing my mind...basically Trensmat is releasing trilogy of singles of bands covering Hawkwind...who is Hawkwind? A psyche-space rock band that collaborated with sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock...(I didn't recognize anything he'd written, but it's a huge list of work). Band members rotated around Dave Brock over the years...apparently they are stil playing shows...most recently a 30 year reunion festival of some kind, but one member a bassist named Lemmy went on to form Motorhead named after the last song he wrote for hawkwind! Crazy.
So this single I chose after seeing Kinski was involved...now, Kinski has been around forever honing their giant feedback borderline experimental primarily instrumental sound since the early nineties...the whole time on Subpop records, and most definitely still with roots in Seattle. Kinski takes on the track 'Masters of the Universe' with their signature fuzzy riffs and screaming solo. They keep true to that 70's psyche feel but with more effects...it's definitely touched by Kinski and it's guitarists Chris Martin and Matthew Reid-Schwartz are masters of tone, conjuring out feedback subtelty and range. Needless to say you won't easily walk away with your hearing intact.
Bardo Pond, I've never been too familiar with, but seem like another psyche rock band sympathizer, and use similar guiar drone noise to build their walls of sound....both perfect candidates for reworking Hawkwinds material. Enough so that I'm intrigued to track down some original stuff and see where it all started.

I'm reminded why these little pieces of vinyl gold are so great..for splits and tributes...mini EP's. Take a chance on a new sound...maybe you just can't handle the entire release...maybe like me you have ADD and like the constant interaction with the music format itself....time to flip the 7" again.

Go listen to a couple of smples from this amazing trilogy project.

Bardo Pond - Lords of Light
Kinski - Masters of the Universe

Tim Ten Yen on Label Fandango

2008-09-22T00:51:00.004+01:00

Tim Ten Yen
Label Fandango
1. Runaround Getaround
2. M.O.R.
3. Runaround Getaround (Karaoke Version)

Tim Ten Yen is not completely irony free. he's a one man performing operation complete with keyboard...singing with a serious 'pretty in pink' feeling...all those late 80's new wave singers with all the serious emotion , everything riding on their passionate vocals. The way that They Might be Giants can pull off singing about a 'triangle man'. Or can't...I guess. Imagine Jens Lekman with a different kind of sincerity...the sincerity of The Office. It's sincere in it's insincerity (?). It's also catchy as hell...Girl Number One is funny, totally put together, and driving a crappy rusted import car to work in the 3 piece suit. If it's confusing, I'm not quite sure I even have a handle on it.
MOR is a kind of loungey number with digital sax not even trying to sound anything like an instrument. He's got a real voice bordring every line on the edge of sincerity. I love that a karaoke version of the A side is part of the single..it's begging you to give it a try.
The joke isn't at your expense though, it's asking you to give in a little and just fall in love with something that you shouldn't have to think about too much. Something that is having a little fun with itself...it's a little practically twee at times. Or remember when Oranje Juice asked an audience to stop being so serious, so tragic and not necessarily dance themselves to death but remember all the reasons why music is made.

The Kabeedies on NR One records

2008-09-07T10:45:00.003+01:00

The Kabeedies
1. Palindromes
2. King Canute
3. Coaster Game (Acoustic)
Label: NR ONE RECORDS
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 1st Sep 2008

There are bands that try that fusion of catchy dance and indie rock, that's a feat in itself but to sound like they are genuinely having fun doing it and translate that in the studio recording is something else entirely...and The Kabeedies are doing that in spades.
'Palindromes', the A side recklessly throws out mad basslines and guitar that, when dissected, sounds completely unrelated, but somehow is working at high speed, accompanied by feverish percussion and multiple vocals from all channels. Every member has to singing at some point, sounding like they are all battling to be heard over the ever changing beat...it's a overwhelming study in making something out of nothing, it's not rocket science, but moving bodies and at that it's an overwhelming success. Absolutely reminding me of the joyous noise of Los Campesinos or The Unicorns (R.I.P.), it's amusing and smart, the perfect combination.

Another track on the single 'King Canute' is built from more toe tapping basslines and swapping time signature drums with a vocal back and forth that defies composition. There is clearly an organization here, but it's impossible to follow or deconstruct and holds up to repeated listenings, the music complexity deceptively working against the unassuming lyrics. Sounding young enough to have just left the playground and instead focused their talents on a unique off kilter enthusiastic rock chock full of pop culture references. A winner.

Jason Dean

The Uh Ohs on NR One records

2008-09-04T18:48:00.000+01:00

UH OHs
Cheat Cheater
NR ONE RECORDS
Quantity Pressed: 250
Release Date: 20th Oct 2008

Cheat Cheater opens with what sounds like everyone in the band screaming which runs right into power chords blaring and then dropping out to Naomi's bass and vocal breakdown and guess what? She's pissed at the protagonist of this track...he's cheating and she's on to it. I love the room sound of the guitars....you get sound of an entire room being bombarded by this great distorted guitar line until the track ends in a climax of the entire band yelling "Cheat Cheater!"

Sounding a lot like Karen O in that way she's getting to the point, a frontwoman who's not abstractly singing around the issue and worrying about feelings...this is the message: she can be sugar sweet, but she'll also tell you she wants your body and... oh. In a loud punk way.

The B-side starts out a little less confrontational, nothing but bass breakdown and whispered vocals but by the chorus it's all back to yelling more questions 'Will you ever fall into me?' and all kinds of requests to be dominated. It's at a rock/dance pace and is going to get you attention.

Jason Dean

The Nacional on art goes pop records

2008-08-20T20:48:00.005+01:00

Artist: NACIONAL
TELEPHONE / YORKSHIRE
Label: art goes pop
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 300
Release Date: 18th Aug 2008

The Nacional are the standard 5 piece band, they're not using any gimmicks... they aren't riding on the latest combination of genres, the latest technology. But that's what makes it even harder to figure out why it's working so well. What's the difference between all the rock bands out there and bands like the Nacional. I can say it sounds classic, but they're using what's always worked, drums guitar and bass...so it's the songwriting, the lyrics and way they're delivered.

For example, the A side 'Telephone' has an urgency that is held together by this great continuous bassline with stops and starts from the guitars... they don't stick to the crafted catchy rhythms which would be too easy to just repeat, instead they change, adding or subtracting previous directions just enough to bring something new to the chorus.
'Yorkshire' opens a little quieter at first, but soon a quick strumming turns into another dance-rock number. The drums have this huge booming room sound that I love. On this side the a mother is mentioned again and that makes me think this is some kind of conceptual single about a very specific narrative...maybe we'll find out in the full length.
Both sides are catchy, optimistic and danceable, in that way that poprock like this should always be. This is just the plain good songwriting and expert instrumentation that bands like the Smiths were made of.

It's a shame there's only 300 of these being pressed....I suppose that's standard for a new band like this...but that seems awfully low on the strength of both of these sides.

Warning! Heat Ray! on Warning records

2008-08-19T22:51:00.005+01:00

Artist: Warning !Heat Ray!
Title: Spit it out
Label: Warning Records
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 18th Aug 2008

Samples typically get used a lot just for aesthetic effect...random sounds of ministers preaching, or government speeches are typically used as atmosphere for industrial stuff in my experience....808 state, severed heads, front 242....at first just in hearing these racist samples it didn't hit me right away that was directly related to the vocals and drawing attention to the British immigration problem as directly as they are. These clips are no less disturbing now as they probably were around the time of the '58 Nottinghill Riots...or maybe Warning! is saying the feelings are still there today, but it's more hidden, people know better then to publicly say those things to a reporter. The only thing they learned is how to hide the racism.

Of course it's always tricky to combine politics and music, it's hard enough to create something that's new and interesting, and catchy to listen to everyday, but to then attach a political belief to the track...well you're alienating huge groups of people right away. Or the other problem
like the US hardcore groups of the 80's is they're subjects are easy targets....the Reagan administration, nuclear war etc, there's nothing enlightening about the subject matter, you're preaching to the choir.
Warning! Heat Ray! bringing this sampling back is new, and completely appropriate given the subject. It fits the moody looped electronics, and vocals by Robert (Bob) Curbishley underscore the history of the ignorance and misunderstanding of the situation, that unfortunately, 50 years later, may never change.

The B-side 'Life less ordinary' completely changes gears with acoustic guitar strumming and is much more folk singer here with Bob doing a lot of harmonizing with himself and providing a harmonica solo for good measure. Not that it's really related to Dylan or that tradition of protest music...it's just done in a nice storytelling way...a somewhat lighter song about breakup that's coming from a coffee house open mic character.

Just as a side note, I've been enjoying the 7" guitar mashup available from their myspace...go check that out as well...

Jason Dean

Magic Arm on Switchflicker records

2008-08-09T10:28:00.000+01:00

Artist: Magic Arm
Title: Widths and heights / Ballad of Melody Nelson
Label: Switchflicker
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 14th Jul 2008

Mechanical Arm is Marc Rigelsford, hailed as 'Master of the loop pedal' is taking a variety of influences and sounds and creating masterful pop experiments along the lines of Beck's Odelay.
What is it about being able to put all these varied influences together? Is that where this music is headed? This appropriation of influences... well it's actually already there the initial novelty is long gone. Mechanical Arm is making the case for where it will go.
What is it about a blip or snare sound that is so much better than another? That's where the DJ/Engineer can be invaluable, to sort through the mountainous material that's been created up until this point. Girl Talk's Greg Gillis distilled the last decade into a bite size piece on Night Ripper for the short attention span set. The greatest moments of a dance/hip hop culture held together by a common BPM and pitch controlled all together.
Mechanical Arm is doing what Beck started with Odelay and Paul's Boutique before it. Bring the sample to rock music, using existing elements of prerecorded material to move forward. It's gone from a substitute for a sound to becoming it's own tool. Something with it's own right with it's own inherent set of rules.
The difference between Mechanical Arm and anyone with a laptop and garageband is the impeccable production and the crystal separation of sound. It's clear he knows exactly what he's setting to hard drive. You can hear the deliberation, the care in every sound. They are manipulated to the edge of recognizability and organized to surprise with headphones. There's nothing muddy or haphazard in any measure.
It sounds like it took months, which it did, after his successful EP, Marc Rigelsford, spent 10 months locked away in various studios finalizing these rest of these tracks, and it shows.
Mechanical arm demands attention to the ornate details.
Meanwhile there is a sing-a-long deliberate pop song working on top of this reduction with a verse and chorus of substance. It's one of those great new worlds still being charted, the combination of created and found sounds in cleanly exciting pop.
Widths and Heights takes you everywhere from industrial rave to folky twee, surrounded by a web of electronic instrumentation and layered vocals.

from his myspace:
The b-side to ‘Widths and Heights’, ‘Ballad of Melody Nelson’, is a cover of the Serge Gainsbourg classic which has now become a regular in his live show. Marc was invited to perform a song at an evening celebrating the French singer, and he proceeded to leave his unmistakeable stamp all over the classic, to a fantastic response.

Jason Dean

The Ruling Class on Club Fandango Records

2008-08-08T01:32:00.001+01:00

Artist: The Ruling Class
Title: Flowers / If You Wonder
Label: Label Fandango
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 700
Release Date: 28th Jul 2008

I was in a bar recently where someone had played the Happy Mondays 'Step On' maybe 5 times in a row, I thought it was accidentally stuck. That period of dance rock English fusion hasn't been forgotten, it's still very much alive in the reissues of these now classic albums and by bands like The Ruling Class. Influenced by a who's who list of early nineties distinctly brit-pop voices, Verve, Suede, Blur, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, Ride and the Stone Roses among others, they are working very much within this border less sound, shoegaze set.

The Ruling Class thrive on those little single note guitar melody, repeating, echoing....with a lot of different percussion layers. It's not intentionally fast or forceably danceable but it's the double-time shaker and muted strumming scrapes that pushes it over the edge into that can't-help-but-move territory.
'Flowers' is the big sounding hit song that starts out right away rocking in that middle ground, at home just as easily in clubs as driving around in your car. Jonathan Sutcliffe's reverb vocals flicker around and bounce off in every direction in that great dream like way, as you wade through the depth of sounds.

The B-side 'If you wonder' starts with a little chorus-y riff that blows up after the bassline sets the tone, and changes up to find that Happy Mondays groove, the foundation for the shimmery guitar washes and rim shot near funk. It's a bafflingly full sound that in the end is informed by this decade but with heavy nods to this anti-grunge era of dense guitar textures.

Jason Dean

The Strange Death of Liberal England on Fantastic plastic

2008-07-30T03:10:00.001+01:00

The Strange Death Of Liberal England
Angelou / Sacred to Death
Fantastic Plastic
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 14th Jul 2008

'Angelou' is the third single from TSDOL and on this latest release the high falsetto vocals from Adam Woolway seem like a departure from previous efforts. It's been engineered more prominently in the mix reminding me (in vocal only) of early At The Drive In, further distancing themselves from that Arcade Fire reference point. Overall it sounds highly produced and all noise gated, opposite from the organic ensemble yell along feel of their last single 'Oh Solitude'.

Who doesn't like that pause between washes of guitar? Where everything stops on a dime for a millisecond only to drop back in harder, leaving you just enough pause to reappreciate where this is headed. Combined with a frantic chanting chorus from all the other band members, it's definitely got that complex arrangement of math-pop that will keep you guessing as it's constantly changing.

Jason Dean

The Tartans on Yay! records

2008-07-13T12:03:00.003+01:00

Artist: THE TARTANS
Cats Of Camerford
YAY! Records
Country of Origin: USA
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 23rd Jun 2008

Cats Of Camerford
1939/ Your Favorite Song

The Tartans are a little...well let's say.... melancholy. They aren't going to yell at you, they aren't trying to reinvent anything, they just follow through with the ideals of the most punk rock of all....the indiepop movement of the late eighties. Seemingly ignoring and/or rejecting the excesses of the 80's and any trendy music directions, it was a reaction against anything outwardly Rock with a capital R.

The Tartans might not exactly be about all that reactionary stuff, but they know a catchy keyboard line when they hit it and like their mentors they are embracing the format that has always dominated the hardcore indiepop scene, the ecomonical humble 7". The Scottish name reference as well won't be lost on anyone still in love with Belle and Sebastian and Orange Juice, and you won't be far off in finding this single a close relative.

The A side, 'The Cats of Camerford' is an ambling song in the tradition of jangly pop tunes at that melodic speed, not too fast, not too slow...all informed by that C86 sound. They aren't using slang here, they're actually singing about cats, as in the pets.
looking dirty / theres a notch out of your ear / now you know you're no peer / of the Cats of Camerford
Growing up playing along to the Pastels according to their myspace bio they employ a huge array of instrumentation which gives the initial twee underpinnings a really full unique sound. Trumpet chorus arrangements, hammond organ chords, occasional melodica...every tool from the indiepop arsenal brandished in the name of their back to basics, uncomplicated fun loving sentimental pop.

On the flip side, 1939 finds Yvonne on vocals crooning about how in her mind it's 1939. Is this another callback to the simpler times of sincere songwriting minus all the artificial paths to stardom? Or the romantic nostalgia for the past, full of 45's and giant wood radios? One thing is clear, anyone recording these catchy unassuming numbers is doing it out of a sheer love for this genre.... they are embracing the anorak and sincerely letting it show.

Jason Dean

Polka Party on Happy Release records

2008-06-20T09:36:00.005+01:00

POLKA PARTY
Japanese Haircut
Happy Release Records
United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed : 500
Release Date: 9th Jun 2008

Brit Pop, pioneered by late nineties bands like Blur, Pulp and The Stone Roses has evolved into a guitar based layered dance influenced pop reinterpreted by Franz Ferdinand, and Bloc Party leading this next wave. For the first time thanks in part to music being able to be delivered directly to an audience, that audience helping to make these bands the success they are. That part of the story is new and Polka Party is making their way into this movement.

Japanese Haircut pounces straight off with a hyper paced high hat and dirty punk chords. Thomas O delivers the lyrics in a deadpan forced stutter on the beat, not so much singing as he is just forcing them into your ears. Half talking, chanting '...oil slick eyelash... Japanese Haircut...'. It sounds like it's combining Art Brut's naive wit albeit a tougher persona with guitar surges of huge choruses that keep climbing to ever higher heights, then pausing for a drum machine handclaps breakdown and distant splintered guitar lines.
It's pure dissafected power pop, brief and to the point. Completely contemporary in the unrelenting aggresive get up and move beats and high guitar lines.

Lisa O Piu on Autumn Ferment records

2008-06-13T04:25:00.001+01:00

Artist: Lisa O Piu
Whisperers, Wavers, Hunters and Sailors / Equatorial Changes
Autumn Ferment Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 3rd Jun 2008

Sweden is some kind of weird magical place where everyone has super cheap, nicely designed furniture in their homes, the best chocolate, bank accounts and they used to see the Shout Out Louds and Peter Bjorn and John down the street. It's more than just a coincidence that this area of the world has resulted in the proliferation of bands like these. And from all across the musical spectrum, Love is All, Dungen, I'm from Barcelona... all from an entire country's population way smaller than New York City. Is it the government funding or the pervasive DIY spirit from this homogeneous gene pool.
The only comparison I can come up with as a frame of reference for Lisa O Piu is Joanna Newsome, not vocally in any way, but she shares the same kind of fairy tale folk, full of that poetic imagery and mythology.
She has this wavering vibrato voice, that seems like it's the kind of thing you're born with, or just inherently know how to sing, and can't be trained. It sounds effortless and fits right into the whole otherworldly feel.

Lisa O Piu grew up outside of Stockholm, Sweden and it sounds like she was a little obsessed with horses, riding...drawing them, as evident by the sleeve art on her latest single on Autumn Ferment Records. She primarily writes with acoustic guitar and keeps the arrangements pretty sparse and on 'Wavers, Whisperers...' Lisa changes the finger picking tempo every measure, keeping the lyric constantly surprising if not a little disorienting, any kind of chorus is nonexistent. Electric guitars and layers of vocals slowly work their way into this epic ballad of the sea, it's travelers and creatures.

Dempsey and the DC9's on Mahuta records

2008-05-29T08:34:00.003+01:00

Dempsey
Eight Days of Rain
Mahuta Records
Quantity Pressed: 300
Release Date: 19th May 2008

1) Eight Days Of Rain
2) Your Touch
3) Rebel of the rebel

Dempsey released a solo album in 2006 entitled Sunrise/Sunset, which was an eclectic mix of electronic slow dance funk and folk. It seems these days he's moved away from the soundscape dub cutups and recruited the DC9's to support a more classic rock blues sound direction. This permanent backup band adds an alive growling rock feel to this particular single released this last week.

Eight Days of Rain seems like that direction that the Raconteurs took with Broken Boy Soldiers, something of a retro upgrade. They're taking that kind of classic rock sound full of punched up grimey organs and backwards guitar solos and building on it in the studio with ultra produced sounds. Released from the grip of the White Stripes, Jack White and friends could get at unexplored directions. There's plenty of that going on here in it's unabashed comparisons. There's surprisingly still relevance in the genre, but it's going to take a new approach to get anywhere untred.

Dempsey, a NYC transplant, sings through a slightly distorted layer of bad luck metaphors along with samples and electronics which are still present in this latest incarnation but seem organically woven into this bluesy dub song story about black cats and killing spiders.

With only 300 hundred pressed it's going to be a rare one indeed.

Jeremy Warmsley on Transgressive records

2008-05-24T03:35:00.004+01:00

Title: The Boat Song/Temptation
Label: Transgressive records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 28th May 2008

Jeremy Warmsley known for his electronica anti-folk on his 2006 debut 'The Art of Fiction' is back with this double A sided 7" in support of his latest album. These two tracks are exclusive to this format and sound like possibly a move away from the harsh electronics and laptop cut and paste to more traditional orchestral sound.
The Boat song is a duet with Emmy the Great, who he worked with on 'I believe in the way you move' and they trade verses and backing vocals in epic folksy storytelling fashion. It's a song about the sea and two lovers (?) of course in separate boats, missing each other which works perfectly with these two voices separating and supporting each other. A rolling snare drives the track, which builds on acoustic guitar, piano, and reverb electric guitar which gives the whole thing a rambling alt-country feel, something like Bright Eyes 'Cassadega', building on that tradition informed by the possibilities of technology but still just solid and completely sure of it's direction. It's just plain enjoyable and catchy and unpretentious.

The AA side is a cover of New Order’s Temptation. Who doesn't like temptation? It's an obvious but intimidating classic New Order track. Jeremy is no stranger to covering material as that's what he started out doing early as a songwriter and he obviously respects the original. Rather than completely deconstruct it, he adds emotion to the cool removed vocals of the epic track. It's re-imagined as this organic rock song, something more universal than the dance leaning original. Here the electronics are turned into live cymbal crashes and synth becomes a delicate piano melody. It becomes a huge sounding orchestral piece...it's a great great cover and is well worth tracking this down for.
Transgressive assures index7 this will not be available anywhere else, which is good news for this 7", but bad for anyone who misses it.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - OIB records

2008-04-28T03:16:00.005+01:00

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone

Title: Town Topic EP
Label: OIB Records
Quantity Pressed: 1,200 (200 X blue vinyl, 500 X clear vinyl, 500 X black vinyl)
Release Date: 5th May 2008
Track Listing
1. Ice Cream Truck
2. Town Topic (instrumental)
3. I Love Creedence (instrumental)
4. Green Cotton Sweater (version)

Renowned video artist Laurel Nakadate worked with Owen Ashworth of Casiotone to score her new film 'Stay the same never Change'. Ice Cream Truck, the first track on this EP, utilizes a simple preprogrammed machine rhythm all equalized into pure treble audible at the lowest volume. A echoed melody based on the maddening repetitive ice cream truck song on every corner is the only other accopanyment to Owen's distorted sleepy vocals. Filmed in Kansas city, stay the same never change used non professional actors and examines lonliness and voyerism in suburbia, a perfect fit for Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's hauntingly innocent pop.

I love this idea of stripping away all the musical choices you have in the world, all the instruments and limiting yourself to just one, the casio SK-1. You know... the keyboard that had a sample button and you got one for christmas when you were 12. It makes perfect sense trying to make something great out of nothing, conjuring up real magic out of the simplest device. Not even consumer level equipment, barely one step above a toy, taking it seriously and forcing greatness out of next to nothing. That is the true test of greatness, there's no tricks, nothing to fall back on, create the parameters to work within to push yourself and the sound. Owen Ashworth has been performing this pop alchemy for just about a decade, slowly expanding on the harsh cheapness of this starting point and combines all of this with distortion, and deadpan underwater vocals. It's an uncomfortable ride of sweet sadness, and definitely worth searching out as another gem in a long list of Casiotone's amazing seven inch releases.

Isoscoles on Art Goes Pop

2008-04-12T02:37:00.001+01:00

ISOSCELES
KITCH BITCH / WATERTIGHT
Art goes pop
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 21st Apr 2008

Isosceles is the latest four piece from Scotland. You can't talk about Scotland and pop music without mentioning the iconic post punk band, Orange Juice. Isosceles warrants the comparison, especially in this single Kitch Bitch. It has the same playfulness and humor, even more musically, full of jangly electric guitar, quick hook changes. I could even see them using one of those hollow body Gretch's, strumming out the catchy hooks, shuffling back and forth honestly enjoying themselves.

Isosceles has updated this naive sound maybe with a little more attitude, bordering on Art Brut, that kind of direct half sung delivery, with equally clever lyric's like 'She's looking from the outside, but she always knows what's in', to the point where it's so full of pop culture references you wonder how they can get away with it. But they pull it off, even addign some classic hammond organ, and it's a logical extension of the legendary band and it's optimistic direction.

Mr. David Viner on Ambiguous Records

2008-03-28T14:33:00.000Z

Mr. David Viner
Go Home / Welcome Change
Label: Ambiguous Records
Format: 7” Vinyl and Digital

It's always a surprise to hear someone reinterpreting this classic acoustic blues rooted sound in such a new way, it takes someone like Mr. David Viner (Mr. is his first name) to have you reappreciate this stripped down folk sound. It takes vision and talent to even approach this well worn territory, but here he pulls it off in spades. Like the great Nick Drake, he's recording live leaving a warm room sound and an emptiness right before the 'one, two, three, four...' of this haunting immediately satisfying acoustic melody.
NY based folk newcomer, fresh off an appearance on Conan O'brien adds a lush duet element to this anything but self described musical suicide note, the orchestration effortlessly builds on the hopeful cascading heavy hearted gem.
The strength of this A-side is worth the purchase alone, but it alos comes signed by Mr. David in this limited edition vinyl release.
Adding to this blues crossroads myth is that supposedly he was discovered on tour with the Von Bondies, working their merch table eventually landing an opening slot on their tour. More recently he has been touring with the similarly neo blues act the White Stripes.
Melancholy heartbreaking blues never sounded so good.

From Ambiguous Records:
The Ed Harcourt-produced track is a bittersweet duet with New York singer/songwriter and new Heavenly signing Jaymay, featuring Viner’s finger-picked guitar backed by a stripped-down band of cello, double bass and drums.

The Band is: Mr. David Viner (vocals/guitar), Alice Gunn (backing vocals/cello), Ben Swank (drums) and John Cheeseman (double bass).

‘Go Home’ is released on April 7th on Ambiguous Records – available on limited edition vinyl and itunes.

kuryakin on fast cut records

2008-03-23T19:36:00.001Z

Kuryakin
Fought A War / Rain
Fastcut Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 1st Apr 2008

Kuryakin is a swedish hushed pop electronic laptop project of Petter Gjöres and Johan Norberg who met at university in Uppsala, sweden and began trading tracks back and forth which gradually evolved into Kuryakin and they signed to the Japanese label Fastcut records shortly there after. Kristina Dahlman also began collaborating with this duo adding background vocals and further programming.

They have that Tunng folktronica mix of classical, natural sounds based around acoustic guitar melodies and a clearly sequenced computer foundation of beats, sounding at times like the other distanced back and forth musical project, the Postal Service, not as technical or harsly electronic, more of a balance between musicianship and machine. The multitracked ethereal vocals from Petter act as another heavily effected element in the mix, on the same field as the melodic lines, at times sounding computerized.
It's a great balance of mostly human elements and swirling vocals intermixed with just enough unplayable mysterious instrumentation to keep it compelling. It's anything but ambient, with lots of samples, string sections and channel panning.

This very catchy lush 7" will surely be snapped up quick, be on the look out for these up and comers.

Jason Dean

Alaska in Winter / Marianne Dissard

2008-03-15T15:01:00.005Z

Artist: Alaska In Winter / Marianne Dissard
Title: Close Your Eyes - We Are Blind / Trop Exprés
Label: Regular Beat Recording Co.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500 (white)
Release Date: 7th Apr 2008

This single is about a week away, and be on the lookout for it, I don't think either of these tracks will show up on anything else. Both of these talents keep serious company which will insure this will sell out immediately.

Alaska in winter is primarily Brandon Bethancourt with a variety of contributors. On this 7" A side track 'Close your eyes', he's joined most notably by wunderkind Zack Condon of Beirut, who lends his trademark vocals and ukulele to this track at first, which is great enough, but then it makes a drastic u-turn from his organic orchestral sound right away with the foreign sounding drum machines and electronics. Sounding something like another conceptual Postal Service project, his voice layers on itself and harmonizes to create a rolling old sing along that seems like a long lost cover of some indigenous lost hymn.
Brandon literally spent a winter in Alaska isolated with a laptop to create the full length on Regular Beat records, the result has combines these classic elements with the laptop to walk the line between familiar and surprising.
The B-side features Marianne Dissard, a french native who has since been transplanted in the American west. She's a renaissance woman, performance artist, documentary filmmaker and here recording artist. This is an interesting combination of Edith Piaf fronting Calexico, the western influence is evident musically in slow acoustic strumming with moody violins and a restrained half rolled snare drum. Her vocals are mixed up front and separate from the instrument sound, she's lost in echo and it's something like Nico's accented talk, but coming from a talented singer.
Surprisingly this single highlights the similarities in the human experience from the middle of the snowbound wilderness to the tumbleweed filled desert.

Jason Dean

Thomas Tantrum on Cool for Cats records

2008-03-10T11:47:00.008Z

Thomas Tantrum
Swan Lake
Label: Cool For Cats
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 24th Mar 2008

The obvious draw here has to be lead singer Meg Thomas who simultaneously is playing the part of a stand off-ish bratty coy little sister and mysterious loner, who no one will ever get to know, but she's not going to be lost in the background behind the moody pop guitar flourishes. The band smartly places her front and center to head up this sugary pop, which Meg keep memorable lyrically strong, this is the kind of stuff that comes straight out of youthful exuberance and plenty of sing a long 'ah ah ah ha ah ha's'. It could be the the direct descendants of a rocking Sundays, those airy or the Cranberry's on their best days.
It's a more produced twee pop, shifting across both channels of guitar driven hook filled riffs and changes, like the fierce catchy-ness of Tokyo Police Club or a less angry Be your Own Pet.
This new single 'Swan Lake' is set to be released through Fierce Panda's new singles label 'Cool For Cats Records' which recently dropped the Fights like Apes a worthy contemporary in the power pop direction of this offshoot label.

Jason Dean

lykke Li - LIttle bit on Moshi Moshi

2008-03-04T17:36:00.000Z

Artist: Lykke Li
Title: Little Bit / Dance Dance Dance
Label: Moshi Moshi Singles
Quantity Pressed: Not Specified
Release Date: 25/2/2008

Lykke Li is part of the Swedish invasion with the likes of Peter Bjorn and John and the Shout Out Louds even providing vocal backup tracks on Our Ill Wills, the Shout Out Louds last album. Produced by Bjorn it's a mix of slushy dancefloor, large sounding, multilayered polished pop, but not without the cheap junk drum machines and off key ukulele, like in Little Bit. No doubt influenced by Bjorns influence creating a really interesting landscape that keeps the sounds guessing a little bit. Lykke at times sounds like a whispery Bjork with rolling r's and the slightest accent. Like the understated sleeve, she's not all flash and image.

Dance Dance Dance pans back and forth between quiet guitar and rimshots, her tiny voice echo-ing around the mix. She's obviously a talented vocalist and even croons a bit at times, like a futuristic remix of a lost soul singer accapella track. Again the combination of machine, alien sounds with organic low-fi liberal use of disjointed saxaphone and horn section at times is it's strength. Like the PB&J full length it gives a little distance and reality to the foreign borderline too stereotypical dance pop that it successfully navigates.

Jason Dean

The Humanity on Happy Release records

2008-02-27T17:04:00.001Z

Artist: THE HUMANITY
A - Bass Linear
B - Hollywood
Label: Happy Release Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 17th Mar 2008

Happy Release records is putting together an impressive early roster of artists in their embryonic arsenal: Spilt milk, Dirty hands, and Molloy. This is an impressive bunch with really unique sounds. I would say the only common thread might be this extreme leaning of each band, there's no middle ground with any of these sounds, they have a distinct vision that you either like and fanatically get or probably hate, either way they have cvered their bases...you'll fit into one of these camps.
Bass Linear is full of the frantic strained vocals of 'Thorntocon', (that name is nothing with bandmates like 'Liq Weed Ganja'). He sounds something like Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav with this menacing 'I will make you dance' attitude. Musically they could be cousins of the Brooklyn super group. They share the slightly off synth heavily produced punk footprint.

On top of everything this frenetic pace is separating it from the usual indie rock that you're bored with half way through the A side. There's a particular sound in this dance/art/rock style that can easily be attributed to experience rocking live, there's no substitute for the energy and feeding off a crowd. It can't be faked or learned. It's one thing to play in your bedroom, constructing everything perfectly in this noise disco world but to get out and perform with all it's imperfections will change you as a musician, you can hear that however limited experience on this A-side track, that was begging to be a single.

The Humanity is quickly killing their idols, and attempting to leave every genre and band in their wake, they don't necessarily have to burn the mother down to get some attention....They certainly have that youthful cynicism down, calling their music the soundtrack to the cultural and financial depression of 2008....wow... we'll have on the turntable while we tie the noose, Thanks.

Jason Dean

Grand National - Animal Sounds

2008-02-22T18:49:00.006Z

Artist: Grand National
Title: Animal Sounds
Label: Sunday Best Recordings
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 25th Feb 2008

Much like the Knife's 'Silent Shout' that seemed to come out of nowhere, channeling the interesting parts of the 80's keyboard age, Grand national has intimately constructed the sound of calculation. Every keyboard note and high hat 24bit sample has been tuned for maximum reminiscence.

The first single from their second album is everything musically that the update of the Miami Vice film was not: capturing that particular place in time in feeling, not necessarily through all the ridiculous fashionable forgettable elements.

It's that inexhaustible excess maybe that they are drawing on, the thrill of this new technology and exploiting the unfamiliar sound to it's limits of perfection. Digital for the very first time.
This could easily have found itself into those authentic 80's period films and the band has extensively studied and rehearsed this particular sound, playing in various cover bands to pay the bills and avoid a day job.

As if they were a long lost band who opened for Duran Duran, or Human League, this meticulous craft in songwriting can these days be done unencumbered by an expensive studio and engineers on a laptop at the kitchen table, and Grand National is taking this freedom and injecting some feeling into the typically cold techno approach to the samples and loops being king.

500 pressed seems like an awfully small amount for where this band is supposed to be headed, this hits Monday and don't wait on it.

Jason Dean

White Rabbits - While we go dancing

2008-02-20T19:40:00.002Z

White Rabbits
While We Go Dancing
Fierce Panda Records
Quantity Pressed: Not Specified
Release Date: 17/3/ 2008

The White Rabbits are touring with the Walkmen, starting in NY in March and there couldn't be a more perfect match. They share the strength in vocals, literally turning every verse into a yelling crescendo of energy gathering speed, in tracks like 'The Plot' and this single 'While we go dancing'.
The blending harmony you're hearing is from three singers, that's not layers of tracking, it's three people singing together, along with two people or more at any time drumming, and the standard two people playing guitars, its a unique ensemble for sure.. bent on atypical rhythms for rocking and bringing the live noise.
This is still a little less than a month away and there's no word on what's planned for the B-side, but keep this in mind for a mid March release.
On the cover of this single they are carrying a piano across a river, that valuable piano sound is responsible for the melody backbone in every track. It's classic elements like these that ground the songwriting immediately in a familiar place, mashing up of all kinds of sounds, and holding your attention.
It can be at times the pop harmony of the Beach boys and at others the rough pop constructed out of these unfamilar places like Spoon. It will definitely keep you listening from one track to the next on their solid first album 'Fort Nightly'.

Like NYC, they are taking these varied influences and cultures and letting them seep into the sound coming from windows in Brooklyn... a salsa influenced rhythm with woodblocks, reggae guitar in between beats... all culminating in epic swinging moments like the last night of the block party, street fair and molding the pieces into their pop vision.

Can't wait to hear what's in store for the B-side....I hope it's some unreleased gem of more signature borderline pop/world music.

Jason Dean

Brimstone Howl - tunnel of love on boomchick records

2008-02-14T17:27:00.001Z

Brimstone Howl
Tunnel of Love /
Boom Chick Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 1st Mar 2008

Deep down, this fuzzzy overdrive chord progression and distorted vocals is a direct descendent of the blues. It's born of the 60's with MC5, or early Rolling stones, which in turn, came from the acoustic Blues greats, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson...BB King. It's a staple in the American tradition and contribution to music.
At times more than the basic, raw approach to the music itself, it's about storytelling, usually the sad story of cheating, drinking, things that punk can also identify with. It's a fringe expression for the working class, the pop music of it's time which is still universal. Any huge legend of a band became successful thanks to the blues, the Led Zepplins and the Eric Clapton's.

Brimstone Howl is a part of this legacy, and with every other single I've heard, all the familiar elements are there, the high hat heavy drumming, rolling bass lines, high tinny echoed strings and all the band chiming in for a chorus. It's like Clockwork Orange with the Outsiders, an era that's twisted just enough to confuse you and make it new again. These greasers are more Black Flag than Stray Cats.

The Brimstone Howl are playing the blues fast, and loud, loud enough to buzz the amps and border on punk territory, it's the combination that works with other contemporaries like Tyvek and Cococoma and this apparent resurgence of garage rock. Keeping it simple, straight up guitars, amps, stripped down kit. It's a tried and true situation, a classic that will always work, combine with the blues in Lincoln Nebraska and you have a postmodern JSBX second coming on your hands with their latest single.

Jason Dean

Team WaterPolo - letting go on Moshi Moshi

2008-02-06T16:57:00.000Z

Team Water Polo
Letting Go / Problematic girls
Label: Moshi Moshi
Singles Quantity Pressed: Not Specified
Release Date: 25/2/2008

How long does it take for a band to blow up these days? What if you played the right few shows, posted a couple of tracks like 'Letting Go' on your new band's myspace, the URL just freshly registered. Could it happen with a song recorded in your house with garageband and a couple of microphones? Do you think you would find yourself opening for CSS on their tour and a new 7" single on Moshi Moshi?
I doubt it, because for as many right moves as anyone makes there a million wrong ones, and it's not something you can ever exactly pin down, it's an anomoly to try to trace this kind of success from bedroom to single.
This has to be that future we all wanted, where it all comes down to talent and any of the limitations that could hold you back as a poor musician with no gear are gone. This DIY sounds as professional as anything, the lines of home and studio recordings are nonexistent, is this even still a factor anymore? There's still no substitute for sheer experience or not exhausting yourself out of the gate.
But there's no excuses either for the sound, the choices, what's on that record is exactly what you wanted to put out, and what Team Waterpolo have put out so far fits right into the exhuberance of a debut, sounding as optimistic and frantic as a Tokyo Police Club, but as friendly as I'm from Barcelona, it's a pefect ending, from the bedroom months ago to being immortalized in 7" vinyl.

The B-side 'Problematic girls' takes the same dense tracked approach and veers all over genres from measure to measure, all chords to breakdown half rhyme/hip hop summer Luscious Jackson slow jam, into a xylophone solo, and then double time punked chorus with layers of lead vocals. They are proficient in changes that will keep you guessing the whole way through, pulling out an impressive number of tricks in less than 3 minutes. Let's hope they continue to maintain this breakneck out of control level of fun.

Jason Dean

Stardeath and White Dwarfs on Half Machine records

2008-01-25T14:30:00.000Z

Stardeath & White Dwarfs
A) Toast & Marmalade For Tea - AA) Chemical
Half Machine Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 18/2/08

Stardeath & White Dwarfs wanted to answer the question what would happen if Coldplay had a baby with King Crimson. Not that they provide a clear answer to this baby problem, they might just be confusing the gene pool further.

Oaklahoma city based Stardeath is Casey Joseph, Matt Duckworth and Dennis Coyne, nephew of the Flaming Lips, Wayne Coyne, who also penned the artwork on the single sleeve.
Not to say there is a direct influence of course, but I can see why the comparisons are made. There are a lot of crashing symbols, epic keyboard solos, and distorted vocals. They sound to me more like they have a similar sensibility to Grandaddy, kind of deliberate pop sound experiments, covered in a thick layer of sludge. They take their time getting there, but they alway take an unexpected direction. They're mixing laser light shows with progressive jams. They are biting the heads off digital bats.
It exists in that undefinable sound zone where there's no era reference, and an effect could change the entire direction of a song. At any point they could come to a dead stop and a phaser a capella interlude starts.

I don't think we have any idea who made this baby, and Stardeath isn't giving us any clues.

Jason Dean

The taste - I want you on Rank Records

2008-01-23T14:41:00.000Z

THE TASTE
I Want You / I die when the night comes
Rank Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 22/2/2008

There's a nice kind of attitude when Maria Pattusch says 'I want you', you can hear her breath at the end of every verse, she's close to the mic, a little seductive and motioning you over. It's not an attack, or snotty ironic comment back on the opposite gender but more of a coy kind of trap for some unsuspecting audience member. She must be talking to me...right, but maybe she's saying I want to? You want to what?

For a minute the track slows down, and sibling Nick makes a quick break from the jangled backing rhythm guitar to change the dance direction and work the guitar distortion through it's paces, it's a really clean crunchy distortion that's going in a surprising anti-dance direction, I've heard they border on experimental when it comes to crafting the pop, and this is a perfect example. It's a welcome pause from the otherwise fairly typical high hat driven, borderline dance track.

This German based family act have been rightly compared to Franz Ferdinand, in structure and meteoric pop rise out of nowhere, half of these 7"'s are already presold, thanks to their support of Travis towards the end of last year. I've always believed there is something special about duo's and this doesn't look to be the exception.

Jason Dean

Air Cav - Alliance on Surbia records

2008-01-18T14:47:00.000Z

Air Cav
Alliance
Surbia Records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 4/2/2008

This is set to come out early early February, so consider yourself warned, it can be preordered so go find a retailer! This will be worth it.

Air Cav takes it's name from 'Air Calvary' used in Coppola's Vietnam film 'Apocalypse Now', and they are going to similarly rush you on the beach and drop this hit 'Alliance' on you. I can hear a real bloc party kind of song structure here, down to the sustained high note solos that continue on into a breakdown part with just a kick drum. But that's only after falling from the great heights of the chorus immediately before where it all comes together in shimmery fireworks. You need a break from the great heights, that kind of thing isn't supposed to last for the entire song. Then it comes back and carries you back onto a wave of pop goodness, complete with fade out final strummed guitar chord.

They have that big, emotional sound, very much like Arcade Fire, down to the strings, and screaming 'ooohhhh''s in between verses. I know how much that comparison is made and I won't use it lightly, they have the straightforwardness of steady songwriting, and typical instruments. They aren't hiding under too many effects or weird synths, they are doing everything right with what they have...they are taking full advantage of every voice....take it from 'branches' on their myspace, this is completely done in that same spirit of theatrical hugeness and complex arrangement as Arcade.

They are that summer blockbuster that you weren't sure if you'd like, but when it's done right.....

The camera pans back and we're flying off that cliff with Air Cav.

Jason Dean

The Guessmen - Black Balloons on Co-Lab records

2008-01-14T14:50:00.000Z

The Guessmen
Black Balloons / Death By A Thousand Lashes
Co-Lab records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 28th Feb 2008

The Guessmen and their self described 'deviant pop' is as ominous as the black balloons and cheery rainbow on their 7 inch sleeve suggest. This is set for release soon, and you can get a preview on their myspace. The underlying beat of 'Black Balloons' is built on a distorted crunchy sample clanking away, a dark electronic melody and distorted vocals creep over this dance club feel soundtrack that kicks in right away. But they aren't trying to make you move as much as possibly scare you with far off screams in this kind of nightmare rave-scape.

It reminds me of when Killing Joke or Ministry crossed that techno-line and industrial acts of the late 90's went in search of a dance hit. There's nothing wrong with having these dance floor ambitions and I suspect that there is a carnival show to accompany this dance horror show, you would get more than a few guys standing at their laptops.
They incorporate the usual BPM's but with the sinister turned up to 11. The track finally just devolves into complete electronic meltdown and maybe they are playing with that expectation, the club hit that's full of not club sounds.

The B-Side 'Death by a Thousand Lashes' follows with the beats, slowly building on each other, looming with deconstructed electronics, pittering away, their dying output. The fun doesn't stop as There's a kind of fun house feel to the sounds, but it's the kind of sideshow that will actually hurt you if you think you know what you're getting into.

Jason Dean

Spilt Milk - ’Frank’ on Happy Release records

2008-01-12T21:27:00.000Z

SPILT MILK

Frank / Little Habits

Label: Happy Release Records

Quantity Pressed: 500

Release Date: 21/1/08

Go mark this on your calendar now because a little more than a week from now this little gem is coming out on Happy Release records and you won't want to miss it.

Spilt Milk opens up with 'Frank' and great crystal clear production with slightly off, dissonant sounds, every guitar has that lazy perfectly out of tune, picked out of time sound. Gareth Milkfudge, his real name, has this layered singing half whiny vocals style which immediately sounded like the second coming of Modest Mouse. He's barely holding it together, just on the edge of screaming but he's beaten his head against the wall a little too hard. This is the old, good Modest Mouse which was immediate and raw, that weird sound, born out of necessity and imperfection.

Spilt Milk makes it clear the missed notes are on purpose and it's endearing, it's a first take, they're also injecting some good old Unicorns style fun into the track, laughing at themselves in the la, la, la chorus. It's the kind of infectiousness that keeps on reminding you of why you can't stop listening in the first place.I can't tell what the B-side might be but this joyous reminder is the fun of infinite tracks all coming together with every different guitar sound chorused and slight distortions. Vibrating strings in a real room, a miked amp a little too close.

It feel like that great undiscovered bedroom project your best friend has been recording... you knew he could do it, but this is actually going to go somewhere and you sit back for a minute and take a moment to appreciate you are just glad to know him. Don't change a thing....except maybe the name.

Jason Dean

Mechanical Bride - umbrella on Transgressive records

2008-01-02T09:54:00.000Z

Mechanical Bride
A side only - Umbrella
Transgressive records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 24/12/2007

Mechanical bride reconfirms that this is after all a good song. No...really, hear me out. My friend played it acoustic for me one day and before I could ask why it sounded so familiar, it hit me what he was playing at the umbrella part and it worked. It may have been born in some kind of song laboratory but there is something there even after everything is stripped away. It surprisingly is catchier, more listenable. Mechanical Bride hopes to breathe new life into this overplayed track which I'm sure has made as many 'worst of' as 'best of' lists.

Lauren Doss, Abi Bailey, Tommy Heap, Marcus Hessenberg, Sam Pearson play an impressive variety of classical instruments, from violins to euphonium. Lauren's vocal style on the track lends itself to it's inherent melancholic sadness. It's right up front barely whispering at points or getting lost to layers of delay, it benefits from this intimacy. It's not a celebratory song...when the shit hits the fan, hopefully someone will still be there. It was contorted into a dance hit, but here the minimal glockenspiel and staccato strings plucked and brief provide the rhythm part of the track behind a dissonant piano riff, which I happily can't connect to the original. The chorus of course goes for the ella ella ella in swirling echo fashion. I guess if you have to go with that part, you might as well really give in and trust it will be more than just an ironic novelty.

My only criticism is the choice to put this out as a one sided etched seven inch, it echoes tunng's etched 7" of bloc party's 'pioneer', why waste a perfectly good side of vinyl? Sure I like the occasional etching in my study but it's about the music, and I'd like to know more about this band than just a happy accident.

Jason Dean

The Shins - Sealegs on Transgressive records

2007-12-19T08:56:00.000Z

The Shins
Sealegs
Sealegs / Strange Powers (The Magnetic Fields live cover)
Transgressive records
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 3/12/2007

I don't know if there are many of these left, I just got mine in the mail the other day, signed by the Shins themselves. That was a pretty great early Christmas present.
The Magnetic Fields cover is great and at this point it's pretty much the only place to still hear it. It was floating around various blogs and such, but by now it's been pulled from everything except to 30 second preview thing at itunes. The digital single hopefully will be available for anyone that missed out.

I have to go hear Strange Powers again. I just love that they actually covered Magnetic Fields, it's a nice nod to this amazing band in their own right, and just might point a fan or two in their direction.
The Shins are one of those amazing stories, just coming out of nowhere, getting their demo in the hands of someone at Subpop and ending up in that 'Garden State' movie, propelled by Natalie Portman's endorsement. I wonder if they regret that yet? It was maybe the best and the worst line ever.
Sealegs is a perfect example of what some say is their new produced direction. Experimenting with the intimate sound, and everything that made their first two albums so much different from everything else. They have added synth sound and effected every individual drum hit for an almost machine sound with lots of distortion.

That goes in fact for the entire album, Wincing the Night Away. It seems to be a little darker than the others, relying less on melodic falsetto hooks and more on weird effects...it was inevitable. What band (for better or worse) doesn't get major backing and heads into all the things they never had. 40 piece orchestra's, racks of effects. Who wouldn't want to play with all that stuff. This leads in an atmospheric filler direction, which a little disappointing, since this is not why I like the shins...for their ambient tracks, but they are still intelligent songwriters and there's a reason for all the hype. They are going to be around a long, long time.

The Clik Click - my dunks on Friends vs Records

2007-12-18T10:59:00.000Z

The Clik Clik
My Dunks
A) My Dunks
B) I Can't Take You Anywhere
Friends Vs. Records
Quantity Pressed: 500 Pink
Release Date: 10th Dec 2007

The Clik Clik are referring to shoes of course, the ridiculous pursuit of keeping that perfect pair in perfect shape. Stefan Abingdon and Maya Yianni make up this electronic dance-rock duo, barely out of their formative teenage years.

They are entirely too young to making this kind of high energy soul. When did they find time to hone their electro-dance sound after their studies? Of course after further research both of them come from highly musical families. Maya's dad was a member of the punk band, The Doll on Beggars Banquet, and Stefan's parents are professional touring musicians. They have been exposed to composing since birth, influenced by everything from Billie Holiday to Elvis Costello and so far it's taken them in this electronic dance-rock direction.

I can't help but be jealous, I mean, I didn't always want to write, I thought I had talent with my friends in my garage. But I'm glad I never heard the Clik Clik because I would have realized how impossible this dream is. They are insanely talented and are using all the sounds that are categorizing this genre from the likes of !!!, lcd soundsystem, the rapture and CSS, among others. It's catching.

They trade off vocal yelling/rhymes keeping the beats frantic and the electronics 8 bit.
If you're looking to get your dance on, or are a fan of any of those familiar references, you might want to yourself a favor and check out their myspace and track down this vinyl on friends vs. records at your shop.

The Foals - Balloons on Transgressive records

2007-12-12T11:02:00.000Z

Foals
Balloons
Balloons / Dearth
Transgressive records
Quantity Pressed: 1,500
Release Date: 10/12/2007

It's something when a band can put this kind of intricate math melody together live for getting asses on the dance floor. This reminds me of the best part's of !!!. They had one really great track that I thought was amazing a live band could pull off. It wasn't as dissonant or unconnected at times as the Foals, Balloons but just seeing that stuff that's usually performed by a DJ or laptop's. Those happy sampled accidents that can sound great together, but all based on unplayable loops and effects. When I say unconnected about the Foals sound, I mean it in a good way, it's not predicable, the parts keep changing - all at a breakneck dance rock speed. I would go so far as to say this could be dance-math. It's Don Caballero at 140BPM.

So when I checked out a youtube clip of the Foals on Later... with Jooles Holland, I was expecting a DJ, and some laptops, but there was the entire band, rocking 'Balloons' out. Guitars high on their chests, picking out complex loops and I can't get my head around whose making what sound. As I'm trying to figure it out I get too caught up in the groove and I forgot what I was even trying to do. Damn you foals.

This is the first single off their highly anticipated new album, recorded by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. It's also reminding me of the short lived Test Icicles. It's not clean, anti-emotional dance music...it's a little unkempt and rowdy. Yes, there is some math being done in the form of guitars and you could even make a comparison to Battles.. but not as calculating. It all equals a good time.

Jason Dean

Fuck Buttons - Bright Tomorrow on ATP recordings

2007-12-10T12:04:00.000Z

Here's another contest, thanks to the good people at ATP records and you just might even get it in time for Christmas but as always you have to email me at index7jason at gmail. The winner will be notified by this coming Sunday, December 16th. Good Luck.

ATP recordings brings you a really nice calming blue sky Fuck Buttons picture disc. Featuring two tracks: Bright Tomorrow/Little Bloody Shoulder

Fuck buttons is Andrew Hung & Benjamin John Power, who started collaborating in 2004 in bristol, UK. This picture disc is in advance of their release Street Horrrsing, which should be out in February on ATP.

This offering was recorded by John Cummings of Mogwai and that should give you a little clue as to where this is headed. Waves of electronic, manipulated shoegaze are about to commence. Hunched over laptops they have been known live to play at body shaking volume. Both of these tracks are full of electronically manipulated sounds, built on steady rhythms. Bright Tomorrow starts innocently enough, a single kick drum and a looped static sample, then slowly a little melody develops. But it's not until the two minute mark that they get to destroying you with this track. Waves of guitars obliterate the underlying dance track and Benjamin screams unintelligible distorted lyrics and the real fun begins.

'Little Bloody Shoulder' is built on a similar simple percussion rhythm, with more massively distorted guitar. It's the kind of repetition that keeps revealing new elements and textures as it goes on. It's hypnotizing...are the samples changing or I'm hearing them differently as it becomes familiar? More ring phased distorted guitars, chords and string scratching, building on top of the primitive beat. Half tribal, half electronic meltdown.

They seem to be straddling the line of the recent dirty electro movement along the lines of Health or Dan Deacon, but combined with something more industrial or thematic, like...well it fits....Mogwai. From the live reviews I've read they specialize in delivering this audio assault at full volume, you are going to feel it. I'll be looking forward to the full length to hear what other trance rock they have in store.

To top it all off, you have Bob Weston from Shellac master both of these tracks and every painful note is meant to played LOUD. A real needle skipper.

If you don't win it's available from Norman Records.

Billy Childish - Christmas 1979 on Damaged Goods Records

2007-12-06T07:07:00.000Z

WILD BILLY CHILDISH & THE MUSICIANS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
CHRISTMAS 1979
A: Christmas 1979 / B: Ho Ho! DAMAGED GOODS RECORDS
Quantity Pressed: 2,000 (1000 Red and 1000 Green vinyl)
Released: 26/11/2007

It seems that almost anyone making music this long has to be taken seriously. Billy Childish has lived his life on the outskirts of conventional society, the music is just one aspect of his prolific art/music career. He's a poet, a painter, a novelist, jack of all trades, and he has just released this little Christmas miracle on damaged goods records.
Initially this single reminds me of Daniel Johnston or Johnathan Richmond, straight, direct rock, he's got a story to tell, without the epic fanfare. It's that kind of effortless rock and roll that can be maddening. How can he make it seem so easy? That's years and years of paying your dues along with a whole lot of talent. It's punk rock, it's 60's garage, and he's grandfather to this whole genre. Childish sticks to a recording practice that seems to be classic and practical for his level of output. He records in mono with a single PA mic, leaving the rest of the instruments captured with a room mic. It's raw, has the immediacy of a live show, and it has everyone from Beck to Kurt Cobain singing his praises.

I love that this time of year brings out these special seven inches, I applaud any record company taking the time to put the holiday cheer into seven inches of vinyl. I wholeheartedly support it. It works to have this cranky, British institution take on Christmas with all it's jaded consumerism. You can imagine it's not a happy song about snowmen and Santa.

Christmas 1979 is instead a story of a girlfriend leaving our protagonist on Christmas Eve... and it's perfect for Billy's brand of apathetic punk. The song is driven by a bass line with a repeated guitar melody sneaking in after every verse for the entire song. Things go from bad to worse and of course he gets drunk and I'm pretty sure doesn't wake up. The lyrics ending appropriately with 'Merry fucking Christmas to you all'

I know you can't wait to hear the B-side.

Jason Dean

Vessels - two words and a gesture on Cuckundoo Records

2007-11-29T17:10:00.000Z

Vessels
Two Words & A Gesture
Two Words & a Gesture / Clear & Calm
Cuckundoo Records
Pressed: 500
Release Date: 26/11/2007

Something that keeps getting me, and I wonder if it always will is this epic instrumental, math rock recycled trend that seems to keep growing. Am I a sucker for this emotional movement instrumentation? Could you just build a program that followed some kind of formula and get the same result? Maybe...I just know I like it. Also it's just that so far I haven't heard one of these bands I didn't like.
Is it just that easy? I don't think so, I think enough bands approaching this genre have tapped into something. That definitely goes for the Vessels. So far from what I've heard the Vessels lean towards Explosions in the Sky's twinkly subtle melody driven numbers rather than the metal of say...Pelican or the Champs.

These seem to be the two camps that are forming if you want to make that divide. Red Sparowes might straddle the line, although I say closer to Explosions. Along with the quiet moving chorus-y sections, the vessels have a Don Cab stutter stop intricacy, it's not all quiet to loud and back again. For what looks like 7 members, this is a feat in and of itself.

Now this latest 7" 'Two words and a gesture' throws everything else I heard so far out the window, on this track 3 members are singing, harmonizing with each other and it's really changing my first impression. I'm having a little trouble with it, especially since how can vocals sound out of place? Up until this track I haven't heard them. It's venturing into progressive rock territory that I wish they wouldn't go. I'm really puzzled by this direction, but maybe it's an anomaly and the b-side is back to the straight sound.

Jason Dean

The Drones - ATP recordings - CUSTOM MADE CONTEST

2007-11-26T08:54:00.000Z

This week we have another 7" giveaway contest. Thanks to ATP recordings we're giving away a copy of their first release from their new 7" series 'Custom Made'. Just email the address below and include something about contest and 7" in the subject. I will pick a winner this Sunday from the entries, so good luck.

ATP recordings just launched 'Custom Made'. Each release in the series will be double gate fold 7" vinyl consisting of 4 songs, and this is where it gets really interesting. In this beautiful marriage of sound and plastic, they ask each artist for something old, something new, something borrowed and yes....something blue.

For the Drones that meant an old (previously released) track, 'Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands', which they then rerecorded for this double 7", which comes off as an Australian take on early Make up or John Spencer Blues Explosion, this updated raw blues guitar screaming solos, but it's Gareth Liddiard who gives all of this it's unique edge. He's totally committed to his own style, complete with shrieks and yells, that this feels live and is typical of their all out approach.

Next is something new. Thy took a track 'I don't ever want to change', from their latest album Gala Mill. They continue this garage dead dog story blues thread, ending in a complete vocal breakdown.

Something borrowed of course is a cover. They chose Charles Aznavour's 'I drink', I'm unfamiliar with this artist but it seems like a perfect eclectic choice from this french Frank Sinatra. This is where I'm hearing the Pogues, (and not just because it's about drinking).

Something Blue? I'm assuming this will be pretty much left to the band as to how to interpret this rule for future releases. Here the Drones included their aptly titled Shark Fin Blues. Leave it to The Drones to come up with a song title like that. It's a perfect example of the way they are working with the classic rock elements, drawing from some early Neil Young or Tom Petty sound, pure driven songwriting and sound, bringing it into the 21st century and proving that there are still unexplored territories in this familiar sound.

But ATP didn't stop with the music...they are also commissioning artists to design the silk screened sleeves and then hand number the edition which is for sale directly from ATP in an edition of 100. For this release they asked indie rock poster artist, Michael Motorcycle But for those of you that can live on the music alone, there's another 900 out there with the same artwork, and no less of an amazing artifact. I love when 7"'s are elevated by the packaging, they deserve it, and it's the whole point in this fleeting age of digital download. I appreciate that format for different reasons, but given a project like this...sure it's not for everyone, but if you love the Drones or Michael Motorcycle you have to have this.

The 100 limited silk screened copies will be available soon, directly from ATP recordings.

But don't forget to email me and enter to win one of these great 7"'s. (index7jason (at) gmail dot com).

Half Handed Cloud - Winding currents on a spool on the Seven Inch Project

2007-11-20T11:45:00.000Z

Half-Handed Cloud
Winding Currents on a Spool EP
Side A // Missing // Winding // Cut-down
Side B // Got-it // To Fill // Loathed
Seven Inch Project
Quantity Pressed: 500
Released: 27/11/07

Half Handed Cloud is John Ringhofer, a trombonist for Sufjan Stevens, and a sometimes bassist for Danielson, is part of the amazing Seven inch project. This label recently launched with three seven inches from a variety of artists, Half handed cloud being one of them. They have really lovingly packaged all of these with colored vinyl, gatefold sleeves, and then digital downloads so we don't have to spend the afternoon looking for adapters to run the headphone jack out from the turntable to the computer, and then run over and hit record before the song starts. It kind of takes you back to the days of taping songs off the radio for mix tapes. I'm dating myself....and what about the music?

Ok...what we have here is an almost embarrassingly naked John, captured on 4-track and a dizzying array of instruments. Everything from grand pianos to Casio keyboards and a euphonium. I have no idea what that is. Sounding at times like a children's educational cartoon, John harmonizes sincere vocals and simple melodies sounding like a Captain Beefheart meets Davey and Goliath. He packs 6 tracks on this EP, so there's plenty of room to get a feel for this idiosyncratic artist. I have a seven inch where he collaborated with Sufjan Stevens and there's a similar complex orchestration, and it's unbelievable that one person has wrapped their head around singlehandedly arranging and playing these complex hymns.

No matter what your beliefs, there's some amazing sounds to be heard in the third installment (already) on this promising new label.

Jason Dean

Sons and Daughters - Gilt Complex on Domino records

2007-11-16T01:49:00.000Z

Sons and Daughters
Gilt Complex / Cover: Adamski's 'Killer'
Domino Records
Quantity Pressed: Not Specified
Released: 29/10/07

Sons and Daughters, appropriately 2 girls and 2 guys, have a sixties garage feel right off the bat, they launch this track with a killer riff reminiscent of something like Painted Black by the Stones, all crisp distortion and then a stomping tom beat kicks in with handclaps. Adele Bethel continues to drive this track right over the cliff, while backing bandmates add the na na na's which complete the hair raising chorus.

There's elements of rockabilly in rhythm and attitude, they are examining that dark, devil blues place in spirit with a modern sound. Like a haggis western, with Ennio morricone whistling, they could be scoring a grindhouse biker movie. All set in the west, with dust flying, go-go dancers at the seedy stripclub, and guns and gangs. Whatever happens next is not going to be a happy go lucky feel good time.

Scott trades vocal duties on various tracks and rules a thick scottish accent fighting with Adele for mic time. It's all frantic, sometimes hinting at transvision vamp with a tougher edge. They take all these things and subtlety bring a pop dance element to it all, and after all the doom and gloom it's a welcome relief.

Jason Dean

Wojtek Godzisz - The Moon and the Yew Tree on Tigertrap records

2007-11-12T02:51:00.000Z

Wojtek Godzisz
The Moon And The Yew Tree / Time Of The Wolf
Tigertrap Records
Released: 29/10/07
Quantity Pressed: 500

I'm not familiar with Wojtek's punk band Symposium in which he played bass, but from what I hear it's vastly different than this new direction.

From the first yelp and dark piano rumblings The Moon and the Yew tree takes an ominous turn. This is one of those tracks that literally screams out to be a single. There is an arcade fire choral intensity and orchestration, I hate to say it, but that's the comparison that comes to mind. It's a foot stomping viking sea shanty and I can't help but wonder about how much eastern european influence worked it's way into this pounding hectic track, (he's czech) and that this is some kind of ancient call to battle.
With a yo / with a yo heave ho / we built a boat / to keep a hope afloat / and down we go / into the fog below / yea down we go / so keep your head down low

It's straight up primal scream rock.
The video for The Moon and a Yew Tree shows Wojtek in a white gypsy suit, bearded and barefoot, walking in beat, coming across tarot cards and chasing or being chased by unseen forces.

There's no doubt he's got a great voice from climax to breakdown, from guttural yell to quiet melody. I think this split personality is the more rational side trying to talk this berzerker out of destroying everything in his way, and I doubt it will work.

Stay out of his path...you will be moved.

Jason Dean

Manchester Orchestra/Annuals Tour 7" Giveaway

2007-11-08T10:55:00.000Z

The Annuals and Manchester Orchestra would like to give one lucky reader of index7, a copy of their tour only 7".

Manchester Orchestra covers the Annuals 'Brother' and The Annuals cover the Manchester Orchestra's 'Where have you been?'.

Take a listen to the tracks above and then imagine them coming from a tiny slab of circular vinyl, wouldn't that be so much better? Of course it would.

They even reinterpret each others album covers from the looks of the sleeve above.

This is such a labor of love, they are only selling copies at their shows in the US. There is no other way to get it... except here.
That's right, Manchester Orchestra is giving away a copy of this to one lucky winner appropriately enough on index7.

Manchester's cover of 'Brother' is as great as the original, the energy and explosion is still there, they constantly change the rhythms of the original and reinterpret percussion elements and just when the vocals seem to be fading away, when it's quieted down to just a muted acoustic, it blows up into all out chorus again. I've been listening to their latest 'I'm like a virgin losing a child' on Myspace and they have a real epic, slightly prog feel, like a classic rock Annuals if you will. The same intensity, but more straight up rock.

The pairing of these two on the road makes perfect sense and this 7" is the perfect extension of their live show, both bands swapping mates to sing backup or just support each others tracks on tour.

But now for what you came here for: the chance to win this super limited tour only 7".

Just email index7jason at gmail dot com and include in the subject 'CONTEST' or 'I want that Manchester Orchestra 7", or something, include your name and address and you will be entered to win a copy of this amazing 7" your grandchildren will be fighting over.

The deadline for entries is midnight November 18th. You have 10 days.

Jason Dean

Young Knives - Terra Firma on Transgressive Records

2007-11-06T11:08:00.000Z

Young Knives
Terra Firma / A Cavern
Transgressive records
Released 29/10/07
1000 pressed

Mercury prize nominee's, the Young Knives are cultivating this image of nice/weird prep school boys who formed a band, something like the calculating music of the Futureheads combining it with the tongue-in-cheek attitude of an Art Brut. There's something definitely anti-sex symbol about them. Brothers Henry & Thomas have been playing as Young Knives since the late 90's and only recently consider themselves a success. Modestly recording their second album full of '...shit songs like any other band.', this is the first single.

Suits are their uniforms, disheveled suits that have spent too much time away from the office. These are average guys making a go of a rock and roll band, they probably will manage their royalties and everything will work out OK. They won't be one of those sad behind the music stories of drug use and fancy car wrecks, these are your accountants. But they quit their jobs and add catchy hooks together and come up with: fake rabbit / real snake / terra firma / terra firma.

I haven't seen them play an instrument yet in one of their videos, they seem content to play these stereotype businessmen turned bad actors: monotone and repeating the choruses, it's like if Prinzhorn Dance school went way more pop. I appreciate the idea that these disjointed words are beating me over the head, over and over, cramming them into my subconscious. It fits the business model.

They to also be a part of this movement to release 2 vinyl singles and a CD for 3 pounds. This is a ridiculously great trend and another reason to wake up in the morning.

Jason Dean

The Bridge Gang - London SKy Tonight on Sounds Experience

2007-10-31T07:10:00.000Z

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

Tony Donelly / Luff split Neil Young covers on American Laundromat records

2007-10-29T05:13:00.000Z

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

The Brownies - Means to an end on NR One records

2007-10-26T22:22:00.000+01:00

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

Fignt Like Apes - Jake Summers on Cool for Cats records

2007-10-23T15:20:00.000+01:00

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

Bearsuit - More Soul than wigwan casino on Fantastic Plastic records

2007-10-19T15:22:00.000+01:00

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

The Old House - Weekend driver on Louder than bombs records

2007-10-18T11:26:00.000+01:00

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

Play Guitar - You're an outline on black mountain music

2007-10-16T05:29:00.000+01:00

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

Manhattan Love Suicides - keep it coming on Lost Music records

2007-10-12T09:31:00.000+01:00

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

Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time on On the fringe records

2007-10-12T02:39:00.000+01:00

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

Atlantis / Karhide split on Field records

2007-10-10T03:33:00.000+01:00

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

The pyramids - Hunch your body on Domino records

2007-10-08T08:35:00.000+01:00

The Pyramids

Hunch Your Body, Love Somebody / Bucko
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

Falling out of cars - Do you come away on Hooked up records

2007-10-01T07:38:00.000+01:00

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

Joey Ramone and Holly Beth Vincent - I got you babe on Ramo records

2007-09-26T10:42:00.000+01:00

I got you babe / One more dance
Ramo records
released 9/11/07

I really thought the name of this band was 'Joey Ramone and Holly Beth Vincent'... but no... it turns out this is a serious piece of punk rock history appropriately released on 7" vinyl by Ramo records. Holly and the Italians were in the middle of the CBGB's NY punk scene alongside the Ramones, and after relocating briefly to England, opened for Blondie and the Clash. The original seven inch of this duet was a thing of practically legend, impossible to locate and well deserving of a repress.

Of course this song was just the nail in the coffin for popular culture. The seventies and everything along with it were decidedly dead and this was kicking it while it was down. Plus it's perfect to cover, duets are inherently ridiculous and they aren't taking themselves or the song too seriously. Holly and the Italians were sadly overlooked when talking about this era, she stood alongside the Pretenders and Joan Jett, and Holly and the Italians 'The Right to be Italian' is legendary as a punk/new wave signpost of things to come. It's so close to early ramones releases, the same delivery. On an early single 'Tell that Girl to Shut Up' the b-side was a cover of the Dixie Cups 'Going to the Chapel' which was a cheesy Ronnie Specter song the 50's generation reworked in the same vein as those Ramones covers that actually made those songs good.

Ramo records says:
Recorded in 1982 in England, this 45 features legendary singer of the Ramones Joey Ramone along side Holly and the Italians for a duet of Sonny and Chers hit, "I Got You Babe." It also features a pre-blinded by science Thomas Dolby on Keyboards. Joey was so excited after the sesssion he asked Holly to join the Ramones!! Holly did not join but she did appear on the legendary cable tv program The Uncle Floyd Show to perform the song with Joey. The flip side is a great rippin' calssic sounding Holly and the Italians tune clocking in at 1:47!!

Les Savy Fav - what would wolves do on Wichita records

2007-09-24T15:44:00.000+01:00

Les Savy Fav
What would wolves do? / The year before the year 2000
Wichita
9/24/07
Limited to 500 copies

..

Les Savy Fav is one of those bands you have to get to know, if you haven't already. If you know them, you like them, you will be waiting for the local record store to open, or call and reserve a copy. For those of you that might be debating about this single or the new album Let's be Friends for that matter...I am urging you to pick it up, especially if you're on the fence about this band.
I know how it is with certain music...maybe a friend liked them a little too much, maybe you missed any number of their amazing live shows they have put on in their last 10 years of touring. They have been around forever so you have had plenty of chances, well this is a perfect time to pretend they are that new hot flavor of the month band. Pronounce their name a little differently, 'oh lessavy favre, that's a different band'...wasabi 5, whatever you need to do, not that this is a new sound, not at all. They aren't 'happy to cash in' as their website proclaims. This still has the same focused build a song around a crazy sound or canned distorted beat, and somehow come out great on the other side, really testing themselves, without alienating the audience.
They can easily be at home playing a punk rock basement or an uptown museum. The crossover comes from not inventing themselves around a sound, but existing right through it.
I keep hearing about 'They're back from a 6 year hiatus...' You know what they were doing for 6 years? Releasing 9 seven inches! We know...the seven inch followers know les savy fav, we already had the inches album before it was all digitized and repackaged. They didn't stop there either, tour singles keep popping up, and now this? Of course What would wolves do? is a strong contender for best track, but the B-side won't be available anywhere else, and it won't be better off left off the album. This is all quality.

The new album/single is a perfect example of where a good producer can help capture those moments of magic of when everything kicks in with Tim Harrington really laying into you, he's not yelling, just loudly going to convince the hell out of you. Like it's just his thing to really be scarily convincing singing right into your ears, but it's not all business, you will yell along and rush the stage to grab a piece of his garbage bag dress.

Jason Dean

Rosie Taylor Project - Black and white films on Bad sneakers records

2007-09-21T12:03:00.000+01:00

Rosie Taylor Project
Black and White Films / Maps for lost lovers
Bad Sneakers records
Released Sept. 3, 2007

Black and White films take work just to watch. They aren't made with a vocabulary we are used to, sometimes they are silent or subtitled. I'm not used to this and have to really try to forget everything I'm used to and fight not to change the channel.
The Rosie Taylor Project's new single 'Black and White Films' however, is easy to understand.
Sometimes you don't want to work for your music, I understand, you're getting older, I don't need to be challenged everyday with louder and faster. Just give me something to listen to while I fold some socks.
Seriously, we all have socks...I'm not trying to be sarcastic.
It won't take long for shops to file this alongside the apparent resurgence of C-86, twee, indiepop, call it what you will but this may outlast a lot of albums in your collection because it isn't really a part of any of this. They could be coming from more of an alt-country place, melodic meandering acoustic and electric soft picking. The vocals from both Johhny and Sophie, work together to nicely lull you to sleep, in a good way, and then a muted trumpet ends every song like closing the book and that's it lights out.
This reminds me of feeling sorry for myself with hours and hours of masochistic morrissey and the sundays, or later, the softies. Such beautiful memories.
There's no percussion beat to dance to, so this will be for couples only, nice and slo-core, swaying back and forth in the audience.

That isn't to say you won't be crying while drifting off to songs about missing the party and just staying in, while it's raining on your bedroom window. Everyone else is doing something better than you. (Don't forget a Belle and Sebastian reference.)

Shake it off...this single is still available from Bad Sneakers and hopefully that will cheer your sad bastard self up.

Available to pre-order now from HMV or Norman Records or Pure Groove Records or Record Store.co.uk

Tiger Force - Hey Yo square eyes on Marquis Cha Cha records

2007-09-19T10:06:00.000+01:00

Hey Yo Square Eyes / Darth Bruckheimer
500 copies - handmade sleeve
Marquis Cha Cha

Hey Yo Square Eyes has all the elements of possibility... there's over modulated toy drum machines, static beeps, and the attitude. I have trouble believing this is just two people Andy Force and Helen Tiger. They are interrupting each other fighting for the mic like the next test icicles. In other tracks they combine this garage radio shack electronics kit experiment gone wrong, (or right depending on what side of the speakers you're on) with a kind of world music aesthetic grabbing whatever passes their fancy and strangling it with a 1/4" cable choke chain. I can't be sure but there could even be other languages involved.
There's only 500, and handmade at that, I'm a sucker for that personal touch, you can almost picture them sitting on the livingroom floor cutting out polaroids.
This is music by lunatic Saturday morning cartoon committee. I actually thought the equalizer on myspace might be accurately reflecting these frequencies for once. Tiger force tracks are going to be remixed everywhere, taking the dirt and distortion out of the grooves and replacing it with bass heavy dance boredom. Don't do it, put on this frantic 2 minute freak out and watch the dance floor clear out.

The label says:
Hey Yo Square Eyes is the second single to be taken from the debut mini album 'A Wasp In A Jar' by Tiger Force. A band that have devotees in rock, dance and indie circles brings this quick, candid and energetic follow-up single to you. Recently the band have had two of their songs featured on the latest 'Bugs In The Attic' Compilation as well as the new compilation 'Neon Nights' dedicated to dance-rock out on DMC.

Tenebrous Liar - approaching happy on Fire records

2007-09-18T06:12:00.000+01:00

Tenebrous Liar -
Approaching Happy / Nude As The News
Released July 23rd 2007

Tenebrous Liar softly bashes you over the head like a melodic shellac, and like Steve Albini, rock and roll wasn't his first successful undertaking. Steve Gullick is a professional photographer who, among other things shot Chan Marshall's Greatest cover. Maybe that's the connection to the B-side, a cover of Nude as the News where the track really benefits from this open low-fi room sound, it's a nice contrast to the hushed intimacy of the Chan version.
If you can get past this inside joke name, there's elements of dead meadow and Smog: that almost 60's distortion groan, deep purposeful singing, and plenty of room noise and bleeding sounds thrown in for good measure. These are Albini sounding drums, deep, garage, undampened hits with Gullick sounding more like a Lou Reed, bringing some sexy back to this stripped down, nicely low-fi stuff.

It's on Fire records.