Here’s our Top 5 singles of 2011. Sometimes a band has a song where just by itself it’s the shit. Everything else around the album is sometimes window dressing and we’re just not aware of anything else. In some cases more than others we think ok there’s the hit or crap the band just releases a few songs so it’s a bunch of EPs. Anyway, here’s a few jems worth bring to your attention. Happy New Year and Enjoy!
05) “Don’t Think I’ll Make It Through Another” MP3 Single by New Animal. Perfect blend of alt-pop and psych rock. Great things to come from these guys. Another bedroom demo band experiment gone right. Check them out.
04) “Keep Me Waiting” MP3 by Cymbals Eat Guitars from Lenses Alien. The whole album is supersonic without a doubt. The vocals take you on a meandering journey however what I love the most about this music is the guitar interplay. On this tune the vocals is what binds things together because it’s as if Polvo turned into a rock band powerhouse then suddenly you are in the eye of hurricane and it’s over.
03) “And It Come And Goes” MP3 by the Lightouts. This is a head bopper. Simple guitar riff with a killer chorus. What else does a song need?
02) “Teenage Tide” MP3 by Letting up Despite Great Faults from Paper Crush. This is whispy alternative anthem. Sonically perfect no doubt about it. I would even dare to say a #1 hit.
I really like The Bump by Deer Tick. So here’s a live version which was one of best of Albums of 2011.
01) Hyacinth Girl MP3 by The Eversons. We featured these guys a couple months ago and gotta say this song is a great indie song. No doubt about it.
ALBUM REVIEW: If we were to shoot a band up in space in the late 1990’s and then they landed back on earth in late 2011 they would probably sound similar to the music on Lenses Alien by Cymbals Eat Guitars. Ageless and pure indie rock that was somehow incapsulated in this experiment of fluid guitars; almost as if anything that may have come before may have somehow influenced them in a magnetically sealed hyperbolic chamber. Never afraid to just let it fucking rip Joe & his rock-o-naughts launch you into the outer rim in a slow explosion that is every bit Trail of the Dead sounding without being formulaic as telling you a very long story via their music. Maybe it’s easier for you to imagine what The Shins would sound like with balls except in this incarnation they have volume behind the yapping. A track like “Plainclothes” is ever as much a hit as they showed us on their debut Why There Are Mountains. All the notes on here are as passionate as they are live except they give you much more this time. Lucky for them their command was steered by Jersey City denizen John Agnello so we have him to thank for capturing this space magic. But here they are playing awesomely with dynamics and layers of thick amp goodness that will clear the ear wax right out of the dormant state you were in while maybe you were up in the black. People who have since gone deaf to good music with this sonic landscape will be awakened at least for a brief respite their muscles will do a awesome convulsion they did not think they had in them.
We highly recommend this band as a cure for your rock guitar slump and bad posture. Enough of these words. Just fucking buy the shit for yourself. Catch them on tour, buy a t-shirt and whatever they say on your planet. We’re all only here temporarily so enjoy.
Definite Darkness MP3 by Cymbals Eat Guitars from Lenses Alien (2011 Barsuk)
Remember what the 90’s sounded like? Randy Described Eternity MP3 by Built To Spill from Perfect from Now On (1997) Punch Me Harder MP3 by Superchunk (vinyl rip) from No pocky for Kitty (1991) high-wire moves MP3 by Polvo from Exploding Drawing (1996) breadcrumb trail MP3 by Slint from Spiderland (1991)
Charles Bissell (Wrens) & Joe from Cymbal Eat Guitars projectmatters.org
ALBUM REVIEW: Benjamin High’s Green Arrows record Matters is pure like salt. The music and lyrics can melt the ice off young and old hearts in it’s simplicity, confidence and cadent delivery. Ben was a regular young man. He played video games, listened and wrote music with his friends. His pal Joe D’Agostino even tattooed a simple note on his right wrist “1,2.3” which is a song on this incredible record to remind him of those halcyon days. See Ben even had a stint in a early version of Joe’s band Cymbals Eat Guitars and if you’ve ever seen CEG play. You know that Joe plays with a vengeance as if his guitar owed him something. But this story is about Ben’s recorded zest for life which is apparent in this New Jersey Freehold’s kids music. He wears his low-fi 4 track culture on his sleeve with influences in all the right places and I’m sure nothing could have prepared him for his exit. At times this record rings a lot like uncle tupelo while it echoes working man themes and it rings it’s simple refrains freeness alla Guided by Voices & EELs. One thing is certain though, his soul has been here/there and everywhere before and with that in mind the music is free from pretense and pure like golden indie honey.
Untitled MP3 shows Green Arrows Pavement influence pretty nicely. Super catchy indie song. Like a teenage dream so buy it!
His music legacy on Matters is documented here clearly and in his honor his family and friends have created an organization dedicated to helping young musicians like Ben called The Project Matters because it really actually fucking matters. There is no label perse but a youth movement. TPM organization hopes to support other musicians like him to sheppard them into pursuing their passion for music by helping them with a show or just good advise.
The Project Matters Benefit w/ Charles Bissell + music by Green Arrows
BENEFIT SHOW: From what I can gather the Project Matters Organization will help fund and give good advise to young musicians under 21 who aspire to play music. Sort of a PAL for kids who maybe went to School of Rock but maybe just need some good legal advise. Which I think is great. I wish this sort resource was available to guide me as I figured out the music scene landscape.
“TPM’S goal is to empower and encourage these young musicians to reach their creative potential.“
TPM sounds benevolent enough and they are looking for young bands and mentors so get in touch. Back in the day at Westfield, Highschool in Jersey we had the Radical Rock Reactionaries where we took matter into our own hands with a actual club designed to put on shows. Was also a place where some misfits happened to gather and rally around music. The jocks had their sports we had R.R.R. This organization honors a kid named Ben High who was recording a record for his band Green Arrows and Cymbols Eat Guitar with Charles Bissell from the Wrens when he passed away. This show is in effect postumous record release as he and Cymbals Eat Guitars, Escape Directors, and singer Carah Faye Charnow of the band Versant will be playing a song from the record at Maxwells, Jan 23rd,2011 (TOMORROW!). The interesting thing about Charles Bissell solo is that it’s pretty dynamic sounding and trilly at times. The sounds go right up your spine. Meaning if you check out the couple live solo tracks below he’s full electric as if the wrens were behind him filling the space with guitar squealing effects and a subtle groove all around you. We’ll see what he does for this coming show. Lord knows the fans are starving for some new wrens music so maybe he’ll play one (that is if they’ve written any) I’m not sure the 10 years are up since the meadowlands was released. Other than that never heard of these other groups but here’s a couple track reviews. There’s a pretty good backstory on the wrens site for his benefit and that goes into the Cymbals Eat Guitars connection.
DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN:
1. Heartbeats by Versant s/t features Carah Faye Charnow. Think a modern rock version of ABBA with some keyboards whipping around your ears. [BUY]
2. Car Crash by Escape Directors from their release Ladders. There’s a nice balled on her called “Take Me on Home” alla goo goo dolls. The hit “Chicago” is lyrically up there with Gaslight Anthem in it’s narrative form but a little bit more modern rock mid-western. Over-all really good stuff for such young band. One to watch for sure! [ GET THEIR RECORD FREE ]
3. Indiana by Cymbals Eat Guitars from Why There Are Mountains. This is outstanding rock guitar record and totally makes sense the wrens were involved somehow. This track is spooky and spacey which actually sounds like a happy drive through the state of Indiana. [BUY]
4. Everyone Choose SidesCharles Bissell Live at Maxwells 09/26/2004
5. This Boy Is Exhausted Live at Schubas 08/19/2004
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