ALBUM REVIEW: It’s not a very long climb to imagine once you are there and in the case of Minor Alps it’s was a journey worth waiting for. The two voices of Matthew Caws and Juliana naturally layer on the music contained on their debut together called Get There that they co-wrote together. As much as two celebrated and hard working songsters can write a song together. The magic happens once you put their voices together as you listen it’s impossible hard to tell who originated kernel of the idea if you were not there. At which point it does not matter because the pastiche becomes it’s own original color. They have perfectly blended together and not just for a celebrated show-me the money single, but for a whole bunch of songs, where in the universe where we revere celebrities these two souls have figured it out. Not an easy task. Granted both with their fair share of alternative hits in their not so far past. It can’t be easy to be humble enough to make something like this light touch album that proves the concepts can work in a variety of flavors. A real drummer here and drum machine there. The years of craft and balance are present.
There are lots of intimate lyrical moments like two lovers exchanging thoughts and memories. We’re lucky they have let us in. We’re all very lucky that they went through so much for us. Start with the rock radio tune then work your way inside their heads and like us we’re already looking forward to the next set of tunes.
Juliana and Matthew have made a metaphorical musical union that if your ears know justice and some of the anarchy happening in music. This is the kind of justice that will GET you THERE with them away from ignorance of what is completely wrong. FUCK YOU PITCHFORK your ignorance is bliss to help the rest of us filter out the noise. The rest of you fans should own this perfectly crafted pop album made with the engineering and the co-producer cranium skills of Tom Beaujour.
Hey I have an idea; lets put a fucking Rainbow on our band’s record and call it Mass. Grave. And lets think of the worst band name ever while we’re on vacation and call ourselves The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries. Yup it happened and here we are folks with a documented testament via Jennifer O’Connor’s label Kiam Records that concepts bands can go well and not sound like a bedroom project.
There are seven songs on here like there are seven seas that are as much a allusion to a Dan Brown novel in that their sound as they are familiar and exciting with some slight of hand moments. This is not a overly-produced record either which also reminds us of earlier Poster Children with some of the bass swagger you would expect from Bob Weston. Oh wait Bob is in this band and the “Parachute” does a huge nod to Dave Allen (Gang of Four). While there is no quiz involved in the listening experience. This music has melodies and distortion all over the place which fans of real 90’s indie rock will thoroughly enjoy. Oh my dear music fans; also if you ever wished slint would be just a tad more melodic and not so ghastly head nod inducing. Then check out “She’s A Fucking Angel (From Fucking Heaven)” Yes like from fucking heaven — case in point is that mix tape hit is in here too. While we don’t think they reinvented the alternative landscape they certainly can claim authorship to a big chunk with their pedigree alone. This tunage stands-out to everything else put out this decade. Yea we mean that gents: Elisha Wiesner from some band called Kahoots and Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine, The New Year) and Bob from all parts Chicago– need we say much more than this? Really– listen below and chuck the label some money and own the LP version. We did.
ALBUM REVIEW: The genre emoticon tunes on this record are as catchy as a cat caught in a blender in heat. Now I don’t know if you would actually love to watch this sort of thing but the music is pretty unforgivingly pop which is being propelled out of the band called The Great American Novel‘s third full length release.
Wait for it.
“:(” Yes this happened but at least they can spell sad emoticon instead of smile because I was feeling, i don’t know, I really don’t speak much more tween than that myself so there is no code to debunk. Sarcastic. Yes we are… So no negative points there because millennials don’t get so easily bent. We a do applaud them for their efforts. You might like to know we think their tunes are strong and better than The Front Bottoms although we can’t stop to think about the time we tortured your plastic barbies and GI-Joes. (Another chapter for another time.)
Anyway, While we don’t want to be starting any wimpy bro wars and have some half drunken cans of PBR flung at us. You may disagree but this music is A-fuckin-OK even if they use keyboards like Eddie Van Halen plays guitar. Time will tell if they can keep this level of energy up which we like and it seems they have like a million of their dearest and closest high school friends singing along on the record. We already have the Vampire Weekend’s and crap they were only good for two songs — max. We do love the artwork which was done by Casey Roonan so that is a positive thing. It’s actually art work. Not lame steamer instagram photo. The best tune on this one for us is “Whatevering” and “Wish You Were Beer”. The lyrics are entertaining and speak hip for sure. The music is fun jangle jangle college alternative pop and cheeky like CamperVan. Check it out and follow them facehookers / twitter.
RIYL: Vampire Weekend, Bigger Lovers, Fountains of Wayne
MUSIC REVIEW: Mystic strums of magic created for laptops is the quick summary of the whimsical pop performed by Empty Chairs on Caveat Emptor. This is the kind of music that should be animated into a film feature or laser show. Lots of different movements in the track “Eyelashes”. Their video for the track “Akira” is weird as it has a character which resembles Woody Allen’s Sleeper robot that a girl keeps in her closet to do her chores. Don’t blink too soon or the trip will be over as this is the music dreamscapes are made of in outer space. For people who don’t like drugs this might be a good way to explain what tripping is like. Like a sight seeing person trying to explain what sight is like. This is what that experience could sound like. Very Beautiful music created by Peter Spear originally as solo project into his fold he has added Whitney Broadstreet on synth/vocals and percussionist Matthew O’Koren. Give this sexy dream pop a go. Comes out in Nov so don’t say we didn’t tell you first.
MUSIC REVIEW: Perth Australia, I don’t know much about this country but we sure do get a lot of amazing music from there and Water Graves are no exception. Their new EP is mystic. Like fluffy little clouds mystic. Like AIR meets… we’ll you get it. Born in a bedroom like the rest of us Coel Healy and Blake Hart create lo-fi synth music for the jet set. Soundscapes that may ease your ride up in mall elevator perhaps with the air conditioning cranked up to the point you need to wear a coat and goggles. This music will take your mind places in the same way psychedelic colors might distract you. You’ll end up rubbing the walls and seeing if this music is scratch n’ sniff. The Good shit or maybe you’ll just enjoy a nice cup of coffee while you listen. File under: psychedelic /Electronic
It’s Saturday and sometimes music just collides. We get a lot of crap all day long and we politely say we’ll check it out. We do believe in that courtesy. We know from experience pushing our own damn band though most blogs and clubs just don’t give a fuck to do even that; because they have it worse. So the importance of the words you use to describe your group better ring big ass bells or we’re hard pressed and too damn stressed to find the time to have the pleasure of listening to a band we might actually like. We might forget 5 seconds later too. Let alone after 100’s of release emails we’re churning through on the bus. If we’re awake or after after a cocktail or two. But never mind our issues.
MUSIC REVIEW: One trigger is the Album itself. With a title like Mechanics & Energetics of Stilt-Running which clocks in at 21 minutes by the EndAnd. Says hey they have cut out the parts you don’t need. It’s noise rock/punk the description goes. It’s better we say than this. Schizophrenic for sure but the kind of noise metal milieu riffs that start off with anthems and give you heart-attacks after a long run with the cops chasing you. The good shit that you can feel in your ferrel bones. Apparently they are popular but what the hell do we know. We work in a cave up on the 14th floor. Too tired to Click play but when we do make the time we’re glad we did. A bunch of guys from Brooklyn, blah blah blah. They have a fuck-load of Facehooker fans etc but that shit is meaningless if you can’t deliver; in particular if you get to name your price. The opener “At Fault’s End” and third tune “The Detach” are stand-out tracks. Start there if you too are in hurry like us. “I’m One Of Three” has this messy Sorry Ma forgot to take out the trash thing. Anyway… we don’t care too much for some of quick tapping kick-drum prog stuff because it’ starts to sound like Alice in Chains trying too hard but as a whole this band is great. I’m sure it’s all awesome live. Thanks to James from I.M.P for sending this along without people like him everything would be silent and dull around here.
RIYL: Botch, Iceage, Propagandhi
Next up is band we’ve been following for years. Sludge pop-punk this guy said from The Young Leaves back in 2009 and Christopher from Holliston, Mass has not gone away from the original thing we liked at first when got an actual CDR in the mail. Yes! We say to this latest single Alive and Well/The Love Song Single. If you like loud songs with more melody in one chord than your average boy band. Then give this trio a free download. They even have the token chick bass player which we like to see. But seriously, grow some internet balls. They are coming to NJ on 6/28 and 6/29 Smithtown, NY. So check out some live music. Get the Deets from them my dear facehookers on their page and if you are not already fuckin’ stalk us back already. What the hell is wrong with you.
ALBUM REVIEW: Yea so if you told somebody to make a band that sounded something like Hole and but told them to make the music and guitars drill deep in your head they would sound like Sex Jams. While not as bombastic or crude as lets say Songs About Fucking the tunes have a sonic youth flare. In particular the 2 guitar attack is evident on the slow sex jam “Twist and Turns”. Now we you know we don’t just push any old crap on you so know that if you are a sex worker or a naughty librarian this music should speak to your inner throbbing nyc style punk rock. Not quite GG Alin gutteral punk but something that rises above the blood and bad smell of the rest. This is smooth when it needs to be in a etheral Ravenettes kind of why and so ungodly distorted at other times in the vein of No Age or GvsB you’d think you can actually walk on the music itself. Out March 1, 2013 from the mighty fine Austria label www.siluh.com.
DOWNLOAD: Shark vs Apple MP3 by Sex Jams from Trouble Honey No Face MP3 Free Single by Sex Jams
If you dig this you should try these MP3s: Pleasurized MP3 by Girls VS. Boys from Freak*On*Ica Il Doce MP3 by Big Black from 7″ TG95 Lonely MP3 from Rollins Band from Lifetime
ALBUM REVIEW: Palace Amusements by The Brixton Riot on Modern Hymnal Records is a great throw-back to everything that is good about rock music that is missing these days from the island known as Brooklyn. These Jersey guys reminds us of the hooky parts of Jets to Brazil, Ted Leo RX and the more memorable parts of 70’s and 80’s jangly guitar punk. To help them celebrate this release you should get your ass down to Maxwells on Fri March 23rd where they will play with Lieder, Roadside Graves and yours truly Eastern Anchors for some rock schooling.
I’m not sure there is any irony in a song title like “Hipster Turns 30” when the lyrics sober you up and say ‘get a mortgage and buy a car’. In fact I’d venture to say it’s probably more fandom on the sleeve than anything else. Hard working musicians with 9-5’s doing what they must in order not to drown in the hum-drum doldrums of the working stiffs union. You can tell every note and tone here is plucked just in the right spot and amusement created out of passion. This kingdom of rock is held in the highest of regards like a well crafted champion beer with a pedigree of influences that lends itself to something so familiar you’ll be happy you visited.
These sounds remind me of that sound man: Morning New Disease MP3 by Jets To Brazil from Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1998) Sometimes MP3 by fIREHOSE from If’n (1987) Three Girl Rhumba MP3 by Wire from Pink Flag (1977) Love You More MP3 by The Buzzcocks from Singles Going Steady (1979)
ALBUM REVIEW: M. Ward is americana really. He chose to criss-cross our nation and record A Wasteland Companion with 8 different engineers and 18 musicians from Steve Shelley on percussion and Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis on organ to drop a couple names. The music here is diversely as R&Bish as it a country with a nod to some of things you may not admit you like from 70’s music. In particular on songs like “Sweetheart” that almost sounds a little like ABBA moved down to Texarcana. Then there is the very pretty japinated video single “The First time I Ran Away”… where he’s singing about voices in the storm with many layers of “ooohhhs” and a simple drum thumbing behind the melody it this creates desolate place.
The title track goes the way of being Nick Drake mystery folk acoustic inspired with fiddles fiddling in the background and ends up being pretty dark, almost as if created for a sounscape in some desolate movie where something bad is going to go down.
Sounds some what like: Way To Blue MP3 by Nick Drake (1969) Christ Jesus MP3 by Deer Tick from The Black Dirt Sessions (2010) Loveskulls MP3 from Bonnie Prince on Billy & Mariee Sioux Baby Lemonade MP3 by Syd Barrett
ALBUM REVIEW: Meditate On It is the debut by Sleepless Saints is a record done with lots of gentleman like swagger. A tip of the hat to the guitar production and orchestration that drive this baby home. With great Rock-n-roll voice all wrapped up like Mr. Tom Petty or Mr Nick Lowe respectively. Yeah, we know it’s saying a lot if you like Oasis type reverb rock Singer/Songwriters then Sir, Mr. Christian Edwards delivers the well spun hooks. Lots of tasty vocal layers packaged in this album so say you. All the songs really show a sense of song without muddying up the heart of the matter. In particular on tracks like “Begining to Believe” there is some tasty slide guitar hands here that will buzz your ears as if you were saying “ohm” to yourself. Trust us if we thought this sucked we would tell you but we’re here to tell you this is a good sounding album all the way through with a pop sense that is delivered frankly and honestly. And if we told you Edwards actually has a meditation room in his house would you believe us?
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