In keeping with our fem fatale singers theme this week. Here’s a a couple crushers that could easily mystically cut you up with their guitars or voice or both! Leaving behind a puddle of manhood from their gaze if they so deemed but they’d surely prefer to keep you standing for their performance because they want to be adored as they should be! These bands are full of sonic awesome sauce – if the teary parts of gram parsons or whispyness of Cocteau Twins heal you. Fit it with a guitar hammers with these two bands.
ALBUM REVIEW: First up here’s the UK’s The Sorry Kisses new one Keep Smiling (the music always tastes better from England sometimes) featuring the very angelic Hayley Hutchinson as the singer songwriter with the support of her gentleman caller Sam Forrest. This being valentines month and all I asked Sam how he met Haley. He says “They both were playing music in York England for too many years and eventually one summer we hooked up over whiskey, cats and a few gram parsons records…“ OK she might have a different notion of this but allas they make some amazing cosmic music that is as thick with distortion as it is gritty at times with a confluent delivery. Peppered with a healthy does of melodic flavors fit for any music collectors disparate moody taste. Needless to say they are a very prolific couple because of this meshing. If your’re a cat lover or a hater or fan of Hum there’s a few tracks on this one that will make you seek out your perfect match or at least a few biscuits to eat while you gaze in amazement at a poster of Gram Parsons as it were a dream that’s become real. Ok, but lets not stop the dream sequence there; as there’s three dimensions to the Kisses’s music. One of which has this whole 80’s nod to Smiths/cure/echo all in one acoustic pop-ditty vibe with a song called “Blue Skys” that you should check out. Further evidence is backed up by of their passion for country evidenced by a bunch of covers they did during a winter hibernation. We’ve included one here for your love affair to begin. I see another video with the stalker ode (we love those) with the track called “Fanboy” that talks about the good nature that can turn sour where the star actually gives the fan a chance. Sounds like a country theme to you maybe? Give these tracks a listen and mix them up with anything in your Poptopia fantasy band. You’ll do alright. Because the kids are alright!
The Joy Formidable – In anticipation of the Big Roar being released as a follow-up to A Balloon Called Moaning. Here’s a live video to get you excited. This Ritzy Bryan can sure deliver swiftly some serious songstering wrapped in this subtle and delicious alternative Scottish like sounds of Cocteau Twins reverb blanket. If you don’t believe me just grab a song and check it out for yourself. You’ll be an instant fan and all we ask is for you take a hit, breath and exhale. The music is that energized as if you were swimming in a room filled with static electricity.
Here they are performing the lead-off track “The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade “on Rabid in the Kennel with Jack Rabid’s (The Big Takeover) radio podcast broadcast show that they sometimes film/document in Brooklyn USA. The recording is real pro so the band sounds like super awesome sauce.
More extras: Lorelei MP3 by Cocteau Twins from 1984’s Treasure Carolyn’s Fingers MP3 also by CT on 4AD Blue Bell Knoll (1988) | This is some beautiful music [Buy some Vinyl] Sounds best this way.
Ok, here’s part two of the girls that rock the underground. If there is a young or unknown upstart you think we should know about please let us know and we’ll get their music out. These next ladies have been there and done that. Surely setting the bar for girls in rock.
Juliana Maxwells 05'
Juliana Hatfield – The years have encroached on Juliana but she’s somehow managed to make a lot of really consistant records since going solo after the break-up of the Blake Babies. She has long hair again in this video with Even Dando and compared to when I saw her a few years ago with really short hair (see how skinny in photo left -she’s a lot healthier looking now). Crap, I barely recognized her without the long hair as she was buying a whiskey next to me at the bar I thought she was a wanna be (ha!) but then my friend introduced her to me and then she sauntered on stage to play a set with her band. Anyway, she has always been super nice whenever I’ve met her. There’s a funny spam comment from Jule’s on my old blogger account offering up her panties for $20 as one of her minimal services. Never received any spam like that before so has to be her right? Yup, shit like that happens fellas if your’re a musician/music writer. Anyway you should check out here new self recorded home lap top album Peace & Love has lots of 70’s song sensibility – in particular the psychedelic cover art. She’s a real acoustic troubadour on this new one, it’s as if she’s right right in front of you playing these lovely tunes for you and you only alone in her room. To get some more flavor about this real gal check out Juliana’s tour blog. In her recent free-form rants she discloses some very personal and not personal insights. How she does not download music; even refers to her CD player as a Walkman. She’s truly a old fashioned girl and has issue with love as a childless woman (this has to be tough one) but yet she shares. Deep stuff and with her words you really get in her head and makes you fall in love with her talents all over again.
New Waif MP3 By Juliana Hatfield from Made in China Every Breath You Take MP3 Police cover from Beautiful Creature (2000) but if I were you I’d buy Peace & Love to support her in the right now.
Neko Case is also known as the supporting singer in The New Pornographers and also having The Sadies be her supporting band along with some of JSBX. She has lots of rock friends. Also, has a knack for great country covers and it’s also said she’s banned from the Grand Ole Opry for exposing herself there once though she claims it’s because she was dying of heat. Regardless this super redhead has a sexy voice that can melt hardened lava with a strum of a guitar. The Needle Has Landed MP3 by Neko Case from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006) [Buy] Look For Me (I’ll Be Around) MP3 original by Sarah Vaughan. Which is totally oldschool.
Chan Marshall’s Cat Power – All artists struggle with sobriety of some sort and she is no exception. Beside the erratic live performance behavior that has been taken care of via some anti-pharma her music is mostly a sparse amd melancholy scene that is beautifully dark like the Velvet Undeground’s Nico but strong like Patti Smith it’s saying a lot of her talents.
Lived In Bars MP3 by Cat Power from The Greatest (2006) [Buy] The End MP3 Nico covering The Doors (1974) [Buy] Gloria MP3 by Patti Smith from Horses (1975) [BUY]
I realize we left off a lot music off here so far but check out women.
This is no way a complete list of alternative underground female singers. Not even close to a short artist list either. Lets call it the first entry. Mostly independent non-super-star artists who have stamp their name clearly in underground music. We’ll have to revisit for sure as this always part of the music discovery process. Mostly obvious choice with some new faces which is awesome to see and hear.
Liz Phair from a recent show at Maxwells doing the teenage dream song “fuck and run” because she was much better than that and she didn’t think it would happen again. Even with her best intentions Liz is still rocking, even panned for some time for joining in the majors she is a true heroin as she was not addicted to substance like a lot of her contemporaries. This mommy rocks and has a lot of fun doing it. She empowered a lot of women with the lyrics on Exile In Guyville and some of the fruits are starting to become apparent.
Big Eyes – songwise I actually like this punkband better than Screaming Females for some reason because they remind me of songsters The Muffs a lot in their simple delivery -SF are still a powerhouse. Please don’t get me wrong Marissa Paternoster rocks and her solo no-fi effort called Noun is pretty cool too. Big Eyes have apparent melodies delivered in a pop-punk style though which pushes them out of indie ghetto. So super excited to see what comes next. Here’s a young Kate Eldridge doing “Since You Left” on the little video show If You Make it. She’s one to watch. Debut full length coming this for her band this coming May on DonGiovani Records.
Since You Left MP3 by Big Eyes from their Demo 7″ Outerspace MP3 by Noun [Buy] features Marissa Paternoster solo from Screaming Females w/ Miranda of Full of Fancy. Another killer track done with a piano is “Call Earth” — get it from [Buy]
Last one: Here’s a song by the California band The Muffs which is led by Kim Shattuck. They spent some time on Warner Brothers right out of the gate in with a single or two on Subpop. They are still playing with a recent reissue release with some extra bonus B-side called Kaboodle. She knows how to use a distortion pedal and is not afraid to use it. Check out the muffs blog.
SOMETHING EXTRA: Big Eyes MP3 by Cheap Trick from the In Color Albini mix and recordings. Obviously not a gal band but love the homage to this song. If indeed they named the band after the song. [Buy Some Cheap Trick] You deserve it.
We love the Archers of Loaf around these parts. I’m not sure if Indie Rock as I knew it would have any real meaning without Icky Mettle. Seriously, the record is wholesome college noisy indie rock with just the right amount of grit and sing-along to make it a true college radio break-out. They got weirder as they went breaking boundries staying under the radar from major airplay. Meaning no top 40 hit but all hits on every record in their own right. So it’s about time they did a reunion show. Don’t get me wrong big fan of Eric Bachman’s post AOL band Crooked Fingers which was more neuvo folk with a huge following all on his own but there is no denying the Loaf. I’ll have to find out more about this show and if there are any more shows planned? The past year there has been a bonanza of reunions…
Archers Of Loaf Live Maxwells -IckyMettle Tour
Here’s a live show from 1998 that Captain’s Dead posted last year. The pic above was 1994 or so I think. I don’t remember that era as it was a total blur of some amazing music coming out every month that it was hard to keep up. Also, nice live review of the show on Sunset in the Rearview; apparently some nut from Jersey traveled down to North Carolina based solely on a rumor AOL was going to be playing.
Cue up the tape to the right spot as I remember playing a Sunday night show at the old Brownies around 2000 in the loweast side with Aviso’Hara and for some odd reason (really fucking stupid actually) I left my bass at the front of the stage so I had to return the next night to pick it up right before the Monday night show. The door guy let me in and thank g*d it was there hiding in the shadows. I think we actually got the club a noise pollution ticket and then they became a old hipster disco. Anyway, Then on my way out I run into Joe from Plug Spark Sanjay and a couple other Hoboken friends who had shown up to see Mr. Backman play a solo set with just him and his guitar with a bunch of effects. So I stayed and was blown away and have been a fan ever since hearing and seeing this reimagined style of folkish indie rock. Music is about accidental discovery sometimes and that night was one of those instances. [Get some back catalog Archers]
Crooked Fingers Live Shows:
Jan 21st The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC
Feb 19th The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
SUPER EXTRA JUICY BONUS:
3. Hit it nowMP3 by Plug Spark Sanjay from Regular Pinto (1999). We’ll have to revisit this record and band properly very soon (actually I think I lost this record so need to get a burn from somebody – help!?) but if there is anything new you’ve never heard of and this is it; you should download this right now. Don’t pause for even a second. It’s the opening track to their debut and it’s a #1 hit and it’s catchy as all get out.
4. Accidental (Moron) MP3 by Aviso’Hara from Our Lady of The Highway. Recorded at The Pigeon Club in Hoboken, NJ by Wayne Dorell. More Our Lady by Aviso’ this way »
ALBUM REVIEW forLeft & Right: Computer generated and recorded music would not be possible 15 years ago like it is today. Which is good and bad I suppose. The way we hear things has no happy accidents from your regular old analog compression unless its you’re own special subtle twist and you have drunk people insisting your guitarists sound like Dean Wareheim from Galaxie 500. Maybe a obscure sign you are making good music you like verses what you think other people will like. To reproduce that magic accidentally is the trick for sure for whatever the drunk guy heard. You still of course need some SKills underneath all of “it” and be able to borrow ideas, as there is only so much auto-tune that can be corrected, so lets face it most independently recorded music are demos until there’s some validation of your product at some point. Whatever the hell it is what do I know. Maybe somebody pays your way? Left & Right has four dudes who have documented the special secret sauce and the ingredients are in their album Miss Virginia. The music comes highly recommended and we give it four hot southern girl’s drunk on PBR’s which is our way of saying — thumbs up.
Old Smile’s Debut comes to us via the new cassette label tree top sorbet. I first encountered this bizarro cassette label culture a few years ago at the Cake shop when I picked up Knyfe Hyts (which i’m just getting over btw) and I suppose we need to calm down a bit considering the above rant about demos and self recording quality. Music on tape used to = Demo.
Anyway, the O.S. decompiles a freedom of making music. Tom Herman the man behind this viejo’s grin is in good shape. Mixing experimental noise with your regular ones is fine by me in Neutral Milk kind of way. This is the early stuff. The music you will roll back to and turn on the 60 watt energy efficient light buld and “I see where he was going”. Who wants a bunch of pop-songs in a row anyway? There’s some nice oceanic layers in this music and is meant to be listened to in sequence because the notion that everything needs to be hit is a negative affect of top 40 radio Regardless, while there are no “hyts” on Hawkin’s Bridge perse the music is ambient like cough syrup on a tofu icecream sunday and organically fills in the melody with swan song vocals making picture of Brooklyn cityscapes streets seems clear to me. We hear it this way at least. Three and 1/2 PBRs on me.
Welcome, here’s the first 7 of my best of lucky 13 albums for 2010. I’m breaking it up so you get a chance to listen to this first batch. Lots of albums will be in a different list all their own like No Age, She & Him II, and Superchunk just to keep you guessing. Although great bands they did not make it to this particular list. Here’s the review stalker guidelines for selecting this years list. Pretty general stuff but anyway. Enjoy! Rule: 1 Don’t stick to any one sub-genre if you can help it although you like what you like. Rule: 2 These are albums not hit songs or singles although a good album has stand-out tracks it needs songs around them that make sense so the record needs to gel from the beginning to end. One song does not an album make unless it’s a amazing song. Rule: 3 Just because a band made great record in the past doesn’t automatically qualify them. Although if it’s kind to your ears for reason you can’t explain put it on the list! Rule: 4 These are not Grammys so don’t make obvious choices mix and shake it up some variety. Not even easy as a guideline unless it’s a specific black metal list. Rule: 5 Listen with your ears on and check out these songs if you’re not familiar with them already. Make a mix and share it with your friends. Then go support the bands you like and buy their music you cheap ass. That’s the point.
The Soft Pack via Kemado Records
13) The Soft Pack – Self Titled
This band used to be called The Muslims and not sure why they changed their name to something more PC. Sort of lame but whatever. My friend Albie turned me on to them and just based on this song alone they made it to my best of list. I don’t know a whole hell of a lot about them other than they know how to compose a good rock song or two. See I’m breaking my own rules already.
Listen: Download MP3: C’Mon [Buy]
The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever
12) The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever
This is their Let it Bleed. This is band knows how to lay it down and are relentless despite the departure of their keyboard player, the rhythm section, the solos are right in the sweet spot, and big rock ideals make every track a keeper. Singing songs about girls and drinking doesn’t get any better than this. Shit there are only four chords anyway.
Listen: The Weekenders MP3 [Buy]
Nada Surf - If I Had a Hi-Fi
11) Nada Surf – If I Had A Hi-Fi
This is a cover Album. Wait what? Yeah and you know what it’s awesome all the way through. Every song sounds like it could be a Nada Surf song. They are songs that have inspired them or they inspired it seems to me. It’s confusing but hot damn they do everything justice. It’s a first here for sure. Here’s our review with all the original versions of the songs(almost).
10) The Black Angels – Phosphene Dream
Psychedelic or Psych or voodoo rock. This record is huge. The sound track for a all out acid war. Picture tar pits burning and people running around naked like a scene out of True Blood. That’s track 1 and it just gets wilder from there. These are images this music conjures up. A little Jim Morrison a little led zeppelin. This stuff is huge and simple at the same time.
Listen: Telephone MP3 [Buy]
The Fall - Your Future Our Clutter
9) The Fall – Your Future Our Clutter
Mark E. Smith is the grand creator of alternative punk among the best of the . A constant artist who keeps moving The Fall’s music even it should not be moved. His place in history was chiseled and yet he chooses to take the same old atonal ingredients using keyboards, drums, and bass bulldoze over his own castle and fill it with more crazy moaning alchemy. Great noise.
Listen: Hot Cake [Buy]
Sweet Apple Love & Desperation
8 ) Sweet Apple – Love & Desperation
Lots of big rock jams on here of the kind pot smoking variety. Another big rock entry on this best of list. Besides the fact it has variable rock star weight this is great. That’s all.
Listen: Flying Up A Mountain MP3 [Buy]
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil's Tattoo
7)Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat The Devil’s Tattoo
This is southern black magic. This shit rocks hard and is relentlessly distorted with creepy church organs. I like them so much because they remind of the american version of The Jesus and Mary Chain sometimes. All the guitars sound great and fills a huge space.
Listen: Beat The Devil’s Tattoo MP3 [Buy]
Unremarkable People Confirmation Bias EP via Ourselves Collective
Album Review:Unremarkable People are my New favorite band on so many levels if life were a video game. The group is the brainchild of one known as B. Mandelbaum. Not a very rockstarish name but then again neither is singer/songwriter Burt Bacharach.
The evidence is in the words and melodies that are apologetically so and prolifically free. How else are kids supposed to work? Mandelbaum and his collective of friends (Dan, Adam, Tom, Steve, Christian, Jeremy, Bill, Matt, Rowen, Mike, Joe..) remind us sincerely musically of the one man show known as Los Halos lead by Samezvous aka Eli Wenger or East River Pipe.
One way to come up with huge discography is to never stop recording and to release as much material as you can as if your life depended on it. This is what Unremarkable People have done in the tradition of cooperatives. A don’t stop. Don’t look back Clash philosophy where you are dared to quit. Maybe they edit out the shit (or maybe not) and move on. Not sure if it applies here since there is one beating heart creating the material and lots of friends are involved. To make them just show up to the scene is probably a job in itself.
The evidence is the debut a 16 track epic that was recorded in different places in and around Brooklyn, Queens and Shirley NY called A Rare Condition, in This Day and Age(2009) but this is not what I’m here to talk about today. The second release is compromised of 5 EPs! Not singles or 7 inches. The latest of five final installments in series is called Confirmation Bias EP. This is manicmusic the sort that blasts out of confetti cannons for good reason at all other than to celebrate imbibing air. Pop music with a infectious melodic sting not unlike a needle prick but in the 2 1/2 minute variety that is sure to bring out your best most awkward dancy dance.
Shows:
Fri 12/10 Union Pool w/ Roadside Graves
Sat 12/18 Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt Christmas Spectacular @ SILENT BARN
Sun 12/19 Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt Christmas Spectacular @ THE OASIS
Fri 1/14/11 Brooklyn Fireproof East
Influences and stuff I hear in Unremarkable People but decide for yourself:
Baltimore (mp3) East River Pipe from Tape op [Buy]
Lioness (mp3) by Los Halos From Leaving VA and here’s an outtake called Loveless(mp3) that did not make it onto the album and was only available if you got the box set of cds mailed to you. This cd was called a new kind of joy. In the liner notes he goes on about that there was a girl that inspired LVA, then they broke-up and the friend thing was ruined when he played her the song and she laughed. Ouch. [Buy]
ALBUM REVIEW: The immediate happiness of Tapes n’ Tapes one feels comes to mind when listening to Warship by The House Floor band. Mainly due to the timber in the singing and low-fi-nesss of the recordings. Cheap microphones I don’t think so but certainly DIY in most respects meandering in spots while building you up in other places. I’d go deeper but the influences verge and teeter on Camper Van Beethoven and hum stylistically something closer to The Loon or The Shins. For more local reference totally remind me of Montagna & The Mouth To Mouth (track from them below). Certainly has just as much reverb as the song craft does not stick to any particular formula which makes this recording ambiently-free with just the right amount of twangy guitars for my taste. I am thankful there are no crappy keyboards or lame use of drum machines to be found so that is a big huge +. Nothing more annoying than that junk and having engineer like Andrew Maury give this mix some love certainly helps the end result. I can’t wait for their next record already.
My favorite part though are the song titles what I don’t like is that lyrics/singing are unaudible in parts and not a in a wrens sort of way but like small random pieces of paper you find that you wrote to yourself in your pocket only you may know what you scribbled. Some of these treasure titles are like kid’s notes from a childhood past or straight out of the song writers notebook. I’d say about 10 years of age or so. Which makes it a interesting theme album somehow tying the worlds together with an adult dialogue. I’d send you to one of their sites but it’s in Japanese or some shit but feel free to grab the whole record over at Listen Before You Buy. Great site they run there.
All Aboard / MLWR(LOL!) lead track from Warship With Awkward Speech by Montagna & The Mouth To Mouth from L’avenir The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon Camper Van Beethoven from Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985) – Totally grab this record. Will give you an idea of what can be laid down without fear of what your cool indie friends will say in particular since all the words are clear in this style of jangle pop.[BUY]
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