Showing posts with label indie rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indie rock. Show all posts
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The Lovetones Spread Across Dimensions
The Lovetones are an Australian band that's been slowly buidling it's reputation over the last seven years. Back in 2002 their debut album, Be What You Want was hailed by critics around the world as featuring songs that were worthy of Ray Davies, Roger McGuinn, Lennon and McCartney. But as fate would have it, the bands leader, J Tow, left Australia to join the brilliant train wreck that is the Brian Jonestown Massacre in 2003. Returning to his own band in 2004, The Lovetones released the Stars EP and then Meditations in 2005 and Axiom in 2006 all to acclaim. These releases furthered the development of the band and set them up for their latest album, Dimensions.
A psychedelic pop experience, Dimensions has the sound and feel of a record recorded sometime between the years of 1965-1968. I suppose you could think of The Lovetones almost as if Ride met the Dandy Warhols and then ran into the Ray, Paul, and John on Carnaby Street. It's a jangly affair that rises up out of the mists of history to sound like reflection of the sum of its influences. In fact, at certain times during, Dimensions, you would swear that the Beatles or Kinks sat in on the sessions. One listen to a couple of songs like, "Journeyman," and "Two of a Kind," and you’ll be convinced that this is a long lost record from a bygone era.
Dimensions is quite a good record that harks back to pop's glorious past while attempting to carry the legendary influences that shape it in to the future. The Lovetones clearly have been around long enough to understand their way around a classic pop song and they do a pretty good job of recreating them time after time. Whether it is lush, orchestral ballads, spacey psychedelic pop, or Merseybeat-ish jangle, J. Tow and The Lovetones have the chemistry, adoration for classicism, and talent that allows them to write great songs that consistently hit their mark.
In a nutshell, Dimensions is one of the best albums from the 60's that never was. It's an incredible record with loads of trippy mind-bending songs that intermingle with simple pop tunes as if it were. If you love classic pop songs and/or the Beatles, Kinks, The Byrds, Ride or the Dandy's then you should probably find this record somewhere and enjoy Dimensions' retro-cool.
Trail of Dead Live The Century of Self
After making a couple of albums that were just about impossible like, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead has returned with what has to be their most accessable and best album to date. The Century of Self is a return to form for a band that has always had so much potential but never quite lived up to it.
Far less mathy and technical than their previous efforts, The Century of Self has a sense of, err, self that relishes the thought of being a record free to do what it wants to do. It's a huge record that has aspirations of world domination but knows that if things get too complicated it won't achieve that goal. So rather than just throw riff after riff into some sort of mathematical equation to generate an epic indie rock record, Trail of Dead goes about this by taking the idea of prog rock and smashing it together with a sense of accessibility. The results of this is The Century of Self sounding like it's gargantuan in scope but still easy enough to latch onto so that the listener doesn't feel like they've been listening to the same song for over an hour.
For the most part their approach works as The Century of Self's grandiose nature is kept in check by songs and choruses that you can actually remember and want to remember. That being said, the band still manage to find a way to cram hundreds of riffs into their songs however, they are arranged in such a way that they make their impact in a subtle and non-annoying manner. "Isis Unveiled," is a perfect example as the song starts out in a bombastic barrage of guitars only to be broght down to earth by a choppy riff that will bash itself into your brain; it's a six minute epic that you can't and won't forget.
The Century of Self is a fantastic record that shows Trail of Dead developing (or redeveloping) a sense of what makes an album good. They've taken their ability to be godlike musicians and toned it down just a notch so that their songs make more of an impact. They still convince us that they can play and write songs bigger than the galaxy but now they do it within the framework of a song that's catchy and less complicated. Just about every song here is among the best they've ever written and I can honestly say this is the first Trail of Dead record I've found myself going back to because of how good it really is. They've outdone themselves here and The Century of Self is easily their best album in a LONG time; perhaps, being dropped by Interscope was the best thing to have ever happened to them.
Monotonix Want You To Read Their Body Language!
The first thing you think of when you listen to Monotonix's album Body Language is whether or not these guys wear lots and lots of flannel.
Monotonix are one distorted, stoned out, crunchy rock and roll band so in love with Marshall stacks and fuzz pedals that you'd swear it's 1972 all over again. Body Language so rooted in Black Sabbath and post grunge rock and roll that you can almost see the plaids and power chords flying out of your speakers. This is one heavy crunchy album that sounds like Tad lost weight, joined Soundgarden, jammed on a couple of Black Sabbath covers and then recorded it all for posterity sake.
It's heavy metal for people afraid of heavy metal but it kicks some serious butt in all the best way. The fuzzed out bass lines and churning guitar riffs sound as if the band were caught in quicksand and took two weeks to get out. This is a band that bashes songs as opposed to playing them. It's heavy, it's kind of groovy, and rolls along like an M1 Abrahams tank, laying everything in its path to waste.
They don't make songs like, "Deadly Weapon," or "Summers and Autumns," any more because bands don't have the bravery required to play this loud and dangerous. Too many moussed up bands today would die trying to kick out the jams like Monotonix do on every song here.
Body Language is not for the faint of heart and anyone wearing a pacemaker should probably just stay away. This is brash, raw, untamed rock and roll and it is amazing stuff to just crank up to 11 and blow out your windows to. Who cares if they look like they're lumberjack serial murderers?
Monotonix are part of the Harvest of Hope fest in St. Augustine on March 6-8. I'd recommend seeing them as they might be the last band to you actually see as they're insane live show could cause quite the ruckus and throw the festival into chaos!
White Wives Enjoy An Indian Summer
White Wives are a band that's kind of all over the place. Their album, Happeners, resides somewhere between punk rock, indie, and the 90's revival. Made up of a couple of guys from Anti-Flag, Dandelion Snow, and American Armada the band obviously is a side project but if you ask its members it is not designed to sound like one. And they don't, as their album Indian Summer, Indian Summer is so well put together that it's hard to believe that White Wives aren't their primary focus.
Indian Summer, Indian Summer is a great work of pop art. With songs assaulting you from every which way, your ears will have a difficult time coming to grips with the fact that White Wives is essentially made up of various parts from punk rock bands. Offering up so much more than three chords and a loud voice, Indian Summer, Indian Summer is a diverse and entertaining record that sounds as if it were pieced together with a lot of effort and intent. As a result, this side project succeeds where so many others fail.
Indian Summer, Indian Summer might be the sum of its parts but what a sum it is. Anything but an Anti-Flag side project, White Wives is a real band with really good songs put together by really good musicians that just happen to all come from somewhere else.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Caught In Motion Are On the Edge Of A Dream
Not many bands can use a piano to their advantage nowadays in indie rock. Ok...sure there's Keane and Coldplay and maybe Ben Folds...but really that's about it. After hearing the debut long player, On The Edge Of A Dream, from Caught In Motion you might just have to add them to that small but exceptional list.
Caught In Motion, much like their contemporaries, make modern indie rock on a bit of a soft rock tip. On The Edge Of A Dream is intimate, chilled stuff that's rarely distorted and sounds about as unobtrusive as air. This is a wispy effort whose pianos and jangly guitars set the mood and guide the songs along a melodic highway that doesn't end.
Perhaps sounding a bit like Death Cab for Cutie at times and maybe a bit like the aforementioned Keane, Caught In Motion are sentimental, poignant, and emotional in all the best ways. In fact, much of On The Edge Of A Dream is like this, consisting of lyrics and songs that seem like stories yearning to be told. It's really quite nice stuff that kind of minds its own business quietly hoping to win you over and if you sit and listen to On The Edge Of A Dream it will.
It's perhaps their song, "Heros," that best illustrates what Caught In Motion are all about. The song is emotional and nostalgic while being incredibly intimate and personal; it's one heck of a three minute ride that might just bring you to tears.
On The Edge Of A Dream is a sweeping record that utilizes its instrumentation to capitalize on its emotional potential. That's something that their peers do exceptionally well and Caught In Motion are learning that one song at a time. For a young band, Caught In Motion have come up with a tenderly thrilling record with On The Edge Of A Dream. Nice job guys.
Caught In Motion, much like their contemporaries, make modern indie rock on a bit of a soft rock tip. On The Edge Of A Dream is intimate, chilled stuff that's rarely distorted and sounds about as unobtrusive as air. This is a wispy effort whose pianos and jangly guitars set the mood and guide the songs along a melodic highway that doesn't end.
Perhaps sounding a bit like Death Cab for Cutie at times and maybe a bit like the aforementioned Keane, Caught In Motion are sentimental, poignant, and emotional in all the best ways. In fact, much of On The Edge Of A Dream is like this, consisting of lyrics and songs that seem like stories yearning to be told. It's really quite nice stuff that kind of minds its own business quietly hoping to win you over and if you sit and listen to On The Edge Of A Dream it will.
It's perhaps their song, "Heros," that best illustrates what Caught In Motion are all about. The song is emotional and nostalgic while being incredibly intimate and personal; it's one heck of a three minute ride that might just bring you to tears.
On The Edge Of A Dream is a sweeping record that utilizes its instrumentation to capitalize on its emotional potential. That's something that their peers do exceptionally well and Caught In Motion are learning that one song at a time. For a young band, Caught In Motion have come up with a tenderly thrilling record with On The Edge Of A Dream. Nice job guys.
Merge Records Preserves The Volcano Suns
Merge Records has taken under it's wing the noble project of reissuing and re-releasing the first two Volcano Suns records. Remastered and featuring tons of bonus tracks, the reissues of The Bright Orange Years and All-Night Lotus Party are a labor of love that will keep fans of the legendary band drooling at the complete overhaul that the label has given each of the releases. Either of the two records are fantastic works and with the albums clocking in at over 20 songs it's pretty much essential that you own these.
The two albums, The Bright Orange Years and All-Night Lotus Party are quite different records. TBOY is a spastic, jerky record packed with enthusiasm that only a college rock band trapped in the middle of the 80's could record. Fueled by a sense of rebellion and raw untapped energy the songs on TBOY are a rambunctious journey from one chaotic experience to the next. The result is a crazy rock n' roll record that while sounding a bit disorganized and uncontrolled is a lot of fun. Check out the hilariously titled, "Truth Is Stranger Than Fishing," for a ramshackle instrumental jam, or "Descent Into Hell," for a spiky, fragmentary blast of the Suns at their best. The remastered version of this album takes the original twelve tracks, remasters them and then slathers them in nine rarities and live tracks making the disc an epic marathon of disordered enjoyment.
TBOY, was followed up with 1986's All-Night Lotus Party. The band picked up where they left off with TBOY, threw all that work against a wall, roughed it up and then recorded something grittier and slightly less tuneful. ANLP is still one heck of a record though and it shows the band embracing the chaos that surrounds them a bit more and making a noisier and spikier record as a result. Sounding a bit like a long lost Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper record (anyone remember them???) the record is humorous at times and even gets a bit rockabilly when need-be. "Cans," is a perfect example of their growing sound as it yells, screams, jumps around, bashes itself and sounds like a hoedown out of control. This is a brazen record that blasts through song after song in a disheveled blaze of anarchy. Like the remastered version on TBOY, All-Night Lotus Party features a whole host (10 tracks) of rarities, outtakes, and live tunes that give a complete portrait of the Volcano Suns in 1986.
Merge has truly outdone themselves here. Both The Bright Orange Years and All-Night Lotus Party are extremely well put together re-releases that preserves two valuable records from falling into indie rock obscurity. These records are both highly recommended even if you already own these two discs; the bonus tracks are worth the price of the re-releases alone.
The two albums, The Bright Orange Years and All-Night Lotus Party are quite different records. TBOY is a spastic, jerky record packed with enthusiasm that only a college rock band trapped in the middle of the 80's could record. Fueled by a sense of rebellion and raw untapped energy the songs on TBOY are a rambunctious journey from one chaotic experience to the next. The result is a crazy rock n' roll record that while sounding a bit disorganized and uncontrolled is a lot of fun. Check out the hilariously titled, "Truth Is Stranger Than Fishing," for a ramshackle instrumental jam, or "Descent Into Hell," for a spiky, fragmentary blast of the Suns at their best. The remastered version of this album takes the original twelve tracks, remasters them and then slathers them in nine rarities and live tracks making the disc an epic marathon of disordered enjoyment.
TBOY, was followed up with 1986's All-Night Lotus Party. The band picked up where they left off with TBOY, threw all that work against a wall, roughed it up and then recorded something grittier and slightly less tuneful. ANLP is still one heck of a record though and it shows the band embracing the chaos that surrounds them a bit more and making a noisier and spikier record as a result. Sounding a bit like a long lost Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper record (anyone remember them???) the record is humorous at times and even gets a bit rockabilly when need-be. "Cans," is a perfect example of their growing sound as it yells, screams, jumps around, bashes itself and sounds like a hoedown out of control. This is a brazen record that blasts through song after song in a disheveled blaze of anarchy. Like the remastered version on TBOY, All-Night Lotus Party features a whole host (10 tracks) of rarities, outtakes, and live tunes that give a complete portrait of the Volcano Suns in 1986.
Merge has truly outdone themselves here. Both The Bright Orange Years and All-Night Lotus Party are extremely well put together re-releases that preserves two valuable records from falling into indie rock obscurity. These records are both highly recommended even if you already own these two discs; the bonus tracks are worth the price of the re-releases alone.
Titus Andronicus and The Airing of Grievances
Titus Andronicus is a five piece band from the middle of suburban New Jersey, where there are still Main Streets, postcard like neighborhoods, and a music scene so small that everyone knows everyone else. The five friends and compatriots who make up Titus aren't even out of college yet but have turned their youthful experience into the basis for their entire existence.
Their debut album The Airing of Grievances (cue Seinfeld reference) was originally recorded in 2007 and initially released in May of 2008 to critical acclaim by the mainstream music press. XL Recordings hearing the potential of the band decided to take the record, remaster it, and re-release it in digital and physical formats. The Airing of Grievances is an incredibly raw and unpolished work of indie rock aggression. Sounding something like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, and (what the heck just because their from Jersey) Bruce Springsteen, the band cranks up their amps, shreds their guitars and come up with a spiky, speedy pop record that's as noise-filled as it is loaded with contagious songs.
Titus Andronicus take the lo-fi route to get where they're going and it sounds as if The Airing of Grievances was recorded during Festivus as they were conducting the Feats of Strength portion of the holiday. The record is so far from being Pro-Tooled that it sounds like they used 3/4 inch tape and a Tascam machine from 1975 to get the sound they wanted. While they might not have a glossy super high budget production on their hands they do have one cool group of powerful songs that sound like a frenzied attack of guitars, bass, and drums. It's thrilling impassioned stuff that's angsty and packed with the roller coaster ride of youth.
When the band rolls through a song like, "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ," you can hear their sincerity. Like much of The Airing of Grievances it's a rambunctious ride that doesn't slow down and pretty much plows it's way through about six minutes of speedy indie rock. Even when they slow things down and bring out some Jesus and Mary Chain gloom on "No Future pt. 1," their hearts and guitars are still in the right place.
The Airing of Grievances isn't going to win any sort of awards for it's lo-fi sounds, but it doesn't need to because the quality of the songs that make up the record cuts through all the din like a knife through hot butter. Titus Andronicus have come up with an unstable and spazzy record that's about youth and noise. It's an exciting listen that might make you deaf but that's what rock and roll is all about. If you don't already have the Troubleman version of this, then XL has just released it and I'd pick it up if I were you.
Their debut album The Airing of Grievances (cue Seinfeld reference) was originally recorded in 2007 and initially released in May of 2008 to critical acclaim by the mainstream music press. XL Recordings hearing the potential of the band decided to take the record, remaster it, and re-release it in digital and physical formats. The Airing of Grievances is an incredibly raw and unpolished work of indie rock aggression. Sounding something like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, and (what the heck just because their from Jersey) Bruce Springsteen, the band cranks up their amps, shreds their guitars and come up with a spiky, speedy pop record that's as noise-filled as it is loaded with contagious songs.
Titus Andronicus take the lo-fi route to get where they're going and it sounds as if The Airing of Grievances was recorded during Festivus as they were conducting the Feats of Strength portion of the holiday. The record is so far from being Pro-Tooled that it sounds like they used 3/4 inch tape and a Tascam machine from 1975 to get the sound they wanted. While they might not have a glossy super high budget production on their hands they do have one cool group of powerful songs that sound like a frenzied attack of guitars, bass, and drums. It's thrilling impassioned stuff that's angsty and packed with the roller coaster ride of youth.
When the band rolls through a song like, "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ," you can hear their sincerity. Like much of The Airing of Grievances it's a rambunctious ride that doesn't slow down and pretty much plows it's way through about six minutes of speedy indie rock. Even when they slow things down and bring out some Jesus and Mary Chain gloom on "No Future pt. 1," their hearts and guitars are still in the right place.
The Airing of Grievances isn't going to win any sort of awards for it's lo-fi sounds, but it doesn't need to because the quality of the songs that make up the record cuts through all the din like a knife through hot butter. Titus Andronicus have come up with an unstable and spazzy record that's about youth and noise. It's an exciting listen that might make you deaf but that's what rock and roll is all about. If you don't already have the Troubleman version of this, then XL has just released it and I'd pick it up if I were you.
Times New Viking Stay Awake
You want lo-fi indie rock? You got it and Times New Viking are only too happy to give it to you on their EP, Stay Awake. This five song blast of noise clocks in at under 12 minutes and sounds like it was recorded using a boombox and a Radio Shack microphone. It's so completely lo-fi that lo-fi almost seems like a bit much...it might just be lo.
Setting aside the stellar production quality, Stay Awake actually is quite a nice little blast of indie rock that sounds something like the Thermals meets The Moldy Peaches stuck in an echo chamber. This is raw, loud, abrasive stuff that somehow manages to be melodic despite being stuck in a cloud of distortion. Stay Awake finds a way to win you over with it's sharp catchy melodies that while unpolished are still absorbing. Check out the spiky wail of, "Call and Respond," or the heartfelt shrug of, "No Sympathy," for examples of just how this band manages with so little.
Stay Awake is an unpolished gem of no-fi pop that while sounding rough is miraculously easy on the ears; fun stuff.
Setting aside the stellar production quality, Stay Awake actually is quite a nice little blast of indie rock that sounds something like the Thermals meets The Moldy Peaches stuck in an echo chamber. This is raw, loud, abrasive stuff that somehow manages to be melodic despite being stuck in a cloud of distortion. Stay Awake finds a way to win you over with it's sharp catchy melodies that while unpolished are still absorbing. Check out the spiky wail of, "Call and Respond," or the heartfelt shrug of, "No Sympathy," for examples of just how this band manages with so little.
Stay Awake is an unpolished gem of no-fi pop that while sounding rough is miraculously easy on the ears; fun stuff.
AC Newman Get's Guilty
A.C. Newman has been in more indie rock bands than most record stores carry. From Superconductor to Zumpano and of course his most famous band to date, The New Pornographers, Newman has been writing jangly indie rock tune after jangly indie rock tune for well over fifteen years. As someone who's been in the game for so long, it should as come as no surprise that Newman has tons of ideas and material he's never used for any of his other projects. That's where his solo project comes in, as a sort of clearing house for his individual ideas and songs. He recorded his first solo album, The Slow Wonder way back in 2004 and then resumed his work with The New Pornographers until now. A.C. Newman has finally released his followup, Get Guilty.
Five years in the making, Get Guilty is a swell followup to A.C. Newman's debut and showcases, the guys ability to create pop on demand that's both jangly, artistic and powerful. After fifteen years in the biz, that's not to shocking as he probably has dreams about hit songs in his sleep. To say the guy is a consistent songwriter would be an understatement and all you have to do is listen to Get Guilty once to see this. A vast majority of his songs are shimmery, jumpy, incredibly contagious, and structured for maximum pop impact. While vast majority of Get Guilty sounds a bit like a long lost New Pornographers album if it were found by the Shins, the album still manages to stand on it's own with songs that could pretty much all be singles. Despite the hit potential of this record, one of the coolest things about Get Guilty is that it seems relaxed, easy and not quite as formal as The New Pornographers. It's as if A.C. Newman let his proverbial hair down and let the songs just pour out of him while he was recording them. It's an effortless record that just goes to show how good Newman is at coming up with pop songs that stick in your head.
Whether they're huge hook filled songs like, "Get Guilty," or light, worldly, and expansive songs like, "The Heartbreak Rides," Get Guilty will charm the socks off of you with it's undemanding songs. This is a strong record that is filled with shiny pop songs that contain giant hooks that could reel in a whale shark. Newman might be a part of The New Pornographers, but he's proven himself to be a solid solo artist with solid songs that he can fall back upon when the time is right. Until his other band gets around to recording their next album, A.C. Newman's Get Guilty will happily fill the void left by them and do so in fine pop fashion.
Five years in the making, Get Guilty is a swell followup to A.C. Newman's debut and showcases, the guys ability to create pop on demand that's both jangly, artistic and powerful. After fifteen years in the biz, that's not to shocking as he probably has dreams about hit songs in his sleep. To say the guy is a consistent songwriter would be an understatement and all you have to do is listen to Get Guilty once to see this. A vast majority of his songs are shimmery, jumpy, incredibly contagious, and structured for maximum pop impact. While vast majority of Get Guilty sounds a bit like a long lost New Pornographers album if it were found by the Shins, the album still manages to stand on it's own with songs that could pretty much all be singles. Despite the hit potential of this record, one of the coolest things about Get Guilty is that it seems relaxed, easy and not quite as formal as The New Pornographers. It's as if A.C. Newman let his proverbial hair down and let the songs just pour out of him while he was recording them. It's an effortless record that just goes to show how good Newman is at coming up with pop songs that stick in your head.
Whether they're huge hook filled songs like, "Get Guilty," or light, worldly, and expansive songs like, "The Heartbreak Rides," Get Guilty will charm the socks off of you with it's undemanding songs. This is a strong record that is filled with shiny pop songs that contain giant hooks that could reel in a whale shark. Newman might be a part of The New Pornographers, but he's proven himself to be a solid solo artist with solid songs that he can fall back upon when the time is right. Until his other band gets around to recording their next album, A.C. Newman's Get Guilty will happily fill the void left by them and do so in fine pop fashion.
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