As the year has progressed, several
great singles and EPs have been released for which I have written reviews or
should have written reviews.I’ve waited
for many of these bands to go ahead and release new full length albums before
offering my thoughts, but several have not yet materialized.So, over the next week or two, I hope to
share my enthusiasm for some great singles that have come along during 2014
that I’ve neglected to share.
The Fireworks
“Runaround”
7” EP 2013
(Shelflife)
Here’s a record
from late last year that I feel remiss about not sharing sooner, but it still
seems like a good time, because The
Fireworks just recently revealed plans for the release of their first album
in early 2015, as well as issuing a little preview.This little slab of red vinyl certainly got a
lot of play around my place all year long, so it’s not as though I wasn’t aware
of this record.
The
Fireworks bring the pop and the buzz in full force and this shit never gets
old.As long as I’ve been smitten with buying
records, there has always been a lot of room for catchy two minute pop songs
that are invigorated by sing-along melodies, limitless energy, fast drums and a
healthy dose of feedback.With “The
Runaround,” The Fireworks evoke the best moments of The Primitives late 80s heyday, or perhaps Australia’s Hummingbirds.The bulk of
the song is really just a blistering fuzzy mess of buzzing guitars barely
contained by vocalist Emma and the
steady drums.However, once the chorus
comes along, everything blossoms, as the guitars begin to chime and some
background “oohs” and “aahs” bolster the song and push it to a serious need for
repeated listens.
The Fireworks "Runaround"
The first
song on the flip side similarly speeds along for less than two minutes like a
long lost Primitives great.Shaun’s frantic drum work on “With My
Heart” gives the guitars a bit of a reprieve until the bridge, but its Emma’s
commanding vocals that make this song so great.
Lastly, this
short and sweet EP closes with the lovely viola adorned “Asleep.”This song reminds of early Creation Records bands like The Razorcuts or Emily, as well as the softest acoustic moments of The Field Mice, as guitarist Matthew sings a fragile song filled
with self-sabotage as he watches his significant other drift off to sleep and
wonders if they are dreaming of someone else.
Oh, this is
so damn good.I cannot wait to hear what
they have in store for us with their debut album.Go ahead and check out their sneak peek “On
and On.”
The slow
re-introduction to the Primitives
has finally culminated in a full length album of new material!After eons away, they returned to action in
2011 with an EP (see review here), then
graced us with an interesting covers record in 2012 (review here) and finally they teased us with
the fun way pre-LP single, “Lose the Reason,” back in February of 2013 (review here).They have always been a stellar singles band and luckily, “Lose the
Reason” is included here.
It’s
interesting to listen to new music from this band now.I don’t know how to quantify my feelings for
them.I was a fan of theirs ever since
hearing the spiky and endlessly addictive “Crash” back in 1988 and loved a lot
of their songs, but never found their albums to be strong from start to
finish.Plus, I don’t think I fully
realized back then how much of a 60s influence they had – it was simply
somewhat disguised by speed and buzz in most of the songs.It was the speed, brevity and feedback that
caught me initially, so when they bring out their full blown 60s pop songs, I
find myself missing the electricity.About half of this new album sounds as if it were actually written and
recorded in the UK
back in 1965-66.The songs fronted by
songwriter/guitarist Paul Court
especially capture this vibe.“Wednesday
World” relies on a spiraling rhythm, scratchy strumming guitars, Court’s mellow
vocals, and drums relegated to the left side of the mix, but I have to say it
sounds pretty fresh anyway.Court
decides to drop out on his breezy anti-9 to 5-work ode “Working Isn’t Working,”
which is a sentiment I can definitely get behind (“I like to sit around”), but
it’s actually the liveliness of the
buzzing guitars and heavy pounding of the drums that emphasizes the chorus that
sparks this song.Less effective is the
trippy (though, thankfully super brief) “Purifying Tone” and the okay, but
somewhat aimless instrumental “Velvet
Valley.”Primary singer Tracy Tracy takes the lead on a couple of other Summer of Love
style psychedelic pop songs with “Follow the Sun Down” and the bouncy
“Dandelion Seed.”
Thankfully,
the Primitives have not abandoned their edge and they’ve clearly retained their
strength for creating fantastic timeless pop songs in three minutes or
less.Lead off song, title track and
single, “Spin-O-Rama,” is every bit the quality of “Crash” and quite
reminiscent as well, with its cleanly picked guitar opening leading into a
chugging number with handclaps and a serious hook (The single B-Side is the
trippy, but really fun “Up So High,” making the single a must-have).Likewise, the sheer fun whoosh of the organ
in “Lose the Reason” places a thrill down the spine.Meanwhile, “Hidden in the Shadows” allows
Tracy Tracy to urge us the look for our own truths and directions and avoid
being “tricked by a trend / fooled by a fad” with the same kind of distant
disgust at what she’s seeing as she sang in the old favorite “Sick of It” way
back in the late 80s.It’s the song
“Petals,” however, that has me truly realizing why I love this band and can
never ignore them.The rush and buzz and
energy is in full bloom inside this treat, which rivals any of their great
singles from the original days till now.I absolutely cannot understand how songs like this cannot be huge
worldwide hits, but what do I know?
Have a truly
resolved my feelings for this band, or this album?I’m not sure.It’s a mixed bag, but overall with such great highs, it’s damn nice to
listen to new material from this group!It also helps that I have grown up and have a better understanding of
both their influences and their massive influence.Treat yourself and enjoy.
As I try to
somehow compile my Top 40 music releases of 2013, I find myself
struggling.It is beginning to dawn on
me that I really shouldn’t rank these.There is so little difference in quality in my mind between #1 and #40 –
making the idea of ranking pretty silly.The reason I post these little album breakdowns is in hope of
encouraging others to discover, as I have, and enjoy.But I am stuck in a world where we have to
rank everything.One day I hope to break
free, but in the meantime I will begin posting this mostly arbitrary countdown
over the next few days in installments, but first, I’d like to post a write up
of one of my favorites of 2013 that was actually released in 2012, along with a
few other really great records that somehow didn’t make the Top 40 today, or
this week.On a different day, many of
these may have reached the Top 20.If
any of this makes any sense, than you are way ahead of me.
Forgetters
Forgetters (2012)
(Too Small
To Fail)
Last April I
posted Ache - a sort of piece about Jawbreaker.It was an effort to show my appreciation of
their music from the early to mid 90s, without having to delve too deeply into
the many reasons why.It was during my
“research” for that piece that I found myself irritated and angered by the
weird backlash against that band’s songwriter Blake Schwarzenbach for a big
variety of “sellout” reasons.What is
the reason behind this?Punk rock
scenesters were always the worst, and the reason why, though I love much of the
music historically, I could never fully indentify as a “punk” – especially
within the narrow-minded realm of those who are so immersed in their little
worlds that they cannot see past their noses.I also learned that Blake Schwarzenbach had formed a fourth band: the forgetters
(prior bands were the seminal Jawbreaker, Jets
to Brazil - whose 1998 debut was my #1 pick for that year, and the
short-lived mostly undocumented Thorns
of Life).Where have I been?This new three piece first released a double
7” EP back in 2010, which turns out to be a rough and ready group of songs that
were reminiscent of old Jawbreaker, but in November of last year the now two
piece (with original Against Me!
drummer Kevin Mahon) quietly self-released their debut album.This pleasant surprise was recorded by
Schwarzenbach’s punk contemporary J.
Robbins (from the also much-maligned, but amazing Jawbox) and it is epic in scope and takes many listens to
unfold.Sound wise, simply this probably
lands somewhere between Jawbreaker and the cleaner Jets to Brazil.This is the first album Schwarzenbach has
released in 10 years, after the JTB trailed off with, frankly, a really boring
album, so it is nice to hear some spark and vigor put back into his music.These 11 songs begin with the lo-fi “Strike,”
which makes for a quiet and modest introduction into what will unfold.It turns out Robbins’ recording is actually
quite bold, clear and deep.This is a
varied collection and despite their two piece status, these songs are adorned
with all kinds of subtle flourishes, including strings, piano, and
vibraphone.Many of these songs start
quiet and simple and build to amazing crescendos.Blake is, as always, excellent, at twisting
around phrases to evoke the power of strained personal relationships (“Hoop and
Swan” and the ballad “Turn Away”), but there is a stronger political slant to
these words, then his past work.“In America” is
powerful song taking on our country’s loss of innocence post 9/11, but also our
collective loss of perspective.Plus
their really choice cover of the Human
League’s excellent “Seconds” pairs well and really captures another time
when we, as a country, lost our heads.The foot stomping builder, “Lie Artist,” at face value could be about a
troubled relationship, but I tend to believe it’s about our failed banking
system and the government’s reluctance to actually enact change.The other rocker is the buzzing “O Deadly
Death,” which reminds of Jets to Brazil’s Orange Rhyming Dictionary.Like
all of his prior work, this album is full of incredible lyrics and though the
album is heavy, there are definitely enough straightforward songs and hooks to
make this something to return to again and again.“I’m Not Immune” is probably the “single” of
the bunch.It’s the song that could
capture most of the fans of Blake’s varied past, but also grab onto a whole new
crop.He starts with the lyrical
refrain: “If you could see for once / one inch beyond the nose / that cuts the
air before your face / you would not sing, my dear, with such high zest / about
the wonders of this modern world” and continues to spout an angry tale atop
layers of guitars and a fist-pumping chorus.There’s also the heartbreaking “Die by Your Own Hand,” which is
immediately thrust into his huge pantheon of deeply personal songs that are so
identifiable and painful and so cathartic.It’s this personal connection that I have with so much of
Schwarzenbach’s music that has always made writing about it so difficult and
this is no different.He is such a
talented lyricist and with Mahon’s
tasteful percussion and precise drumming, these two have carved out an album
that needs to be heard.
January
brought us these two surprise previously unreleased songs from indie
veterans/pioneers Dinosaur Jr.These two
songs were recorded during the I Bet On
Sky sessions (their 2012 10th LP, my #22 pick seen here) and they really should’ve made the
album – though it was pretty epic on its own.Both of these songs are highlight singles in themselves!The J Mascis led “Now the Fall” is simply one
of his numerous catchy three plus minute catchy yet fried out sounding pop
songs.The slow, meandering verse
blossoms into a very tasty, foot stomping chorus and bridge combination and
what sounds like a guitar/keyboard mesh that opens a new door to their
sound.The Lou Barlow led “Ricochet” is,
much like his two contributions for I Bet
On Sky, excellent.Some of his best
work fronting Dinosaur Jr. as is this.Barlow’s lyrics are always a little more open and heartfelt sounding,
and this one is aggressive and memorable like his best work with Sebadoh, but with the bonus of Mascis’
shredding guitars.This is a must have
single for fans and even a good starting point for the curious.What can possibly be next for these guys?
Last spring
Rose Elinor Dougall (who began her career as one third of the lovable Pipettes) issued a free three song
download with her then backing band The Distractions and it was simply
magnificent (my #18 pick of 2012 seen here).Those songs built upon her dreamy 2010 debut
album Without Why and infused it with
some added boost and band energy.This
is the first new material she has released since then and she’s still showing
off some serious songwriting talent and yet another mild stylistic change.The opening title track starts off sounding
almost exactly like OMD’s “Shame”
from their 1986 The Pacific Age, with
its light keyboard twinkles and airy flow before upping the ante with her
soaring vocals during the chorus.Next
up is “Poison Ivy” with its horror movie piano backdrop, rolling drums and what
turns into a highlight of this group.The B-side opener, “Strange Warnings” is the big standout, as it comes
closest to the songs from last year’s release.There is melancholia present, as with much of her solo work so far, but
with the repetitive mysterious guitar riff, some excellent drumming and her
vocals steeped in reverb, this hints at everything from 80s Cocteau Twins to Strawberry Switchblade.The
closer, “Sink Back into Blue,” is a dub style experiment with spoken word story
underneath some sound effects and a heavy beat.This is another nice entry to her slowly building catalog.My only complaint is the hugely dated 80s
sounding production.It is fine to draw
inspiration from music of that time, but this has an odd, not-so-timeless sound
to it.I hope it ages better than it
seems like it will.
The second
album from this Belfast
foursome is my introduction.The New Life is an album that would’ve
been a highlight of my teenage years, when I was just discovering and absorbing
music like this.Wow.This is post punk perfection – all the way
down to the black and white simplicity of the album sleeve.The bass as lead instrument, tastefully and
artfully provided by Claire Miskimmon, the reverb drenched guitar work, the
spare drumming and the washes of creepy organs and atmospheric keyboards make
for a sound that always tugs at my ears.The album evokes those early years of the Cure (17 Seconds and Faith), The Sound, or the Comsat
Angels, or early New Order.After all of these years, it actually sounds
pretty fresh again, especially done so damn skillfully.They employ the extended instrumental
openings to songs, which has become a lost art in pop music.“Hypnotic Regression,” is the place to start
with its streamlined rhythm and catchy spiraling chorus, while still steeped in
reverb, vocalist’s Cathal Cully’s vocals are a little clearer and not so
distant.One can’t miss the heavy
pounding drums and spooky keyboards of “Occultation” or the dramatic “The
Olympia,” both of which recall the efforts of the otherworldly and mysterious
early Independent Project label
bands.Everything is in place and
appropriately dark and menacing.The
only aspect missing is that Cully’s vocals are a bit flat and very unemotional
and having them buried so deep in the echo chamber laden mix that some of the
songs lack a strikingly memorable hook.This album is very well done, however, and definitely worth a listen if
you are interested with any of the previously mentioned artists.And oh, that bass is relentless and beautiful.The band has also issued and 12” single
featuring a cover of Brian Eno’s
“Third Uncle” (famously covered by Bauhaus),
along with a couple of remixes of album tracks.
The last two
to three years has seen me buying Slumberland Records at a similar rate to my
old days of mail ordering from them when they started out on the east coast and
were teaching us of the sounds of Black
Tambourine, Lilys and Velocity Girl.This little 7” single would’ve been one I
would’ve bought back then, if it had been available. “Creep the Creeps”is a reverb heavy classic pop song along the
lines of some of those early Black
Tambourine singles, or like the Amy
Linton fronted Aislers’ Set
filling our heads with handclaps, a simple guitar hook and a need to bounce
one’s head along throughout these two and a half minutes.The b-side “New Ex-Boyfriend,” takes the same
elements, but adds on some serious urgency and speed.This song is strums along nicely, but it’s in
the tempo changing chorus where this song really shines.This is the band’s second release, so maybe
their first album will be along soon?
After a
surprising return in 2011 when the Primitives graced us with four new songs (#30
pick seen here) after over a decade
apart, and then graced us with an album of obscure 60s covers last year (#39
pick seen here), they have once again
treated us to some new material in February of this year with this limited
edition 45.If you have been hesitant to
return to the Primitives fold, might I recommend this one as the place to
begin?The A-side, “Lose the Reason”
contains their signature woosh that the Primitives first burst onto the scene
with back in the mid to late 80s!There
are handclaps and ‘la-la-las’ atop washes of organs and guitars and a fresh
sing-along chorus, but the highlight is with the verses where Tracy Tracy asks
questions about the state of a relationship and Paul provides discouraging
responses (“Sift the ashes find a glimmer / Nothing glowing here at all”).It’s a fantastic piece of pure infectious
pop.“Always Coming Back” on the
flipside, is much more in line with the 60s vibe the band has been mining since
their return.It’s a good bouncy song,
but lacks the more modern urgency that I prefer.However, knowing that they still have songs
like “Lose the Reason” in their repertoire is a welcome sign!
Too many limited
edition vinyl singles to track down anymore.Canada’s Stars released a 7” last September as a lead in for a quick US
tour featuring two songs that apparently did not make the cut for 2012’s The North (my #21 pick seen here), but out of fatigue alone, I opted
for the digital download.At any rate,
these two outtakes are far more than that.Amy Milan’s “Wishful” would’ve easily been one of the best songs on that
collection - fitting right in with “Backlines.”It includes a nice mid-range bass lead during each verse before leading
into a frantic, splashing and soaring chorus.It has all of the drama and verve that the best of Stars always
contains.The imaginary B-side is the
Torquil Campbell fronted “The Light,” which is also very solid.This one is more electronic and has a sparse
opening verse before blooming into an easy disco beat and tumbling electronic
rhythm.This is a tasty treat.
2012 has been a strange, but really enjoyable year for music. The year was crammed with amazing and plentiful live performances by both young and hungry bands and some of the greatest performances I’ve seen yet from some of my old favorite, grizzled vets, which had me seeing more live music this year than I have since I was still young and energetic – like a real long time ago. I also found myself at a crisis point with music about halfway through 2012 – in danger of oversaturation and burnout (as confusingly described in the post found here). My collector and obsessive personality gets me into this predicament every once in a while, when I find myself in a panic over my inability to be aware of and own all of the world’s music that I know that I would love. It’s crazy, I know, but I do get over these brief breakdowns. So, here is my usual unrequested list of my supposedly most listened to releases of 2012. Meanwhile, as I write this introduction and attempt to format these posts, I listen to new to me albums by UK band Spotlight Kid, NW band Seapony, the Fresh and Onlys, DIIV, and have just learned that I missed out and need to track down the solo debut from ex-Gene vocalist Martin Rossiter and a very surprising and welcome reissue of material by Arizona’s masterful and completely overlooked Half String. It all makes me wonder where these albums might have placed in this list if only I had encountered them sooner. Oh well. I’ll be happy to discover them as I did these. That’s the power of music – it just keeps finding new ways to keep me engaged. Now, if only I can manage to dig up some of the energy and drive I had to begin last year.
Happy New Year to you all!
40.
Nushu Joystick EP
(NushuMusic)
In 2010, Nushu, a two-piece made up of southern California power pop veterans Lisa Mychols and Hillary Burton, released a catchier than can be album titled Hula. These two play nearly every note on the album by switching off on drums, lead guitars, etc., and if you enjoy fun, endlessly addictive, sunshine pop that harks back to the beginnings of the Go-Gos and the Bangles, you’ll dig it. This year they’ve released an EP of five cover songs, which shows off some of their influences, while still making these songs their own. A couple of these songs I was not particularly well acquainted with, like the Knack’s “Good Girls Don’t” (I only know the Knack like most people do – from “My Sharona”), which makes for a great gender bending song when fronted by a couple of women. The other song is by Phil Seymour titled “Precious to Me,” which reminds of an early 60s girl group hit. The other covers include the wonderful “Happy Hour” originally by the Housemartins, a straightforward version of the Cars’ oldie “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and finally a drastically different “They Don’t Know,” by Kirsty MacColl, but made famous by Tracy Ullman – a song which for some reason was on my mental playlist for a few months before I picked up this release. The piano intro/outro is a nice touch on this song. This makes me smile!
(nushumusic.com)
Nushu-Precious to Me
39.
The Primitives Echoes and Rhymes
(Elefant)
Well, the Primitives surprised and shocked by returning out of the blue with a 7” EP with four brand new exciting songs (my #30 pick of 2011 seen here)! However, their first album back is one made up of all cover versions of female fronted obscure 60s songs. This was not what I was expecting or hoping for, but it is a pleasant treat none-the-less. Firstly, because these songs have now opened up a whole new world of music to investigate with the originals, but secondly, the Primitives still sound refreshed and inspired. I still miss the adrenaline buzz rush of their earliest material, but that’s a lot to expect by this point. It’s clear where this band originally built their foundation, because all of these songs (except for the spooky organ fueled “The Witch” – a teaser from Halloween 2011) clock in at under 3 minutes and have the melodic classic pop style that got us all excited about the Primitives in the first place. Tracy Tracy sounds just as unaffected as she always has, while Paul Court’s guitars show a much fuller range of styles than ever before. This is definitely a welcome return. Maybe next time we’ll get some originals?
(the-primitives.co.uk)
The Primitives-Turn Off the Moon
38.
Whipping Boy
“No One Takes Prisoners Anymore”
(Rocket Girl-download only)
I say this lot it seems, but wow, I never saw this coming. Whipping Boy released three albums in the 90s: the decent and promising debut Submarine (1992), the epic masterpiece (1995’s Heartworm – my ’96 #1 pick), and the posthumous unfinished, empty finale (2000, self-titled). So, it’s been 12 years since new material has been heard and now we’re presented with two download songs and no idea if they are back or if this is something of a one off. At any rate, if they can achieve anything near the heights of Heartworm, they will have me eternally singing their praises. “No One Takes Prisoners Anymore” is certainly a promising sign, as singer Fearghal McKee poetically confronts his strongest topic, which is brutal honesty regarding rocky relationships atop of huge sounding guitars and tasteful strings. Check. It’s all here, though a little rough around the edges – like their posthumous self-titled last album. The wordy verses blend nicely into the chorus (“It’s just another crazy love affair / she gets on your nerves / you get in her hair / one more emotional bomb scare”) and somehow it’s catchy. This is a great comeback, although this would be a good b-side for their Heartworm singles, but not worthy of that album. The strange acoustic b-side of this single is another story. It is really one of McKee’s mildly discomforting stories inside a building dramatic musical framework that intrigues but does not beg for repeated listens. It will be interesting to see if they are indeed back and if they will inspire like they once did.
(rocketgirl.co.uk)
Whipping Boy-No One Takes Prisoners
37.
Best Coast
The Only Place
“The Only Place” 7”
(Mexican Summer)
I was a late comer to the world of Best Coast. Their 2010 debut didn’t land into my world until it had been out for a full year. Luckily, it hit me during the summer months, which is where it belongs. Crazy for You, is a lo-fi gem that is crammed with catchy 2 to 3 minute bursts of fun that invoke a timeless feel of early 60s surf and California sun numbers that we all have grown up with – all tinged with a sense of loneliness and longing that only being young and having nothing to do on a summer afternoon can bring. Each and every time I’ve listened to that debut, I’ve wondered what Beth Cosentino’s songs and her voice would sound like with more modern sounding production. Well, on her and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno’s second long-player we get the answer. The famous producer Jon Brion (Aimee Mann, Keane, Spoon, Kanye West) jumps aboard and turns Cosentino’s reverb drenched songs into crystal clear shiny nuggets. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure this is the best sound for her songs. The charm has worn off a little bit with the new sheen, leaving these tracks a little dry. Luckily, the songs, though not a lot a different from their debut, win out. There are enough memorable moments to warrant repeated listens with songs like the California postcard “The Only Place,” “How They Want me to Be,” the classic sounding “Do You Love Me Like You Used To,” the redone closer “Up All Night,” and the most upbeat number that invokes the first LP “Let’s Go Home.” There’s not much progression here, despite the drastic shift in recording style, so it will be interesting where they decide to go next.
The pre-LP single and title track was released in the 45 rpm format and is especially worthy of attention. The A-side, of course, is a catchy little summery ditty that deserves repeated plays, but the B-side, is the real draw here. Beth Cosentino covers Fleetwood Mac’s “Storms,” turning Stevie Nicks’ day dreamy ballad into a much more urgent plea with a firmly strummed guitar and her plain every woman vocals up front. This is a huge highlight and hopefully a sign of bigger things to come.
(bestcoast.us)
Best Coast-Do You Love Me Like You Used To?
36.
The School
Reading Too Much into Things Like Everything
“Never Thought I’d See the Day” 7” EP
(Elefant)
The School has unveiled their sophomore LP, after 2010’s lovingly retro Loveless Unbeliever. Not much has changed here, as they mine the simple pop styles of the early 60s girl groups. This octet, believe it or not, actually make a very sparse straight forward collection of catchy nuggets. The orchestral accoutrements throughout are so subtle that one feels that they may be a little shy about all they could be doing, but there is no doubt that their ability to bust out a trumpet solo atop of strings and various percussives is their secret weapon. Lyrically, bandleader Liz Hunt, keeps things just as simple by writing exclusively about crushes and break-ups in the most naïve way one could ever imagine (too much so as in the case of a repetitive song like “That Boy is Mine”). It all somehow works though. The songs are catchy and sometimes quite twee, but the songs rarely hang around for more than 2 to 3 minutes and leave a nice glow of innocence and wonder in their wake. My favorite moments are from the string heavy Camera Obscura-esque “It’s Not the Same,” and the “rocker” of the bunch in the two minute handclapping beauty “Why Did You have to Break My Heart Again.” The School does a great job of making one feel good and that’s worth the price of admission if you ask me.
The pre-LP 7” contains two highlights from the album in the organ laden “Never Thought I’d See the Day,” and the Shangri-La’s styled flute infused “Where Does Your Heart Belong?” The single also includes two cover versions. There’s Jonathan Richman’s “When He Kisses Me” (the gender is changed here) and the song actually sounds like it was written for the School with its wistful excitement of fresh love. The other track is a cover of the Swedish song “I Wouldn’t Know What to Do” originally by the Honeydrips. This one is an acoustic strummer and again, it’s an incredible fit for what the School is all about. Very nice EP and a great introduction to the band.
(theschoolband.blogspot.com)
I’ve been following Austin, TX band Ringo Deathstarr for a couple of years now and am excited by their early prolific nature. Mauve is their second full length (Colour Trip was my #19 pick of 2011 here), and much like their debut, they present these 13 songs in a ramshackle manner. One never knows what will come next: a fast tempo nearly punk rock burner (“Burn” and “Drain”), a dreamy epic reminiscent of Slowdive (“Brightest Star,” especially), or a mid-tempo flippant Jesus and Mary Chain fuck off type song (“Do You Wanna?”). It makes things off-kilter and fun, as does the sea-sick off-balance feel of their sound, an aspect of the incredibly influential My Bloody Valentine that is rarely drawn from. They are still quite derivative of their influences, but they capture enough of their own input, mix a variety of things together unexpectedly, and infuse it with fresh energy enough that it feels new. This second album, though pretty solid from start to finish, does not have any songs that reach the heights of first LP songs like “Kaleidoscope” or “So High.”
The four track 10” EP they released earlier in the year deserves some attention as these are all non-LP songs. The opening “Shadow” has a more spacious sound than they normally present, with Alex Gehring providing her dreamy floating voice as a compliment to the spiraling guitar layers, while Elliott Frazier shouts along over a dancey shuffle beat. The middle two songs are different types of experiments with noise – one a short burst, the other an extended dream sequence. The set closes with an appropriately creepy early 60s style (and then covered in feedback) slow dance of Angelo Badalamenti’s “Just You” from David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks.” This is a definite highlight and one to seek this out for.
(facebook.com/ringodeathstarr)
Ringo Deathstarr-Rip
34.
Mark Eitzel Don’t Be a Stranger
(Merge)
I’m certain it is obvious that I am not a professional music writer. I do not have ready access to the bio sheets of bands and the latest promo material. In fact, for the most part, that stuff is only of a vague passing interest to me. I am a fan of music and write about how I feel about my favorite records here and there. That’s it. I have heard that Mark Eitzel, of whom I’ve been a fan since his remarkable and breathtaking live solo acoustic album Songs of Love Live from 1991, had a heart attack within the last year or two. I am not sure how this impacts this album – his first wide release since the last mach II American Music Club album (The Golden Age 2008), but I am certain that this is the first time I’ve felt re-engaged with his stuff since his lo-fi Caught in a Trap and I Can’t Back Out ‘Cause I Love You Too Much Baby solo album from 1998. This new album is quiet and mildly jazz inflected like his first post AMC solo outing 60 Watt Silver Lining. And much like that one, I enjoyed it, but missed his open wound voice soaring above each sad sack song. Having said that though, what is not gone is his fantastic lyrics and self-deprecating humor, which is found in spades on my favorite songs here. “Oh Mercy” is somehow both lonely and sad and funny and uplifting as he describes his excitement at the possibility to being invited to a party and he talks of his penchant for stories and dirty jokes and how he will bring imported beer and “clean up the mess.” “Why Are You With Me” is a song that simply lists a huge bunch of things that he does or how he is (“I’m the sad clown that sings”) most of which are followed by a chorus of people asking “Why are you with me?” The waltz that is “Break the Champagne” finds him saying his “boo-hoo voice just annoys.” It is all desperate and sad but it is all so relatable. Eitzel can capture those deepest feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt so accurately and powerfully that it’s difficult to ignore. His lyrics also offer up amazing vignettes into life and all of its underdog characters, especially in the opening empty destitute nightclub scenes of “I Love You But You’re Dead.” There is a resolve in Eitzel’s lyrics here that is comforting, especially with the sparse accompaniment, and maybe that is where the recent health scare has changed his approach. At any rate, it is nice to feel re-connected with his music again.
(markeitzel.blogspot.com)
Mark Eitzel-I Love You But You're Dead
33.
Desario
Mixer
(Test Pattern)
This second album from Sacramento’s Desario continues their run of consistency, whether it’s as this band or the member’s previous work with Rocketship, Holiday Flyer, or California Oranges. John Conley’s friendly voice is always welcome with whomever he finds himself working with. Their debut Zero Point Zero in 2009 was my #17 pick for the year (check out that album’s amazing closer “Sequoia Gee”) and it was a bit of a surprise in that these guys went for a more straight ahead indie rock sound with extended forays into some seriously detailed arrangements and lattice work guitar layers. The trend continues here on their second and it is even stronger and more consistent with an elevated level of intensity. The first three songs delight as they may be the strongest tracks here. “Cement Sneakers” cruises along and seems somewhat nondescript, until you realize that it has built itself into a nice frenzied climax. The tempo increases nicely with “Call Out Your Rivals” whose guitar jangle is detailed and energizing. The album continues to impress as they always manage to find a nice groove throughout, which is my only complaint with this album is that some of the tracks feel a little too long – as if they lose themselves in the groove too much with extended intros and finales. I think some of these songs would stick a little easier if they were a little more concise. However, this is a nice record and I hope they continue the quality work.
(desario.net)
Desario-Victoria Island
32.
A Place to Bury Strangers
Worship Onwards to the Wall EP
(Deep Oceans)
There will always be a soft spot in my heart for the type of music that A Place to Bury Strangers creates. Their influences are so completely obvious, but not only are they similar influences to what I cut my teeth on as my mind expanded and grew towards music outside of the top 40; they are also pretty damn good at it. The most obvious influence is that of the Jesus and Mary Chain – the one of Barbed Wire Kisses style feedback drenched noise and monotone buried vocals. Over their first two albums they have perfected the cold cold metallic drone base of their songs, which are then lit afire with screaming squalls of burning feedback. Of course, they are at their best when they employ this technique and still manage to find a sharp melody to carry the blasting noise through to the end. Worship isn’t really any different. They are still the masters of this sound, but it’s on the songs where they employ their feedback driven walls of sound to use on something hummable and memorable (aside from remembering how loud they can be). “Worship” is a fine example of this, as they slow their jackhammers beats down and warm us with a stellar feedback melody to carry the song. Likewise, “Dissolved” opens like a haunting floating in the ether song that Slowdive won us all over with on their debut, but with Oliver Ackermann sounding a lot like Peter Hook with his flat monochromatic voice, before it transitions into a clean noted bouncy, almost surf tune on the second half. This is a huge step forward and hopefully a sign of things to come.
The Onwards to the Wall EP that preceded the release of the album is also more of their excellent brand of noise clash. This is definitely worth tracking down, if they’ve already won you over, and even a short version introduction to who and what these guys are all about. The opening “I Lost You” makes for a great single for the band, because it is catchy and loud and dissonant. While the title track again shows signs of progress, as this song is propelled by a fantastic New Order bass line and turns out to be a duet with Alanna Nualla which is a welcome change.
(aplacetoburystrangers.com)
A Place To Bury Strangers-You Are the One
31.
Metric
Synthetica
(Mom+Pop/MMI)
I honestly do not know how to articulate my thoughts about this record. So far Synthetica has been the one Metric album that has not captured me fully yet, but I’m not sure why. When I first ran across Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? in 2003, I was captivated and motivated to listen to it over and over, even though it took me a long time to warm up to its rigid 80s influenced music and Emily Haines’ vocals. However, once I did figure out what I felt about it, it was magical. Similarly, 2005’s Live It Out took me months to warm up to (it made 2006’s best of list at #6 - seen here, because it took so long for me to get), but is probably my favorite of all of their albums now. Meanwhile, their fourth album, 2009’s Fantasies, was an immediate favorite (#4 pick for that year seen here), but has not had the same shelf life for me. So, now, we have their fifth album, one which has a huge sound and commercial expectations, much like Fantasies did, and it sounds really good. For some reason, however, it has not yet been accessible to me. I like the epic atmospheric opener “Artificial Nocturne,” and “Youth Without Youth” makes for a catchy radio single, and “Speed the Collapse” is this album’s “Sick Muse” (though not nearly as addictive). Then I lose it for a while. None of the songs in the middle of the album have wormed their way into my consciousness yet. This does end strong though with the oddly warm sounding “Clone” (could be a Stars outtake), a solid closer with “Nothing but Time,” and the highlight and surprise duet with Lou Reed on “The Wanderlust.” What makes this so difficult is that with my history with this band could find me naming this my favorite album of 2013 or 14, because I never know when they will win me over. Overall, this is a pretty good record, but as of now, it is not their best work, in my opinion.
(ilovemetric.com)
Metric-Youth Without Youth
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