Review: The Out Circuit - Pierce The Empire With A Sound

Posted on 13 May 2008 | 1 Comment

If you have a hankerin’ for some slowly brooding atmospheric post-rock-core, then The Out Circuit just might be your fix. Sounding something like Minus The Bear vs. The Cure vs. Casket Lottery, The Out Circuit is the current project of former Frodus bassist Nathan Burke. His latest album Pierce The Empire With A Sound features collaborations with members of Thrice, Roadside Monument, Haram, and even some vocals from Sean Ingram (of Coalesce fame). There are meandering and beautiful shoegazing instrumentals and points where things turn from slight to screaming in a way that recalls the dynamics of Refused. All in all, a good (even if synth heavy) effort. Pierce The Empire With A Sound is out now on Lujo Records.

MP3 | The Out Circuit – Come Out Shooting Pierce The Empire With A Sound
MP3 | The Out Circuit – Across The Light Pierce The Empire With A Sound

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Review: Ladyslipper - The Time, Not The Weather

Posted on 29 April 2008 | No Comments

Ladyslipper is a Minneapolis post-punk trio with an unfortunately uncertain future at the moment. Their debut album is full of thick and super-cool heavy (but melodic) indie rock that sounds a bit like The Killers fighting Black Sabbath inside a Central Minnesota grain silo as Mission Of Burma blares from the speakers of a still-running pickup nearby. Sometimes lilting and sometimes jagged; this is a great debut that’s got a mathy precision and buzzes with a darkly Trio-ish vibe. All that aside, the band is on hiatus and may very well have played their last show… and that would be too bad.

MP3 | Ladyslipper – Tinnitus The Time, Not The Weather
MP3 | Ladyslipper – Free Stream The Time, Not The Weather

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Review: Rapid Cities - 3 song demo

Posted on 3 April 2008 | No Comments

It is fitting that Rapid Cities calls New Brunswick, NJ home since that is where my wife is right now. Ha. Anyhow, Rapid Cities plays gritty and driving and emocore/post-rock that is as solid as anything I’ve heard recently within the genre. The mathy grooves of three songs on their demo straddle the smarmy intersection of 90’s Midwestmo, San Diego hardcore, and Chicago post-rock. Indian Summer meets Lustre King anyone? Anyone? Aggressive and infectious, and more dissonant than melodic, it’s just the sort of stuff that you’d expect to come creeping out of dusty vinyl grooves circa 1996 or so. The songs below make up Rapid Cities’ demo but are being re-recorded for their upcoming debut full length which I can only assume will be fucking incredible. These guys give me hope that all is not lost.

MP3 | Rapid Cities – Space Is Infinite Demo
MP3 | Rapid Cities – There Is A Black Hole Demo
MP3 | Rapid Cities – In My Mind Demo

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Review: The Sound Of Animals Fighting - Lover, The Lord Has Left Us

Posted on 2 April 2008 | 1 Comment

Have you ever heard The Sound Of Animals Fighting? Not wild animals, but (rather) the Southern California progressive rock collective formed by our old friend (and former RX Bandits trombonist) Rich Balling? They supposedly have a new album that is being currently being readied, but their last release, 2006’s Lover, The Lord Has Left Us can be a pretty crazy listen at times that incorporates everything from sheer noise to Eastern-influenced female vocals; from glitch-tronica to spiky emo riffs. There are parts of the album that are almost catchy and others that are almost unlistenable. It is (however) part of an overall whole that is really quite different than almost anything else out there.

Aside from Balling (aka The Nightingale) the band features (or has featured) current or former members of RX Bandits, Circa Survive, Finch, The Autumns, Never Heard Of It, The Hippos, Chiodos, Days Away, and others. The more I listen to Lover, The Lord Has Left Us, the more I like it (or at least have begun to appreciate it). That and the fact that The Nightingale is a really good guy have me intrigued and excited to hear what the group will come up with next.

MP3 | The Sound Of Animals Fighting – Skullflower Lover, The Lord Has Left Us
MP3 | The Sound Of Animals Fighting – My Horse Must Lose Lover, The Lord Has Left Us

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Review: Dragons Of Zynth - Coronation Thieves

Posted on 3 March 2008 | No Comments

Dragons Of Zynth - Coronation ThievesI’ll lay it all on the line here and just tell you flat-out that Coronation Thieves is a powerful, chaotic, and (ultimately) brilliant album that seemed to fly under just about everyone’s radar last year (including mine). This debut from the Brooklyn-based noisemakers Dragons Of Zynth is the musical equivalent of a kid in a candy store who grabs a little bit of everything as they pillage the little shop. It’s Prince vs. Black Dice vs. Husker Du, Hendrix vs. The Eternals, or even De La Soul vs. Gang Of Four. It is all that and more; It is incredible and overwhelming.

An obvious comparison to casual listeners would be TV On The Radio at their most disjointed and then some, partly due to TV’s own David Sitek’s production work on Coronation Thieves. The end result is neo-avant-disco-punk-soul that rips and tears at your speakers until they are just about disintegrated. A discernible streak of noisy free-jazz also runs through the music of Coronation Thieves as well; in large part (probably) because Aku and Akwetey O.T. (the twin brothers that front the band) both studied with jazz saxophonist Yusef Lateef.

But as visceral and incendiary as the album is, Dragons Of Zynth manage to somehow keep the melodies afloat amid the cacophony of raw angular guitars, walls of fuzzy distortion, and excessive new wavey synths. Everything on Coronation Thieves isn’t necessarily like a caged beast unleashed. The album’s closer “Closer” is a bit more subdued and works amazingly well as the final exclamation point at the end of a thrilling, exhausting, but truly excellent album.

MP3 | Dragons Of Zynth – Who Rize Above Coronation Thieves
MP3 | Dragons Of Zynth – Breaker Coronation Thieves

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Review: Celebration - The Modern Tribe

Posted on 7 February 2008 | No Comments

Celebration - The Modern TribeThis should have been posted last night, but my daughter got sick and was coughing and running a fever of 103. Ahhh, the joys of parenthood. Anyhow, the Baltimore, MD based band Celebration released their second full-length for 4AD called The Modern Tribe last fall and it is a doozy of a record that I’m surprised hasn’t garnered more attention. The band consists of vocalist Katrina Ford, multi-instrumentalist Sean Antanaitis, and drummer David Bergander and knocks out an darkly progressive and densely minimal blast of primal noise that sounds something like a cross between Blondie and TV On The Radio. Droning synths and organs (and even occasional brass stabs) bubble up between pseudo-tribal drumming that hammers out fractured and almost staccato rhythms that are somehow still propulsive. Even just a quick blast through this one is enough to know that The Modern Tribe is titled perfectly.

Just imagine laying on the city sidewalk and looking up towards the heavens for the stars but only seeing an orange glow and feeling the rumble of the city at night. You have it then; a strange organic urbanism. The Modern Tribe has an almost mystic quality about it; almost as if the sounds on the album were conjured up by a shaman’s drum. The album’s primitive but soulful melodies are balanced by an atonal atmospheric din and often beautiful instrumentation. It all greatly contributes to the intensely and ferociously rhythmic attack of Celebration.

And while many bands (like the Pixies) employ a build-up-and-release strategy, Celebration just builds and builds while the listener waits for the crescendo that doesn’t happen. All build and no release can be a little frustrating, but listening to The Modern Tribe and letting the imagery enter your head can be drug-like and almost trance-inducing. The album also benefits from TV On The Radio member David Sitek’s gritty production even if (at times) it makes Celebration sound a lot like his own band. And with the buzz that always seems to accompany that band, I’m just not sure why we haven’t heard more about Celebration. The Modern Tribe is certainly buzzworthy.

MP3 | Celebration – Pressure The Modern Tribe
MP3 | Celebration – Fly The Fly The Modern Tribe

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Review: Able Baker Fox - Voices

Posted on 2 February 2008 | 5 Comments

Able Baker Fox - VoicesListening to the recently released Voices from Able Baker Fox makes me wish I was also going to tonight’s Hot Water Music show at Metro in addition to last night’s (photos forthcoming). For those not already informed, Able Baker Fox is a collaboration between former members of The Casket Lottery, Coalesce, Small Brown Bike, and LaSalle so I really don’t even need to begin to describe just how amazing this record is. It is amazing, and sounds almost exactly like what you’d expect the sum of the parts to sound like. Voices is an incredibly tight and cohesive album full of impressively played post-hardcore. You need this album and can get it now from Second Nature Recordings.

MP3 | Able Baker Fox – Stuttering Voices
MP3 | Able Baker Fox – Brand New Moses Voices

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Review: Statehood - Lies And Rhetoric

Posted on 12 January 2008 | No Comments

Statehood - Lies And RhetoricSince the demise of The Dismemberment Plan in 2003, frontman Travis Morrison has recorded and released two erratic solo albums while bassist Eric Axelson spent some time supplying the low end for Maritime. All well and good but Maritime is really Davey’s band and as much as I love Travis, he just seems a little unfocused without his homies around. Enter the recent release from Statehood called Lies And Rhetoric.

I wrote about Statehood once before but (just in case you weren’t paying attention) the band features Joe Easley and Eric Axelson (the former rhythm section of the aforementioned Dismemberment Plan) as well as vocalist Clarke Sabine (formerly of Motorcycle Wars) and guitarist Leigh Thompson (ex-Vehicle Birth). What you get is typically solid DC style post-hardcore that hits with a sharp and propulsive bombast not unlike Jawbox or Frodus (though I wouldn’t really compare Statehood to either of those bands).

Knowing the history of Axelson and Easley I expected the rhythm section to be tight-as-hell and full of furious groove and it is. I expected this record to be a little funky without being funky at all and it is as well. I didn’t (however) expect to hear such stellar Gang Of Four-esqe guitar ringing out on Lies And Rhetoric. They are (at times) scorching. Vocally, (and oddly enough, musically as well) there are similarities to Mission Of Burma but (overall) the album suffers a little because of frontman Sabine’s limited vocal range. His delivery is impassioned but strained in a sort of monotone way that just becomes a little grating after 13 songs. I don’t hate the vocals (and may possibly be comparing against the uber-dynamic Travis) but they are certainly the album’s weakest link.

So I guess that the short version is that this is solid but not Earth shattering. It is pretty typical DC stuff from these guys that isn’t far from what I expected. Lies And Rhetoric is a good (but not great) debut from these guys and sounds like a million bucks thanks to production from former Dismemberment Plan axeman Jason Caddell.

MP3 | Statehood – Save Yourself Lies And Rhetoric
MP3 | Statehood – Transfixed Lies And Rhetoric

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Review: El Jezel - Elements Of Being Put Together

Posted on 8 December 2007 | 1 Comment

El JezelI think that I’ve probably had El Jezel’s record Elements Of Being Put Together in my “to listen to” pile for damn near 6 months. I’m sorry I didn’t listen sooner. It is a really solid album on which the trio plays dark and melodic post-rock that is just as comfortable venturing into blissed-out shoegaze territory as it is just riffing it up and rocking out. El Jezel also features both male and female vocals that counter and complement each other very well. Consider it indie rock for late nights. I bet this is music that really translates well live. El Jezel, if you are reading this, come to Chicago.

MP3 | El Jezel – Michigan Elements Of Being Put Together
MP3 | El Jezel – Oleta Elements Of Being Put Together

More music at The Hype Machine or buy from Insound | eMusic

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Review: The Forms - S/T

Posted on 3 December 2007 | No Comments

The FormsIf it is possible for a band to be thunderously ethereal, The Forms can be that band. Basically, their recently released new self-titled full-length pretty much rocks. It is full of muscular and angular post-rock that twists and turns its grooves inside out. The band also manages to find enough room to sneak in some soaring melodic vocal surprises and pop hooks. Catchy but in an obtuse mathy sort of way. Ultimately (however) it is the thick soupy slinky textures woven by the guitar and bass interplay that propels the Forms into the stratosphere. The music on this record just sounds urgent and (quite often) huge. Very rarely do I happen across a record from a band I’ve never heard before and almost instantly proclaim, “I bet they would be great live.” The Forms are one of those bands and this is one of those records. I’d recommend this Steve Albini produced gem to just about anyone.

MP3 | The Forms – Knowledge In Hand S/T
MP3 | The Forms – Bones S/T

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Review: Mt. St. Helens - Of Others

Posted on 25 October 2007 | No Comments

Mt. St. Helens - Of OthersJawbox + Rather Ripped + Unwound = Of Others. Of Others is the long-awaited new record from Chicago’s own Mt. St. Helens. Chock full of melodic post-rock trappings, the record moves from thundering Touch and Go style skronk to nimble proto-punk a la Bloc Party with ease. The bands’ propulsive guitar emospherics (yes, I just invented that word) glide steadily along for the album’s too brief 32 minutes. I’ve been a fan of the band since the late nineties and Of Others is as good an introduction as you’ll find.

MP3 | Mt. St. Helens – Want Out Of Others
MP3 | Mt. St. Helens – Massive Dosage Of Others

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Review: Holy Roman Empire - The Longue Duree

Posted on 9 October 2007 | No Comments

HRE - TLDHoly Roman Empire is a female-fronted band with a sound somewhere between the poppy pseudo-core of Paramore and the more mainstream hard rock of Evanescence. Their latest album The Longue Duree isn’t overly catchy or bursting full of energy at every moment, but it is a solid and polished effort from a band that features former members of Shai Hulud, Arma Angelus, and The Hope Conspiracy (among others). The music is well-played and alternates cleanly played and toned down verses with punchy and crunchy guitars blowing the choruses wide open. Vocalist Emily Schambra (like Paramore’s Hayley Williams) has a great voice that carries the melody in most of the songs and is (rightfully so) the major focal point. The Longue Duree is pretty standard fare but it is solid and something that I could easily picture hearing on all the big “alternative” radio stations.

Here’s an addendum. Strangely (though) The Longue Duree after a few more listens began to really grow on me. Musically, Holy Roman Empire reminds me a lot of Texas Is The Reason but with female vocals. Sometimes a good record just needs a chance to grow. The Longue Duree is out now on Hewhocorrupts Inc.

MP3 | Holy Roman Empire – Undeserving You The Longue Duree
MP3 | Holy Roman Empire – An Alliance Of Thieves The Longue Duree

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Review: Fjord Rowboat - Saved The Compliments For Morning

Posted on 28 September 2007 | No Comments

Fjord Rowboat - Saved The Compliments For MorningEvery single time I hear Toronto’s Fjord Rowboat mentioned I instantly think of the fjords of Iceland and Scandinavia and then ultimately (and somewhat incorrectly) think to Sigur Ros. While Fjord Rowboat does share some of the ethereal atmospherics that the aforementioned Icelandic mega-stars employ, their sound is more akin to a modern interpretation of early 90’s psychedelic shoegazer rock (a la Swervedriver) or like their modern counterparts Doves.

On their new full length Saved The Compliments For Morning, their lush reverb-soaked guitars expectedly chime out into the hazy horizon and thunderous drums and bass, while singer Craig Gloster’s vocals just seem to float amidst the bramble and the brier growing up around them. Similarly to one of my favorite bands (Champaign rockers HUM) Fjord Rowboat actually employs fairly straightforward song structures and doesn’t get lost in the walls of glorious noise at their fingertips. Instead they make accessible yet ambitious guitar rock with a sonic depth that is pretty easy to get wrapped up in. I mean, who doesn’t love the classic formula of a good indie rock song dripping with reverb and distortion? Fjord Rowboat isn’t reinventing the wheel and certainly wears their influences on their sleeves, but are so precise in their delivery that it doesn’t matter. They are simply modern masters of their chosen genre. Pick up a copy of Saved The Compliments For Morning wherever you can find it.

MP3 | Fjord Rowboat – Paragon Saved The Compliments For Morning
MP3 | Fjord Rowboat – Can’t See The Sun Saved The Compliments For Morning

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Review: Minus The Bear - Planet Of Ice

Posted on 3 September 2007 | 4 Comments

Minus The Bear - Planet Of IceMy wife Amy and I are huge Minus The Bear fans and were (thus) eagerly anticipating the release of their latest album, Planet of Ice. It is (however) almost a little unfortunate that an excellent album like Planet of Ice doesn’t quite live up to the enormous expectations that we both had for it. You are probably reading this and thinking, “WTF?” Don’t get me wrong here, this is easily one of my favorite records of the year, but after the unbelievable rockness of their 2005 album Menos el Oso, Planet of Ice just seems a little safe.

For some reason or another every time we have a late night out downtown we always end of jamming Minus the Bear on our way home in the wee hours of the morning just before daybreak. It just seems to fit. The slinky prog-rock grooves are simultaneously propulsive and cool. In fact, everything about the music on Planet of Ice exudes effortless cool and meticulous attention to detail.

The unbelievably tight rhythm section of Erin Tate and Cory Murchy is capable of turning on dime. They lay down a rock-solid foundation for the virtuosic-yet-often-understated guitar playing of David Knudson and the smooth delivery of vocalist Jake Snider. As a vocalist, Snider made huge strides forward on Menos el Oso but (like the band as a whole) just seems to slip into comfortable territory here as just another texture in Minus the Bear’s sonic palette on this one.

Sure, the Seattle quintet has come along way since their raucous debut EP. They no longer demand the shredding guitar acrobatics of Knudson to take center stage and as they’ve gown as songwriters they’ve coalesced as a group. And although trappings of those times remain, the band seems to be much more comfortable pulling back the throttle and letting their songs breathe a little more. There is still plenty of frenetic math rock on Planet of Ice but, as a whole, the album relies more on moody atmospherics and sexy slithering grooves rather than brute force.

Minus The Bear is one of my favorites and Planet Of Ice is one of 2007’s best albums. Click one of the links below and buy this one today. You will not regret it.

MP3 | Minus The Bear – Knights Planet Of Ice
MP3 | Minus The Bear – Ice Monster Planet Of Ice

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Review: Circa Survive - On Letting Go

Posted on 8 August 2007 | 6 Comments

Circa Survive - On Letting GoEven after a few listens to the new album from Philadelphia’s Circa Survive, I wasn’t really sure what I was going to write here. The album is called On Letting Go and it is full of agile and atmospheric rock music that straddles the line between accessible and something a little more post-hardcore.

Perhaps because the album is out on Equal Vision Records and because Circa Survive’s vocalist Anthony Green was previously in Saosin, I think I was expecting something a little more hardcore. What I found was atmospheric nu-emo that falls into the same category as what Sparta and countless other bands are doing.

On Letting Go simply sounds like a document of a band that is still searching for their identity. There is nothing terrible about any of the songs on the record, but aside from a few tracks, nothing really stands out. Imagine stripping away a majority of the experimental bits from the first Mars Volta album or all the catchy melodies from a Coheed album and you’d be left with this. It is good, but basically unremarkable.

The guys in Circa Survive are (without question) talented musicians and On Letting Go is technically brilliant, there is really nothing to hook the listener and demand repeated listens. Perhaps you might feel differently after hearing the tracks below. I’m not hating Circa Survive here, I just think that they have the potential for so much more.

NOTE: After writing the above review, I listened to On Letting Go again, and it started growing on me a little more. Just thought I’d let you know.

MP3 | Circa Survive – Semi Constructive Criticism On Letting Go
MP3 | Circa Survive – The Difference Between Medicine And Poison Is The Dose On Letting Go

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House and parish in the house

Posted on 26 July 2007 | 2 Comments

New Emo Super Group House & Parish
I recently heard an excellent new band called House & Parish. The band is an emo super group of sorts and features a bunch of ex-members including Jason Gnewikow (Promise Ring), Brian Malone (The Gloria Record), John Herguth (The Love Scene), and Scott Winegard (Texas is the Reason). Can’t really go wrong with any of that I suppose. Have a listen.

MP3 | House & Parish – Standardesque
MP3 | House & Parish – Summer Programme

More music at The Hype Machine or buy from Insound | eMusic

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Review: Your Black Star - Beasts

Posted on 16 July 2007 | 3 Comments

Your Black Star - BeastsWhy does so much good heavy-ish rock music seem to come from Lousiville? Perhaps there is something in the water. If there is, you know that the hard rocking trio Your Black Star has been drinking it in huge quantities.

Their latest mini-LP called Beasts is full of driving atmospheric rock that isn’t afraid to get a little (or really) noisy and way up in your face. Image U2 and The Cult vs. Sareena Maneesh and Mastodon. Beasts is heavy without being metallic and atmospheric without being obscured in a fog of shoegaze. It is a lean, mean, raw sounding album that borrows heavily from both dark British post-punk and the riffage of Black Sabbath.

Beasts is out now on Hawthorne Street Records.

MP3 | Your Black Star – Fight Beasts
MP3 | Your Black Star – The Break Beasts

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Review: The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (or) talking with fireworks exploding

Posted on 31 May 2007 | 4 Comments

The Twilight Sad
On their latest album Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters Glaswegian quartet The Twilight Sad (maybe unsurprisingly) fuse the sounds of Scottish folk music with the swirling layered guitars of bands like My Bloody Valentine. It is a gloriously melancholy album that envelops you like a dense fog with waves of fuzzy droning guitars and the soft vocals, vivid lyrics, and thick Scottish accent of singer James Graham.

The album doesn’t force itself upon you but (rather) it more or less washes over you like crashing waves hitting a rocky shore; slowly building to a crescendo of distortion only to gently recede and repeat. It is melodic and memorable without being in-your-face catchy. It is also too upbeat (despite not really being upbeat) to be called shoegaze. Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is a folk record paired with the combustible dynamics and huge choruses of bands like the Pixies and mire that all in hazy atmospherics.

All in all, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is a fantastic album both lyrically and sonically. It is out now on Fat Cat.

MP3 | The Twilight Sad – Cold Days From The Birdhouse Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
MP3 | The Twilight Sad – Mapped By What Surrounded Them Fourteen Autumns & fifteen Winters

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Review: Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (or) heimdalsgate like a promethean curse

Posted on 29 May 2007 | 5 Comments

Of Montreal
For some reason I’ve never given the Athens, GA band Of Montreal much of a listen. I don’t really know why but I never did. But a month or two ago my wife Amy started going on and on about just how great the new Of Montreal album is. I was like “Yeah, whatever,” but she was persistent about it.

Fast forward to last week and she finally corners me and tells me I need to listen to the album and write about it and blah, blah, blah. So I listened to it. Wow.

The album was blessed with the ridiculously long and pretentious-sounding title Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? but is so freakin’ irresistible that it doesn’t matter. On it Of Montreal kicks out twelve songs of indie-disco post-punk-funk jams that blew me away but not before being lodged deep inside my cranium. I mean what band has song titles that include the words Kongsvinger, Heimdalsgate, and Gronlandic?

Rump-shakin’ beats knock around with hyperactive synthesizers and Kevin Barnes’ sometimes shrill falsetto to conjure a dark yet sugary sweet psychedelic haze that approximates throwing Abba, The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem, The Bee Gees, and The Shins into a blender and then injecting the mixture into your broken heart. Forget Prozac and all the other anti-depressant drugs and listen to Hissing Fauna instead and dance away your blues.

I’m not really sure what earlier Of Montreal albums sound like, but I’ll soon be looking back to find out. Hissing Fauna is such an incredible and invigorating album that I’ve probably played it a half-dozen times or more during what was a busy Holiday weekend. The album is out now on the fantastically awesome Polyvinyl Records.

MP3 | Of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse Hissing Fauna…
MP3 | Of Montreal – Faberge Falls For Shuggie Hissing Fauna…

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Review: Mary Timony - The Shapes We Make (or) small red lights shining in the blackness

Posted on 25 May 2007 | 1 Comment

Mary Timony
The Shapes We Make is Mary Timony’s fourth solo album since she spent time in indie rockers Helium. It is (overall) a dark and moody record that oftentimes sounds like a back alley drug deal between Sebadoh and Sleater-Kinney. A proggy post-rock wet dream.

Timony’s husky and Kim Gordon-esqe alto pipes are well-suited for the baroque and downright medieval tone that permeates through much of the album. I love the frolicking guitar melodies and the lilting bass, but it is the rock solid polyrhythmic drumming of Devin Ocampo that really anchors Timony’s unusual and off kilter tunes.

I was actually all set to write this, but as I kept listening to The Shapes We Make I kept liking it more and more. I kept picturing the European countryside littered with drum kits and Marshall stacks with dragons flying overhead. That just proves I’m a little crazy, but (seriously) this is really a great and (surprisingly) warm album that really rocks (but only slightly). The Shapes We Make is out now on Kill Rock Stars.

MP3 | Mary Timony – Sharpshooter The Shapes We Make
MP3 | Mary Timony – Each Day The Shapes We Make

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Review: Moxie Motive - EP (or) in a primo part of town

Posted on 24 April 2007 | No Comments

Well, we missed the Moxie Motive EP release show a few weeks ago at the Empty Bottle, so the least we can do is say something about the band. For starters, they are from Chicago and play some seriously soulful and searing garagey indie rock that sounds a bit like Pablo-era Radiohead or The Verve. Yep.

Oh yeah, they also manage to work some sweet violin melodies into their songs as well. And even though there are only seven songs on the EP, they are all huge. This brings me to another question. How can there be so many great bands in Chicago right now? Seriously? I’m certainly counting Moxie Motive as one of those bands. You decide for yourself.

MP3 | Moxie Motive – Flush Of Hearts S/T EP
MP3 | Moxie Motive – Lonely Lifeguard S/T EP

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Review: Battles - Mirrored (or) the tape remains very exciting

Posted on 22 April 2007 | 1 Comment

Battles is a supergroup (of sorts) made up of drummer John Stanier (ex-Helmet), guitarist Ian Williams (ex-Don Caballero), Dave Konopka, and Tyondai Braxton (the son of jazz musician Anthony Braxton). They have a new album that will be released on May 14th called Mirrored which is full of the same complex mathy and unconventional post-rock that appeared on their previous EP’s continues to surprise with the addition of vocals.

Most of the vocals on Mirrored are (however) manipulated beyond recognition and sound more like Alvin from The Chipmunks than an actual singing human and are simply another melody instrument in the context of Battles. Just for the sake of comparison, the band sounds something like a cross between the craziest moments that Blur has committed to tape and Black Dice. Experimental, glitched, and complicated but exhibiting a new “pop” side as well as a technical prowess that most bands can only dream of.

The band properly titled the songs this time around and the recently released single “Atlas” was even voted best single of the week by NME. I’d highly suggest checking Mirrored out when it is released May 14th on Warp Records.

MP3 | Battles – Atlas Mirrored
MP3 | Battles – Leyendecker Mirrored

You can find more music from Battles at The Hype Machine.

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Review: The Race - Ice Station (or) digging a hole all the way to china

Posted on 20 April 2007 | No Comments

Maybe it is because I’m tired, or maybe (and more probably) it is a testament to its greatness, but I am having a hard time pinpointing exactly what it is about Ice Station that makes it so great. Ice Station is the latest from a Chicago band called The Race. The band is vocalist/guitarist Craig Klein who (on Ice Station) had help from Joshua Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv, Kevin Duneman (who has played with L’altra, Telefon Tel Aviv, Early Day Miners, and Ativin), and others.

Ice Station is (loosely) a musical journey from Odessa to China and back again. It is a primitive futuristic Siberia with melodies that will stick in your head for days. Its a place that is populated by both buzzing guitars and vintage drum machines. A world whose inhabitants have (for centuries) sung songs of love and longing. Sounding like a combination of The Firebird Band, Joy Division, and The Arcade Fire, Ice Station will appeal to anyone and everyone that likes music. It will be released May 15th on the awesome Flameshovel Records.

MP3 | The Race – Feathers Ice Station
MP3 | The Race – Ice Station Ice Station

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Review: The Eternals - Heavy International (or) rawar style out of proportion

Posted on 16 April 2007 | 1 Comment

Every time I write a record review, I usually start by jotting down notes and making comparisons as I listen, trying to classify and find easily identifiable reference points for the music I’m hearing. Sure, I could say that the latest album from Chicago product The Eternals is a mix of dub, funk, electronic, art-noise, and experimental rock. I could continue by saying that Heavy International recalls a twisted and elastic sort-of dub-ized TVOTR, but that just wouldn’t cut it. The Eternals’ music is complex and unique and is difficult to find comparisons for.

I’ll start off (however) by saying that many people will not like this album (my wife included). Yes, Heavy International is full of rubbery danceable basslines that groove along to the beat, you can’t dance to it. It is not catchy (in any normal sense of the word) but doesn’t make really good background music either. Because of those factors it is virtually impossible to casually listen to Heavy International. The Eternals make music that challenges listeners. It sounds deliberately in-your-face and will turn off anyone not willing to pay attention to the details and the craftsmanship involved. Anyone expecting anything resembling pop-music should turn back now.

There is an underlying repetitive dub feel to the album that have led some to call the music of The Eternals futuristic indie reggae, but it is more than that. The band consists of frontman Damon Locks and bassist Wayne Montana (both of whom used to play in Trenchmouth) and former Vandermark 5 drummer Tim Mulvenna. And while dub is a good starting point, the band layers on warped textures, rhythmic weirdness, and (most easily apparent) the psychedelic and somewhat atonal vocal stylings of Locks. And whether processed beyond recognition or sung in an off-key falsetto, his vocals can safely be called unconventional.

I suggest you give Heavy International a try. It is a ponderous and eclectic album that can be difficult but ultimately rewarding for fans of just about any genre. Heavy International is out now on Aesthetics.

MP3 | The Eternals – The Origin Of The Heatray Heavy International
MP3 | the Eternals – Astra 3B Heavy International

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Review: The Goddamn Shame - Dispatches From The Grey City

Posted on 6 April 2007 | 2 Comments

“The Goddamn Shame began in a smelly garage on the south side of Chicago in the Spring of 2004, with amps and drum kit positioned precariously around pallets, rusting appliances, and a refrigerator filled with flies. This proved to be an excellent space for songs to fester and grow, for pop hooks and blues scales to decay into a barrage of noise with hints of melody lingering beneath, on the verge of breaking apart. We love cheap distortion pedals, self-oscillating feedback, and contingency plans.”

Yes, Chicago’s own The Goddamn Shame play what they (and accurately so) describe as bluesy shoegazer rock or (more conveniently) bluegaze. If that sounds interesting, you should check out their first EP Dispatches from the Grey City and be on the lookout for their new record coming sometime soon. In fact, why not go one step further and head on out to see them at Chicago’s Elbo Room tomorrow night (April 7th) at 8:30PM. Tell ‘em CYSTSFTS sent ya!

MP3 | The Goddamn Shame – Sheridan Shores Dispatches From The Grey City EP
MP3 | The Goddamn Shame – By Any Other Name Dispatches From The Grey City EP
MP3 | The Goddamn Shame – Delinquent Frequencies Dispatches From The Grey City EP
MP3 | The Goddamn Shame – Everett Avenue Dispatches From The Grey City EP

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Review: Shining - Grindstone (or) faraway lands and dangerous journeys

Posted on 6 April 2007 | No Comments

Way back in 2005, the Norwegian group Shining put out an incredible record called In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster that was (IMHO) among the best records released that year. The band’s fourth album Grindstone finds them sounding nothing like the post-bop jazz quartet they started out as. Instead, the band delivers a dizzying frenzy of genre-bending combinations of jazz breaks and metal riffage. It is a dense, relentless, and (seemingly) confrontational album that will have your head spinning (in a good way) before the end of the first song which is confusingly titled “In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster” just like their last album.

On Grindstone Shining sounds like they are intentionally messing with their listeners. An unholy amalgamation of fuzzed-out bass, horns, shredding metal guitar, glitchy electronics, flute, and cinematic synths spews forth. Two words: pretentious as shit. Its almost too bad that Shining is so good that they can get away with it. Its not just noise, but rather perfectly executed glorious noise. For comparison’s sake Grindstone is equal parts avant-bop jazz noise, Refused-eqse hardcore jams, and Cirque du Soleil’s cinematic swells.

All this from a group made up of two members of Jaga Jazzist and two guys that make film scores and movie music. Grindstone is an exciting and invigorating (even if an uneven and exhausting) listen. The fractured melodies and grooves that rear their nightmarishly ugly heads are here and gone so quickly that it can be hard to keep up. Only towards the album’s second half is the listener (thankfully) given a chance to catch their breath.

If you are willing to take a chance and brave the fantastical and horrific sonic landscape that Shining creates on Grindstone you will certainly be rewarded. But like Frodo’s journey to Mt. Doom, it won’t be easy. It is a (sometimes) challenging, jarring, and abrasive ride that may leave you spinning and sucking your thumb. Grindstone is out now on Rune Grammofon.

MP3 | Shining – In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster Grindstone
MP3 | Shining – The Red Room Grindstone

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Review: Hialeah - Where You're Standing (or) have you ever had too much fun

Posted on 28 March 2007 | No Comments

Hialeah is not just some town in Florida. It is also the name of a rock band from San Diego, California. Their 2006 album Where You’re Standing is full of muscular post-hardcore in the vein of Frankie-era Braid, Jawbox, Helmet, and Elliott. The lilting bass and dynamic guitar interplay create swirling and temperamental grooves that are buoyed by just enough melody to keep it all afloat. It is damn fine stuff and you can even call it emo if you want to.

MP3 | Hialeah – Bite Your Tongue Where You’re Standing
MP3 | Hialeah – Nothings Automatic Where You’re Standing

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Review: Alta Voz - City Of Echo (or) sucker punched in the ribcage

Posted on 22 March 2007 | 2 Comments

Why does San Diego, CA have weather that is just about perfect all year long? And why then does every band I seem to come across on the interweb from San Diego seem to be really good? Dumb luck perhaps or something more than that?

My latest San Diego “find” is a band called Alta Voz that sounds like ghostly and fractured math-rocking apparition of At The Drive-In or maybe a less Latin influenced Mars Volta. I should also note that any band that garners comparisons to ATDI from me (or anyone else) had better be damn good. Alta Voz is damn good. The music rocks really hard at times but also has an almost haunting and ethereal quality to it as well. Much like some of the more brooding tunes from Death Cab’s Transatlanticism album effect-laden guitars chime and wash over propulsive and relentless backbeats. However you describe Alta Voz, they have a new full-length record City of Echo that deserves your attention. It is available from CD Baby if you aren’t from their neck ‘o the woods.

MP3 | Alta Voz – Bayonets City Of Echo
MP3 | Alta Voz – Makeshift City Of Echo

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The ice of Boston is muddy

Posted on 12 March 2007 | No Comments

Clark Sabine (at one point) had a solo project he called Disconnect but changed the name when additional members joined the fray and it became a full band. All that being said, the band is from the DC area and goes by the name of Statehood. In addition to Sabine, the band also features Eric Axelson and Joe Easley (both formerly of The Dismemberment Plan) on bass and drums. If the tunes they have posted are an indication of things to come, this is a band you’d better keep an eye on.

MP3 | Statehood – Disconnect Demo
MP3 | Statehood – Blank Eyes Demo

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Review: Fever Sleeves - Demo (or) arson on the inside wall

Posted on 9 March 2007 | 1 Comment

Another band from San Diego? Yep. Fever Sleeves (named after a Q And Not U song?) play some sort of disjointed post-rock-core something that is fueled by angular guitars and which falls somewhere between Cap ‘N’ Jazz, The Dismemberment Plan, and maybe Shudder To Think. That sounds about right to me. Basically it’s technical and aggressive without being either mathy or hardcore. Anyhow, if you like bands like Make Believe and Plastic Constellations, I think you might also like Fever Sleeves. I do.

MP3 | Fever Sleeves – Awkward Moments Ketchup & Mustard Demo
MP3 | Fever Sleeves – Remember When Everything Hurt Ketchup & Mustard Demo

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Review: Modern Rifles - Demo (or) broken wings make broken things

Posted on 3 March 2007 | No Comments

Modern Rifles are a band from San Diego, CA that is totally reminiscent of the sort of mid 90’s post-hardcore that I totally love. The music is biting, noisy, and dissonant with just enough underlying melody to propel it into your brain like an exploding hand grenade. Check out the tracks below from the band’s demo, befriend them on Myspace, and hope for a national tour.

RIYL: No Knife, Jesus Lizard, Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, Lake Of Falcons, etc..

MP3 | Modern Rifles – Terroplane Demo
MP3 | Modern Rifles – United Lead Demo

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Review: Mission Of Burma - This Is Not A Photograph DVD

Posted on 19 January 2007 | 2 Comments

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a moving picture worth? An interesting question considering the title of the great new Mission Of Burma DVD This Is Not A Photograph. And while it certainly isn’t a photograph, it is a snapshot of the Burma reunion coming together that is filled with tons of old footage and plenty of live material both old and new. Additionally, the DVD does a pretty good job of telling the story of the old Burma days in Boston in the late seventies and early eighties.

By now, just about everyone knows the Mission Of Burma story. The band formed in Boston in the late 70’s and released a few singles, an EP, and a full-length record on a small indie label before the guitar player’s hearing problems forced the band to call it quits. They had a small and devoted following but broke up before gaining any true national attention. During the 20 years that the band ceased to be a band, however, their legacy grew and grew.

There is no denying the power of Mission Of Burma’s music and the impact it has had on so many people. I mean, its not everyday that band just rises from its ashes after 20 years of dormancy, records and releases two albums that have the same spirit and ferocity as their original recorded material. It is even rarer for a punk band. Burma’s rare combination of dissonant prog rock, melody, and noisy punk sounds as vital today as it ever has. Just listen to The Obliterati for proof.

Mission Of Burma’s first tour of duty came at a time before the Internet. Before “alternative” music magazines, and before MTV’s video culture. By calling it quits at (what was then) or before their musical peak, Burma’s reputation was shrouded in mystery. It is now great to have documentation of that time in the This Is Not A Photograph DVD. The DVD is informative, well done, and presents the band as many have never seen them before. Oh yeah, it’s also kinda fun to see 3 middle-aged guys making the noise these guys do.

MP3 | Mission Of Burma – Trem Two Vs.
MP3 | Mission Of Burma – Is This Where? The Obliterati

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Stories from the first war

Posted on 12 January 2007 | 2 Comments

I’m pretty busy and get a TON of emails about the this new band and that, and I have a hard time replying to all. That being said, I got an email last week from the Chicago band Somme. I’d never heard of them prior, and didn’t think much about it.

Fast forward to yesterday when I get another email following up on my lack of response to the first one. It caught my attention so I checked out the tunes, and I think they are worth some attention. Self described as, “A spectacularly ambitious sonic marvel, owing as much to key influences Spacemen 3, Jesus and Mary Chain, as to Slow Riot-era Godspeed You Black Emperor,” I’d rather make comparisons to Isis and Pelican, but that’s just me. Somme is (in fact) a duo that combines droning atmospheric guitars with thunderous drums to create and epic battle cry.

The band has a new self-released EP Weight, that was was recorded live in one day at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago. Ch-ch-ch-check it out!

MP3 | Somme – Massless Weight EP
MP3 | Somme – Forge Weight EP

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Review: The Colour - Between Earth & Sky (or) we are not Bruce Weber fans

Posted on 3 January 2007 | No Comments

The Colour is yet another band from Los Angeles that is trying to make a big splash on a major label. It feels like we’ve all heard this story before, but before you pass judgment, hear me out.

I got a teaser EP from the band a few months ago and recently received their debut full-length Between Earth & Sky in my mailbox. Overall, the album comes across like a strange cross-pollination of Black Crowes-esqe southern rock and darkly brooding new wave a la Joy Division/Interpol. An unlikely combo that (in this case) goes together like ravers and glow sticks and is weirdly palatable in the same way that MMJ’s Z is. It’s not that good, but what is? The lead single (perhaps?) “Devil’s Got A Holda Me” steals a page straight from the Zeppelin songbook, and that ain’t so bad either.

Between Earth And Sky is due out Feb. 6th on the EMI/Rethink Label. Peep these songs in the meantime.

MP3 | The Colour – Devil’s Got A Holda Me Between Earth And Sky
MP3 | The Colour – Black Summer Between Earth And Sky

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Review: Aloha - Some Echoes (or) brace your face for the ice storm

Posted on 9 December 2006 | 5 Comments

Where exactly is Aloha from? They are spread out all over the eastern half of the US, but let’s just say Ohio-ish. Anyhow, their latest record Some Echoes (out now on the always awesome Polyvinyl Records) builds on what they’ve previously done over the course of the four previous full-length albums.

The songs are built around the furiously restrained percussion of drummer Cale Parks. He is the propulsive mechanism that locks everything in place. The instruments collide like bursts of fireworks to create moments of great tension that almost seem to pull the songs apart. The songs groove (a la The Sea And Cake) in a post-rock way that doesn’t rock as much as it just continuously unfolds forward.

Its almost like driving into the winter darkness. Headlights fixated on the falling snow that seems like it goes on forever. Aloha’s attention to the smallest details is what makes Some Echoes so mesmerizing. The imaginative percussion, the vibes, and the gorgeous melodies. And while Some Echoes is essentially a pop record, it is also so much more.

MP3 | Aloha – Weekend Some Echoes
MP3 | Aloha – Summer Lawn Some Echoes

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Review: Your Black Star - Sound From The Ground (or) maybe you just ate too much

Posted on 24 November 2006 | No Comments

We hope y’all had a great turkey day! Now to shake you out of that food-induced coma, here are a few songs from Your Black Star. Featuring former members of emo-rock powerhouse Elliott, this Louisville, KY trio knocks out song after song of driving atmospheric rock on their latest full-length Sound From The Ground. Massive guitars scream fervently as powerful and steadfast drumming keeps pounding. It is swirling, fuzzed out, neo-classical indie-stoner-rock that makes me think of late 80’s bands like The Cult.

Sound From The Ground is out now on Wonka Vision Records. RIYL: Jupiter-era Cave In, HUM, Elevator Division, etc…

MP3 | Your Black Star – The Silent Me Sound From The Ground
MP3 | Your Black Star – Rockets (Reserved) Sound From The Ground

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Review: Brazil - The Philosophy Of Velocity (or) underhanded wagons of resources

Posted on 5 November 2006 | 2 Comments

So the band Brazil (actually from Muncie, Indiana) have a new record called The Philosophy Of Velocity out now and it ain’t exactly what I expected it to be. Yes, the band still dishes out emo-prog-rock with blistering buzzsaw guitar acrobatics and jagged tempo shifts but also shows that they aren’t afraid to slow things down a bit and infuse some “classic” elements more akin to the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and even Queen. It is a stylistic leap forward for the band that shows them exploring new ground to create music that is both epic and accessible. The Philosophy Of Velocity is out now on Immortal Records.

RIYL: Coheed & Cambria, At The Drive-In, Murder By Death…

MP3 | Brazil – Crime And The Antique Solution The Philosophy Of Velocity
MP3 | Brazil – Au Revoir Mr. Mercury The Philosophy Of Velocity

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Review: Trail Of Dead - So Divided (or) spin your little head around

Posted on 28 October 2006 | 5 Comments

I’ve never been a huge fan of …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. In fact, I haven’t really heard much from the band at all, and I’m not sure why. I always meant to check out their 2002 album Source Tags And Codes but never did. Sometimes these things just sneak past you.

Anyhow, I got an advance copy of the new Trail Of Dead album So Divided a few days ago and have been loving almost every second of it since then. It is subversively catchy and sonically intriguing. I hear shades of everything from Mission Of Burma to (undeniably) late-period Beatles. Basically, this album is melodic yet interesting and with layer upon layer of sound waiting to be revealed. In shot, So Divided is (at least so far) totally fucking awesome.

So come next week, I’ll most certainly be heading out to buy Source Tags And Codes. Trail Of Dead kicked off a tour with The Blood Brothers yesterday, and you most certainly don’t want to miss it. They’ll be playing a town near you soon. And when So Divided is officially released on November 14th, I highly recommend that you pick up your own copy.

MP3 | Trail Of Dead – Wasted State Of Mind So Divided
MP3 | Trail Of Dead – Stand In Silence So Divided

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Review: TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (or) calling to the front range

Posted on 16 October 2006 | 1 Comment

It seems like I’ve read more than just a few reviews/articles recently that have referenced the whole “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” quote. Unfortunately, trying to write about the latest from TV On The Radio is a little like that. The album (for those of you living under a rock) is called Return To Cookie Mountain and has been getting rave reviews from seemingly everyone.

TV On The Radio is one of those rare bands and Cookie Mountain is one of those rare albums. The music is fresh, challenging, unconventional, and like nothing else, but (at the same time) is instantly classic with a timeless quality about it. It is an almost other-worldly combination of multi-layered vocals, a looping and pounding rhythm section, buzzing guitars, synths, samples, and atmospheric noise that densely envelopes the whole thing. It is a psychedelic amalgamation of genres that only Brooklyn’s best (if not America’s best) band could make.

Return To Cookie Mountain is captivating. It is devastatingly beautiful but evokes (at least in me) feelings of sorrow. It is post-punk attitude, with art-rock experimentalism, filtered through the soul music of the 1970’s. And while the album has been all over the internet for months now, the album was only recently officially released. Return To Cookie Mountain is the band’s first major label release and with the critical acclaim that the album has already received it is easy to tell that a musical statement this big and bold will not go unnoticed by the public for long.

MP3 | TV On The Radio – Province Return To Cookie Mountain
MP3 | TV On The Radio – Wolf Like Me Return To Cookie Mountain

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Review: The North Atlantic - Wires In The Walls (or) red wire right temple black wire left

Posted on 14 September 2006 | 2 Comments

The story of The North Atlantic evidently goes something like this… These guys from San Diego by way of Kalamazoo, MI (Bells shout-out) broke up shortly after the initial release of Wires In The Walls in 2003, but couldn’t stand the heartache that being apart left them all with. So now the year is 2006 and the reunited band has re-released the album on We Put Out Records for the world to have a second look.

On Wires In The Walls The North Atlantic deliver frenetic post-punk that never loses steam despite sometimes wandering (but not far) into what sounds to my ears to be almost new-wave synth. Jagged guitars and pummeling drums shift and contort with every tempo change like an out of control freight train. The band also showcases a humorous side on songs like “Scientist Girl.” How can you not love a band with lyrics like, “I’d rather listen to The Clash all night than be with you.”

RIYL: The Blood Brothers, Bear Vs. Shark, Small Brown Bike, etc…

MP3 | The North Atlantic – Drunk Under The Electrics Wires In The Walls
MP3 | The North Atlantic – Street Sweepers Wires In The Walls

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Review: The Mars Volta - Amputechture (or) hush the wind the music died

Posted on 11 September 2006 | 2 Comments

Amputechture. A combination of the words amputate and architecture, but (even so) what does it mean? Is it a reference to designing and engineering artificial limbs? Maybe constructing structures from leftover body parts? Perhaps we can all find out by listening the The Mars Volta’s adventurous third full-length album conveniently titled Amputechture.

The music of The Mars Volta is the creation of Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (both ex-members of post-hardcore mega stars At The Drive-In). But it is (in most ways) almost completely dissimilar to the work of their former band. Both musics are intense and impassioned, but musically speaking (as most of you know), The Mars Volta has jumped headfirst off the ledge. Amputechture is even more far-out than their last studio album Frances The Mute (an impressive accomplishment indeed).

Amputechture is not an easy listen. The first time I put it on the stereo, I eagerly anticipated the end of the record for a little aural and mental relief. I couldn’t (and still really can’t) wrap my head around the album. Gone are the concise (relatively speaking) songs from De-loused. The interludes have gotten longer and the freakout jams have grown more intense. When you think a song should naturally end, it doesn’t. To even think in terms of songs will simply confuse you more. Blending elements of rock, dub, Latin music, free jazz, funk, flamenco, and more, the Mars Volta creates a complex, cacophonous, and oftentimes chaotic album, but is it necessary? Is it all gratuitous?

At first, I kept thinking that Amputechture had devolved into pretentious sonic noodling and guitar wankery. It seemed to me that Omar & Cedric had become a little too free-spirited without Jim Ward (former ATDI guitarist and current Sparta frontman) to impart a little structure on the songs. But I kept listening, and then listened some more. I heard horns blaring in a wash of squelching feedback. I heard the psychedelic dissonance of John Frusciante’s ever-present guitar riffage. I heard a lot that I had a hard time fully making sense of.

I like fee jazz as much as the next guy (OK, probably more than the next guy), and like so many great albums and great artists of that genre, The Mars Volta’s Amputechture can be a difficult and exhausting listen. The music takes time to seep into your mind and into your soul, but once you finally “get it” the music becomes magical, almost like an escape from reality. This is a rich, dark, and complex album that is like treasure chest filled with the world’s greatest riches. But it’s up to you to find the key.

The album is out September, 12th (tomorrow) and will feature the first single “Viscera Eyes,” which evolved from a song that was originally intended for At The Drive-In. The Mars Volta will also be on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for most of the fall. Check their Myspace page for tour dates.

MP3 | The Mars Volta – Viscera Eyes Amputechture

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Review: Early Day Miners - Offshore (or) land of pale saints and grey skies

Posted on 2 September 2006 | 2 Comments

Even though, Frank from Chromewaves beat me to it, I feel compelled to post about the new album Offshore from Bloomington, IN’s Early Day Miners because it is fast becoming one of my favorites of 2006. While the song “Offshore” was initially released on the group’s sophomore album Let Us Garlands Bring, it serves as the foundation for this new album, much like a director’s cut of that particular song.

Offshore is gorgeously textured and virtually seamless from start to finish. It sucked me into the vast lonesome alternate reality where there is nothing for miles but grey skies and abandoned wheat fields. Just imagine filtering sad Midwestern Americana through the sounds of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Isis. The music isn’t heavy, but it is weighty. It is awash is shifting atmospheric tones that never allow the droning ambience of the music to lose focus. This is a crushingly beautiful album that is enormous in emotional scope.

Offshore is out now on Secretly Canadian records. You can also get Early Day Miners music through eMusic’s 25 Free MP3 offer.

MP3 | Early Day Miners – Sans Revival Offshore

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Review: Cursive - Happy Hollow (or) so naively we peeked inside

Posted on 18 August 2006 | 4 Comments

I first heard Omaha, Nebraska’s Cursive right before they released Domestica back in 2000. That album is a classic that is filled with intense, passionate, and dynamic songs. Amy and I were immediately captivated by the band’s dark and discordant brand of rock. Since then they’ve released a handful of EP’s and another full-length (2003’s wicked awesomeThe Ugly Organ), and have continued to push themselves forward artistically.

At the core of Cursive’s melodic yet dissonant sound is their choppy guitar interplay and the tight propulsive rhythm section. It is front man Tim Kasher (however) that oftentimes steals the show. He sings as if his heart is being ripped straight from his chest; as if his life depends on the intensity of every syllable. Maybe it does.

Fast forward to now. Cursive is set to release their fifth proper album, Happy Hollow August 22nd on the Saddle Creek label. Greta’s gone so the strings that played a prominent role on The Ugly Organ have been replaced by various instruments, including a crazy brass section (big-band emo anyone?), whatever. Happy Hollow is brilliant. And if you buy the vinyl, you can get the whole thing as a digital download as well.

MP3 | Cursive – Dorothy At Forty Happy Hollow
MP3 | Cursive – Bad Sects Happy Hollow
MP3 | Cursive – A Gentleman Caller The Ugly Organ
MP3 | Cursive – The Martyr Domestica

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Sunset trees and shimmering waves

Posted on 28 July 2006 | 3 Comments

Braid was one of my favorite bands, and when they called it quits in 1999, I was sad to see them go. And while the many releases from former Braid singer/guitarist Bob Nanna (Hey Mercedes & City On Film) have been enjoyable, I’ve really come to love just about everything that (also former Braid singer/guitarist) Chris Broach has done.

Chris has put out records with varying lineups of The Firebird Band, L’Spaerow, as part of Life At Sea, and is even working on a solo record. All this while running the awesome Lucid Records. It seems almost as if he is endlessly creative and never runs out of ideas.

Now, while Bob Nanna was more the straight-forward rock and roll part of Braid, Chris (in my opinion at least) added the interesting touches that made them one of a kind. He has continued that experimentalism in his post-Braid work and has mixed electronica in with his rock music. In fact, he seems to have almost ditched the rock almost entirely and with great results. His dark and atmospheric soundscapes provides a perfect, sometimes mysterious, often nostalgic, and always beautiful backdrop for his understated poetic lyrics and almost spoken vocal delivery.

If you aren’t familiar with the work of Chris Broach, you should be. The Firebird Band is playing Sept. 6th in Chicago at The Empty Bottle. Listen up!

MP3 | The Firebird Project – South Shore Drive Feel Alright EP
MP3 | Braid – Circus Of The Stars Please Drive Faster 7”
MP3 | The Firebird Band – Nothing Not Dance Party The Setting Sun And Its Satellites
MP3 | The Firebird Band – Distance The Drive EP
MP3 | L’Spaerow – Front Step City S/T
MP3 | The Firebird Band – Obsessive Compulsive The City At Night

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Review: Mission Of Burma - The Obliterati (or) signals calls and marching penguins

Posted on 1 July 2006 | 2 Comments

The new album from Mission Of Burma (The Obliterati) has been in heavy rotation over here at CYSTSFTS? lately. That means it is really, really good. Here is what a few reviewers wrote:

R