Can You See the Sunset? » emo

Snowing – Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit EP

Eric — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:26:24 +0000

Hailing from Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, Snowing is yet another star player in the current revival of that mid-90’s emo sound that we all love (well, at least I do) so much. The band has only been in existence for about a year and features ex-members of Street Smart Cyclist and Boy Problems and (like SSC) plays that smart-alecky noodling highly Cap’n Jazz influenced take on the genre. The kind with twinkling guitar lines and sing-a-long-choruses that may or may not be perfectly in key. The 5 songs on Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit (which is, I guess, a demo of sorts) clock in at a shade under 13 minutes so it’s really easy to just keep playing this over and over. I also hear shades of Frankie-era Braid and (maybe) even F.Y.P. Seriously good and seriously free thanks to Dave at If You Make It. Just know that listening to these songs, even after a tough day at the office, puts a smile on my face.

MP3:
Snowing - Sam Rudich
Snowing - Pump Fake

Victor Villarreal – Alive

Eric — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:01:41 +0000

It’s been a long time (seven years to be exact) since the world has heard from Victor Villarreal (of Cap’n Jazz, Ghosts and Vodka, Owls) but he is (at least sorta) back and has a new solo album called Alive. It’s an album that features mostly just acoustic guitar and Villarreal’s own voice. In fact, it is Villarreal’s first time being a vocalist and it really sounds/feels like an emotional release for him. The album is not nearly as frenetic as I first expected, but that makes sense. Alive is a beautiful and poignant tribute/remembrance/testament to Villarreal’s late brother Carlo who died of a heroin overdose in early 2007. Initially, the songs weren’t going to be released to more than Villarreal’s family, but there was enough interest in the songs that he decided to self-release the album for anyone to hear. Villarreal’s performances on Alive are powerful yet subdued both musically and vocally and (at times) reminds me of some of Daniel Littleton’s solo work and his work with Ida. It’s a heartfelt and honest album that is not what I expected but even better. You won’t find a more moving album released this year.
MP3:
Victor Villarreal - Don't You Know Who (I Think) I Am
Victor Villarreal - You Are Worth It

Shark Speed – Sea Sick Music

Eric — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:49:46 +0000

I’m not sure that I ever thought I would describe a band as sound like a cross between Minus The Bear and Maximo Park playing friendly Midwestern late-90’s emo. Then Utah’s Shark Speed and their album Sea Sick Music came across my desk. I know, I know. Actually, I think the band sounds a whole lot like local upstarts Kid You’ll Move Mountains, but hey, that’s just me. Anyhow, the best part is that Sea Sick Music is really enjoyable even if it all comes across as being a bit lazy. By lazy, I mean the songs sound effortless as the plinky guitars meander about without ever really going anywhere and I get the feeling that the band could do better. It’s all a bit on the dancey British post-rock side of things but is balanced nicely with good vocals and plenty of melody. The problem is that after listening to the album a few times, none of the songs really stand out on their own. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation as I do like Sea Sick Music. It just sounds as if Shark Speed has much more to offer.

MP3 | Shark Speed – I’m A Machine Sea Sick Music
MP3 | Shark Speed – Freddy Sea Sick Music

The Reptilian – Boy’s Life EP

Eric — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:52:10 +0000

I’ve been to Kalamazoo, Michigan a few times (mostly to drink Bells beer) and can easily imagine The Reptilian calling the city home. I mean, I can certainly hear a bit of Kalamazoo on The Reptilian’s latest offering, the Boy’s Life EP. It begins with circularly noodling and mathy indie-emo that falls somewhere between DEP, Karate, Bear vs. Shark, and (maybe) Phish (err…) but never loses focus. It’s all a bit on the jazzy side of things but the vocals make everything sound especially urgent and more “hardcore” than I would otherwise classify anything on the Boy’s Life EP as. Even so, this is not hardcore or anything resembling it. What The Reptilian have done here (however) is given us a brief taste of their impressive post-something genre-bending style that I find really engaging, especially considering the overall brevity of the EP. The Boy’s Life EP is out now on Count Your Lucky Stars.

MP3 | The Reptilian – So… What Are My Torso Options? Boy’s Life EP

Certain People I Know: 4 Songs

Eric — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:07:08 +0000

I’m sure every other music blog has also reported this, but Certain People I Know recently posted 4 songs on their website. “Big deal,” you say. Well, Certain People I Know is a great new band featuring Bob and Damon (Braid, Hey Mercedes), Jeff (The Bomb, The Story So Far, Noise By Numbers), Matt (This Is Me Smiling), and Lauren and this the the first recorded material they’ve released to the world. It’s a little Hey Mercedes-ish but with Bob and Lauren splitting lead vocal duties, it’s less so than it would have been otherwise. It isn’t as obtuse as anything Braid has done but also not as straightforward as most Hey Mercedes material even though I’d say that it’s more relaxed and not quite as punchy. I’m also not smitten with Lauren’s vocals as they don’t seem to fit in the mix all that well but it’s still nice to hear new stuff from Bob Nanna and company. If you like these songs, you might also be interested in the videos I took of the first ever Certain People I Know show in Champaign a few months ago.

MP3 | Certain People I Know – Neverlasting
MP3 | Certain People I Know – Our Lady Of Guadalupe
MP3 | Certain People I Know – Strongsuit
MP3 | Certain People I Know – All You Gotta Do Is Show