Can You See the Sunset? » post punk

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Beat Of Our Own Drum

Eric — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 19:03:46 +0000

On their latest album, Beat Of Our Own Drum, Chicago’s own JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound dish out post-punky neo-soul that’s as manic and noisy as it is soulful and grooving. Brooks’ vocals are amazing and can be either sweet or incendiary depending on what’s called for. His band features guitarist Billy Bungeroth, drummer Kevin Marks, and bassist Ben Taylor and they certainly know how to wail. These songs are edgy but also full of classic soul vibes and that’s what makes JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound so unique. They aren’t simply a throwback group (but rather) they’ve got a wholly modern take on the genre. In addition to their fantastic full-length, the band also has a few vinyl singles (one of which includes a rousing, hip-shaking cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”). Go get up and dance because this band knows how to bring it. Mark my words, Beat Of Our Own Drum is one of the year’s best.

MP3:
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound - Baltimore Is The New Brooklyn
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound - I Am Trying To Break Your Heart (Wilco Cover)

Ben Davis & The Jetts – Charge It Up

Eric — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:01:41 +0000

Admittedly, this is the first “solo” offering I’ve heard from Ben Davis (formerly of bands like Milemarker and Sleepytime Trio) so I can’t really compare it to his other material but as a big fan of Milemarker, I at least have a frame of reference. Charge It Up (Davis’ third full length) is full of much of the urgency and post-punk excitement that made Milemarker so great. Charge It Up isn’t nearly as dark, but still winds up and delivers gut punches with jagged guitars, angular song structures, and constantly buzzing keyboards. There’s some atmospheric din but (mainly) Ben Davis & The Jetts focus on tightly wound compositions that spastically shift to and fro. Recommended for fans of Milemarker, The Dismemberment Plan, Pinback, etc…, Charge It Up is out now on Lovitt Records.

MP3:
Ben Davis - I Want U To Want 2

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Nakatomi Plaza – Ghosts

Eric — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:40:32 +0000

Having never before heard anything from Nakatomi Plaza and considering just how good their final album Ghosts is, I’m actually a bit disappointed that the band recently called it quits. While that means I won’t have a chance to see ‘em live, I do know that I’ll be digging around through their other releases. On the surface, I guess you could call Ghosts a melodic punk rock album, but there is so much more to it than that. I also wouldn’t call it post-hardcore or post-rock but these songs are certainly anything but straightforward punk tunes. So about Nakatomi Plaza… first there’s the juxtaposed male/female vocals that give the music an extra impressive dynamic (as if it needed more dynamics). Then there’s the twitchy melodies that just beg you to listen over again, there’s the shifting stop/start rhythms, and the guitar effects and over-the-top squealing solos. It’s all tightly wound and bursting with restless kinetic energy. It all adds up to the weird and oddly awesome album that Ghosts is.

Nakatomi Plaza self-released Ghosts so do youreself a favor and (if you like the songs below) stop by their still live site and pick up a copy. There’s also something about the vocals and melodies that kinda reminds me of the band Paris, Texas. Anyone remember them?

MP3:
Nakatomi Plaza - Bomb Shelter
Nakatomi Plaza - Artifical Light

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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

Maximo Park vs. Cajun Dance Party

Eric — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:36:57 +0000

I liked both of Maximo Park’s previous albums so I was quite surprised to find their new one, Quicken The Heart, to be rather boring and unexciting. It isn’t terribly bad but it just falls flat when compared to the band’s vibrant and endearing earlier work. Mainly (I think) it’s just that the songs aren’t as catchy and immediately rewarding as those on A Certain Trigger and Our Earthly Pleasures. I just don’t love anything on the new album. It’s all really quite forgettable. So, if you feel that way about Quicken The Heart as well, don’t feel too bad.

Instead of pouting, pick up a copy of Cajun Dance Party’s debut full-length The Colourful Life. It’s a record that finds the London based band of teenagers sounding like a hybrid of The Cure, Maximo Park, and (maybe a little) like Ben Lee’s more recent stuff. It is enjoyable and Ultra melodic and (at times) really catchy with thick British vocals. It isn’t Cajun music in the least and really doesn’t invoke thoughts of any sort of dance party, but The Colourful Life is quite enjoyable and fills the void left by the disappointment that is Quicken The Heart.

MP3 | Maximo Park – The Kids Are Sick Again Quicken The Heart

MP3 | Cajun Dance Party – Colourful Life The Colourful Life
MP3 | Cajun Dance Party – No Joanna The Colourful Life