Blackouts - History in Reverse: 1979-1984 (2004)

Seattle’s Blackouts played straight-up post-punk. Influenced by contemporaries such as Killing Joke, Virgin Prunes, and Public Image Ltd, they managed to create a sound of their own that holds up well over the years. At the end of their short-lived career, bassist Paul Barker and drummer Bill Rieflin left the band to join Al Jourgensen in Ministry, helping the band transition from darkwave synth-pop to a more aggressive industrial sound on The Land of Rape and Honey.

Before the split, Blackouts put out a string of terrific 7” singles from 1979 through 1984. Because the band never formally released any albums, K Records put together a comprehensive collection of their entire recorded catalog some 20 years after their demise. Though this only consists of 15 songs, the outstanding quality of musicianship consistent among all of them is fairly impressive. History in Reverse plays, appropriately enough, chronologically backwards, starting with their last 1984 recording of “Happy Hunting Ground” and ending with 1979’s “Make No Mistake,” their first venture into a studio. The advantage of this track order is that the listener eases into a more polished sound, later followed by rougher, less accessible numbers. One particular highlight is “It’s Clay Again,” a track that could have easily popped up on the Cure’s Pornography.

Streamable Track: "It's Clay Again"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

The Church - Sometime Anywhere (1994)

The Church established themselves several decades back as an Australian band with a unique sound, blending together dark, moody post-punk that was just shy of gothic and atmospheric, textured jangle pop. Though favorably grouped alongside bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen and the Psychedelic Furs, the Church never matched their fame outside of their 1988 breakaway hit single, “Under the Milky Way.” Be that as it may, they released truly brilliant albums including Heyday and Starfish.

On Sometime Anywhere, the band explores electronic and world music styles not previously familiar to them. Sometimes it works, other times not so much. The insistent “Angelica” sounds like a great, misplaced Primal Scream track, while songs like “Day of the Dead” and “Loveblind” present the Church in welcome, well-known territory. Unfortunately, those three songs are pretty much the only stand-outs from the thirteen on the album.

The rest, not unlike the album cover itself, seem like disparate pieces forced together, cluttered and disconnected from those around them and ranging from dull to puzzling. Part of the blame could be placed on the absence of two members from the original line-up, guitarist Peter Koppes and drummer Richard Ploog. The remaining duo, frontman Steve Kilbey and second guitarist Marty Willson-Piper, try their best to compensate for the loss. The largest frustration is not that most of the album disappoints, but rather that the few enjoyable tracks show they still have significant talent but aren’t harnessing it as best they could be.

Streamable Track: "Angelica"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Television Personalities - My Dark Places: Remixes (2006)

The trouble with remixes is that, similar to cover songs, they usually fall into one of two disappointing categories. (1) They don’t add much and sound fairly identical to the original, leaving you wondering why this version had to be recorded, or (2) they add too much and go off on a strange aural tangent far from the intention of the initial track, leaving you feeling disoriented. Thus, remixes often find themselves fated to be thrown in as EP filler or single B-sides.

This remix-only EP (issued opposite the album reviewed in my previous post) offers four tracks ripe for criticism. Actually, to be more honest, three are worthy of this, while one stands out as an exception to the rule of remixes stated above. The artists tackling Television’s tracks are Battles, Lingling, Black Dice, and Ratatat. While I love Battles dearly, their remix of the title track to the original album comes across as muddled, confusing, and without focus or direction. Both Lingling and Black Dice’s attempts are similarly disappointing, as they rework the sonic structure of the song so that it counters the original tone that still lingers with the lyrics. Only Ratatat’s version of “You Kept Me Waiting Too Long,” renamed here as “You Kept Me Waiting Too Long Long Long Long Long Long Long Long Long” (fitting with Ratatat’s pleasingly repetitive aesthetic), offers changes that complement the original song instead of conflict with it.

Streamable Track: "You Kept Me Waiting Too Long Long Long..."


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Television Personalities - My Dark Places (2006)

The Television Personalities have a long history of writing what could be called pop music, except that it isn’t very popular and sounds much too abrasive and uncompromising. Somehow, singer-songwriter Dan Treacy manages to blend the child-like innocence of Daniel Johnston, the DIY pop aesthetic of Go Kart Mozart, and the stilted post-punk delivery of the Fall’s Mark E. Smith.

The curious thing about this album is that individual songs have a tendency to sound flat and unimpressive, but within the context of the album a greater understanding and appreciation emerges. The songs are uniformly dark in subject matter, ranging from drug addictions to failed dysfunctional relationships. The huge emphasis on the latter leaves Treacy in a very vulnerable position, so much so that you almost feel guilty for listening, as if you’ve stumbled upon his secret diary and know you shouldn’t be reading. Though, that seems to be his exact intention, a cathartic release of troubling, personal emotions that he’s kept pent up inside.

On “Velvet Underground,” Treacy copes with inadequacies as a relatively untalented musician compared to the seminal Lou Reed ensemble. He frustratingly admits that while lyrics come to him fairly easily, he cannot seem to recreate the VU’s influential sound. What Treacy doesn’t seem to realize is that it’s precisely his simple-yet-quirky melodies that allow his adolescent-sounding voice and straight-forwardly naïve lyrics to have the effect they do.

Streamable Track: "I'm Not Your Typical Boy"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

CMJ: Day Four

Gang Gang Dance at Santos Party House

Recap:
The day began with a discussion panel of major label A&R reps who offered to provide insight into how they look for new bands and what they listen for on submitted demos. Unfortunately, they spent the first half of the time-slot name-dropping artists they had 'discovered' such as Fall Out Boy, the Killers, and Creed. They then admitted they were in the business of looking for hit singles and an overall image they could package and push. It became obvious that this was not my scene. It was also proposed that they'd listen to demos at the discussion and critique them in real-time. Instead of constructive criticism or honest opinions, the panelists would nod slightly and say things along the lines of "It was alright. I don't want to say anything without hearing more." It was disappointing.

On to shows. At Fontana's, an afternoon party was being sponsored by Pirate!, where I caught the raucous indie rock of Settle. I then swung by the SoHo Apple store once again to see a set by San Diego natives Delta Spirit. The evening culminated with a lengthy show at Santos Party House (Andrew W.K.'s recent and successful attempt at opening a venue), put on by the Social Registry label. The line-up featured Mike Bones, The Sian Alice Group, Psychic Ills, Growing, and head-liners Gang Gang Dance.

Highlight:
The highlight of the Social Registry set, and the day as a whole, was Gang Gang Dance. The Sian Alice Group was a very close second, but half of their set was plagued by technical difficulties and harsh feeback. Sets kept getting pushed back and GGD didn't go on until after 2AM, but it was worth the wait. They played more songs than at Tuesday's show, and the larger audience provided additional energy.

Honorable mentions go out to Delta Spirit and Psychic Ills. Delta Spirit put on a terrific set and brought to mind the likes of the Black Keys and Wilco, following in their footsteps to bridge the gap between indie rock and alt-country americana. For a San Diego band, they really do channel the 'delta spirit.' Psychic Ills play music that should be called 'trance' if that term weren't already appropriated. It's noisy psychedelic drone-rock that combines elements of shoegaze and experimental electronics.


Left to Right: Sian Alice Group, Psychic Ills, Settle

CMJ: Day Three

Crystal Castles at Webster Hall

Recap:
More of today’s time may have been spent at record stores than venues, but I did catch a handful of choice acts. First was an afternoon show at the SoHo Apple store with Swedish psych-turned-jazz-rock outfit Dungen. I swung by Piano’s after for a short set by Sebastien Grainger, then whisked over to Webster Hall for a full set being headlined by Crystal Castles with supporters Lymbyc Systym, WhoMadeWho, and Fujiya & Miyagi (yes, again).

Highlight:
It’s a close tie between Dungen and Crystal Castles. Dungen may have played a better set and performed more cohesively as a band (the intimate setting also added quite a bit to the show), while Crystal Castles disregarded any notion commonly associated with a ‘band’ and simply went for an all-out sensory overload experiment, and for their originality I commend them. The show was drastically different than their album in that it goes from a passive listening experience to something that’s aggressive, in-your-face, and ultimately scary yet enjoyable. In fact, I imagine their stage presence is more similar to a 70’s Suicide show than any other current ‘electro-rock’ outfit. I say ‘their’ but the true star of the stage was Alice Glass. While Ethan turns his back to the audience, focusing on his synths and laptops, Alice performs all out spastic seizures on stage, shrieking indecipherable lyrics into her mic, and tossing her body into the crowd at least half a dozen times (I lost count). I asked Ethan before the show why he didn’t have any albums available at the merch booth, and his reply was, “We’re disorganized. We forgot. Just download it.” I respect that attitude toward art, although it makes me want to spend the money all the more.

An honorable mention goes out to Lymbyc System, who play ‘epic’ instrumental post-rock not unlike Mogwai. While I personally believe post-rock has more or less played itself out as far as genuine creativity is concerned, I must hand it to this duo for putting on an engaging show. Also, Fujiya & Miyagi were great once again, although they did appear somewhat more tired than their last performance. With the onslaught that is this week, I honestly can’t blame them.


Left to Right: Dungen, Fujiya & Miyagi, Crystal Castles

CMJ: Day Two

Fujiya & Miyagi at Mercury Lounge

Recap:
I started today on a more-rested note, opting to sleep in and skip a few discussion panels (you'll hear about the one I'll definitely attend on Friday). I made it down to the Cake Shop just in time to catch the last half of Women's set in the dark, humid basement of the bar/bakery. Afterwards, I headed over to the Levi's/Fader Fort for a showcase involving Chairlift, The Muslims, Los Fancy Free, and Crystal Stilts, who amazingly enough had the energy to play after last night's show went until nearly 5 AM. At the conclusion of the Fort's activities (and the closing of their open bar), I walked a few blocks to Mercury Lounge, taking in sets by Tobacco, Fujiya & Miyagi, and Walter Meego.

Highlight:
Fujiya & Miyagi. By far the best show of the day, F&M demonstrated that they can not only match the attention to detail in their mesmerizing melodies while on stage, but surpass expectations as well. Obviously fans of bands such as Can, Neu! and, to a lesser extent, Kraftwerk, this trio (don't be fooled by the name... they're also white, not Japanese) brings the hypnotic elements of Krautrock into the post-dance arena. If you're a fan of LCD Soundsystem, take note.

Honorable mentions go out to The Muslims, a San Diego/LA-based band who play damn catchy 70s garage-pop, Women, an all-men group who play lo-fi fuzzy noise-rock, and Crystal Stilts (again). Though this time the latter played without their keyboardist. That, and the fact that they were playing to a packed room of nearly 300 as opposed to the 12 in attendence in the wee hours of the night before, made this show slightly less celebrated, but still a lot of fun.


Left to Right: The Muslims, Los Fancy Free, Walter Meego/F&M Gear

CMJ: Day One

Cloud Cult at the Knitting Factory

Recap:
With four hours of sleep under my belt (red-eye flights are accurately named), I jumped on the subway over to NYU's Kimmel Center, where one found badges in the lobby and the convention center on the tenth floor. I'm sad to say that there were even fewer participants with booths than last year, which was already significantly fewer than the year before. I did pick up a few mix-CDs of up-and-coming acts, something to spin when I return home and see if there's a hidden gem lurking in the stack.

After dropping my luggage off at a generous friend's place uptown, I relaxed for a while before heading back out to the Knitting Factory to catch an early evening show with Sister Suvi, Paramount Styles, and Cloud Cult. Following a brief chat with a girl who turned out to be a friend of Cloud Cult's and with whom they were staying while in NYC, I headed northbound to Webster Hall. Therein, I caught the tail end of Tigercity and a DJ set by Friendly Fires. After some milling around, the Stereogum After Party kicked off at the same venue, showcasing Gang Gang Dance, Ponytail, Marnie Stern, and Crystal Stilts.

Highlight:
The best show of Day One, hands down, was Cloud Cult. The singer announced that this set was an experimental first try at the band going 'acoustic' though it was anything but mellow. His wife stood at the back of the stage with her back to the audience, painting a canvas which was then sold at the end of the show. Several songs in the set were almost difficult to process with the amount of emotion the singer poured into them. There is a distinct possibility that they have secured themselves within the top ten best live bands I've seen.

Honorable mentions go out to Paramount Styles (alternative singer-songwriter style in the vein of The Wedding Present with a singer who bears a striking vocal similarity to Mark E. Smith of The Fall), Gang Gang Dance (electronic walls of noise, steel drums, and tribal singing come together in an oddly perfect way), and Crystal Stilts (lo-fi psych-rock not unlike contemporaries The Gris Gris).


Left to Right: Paramount Styles, Crystal Stilts, Ponytail

CMJ 2008

Tonight I shall board a red-eye flight to NY to catch this year’s CMJ Music Marathon. For those not in the know, the College Music Journal puts on an annual 5-day festival spread over Manhattan and Brooklyn, chock full of shows, discussion panels, film screenings, and parties. This will be my third year in attendance, and for the first time I’m planning on providing daily updates as to my musical adventures and findings. Check back for commentary from Tuesday the 21st through Saturday the 25th.

After I return from CMJ, I’m going to re-establish a regular update for this site. The dust has settled from my recent move and new job, and I’ve fallen back into a good groove for discovering new music. I’ve got quite a few albums in heavy rotation that I’d love to post about, so expect new reviews posted every Monday and Friday. Thanks for reading!

16 Horsepower - Hoarse (2001)

I don’t particularly like live albums. This stems from my aversion to Greatest Hits releases, only now the production quality has been decreased and background noise added. That said, there are always a few exceptions to any rule, and this is one of them. 16 Horsepower moseys on in from Denver, boasting gritty Southern-gothic alt-country rock. The band features David Eugene Edwards of Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, and shares additional members with fellow dark-folk champions The Denver Gentlemen and Woven Hand.

I rarely feel enticed to play a live track over the original studio version, but 16HP found a clever way to tempt listeners: include several songs unavailable on any studio album. In the case of this release, these include covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s "Bad Moon Risin’," The Gun Club’s "Fire Spirit," and Joy Division’s "Day of the Lords." It’s a truly impressive feat that 16HP has effectively turned songs by both John Fogerty and Ian Curtis (two songwriters not often mentioned in the same sentence) sound not only like they belong to the same band but authentically great as well. Covers aside, the 1998 concert recorded in their Colorado hometown establishes that this is a band worth seeing live.

Streamable Track: "Bad Moon Risin'"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Broken Social Scene presents: Bredan Canning - Something for All of Us (2008)

Broken Social Scene is an art-rock collective based out of Toronto, consisting of up to nineteen members at any given performance or recording. Participants include members of Do Make Say Think, Feist, Metric, Stars, The Weakerthans, The Dears, and The American Analog Set, among many others. This indie supergroup has taken up a recent task of releasing a series of ‘Broken Social Scene Presents’ albums, each focusing on a different member of the band. 2007’s initial release focused on Kevin Drew, one of the founding members of BSS. This year, the second in the series has been unveiled.

Something for All of Us features Brendan Canning at the helm, another co-founder of Broken Social Scene. While it isn’t too far removed stylistically from BSS, there are several tracks that illustrate genres not readily touched on by the group. "Snowballs and Icicles" can be considered an acoustic folk melody, while "Love Is New" might be as close to a funky disco-inspired number as you’re likely to get from these guys. The overall tone of the album is familiar fuzzy art-pop that’s somehow both calming and engaging, and it lends itself to many enjoyable spins.

Streamable Track: "Hit the Wall"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Jeremy Jay - A Place Where We Could Go (2008)

Hailing from Los Angeles as a new contender in the lo-fi singer-songwriter pop scene, Jeremy Jay pulls from Lou Reed’s methodology, Hunky Dory-era Bowie’s swagger, and Jonathan Richman’s innocence. The fact that he refers to his hometown as ‘Angel City’ provides some insight into the fantasy elements that also find themselves at the heart of his music on his new full-length debut.

Jeremy obviously has a great affinity for Lou Reed. That’s not to say he shares Lou’s signature croon, only that the style in which they both approach song-writing and instrumentation are very similar. Jeremy is a poet in the purest sense. He uses music to provide a subtle backdrop to his writing, which doesn’t always acknowledge the former, throwing the necessity of rhyme out the window as well as any acceptance of how many words or syllables should fit in a given line. The sparse guitars and piano combined with simple percussion allow the whimsical lyrics to garner most of the attention.

Streamable Track: "Escape to Aspen"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Beck - Modern Guilt (2008)

A brief history of my musical relationship with Beck over the years: I got my hands on a copy of "Odelay" in the summer of 1996 and, like many others, fell in love. With all subsequent releases after that idolized album, I have placed Beck in the category of ‘musician who makes consistently great music, but never really matches that which ignited the initial love.’ I’ll look forward to a new album assuming it will be enjoyed, but I never expect to feel that adolescent affection again.

"Modern Guilt" may finally change that perception. I wouldn’t say that his most recent release is better than "Odelay" (it’s not), but it holds its own with a consistent, cohesive feel that I haven’t found since ‘96. The album’s length, 34 minutes, is his shortest yet by far, which lends itself to the belief that Beck took the time to taper and trim until he was certain he had a solid set. It worked. It's also a great example of Beck finding balance between two of his appealing aspects: quirky production and serious song-writing.

Streamable Track: "Chemtrails"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

The Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound - Ekranoplan (2007)

If I had been handed this on vinyl and told it was recorded in 1972, I wouldn’t have second-guessed it. The convoluted feel of their name extends to their range of influences, enabling them to present a sound that pulls from hard rock, alternative, space rock, doom metal, and psychedelic-blues. The revival of this late-60’s/early-70’s hodgepodge (sometimes dubbed ‘stoner rock,’ although I’m not a personal fan of that phrase) is being seen with current bands such as Dead Meadow, Comets on Fire, Wooden Shjips, and fellow Tee Pee Records label-mates Witch. This group’s music fits in nice and snug while still sounding distinct from their contemporaries. The best feature of the album is that each song emphasizes a different element of their influences, preventing the album from coming off as one overly-long repetitive jam.

Streamable Track: "Mosquito Lantern"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Song Obsessions for May

I return. The dust has settled, and it’s with great excitement that I continue posting these musical recommendations of past and present. Seeing as how May was sorely lacking in material on this site, I shall include more than the usual three tracks in the end-of-the-month round-up. Additionally, each artist will receive their own eye-candy.



Mixel Pixel – "Sinking Feeling" off Let's Be Friends (2008)

Thankfully, Mixel Pixel’s music lives up to the undeniable cuteness that their name emotes. Their blend of warm indie pop, lo-fi synth-pop, and alternating male/female vocals presents a playful mix of the Magnetic Fields and Human League. While the entirety of their recent 2nd album didn’t hold my attention, this particular track has secured itself in my rotation for a while to come.






Cloud Cult – "When Water Comes to Life" off Feel Good Ghosts (2008)

Not unlike the Arcade Fire, Cloud Cult shares that urgent, energetic quality that makes you incapable of stopping a song part-way through. "When Water Comes to Life" is no exception and pulls you into a whirlwind of strings, horns, and everything else necessary for that ‘epic’ feel. Feeling the need to take the term 'art-rock' literally, over the course of a show band members Connie Minowa and Scott West complete a painting that is auctioned off at the end.






Clinic - "The Witch (Made to Measure)" off Do It! (2008)

Numerous reviews of Clinic’s most recent release have criticized the band’s apparent need to stay within their comfort zone and put out music that really doesn’t change much from one album to the next. Be that as it may (and yes, I agree this album is pretty similar to every other they record), I’m still a fan of their unique blend of psychedelic-experiemental-surf-rock.






Dosh - "If You Want To, You Have To" off Wolves & Wishes (2008)

Dosh is an electronic and multi-percussionist artist who puts out lush, instrumental pieces. His recent 4th LP is no different and features guests including Andrew Bird, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and Odd Nosdam. While the entire album is great, the third track off “Wolves & Wishes” was the first to initially grab me.






Dame Satan - "Big Weed" off Ghost Mansion (2005)

For those keeping track, these guys were featured back in January when I came across "Sirens" on a 7" split. While that song walked the line between psychedelic and blues-rock, this one off an earlier album of theirs pulls more from stripped-down folk and acoustic harmonies.






The Glass Family - "Swimming in Fiction" off Sleep Inside This Wheel (2005)

To sum up this set, I’ll leave you with another energetic piece. Austin’s Glass Family, who play powerful indie pop/rock, give us a song that allows the piano to take the lead against the guitar, but it’s the shuffling percussion and immediate vocals that win out.

AFK

I just wanted to post a quick message about my recent inactivity. I'm currently relocating from San Francisco to Los Angeles and have been pre-occupied with this move for the past few weeks. I should be settled by the end of next week and will resume a semi-regular posting routine thereafter. And trust me, I have plenty of new, terrific music to post about.

Okay - Huggable Dust (2008)

Okay, a.k.a. Marty Anderson, is a Berkeley native who makes what some call ‘bedroom pop,’ meaning that the sound quality is somewhat lo-fi and possesses a DIY quality that conjures images of the musician writing and recording music from their bedroom. In Anderson’s case, that scenario isn’t too far from the truth, for he is actually confined to his bedroom most of the time with Crohn’s disease.

“Huggable Dust” is Anderson’s third album, featuring 18 tracks, about half of which are under 2 minutes in length. One very impressive factor of this album is that quite a lot of these shorter tracks go somewhere amazing in such a short period of time. Of course, the longer tracks are just as great. The music itself falls somewhere between the aesthetics of Tunng and Daniel Johnston; part folk, part pop, and all playful, honest, and occasionally heart-breaking.

Streamable Track: "Natural"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Song Obsessions for April

Grand Ole Party – "Belle Isle" off Humanimals (2007)

I’m not the biggest fan of the White Stripes, but I’d like to think that this is what I expected them to sound like before I heard them. G.O.P.’s songs are straight-up rockers with echoes of 70s blues-rock, deriving their power from their simplicity.




The Silver State – "Under the Rug" off Cut and Run (2008)

The debut album from this Brooklyn band was just released and contains a few great indie/alternative rock tunes in the vein of Pavement's guitar-heavy sound. This song is no exception and feels like the perfect mellow rocker to wind down to after a long day of working.




Does It Offend You, Yeah? - "Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus" off You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into (2008)

As much as I dislike their name (it doesn’t offend me, it annoys me), I have to admit they do have a few good electro-dance-rock tunes on their debut release. They pull from musicians like Justice, Klaxons, Digitalism, Simian Mobile Disco, and MSTRKRFT. This particular track is the shortest on the album and is essentially a fast-paced, faux theremin-laced joy ride.

Quiet Village - Silent Movie (2008)

The debut album from this UK duo may have been released a few months too early. The music feels perfectly suited as an accompaniment to the coming summer. Each song is both calming and warm and evokes visions of afternoons spent relaxing by the pool or at the beach. They piece together songs by sampling from 70s funk and soul, which shares somewhat from Rjd2's approach to song-craft while focusing more in chill R&B and less in energetic electronics.

Streamable Track: "Pacific Rhythm"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Barry Adamson - Back to the Cat (2008)

Adamson started his musical career as the bassist for Magazine and once they split joined Nick Cave’s backing band, The Bad Seeds. He was under Cave’s wing from 1984 through 1987, helping the band release four albums. At that point he picked up his bass and left to focus on both multi-instrument solo material and film composition, which included David Lynch’s Lost Highway.

The opening track on his 9th solo release, “The Beaten Side of Town,” places you in a black-and-white noir mystery, not unlike something from Tom Waits’ catalog. From that point forward, the album twists and turns through several moods, but stays rooted in the dark side of soul-jazz. It isn’t too surprising that it shares Cave’s gritty-yet-poetic aesthetic, but Adamson is more inclined to flourish in a jazzier, more soulful sound than Cave's reckless post-punk.

Streamable Track: "The Beaten Side of Town"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Man Man – Rabbit Habits (2008)

On their third album, Man Man continues to conjure the Tom Waits-meets-Captain Beefheart-meets-The Muppets aesthetic, one that places them among the most identifiable bands in recent years. Unfortunately, to be identified they must first be heard, but their audience is slowly and justifiably growing.

Their last album, 2006’s Six Demon Bag, still stands as one of my favorite releases of the last few years, offering a fairly consistent approach to their strange, spastic sound throughout the album. This time around they’re shifting between longer, (slightly) more accessible tracks and shorter bits where they seem to try out a variety of styles. It still works very well as a whole and is highly recommended.

Streamable Track: "Top Drawer"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Witch - Paralyzed (2008)

For those unfamiliar with Witch, the band was formed in 2005 by friends J. Mascis (originally the guitarist for Dinosaur Jr.) and Dave Sweetapple. Mascis returned to his drumming roots, while singer Kyle Thomas (Feathers) and guitarist Kurt Weisman were brought on board to complete the line-up. Initial press releases stated their combined desire to create something that embodied the spirit of true rock. They did just that.

The band shrugged off the notion of being another temporary J. Mascis side-project by following up their eponymous debut with a second terrific album. It lacks the immediate ohmygodthisisbrilliant appeal of the former release, but tracks like "Eye" and "Sweet Sue" provide satiation for those starved for excellent hard-rocking doom metal.

Streamable Track: "Eye"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Bauhaus - Go Away White (2008)

Bauhaus has seemingly resurrected themselves from the dead. After two recent reunion tours, the ‘godfathers of goth’ decided to sit down in the studio and write their fifth and final album, 25 years since their last. A lot has happened in nearly three decades. Singer Peter Murphy had a decent go at solo success, and the remaining three formed Love & Rockets to somewhat higher critical acclaim. The fact that L&R continued to write excellent music that sounded less and less like their previous incarnation proved that Bauhaus was not all Murphy, but rather a collective of extremely talented musicians, each of whom held distinct interest in different styles.

It shouldn’t be surprising that this album isn’t exactly a return to Bauhaus form, but rather a blending of styles explored in the past, both together and apart. Songs such as “Adrenalin” and “Too Much 21st Century” come across like Love & Rockets fronted by Peter Murphy, haunting vocals over lush atmospheric sound, considerably more loose and playful than strictly gothic. Other tracks like “International Bulletproof Talent,” “Endless Summer of the Damned,” and “Mirror Remains” do reveal a revamped^* take on true Bauhaus aesthetics with stark drums and bass coming to the front, leaving the guitar to wander through dark, eerie terrain.

Different still are the tracks “Saved” and “The Dog’s a Vapour,” which enter shadowy, ambient space, sounding almost akin to Brian Eno but remaining definitively Bauhaus (the latter was actually recorded for the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack a few years back). Even with frequent shifts in style, the album flows very well, and nearly every song is worthy of being present. If this really is their last studio release as Bauhaus, it's comforting to know they're ending things on a high note.

*pun not intended

Streamable Track: "Endless Summer of the Damned"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Song Obsessions for March

Deerhunter – "Fluorescent Grey" off Fluorescent Grey [EP] (2007)

Beautifully hypnotic. That’s all I can say about the title track off Deerhunter’s recent EP, their third release overall. The sound is a lot more focused than anything they’ve recorded prior.




A.C. Newman – "The Town Halo" off The Slow Wonder (2004)

The singer for The New Pornographers released a solo album a few years back which has a sound similar yet distinct from the playful Vancouver octet. There are plenty of great songs to be found on it, and this one stands out as one of the stronger numbers.




Lansing-Dreiden - "The Advancing Flags" off The Incomplete Triangle (2003)

Self-described as an "art collective" rather than a band, this group remains elusive by refusing photoshoots and interviews and supposedly never performs live. This track off their 2003 debut churns up contradictory echoes of disinterested post-punk vocals and engaging progressive rock guitars. They blend together perfectly.

Earth – The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (2008)

The latest release from this Seattle drone/doom outfit offers seven lengthy instrumental pieces that embody the darker side of post-rock (think Mogwai’s sinister cousin). The slow-moving, murky tunes give rise to shadowy atmospheres that somehow remain relaxing despite an underlying sense of dread.

This album follows in and builds upon the style offered by the last two, 2005's HEX: Or Printing in the Infernal Method and 2007's Hibernaculum.

Streamable Track: "Omens and Portents I: The Driver"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Dead Meadow – Old Growth (2008)

Those familiar with their meandering psychedelic-blues guitar rock will welcome this 5th studio album to their catalog with open ears. Over the years they’ve refined their sound, moving slowly away from the bass-heavy murkiness of Black Sabbath to lusher neo-psychedelia embodied by bands like the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Warlocks.

The AllMusic review of this album concludes with a skeptical "isn't stoner rock supposed to sound destructive?" For the sake of argument, I'll concede that Dead Meadow might be categorized as 'stoner rock,' but who's to say what type of sound that genre must possess? Perhaps the stoners wouldn't mind something mellow for a change.

Streamable Track: "Till Kingdom Come"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams (2008)

Destroyer is essentially the one-man band of Vancouver-based Dan Bejar, who also plays with the New Pornographers and Swan Lake. This is his 10th full-length under this name, one that is full of abstract lyrics and beautiful melodies.

He pulls off a convincing Robyn Hitchcock, while pulling from other influences including Bowie and Reed. The album moves between sounds and styles rather quickly, allowing comparisons to be made to diverse groups like The The, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Soft Boys, and Television.

Streamable Track:
"Shooting Rockets (from the Desk of Night's Ape)"


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Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (2008)

Atlas Sound, the solo project of Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, resembles Deerhunter’s noisy experimental rock but drifts into looser, lush electronic soundscapes that are tighter and more focused in production. In fact, these songs bring to mind a less-manic Animal Collective more often than prior Deerhunter releases.

The entire album flows well from start to finish, and the meandering dream-like, ambient atmosphere makes it perfect for background listening. If this subtle change in production direction is any indicator, let’s hope more releases from both Atlas Sound and Deerhunter are seen in the near future.

Streamable Track: "Recent Bedroom"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Giraffes? Giraffes! - More Skin with Milk-Mouth (2007)

For fans of Battles, these instrumental progressive/math rockers bring more spastic fun to the table (minus the indecipherable chipmunk clamoring). They hail from Santa Cruz and offer a more than enjoyable debut.

The two best things about this album (beside the music itself) are the humorously long track names and the freak-collage of cover art. Additionally, their name is never not fun to say.

Streamable Track: "When the catholic girls go camping, the nicotine vampires rule supreme."


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Old Time Relijun - Catharsis in Crisis (2007)

For those of you who happen to be fans of noisy/artsy punk bands of the past like Pere Ubu and The Birthday Party, this Portland group might be right up your creepy, dimly lit alley.

The four-piece ensemble features a guitarist/bass clarinetist/vocalist, upright bass player, saxophonist, and drummer. They’ve been around since 1995 and have been putting albums out with a fairly regular frequency (this is their 8th full-length).

Streamable Track: "Indestructable Life!"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Elf Power - In a Cave (2008)

While Back to the Web, one of my favorite albums of 2006, was an exploration in gentle, acoustic psych-folk, they have returned to their roots on this release with straight-up noisy psychedelic rock. With their ninth album, Elf Power (joined by Eric Harris of Olivia Tremor Control) continue to give elves everywhere a just sense of empowerment. For the rest of us, we’ll have to settle for some great 60s-inspired tunes.

Speaking of Olivia Tremor Control, it should be noted that Elf Power is an original member of the Elephant 6 Collective, a group of bands brought together by friends from Athens, Georgia who wished to form an independent record label in the early 90s. Aside from Elf Power and OTC, this included Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo, and Of Montreal, among others.

Streamable Track: "Spiral Stairs"


Artist Website / Album Purchase

Vermillion Lies - What's in the Box? (2008)

Sisters Zoe and Kim return with their second full-length (a Scream-a-Long EP released between them) of theatrical cabaret folk music. If that sounds like a unique description, it’s because these ladies make unique music. Their song topics range from a humorous take on the concerns of global warming to the arousing aspects of astronomy to twin sisters born mortally attached by the hair.

To accompany their amusingly morbid and oftentimes strangely sexy tales, it isn’t unexpected to find yourself hearing a toy piano, accordion, kazoo, typewriter, or tricycle bell. The closing tune "Found Myself" even features a BBQ grill solo. It should be noted that the sisters Vermillion put on one hell of a live show, which often includes burlesque dancers and lobster squeaky-toys (used for audience participation, of course).

Streamable Track: "Long Red Hair"


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Song Obsessions for February

Tunng – "Bullets" off Good Arrows (2007)

Guaranteed formula for piquing my interest: open with a creepy looped voice uttering hypnotic nonsense and follow with hauntingly sparse vocals over minimal piano notes. It's not as easy to pull off as it sounds. The best aspect of the song might be the juxtaposition of playful indie-pop (see: use of ratchet noisemaker and kalimba) with rather dark lyrics (see: "Our blood and guts are out / We spread our bones across the table at night / We cut our fingers off / To give ourselves those little extra insights").




Black Mountain – "Angels" off In the Future (2008)

Upon listening to this Vancouver band's recently released sophomore album, this was the track that initially grabbed me. The calm pace and soothing vocals work perfectly to blend a Neil Young aesthetic with a sound that's otherwise grounded in spacey progressive and psychedelic rock.




Rosewood Thieves - "Murder Ballad in G Minor" off Lonesome [EP] (2007)

Whether it's Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' aptly titled Murder Ballads or The Velvet Underground's "The Gift," I'm a sucker for beautiful songs written about gruesome acts. Including the phrase "murder ballad" in the title of your song will only attract my attention all the quicker, so it better live up to my expectations. Thankfully, this NY-based folk-influenced rock band does just that. Their sound lies somewhere between Dylan and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Howl.

Tearwave - Tearwave (2007)

Tearwave offers a debut of female-led dream-pop from Buffalo, New York. The entire album plays wonderfully from start to finish, as individual songs seem to blend into the next. Swirling guitars and keyboards play over crisp percussion to produce a dream-like atmosphere that works just as well when scrutinized as when it's left playing in the background.

Their haunting, ethereal sound is reminiscent of shoegaze giants of the past such as Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. While they don't offer anything overwhelmingly new to the genre, the balance they strike between eerie and lush presents, very simply, beautiful music.

Streamable Track: "Crimson Water Cleanses the Soul"


Artist Website / Album Purchase