The Poor Ditching Boy

Friday Mix: November 27, 2009

2009-11-27T10:19:00.010-06:00

In the hopes of jumpstarting the activity on this blog from a painfully irregular basis (no new posts since the beginning of October?!?!) to a semi-painfully irregular basis, I’ve decided to post, each and every Friday, a 10-song mix containing new and old favorites that I’ve been listening to and enjoying throughout the week.

While this doesn’t necesarily mean that I’ll stop doing expanded reviews in the future of releases which I feel warrant mention, it does mean that I’d like to reroute the ongoing direction of the blog in the hopes of providing some type of regular content. I still love listening to and sharing music that I feel should be heard by the masses but the reality of the situation is that I just don’t currently have the time needed to provide some type of in-depth, or in my case shallow, analysis in an expanded form.

Therefore, I felt that maybe a weekly mix was the way to go. And while I originally wanted to provide the mix in a zip-file and avoid posting each song under a separate mp3 link so as all ten songs would hopefully be heard in the order provided, I’m still debeating over which online storage site to use. In the meantime, enjoy these mp3s of current favorites, each of which is a terrific song.

1. "Swim (To Reach The End)," Surfer Blood (from the upcoming 2010 CD, Astro Coast)
2. "Walkabout (feat. Noah Lennox)," Atlas Sound (from the 2009 download, Logos)
3. "The Other Man," Sloan (from the 2005 CD, A-Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005)
4. "Beggars Bowl," Polvo (from the 2009 LP, In Prism)
5. "New York Romance Blues," Pray TV (from the 1996 CD, Westonia)
6. "Drive Me Down," The Velvet Crush (from the 1991 CD, In the Presence of Greatness)
7. "Island, IS," Volcano Choir (from the 2009 download, Jagjaguwar)
8. "Are You Really On Drugs?," The Clean (from the 2009 CD, Mister Pop)
9. "Today and Tomorrow," Tommy Keene (from the 1996 CD, Ten Years After)

10. "Ghosts of American Astronauts," The Mekons (from the 1988 LP, So Good It Hurts)

The Rest: Everyone All At Once

2009-10-09T11:06:00.004-05:00

First off, let me get this out of the way: Ontario, Canada’s The Rest and their latest full-length, Everyone All At Once, are not the second coming to The Arcade Fire’s Funeral and frankly, it’s a bit of disservice to call it that based on what The Rest have accomplished with this album. While both bands share a certain desperation found in their music as well as a penchant for being Canadians in a multi-member (i.e., more than four people) group, the similarities kind of end there. You will not find any immediate choruses backed by frantic hooks that urge you to sing and dance in any situation of your choosing, no, but rather a wide array of subtle influences that require absolute attention upon listening.

Financed from making their own beer which in turn was sold at their own self-promoted shows, Everyone All At Once was written and recorded over a period of two-years in various locales of isolation which probably explains the atmosphere the album permeates. While it garnered a North American release last spring on Auteur Recordings, I’m glad I’m hearing this for the first time as we prepare to move into autumn’s twilight.

Like leaves on a tree during this time of the year, Everyone All At Once is a colorful palette of sounds that nod slightly to 60s folk as well as the grandiose pop of Ocean Rain-era Echo & the Bunneymen and the tranquil soundscapes of Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden. You also get hints from the multitude of singles produced by Sarah Records’ artists (i.e., The Harvest Ministers “You Do My World the World of Good”) and dreampop acts that followed while simultaneously treading a path used by more current contemporaries such as Grizzly Bear and Sigur Ros. The gorgeous harmonies flow and crash like waves against a rocky shore situated between sincere bouts of contemplation and sighs over lost loves and missed opportunities.

No doubt these ramblings come off as pretentious but that is usually what comes when describing a great album that sounds immediately familiar yet painfully difficult to articulate with just comparisons. Everyone All At Once will not be for the masses, but rather a small group of devoted fans looking for something that hinges a bit more on introspection. This is a special record that’ll probably reveal something new with each and every listen for years after you first hear it.

The Rest – “Walk On Water (Auspicious Beginnings)” (mp3)

(from the Auteur Recordings download, Everyone All At Once, 2009)

The band are gearing up for a trip to the UK where they've just been signed to Someting In Construction Records who have kindly provided us with a copy of the W.O.W. EP (which can be had HERE) in anticipation of Everyone All At Once's UK release on October 12th.

Make Me Another Boilermaker

2009-10-07T14:06:00.004-05:00

Not much can be said by yours-truly in regards to the legacy that The Jesus Lizard left behind that hasn’t already been stated by others not only more eloquently but probably a whole lot better as well. That being said, I did want to add a few words in the form of nostalgia as yesterday finally saw the release of the band’s entire Touch & Go catalog from the early 90s with each album, Pure (1989), Head (1990), Goat (1991), Liar (1992) and Down (1994), getting the remaster treatment as well as an upscale makeover by way of linear notes, recollections, photos, etc.

I got to The Jesus Lizard just a bit too late as the twilight of their career was beginning with the release of their major label debut, Shot (1996); the first step in the band’s ill-fated relationship with Capitol Records. However, I’d previously heard that it was the time associated with Touch & Go Records of which the band were most notoriously known, both musically and as a live act. As part of a stockpile of cassette tapes bought during the summer of 1997 previously related here, both Goat and Down became big staples of my collection only because they, like the rest of the band’s Touch & Go material, continue to reveal new aspects of the music with each and every listen all these years later.

This was a terrific band who, despite incorporating the seeds planted decades earlier by the likes of The Sonics, Led Zeppelin and the Stooges into their style, developed a unique sound that can only be described as their own. They almost seem to have been one of those groups where not only did you know that you were hearing something really special but that you’d probably never hear another group like them ever again. The musicianship on these records is both top-notch and devastatingly original while David Yow still remains one of the pinnacles of all-time greatest front-men ever.

Picking a track is next to impossible, especially since these remastered versions sound so delicious to one’s ears but this one has always been a favorite. I kid you not: any rock fan should do themselves a favor and add these albums to their collection, especially Goat, Liar and Down. These are records that I’ll always adore.

The Jesus Lizard – “Monkey Trick” (mp3)

(from the Touch & Go LP, Goat, 2009 reissue)

Happy Hollows: Spells

2009-10-06T14:05:00.003-05:00

This one showed up in my inbox last night and ever since I’ve been playing it to death and subsequently becoming a bit smitten with The Happy Hollows’ infectious brand of pop punk meets art-rock. The Los Angeles Times hit it on the head when they described the group’s sound as a “pugilistic mix of stinging guitars, turbulent rhythms, and shouted vocals.” The obvious names of The Breeders and P.J. Harvey are dropped in many of the reviews but I also hear lots of late 70s UK punk in the music a’la The Adverts or The Slits as well as the howls of anguish that made Marcy Mays of Scrawl so engaging. Overall, there’s just something really genuine about this band and what it is they’re striving to achieve.

Incidentally enough, The Happy Hollows debut full-length, Spells, hit both stores and online vendors today with the obligatory East Coast tour to take place this October; no doubt in the hopes of taking advantage of the CMJ New Music Marathon showcase. The song “High Wire” is the single but out of the three tracks sent to me, the album’s opener, “Faces” with its driving buzz-saw guitar riff gets the slight nod followed in close second by “Monster Room.” Stream the full album or select songs here.

The Happy Hollows – “Faces” (mp3)

(from the TuneCore CD, Spells, 2009)

These Girls Fall Like Dominos

2009-09-24T10:28:00.004-05:00

This is a ridiculously big sounding album, big in the same way that a whole lot of records from the mid-90s Britpop era sounded; i.e., slightly pretentious, overflowing with confidence and more often than not catchy as hell. Listening to The Big Pink’s debut, A Brief History of Love, I get the impression that my brain is telling me that perhaps I shouldn’t like this as much as my tapping foot does.

Had this one been released before the summer season, A Brief History of Love probably would have raced up my own personal top summer-albums chart. With densely layered guitars and electronics, many of the ingredients were there from the get go for this one to be a grand slam of summer pop music fun. However, with the pending twilight of the autumn season fast approaching, A Brief History of Love’s flaws become a bit more apparent in that The Big Pink scatter themselves and their influences a bit too thin. Just when you’re settling into one particular groove, the record goes and turns 180 degrees in a different direction, giving the listener little time to catch up and reacquaint themselves with their surroundings.

While the band is completely dedicated to their craft, it inevitably can become a bit too much when dealing with a smorgasbord of waaayyy too many ideas. Seriously, it’s all there: the psychedelic leanings associated with acid house from the late 80s (Frisk), the fuzz-laden guitars of the early 90s (Crystal Visions) as well as the call and response anthems that made Britpop so much fun (Dominos) for a short amount of time. And if one doesn’t think of later-era Verve when listening to Love In Vain then there must be something seriously wrong with my memory. I suppose if anything, A Brief History of Love would have been a stellar 7-song EP

That being said, this is in no way derivative towards the overall entertainment factor derived from many of the songs found on the record as there’s plenty to shake your head and dance to. It’s just that A Brief History Of Love isn’t as consistent as many of us hoped it would be after hearing Dominos for the first time.

The Big Pink – “At War With the Sun” (mp3)

(from the eMusic download, A Brief History Of Love, 2009)

Higher Than The Stars

2009-09-23T11:00:00.003-05:00

While they’ve already been the curators of one of this years more talked about albums; jumping from 300 + capacity venues to a prime afternoon slot at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival all within the span of 5 months, its nice to see that The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart aren’t coasting on the runaway success of their debut album by giving us some brand new material.

The Higher than the Stars EP consists of four brand new songs that lean not as heavily on the early 90s showgazer influence that was found a’plenty on their debut. Instead, the band broadens the twee, pop sound earlier explored on the song, "A Teenager In Love" from the debut; giving the EP more of balance between the ultra-fuzz sounds of My Bloody Valentine and the chiming guitars and dance beat of St. Etienne, adequately displayed on the song below. A solid EP that gives a perfect taste of the sound the POBPAH strive continuously to achieve.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – “Falling Over” (mp3)

(from the Slumberland 12”, Higher Than The Stars, 2009)

Monogold: We Animals

2009-08-20T09:51:00.005-05:00

One of the more buzzed about bands from the latter half of 2007 was Yeasayer, whose reverence to such Brian Eno produced works Remain In Light from the Talking Heads as well as Eno’s own My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts sounds like a win-win to this writer. However, the reality was that, besides the excellent single “2080,” Yeasayer’s debut All Hours Cymbal didn’t leave much of an impression on me. And while I did manage to warm up a little bit to the band after their performance from earlier this summer at the Pitchfork Music Festival, I still felt an overall sense that I was watching Rick Astley front the Talking Heads.

Monogold, like Yeasayer, also hail from Brooklyn, NY which might make a bit of sense as they seem to have taken a cue from Yeasayer’s “2080” and ran with it. Their new EP, We Animals, is one of the more pleasant surprises I’ve received in my inbox from any band for quite some time. With lots of crisp instrumentation that seems to float along while backed by a slight funk sound, the music almost lulls one into a dreamlike trance or sway. More often that not, music such as this can fall into the trap of becoming unfocused but Monogold manage to keep their eye on the finish line until the conclusion of each and every song. And while I wouldn’t normally go for falsetto vocal-stylings, the effect only adds to the atmospheric like state the band conjure; it’s the type of music that appeals to my dreampop sensibilities (i.e., Cocteau Twins) without actually being dreampop. Overall, We Animals is a wonderful EP that actually manages to keep me grasping for what it actually sounds like. RECOMMENDED.

Check out the band’s website here where We Animals will hopefully by available from sometime in September. Look for the band to hopefully perform live sometime this autumn.

Monogold – “Traps/Offerings” (mp3)

(from the self-released EP, We Animals, 2009)

My Merge Day Five: Overview

2009-07-31T09:16:00.002-05:00

Back in May, Ms. DB and I took a two-week long vacation over in Italy. This trip was easily the best vacation that I’ve ever been on and for those of you who have never been, I highly recommend trying it on for size. We kept commenting that if we ever won the Lotto big that the first place we’d look into buying real estate was somewhere in Tuscany. Absolutely beautiful.

In any case, because we knew that we’d be traveling around the Tuscan region via automobile for the better part of a week as well as not being sure of what, exactly, the status of Italian radio stations were, I figured it’d be best to load up on various compilation CDs that we could throw into the player and let run while taking in the sights.

One of those compilations was the 2009 Merge Records Sampler which I received this past April in my bag of goodies from Laurie’s Planet of Sound on Record Store Day. The compilation itself is a pretty nice overview of the Merge Records “sound” and it pretty much became the theme CD of our trip; I know that I lost count as to how many times we actually listened to it but it was a lot. So much that I have many different memories to choose from when hearing any particular song from it and probably always will.

I’m a tad embarrassed to admit that Spoon has been a recent discovery of mine. Despite having bought A Series Of Sneaks upon its release in ’98 as well as seeing the band on the Kill The Moonlight tour, I never really took the time to listen and get in to any of the other material until taking a chance several months ago on the Girls Can Tell record. My goodness it’s terrific and it quickly turned me into a Spoon convert. "The Underdog," from 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, shows up on the Merge Sampler, quickly became Ms. DB’s favorite’s to bop along to while coasting through the countryside.

My two favorites from the trip were from some of Merge’s more recent releases: Telekinesis’ "Coast Of California" from their self-titled debut as well as the Broken West’s "Perfect Games" which came out on last year’s Now Or Heaven album. Both of these records showcase a wonderful collection of roll down the car windows type of summer power pop.

And for those of you completely unfamiliar of the type of records Merge has put out over the years, I recommend going out and picking up their 5th, 10th and 15th Anniversary compilations, Rows Of Teeth, Oh, Merge and Old Enough 2 Know Better as well as the three volumes of their Survive & Advance series. All of these will set you back about $35 and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the money.

Spoon – “The Underdog” (mp3)

Telekinesis – “Coast Of California” (mp3)

Broken West – “Perfect Games” (mp3)

(from the Merge Records CD, 2009 Merge Records Sampler, 2009)

My Merge Day Four: I Stare At Maps All Day, A Charade In The Sunset…

2009-07-30T09:39:00.002-05:00

One of the few indulgences that my friends and I like to treat ourselves to every once in awhile is the old boy’s road trip to a nearby city/town in the hopes of taking in some live music and drinking silly amounts of beer. It’s one of those male bonding things; the likes of which don’t happen quite as often as they did, say, 10 years ago yet which we do still manage to find time for here and there. One of our favorite, overnight destinations is Kalamazoo, MI where we’ll hit up the Bells Brewery for beer, dinner and perhaps a bit of tomfoolery before heading across the street to the Kraftbrau Brewery for even more beer and whatever act we’ve driven all those miles to see.

Such is what Joel, Brian, Shane and I were up to when we made the trek over to Kalamazoo on a snowy, Friday night in February 2007 to see Camera Obscura wow the hipster Western Michigan and Kalamazoo College crowd. And while Camera Obscura were the main draw, I imagine more than a few people in the audience walked away equally, if not more, impressed with the Essex Green, whose cute boy-girl harmonies and jangly strummed guitar chords probably wipes them off the “cool” map immediately. However, since I’m old enough to not care about such things, I found them simply charming and thought those harmonies were just as good as anything Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra ever did.

Their 2006 album, Cannibal Sea, is smart and catchy indie-pop, the type Merge Records has effortlessly churned out all these years. It still has a regular home on our CD player. I remember the four of us listening to the album over and over on the way back to Chicago the morning after the show; all the while driving through a blinding snowstorm and simultaneously praying that Brian could make out some semblance of a road. Yes, I can remember all of this yet still have trouble with certain people’s birthdays and other notable dates.

Essex Green – “Penny & Jack” (mp3)

(from the Merge CD, Cannibal Sea, 2006)

P.S. Sadly, it’s been brought to my attention that Kraftbrau is no longer situated right across the street from Bell’s, a bummer as the convenience factor in terms of proximity was a plus.

My Merge Day Three: Then I'll Dig A Tunnel From My Window To Yours...

2009-07-29T09:44:00.006-05:00

A bit of hand-wringing occurred on whether or not I’d indulge myself with a post centered around the band that gave Merge their highest Billboard placement; it almost seems redundant after the amount of media coverage the Arcade Fire has garnered since the 2004 pandemonium-spreading release of their debut album, Funeral. But again, it’s all about the memories my friends, and this release has a fair amount of them so here goes.

Spring 2004: We start to hear wide-spread rumors and tales about this mystical band called the Arcade Fire who’ll come and save us from musical purgatory. Being both skeptical and having conflicting Friday night obligations, we pass when given an opportunity to see the band perform at Chicago’s Open End Gallery on June 18, 2004, a decision we’ll come to regret.

September 14, 2004: Merge releases the Arcade Fire’s debut album, Funeral, thinking that perhaps it’ll sell maybe 4,000 – 5,000 copies. At the same time, a review of the album appears on Pitchfork’s website containing terms such as “empowering positivity” and “anthemic momentum.” The album receives a 9.7 out of 10.0 and suddenly 40,000 – 50,000 copies are in demand. We luck out by scoring a copy that day from Evil Clown Records (R.I.P.).

Much excitement is had on the way home as we can’t quite get the CD in the player fast enough. With the disappointing thoughts that were the Star Wars prequels still fresh in our minds, we hold off on the subdued excitement we’re feeling as the album plays; aware of the fact that sometimes the mind tries to convince us that things really are a lot better than the crap that our ears are actually hearing. We’re relieved that Funeral does not fall prey to this although we’re still not sure we’d rate it as a near perfect album. We continue to listen.

November 25, 2004: By this point, Funeral has really kicked in and the album is in complete over-rotation in the CD player. We have tickets to go see the band perform at the Logan Square Auditorium. However, as the day of the show is on Thanksgiving, a day where we normally over-indulge with the spirits and such, the tickets go unused. Another decision we’ll regret as it’ll be almost 8 months later on July 24, 2005 before we finally get a chance to see Arcade Fire with about 15,000 of our closest friends. While the Arcade Fire blow us all away into sweet oblivion, a nasty sunburn is had as payment for indulging the temptation of taking my shirt off on a smoldering 100 + degree afternoon in Chicago’s Grant Park.

Shortly after, a show at the Riviera is announced for September 28, 2005. Due to our slacking nature, tickets are missed out on by a mile. We tell ourselves that another show will be announced. Obviously another show is never announced. Shane procures the services of some schmuck on Craigslist who’ll sell us two tickets for $60 apiece. Like two equally big schmucks, we pay the price after my repeated assurances that the show will be worth it. It is…even though I never was able to identify the other schmuck who threw ice cubes at the back of my head.

That being said, the songs from Funeral are taken to another level; in fact, to this day I can’t listen to Funeral without remembering the overwhelming sense of excitement that pulsated through the crowd in anticipation as well as that 1 + year long personal journey I went through with the band. Within that time frame, I fell out of a 2 year relationship, had a summer of nothing but fun before subsequently going out and falling back in love, which I still am to this day so alls well that ends well. Obviously Funeral wasn’t the cause for any of that but it still was great to have that record along for the ride.

Arcade Fire – “Wake Up” (mp3)

(from the Merge Records CD, Funeral, 2004)

P.S. Has anyone seen the trailer for “Where The Wild Things Are” that has this song playing over it? Freaking adorable…

My Merge Day Two: Umbrella Wars

2009-07-28T10:01:00.004-05:00

As I stated yesterday, it’s not always about the overall consistency but rather the 11 or so year old memories evoked from going back and listening to a particular piece of music. While I’ve always enjoyed listening to Spent’s Merge releases, the music in general isn’t something that ever would’ve gotten the mainstream all worked up over as Merge still hadn’t quite branched out enough by signing non-Superchunk-esque sounding bands. And without the Buzzcock-influenced punk to their pop, Spent just came off a bit too much like Superchunk’s timid little brother.

But there are memories associated with this one. For example: it’s January 1998. After reading a review a couple of days earlier, I went out and picked up a copy of Spent’s Umbrella Wars EP, released a couple of months earlier, while heading over to a friend’s place to hang out before going over to the Metro to see Hum. While amicably chatting away and drinking beer, I get up and put on Umbrella Wars whose clunky yet jangly sounding hooks and ridiculous lyrics charm me right away. Meanwhile, my friends all kind of have a “yeah, this is ok” tone which sounds suspiciously like they’ll never bother to go out and listen to Spent ever again.

This was probably the first time I realized that my friends wouldn’t always agree with some of my band-related choices and vice-versa. And that’s ok, really, because I can’t imagine what it would be like not having anything to debate/frustrate over via our musical preferences (i.e., Sloan, Frank Black vs. Pixies, etc.). "Umbrella Wars," however, still manages to charm my socks off to this day.

Spent – “Umbrella Wars” (mp3)

(from the Merge EP, Umbrella Wars, 1997)

My Merge Part One: I Don't Remember This Too Well...

2009-07-27T10:02:00.010-05:00

While the overall consistency and quality of much loved releases is usually reason enough for one to remain overtly loyal to a particular label over the years, I also find that how a record label's catalog fits into whatever period of my life and the overall feelings and memories evoked play an even larger role in how the label’s overall quality will be judged in the grand scheme of things.

Therefore, in the aftermath of their 5-day 20th Anniversary celebration, I figured now would be a pretty good time to talk about some of the extraordinary records Merge Records has released over the years and how they fit into my own personal life’s setlist. For the most part, Merge Records has always been a consistent pressence throughout my life as a music fan and even if Laura Ballance and Mac Mc Caughan hadn’t created the wonderful body of work they put out as members of Superchunk, they still would’ve sealed their indefinite place in rock history for the overall diverse catalog of music they released as co-founders of Merge Records. In many ways, the sound of Merge's catalog is the sound of my own record collection.

And while it does seem like a bit of cliché to namedrop Superchunk and their album Foolish as one of those special records, it was in my case the first Merge release that I ever heard. I was already well acquainted with both No Pocky For Kitty and On The Mouth (both albums Superchunk had previously released when they were signed to Matador Records) when I bought their fourth full-length, Foolish, from Beautiful Day Records (R.I.P.) in downtown LaGrange the summer before my junior year of college, a couple of months after it had been released.

Upon my return to school that fall, Foolish, as well as Sebadoh’s Bakesale, Bee Thousand by Guided By Voices as well as Sugar’s File Under: Easy Listening pretty much became the soundtrack to first couple of months of our fall semester, all albums we listened to over and over and over. It was a wonderful period of my life that I remember fondly, a period that remains my favorite from my college years as both new friendships were made and existing ones were altogether sealed, all while records like this played in the background.

Superchunk – “Why Do You Have To Put A Date On Everything” (mp3)

(from the Merge Records CD, Foolish, 1994)

Let Me Walk With You Cuz It’s Breaking My Heart

2009-07-23T07:52:00.004-05:00

1989 saw the release of several fine records, each of which hold a very special place on my record shelves; the Pixies’ Doolittle, Automatic by the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Stone Roses self-titled debut, Privilege by the Television Personalities as well as Bob Mould’s first solo effort, Workbook. Pere Ubu’s Cloudland is another one that could be added to that list.

Rewind to the summer of 1997. I’m in the midst of unhappily traveling (i.e., driving) around between Des Moines, IA and Boston, MA for work-related purposes. Since CD players weren’t automatically assumed in all rental cars, a majority of the vehicles I’m driving contain a tape deck only. Loads of cassettes are packed for the 12 + hours I’m spending each and every day in the car. I have an off-day in Boston that is spent mulling around Cambridge Square. I stop into Newbury Comics and load up on ridiculously underpriced cassettes. Cloudland is one of them. What follows is me listening to this album over and over and over for the next year.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2009. I hadn’t listened to Cloudland in anything resembling a constant rotation for the past ten years as cassettes have become all but extinct unless you happen to be driving around in my mother’s 1998 Camry. I’m flipping through the vinyl racks of the CHIRP Record Fair at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival and stumble across that familiar cover. Ecstatic elation occurs and Cloudland has once again become a regular fixation on the Ditching Boy trellises’ sound system.

While a majority of Pere Ubu’s catalog has always been unsettlingly weird if not downright subversive, Cloudland remains one of the band’s few efforts at constructing a traditional rock album. Where prior song topics have focused on urban decay and social infrastructure, Cloudland goes in the opposite direction by filling up an album full of pop-oriented love songs. Greg Kot described it as the “industrial-strength equivalent of a classic Beach Boys album from musicians more familiar with factory than surf;” an apt comparison since Cloudland retains the classic Pere Ubu-vibe while simultaneously being an immediately enjoyable album.

Pere Ubu – “Waiting For Mary” (mp3)

(from the Fontana LP, Cloudland, 1989)

Reverb Delay Drums Heavy Tremolo Feedback Guitars Repitition

2009-07-22T09:24:00.003-05:00

Once again, another Pitchfork Music Festival has come and gone. And while every year fans are treated to that one band it would best behoove them to see (i.e., The Jesus Lizard) as well as current blogosphere favorites (i.e., The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart), attendees are also treated to a sprinkling of “up and coming” groups that sometimes gives us, the music fanatic, something to very much look forward to in the hopes of achieving a brighter future.

And while I wouldn’t call their particular brand of post-punk minimalism bright, Chicago’s Disappears do fit the latter category as far as giving the fanatic something to look forward to. For the past several years, singer/guitarist Brian Case has handled rhythm guitar duties for the currently-on-hiatus The Ponys before stepping up and handling the lead vocals for Disappears, which started out as a side project with former BOAS drummer Graeme Gibson.

Described in many circles as “space rock,” our ears actually hear a bit more of the minimalist styling’s of post-punk groups such as Joy Division and Flying Nun stalwarts, The Chills as well as the mid-70s work of Rocket From The Tombs. Like those groups, Disappears has no problem laying off the feedback to let the songs develop a sort of dream-like trance before ultimately barraging the listener with a wall of distortion that never once comes off as noise for the sake of noise.

The band currently has two wonderfully produced self-released 45s available which can also be had via download here but if one really wants to pick up on the glorious sound the band achieves then the 45s are the way to go. And if you somehow managed to wrong yourself by missing their Pitchfork set, they’ll be opening up for the Obits this coming Saturday (7/25/09) at the Empty Bottle here in Chicago.

Disappears – “Hearing Things” (mp3)

(from the self released 45, Needs, 2009)

Let Me Flow Into The Ocean, Let Me Get Back To The Sea...

2009-07-01T15:53:00.011-05:00

While the Who By Numbers LP remains my favorite collection of Who songs, its predecessor, Quadrophenia, is the one that strikes the emotional chord and which demonstrates perfectly what The Who were all about and why many devotees of the group adore them the way they do. Regarded as his classic ode to teenage angst and disaffected youth, Pete Townshend has often praised the record as not only the best music he ever wrote but the best album he’ll ever write. I know I spent many hours as a teenager, headphones firmly in place, trying, and at times succeeding, to relate to the emotional themes that permeate throughout the album’s 80 + minute storyline.

But the fact that the record goes out of its way to also paint a picture of what early 1960s English society was really like propels Quadrophenia into the stratosphere of greatness, making it one of the “classic” rock albums. I imagine one would be better served by listening to Quadrophenia to get an idea of life in swinging-sixties London than, say, watching an Austin Powers film. I couldn’t relate to The Who’s story of the “deaf, dumb and blind kid” but as a teenager, I could find something to latch onto with Quadrophenia and perhaps a bit of solace.

I was reminded of the record by two stories today: the first being a well-written piece on the possible origins of Quadrophenia’s lead character, Jimmy, as he relates to a certain 1964 news story; a story the author concludes Townshend undoubtedly heard and stored away for future reference. The second was this: a story that all too well paints the angst and disillusionment a teen suffers by the rest of society due to being different and the sad consequences that can painfully result.

The Who – “Cut My Hair” (mp3)

(from the Polydor LP, Quadrophenia, 1973)

Some Strange Music Draws Me In...

2009-06-30T08:57:00.003-05:00

We had a terrific time last night at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium Park for their New Music Monday series; watching the Feelies “wow” an audience of several thousand with their herky-jerk rhythms and soaring choruses that somehow still manage to sound relevant after all the years they’ve been away. I was just a tad too young to have seen them live in their late 80s heyday so last night’s performance was really something special for yours truly; especially after having enjoyed their records for the past fifteen or so years and always imagining that they must have been a pretty searing live unit.

And last night’s show pretty much confirmed this belief due to, after having remained seated for a majority of the show, several twenty-somethings rushed the stage, frantically pogoing to the set’s closer, “Crazy Rhythms,” until a free-for-all ensued with a majority of the pavilion’s attendees following suit and bouncing away to an encore of R.E.M.’s “Carnival of Sorts,” the Feelies own “Fa Ce-La” and “What Goes On” by the Velvet Underground before things got closed out with the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” Being a bit renowned for their covers versions, I was kinda hoping that the band would pull out this one; their wonderful version of Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot” as it couldn’t have been more appropriate.

Feelies (The) – “Dancing Barefoot” (mp3)

(from the Coyote promo 12”, Away, 1988)

R.I.P. Sky Saxon (1946 - 2009)

2009-06-25T14:42:00.005-05:00

A sad day indeed for those of us who bow at the altar of Nugget’s styled garage rock; convinced to this day that bands like Sky Saxon’s fronted, The Seeds, were the real anti-establishment of the 60s than rather, say, the Stones or the Beatles. Described as “weird psychotic blues highlighting Sky’s demented vocal sermonizing,” albums such as The Seeds and A Web of Sounds were huge templates for not only the 70s punk explosion but for much of rock music as well.

"Pushin' Too Hard" is the closest the band came to a national hit, which it was, and was/is forever immortalized on the original Nuggets compilation LP; sitting snuggly between the Shadows of Knight's "Oh Yeah" and the Barbarians' "Moulty." R.I.P. Sky and long may you cavestomp your way through the eternal dance halls in the sky.

The Seeds – “Pushin’ Too Hard” (mp3)

(from the GNP Crescendo Records LP, The Seeds, 1966)

Sky Saxon (1946 - 2009)

There's Just The One and Only Special You...

2009-06-18T08:54:00.003-05:00

Though they were virtually ignored (no doubt due to the fact that they hailed from northern England) at the initial onset of the C86 and Twee scenes in the mid-80s, the indie-pop group Friends have soldiered on for almost 25 years; bypassing many of the acts who first made their name by showing up on the famed C86 cassette compilation all those years ago. I always kinda develop a bit of a soft spot for groups like this only because what, besides sheer passion and love, could make a group continue to put out records (and nine very fine records plus six singles and one best of, at that) on a seemingly regular basis for the past twenty-plus years while receiving very little in the way of commercial success and recognition?

And though 2002's Best of Friends adequately chronicled the band’s first six albums, it wasn’t until the release of last year’s Single Friends that all of the group’s singles were compiled all together in one complete package thus displaying their subsequent development as a group. This is indie-guitar pop at its best; the kind that have made current blogger faves’ The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart as well Cats On Fire such a success due no doubt to the shimmering pop chords perfected on by groups such as Friends. And this isn’t even a case of Single Friends being a posthumous release as Friends, now based in London, will release their tenth full length album later on this year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Friends – “You’ll Never See That Summertime Again” (mp3)

(from the Summerhouse Records CD, Single Friends, 2008)

Taking Over The Night & Day...

2009-06-03T08:22:00.006-05:00

The new Isis record, Wavering Radiant, is what the kids nowadays like to call “THE MOTHER-F&%KING S#%T!” Yes…this album is really, really good, it really, really rocks and as far as progressive metal albums go (a term I use pretty loosely based on my previously displayed bout of ignorance on the genre), it just might beat out Mastodon’s Crack The Skye later on this year in our Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2009 list that we sometimes like to contemplate a mere 7 months in advance.

Anther reason that I have to use the progressive metal tag loosely is that Isis seems to be deliberately skipping around the pedestals of different genres, opting instead to draw from a variety of influences. While the band cites post-rock groups like The Swans and The Melvins, there are also a whole lot of melodic, atmospheric and almost shoegazery riffs abound in all of the songs; each of which still manages to sit deftly in the “sludge" and "drone-oriented" rock categories. It’d be like if Motorhead, instead of using thrash after thrash after thrash chords in each and every song, opted instead to occasionally incorporate some of those gorgeous chord progressions that Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour used to favor a’la “Comfortably Numb” giving many of the songs a rather epic feel to them. Gruff yet absolutely soaring at the same time.

The thing that also gets me is that, for an album with a whole plethora of production techniques as well as unexpected bouts of post-rock trippiness, Wavering Radiant never seems to tire nor bore either itself or the listener; it’s just fun to listen to. This is a big sounding, summer rock record with big-a$$ power chords that should, like Crack The Skye, be totally accessible to fans of all kinds of rock genres. And the vinyl, which I just received in the mail earlier this week, is an absolute thing of beauty. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENED!!

Isis – “20 Minutes/40 Years” (mp3)

(from the Ipecac Recordings LP, Wavering Radiant, 2009)

(SHELFLIFE Records is) Down With The Kids

2009-06-08T16:08:00.002-05:00

One of my all time favorite pop songs is Action Painting!’s, “These Things Happen” which clocked in at #28 on the discography of Sarah Records releases. It’s a lovelorn yet very breezy single well-worth seeking out whose heights were sadly, after an exhaustive eBay search of further Action Painting! releases, not to be replicated. That being said, I clutched that 45-inch slab of perfect pop closely to my chest and walked away heartbroken for many, many, many years until being reminded recently thanks to an email from my good friend Matthew Bice of SHELFLIFE Records.

Thanks to Matt’s email, it turns out that Action Painting! singer/guitarist Andy Hitchcock and bassist Kevin House have been busy the past couple of years getting a new project, dubbed Socialist Leisure Party, off the ground which has thus culminated in the release of Tactical POP! for Coffee Cadets, one of SHELFLIFE Records’ beautifully packaged 1000 Series of indie pop releases which we like to call, “da-bomb.” Great stuff that doesn’t stray to far from what labels like Sarah Records as well as Factory Records would’ve put out back in their heyday, a philosophy that SHELFLIFE adamantly attempts to adhere to with all of their releases. Here’s today’s appropriately titled track that perfectly summarizes what you’ll find contained within the rest of Tactical POP!. RECOMMENDED!

Socialist Leisure Party – “Mondayland” (mp3)

(from the SHELFLIFE Records CD/45, Tactical POP! for Coffee Cadets, 2009)

Lift The Hazy Window For A Moment...

2009-06-04T14:40:00.006-05:00

I realize that I just did a rather lengthy posting about Bob Mould but I wanted to elaborate a bit more on his latest solo offering, Life And Times, than the confines of the “Currently Listening To” section of the page would allow. Only because, after spending the better part of a month with the album, I can say with all certainty that, next to the immortal Workbook, Life And Times is Bob’s best solo album to date and one of the best records out of any of his projects, Husker Du and Sugar included.

And I think the reason for that is because, to my ears, all of the material in one way or another faithfully represents each and every aspect of Bob’s musical career and not just Workbook the way many reviews would lead you to believe. I’m also of the opinion that many of the tracks also manage to make the listener anticipate just what it is Bob might do in the future. Hence the title, Life And Times.

Make no mistake, this album takes time. Outside some of the more up tempo rock songs, the album as a whole isn’t gonna jump right out the speakers like Copper Blue did or make the listener go, “What the f%&k?!?!” the way Workbook, after the blitzkrieg attack of Husker Du, did before that. No, if anything, I’d probably compare Life And Times to a soufflé; you don’t want to open the oven door too early or it might fall. You have to give it time to rise and then settle.

One of the other reasons I really like Life And Times is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously as far as the recording and production go. I know that home recording for a musician must be a godsend (lord knows I’d love to work from home a bit here and a bit there when the motivation struck me) but lately, many of Bob’s solo records have come off as a bit too stiff in that they almost sounded too pristine and perfect. There just seemed to be very little room for mistakes which makes me love the fact that he released Life And Times the way he did; warts and all. You can even tell that most of this stuff wasn't labored over endlessly which is a good thing.

There are many songs one could be steered towards; the album’s gorgeous title-track, "The Breach" with it’s breathy vocals, the Husker Du/Sugar-influenced "MM 17," "Wasted World" and "Spiraling Down" as well as the rather wordy "I’m Sorry, Baby, But You Can’t Stand In My Light Anymore." I also would suggest that the song presented below isn’t what one would call a complete representation of the album nor is it an instant pop classic, no. "Lifetime" is a moody little piece with a Twin Peaks-vibe to it that’s probably best played on a brisk fall or winter night, sitting by the window as you gaze upon the late night sky while lamenting over time spent and lost with the ones you love. It also just might be Bob’s most heartbreaking vocal performance ever. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Bob Mould – “Lifetime” (mp3)

(from the ANTI- Records LP, Life And Times, 2009)

Currently Making Me Bounce Up and Down In My Seat...

2009-06-05T10:53:00.003-05:00

…is the new, FREE online EP, Oja Kodar, from Chicago’s The Fake Fictions who I was alerted to by a blurb in this week’s Reader. Peppy, bouncy boy meets girl meets pop meets garage rock that owes more than a few debts to bands like The Clean and The Verlaines, whose "Pyromaniac" is covered on the new EP. After you enchant yourself over and over with my pick below, go here to grab the EP (I mentioned it was FREE, right?) as well as other mp3 goodies.

Fake Fictions – “Complete Debauchery” (mp3)

(from the Comptroller Records EP, Oja Kodar, 2009)

The Path Of Least Resistance

2009-06-05T09:23:00.003-05:00

And now for something a little more angular-sounding; the debut album from The Poison Arrows, First Class, And Forever, is probably something of a must for fans of what could be termed the “Chicago Sound.” The band definitely seems to come from a place that favors some of the more classic Chicago punk groups such as Big Black, The Jesus Lizard and The Effigies but there’s also a fair bit of the alt-rock scene from the mid-90s as well with nods towards Silkworm and Girls Against Boys. Music with a bit of a rhythm-heavy sound as the bass lines taking center stage by acting as the foundation that will hold all the guitar melodies and hooks together.

If there any complaints, I suppose that it would be that things perhaps slowly start to digress as the band starts to wind things up on the last couple of songs mainly being that they’re things the album has already covered in its first half. It’s that certain feeling of, “Didn’t we just do this?” That being said, there are still plenty of things I love about this record; mainly being just how well all of the compositions are written with never a wasted space thus making it very easy to be taken with First Class, And Forever only because I think it indicates what could be an exciting career for this Chicago trio. RECOMMENDED.

The Poison Arrows – “Total Beverage” (mp3)

(from the File 13 LP/CD, First Class, And Forever, 2009)

Side Note: WOW! A post every day this week! I have absolutely no idea what prompted this bout of enthusiasm so enjoy it while you can; maybe it’ll carry over into next week.

eMusic and Sony, Sittin' In A Tree...

2009-06-02T10:23:00.008-05:00

So eMusic has finally managed to go out and snag its first big major label fish. And in many ways, they don’t get much bigger than Sony Music Entertainment. That is correct, starting sometime in July, eMusic subscribers will have access to artists from all of the Sony labels that will include Columbia, Epic, Jive and RCA, if one were to count the “big boys” so to speak, which will cover music that is two years old or older.

According to a press announcement from eMusic, this expansion will add nearly 200,000 tracks to the catalog that’ll give people like you and me the ability to download songs from heavy rollers such as Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and Miles Davis as well as The Clash and Simon & Garfunkel. All (or most) of your favorite indie artists will still be present; however, groups such as Deerhunter, The Cleaners From Venus and F&%ked Up will now be hobnobbing with acts like the Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel and Yo-Yo Ma. And I’m fine with this, really, as I get the same thing when I walk into Reckless Records here in Chicago and see sleeves for all of that stuff.

My problem with this whole “deal” is the, in their words, “slight” pricing structure change to eMusic’s subscription plans which, for the company’s previous “eMusic plus” tier of 50 downloads for $14.99 per month, dropped 30% from the original number of downloads to 35 while increasing just over 6% from the original price to $15.98. Huh? It gets worse: previously I paid $95.90 per year for 480 tracks (40 tracks per month) which came out to approximately 20 cents per song. Not bad, right? However, eMusic has just informed me that come July 24 my plan will be altered to $95.90 per 180 days for 210 tracks (or $191.80 per year for 420 tracks) which comes out to approximately 46 cents per song. You mean double the price for less number of songs? Really? Double huh??

Now, while I can’t get anything near the 480 tracks per year that I previously got, I could get the same above-mentioned 420 track annual plan for $171.99 but that’s still 41 cents per song, an increase of 21 cents from my original plan that even has someone like me balking a bit at. It’s also worth mentioning that eMusic failed to point out this positive, to-my-wallet, alternative but that’s neither here nor there; they’re a business and the bottom line is they want to make money which is fair enough as it’s up to me, the consumer, to find out how I want to spend my dollars. But as a consumer, I also remember where my dollars stopped going in the early 2000s when prices for new CDs started hitting the $18.98 mark for major label releases, an increase one can’t help but notice the similarities to with eMusic’s newly announced pricing options.

It is also worth noting that eMusic was sorry to retire my current plan but they were confident that I’d find even more music to love amongst the many new additions to their catalog. Maybe, but maybe not as a lot of those catalog additions will be stuff I either already own or wouldn’t want to own. I have those old Byrds’ records on vinyl but that didn’t stop me from buying a couple of the remastered versions that Sony reissued in the late 90s as well as the whole Clash catalog that was rereleased in 2000 as well as the Sex Pistols and Miles Davis. And stuff like Kings of Leon or Alicia Keys doesn’t do it for me. So, for an old timer like me, much of this is too little too late.

Which, as far as the old timer comment goes, brings me to this: why couldn’t eMusic in their relatively reasonable goal to add more major label talent to their roster structure a deal for past long-term, and may I add loyal, subscribers that somewhat resembles something akin to their current plan without trying to royally screw them in the checkbook? For a company that grew 40% in 2008 with revenue of $70 million, this “date” with Sony seems a bit extreme.

I’ll be curious to see how these changes affect eMusic’s current number of subscribers; truthfully, I anticipate a drop in numbers as people will start to seriously check out the competition which might leave eMusic the unenviable task of having to rebuild a core group of subscriptions. Not necessarily a problem one wants when getting into bed with a partner who only cares about the bottom underlying value of who it is that they’re getting into bed with.

As one can imagine, there's been a bit of backlash which can be read about here and here.

Famous Last Words...Again...

2009-06-01T14:39:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago we were treated to some new material from Pitchfork favorites, Deerhunter, whose 5-song EP, Rainwater Cassette Exchange, saw a digital download release on places such as eMusic. The EP will also be given a physical CDEP release on June 9 followed by a vinyl version two weeks later on June 23.

And while fans of the group are already more than aware of front man Brandon Cox’s rather prolific output of new material from frequent time to frequent time, due to the quality of the material I can’t help but wonder if this EP is in anticipation of this rather intriguing bit of news. I’m curious how this schtick will play out and where pray tell it’ll be, should a Chicago date occur…

Here’s my favorite track from the new EP, which gets a, to quote Sound Opinions, “BUY IT” rating once the vinyl is released as I’m a total sucker for that kind of thing.

Deerhunter – “Disappearing Ink” (mp3)

(from the Kranky Records mp3 EP, Rainwater Cassette Exchange, 2009)