Album: Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror

Album: Reign of Terror
Mom & Pop
Release Date: February 21, 2012
Rating: ******* (7/10)

Personally, I think you’d have been foolish to harbor high hopes for Sleigh Bells’ follow-up to their 2010 debut, Treats. Sure, Treats was, hands down, the best album of 2010. But remember, 2010 wasn’t exactly 1991. The reason Treats was such a treat is that it was one of the only albums that sounded like 2010. >> Read the full review at piquedmag.com

Album: Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer

Album: Last Summer
Merge
Release Date: 7/12/11
Rating: ****** (6/10)

Eleanor Friedberger is the singer from Fiery Furnaces, the band that brought you Blueberry Boat, the world's first ever concept album about, er, a blueberry boat. And in answer to your question, no, no one knows what a blueberry boat is, nor what it has to do with a lost dog, tacos and the album's other jumbled subjects. What we do know is that Blueberry Boat was one of the freshest, most original albums of the last decade.

It's not that Last Summer is lacking the elements that make Fiery Furnaces great. Friedberger's rich voice, the relentless quirkiness, the effortless mid-song genre shifts - all of that is here. But where Fiery Furnaces exude a disarmingly pure sense of purpose and charming lack of self awareness, Last Summer sounds a mess. Friedberger can't seem to make up her mind if she wants to create art or play pop music. Of course, art and pop are inseparable, but the two nevertheless unravel here; rather merging, Friedberger's impulse toward the tuneful and her arty sensibilities sound conflicted and each hampers the other rather than enhancing it.

At least, sometimes it does. There's a lot of good ideas here and nothing here to indicate that Friedberger won't get them sorted out by her next release. "My Mistakes" opens the album rather abruptly - without any semblance of an intro, the first sound of the song (and the album) is Friedberger's voice launching into Verse One. Although the song is not lacking for production, the endearingly clunky synth should put a smile on your face. Sadly, the first misstep is a doozy - a reverbed smooth jazz saxophone solo. Whether it's an ironic statement or a post-ironic statement or no kind of statement at all, it's pure shite.

The saxophone solo illustrates exactly where this album goes wrong. The homey, intimate feel of the album, combined with its refusal to observe the boundaries of genre, should make it a winner. However, it veers too sharply in both directions. The experimental elements sometimes (as with the saxophone) sound forced and superfluous, while the singer-songwriter pieces bring the album - at moments - to the brink of sounding generic.

The album has some bright spots, though. The simplest parts are often the best - the first two thirds of the melancholy "Scenes from Bensonhurst," the tempered psych-folk of "One-Month Marathon" and the textbook disco of "Roosevelt Island" (where Friedberger's very un-textbook vocals save the song from being obnoxious, despite its shameless disco groove). "I Won't Fall Apart on You Tonight" is kind of rocking, even. Of course, the spell of such moments is always rudely interrupted by something corny and over-the-top. Knowing Fiery Furnaces, corny and over-the-top could be lovable. But, whether from too much self-awareness or not enough, it just isn't.

Friedberger uses Last Summer as an opportunity to showcase her impressive skills as a vocalist, but like any truly talented singer, she has no need to overdo it. In that sense, the album is exactly what it should be, a chance for Friedberger's curious voice to explore the world outside her brother's avant garde compositions (her brother being the other member of Fiery Furnaces, of course). In addition to having a distinct and powerful voice, Friedberger sets herself apart with her unusual cadence, melodic but conversational and often divorced from the beat in its rambling.

Turning away from the Furnaces' drug-addled nursery rhymes, Friedberger uses her solo album to explore more conventional subjects like regret and New York (the album is packed with Brooklyn/NYC-centric geographic specificity, including no less than two song titles). It's not quite as interesting as the mad whimsy of Blueberry Boat, but Friedberger still seems legitimately off her nut and her take on even the most mundane of subjects is still a bewildering barrage of stream-of-consciousness associations. As in Blueberry Boat, you can follow strands of stories and themes but the connections that seem so clear in Friedberger's confident delivery are, upon closer inspection, entirely inscrutable.

Those who keep listening through the embarrassing arrangements that define much of the album will be rewarded for their patience. The second to last song, "Owl's Head Park" is promising but its cool is spoiled by yet another nauseous saxophone. But the album finally redeems itself with the closer, "Early Earthquake." Starting with simple vocals over click-clacky percussion, the song warms with a restrained choppy rhythm guitar. Instrumental voices slip naturally in and out around this simple skeleton, a waft of feedback, a simple lead guitar and most notably, a harmonica, all executed with exquisite taste.

There should be no doubt, at this point, that Friedberger is a talented musician with a rare spark of originality. Her first solo outing shows that she's far more than just an instrument of her madman brother's wild genius; she is, as we were already pretty darn sure, an equal genius in her own right. But extracted from the creative partnership of Fiery Furnaces, Friedberger seems a little at sea. (The same could be said of some her brother's solo ventures.) Her creativity and god-given musical ability can't fail, and Last Summer is nothing if not promising. It's just going to take a little while for Friedberger to find balance on her own.

Stream the album here.

Live: Coathangers, Friends, Bush Tetras

When: 6/24
Where: 285 Kent

Although I've loved the Coathangers for a few years now and consider them top-notch badasses, they reached a new level of badassery and awesomeness during their opening slot for Bush Tetras on Friday.  The Coathangers are four attractive but intimidating ladies from Georgia.  They play strange, energetic, sarcastic punk music.  Their vocal styles range from gender-bending growl to possessed muppet, at times warbling, at times screeching - but somehow, there are melodies.

The Coathangers haven't changed that much since I first saw them but they have gone in a new direction on one thing: their approach to the keyboard.  Once upon a time, about 90% of their keyboard playing involved randomly banging clusters of keys, but now they've moved away from that technique towards actual melodic riffs (though they still do some random pounding as well).  Honestly, it's not better or worse this way - on the one hand, the music is a little less ferociously wild than it once was, but on the other, the band's songs are more distinct and more tightly constructed.

And around those melodic riffs, the band still rages like always.  Seriously, don't fuck with these girls.  Todd P and his sound guy tried to fuck with them by cutting the band off during one of their instrument rotations.  Because their set was a little (ok, a lot) long and there were two bands yet to go, Big Brother decided to pull the plug and start blasting the Beach Boys (or something similar) through the PA, signalling the end of the set.  The Coathangers ignored it and kept playing.  And won.  The music was shut off and the mics were turned back on.  Pausing for only about two or three seconds to shout "don't turn off our mics" they launched into another song.

Twice more, the bossman tried to drown them out with shite, but the band refused to leave the stage.  During one last instrument switch, someone decided enough was enough and cut off the mics for good.  But did that stop our feisty foursome?  Ha!  They played their last song OVER the between-sets mix that was blasting out of the PA.  I don't know how they managed to stay together with a whole other song going at the same time, but they pulled it off and it was awesome.  True, the vocals were inaudible and although the band did what they could to encourage a shout-along, not enough people knew the words to make that effective.  But even if parts of the song were lost in the cacophony, the point still got across: the Coathangers are nobody's bitch. [video (not this show)]

Granted, the Coathangers are a hard act to follow, but upon seeing Friends, I could see why the much superior Coathangers felt inspired to run over their allotment into the next set.  Friends weren't all bad.  But the parts that were bad were pretty awful.  The band is more post-disco than post-funk, but they were a logical opener for Bush Tetras, warm but white female vocals over angular post-punk dance grooves.  They were tight and some of their b-lines were pretty outstanding.  Their rhythm section over all was tight and they had some good ideas.  Unfortunately, they chose to use two of the most piercing and annoying sounds possible on many of their songs: wood block and claves (those two wood sticks that you click together in Latin music).

The main thing that put me out wasn't the whacking of pieces of wood together, however.  It was the oversung pop singing of the frontwoman that really grated my nerves after a while.  There were moments when the set was enjoyable, more than I expected, but the overarching vocals sounded a little too much like a showcase of vocal ability and not quite enough like pop hooks or genuine expression.

The band was also a bit grating on a personal level.  They were informed mid-way through their set that New York had legalized gay marriage.  They made several well-intentioned attempts to express their agreement with the decision but the more they tried, the more awkward and offensive their comments got.  As if the vocals hadn't made me cringe enough for one night!  Still, their hearts were in the right place. [video (not this show)]

The Bush Tetras closed out the night with a set that was a little too long, given the heat of the room, but they did hit most of their best songs and well, they are too awesome for words.  And what words I can use for them, I just used a few days ago.  [video (not this show)]

Album: Gold-Bears - Are You Falling In Love

Album: Are You Falling In Love?
Slumberland Records
Release Date: May 17, 2011
Rating: ******** (8/10)

It would be nearly impossible for me to overstate my love of Haribo Gold-Bears candy. The floor of my room is littered with empty gummy bear packages and I've been known to hide stashes of the little bear-chens around my room drug-addict style. When friends come from Europe, they come bearing Bears - at least, if they want to sleep on my couch, they do. So admittedly, I am a bit biased in favor of the new Slumberland band by the same name - I mean, if they are the kind of people who appreciate this candy, they're my kind of people. And really, they do have a fair amount in common with the kindercandy - their sound is technicolor and sugary and makes me smile!

Calling Gold-Bears Atlanta's very own Pains of Being Pure at Heart would be lazy and not entirely accurate, but it's hard to ignore the parallels between the bands. Both are adorable indie pop quartets with catchy melodies buried beneath walls of guitar sound. Both are signed to Slumberland Records. Both feature three white guys and an Asian woman. Both are playing at Cake Shop Thursday for the opening night of NYC Popfest 2011.

But there are some key differences. Gold-Bears' melodies are more nuanced than the Pains - still Chock full o' Hooks, but with a scattering of unexpected notes that shift the emotion of whole songs. Their noise is also different from that of the Pains. The Pains' songs are coated in a shoegazy sheen, while Gold-Bears' songs sink into pools of sonic murk. The result is a much darker sounding album, one where the saccharine poptunes seem barely able to keep their heads above water - relentless bleak/black waves threaten to swallow them entirely.

The best example of this sonic struggle for survival is the title track. Warm blankets of guitar muffle the vocals and drums. But these blankets are at once comforting and dangerous - squeals of feedback peel out of the drone. It's as the though the guitar is some half-wild animal loose in a corral - the band isn't making this sound, just containing it. Indeed, they seem to approach the sound like you would an animal you hope one day to tame - gently coaxing it, patiently nurturing it but respecting that it's a long way from being yours.

There are more than a few songs on Are You Falling that would need only minor adjustments to fit snugly under the "pop-punk" label. In their composition, tunes like "Record Store" and "In this City, I'm Invincible" are all youthful energy; the band's sophisticated sound defines the band as indie pop or post punk, but in terms of songwriting, this band could be mistaken for high-end kiddiepunk. Which may sound like a jab, but it's not meant that way at all - it's far from easy to master songwriting with the consistency displayed on Are You Falling and the deceptively simple, bite-sized and easily digestible song structures are what guide us through the album's more abstruse elements.

In addition, Gold-Bears are succinct and even abrupt. While many "twee" bands shy away from anything startling, these kids aren't afraid of quick starts and stops. The music isn't jerky but when the band decides a song has lived its life, they cut it off and jump into the next without stopping for a breath. It's easy to get swept up in this exhilarating pop rush and it's also refreshing to find a band that seems eager not to waste our time.

Although the lyrics can be hard to make out in the aural fog, they seem to hit your usual indie pop subjects. The beautiful anthem "East Station Attendant" is a classic crush-from-a-distance tale, while "Beside You," a story of confused young love, is a bittersweet goodbye letter to childhood. The naive "Xmas Song" confesses secret insecurities and the restrained "Are You Falling In Love?" is a modern love story, equal parts regret and hope.

From the triumphant (and excellently named) "Totally Called It" to the pleading "Yeah, Tonight," Are You Falling is a heartfelt record of youth trying to make sense of beauty and pain. It's executed with rare talent and rare passion. Sure, it's not the most original album in history and may be a bit sappy for some, but as an exercise in indie pop, it succeeds beautifully. Indeed, it is one of the most accomplished albums in its genre in recent years and it will stay with you long after its (startling) end.

Live: Grass Widow

This review is late.  It was supposed to be up early last week, but, ya know.

So Grass Widow.  Everybody's nuts for these three girls from Oakland, CA, and the other weekend was the first time I'd seen them live.

Basically: yes, the live up to the hype.  It looked like about every decent musician in Brooklyn had turned out to see them at one of their two DIY shows.  I caught up with them at Death By Audio.

Grass Widow's greatest strength is melody, and it translates well live.  All three members of Grass Widow sing on pretty much every song, weaving melodies and harmonies deftly.  And their melodies are great - sticky sweet but always just a little strange and off-centered.  While many bands who seem to receive praise for their melodies actually fail to generate the momentum that comes with melodic arcs (rather than just three notes repeated, cough cough), Grass Widow's songs don't drag.

But the melodies alone aren't what makes this band so charming.  It's that their tunes are so unpolished.  The singing is decidedly amateur in sound and the instruments are equally raw - but that's not to say the band is unpracticed.  Having three melodic lines in addition to three instruments would pose a challenge to incompetent musicians, but these three ladies are locked in as tightly as I've heard any band in quite a while.

The band's ramshackle pop does have moments where vulnerability seems teeter on the brink of wimpiness, but there are also moments of pure bravery - such as a long section entirely unaccompanied by instruments.  That's no small thing, dropping the sound out of your band to the point where you can hear exactly what proportion of the audience is bored and has turned to their friends for a chat.  In this case, though, most of the audience was rapt.

The set was concise, ending quickly but not flagging for a minute.  And any doubts I had about the group's musical sincerity were assuaged by the bands they played with - experimental, feminist noise like Talk Normal and Broken Water (at Death By Audio) and K-Holes (at Glasslands).  Grass Widow are the real thing - a band with true talent and true inspiration.  Believe the hype. [myspace]

##

Album: The Anters - Burst Apart

Album: Burst Apart
Frenchkiss Records
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Rating: ******** (8/10)

It would be difficult for me to overstate the impact that the Antlers' debut album, Hospice, had on me when I first started listening to it in early 2009. The arrival of my review copy coincided with a moment in my life when I was turning to face certain demons in my past. Hospice put into words, into sounds and into metaphor what I couldn't - the feelings of guilt and confusion that haunt us in the wake of abuse by a loved one. (Many critics seem unable to grasp metaphor and insist the album is about a dying friend, but Peter Silberman, Antlers' songwriter and singer, stated in interviews that the album was about the breakup of an abusive relationship.) I was at a dark point and felt no one could understand - until I heard Silberman singing exactly what I was trying to express. Hospice was a comfort to me, and a guide, and the first time I felt any absolution from the guilt that had pervaded my life for over a year.

So it's impossible that the Antlers' sophomore release would live up to that standard. Hospice grew out of an experience that was not chosen and out of Silberman's subsequent search for understanding and absolution from those closest to him. It's an intensely personal album that always sounded like it was directed more towards friends and family than to an audience of unknown fans. (After all, when Antlers wrote the album, they didn't have fans. I remember seeing them at Cake Shop in January 2009 with a whopping 15 people.)

As much as I touted Hospice, as much as I wanted that album to reach everyone who needed it, I knew success would likely doom the band to musical mediocrity. But when I saw the name, cover art and track listing for Burst Apart, I began to suspect the band was going to pull it off.

And they have. They made good decisions, particularly in not trying to make Hospice, Part 2. Burst Apart is not a concept album and surprisingly, it's not bloated at all. The band also found a way to take advantage of actually having money to record and to become more radio-friendly without capitulating to trend or losing their unique sound. Indeed, Burst Apart's most notable accomplishment lies in the way it establishes the Antlers' sonic identity, staying true to the musical ideas explored in Hospice but also growing naturally into the band's audibly higher production budget. The band passed their toughest challenge with more sure-handedness than anyone could have expected.

The Antlers have said that they wanted to explore a broader emotional range on their second album and hope to establish that they aren't just sad. But with song titles like "No Windows," "Every Night My Teeth are Falling Out" and "Putting the Dog to Sleep," Burst Apart isn't exactly a barrel of laughs. The album is still melancholy, but it is infused with hope and redemption.

"I Don't Want Love" is the perfect opener. It recycles a melody from Hospice (an album that was defined by its reappearing melodic themes) while showcasing the band's shiny new sound, larger and brighter than anything on the first album. The song is breathtaking, one of the band's best to date, all glimmering layers of guitar and synth. It shows a band ready to pick up where they left off and move forward into new territory - musically and emotionally.

Despite successfully establishing the Antlers' identity, the album does suffer in some production choices. In particular, there often seems to be a disconnect between the many layers in the sound. It's obvious the band is not attempting to recreate a live sound, nor should they, but the studio imprint on Burst Apart, the gaps between each instrumental line, dilutes the album's humanity and damages its sincerity. In addition, the heavy effects, mostly reverb, put on the drums often come off as a bit cheesy and lacking in subtlety.

The second song, "French Exit," is a great, radio-ready pop hit, but it suffers from an uncharacteristically bad mix - the synth that carries the melody between vocal strands is far too high in the mix, effectively killing the actual complexity of sound behind it. It's an odd error for a band that usually excels in this area, particularly given how low Silberman's vocals are mixed throughout much of the record. Still, the strong songwriting makes "French Exit" a single-worthy, if flawed, track.

Next up, "Parentheses" shows a grittier, darker side of the Antlers. Silberman's high voice often recalls Thom Yorke, but here the elliptical dub-style bass and crunchy guitar scream Radiohead. While the song fails to quite reach its potential, it hints at what this band may be capable of, at what we might hear from them in years to come.

The middle of the album does drag a bit. There aren't any bad songs in the bunch and quite a few interesting ideas such as the juxtaposition of frail sounds (e.g. banjo) against swelling seas of synth or the low-mixed syncopation that pins down many songs. "Rolled Together" stands out, a brilliantly understated, bluesy ballad that drifts gently into existence but never builds much beyond a whisper. "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out" is another signature Antlers' song, boasting one of their best melodies yet. Still, sandwiched between weak tracks, these gems fail to generate the momentum they should. "Tiptoe" is probably the album's weakest point, a two-minute instrumental, that (mostly because the muted trumpet) doesn't fully mesh with the rest of the album - instead of building a bridge into the following track, it stagnates a bit.

"Hounds" is put in an unenviable position - a five minute track near the end, it's hard not to take it as some sort of intended climax. Twinkling guitars and distant-yet-warm vocals envelope the listener. The song may fall short of the masterpiece it's meant to be, but its restrained melodic hooks and subtle horns are triumphant and leave no doubt of the band's growing maturity and sophistication.

But the two closing tracks may be the album's greatest achievement. The lullaby hymn "Corsicana" treads lightly, but its sparse melody is deceptively powerful. The final song, "Putting the Dog to Sleep," is simply devastating. His clear voice punctuated by R&B guitar and bare-bones drums, Silberman is at his best. In some ways, the song sounds very much like Hospice, the compelling melody, the searing pain, the brutal lyrics. But it also shows how far the band has come, seamlessly incorporating new influences (like R&B), breaking the sound wide open, at once gigantic and sparse, vaulted in a way the claustrophobic Hospice never was.

Burst Apart is not as flooring a personal accomplishment as its predecessor, but it shows the Antlers at a new level of professionalism. And most importantly, it establishes the Antlers have greatness in them. It's rare that a young band can establish such a distinctive voice for themselves, especially in the wake of such a rapid rise to fame in 2009. It's a signpost, a foreshadowing of greatness to come. The Antlers have what it takes to change the course of independent music. They may still sink into banality, but if Burst Apart is any indication, Antlers have something earth-shattering in them. It's not here yet, but it's in them, that identity and drive that only comes along a few times in a decade. I knew it when I first saw them live and when I first heard Hospice - these guys are something special.

Album: Girls Names - Dead to Me

Album: Dead to Me
Slumberland
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Rating: ******** (8/10)

At this point, it's becoming increasingly difficult to review bands that sound like C86, because I'm starting to feel like I've heard every one of these records before, dozens of times; someone just changed the titles of the tracks.

If you aren't familiar with C86, it's a compilation cassette that was released by NME and Rough Trade Records in 1986. A similar compilation had been released five years prior (C81), but while C81 actually documented the British indie scene in 1981, C86 was less representative and more of an attempt to steer the British indie scene. For better or worse (mostly worse), it succeeded - the scattered jangly guitar bands with their wimpy pop tunes, inspired by forerunners like Orange Juice in Scotland and Young Marble Giants in Wales, coalesced into the twee/anorak/shambling/C86 indie pop movement of the late 80's and early 90's.

The movement, led by Sarah Records and bands like the Field Mice and Heavenly, fizzled out by the mid-90's. The movement did a lot for indie rock - namely, freeing it of the machismo and chauvinism that dominated first hard rock and then punk and then hardcore - and produced some truly great records. The impact of the indie pop movement can still be felt across the indie world: most indie rockers are now ultrawimps and that's been the case since the mid-90's - twee faded out organically when its mission was accomplished and it was no longer relevant.

But suddenly, round about 2008, a whole new generation seemed to discover C86 and Sarah Records. And there's something still relevant about that music, perhaps just the clear message it conveys that anyone can have a band. Plus, there were a lot of forgotten gems that the new wave of indie bands dusted off and brought back to light: Black Tambourine, the Vaselines, etc. But it's three years later, three years of albums with wimpy vocal melodies, shimmery, jangly guitars, low production values and so so so so so so much reverb. Three years of bands with children's haircuts waxing lyrical about the glory days of Sarah and Slumberland, or if they're a little more sophisticated, Rough Trade and Postcard.

So, where does that leave Girls Names full-length debut? The truth is Dead To Me is one of the best C86-styled records of the new generation. It's hard for me to get past the fact that I have to sit through yet another record that sounds exactly like C86, but at least this one begins to do its influences justice.

The record starts out with a very promising stew of melancholy guitar so heavily processed its sounds more like a synthesizer. A swelling cloud of dark noise looms over the guitar, but then suddenly, the cloud breaks giving way to a truly great, clean-guitar riff. In fact, the first 60 seconds or so of the record don't sound like C86 at all.

But it's downhill from there, and fast. For the rest of the first track, muted drums clatter and the vocal melody floats around lazily. It's not bad, it's just been done. A lot. However, there are some noteworthy facets to the song and the two that follow, "I Could Die" and "When You Cry." First, the band is not afraid of being good at guitar, even soloing briefly. Second, the band is not as afraid of noise as many of their counterparts. They don't use much distortion, but their guitars come in and out with overdriven edges that give the music some muscle. Third, their songs are skillfully arranged with contours that propel them forward, instruments carefully entering and exiting, carving out a song that's more than just chords+beat+melody.

A number of the following songs fail to hold attention not because they are poorly constructed songs but because they are so "samey" with each other and with a zillion other bands. "I Lose" is the next track to really grab attention. The track starts with the classic dreamy drum beat of "Just Like Honey" and bright, tremolo'ed (vibrato'ed) chords which do just what an introduction should do, introduce the song, which kicks in after half a minute with sparkling guitar arpeggios and a driving drum beat. The quick guitar and drums are balanced with measured vocals, and periodically trip back to half-temo as Cathal Cully repeats in brilliantly unconvincing terms "I don't miss my old life."

The subsequent songs slip back in the forgettable swamp of samey-ness. To be fair, they are all very well written songs, but they fail to capture the listener's attention. The slower "Kiss Goodbye" stands out for its slight swing. And the closer, "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," from its dark flickering intro, the way it seems to flit between major and minor keys and the depth of noise that grows throughout the track's three minutes, is a worthy finale. In the last seconds of the album, the digital-era effects of the opening 30 seconds make a reappearance, hinting frustratingly at what the album could have been with modern production.

If the band had skipped the low production values and the reverb, this album could have really shined. But the band is condemning themselves, sealing their own fate, by placing themselves decidedly behind a curve, even if they are better than the bands ahead of them. Props to the band for knowing exactly what they're doing though: on their myspace page, they describe their music as "disposable noise pop songs." They also wear their influences on their sleeve: the Pastels, Beat Happening, Josef K, Black Tambourine. But these influences are on the dark and heavy side of indie pop and Dead to Me is the better for it. The album runs deeper than the band's own description would imply. It's just a few years too late to stand out from the crowd the way it deserves to. [MySpace].

Album: The Crystal Stilts - In Love with Oblivion

Album: In Love with Oblivion
Slumberland, 2011
Rating: ***** (5/10)

When I first heard the Crystal Stilts' "Converging in the Quiet" in 2008, I immediately proclaimed them to be the greatest thing, like, ever - both here and to anyone who would listen to me in real life. However, over the following year, I painfully fell out of love with band, due in large part to their arrogant and lazy stage presence and their formulaic song after formulaic song. (The Stilts formula, which bears a striking resemblance to the formula of many other bands with whom the Stilts have shared labels or stages, basically involves a bass line that falls somewhere in the Peter Hook (Joy Division) to C-86 continuum, ultra-jangly guitars and let's-see-how-much-reverb-we-can-possibly-put-on-these low tenor vocals, in case you missed the memo.)

In Love With Oblivion does little to appease my ambivalence towards the band. The album is eleven songs long, but the first two tracks are recycled from previous releases. "Sycamore Tree," okay, that wasn't a proper release, but "Through the Floor"? Really? A demo version of that track appeared on the band's 2008 Woodsist debut. Yes, they've spruced it up a bit since then, but I wouldn't say they've improved it and they certainly haven't dramatically revamped it. This isn't the first time the Stilts have resorted to recycling, though - they also released a watered down version of "Converging in the Quiet" from the same Woodsist release under the name "Departure" on their later Slumberland debut. It's as though the band thinks no one has heard their Woodsist EP and doesn't want any of their songs to go unheard by the casual listener (or like they couldn't write enough new songs for a new album). But save it for your Singles and B-Sides comp, guys.

To their credit, the songs on In Love With Oblivion do expand on the Stilts' old tricks by adding some production tricks and synthesizers (or something). The band also throws around some Spanish-ish modal experiments with mostly positive results. In Love also sees them continuing their trend towards the faster, sadly often without also continuing their parallel trend toward the catchier. A cynic might say the band has moved from imitating Joy Division to imitating another touchstone of underground rock: the Velvet Underground. However, that would be oversimplifying the story.

Despite more creative arrangements, the first few songs on the album feel dull and ultimately forgettable. "Sycamore Tree" has a surfy flavor, while "Through the Floor" is all Jesus and Mary Chain (but with awkward and thankfully low-mixed piano). "Silver Suns" is a gentle, warm song that's certainly well crafted, but it too becomes tarnished when you realize the main guitar riff is just the first half of the riff from "Lady Godiva's Operation" (the Velvets, again) with the rhythm subtly inverted.

"Half A Moon" finally introduces a Stilts that don't sound completely derivative. The song is still vintage in sensibility, but the melodic riff that tears through and the double-speed bass give the Stilts a sound, their sound. The subsequent drama of "Flying into the Sun" and "Shake the Shackles" is a mixed blessing, but the added instrumentation and the striking clarity of that added instrumentation against the Stilts' murk (granted, it would not have striking clarity against any other backdrop) ultimately shows the band pushing in new directions. While they haven't yet arrived, at least they're moving forward. The following track "Precarious Stair," however, while being a well-constructed midtempo pop song at its core, is frankly a mess. While I laud the band's most extreme attempt at branching out to date, timpani and autoharp (?!) are not really the way to go. Continuing the damage, "Invisible City" is based around an untamed organ that comes off as cheesy, almost self-mocking, but without actually being funny or making a statement.

"Blood Barons" picks things up a bit, with a very late-Velvets guitar and a bass-line lifted straight from Suicide's "Ghost Rider" (albeit slightly rhythmically askew from the original). Ripping off two bands at once doesn't generally produce very original sounding results, and it definitely doesn't here. That said, "Blood Barons" is at least catchy.

Closing the album, the piano-based "Prometheus at Large" shows the band again overreaching. Their foray into honky-tonk piano probably comes via songs like the Velvets "I'm Waiting for the Man," especially judging from the again very Velvets-inflected guitar (this time, recalling the Velvets' earlier scratchy, spastic freakouts). However, while Lou Reed and company could actually pull off some boogie woogie behind the keys, the Stilts lack the black culture roots or sincerity to pull it off. As always, the band sounds three times removed in a cloud of aloof irony, obscure (or not so obscure) reference points and oh so much reverb - only with the piano backing, they actually sound kind of racist doing it.

The one bright spot on the album (although "bright" is actually the very wrong word to describe it) is the seven minute plus "Alien Rivers." Here, the band's postpunk model finally reaches its potential. Although I'm not usually a fan of long songs, "Alien Rivers" is a misty and foreboding bass-driven masterpiece that shows the band's growth far more organically than the albums' later tracks do - here, the experimental elements roll out with subtlety and control throughout the song as though the band is actually drifting downriver into some dark and alien forest. At fourth, the song comes a little early in the album to be called its "centerpiece" but "Rivers" definitely fills that role. Gloomy bass a la Joy Division, PIL or even Bauhaus melds seamlessly with a sinister tango-ing organ and Old West guitar. The drama of these three instruments, while recalling three distinctly different styles, fits together neatly in that enigmatic combination of tongue-in-cheek gloom-and-doom and sincere misery originally perfected in postpunk England. Four and a half of this album's five stars come from this track, but with its length and subtly, it is very much an album track that only truly makes sense in the context of the sub-par remainder of the album.

With blatant rip-offs around every corner, In Love with Oblivion is somewhat challenging for anyone versed in classic underground pop. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable listen at most points and even manages to be remarkable at a few. Don't break the bank for this one, but don't give up on the Stilts quite yet.

Album: Sisters - Ghost Fits

Album: Ghost Fits
Narnack, 2010
Rating: ******* (7/10)

Sisters, a poppy, fuzzy noise punk duo out of Brooklyn's Death By Audio family, piqued my interest at a spirited show at loft space Dead Herring House last year, and won my heart at the second show I attended. Drums'n'guitar duos aren't exactly a rare breed these days. Starting with the White Stripes' bold embrace of raw minimalism around the beginning of the 2000's, the theory that you only really need two people to make noisy songs (outside of electronica) has become increasingly tested and confirmed by bands like California's No Age, the similarly named Japanther and Japandroids and Sisters' associates (via Death By Audio Records) Jeff the Brotherhood. The considerable force of personality and exuberant energy needed to make a two-man band really pop, along with the sloppy, joyous freedom endowed by a simple two-part arrangements, makes these bands the most energetic and youthful sounding of the times.

Sisters is no exception. There is something distinctly untamed and young about them, and while it can be hard to capture this spirit in the studio, Ghost Fits succeeds remarkably well. Much of that has to do with the frenetic, spastic (yet spot-on) drumming of Matt Conboy, a tall, wild-haired man who at live shows dwarfs his bare-bones drumset. Aaron Pfannebecker's lo-fi guitar and youthful melodies jump on top of Conboy's reckless, crashing beats like a cowboy on a bronco. Bands with more members must play "tightly" and are commended for doing so. However, the two-part arrangements of Sisters allow for a looseness that has all the sloppy trappings of pure joy.

Ghost Fits is a collection of well-written pop gems, each boasting a catchy, unrefined melody. Among two-man bands of their style, Sisters may come closest to No Age; both bands display a remarkable depth of sound drawn mysteriously from a single guitar. Sisters' sound may not be as rich as No Age - their music is a little rawer - but there is a delicious lot of noise and no thin-sounding moments or uncomfortable gaps. (Granted, Sisters, unlike No Age, do use prerecorded tracks to cover more than two parts on occasion.)

Many of the songs are somewhat reminiscent of Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth, albeit in a less-than-obvious way. Pfannebecker builds many non-key chords on those open fourths and sweetly discordant harmonies famously explored by Sonic Youth, and even uses a similar clean, ringing tone in quieter moments. Meanwhile, Pfannebecker's melodies follow similar heartfelt flat-falling contours to Moore's more uptempo works.

It's difficult to pick highlights from the album; the consistency of the songwriting is remarkable. Centerpiece "Highway Scratch," with its bright, toy-keyboard melody, has been floating around for a while and remains one of the band's most lovable songs (which is saying something). Perhaps the record's most complex song, "Courthouse" doesn't lose momentum, even as it drifts away from a standard pop format. "Leaving Home," near the close of the album, features the deep whammy pitch-shifts of Isn't Anything-era My Bloody Valentine, with the chords bending in and out of key under one of the album's most creative melodies. At second-to-last, "Visions" is another winner, flipping between a tense, hushed, Sonic Youth-y verse and a crashing, thick and straight-forward chorus.

But the beginning of the album is just as strong, with simple treats like the opening track "The Curse." Sewn together with an earworm of a melody, the song points towards traditional lo-fi bands like Pavement, but with its 2010-style delighted simplicity, it entirely avoids sounding like a 90's throwback. The warm, technicolor "Glue" is even more irresistible, while the full-bodied "Sky" kicks the album's intensity up a notch (but still keeps it fun).

The soft, sweeping roar of the closing track, while not the strongest song on the album, does give it a sense of scope and completion. Although the catchiness of the songs almost makes this sound like a singles collection, it all adds up to a coherent LP. Throughout the record runs a current of youthful, openhearted sincerity. Sisters are refreshing in their almost naive simplicity - their sound is multidimensional enough but they hide behind nothing; they really mean it. Ghost Fits was made with love and it shows.

Upcoming Shows: Northside Festival

There are so many good shows coming up at the Northside Festival, it's tough to pick what to recommend. This is going to be an amazing weekend for music in Brooklyn. Luckily, a lot of the shows are pretty close together, so it may be possible to dash from one to another. I will certainly try and so should you. Here are the highlights, but check out the entire schedule because like I said, it's just hard to pick.


Thursday, June 24

The show to see is...

Wavves, Cloud Nothings, DOM @ Knitting Factory * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $12/$14

Wavves get some hate now, which is the natural backlash after the sort of hype they got around winter/spring of 2008 and 2009. But despite a bad choice in drummers and a lot of bad choices with drugs, Nathan Williams is keeping it real. He brought some sense back to indie rock and he deserves some damn credit. [myspace]

Close runner-up:

Aa, YellowFever, Air Waves, PC Worship, Coasting @ Union Pool * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10

After finally getting a chance to check out Aa live, I found they are rather overrated – for a band dependent entirely on rhythm, they drum like the white boys they are. By which I mean their rhythms are mired in an unshakable European sense of halves and quarters and downbeats. HOWEVER, the other bands on the bill are among NYC’s most interesting experimental bands and are very worth checking out. [aa myspace] [yf myspace] [aw myspace] [pc myspace]

Other highlights:

Au Revoir Simone @ Warsaw * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * $15/$17

Anni Rossi, ARMS, Ball of Flame Shoot Fire, Shark?, Miniboone @ Matchless * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * $6

My Teenage Stride, I’m Turning Into, German Measles @ The Charleston * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $5


Friday, June 25

The show to see is…

Grooms, Snakes Say Hisss, Darlings, Sisters, Tough Knuckles @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10

Tough pick Friday night, but this one wins it. Death by Audio roster mainstays Grooms and Sisters are awesome, albeit in different ways – Grooms are a dark, experimental post-punk trio while Sisters are a jumpy lo-fi noise-punk pop duo. Darlings are more towards Sisters if you pretend that’s some sort of spectrum. They play unpredictable, loveable indie rock. As for the other bands on the bill, we’ll find out together! [grooms myspace] [snakes myspace] [darlings myspace] [sisters myspace] [knuckles myspace]

Other highlights:

The Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10

The So So Glos, The Beets, Asa Ransom, Electric Tickle Machine, Shilpa Ray (solo) @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn * $10

We Are Country Mice, Eternal Summers, Grooms with DJ Sets by Jemina Pearl & John Eatherly (Be Your Own Pet) and Pete Feigenbaum (Dinowalrus) @ Cameo Gallery * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8

Real Estate, Woods, The Fresh & Onlys @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15/$17

MEN (feat. JD Samson of Le Tigre) @ Knitting Factory * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15

Shark?, blair, DOM, Darlings, The Grates, Dinosaur Feathers, MiniBoone, The Sundelles @ Public Assembly * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10


Saturday, June 26

The shows to see are...

AFTERNOON (1 PM): Titus Andronicus, Male Bonding @ Newtown Barge Park * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * $10/$12

Titus Andronicus are the second most inventive hardcore band of our generation (and the second most inventive hardcore band playing Newtown Barge Park on Saturday). They are passionate and sing about history and art and war and they will make you want to jump around and crash into people. Male Bonding play catchy, manic lo-fi punk with sick pop tunez and hella fucking energy. They are as fun as they are tight. Which is very. [ta myspace] [mb myspace]

Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * $16/$18

The ever nervous, edgy Liars make skittering, experimental noise rock with a lot of yelping and fucked guitars. They’ve got appeal for the casual listener though – driving rhythms, well written songs and a great stage presence. Fucked Up are the number one most inventive hardcore band of our time. They’ve simply demolished boundaries and definitions of what punk can be. [liars myspace] [fu myspace (unofficial)] [hp myspace]

Other highlights:

AFTERNOON (2 PM): Gold Lake, She Keeps Bees, The Shivers @ Matchless * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * FREE

Ducktails, Big Troubles, WOOM, No Demons Here (Luka Usmiani of Fluffy Lumbers), Andrew Cedermark (ex-Titus Andronicus) @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn

Memory Tapes, Twin Sister, DOM, ZAZA @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $15

The Zookeepers @ Glasslands Gallery * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $10

LATE (12 AM): Reading Rainbow, The Beets with DJ sets by Kip (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) & Jed (My Teenage Stride) @ Knitting Factory * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $5


Sunday, June 26

The show to see is...

Les Savy Fav, Polvo, Grails @ Newtown Barge Park * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * $15/$18

Melodic hardcore punx Les Savy Fav would make this show worthwhile alone, but they are joined by 90’s indie legends Polvo, whose math rock keeps it raw-nerve edgy but whose sense of craft lands them among the most accessible of their mathy peers. [lsf myspace] [polvo myspace]

Other highlights:

My Teenage Stride, The Shivers @ Cameo Gallery * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8

Islands, Steel Phantoms, Active Child, TV Carnage @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16/$18

Upcoming Shows: Marnie Stern, Pissed Jeans + more

Sorry I’ve been away for a bit. I will get back on blogging schedule next week.

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
TONIGHT! Friday, June 18

Marnie Stern + Anni Rossi, True Womanhood @ Glasslands * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $12/$15
Marnie Fucking Stern, ladies and gentlemen, one of the greatest guitar heroes of our generation. At Glasslands, which is small and often has very good acoustics. This show cannot be beat. Marnie Stern isn’t quite metal and isn’t quite punk and isn’t quite anything else except awesome. Plus Anni Rossi, who’s pretty okay at violin and songs and True Womanhood, who sound like Radiohead - in a good way. GO TO THIS SHOW. [marnie myspace] [rossi myspace] [true myspace]


Saturday, June 19

Pissed Jeans, Pop. 1280 @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $12
This will be one of the hardcore/post-hardcore/noise rock shows of the year. You might be seriously injured but it will be worth it. These bands play lurching, desperate anthems straight from the gut. They channel the collective underbelly of our world and let it out via amplifiers and hella distortion. [piss myspace] [pop myspace]


Sunday, June 20

Dinowalrus @ Cameo Gallery * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Last time I talked to Dinowalrus, they pointed out that I should stop calling them "mathy" because they aren’t, and for once, a band was right about their own music (seriously) so let me just say they are not mathy, but are very rhythm driven, experimental music that’s clearly psychedelic and sometimes danceable. It’s not so experimental as to forgo a strong pop appeal as well. [myspace]

Knight School, Boy Genius @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
Knight School play fuzzy indie pop with the best tunez around. Boy Genius play less fuzzy indie pop and also have more than few good songs. [knight myspace] [boy myspace]


Monday, June 21

Miniboone, Gunfight!, Quiet Loudly, Pet Ghost Project @ Spike Hill * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
OK, this line up RULES. Miniboone are make big, dramatic pop with manic punk energy. Quiet Loudly are a bit more chill, with a sort of angular take on 60’s psychedelic music. Gunfight! make fun cow punk you can’t not enjoy and Pet Ghost Project do a bunch of stuff that swings between lo-fi pop and post-hardcore noise rock. I wouldn’t normally recommend Spike Hill, but this line up is SICK. [mini myspace] [ql myspace] [gun myspace] [pgp myspace]


Wednesday, June 23

Tortoise @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $22
Electro kings of experimental music back in the 90’s, Tortoise were an influence on just about every worthwhile post rock band in the last decade or so. Their music draws on ambient, jazz, krautrock and post punk and sounds like no one else. [ myspace]

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

June
24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory

25
Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl
Silversun Pickups, Against Me! @ Williamsburg Waterfront

26
Fiery Furnaces @ Mercury Lounge
Titus Andronicus @ Newtown Barge Park
Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park

27
Les Savy Fav, Polvo @ Newtown Barge Park

July
6
B-52s @ Highline Ballroom

11
The Roots, Talib Kweli @ Prospect Park

13
Cheap Trick @ Radio City Music Hall

16
Weezer @ Williamsburg Waterfront

17
Siren Fest: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood @ Coney Island

22
Antlers, Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54

23
Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront

24
M.I.A., Sleigh Bells @ Governors Island

26
Flaming Lips @ Central Park

27
Black Keys @ Central Park
The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park

28
Black Keys @ Central Park

30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House

31
Sonic Youth, Grass Widow, Talk Normal @ Prospect Park
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House

August
12
Gang Gang Dance, Grizzly Bear, Walkmen @ Governors Island

15
Public Enemy @ Central Park

17
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall

18
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Album: Coltrane Motion - Hello Ambition!

Album: Hello Ambition!
Data Was Lost, 2010
Rating: ******* (7/10)

Coltrane Motion are one of those bands that illustrate just how much of a crap-shoot the indie scene is. As an electronic indie pop duo, they certainly aren't the edgiest/artsiest/most prentious band around, but they are as catchy as anyone and there's no reason they shouldn't be getting some serious love.

But so far they've been flying under the radar, especially outside of their windy, square-shouldered hometown. And yes, that sucks, but selfishly, I am glad to have a chance to see them at the miniscule Bruar Falls tonight.

And what of their new album? It's what those who have heard the band have come to expect - a string of knock-out, sweet, noisy, heartfelt electropop songs that make you jump up and down a little and smile a lot. There's nothing that quite equals the blasting, hooky "Year Without a Summer" but there's not a bad track either. The opener, "When We Were Old," sets the tone with a rich, driving pop gem. The more measured, expansive tune on "Maya Blue" keeps the record from getting ahead of itself, while the deep bass on "I Forgot There Was a War On" keeps it from falling behind.

The album ends strong as well. "High Tide" loops over a bobbing, synthetic bass line, while the buzzing, lo-fi jangle pop of "My Heart Might Go On" nods to Yo La Tengo's warm, dreamy soundscapes. Rounding it out, "Please Call It a Comeback" holds its breath for a full minute before exploding into a dark, shivering swirl of melancholy pop.

Coltrane Motion could stay an undiscovered gem forever, but there's certainly no guarantee - and certainly every reason for the kids to get hip to Hello Ambition! So get your ass to Bruar Falls (or Arlene's tomorrow), pick up a copy and enjoy the secret while it lasts.

[myspace]

Upcoming Shows: Dan Deacon, Coltrane Motion + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
TONIGHT! Thursday, May 27

Dan Deacon, Dustin Wong, Big Troubles @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $10
Dan Deacon is some sort of DIY/punk hero and I never really paid attention to him but a lot of people do. Dustin Wong is the insanely awesome, brilliant, superhuman guitarist of experimental, gleeful noise-rock quartet Ponytail. Big Troubles are from New Jersey and they play rock music that is LOUD LOUD LOUD and they have good songs and are extra awesome and will be famous soon, I think. [dd myspace] [dw myspace] [bt myspace]


TOMORROW! Friday, May 28

So So Glos, Grooms, Fiasco, Ava Luna @ Monster Island Basement * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
In a typical Todd P line-up that is bound to leave everyone pissed off, four bands that have absoltutely nothing to do with each other - but three of the four are good. So So Glos are a melodic hardcore punk band and most similar to them, Fiasco play heavy, mathy, fast post-hardcore with screaming distortion. Grooms are plunked incongruously between these two. They play a dark, noisy, experimental post punk that's most easily compared to Sonic Youth. They are way slower and way quieter (or at least more restrained) than the other two. And then kicking it off is the shameful new face of anti-feminist backlash, Ava Luna - a band that features guys who play instruments and sing lead vocals (thank god for men) and girls who sing back-up vocals. There are seven of them and they get compared to Dirty Projectors which means they are probably the worst new band in Brooklyn (except Freelance Whales, maybe). They aren't very popular despite playing the game pretty well, so with any luck, they'll fizzle out and disappear of the music radar shortly. BUT the other three bands, despite being vastly different, are all awesome and since Ava Luna is playing before them, just go a little later. [ssg myspace] [grooms myspace] [fiasco myspace]

Darlings @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Darlings are crazy. They sound like any other really good poppy indie rock band except like they are on crack. Their live show is the kind that keeps you on edge because the whole thing seems about to fall apart, but instead it all comes together and is awesome and makes you smile. They interrupt their sugary hooks and melodies with abrupt noise and teeter on the brink of chaos and remain one of Brooklyn's best. [myspace]


Saturday, May 29

PC Worship, Needle Gun (mems Teeth Mountain, Matmos) @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
PC Worship play sad, lo-fi tunes and sound experiments (alternately or at the same time). In a city full of throwbacks and copycats, PC Worship are original. Needle Gun, well, I have no idea what they sound like. But they have people from very talented, first-rate experimental bands Teeth Mountain and Matmos, so check it out. [pc myspace] [needle myspace]


Tuesday, June 1

Coltrane Motion @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * FREE!
Coltrane Motion are one of my favorite favorite favorite unknown pop bands. They play a sort of electro indie pop that has got noise and out of tune notes and the best fucking melodies I've heard in ages. This show is free and you have to go, or we aren't friends any more.[myspace]


Wednesday, June 2

Sisters @ Death by Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sisters are a duo who play in that new genre that's been christened "noise punk." They are highly recommended for fans of No Age, Male Bonding, Japanther, Japandroids and the like. Their songs are short and sweet with huggable riffs and melodies, but with crazy distortion and yelling and crashing and their live show is a sort of flailing, awkward affair and everyone, absolutely everyone, can love them. [myspace]

Led Er Est @ Bruar Falls * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $8
Led Er Est play cold-hearted, post-punk electro that's experimental and fresh and new and people seem to be noticing them a bit more now. Another of Brooklyn's best rising bands, get 'em while they're hot. [myspace]

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

May
June
3
Lil Kim @ the Fillmore

4
Slingshot Dakota, The Measure SA, Black Wine @ Death By Audio
Grouper @ Issue Project Room
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore

5
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall

8
Here We Go Magic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

11
Jeff the Brotherhood, PC Worship @ Death By Audio
Friendo @ Cake Shop

13
Friendo @ Glasslands

14
Coyote Eyes @ Cake Shop

15
Dan Deacon @ Red Hook Park

18
Marnie Stern, Anni Rossi, True Womahood @ Glasslands
Pissed Jeans @ Cake Shop

19
Pissed Jeans, Pop. 1280 @ Death by Audio
Melvins + Isis @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory

25
Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl
Silversun Pickups, Against Me! @ Williamsburg Waterfront

26
Fiery Furnaces @ Mercury Lounge
Titus Andronicus @ Newtown Barge Park
Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park

27
Les Savy Fav, Polvo @ Newtown Barge Park

July
6
B-52s @ Highline Ballroom

11
The Roots, Talib Kweli @ Prospect Park

13
Cheap Trick @ Radio City Music Hall

16
Weezer @ Williamsburg Waterfront

17
Siren Fest: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood @ Coney Island

22
Antlers, Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54

23
Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront

24
M.I.A., Sleigh Bells @ Governors Island

26
Flaming Lips @ Central Park

27
Black Keys @ Central Park
The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park

28
Black Keys @ Central Park

30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House

31
Sonic Youth, Grass Widow, Talk Normal @ Prospect Park
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House

August
12
Gang Gang Dance, Grizzly Bear, Walkmen @ Governors Island

15
Public Enemy @ Central Park

17
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall

18
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Album: Beach Fossils - Beach Fossils

Album: Beach Fossils
Captured Tracks, 2010
Rating: ******* (7/10)

Here's a shocker! I don't hate the Beach Fossils album (self-titled, out today). I really thought I would, cause when I saw this band live, they just annoyed me and my tolerance has certainly not grown over time. But I have to admit, this album has its moments that are not just passable, but actually good.

Now, let's not get carried away. Beach Fossils still sound pretty much like the 9,000 other reverby, lo-fi-ish indie bands that are so popular right now. You know, the kind that make up 95% of Todd P bills and 50% of Stereogum playlists. But as I remarked after the last show, this band is definitely better in than most of them - they have good songs and hooky melodies and even some variance, track to track.

The opening track, though hitting it off in a major key, seems to herald something subtly sinister. Post-punk darkness casts a shadow over the sound. In fact, despite the name, this band little to do with surf and sun - the jangly reverb may take a page from Brian Wilson's book, but the melodies are more British post punk and even C86 than they are surf. In other (non-geek) words, the tunes are at once tight and open, warm and melancholy. "Vacation" is the perfect example - measured vocal harmonies over sparkling, appreggiated guitar chords and a quick but hushed, marchy beat.

A little further on, "Twelve Roses" finds the guitar with a richer, more immediate tone while a simple earworm of sung melody rings out in warm layers. "Daydream" falls in and out of step in a touchingly human way, while "Golden Age" kicks out a stronger beat over which guitar and vocals meld to almost indistinguishable tones. Near the end, the explorative guitar riff and sad singing of "Wide Awake" obscure a soft, intensely poignant bass line.

The album also has its share of forgettable tracks, especially arriving as it does in the heyday of its genre. The jazzy bass on the closer, "Gathering," is way overdone (despite being low in the mix) while songs like "Youth" and "Window View" fail to stand out from so many similar songs by similar bands on similar albums.

Still, if we're going to pay attention to anyone in this bloated DIY scene, it may as well be Beach Fossils. There are some moments of real beauty and meaning on Beach Fossils and some signs of real talent. Do you need this album? No. But if this kind of stuff floats your boat, throw out Real Estate and make space on the shelf for these guys.

[myspace]

Upcoming Shows: Eye and Ear vs. PopFest (The Ultimate Indie Showdown) + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
TOMORROW!!! Friday, May 21

Fuck Buttons @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16/$18
Fuck Buttons are a wack electronic duo that make highly experimental, loud, droning and pulsing noise. If you like that stuff, these guys are among the best. [myspace]


Saturday, May 22

Pterodactyl @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $10
High-speed, weightless, LOUD noise rock from some of Brooklyn's best musicians, Pterodactyl make music that's fascinating for your brain and endlessly ecstatic for your heart. They put on a GREAT live show. [myspace]

NYC PopFest: Wake, Boat, My Teenage Stride + more @ Bell House * Gowanus, Brooklyn * $15/$18
Interestingly, NY Eye and Ear Fest and NYC PopFest fall on the same weekend this year, and that's this coming weekend. Eye and Ear focuses on the strange, dark and experimental while PopFest focuses on, well, pop, of the indie variety. Despite having Blank Dogs on Saturday, Eye and Ear's line-up loses to PopFest for the night (they win on Sunday, though - see below). That seems unlikely, but the Wake and Boat are both a rare sight in this town. The Wake recently reformed after fifteen years off. Historically, they're less indie pop and more post punk and even goth. They lasted from the early 80's to the mid-nineties, several lifetimes for most twee projects. And they released music on Factory FUCKING Records. Boat are newer and from Seattle and are among the best indie poppers of this new generation. And then you've got NYC mainstay My Teenage Stride to add some bonus points to the line-up - their shouty indie pop will make you smile, I promise. [Note: Don't look at the PopFest website because that's from 2008.] [wake myspace] [boat myspace] [mts myspace]

New York Dolls @ Warsaw * Greenpoint, Brooklyn * $35
The New York Dolls, along with the Dictators, bridged the gap from sleazy glam rock to punk.

Fuck Buttons @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $15
See above.


Sunday, May 23

NY Eye & Ear Fest: GDFX, Led Er Est, Freshkills, Hunters + many more @ Knitting Factory * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $17
Yeah, Eye & Ear beats PopFest on Sunday with a killer line-up including the lovely and dark drones of GDFX, one Greg Fox, an NYC musicians' favorite. Freshkills kick out the JAMZ with nervous, sharp guitar-driven post-punk and some dramatic, melodic vocals. And of course, my personal favorites: for one, the ice cold, pitch black electro of Led Er Est, one of NYC's most promising and underrated bands. [canceled, or I hallucinated their name on the listing] And for two, Hunters, featuring Isabel Ibsen of Beluga and Odell Nails of Mahogany. The sound is much closer to the former - that is, insane punk rawk, but Hunters have more intense musicianship and more complex compositions that Ibsen's other project. Or that's what they were doing back when I heard them ages ago. Oh, and there's a whole lot more bands playing too. [gdfx myspace] [fresh myspace] [led myspace] [hunt myspace]


Tuesday, May 25

Werewolves, Soft Black @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I love Werewolves. They net all the good things psychedelic music has been over the decades, from the Doors to Pink Floyd to Echo & the Bunnymen to My Bloody Valentine, and weave it all together to create something totally fresh and new. Soft Black plays more old school psych rock meets folk/country a la Neil Young and James Taylor (the vocals are definitely more James Taylor). [ww myspace] [sb myspace]

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

May
27
Dan Deacon, Big Trouble, Dustin Wong (Ponytail) @ Cake Shop
Forgetters @ Bell House

28
Holy Fuck @ Le Poisson Rouge

29
Psych Fest: Weird Owl (yay), Hopewell (blech), Golden Triangle (blech), Psychic Ills (yay), Sunburned Hand of the Man (yay) + more @ Glasslands

June
1
Coltrane Motion @ Bruar Falls

4
Grouper @ Issue Project Room
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore

6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall

11
Friendo @ Cake Shop

13
Friendo @ Glasslands

15
Dan Deacon @ Red Hook Park

18
Marnie Stern, Anni Rossi @ Glasslands

19
Melvins + Isis @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory

25
Fiery Furnaces @ Brooklyn Bowl
Silversun Pickups, Against Me! @ Williamsburg Waterfront

26
Fiery Furnaces @ Mercury Lounge
Titus Andronicus @ Newtown Barge Park
Liars, Fucked Up, High Places @ Newtown Barge Park

27
Les Savy Fav, Polvo @ Newtown Barge Park

29
Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club @ Prospect Park

30
Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club @ Governors Island

July
6
B-52s @ Highline Ballroom

11
The Roots, Talib Kweli @ Prospect Park

13
Cheap Trick @ Radio City Music Hall

16
Weezer @ Williamsburg Waterfront

17
Siren Fest: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Matt & Kim, Ted Leo, Surfer Blood @ Coney Island

22
Antlers, Dinosaur Feathers @ Pier 54

23
Modest Mouse @ Williamsburg Waterfront

24
M.I.A., Sleigh Bells @ Governors Island

26
Flaming Lips @ Central Park

27
Black Keys @ Central Park
The National, Beach House @ Prospect Park

28
Black Keys @ Central Park

30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House

31
Sonic Youth, Grass Widow, Talk Normal @ Prospect Park
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House

August
12
Gang Gang Dance, Grizzly Bear, Walkmen @ Governors Island

15
Public Enemy @ Central Park

17
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall

18
MGMT @ Radio City Music Hall

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Live: Los Campesinos!

When: 4/22
Where: The Fillmore at Irving Plaza

I always seem to be running behind on live reviews. This show was ages ago, but here goes...

So Los Campesinos! are enough Welsh kids to cramp a tour van (let's hope they get a bus) and they originally played manic pop music and in a way, they still do, but they are depressing while being manic and their latest album proved how much they've aged in just a couple of years.

Even when they got their first break with Hold On Now, Youngster, Los Campesinos! had an excellent command of the stage, despite being barely old enough to drink beer in the U.S. Now, with their deepening maturity as musicians and as humans, the band play as well as any seasoned old pros. I mean that strictly in a good way - the band's youthful energy is certainly intact.

Guitarist Tom Campesinos (not his real last name) may bear a lot of the weight when it comes to writing, but frontman Gareth Campesinos (not his real last name) carries the weight in the live show. And Gareth has what it takes. He's passionate and sincere with every note and when he's not banging on his glockenspiel, he's climbing around on the drums and pogoing with an odd intensity and jumping out into the audience, as he did once during the set, walking all the way to the back (an extremely long mic chord was hooked up in anticipation). Gareth is an indie kid and certainly shows no trace of ego when he performs. In fact, the whole thing seems rather painful for him - as it surely must be, if you actually listen to his lyrics and actually know they are entirely true.

The Campesinos have had some personnel changes, most notably losing their keyboards and female vocalist Aleks - to higher education, if I'm not much mistaken - and adding in her stead Gareth's sister Kim. Kim was certainly struggling when I saw the band - her singing was offkey and the situation wasn't helped by her mic being mixed too loud. As I've said many times, it's never fair to judge a vocalist by one show. Everyone has nights where they can't hear themselves and are just swinging at pitches in the dark (baseball metaphor turned bad pun?). Anyway, I sure hope it was just a rough night. The other big change was an eighth Campesino lurking in the back with auxiliary percussion. I'm guess this is Rob Campesinos but he kind of blended in - which is good, auxiliary percussionists should probably not be too showy.

The setlist was great. The band hit a lot of old favorites and many of the best songs off their new record. They let some of their more post-rock tendencies shine through as well, with a few swelling instrumental sections that, while not show highlights, avoided being overindulgent or boring. The band's end of set tricks were different from last time I saw them, but they did again descend into noisy camaraderie. On stage and off, it seemed like everyone was having a good time.

Live: Sleigh Bells + Cults

When: 5/11
Where: Ridgewood Temple

Let's just get this out of the way - M.I.A. was not at the Sleigh Bells concert last night. I take full responsibility, I totally jinxed it by boasting to my friends that I was going to see her. She was never announced, but a big enough deal was made of the promised "secret guests" that it was generally concluded she would make an appearance in one way or another. And for the record, this assumption was not actually incorrect. According to inside sources, M.I.A. was actually the intended "secret guest" but she got sick at the last minute so DJs Shirley Braha (New York Noise) and Peggy Wang (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) were called in to take her place. I left after Sleigh Bells but there were meant to be other DJs, supposedly including M.I.A.'s assistant. Who is M.I.A.'s assistant? And does she know how to DJ? Weird.

I showed up in time to see Cults play. They are a band with a bunch of dudes with long hair playing instruments and one American Apparel-type hipster girl with long hair singing. I don't know how this band built so much hype on what's only their third show and only a few months into their existence. But however they got to be a buzz item, it wasn't through being a great band. To put it concisely, they sucked.

The band was originally and remains at its core a duo, Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin. According to an interview with Pitchfork, Follin actually has a punk rock background, which makes the anticourageousness of Cults all the more maddening. The band sounds like 60's girl groups meet 80's indie pop, which is really not the most original or exciting combination, especially these days. The songs are well enough written and arranged but there are no surprises and nothing original. Worst of all was the singing. Now, it's never fair to judge a singer from a single live performance because it's always possible to have a situation where you can't hear yourself well, but this girl was way off key the whole time. I mean, it was painful.

Cults certainly didn't ask for their quick rise to fame and given that they aren't even prepared for that, they can't be prepared for the backlash that's about to start, especially from grumpy bloggers like me. Well, buckle up, kids, cause there's no stopping the hype train.

Sleigh Bells headlined. Now, I found out about M.I.A.'s absence upon arrival but there was no official announcement of her canceling because she was never on the bill in the first place. I expected awkwardness at the end of Sleigh Bells set while the crowd waited for the superstar that would never appear. But I underestimated Sleigh Bells. They blew the crowd away and didn't need any secret guests to make this one of the concerts of the year.

Although Sleigh Bells' rise to fame has been intensely fast, they seemed surprisingly comfortable handling a crowd that probably bordered on four digits. Alexis Krauss seems made for this. She stormed the stage, shaking off her hood, grabbing the mic with both hands and shouting "What's up Brooklyn!" to a cheering room. The band wasted no time, slamming into the opening bars of the opening track on their new album and only allowing the audience one deep breath before launching into each new song.

There were only two problems with the show. The first was that while the Ridgewood Temple is a very hip place for a show, they don't have even a fraction of the sound system it would take to do Sleigh Bells justice. The band did the best with the volume you had and the screaming crowd made up the difference. The second problem is a bit more damning. Not very much of Sleigh Bells' music is actually created live. They just hit play on each track and added guitar and lead vocals. This was first of all robbing the audience of the thrill of seeing the music actually created, and second of all, held the band to pretty much exactly replicating their album rather than branching out. I do wonder if there's more they could do - starting and stopping individual loops instead of the entire mixed track, for example - that would make this seem less like lip syncing. (To be clear, I'm not saying they were lip syncing. Not literally, anyway.)

Anyway, that may sound like a big problem, but this band is so good that even that can overlooked. Hooded and not at all reformed hardcore guitarist Derek Miller layed out shattering guitar while Krauss sang and shouted and screamed (she loves to throw in a good high-pitched scream), sometimes all at the same time. She's a crowd pleaser, squatting at the front of the stage, passing the mic into the audience for the better-known choruses and affectionally grabbing at the outreached hands in the front rows. Then, at the end of the last song, the ultra-awesome "Crown on the Ground," she launched herself into the audience with absolutely no warning. The fans barely caught her, so sudden was her leap, but they hoisted her up and passed her around. She was still out from the stage when the song ended and she was handed back to the front to an explosion of applause.

The band didn't indulge themselves at all, though many young bands in their position would have. They played a relatively short set (with an odd number of non-album tracks) and kept their encore to a single song, "Rill Rill," their answer to M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes." (And no, it's not as good as "Paper Planes" but it's getting there.)

The press presence at the show was insane. I heard folks from places like, say, MTV, were being booted from the guest list in favor of "higher priority" media. (No idea who is higher priority than MTV.) But even the small army of photographers running around on stage right were no distraction. Instead, they added to the feeling that this was something historic. And one look at the crowd could confirm this. Hundreds of hands in the air, hundreds of girls and boys jumping in unison with the floor bowing dangerously under them, strobe lights flashing, beach balls and bodies flying - this is it. Sleigh Bells are the future of music. Score one sick distortion.

Upcoming Shows: Pterodactyl, Liars + more

Tomorrow! Friday, April 16

Pterodactyl, Dinowalrus, Fiasco @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $7
This is a fucking GREAT line-up, although the bands are playing the opposite order of what would be proper. Fiasco are young guys who play some mathy, lite-thrash, HARRRRDCORE post-hardcore with some sick riffs that are fast and loud and not made for parents or wusses. Dinowalrus play druggy, mathy music that merges electro, rock and punk into some crazy rhythms and madman sprawls. And Pterodactyl play mathy, highspeed noise rock that's insanely fast with crazy sixteenth-note guitar and jumpy drums and ecstatic, drawn out vocal melodies. All three are exceptional live bands. Do not miss. [fiasco myspace] [dino myspace] [ptero myspace]


Saturday, March 17

Sisters @ Death By Audio * Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sisters are two guys who are different in height but both enormously talented. They are a bit awkward and noisy, lo-fi pop and punk is absolutely bursting from them. They slam out perfect little songs with delicious imperfection. Death By Audio is their home base, so they should be at their best. [myspace]


Sunday, March 18

Liars @ Music Hall of Williamsburg * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16 adv./$18 dos.
Liars play spooky, fragmented dance punk. No one was surprised when they moved to Berlin because they seem all dark and icy and their music has that inhuman krautrock thing to it, krautrock combined with funk combined with a weird, paranoid rhythmic punk. They are one of the most creative bands to come out of the last decade. Go to see them play. [myspace]


Tuesday, April 20

The Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl * Williamsburg, Brooklyn * $16 adv./$18 dos.
The Thermals are a punk band who play catchy, fun music. Yup. [myspace]

PC Worship @ Shea Stadium * Bushwick, Brooklyn
PC Worship make sonically experimental lo-fi music that slips deftly between sad songs and noise. They are one of the best emerging bands in Brooklyn. Get 'em while they're fresh. [myspace]



[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

April
21
Apples in Stereo @ Bowery Ballroom
Killing Joke @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Thermals @ Brooklyn Bowl

22
Gang Gang Dance @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Los Campesinos! @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza
Quasi, Let’s Wrestle @ Bowery Ballroom

24
Don Giovanni presents: Screaming Females (I called it), Measure (SA) @ Mercury Lounge

25
Don Giovanni presents: Shellshag, Noun (Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females), Black Wine, Pregnant @ Mercury Lounge

30
Styrenes (mems Mirrors, Electric Eels) @ Death by Audio

May
2
Echo & the Bunnymen @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza

3
Chapterhouse @ Bell House

7
Broken Social Scene @ Webster Hall
Caribou @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

8
Broken Social Scene @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Caribou @ Bowery Ballroom
Primitives, Frankie & the Outs @ Bell House

11
Sleigh Bells @ Market Hotel

15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

16
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra @ Bowery Ballroom

19
Spectrum, Vacant Lots @ Knitting Factory

July
24
M.I.A. @ Governor’s Island


[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Album: Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be

Album: I Will Be
SubPop, 2010
Rating: ******** (8/10)

All I want to do today is talk about how good this album is! Dum Dum Girls is mostly one Dum Dum Girl who goes by "Dee Dee" (real name Kristin Gundred) and has backing from Frankie Rose (Crystal Stilts, ex-Vivian Girls) and a couple of other badass ladies. And this, their debut, has the rare privilege of seeing release on SubPop, the West Coast's most prestigious (pseudo-)indie label.

Sonically, the band falls in with the cavernous reverb and jangly lo-fi popularized by Thee Oh Sees, Rose's Crystal Stilts and Vivian Girls, Gundred's husband's Crocodiles, Blank Dogs' Mike Sniper (who has a side-project with Gundred called the Mayfair Sect) and others. The vocals are dusted with fuzz, but never enough to obscure the fact that Gundred is a singularly gifted singer and songwriter.

The band's name, Frankie Rose connection, fuzz-pop asthetic and all-female membership has led to a whole lot of Vivial Girls comparisons and it's not an unfair reference to make. However, Dum Dum Girls have much more in common with the other bands listed above than with their fellow girl group. And unlike any of the others, Dum Dum girls set a clear focus on vocals. While most bands in this genre have vocals mediocre in pitch, melody and tone, Gundred can sing. She's no Aretha Franklin or anything, but she can definitely carry a damn tune.

Of course, almost inextricably linked to good singing are good melodies. And in terms of melody, Dum Dum girls blow all their ilk completely out of the water. Their tunes smoothly combine decades of pop influences into a single, cohesive style - 60's girl groups and even earlier radio pop, 70's early punk and 80's post punk - pretty much everything cool and catchy that's hit the radio over the last century is here distilled. It's hard to say what makes a melody great - a wider palate than simply major keys, a rolling, foot-tappable syncopation and just enough repetition to stick in your head - but not enough to drive you crazy. Whatever the exact formula, Dum Dum Girls are like few others on the indie scene today - never cliche, relentlessly catchy.

And in all of this, the album somehow avoids complacency. Producer Richard Gottehrer has a resume that includes the likes of Blondie and the Voidoids - he's got the perfect sense of big-pop-meets-intelligent-edginess and the dark sheen with which he covered the album makes every song interesting and effecting.

I Will Be starts out with a bombshell trio of songs, the driving, building "It Only Takes One Night," a slick druggy ditty called "Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout" and the fuzzed-out, quick-footed "Oh Mein Me," sung in a surprisingly adorable German. "Jail La La" continues the streak, with effects-scrambled call-and-response vocals and a simple, sweeping chorus. Ballads(ish) like "Rest of Our Lives" and "Blank Girl," as well as the closer, "Baby Don't Go," take things down a notch without getting mired in their own restraint.

I Will Be is just a pop album. But it's a great pop album. Get it on vinyl and put it on when you're cleaning, when your friends are over or when you feel like doing a little dance by yourself in front of the mirror or singing badly in German. That's what it's for.

Album: Let's Wrestle - In the Court of Wrestling Let's

Album: In the Court of Wrestling Let's
Merge, 2010
Rating: ******* (7/10)

I was bit surprised when I first heard British indie popsters Let's Wrestle had signed to Merge Records. Merge is certainly one of the best and most storied American indies, perhaps second only to Subpop (if that counts as "indie") and Matador. And while I adore Let's Wrestle, I didn't think them special enough for a label like Merge. Not in this country, anyway.

Now is when I would love to tell you their new album (out tomorrow) proved Merge's decision and revealed to me that special quality I'd been overlooking in the band for so long. But unfortunately, that's not the case. In the Court of Wrestling Let's is a lovely indie pop album with great little head-bouncing tunes, but it's not special. Merge could have picked any one of dozens of indie pop bands and achieved the same thing - something enjoyable.

In the indie pop world, Let's Wrestle keep a bit of lo-fi rough - not a lot, but enough to keep the band's distinctly indie flavor. In the same vein, it's got a pinch of punk in it, a little wildness. However, the melodies are pure pop. Wesley Gonzalez's plain, plateaued voice is subtly, warmly tuneful and it's his tone that gives the album its distinct identity in a world of similar ideas - too low and just too gruff to be boyish but far too untamed and too innocent to be adult.

As good as all the songs are, they pretty much sound alike. The same offkey high notes in the vocals, the same jangling guitar, the same major key measure-by-measure descents in the bass, the same tight, simple drumming. Many of the songs even seem to have the same melody. They don't quite, but the narrow range and similar contours make it hard to tell one song from another.

There are a few stand-out tracks though. "I'm in Love with Destruction" is distinct and memorable, its bombastic drumming and stretching ascents in the chorus setting it apart. The opening track, "My Arms Don't Bend that Way, Damn It!" starts with squalls of noise more reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr than the Smiths.

The final way in which this album distinguishes itself from the herd of noisy indie poppers is in its scale. A five-minute instrumental centerpiece of psychedelic guitar and several "interludes" give the album a sense of a larger purpose. And to the band's credit, these forays don't dilute the album. It has twelve proper songs in addition to these. Still, the effort may be wasted. The larger purpose is defeated by the cloneishness of so many tracks.

If you like a good cheerful, cynical, unpolished pop album, this is definitely a decent one. It's no better or worse than many others, but it's enjoyable and mixtape-able and it will hold down the fort until the next record of its type appears.

[myspace]