Album: The Horrors - Skying

Album: Skying
XL Records
Release Date: July 26 or August or something (in the US)
Rating: ******** (8/10)

The first time I heard the Horrors, they were opening for someone or other at Music Hall of Williamsburg and I thought they were one of the worst bands I'd ever heard - a "goth" band that had probably never listened to real goth music in their lives, a band who ripped off real musicians to create an "edgy" image and used some cheap effects to try to disguise the fact that their music is as formulaic as any mainstream teen radio idol.

But I kept seeing their 2009 record Primary Colours on Best of Oh Nine lists including lists by some people I hold in high regard. Like Fucked Up. I grudgingly sat down with a copy. And was astounded.

I can still hear in the Horrors what inspired my very mistaken first impression. On one level, they are a blatantly derivative 80s throwback. You'd be hard pressed to find any single element in their music that wasn't directly sourced from a UK band circa 1982 (give or take a couple years). And if I'm to be honest, that fact really does prevent this band from full-on greatness. The silver lining here is that they don't sound like most of the other bands of the moment. They sound big and their music resonates with drama and genuine pain. It's a sad truth that a band that doesn't sing about going to the beach is now exceptional. Fuck the beach. Ian Curtis never sang about the fucking beach - not because he didn't like the beach (probably) but because he knew it would be a stupid thing to sing about.

This is all kind of irrelevant because I actually have no idea what the Horrors are on about, except that it’s not the beach (probably). But what I'm saying is that the Horrors are true Romantics and are definitely not into this escapist bullshit. Romantics may be dramatic goofs, but if you can say one thing for them, it’s that they are much too busy getting their hearts broken to think about the beach.

For all its moodiness, Skying is less dark than Primary Colours. Which isn’t saying much. It also sounds much larger than Primary Colours, which definitely is saying something. Instrument for instrument, the Horrors owe their biggest debt to Public Image Ltd and Joy Division. The guitar is straight up Keith Levene (Public Image) with bass recalling Peter Hook (Joy Division) and vocals that are, at most, two generations down the musical family tree from Ian Curtain (Joy Division again). There is another band that ripped of Keith Levene and Joy Division, and they are called U2 and Skying doesn’t sound unlike U2’s first record (okay, it sounds exactly like it), even if the Horrors’ pseudo-gothic image doesn’t exactly jive with golden boy Bono. I haven’t heard anyone rip off Keith Levene quite so well since the Edge did back then (a long long time ago).

This guitar, however derivative, is the highlight of the album. It’s never high in the mix, but below the surface, it twinkles and shimmers like glowing embers. There's some Kevin Shields influence in there too, pitches bending achingly in and out of tune. The sparkling chorus on "Changing the Rain" is stunning and the melting reversed reverb on "Still Life" might take your breath away.

The synthesizers, on the other hand, are entirely lacking in subtlety. The cheesy parts may be hard for some folks to swallow, but at least the band fully embraces them. There's nothing worse than self-aware, apologetic synth pop. If you feel you have to apologize for your music, you shouldn't be making it in the first place. The Horrors offer no apologies when the blaring synth textures introduce "You Said" or when synthesizer riffs burst in rather rudely on songs like "Moving Further Away" and "I Can See Through You." Although the synths do sound modern, their parts unabashedly channel London, 1981. The band is not shy about signposting their New Romantic roots - you remember all those synth bands out of London in the early 80's: Soft Cell, Eurythmics, Spandau Ballet, Depeche Mode and the rest of them? Those guys.

The vocals also owe their biggest debt to that period - direct Ian Curtis descendents though they may be, they are more dramatized and less despondent. Sure, singer Faris Badwan has anguish, but it's the anguish of a showman. The Horrors are writ large and deliver a performance, a production, drama in the sense of theatrics as well as emotion. Like so many of their influences, they draw on glam rock, which draws in turn on cabaret - it's spectacle, it's fully removed from the mundane, it's the soap opera to punk's gritty documentary.

Granted, the band has some roots in punk and garage rock as well. The Birthday Party (Nick Cave's original band) is the first example that comes to mind but the band learns from bands as far back as 60's garage rockers like the Seeds and ? and the Mysterians. But on Skying, they've largely said adieu to their grittier side in favor of a massive, polished sound. They're still noisy, no doubt about it, but they don't have a lot of rough edges left.

The most polished and least dated element in the music is the rhythm section. Just as the vocals are Ian Curtis via New Romantics, the bass is Peter Hook via U2 in as much as it tends to hang on the root a lot and sticks to a lot of quarter notes. But this sort of minimal melodicism fits perfectly with the dance-y grooves of the drums, which unlike the beatz of 1981, have the advantage of having a chance to learn from hip-hop, trip-hop and acid house (of which the last is the most direct rhythmic blueprint for Skying). They've got that whole baggy, Madchester thing down pat, especially on the slower tracks like "Changing the Rain" and "Moving Further Away."

The album boasts a decent amount of variety, ranging from the one rough'n'gritty track, "Monica Gems" to the slick "Changing the Rain," from the Telescopes ripoff "Dive In" to the M83ity "Moving Further Away." The best tracks are the biggest, shiniest, danciest, poppiest, rockin'est ones: "Changing the Rain," "I Can See Through You," "Dive In," "Still Life" and the eight minute opus "Moving Further Away." The remaining tracks are a bit less inspired but work well enough in the context of the LP.

It's hard for me to admit this album is made up entirely of recycled 80's Britishisms and that's probably because I enjoy it so very much. I want to believe in the Horrors. I want to believe they are doing something that matters. I want to believe I'm not buying into an act that merely pillaged a decade and dressed it up all as something new, but I am. And so what? I started asking myself why anyone would want to make an album that sounds exactly like early U2, but I've ended up with a different question - why wouldn't anyone want to make an album that sounds exactly like early U2. Skying isn't important. But it's so beautiful it makes my heart skip a beat. And that's not a bad accomplishment, even if it's fleeting.

Live: Total Slacker, Weekends, Selebrities, Beast Make Bomb

When: 5/13
Where: Monster Island Basement

The first band I caught at Monster Island Basement last weekend was Beast Make Bomb.  They are a pop-punk (heavy on the pop) sort of band with a moderate feminist bent.  The band is fronted by two women and backed by two men on bass and drums respectively.  The main singer and rhythm guitarist isn't afraid to dance, which was kind of awkward but definitely a good thing anyway.  The most impressive member of the band, though, is the androgynous lead guitarist.  She's not Hendrix or anything, but she knows what she's doing and got a tasty overdriven sound out of her hollow-body guitar.  Her backing vocals were low enough to be gender-bending.  Meanwhile, the bassist spent a lot of time way up on the neck, well into guitar range.  This gave the music a certain exuberant energy.

Ultimately, the band was kind of generic.  They're fun and they're good at what they do, but they are one of those bands that so adheres to tried and tested formulas that their songs sound familiar the first time you hear them.  I don't mean that they are ripping anyone off or that they are boring - just don't expect them to revolutionize your understanding of popular music.

The next band, Selebrities, made a deeper impression.  I couldn't look away, but I'm not sure if that was out of horror or love.  It depends on the band's intentions.

Selebrities play a synth-driven post-punk that recalls late Joy Division more than it does New Order.  What immediately caught my attention was that out of the dozens upon dozens of bands I've heard rip off Joy Division, this was the first to have a female vocalist.  I'm sure they aren't the only one, but they're the first I've encountered.  But as their set wore on, their focus on synths and heavily processed guitar pointed more towards the Human League, Soft Cell, Erasure and their ilk, the futurist bands of yesteryear that now sound so very dated.  And like those bands, Selebrities' songs were cheesy and overstated.  There was little in the way of subtlety and nuance.

But before writing off Selebrities as a cheesy throwback, several things gave me pause.  One is simply something I read about French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard recently.  Godard was a critic before he was a filmmaker and I read a quote where he said he considered his films to BE criticism.  Could Selebrities be offering something similar, musically?

Other than my pure good-hearted desire to give the band the benefit of the doubt (HA HA yeah right), the main indicator that Selebrities might have something beneath the surface is the singing.  Singer Maria Usbeck was terrible.  I hope to god she knows that, and if not, I hope she doesn't read it here, because that's the kind of thing that can screw up a young musician.  But honestly, she didn't hit a right note once in the set.  She was close enough that you knew exactly what the melody was meant to be, but she never got on pitch.  And this was the band's main redeeming factor - in simple, cheesy 80's synthpop, the vocalist's correct delivery of the melody is simply a given.  But this is different, and that interests me.

As I see it, there are two possibilities here.  Either the band knows exactly what they are doing - artless, synthshit throwback - or they have no idea and just really like that genre and want to play it.  If the former is true, they are amazing, providing a keen critique of the state of popular music.  If the latter is true, they are awful.  And honestly, that's the more likely option.  Still, I'm going to give the band the benefit of the doubt for now.  If nothing else, they have some courage to get up and play when they are so very bad.  Which may sound like a backhanded insult, but I really mean it - I respect any band that puts themselves out there in way so vulnerable to derisive criticism (like this).

The highlight of the night, and the reason for my attendance, was of course Total Slacker.  Total Slacker are so fucking cool.  There's something about the tall, hunched guitar madness of Tucker (I dunno his last name) that recalls a young Thurston Moore, and indeed, with her frosty stoicism, bassist Emily (I don't know her last name) could be his own Kim Gordon.  The band don't sound like Sonic Youth at all, but they have a similar wild energy, endlessly creative but never taking things too seriously.

Total Slacker play songs that suit their name, sloppy, out of tune songs about "taco people" and being freaked out by cops.  I found it somewhat ironic that the band should spend ten minutes tuning (or playing "The Tuning Song," as they called it) when everything they play sounds blatantly out of tune.  But of course, the secret to Total Slacker is that their chaos is controlled.  It's genuine in their attitude, but as musicians, they know exactly what they're doing.

In fact, Tucker is a guitar hero on par with any of his contemporaries.  He can shred solos with his guitar behind his head and when the solos sound like all wrong notes, it's because he knows which notes will sound wrong in the right way.  Emily, for her part, is a mean bassist.  She doesn't overplay and is willing to repeat the same damn riff for fifteen minutes if that's what's called for.  But her succinct lines are near-perfect and nasty.  Emily and Tucker share vocals that are as skillfully detuned as their guitars.  Tucker is particularly sloppy, seeming to forget half the time that he needs to be near the mic.  Which is, of course, perfect.

The musical chemistry also extends to drummer Ross (I dunno his last name) and all three seem to read each other's minds, anchoring their fuck-all-cares chaos to their satisfying and actually carefully written songs - nearly every one a gem in its own right.

The set ended in chaos, but not with the destruction of a guitar, which makes this the first Total Slacker show in which an ax wasn't axed.  The band is heading out on tour so maybe they realized they can't keep up smashing their shit and lighting it on fire indefinitely.  I knew (or hoped) they weren't going to destroy their guitar when Tucker didn't change instruments for the final song, instead staying on his absolutely gorgeous 70's Fender Stratocaster.  I may not have the most acute ear for the nuances of guitar sound, but with that one, I could hear the difference.  And although the band's deconstruction of popular music didn't extend this time to the physical deconstruction of a guitar, Tucker was all over the place with wild energy, running to the back of the room with his guitar on the final song, while Ross stacked and then toppled his drum kit amid the feedback and disintegration of the closer.

Total Slacker may be my favorite Brooklyn band right now; they are certainly the most fun to watch.  Words can't do them justice - you'll have to check them out yourself.  Maybe on their tour.

Weekends closed out the night.  An energetic art-punk duo in the vein of No Age (and also comparable to their Baltimore kin Ponytail, duos Japanther and Lightning Bolt and kindred spirits Pterodactyl), Weekends play noise pop, feeding guitar through layers of distortion and delay and playing drums noisy and fast, which is the best way to play drums.  The two members switch places behind guitar and drums.  They jump around a lot and knock things over.  Brendan Sullivan, who played the guitar first, cut his thumb wide open on a falling cymbal, so the guitar neck was covered in blood for the rest of the set.

Although they were infectiously energetic, there was something missing.  The band has all the right ingredients but seems unsure how to make the soup.  They also drenched the vocals in completely superfluous amounts of reverb and delay.  Lightning Bolt does this, but their vocals are so minimal and ancillary, it makes sense.  When Weekends did it, they just sounded rudderless.  Maybe 25% of the time, the effects made sense, but the rest kind of seemed like the band was trying to disguise their lack of singing abilities (c'mon guys, who cares!  none of the other bands who played friday could sing!).  Maybe they just thought the vocals would work better with the effect-laden guitar that way, but if so, they were mistaken.  The songs would have been more enjoyable if there'd been a vocal line to grab onto.  Without that sort of melodic (or even anti-melodic) spine, the songs sounded amorphous and samey.

Weekends are great, but the whole is less than the sum of the parts.  Although they've been around a few years, they're a fairly young band so I'm hoping it's only a matter of time until they figure out what they're trying to do and fuckin do it.  When they do, they'll be one of the best bands around.

Upcoming Shows: The Styrenes!!!!!!! + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Thursday, April 29

Cold Cave @ Le Poisson Rouge * Greenwich Village, Manhattan * $12
Cold Cave effortlessly combine the sweeping dramatics of early 80's New Wave with icy nihilism. Its a distillation of all that's good about synth-based music. [myspace]

Fiasco, Total Slacker @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
These are two punky DIY bands who have been slightly outstripped by the hype but are still worth checking out. They're pretty loud. [fiasco myspace] [slacker myspace]


Friday, April 30

The Styrenes @ Death By Audio * Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Some strange things happened deep in the Midwest, deep in the mid 70's and at least in the world of rock music, Cleveland was at the center of the strangeness. There were only about a half dozen bands in the movement, and inbred bands at that, but they changed the course of music, opening the door to post-punk before the rest of the world had caught on to the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.

The Cleveland bands can be divided roughly into to cliques - on one side, you've got Rocket From the Tombs whose core members split to form Pere Ubu and Dead Boys. On the other hand, there was a wildly experimental noisefuck called Electric Eels and the slightly more pop-angled Mirrors, who would later morph into the Styrenes. Paul Marotta played with all three of these and when he and his bandmates decided to reunite, they rounded out the band's most well-known four-piece line-up of yore with the Electric Eels' notorious John Morton and original Mirrors/Styrenes founder Jamie Klimek.

So, six of the most insane, daring and violent minds in punk history will take the stage at New York's best DIY venue, the intimate Death by Audio. According to Cleveland.com, they will play a few Mirrors and Electric Eels songs as well as the Styrenes' material. I think I might die. [myspace]


Saturday, May 1

Styrenes + Tyvek @ Cake Shop * LES, Manhattan * $10
See above. And this time, no DIY, but a great venue nevertheless and with the lovable mad Detroit punks Tyvek warming up the stage. [tyvek myspace]


Sunday, May 2

Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers @ Mercury Lounge * LES, Manhattan * $10
Acclaimed and adored by critics everywhere and with one of the loyalest fan bases around, Shilpa Ray could school all of Brooklyn when it comes to rock. Her soulful, bluesy rock builds around a hand-powered harmonium and her punk rock energy and the fact that she's legitimately totally insane makes for one of the most fun live shows you can find in the New York scene. I mean, seriously, the woman is bonkers. [myspace]


Monday, May 3

Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss, Mahogany @ Bell House
Just to keep you posted, this show has been postponed, apparently due to visa issues rather than the volcano. When it happens, you should be there cause this is shoegaze at its finest.


Tuesday, May 4

Chapterhouse, Ulrich Schnauss, Soundpool @ Bell House
See above.

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
The long view...

May
6
Yo La Tengo, Jeff Mangum, Kyp Malone, Portastic, the Clean, Claudia Gonson (Magnetic Fields), Sharon van Etten @ LPR ($75 and way SOLD OUT - I'm only listing it to make you cry cause I'm a mean person.)

7
The Clean @ Bell House (Advanced Tix SOLD OUT)

11
Sleigh Bells + secret guests @ Ridgewood Temple

13
The Buzzcocks @ The Fillmore

15
Parts & Labor, Talk Normal @ Knitting Factory

18
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5
Woven Bones @ Mercury Lounge

19
Public Image Ltd @ Terminal 5
Diana Ross @ Radio City Music Hall

21
Fuck Buttons @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

22
Fuck Buttons @ Le Poisson Rouge
New York Dolls @ Warsaw
NYC PopFest: Wake, Boat, My Teenage Stride + more @ Bell House

27
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
4
Psychedelic Furs @ the Fillmore

6
Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Webster Hall

18
Melvins + Isis @ Webster Hall

24
Wavves @ Knitting Factory

July
24
M.I.A. @ Governors Island

30
Big Takeover: Springhouse @ Bell House

31
Big Takeover: Springhouse, For Against @ Bell House

Live: Coyote Eyes, Frozen Warnings + No Place, Blast Off!

When: 1/14/09
Where: Death By Audio

First things first. At the Death By Audio show a week ago, the bookers had an interesting idea - have a band play short sets in the back room between bands on the main stage. It could have been pretty cool, I guess, except that they selected a group called Blast Off! to fill this role. Blast Off consisted of aimless "jamming" on instruments including saxophone. And by jamming, I mostly mean repeating the same several notes over and over again for twenty minutes with slight variations. The first break I heard them cover sounded marching band-inspired. Tellingly, that was the best part - awful but at least original. It just got worse as the night went on, repetitive, cliche, totally bland. I wish bands like this wouldn't play in the winter; you have to pick between listening to them and standing in the cold. Tough choice. [myspace]

Now, I've been excited to hear Frozen Warnings for a while, the new project of central Werewolves member Brian Amsterdam. All I knew about the band, other than that it involved Amsterdam, was that it was synth-based. My reaction to the set (of which I missed the first half) was a little mixed.

For one thing, the lyrics were...wanting: "Do you come here often?" repeated eighty times again isn't exactly interesting. Also, the synth sounds seemed a little unrefined - I couldn't understand if they were going for old-school or up-to-date, rough or polished. I imagine that's something that will get worked out over time. Obviously, this is a very new band.

And everything else about them suggests they have enormous potential. The songs are as good as any Werewolves fan would expect - enveloping, intense slow-pop songs with spacey melodies. The sounds, though still underdeveloped, are rich and noisy. Meanwhile, the canned rhythms became much less canned as they devolved into breaking polyrhythms, multiple tempos ignoring each other but somehow interlocked. Frozen Warnings have the talent. Let's see if they have the will and the luck to make it to the next level. [myspace]

Frozen Warnings were followed by a band called No Place, who did not fit with the line-up at all. While the rest of the bands, even the unforgivable Blast Off!, had true artistic ambitions, No Place were rockstar wannabes who sounded like a poor imitation of the Strokes. Now the Strokes are fine, but they didn't exactly tear down any barriers. And No Place is a long way from even that level of merit - usually, a little offkey imperfection adds character, but this was more than a little - it was grating. Meanwhile, the rest of the band kept stumbling. They seemed ill-prepared, moved very slowly from song to song and generally showed themselves to be as unprofessional as they were uninspired. [myspace]

But I had to stick around, in order to see Coyote Eyes, long one of my favorite emerging Brooklyn bands. And DAMN I'm glad I did. Although this band has consistently impressed me with their arty post punk, this show was hands-down the best I've ever seen from them. Last time I saw them, they started out slow and failed to grab their audience. This time, they started the set with their strongest and most familiar song, "Yellow Red," which starts with a demanding half-tempo riff. As the band came in with far more volume and force, the difference in the audience reaction was obvious. While at the Mercury Lounge show, with the gradual build up, the audience drifted over towards the stage for the first few minutes of the song, every conversation was wrapped up within 30 seconds of the opening note of "Yellow Red," the audience immediately turning their attention to the band on stage.

Unfortunately, due to some equipment problems, especially with the drums, some of this inertia was lost during a long break after the first song and subsequent pauses later in the set. The downtime wasn't as well handled as it should have been, but it wasn't terrible either - Coyote Eyes have an intraband banter more amusing than most.

In any case, despite some problems between songs, the songs themselves have taken yet another step forward. In another sign of the band's growing confidence, guitarist and sometimes-singer Manny Nomikos is finally coming into his own as a vocalist. Before, he neither used nor hid the idiosyncrasies of his voice, but this time around, he exploited them. Instead of being a typical indie rock guy who can't sing great but does anyway - which is alright, but a little overdone - he's developing a unique voice that turns any weakness into an asset.

On the other side, bassist and singer Marta DeLeon wasn't at the top of her game vocally. I don't know why - maybe she had a cold, maybe she couldn't hear herself, maybe it was just a tough night. She was a touch offkey, and I look forward to hearing the band when both singers are at their best, when her melodic voice and his oddball yelps and hollers are juxtaposed to maximum effect. Next time, I guess.

Meanwhile, the band's material is great. The songs I know are stronger than ever and the newer ones promise even more exciting directions. Drummer Jeremiah McVay, who has always struck me as exceptionally gifted, seemed to be pushing himself even harder, trying out new ideas and bulking up songs in the subtle ways only an experienced drummer can. Over his unshowy but lavish beats, Nomikos and DeLeon strangled and pounded their guitars into a tight mesh of sonic strangeness. Anyone who saw this show should have no doubt that Coyote Eyes is one of the most bold, original and talented bands in Brooklyn. Is it too soon to say "I told you so?" [myspace]

Who to Watch in 2010: Part 4

PREVIOUS >>
Part 1 (reruns)
Part 2
Part 3

Small Black - This enthusiastic synth-based group made a short-lived splash this fall. Keep then on the radar. I have a feeling that their sincerity and their knack for writing great pop tunes will take them a long way yet. [MySpace]

Street Chant - I don't know if hailing from New Zealand will be an asset or a handicap for this band. All I know is that in a world saturated with DIY bands, this young punk outfit manages to stand out. The songs are just that good. [MySpace]

Trash Kit - I don't mean to play favorites, but one member of this band totally let me crash her night out last spring for no apparent reason. But as much as that may have endeared me to this new trio, they deserve to be on this list. With some of their circle getting love stateside (Wetdog, most recently), they might be able to get their foot in the door. And whether or not they manage that, their take-no-prisoners punk ain't nothing to fuck with. [MySpace]

Young Boys - New York's best kept secret for sure, Young Boys are what would be left if you set a pile of Jesus & Mary Chain records on fire. The duo's music is sparse and gritty but with dramatic, sweeping melodies and enough feedback to annihilate a small city. [MySpace]

The Zookeepers - Boston may have been disgraced this year in the world of baseball, but they do have one thing going for them - the Zookeepers. The band doesn't sound as if they've full come into their own quite yet. But there's a diamond in that rough - being amateur will pass. Being creative [hopefully!] won't. [MySpace]

That's it!

Best Albums of 2009, Part 2: #25-21

PREVIOUS>>
Part 1 - Rules and Runners Up

#25

Blank Dogs - Under and Under
In the Red

Most bands never succeed in carving out a sound that's entirely their own, but Mike Sniper's lo-fi goth doesn't sound like anything else out there. Deeply reverbed synthesizers and guitars take the best from the original goth movement, leaving the melodrama in 1980. What's left are intriguing, dark pop songs. The "lo-fi," effects-laden production buries distorted vocals, leaving everything hard to make out. The effect sends chills down my spine. It's the feeling of encroaching darkness and the sense that some profoundly disturbing secret is lurking in the shadows. If you've ever been in an abandoned hospital or a spooky forest or someplace similarly eerie at night, you know what it's like when you can't quite make out what's frightening or explain it to someone else, but you feel a tangible chill in your bones. That's what this album does to me.

Read more from the original RFR review...

How I found it: the internet!
Track picks: "Setting Fire to Your House," "No Compass," "Slowing Down"
Link: [MySpace]


#24

Cold Cave - Love Comes Close
Matador

Once again, I have to resort to quoting the press release because I can't paraphrase this and be as spot on: "equal parts romance and nihilism." Cold Cave's Matador debut draws from new wave synthpop, but just as much comes from krautrock, industrial and no wave music, making catchy music that's purposefully, powerfully vacant and inhuman. It's a statement of disillusionment and knowingly futile emotion. If Nietzsche had made an album of synth-based love songs, it would sound like this.

Read more from the original RFR review...

How I found it: They opened for Crystal Stilts and Love Is All last year.
Track picks: "Youth and Lust," "The Trees Grew Emotions and Died"
Link: [MySpace]


#23

Thee Oh Sees - Help
In the Red

I wasn't that smitten with Thee Oh Sees when I first saw them last summer, but when I put on their album for the first time, it immediately grabbed my attention. The band's fuzzy, lo-fi garage tunes manage a rare balance between strongly stated professionalism and youthful indie-ness. The songs are well-written pop tunes, but they take themselves seriously, with instrumentation and production that packs a real punch. These guys are fun, but they aren't just fooling around.

How I found it: bunch of ways
Track picks: "Enemy Destruct," "Peanut Butter Oven"
Link: [MySpace]


#22

Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Mute

Fever Ray, a.k.a. Karin Dreijer Andersson, the frontwoman of acclaimed electronic duo the Knife, released her solo debut this year. Dark, dense and wild, Fever Ray is an intensely primal album, both more earthy and more cryptic than the Knife's work. The music evokes dark images of untamed wilderness, ancient times and the occult, enigmatically hinting at the deep pain of some past trauma and an ensuing psychological deterioration. Andersson's powerful voice is one of the strangest and most evocative to emerge since Bjork's heyday, and here, it is fully unfettered.

How I found it: "Salvador" turned me on to it
Track picks: "If I Had a Heart," "Now's the Only Time I Know"
Link: [MySpace]


#21

Dälek - Gutter Tactics
Ipecac

Being the only group in the world (to my knowledge) that can be classified as "noise rap," Dälek never ceases to be exciting. Gutter Tactics may not be their best work to date, but it's still a remarkable accomplishment. Rap's usual rhymes and beats here meet screeching, jarring iceflows of pure noise. Drawing from shoegaze and ambient as well as industrial and krautrock, Dälek is one of those rare bands loud enough to slam you back against the wall the first time you hear them. The lyrics are smart and meaningful, but unfortunately, the MC's delivery can be a little bland. Still, Dälek is one of the most boldly original groups on earth - here's hoping they're a precursor of what's to come in the next decade of music!

How I found it: I first heard of Dälek when they did a split release with "no-gazers" IfWhen.
Track picks: "Gutter Tactics," "No Question"
Link: [MySpace]

NEXT>> Part 3: #20-16
Part 4: #15-11
Part 5: #10-6
Part 6: #5-1

Live: Coyote Eyes, Mary Onettes + Art of Shooting, Midnight Spin

When: 11/8/09
Where: Mercury Lounge

So my longtime obsession Werewolves cancelled their Mercury Lounge show opening for the Mary Onettes. Their replacement was a band called Midnight Spin. I knew as soon as I walked in the room what kind of music it was going to be. Really young guys, nice guitars, drummer with long hair and no shirt...you getting the picture?

I don't really know how to review a band like that without being extremely patronizing, so I'm gonna be pretty patronizing. It's just that rock'n'roll bands full of enthusiastic young men always make me nostalgic for the guys I knew in high school who dreamed of major label record deals and some huge arena full of shrieking, scantily clad young women. But come to think of it, is that any worse than what we're hoping for now? Ultracool indie label deals and DIY clubs full of good-looking hipsters.

Granted, most indie bands try to be (or at least to appear) somewhat arty and original. Midnight Spin is the opposite of original - they are a living cliche. But there is a reason cliches exist, after all. People have fun making this kind of music and many more people have fun listening to it. It's not in my taste, but at least they aren't pretentious or fake.

Still, I don't think Midnight Spin is gonna make the cut, at least not any time soon. Their songs were fine and they played well. They were clearly well-rehearsed and probably had some formal training not only in playing but also in music theory or composition. But they aren't above average, let alone outstanding. They just don't have what it takes to move beyond bar-band status.

Coyote Eyes were the real highlight of the show. I've been drooling over their arty post-punk for months now and catch them almost every chance I get. But it had been a while this time around, and their set had changed significantly. Most immediately, they've gotten more mellow. Their newer songs were mostly slower and more meandering than the first songs I heard by the band. On the one hand, this adds a lot of variety and maturity to the set and opens up a lot of space for experimentation. On the other, the music lost a lot of punch and the band struggled to get the full attention of the audience - no more than most bands struggle, but more than a band this good should.

The band has yet to properly balance their vocals between bassist Marta DeLeon and guitarist Manny Nomikos. DeLeon's voice is rich, melodic and mostly in tune (which I don't mean as cheap shot at anyone, it's just not that common in indie music). In contrast, Nomikos has a thinner voice and doesn't concern himself with hitting the right pitch. That's a perfectly legitimate aesthetic and the juxtaposition of the two voices could be a powerful tool. Sometimes it is, but too often, the difference is just jarring and the two styles fail to find a common ground. Until they figure out and agree upon their musical identity with regards to vocals, DeLeon and Nomikos risk clashing, not complementing.

Once again, when the band hit the song "Yellow Red" near the end of the set, they had the audience captivated. If they could get that rapt attention from the beginning, they'd make quite an impact. I'd like to see the band start their sets with something more aggressive. Their unconventional pop, with its outstanding rhythms, noisy sonic experiments and curiously infectious melodies, should have their audience transfixed from the first note. Just got to make that first note impossible to ignore. [MySpace]

The Art of Shooting played next and I stepped out for most of their set. This band is just too weird, and not in a good way. There are two women singing in front, very dramatically, and some semi-spacey instruments in the background. Basically, if Blondie and Spacemen 3 had a bastard child, it would look and sound like this - but not in a good way. Maybe they get some novelty points, and guitarist Gavin Dunaway sounds like a young Billy Corgan, but the awkwardness far outweighs any appeal. [MySpace]

Last up were the headlining Swedes The Mary Onettes. I've seen them before and found them enjoyable but unremarkable, an 80's rock throwback. However, their new album has generated a lot of positive press, so I thought I'd give them another chance.

Lyrically, the band has come a long way. It takes some courage for Philip Ekstrom to sing about his aging body, and I admire him for that. Facing the fact that your youth is gone, and admitting that that breaks your heart, it's interesting if a little melodramatic.

However, musically, the band is still an 80's rock throwback. And that's that. I wouldn't avoid them, but I wouldn't seek them out, when there's more exciting things happening all over the place. [MySpace]

Live: Woods, Silk Flowers + No Age

When: October 14
Where: Le Poisson Rouge

So ages ago, I went to see No Age play at Le Poisson Rouge because I couldn't go to their weekend shows. It may have been a really late show on a weeknight, I may have had the swine flu, but nothing was going to stop me from seeing this band.

I got to LPR in time for Silk Flowers, who at first seemed to be some gangly young men playing around with droning, monotonous synthesizers, which looked fun for them, but I couldn't figure out why anyone would think it was a good idea to put them on a stage in front of an audience. However, eventually, one of the gangly youths slouched over a microphone and performed what sounded like a drunk gorilla doing an imitation of Ian Curtis. It was awful, but I think it was intentionally awful, and at least awful in an interesting way. With only a very loose sense of pitch and no annunciation, the baritone drawl slobbered spastically over the songs.

The synth parts were boring and the songwriting sloppy, but the vocals were just weird enough to really excite a small part of me. Over all, I don't think I can recommend this. I think it's just a disaffected imitation of a bunch of trendy bands. But I'm not entirely sure. [MySpace]

Woods, one of my favorites, were up next. Their set was really mixed. It started and ended with obscenely long, self-indulgent jam sessions. This kind of stunt is rude, even when once-good legends like the Grateful Dead do it. It's certainly not a right earned by Woods, whose success is moderate and recent. Anyway, Woods aren't particularly great at their instruments and they aren't particularly amazing noise-makers - their appeal is based on their extraordinary songwriting coupled with a bit of weird sound and delivery. The songwriting is more than half the equation, so what's the point of fucking around for fifteen minutes?

In the middle, though, Woods played like the band I love. Their melodies, new and old, are still captivating, and their sound still weirdly distant and otherworldly. They fixed up their old songs with some well-conceived adjustments, cranking the volume in some parts and adding new vocal harmonies to songs like "Rain On" (which pleased me, since whenever I end up working late, I end up sitting in my office trying to harmonize with that chorus). The band has tightened up, no longer struggling with tempos and locking in seamlessly - months of shows will do that for you!

Unfortunately, they ended on another ridiculous jam. Guys, keep that to five minutes, tops, especially as an opening band. The sound guy appeared to be trying to signal to the band to stop, but they just droned on and on and on. It didn't ruin the set, but still, a bad move. [MySpace]

By the time No Age took the stage, my H1N1 got the best of me (did you think I was kidding?), and I couldn't really enjoy much of the set. It was noisy and good and the band's two members seemed like really nice guys, but I was keeling over in a corner so I don't think I'm qualified to write a proper review. Let's just hope they come back to NY soon.

Album: CFCF - Continent

Album: Continent
Paper Bag, 2009
Rating: ** (2/10)

The first time I heard CFCF must have been last spring when part of the Panesian Nights EP mysteriously showed up on my hard drive. I gave it a listen and though I wasn't blown away, I was reasonably impressed, especially by the club-inspired dark ambiance of "Crystal Mines." It was just an EP by an artist early in his career (one Michael Silver), and I figured by the time an LP came around, we might have something worth at least a short-term obsession.

Apparently, I was overly optimistic. Sometimes when I'm bored and often spaced out with a migraine, I pull out my keyboard, turn on some cheesy synth sound and plunk out little chord progressions and riffs with club-style rhythms. Although I have fun making dark, ominous chords bounce out in a head-bobbing rhythm, I've really never thought it was worth recording even to subject my friends and family to, let alone to put into an LP and foist on the world at large. Perhaps if I had, I'd have a small record deal and some lukewarm reviews on Pitchfork - it worked for Silver.

Yes, folks, what I'm saying is that I can write music this good in my sleep. And the kicker is, I'm really not a synth player at all. Yeah, ouch.

For one thing, I think I misunderstood the purpose of CFCF. While I thought it was experimental ambient in a dark way, this album is like electronic easy-listening, with synthesized saxophone, guitar and fucking pan pipe solos. Even when the music starts with something good - the guilty-pleasure pop of "Invitation to Love," the breaking beat and half-phrase synth lines of "Letters Home" and the sweeping dynamics of "Break-In" - he ruins it with the aforementioned fake saxophone and pan pipe shit or by just dragging it out waaaay too long. Vocals randomly pop up on a few tracks. In a pitchfork interview, Silvers said "I wouldn't consider myself a very strong songwriter or vocalist, so most of the time I try and then fail so I just don't bother." Yeah, we can tell.

The best track of the album is probably "Come Closer," one of those adorned with vocals. Though it wears on far too long, it's got more force to it. It's a much bolder, clearer statement than the rest of the album and comes closest to what I heard from Panesian Nights. Still, I can't even say that track is worth a buck to download. When surrounded by the far-less-than-half-baked monotony of the rest of the album, it's a nice break, sounding almost like a completed thought. But on its own, it doesn't have much to stand on either.

A celebration of self-indulgent rambling electronica, Continent is an album only a mother could love. Or so I hope.

[MySpace]

Upcoming Shows: Fucked Up, Werewolves, Coyote Eyes + more

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]
Thursday, November 5

Fucked Up + Titus Andronicus @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple | Fort Greene, Brooklyn | $18
Hardcore band Fucked Up is performing their acclaimed album Chemistry of Common Life in its entirety. The bad news is that Vivian Girls (!!??) are singing back-up vocals and it costs $18. On the other hand, Titus Andronicus will be opening with their excellent less thrash/metal form of hardcore. [FU MySpace] [TA MySpace]


Friday, November 6

Girls + Real Estate | Bowery Ballroom | SOLD OUT!
I have mixed feelings about Girls, who have recently been determined to be the shit. The band's backstory is such that if I harsh on them, I'm afraid it will look like I'm in favor of creepy cults and against smiles. (In fact, I am against both cults and smiles.) But let's face it, Girls is anti-edgy, Beach Boys-inspired pop. And the lyrics are some of the most blatant, unoriginal attempts to get laid in the history of rock. From the words, we learn that Christopher Owens is a really nice guy who wants to innocently love and be friends with girls and smile and make the best of his terrible life, but he's just heartbroken and lonely. I'm mean, come on!!! (Note: if we discounted all music that was created for the purpose of the musician getting laid, we'd be without 98.5% of music, but at least you don't have to be so obvious and uncreative about it.) On the other hand, his voice is really interesting, not quirky at all but not like anyone else's, awkward but very rich and full. And the melodies and songwriting are unarguably Great - with a capital G. [MySpace]


Sunday, November 8

Werewolves, Coyote Eyes + Mary Onettes @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $10
It's no secret that my favorite two canine-related bands in New York City are Werewolves and Coyote Eyes. Werewolves play an amazing blend of psychedelic music, drawing from the Doors, My Bloody Valentine and everything in between for great melodies and thick, druggy noise. Coyote Eyes play rhythmically fascinating post-punk with unusual and entirely lovable melodies. Headlining are 80's-esque Swedes the Mary Onettes, who I've heard live before and can say are decent but nothing super special. [WW MySpace] [CE MySpace] [MO MySpace]

[Upcoming Shows Playlist]

Album: Cold Cave - Love Comes Close

Album: Love Comes Close
Matador, 2009
Rating: ******** (8/10)

I'm not sure what to make of the Cold Cave debut album, to be (re)released on Matador this week. Though I normally scoff at press releases, the one accompanying this album actually put a finger on a quality of the music I couldn't quite describe myself: "equal parts of romance and nihilism." That's the essence of Cold Cave and what sets them apart from any other band around.

I first heard Cold Cave nearly a year ago, when I caught the tail end of a set they did opening for someone or other at Bowery Ballroom. I enjoyed them, especially because their sheer volume threatened to make my ears bleed, but I didn't think they were anything special. It wasn't until the spring, when I stumbled upon the track "Sex Ads," that I came around to thinking of Cold Cave as something outstanding.

"Sex Ads," which is not featured on Love Comes Close, is one of the noisiest tracks I've ever heard. It sounds like a synthesizer apocalypse and in its unforgiving attack, reminds me more of the no wave movement than of anything contemporary. The most obvious reference point is Suicide, for those who are familiar with the history of synth music, but ultimately, the splintering shards of static and roar of icy, inhuman noise burying a desperate and inaudible vocal melody - well, they aren't much like anyone else at all.

Sadly, no song on Love Comes Close is quite as as bold as "Sex Ads." The album contains a collection of nine rather more accessible tracks which, if not as striking, have a similar intrigue. The opener, "Cebe and Me," creeps forward at a morbidly measured pace, while synthesizers blink unnerving squalls of dissonance and a distorted voice mumbles an undecipherable speech. The tension breaks over the dark pop of the title track. The somber-yet-catchy baritone melody is reminiscent of bands like New Order and Depeche Mode, but stripped of all hints of 80's polish.

There aren't any bad tracks on the album, so picking highlights is a little tricky. "Heaven was Full" is a classic centerpiece, with a memorable title, a heavy, full sound and single-worthy tune. However, the real highlight of the middle stretch is "The Trees Grew Emotions and Died." The simple, rhythmic vocals and ascending synth riff seems too basic to be the album's best track, but it had me on my knees.

From the dance pop of "Life Magazine" to the would be 80's radio hit "Youth and Lust" and the krautrock-inspired "Laurels of Erotomania," the album is mysteriously refreshing. The sounds are dated and could come straight from the earliest digital synthesizers of the late 70's and early 80's. This is cheesy and gives the whole album a campy sound. Further "campiness" is added by the fact that the actual synth parts are, for the most part, incredibly simple and obvious. But that's not to say the band is just some sort of Duran Duran throwback - the level of noise and the indie rock-influenced imperfection are distinctly modern. Couple this with great songwriting, and you've got something very worth listening to.

Check it out! [MySpace]

Album: Little Girls - Concepts

Album: Concepts
Paper Bag, 2009
Rating: ******* (7/10)

Little Girls first came to my attention last summer when the mythical "Jasper" saw them live and told me they were the shit. I saw them for myself twice, and it quickly became apparent why they were associated with Mike Sniper's Captured Tracks label early on - Mike Sniper (a.k.a. Blank Dogs) is the only other band around making this type of nervous, lo-fi, gothy post-punk. Like Blank Dogs, Little Girls is mostly a solo project, this one of Josh McIntyre, a high-strung youngster from Toronto whose influences span from no wave to hip-hop.

Concepts is a spooky album that does well capturing the band's tense energy - and it's this tense energy that sets the band apart from its peers and makes it worthy of note. On the opening track, "Youth Tunes," the vocals are almost completely inaudible, warning us that McIntyre will be speaking from a dark and distant place. The vocals never really come above the surface on the whole album, so though the press release says the album is about coming of age, the listener's only real clues are the song titles.

Following "Youth Tunes," the ominous mix continues with the atonal, reverbed vocals of "Seeing." "Tambourine" is the first semi-accessible song, with a great riff and vocals, but we don't leave the minor scales until "Imaginary Friends," a tune that manages to be simultaneously upbeat and sinister. The tightly wound, repetitive "Venom" is something of a mess, with the instruments and vocals seemingly fighting for control of the rhythm. [Update: it just occured to me that I should have indicated that comment on "Venom" is a compliment. (11/6)]

However, there are some questions of originality. The dramatic melodies of "Salt Swimmers" and "Thrills" are distinctly familiar - I'm almost positive I've heard the latter in some sort of musical theater or soundtrack. This may be more reference than accident, showing a refusal to be held back from dramatics by any typical indie rock sense of self-consciousness. It's a bold move, but I'm dubious that this was the best way for the band to display their lack of self-awareness.

Moreover, the Joy Division influences are undeniable, and at times a little overboard. "Concepts" has almost the same bass riff as "Disorder" and "Last Call" also borrows more than a few notes from Bernard Summer and Peter Hook. The similarities don't ruin the music, by any stretch, but it is a bit disappointing if you're looking for something new.

The songwriting in general leaves a bit to be desired. Repetition is clearly a part of Little Girls' craft, as is their anticlimactic composition, but the songs sometimes stagnate too much, crossing that thin line from expressing a dark ennui to being, well, a little boring. I appreciate short, simple songs, instead of cramming a million ideas into a single track, but here it sounds a little underdeveloped.

Still, all in all, Concepts is an electrifying album and shows a band with great promise. The uneasy darkness of all eleven tracks demonstrates McIntyre's rare ability to translate emotion into sound, making an indescribable anxiety palpable in the music. However, the band is young and this album wants for maturity in many instances. Of course, the rawness adds to the excitement in a way, but it also frustrates. The unsophisticated songwriting makes this album seem far more trifling than it actually is. However, McIntyre's sharp sense of pop, his innovative ideas about sound, and most of all, his sincerity are unmistakable. He's the real deal.

"Growing" makes a warm closer, as though the tensions of the album have found a little peace. But despite the major key, it's not a happy peace. It's a lullaby for the darkest of hearts, a resignation without resolution and a testament to the secrets told, if never explained, on the previous ten tracks of the record.

Album: A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head

Album: Exploding Head
Mute, 2009
Rating: ******** (8/10)

There are no big surprises on the new album from A Place to Bury Strangers, out today on Mute Records. As always, the band is still something of a one-trick pony. The good news is that that one trick is so very awesome and original that it's far from played out - there are still lots more avenues to be explored, and more importantly, lots more eardrums to be shattered.

APTBS's trick comes, of course, from guitarist Oliver Ackermann's custom Death By Audio pedals. These create a mountain of fuzz, feedback and noise. Static covers the music like a thick layer of snow, while deep rumblings fill in every gap and piercing overtones punctuate songs. It's like My Bloody Valentine or the Jesus and Mary Chain on steroids.

For this reason, APTBS has always been more of a live band to me than one I listen to on record - it's all about volume, about overwhelming the senses and being swallowed whole by the noise. The record isn't the same experience. But then again, Loveless pales in comparison to My Bloody Valentine's live show and it's still one of the greatest records of all time. It's more fair to compare an album to other albums than to compare it to a concert.

Exploding Head starts off strong with the MBV-esque "It Is Nothing," a high-speed pitch-bender with simple but intriguing vocals and extremely tight distortion throughout. The song jumps into the sonic fray with both feet, as melodic overtones add phantom guitars and an deep foundation keeps the listener from ever finding the bottom.

There are a few sequencing problems on the album. Most notably, "Lost Feeling," with its weird Sonic Youth-like steps out of the key signature, is a great addition to the album, but is far too long, repetitive and unmelodious to sit up at track three. Later in the album, the silent beginnings of "Ego Death" break the album's spell and disrupt its flow. It would have been better to fill this space with more audible noise to keep the listener engaged instead of making them stop their concentration to check their speakers.

"Keep Slipping Away" is the album's standout centerpiece. It's well composed, with another simple but irresistible melody and a great sense of structure, driven home by half-tempos, drop-outs, breaks and the perfectly placed bridge. With a dancey, electronic beat and an anxious, repeating lead guitar, it recalls 80's synth music like Depeche Mode, but adds APTBS's characteristic NOISE. "Smile When You Smile" is a more typical APTBS track, but keeps things moving with hammering drums, a short bassy solo and an unforgettable melody. The decision to roll back the noise from time to time sends the tense, disturbed song hurdling forward.

The album goes out strong too, with the gothy, ringing reverb title track, followed by the intense "I Lived My Life to Stand in the Shadow of Your Heart." This closing song is writ large, with an expansive, open melody and a thick, distorted pulse in the bass. Feedback screams over it all until the song descends into its own static until it's only a hint of sound under the roar of white noise.

There isn't a bad track on Exploding Head. It's a solid, accomplished album with no filler and few missteps. It isn't groundbreaking for the band, it's just a further honing of what they've been doing for years. And what they've been doing for years is being more loud, more ominous and more awesome than anyone else around. Fuck yes.

[MySpace]

Release: Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Higher than the Stars [EP]

Release: Higher than the Stars [EP]
Slumberland, 2009
Rating: **** (4/10)

Tweegazers the Pains of Being Pure at Heart put out a surprise hit (or at least "hit" in the indie world) record this winter, but it's eight months later and for a pop band in the internet era, buzz never lasts that long. So, with an ongoing tour and year-end lists drawing ever closer, the Pains need to do something to keep their name in the press.

Sadly, instead of getting themselves arrested for doing something ridiculous or pulling some other dangerous publicity stunt, the Pains decided to call people's attention with a new release, a five song EP out this week.

The EP is thoroughly disappointing. With more electronic beats and synthesized sounds, the band sounds more and more like an 80's throw-back, which is, of course, what they always were, but more subtly than this. The Pains may have been the best twee band since the heyday of Sarah Records, but "Higher than the Stars" and the Cure-esque "Falling Over" sound like any of dozens of New Wave revival bands. They lack Kip Berman's signature guitar sheen, replacing that with overused pop sounds.

"103" and "Twins" sound more like the Pains we know and love, with Berman's guitar making a buzzy, fuzzy wall from start to stop. But here, the melodies don't match those the Pains have written previously. "Twins" is, well, boring and "103" is catchy only in that it has nearly the same riff and melody as their previous single "Come Saturday." Resorting to recycled melodies only two years into their career doesn't bode well for the band. Then again, a lot of people won't notice.

The lyrics are Berman's usual fucked up, creepy words that you don't understand and assume to be sweet until you look at the lyric sheet. The dark themes should be an asset, but for some reason - perhaps because there is nothing in the music, including in Berman's singing, to indicate anything sinister - it just doesn't amount to anything.

The "Higher than the Stars" remix that closes the EP is better than the original, delving into the deeper sounds and far more interesting rhythms, thanks to dub-inspired producers St. Etienne. Still, a remix can't make an EP worthwhile, under any circumstances.

The Pains must decide whether to wallow into their indie pop until they become generic or to pursue more innovative ideas. The band has influences far broader and more interesting than the music lets on and they have the potential to evolve. If they don't, they'll have to face being forgotten as quickly as they were discovered this spring.

[MySpace]

Album + Live: Blacklist

Album: Midnight of the Century
Weird Records, 2009
Rating: ******* (7/10)

The long-awaited debut LP of gothy post punks Blacklist, dubbed Midnight of the Century, is a relief after two EPs that failed to do the band justice. Though I've never failed to be compelled by the band's live show, their existing releases seemed unfocused and unmemorable. I could never even pin down exactly what was wrong with the EPs, but for whatever reason, the music didn't translate.

On Midnight, however, fans will finally recognize the band they love. However, even this album has its problems, particularly in the production. From a band influenced largely by the dense, layered music of post punks like the Cure, the record is frustratingly wanting for depth and richness. The sonic weaknesses might have been overcome with better recording and production techniques, which these days can be achieved even on a low budget - overdubbing duplicate parts, intensifying reverb, and so forth. Given the credentials of the engineers behind the sound (most notably, Ed Buller, who's resume includes work by Slowdive and Suede), the shallowness is really inexplicable.

With even the sound falling short, the record must stand on songwriting alone. And in this, Blacklist have proven themselves exceptional. There's not a single bad track. "Fight of the Demoiselles" could be an alternative radio hit, with many songs not falling far behind. There's a decent amount of variety, with the subtle trance of "The Cunning of History" and the airy "Odessa" breaking up the rest of the dark 80's sheen.

Unlike many of the darker bands of the 80's, Blacklist only flirts briefly with synthesizers, sticking by and large with the traditional guitar-bass-drum arrangements familiar in the rest of rock. Lyrically, like many goth-inspired groups, they draw upon dramatic images that speak more of modern society than personal moodiness. It's a work with vision, edge and above all, well penned songs.


Live...
When: 7/31
Where: Cameo Gallery

The Cameo show, following very closely on the heels of the album release, was not your typical Blacklist affair. For one thing, Cameo is more well-lit than many spaces, and Blacklist, unsurprisingly, thrives in the dark. Also, with a mostly shoegazing bill, the regular goth crowd didn't turn up.

Still, as always, the band was a powerful presence on stage. Dressed in black, with expressions to match, the band fanned out powerfully and delivered their songs with intense conviction and technical talent. Live shows also give the band, particularly guitarist James Minor, a chance to delve into more experimental sonic territory. Fleshing out their gothic soundscapes with new textures and improvisation, Blacklist expanded on their new material without losing track of the underlying songs.

Much like Ringo Deathstarr, with whom they shared the Cameo stage, Blacklist is not an original band. Both groups cover familiar territory, but each executes its chosen style with such near perfection that they become memorable and significant in their own right.

[Blacklist on MySpace]

Live: Woodsist Festival Recap (Day 1)

A couple of days at the Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival is all it takes to illustrate how inbred the DIY scene truly is. There were so many members shared between bands that the event simply seems like a quick run-through of all the three-to-five person permutations possible with a dozen core members. (OK, math nerds, settle down. Permutations, not combinations, because sometimes they just rotate instruments.)

Some of the Woodsist bands are outstanding and several (Wavves, Woods, Crystal Stilts, Little Girls, etc.) number among my recent favorites, but with such a closed circle, it seems like the musicians and the small movement they've created is hurtling towards an artistic dead end. The festival was the culmination of a year and a half of well-deserved success, but seeing so many of the bands play in short succession was just watching them paint themselves into a corner.

Anyway...

The first band I caught was the Mayfair Sect, the debut of a collaboration between Kristen Gundred, the sole member of Dum Dum Girls, and Mike Sniper, the sole member of Blank Dogs - joined by members of Woods to round out the live band. Since Sniper also joined Gundred for the (also first-ever) Dum Dum Girls set on Saturday, the whole thing seemed a bit redundant. But in any case, Gundred has a powerful voice, one of the best of the festival, and Sniper's baritone is not far behind. The songs and performance were solid, but unremarkable - it seems like we've heard this all before.

Little Girls followed, a band "Jasper" recently recommended. Having seen them live, I can stand behind that recommendation even more confidently. The sound in Market Hotel was awful, and almost every band of the night sounded off-key. Little Girls were no exception, but their performance was far less aloof than many of the other bands and the dark tints in their music set them apart from the pack.

Similarly unaloof, Cause Co-Motion! gave an outstanding performance, tearing it up (literally, tearing up some of the stage's paper decorations) and jumping around like fourteen-year-old hardcore punks. However, the venue's poor sound, combined with the band's decision to deliver their songs in extra fast, extra messy punk fashion, ruined the set. I like extra fast and extra messy, but CCM aren't a punk band, they're a lo-fi pop band, and with their melodies falling flat, there was little to listen to. I had fun watching, but my ears were just plain bored.

I was glad to finally catch Psychedelic Horseshit, a band that's managed to generate some publicity simply by being arrogant and rude. Not all that surprisingly, the music sucked. The band seems out to destroy, and while I'm all about destruction, the secret truth is that you've got to do more than tear things down. No harmonies, no melodies, no songs, nothing but vocal snarls, guitar noise and primal drums. The most interesting part of the music were some dual rhythms with no apparent alignment; that was pretty cool, but the novelty did wear off eventually. I found it difficult to listen to the rest, which lacked bass or any low-register notes besides the bass drum. I do have some respect for the band and their willingness to negate everything. Still, making ugly noise to piss people off isn't exactly original.

Though I didn't like Blank Dogs last time I caught them live, their recorded material has really grown on me over the last few months, and I was excited to give the band another chance. Unfortunately, I still didn't like what I saw. If Sniper surrounded himself with other musicians who shared his dark vision, Blank Dogs could be a great live act. However, those who joined Sniper on stage didn't seem hip to his music's murky, gothic undertow. The band played as though they were playing with any other Woodsist band, confusing and obscuring the elements that make Blank Dogs unique.

Headliners Crystal Stilts delivered the most energetic performance I've seen from them to date - though that's not really saying much. They did do far better than the rest of the day's bands (Mayfair Sect possibly excepted) in overcoming the acoustic difficulties - their melodies were clear and in tune and their instruments distinct and balanced.

Despite a few changes (drummer Frankie Rose finally sitting down, for one), the band is doing pretty much what they have been, and their songs still sound disappointingly alike. A few of their more uptempo songs stood out in the set and the rest were at least enjoyable. It was nice to see the band finally having some fun too, dropping their detached posturing and really playing a heartfelt show for a room full of friends.

Album: Blank Dogs - Under and Under

Album: Under and Under
In the Red
Rating: ******** (8/10)

My last experience with Blank Dogs was being underwhelmed by their performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in March. Of the ultra-lo-fi movement of the last year or so, Blank Dogs don’t quite equal the very best of the pack – Woods, Wavves, Crystal Stilts and a few others – but they definitely aren’t at the bottom of the pile either. The ranking among this crowd comes down to songwriting, and while Blank Dogs don’t have nearly the gift of a band like Woods, they do have some pretty nice tunes.

Blank Dogs is the solo project of Mike Sniper, a purposefully enigmatic figure who has been forced to remove his mask (literally and figuratively) by recent success. His new album, Under and Under, comes out tomorrow, and if you’re into little pop songs that are completely obliterated by distortion, I’d have to recommend picking up a copy.

Where Blank Dogs stray from the typical lo-fi template is in the band’s obvious nods to the music of the early 80’s. Their songs are styled after British post-punk (e.g. the Joy Division-esque "L Machine" and "Open Shut"), early synthesizer-based new wave ("Falling Back"), and even goth itself ("Face Watching"). It’s a simple idea, but pretty smart – to my knowledge, translating these styles to lo-fi has yet to be done. By taking songwriting cues and beats from the 80’s, but entirely subverting the era’s emphasis on clarity and polish, Under and Under deserves some distinction.

The album opens up with a trio of strong tracks: the heavy pop of "No Compass" followed by a tense, driving song called "L Machine" and the faintly western "Night Night." The album’s key centerpiece is "Setting Fire to Your House, " a dark, synth-heavy song with creeping, creepy vocals that somehow get more disturbing as they shift from minor key to major, and from understated verse to catchy chorus.

Other highlights include "Falling Back," which manages to withdraw even further into the fuzz than the rest of the album, and "Tin Birds," whose sloppy hooks provide a glimmer of brightness in the midst of an overwhelmingly dark album. And towards the end of the record, the massive gothic soundscapes of “Face Watching” do Robert Smith proud.

However, at fifteen songs, the album feels a little padded. I’m generally a fan of long albums, but only if the material is consistently album-worthy. There aren’t actually any bad songs on Under and Under, but some of tracks in the second two thirds of the album seem just like less-good versions of ideas already expressed. Ultimately, these songs only dilute the album’s quality and make it sound "samey, " when in fact, there’s plenty of diversity here to support a more tailored LP.

Ultimately, Under and Under is a well-conceived and brilliantly executed album, and its successes more than compensate for its flaws. Taken as a whole, it’s not the best record ever, but it’s got more than enough truly great songs to earn my very discriminating respect. And to make me hope that Sniper is just getting started.

[MySpace]

Live: 28 Degrees Taurus, Blacklist

When: 5/16
Where: Cameo, Glasslands, Public Assembly

OK, I know I've fallen really far behind here, but if you can think waaaay back to a week and half ago, there were a whole ton of amazing shows in one night. Luckily, most of them were on the western edge of Williamsburg, so bouncing back and forth between venues was not all that hard.

After grabbing the first couple numbers by My Best Fiend and determining it too mellow for my mood, I crossed N 6th St to Public Assembly to catch the legendary (in my mind) Beluga for their short set. I won't bother to review these lady punks, because I've reviewed them quite enough lately. But it is safe to say I was disappointed by the venue's decision to cut the set short (presumably to make room for DJs who would spin to an empty house the rest of the night. Ugh.)

So I cut back across the street to Cameo where 28 Degrees Taurus had recently begun their set. I wrote up 28DT a while ago but it's been too long since I've caught them live. 28DT play a shoegaze-inspired rock that completely defies classification or description. It is loud, aggressive and unruly, with an arty disregard for convention.

Frontman Jinsen Liu's high-energy noise guitar duels some of the best drumming I've ever seen (yes, I said it) - Greg Murphy plays about ten thousand beats a second, never losing track of the beat and never letting up. The velocity and intensity of his drumming and nearly unmatched. Bassist Karina Dacosta keeps things under control, though, her calm demeanor and rock-solid bass lines anchoring the frantic music and providing a much-needed reference point. The vocals, shared by Liu and Dacosta, are delivered with a careful balance of passion and humor that match the oddly arresting lyrics ("Let's drink / and drive / and crash / and die / Woohoo!"). It's art and it's fun, it's edgy, it's pop and it's just a damn great show.

As they hit their final notes, I bolted in a surprisingly successful attempt to catch Blacklist a few blocks over at Glasslands. I haven't written up Blacklist in ages, and last time I did, they were playing at the acoustically-murky Vanishing Point. For all its flaws, Glasslands has consistently excellent sound, and hearing Blacklist in full clarity makes a helluva a difference. At VP, the band stood on stage presence alone, but at Glasslands, the musical merits could also impress.

Simply put, Blacklist takes everything good from the darkest side of early 80's pop and combines it into a delicious darkwave rock. And it's not dated either - though I'm pretty sure of fans of the Cure, New Order, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus and the like will love Blacklist, their dense guitars and lack of electronics set them apart and make them a fully 2009 sort of band.

On stage, the band (dressed in black, of course) command attention with their professional, almost imposing stance. They play tightly and attentively, pouring their energy not into antics but into their solid front. The band's gloomy posturing is never whiny and never fake, it's the real deal. No wonder NYC's few surviving goths flood every show - Blacklist are everything we miss.

28 Degrees Taurus on MySpace

Blacklist on MySpace

Live: Cinemasophia, Ceremony

When: 4/25
Where: Cameo

When I headed over to the Vanishing Point Presents show at Cameo, I was hoping to catch the second act, Ceremony, but when I arrived, the set was already running behind and the opener, Cinemasophia, was still on stage. I’d had no intention of checking the band out, but I was pleasantly surprised to find I quite liked them!

They have a shoegaze side to their music, which is undoubtedly how they ended up on this bill, but their post-rock rhythms set them apart from the pack. The band’s male-female vocals were lovely, contrasting dissonance with harmony to propel the music forward. Crashing, heavy jolts give way to sweeping melodies. Shimmery guitars and ricocheting drums kept the music lively.


Cinemasophia
But even during the set, I had the sad thought: “I really like this! I wish I would remember it a month from now.” Although lovely, Cinemasophia doesn’t offer much you won’t forget. The statements simply aren’t extreme enough and even though there may not be too many bands that sound just like this, the components are all so familiar that they fade into the background. Cinemasophia is a great listen, but they’ll need to push their own boundaries if they want to make their impact last. [MySpace]

The next band was the well-loved duo Ceremony (not to be confused with the hardcore band of the same name) on a rare trip up from their home in Virginia. I was excited to finally hear them live, but I must admit, I was slightly disappointed. Though the dark, heavy, shoegazey beats and noise were as great as anticipated, I was expecting a whole hell of a lot more reverb. I’m not sure if I just had the wrong idea about what this band would sound like or if the venue simply couldn’t or didn’t put the proper effects on the PA.

Whatever the case, the vocals were delivered dry and had a rough, indie rock sound to them. It might have been cool if done differently, but the contrast of the ragged vocals over the highly polished and mechanized sound was awkward and dampened the music’s strengths – in other words, the down-home vocals took the bite out of the sound.

Also, it was disappointing to see how much of the band’s music was prerecorded. The night’s headliners, Screen Vinyl Image (whose set I missed this time) make similar music and manage to create a great deal of it live instead of just hitting a “play” button. Hearing so much of overall product pre-made took some of the excitement out of the show, making it rather dreary.

That’s not to say Ceremony is bad! Their recorded material is strong and their live performance has a delightfully massive sound, like running your eardrums over with a steamroller – earplugs are required. The beats, though pre-programmed, were strong and kept the music tense and dynamic. Despite disappointing my admittedly high expectations, the band’s got a lot to feel good about. [MySpace]

Live: Miniboone

Sorry for the unexpected disappearance. Never fear, RFR is back! Here goes...

Where: The Annex
When: 4/20

Like many young bands, Miniboone - whom I first reviewed back in November - is still finding their identity, and since that review in November, the band has completely reinvented their sound, inverting completely the ratio of experimental punk to pop. While in November, the band was one big noise, with guttural screams outnumbering pop hooks, the band now has extensive melodies and rhythmic grooves.

Despite reinventing themselves as a pop band, however, Miniboone remains (for better or worse) at the edge. "For worse" because the compositions are rather unwieldy and epic. The structural complexity is actually well-used and the songs are relatively cohesive for their length. But it goes a little too far on too many songs for my taste, making the set too weighty to be as fun as the melodies imply.

"For better," though, because the band is interesting and doesn't sound quite like anyone else. Part of the new melodiousness comes from the increasing proportion of lead vocal duties assigned to Craig Barnes. He is more of a singer, less of a shouter, than some of his bandmates. His voice also gives the music some of its unique character, tending towards a drama not found in most post-80's pop.

Though I was disappointed by the relative calm of the band's new sound, there are still hints of the band's old punk side too. It's a bit unkempt for grooving pop and it's certainly noisy. There are also the delightfully ridiculous lyrics, belted out with surprising conviction, and the bodily frenzy of the band's delivery. Though they've softened up their approach, there's a current of unabashed creativity that will keep Miniboone noteworthy no matter in what genre they eventually land.

MySpace