Album: Woods - At Echo Lake

Album: At Echo Lake
Woodsist, 2010
Rating: ******** (8/10)

OK, I admit, I'm one of those fickle critics (or wannabe critics) who build a band up and then suddenly turn on them and tear them to shreds. I would fit in well in the UK, where they love to generate insane amounts of hype and declare a band the best thing since the Beatles, then in a fit of sobriety or shame or vengefulness, turn the band into the butt of a national joke. You can't with them, or me.

So last year around this time, Woods were one of my favorite bands. But it's been a long year and my thoughts on music have really evolved since then. I wouldn't take back my reviews of Woods or revoke the nine(!) stars I gave their last album, but I am certainly far less excited about anything related to folk music than I was at the beginning of 2009. The ultraconservative attitudes that have hijacked indie rock have grown increasingly obvious in the last year and I've come to see any music that doesn't challenge the backwards backlash as a dangerous and cowardly abuse of the art form.

On the other hand, I can't ignore or deny that Woods write beautiful music. And I wouldn't even argue that they are derivative. They have forged a unique sound that, yes, pulls audibly from Neil Young and the Grateful Dead but spins it as something distinctly post-2000. Drenched in LSD, their warbly, poppy folk and shimmering, folky pop conveys an intangible sense of mystery, like the band is playing from very far away.

At Echo Lake is pretty much like every other Woods album. Of the four, this has the most consistent quality of songs - and keeps them all well under the five minute mark. The arrangements are the richest and most complex the band has offered to date, showing a growing musical sophistication.

The real skill that has always set Woods apart is their ability to write beautiful melodies and Echo Lake shows they haven't yet exhausted the well. Centerpiece "Time Fading Lines" is a particularly notable melancholy masterpiece. Early on in the album, "Suffering Season" shows Woods exploring new layers of sound while earthy, simple songs like "Get Back" keep the record down to earth. And despite a more major-key opening than previous Woods albums, that same darkness lurks just behind the music.

Woods remain one among the finest songwriters on the indie scene today and their sonic experiments are distinctly their own. After seeing Sleigh Bells tonight, a folk-tinged lo-fi psychedelic band seems pretty insignificant in the progression of pop music, but this is pure beauty, at once saccharine and haunting, in sonic form, and that's worth a listen or ten.

[myspace]

Live: Woodsist Festival Recap (Day 2)

The second day of the Woodsist/Captured Tracks festival was moved outside to its originally-intended venue, a vacant lot down the block from Market Hotel, just under the train tracks. And despite the trains rumbling by overhead and the echos off the buildings, the space was great acoustically and aesthetically.

I arrived later than I'd planned to and missed Brilliant Colors, who I heard were outstanding. I'm really bummed about that, since they live way over the West Coast and there's no telling when they'll be back.

I did arrive in time for the Fresh & Onlys, a band whose name I've heard around a lot lately. I was disappointed - their music was generic and unmemorable, just your typical semi-sedated lo-fi punk with listenable but not catchy melodies and unchanging, standard guitar-drum-bass arrangements. There was a synth/sampler but it was often hard to pick out of the sound, since it often played exactly the same part as the guitar and bass. Yaaawn. [MySpace]

One thought that crossed my mind while watching the Fresh & Onlys: at least in the 90's, we let the girls play bass. Now, I understand that sometimes you want a female vocalist or find one who is good and the rest of the people in the band happen to be guys, and that's fine. But in this scene (beyond the scope of this festival) women are disproportionately relegated to backup or co-lead vocals and tambourine, and they're often not even good at that. It may not be anyone's fault, but it's still a bad sign that girls aren't encouraged to pick up instruments or aren't encouraged to join bands. Something is wrong.

Next up were Dum Dum Girls, who at first glance may appear to fall in that same troubling pattern. But there's a huge difference: in both Dum Dum Girls and the Mayfair Sect, Kristin "Dee Dee" Gundred is a phenomenal singer and a solid songwriter. And it seems she has creative control over the music in both bands, unlike many of the tambourine-shaking ladies around. Crystal Stilts' Frankie Rose also joined in on drums, but even if Gundred had been the only woman on stage, I couldn't fault the band. Strong melodies, well-delivered, with a masterful instrumental back-up from Rose, Crocodiles' Brandon Welchez (Gundred's husband, in fact) and Blank Dog/Mayfair Sect's Mike Sniper - definitely one of the highlights of the festival. [MySpace]

Sadly for all attendees, Michigan's excellent punks Tyvek were forced to cancel because (rumor has it) their bassist, Shelley Salant, landed in the hospital this weekend. The good news is that she's OK and that the band will be in New York on July 24 (@ Silent Barn) and July 25 (@ Cake Shop). [MySpace]

Both Woods and Kurt Vile played louder, more aggressive sets than I expected. Perhaps it was the acoustics, perhaps it was the spirit of the day, but both seemed to crank it up. This is really neither good nor bad - I like things loud and distorted but both these bands have such great songs that volume and distortion are irrelevant - their songwriting outshines everything else.

Woods played a thrilling set of many of their best songs, sounding, as always, like an oddly distant, distorted version of Neil Young or the Byrds. Their melodies are sweet folk pop, but their sounds are subtly unsettling. One of the best. [MySpace]

I can't get as into Kurt Vile - he has some good songs, but ultimately, I found the whole thing a little dull for my tastes. That said, if you're into folk and not looking for constant hooks and uptempos, you'll probably love him - he's doing a lot right, for sure. [MySpace]

My dislike of the Vivian Girls is no secret, despite how much I want to like them. Given my lowest of low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. Their delivery was punkier than I'd anticipated and they have actually started moving when playing. The fast, loud, crashing drums helped immensely. However, after a couple songs, I did reach my usual state of boredom. The band's "melodies" are rarely more than three or four notes and their "solos" or "jams" or whatever they are meant to be usually consist of a single chord and go on way too long. If the Vivian Girls made songs clocking it at a minute or two instead of five, I might actually enjoy them. [MySpace]

I had high hopes for Thee Oh Sees, but my reaction was mixed. On the one hand, they followed the whole mediocre-female-singer-with-tambourine concept and there wasn't anything special about them to set them apart from the rest of the bands - they sounded kind of like a recap of the festival, but not in an interesting way.

On the other hand, their delivery was lively and engaging and their arrangements well-conceived. They put their heart into playing and it showed. They also had better vocal lines than many of the day's bands. Still, though, there wasn't enough substance to hold my attention for long. They were fun, but as far as I saw, nothing to write home about and certainly a big creative step down from Woods, Blank Dogs and even Crystal Stilts. [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.

Upcoming Shows: Woodsist Festival, Germs + more

Wednesday, July 1

Jay Reatard @ Stuyvesant Oval | StuyTown, East Village, Manhattan | FREE
Punk/lo-fi master Jay Reatard has written so many mess little pop songs in the last few years it's hard to keep up. You should go to this show. But be advised it starts on the early side (officially 6 PM, though my guess is Jay goes on at 8 PM). TV Smith (see below) might be opening, that is not clear. [MySpace]

Hunters @ Cake Shop | LES, Manhattan | $6
I really liked Hunters last time I saw them. Aggressive, arty punk music that's surprisingly free of cliche. [MySpace]


Thursday, July 2

Jay Reatard, TV Smith (ex-Adverts) @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $15
Well, I just told you about Jay Reatard (see above). TV Smith was one of the key founders of British punk. His band, the Adverts, were contemporaries of the Sex Pistols and certainly have a place alongside the Clash, X-Ray Spex, the Buzzcocks and a handful of others in the pantheon of pioneering English punks. [JR MySpace] [TVS MySpace]

Germs @ Mercury Lounge | LES, Manhattan | $14 adv/$16 doors
This week is Independence Day, so perhaps it's better not to support old British punks like TV Smith. A more patriotic option is to check out the Germs, one of LA's original punk bands, contemporaries of bands like X and Black Flag. The reunited Germs, however, are missing founder and singer Darby Crash, who committed suicide in 1980, at age 22. [MySpace]


Friday, July 3

Sonic Youth @ United Palace | Washington Heights, Manhattan | $38-$45
I don't think you should pay this much to see Sonic Youth. But if you really wanna...

Grooms @ Bruar Falls | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | $7
Grooms, fka Muggabears, are pretty awesome gloomy-but-melodic post punk. They follow the American tradition, sounding far more like Sonic Youth than Joy Division. They are one of NYC's best. [MySpace]

Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival @ 979 Broadway Backyard | Bushwick, Brooklyn| $15
+ Crystal Stilts - Despite being lazy and self-entitled, this band sounds like Joy Division and I love their music. Like Joy Division, there are a lot of understated riffs in the bass line with repeating guitar over the top and morose, baritone vocals. [MySpace]
+ Blank Dogs - This lo-fi goth didn't impress me last time I saw it live, but I've become increasingly impressed by the recorded material. I'm hoping the show I saw live was just a fluke and that they will actually be awesome. [MySpace]
+ Psychedelic Horseshit - Not a personal favorite, due to their pretentiousness, but they have some merit, for sure. Their name describes their sound better than I could. [MySpace]
+ CAUSE co-MOTION! - C-86 revival with brilliant lo-fi pop numbers under two minutes. [MySpace]
+ Little Girls - Highly recommended. [MySpace]
+ more


Saturday, July 4

Woodsist/Captured Tracks Festival @ 979 Broadway Backyard | Bushwick, Brooklyn| $15
+ Thee Oh Sees - Shamefully, I'm not that familiar with this band's music, but they are considered to be one of the best of the recent noise punk movement. I have high hopes. [MySpace]
+ Vivian Girls - Yawwwwwn. This set will be a good time to go grab a bite. [MySpace]
+ Kurt Vile - Lo-fi folkster and recent signee to Matador. [MySpace]
+ Woods - One of the best bands around. Haunting psychedelic folk that I've written loads about already. [MySpace]
+ Tyvek - Awesome punks from Detroit. I liked them last I saw them. [MySpace]
+ Dum Dum Girls - These guys are a somewhat less boring version of the Vivian Girls. [MySpace]
+ Fresh & Onlys - Another band I have heard great things about but haven't had a chance to listen to properly yet. All I know is that they are psychedelic and people like them. [MySpace]
+ more

Frankie Rose, Fresh & Onlys, Pink Reason, Babies (members of Woods, Vivian Girls) @ Market Hotel | Bushwick, Brooklyn | $5 with Woodsist stamp / $8
Frankie Rose is the drummer of Crystal Stilts. I don't know what she does solo. Hopefully not just pound on a floor tom. Fresh & Onlys I described above. This show starts at midnight, well after the end of the Woodsist festival.


Monday, July 6

Peter Murphy @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $35
Pete Murphy is the original goth, the frontman of Bauhaus.


Tuesday, July 7

Peter Murphy @ Highline Ballroom | Chelsea, Manhattan | $35
See above.

Upcoming Shows: SUMMER SHOWS!

So, after all that (i.e. this weekend's listings), I'm going to give you a quick list of the bigger shows coming up later this summer. Many are outdoors and free. I'll give more details as the dates approach.


June
16
Jonathan Richman @ Bowery Ballroom ($15)

17
Jonathan Richman @ Bowery Ballroom ($15)

18
Twee As Fuck: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cause Co-Motion!, Crystal Stilts @ Cake Shop

19
Secret Machines, A Place to Bury Strangers @ Santos ($10)

20
Crocodiles @ Mercury Lounge ($10)
Health, Kid Congo Powers (ex-Cramps, ex-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) @ 979 Broadway Backyard

22
The New York Dolls @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ($32.50)

25
Dinosaur Jr @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (SOLD OUT)

26
Blonde Redhead @ Prospect Park (FREE)

27
Dr. Dog, Phosphorescent @ Prospect Park (FREE)


July
1
MGMT @ Prospect Park (SOLD OUT)
Jay Reatard @ Stuyvesant Oval (FREE!)

2
The Germs @ Mercury Lounge ($14)
Jay Reatard @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ($15)

3
Sonic Youth @ United Palace ($38-$45)
Woodsist Festival: Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs @ 979 Broadway Backyard

4
Woodsist Festival: Woods, Dum Dum Girls, Real Estate + more @ 979 Broadway Backyard

5
Allen Toussaint @ Joe's Pub

6
Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus) @ Highline Ballroom ($35)

7
Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus) @ Highline Ballroom ($35)

9
MC Lyte @ Von King Park (FREE)

10
River to River: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart @ the Seaport (FREE)
The Yardbirds, the Zombies @ Hammerstein Ballroom ($37-$73)

11
Japandroids @ Pianos

12
Parts & Labor @ 979 Broadway Backyard
Mission of Burma, Fucked Up, Ponytail @ Williamsburg Waterfront (FREE)

14
Sugar Hill Gang @ Queensbridge Park (FREE)

15
Wavves, Woods, Real Estate @ Bowery Ballroom

16
Kronos Quartet @ Prospect Park (FREE)

18
Q-Tip @ Central Park (FREE)
Siren Festival: Raveonettes, Frightened Rabbit, Japandroids, Bear Hands + more @ Coney Island

21
Jackson Browne @ Prospect Park ($45-$200)

24
Buckwheat Zydeco @ Prospect Park (FREE)

30
Method Man, Ghostface Killah @ Nokia Theater
CMA Songwriters @ Joe’s Pub

31
River to River: Polvo, Obits @ the Seaport (FREE)
All Points West: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fleet Foxes, National, Q-Tip, Telepathe, Heartless Bastards + more @ Liberty State Park
Mekons @ Bell House ($15)


August
1
M. Ward, Mike Watt @ Central Park (FREE)
Dean & Britta, Crystal Stilts @ Prospect Park (FREE)
All Points West: MBV, Tool, Tokyo Police Club, Kool Keith, Chairlift + more @ Liberty State Park

2
All Points West: Echo & Bunnymen, MGMT, Coldplay, Black Keys, Silversun Pickups, Lykke Li + more @ Liberty State Park
Deerhunter, No Age, Dan Deacon @ Williamsburg Waterfront (FREE)

3
Depeche Mode @ Madison Square Gardens

4
Depeche Mode @ Madison Square Gardens
Los Campesinos! @ Webster ($17)

11
TV on the Radio @ Prospect Park ($30)

12
Friendly Fires @ Le Poisson Rouge

13
Friendly Fires @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ($15)

14
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park (SOLD OUT)

15
Animal Collective @ Prospect Park ($30)

21
Antlers (album release party) @ Mercury Lounge ($10)

Album: Woods - Songs of Shame

Album: Songs of Shame
Woodsist, 2009
Rating: ******** (8/10)

This is my second post about Woods in a week, but for good reason. Their newest album, Songs of Shame will be released by their own label, Woodsist, next week.

Woods are a psychedelic folk-pop band that sounds like the ghosts of the Byrds - similar earthy pop delivered in a high register, but overshadowed by a haunted, otherworldly sorrow. Their lo-fi aesthetic doesn't use blanket static - there's not much distortion at all, except on an occasional lead guitar. Instead, they are lo-fi in a way that sounds distant (like the songs of a distant future's distant past) and secretive (there's a hint of something behind the music that you know you'll never understand).

Songs of Shame certainly shows the band's evolution since their last LP, 2007's At Rear House. Most importantly, they've branched out melodically. On Rear House, numerous songs follow the same melodic contour laid out in its first track, while on Songs of Shame, the songs are far less formulaic. This also means many of the melodies are more subtle and less immediately memorable than the songs on Rear House, but if they draw you in more slowly, they also draw you in more deeply.

The album opens with "To Clean," one of my favorite Woods tracks ever, followed by the excellent "The Hold," which contrasts a typically beautiful Woods melody over a very odd rhythm on tuned drums. Track three, "The Number," is also a Woods classic to-be, and again, features a masterfully composed tune. Later on the record, "Military Madness" (a Crosby, Stills and Nash cover) and "Rain On" are the most captivating songs. The cover is brilliant, mostly because Woods's unique sound guarantees they will reinvent any song they play, even from another band who mixed psychedelic, pop and folk influences.

There are even more indulgent experimental forays here than on Rear House, most notably the nearly ten minute long instrumental centerpiece. The song is much too long and repetitive for someone of my attention span, but it definitely has its moments of beauty. Still, it doesn't do anything unexpected, just trances out, swells up and then dies down. It's not bad, but it's not much of a contribution to the indie canon.

If this is your first time listening to Woods, I'd recommend checking out In Rear House first (also available from Woodsist). It's more accessible and a better introduction to the band. But you might as well get both at once, since once you check out Rear House, you're going to want more. And this, the artistically stronger album, is bound to captivate anyone familiar with the mysterious charm of Woods.

Woods on MySpace

Live: Crystal Stilts, Blank Dogs, Women

When: 3/14
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg

First of all, what a line-up! Three of the hottest bands to break out in the last year, all one bill, for one ticket - perfect for someone cheap and lazy like myself.

Naked On The Vague - When I arrived at the venue, the second of two relatively obscure openning acts was on stage. Simply put, it was one of the worst bands I've ever heard. It sounded like they were trying to imitate Sonic Youth's most avant-garde material - particularly due to the female vocalist's clear channelling of Kim Gordon's monotone rasp. But Sonic Youth and other good bands that have delved into noise-rock have control over their sound. I'm a big fan of dissonance when it's used innovatively. There is nothing innovative about hammering on diminished fifths and seconds for half an hour - hundreds of thousands of angsty teenagers have already done the same thing, and if it was ever "art," it's definitely not anymore.

I actually had to go downstairs after a few songs, where the music was still piped in, but at least was much quieter. :: MySpace

Women - This seemed an odd pairing with the final two bands of the night - Crystal Stilts and Blank Dogs both have a lo-fi sensibility, while Women seek a much more polished sound. Their music seems a close cousin to early 90's math rock, with ever-changing time signatures and complex, spiky melodic lines from each instrument. But Women infuse this sharp, clean style back into the indie rock from whence it came, corralling it with coherent song structures and topping it off with some vocal melodies you could even sing along with.


Women (photo by Lindsey Baker)
Both elements are displayed even better live than on the group's recordings - you can see the care and prowess that goes into their sonic experiments and feel the tension building. I would bet money that at least some members of Women have had significant training in music. That's not a value-judgment one way or the other, but it certainly affects their sound and enables them to make their music unfailingly interesting. :: MySpace

Blank Dogs - Because Blank Dogs run with the ultra-lo-fi crowd, I was expecting something raw and chaotic. But Blank Dogs aren't that - despite their squealing feedback and distorted vocals, they present themselves like a Real Rock Band. There's nothing wrong with that, but I had been looking forward to more youthful spontenaity and indie-punk spirit, and I admit I was a bit disappointed. Their sound is tight to the point of feeling cramped - these are not kids fresh from rehearsing in their parents' garage, that much is for sure.

The sound was a bit off balance for the Blank Dogs set, with the synth too loud. This wouldn't have been so troubling if it hadn't served to draw attention to the band's poor arrangements. The synth constantly stepped on the toes of guitar and vocal parts.

The performance was good but not outstanding. The five members played well and were clearly enjoying themselves and their songs. In an ideal world, the band would step it up visually and pare it down musically, but they've got a lot they're doing right - sweet melodies, roaring distortion and technical prowess. I see why everyone's so excited. :: MySpace

Crystal Stilts - Allow me, first, to give you a timeline of my relationship with the Crystal Stilts.

• Some time in 2008 - RFR hears "Converging in the Quiet" and freaks the fuck out because it's the best new music in years and years and years.
  
  
• Shortly thereafter - RFR listens to the entire 7-song Woodsist release and continues to freak out.
  
  
• October 2008 - RFR gets Alight of Night and slowly is forced to admit that it's not that interesting.
  
  
• December 2008 - RFR sees Crystal Stilts open for Love Is All and is underwhelmed by the band's lazy-ass performance (including one member being seated the entire time).
  
  
• Later in December 2008 - RFR listens to Alight of Night some more and realizes all the songs sound the same.
  
  
• February 2009 - RFR hears from Top Secret Sources in Europe that Crystal Stilts were pulling stunts like playing twenty minute sets to sold out venues, then retiring because they were "tired."

I know this sounds stupid, but I actually felt betrayed as I watched the Stilts plummet from being the most exciting band of their time into apparent apathy. So it was with much cynicism that I attended Saturday night's show.


Crystal Stilts (photo by Lauren Bilanko)
I wish I could say the band either fully redeemed themselves or fully validated my disappointment. But in the end, the show was just middling. They played a nice long set and played it well. They were more energetic than when I saw them last, although keyboardist Kyle Forrester is the only one with any real sense of stage presence.

All in all, the Stilts weren't bad, but they weren't special either. It was just an indie rock show. I'll keep listening to "Converging in the Quiet" but beyond that, I can't put too much energy into this band. It's just impossible to passionate about music, no matter how good, when your passion isn't even matched the people who made it. Bummer that. :: MySpace

Album: Wavves - Wavvves

Album: Wavvves
Fat Possum, 2009
Rating: ********* (9/10)

In 2008, Wavves, the vehicle of San Diego-based Nathan Williams, put out a self-titled album (only two v's) on the very underground label Woodsist. A raw, ultra-lo-fi burst of punk and surf recorded on a four-track in Williams's bedroom, Wavves won my respect from its first note on. It made #3 on my "Best Albums of 2008" list and has been in heavy rotation on my stereo since I first heard it.

I wasn't the only person to fall in love with Williams's independent, self-assured sound. Since the release of Wavves, he's shown up on Pitchfork Media, signed to Fat Possum and started touring. It was inevitable that such a rapid and dramatic change would affect Williams's music. But I'm happy to report that so far, all the success has changed Wavves in only the best possible way.

Wavvves has all the fuzzy lo-fi roar of the first album, with drums, vocals and guitars buried and blended under layers of distortion. However, this time around Williams obviously had more recording resources, or at least more time. The sound is better controlled and crafted, with more layers of guitar, percussion and vocals on many songs.

Moreover, the songwriting itself has vastly improved from the first album. Though Wavves had a few really great tracks, many others were simply unmemorable. On average, Wavvves has better hooks and melodies, better lyrics and better compositions. "Beach Demon" starts out with a veil of noise that's almost beautiful, giving way eventually to a brilliant reprise of the song from the first album. "Sun Opens My Eyes" opens with a bold, clattering beat and "Summer Goth" even has a slight swing.

But Wavves is still Wavves, the ultimate disaffected southern California youth. Songs like "So Bored" and lyrics like "I'm getting high / to pass the time" are reminiscent of the suburban angst that gave rise to California's 80's hardcore scene. Sometimes (for example, on the obviously-titled "No Hope Kids") the whole "I'm a slacker from California" thing feels a little like overkill. But for the most part, Wavves manages to be an epitome of youth culture in a way that still sounds fresh. This is everything punk rock should be - stubbornly independent, unabashedly young and hella noisy. Props.