tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77324276645053562632024-03-18T12:56:49.329-04:00A Pessimist Is Never DisappointedGlenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comBlogger3701125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-2230951675802430002024-03-16T00:00:00.001-04:002024-03-16T00:00:00.135-04:00Happy Like This: A Brief Review Of The New Album From The Wind-Ups (Terry Malts)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9V04tMhCM3OleAZ1JbzZ7MKrM1iuhH3EnjD7ofX49TVAxZGQncMTeO0DL8Z0u6Czu21aWQGnk0sWa7lpNwqodiW2oBrHeMkr75k5L37sGnkqQQf4I2YxhxeoUWID1Yhpq-AJGLYpmOTqR9yHJ6lsMl5DN3xfGFE1Uozi-OVQQJwTRcW3V9-m1fNW-pyE/s1600/Untitled.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9V04tMhCM3OleAZ1JbzZ7MKrM1iuhH3EnjD7ofX49TVAxZGQncMTeO0DL8Z0u6Czu21aWQGnk0sWa7lpNwqodiW2oBrHeMkr75k5L37sGnkqQQf4I2YxhxeoUWID1Yhpq-AJGLYpmOTqR9yHJ6lsMl5DN3xfGFE1Uozi-OVQQJwTRcW3V9-m1fNW-pyE/s320/Untitled.jpg"/></a></div>
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Rowdy, rough, and thoroughly enjoyable, the new one from Oakland's The Wind-Ups is the perfect record for the weekend. It's got the kind of spark to it that suggests an era when <I>alternative</i> bands didn't play it so safe. And, frankly, it's full of riffs so it's something to play loud.
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<B><I>"Happy Like This"</b></i> and <B><I>"Petri Dish"</b></i> are a bit like things from White Reaper without the cartoon-y put-on, and a bit like Fu Manchu without the <I>boogie van</i> stuff. The band members don't share their last names but singer Jake does time in Terry Malts and Jonathan Richman's bands and there's little here that earns a comparison to either of them, really. Though I suppose I can hear the faintest of echoes of Terry Malts in something like <B><I>"Standing on Your Own"</b></i>, a track that places a premium on a hook and keeping things brief and to the point. The excellently-titled <B><I>"Too Many Bibles"</b></i> is a high octane highlight here, and likely the best song with <I>"Bible"</i> in the title since <B><I>"Should the Bible Be Banned"</b></i> by McCarthy.
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There's a lot to respect here with what The Wind-Ups are doing. There are 17 songs in 28 minutes and, aside from Robert Pollard and crew, who else is going to try that these days and get away with it? This rocks, and sometimes that's enough.
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<B><I>Live in Oakland</b></i> by The Wind-Ups is out now via <a href="https://dandyboyrecords.bandcamp.com/">Dandy Boy Records</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Christine Mitchell]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3579472814/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://dandyboyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-oakland">Live In Oakland by The Wind-Ups</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-73702931346986580592024-03-15T00:00:00.002-04:002024-03-15T09:28:27.735-04:00VIDEO OF THE WEEK: "Sodalis" By Kelly Moran<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDWFyVHXJT4m40mdA1qmEf2T-lco47vLkmq57D783Zd_xuZrDTgIq0kCD47yHx6GeF9TzQvfFb17ln1bwdA8C5oqgCeoFS8dsY2YIBoZU3NOylCycpbWTDiD4gtXXnHHwE31_ilaawbHcEpj-36WpPaXxNiSs-ERBKTnjSjofSn1xEhhqdlYvWHi9_S8/s3840/Kelly%20Moran%20-%20Sodalis%20-%20Still015.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDWFyVHXJT4m40mdA1qmEf2T-lco47vLkmq57D783Zd_xuZrDTgIq0kCD47yHx6GeF9TzQvfFb17ln1bwdA8C5oqgCeoFS8dsY2YIBoZU3NOylCycpbWTDiD4gtXXnHHwE31_ilaawbHcEpj-36WpPaXxNiSs-ERBKTnjSjofSn1xEhhqdlYvWHi9_S8/s600/Kelly%20Moran%20-%20Sodalis%20-%20Still015.png"/></a></div>
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This one is a bit outside a lot of what I cover here, but it's not entirely outside lots of what I listen to. The track I'm sharing here is from the upcoming Kelly Moran album, <B><I>Moves in the Field</b></i>. That will be out on the legendary <a href="https://warp.net/">Warp</a> imprint in two weeks. The video features a live recording and sometimes matching imagery. The result is striking.
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Kelly Moran plays a prepared piano on some of her records, but this track features a Yamaha Disklavier, a player-piano. Some of this feels like John Cage, or the precision of Philip Glass' works for solo piano, but the emotions here make me think of maybe Harold Budd. But there's also a little of this that linked up for me with the music on Virginia Astley's best records. What seems austere at first listen, reveals layers of emotion as new lines of melody are introduced, and a flurry of notes played. It's the kind of music that demands attention, and I think that's yet another reason I want to highlight it today.
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<B><I>Moves in the Field</b></I> by Kelly Moran will be out via <a href="https://warp.net/">Warp</a> on March 29. Details below.
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<i>[Photo: "Sodalis" Video Still from Kelly Moran / Warp]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=903040566/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://kellymoran.bandcamp.com/album/moves-in-the-field">Moves in the Field by kelly moran</a></iframe>
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/luZ7uoa7bpI?si=nB4EJtCdC9vRQ9fh" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-89590546045504452212024-03-14T00:00:00.001-04:002024-03-14T07:00:50.082-04:00The Time Is The Place: A Review Of The New Album From The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg603RQehZ6FzX05hiBe3tumhWqFRsnEqzCh31XISqW6GD4vqKXvk2QBB0sWBE_ky8YI_GjoERv8VNshww5e5GK1TEhfCerYCpOBUw3ZmUod3PAHPgHv7TDFL6sbFlYfVNtoWVCdr-jM23kQqzwhj6xr6BT97F8U2I8xC5h407iRnjEZCEqIsk70oyv6O8/s1200/photo%20credit%20Shervin%20Lainez.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg603RQehZ6FzX05hiBe3tumhWqFRsnEqzCh31XISqW6GD4vqKXvk2QBB0sWBE_ky8YI_GjoERv8VNshww5e5GK1TEhfCerYCpOBUw3ZmUod3PAHPgHv7TDFL6sbFlYfVNtoWVCdr-jM23kQqzwhj6xr6BT97F8U2I8xC5h407iRnjEZCEqIsk70oyv6O8/s600/photo%20credit%20Shervin%20Lainez.jpeg"/></a></div>
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The addition of James Brandon Lewis to the Messthetics mix changes the equation. What once felt like D.C.'s most gifted guitarist jamming with half of Fugazi (and what frequently got pitched as same), is now a bonafide <I>jazz</I> act on <a href="https://www.impulserecords.com/#/">Impulse Records</a>. The quartet's latest, <B><I>The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis</b></i>, hits this week and it's a continuation of the styles Joe Lally (bass), Brendan Canty (drums, percussion), and Anthony Pirog (guitars) were pursuing, but it's also an attempt for that trio to keep up with one of the most talented saxophonists alive, James Brandon Lewis.
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Remarkably, the record coalesces maybe more than either of the previous two Messthetics albums, despite the addition of a horn to the sound. <B><I>"Emergence"</b></i> revs up with a <I>fusion</i>-y fervor, but Lewis sets the pace, letting his sax erupt in fiery bursts ahead of the rhythms chasing him around the tune. Even better is the spry <B><I>"That Thang"</b></i>, where a groove builds around a strong hook and each player gets a chance to put his own stamp on it. The sideways blasts of melody in <B><I>"L'Orso"</b></i> suggest both Ornette Coleman and Robert Fripp as Lewis and Pirog take turns leading the rhythm section into the heart of the sun and around it. There's a playful riff at the start of <B><I>"The Time is the Place"</b></i> that is faintly reminiscent of late period Fugazi, but the tune soon centers itself around Pirog's guitar heroics and some Sonny Rollins-ish sax runs from Lewis. The track is, like many here on <B><I>The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis</b></i> a showcase for both of those players, with Lally and Canty rather modestly, though no less impressively, holding things together on bass and drum, respectively.
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Things feel like they reach a new kind of peak on the emotive <B><I>"Fourth Wall"</b></i>, the closer here. Lally anchors the start of this and Canty sets the tempo with the number feeling like it's already been in motion long before the tape recorder was turned on. Once Pirog hits his stride, and Lewis takes off, the whole thing just catches fire. It's a transcendent number, one which really lets James Brandon Lewis carry on in the tradition of Pharoah Sanders. There's a wildly melodic moment where all the instruments seem to be pushing forward on the same hook, but Pirog lets loose and Lewis answers. Ultimately, the whole record ends with heartfelt notes from James. While Sanders is the reference I reached for, it's really the warmth of John Coltrane that comes through in the Lewis runs near the conclusion of <B><I>The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis</b></i>. And, while I heartily recommend this whole record, there's something spiritual happening in <B><I>"Fourth Wall"</b></i>, and it remains, for me at least, the heart of this album.
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<B><I>The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis</b></i> is out this week via <a href="https://www.impulserecords.com/#/">Impulse Records</a>.
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The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis are playing <a href="https://www.blackcatdc.com/shows/messthetics-lewis.html">Black Cat</a> here in D.C. on March 29. See you there!
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<I>[Photo: Shervin Lainez]</i>
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QMsT4KoWWHs?si=LAy8CJVjbm_JuiAP" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-69670644621881503122024-03-13T00:00:00.000-04:002024-03-13T00:00:00.341-04:00Head Over Heels: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Pete Astor (The Loft, The Weather Prophets)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1pULNLuvr6x86OAoEmRpKBrtLes9tJK16Qf9Jl5SlL0vnELD5ZRnlgaoefADW-vYZU37hdUFl84sWp8Vb4Lwm5ykDYEtKwXKaqmX6lI_d28VEye8twdeIXzyzvOFbNz4PhVTwwDdOlp5E-kPSMT8G0dtSrotV5ljQwdDqypAMJ-gcQXVnX8AdI9rHPg/s3410/Pete_Astor_4__Elena_Ferreras_.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3410" data-original-width="3410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1pULNLuvr6x86OAoEmRpKBrtLes9tJK16Qf9Jl5SlL0vnELD5ZRnlgaoefADW-vYZU37hdUFl84sWp8Vb4Lwm5ykDYEtKwXKaqmX6lI_d28VEye8twdeIXzyzvOFbNz4PhVTwwDdOlp5E-kPSMT8G0dtSrotV5ljQwdDqypAMJ-gcQXVnX8AdI9rHPg/s600/Pete_Astor_4__Elena_Ferreras_.jpg"/></a></div>
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To me, it's always a sign of desperation when an artist or band reaches into their own back-catalog to re-record stuff. I've never really been a fan of that sort of thing. I think I can begrudingly accept Pete Astor doing it because the guy's got a 40-year recording career that spans The Loft, The Weather Prophets, Wisdom of Harry, and solo. So that's a way of saying that <B><I>Tall Stories & New Religions</b></i> is best enjoyed by those with a bit of love for Astor already built up.
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<B><I>"Disney Queen"</b></i>, a Wisdom of Harry number, gets a warm workout here, as does <B><I>"Head Over Heels"</b></i> by The Weather Prophets. These numbers work well, the tunes being resilient enough to handle these new versions. That said, where this record hits a stride is on the numbers where Astor doesn't sound like he's wearing a Dylan influence on his sleeve. <B><I>"Chinese Cadillac"</b></i>, a Weather Prophets B-side is a bit too <I>twang</i>-y for my taste, but <B><I>"She Comes from the Rain"</b></i>, also from Weather Prophets, hits a nice vibe not unlike that of early recordings from era contemporaries The Lilac Time. <B><I>"Model Village"</b></i>, a plaintive number from the recent reunion of The Loft, is another gem here, one where the piano leads the melody wistfully.
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<B><I>Tall Stories & New Religions</b></i> by Pete Astor is out now via <a href="https://www.tapeterecords.de/">Tapete Records</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Elena Ferreras]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1902371831/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://peteastor1.bandcamp.com/album/tall-stories-new-religions-2">Tall Stories & New Religions by Pete Astor</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-49421237133188038752024-03-12T00:00:00.000-04:002024-03-12T00:00:00.124-04:00TRACK OF THE WEEK: "You're Just Jealous" By Crumbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNEP19HZpEdUHJx3SozLDWWoWCyWjEEV2yAeud0weeFQnxFrJCh6wWY5MCTwSbIc04OfVhEX32BBGG0ivI-XGt6a3WrLpGw3YCOrP7g7Vsq_d5-an37fp5WzoBmi1ipOs_OkvsK2fyixa9kxLQeWdnHTvw76IG7ZLi8EdUEOlIOuQv-IZbqWXgcYQE5Q/s1928/CRUMBS%20Photo%20%233.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="1928" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNEP19HZpEdUHJx3SozLDWWoWCyWjEEV2yAeud0weeFQnxFrJCh6wWY5MCTwSbIc04OfVhEX32BBGG0ivI-XGt6a3WrLpGw3YCOrP7g7Vsq_d5-an37fp5WzoBmi1ipOs_OkvsK2fyixa9kxLQeWdnHTvw76IG7ZLi8EdUEOlIOuQv-IZbqWXgcYQE5Q/s600/CRUMBS%20Photo%20%233.jpeg"/></a></div>
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Leeds four-piece Crumbs are a new addition to the <a href="https://www.skepwax.com/">Skep Wax</a> family and they bring a formidable sense of <I>DIY pop</i> to that imprint. Citing influences as disparate as The Go-Go's and Gang of Four, these folks are doing everything right as far as I'm concerned. And I'm happy to highlight their new single ahead of their full-length album in May.
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<B><I>"You're Just Jealous"</b></i> wears its vibe on its sleeve. Buzzing and energetic, the tune wastes no time in hitting a riff and groove reminiscent of the best material from The Au Pairs, Shop Assistants, and -- of course -- Gang of Four. Bright, smart, and sharp as a razor, this number earns fans for this quartet quickly. I'm very eager for more music from Crumbs!
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<B><I>You're Just Jealous</b></i> by Crumbs will be out on May 10 via <a href="https://www.skepwax.com/">Skep Wax</a>
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<I>[Photo: Skep Wax]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1730518565/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=575994209/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://crumbscrumbs.bandcamp.com/album/youre-just-jealous">You're Just Jealous by Crumbs</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-37976200531275188402024-03-09T00:00:00.001-05:002024-03-09T00:00:00.129-05:00So Sensitive: A Brief Review Of The New Compilation From Love Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VLB0qqRvptpfStP_eQhAWM4HurbXNHlX-Vxa0HN7PzmN0lz_JqTW5IRyZdKHtLBf5BJTgnRzVp_gcy94jV-DER7B6Vw_xRdnAmuVjbmmRaUVm7cCZT6gytxFvcYIxD0B5dlkvo70Ydqr8_ElL0dOUSBQ206ceaH33qkq98dxt4gef4g7Ng1acCoamyw/s879/image8.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="879" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VLB0qqRvptpfStP_eQhAWM4HurbXNHlX-Vxa0HN7PzmN0lz_JqTW5IRyZdKHtLBf5BJTgnRzVp_gcy94jV-DER7B6Vw_xRdnAmuVjbmmRaUVm7cCZT6gytxFvcYIxD0B5dlkvo70Ydqr8_ElL0dOUSBQ206ceaH33qkq98dxt4gef4g7Ng1acCoamyw/s600/image8.jpeg"/></a></div>
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Part of the reason that the music of Love Child is not more widely known is that it leapt over genres and around easy labels. The new <a href="https://12xu.net/">12XU</a> compilation of the band's stuff, <B><I>Never Meant to Be: 1988 - 1993</b></i> collects a lot of good material. And it's safe to say that even music nerds are going to eat this up with a spoon.
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Numbers like the smart and funny <B><I>"He's So Sensitive"</b></i> and <B><I>"AAA/XXX"</b></i> put the spotlight on Rebecca Odes, but others, like <B><I>"Asking for It"</b></i> let founder Will Baum push this material near that of era contemporaries like early Pavement and many acts on the Homestead imprint on these shores. The material really benefits from putting Odes center, with a track like <B><I>"Sleepyhead"</i></b> -- <I>maybe where the band of the same name got their name?</i> -- sounding like one of those early Throwing Muses songs written by Tanya Donelly not Kristin Hersh. Alan Licht, a musician more familiar now for more experimental music, adds a plaintive urgency to things like <B><I>"Something Cruel"</b></i>, a tune that manages to seem of a piece with both The Feelies and The Wedding Present, stylistically speaking. Things eventually go in other directions with the departure of Baum and addition of Brendan O'Malley. <B><I>"Stumbling Block"</b></i>, among others, is a real highlight of that period.
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All of this set is really, really good. I'm pretty sure I had heard of the band back in the day, but somehow I never connected with their stuff, despite the links to the Homestead label. I'm happy to sink myself into this generous set now though. <B><I>Never Meant to Be: 1988 - 1993</b></i> is really tremendous. Love Child cover a breadth of styles within the American <I>college rock</i> -- <I>as this kind of thing was called then</i> -- genre. From an era when <I>grunge</i> and British <I>sythn</i> were duking it out, and bands like The Pixies pointing towards another path, there were clearly others too who were discontent and resolute in pursuing their own sound. Love Child deserve your time now and you're likely going to be rewarded by really loving this very listenable compilation.
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<B><I>Never Meant to Be: 1988 - 1993</b></i> by Love Child is out now via <a href="https://12xu.net/">12XU</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Michael Galinsky]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=282262620/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://lovechild12xu.bandcamp.com/album/never-meant-to-be">Never Meant To Be by Love Child</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-85684759767148357542024-03-08T00:00:00.001-05:002024-03-08T00:00:00.129-05:00TRACK PREMIERE: "Meaningless Irregular" by Athens, GA Pioneers Is/Ought Gap (Hindu Love Gods)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIbCsvbbIjA7Om-VQtkrodPKbTh_DeP40kbqHdkTIPnDkpyyzKFs2T6VCt67iUhK9NRPF-6DXufbKBTDDRZBmGsYhJozAneJJhDAh4U9iqZzLmpz9wa7zcWygQqAQ4dRtcBlg6CK9zKQXcfnQPwygGKJI5QCqQISpPVqfYxy8aG_n8M68GJhUd8_3ois/s7401/IOG-promo1.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="7401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlIbCsvbbIjA7Om-VQtkrodPKbTh_DeP40kbqHdkTIPnDkpyyzKFs2T6VCt67iUhK9NRPF-6DXufbKBTDDRZBmGsYhJozAneJJhDAh4U9iqZzLmpz9wa7zcWygQqAQ4dRtcBlg6CK9zKQXcfnQPwygGKJI5QCqQISpPVqfYxy8aG_n8M68GJhUd8_3ois/s600/IOG-promo1.jpg"/></a></div>
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Featuring members who ended up in Kilkenny Cats, Hindu Love Gods, and Time Toy, Athens band Is/Ought Gap were sort of part of a legendary scene though little known outside it. The band didn't record anything back then, though you'll see their names on old concert posters for sure. Bryon Cook and Tom Cheek are bringing the group back around and I'm happy to be premiereing a track today ahead of the band's new album in April.
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Bryan Cook provides some background on <B><I>"Meaningless Irregular"</b></i>:
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<blockquote><I>"I think this one is a very early song written while we were still living at Meyers Hall. It seems like Tom and I collaborated on the words, if I remember right. Then we went to the Funeral home and bashed it out all together. I remember Haynes singing the word 'customer' with me in a leering, snarling voice and us just having a blast singing and playing it together. Once we broke up the first time, this song kinda fell by the wayside. Then it reappeared and we remembered how much fun we had playing it so it was resurrected and we went ahead and recorded it a few years ago in Jason's studio. I had to dig through a couple of old live tapes and a few old <B>Village Voice</b>s to pull the words back from the ether.
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The song just really reminds me of Barnett's Newsstand in downtown Athens. I used to go there and buy clove cigarettes and various magazines, including the <B>Village Voice</b>. The words in one of the verses are a recitation of headlines of an issue of the Voice:</i> 'Village Voice says there is no left, Ralph Nader talks to two. On the back Gerbo's Room, hitch-hiking naked two.'<i>
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(NOTES: Meyers Hall was a dorm on the UGA Campus. Barnett's Newsstand was a hub of information in Athens until 2009 when it closed its doors sadly as print media was on the decline.)"</i>
</blockquote>
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<I>[Photo: Crashing Through Publicity]</i>
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<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1591813531%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-NJ3HlLZCiHk&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/hhbtm-records" title="HHBTM Records" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">HHBTM Records</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hhbtm-records/is-ought-gap-meaningless-irregular/s-NJ3HlLZCiHk" title="Is Ought Gap- Meaningless Irregular" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Is Ought Gap- Meaningless Irregular</a></div>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-23673651352694339462024-03-07T00:00:00.000-05:002024-03-07T00:00:00.125-05:00Sleep With One Eye Open: A Review Of The New Xmal Deutschland Compilation And Solo Anja Huwe Album<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LhnROKlFbNGZxLpvmHZEDSDIEQSo0PAj9O8AANiOmT-YdEnmH5BKaAfMxtREQldQlLlNFME2iSTPKiHi4FNocXdoj1qiDG8iBkYZcxXB1blxfi4GfvXJ-2wVTlSZ61J5ZLA97mXsTiIGdLqfs9pCJr8RuvlTBO1MFRUyQfYh4O6Iyn5yHIEvJCxQO5s/s1000/acRLt-h0.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LhnROKlFbNGZxLpvmHZEDSDIEQSo0PAj9O8AANiOmT-YdEnmH5BKaAfMxtREQldQlLlNFME2iSTPKiHi4FNocXdoj1qiDG8iBkYZcxXB1blxfi4GfvXJ-2wVTlSZ61J5ZLA97mXsTiIGdLqfs9pCJr8RuvlTBO1MFRUyQfYh4O6Iyn5yHIEvJCxQO5s/s600/acRLt-h0.jpeg"/></a></div>
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Legendary <I>goth punk</i> band Xmal Deutschland always had a sense of mystery about them. Maybe the the fact that it was hard, in the pre-internet days, to learn more about the band added to their allure? Or maybe the difficulty in finding the releases is what did it back in the Eighties? I heard about this band because guitarist Manuela Rickers was featured prominently on the first This Mortal Coil album. After that, I was rabid. Seeking out anything on the <B><I>4AD</b></i> imprint.
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The early Xmal Deutschland stuff is abrasive, less concerned with <I>goth</i> trappings than <I>noise</i> and <I>riffage</i>. There were always similarities in sound between the band and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but this new compilation reaffirms the qualities that were unique about Xmal Deutschland and their music. <B><I>Early Singles (1981 - 1982)</b></i> collects the first burst of creativity from this band, and the cuts here positively churn with energy. <B><I>"Grossstadtindianer"</b></i> bounces with manic glee, while an early run at the group's familiar <B><I>"Incubus Succubus"</b></i> is darkly wonderful. The cut is, like many here, propulsive, a battle between guitar hooks and rhythm playing out behind vocalist Anja Huwe's impassioned vocals. <B><I>"Allein"</b></i> takes that template even further, making the whole chaotic vibe almost a dance-able one. Fans of the band's first two <B><I>4AD</b></i> releases would be well advised to seek this set out immediately.
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Working with her friend Mona Mur, vocalist Anja Huwe prepped her first solo album. <B><I>Codes</b></i> benefits as well from input from Xmal Deutschland partner Manuela Rickers. The selections here are sleeker than anything her old band served us, but no less compelling. <B><I>"Exit"</b></i> is haunting, beat holding things down behind vocals and flashes of guitar noise, while <B><I>"Pariah"</b></i> centers itself around Huwe's voice and a memorable guitar hook. Breakbeats and synths give <B><I>"Sleep with One Eye Open"</b></i> a vibe unlike some of the stuff that Anja's best known for, and there's almost a warmth in the vocals that will likely surprise fans, even as the John Carpenter-esque keyboards give this a creepy vibe. <B><I>Codes</b></i> is a smart showcase for Anja Huwe as a solo artist as her voice is the star of this show, with a nearly minimalist approach to instrumentation making sure she's not overshadowed by any player here.
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<B><I>Early Singles (1981 - 1982)</b></i> by Xmal Deutschland and <B><I>Codes</b></i> by Anja Huwe are out this week from <a href="https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/">Sacred Bones Records</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Xmal Deutschland by Ilse Ruppert]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1879033120/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://xmaldeutschland.bandcamp.com/album/early-singles-1981-1982">Early Singles (1981 - 1982) by Xmal Deutschland</a></iframe>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1301610110/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://xmaldeutschland.bandcamp.com/album/codes">Codes by Anja Huwe</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-82648857365785155982024-03-06T00:00:00.000-05:002024-03-06T00:00:00.145-05:00Letting Go: A Quick Review Of The New Album From Homeshake<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGNAtGKWv2a9b42D67dgP4OL_8SFEq6e3ZtVQd92rL9dYLVPXRpEdvh6ULrCs1g0NU1BTPXa_rxpkyd3C_-VjMUiDcIJp4yDYfBa3M6emtQHsTqCkIkKRWV0QhbBI5ibhxmQfl8zmYNiR7gpNjfLnNsYu0_VVNmfvSaZinGYTClJhMC46dri-IbwO9iw/s5016/homeshake_Matthew_Yoscary.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="4120" data-original-width="5016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGNAtGKWv2a9b42D67dgP4OL_8SFEq6e3ZtVQd92rL9dYLVPXRpEdvh6ULrCs1g0NU1BTPXa_rxpkyd3C_-VjMUiDcIJp4yDYfBa3M6emtQHsTqCkIkKRWV0QhbBI5ibhxmQfl8zmYNiR7gpNjfLnNsYu0_VVNmfvSaZinGYTClJhMC46dri-IbwO9iw/s600/homeshake_Matthew_Yoscary.jpg"/></a></div>
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Am I so old that an artist releases something called <B><I>CD Wallet</b></i> ironically? I don't know. My birthday was yesterday and I might be in a new bracket. Anyway, Homeshake is here with this one and it's mostly Peter Sagar. The Canadian musician is adept at a kind of melancholic, bedsit <I>indie</i>.
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While opener <B><I>"Frayed"</b></i> starts softly and then crashes with a bit of noise, the aching <B><I>"Letting Go"</b></i> is heavier indeed. Mournful but precise, it's a haunting number, and an example of how Homeshake can create something fairly distinctive in a field littered with many people making music in bedroom studios. And I'm not even sure Sagar recorded this in a bedroom, but that it sounds like it was, and that it retains that sense of intimacy is what gives <B><I>CD Wallet</b></i> some kind of currency.
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Unlike his <a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2019/02/nothing-could-be-better-quick-review-of.html">2019 album</a>, this one from Homeshake is more deliberatively down-tempo. <B><I>"Smoke"</b></i>, a little gem of a tune, nearly evaporates even as its hook lingers in the brain, while the fine <B><I>"Penciled In"</b></i> revs down in a neat mix of Neil Young- and J Mascis-style noise. This is simple stuff, but it's haunting in a way, and sort of charming.
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<B><I>CD Wallet</b></i> by Homeshake is out now. Details below.
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<I>[Photo: Matthew Yoscary]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2636752196/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://homeshake.bandcamp.com/album/cd-wallet-2">CD Wallet by homeshake</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-53494893952844519822024-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:002024-03-05T00:00:00.128-05:00Happy You Exist: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Torrey On Slumberland<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXxyBVXbGEsjzLeXjsfwljm45nmSQhLyc_s6GytLD1bRCb5WzXisklqrtdG9F5rVpWxpgU3GMCpYTelOU4IcOYPMjV8WX7Hg5P1KpfiNlXqdyRyVVR-gBcWCtJp-NLNRK1RrpZUF9YP_7DLdTWlHM9hMQDJzgIl2AMpVAPcNbNW0qGOUTSLzStvV-n1M/s5637/20230827_TorreyMusic_249.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="4510" data-original-width="5637" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXxyBVXbGEsjzLeXjsfwljm45nmSQhLyc_s6GytLD1bRCb5WzXisklqrtdG9F5rVpWxpgU3GMCpYTelOU4IcOYPMjV8WX7Hg5P1KpfiNlXqdyRyVVR-gBcWCtJp-NLNRK1RrpZUF9YP_7DLdTWlHM9hMQDJzgIl2AMpVAPcNbNW0qGOUTSLzStvV-n1M/s600/20230827_TorreyMusic_249.jpg"/></a></div>
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There are dozens of good bands out of Oakland these days. It seems like every time there's a new outfit that catches my ear, it's got some connection to the Bay Area. And, of course, the quality control at <a href="https://slumberlandrecords.com/">Slumberland Records</a> is remarkably high. Which is a way of saying that I was pretty sure that the new album from Torrey was going to be worth my time even before I played it.
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On songs like <B><I>"No Matter How"</b></i> and the bright <B><I>"Happy You Exist"</b></i> this group outlines a mix of <I>jangle-pop</i> and proto-<I>shoegaze</i> that is remarkably catchy. There's something Velocity Girl-y about what's here on <B><I>Torrey</b></i>, and the whole enterprise is sure to please those of who are after feedback and those chasing hooks. <B><I>"Pop Song"</b></i> is just that. For those of you who heard singer Ryann Gonsalves' <a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2024/02/bitter-host-brief-review-of-new-album.html">fine solo album</a> before this one, some of this will likely feel familiar in stylistic terms. Still, the entirety of <B><I>Torrey</b></I> rings with promise.
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Where things get really interesting on <B><I>Torrey</b></i> is on <B><I>"Bounce"</b></i>, a sleek highlight of the record. This one owes more to label-mate Frankie Rose than label pioneers like Veronica Falls, for example, with the whole track having a really sleek, shiny veneer. It owes as much to the <I>electro-pop</I> of the Eighties as it does to that era's <I>jangle-rock</i>, and it's one of the best tracks here. Torrey use this number, and so many here, to nudge this genre into a new space, making all of <B><I>Torrey</b></i> so easy to love, and the entire record one of the finer recent releases on this esteemed imprint.
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<B><I>Torrey</b></i> by Torrey is out this week from <a href="https://slumberlandrecords.com/">Slumberland Records</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Slumberland Records]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1982823199/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://torreymusic.bandcamp.com/album/torrey">Torrey by Torrey</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-82107044952948416442024-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:002024-03-04T00:00:00.128-05:00I Feel It All, Frozen In My House: A Review Of The Window By Ratboys<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigezLCI9MIn6vGh9GXoD19jYcGBpPKT33feCAKbKSWiPgOKFYmg2-g_sJDZrIpNt3mUulc86tlz0c0fiS6loKZ4x-aYghNEoj1yx4IT2qm_jf0wymUBJAcxiLkfwdI_745ASGRuHgiF7j_PhmVQUeLUNhIx68dHZTkMPHkuEzs8iebr9Np3qpx5A0XODU/s1200/0032583994_10.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigezLCI9MIn6vGh9GXoD19jYcGBpPKT33feCAKbKSWiPgOKFYmg2-g_sJDZrIpNt3mUulc86tlz0c0fiS6loKZ4x-aYghNEoj1yx4IT2qm_jf0wymUBJAcxiLkfwdI_745ASGRuHgiF7j_PhmVQUeLUNhIx68dHZTkMPHkuEzs8iebr9Np3qpx5A0XODU/s600/0032583994_10.jpg"/></a></div>
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<B><I>By Berlinda Recacho</b></i>
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Neil Finn observes in the Crowded House song <B><I>"Nails in My Feet"</b></i>: <I>"My life is a house/I crawl through the window/Walk across the floor/And into the reception room."</i> I often think of this line when I listen to a new album. There is something revelatory about an album's specific order, which may not even be evident until you've listened to it all the way through several times. When I was an impatient kid, I would forgo the album tracks for the hits. Much later, I realized that a record might be meant to be toured in a certain way; <B><I>The Window</b></i>, by Chicago-based band Ratboys is one of these. This is their first full album, after a decade of singles. Guided by producer Chris Walla (an original member of Death Cab for Cutie), the quartet of co-guitarist and vocalist Julia Steiner, guitarist Dave Sagan, Marcus Nuccio on drums and Sean Neumann on bass and vocals takes listeners through an open house of multiple genres and a parallel journey through a gamut of emotions.
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<B><I>"Making Noise for the Ones You Love"</b></i> might be the sound that guides you back from a sleepless night to the hangover of the waking world. The static of feedback leads to the thud of drums and crunching guitar, as Steiner's fuzzy vocals cut through, calling for the creative repair of a broken heart: <I>"I'm not gonna pick my brain apart... I get up/and write some stuff."</i> <B><I>"Morning Zoo"</b></i> invites us in with a bright <I>Paisley Underground</i> tune, all jangly guitar and <I>bluegrass</i> undertones as Steiner ushers us out, sweetly singing, <I>"I kill my thoughts with a knife/And blow a kiss to silence."</i> The edgy, punchy <B><I>"Crossed that Line"</b></i> dares us to follow, live a little, get in trouble. <B><I>"It's Alive"</b></i> builds up with grand expectations to an irresistible mournful riff. This hooky, catchy, earworm is the showcase, the room you show off to guests, with the best view and perfect light. There's even a surprise realization in the bridge: <I>"So, I pass the time/look to the side/I feel it all/frozen in my house/all around/it's in the stars/it's speeding toward the sign..."</i> <B><I>"No Way"</b></i> is an undulating, insistent, rant against oppression. Steiner's lilting, gentle voice is unexpectedly powerful as she declares: <I>"I'm stuck/with a belly for a heart/at the bottom of a well/there's no way you'll control me/I'll take a penny for your thoughts/And I'll throw it straight to hell/There's no way you'll control me/again."</i>
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At the halfway point, the album hinges on its lovely title track. Passing through this looking glass and the space seems changed from the perspective of the other side. <I>"So take this part of me/Last in the middle/Making sure to breathe/One last time/I see you through The Window."</i> What starts as a ballad about a breakup expands into a soaring anthem about resilience, then moves on into the future. When Steiner sings, <I>"Sue, Sue/You'll always be my girl"</i>, it is simultaneously shattering and restorative, admitting the obvious and not falling apart, and instead walking away stronger for having had the experience.
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The hard strumming pattern that starts <B><I>"Empty"</b></i> leads into a driving guitar riff. The singsong response <I>"I have"</i> is a declaration -- of admission, rather than possession -- and the answer to: <I>"How empty are you/ are you sorry??/Tell the truth/I have."</i> In <B><I>"Break"</b></i>, melodic vocals ease into something more fierce then drop back out: <I>"It's on again/Your favorite show/Once again/How it starts/And how it ends."</i>
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<B><I>"Black Earth, WI"</b></I> stretches out like a long corridor of rolling <I>country rock</i>. Sagan's extended guitar solo starts at 2:18 and plays to 7:10 until Steiner sings the last lines like an altered nursery rhyme and the song gently and abruptly ends. <B><I>"I Want You (Fall 2010)"</b></i> is clever pop layered with the stutter of past technology and the irresistible pull of yesterday's actions and obsessions: <I>"Now we're driving round Michigan/Hours flyin by/With the windows down/Listening to Maps and Atlases... Yeah it's right/I love this feeling/Burning all my blank CDs/ never meant so much to me.”</i> <B><I>"Bad Reaction"</b></i> is the echo in the hall on the way out. A stripped down voice demands <I>“What’s the one thing you love, now?"</i> while instruments fill in the spaces inbetween, like a second voice.
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It appears that this house is a little bit haunted -- the way we all are -- by the residue of the past, the results of relationships, the effect of our actions. Ratboys create a listening experience full of dimension and nuance as <B><I>The Window</b></i> invites you to step over the sash, push through the screen, and explore its rooms all over again.
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<B><I>The Window</b></i> by Ratboys is out now.
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<I>[Photo: Ratboys Bandcamp]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3645407208/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://ratboys.bandcamp.com/album/the-window">The Window by Ratboys</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-56774940635319079312024-03-03T00:00:00.001-05:002024-03-03T00:00:00.128-05:00An Illusion: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Yard Act<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdklHJdNCq-cJYFBoyF2fQuKsszD-bAB5AzZvE-EG3_i_OweQam1hoIMqTwv5I8XtVGpbzmcKje8_ZcH5cZhrpujePFsNfhixoCcmP1Jfq-OudFxfBj84C2oqls9CrwWjNMhzN86uRQveEcNiPEhu9A5DVKXYFaA08hzde42V8JlcxuQchMd9Z30I7Z2g/s6000/Yard-Act-resize.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdklHJdNCq-cJYFBoyF2fQuKsszD-bAB5AzZvE-EG3_i_OweQam1hoIMqTwv5I8XtVGpbzmcKje8_ZcH5cZhrpujePFsNfhixoCcmP1Jfq-OudFxfBj84C2oqls9CrwWjNMhzN86uRQveEcNiPEhu9A5DVKXYFaA08hzde42V8JlcxuQchMd9Z30I7Z2g/s600/Yard-Act-resize.jpg"/></a></div>
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I suppose what you get out of the new album from Leeds outfit Yard Act depends on how much you find this material original, or new. Frankly, I felt like I had heard lots of this kind of thing before, from The Beta Band, The Young Knives, Blur, and so on. That said, I sort of enjoyed <B><I>Where's My Utopia?</b></I>, even while feeling like Yard Act were trying way too hard.
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Opener <B><I>"An Illusion"</b></i> is both lyrical and complex, a nearly lilting ramble, even as <B><I>"We Make Hits"</b></i> is more direct and borderline abrasive, amid the self-mythologizing. It's <I>in-your-face</i> in a way, but it's catchy too, even if not the sort of thing I bother listening to much anymore. Elsewhere, <B><I>"The Undertow"</b></i> works up a nice vibe not unlike a bit of <B><I>Blur</i> (1997)</b> stuff. The thing sort of has a nice, shambling appeal, and it's proof that when this band doesn't overdo it, their material can still have some solid impact on a listener. Similarly, the Pulp-y <B><I>"Blackpool Illuminations"</b></i> is far too long for its own good, but it at least eases the tempo down a bit and creates and maintains a solid groove.
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A collaboration with guest vocalist Katy J. Pearson on <B><I>"When the Laughter Stops"</b></i> points this group in a new direction, one which is less insistent and unrelenting. The tune is catchy and it's clearly the best thing here. <B><I>Where's My Utopia?</b></i> is an interesting, somewhat engaging record, but a little goes a long, long way. Maybe the key here is that we're talking about a full-length release in 2024, when attention spans are nil, and things are best digested in small bites. In that case, pick a couple of these tracks and sample them in your playlist, or whatever. I think that would make Yard Act happy too.
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<B><I>Where's My Utopia?</b></i> by Yard Act is out now.
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<I>[Photo: Phoebe Fox]</i>
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vct334H6m-w?si=NTj76sm3rsCGI_2B" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-55610749093892859972024-03-02T00:00:00.000-05:002024-03-02T00:00:00.130-05:00Tell Me Why: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Medicine<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-K_fiF-TY0uBPzGJbG6g537i5-xY3vlI8kst7l_BBJoe_Peo2Zk2WWIzkdJnU68IAtU-W5ZaDl3MTvFNZUxec8hEG6SbDxAvMI8FNQoScfc-lm4USP5-aU2Hk0zKljElELbO4k3MYOjdPq2tMc-_VpbfyeemWk0OvDagVBG0AL4rB3KozlYuxRQIvCs/s6757/medicine%2024.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3067" data-original-width="6757" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-K_fiF-TY0uBPzGJbG6g537i5-xY3vlI8kst7l_BBJoe_Peo2Zk2WWIzkdJnU68IAtU-W5ZaDl3MTvFNZUxec8hEG6SbDxAvMI8FNQoScfc-lm4USP5-aU2Hk0zKljElELbO4k3MYOjdPq2tMc-_VpbfyeemWk0OvDagVBG0AL4rB3KozlYuxRQIvCs/s600/medicine%2024.jpg"/></a></div>
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On paper, it's a bad idea. One of America's pioneering <I>shoegaze</i> bands tackles a bunch of punchy Beatles songs? Not sure what you're pitching there with that one. But still, <B><I>On the Bed</b></i>, the new one from Medicine is a whole lot of fun. One listen to the fuzzed-out take on <B><I>"Tell Me Why"</b></i> won me over to whatever weird mission this band's on with this album.
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Jim Goodall, Brad Laner, and Julia Monreal make up Medicine now and, at least for Laner and Goodall, this has been quite a long trip; was it really 30 years ago when they were breaking through to new ears with their track on the soundtrack to <B><I>The Crow</b></i>? They are still willing to take risks, favoring a noisy kind of experimentation that makes their music similar to that of peers from the first few waves of <I>shoegaze</I>. Still, <B><I>"The Night Before"</b></i> here in 2024 is a churning delight. Recognizable but warped, the Beatles cover proves there's still juice left in this outfit, especially when they head in new directions. And, of course, the angles of <B><I>"She Said, She Said"</b></i> seem ideal for a band like this. The thing revs up and careens into the heart of the sun as Julia's layered vocals wash over a listener. It's a surprisingly effective cover at an all-too familiar number.
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And while the record ventures into haunting territory with a run at Paul McCartney's <B><I>"Junk"</b></i>, it is a clattering cover of Ringo Starr's <B><I>"Photograph"</b></i> that serves up what may be the best number on <B><I>On the Bed</b></i>. Abrasive and yet still wildly catchy and recognizable, Medicine go all out on this one. For a band who seemed at one time to be more interested in their effects pedals than anything else, it's really wonderful to hear their skills married to such catchy material. I admit that this album didn't seem like it would work, but it does, and very well indeed.
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<B><I>On the Bed</b></i> by Medicine is out now. Details below.
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<I>[Photo: Medicine]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=363226234/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://bradlaner.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-bed">On The Bed by Medicine</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-18591731228682991592024-03-01T00:00:00.000-05:002024-03-01T00:00:00.140-05:00Your Cruel Ways: A Brief Review Of The New Compilation From Nervous Twitch<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVff7qz_CcBRrdUHzzkRLlc00G6XkYkMVLe03nCLv24-QrKBNOqlYCL8lLvkH82PcdgMzrktcNElObejYJUOOvwmfdPNkd4JXDBF23IeL5vw5l-krPlAzR0Pu-sUyzUK5qrnU0TyNIEORGZUGv-QhjVH_zIWYZkG_wX5IQAJYDCfEnR_TyvILmBdP/s2048/PHOTO-2022-02-19-16-37-14.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVff7qz_CcBRrdUHzzkRLlc00G6XkYkMVLe03nCLv24-QrKBNOqlYCL8lLvkH82PcdgMzrktcNElObejYJUOOvwmfdPNkd4JXDBF23IeL5vw5l-krPlAzR0Pu-sUyzUK5qrnU0TyNIEORGZUGv-QhjVH_zIWYZkG_wX5IQAJYDCfEnR_TyvILmBdP/s600/PHOTO-2022-02-19-16-37-14.jpg"/></a></div>
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Just in time for <I>Bandcamp Friday</i> is this new compilation from Leeds trio Nervous Twitch. <B><I>Odd Socks</b></i> collects a bunch of disparate releases from the band, from compilation tracks to singles, and such. And the whole thing bursts with energy.
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<B><I>"The Birdman Stomp"</b></i> has something Cramps-y about it, while <B><I>"Your Cruel Ways"</b></i> is pure <I>punk</i>-y exuberance. Elsewhere, <B><I>"I'd Like to Think You Know Me Better Than That"</b></i> is smart, sassy, and punchy as heck. A cover of The Flatmates' classic <B><I>"I Could Be in Heaven"</b></i> is another highlight here.
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Erin Hyde, Jamie Churchley, and Ashley Goodall make a fine noise together. The energy here from Nervous Twitch takes me back to bands I loved in earlier eras, everyone from Huggy Bear to Helen Love to The Buzzcocks. This is brash stuff, delivered with gusto, and it's all extremely listenable.
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<B><I>Odd Socks</b></i> by Nervous Twitch is out today.
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<I>[Photo: Crashing Through Publicity]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=755789222/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://nervoustwitch.bandcamp.com/album/odd-socks">Odd Socks by Nervous Twitch</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-4869099656034446402024-02-29T00:00:00.007-05:002024-02-29T00:00:00.127-05:00Let The Sunlight In: A Brief Review Of The New Album From SAVAK<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_HvFCX4B4JKgBDxKXRsxwEsEPLk5EBnpNXMJPg9rI-7YsS3pSO5cdF5aeRTyeU834NY1aB-fm2j8Cpry4-GUrpWeOz0Nj14iVQbH5wijRFa2WmF1_yZt5773HU_b3-8BGpbwgvtLid901J8kPFYS2ZbD7AJPqFJydcKzsRs1SOTw9A2vig3kUaVqgeU/s1250/SAVAK-03-Sidewalk_COLOR_Taylor-Sesselman_LowRes.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_HvFCX4B4JKgBDxKXRsxwEsEPLk5EBnpNXMJPg9rI-7YsS3pSO5cdF5aeRTyeU834NY1aB-fm2j8Cpry4-GUrpWeOz0Nj14iVQbH5wijRFa2WmF1_yZt5773HU_b3-8BGpbwgvtLid901J8kPFYS2ZbD7AJPqFJydcKzsRs1SOTw9A2vig3kUaVqgeU/s600/SAVAK-03-Sidewalk_COLOR_Taylor-Sesselman_LowRes.jpg"/></a></div>
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From the history lesson of <B><I>"Let The Sunlight In"</b></i> and on to the pulsing Devo-ish <B><I>"Paid Disappearance"</b></i>, SAVAK seem to be firing on all cylinders here in 2024. The band, full of guys who were in a bunch of other bands, have punched up their sound a bit, and the new record seems one of their very best. <B><I>Flavors of Paradise</b></i> is just that punchy and concise.
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Lots of <B><I>Flavors of Paradise</b></i> has an urgency that suggests Sohrab Habibion's other band, the fierce <a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2023/03/productivity-heads-up-about-new-single.html">Zwei Null Zwei</a>, and that's a good thing, I think. <B><I>"The New New Age"</b></i> seems of a piece with era peers Girls Against Boys, and that comparison with that band's stuff is a useful one for those coming to SAVAK fresh. Still, the more spacious <B><I>"What is It Worth"</b></i> finds the coiled tension of SAVAK's best material replaced with an almost furtive restlessness. The track has a hint of <B><I>Fables of the Reconstruction</b></i> about it, which is to say it's dense but full of lyrical guitar-lines. SAVAK manage to edge outside their usual lanes here, while retaining the kind of spark that has made every one of their releases so vital.
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<B><I>Flavors of Paradise</b></i> works up a nice head of steam, and there's a sleekness here that is less a production effect, and more an intentional sharpening of focus. SAVAK don't waste any time on any track with anything superfluous, and the whole album surges forward with real momentum, with notable work from drummer Matt Schulz (Lake Ruth) in holding this together. Still, on numbers like <B><I>"Will Get Fooled Again"</b></i>, there's some space for something less fever-pitched. SAVAK engage with the kind of <I>post-punk</i> that inspires. Not necessarily heavy, this is meaty stuff, with real heft to it, even as, in terms of SAVAK's catalog, <B><I>Flavors of Paradise</b></i> sounds like one of their leanest and meanest records in ages.
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<B><I>Flavors of Paradise</b></i> by SAVAK is out this Friday.
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<I>[Photo: Taylor Sesselman]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3837139203/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://savak.bandcamp.com/album/flavors-of-paradise">Flavors Of Paradise by SAVAK</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-12498093173566501902024-02-28T00:00:00.004-05:002024-02-28T00:00:00.125-05:00In No Uncertain Terms: A Brief Review Of The Two Linda Smith Reissues On Captured Tracks<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomj3saXfORImso2ThZwKjr-ghhtg4Vn06DYbkC37i5nItzHD34nm6YxUcQ6EG6RFIjoPVVpGvHLdHnhNltPEjMT709nNytivl2KiTHU7yzcWyx6sPyBf9HlenAHfbDp8VEQKpqoseKDBl6EZFjNyXRmHex5vDBYCANexvKgVukw8i_HCricQBSRWKYks/s5367/Linda%20Smith%20Press%20Photo%202%20%28Photo%20by%20Patrick%20Lears%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="5367" data-original-width="4247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomj3saXfORImso2ThZwKjr-ghhtg4Vn06DYbkC37i5nItzHD34nm6YxUcQ6EG6RFIjoPVVpGvHLdHnhNltPEjMT709nNytivl2KiTHU7yzcWyx6sPyBf9HlenAHfbDp8VEQKpqoseKDBl6EZFjNyXRmHex5vDBYCANexvKgVukw8i_HCricQBSRWKYks/s600/Linda%20Smith%20Press%20Photo%202%20%28Photo%20by%20Patrick%20Lears%29.jpg"/></a></div>
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Following that excellent compilation from <a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2023/09/miracles-tonight-brief-review-so-long.html">The Woods</a> last year, and an <a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2021/03/i-just-had-to-brief-review-of-new-linda.html">essential solo collection</a> not long before that, Linda Smith's work continues to get more attention. This is the attention the Baltimore-based musician's always deserved. Two more reissues from <a href="https://capturedtracks.com/">Captured Tracks</a> on March 1 should get even more ears open.
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<B><I>Nothing Else Matters</b></i>, recorded in 1995 when Smith was commuting from Baltimore to Northern Virginia for a job, has a rootlessness about it that gives the songs spark and energy. <B><I>"In No Uncertain Terms"</b></i>, for example, churns with a hint of menace, even as the lilting <I>chamber pop</i> of <B><I>"I"ll Never See You Again"</b></I> utterly soothes and charms. There's variety here, with Smith trying on styles within the limits of her home recording M.O. That's not meant to be a dismissive comment, but, rather, an acknowledgement of how much Linda was able to accomplish at home, in an era when home recording was not what it is now. <B><I>"Bright Side"</b></i>, is nearly <I>goth rock</i>, and somehow the stylistic experiment works, as Smith imbues each number here with a sense of exploration as a musician, singer, and composer. The tunes here all reveal a furtive cleverness, one which gives this material so much energy and life, with each track nearly upping the one before it.
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<B><I>I So Liked Spring</b></i> finds Smith using the poems of Charlotte Mew (English 1869-1928) as the lyrics of her songs. The compositions are varied, with the words causing the melodies to swoop and dive in unexpected directions around and behind them. It's an inventive record to be sure, despite its modest recording process. I think, frankly, Smith accomplishes so much here that a listen or two sort of proves that a clever artist doesn't need millions to make a record. Though I think Smith may disagree given the offer of such funding. Still, <B><I>"Again"</b></i> is bright and clever, while the title cut is ruminative, haunting, and precisely paced. <B><I>"In the Fields"</b></i>, for example, provides evidence that structuring her music to another's words isn't a limitation on Smith's skills, as the ghostly number is positively hypnotic. So much of <B><I>I So Liked Spring</b></I> surprises still and it's a marvelously inventive record.
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<B><I>Nothing Else Matters</b></i> from 1995 and <B><I>I So Liked Spring</b></i> from 1996 are getting their first ever vinyl and streaming releases via the <a href="https://capturedtracks.com/">Captured Tracks</a> imprint, and I'd urge anyone with even a passing interest in the Baltimore musician to get these immediately. Smith's talents, unique as they are, don't necessarily lend themselves to mass appreciation, but there's hope that with this label doing the lifting, that these two records will see this music reach new audiences.
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<B><I>Nothing Else Matters</b></i> and <B><I>I So Liked Spring</b></i> by Linda Smith are out on March 1 via <a href="https://capturedtracks.com/">Captured Tracks</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Patrick Lears]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2649432369/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://lindasmith2.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-else-matters">Nothing Else Matters by Linda Smith</a></iframe>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2472552220/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://lindasmith2.bandcamp.com/album/i-so-liked-spring-2">I So Liked Spring by Linda Smith</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-25340758452775704152024-02-27T00:00:00.000-05:002024-02-27T00:00:00.226-05:00Cling To A Poisoned Dream: A Quick Review Of The New Album From Pissed Jeans<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAha27mu1M_ajVO0lVi995OHPJRBK17EuvLcJ85g2eOLz5YP8ahtfK50s7A58dZk_Kwb37_FiPtdwYczJuxgvaAC1N6N0_mCQY_jyEoOlGZ_Ta-h4AUeS29fsAwMAlp-WDQS67obV6lBEB_chh-Jhh6jE1MT0TkaToiEU1gmWTetJmekDVrOC_v2dhz04/s960/pissedjeans-2024-promo-01-ebruyildiz-2248x1500-300.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAha27mu1M_ajVO0lVi995OHPJRBK17EuvLcJ85g2eOLz5YP8ahtfK50s7A58dZk_Kwb37_FiPtdwYczJuxgvaAC1N6N0_mCQY_jyEoOlGZ_Ta-h4AUeS29fsAwMAlp-WDQS67obV6lBEB_chh-Jhh6jE1MT0TkaToiEU1gmWTetJmekDVrOC_v2dhz04/s600/pissedjeans-2024-promo-01-ebruyildiz-2248x1500-300.jpg"/></a></div>
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While D.C. has a rich musical heritage (and still does), Takoma Park, Maryland, right over the line, doesn't exactly. The enclave, known for -- depending on your POV -- a <I>hippy</i> legacy of health food stores and that culture, or an eclecticism that is liberal and admirable -- is where Pissed Jeans recorded their new record. In fact, a song like <B><I>"Helicopter Parent"</b></i>, a highlight of the new <a href="https://www.subpop.com/">Sub Pop</a> release, is one that would be sure to rankle the feathers of same in Takoma Park, had any of them heard this being blasted out of a recording studio there.
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Pissed Jeans favor a sound that is both rootlessly primitive and linked up -- however tentatively -- with stuff like The Stooges, early <I>hardcore</I>, and <I>garage rock</i>. <B><I>"Cling to a Poisoned Dream"</b></I> careens at 100 mph towards a clift, while the superbly-titled <B><I>"Killing All the Wrong People"</b></i> nods in the direction of the kind of loud, unhinged stuff heard on SST in the early years of the seminal label. The excellent, propulsive <B><I>"Sixty-Two Thousand Dollars in Debt"</b></I> combines menace and despair to offer up one of the best numbers here on <B><I>Half Divorced</b></i>. At their best, like on the ferocious <B><I>"Everywhere is Bad"</b></i>, Pissed Jeans find a way to make this stuff sound almost catchy.
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Fans of the pioneeering bands on this imprint may find a commonality here with stuff like Green River and Mudhoney and Tad, but Pissed Jeans are more interested in laying waste to tradition; if they sound like any <I>punk</I> or <I>grunge</I> forebears, it's probably an accidental thing. What's good about this lot is how resolutely they champion volume and abrasiveness over making any of this too palatable. It's not likely going to shock anyone -- those days of <I>rock</I> doing that are over, I think -- but it's got spark and fire to it, and the whole thing blasts forward with a demented, zesty spirit about it.
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<B><I>Half Divorced</b></I> by Pissed Jeans is out now via <a href="https://www.subpop.com/">Sub Pop</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Ebru Yildiz]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3262740603/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://pissedjeans.bandcamp.com/album/half-divorced">Half Divorced by Pissed Jeans</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-67473789835463447462024-02-26T00:00:00.001-05:002024-02-26T00:00:00.123-05:00The Discreet Shine Of Your Darkness A Review Of Laetitia Sadier's Rooting for Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYilDnUuzaz1Ui_ujviBArSe_btc0iqfsHmFN9VDgCvi1AEwpp8ih_l8w0vgUzZZvhk6tGb3bIoHLVSmwi5GPDK5B3OI8npqFeHUwnthtx5JOjplZLuvVpscBGIzJLOMXeMB6G-JGce6hEdGZgcucHiREOvb8RPURFlD68LdBPDh6V-WgHhPUu3aPkrE/s3454/Laetitia-sadier-Press-Photo-10.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="3454" data-original-width="2920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYilDnUuzaz1Ui_ujviBArSe_btc0iqfsHmFN9VDgCvi1AEwpp8ih_l8w0vgUzZZvhk6tGb3bIoHLVSmwi5GPDK5B3OI8npqFeHUwnthtx5JOjplZLuvVpscBGIzJLOMXeMB6G-JGce6hEdGZgcucHiREOvb8RPURFlD68LdBPDh6V-WgHhPUu3aPkrE/s600/Laetitia-sadier-Press-Photo-10.jpeg"/></a></div>
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<B><I>By Berlinda Recacho</b></i>
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At a recent live show, I felt an almost tangible connection between the band and the audience and I had an epiphany: that it would be a far better world if our political and economic systems were driven by the power of art. Music was the inclusive force that brought us all together and held us there, transformed and transfixed. Music is a language that doesn't rely on words or grammar to get the point across. Admittedly, I love lyrics, but Laetitia Sadier is fluent in creating moody, thrilling sonic dimensions where nothing is lost in translation as she weaves in and out of French and English. It's like watching a film in another language and becoming so immersed that the subtitles are an afterthought; the gaze, the gestures, the settings and interactions are just as important. Listening to Sadier's new album <B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i> is an exploration within and without, reflecting inward while projecting outward. Enigmatic double meanings can be found in almost every track. The album title itself can be read as a rallying cry or as an immersive search.
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Sadier opens with <B><I>"Who + What"</b></i>, chanting, <I>"Escape the fortress/the walls are falling down"</i>, creating a double meaning of freedom and vulnerability. <I>"The realm of potential"</i> reverberates throughout the song like waves crashing against the ticking, foreboding staccato of the shore. Throughout the album, a chorus of voices -- dubbed The Choir -- supports Sadier, like an inner conscience of Sixties <I>Bossa Nova</i> background singers, dueting directly with her, stepping back into the crowd as ambient sound, even creating percussion and texture like instruments as bassist Xavi Munoz drives the beat. Sadier's own voice is a marvel; she is able to soar and float, levitate and hover, then cut ballast and sink and descend into an almost guttural hum, sometimes within the same song. <B><I>"Panser L'inacceptable (Dress Up the Unacceptable)"</b></i> showcases her command of this range as she turns neatly on a dime from searching and pensive to demanding and insistent.
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Tempo changes and false endings abound. <B><I>"The Inner Smile"</b></i> -- masked by a poker-face -- urges us to <I>"Become aware of the planets above/Conjugate with the earth below"</i>, before fading out and re-emerging as a driving <I>disco</I> flute behind a chorus of dialogue. <B><I>"Protéïformunité (Protein Form)"</b></i> starts out gentle and shimmering, iridescent and meandering like the surface of a soap bubble, then shifts in scale from pattern to landscape. <B><I>"Une Autre Attente (Another Wait)"</b></i> is thrilling and sophisticated, the soundtrack to a mid-century spy thriller. <B><I>"La Nageuse Nue (The Naked Swimmer)"</b></i> celebrates the integration of the secular world, using voice as rhythm, a humanist version of religious vocal music. <B><I>"New Moon"</b></i> offers cautious instructions to <I>"This unique experience... Dethroned by the bewilderment... Dreaming new forms into being."</i>
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Two songs are outliers in the collection, putting more emphasis on wordplay. <B><I>"Don't Forget You're Mine"</b></i> is an almost Sondheim-esque conversation as monologue. Only the singer's perspective is heard, choreographed and timed, as if presented on the musical stage and there is a breezy menace under the obsessive level of detail:
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<blockquote>
<I>"Since we came back from your lecture/you were/quite overexcited/no time for hugs and kisses/too many calls/from all your friends... been waiting for too many hours/come here/sit down/hang up and come/but please stop laughing so loud/and now/give me your phone/okay, okay/everyone knows you're so successful... just don't forget you're mine."</I>
</blockquote>
That last line is charming and sentimental on the surface, but it's also a warning, vaguely threatening and passive-aggressive. <B><I>"The Dash"</b></i> might be a connector of words, or else a mad sprint to the end. <I>"Through the center/The discreet shine of your darkness."</i> This Is the most wordy track on the album, a manifesto of intentions that almost crowd out the music. Sadier's cadences and inflections read more like poetry, lending a sense of enigmatic mystery to the bright keyboards and bossa nova chorus, <I>"Into the night/That plays inside..."</I>
<P>
<B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i> ends, balanced precariously between hope and dread on <B><I>"Cloud 6"</b></i>. Organ patterns buoy up The Choir's horde of vocalists in an uneasy, almost paranoid rant. So far removed from the halcyon promises of the storied Cloud 9. Sadier declares: <I>"Dishonor is keeping me/from the gifts I've given you/I'm not fucking around/you're halfway dead."</i> Her voice stops in its tracks before going off the proverbial cliff -- or else she takes the plunge -- but either way, you're left hanging. The archaic word <I>"elsewhen"</i> refers to <I>"an other time; another point in time."</i> I have recently heard it used to describe a point of spacetime that is outside the range of the light we can see, that is <I>"real"</i> but not to us because it is outside our range of observation. Laetitia Sadier's <I>futuristic retro</I> sound possesses this same quality. <B><I>Rooting for Love</i></b> is familiar, like something heard in a dream, transposed on the waking world. It feels out of time, rooted simultaneously in the past and the future.
<P>
<B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i> by Laetitia Sadier is out now via <a href="https://www.dragcity.com/">Drag City</a>.
<P>
<I>[Photo: Marie Merlet]</i>
<P>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=649507097/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://laetitiasadier.bandcamp.com/album/rooting-for-love">Rooting for Love by Laetitia Sadier</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-86182591306945019292024-02-25T00:00:00.000-05:002024-02-25T00:00:00.119-05:00For The Outside: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Alvidrez<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyCoBLB6pLIJqOHCl6ctxg6gmT0Z1H3sn4JkCK3kYYphhdHABig4CBBkXMutu1OOGaXI6Uk9sAv9F7EuMNboIf-mcuslILauekeUirnnA5rEsej3sVjD2NxDXommzW2w9gV1hgyVaSejKIsQBkbP4qcbd_3_x3w47o6vKIYfSSsfDIOoRBW6EhU_IPZI/s4160/Alvidrez%20-%20Press%20Photo%202%20%28Credit%20Kylie%20Shaffer%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="3368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyCoBLB6pLIJqOHCl6ctxg6gmT0Z1H3sn4JkCK3kYYphhdHABig4CBBkXMutu1OOGaXI6Uk9sAv9F7EuMNboIf-mcuslILauekeUirnnA5rEsej3sVjD2NxDXommzW2w9gV1hgyVaSejKIsQBkbP4qcbd_3_x3w47o6vKIYfSSsfDIOoRBW6EhU_IPZI/s600/Alvidrez%20-%20Press%20Photo%202%20%28Credit%20Kylie%20Shaffer%29.jpg"/></a></div>
<P>
The new album from Glasgow-based artist Alvidrez opens with the pristine of <B><I>"Hymn for the Corner"</b></i>, a song that really is like a hymn. The cut, one of many here on <B><I>Antiphon</b></i> that strikes a similar balance, is stunning in its presentation. A listener may reach for some obvious points of comparison -- Julee Cruise, late period Cocteau Twins, etc. -- but Alvidrez is operating in unique territory here, after all.
<P>
<B><I>"For the Outside"</b></I> unfurls with a deliberate grace, with a hint of Virginia Astley's stuff about it. Alvidrez, a Californian in Glasgow, creates music that is simple, warm, and enveloping. There's little on <B><I>Antiphon</b></i> that is not captivating and borderline hypnotic. This is one of those releases that demands a careful listen in one sitting, preferably on headphones. The music is glacially-paced in spots, but thoroughly elegant throughout. Like the music of The Blue Nile, or Piano Magic, there's much to be said for the empty spaces here, with Alvidrez conjuring a mood that pulls you in and holds your attention. <B><I>"So Much Depends Upon"</b></i>, for instance, works its dramatic effect thanks both to the vocals of Alvidrez, but also thanks to the careful keyboard-lines traced out which carry the tune forward.
<P>
There's a sense of grace throughout <B><I>Antiphon</b></i>. Alvidrez stakes out a clear path, unencumbered by anything unnecessary. The music is precise, concise, and beautiful in its stark clarity. Any single cut here would likely transfix a newcomer to this material, but taken as a whole, and the entire record utterly inspires.
<P>
<B><I>Antiphon</b></i> by Alvidrez is out now via <a href="https://modrecords.co.uk/">Memorials of Distinction</a>. More details below.
<P>
<I>[Photo: Kylie Shaffer]</i>
<P>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1145737690/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://memorialsofdistinction.bandcamp.com/album/antiphon">Antiphon by Alvidrez</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-80574881504287314012024-02-24T00:00:00.004-05:002024-02-24T07:18:40.654-05:00Me And My Madness: A Review Of The Reissue Of The Decline And Fall Of Heavenly<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_yFniDbDCSBA72-H37jw2sbTABoKOo_OeP2JLN1kwHSumAa7j5CH96nRGgsKP8PeWfVjKs-oED2QH56YbY4x0horS4Q4s3SqsV7ZtOPnRA1QsQmNMpCnrzr8e910P9QcPfF1ZH1CtAIWi-ibnEBAC3bWpRPITDeHVCdUVY1pk3d7MO3onvYpockNF6k/s7062/Heavenly%20004-photo%20by%20Alison%20Wonderland.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="4684" data-original-width="7062" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ_yFniDbDCSBA72-H37jw2sbTABoKOo_OeP2JLN1kwHSumAa7j5CH96nRGgsKP8PeWfVjKs-oED2QH56YbY4x0horS4Q4s3SqsV7ZtOPnRA1QsQmNMpCnrzr8e910P9QcPfF1ZH1CtAIWi-ibnEBAC3bWpRPITDeHVCdUVY1pk3d7MO3onvYpockNF6k/s600/Heavenly%20004-photo%20by%20Alison%20Wonderland.jpg"/></a></div>
<P>
The vocals on <B><I>"Me and My Madness"</b></i>, the opener on the third album from Heavenly, are <I>twee</i> (whatever that really means), but then the guitars rave up and the whole thing churns like a buzzsaw. That dichotomy between <I>sweetness</i> and <I>grit</i>, <I>melody</i> and <I>hard-edged wit</i> is what always gave the music of this band such currency. And while <B><I>The Decline and Fall of Heavenly</b></i>, reissued now on vinyl from <a href="https://www.skepwax.com/">Skep Wax</a>, has the familiar charms of this group's output, it also sees the style expanding.
<P>
I hate the word <I>twee</i>, really, but I think it's shorthand to describe a kind of <I>DIY indie</i> that we hold dear, one which favors a certain approach that's not the macho <I>maximum riffage</i> of Seattle or <I>shoegaze</i>, for example. But even as we reach for that term, we have to acknowledge that in 1994 -- and now, really -- this is pretty bracing stuff. Released as Heavenly found themselves more firmly linked up with the <I>riot grrl</i> scene on these shores, <B><I>The Decline and Fall of Heavenly</b></i> is a brisk set. Numbers like <B><I>"Modestic"</b></i> bring horns into the mix to give the <I>pop</i> extra <I>pep</i> around the sharply-rendered lyrics, while <B><I>"Sperm Meets Egg, So What?"</b></i> is even better. The mixing of the serious subject matter with the bright <I>indie-pop</i> around it is done with such deftness that one sort of marvels now, 30 years on, at how maybe we took Heavenly a little for granted back then.
<P>
Bundled with the digital version of this reissue of <B><I>The Decline and Fall of Heavenly</b></i> are 1993 singles <B><I>"Atta Girl"</b></i> and <B><I>"P.U.N.K. Girl"</b></i> and assorted B-sides. These Sarah Records offerings pointed the way towards the 1994 album, with the band operating at peak power, and at a frenzied clip. Both tracks shine as very much iconic singles of the UK <I>indie</i> scene, and stand as proof of how wonderful it was to come of age in an era where such <I>DIY</i> goodness was within reach at cool record shops. Released together here by <a href="https://krecs.com/">K Records</a>, the two singles came at the dawn of the <I>Britpop</i> years, and served up evidence that it wasn't just the lads with the loud guitars who were capable of defining the sound of England. Heavenly would flirt with such a larger sound themselves on <B><I>Operation Heavenly</b></i> a few years after, but we'll discuss that when that album is reissued later this year. For now, enjoy this music that's both timelessly good, and emblematic of so much of what made <I>indie</i> so invigorating in the first place.
<P>
<B><I>The Decline and Fall of Heavenly</b></i> is out now from <a href="https://www.skepwax.com/">Skep Wax</a>.
<P>
<I>[Photo: Alison Wonderland]</i>
<P>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3286589304/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://heavenly.bandcamp.com/album/the-decline-and-fall-of-heavenly">The Decline And Fall Of Heavenly by Heavenly</a></iframe>
<P>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1216917825/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://heavenly.bandcamp.com/album/atta-girl-digital-only">Atta Girl (Digital only) by Heavenly</a></iframe>
<P>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qbmP18-eBkg?si=8ncW6wbueRQIdzDs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-59815402767644621052024-02-23T00:00:00.000-05:002024-02-23T00:00:00.118-05:00The Inner Smile: A Brief Review Of Rooting For Love By Laetitia Sadier<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYilDnUuzaz1Ui_ujviBArSe_btc0iqfsHmFN9VDgCvi1AEwpp8ih_l8w0vgUzZZvhk6tGb3bIoHLVSmwi5GPDK5B3OI8npqFeHUwnthtx5JOjplZLuvVpscBGIzJLOMXeMB6G-JGce6hEdGZgcucHiREOvb8RPURFlD68LdBPDh6V-WgHhPUu3aPkrE/s3454/Laetitia-sadier-Press-Photo-10.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="600" data-original-height="3454" data-original-width="2920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYilDnUuzaz1Ui_ujviBArSe_btc0iqfsHmFN9VDgCvi1AEwpp8ih_l8w0vgUzZZvhk6tGb3bIoHLVSmwi5GPDK5B3OI8npqFeHUwnthtx5JOjplZLuvVpscBGIzJLOMXeMB6G-JGce6hEdGZgcucHiREOvb8RPURFlD68LdBPDh6V-WgHhPUu3aPkrE/s600/Laetitia-sadier-Press-Photo-10.jpeg"/></a></div>
<P>
The new album from Laetitia Sadier may be the closest the Stereolab singer's gotten yet to the sound of her own band. It's a lovely, expansive record. And it wouldn't be a stretch to say that <B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i>, out today via <a href="https://www.dragcity.com/">Drag City</a>, sounds like mid-Nineties Stereolab.
<P>
<B><I>"The Inner Smile"</b></i> and <B><I>"Who + What"</b></i> favor a kind of ascending <I>pop</I>. Sadier's supple voice leads the melodies up to the skies, and around them. The cuts are similar to something like <B><I>"I Feel The Air (Of Another Planet)"</b></I> from her home band, though things here on <B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i> are more tethered to a concise, rhythmic mode of presentation. The tracks are all precise here, though there are flashes of the transcendent, thanks to Sadier's delightful vocals. <B><I>"New Moon"</b></i> finds Laetitia nearly sparring with The Choir, the backing vocal on lots of this, and the call-and-response is spine-tingling. The cut churns a bit, and eases forward with a momentum that's thoroughly compelling.
<P>
Less interested in recasting the kind of <I>retro-futuristic pop</i> of Stereolab, Laetitia Sadier uses most of <B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i> to stretch as a vocalist, and allow a propulsive sense of the sublime to carry every cut skyward. There's little here that is not delightful, and nearly all of this produces the same rush of pleasure that we feel when we play our favorites Stereolab sides.
<P>
<B><I>Rooting for Love</b></i> by Laetitia Sadier is out now via <a href="https://www.dragcity.com/">Drag City</a>.
<P>
<I>[Photo: Marie Merlet]</i>
<P>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=649507097/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://laetitiasadier.bandcamp.com/album/rooting-for-love">Rooting for Love by Laetitia Sadier</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-46677843152695164552024-02-22T00:00:00.001-05:002024-02-22T00:00:00.126-05:00Looking For The Sun: A Review Of Untame The Tiger, The New Album From Mary Timony<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6smf9YhbvaWAE6kBl1Sf2VH4RojANL3GATTvuLEjJh_ycJC28fcEF7EQ0GN9TiJUXaNc-sNBsD_F7Fg78GeBnW-XeGLDmT0HqT0aVss057v9PojrOsIkcWM8c109gdMBn71w6PnpOIY_GeRfgLqSnlmf1Dkg0BGTbjx-PgU85nkTQnI-KOTe3m7ReYA/s7463/Mary-Timony-by-Chris-Grady.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="4975" data-original-width="7463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6smf9YhbvaWAE6kBl1Sf2VH4RojANL3GATTvuLEjJh_ycJC28fcEF7EQ0GN9TiJUXaNc-sNBsD_F7Fg78GeBnW-XeGLDmT0HqT0aVss057v9PojrOsIkcWM8c109gdMBn71w6PnpOIY_GeRfgLqSnlmf1Dkg0BGTbjx-PgU85nkTQnI-KOTe3m7ReYA/s600/Mary-Timony-by-Chris-Grady.jpeg"/></a></div>
<P>
The resolutely iconoclastic music of Mary Timony finally feels like it's reaching a wider audience than just confirmed <I>indie-heads</i> and <I>DC post-punks</i>. With her work in Hammered Hulls and Ex Hex, Timony's star was certainly moving in new orbits, but it's her new solo record that should appeal to those looking for a fix of Mary's unique gifts. <B><I>Untame the Tiger</b></i>, out this week on <a href="https://www.mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a>, is a collection of bracing, charged <I>freak-folk</i>, to use a term from the Helium leader's own press. It almost doesn't matter what label you attach to this, as it's hypnotic outside the many genres the record skips through.
<P>
The Sonic Youth-y opener <B><I>"No Thirds"</b></i> crashes around the room atop drummer Dave Mattacks' drums. While this is a long way from the <I>folk rock</i> he anchored in Fairport Convention, Mary Timony's vocals are no less captivating than Sandy Denny's. Timony shines on <B><I>"Dominoes"</b></i>, needing little more than the stripped-down backing used on the track, even as the down-tempo pleasures of <B><I>"Looking for the Sun"</b></i> suggest portions of her older releases, such as <B><I>The Magic City</b></i> by Helium. The slide guitar of <B><I>"The Guest"</b></i> pushes things towards a faint suggestion of <I>The Blues</i>, even as the title cut hints that Mary may have taken a cue or two from mid-Seventies Fleetwood Mac.
<P>
<B><I>Untame the Tiger</b></i> works as a collection of highlights at Mary Timony's skills at navigating styles. Always one of the most inventive (if underappreciated) guitarists of the last few decades, this record lets Timony venture into new areas, while retaining the kind of vibe that made so many of us fans of her work in the first place. Ruminative in spots, and wildly expressive in others, Timony's guitar unfurls distinctive lines, as her vocals chart a languid path around them. There's really no one that sounds quite like this, and, thankfully, <B><I>Untame the Tiger</b></i> is one of the best records from Mary Timony in years.
<P>
<B><I>Untame the Tiger</b></i> by Mary Timony is out this week on <a href="https://www.mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a>.
<P>
<I>[Photo: Chris Grady]</i>
<P>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4076432020/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://marytimony.bandcamp.com/album/untame-the-tiger-2">Untame the Tiger by Mary Timony</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-3083062794368915792024-02-15T16:10:00.000-05:002024-02-15T16:10:09.043-05:00TRACK FEATURE: We Got To Change By James Brown<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr4UPWRQZ5F4MUUu_KrZh4U_CvTwlG6RNQi_j85w5JG3pmeyczcpzBtLrSru8e-qJKNT7PcEROdBGzS9kD4pw99D4fKdgiSosZPCiPmSabH6ZduInu3XglaRmBTKfG27hAdUW9oMLal8NIRJfWiHchiIZqEhQAf-iCrLWu57SqV1tUi3zSsMTYagtQ2s/s2250/James%20Brown_We%20Got%20To%20Change%20-%20EP%20cover.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidr4UPWRQZ5F4MUUu_KrZh4U_CvTwlG6RNQi_j85w5JG3pmeyczcpzBtLrSru8e-qJKNT7PcEROdBGzS9kD4pw99D4fKdgiSosZPCiPmSabH6ZduInu3XglaRmBTKfG27hAdUW9oMLal8NIRJfWiHchiIZqEhQAf-iCrLWu57SqV1tUi3zSsMTYagtQ2s/s600/James%20Brown_We%20Got%20To%20Change%20-%20EP%20cover.jpg"/></a></div>
<P>
The big music news this week is the release of a previously unheard song from the late James Brown. Timed to hit with a new documentary on The Godfather of Soul, this is one essential bit of <I>funk</i>.
<P>
The press material provides details on the origins of the track, released today in a three-song EP:
<P>
<I><blockquote><B>"We Got To Change"</b> was recorded August 16, 1970, at Criteria Studios in Miami, during a pivotal period in the world of James Brown, as longtime members of his famed James Brown Orchestra had walked out a few months earlier.
<P>
Brown quickly assembled a new group anchored by guitarist Phelps "Catfish" Collins and bassist William "Bootsy" Collins, two young brothers from Cincinnati. They brought a harder edge and a fresh identity to Brown's music on such singles as <B><I>"Get Up (I Feel Like Being) a Sex Machine"</b></i>, <B><I>"Super Bad"</b></i>, and <b><I>"Soul Power"</b></I>. Brown called them The J.B.'s.
<P>
Their Criteria session featured a reunion with one of Brown's 1960s sidemen: the great Clyde Stubblefield. "The Funky Drummer," as he was known, would grace several of Brown's subsequent hits, and would become one of the most sampled drummers of the hip-hop era. Also on the track is James Brown's longtime no. 2, Bobby Byrd, who is heard alongside Brown on the chorus.</blockquote></i>
<P>
<B><I>We Got to Change</b></i> by James Brown is out today.
<P>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fqpVk8GAG0o?si=HxgLv31fzsOingjt" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-56789077199704079352024-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:002024-02-15T00:00:00.122-05:00Nothin' To Lose: A Review Of Blu Wav From Grandaddy<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNN05BsbbjrmiU5_jRGrgSTMc42tH8us0DcykWzNKvAX1UBskzZp5JGPmf8mfZntuyO3Pl4-axKf_-ZVY5CVk1NyoseA-_8HSSfRoxeCwKjfrdi09fxv3c48x-Fdhvo3fKpXwunVD1DzJrdJVpQN1Z8LDCpHCQJv3QkmuHDILcaO7cxRLlgabZQJK2f8/s4200/JL_23CROP_creditDustinAksland.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNN05BsbbjrmiU5_jRGrgSTMc42tH8us0DcykWzNKvAX1UBskzZp5JGPmf8mfZntuyO3Pl4-axKf_-ZVY5CVk1NyoseA-_8HSSfRoxeCwKjfrdi09fxv3c48x-Fdhvo3fKpXwunVD1DzJrdJVpQN1Z8LDCpHCQJv3QkmuHDILcaO7cxRLlgabZQJK2f8/s600/JL_23CROP_creditDustinAksland.jpg"/></a></div>
<P>
<B><I>By Stan Cierlitsky</b></i>
<P>
Wow! Grandaddy's 6th album, <B><I>Blu Wav</b></i> comes out February 16 on <a href="https://dangerbirdrecords.com/">Dangerbird Records</a>. The title is supposed to be a <I>"mash-up"</i> of sorts between <I>bluegrass</i> and <I>New Wave</i>, and yeah, that sort of describes the record perfectly. Before I read this in the press release, the description that came to my mind was a sad <I>space age</i> Hank Williams Sr. album. I guess either one works. The thing that surprised me the most about this record is the absence of third-person observations of quirky people. Those have been some of my favorite Jason Lytle songs. <B><I>"Getting Jipped"</b></i> (now released to everyone on last year's <B><I>Sumday: Excess Baggage</b></i>), <B><I>"Florida"</b></i>, and <B><I>"Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake"</b></i> are three of my favorites that tell incredible stories of people I feel like I need to meet before I die. On <B><I>Blu Wav</b></i> Lytle turns his sights inward and the results are incredibly beautiful.
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We got our first taste from <B><I>Blu Wav</b></i> on last October's <B><I>"Watercooler"</b></i> single release. I loved this song when I first heard it. Honestly, I wondered why he started out with a slower song (I guess compared to the first single <B><I>"Way We Won't"</b></i> from 2017's <B><I><a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2017/02/this-is-part-review-of-new-grandaddy.html">Last Place</b></I></a>). Turns out it's the only song on the album with a guitar solo, and one of the more upbeat songs on the record. But, trust me, that’s not meant as a criticism. As a guy who's getting older, and as a guy that spends a lot of time hiking in the woods, I feel like I can definitely relate to a lot of songs on this album.
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The second taster that came out last year was <B><I>"Cabin in my Mind"</b></i>. It just might be my favorite song on the album. I'm guessing the song is mostly about lost love, but the way he wrote this song, it works for trying to deal with any significant loss in your life. Sadly, I lost my mom four days before this song came out. I spent a lot of time thinking about her listening to this song while hiking in the woods.
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I should mention that even though the album shows 13 tracks, four of them are more interludes, or instrumentals. They do a nice job of setting the tone on the record and bridging the other songs on <B><I>Blu Wav</b></I>. <B><I>"Let's Put This Pinto on the Moon"</b></i> is my favorite of these just because it gets extra <I>space age</i>-y.
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My other favorite song on the album is <B><I>"You're Going to Be Fine and I'm Going to Hell"</b></i>. The lyrics are just so good. This is clearly about dealing with a lost love who's apparently turned the page. <I>"Well we lost out on love and now you're better off. / But for me it's not going so well. / You're going to be fine and I'm going to hell."</i> It pains me to say this, but the vibes I'm getting from this album are the same I used to get from <B><I><a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2019/07/thats-just-way-i-feel-guest-review-of.html">Purple Mountains</b></i></a>. To me, that album was a masterpiece, and this isn't far off.
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If you're looking for uplifting, quirky songs, you aren't going to find them here. Considering Jason Lytle has released music eponymously, I am a little surprised that this was released as a Grandaddy record. This album is about as introspective and personal as a record can be. If you're a <I>glass half-full</i> person, maybe you can find some tidbits here. On the song, <B><I>"Ducky, Boris and Dart"</b></i>, Lytle is eulogizing some little animals thats he's had run-ins with. <I>"Well, thank you my friend, but this ain't the end. / We'll meet again."</i> Again, sad but beautiful, and one of the only tracks on <B><I>Blu Wav</b></I> that hits that <I>quirky vibe</i> of earlier releases from the band.
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Finally, I wanted to talk about <B><I>"Nothin' to Lose"</b></i>, the last proper song on the album. It doesn't feel out of place at all, but it's apparently a preview of what's to come from Jason Lytle. <I>"Cut and run / Towards the sun / Our work here'ss done / Hang a right / Those distant lights / That's me tonight."</i> According to Lytle, "A lot of the songs for the next album already exist." <B><I>"Nothin' to Lose"</b></i> is Lytle's way of saying, "Thanks for showing up. Here's what to look forward to next."</i> After hearing this album, I trust Lytle completely, and will gladly accept whatever he puts out. Let's just not wait seven more years for the next one.
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<B><I>Blu Wav</b></i> by Grandaddy is out on February 16 on <a href="https://dangerbirdrecords.com/">Dangerbird Records</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Dustin Aksland]</i>
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<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3896719787/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://grandaddy.bandcamp.com/album/blu-wav">Blu Wav by Grandaddy / Jason Lytle</a></iframe>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7732427664505356263.post-52817233789430415032024-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:002024-02-14T00:00:00.242-05:00TRACK OF THE WEEK: "Then We Kissed" By Electric Pets<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqSHpE4yRpKqHlPDBD_ydA7P_S9M3CGSDNcYtT9myP37j6AcOtwvjEqKbh8lINh0HVALmenrwuhU0Qqqr_GVmkdAlCdHQ48K6q8aD4disFCkNx64SHtVG3vyYggbZr8Gf-HBpCTsAeMN2NKUWVroQDhLOyYbrhqbJtxFQzIR1qrh906MUeha_5X6KJKA/s4789/dsc_5922.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="600" data-original-height="3592" data-original-width="4789" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqSHpE4yRpKqHlPDBD_ydA7P_S9M3CGSDNcYtT9myP37j6AcOtwvjEqKbh8lINh0HVALmenrwuhU0Qqqr_GVmkdAlCdHQ48K6q8aD4disFCkNx64SHtVG3vyYggbZr8Gf-HBpCTsAeMN2NKUWVroQDhLOyYbrhqbJtxFQzIR1qrh906MUeha_5X6KJKA/s600/dsc_5922.jpg"/></a></div>
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This year is off to a great start with this energetic bit of business from Electric Pets. I've been a fan of the Derby four-piece since their <a href="http://www.apessimistisneverdisappointed.com/2022/11/cant-bring-me-down-quick-review-of-new.html">excellent 2022 EP</a>, and this new track is sure to be a cause for excitement.
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Singer Emma Buckley sells this from the get-go. The band roars and revs up behind her, and the sound is not unlike The Pretenders covering Suzi Quatro or something. The chorus is a rush of adrenaline. I dig this and can't wait to hear more in 2024!
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Electric Pets is Emma Buckley (she/her) on vocals and guitar; Phil Wagg (he/him) on guitar and backing vocals; Pete Darrington (he/him) on bass; and Adam Grace (he/him) on drums. You can get more details via the band's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/electricpets">official Facebook page</a>.
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<I>[Photo: Electric Pets]</i>
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<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1719029559&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/peter-darrington" title="Peter Darrington" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Peter Darrington</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/peter-darrington/then-we-kissed" title="Electric Pets - Then We Kissed" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Electric Pets - Then We Kissed</a></div>Glenn, kenixfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00735095946077123391noreply@blogger.com