Infinite Shuffle

December 11, 2011

94 – Young the Giant

Filed under: Irvine Calif., Y — assman41 @ 12:01 am

I had heard of Young the Giant only in name by the time one of my friends gave me his endorsement of the band. In fact, he had dug the group’s self-titled debut so much, that he had already bought a ticket for their Chicago show in late February.

Normally, that might prompt me to immediately check out what I was missing. But this friend‘s musical tastes are slightly askew from mine. A lot of times, he gets really into bands that I only have a passing interest in — and vice versa.

If one was to chart our musical interests, it would look something like a pair of sine waves, a quarter-cycle out of phase. Kinda like this.

Eventually, I listened to one of Young the Giant’s songs — “Cough Syrup” — on the radio and liked what I heard.

Upon downloading the full album, I was pleasantly surprised by the collection of tunes. The five-piece from Irvine, Calif., churns out music as eclectic as the ethnic backgrounds of its members — Indian, Persian, British and French-Canadian among them.

Built on a foundation of melodic indie rock, the band adds layers of pop and electro to varying degrees. It also does a good job of mixing tempos throughout the album.

Some of the standout tracks include “Apartment”, “God Made Man”, “Garands” and “Guns Out”, the slow, somewhat dreamy closer.

On a couple of tracks — “St. Walker” and, to a lesser extent, “I Got” — I couldn’t help but think of Fall Out Boy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But my favorite track was definitely “My Body”.

After listening to the album a few times, I think I could be talked into joining my friend at the concert in a few months.

December 7, 2011

SXSW 2012: An early Christmas present

Filed under: Austin, SXSW — assman41 @ 2:44 am

As I was just searching for some tour listings for a couple of bands I’m interested in seeing, I happened upon this beautiful link — the list of all the bands that have so far been officially invited as showcase artists for SXSW 2012.

Oh, happy day.

The festival is still a little more than three months away, but I couldn’t help but get excited as I perused that lengthy list.

Of all the bands there, these are the ones I spotted that I’m particularly looking forward to:

Big Scary (Melbourne AUSTRALIA)
Class Actress (Brooklyn NY)
Cloud Nothings (Cleveland OH)
Delay Trees (Helsinki FINLAND)
The Ettes (Nashville TN)
Jonquil (Oxford UK-ENGLAND)
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (Waitsfield VT)
VHS or Beta (Brooklyn NY)
We Barbarians (Brooklyn NY)

Choir of Young Believers (Copenhagen DENMARK)
PUJOL (Nashville TN)

Alberta Cross (Los Angeles CA)
Beach Fossils (Brooklyn NY)
The Big Pink (London UK-ENGLAND)
Built to Spill (Boise ID)
Jonny Corndawg (Brooklyn NY)
Cosmo Jarvis (Plymouth UK-ENGLAND)
Cotton Jones (Cumberland MD)
Delta Spirit (Long Beach CA)
Thomas Dolby (Suffolk UK-ENGLAND)
Great Lake Swimmers (Toronto CANADA)
Heartless Bastards (Cincinnati OH)
Hellogoodbye (Long Beach CA)
Horse Feathers (Portland OR)
Sarah Jaffe (Denton TX)
The Magnetic Fields (New York NY)
Anya Marina (Portland OR)
David Mayfield Parade (Nashville TN)
Metric (Toronto CANADA)
Neon Trees (Provo UT)
Ringo Deathstarr (Austin TX)
Scars On 45 (Leeds UK-ENGLAND)
The Seedy Seeds (Cincinnati OH)
Shiny Toy Guns (Shawnee OK)
Stars (Montreal CANADA)
Tammar (Bloomington IN)
Tea Leaf Green (San Francisco CA)
J Roddy Walston And The Business (Baltimore MD)
The War On Drugs (Philadelphia PA)
Wussy (Cincinnati OH)

December 5, 2011

93 – The Horrible Crowes

Filed under: H, New Jersey — assman41 @ 7:04 pm

The biggest concern when a lead singer of a popular band decides to form a side project is that it will sound too similar to the original. It’s understandable, considering that the main vocals often leave the most lasting impression on listeners.

Sometimes, singers’ second acts can sound totally different from the precursor, but more often it’s too difficult a feat to pull off.

Brian Fallon, founder of The Gaslight Anthem, recently took the plunge and landed somewhere in between. For the most part, his new project, The Horrible Crowes, sounds like a very toned-down version of his main gig. But it’s different enough to be more enjoyable than frustrating.

Formed about a year ago as a duo with guitar tech Ian Perkins, The Crowes put out their first album, Elsie, in September to solid reviews. Its 12 tracks go by quickly with a run time of about 45 minutes, so it’s natural to want to listen to the album a few times on repeat.

It’s mostly filled with slow-burning songs of lost love and the like. Unsurprisingly, the best tracks — “Behold the Hurricane” and “Ladykiller” — are the ones that sound the closest to Gaslight B-sides. But on this album, Fallon occasionally trades his Bruce Springsteen mimicry for Tom Waits-style grumbling.

The album is definitely a must-have for Gaslight loyalists, but it should also appeal to all indie rock fans alike.

December 3, 2011

92 – Tammar

Filed under: Bloomington Ind., T — assman41 @ 3:32 pm

I’ve always said that my biggest hang-up with heavy metal is the fact that I can’t understand any of the lyrics. If I don’t have something to sing, or hum, along to, then it’s just not gonna do it for me.

That’s why it’s interesting that I immediately fell in love with the latest album from Tammar. Even though I couldn’t understand a word that lead singer Dave Walter was saying, I could not help but bob my head to all seven of the tracks on Visits.

I should note that the band is nowhere near the heavy metal genre. The five-piece, which hails from the college town of Bloomington, Ind. — just a few hours south of me — churns out a hybrid synth/psychedelic/post-punk.

If that description seemed confusing, just listen to a track, and come up with a better label.

More than one online reviewer compared the band’s sound to 1970s krautrock. And NPR offered a more vivid description in its Song of the Day post.

The music is versatile enough that you could probably listen to it in any setting — while doing the dishes, driving to work or making out with your significant other.

Tammar put out a self-titled EP in 2008 and a live album, I Live Here Now, in 2009, but Visits, which came out this past October, is their first studio release. You can find more songs on their MySpace page and can download a few tracks for free at their Bandcamp page.

November 28, 2011

91 – Real Estate

Filed under: Brooklyn, R — assman41 @ 7:52 pm

There is nothing I like more than finding new music to add to my Trance Mix playlist. It can get a little stale falling asleep to the same 40-50 songs all the time.

That’s why I was so pleased to hear Real Estate‘s new album, Days. It’s tailor-made for relaxation — just like fellow Trance Mixers Beach Fossils, Lower Dens and Wild Nothing.

The band really doesn’t stand out from those aforementioned groups. But no bother; the tunes are still great.

That little ditty was the big hit from Real Estate‘s 2009 self-titled debut. The five-piece band from Brooklyn — by way of Ridgewood, N.J. — made some waves on the indie scene with that release but then seemed to fade away just as quickly.

Since then, they have been doing their thing, touring with acts such as Girls, Kurt Vile and Woods, and even played at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2010.

The new album dropped last month and has been getting a lot of positive reviews. The first single, “It’s Real”, should hopefully draw in some new fans like it did me.

November 18, 2011

90 – Grouplove

Filed under: G, Los Angeles — assman41 @ 2:53 am

I’ve heard a lot of great music this year, but my biggest qualm has been that there have been very few albums that have stood out to me.

In fact, there’s only been about a handful that I’m even currently considering among the best of the year. But after hearing the debut release from Grouplove, I may have to add another one to the list.

The Los Angeles quintet — by way of Brooklyn and Crete (yep, that Crete) — has churned out a rather infectious collection of indie-pop/rock ditties that should help propel the group onto the radar of all the top music blogs and publications.

The rookie effort, titled Never Trust a Happy Song, came out Oct. 4 and was preceded by a self-titled EP last year.

I first discovered the band via the above track, which I heard on NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast. The show’s hosts, Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton, immediately fell in love with the group — and with good reason.

Grouplove have a pretty familiar sound. Think Pixies, but poppier. Or maybe Los Campesinos!, but less annoying, more catchy and not British.

I found a short review from earlier this year that describes their sound better than I ever could.

They are quintessentially indie, with a whiny-voiced male frontman, a female singer who does alt-girl insouciance so faithfully Kim Deal could sue, and a bunch of sloppy-catchy guitar tunes that go, as per the old rule book, either quiet-loud-quiet-loud (the fast ones), or quiet … loud (the slow-build ones).

In addition to the above two songs, other strong tracks include “Colours”, “Lovely Cup”, “Naked Kids”, “Spun”, “Betty’s Bomb Shell”, “Chloe” and “Cruel and Beautiful World”.

The group is coming to Chicago in mid-January, but I almost definitely won’t be able to attend. So, with any luck, they’ll return quickly. Or, perhaps we’ll meet up in Austin for SXSW in a few months.

November 8, 2011

Threeplay from Down Under

Filed under: Australia, B, S — assman41 @ 2:54 am

I recently had a couple of consecutive days off and nothing planned, so I decided to devote my time to devouring a bunch of new music. I sifted through various blogs I had bookmarked and came across one that is run by a person in Australia. At And Pluck Your Strings, I found a “Best of 2011 So Far” post from July, so I figured I’d check it out.

Turns out, there was a lot of great stuff included there, including a number of quality bands from Down Under that I probably would never have heard of otherwise. Here are three that I found worthy of downloading, plus a bonus track from another Aussie group.

Big Scary

Of all the bands I listened to on the blog, the one I’m most excited about is Big Scary.

The duo of Tom Iansek and Jo Syme came together in 2006 and has put out several EPs, including a four-pack last year named after each of the seasons. Those were compiled into a release, appropriately named The Big Scary Four Seasons.

Last month, the group released its first proper full-length album, Vacation. It starts off very strong with such solid tracks as “Gladiator”, “Leaving Home” and “Mix Tape”.

Big Scary – Mix Tape

Other than “Falling Away”, the eighth of the 10 tracks, everything else is filler, but it’s at least above-average filler.

Judging by this release, Big Scary should be making some noise on the international scene very soon.

Also, I noted on their website that they are set to place at SXSW next year. One more reason — as if I actually required any more — to make a return trip to Austin in March.

Boy & Bear

Speaking of SXSW, unbeknownst to me, the band Boy & Bear were part of the festivities last year. I did not see them, but I did apparently listen to, and like, one of their songs during my preparation for the festival.

Vocally, the group sounds a lot like The Fray, with a little bit of The Avett Brothers mixed in. There’s also some Rural Alberta Advantage in there, but to a lesser extent.

Boy & Bear – Golden Jubilee

That tune is my favorite on the band’s debut full-length release, Moonfire, which came out in August. Other decent tracks include “Feeding Line”, “Milk & Sticks”, My Only One”, “House & Farm” and “Beach”.

Seeker Lover Keeper

One of the more pleasant discoveries on the blog was the Australian supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper. It consists of a trio of female singer-songwriters — Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby — all of whom have made a name for themselves in a variety of bands and, more prominently, as solo artists.

It would be as if Regina Spektor, Feist and Natasha Bedingfield all got together and put out an album. (I realize none of these women is from the same country, but you get the idea.)

Sidenote: Seltmann co-wrote Feist’s big hit, “1234” several years ago.

As you can imagine, the indie-folk/pop group has amazing harmonies, with each singer getting her share of time behind the mic.

The best song on their self-titled debut album is probably “Even Though I’m a Woman”. Another great track is the closer, “Rest Your Head On My Shoulder”, which does a great job at highlighting each individual voice as well as the three-part harmonies.

Seeker Lover Keeper – Rest Your Head On My Shoulder

YesYou

Another group I discovered on the blog was YesYou, which is the Brisbane-based duo of Jono Kirkham and Gav Parry. So far, they have only put out one easily downloadable song, “Half of It”. Here is said song, as well as a link to a remix.

YesYou – Half of It

November 4, 2011

89 – Royal Bangs

Filed under: Knoxville Tenn., R — assman41 @ 3:53 pm

In preparation for seeing Royal Bangs a few days ago in Chicago, I downloaded all three of their albums but only had time to listen to one in advance of the show. Naturally, I picked the most recent, Flux Outside, which came out this past March, since I figured that most of their set would come from that release.

For the most part, it sounded like some tight, solid indie rock. And early in their live show, things were going well. Playing between opening act Bear Hands and headliner We Were Promised Jetpacks, they managed to keep pace with those formidable bands.

But I quickly lost interest as their set devolved into little more than a cacophony of sound. And, as it turns out, that’s a pretty good way to describe their first two albums.

The Knoxville, Tenn., trio’s 2008 debut, We Breed Champions, is pretty rough around the edges — and at the core for that matter — but you can tell there is some potential.

Royal Bangs – Handcuff Killa

Just about every song includes glimmers of hope. Unfortunately, there are way too many superfluous sound effects. They need to just strip things down to the basics.

Things do get a little more accessible on 2009’s Let It Beep. But only a little. The band does a better job of focusing on its instruments, but it still messes with the distortion pedal and the effects too much.

Royal Bangs – Shit Xmas

After the first listen, I kept comparing the group to The Strokes. But upon a subsequent listen, I realize that such a label is doing a great disservice to The Strokes.

Thankfully, Royal Bangs finally start to tighten things up on Flux Outside. The first two songs, “Grass Helmet” and “Fireball”, start things off well, and they’re followed by a few other strong tracks, such as “Silent Steps” and “Faint Obelisk Two”.

Royal Bangs – Fireball

I would say more about this band, but I don’t really have the words. Royal Bangs are an acquired taste, and I don’t know if I have done so yet.

October 30, 2011

88 – British Sea Power

Filed under: B, England — assman41 @ 4:13 pm

After recently hearing one of their songs randomly on my iPod, it dawned upon me that I had totally neglected the band British Sea Power.

They first entered my consciousness in 2008, when a friend burned me a copy of Do You Like Rock Music? At the time, I had assumed it was their debut, but I now know it was actually the third full-length release from the five-piece indie group based in Brighton, England.

The band has actually been around for more than a decade, forming in 2000, and has put out five albums, including 2009’s Man of Aran (an instrumental soundtrack to a documentary) and Valhalla Dancehall earlier this year.

When I decided I needed to re-acquaint myself with the group, my first stop was its Wikipedia page. According to that venerable site, critics have likened the band to such seminal groups as The Cure, Joy Division, the Pixies and Arcade Fire.

However, immediately after I started listening to their 2003 debut, The Decline of British Sea Power, the one band whose influence seemed unmistakable was Pyschedelic Furs.

(Well, after the album’s first three tracks, which are totally punk-infused and sound nothing like the rest of the band’s catalog.)

On their mostly slow, shoegazing tracks, lead singer Yan (Scott Wilkinson) does his best impression of Furs leader Richard Butler. At times, while listening to the debut and the follow-up, 2005’s Open Season, I thought I was actually listening to a compilation of Furs B-sides.

During one of my listens, I wanted to liken Yan’s vocals to a mixture of Butler and famed singer Jarvis Cocker (Pulp and solo). But I’ve since dropped the Cocker comparisons.

And, admittedly, the reference to The Cure isn’t totally off-base. It can be heard in several songs, especially the xylophone opening to the track “Blackout”. But, even on that track, the Furs influence is hard to ignore.

British Sea Power – Blackout

British Sea Power started to branch out musically on Do You Like Rock Music? creeping away from their post-punk roots and dabbling in more straightforward indie rock.

This is probably still their best album to date, with such strong tunes as “Waving Flags”, “Atom” and “Open the Door”.

British Sea Power – Waving Flags

Perhaps based on the strength of that album, this year’s much-anticipated follow-up doesn’t stack up quite as well. That being said, it’s still a strong record, with such solid songs as “Observe the Skies”, “We Are Sound”, “Who’s In Control?” and “Georgie Ray”.

British Sea Power – We Are Sound

In addition to putting out some quality music, British Sea Power are probably best known for their live shows — most notably their off-the-beaten-path venues.

They have played in a seaside cafe, on a ferry, in some caverns, at the highest inn in the United Kingdom, in a famous English church and at an indoor festival that included vaudeville acts.

Needless to say, it’s a band that should be seen live — something I hope to do one day.

October 23, 2011

87 – The War On Drugs

Filed under: Philadelphia, W — assman41 @ 5:11 pm

So many bands and artists try to channel Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen that a lot of the music just ends up sounding formulaic.

You want to sound like the Bard of Minnesota? Just layer some jangly, folk-pop with mumbling lyrics and you’re good to go.

Looking to bring forth your inner Boss? Throw together some blue-collar lyrics, add some guttural vocals and sprinkle in some harmonica tracks and you can call yourself an honorary New Jersey resident.

Or, you could follow the tact of Philadelphia quartet The War On Drugs, who take their obvious Dylan and Springsteen influences and infuse them with new life while adding a modern alt-country allure.

One of the better songs in their catalog, “Brothers” — from 2010’s Future Weather EP and this year’s full-length Slave Ambient  — is a solid head-bobber that includes both main influences.

The War On Drugs – Brothers

The group formed in 2003, with the soon-to-be-well-known solo artist Kurt Vile as one of its two founding members, along with Adam Granduciel. After dropping a pair of EPs in 2005 and 2007, the first full-length release, Wagonwheel Blues, arrived in 2008. (Doesn’t that title just sound totally like the name of some Dylan album?)

My favorite ditty from this disc is the second track, “Taking the Farm”, which has a bit of Springsteen in it, including his trademark “Hoo hoooo” bellowing.

The War On Drugs – Taking the Farm

But for the most part, this album was all about Dylan. And it can be heard throughout on such tracks as “Arms Like Boulders”, “Buenos Aires Beach”, “Show Me the Coast” and “There Is No Urgency”. That last one had a real Band of Horses feel to it as well.

Next came Future Weather, which, in addition to three instrumental tracks and a pair that would be on the ensuing LP, included the more-than-solid “Comin’ Through”.

The War On Drugs – Comin\’ Through

The band has outdone itself on Slave Ambient. There are a lot of different styles incorporated on the various songs, which helps mix things up and never allows the sound to go stale.

In addition to “Brothers”, other standout tracks include “I Was There”, “Your Love Is Calling My Name” and the closer, “Blackwater”. But my favorite song in the band’s entire arsenal is track 10, “Baby Missiles”, which is one of the album’s more upbeat tunes and seems to borrow its structure directly from Springsteen. There’s also a harmonica and more of the ole “Hoo hooo.”

Before you click the following link, be aware that this song has been stuck in my head for much of the last week.

The War On Drugs – Baby Missiles

The War On Drugs have had a lot of turnover since its inception, but providing it with stability all along has been Granduciel. In addition to being the lead singer, the Massachusetts native also plays guitar, harmonica, keyboards and samplers.

While the band has not reached the popularity of the since-departed Vile, it is certainly not because the music is undeserving.

After checking out their website, I see that they’ll be in Chicago on Wed., Dec. 7 at Lincoln Hall — easily my favorite venue in the Windy City. I can’t see any reason why I won’t be attending that show.

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