New music reviews: Good time grooves

The Wild - The Wild EP

Looking to extend summer past its September 22nd expiration date? The Wild's debut EP was released over Fourth of July weekend and as such is full of songs ideal for campfires, the beach, and other summery locations. The EP's five tracks are full of harmonica, twangy guitar (both acoustic and electric), and wistful vocals singing about singing along to songs and missing friends and, well, summer. See the theme here? Unfortunately, the final two tracks sort of just plod along and are less interesting than the first three. But hey, considering the EP's available to download for free, you have no excuse not to download the album to see how big of a smile emerges on your face from hearing the first three songs.

You can download the EP for free from Quote Unquote Records.

Girls - Album

Sporting the retro lo-fi sound that's so popular in 2009, Album by the much talked about San Francisco band Girls succeeds by making songs that would be catchy and powerful with or without member Chet White's production trickery. First track "Lust for Life" is neither a Stooges cover nor about a lust for life (just for romantic companionship, a common theme in the album), but that won't stop you from singing and dancing along to the song. Later, singer Christopher Owens tells a girl named "Laura" that he wants to be "friends forever" despite the fact that she's been "a bitch" and he's been "an ass." Whatever, right? Then the beautiful Beach Boys-esque outro hits and once the song ends, you're left wondering how 4 minutes and 44 seconds passed by so quickly. Other moments, like the percussion in "God Damned" and the lyrics and overall mood of "Hellhole Ratrace" ("And I don't wanna cry my whole life through/I wanna do some laughing too/So c'mon and laugh with me"), serve to keep your ears perked throughout the course of the album. Overall, Album is big, bold, and bashful. Don't get turned off by the hype - make sure to check it out.

Album will be released on September 22nd by True Panther Records. You can stream the whole album on True Panther's website right now.

New Music Review: The Antlers - Hospice

Already hailed as the best album of 2009 so far by NPR, Hospice by The Antlers attempts to secure its place in the canon of epic indie rock albums (Funeral, The Moon & Antarctica, et al.). The lyrics, which read like a novel rather than poetry or a series of disjointed phrases, tell a story from the perspective of a man losing a lover (current or ex, it's unclear) to cancer at a hospital ward and detail the memories and feelings that ensue. Discussing his past relationship with his loved one, from abortion ("When we get home we're bigger strangers than we've ever been before/You sit in front of snowy television, suitcase on the floor," from "Bear") to rushing into a lifelong commitment ("Two silver rings on our fingers in a hurry," from "Two"), it's obvious that the narrator has been through a lot of turmoil with this dying woman even without taking her cancer into consideration. Indeed, Antlers songwriter Peter Silberman does a great job of getting the listener invested in the story; throughout the album, the listener feels the narrator's (and, in some cases, his loved one's) pain.

However, sometimes the music comes off as too epic for its own sake, most likely in an effort to match the grand scope of the story. While "Prologue" is, predictably, an instrumental introduction, following track "Kettering" also feels like an introduction, resulting in nearly seven minutes of studio trickery and guitar feedback that do little to heighten the anticipation before the album really takes off with "Sylvia." Other songs also have similar moments that just go on too long for no real reason; "Atrophy" and "Wake" have extended instrumental sections consisting of the aforementioned feedback and trickery that bloat the song lengths to nearly eight and nine minutes respectively. Thanks to these moments, the album largely comes off as too slow and meandering; the best moments are when the band picks up the pace a bit such as in "Bear" and "Two," which not so coincidentally are the songs that have been garnering The Antlers the most praise in the press. Clearly, The Antlers put a lot of thought and heart into Hospice, which is always great to see. However, getting rid of some of their overly bombastic tendencies could eventually elevate them from 'good' to 'great' status.

While independently released earlier this year, Hospice will be rereleased by Frenchkiss Records on August 18th. Stream some songs from the album here. The Antlers will be playing their closest area show on July 25th at Iron Horse in Northampton, MA, opening for Frightened Rabbit.

New music review: Discovery - LP

LP, the first album from Discovery, may initially seem like experimental electronica from members of Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, but it soon becomes obvious that the songs on LP share an odd similarity to songs on your local hip-hop and top 40 radio stations. Seems weird at first, but it sort of makes sense; both bands are known for their poppy, melodic tendencies, and with Discovery these tendencies are fully embraced. Songs like "Orange Shirt" and "Osaka Loop Line" would not seem out of place at a club, with huge synth lines, exaggerated beats on each quarter note, and lyrics like "And me, I got a crush," which ranks up there with "Shawty, you a ten" and "Kiss me through the phone" on the cheese scale.

There are, of course, some great, stranger moments that keep the listener on their toes, notably the tempo changes of "So Insane," the fuzzed out cover of "I Want You Back", and various mentions of going to the disco and/or discotheque as opposed the club. However, there are some problems with the album as well. The front half is much stronger than the back, and guests Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend are, for the most part, wasted (the former sings the line "I Want to Be Your Boyfriend," chopped up in various ways, over and over, and the latter's voice is so obscured it's nearly undifferentiable from main Discovery singer Wes Miles). Despite these shortcomings, the album is certainly interesting and, at times, ridiculously fun. Use it to jump start your next party or shock anti-top 40 radio proponents.

The album comes out July 7th courtesy of XL Recordings. You can currently stream it all on Discovery's website.

Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another

The aggressive, militant Future of the Left pull punch after punch on their second full-length, Travels With Myself and Another. The band creates songs that are simultaneously ruthless (let Future of the Left soundtrack your next Shark Week) and melodic. These two elements merge especially well in opener "Arming Eritrea" and first single "The Hope that House Built," the former with its unforgettable bridge and the latter with its slow, stomping rhythm section and surprisingly singalongable (© Tim Gilman 2009) lyrics. Other tracks, like "I Am Civil Service" and "Land Of My Formers," place Kelson Mathias' bass playing at the forefront, which reinforces the band's cutthroat nature and provides relief from contemporary indie rock's plethora of guitar-focused bands. Turn this one up really, really loud and enjoy.

Video: The Hope that House Built

So Many Dynamos - The Loud Wars review

In 2006, So Many Dynamos released their second album Flashlights, an album that improved dramatically from their first. This progression continues with The Loud Wars. Opener "Artifacts of Sound" properly introduces us to The Loud Wars by cramming in four minutes of fast, off-kilter, technical, danceable music. With songs like this, the band has the right to sing lyrics like, "Get me out of this party/Because it's boring and so uneventful/Get me out of this party/All the rhyming is so predictable"; there's never a dull moment in The Loud Wars, and it's unpredictable and interesting both musically and lyrically.

Musically, the band has never sounded better. Though initially nothing stands out as much as their most well-known song "Search Party," it's clear that every song is solid and the majority are shining achievements, resulting in what is by far their most consistently impressive album (really, only "Glaciers" fails to leave a lasting impression). What if Talking Heads had the technology of today when they formed? They'd probably have written something similar to "New Bones," one of the strangest, most unique dance rock songs released in recent memory and one of the Dynamos' most anthemic tracks. During its five minutes, the music builds and builds on top of the consistent, driving beat, slowly but surely leading to an explosive outro. It's one of the album's catchiest songs, and it's not a shock that the band chose to release it as the album's first single.

The Loud Wars has some of the band's hardest songs as well; tracks like "Oh, the Devastation!" possess unrelenting, frantic drumming and guitar work reminiscent of Cinemechanica. The impressive musicianship present in The Loud Wars is augmented by the production of Chris Walla, who helped the band create some of the best drum sounds this side of "Tired of Sex" (especially in "The Formula"), something the band wished to accomplish from the start (for anyone interested, the recording of the album is documented on So Many Dynamos' recording/touring/all-purpose blog. Check out the first posts from 2007). The album's only real issues are the sometimes overproduced vocals (notably the first verse of "The Formula") and the occasional synth overload: the synth overpowers the guitar work in "If You Didn't Want to Know," and in the intro to "It's Gonna Rain," it nearly forces the drums out of the picture. However, there are plenty of instances where the synth sounds great (notably the bridge of "Friendarmy"); sometimes the band just struggles to find the right balance.

Often times, carefully crafted and musically impressive albums serve up lyrics that are obviously little more than afterthoughts but in the case of The Loud Wars, things only get better when taking the lyrics into consideration. The band paints pictures of disorder and destruction on both a micro and macro scale. From tales of glaciers melting and the St. Louis Arch collapsing to disputes among friends and romantic interests, the album is teeming with detail-rich wordplay. Lyrics like "Wine stains on your favorite rug/And there's a hole where the living room was," ("It's Gonna Rain") and "If you wanted to know that it happened before/On the kitchen counter, the living room floor" ("If You Didn't Want to Know") exemplify this lyrical specificity, and lyrics like "The fault line skipped/And my knees keep shaking," and "In a million years we'll all just be fossils" ("The Formula") provide a sense of impending doom. If the world's going to end and there's no chance to stop it, we might as well dance and sing along as hard and loud as possible until it collapses; or, to use their words, "I don't want to make amends/I just want to make a mess." With The Loud Wars, So Many Dynamos provides the perfect music to accompany the chaos.

So Many Dynamos are touring throughout the summer, with one show coming up at Valentine's in Albany on June 11th with Maps & Atlases. As good as they are on record, they're even better live. Do yourself a favor and catch them before they blow up and play larger venues. The Loud Wars comes out on June 9th courtesy of Vagrant Records.

Listen to "Artifacts of Sound" and "New Bones" here.

Gold Sounds: Akron Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free reviewed

Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free

You see that cover up there? The one that absolutely screams Grateful Dead? That will prove to be the main obstacle preventing casual shoppers from picking up this album in the 'New Releases' section of their local record store. This is very unfortunate, because while the album and band may have its hippie leanings, Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free is a snapshot of Akron/Family at its most dynamic.

Opener "Everyone Is Guilty" sets the stage nicely, distilling the album's essence in roughly six minutes. The song starts with some funky guitars and group chanting, but eventually this musical vehicle breaks down in a fit of glorious noise. Unexpectedly, the music builds back up, this time accompanied by strings and horns, marking a triumphant ending to a triumphant song. Second track "River" even attempts to get all "Young Folks" on us, offering some prominent whistling and genuine crooning. However, the song never comes off like a 2007 indie pop retread and is one of the album's several highlights.

Unlike other Akron/Family albums, Set 'Em Wild is front-to-back a compelling, great album. In addition to the first two songs mentioned, each track has unique, memorable qualities and serves to connect the tracks preceding and following it. The three tracks following "River" are all pleasant, relatively short, mellow and, most importantly, cause the high of "Gravelly Mountains of the Moon" to seem stratospheric. "Gravelly Mountains of the Moon," the album's centerpiece, sounds as epic as its title implies, and even ends with a musical reprise of one of their previous album's highlights. Such decisions really add depth to the material; not only have Akron/Family created a fluid album with Set 'Em Wild, but they're also striving to create a fluid discography, something very few artists even attempt.

Even after this highlight, the second half of the album still holds up strongly. "They Will Appear" features guitarwork reminiscent of fellow Dead Oceans band Dirty Projectors and effortlessly transforms from quiet campfire singalong to raucous fit of noise including, of all things, some truly intense harmonica playing. "Sun Will Shine (Warmth of the Sunship Version)" features Broken Social Scene-esque walls of guitar and horns at one point and perfectly leads into piano-based final song "Last Year," with lyrics consisting solely of the repeated couplet, "Last year was a hard year for such a long time/This year's gonna be ours." With an album as polished and deep as Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, one can only hope this will be the year of Akron/Family.

Akron/Family's fifth release, Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, will be released this Tuesday, May 5th by Dead Oceans records. Listen to "Everyone Is Guilty" and "River" here and catch them on tour this week (Your humble reviewer saw them live a few months ago was thoroughly impressed):

• 2009-05-05 Newbury Comics (Newbury Street) - Special Acoustic Set, 5PM, Boston, MA
• 2009-05-05 The Middle East, Cambridge, MA
• 2009-05-06 Bowery Ballroom - ALL AGES, New York, NY
• 2009-05-08 Metronome, Burlington, VT
• 2009-05-09 Bennington College, Bennington, VT

Gold Sounds: Telekinesis - Telekinesis! reviewed

Telekinesis - Telekinesis!

Though Telekinesis is signed to Merge, it's easy to compare them to several well-known Barsuk bands; Death Cab for Cutie, Nada Surf, and Ra Ra Riot immediately come to mind when listening to this debut. "Rust" and "I Saw Lightning," the songs bookending the album, recall recent Death Cab but with a happier feel (think of what would happen if Ben Gibbard consumed numerous pixie sticks before performing "I Will Follow You into the Dark" and you might get the idea). On the other end of the spectrum, "Coast of Carolina" is one of the best upbeat, straightforward indie rock songs in recent memory. Really, that's what it comes down to; this album is 32 minutes of pure indie pop/rock (as popularized by The O.C., of course) bliss.

When recording the album, Michael Lerner (sole recording member of Telekinesis) made a point not to overthink things. The approach works for the most part: Lerner consistently sounds like an exuberant kid deeply in love with music, even if that love is for a specific variety of it. The Chris Walla (it' s like Lerner was trying to make it impossible for anyone to NOT compare Telekinesis to Death Cab) production works wonders, making each song sound crisp and gorgeous. Every track, even the acoustic "I Saw Lightning," has a bouncy feel to it, making for one of the most musically enjoyable albums released so far this year. If you're able to listen to the whole album without dancing a little, you may need to refill your Paxil prescription.

This approach has a negative impact on the lyrics, however: the catchiest choruses consist of sung 'oooohs' ("Foreign Room") and short, repeated phrases ("Tokyo," "Coast of Carolina"), and clunkers like "Tell me if I'm wrong/Tell me if I'm right/Tell me if you're something/I'm not feeling nothing" abound in multiple songs. Lerner mostly sings about girls using generalities as well, which isn't necessarily bad but certainly not terribly interesting. Only "Calling All Doctors" breaks the lyrical mold using some clever hospital-related metaphors, and the music also differs by prominently featuring piano rather than drums/bass/guitar (a nice change from the other ten songs). The song is a standout for both these reasons.

Telekinesis, like many other rising bands, is obviously influenced by Death Cab for Cutie and Barsuk Records artists in general. However, Telekinesis separates itself from the pack by embracing this influence and creating obviously passionate, joyous, and fun music. This debut may not be the most original album you'll hear this year, but if you enjoy the poppier side of indie rock then you'll definitely find something to like here.

Telekinesis! is the debut album from Telekinesis, out April 7th courtesy of Merge Records.

Listen: Myspace

Gold Sounds: Venice Is Sinking - Azar reviewed

Venice Is Sinking - Azar

The following is a review of the album Azar, the second full-length album by Venice Is Sinking

On Azar, Venice Is Sinking creates a cohesive work, pieced together by four instrumentals titled "Azar One" through "Azar Four," with the other seven tracks being more traditional songs. However, the most striking thing about Azar is that these instrumental tracks are the best songs on the album (especially "Azar Four" with its distorted yet beautiful piano). In contrast, the rest of the album is comprised of songs that simply aren't very dynamic and meander without any purpose, lacking the inventiveness of the instrumentals and possessing few if any interesting traits.

Every non-instrumental song prominently features dual male/female vocals, mainly used simply to harmonize both on the verses and choruses. While often times bands might use dual harmonizing vocals to heighten the emotional stakes, Venice Is Sinking's obvious penchant for harmonizing wears on the listener and makes the already meandering songs even more frustrating ordeals. The best non-instrumentals, "Young Master Sunshine" and "Charm Camp", are the ones that don't follow that formula: the former has the two vocalists singing different vocal parts at times, and the latter has actual dynamics, slowly building into an ending featuring loud, aggressive playing followed solely by piano. More songs like these would have been welcome among the other meandering ones.

Listening through the album, it's clear that the band knows a thing or two about production value. The production sounds very good and a healthy amount of experimentation (involving both studio trickery and unique instrumentation, including strings and horns) is used to make the songs seem more interesting. The only problem is that there are few captivating songs here; Venice Is Sinking strives for slowcore bliss on Azar but really just sound slow and boring, performing shells of songs. With more developed songwriting, Venice Is Sinking may be capable of creating a captivating album, but this album simply doesn't have the songs needed to comprise such an album.

Azar will be released on March 31st by One Percent Press

Listen: Venice Is Sinking - Azar is currently streaming in full on ilike.com

Gold Sounds: Bomb the Music Industry! - Scrambles review

Bomb the Music Industry! - Scrambles

Here's a big ol' review of an album I just listened to a couple hours ago, the anticipated new release from Bomb the Music Industry!

Musically, Bomb the Music Industry! has greatly evolved since its inception, gradually eschewing the breakneck speed, electronic punk/ska of their earlier albums (mostly recorded solely by BTMI! mastermind Jeff Rosenstock on his laptop) in favor of a full-band sound first displayed in their previous album, 2007's Get Warmer. Scrambles continues the full-band sound and makes it even fuller, with most songs having numerous things going on. Besides their obvious punk/ska influences, other musical influences are more apparent as well: "Cold Chillin' Cold Chillin'" opens the album with a lo-fi sound reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel, and the beginning of "Wednesday Night Drinkball" even borrows the melody of "History of the Defeated" by the Weakerthans. However, don't accuse these songs of being retreads: both retain an original sound, "Cold Chillin'" with its surprising (for BTMI!) restraint and unique vocal work/instrumentation (sleigh bells!) and "Drinkball" with its ominous backup chanting and unexpected, glorious 15-second burst of noise segueing perfectly into "25!". BTMI! has always strived to make ALBUMS rather than a set of songs, and nowhere is that more true than in Scrambles, with the ending of each song cleverly leading into the beginning of the next.

So what are these songs about? Besides, you know, throwing bombs at the music industry, Rosenstock is mainly concerned with the ups and downs of growing up in contemporary American society. Prior BTMI! albums have dealt with this theme, but Scrambles brings it to a different level. Instead of just lamenting the tough times of life, Rosenstock seems to be brushing off the negative in favor of embracing the greater good, that good being to pursue happiness. In "Fresh Attitude, Young Body," Rosenstock pairs lyrics like "If you don't find a steady job now/If you don't find someone to love now/You will die freezing cold and alone" with uplifting music: Dig that piano! Dig those hand claps! Yeah, there are a lot of pressures put on us to settle down and bring home the bucks, but what's the point if you're sacrificing what you love? In Scrambles, Rosenstock acknowledges the negative aspects of dream chasing (job searching, rent owing, and moving, among other things) but never attempts to dissuade the listener from pursuing whatever they wish to accomplish and never forgets that, hey, life is pretty great and full of awesome moments. As final song "Sort of Like Being Pumped" puts it, "I saw the sunset from the front of the J train tonight/The subway stopped and stammered and I couldn’t get my footing right/I tied my scarf for the walk home the sun went down by 5:45/But I saw the sunset tonight": Keep doing what you want to do because, even though life may throw you through the ringer, those little things will always be there to put a smile on your face and keep you going.

You can download this album for free from Quote Unquote Records. Seriously, you have no excuse not to check this album out. If you really dig it, donate some money to Quote Unquote (they make all their albums available digitally for free, including the rest of the Bomb the Music Industry! catalog) or grab a physical copy (CD or LP) from Asian Man Records, which is, for a limited time, accompanied by a zine created by Rosenstock and his friends.

Gold Sounds new music reviews: Charles Spearin and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Tim of Gold Sounds here, presenting two great new albums that are sure to cure your Merriweather Post Pavillion hangover.

Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project

Charles Spearin is a member of Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene, two bands known for their sometimes dreamy, sometimes abrasive, always epic music. Shades of both these bands exist on The Happiness Project (the second half of "Mr. Gowrie," the Kevin Drew-provided keys of "Mrs. Morris (Reprise)"), but the album's concept, music based on interviews Spearin conducted with his neighbors about happiness (with each track named after the subject), is entirely original and innovative. Each song contains music unique to the person being interviewed: Listen to the soulful horns of "Mrs. Morris" match up with the melody of her voice. Listen to the jubilant, fun music of "Vittoria," which perfectly fits the carefree nature of youth. Aside from the music, the album's worth listening to just for some of the interviews, especially the ones in "Vanessa" and "Mr. Gowrie," where the subjects describe happiness while overcoming deafness and poverty. If only all psychology experiments sounded this good.

The album will be released February 14th on Arts & Crafts records.

Read about and listen to some of the album here.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t LP

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart may be from New York, but they sound like they'd be more at home in the United Kingdom. Their mix of shoegaze and twee, not to mention that album cover, brings to mind greats like The Smiths, Belle and Sebastian and My Bloody Valentine. Songs like "Young Adult Friction" and "A Teenager in Love" recall the first two respectively, with the latter even including an 'I-never-saw-it-coming' religious theme. On the other end of the spectrum, opener "Contender" is a beautiful swirl of guitar sounds and final track "Gentle Sons" is an absolute triumph, combining the best qualities of the previous nine tracks into one huge, stomping anthem. The album may recall music of the past, but The Pains of Being Pure at Heart makes use of some great musical styles and combines them into something totally their own, resulting in an impressive debut.

The album will be released February 3rd on Slumberland records.

Listen to some songs from the album here and download some mp3s from their official website.

Gold Sounds: "Making up for lost time" reviews post

Hey, it's been awhile since I've written any reviews. Here are a couple to make up for lost time:

Sebastien Grainger - Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains

One listen through ex-Death from Above 1979 guy Sebastien Grainger's debut solo album reveals Grainger's passion: creating booty-shaking rock music. Every track on the album (with the exception of the momentum-killing piano ballad "Love Is Not a Contest") delivers bass-heavy rock with wailing vocals, with "Love Can Be So Mean," "I Hate My Friends" and "American Names" especially showcasing what Grainger is capable of. As a whole, however, the album's songs are slightly primitive musically and lyrically, but hey, who needs those things to have a good time, right?

"Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains" is out now courtesy of Saddle Creek Records.

Listen: Sebastien Grainger

Miniature Tigers - Tell it to the Volcano

Clever lyrics and melodic sensibilities add up to one of the year's most enjoyable pop albums, with some songs (like the ridiculously catchy "Dino Damage") adding synth into the guitar/bass/drums mix. The excellent title track "Tell it to the Volcano" exemplifies this formula and, believe it or not, is slightly reminiscent of both "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, pt. 1" by The Flaming Lips (though the band steers clear of the experimentalism on most Flaming Lips albums). The band's lyrics provide specificity and details often absent from most music of this sort, which is never a bad thing ("I watched you through your window/I was wearing that dumb sweatshirt/I looked like a goon/I was dressed for winter even though it was the middle of June," and "You moved up close/I could feel your sweat/I kissed you on the neck and you got wet" are some prime examples). Overall, this is a great alternative to that Vampire Weekend album you've probably worn out by now.

"Tell it to the Volcano" is out now courtesy of Modern Art Records.

Listen: Miniature Tigers

Gold Sounds: sBACH's new s/t album reviewed

sBACH is the name of Spencer Seim's solo project. Seim plays guitar for Hella and also drums for The Advantage. Those familiar with either musical venture know, in a way, what to expect, and fans of both bands can almost entirely predict the album's sound. Seim takes equal parts Hella and The Advantage, adds a little extra 8-bit influence and blends them together to create this self-titled album.

Seim knows a good thing when he hears it. Songs such as "04" and "08" present really intriguing material, especially "08" with its complex, feedback-filled and awe-inspiring central guitar riff and surrounding drum/electronic freakout. Without a doubt, the song claims the crown of the album's best track. It's worth noting that "08" is significantly longer than most of the other tracks on the album (which, if you can't tell, are all named "01," "02," etc.). It's also worth noting that the intro of "01" is actually the intro to "08," but "01" abruptly switches gears about 25 seconds into the track to introduce a totally different-sounding song, full of guitar-picking and somewhat annoying beeping noises, which are reminiscent of a cell phone's default ringtone at times. Eventually the beeping speeds up in frequency and, thankfully, the track ends soon after.

As with "01", most of the album's 13 tracks run no longer than three minutes, and these tracks are basically hit-or-miss. There are a lot of good songs here, but most of them prove to be either much more interesting than enjoyable or much more enjoyable than interesting; the two are nearly always mutually exclusive. This situation causes most of the tracks to be pretty bland. For example, the screeching electronics of "03" nearly make the track unlistenable, which is unfortunate because the other aspects of the track are very well done. There's something to be said for experimentation, but experimentation at the chance of alienating the listener always proves risky, and unfortunately this kind of experimentation permeates the album. On the other end of the spectrum, "06" provides a great synth melody and accompanying outer space-esque bleeps and bloops. Nothing too crazy goes on in the song, but it makes for one of the album's best tracks.

It's of course worth noting Seim's obvious high level of musicianship. His guitar work in the songs is undoubtedly complex, as is his frantic drumming. The problem here isn't with his musical abilities, but with his ideas and how they're executed. For every good song on the album, there's a complimentary one that seems haphazardly pieced together, ruining the album's flow time and time again. Overall, the strength of the good tracks definitely warrants at least the initial full listen, but the large number of mediocre ones definitely hurts the album's replay value.

The album is out now on Suicide Squeeze records. sBACH will also be touring with Pinback this fall, with shows in the northeast spread throughout the beginning of October.

Rating: 5.5/10. Key tracks: 06, 08

Listen: Myspace

Gold Sounds: We Versus the Shark "Dirty Versions" album review

I was in the middle of writing a pretty long (and long overdue) review of We Versus the Shark's newest album, but then my computer messed up and I lost it all. Here's the abbreviated version:



We live in a time of cultural stagnation, with music being no exception, what with the majority of up-and-coming bands aping rock bands of yore (and very few of them worth your time, in this reviewer's humble opinion). In this climate, it's good to know that some musicians are more concerned with creating new, unique, and interesting music, We Versus the Shark among them. Have you ever heard anything as intense as opener "Hello Blood?" The blistering track starts immediately at full force and doesn't let up for its 2:46 duration. Exhilarating? Check. Inventive? Check (Oh, the time changes. Oh, the dual guitar lines). Listenable? Check, and that's the most important check of all; We Versus manage to avoid completely alienating the listener while treating them to something totally original. The album's not without its faults (lyrics/vocals occasionally seem like an afterthought, last track "Practical Animals" falls victim to some questionable mixing decisions, and a certain track-to-track cohesion is somewhat lacking) but it's loud, it's frantic, it's inventive, and yeah, it's dirty. What could be better?

Rating: 9/11. Key Tracks: "Hello Blood," "Dogs," "Gothic Y'all," "Keep it Wolf." Also, numerical ratings are kind of silly, don't you think?

Listen to We Versus the Shark live here. It's a high quality bootleg that's worth your time. All but the first and last song are featured on Dirty Versions, and they sound just as good live as they do on compact disc. Of course, the two non-Dirty Versions tracks are also worth a listen.

The more traditional route: Myspace

REVIEW: Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong - Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong

Remember that ex-upcoming album I mentioned earlier today? Well here it is. Can Blogger even handle that long of a post title? The (almost released) new album from Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong (here on referenced as "the band" because goodness I just can't type it anymore) was canceled at the end of July, just five days before it was due for release. The band said, "we can create a record that is much better, more exciting, more representative of our sound and generally more delightful to listen to."

I don't know about all that. This record is definitely a good listen. From a band that's played SXSW AND Glastonbury in one year, it's apparent that there is plenty of potential from this pop-indie group. The album opens with "Lucio Starts Fires," a single that was released back in October 2007. Upon listening, the Strokes might come to mind given all the clashing guitars and such. However, listen a little more closely. There is a stronger, more full sound to the track.

On "Where Do You Go," the band introduces the first of two great singles from this album. This track really highlights the bands energy which must translate to something fierce in the live performance. Check out the last portion of the song for an intense guitar riff.

My personal favorite on this album is "Brooklyn." It has a real doowop sound which seems to appear throughout the album but is at it's strongest here. Complete with background singers and a bass line, this one is a winner. Hopefully it will be re-recorded for the actual release of this album.

The album comes out sometime in 2009 when I'll most likely re-write this review. However, I won't leave you hanging! Here's one track to whet your appetite.

3.5/5

Official Site
MySpace

JL & the JJJ - "Brooklyn":

REVIEW: Upcoming!

Have I got a treat or two for you folks! Got more music to review from some upcoming (and ex-upcoming) albums. What do I mean by "ex-upcoming?" Come back tomorrow (or late tonight) and find out! There's really good music out there and I intend to share it with you.

One group is an indie rock band from England and has toured with CSS and Kaiser Chiefs. They also played this year's SXSW and Glastonbury Festival. The other band is named after a Gastr del Sol song and is known as a Chicago-based indie super group.

Oo

REVIEW: Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line

It's been a while since anyone has posted an album review here so I thought it was high time to get some new music out to the masses.

After releasing the promising Ra Ra Riot EP last summer, dealing with the death of drummer John Pike, and going on two tours, Ra Ra Riot is ready to formally break onto the scene with The Rhumb Line. What is a rhumb line, you ask? Why, it's the path taken by a vessel that maintains a constant compass direction. What a fitting title it is, then, when no less than half of the tracks on this record are written by John Pike. His death definitely influences the tone of the album. But it's not all funeral songs. It is also a celebration.

The marriage of strings and indie rock is a good one. With Alexandra Lawn on cello and Rebecca Zeller on violin, Ra Ra Riot reminds me (and a number of other listeners, apparently) of Arcade Fire. The opening track, "Ghost Under Rocks," give the listener a sense of the profound loss endured by the band. Songs such as "St. Peter's Day Festival" and "Winter '05" only add to this tone.

However, they are able to provide enough variation that the mood doesn't get old. I don't think I've ever wanted to keep listening to an album about loss and death. Yet the celebratory notes in the tunes keep me drawn in. This is especially true for the album's single, "Dying Is Fine." Make sure to pay attention to the interlude from just before 2:00 to 2:40. The guitar/violin/cello dynamic here is intense and probably the height of the album for me.

Does the album get you down? Then check out "Too Too Too Fast," a upbeat synth track that provides a break from the chamber music sound. Listening to it reminds me of some modernized version of "Take On Me" but a little more mellow. And no, I'm not talking the Reel Big Fish or A1 versions.

I had a chance to see the sextet live at the Siren Music Festival and did they ever provide an energetic show! Too bad you'll have to drive the 2.5 hours to Syracuse if you want to see them for yourself (Syracuse University, 9/7).

In any case, The Rhumb Line comes out August 19 but you can pre-order it now from the Ra Ra Riot website.

4/5

Tracklist:
1] Ghost Under Rocks
2] Each Year
3] St. Peter's Day Festival
4] Winter '05
5] Dying Is Fine
6] Can You Tell
7] Too Too Too Fast
8] Oh, La
9] Suspended in Gaffa
10] Run My Mouth

Official Site
MySpace


Dying Is Fine
The Rhumb Line Studio Version:



Ra Ra Riot EP Version:

REVIEW: Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

It's 4 AM on Tuesday morning. Do you know where your new Death Cab For Cutie album is?? I got my dirty little paws on a copy early (it's been floating around the interwebs since 5/2) and just finished listening to it. This is the Bellingham, WA group's 7th studio album and 2nd album with Atlantic Records (the first being Plans in 2005).

Let me get this out of the way first: take what you expect from this album and throw it out the window. OK now that's done, let's move on.

Narrow Stairs marks a dark turn in Death Cab's sound. Sure they still write about rejection, lost love, and regret, but in an especially melancholy way. The album finds the group using massive production, long build-ups, and careening echoes left hanging like so much dust in the air. Where Plans has a more pop sound, Narrow Stairs takes that sound and drags it through some dark twisting alleyways for a bit. What you end up with is a collection of songs that leave the lost lover narrative behind and take on a more menacing (and quite creepy) sound.

The intro to the first track, "Bixby Canyon Bridge," fools you into thinking this might be like Plans but no! The heavy guitar riff that kicks in tells you that you've left Kansas behind and entered a new dark world that Ben Gibbard will lead you through with his clear voice. The song ends with Gibbard singing the last verse over guitar feedback. I think Karouac would have approved of this song and Gibbard has said as much (see here and here).

The single "I Will Possess Your Heart" once again comes at you with a bass/piano riff intro then comes the stalking vocals. No, really. After hearing this track, I went to double check all my window shades were drawn and doors locked so Mr. Gibbard over there wouldn't break in or anything. Check it: "You reject my advances and desperate pleas / I won't let you let me down so easily" Wow. Luckily I happen to be on the male side of things. Ladies, good luck...and keep the narrator 100 yards away from you at all times.

Personally, I'm a fan of "Your New Twin Sized Bed." With some cheesy (but still decent) metaphors and a more upbeat sound, it is romantic and longing. Also check out "Grapevine Fires" where Gibbard's writing really shines through. As a comment on the southern California fires and the experience of watching them, I'd say this is one of the best tracks on the album.

So what have we learned today kids? By the end of this record, Gibbard has led us through a haunting world where people live with a lack of love and a deep understanding of loneliness. Though it may have some perky moments ("No Sunlight" and "Long Division"), Narrow Stairs is definitely an album bathed in the lack of light. I find it to be Death Cab's best album since Transatlanticism (though Plans wasn't bad).

4.5/5

Tracklist:

1] Bixby Canyon Bridge
2] I Will Possess Your Heart
3] No Sunlight
4] Cath...
5] Talking Bird
6] You Can Do Better Than Me
7] Grapevine Fires
8] Your New Twin Sized Bed
9] Long Division
10] Pity And Fear
11] The Ice Is Getting Thinner

Official Site
MySpace

Gold Sounds: Pattern Is Movement's new album "All Together" reviewed!

Pattern Is Movement - All Together

Philadelphia's Pattern Is Movement, who recently became a duo, are back with their third album (and first on new label Hometapes) All Together.

The band is often compared to Pinback, a comparison that makes sense in that both bands make intricate, minimalist pop songs with very precise rhythms. Indeed, nothing about this album is sloppy. Not one note of the album is extraneous, and all ten songs are very concise. Though all this is evident to the listener, none of it takes away from the record's appeal. While it sounds complicated on paper, this assembly line-like efficiency somehow translates to a very pleasant listen; everything just sounds so right about this album. It's impossible to listen from start to finish without finding yourself bobbing your head to at least one song, and the album is filled with many surprising twists and turns, keeping the listener interested and wondering what will happen next.

Starting with the very beginning of the first song "Bird," Pattern Is Movement reel the listener in and show them they mean business. Quick drumming and sailing vocals anchor the beginning of "Bird," but then out of nowhere everything stops and a single, beautiful Rhodes piano figure is performed, followed by a similarly beautiful flute piece, courtesy of member Andrew Thiboldeaux's mellotron. The breakdown ends as abruptly as it starts, flawlessly transitioning back into the song's opening notes. The band does not miss a beat during this song, which can be said for the rest of the album as well.

Similarly shocking are the transitions between songs. The subdued "Sea Captain," which sounds sort of like a waltz on a cruise ship, ends very innocuously but leads into the opening horn blare (again, the wonders of the mellotron) of "Sound of Your Voice," with singer Andrew Thiboldeaux declaring "How I just like the sound of your voice!" triumphantly over the music. This turn of events is surprising enough, but the immediate, driving introduction shortly gives way to a drumming/Rhodes piano breakdown (one of the album's best moments), and right when this breakdown ends, these two parts of the song are immediately repeated. All the songs employ repetition to great effect, and their ideas are so unique that this repetition does not bore the listener. It's obvious that the band named themselves Pattern Is Movement for a reason.

There are just so many impressive songs on this album, it's difficult to discuss them all in one review. "Peach Trees" offers some of the album's best and most haunting melodies, while "Jenny Ono" possesses an amazing vocal performance by Thiboldeaux. His vocal delivery, at first listen, sounds better suited for opera than pop, but they compliment the band's music very nicely, though lyrics are very hard to make out the majority of the time. As previously mentioned, all instrumentation is carefully calculated, but the main force behind the music of Pattern Is Movement is Chris Ward's drumming. The man clearly has talent, and none of these songs would work as well without his consistently impressive percussion skills. With his drumming, he serves as the band's navigation system, keeping them on track throughout all their unique instrumental flourishes. Without it, the lofty instrumentation would be harder to stomach and consistently listen to, and the music would just sail off into the distance, never to be remembered again.

All aspects considered, Pattern Is Movement have made a very impressive third album. Every song has a moment that makes an impression in the mind of the listener and stays there all day. Some songs are a little more impressive than others (it's hard not to play favorites here), but there are absolutely no duds on the record. Check out the band on tour in smaller venues around the Northeast before the influx of good reviews occurs, which it will. All Together is one of the best, most unique albums released so far this year, and it will serve to put the band on the map in 2008.

Rating: 8.5/10

Key Tracks: Sound of Your Voice, Peach Trees, Jenny Ono

Listen: Myspace

The album will be released in the U.S. on May 6th via Hometapes

Gold Sounds: Tokyo Police Club's new album "Elephant Shell" reviewed

Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell

The third in a series of reviews of albums by bands whose prior releases have solely consisted of EPs and singles. Tokyo Police Club's song repertoire before this album consisted of, at most, 30 minutes of music: a 7 song EP, a 3 song EP, and the Your English Is Good single. Despite the meager portions Tokyo Police Club has served the world in the past, the band has been subjected to great praise since releasing the 7 song A Lesson In Crime EP in 2006. Each song packed insanely catchy guitar rock melodies (think "Is This It?") into songs no longer than three minutes. This brevity has served Tokyo Police Club well; perhaps the melodies would grow tired and repetitive to the listener if they were to extend past the three minute mark, but the band instead chooses to ride out the melody until it gets old, then they stop the song altogether.

Keeping this in mind, it's no surprise that Tokyo Police Club's first full length album follows the same formula for the most part. All 11 songs have catchy hooks and short lengths (the album runs for 28 minutes). Last year's single "Your English Is Good" (which makes an appearance on this album) is the exception, clocking in at a lengthy 3 minutes and 12 seconds! By now, you get the point: Tokyo Police Club make short songs with a sense of immediacy about them, and this album is no exception. However, while this new batch of songs is still decent and catchy, it's very hard not to think that the band is somewhat of a one-trick pony. Even more unfortunate is the fact that there aren't as many good songs here as there are on A Lesson in Crime, which is a real problem considering the music world has waited for this full length for over a year now.

That's not to say that the album doesn't have some attention grabbing songs. Seriously, some tracks are catchy as hell; the opening "Centennial" and "Nursery, Academy" have driving, get-off-your-ass drum beats, "Graves" starts off with a sweet keyboard hook (the catchiest of the album), and yeah, the album has 2007 standout "Your English Is Good", which would probably still sound amazing had I not played it to death last year.

Unfortunately, most of the other songs aren't as memorable as anything on A Lesson In Crime. The worst offender, "The Harrowing Adventures Of..." finds the band trying to incorporate glockenspiels and strings into their hand claps and guitars (here, acoustic) sound. However, the song fails to sound anything but schmaltzy. This failure is more alarming because it shows that the band fails when they do something different than what they normally do (and what they normally do is not as exciting on Elephant Shell as it has been in the past). What does a band do when they can't squeeze as much life out of their previously successful formula and can't be successful when they deviate from that formula? Speaking of schmaltz, I really enjoy the vocal melodies of "Listen to the Math," but lyrics about people gasping about babies being born are somewhat ridiculous and take away from the enjoyment.

Aside from the schmaltz issue, my main gripe with Elephant Shell is how homogeneous it sounds. In most cases, it's really hard to differentiate one song from another. Even though most songs on the album aren't bad, this is a little disappointing; each song on A Lesson In Crime had its own distinct feel to it, whereas these songs do not. The three songs after "Graves" are catchy, yes, but it's really really hard to tell the difference between the three because they sound so similar to each other. Homogeneity leads to filler, and an 11 song, 28 minute album really can't afford to suffer from such a thing. Unfortunately, Elephant Shell does suffer from the filler problem, ultimately resulting in less memorable songs than the much shorter A Lesson In Crime EP. I look forward to seeing if the band can remedy this in their future releases.

Rating: 5/11

Key Tracks: "Graves", "Centennial"

The album comes out in the U.S. on April 22nd via Saddle Creek Records

Listen: Myspace

Gold Sounds: Los Campesinos! new album Hold On Now, Youngster reviewed

Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster

Welsh septet (!) Los Campesinos! is one of many bands releasing their debut full-length in 2008 while attempting to deliver on a promising EP. Their brand of indie pop is full of shout-along verses and choruses as well as slightly out-of-the-ordinary instrumentation (glockenspiels and violins are prevalent in their songs). However, instead of distracting from the rest of the music, they serve as just two more pieces of the whole; each instrument (including vocals) assists in completing the songs and makes them more enjoyable.

One of the things I liked about last year's EP was how FUN it was. Every song made me want to jump around and dance like a maniac. Though the album is longer, most songs still have a similar effect. Single "My Year in Lists" exemplifies this quality; the drumming provides a solid beat and lyrics about the romantic implications of decorated stationary and the breaking of New Year's resolutions will make you laugh or at least crack a smile, guaranteed. The chorus also is one of the album's catchiest (employing the previously mentioned violin and glockenspiel to great effect; the chorus wouldn't be as memorable without them, though they hardly distract from the rest of the music). Another highlight is opener "Death to Los Campesinos!," whose lyrics I really love, speaking of being "better off with artificial intelligence" and "ctrl-alt-deleting your face with no reservation." This album isn't only new in sound, its lyrics are also contemporary, which I enjoy (if you read my last article, I'm somewhat tired of the obscene amount of new music that would have sounded just as comfortable in the 70s or another previous decade as they do today).

Indeed, one strong point of Los Campesinos! is their lyrics. Most bands often get lazy and sort of add lyrics as an after sight, but in LC!'s case, lyrics really add something to the song, usually a certain sort of giddiness and excitement (and they're clever to boot). It's obvious that the band pays more attention to writing lyrics than most bands (or else they're just naturally good at it). My personal favorite are in "We Are All Accelerated Readers," where they're about relationships, but in a cleverer (there's that word again) way. Instead of whining about breaking up, they ponder the point of entering relationships in the first place:

You should have built a statue
And so I did of you
But you were ungrateful and slightly offended at the dimensions of it
You said you look less like the Venus de Milo
And more like your mother in a straitjacket
I think it's great that you're doing fine now, but enough is enough
And I've had enough

It's a unique perspective for a pop song to take, which is pretty refreshing. Also in the song is favorite and probably soon-to-be frequently quoted lyric, "The opposite of true love is as follows - reality!"

There are a couple tracks I'm not too fond of, however: both "Knee Deep at ATP" and bonus track "2007, The Year Punk Broke (My Heart)" deviate from the Los Campesinos! norm by spending their duration building from quiet to loud, sparse instrumentation to a cacophony of sound (the former being the most obvious). I give them points for trying something different, but the music in both the songs is unremarkable, and I find the climaxes to be sort of, well, anti-climatic. However, "Knee Deep" has more excellent lyrics; "2007" is really the only song on the album that lacks in that department.

The 12 song album also has three songs from previous releases (including one of 2007's best songs, "You! Me! Dancing"). The three songs are all great, but I hope this doesn't mean the band is running out of ideas. I would hate to see their next release be a disappointment by being unoriginal because as the moment, Los Campesinos! is anything but; it's a hard task for a band to make music fun again in this day and age, but LC! are succeeding with frantic pop songs and lyrics to match. I'm sort of apprehensive about what will happen next, but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy this album in the meantime.

Rating: 9/12

Key Tracks: Death to Los Campesinos!, My Year in Lists, We Are All Accelerated Readers

Listen: myspace

Addendum: I'm in sort of a unique position to review this album; I heard the EP last year and played it literally all the time on my radio show, and now I'm studying in a country they tour in all the time (living near Wales and all). The album already came out here last month, but isn't out in the States until April 1. Judging by their huge rise of popularity over here since the album came out (selling out shows in small and midsized venues in the UK and Ireland), their upcoming U.S. tour should be a rousing success. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in Ireland and they were definitely a lot of fun. See them in NYC or Boston this May!