MIDDLE BROTHER: MIDDLE BROTHER
[rating:4]
Middle Brother: Middle Brother
Label: Partisan Records
Release date: March 1, 2011
Middle Brother is the new kid on the exploding and frankly over saturated new-Americana block. With three singer songwriters from three burgeoning bands that play with modern folk-rock styles, this is something of a mini-indie-super-group, not unlike their more famous brethren in Monsters of Folk. John McCauley (Deer Tick), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), and Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit) joined forces for an unannounced show at last year’s SXSW festival to showcase their one rehearsal of the album’s songs. A musical baby was born.
Their self titled debut mixes and matches each writer’s distinct style with an alluring spirit of collaboration to weave a warm and intoxicating blanket of hangover blues, wicked self-loathing, and ramshackle celebration. No voice dominates as each songwriter recognizes the greater good lies within the song. Lyrically, the boys are weary and broken hearted but find a resolute wish inside their mourning. By blending the tragic and the hopeful, Middle Brother paints with heartfelt brushstrokes as all three songwriters pick up the pieces of their shattered selves filled with mistakes, lust and shame. Music may be the only reason to carry on.
Vasquez, perhaps the least heralded member is a revelation for those unfamiliar with Delta Spirit’s work. “Blue Eyes” sparkles with crystalline melodies that feel more robust upon each listen. He sings the ode to a crush with lush emotion, “She’s a southern girl without the drawl/She’s a good girl who wears black bras/The only one who can make me crawl/She’s too sweet to force me”. Slinky yet direct electric guitar work and vivid piano accents allow the song to bounce forward, building beauty. “Theater” is perhaps the most angrily elegant song on the album with a desolate refrain that rings out, “This life won’t tell you nothing/nothing but lies”. Vasquez’s “Someday” is another nugget of perfection, mixing doo-wop and R&B-ish harmonies to form a weirdly creative synthesis of modern country folk and Brill Building aesthetics that somehow makes perfect sense.
McCauley brings his very personal, raucous and gritty rock n’ roll sensibility to “Me, Me, Me” and “Middle Brother”. The former is supported by big three part harmonies from his two compadres and the latter is a hefty dose of McCauley’s self-loathing tied to a boisterous mash up of Jerry Lee Lewis vibes and “All Shook Up” melodies. In McCauley’s best work his combination of self-depreciating humor, lucid acknowledgement of personal pain, and an anguished singing voice make him a somewhat tragic figure, supremely talented yet self destructive.
Goldsmith’s brand of sincere story telling showcased so prominently on Dawes’ fabulous debut North Hills, is displayed in its most stylistically simple format on “Thanks for Nothing” where a sparse arrangement deftly allows his words and heart to shine. “Wilderness” echoes the sense of despair that turns up frequently on Middle Brother, albeit couched in the prettiest of melodies. “I plan to be the guy who when he drinks/he disappoints/They say you’ll kill yourself before you know it/Well, isn’t that the point”. Unfortunately, “Blood and Guts” is the first and only Goldsmith creation that feels slightly overblown by the middle.
A cover of Paul Westerberg’s “Portland” is a perfect choice. The former Replacements front man wrote this track after a particularly rough night in the Northwest during the 80s when he and his band mates were unable to complete a performance due to an excess of grandpa’s cough medicine. Because Middle Brother echoes the Replacement’s dirty beauty, the instantly hook filled guitar line fits in perfectly. Westerberg’s words tell the story, “Regrets, misgivings, but we won’t change/Its too late to turn back/here we go”.
On the album closing “Million Dollar Bill” the musical brothers collaborate on a breakup lullaby with crisp snare hits and alternate singing the verses. A pure spirit of teamwork and support lifts the songs “oohs” toward a real place of heartbreak, friendship, and the hope of a better future. Middle Brother keeps the flame alive.
Q + A: TEEEL
Teeel is Central NJ producer Jim Smith. A synthesized gear head, Smith makes totally radical electronic mood music with heart and vintage Moogs for 80s teen queens, party animals, freaks, geeks, new wavers and beach gazers. Generously doused in cool ocean blue tones and summer night beats, this sound is chill but never cold and sure. It’s nostalgic, but in a sincere way that only a child of the 80s could evoke. Echoes of New Order, OMD, and The Cure are immediately apparent both in vibe and vocals, but what isn’t readily known, is what makes this release so sublime. Personal inspirations, family revelations and an occasional Sci-Fi/Horror/Fantasy tale – there’s more here than meets the eye (80s reference – intentional) with every subsequent spin of Teeel’s Moodgadget debut, Amulet.
up in the 80s, I was obsessed with MTV and music videos. I’m definitely a huge fan of New Order and The Cure but I also love everything from death metal, drum n bass to down tempo and French electro. I’m kind of all over the place with music. I go through spurts of genres. It really depends on the mood, season and what I’m doing that defines what I want to hear.
T:My best friend and I lived across the street from 2 older guys that were in a metal band. We used to go over there everyday and watch their band practice. I ended up buying a guitar from one of them and we started our own band. That was my first attempt at making music. After I went to a rave, I got really into DJ-ing and eventually wanting to produce my own music.
DS: Was there always music on around the house?
T:Yes! Actually my step dad was a total new wave head in the 80s, so I was fortunate to discover music at an early age. We still send emails to each other with new finds and he recently gave me a ton of great vinyl to listen too. He’s been a huge inspiration for me. There was always music blasting from my bedroom too. I give my mom a lot of credit for putting up with it. Now the credit goes to my wife. She’s been there from my early death metal days to the present where the bass is continuously pumping from my studio/office.
DS: When did you really get into electronic music and playing it?
T:It was around 1996, I discovered drum and bass music. I was playing in a metal band and I thought: this is the darkest and scariest music in the electronic world. It was really easy to fall into it as a metal head. I went to a ton of drum and bass parties and became hooked. I had a crappy PC computer running Acid Pro and some loops and began to write music. I really didn’t know what I was doing but it’s always been fun to create.
DS: Do you think because of your broad musical exposure and experience, that you’re more likely to explore different styles?
T: I think I’ll continue to grow my sound, like most artists do. I’ve been pretty gung-ho with Teeel so I’m excited to see where this goes. I just want to keep things fresh and not get bored. I have a ton of ideas that need to get from my head to my music. This is only the beginning.
DS: I know you’ve had to contend with the Chillwave label, but your songs seem to have a warmth and loveliness that goes beyond the way it was layered or produced. Do you think it’s hard right now to make dreamy Synth Pop and not be branded Chillwave?
T:I’ve heard so many people mention Chillwave. I personally love a lot of Chillwave-labelled musicians out there so it doesn’t offend me. I just want to make music for people to listen to and they can call it whatever they like. I think because I use a lot of reverb, my music gets thrown into the Chillwave bucket but I have every intention of writing songs that clearly have more of an electro and Synth Pop feel.
T:No. [laughs].
DS: I know you’re a Moog maniac, but is there any other “hipstrument” you would consider recording with?
T: Absolutely, my Yamaha DX7 is the reason there is Teeel.
DS: What about the Theremin? Keytar? Melodica?
T:I really want a Theremin but it’s further down the list. Actually, if I could find a mint white MOOG Liberation Keytar, I might be the happiest nerd alive.
DS: What are some artists/albums that influenced Amulet that people wouldn’t automatically guess?
T: Well for 2010 it would be a lot of Air, Röyksopp, Telefon Tel Aviv, Com Truise, 311, The Album Leaf, Chromeo, Midnight Juggernauts, TOBACCO, Cut Copy, Phantogram, Deftones, Just Jack, anything from the Valerie Collective and lots of old Madonna.
DS: KEXP recently played Corduroy Swell between Lykkie Li and Wye Oak. For live shows, what contemporary artists would you like to share a bill with?
T: Wow, there are so many but right off the top of my head would be Cut Copy, FM Attack, Grum, Tesla Boy, Chromeo or even The Deftones would be pretty epic.
DS: What about New Order?
T: I have been getting lots of comparisons to them which is kind of funny. I didn’t really listen to them that much while writing “Amulet” but I’m absolutely a big fan. And now that I’ve been given these comparisons I listen to them all the time. They are phenomenal.
DS: It’s undeniable, to a lot of electronic artists, they were as important and influential as The Beatles. They clearly impacted your life and affected your song writing. Do you think their impact on the music world would have been even greater had they grown moustaches?
T: Moustaches and synthesizers don’t mix so it could have possibly ruined their career although Peter Hook rocked a beard.
DS: In a fight between a clean-shaven Tom Selleck, John Oates circa ‘82, and a tiger shark, who would win? Please note: Oates’ mo’ is at maximum swag level.
T: Definitely the shark, only because it’s one of my favourite animals. Second place goes to John Oates, then Tom Selleck only because he annoys me. Good question!
DS: Last question: If your music were a moustache, what kind of moustache would it be?
T: I’d have to go with handlebars just because I can’t grow them out. [laughs]
Continue Reading the full article > Download the Fall 2011 Issue of DISCOSALT MAGAZINE
FULL CHICKEN DINNER: SECOND NATURE
Winner of Best Adventure Sport film at the 5 Point Film Festival in Colorado and Official Selection of both the 2010 San Francisco Independent Film Festival and the Durango Independent Film Festival, Colin Blackshear’s “Second Nature” is an exploration of the abstract and the extreme. The film stars skaters Noah Sakamoto, Patrick Rizzo and J.M. Duran rocking blue suits to race down the roads of the High Sierras in California with music from Chris Vibberts, Quinn McCarthy, Dru Down and Nathaniel Aslaksen.
CHROMEO RECORD THE WORLD’S SMALLEST ALBUM
Electro-funk all-stars Chromeo are breaking records with their new record, Drive Time, which is also the world’s smallest. 55 tracks clocking in at just over 3 minutes! Is this a goof? Probably, but watch as Dave and P speak to legendary producer Dave Bascombe (Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, Tears For Fears) about the ADD project which according to our sources, does actually exists, just limited to 40 copies. If we can get our hands on a copy, you will be the first to know.
NEW VIDEO FROM YUCK: GET AWAY
One of our favorite new bands, Yuck has a new video for the crunchy distorted “Get Away”, directed by “Michael”. With obvious nods to Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Pavement and My Bloody Valentine, Yuck takes different elements of shoegaze, noise pop, punk and dream pop to form their garage rock aesthetic and undeniably one of the best albums to be released this year. Follow the band on the road, as they pick up a nymph-like naked female hitchhiker with some serious fat in the can…crisco that is, or maybe olive oil ( hopefully). Things get weird, and greasy.
THE STROKES: ANGLES
[rating:4.0]
The Strokes: Angles
Label: Rough Trade
Release Date: March 22, 2011
The Strokes officially release their fourth studio album, Angles tomorrow on Rough Trade. After such a long hiatus and hyped as the first Strokes album with creative input from all five members, we were not quite sure what to expect from this album. But despite this albums diverse collaborative input and attempt to rebuild the band from the ground up, this is definitely still a “Strokes album”. If you are expecting an ambitious statement from the band that will push the musical landscape in a new direction, you will no doubt be disappointed with this album. What you can expect is a collection of new songs from a continually evolving band, with a new sound that is refreshing but also familiar, maintaining their signature sound; catchy hooks, punchy guitars , Juliens droning monotone croon, subtle hints at reggae and 80’s rock. After heavy rotation, this album proves itself a highly redeemable work, one of the bands most interesting, if uneven EP’s that is better and better with each listen. Like 2001’s overly hyped/ mis-represented Is This It, Angles is just straightforward catchy pop rock, meant to be enjoyed as just that. Pitchfork might want these guys to “quit while they’re ahead”, but if anything, Angles proves the Strokes are a band forging forward, and we are glad they keep on, keeping on.
Read a more in depth album review from Discosalt contributing writer Andrew Bailey below:
Angles frequently sounds more like an album heavily influenced by The Strokes than actually by The Strokes. There seems to be a lot less attention to detail in the songwriting, the track-for-track reliance on big garage rock guitar riffs isn’t so aggressive, and the 1980′s have clearly left a very palpable impression. Even some alien reggae influences have seeped in on “Machu Picchu”, easily one of the record’s best tracks. Above all else though, what really stands out here is the quality of production (at last). The rugged garage aesthetic made sense on Is This It and even to some extent on Room on Fire. But by the time the band reached First Impressions — where they finally started trying to merge the old with the new — it started feeling overly manufactured. The Strokes are, after all, a big time rock group now. And they aren’t in their early-20′s anymore, either. Clinging to the same old lackluster production quality might have coddled a few old fans still starstruck by the sound they broke in with, but it wouldn’t have done anything for the band’s progression. All these changes might be big splashes of cold water to the face, but they’re all incredibly welcome ones. (Read More HERE)
Stream the entire album on the Strokes website right HERE.
NY PREMIERE OF DIY FILM: UNCLE KENT THIS SUNDAY
Join Rooftop Films this Sunday at the Ace Hotel for the New York Premiere of DIY director Joe Swanberg’s latest film UNCLE KENT, starring Kent Osborne as a cartoonist spending a sexually charged weekend with a woman he met on Chat Roulette. The film is an achingly true-to-life modern comedy about aging, loneliness, desire, and the awkward intimacies of online friendship.
40 year-old Kent (Kent Osborne) is an unmarried children’s-show writer living alone with his cat in Los Angeles. He spends his days sketching gag cartoons and bouncing ideas off his hyperactive friend, Kev (Kevin Bewersdorf), and his nights staving off loneliness in Internet chat rooms. When one of Kent’s online acquaintances, environmental journalist Kate (Jennifer Prediger), crashes at his house for the weekend, he finds himself attracted to her coquettish manner and frank emotional openness but sexually frustrated by her fidelity to a distant boyfriend.
Shot on location in Los Angeles, UNCLE KENT advances many themes and elements found in Swanberg’s early films (Hannah Takes The Stairs, Nights and Weekends, Alexander the Last), including freely improvised dialogue, art-mirrors-life setups, and a renewed emphasis on how technology and social media enable (or disable) human connection. The cast includes previous collaborators Kent Osborne and composer/actor Kevin Bewersdorf, director Josephine Decker, and newcomer Jennifer Prediger. The film made its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival as Swanson’s Park City debut.
Actresses Jennifer Prediger and Josephine Decker will be in attendance to answer questions following the screening.
When:
Sunday, March 27, 2011
7:00 PM Doors Open. Seats are first come, first served, so get there early.
7:45 PM Film begins.
9:00 PM Q and A with actresses Jennifer Prediger and Josephine Decker.
Where:
Inside at Liberty Hall at Ace Hotel New York
20 West 29th Street (btwn 5th and Broadway), New York, NY 10001
Subway: Take the N, R to 28th Street or the B, D, F, M, Q to Herald Square
Admission: No charge.
FULL CHICKEN DINNER: BETWEEN BEARS
Winner of the 2010 Vimeo Video Awards for Animation, Eran Hilleli’s “Between Bears” is a beautifully animated film that was crafted as a debt to her childhood and other lives she hopes to have lived. Inspired by words of songs that she admires, the film features original music by Ori Avni and Daniela Spector.
CNN AND VIMEO TEAM UP FOR VISUAL DIARY OF SXSW
This week, Discosalt is in Austin, TX at SXSW film + music festival, keeping you updated on our adventures via twitter. Only one day in, and we have already met some really cool bands on our flight and sallied up for some serious eats at Franklin BBQ on E. 11th. Looking forward to a great week of films and music! Want to see more of SXSW? Check out the collaborative visual diary from CNN iReporters and Vimeo, “SXSW: By the Numbers”.
“During the first four days of SXSW, March 11th – 14th, 2011, hand-selected iReporters and Vimeo filmmakers, and CNN and Vimeo staff covered the SXSW Conferences and Festivals from their own unique perspectives, and shared their daily video footage with the iReport editorial team. CNN condensed the collective footage into a compelling visual diary of SXSW to share with global audiences.”(CNN)
NEW EDIT FROM FAHRTWIND BERLIN: NIGHT RIDE
Check out the new trailer and edit from Fahrtwind (Wind) Berlin. A group of non-exclusive cyclists, fixed gear enthusiasts and anti-trendsetters who travel together by the wheel, regardless of cycle, age or origin, bringing together the ends of the wheeled city on the streets of Berlin. Just good fun, good beer, and speed. Shot with the Canon 7D and edited with Final Cut Pro with a soundtrack from Good Shoes- The Way My Heart Beats.
FULL CHICKEN DINNER: LAST MINUTES WITH ODEN
Watch director Eliot Rausch’s poignant film “Last Minutes with ODEN” in full; a documentary about “redemption and transformation” and winner of 2010’s Best Video Award on Vimeo. The film follows Jason Wood, an ex-convict and drug addict whose personal and spiritual growth has resulted from his relationship with his three-legged dog Oden, who is now dying from cancer.
RADIOHEAD NOW: ECHOES OF THE PAST, GLIMPSES OF THE FUTURE
“Radiohead makes music that sounds like the future.”
I paraphrase, but this is, essentially, what every other review of Kid A, the album that marked a stylistic shift from UK alt arena rock – inspired and informed by IDM, left-field pop, kraut rock and avant-garde – to something much grander, that mirrored more than masked those influences. Labeled and branded everything from electronic pop, avant-pop, and alt-prog, the Radiohead that made Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail to the Thief scarcely resembled the Pablo Honey – OK Computer band from Oxford, England. Unlike many of their contemporaries, Radiohead consistently raised the stakes of the game with each new release while simultaneously changing it completely.
Everyone knows countless bands that based their sound on The Bends, or made an entire career out of writing lesser “Karma Police” knock-offs. So, when Radiohead detoured off course, some who were listening stopped and some who hadn’t, stopped and listened. It’s no secret that there is an entire generation of kids who knew the Kid A/Amnesiac Radiohead better than the previous album but these albums and that incarnation of the band are unmistakable influences for today’s most interesting artists – many from the indie world.
Electronica, in its every variation, has been in and out of style since the seventies and, yet there are still many music fans and freaks who don’t acknowledge it, don’t get it, or just don’t like it. For those who were born into the dance/electronic scene – like the hardcore kids of the Reagan era – there was a strict expectation to only be into that kind of music (at least, publicly). Kid A and Amnesiac became the OK exception to that rule though, because it sounded closer to Autechre and Aphex Twin than say, Travis or Coldplay.
While other respected rock acts noodled with knobs and flipped on the digital blips with mixed results, Radiohead succeeded by scrapping it all and starting from scratch.This sacrifice and surrender has taken the band in a completely different direction than “The Biggest Band in the World” is expected to go. All of a sudden, the fringe became familiar, the champions became challengers, and an entirely new approach, of taking the discordant and experimental and turning it into something tuneful and accessible, was born.
By the very nature of experimentation, this led the band and all musicdom to where it is now. Wilco, Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Yeasayer, etc. And now we have The King of Limbs. Though it surprised us in its date and time of release, the material really hasn’t. It’s an amazing piece as a cohesive album and there are standout tracks, but it doesn’t feel like much has changed. Thom continues to become more comfortable exploring his entire range and register as a vocalist, The Greenwoods continue to perfect their unique, complex and melodic arrangements and explore guitar as texture, and Ed O’ Brien and Phil Selway marry precise, hypnotic, off-kilter and oddly timed rhythmic patterns. In other words, Radiohead continue to be Radiohead. They continue to produce semi-challenging/kinda-experimental music for a mostly mainstream audience. (Yes, indie is a sub of mainstream).
They’ve commercialized the avant-garde. They’ve sold us jazz by convincing us it’s rock. This is a great accomplishment. Though The King of Limbs is no departure from near recent efforts, it is still a Radiohead album and it’s better than most anything from 2010 to current. It’s another triumph, filled with jittery sexiness and sexy jitteriness.
Musicianship and artistry aside, the marketing of Radiohead is exciting in and of itself. We’ve seen Kid A’s less-than-friendly “press interaction by email only” attempt to break the slack journalism cycle and we witnessed the band succeed in breaking the fourth wall of the music business with In Rainbows’ self-distributed, pay what you like industry-shaking power move. So, where do you go from there?
If you’re Radiohead, this time out, you surprise, delight and befuddle. First off, with little warning, they announced The King of Limbs release date, then released it even earlier, catching almost everyone and all of twitter off guard. At the same time, they released the black and white “Lotus Flower” video of a happy-looking Yorke busting liquid-like moves in a bowler, then watched it go viral and achieve meme status (See Yorke Vs. Bieber). Next, to commemorate the physical release of TKOL, they handed out a newspaper (The Universal Sigh) featuring essays, poems and Stanley Donwood artwork. With these efforts, the band and their camp have proven that they know what they’re doing – and love that the rest of the world still doesn’t.
Still, many have called the release a sleeper or grower – which is a fair enough assessments for cliquey hipsters and jaded critics – but like all things wonderful and strange, there are many levels of The King of Limbs to love. With the Record Store Day tracks “Supercollider” and “The Butcher,” as well as the most recent Limbs session release (and Glastonbury favorite), “Staircase,” adding even more complex allure and simple joy to the equation, fans and foes alike are getting another vital piece of the puzzle completing an already enthralling album from the only band making music that genuinely sounds like the future.
-Casey Bowers
NEW VIDEO FROM LUMERIANS: GUASSIAN CASTLES
There’s a good chance, even if you are not susceptible to Mary Hart Syndrome, the new video from San Fran psych band Lumerians will give you a seizure. At least that’s the warning the band and director Curtis Tamm have prefaced the rapid landscape flash video for “Guassian Castles”, but we think it might still be worth watching.
JEFFREY CAPOSSELA’S NEW WORK INSPIRED BY BOWERY BALLROOM
Discosalt artist Jeffrey Capossela recently added some finishing touches on a rowdy new four panel project which draws influence from the 2nd floor bar window at New York’s live music venue The Bowery Ballroom. Channeling the work of post-impressionist artists, Jeff creates his familiar aesthetic images by building layer upon layer of acrylic paint in brilliant pure colors to create simplified structures of form, in a ‘dream like’ manner. 
Discosalt recently caught up with Jeff in Hells Kitchen to talk about the idea behind his new work “Bowery & Delancey”. Here is what he had to say:
JC: I really came up with the idea from just going to see live music and really loving the venue and how it makes me feel when I’m there. Warm ambient surroundings, amazing sound and just an all around arousing experience every time I step foot inside the venue. The first painting “Bowery & Delancey” is from the second floor bar and is an abstract impression of the inside atmosphere of the second floor and a peak of the downtown New York City street at night, traffic lights, cabs, neon, but all in all a controlled chaos. Below, you can see the actual window Jeff drew his inspiration from, the work in progress and the final painting. 
ONE YEAR OF YOUR LIFE, PAID FOR
How often do you sit around your boring job, wondering how many other productive ways you could be better spending your time? Like building a miniature Death Star replica out of recycled yogurt cups in your underwear while watching re-runs of Roseanne. OR, maybe you just need more time to focus on your art or photography….
Either way, now you can join a world-wide open call to artists for self portraiture, awarding a Grand Prize package that includes One Year of Your Life, Paid For! Winning! Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well, before you start washing those yogurt cups, go to Artists Wanted or Click Here for details how to Participate.
From Picasso to Bruce Nauman, Frida Kahlo to Rembrandt, Giacometti to Alice Neel – the self has been subject of endless exploration by the world’s greatest artists, allowing the discovery (and re-discovery) of artists’ personal identities and artistic styles. By entering this competition, you will be submitting your story and images to the world, getting feedback, recognition and the chance at what could not only be a serious life changing experience but to become the envy of your friends and colleagues.
Check out some previous winners & featured artists…Jealous?
ADAM KESHER: CHALLENGING NATURE
[rating:3.5]
Adam Kesher: Challenging Nature
Label: Disque Primeur
Release date: April 11, 2011
–Andrew J. Bailey
COMEDY DEATH-RAY ON IFC
Three nights a week, The Independent Film Channel is airing a 90 minute comedy block of your favorite rescued shows. Now in the IFC rotation: Comedy Death-Ray, the weekly “alterna-comedy” radio show filmed at the Upright Citizens Brigade in LA hosted by Scott Aukerman ( Mr. Show with Bob and David). The show will feature all new exclusive interview segments with comedians and writers like Michael Cera and Judd Apatow offering insights and behind the scenes stories on these cult classics.
Check it out every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 10:00-11:30 pm
LOCAL BAND TO WATCH: NEW NUMBERS
New Numbers is finally self-releasing their debut full length album Vacationland, today on their own label Musiques Primitives.
The Brooklynite indie band consisting of former singer/guitarist Josh Abbott and drummer Mike Fadem of Jealous Girlfriends recorded the album in 24 hours, completely out of their pockets, tweaking the final tracks in Josh’s Williamsburg living room.
The result is a sincere nine song EP that features two re-imagined tracks off the band’s first EP, Islands, and hones in on the bands emerging new sound and identity. The album draws on a whole mix of influences; plenty of fuzzed out guitar, catchy synth driven 80’s indie pop/rock hooks reminiscent of the Pixies and Smiths, hints of Psychedelia and Reggae and even some Brian Eno era Bowie-esc melodies. “This is a collection of dense and melodic songs that rewards multiple listens with it’s trove of sonic treats.”
Grab a digital copy of the album today on iTunes or most other digital stores. And for vinyl junkies, it’s also available on some really sick hand screened, limited and very special edition clear vinyl! from our friends at These Are Not Records (www.thesearenotrecords.com).
STARFUCKER: REPTILIANS
[rating:2]
Starfucker: Reptilians
Label: Polyvinyl Records
Release date: March 8, 2011
Joshua Hodges started Starfucker as a solo act in Portland, Oregon four years ago. He gained citywide acclaim for danceable electro pop that ruled the house party circuit and left all the tight jeans and ironic Def Leppard shirts ripe with sweat. Soon the band expanded in numbers and a self-titled LP was released in 2008 but failed to gain the band a much wider audience. Their live show continued to earn higher marks than studio work. At some point in 2009the band changed their name to PYRAMID and then apparently to Pyramiddd.Soon thereafter, they pulled a switcheroo and returned to their original name. However, they now tour as STRFKR. Got all that?
As one of Portland’s belovedindie productsthe band releases their second LP,Reptilians, on SF imprint Polyvinyl.In the band’s early days, Hodges was hailed for his combination of hummable pop song structures and quirky electronica, a blend now ubiquitous across the world. On Reptilians, the band faces the sophomore challenge of trying to figure out where the first album missed and establish themselves as an emerging force to be reckoned with.Unfortunately, there isn’t enough about the album to make a strong impression. The problems are two fold. Most egregiously, the band cranks their snappy synth leads so high in the mix they clobber instead of inspire, seemingly dying to be recognized as the next“Time to Pretend”. Second, the vocals are far too hushed, plaintive and washed out, showing little urgency or emotion. Breathy and ethereal is one thing but thesevocals lack passion andmake Hodges sound as if he is drowning in a pool of opaque water. The songs are on the whole, unmemorably ho-hum.
In the middle third of the album Starfucker finds their zone for a few songs. “Astoria” is mixed more effectively, vocals are audible, acoustic guitar loops converse with the click-clack of e-drums and vibrant synth lines dip and dive without smothering the song completely. “Reptilians” is a weird little nugget of electro-psych-pop that shows off solid songwriting skills with sweetly warped guitar and a synth sound that seeps inside one of the album’s thicker grooves. The band shows off a bit more creative patience here, vibeing with delicate structural changes inside three minutes and instantaneously turn the song into mournful electro candy. “The White of Noon” is the album’s strongest track. A stoned groove lays back before exploding in a processed sunburst of spacious guitar melodies. It is in this moment the band shows off greater purpose and energy. Unfortunately, this moment doesn’t come until half an hour in and it’s not clear why listeners would hang around that long when so many bands compete for a similar sound. It is simply hard to see this collection standing apart from the pack.
PAPERCUTS: FADING PARADE
[rating: 2]
Papercuts: Fading Parade
Label: Sub Pop
Release date: March 1, 2011
Jason Robert Quever has never been even remotely rapacious to begin with, but on his newest release as Papercuts he’s gone from simply being moderately bashful to almost completely disconnected. This isn’t to say that Fading Parade isn’t a feathery, pleasant LP. Its just that so much feels ambiguous or straight-laced and rarely, if ever, does it manage to completely hit its marks, causing it to leave behind very little in the way of lasting impressions.
“Do You Really Wanna Know” and “Do What You Will” aren’t only the first two songs on the tracklist, they’re the album’s most apparent outliers. Of course, many of the songs here do tend to follow the same general guidelines, so its reasonable to assume that no matter which two cuts had been bumped to the front of the line they might have felt like the album’s most noteworthy moments; barring something truly extraordinary, first and last impressions are what tend to resonate with our collective memories. At any rate, those two tracks — not coincidentally among the album’s shortest — are representative of Quever’s most direct and vibrant moments against a backdrop of stuff that shoots to be simultaneously dreamy, folky, and emotionally riveting but rarely has the urgency or variety to achieve any of the above.
Of the 10 songs here, “I’ll See You Later, I Guess” might be the best example of where Quever’s efforts fall short. The song actually features some decent core components: the identifiable lovelorn indifference, the occasionally pretty arrangement. But the track is far more spacious than it needs to be, dragging fruitlessly in the middle, wavering around in search of a climax that never comes. It seems like a seed stretched beyond its means rather than a fully formed song and as an unfortunate consequence leaves behind little in the way of memorability (yes, thats a recurring theme). Its affable and all, but Quever’s timidness is a real anchor of progress.
The mixing on the album is also a significant stumbling block. Quever places a large emphasis on guitar here, but rarely is the production crisp enough to really bring out the strumming. The reason for this is fairly simple: there’s actually a bunch of instrumentation, but its all been pushed way back in the mix. So what ends up happening is the intended focal point — the guitar — gets overwhelmed by many of these peripheral, mostly nondescript sounds. Sometimes it’s lazy percussion coming from off in the distance, or the smattering of a tambourine, or even Quever’s vocals just swooning around, gently bouncing off the walls of the studio but never fully coming into focus. It all feels strangled and muddled, each instrument content to exist rather than live, and so each of them merely plod along together. Whatever pretty guitar work is being plied just falls by the wayside. Its especially frustrating because it really does seem as though Quever has something to get off his chest here.
It isn’t essential that Quever be the kind of frontman demanding of a spotlight, standing on the edge of a stage throwing his arms in the air and dripping flop sweat on his adorning front row fans. Actually, with that visual in mind, its probably a good thing he isn’t that guy. But Fading Parade could have certainly used some more punch from its leading man and driving creative force. Without it, this collection of songs merely come and go.
