Automusik – “Sexy Body”
Heard Andrea play this on one of her L&F Wed shifts and wondered how the heck I missed it. Behind some production-line robotic beats an equally robotic and doubled female vocalist opines on her sexy body and the listener’s inability to have it. Kitsch, but fun.
Maximo Park – “Girls Who Play Guitars”
Personally I prefer girls who play bass. Spun this on 4/26/07. The last Maximo Park was worthy of an EOY compilation appearance so I had high hopes for this new release. Upon first listen it’s not as engaging as the previous one, though the debut was a grower so the jury is still out. This tune unfolds in a past-tense reminiscing tone with trademark urgent guitar stabs, detailing a friendship or relationship (the singer seems to think it’s the latter) that has lost its luster over time for at least one of the participants.
Cat-A-Tac – “Past Lies & Former Lives”
Played this song on 5/3/07. Has a vaguely late 80’s House of Love feel to it, with dreamy vocals and a slow building energy behind some gauzy guitars. Beyond that feeling, there’s no real hook either lyrically or sonically to grab me, just that slow build over some moony post ‘you broke up with me’ thoughts.
65daysofstatic – “The Distant Mechanized Glow”
Used this as concert report music on 4/26/07. Interesting melding of several different styles, there are some proggy keyboards here that get sucked in with a super-glitchy drumbeat pattern across some stoner rock guitars. A little too busy for my personal foreground listening tastes, but works well for covering up my vocal tics.
Drakes Hotel – “Songs I Forgot About”
There was something just slightly off in the production of this dreamrock sounding band. The male vocals are a bit too upfront and the guitars not quite obscured enough for my comfort. Perhaps they’re trying to mix up the early Jesus & Mary Chain formula (guitars up front, vocals in back) but the rather simple and repetitive guitar backbone doesn’t hold my interest, and neither does the slightly nasal vocal tone.
Monotract – “The Ballad of Lechon”
These freak-rockers don’t follow much of a discernable pattern from song to song, so maybe that’s why I usually can find one song on each release that’s to my liking. This is a loping mid-tempo tune with some trash can vocals that are quickly eschewed for an extended dual guitar solo punctuated by some effective symbol riding on the drums and a welcome false ending.
Ian Hunter – “Soul of America”
New solo release from Mott the Hoople lead singer is no short back n sides. This song took the honor of closing tune on 5/3/07, my weekly attempt to annoy Joanie (or at least her listeners). Indeed, we did get a call accusing me of playing John Cougar Mellencamp. Not quite, at least this song has an authentic roots rock sound and some nice harmonica work, plus the lyrics are not as push-button jingoistic like John’s – though it works the same territory with a bit of a Springsteen what-the-hell-can-we-do-about-it-anyways angle.
Arctic Monkeys – “Fluorescent Adolescent”
Not on the Arctic Monkey bandwagon, not me. But I can find one tune on this sophomore release. This band already has a flavor-of-last-month feel to it, as if all the magazines who touted them as the next coming of genius suddenly started looking away with a nervous avoid-your-eyes gait. I initially was attracted to the song by the reggae feel to it but on second thought it’s just a jaunty mid-tempo tune with a Pavement-esque title.
Sea Wolf – “Sea Monuments”
This week’s nomination for the what-the-hell-do-they-sound-like-again award. I guess this usually happens to nondescriptly named bands like this one, where I stare at my notes and struggle to recall their distinguishing sonic markings. Has a galloping Belle & Sebastian pace (complete with violins) but the guitars ring electrically and the vocalist drawls out the end of each line which morphs it into something beyond jangle pop.
Matt Lutz – “Took Me A While”
Guessing that it was the constant presence of chimes that attracted me to this pop tune. Singer is slightly off in a glammy sort of way, his voice stretching across bass (and chimes!) dominated backing that stays relavitely consitent throughout the song, never cashing in on its initial energy.
Harlan – “The Ruralist”
Still can’t figure out if the band is Harlan and the album is The Ruralist, or vice-versa. In either case it has a very home-recorded feel, polished as it may be. The vocalist is endearingly awkward in that Andy Partridge sort of way and there’s an unexpected piano solo in the middle that delighted me on both first and second listen. When the guitars pick up in the 2nd half of the song it unfortunately obscures the lyrics. Vocalist uses left-right channel phasing nicely to create a conversational feel.
Bears – “Reason To Cry”
Received a new ep of sub 3-minute songs from this jangly indie-pop band. I don’t think this song has drums, though it does has percussion and hand claps plus a persistent acoustic guitar keeping the tempo happy in a Lucksmiths sort of way. Vocalist reminds me of Holiday a little.
The Everyday Visuals – “I’ll Take It All In Stride”
Jeff Breeze of Pipeline has already spun this a few times so I can reasonably surmise that it’s local. There are some strong Beach Boys touches here including a repetitive organ, booming drums that drop in and out, and a guitar that plays one … note … at … a … time. Plus the aaahing backing vocals. But I’m a sucker for the Wilson production homages so keep ‘em coming.
Great Lakes Myth Society – “Heydays”
Played this one on 5/3/07. Has a very nostalgic look back in awe type feel to it, gladly romanticizing someone’s high school and/or college experience of music and girls across a stretch of yearning guitars. Any song that admits haircuts and jackets are all a band needs to be interesting to a teenager works for me, even if it admonishes us to let loose our deliciously obscured memories of the past at the conclusion.
Keren Ann – “Lay Your Head Down”
I had a negative impression of this singer, thought she ached for the East-Village-in-the-late-60’s vibe too desperately. But someone sent me a mix with one of her earlier songs on it that charmed me, so I’ve opened up considerably. This tune has some nice strings and punctuating handclaps, along with some very effective vocals in the chorus. Played it on 5/3/07. Lovely harmonica/handclap/guitar solo as well.
The Clientele – “Somebody Changed”
Continuing the progression from their previous album away from the narcotically dreamy guitars & pace into more of a full-fledged retro-pop band. The vocals still have punch-in-the-gut potency, when he said “I don’t want to wake up” the emotion is perfectly communicated. I do miss those 7+ minute guitar exercises but the result is still beguiling and delicious.
Shannon Wright – “Everybody’s Got Their Own Part To Play”
Considerably lighter than her previous albums, which always had a stark feel to them. There was an immediacy to her vocal thrust with a bit of empty-room hollowness to the music that gave everything a bit of an edge-of-breakdown feel to it, everything sounded considerably heavier. Not that I’m complaining about the lighter sonic shift, these songs are not light puffy pastries to be consumed and forgotten. The insistent piano is still there, her vocals still carry potent bitterness when she growls “what’s the point” and the subject matter is still decidedly dark. Give me a few weeks and I’ll be extolling its virtues rather than nothing what it is not.
The Sea and Cake – “Middlenight”
Overall another very satisfying Sea and Cake record, delivering tight pop tunes that still have an almost jazzy improvisational feel to them despite all the evidence to the contrary. In truth these guys are just as slick as Matt Pond PA, but somehow seem less intent on achieving that end. In a word … smooth. There’s a more organic sound here than their previous few releases.
Guitar – “Just Like Honey”
The title gives me a Jesus & Mary Chain flashback before I even press play, and once the (female) vocals breathily jump in that promise is cashed in quickly. Though if you expect ear-splitting guitars here you’ll be disappointed, as Guitar carries their songs with repetitive beats and wispy synths rather than their namesake instrument. It’s a very effective formula, the song never lacks for energy yet still has a light feel to it.
Desolation Bells – “She’s Optimistic”
Boston based musician Mike Hibarger has passed through many a pop and rock band over the years, the Sonic Bubblegum label on the back of this CD immediately distinguishes it as one of his efforts. What’s inside is a pretty little retro 90’s pop/rock band with male/female vocal swapping, some pretty guitars and a glossy coat of reverb. Played this song on 5/3/07.
The Sea Navy – “Sir Pants”
This local rock band usually includes one song per release that catches my ear, in this case a jumpy power popper with a soulful lead vocal treatment.
Feist – “Brandy Alexander”
You might notice these updates often skip bands that get played multiple times on the BoC Thurs. That’s because these updates are driven off the sampler discs I make at the station. The purpose of these compilations is to provide exposure to one song off the various new rack releases and cement their ‘to play or not to play’ status. So when a new album comes in that I know I’m going to buy it usually gets skipped for inclusion on the comp, and hence gets skipped in the blog rundown. Feist is one such victim of this practice, as I’ll definitely be picking up The Reminder in full sometime this week. But since her previous record Let It Die was my favourite of 2005 I’ll just quickly note that the new one takes a more cautious approach, sacrificing the emotional power of her voice and arrangements for more immediate charm. Perhaps over time it’ll ignite my auditory senses like the previous one, but for now only two or three songs inspire my ardor.
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