Electro Group...

Sorry for the sporadic updates lately. To be honest I’ve just been slacking, no other excuse really. I guess maybe some minor burnout, but nothing too serious…more of me being kind of lazy about it. However, I have been trying to do a bit of catch up with the plethora of albums that have come out this year that I want to listen to before the year comes to an end. Not a bad problem to have, but a task nonetheless. One more album that will soon be added to that list is the upcoming disc from fuzz rockers Electro Group titled Good Technology, which will be out on the always excellent Clairecords on September 4th. Don’t be surprised to see a review of that disc show up on the blog sometime next month. However for now I’ve thrown up some tunes from the bands debut album A New Pacifica from 2001 on Omnibus Records and their and their EP Ummo from 2004, also on Omnibus.

It doesn’t seem like I see the name Electro Group show up too often in discussion about current and worthwhile shoegaze/noise-pop groups, which is too bad because A New Pacifica is easily one of the better albums I’ve heard from the newer crop of bands. Comprised of singer/guitarist Tim Jacobson, bassist Ian Hernandez, and drummer Matt Hull the group plays some feedback heavy shoegaze, akin to My Bloody Valentine or early Ecstasy of Saint Theresa. The songs are greatly driven by the rumbling fuzzed out bass lines provided by Hernandez. Electro Group really creates the perfect blend between sweet sugary melodies and the harsher aspects of shoegaze/noise-pop, which kind of further confuses me as to why these guys don’t have a larger audience. Occasionally the band comes up in association with the twee outfit Rocketship, whom Jacobson is friends with and has spent some time helping out playing some instruments with here and there, but his status of being an actual member of that band has been a bit overblown a bit. Regardless, it still wouldn’t surprise me if that’s where some of the pop influence for Electro Group came from. Anyway, for those that haven’t heard Electro Group and are looking for some fuzzed out noise-pop with infectiously warm melodies then definitely check out the tunes below.

A New Pacifica:
Electro Group – If You Could See [MP3]
Electro Group – Cyrna Ruka [MP3]
Electro Group – Manimal [MP3]

Ummo:
Electro Group – Panzer Treat [MP3]

Both of their current albums can be had over at Amazon, along with a pre-order option for their upcoming full-length Good Technology. In the meantime, a couple new tracks from the album can be heard over on their MySpace. Do pick these up if you like the tunes above.