Built on a Weak Spot

Some time last year St. Elias got a hold of me and let me listen to their debut album Believe It, which the band self-released. I am pretty sure a song from it popped up on a mix at some point or another. While the album was obviously a capture of a band getting things together, it was still a rather intriguing listen, especially for someone such as me that has a soft spot for all things Midwestern rock. The band comes from Denver, Colorado and has a range of influences that pretty much include just about every band of the genre that has been featured here on the blog in the past. Up until a few days ago I had little knowledge that the band had already prepared a new EP titled Altered Beast and just had it released not too long ago actually. Again, it’s a self-released job with some rather cool artwork done by local artist Adam Reker to go along with it.

Not really sure what the behind the scenes differences are here with Altered Beast, but the production for this EP definitely serves them better than their previous material. Here St. Elias sounds much like what a Midwestern influenced rock band should, with a large/expansive sound that is in no way lacking in melody. With Altered Beast we get to experience that for six songs and it’s evident that the band has taken a rather large step forward, even adding a significantly spacier element to their sound in the area of possibly Hum and/or Fantastic Planet era Failure. Certainly check this out if you’re a fan of this type of thing, well worth it.

St. Elias – Six is Good [MP3]

Good news for anyone that is interested in hearing the rest of the album, it is available through the bands Bandcamp site for free. So if you enjoying what you hear above, then by all means head on over there and download the entire Altered Beast EP and their debut full-length record Believe It.

I wasn’t even aware that Bully Pulpit was still a band until reader and frequent e-mailer Ralf alerted me to the fact that they were and directed me towards a new album in which they have for download titled Bylaws. I know, for most people that aren’t located in the Midwest, this probably doesn’t make much sense or mean all that much…however it’s kind of cool. Bully Pulpit has been around since the mid 90’s or so, functioning as more of a rotating cast of collective members wishing to collaborate despite long distances and work a little bit further outside the box while doing so. However, at its core the band has always had member Jim Valentin (Poster Children) along with members Tom Banks and Matt Hohmann joining up for much of the ride as well. Add in drummer Liz Bustamante and that’s where the band stands today, although they seem to be much more of a live band, playing in or around the Chicago area mostly, than they were in the earlier days. That also comes as welcome surprise.

Bully Pulpit – Abject Permanence [MP3]

As for their new album Bylaws, it’s a fantastic little gem of off the beaten path indie-rock. The best part about it is that you can get it for free from their Bandcamp page. However, if you’re willing to donate a couple dollars or so, I am sure they would be appreciative of whatever you choose to throw down for it.

I’ve mentioned Sideshow at length on the blog awhile back. For a bit more information on the bands background you can view that post here. To quickly recap however, Sideshow was the band fronted by Caulfield Records founder Bernie McGinn and the band was actually pretty much the catalyst for starting the label altogether really. With fellow members Paul Tisdale and Rich Higgins the band released a couple albums, EP’s, and singles during their run through the 90’s. However before they were known as Sideshow the band was called Peer Puppet and their first single and the first for Caulfield was actually pressed as such with that name. However, a name change occurred and thus all the labels needed to be altered, which resulted in black permanent marker crossing out the Peer Puppet name and a freshly stamped Sideshow took its place above it. This single is also quite interesting as it shows the band as a quite different one from what people would come to hear on later singles/albums/etc. These four songs are pretty much straight up hardcore/punk with very little resemblance of what they would go on to do, however the single remains to be a neat glimpse into where everything began. So, for your listening pleasure I bring you Sideshows debut single. Enjoy!

Sideshow – Out of Mind [MP3]
Sideshow – If the Shoe Fits [MP3]
Sideshow – If No One [MP3]
Sideshow – Blame Me [MP3]

Both of Sideshow’s albums are still available through Amazon used here and here, definitely pick them up…although I would listen to the tunes in my previous Sideshow post for a better representation of what they were like. However if you enjoy it, definitely give them a go!

Although Porcupine hasn’t been together for too terribly long, the members that make up the trio have all spent their fair share of time in various other rock/indie/alternative acts throughout the 90’s and beyond (Space Bike, Junk Farm, Remover, etc.). Their debut album The Trouble With You was released earlier this year in February I believe through Blue Worm Records and is pretty clearly a result of many of the influences/sounds that were collected over those years playing in other gigs. While the beginning of the album opens with a sort of dreamy minute long intro, it quickly cuts into the next track “So Far, So Good” that has me almost wanting to bet money that one of the members is a Chavez fan. But that’s what makes The Trouble With You a fun item to listen to as the eleven tracks featured here are peppered with these sorts of quick subtle influences that all come together to form these oddball but at the same time strangely pleasant upbeat rock numbers. By the end of the album you’ve heard everything from the mathier side of Midwestern rock (ex: Self-Evident) to the muffled fuzz akin to J. Mascis to the warbled guitar tones that are usually reserved for acts considered under the shoegaze canopy. And Porcupine for the most part pull it all together successfully in a mere thirty five minutes. A strong debut from these guys and well worth checking out if anything above mentioned perks your interest.

Porcupine – Exit #180 [MP3]

For those interested in picking up The Trouble With You, it’s available currently through CD Baby. Definitely give it a go if you enjoy what you hear!

It seemed like every time I looked I would spot Milwaukee’s Disguised as Birds playing a date with Traindodge somewhere (and sure enough, looking now they are playing with them in October). Never really fully putting two and two together, that just maybe I should check these guys out, I finally picked up their newest EP New Demons a week or so ago and it’s done more than its fair share of rocking being unleashed of it’s little plastic sleeve. I’d actually heard their first full-length that they put out in 2005, however never followed up with them for whatever reason. I’ll chalk it up to me being lazy. But like I said, their persistent popping up in various tour dates with bands of the Midwestern type that I like so much led me to give them another go around. Kind of a shame, as listening to their latest release I feel like a fool for letting these guys go under the radar for so long. I also managed to pick up their second full-length Seeds in the process, which is also excellent but more of an expansive effort in terms of songwriting when compared to the tracks found here on New Demons. This EP is a focused and lean serving of Midwestern influenced rock with a notable post-hardcore slant, sort of similar to that of Prize Country but maybe a little less aggressive. No matter, Disguised as Birds are well worth checking out if you’re a fan of any of the aforementioned.

Disguised as Birds – Hayabusa’s Lament [MP3]

Everything the band has released up until this point is available through CD Baby. If you’re enjoying the track above, I definitely recommend checking out their previous albums along with picking up New Demons. Enjoy!

Coincidentally Castevet was recommended to me awhile back, before Summer Fences was even out and appeared in my mailbox a week or so ago. I think at the time they just had a small demo floating around titled I Know What a Lion Is, which for the most part sat well with me while at the same time reminding me of various past Midwestern emo acts that spanned the early to mid nineties. No need to name them, you all pretty much know. The bands debut is being handled by Count Your Lucky Stars which from the looks of it are doing their damnedest to breathe as much life into the genre as they can. I’d say at this point they’ve done a fairly nice job in their choosing of titles for release. However Castevet, when it’s all said and done, could very well be their wisest one.

I am always a bit weary when I see bands attempting to mine the musical landscape of the Midwest during that time. It’s kind of a sentimental thing, but at the same time I’ve heard so many bands that suffer from incredible boredom because of it. Being mopey/nostalgic and playing in that Kinsella-esque twinkly guitar style doesn’t just always work right out of the box. Castevet have obviously studied long and hard before laying down the initial sounds that would become Summer Fences and have managed to blend in other areas of the genre as well. The gruff beard punk flavored vocals for example caught me off guard when I first listened to the band, but really work well while offsetting the cleaner sounding aspects of the band production wise adding a bit of authenticity that I think a lot bands of this style seem to lack. There really isn’t much else that needs to said, if you’re reading you know what this may sound like and know if you’ll like it or not. If it’s your thing, definitely check out the tune below. I highly suggest it.

Castevet – Plays One On TV [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Summer Fences, then just head on over to Count Your Lucky Stars. It’s also available digitally for anyone that cares to go that route. Enjoy!

I remember enjoying Mike Quillin’s previous band Theta for the somewhat brief period they seemed to be around. I think they managed to release two EP’s (Self-Titled and Tone Poems for Sad Times), which one of the tracks from the latter was used on one of the first installments of the monthly mixes I made before I ever started this blog. Sadly the band seemed to disappear after the EP and I never really knew what became of them. Quillin has however turned up with a new band along with fellow Theta drummer Adam Mitchell named Sentient that have their debut album Tundra coming out on Sun Sea Sky early this July. For those though eager to get an early listen in can purchase it digitally right now through the label if they so please. Sentient also happens to feature former members from various other Lawrence, KS based bands such as Filthy Jim and the sludge/weirdo rock monster Jumbo’s Killcrane. However, Sentient remain pretty much on par with the sound that Quillin and Mitchell had developed in Theta. That being solid atmospheric/dreamy rock that, while dense and often times heavier than Theta, is every bit as beautiful as their previous band. I know there are probably still fans out there lingering, so obviously it’s recommend you check out Tundra when it comes out. Fans of big melodies mixed in with a healthy dose of spacey rock in the area of Failure or label mates The Storied Northwest should definitely find something to enjoy on Tundra. It’s also good to hear Quillin back in the vocal spotlight again as well.

Sentient – Veritas [MP3]

For anyone wishing to pick up Tundra, it’s currently available for pre-order on Sun Sea Sky. Or as previously mentioned, it can also be had immediately in digital format (320 or FLAC as it appears). Do pick it up one way or another if you enjoy what you hear.

Photo courtesy of http://www.davidjcubberly.com/

Not long after Chris Powell and his band Ring, Cicada released their much anticipated second album History’s End digitally; he followed that with self-releasing the debut album from his other band Heroes of the Kingdom through the very same method. While physical copies of either album would certainly be my preferred choice, I can’t help but be a bit ecstatic about the amount of material released all within the same period, especially after Ring, Cicada remained mostly dormant for an extended period of time. Anyway, I certainly wasn’t expecting an album from Heroes of the Kingdom, as I hadn’t even heard talk of a release or really much in the way of recording an album, but then low and behold a link shows up on their MySpace and there it is. There in lies the benefits of the digital age, that said…a nice large slab of wax with these songs on it would still be very awesome. Regardless, I am a happy camper with this and HOTK delivers in much of the way I’d hoped. I swear I must have listened to the “Instrumental” track on their MySpace dozens of times before the release of the album and the rest of the tracks that I hadn’t heard before stand up just as well.

Heroes of the Kingdom appear to be more of a traditional rock band for Powell, in that the music is not heavily instrumental like in Ring, Cicada and puts Powell’s vocals to work far more. They end up fitting quite nicely with what the band is doing, especially on some of the slower numbers that are definitely cool to hear. HOTK is a lot less jammy too, and like most Midwestern influenced rock it has an added focus melodically. While HOTK was definitely anticipated at some point, it came as wonderful surprise for me this year. Also with the addition of ex-Riddle of Steel bassist Jimmy Vavak to the bands lineup not too long ago, I hope there is much more to be heard from this band.

Heroes of the Kingdom – Wild Eyed Creatures [MP3]

For those interested in picking up HOTK, it can be had digitally through Bandcamp in just about every format you could possibly want. So give it a go if you dig what you hear.

I Am Forever is the fifth full-length from Midwestern rock staples Traindodge and marks yet another large shift to the bands sound. It’s pretty amazing to go back roughly ten years and notice just how much the band has evolved and grown over that period of time. Starting out as a band that clearly was enamored by the sound of Giants Chair and Molly McGuire over their first couple of records, they’ve since grown into something that clearly can be claimed as their own distinctive sound.

I Am Forever in a way picks up where their previous album Wolves left off, putting an even heavier emphasis on synths and electronics that has by this point become an integral part of the bands music. While past releases have always shown flourishes of prog-rock influence to them, it’s safe say now that they are most certainly fans. Just take a look at the cover for example, that thing almost has to be a tip of the cap to all those wild LP covers that spanned the 70’s and some of the 80’s. Sort of keeping right within all of that is the music itself that is more than ever carried by key heavy tones and guitars that recall the harmonies of 70’s era hard rock. The track “The River” is certainly a shining example of this. All the while though, and most certainly the thing that I absolutely love about this band is that they maintain a certain familiarity and connection to their Midwestern rock roots that still manages to work its way into the music while continuing to add new and interesting elements. It all amounts to some of the finest moments that I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from the band, to be specific the track “Insisted Away” is a personal favorite that hits the sort of apex that Traindodge have become synonymous with over the years.

Traindodge – The Best Thing You Never Said [MP3]

While I Am Forever doesn’t officially come out until the beginning of December, it’s available now directly from Ascetic Records to order. If you’re a fan of the band, then well you probably already have this or plan on having it. If not, then pick this up and rock out. It’s obviously recommended.

This is one of those times where I don’t even know where to begin. It’s been a long wait for the follow up to Suburban Hymns and as of tomorrow it will finally be available to the record buying public in the form of Tragic Boogie through Arena Rock Recordings.

It’s kind of hard to gauge exactly what my expectations for this record were. My relationship with The Life and Times and their previous album was kind of an odd one in that I listened to it quite a bit at first however the initial impact of it wore off sooner than I would have liked I guess. Still a pretty good record, no doubt, however I think my expectations at that time were bubbling over and had finally burst and rocketed to an insane level due to my love for Allen Epley’s previous outfit Shiner. Anyone who reads this blog already knows plenty about them I’m sure and their importance to Midwestern rock. With Tragic Boogie, I found myself curious to hear what’s on it more so than what I wanted to hear, if that makes any sense. However, after listening to the album multiple times now…I don’t think it would have mattered as this thing is fantastic from start to finish.

Tragic Boogie takes the lush shoegazer influenced melodies that swept across the bands debut and adds to them significantly. In between records the band constructed their own studio that allowed them the sort of time to experiment with their sound and see through every creative thought they could have possibly had. The result is a record that sounds fully realized; swelling with the type of intricacies that only months of work and attention could have produced. It may sound cheesy in a way to say something like that, but Tragic Boogie really is the type of record that is meant for multiple listens. In classic Midwestern fashion, everything is set to such a large scale…melodies, bass lines, and drums. Complete power, but yet played out in a style that doesn’t come at you all from one direction. The songs flow seamlessly from one to another without a hiccup along the way. I think it’s safe to say the album was worth the wait.

Thankfully the promo team behind this release, the excellent Riot Act, has chosen one of my favorite tracks from the disc to be posted. Give it a listen.

The Life and Times – Let It Eat [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick this up, it’s currently available through Arena Rock. If you like what you hear above, I strongly suggest getting this.