Ides of Space...

Ides of Space was an Australian shoegaze/indie-rock group that was formed in 1999, however despite a bit of exposure here in the US and doing well among college radio they still went fairly unnoticed here. They seemed to have a bit more success in their home country of Australia though. They recorded two EP’s, First Translated in 1965 and We Have Nowhere to Be, both of which were released in 2001. Those two EP’s would be collected onto one single album titled There Are No New Clouds through the US label Better Looking Records. It was actually with that album that I first heard them and instantly liked what I heard. While it isn’t anything terribly original, the songs are definitely strong, consisting of good but also restrained use of dense feedback to help craft them. Sometimes maybe a bit too somber, however the band does well to make sure it doesn’t dwell on those moments too long. I definitely recommend checking out There Are No New Clouds, since it’s the easiest thing these days to track down by them and because it’s close to, if not, the best thing they did while together.

Ides of Space – This Side of the Screen [MP3]
Ides of Space – Random Noise Generator [MP3]

The band did record an actual album that was released in 2004 called Sleeping Fractures. I don’t really know too much about it actually, although I think it was originally planned for a US release through The First Time Records, but evidently never happened. It’s definitely worth listening to if anyone out there can find it/afford it. After the release of Sleeping Fractures the band pretty much disappeared, at least it seemed that way to me. However, this past year a few of the members turned up in a new project dubbed Line Drawings. You can find them over on their MySpace.

As for obtaining a copy of There Are No New Clouds, it’s still available through Better Looking Records. Definitely give it a spin.

The Vera Violets - Dirty Rainbow

Safranin Sound is steadily working its way up the ladder as one of my favorite current running labels. Helping propel their ascent on said ladder is one of their latest offerings from the Tampa, Florida based band The Vera Violets. Now unlike quite a few of the bands on Safranin’s roster, I have been familiar with The Vera Violets for quite awhile now and it’s great to see they’re part of that family and releasing their latest album Dirty Rainbow through it.

On Dirty Rainbow the band has returned once again with twelve solid tracks of their fuzzy psychedelic influenced rock. Stepping away a bit more from the shoegazey drone found on their past efforts, The Vera Violets have dove a bit further into the depths of 60’s psych and garage rock and have come out with an even hazier druggy swirl than before. While the songs are definitely wrapped in a smoke screen type of fuzz, there is a noticeably evident jangle pop vibe going on that hasn’t revealed itself as much in the past. It serves the band well as it works as a nice change of pace mixed in with some of the bands more strung out and darker influenced songs which have particularly dominated their earlier albums. Those out there who are already fans of The Vera Violets definitely won’t be disappointed with this release as it features everything that is great about the bands past releases while still managing to work in some newer key focuses.

The Vera Violets – As You Are Mine [MP3]
The Vera Violets – In the Sun [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Dirty Rainbow it is available through Safranin Sound. Definitely pick this up if the tunes above are to your liking. Enjoy!

Lorelei - Everyone Must Touch the Stove

The Washington DC based Lorelei originally formed right around 1990 as a five piece but was quickly stripped down to a trio after the release of their first single. Their initial stint together lasted all of six years before calling it quits after they released their only full-length, Everyone Must Touch the Stove on Slumberland in 1994. The album was released sort of right on the tail end of the whole shoegaze wave of the early nineties, which may have actually been a good thing for the band because it proves to be one of the more interesting releases that still sort of falls into that category. While there are plenty of lush and blanketed moments of distortion scattered throughout the album, it draws from many other sources as well. The band enlisted the use of a number of different instruments on Everyone Must Touch the Stove, which is what truly makes this album much more fun listen than many other albums that fall under the same umbrella. I imagine an album like this seemed sort of out of left field for what people might have expected, however the hint of experimentalism that it contains definitely gathers it some respect from at least me. It’s different, while still managing to be highly listenable. Songs like “Throwaway” and “Inside the Crimelab” are a couple of prime examples of the bands overall approach to sort of expand the genre in a way.

Lorelei – Thigh for a Leg [MP3]
Lorelei – Inside the Crimelab [MP3]

Lorelei reformed back in 2003 resulting in the recording of a three song 12'' called Informed by the Future that was released on the bands own label, Textile Sounds. The band apparently has plans to release material this year, which will great to hear. Also, be sure to check out the bands EP Asleep, which was precursor to the full-length. Well worth checking out. If the tunes above are of interest then please by all means head on over to the Slumberland website and pick up Everyone Must Touch the Stove.

epo-555 - Mafia

I must admit, when something happens by coincidence it’s fairly neat. I was originally turned on by the Copenhagen electro/pop/shoegaze outfit epo-555 not too long ago by a reader of the blog that dropped their name while recommending a few things to me. I took a listen to their 2004 album Dexter Fox and enjoyed what I heard. So fast forward a couple or so weeks later and their second album and US debut Mafia ends up in my mailbox. Good timing on their part, since they were still relatively fresh in my mind. Like I said, coincidences can be pretty neat. However, it’s by no coincidence that their second album follows up their debut with an equally strong set of songs. They are simply a good band.

I will admit an album like Mafia won’t necessarily stand out on first listen. In fact the first time I listened to it I didn’t even really remember listening to 11 tracks but my CD player was telling me otherwise. Their songs sort of just drift by with soft boy girl vocals that occasionally chime in during the dreamy mix. On multiple listens though it really begins to take shape, it would seem Mafia is almost sneaky good. It works in a number of infectious melodies that I certainly didn’t catch the first time through. There is enough subtle noise thrown in amongst the layers of digital beats and guitar fuzz to give it that sort of edge that an understated sound like epo-555’s needs every so often. Definitely check out Mafia, especially for those that are into dreamy electronic pop music. This is definitely a keeper.

epo-555 – Hyperschlieb [MP3]
epo-555 – Maid in China [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Mafia, then head on over to Amazon.

Ceremony - Disappear

It sure is great when one great band can split up and result in the formation of two other great bands. I am not saying I like it when a group that I greatly enjoy breaks up, but if it’s going to happen then this is the type of scenario in which I can only hope for. In this case it was the breakup of the amazing Skywave in which the members splintered off into A Place to Bury Strangers and Ceremony. I already wrote about the new A Place to Bury Strangers record earlier this year, now it’s time to take notice of Ceremony’s new record Disappear, which solely consists of both ex-Skywave members Paul Baker and John Fedowitz.

Ceremony continues forth with the sound that made Skywave such a distinct band, using an ample amount of distortion to their advantage. However, where as their previous bands sound was of almost of ear splitting proportions at times, Ceremony tones it down a tiny bit in favor of some new wave electronic elements along with making good use of a drum machine. The vocals play a big part in the duos sound, adding mightily to their already distant and darker natured persona. All of it is still buried underneath a solid layering of fuzz and when put all together it makes for some very fine noise-pop.

Ceremony – Dull Life [MP3]

For those out there looking to pick up Disappear, head on over to Safranin Sound. One of the best shoegaze/noise-pop albums I’ve heard this year, easily. So do check it out.

Distortion Felix - I'm an Athlete

Awhile back, as some might remember, Steve Albini opened up to field questions on the 2+2 poker forums. After being picked up by a million different blogs the thread turned into a massive Q&A session that ended up being quite an interesting read for those that had the patience to sort through it. Within it there was a question that asked Mr. Albini whether there were any bands that he recorded with that he felt were overlooked and deserved to be heard. One of the bands mentioned in that list were Distortion Felix. Oddly enough that’s not the reason why I ended up tracking down an album of theirs. In actuality I was told by someone else to find/check out the album. I suppose in a roundabout way that’s where it stemmed from, but at the time it was unknown to me. Anyway, after tracking down their second album I’m an Athlete, which appeared on Alias Records in 1999, I gave it listen. By this point I was aware of the namedropping in the Albini thread, so my hopes were slightly raised.

Even with a seal of approval of sorts from Albini, I was bit of surprised at how much I actually enjoyed this album. I had no idea what I was going to hear because there isn’t shit about the band on the Internet sadly, which makes sense I imagine considering they were part of the answer to a “what bands are overlooked” type of question. Distortion Felix for the most part plays a very sludgy/hazy brand of noise-pop. I can’t think of any other way to really describe it. It definitely has a bit of an LA vibe to it, which apparently that’s where the band was based. At times reveling in the lo-fi pop sounds of the 60’s, it pairs this up with a hefty amount dirty bass and guitar distortion. The end result is something that manages to sound fairly unrestrained and raw but incredibly catchy at the same time. Some of the songs blur the line between up beat pop and almost flat out noise-rock more so than others however, like the song “Blast Off” which finds itself derived mostly from the more prominent era of noise-rock. I wish I could I say I knew more about the band, however Distortion Felix is just as new to me as they are to some of you. Apparently one of the guys is now a member of The Mars Volta. Anyway, definitely check out the tunes posted below.

Distortion Felix – I’m an Athlete [MP3]
Distortion Felix – Banned in Graceland [MP3]
Distortion Felix – Pieces [MP3]

For those interested in picking up I’m an Athlete, it can be had over at Amazon still either used or new. Definitely pick it up if the tunes above spark some interest, pretty solid disc.

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.

A Place to Bury Strangers - Self-Titled

The splitting up of the greatly underrated Skywave resulted in the creation of two whole other bands. One of those bands was A Place to Bury Strangers, while the other was Ceremony. Unfortunately I haven’t heard nearly as much from Ceremony as I have from A Place to Bury Strangers. Both bands have been recording material; however it’s A Place to Bury Strangers that I am focusing on in this post as they have just released a ten song self-titled album, which is more of a compilation really. The album collects various recordings from the band leading up to the present that have been sold at shows on CD-R’s and/or have been floating around on the internet and peer to peer networks for quite awhile now. However, the difference and the draw in here is that the tracks have finally been given a proper mastering job and a legitimate release through Killer Pimp. The only catch is that it’s limited to 500 copies.

There is no easy way to describe what A Place to Bury Strangers do. All I can say is that they are obscenely loud. I’ve tried to think of way to actually describe their sound that doesn’t constantly contain drop the words “feedback” or “distortion”, but it is very much attached to those making it damn near impossible. As was with Skywave, A Place to Bury Strangers absolutely drowns the listener in a type of static-like distortion that is practically always making its presence known. It’s definitely of the blistering white hot variety, simply being relentless. All the while underneath it all is the often distant and monotone vocals of Oliver Ackermann, whom also creates his very own guitar pedals to help further manipulate the bands sound into being something that will naturally destroy ear drums if listened to at a high enough volume. I’m led to assume that it wouldn’t have to be all that high really. But anyway, for those that enjoy their fair share of noise-pop or shoegaze on an ultra high Mary Chain kick, then definitely check out A Place to Bury Strangers.

A Place to Bury Strangers – Don’t Think Lover [MP3]
A Place to Bury Strangers – I Know I’ll See You [MP3]

While the disc is fairly limited, it appears it’s still available through the Brainwashed site. It’s worth a shot at least. Regardless, the band is currently re-working some of the songs for future release on a larger label and hopefully a wider release. However, for those that want to catch some of these songs at their most raw and aggressive stages, then act quick and see if you can’t snag one of these. It’s definitely well worth it.

The Wicked Farleys...

I’ve been meaning to throw up a few tunes from Boston’s The Wicked Farleys for quite awhile now. As with most things that I either mean to do or find myself wanting to do, they get eventually get lost in the shuffle until something jogs my memory again. That happened this weekend while I found myself listening to a hastily made MP3 disc in my car and setting it on shuffle. Eventually a tune from The Wicked Farleys popped up from their great Sustained Interest EP and that was all I needed really.

The band was formed sometime in the mid nineties and would go on to release one 7 inch, a split with Vehicle Birth, the Sustained Interest EP in 1999, and two amazing albums titled Sentinel and Enterprise in 1998 and Make it It in 2000. The bands sound could be simply described as being a beautiful mess. While that hardly does them justice, it’s not a bad description really. They could be pretty much anywhere at anytime during a song and simply just pull a complete 180 on you and turn whatever it was into a small ball of noise or something just going off in a whole other direction altogether. They were a band that really didn’t play into any one genre I guess you could say. Being part math-rock, part mid nineties indie rock, and at times lavishing in the dreaminess of bands like My Bloody Valentine it created this odd monstrosity that in a perfect world would be the most popular thing ever, however we all know that isn’t the case with bands that don’t play it by the numbers. While a description as such doesn’t exactly sound favorable on paper, it really comes together in the actual music. Somehow or another within all the warped guitar tones and oddball directions appear some great melodies and songs that eventually get played over and over again without any explanation other than it’s simply that damn catchy. For those that have never listened to this highly under appreciated and underrated band, then check out the tunes, especially if you’re into the type of atonal indie rock that was prominent during the nineties.

Sentinel and Enterprise:
The Wicked Farleys – Even Numbers [MP3]
The Wicked Farleys – 23 Red Devils [MP3]

Sustained Interest:
The Wicked Farleys – Fitchburg, MA [MP3]

Make it It:
The Wicked Farleys – Dig the Ring [MP3]
The Wicked Farleys – Opportune [MP3]

Thankfully both albums and the EP are still available on Amazon and for a pretty great price too. I can’t recommend picking these up at some point, some great stuff that shouldn’t be missed.

Furry Things - The Big Saturday Illusion

Furry Things were around from 1993 to 1998 and were yet another great band to be featured on King Coffey’s Trance Syndicate label. While I sort of prefer the earlier stages of the band when they were more interested in pedal effects and harsh garage-like feedback, all of their records were pretty enjoyable listens. Their later stuff, such as the Frequent Lunacy EP and their second album Moments Away drifted into a more new wave/trip hop area that pretty much did away with the abrasiveness of their previous releases. However, their first album The Big Saturday Illusion is a great find for anyone that is into a harsh shoegazy sound. Furry Things often remind me of Medicine (the first incarnation), which is actually pretty interesting considering that Brad Laner of Medicine did collaborate with the band during their brief existence.

Don’t let the Medicine comparisons tell the complete story here though, although for some that might be all they need. However, The Big Saturday Illusion can stand on it’s own in terms of originality and bringing something interesting to the plate. Even on this album there was still a slight hint of where their sound would eventually end up like on the song “Porno Queen’s Love Dive”, which is purely instrumental and features a very danceable drum beat throughout. The Big Saturday Illusion also leans more heavily on a psychedelic sound rather than constantly opting for in the red blistering feedback, although there is indeed a lot of that too to be found on the album. Really, the album offers quite a bit of variety within to keep it from coming off as just a one trick pony. The band spreads their sound all the way from garage to at times a completely fried psychedelic spaced out journey such as on the eight minute long “Piled High”. Regardless, The Big Saturday Illusion is an album that should definitely be checked out for those that are fans of a harsher shoegaze sound or just noise-pop in general. Although the album is pretty good on its own, a couple of my favorite tracks by the band happen to come from either singles or compilation appearances, which I have posted below as well…so do check those out as well.

The Big Saturday Illusion:
Furry Things – Still California [MP3]
Furry Things – Take You Away [MP3]

Still California/Car Songs 7’’:
Furry Things – Car Songs [MP3]

VA – Cinco Anos (Trance Syndicate Compilation):
Furry Things – Everything New [MP3]

If the tunes above peak your interest at all, The Big Saturday Illusion and most of their other releases can be had over at Amazon for fairly cheap used and maybe even new if you do some shopping. Anyway, pick this up. Well worth it.

Videohippos - Unbeast the Leash

Hailing from Baltimore, Videohippos is the duo of Jim Triplett (guitar, vocals, keys) and Kevin O’Meara (drums, vocals, keys). The group will be releasing their debut album Unbeast the Leash through Monitor Records on June 19th and I would be pretty surprised if this doesn’t end up getting some well deserved attention soon after it’s available. My first thought was to call this noise-pop, but that doesn’t necessarily fit with Videohippos. First and foremost the melodies contained within Unbeast the Leash are just too goddamn catchy and intoxicating to simply write it off that easily. The groups sound is definitely one of the most intriguing and unique mashups that’s I’ve heard in awhile, combining a crazy amount of churning synth, feedback, and thunderous drumming. Really, O’Meara’s ferocious battery to his drum kit is a driving force on Unbeast the Leash giving the group an almost mutant like essence to their already cartoon-like sound. Surround that with Triplett’s wonderfully crafted melodies and then sprinkle in samples upon samples and you have Videohippos odd but highly tantalizing view of pop music.

Although I’ve yet to see these guys live, I am thinking that Unbeast the Leash may only be scratching the surface as to what this duo is all about. Apparently they play to a backdrop of a screen that runs video collages that run in synch with the duo’s music. I can only assume as to how much of surreal experience that would be. But yeah, I am hoping to possibly catch them when they come around here on their current tour with Dan Deacon, as should everyone else out there. Check out their MySpace for complete tour dates!

Videohippos – The List [MP3]
Videohippos – Kool Shades [MP3]

Be on the look out for Unbeast the Leash out on Monitor come June 19th.

Scuba - Scuba

Coming out in just under a week, May 8th to be exact, is the self-titled debut album from Boston’s own Scuba. I’ve had plenty of time to sit around and really try and get a firm idea of just where exactly Scuba fits in but even after having this album for more than a couple weeks now, I still can’t exactly pin them down. From everything I’ve managed to read in between spinning the album, which is pretty good by the way, is that the band has a strong passion for shoegaze. This appears to be fairly true as Scuba’s debut is no stranger to hazy feedback. However, despite drenching their sound in feedback it’s apparent that Scuba’s true calling lies within the early 80’s post-punk/no-wave scene.

Upon the opening moments of the album I found myself a bit skeptical. I wasn’t quite sure just how the vocals were going to work, or I guess fit in, with Scuba’s sound. It didn’t seem like something that would match up too well if someone would have described it to me before hand. For the most part David Grabowski’s vocals are in line with that of the panicked and anxiety ridden approach to Ian Curtis or Robert Smith, however think of that while being sang against swells of feedback. Oddly enough as the record goes on, it seems to work and get better and better. The first couple songs are solid, no question, but it almost feels like Scuba is falling back on the trendy dancey post-punk thing a bit too much, which doesn’t compliment Grabowski’s vocals nearly as well as some of the later songs like “Maybe It’s Different With Johnny” or “King of Infinite Space”. As the album progresses it’s almost like the band does as well. The two main influences on this record really do come together by the end in quite a nice way. The bands overall creative usage of feedback and melody seems to have created a nice album full of catchy noise-pop songs that will most likely be pleasantly received by both fans of shoegaze and solid indie-pop. It’s definitely some good material with a fairly unique approach at that.

Scuba – Maybe It’s Different With Johnny [MP3]
Scuba – Hate It When You Laugh [MP3]

If you like what you hear, be sure to keep an eye out for this on Midriff Records come May 8th. For more on Scuba check them out at their MySpace.

Sianspheric...

Sianspheric have been at it for around 12 years now and during that time the band has gone through a number of lineup changes and even broken up once. However, through all the relentless touring and hardship the band has endured, it has undoubtedly fueled them to carry forth and progressively top their selves. It’s always great to see a band get better as they get older, rather than regress or continually rehash ideas. In keeping away from that mentality, Sianspheric have developed into one of the premier shoegaze bands currently going right now. Or I at least assume they are still going. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, with the bands history I am a little weary.

Their last official album was in 2001 titled The Sound of the Colour of the Sun, but has made small appearances in the form of a split CD with Toshack Highway, a DVD compilation, and a 7 inch since then. There were rumblings earlier in the year of another album on the way, which I am still crossing my fingers for. If it manages to somehow surpass The Sound of the Colour of the Sun, then it will surely blow me away. Originally the bands sound was more in the area of ambient and heavy on the reverb dream pop, but after one album of that they moved into much more noisy territory, hooking up the distortion peddles and squeezing every bit of life they have out them. Don’t be mistaken though, Sianspheric is one of the few bands that can seem so noisy and loud on the exterior, but maintain a collective mellow chill/calm to their music. The swells of distortion and squalls of feedback seem to just enter the music unnoticed, mostly due in part to the hypnotic bass lines and melodies that the band has come to be so good at constructing.

Sianspheric – QFD [MP3]
Sianspheric – Slightly Less Sunshine [MP3]

You can still pick up some of their albums from Amazon, including The Sound of the Colour of the Sun. If there is an album of theirs to get, it is that one for sure. Anyway, please do pick it up if you like the tunes above.

Swirlies - They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons

I hadn’t planned on writing about this album because awhile back before I started this blog I had already written something about it in what was sort of a much smaller version of this site. However, I love this album way to much and I eventually realized that no one visited that thing anyway so why not do it over again? So yeah, I am taking this opportunity to once again express my liking towards the Swirlies and their masterpiece They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons. How about that for long winded titles?

The album was released in 1996, a time in which shoegaze was pretty much gone from mainstream music culture. So naturally this album caught some flack for having some similarities to the style. I find it a bit difficult myself to understand how this album could have been pigeonholed as such. It definitely has its moments where the guitars live up to the groups name and they “swirl” for a lack of a better term, however throughout the album there are a ton of pop like melodies that are obstructed by touches of unhinged noise and synthesizers. That’s not even all really, the band basically took the whole “kitchen sink” approach employing just about any form of oddball noise they could lay upon songs that were built along a traditional pop structure. Some of the songs sound like they are hanging on by a mere thread, sounding so loose that it’s a wonder that the whole thing doesn’t collapse. It just feels like every sound and tiny nuance has the utmost importance, helping meld the fractured parts of the groups sound with upbeat and poppy melodies. Simply, whether they know it or not, the Swirlies created one of the best noise pop albums that I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Swirlies – In Harmony New Found Freedom [MP3]
Swirlies – San Cristobal de las Casas [MP3]
Swirlies – The Vehicle is Invisible [MP3]

They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days… is still available from most major online retailers and such, so by all means pick it up from Amazon or wherever you people like to do you’re online shopping. I urge everyone to do so.

Sounds of Medicine...

I am squeezing in an update before tomorrows Thanksgiving festivities take place. This also means that I am going to try and squeeze in a bit more into this one post, so be prepared. I do wish everyone a safe travel to wherever you may be going to eat dinner and that everyone does have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now on with my last update until this weekend most likely.

For those that follow baseball, I just want to know. Have the owner’s gone absolutely batshit insane this off-season? I mean I just got on CBS Sportsline today and saw a headline for Gary Mathews Jr. having a preliminary agreement for a 5 year, $50 million contract with the Angels. They’re going to pay that much money for a guy who FINALLY had a decent year at the age of 32? He’s a marvelous center-fielder defensively, but man, $50 million for a one year wonder thus far? This is all in the wake of me seeing Mark Derosa receive a $13 million, 3 year deal with the Cubs. He is 31 and yet another guy who hadn’t done squat up until last season. That’s just great. Anyway, I guess the market value this year for average to slightly above average players is going through the roof. I bet Carlos Lee is sitting back right now and watching all of this with a big smile on his face being one of the few “premium” bats left on the market. Like Alfonso Soriano, he is pretty much guaranteed to get a gigantic contract due to all this.

Brad Laner was the brains behind the oft overlooked Medicine. Formed in LA sometime in 1991, Medicine went on to release four full-length albums and a few EP’s. Really there are two different versions of Medicine. The one that was around from the early to mid nineties and then the one that appeared a little after 2000. I much prefer the original Medicine sound that appeared basically through the first two albums and a couple of the EP’s. Their sound was often thrown into the whole shoegaze category, and it does fit to an extent, but to me it’s much more firmly rooted in the sounds of noise pop. A lot of their material has a very danceable rhythm to it, which also kind of sets itself apart from other bands commonly associated with that label. It’s not often that you run across something that is basically drenched in feedback and also makes you feel like you’re in a nightclub as well.

Their first album Shot Forth Self Living is pretty much the perfect example of their earlier sound and what I mentioned above. It opens with “One More”, which features a couple minutes of guitar feedback before the song finally fully kicks in. It ends up being my favorite song off the album as the guitars continue to swirl and the rest of the song begins to take shape. It’s then followed by the equally trashy sounding “Aruca”, also the name of one of their EP’s, which opens with what could only be described as noise for a full on minute before it dives into a poppy psych influenced rhythm. The album follows suit for seven more tracks that features at times ear piercing feedback mixed with some wonderful melodies.

Their second album The Buried Life is pretty much cut from the same mold as the first. It relies yet again on high pitched feedback and industrial sounds to serve as a backdrop for the melodies and vocals, however it may be considered a bit less abrasive than their first.

I see them compared to and at times labeled as MBV rip offs, which I don’t quite understand. It seems to me that Medicine was quite a bit different sounding than MBV or any of those other bands for that matter. Aside from the breathy vocals and the whole “wall of sound” aspect, Medicine added their own industrial influenced and treble heavy sound to it all.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention their third album Her Highness. Although it’s not bad, the band lost some of its appeal as the sound was much more stripped down and basically kind of left everything sounding kind of lifeless. The band soon broke up after that, but Brad Laner would later resurrect the name Medicine for another go around.

Shot Forth Self Living:
Medicine – One More [MP3]
Medicine – Aruca [MP3]

The Buried Life:
Medicine – Never Click [MP3]
Medicine – Fried Awake [MP3]

Aruca EP:
Medicine – The Powder [MP3]

Come Here to Drink Milk EP:
Medicine – Time Baby II [MP3]

Although the majority of their material is out of print, you can still find most of their releases available on Amazon for a reasonable price. If the songs above catch your interest then the albums probably won’t disappoint.

Skywave - Synthstatic...

I was talking to an online friend last night and we got on the subject of the band Skywave. The discussion inspired me to make a post about them today and their wonderful album Synthstatic. Although the trio had a few albums before Synthstatic, it’s definitely their crowning achievement as a band.

Upon first listen of Synthstatic it’s easy to cast it aside and merely label it as nothing more than a tribute to Jesus and Mary Chain. Although there is an obvious relation between the two bands, I feel like Skywave took that sound and basically ran with it making it even more explosive. I know some probably won’t feel that way, but I honestly look at this as some sort of expansion on the original sound that is done well and tastefully.

Everything about Synthstatic is completely overblown and sounds like the volume is constantly sitting in the red. For Skywave the distortion comes first and everything else is a close second. At times it almost feels like it could rip right through your eardrums, being as aggressive and raw as it is. However, despite as loud and noisy as it initially comes off, buried underneath all of the fuzz and squealing guitar there are melodies that help balance it out and serve as the more controlled aspect of the groups sound. The songs themselves range from being upbeat and poppy to being completely detached and absolutely sinister sounding. Although it may be hard to find the beauty in something like this, it’s definitely there. The noise and the dreamlike state that it eventually molds itself into basically give the listener the best of both worlds.

Skywave – Don’t Say Slow [MP3]
Skywave – Nothing Left to Say [MP3]
Skywave – Angela’s an Angel [MP3]
Skywave – Kiss [MP3]

After the band split a couple of the members went on to from Ceremony and another member went on to form A Place to Bury Strangers, both of which are recommended if you dig the above posted material. Unfortunately almost all Skywave material is long out of print and is incredibly hard to find. All I can suggest is to scour the likes of eBay and various other marketplaces that specialize in used material.

UPDATE: Thanks to Mars in the comment section for providing a place to purchase Synthstatic. You can pick it up over at Parasol. I would recommend getting it while you can though, because I have no idea how many they have.

ANOTHER UPDATE: A reader was kind enough to e-mail me and let me know that there is a 12 song compilation of b-sides and rarities available through the cassette exclusive label Best Kept Secret. It can be had over at the IndiePages Shop.

Henry's Dress...

Henry’s Dress was a short lived noise-pop group that came together in the early 90’s to release a few seven inches, the Henry’s Dress EP, and their only full-length Bust ‘Em Green. They were both interesting for their music and the fact that members Amy Linton and Matt Hartman often switched between doing vocals/guitar and drums on their records, which proved to work quite well. Hayyim Sanchez remained on bass. In their earlier stages, the group was almost completely overblown with noise, as can be heard on their self-titled EP, which is drenched in feedback to the point of relegating the vocals to the background at times. However, I always kind of preferred this sound to what they would later do on Bust ‘Em Green. For their full-length they scaled back the feedback to some extent, but even so, they remained one of the nosier bands on Slumberland Records. Their overall sound was something, even at that time, built on a sense of nostalgia. The most obvious is probably the garage rock feel and sound in practically every song. However, the melodies and cheerful/poppy vocals from both Hartman and Linton were almost twee like, which wasn’t too far fetched considering the record label they were on. Even furthering this, before they broke up they released a tour split 7 inch with Rocketship, who could very easily be, and often were, considered twee. As it could be guessed, their album is much more catchy and poppy then their EP. However, both releases are great in their own respective rights.

Henry’s Dress EP:
Henry’s Dress – Definitely Nothing [MP3]
Henry’s Dress – (You’re My) Radio One [MP3]

Bust ‘Em Green:
Henry’s Dress – Target Practice [MP3]
Henry’s Dress – Jimmy [MP3]

As mentioned before, Henry’s Dress weren’t around for long. They broke up in 1997 after touring in support for Bust ‘Em Green. Amy Linton would soon form The Aisler’s Set after their break-up. I am pretty sure both of these releases are long out of print, so much that Bust ‘Em Green can be kind of pricey to obtain. Regardless, check eBay and the likes for either of these.

Bonus MP3 (Rocketship Tour 7 Inch):
Henry’s Dress – Over 21 [MP3]