Built on a Weak Spot

Bellafea - Cavalcade

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:48:00 +0000

After roughly four years Bellafea has finally returned with their brand new debut album in hand titled Cavalcade. Just released at the beginning of June through Southern Records, the band spent two years of that time off between the release of their EP Family Tree and now recording the nine songs that make up Cavalcade. The time has proved to work in the bands favor though as the album is simply a great piece of work that should have fans of nineties inspired indie-rock smiling from cheek to cheek.

It’s not really a surprise to find that Bellafea is based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Although I’d say their sound doesn’t necessarily reflect that as much as some might want you to believe. Sure there are parts that can be picked out of the scenes past, but Bellafea are looking to continue to push it forward and I’d say Cavalcade does well in separating them from the past just as much as it intelligently takes from it. There will always be a special place in my heart for the jagged and tumbling guitar sound that made up a lot of the past decades prime indie-rock, Bellafea work within that territory to present a lively set of songs that are bursting with noisy free falls for Cavalcade. At the same time though, and this was a more so particularly on their previous EP Family Tree, Bellefea contain a small beauty within their music that is mostly due in part to singer/guitarist Heather McEntire. With vocals that have no trouble meeting the expectations of the bands varying moods, whether it be a cacophony of strings and guitar or just the power dual punch of bassist Eddie Sanchez and drummer Nathan Buchanan. It doesn’t matter as McEntire’s voice fits the bill for each and every moment on the album.

Bellafea – Depart (I Never Knew You) [MP3]

For anyone that is interested in picking up Cavalcade then head on over to Amazon to do so. It definitely comes recommended.

Caterpillar...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:45:00 +0000

Coming out of Philadelphia during the early 90’s was the band Caterpillar, who would go on to release three albums up until the end of the decade. Like many great bands during the time, Caterpillar are all too often forgotten these days with their first couple records showing up in bargain bins and going for a couple bucks on Amazon marketplace. However, as that all too true saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” (yeah, it’s kind of corny I know). As I hope turns out to be the case for some out there after previewing some tunes below.

Starting out in the early 90’s with a single on Compulsiv records the band soon after found them sharing a split single with indie stalwarts Superchunk on the Simple Machines label. That in itself kind of gives an idea as to where Caterpillar's sound lied, although not nearly as straight forward as them and with every bit of pop punch. Don’t look into that too much though, as Caterpillar's sound was a fairly all over the place one, full of quirky and odd tunings and often going back and forth between up front rockers to a more sleepy and laid back sound with songs about dirt, rocks, and fossils.

Anyway, the band returned to the Complusiv label in 1994 to release their debut full-length A Thousand Million Micronauts, which showcased the bands interesting brand of indie-pop nicely. They followed that up with a split 12’’ with Zen Guerilla in 1995. In 1996, once again through Compulsive, the band released their second album Macdorium Chlorium Chloe. The band had one final album released posthumously in 1999 through the Tappersize label titled Peace, Love, and Popularity. Personally my favorite of the three, but I am sure arguments could be easily made for the other two albums as being their best…so I won’t go that far to say that. Anyway, the album seemed to contain everything that made Caterpillar so interesting and fun to listen to with strong hooks and the unexpected odd rhythmic twists that really seemed to define indie-rock in the 90’s.

A Thousand Million Micronauts:
Caterpillar – My Buddy Ballantine [MP3]
Caterpillar – Prismatic Core [MP3]

Macdorium Chlorium Chloe:
Caterpillar – Betty Ann and Vinny [MP3]
Caterpillar – The Great Evolvo [MP3]

Peace, Love, and Popularity:
Caterpillar – Serious Thrill [MP3]
Caterpillar – HBK [MP3]

For those that are interested in picking up releases from Caterpillar, their first two albums can still be found fairly cheaply on Amazon. For anyone that is looking to pick up Peace, Love, and Popularity it still seems to be available through Tappersize Records. As always, enjoy and definitely pick up some records if you like what you here.

Monthly Mix: June 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:36:00 +0000

End of the week and nearing the end of the month. That means it’s time for the monthly mix for June. It’s been a month of hot weather here in the Midwest along with the vicious thunderstorms that come with. Anyway, don’t know if the mix reflects any of that or not…highly doubt it. As always the case with the mixes, if you find yourself enjoying some of the songs on it then go out and track down some albums and whatnot. All the artist names have been linked to a place of purchase wherever it’s applicable. With that said here is the mix and enjoy!

01 – Milk – You Must be Saved
02 – Black Taj – Cold Comfort
03 - Café Flesh – Plumber
04 – Joby’s Opinion – Natty Bohemian
05 – Shit and Shine – Kuss Mich, Meine Liebe
06 – Hurtmold – Smootz Da Police
07 – Shots Fired – My Friend
08 – Chug – Flowers
09 – Big Bear – 8
10 – Smashing Orange – All Girls Are Mine
11 – Ricaine – Handbook of Manual Dexterity
12 – Overstep – Tug of War
13 – Car vs. Driver – Spiraling
14 – Descartes a Kant – My Sweetest Headache Waltz
15 – Aleuchatistas – Good Question
16 – Flood – Forget the Whatever
17 – Gorch Fock – Brazillian Whack Job
18 – Festering Rinyanyons – Junkfood Pussy
19 – Black Mayonnaise – Descent/Impact

Download (.zip file)

Dirty Old Man River...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:36:00 +0000

After the Chicago based Drunk Tank came to an end around 1992 or so, Julian Mills went on to form the even darker and dirge driven Dirty Old Man River not long after. While the band was together they released three pretty solid albums (Self-Titled, The Saddest Movie Screen, and Ageless respectively) through Radial Records. Interestingly enough, joining Mills for the last two albums was Ben Miller (brother of Mission of Burma’s Roger Miller) on stereo pre-prepared guitar.

While Dirty Old Man River traveled down the same dark murky paths of that of Mills’ previous band, they were still two completely different beasts. This wasn’t the same raucous guitar attack that Drunk Tank was. Still though, one of the center points of the band was the raspy and chilling grate of Mills’ vocals. However, picture those to the backdrop of a menacing piano and the random clinks and buzzes, that of which remind you of the sounds that a larger older house makes when you’re sitting alone in it late at night trying to convince yourself it’s nothing but the house itself. Dirty Old Man River operated on the same level of “spooky” I suppose. Doing away with most melody in favor of the tension mounting random oddball noises and bringing together the seedy red lighted sound of a late hours dive bar. Dirty Old Man River is essentially what “creepy” music should sound like. It’s basically every long drunken walk home alone in the dark you’ve ever taken…

Dirty Old Man River:
Dirty Old Man River – Katy Did [MP3]

The Saddest Movie Screen:
Dirty Old Man River – Ghosts on the River [MP3]

Ageless:
Dirty Old Man River – One More Round [MP3]

For those looking to pick up any of the releases from Dirty Old Man River, I believe all three of the albums are still available through Amazon, both used and new. So definitely pick one, two, or all three of these if you enjoy what you here!

Appollonia - Among Wolves

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Appollonia are a three piece currently based out of Bourdeaux, France that have just self-released their first album titled Among Wolves. The album follows up a five song demo that the band recorded in 2006, and to their credit for being such a young and relatively new band Among Wolves is a pretty solid record. This is coming from someone who generally is a bit picky when it comes to bands that are molded around the post-rock/metal deal. However Appollonia, who have only been around roughly a couple or so years, are already pretty well ahead of the game.

On Among Wolves the band does an admirable job in avoiding some of the genres largest clichés by mixing in some hardcore elements that ultimately keeps the songs concise and the listeners on their toes. One of the things that makes Among Wolves stand on its own against the number of similarly styled releases out there right now is Appollonia’s refreshing dynamics throughout the record, which as mentioned before keeps things from falling victim to repetitiveness. For a debut, Among Wolves doesn’t fail to impress and there is definitely reason to believe that the best is ahead for the band. Fans of Year of No Light, Overmars, Cult of Luna, etc should and will likely find something to like about Appollonia’s debut.

Appollonia – Sunset Boulevard [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Among Wolves, head on over to the bands MySpace to do that and to check out some more tunes from the band. Enjoy!

Matt Bartram - Arundel

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:17:00 +0000

I didn’t even realize it until I sat down to type this, but this will be the second time I’ve written about a solo artist from a notable shoegaze band in just barely over a week. This time we get an album from Air Formation singer/guitarist Matt Bartram titled Arundel, which was released this past May on the Drifting Falling label.

For Bartram, and many others that take on a solo record, it’s a chance to expand and freely experiment with a certain sound. In Bartram’s case, the Flying Saucer Attack influence that was occasionally hinted upon within his work in Air Formation is let loose here on Arundel. This is a much more ambient and hazier affair for sure, taking on some psychier elements in the area of Spacemen 3 or Medicine but not to the same extremes of either. Like FSA, Bartram’s work here on Arundel often functions heavily with a pulsating rhythm underneath multiple layers of feedback and fuzz that inevitably sucks the listener into its warm and cozy wrappings. That it has such an effect says plenty about Arundel as a whole. Helped along by Bartram’s soothing vocals, which are surprisingly not completely buried in the mix of things, is a nice touch and a wise choice for someone that generally has such a quality to their voice. Fans of Air Formation should find this release intriguing and anyone interested in a lulling more ambient focused shoegaze sound should definitely check out Arundel.

Matt Bartram – Leave by Nine [MP3]

For those looking up to pick up Arundel, it can be had over at Tonevendor. Definitely pick it up if you’re digging the tune above, much more where that came from. It’s a solid album.

Pupille - La Música de Moda

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:42:00 +0000

Four albums in 10 years, the Tarragona based Pupille have consistently been putting out melodically twisting and precise instrumental rock during that time. The band is back this year with their fifth album titled La Música de Moda, which as been put out by Bcore Disc out of Barcelona, Spain.

Being a five piece can sometimes be misleading, Pupille aren’t a band that produce a large wall of noise or use that number to power the listener into submission. Instead, and one of the things that makes Pupille so impressive and a pleasure to listen to, is that each one of the members can be picked out of the melding and winding sound. Thanks to the extremely talented work of each member, it makes La Música de Moda a fantastic treat to listen to on a larger home stereo. Getting a chance to hear the three featured guitarists float in and out from one channel to the other just never gets old throughout the seven songs that make up the album. Bouncing off one another effortlessly and complete with smooth transitions that lead to the next guitarist’s arrangement, there is plenty contained within the album that make repeated listens a definite must. And that is not taking into the account the wonderful music that all of this ends up creating.

Pupille – La Comedia Hungara [MP3]

For those interested in picking up La Música de Moda then head on over to Bcore Disc to pick it up. Fans of finely executed instrumental rock shouldn’t pass this one up, a fine piece of work.

ChooChooShoeShoot - Choose Your Own Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:34:00 +0000

Formed as early as late 2004, it would be hard to tell that the Nantes, France based ChooChooShoeShoot are merely a little under four years old. Following a demo that the band recorded in ’06, they have just released their debut album titled Choose Your Own Romance through Kythibong Records that sets the bar pretty high for the foursome in the future.

It’s absolutely no secret that ChooChooShoeShoot are heavily inspired by a lot of the music that Chicago produced during the early to mid nineties, very reminiscent of Shellac, Big’N, Table, and etc. Fans of those bands and anything that sounds remotely like them might as well stop reading now and just listen to the tunes below because the likelihood of at least mildly enjoying Choose Your Own Romance seems pretty high with this one. The album was originally recorded in a live raw setting with Miguel Constantino and then later handed over to Bob Weston for the finishing touches, containing all the abrasive tight explosiveness that one could possibly hope for. The female vocals provided by singer Chrystelle play right into the bands tension testing sound, going from quieter spoken passages to the inevitable shouted outburst outcome. Choose Your Own Romance is a head turner of a debut, definitely give it a listen.

ChooChooShoeShoot – Lao Lao [MP3]
ChooChooShoeShoot – Houlette [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Choose Your Own Romance, just head on over to the bands MySpace where they have it all set up for you. It definitely comes recommended. In the meantime, enjoy!

Caesura...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:34:00 +0000

Caesura was an absolutely fantastic trio based out of San Francisco during the earlier part of this decade. I am not actually so sure if they are around these days still or not, but I am assuming not because I haven’t heard or seen anything about them since their last release in ’04. I could be wrong though and it sure wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

Anyway, Caesura was members Evan Rehill, Brad Purvis, and Mike Shoun. Together they released an EP in 2001 titled Escape Equals Light through their own label Bird Go South Records. They followed that release up with two albums, 2002’s More Specific, Less Pacific through 54°40' or Fight! and 2004’s excellent Wallpaper the Witness once again through Birds Go South.

While often slapped with the label of a math-rock band Caesura was and always sounded a bit like a different band than that. Yeah, their songs are filled with the all the stop/start guitar playing and wild percussive blasts that could essentially land them in that category, but with a singer in Rehill that had a bit of thing for theatrics it helped fuel a more unique post-punk influenced sound. While all of Caesura’s albums are pretty good in my opinion, I would definitely suggest picking up their last release Wallpaper the Witness before anything else as it features the band at their noisiest and most complex. Check out some tunes below…

More Specific, Less Pacific:
Caesura – Craschandelier [MP3]
Caesura – Overhead [MP3]

Wallpaper the Witness:
Caesura – Hammer [MP3]
Caesura – Killer B [MP3]

For those that are interested in picking up an album or two by the band, then you can still pick up their EP and first album through Amazon it appears. However, oddly enough Wallpaper the Witness seems to be a bit harder to find, although Copper Press apparently still sells the CD and LP of it. Don’t know exactly how reliable that may be though, might want to shoot them an e-mail first. Anyway, I definitely recommended tracking down any of the bands material you can find!

Junction - A Collection of Random Mishaps

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:04:00 +0000

Formed in 1989, Junction was a four piece post-hardcore outfit based out of Pennsylvania that played a nice variation of the DC sound. Originally starting out with core members Gregg Foreman (guitars) and Ben Azzara (drums), it would be a rotation of members and breakups before member Garrett Rothman joined the group on bass. As a trio the band recorded their first single together, a split 7’’ with the band Separate Peace. Not long after the single was released the band then added singer Vanessa Downing. The band would go on to record two more EP’s, the Falling & Laughing EP and the Swingset EP before really calling it quits sometime around 1993 or so.

I really do wish littler known bands from this time got the discography treatment these days. Thankfully Art Monk Construction was able to put out the compilation disc for Junction, A Collection of Random Mishaps, not too many years after the band called it a day. The disc is out of print these days I think, however is fairly easy to track down and comes at a pretty cheap price used.

Junction – Mouth as a Gun [MP3]
Junction – Ivy [MP3]

Like I said, A Collection of Random Mishaps can be found online at Amazon and various other places used still. Definitely pick it up if you’re digging the tunes above. After Junction broke up Ben Azzara went on to briefly play in Delta 72 with fellow Junction member Gregg Foreman. Azzara exited the band and then played in Capitol City Dusters for a few years.

Thisquietarmy - Unconquered

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:13:00 +0000

Just recently released at the end of this past March was the debut from Thisquietarmy titled Unconquered out on Foreshadow Records. Some may already be familiar with Thisquietarmy and that the man behind the moniker, Eric Quach, is also a guitarist for the fantastic post-rock/shoegaze group Destroyalldreamers. Taking his love for fuzz and ambiance further (which is already hinted at in the space defiant band names), Quach has turned to his solo project for an outlet and the results of it certainly speak for itself.

Unconquered is a record that takes on a few different shapes and sounds as it progresses through the eight tracks that make up the album. The opener “Immobilization” is a fantastic joint effort between Quach and guest collaborator Aidan Baker. To little surprise it resembles Baker’s work on his past textural/ambient albums and it’s obvious that the two teamed together create a fairly captivating creative force. However, one of the things that makes Unconquered such a strong debut is that Quach doesn’t try to mimic these results for the rest of the album and the structure and mood shifts considerably after the first track. It follows up on the next couple tracks with a semi-abrasive wash of rising and falling distortion. “Battlefield Arkestrah” is a notable punishing piece of work, which is featured further below. One of my favorite tracks off the album is easily “The Great Escapist”, which features vocals from female singer Meryem Yildiz. The implementation of vocals is a fantastic addition and although it may be one of the more structured tracks on the album, it still fits right along with the rest of the album.

While Unconquered may not be something completely new to drone/ambient fans, it’s surely something that should and likely will be enjoyed by fans of the genre. Quach’s execution and unique approach to the genre is certainly worth checking out.

Thisquietarmy – Battlefield Arkestrah [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Unconquered, it is currently available through Tonevendor. Fans of this sort of music should definitely give it a chance. Also, for anyone that is looking for some more sampling of Thisquietarmy’s music, then definitely download the internet only single that features the excellent non-album track “Dronewars”. In order to do that, just head on over here. Enjoy!

Dagobah...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:08:00 +0000

It’s odd how things work out sometimes. I don’t have much of an update tonight due to all the storms going on and my connection not being as reliable as it I would like. Anyway, I’d been searching for physical copies of both the self-titled full-length and EP from the late and highly overlooked Osterville, Massachusetts based band Dagobah. I still am actually, but at that time I didn’t even have digital copies to listen to. However, just a few days ago by pure coincidence I received an e-mail from a reader of the blog that had a link to the bands recorded output up for download. Needless to say I have been spinning (well, looping on Winamp) the albums ever since. For those who haven’t heard the band, they were a three piece math/post-hardcore outfit during the mid to late nineties that put some serious riffs to record that definitely shouldn’t be missed. Check it out below.

Dagobah LP:
Dagobah – 55378008(life) [MP3]
Dagobah – Paas [MP3]

Dagobah EP:
Dagobah – Hot Dog [MP3]

If you’re enjoying the tunes above, then by all means head on over to the Sampson Records archive and download the full LP and EP for free. Enjoy!

Pia Fraus - After Summer...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:31:00 +0000

Pia Fraus just recently returned this past May to deliver their fourth and latest album upon us titled After Summer. The album also happens to be a return to Clairecords, which released their second full-length In Solarium five years ago. Since then the bands has released one other record along with a couple EP’s in between.

I must say, Claire has been on a pretty good roll lately with their releases and judging by the songs contained on After Summer it’s going to continue. The album doesn’t stray away too much from the bands previous output, which means listeners should be prepared to hear a solid mixture of shoegazey guitar feedback and upbeat pop rhythms for a sunshine radiating style of dream-pop. This time around however things get a bit more polished and the all around sound has been tightened up some, which probably has something to do with them working with producer Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits) this time around. Fans shouldn’t see much a problem, if any, with this though as everything that was to like about Pia Fraus before is definitely still here on After Summer. If anything, Blake’s work with the band has helped strengthen up some of the finer points of the bands sound that may have been sorely lacking on 05’s Nature Heart Software, which was a bit tougher of a record to get into for me personally. It’s definitely good to hear the band come back strong on After Summer.

Pia Fraus – Doctor Optimism [MP3]

For those enjoying the music and that are looking to pick up After Summer, then head on over to Tonevendor to do so!

Valina - A Tempo! A Tempo!

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:04:00 +0000

A Tempo! A Tempo! is the latest album from the Austrian three piece Valina. It marks their third album and their first release since 05’s excellent EP Epode. The album was released this past spring through Trost Records. I am not entirely sure if the album will be seeing a US release, however it’s available now though the labels website.

For those that may have not heard any of Valina’s material over the past 10 years that they’ve been around, well now is a perfect time to start as A Tempo! A Tempo! is probably one of the best things they’ve recorded to date. The album brings together all the past elements of the bands sound and sharpens them even further. An already fairly tight band on record, they’re swaggering brand of math-rock is deceptive in a way that it’s sometimes easy to overlook at just how skilled this band is. Interweaving incredibly catchy melodies with the stop start directional mayhem comparable to that of some of the early to mid nineties finest, the band creates a distinctive sound of their own that is somewhat helped along by the vocals of Anatol Bogendorfer that gently hint at the idea of being upbeat enough to sing along with.

Featuring a new drummer (Anselm Duerrschmid) this time around, the band doesn’t miss a beat, featuring the same skittish rapid speed blasts of thundering drums as before. Also helping them along on A Tempo! A Tempo! is some of their pals from the Chicago band Cougars who contribute saxophone and trumpet pieces throughout the album, which may be one of the finest additions to the bands sound.

Valina – Dogged [MP3]
Valina – Eye’s a Window [MP3]

As noted before, A Tempo! A Tempo! can be had over at Trost Records. I highly suggest picking this up and possibly any other Valina release you may come across. As a matter a fact, both Epode and their second album Vagabond are both available though 54º40' or Fight! still. In the meantime, enjoy!

Stereo Question...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:08:00 +0000

I generally don’t use the blog for things like this, but I figured this might be as good of place as any to try and get some feedback for my question. I currently have a mid-70’s era Marantz 2275 stereo receiver that needs some minor tuning up/work done to it. It’s basically gone without any maintenance during its lifespan and the 30+ years of wear and tear is starting to become noticeable. I am not exactly the best at doing these sorts of things on my own, so I was wondering if anyone out there knows of any place in or around the Kansas City area that does vintage stereo equipment repair and furthermore does good work, can be trusted, etc. If so, then feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. Any feedback would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Monthly Mix: May 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:37:00 +0000

It’s nearing the end of the month and regular readers of the blog already know what that means. For Friday I’m posting up the monthly mix for May. The usual is contained within, the old and a small amount of new. As always, I do highly suggest that if anyone finds any of the music contained on the mix to be of any interest to pick up a copy of the album. All artist names are linked to a place of purchase where applicable. Enjoy!

01 – Surgery – L-7
02 – Fiddlehead – King Friday
03 – Varnaline – No Decision, No Disciple
04 – Rope – Our Beast
05 – Boxcar Satan – First Half of the Last Laugh
06 – Burmese – Thumbsucker
07 – Early Lines – NPR
08 – Burning Airlines – Wheaton Calling
09 – Working for a Nuclear Free City – Quiet Place
10 – Pitchblende – Psychic Power Control
11 – Mi Ami – Feel You
12 – Boss Hog – Gerard
13 – Ed Temple – The Killer Eludes Me Again
14 – Gone Bald – I’ve Seen Hippies Turn to Zombies
15 – Honcho Overload – Unicorns & Rainbows
16 – A.H. Kraken – Cette Fille Est A Genoux
17 – Kidcrash – Hypothetical Basking Shark
18 – The Out_Circuit – We

Download (.zip file)

Singer - Unhistories

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 29 May 2008 05:11:00 +0000

With U.S. Maple being on hiatus for the foreseeable future, guitarist Todd Rittman and later era drummer Adam Vida set out and teamed up with former 90 Day Men member Rob Lowe and the brother of Adam, Ben Vida to form Singer. The band has just recently released their full-length debut, Unhistories, this past March on Drag City.

I remember first hearing about Singer and where it would lead. Their debut kind of snuck up on me, but something like Singer is definitely a good surprise. I guess it’s not terribly surprising the band resembles U.S. Maple in quite a few ways, most notably continuing on with the off-kilter guitar arrangements and general “making something from nothing” type of mentality that the previous outfit so successfully pulled off. There are a few key differences interspersed throughout the record though. One being that the name of the band is something to be taken quite literally, which was a complete surprise to me. I had no idea that the foursome would be collectively providing vocals. Furthermore, I didn’t expect them to be harmonized in such a way that they are on the album, albeit it’s Lowe that often takes center stage with the vocal duties. It’s quite a difference and really contrasts well with overall uneasiness that is created by the deconstructed rhythms floating along behind them.

I hate to use the word accessible, but Singer provides a bit more of a gentler approach than what was previously experimented with in U.S. Maple. But let me remind you that I am using the term “accessible” very very loosely. Singer does a pretty good job at diving into the odd guitar/rhythm experimentations of Rittman’s and A. Vida’s previous group and delivering something with a few interesting twists that ultimately work better than I think most would expect.

Singer – Dumb Smoke [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Singer’s debut album Unhistories, then head on over to Drag City to do so. I definitely recommend this purchase for fans of U.S. Maple.

Tulips...

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 27 May 2008 05:16:00 +0000

I don’t really know much about the Tulips; in fact I know almost absolutely nothing about them. The band is pretty much a complete mystery to me. The only thing I am aware of is that they released a couple albums on Sonic Bubblegum, 1992’s Jack Mag and 1995’s Night of the Hunter, during the mid-nineties and an EP that preceded both of those titled Buxom on Earthling in 1992 as well. The cover of Buxom is a black and white shot of a hairy nipple, so that should give everyone and idea of what type of music you’re in store for.

Not really unique in any sort of way I imagine. Tulips played a fairly typical brand raucous noisy rock that was fronted by the howl of a female vocalist. Although knowing next to nothing about the band, I wanted to at least post a few tracks up on here since I imagine fans of anything noise-rock will dig this, and most of their records go cheaply on Amazon these days. Take a listen…

Buxom:
Tulips – China [MP3]

Jack Mag:
Tulips – Do Me [MP3]
Tulips – Panther [MP3]

Night of the Hunter:
Tulips – Wolf Pack [MP3]
Tulips – Wet [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick any of these albums up on the cheap and used, then head on over to Amazon to do so. Ignore the MP3 thing at the bottom of the Amazon page…I couldn’t find a page that just showed the right Tulips albums. Anyway, enjoy!

Capillary Action - So Embarrassing

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 23 May 2008 06:06:00 +0000

Behind the name Capillary Action you will find the mastermind of the group in Jonathan Pfeffer, who uses an ever changing cast of musicians to assist him in creating what is one hell of a mind bending sound. Now whether that is a good or bad thing, well that’s up to you because I can honestly say right here and now that this isn’t for everyone. So Embarrassing is the groups second record which has Pfeffer going full steam ahead into concept album territory by delivering a thirty plus minute palette of genres that weave their way in and out as fast as one can blink their eyes. All within this wild but surprisingly fine tuned orchestration is elements of jazz, progressive rock, math-rock, world music, and classical composition.

Generally albums like So Embarrassing prove to be much tougher of a listen than probably most people want to deal with. It’s an exercise in seeing just how far someone can push the boundaries and sometimes it’s only fun for those that are doing the pushing. One of the best aspects about So Embarrassing is that it successfully goes from being merely an experimental album to becoming a slightly more complex pop album that reveals itself as quite listenable really. That’s not to say, as I mentioned before, that everyone will enjoy this…although you never know. Really though that description remains to be a bit vague for the album as a whole as it accomplishes far more in my opinion. The many twists and turns that the album takes are paralleled with the soft melodic vocals of Pfeffer that often provides an extra intriguing element to the groups already spazzed out sound. So Embarrassing has gotten its fair share of comparisons to Mr. Bungle and Naked City, which seems fair. Fans of music in that sort of area should definitely find some interest in what Capillary Action are doing here on their latest album.

Capillary Action – Pocket Protection is Essential [MP3]
Capillary Action – Elevator Fuck [MP3]

For those looking to pick up So Embarrassing can do so by heading on over to Pangaea Recordings. I definitely recommend doing so.

Glissade - Further

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:01:00 +0000

It has been raining here off and on all morning, seemed like the perfect time to throw on the new record Further from Greensboro, NC shoegaze trio Glissade. While the cover of the album features a nice shot of an ocean coast, I don’t have that same sort of view here in the Midwest so I am making due by syncing it up to a cloudy/rainy afternoon. Music to watch the streams of water jet down my road and into my yard, creating a lovely mess of trash and decomposing leaves to pick up tomorrow.

While I am not quite sure how long Glissade have been around, Further marks their fifth release and second full-length record. It also happens to be the first time I have ever heard the band and I must say the initial impression is a strong one. Further strives to be a successful and effective atmospheric journey, and for the most part it meets its goal. Just by the appearance of the album, it would almost lead one to believe that the entire album is just slowly blended rise and falls of distortion. At least for me the album name Further automatically triggers some sort of Flying Saucer Attack element. However though, Glissade takes on more of a post-rock approach, giving the songs more of a distinctive appearance from one another. Furthermore, the band also manages to burst out with some fairly hard hitting and intense pieces during some of the songs climaxes which reveal a completely unexpected side to the band…at for me as a first time listener. But going back to the FSA mention though, while it’s probably completely coincidental, Glissade does have a slight psychedelic wrapping to their song craft that does kind of remind me of the bands more pysch influenced material. This is definitely something that fans of instrumental shoegaze/post-rock will want to check out. Think Destroyalldreamers, but without as much of the glimmering sheen to them and bit of a rougher edge.

Glissade – Fields of Snow [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Glissade’s latest full-length, then head on over to Tonevendor to do so. Good stuff.

Downtime // 16-17 - Gyatso

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:18:00 +0000

Some may have noticed that BOAWS was down for the majority of this past Sunday. There were some server issues that understandably took awhile to fix on my hosts end. Sorry to anyone that visited expecting an update for Monday and wondered where the site disappeared to. All is well though! Now on with the updates…

Some may be excited to know that Savage Land Records is reissuing the fantastic album Gyatso by past Swiss noise makers 16-17. Originally the album was released on Kevin Martin’s (ICE, Techno Animal, and God) Pathological label in 1994, but with the label being long gone it left a fair amount of excellent releases out of print, including Gyatso.

I doubt there is anything that can fittingly describe 16-17 or even more so the album Gyatso, which is arguably their crowning achievement while together. The lineup for this album consisted of Alex Buess (sax/bass clarinet), Markus Kneubuhler (guitar/electronics), and Knut Remond (drums). Often hindered by poor recording quality, Gyatso was the first album that really gave them the chance to fully present their power and insanity. The overall result was a giant step forward for the bands warped and bludgeoning style of free jazz. The album also drifted further into electronic territory, which would become even more of a focus on their later EP Human Distortion. Providing many of the electronic samples heard on the record was Kevin Martin himself collaborating with the band.

While dealing mostly in improvisation and freeform, Gyatso takes on a much different feel than a lot of similarly styled albums. The wild array of chaotic saxophone squalls and bass clarinet is more often than not set to a backdrop of monotonous bass and drums that proves to be an exhaustive listen as the album trudges through each track. Providing the disgustingly heavy low end on the album is none other than GC Green of Godflesh.

For those that have never heard this record, then definitely check out the tracks below. The album has been remastered by Weasel Walter (Flying Luttenbachers).

16-17 – Attack-Impulse [MP3]
16-17 – Motor [MP3]

Anyone that wishes to pick up this fine reissue may do so over at Savage Land Records. It’s well worth it, so don’t miss out on this!

Thank You - Terrible Two

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:09:00 +0000

The amount of interesting and often experimental music coming out of Baltimore, Maryland these days seems to be increasing. More and more I feel like I have been combing through the wealth of music coming out of that scene and a small portion of it has landed on the blog at some point or another. If I weren’t so lazy (and somewhat tired) I would go back and try and tally up the number. That’s just not to be though. Despite that, for today’s post I have an excellent new record from another Baltimore act, the trio of Thank You. Thrill Jockey just released their new album, Terrible Two, on vinyl this past April and are set to release it on CD here shortly in early June. So be on the lookout for it if vinyl is not your game.

Terrible Two is the follow up to last years album on WildfireWildfire titled World City. The band is described as an athletic rhythm/action unit, which almost seems like a good way of describing a band, but yet not really giving any idea of how they sound at the same time. However, after going through the five tracks on Terrible Two, it became clearer to me as to what exactly was meant by it…my mistake. Despite only being a trio, Thank You almost sound like there should be considerably more people standing around playing, hitting, or shouting something. The live shows are apparently something to be seen, which I can believe. The amount of different beats and rhythms they pull the listener through is genuinely impressive, which have all been drawn from a number of different sounds. The songs are drawn out in a fashion that lets them slowly work themselves into a frenzy, which generally leads to them spinning off into a whirlwind of completely different rhythms and beats. Terrible Two may only be around thirty five minutes in length, but it leaves nothing untouched and there is plenty to discover and appreciate here. On top of that it just proves to be a very fun album to listen to as well.

Thank You – Empty Legs [MP3]

As mentioned earlier, Terrible Two is only available out on vinyl as of right now and will be released on CD here come June. For anyone out there looking to pick it up right now however can do so through Thrill Jockey. Enjoy!

Gravity Propulsion System - Days Like Razors

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:43:00 +0000

Heading back into the noisier side of things…wait, make that much nosier…is the latest installment from the Oklahoma based trio Gravity Propulsion System. The new album Days Like Razors is their third through Ascetic Records, which was released this past March. For those not familiar with the band they’ve been around for roughly ten or so years putting out completely solid albums and EP’s of recorded guitar/amp abuse of the best kind. Over that period of time they’ve also shared the stage with some other excellent noise rockers that have been featured here on the blog, such as Vaz, SWITCHhiTTER, Neptune, and Enemymine.

Days Like Razors falls right into line with the bands previous output, delivering thirty five more minutes of their filthy brand of fuzz filled rock. A good portion of this comes at a quick burst to the listener as the first seven tracks fly by in a pummeling thirteen minutes, a few of those being short little segues into the next punk fueled noise explosion. The inclusion of these just gives the album that much more of a disorienting feeling. Things come to a bit of a rest though with the track “The Travel Agent”, which is a surprisingly melodic yet noisy affair that brings their notable post-punk influences to the forefront. While the band may appear to be quite the aggressive bunch on first listen, they’ve always managed to work in a bit of catchiness to their overall sound giving them an added bit of appeal. Days Like Razors is yet another excellent addition to the bands catalog.

Gravity Propulsion System – The Situation [MP3]
Gravity Propulsion System – The Travel Agent [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Days Like Razors or any of the bands other albums for that matter, then head on over to Ascetic Records and pick it up. It’s definitely recommended.

Soundpool - Dichotomies & Dreamland

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:27:00 +0000

Back in 2006 NYC’s Soundpool completely came out of nowhere with their excellent debut On High, which was some sort of masterfully executed danceable shoegaze…at least that’s what I suppose it could be called. Wasting hardly any time the band have returned here in ’08 with their follow up Dichotomies & Dreamland released this past March through Aloft Records here in the US and through Quince in Japan.

While it’s hard to determine whether Dichotomies & Dreamland will change the minds of anyone that disliked the first record, I can say that fans of it will notice a few favorable changes here. The songs have been scaled back a bit from the full bore bouncy pop rhythms that were fluent throughout On High. Instead here we receive a much more ambient and mood driven version of Soundpool, loaded with textures, guitar effects, and a number of songs that are dictated by slow burning crumbles of feedback. Jumping between variations of the two easily works in their favor. The electronic side of the band has also taken on a greater importance, giving them a sound that resembles at times a sped up Bowery Electric or a fuzzier Boards of Canada or Broadcast.

Fans may not fully embrace Dichotomies & Dreamland at first, as it’s not as instantly catchy as their previous effort. However, it’s definitely a further advanced and accomplished album in that it doesn’t lean too heavily on one aspect of the groups sound. With multiple listens it easily proves to be the clear winner between the two in the end.

Soundpool – Do What You Love [MP3]
Soundpool – Lush (What Becomes You) [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Dichotomies & Dreamland then head on over to Tonevendor and pick up this fine addition to the expanding list of fine 2008 releases. Soundpool are one of the bright spots amongst the rapidly growing shoegaze resurgence.

Sweet Tooth - Soft White Underbelly

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:25:00 +0000

Sweet Tooth was a short lived band that featured members Dave Cochrane (bass, vocals), Justin Broadrick (guitar), and Scott Kiehl (drums). They were more in the area of one of Cochrane’s and Broadrick’s other outfits, Head of David, in that they were more of a noisy guitar driven band. Eventually the members found themselves consumed with other projects and Sweet Tooth ended sometime around 1993. While together they released one mini LP called Soft White Underbelly on Earache Records in 1990 and followed that up with a live album in 1993 titled Crash Live. They also made a couple appearances on compilations.

I don’t typically do a request type of thing, but since Soft White Underbelly is long out of print from the looks of it and it being released only on vinyl, I’ve provided a link to the full thing. That and it goes right along with the outline of the blog, so why not? Also, I don’t think it’s really that scarce, as I’ve seen it on eBay from time to time, so definitely snatch it up if anyone ever comes across it.

Sweet Tooth – Soft White Underbelly

Enjoy, I’m out until tomorrow.