Category Archives: music

New album: Twin Peaks – “Sunken”

Twin Peaks - "Sunken"
Twin Peaks – “Sunken”

Please somebody, tell me what they are putting in the water supply in Chicago. I have always been a fan of the Chicago rock scene since I was in high school and loved Hum and The Smashing Pumpkins like it was my job, but now – between Smith Westerns and Twin Peaks – there is a whole generation of bands that grew up after those bands were out of commission (I know, I know. Hum still plays semi-regularly, or at least sometimes and don’t even get me started on the Pumpkins. The pumpkins died after Machina II. What is touring now is not the Smashing Pumpkins, but rather Billy Corgan trying to convince everyone that he is still relevant and then crying like a baby when people scream for him to play the hits.) But I digress…

Maybe rather than questioning what they are putting in the water supply in Chicago, I should ask what they are putting in the school lunches in Chicago. Smith Westerns were playing the Pitchfork Music Festival the same weekend as their senior ball, and that was right around the time that their 2nd album came out. Now we have Twin Peaks, who are barely old enough to drive, and they’ve released easily one of the best things that I have heard this year so far.

Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks

“Sunken” is a guitar heavy, echo laden, mass of jangle and energy. It’s an infectious cross between pop and some of the grittier rock that I have heard lately. Though the album is barely 20 minutes long (they are apparently playing the Japandroids’ game of “how short can we make an album while still calling it an album?”) but despite that short length it packs quite a punch. “Fast Eddie” could easily be a radio hit with a guitar line that I just can’t get enough of (though I have always been a sucker for the tasteful use of echo). The chorus really opens up, and even though I can’t figure out what the words are, I want to sing along.

“Ocean Blue” sounds like something that could have been on the first Beach Fossils release. Or Real Estate. Its swirl of reverb is hypnotizing. Normally I would say that nobody should use a crash cymbal that much, but here it really does add to the sound, it’s a necessary component. And “Stand in the Sand” is another stand out track on an album full of stand out tracks. I could go on about the catchiness, but I think that by this point you get the picture. Oh, and you are in luck because you can listen to that track below.

For kids this young to be able to tie an album together this well is astonishing. If you are 35 and still picking up guitars off the wall at your local guitar center hoping one day that you’ll “make it,” just know that you are going to end up playing Molly Hatchet covers in a dive bar on the outskirts of town while these guys are doing it right. It’s great to hear players so young that are able to capture something, and have it down so well and know their sound inside and out. Perfect summer album. It’s out now and you can purchase it on vinyl or as a digital download by clicking here.

They do have a couple tour dates left on the west coast in the coming week, so if you live out here then you should try to catch them.
8/6: Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex!
8/7: Fullerton, CA @ Burger Records 9/13-15: Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest & Carnival 2013 (Exact Date TBA)
9/18 Dallas, TX @ Three Links+
9/19 Austin, TX @ Mohawk+
9/20 Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds+
9/21 Baton Rouge @ Mud & Water+
* supporting Foxygen
! supporting Palma Violets + supporting Bleeding Rainbow

Twin Peaks Web//Purchase//Facebook//Twitter

New Release: Quasi – “Mole City”

Quasi is Janet Weiss and Sam Coomes
Quasi is Janet Weiss and Sam Coomes

Portland duo Quasi has announced a follow up to 2010’s fantastic “American Gong.” The new 24 track double-LP called “Mole City” on Kill Rock Stars is currently available for pre-order in a variety of formats from standard CD and vinyl to packages that include t-shirt, zine, Quasi recording an outgoing voicemail message for you and other goodies. Also included with pre-order is a bonus CD-R “Covers” EP featuring Quasi versions of “Dont’ Stop Me Now” (Queen), “Let’s Get It On” (Marvin Gaye), and “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace Love & Understanding” (Elvis Costello and the Attractions). “Mole City” is set for official release on October 1.

If you are not familiar with Quasi, first of all don’t think of it as “Janet Weiss’ other band,” because this is a whole different animal (not to mention that this year marks the bands 20th year together). Quasi rocks a little harder, with lyrical content that remains, for the most part, rather dark. Always hook-laden melodies with great instrumental work and plenty of noise and feedback.

Check out the dizzying video for the ultra-distorted and heavy track “You Can Stay but You Gotta Go” off of “Mole City.” If this song is a sign of what’s to come on the album then expect to find more heaviness and noise. Sounds good to me. Video posted below and also check the tour dates and catch them when they come to your town.

And if you so desire, check out their website (but it is truly terrible).

And check out “American Gong” in full below:

 

Web//Quasi//Bandcamp//Facebook

10/3 Slowdown, Omaha NE
10/4 Record Bar, Kansas City MO
10/5 Off Broadway, St. Louis MO
10/7 Bottletree, Birmingham AL
10/8 Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta GA
10/9 Local 506, Chapel Hill NC
10/10 Black Cat, Washington DC
10/11 Café Nine, New Haven CT
10/12 Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia PA
10/13 Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
10/14 Mercury Lounge, New York NY
10/16 Great Scott, Allston MA
10/17 Tralf Music Hall, Buffalo NY
10/18 Grog Shop, Cleveland OH
10/19 Schubas Tavern, Chicago IL
10/20 7th St. Entry, Minneapolis MN
11/3 Neurolux, Boise ID
11/4 Kilby Court, Salt Lake City UT
11/5 Hi-Dive, Denver CO
11/7 Dan’s Silver LeaF, Denton TX
11/10 Fun Fun Fun Fest, Auditorium Shores, Austin TX
11/11 Rhythm Room, Phoenix AZ
11/12 Casbah, San Diego CA
11/13 Echo Lounge, Los Angeles CA
11/14 SOhO, Santa Barbara, CA
11/15 Blank Club, San Jose CA
11/16 Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco CA
11/21 Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver BC
11/22 Tractor Tavern, Seattle WA
11/23 Doug Fir, Portland OR
12/5 The Fleece, Bristol UK
12/6 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds UK
12/7 Broadcast, Glasgow UK
12/8 Deaf Institute, Manchester UK
12/9 Hare & Hounds, Birmingham UK
12/10 Colchester Arts Centre, Colchester UK
12/11 Shepherds Bush Empire, London UK
12/12 Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich UK
12/13 Cargo, London UK
12/14 The Haunt, Brighton UK

 

New Release: Divine Fits – "A Thing Called Divine Fits"

Divine Fits - "A Thing Called Divine Fits"
Divine Fits – “A Thing Called Divine Fits”

Here I am, waiting for a new Spoon album, and Britt Daniel decides to throw a bit of a curveball. No new Spoon album this year. Instead we get an album by Divine Fits, featuring not only Daniel, but also Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade and Sam Brown from New Bomb Turks.

Of course there are going to be plenty of comparisons to Spoon’s material as this album starts to make its way out into the world, and there are some obvious similarities. Britt’s voice is unmistakable, as is the kraut-rock staccato pulse of “Flaggin a Ride”, the periodic echo on his vocals in “Would That Not Be Nice”, and in general the clarity of the mix throughout the album.

The strength of this album is in its expansive sound, partially due to sharing vocal duties, but with that comes different moods, textures and harmonic directions. Opening track “My Love is Real” is straight up danceable with low-end saw synths and electronic beats. Later in the track some other synth patches add to the texture, but the kraut-rock persistence is traded for heartfelt legato melodies and repeated hooks. The former motorik elements have gone through a transformation, moving them more towards a new wave pop sound.

These elements aren’t consistently played against each other from track to track either. “Civilian Stripes” combines a folkier guitar style with a hint of syncopated piano strains peaking through in the chorus. Likewise the sound of “Like Ice Cream” features Daniel’s voice over a chord progression that would fit on any of the past few Spoon releases, but a delayed guitar track crackles just below the surface, dirtying up the mix a bit, and the repetitious structure allows the band to stretch out, where Spoon would likely remain bound to a single idea.

All in all it’s an album worth spending some time with. “The Salton Sea” is like the album opener with fat synth sounds and electronic beat that brings Divine Fits pretty close to treading into Kraftwerk waters, where “Shivers” provides the greatest contrast with bleak lyrics, and a dark spacious sound of gently strummed guitar.

They are currently on tour in the U.S. through October. Check dates at the site below, and check the other links for any other information you could possibly want. You can listen to the album on their official site, or check out a track below. You can also head to their webstore to purchase the album.

Divine Fits: Web | Soundcloud | Twitter

The Blind Shake – "Seriousness"

The Blind Shake - "Seriousness"
The Blind Shake – “Seriousness”

Usually when walking into a venue for a show I expect to drink away the opening acts. Openers are something that, 95% of the time, must be endured rather than enjoyed. At The Empty Bottle in Chicago this past July 15 all of that changed for me. I was there to see Thee Oh Sees after a full and final day of the Pitchfork Music Festival, and sure they were fantastic (as previously mentioned) but I can’t put into words how astonishing The Blind Shake’s performance was.

After a brief soundcheck the trio left the stage and returned dressed identically head to toe in black, accentuating their already strikingly similar appearance: all around my height (5′ 10″) with shaved heads, one of the guitarists wears glasses with a band strapped tightly around his head, and for good reason as the show would soon prove.

They immediately obliterated the stage with the drummer pounding violently and unforgivingly on his set while the two guitarists stood firmly, leaning towards their mics as if at any moment they would jump directly into the crowd to throttle each and every one of us. The guitars were being battered just as hard as the drums with every  hammered strum threatening to rip the strings right out while the two of them barked into their mics on opposite ends of the stage in unison, and when they weren’t actively engaged in singing were flailing around the stage, instruments swinging freely as if they were at once trying to escape them or wield them as weapons.

With each song that passed more of the audience was won over. I kept turning to my friends in disbelief. My brother was standing beside me and we couldn’t figure out how to describe what we were seeing and hearing. The only phrase I could manage being “This is frightening. It’s fucking amazing.” And that it was: both frightening and amazing.

The Blind Shake
The Blind Shake

Listening to the album right now on Spotify is only capturing some of the experience (again, much like Thee Oh Sees). The songs on their latest full length, “Seriousness”, are straight forward, foot-stomping jangling and aggressive garage punk. Standout tracks are definitely the surf-rockin’ opener “Hurracan” and “Out of Work”. There isn’t a single track on the album that is over 3 minutes long, “On Me” comes closest at 2:58. Each song is an unrelenting, visceral, rhythmic jolt aided by open guitar tunings that allow for extra jangle. Everything they have recorded can be heard on their Bandcamp page, so you should head over there and check it out.

Right now those of you in the midwest are lucky as The Blind Shake have a few shows coming up in August in Chicago and Minneapolis according to their website, with a full fall tour schedule coming soon. And according to their Bandcamp page they have a  show in Florida and Georgia in September. They are also playing the Halifax Pop Explosion in October, you lucky Haligonians!

Their albums are available for actual physical purchase (highly suggested) from Learning Curve records. Their latest, “Seriousness” is available on vinyl.

The Blind Shake: Web | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp

 

 

 

New Release: Chris Reimer – "The Chad Tape"

Chris Reimer
Chris Reimer

Christopher Reimer of Calgary art-noise band Women was responsible for some of the more ambient and droning elements of the band’s output. Those elements were not simply limited to background atmospherics but also entire tracks like “Woodbine” from the band’s first self-titled release and “Bells” from “Public Strain”.

As Stereogum, Pitchfork and many other outlets are already reporting the so-called “Chad Tape”, named for Women’s producer and friend, fellow Calgarian musician Chad Vangaalen, is available for purchase on Bandcamp. As stated on the blog run by Reimer’s loving sister in his memory:
Some time ago Chad VanGaalen approached Chris Reimer of Women offering to reproduce a casette tape of Chris’ solo work. Chris started work on this but passed away before completing the project. His closest friends have assembled the songs he intended for the tape, laid it out with Chris’s own writing and artwork and now this tape is available here for you.
All proceeds from this release will benefit the Chris Reimer Legacy Fund, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships for children in music and dance education. You can still pre-order cassettes from the Chris Reimer Bandcamp site, and you can also download the digital album. Release is slated for August 13th and includes artwork by Chris Reimer and tracks collected by close friends, including Chad Vangaalen.

Head to the blog to learn more about the Christopher Reimer Legacy Fund. The money raised through the fund will go towards youth scholarships in music and dance as well as towards the production of Chris Reimer’s work. A truly worthwhile endeavor. I encourage you to head to the bandcamp page, have a listen, and purchase this very special cassette. If you’re interested in simply sending a donation to the Legacy fund, you can download the donation PDF or head to the dedicated PayPal site.

Chris Reimer: Bandcamp | Blog |

 

 

New track: Deerhoof – "The Trouble with Candyhands"

(Originally posted on Tympanogram on August 7, 2012)

Deerhoof - "Breakup Song"
Deerhoof – “Breakup Song”

Everyone’s favorite San Francisco based fun-time art-pop band, Deerhoof, are preparing to release a follow up to 2011?s Deerhoof Vs. Evil with Breakup Song due in stores on September 4th via Polyvinyl.

They have released a typically quirkily named track, “The Trouble With Candyhands” on the Polyvinyl Soundcloud page that provides us with a short glimpse of their ever evolving sound. The addition of staccato brass adds a bit of a danceable salsa flair to the typically frenetic sound of the band. The guitars are dialed back significantly but Greg Saunier continues to carve intricate, shifting rhythms right through the heart of the song with Satomi’s high falsetto soaring sweetly above the foundation. You can hear snippets from the entire album by popping a token in the Jingletron. Based on this first listen it sounds like Deerhoof are placing a little more emphasis on their electronic leanings that started to show a bit more on Deerhoof Vs. Evil.

With a new album comes a new tour and Deerhoof are ferocious live, so check them out when they come to a town near you. And if you are in Portland, OR for their show (with the equally amazing Buke and Gase opening) I’ll let you buy me a few beers.

You can buy “Breakup Song” from Polyvinyl here.

Find Deerhoof:  Tour | Facebook | Polyvinyl


Album pre-order: Sloan – "Twice Removed [Deluxe Edition]"

Legendary Canadian band Sloan are re-releasing their groundbreaking 1994 sophomore effort “Twice Removed”  with a whole host of goodies and following that up with a tour.

So as you can see from the above video there are TONS of extras that will be included when you pre-order. In my opinion this makes it completely worth the $89.99. If you haven’t heard the album then you probably won’t be willing to part with so much cash, and probably won’t be interested in all of the extras, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make yourself familiar with one of the greatest Canadian rock albums of all time. Forget Canadian, this album holds up as one of the best no matter what you put it up against.

This will be the first time “Twice Removed” has been made available on vinyl since the 90’s, a big plus for those of us that are completists. If you want to familiarize yourself with Sloan and you are on Spotify then you are in luck because the entire Sloan catalog is up there for your listening enjoyment.

Ironically one can not access Spotify in Canada, so enjoy the video below, or simply listen while you head to Sloanmusic.com to check out their tour dates, where they will be playing “Twice Removed” front to back all across Canada and the Northern U.S. As of right now they have posted dates throughout September with a promise that there will be more shows booked through October and November so keep checking  Sloanmusic.com if you don’t see a town near you listed.


Find Sloan: Web | Twitter | Facebook

Sloan “Twice Removed” Tour: 

SEP 05, Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge (Northwest Music Fest)
SEP 06, Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
SEP 07, Golden, BC – Rockwater
SEP 08, Oliver, BC – Tinhorn Winery
SEP 09, Lethbridge, AB – Average Joe’s
SEP 11, Edmonton, AB – Starlite
SEP 13, Cranbrook, BC – Key City Theatre
SEP 14, Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
SEP 15, Victoria BC – Rifflandia
SEP 17, Medicine Hat, AB – Esplanade Theatre
SEP 18, Regina, SK – The Pump
SEP 19, Saskatoon, SK – Louis’ Pub
SEP 20, Winnipeg, MB – The Pyramid
SEP 21, Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar
SEP 22, Chicago, IL – Subterranean

See also: Album review: Sloan – “The Double Cross”

New track: Thee Oh Sees – "Lupine Dominus"

(Originally posted to Tympanogram on July 31, 2012)

Thee Oh Sees - "Putrifiers II"
Thee Oh Sees – “Putrifiers II”

I was in Chicago a few weeks ago for the Pitchfork Music Festival, which is always a great place to scope out the music that everyone else is already excited by, but I have somehow missed the boat on. It’s a good way of forcing myself to get obsessed with new things, and this year was definitely good for that.

I’m sure I’ve come across tracks by Thee Oh Sees recently, but so many things tend to get lost in the shuffle when you listen to so much music. The point here is that sometimes it takes a band to kick your ass thoroughly live to get you to understand how worth your time their music is. The most recent album by Thee Oh Sees is last years excellent Carrion Crawler/The Dream, but I’m urging you – no – pleading, begging and demanding that you see this band live. Sure the recordings are great, but I think that I’m adding my own memories of the two live performances I caught in Chicago. The albums aren’t able to really capture all of the energy, and to be honest the tempi are significantly slower on all of their recordings than live versions. It would be impossible to sum up their sound in a short post, but let’s just go with this: noisy, psychedelic garage rock not unlike Ty Segall or White Fence but with catchier hooks and more space-echo.

Thankfully they also have a new album coming out on In The Red on September 11 called Putrifiers II. They recently released a track from it, “Lupine Dominus”, that is noisy and bass driven like so many songs off their previous efforts like Carrion Crawler/The Dream and Help. John Dwyer’s crazed vocals take more of a back seat to Brigid Dawson’s, but the track still manages to showcase their hypnotic and reverberant sound. Check it out, and check out everything you can by them, many of their recent efforts are available on Spotify.  They are also all over the country on tour throughout the summer, so be absolutely sure that you check them out.

[audio:http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/TheeOhSees_LupineDominus.mp3|titles=Thee Oh Sees – “Lupine Dominus”]

Check out Thee Oh Sees: Web | Facebook 

Catch them on tour:
08/03/2012 Pickathon Happy Valley OR
08/04/2012 Pickathon Happy Valley OR
08/05/2012 Woodsist Festival Big Sur CA
08/11/2012 Outside Lands Festival San Francisco CA
09/09/2012 El Rey Los Angeles CA  w/Sic Alps + The Mallard
09/10/2012 Bar Pink San Diego CA  w/Sic Alps
09/11/2012 Bunkhouse Las Vegas NV w/Ty Segall
09/13/2012 Gothic Theater Denver CO w/Ty Segall
09/14/2012 ACM @UCO Oklahoma City OK  w/Ty Segall
09/15/2012 La Zona Rosa Austin TX  w/Ty Segall
09/18/2012 Goat Farm Atlanta GA w/Ty Segall
09/19/2012 The Bottletree Birmingham AL w/Ty Segall
09/20/2012 Zombie Shop Nashville TN w/Ty Segall
09/21/2012 Strange Matter Richmond VA  w/Ty Segall
09/22/2012 The Well (Wick) Brooklyn NY w/Ty Segall
09/23/2012 ATP Asbury Park NJ  
09/25/2012 Town Ballroom Bufffalo NY w/Ty Segall
09/26/2012 The Hoxton Toronto ON w/Ty Segall
09/29/2012 High Noon Saloon Madison WI  w/Ty Segall
09/30/2012 Turf Club St. Paul MN  w/Ty Segall
10/02/2012 VFW Missoula MT w/Sic Alps
10/03/2012 Broken City Calgary AB w/Sic Alps
10/04/2012 Broken City Calgary AB w/Sic Alps
10/06/2012 Rickshaw Theater Vancouver BC w/Sic Alps
10/07/2012 Neptune Seattle WA  w/Sic Alps

Album review: Red Alder – "Hyper Vertical"

(Originally posted to Tympanogram.com on July 10, 2012)

Red Alder - "Hyper Vertical"
Red Alder – “Hyper Vertical”

Kelsie Brown has been releasing a steady stream of quiet, ethereal bedroom pop on her bandcamp page under the name Red Alder for over a year. Last week, on June 24, she announced that an entire album’s worth of older tracks were going to be released, and this is that album.

Though the songs aren’t meant to fit together to create a cohesive album – as they are lo-fi demos for the most part going as far back as 2005 – the general style and atmosphere of each track is very similar throughout. A piano awash in reverb builds over the top of vocals that are simultaneously whispering and shouting to be heard on “So Gracefully”, perhaps the most well formed of this collection as far as pop structure is concerned. Despite these songs not being thought of as forming an album “In Rain I Sat Alone and Waited” does seem to pick up where “So Gracefully” leaves off melodically. Synth tones overlap, accumulating a cloud of dissonance before disappearing into the night.

Another instrumental, “Untitled 2?, draws similarities to Erik Satie’s solo piano works. The simplicity of two repeated chords with a wandering, melancholic melody over top sounds uses the Gymnopédies and Gnossienne of Satie as starting points. And in “Two,” Brown’s voice cries out in occasional dissonance against the gentle piano texture.

This collection is available now on the Red Alder bandcamp page for any price you’d like. Though no performances are listed at this time, if you are in the Seattle area keep your eyes out for a possible show in the future.

Find Red Alder on: Facebook | Soundcloud | Bandcamp

 

Pitchfork Music Festival 2012 Preview Pt. 1

As is tradition for me around this time (almost) every year, I take off to Chicago to catch the Pitchfork Music Festival that has been happening every year since 2006 in Union Park. Though I didn’t have a chance to go last year, due to an expensive cross country move that I was going to be partaking a month after the festival, I am excited to return to the tradition again this year. Just as I did in 2010 I’m going to break the weekend up into 3 posts, one for each day of the fest, detailing each of the acts that I am looking forward to catching and hopefully helping you to discover some new acts even if you aren’t going to the festival. With any luck I’ll be able to update after each day of the fest to inform you as to what exactly went down, with links to any pictures and video (of at least reasonable quality) that I can find.

Friday July 13, 2012:

Tim Hecker, with the release of “Ravedeath 1972” in February 2011, blew pretty much everyone away with his expansive ambient drones. For me, as someone that doesn’t normally sit and listen to ambient music, there is something very intriguing about the sound of this album. It’s dense, complex, gritty, it may seem simple on the surface but there is a lot to dig in to. It’s an album to which I keep returning. I’m looking forward to his performance on Friday, but I’m also a little bit nervous that his brand of atmospherics may get lost to an outdoor venue. There’s a lot of subtlety to his music that may be hard to grasp in an open air venue. Typically the crowd at the festival knows (I’m making an assumption here based on my own personal feelings after years of attending) the music fairly well so I’m sure it will go as well as it can, but there is still a chance that it will end up like the disastrous (and BORING!) Panda Bear set from 2010.

 

Japandroids, are definitely not ones to disappoint. After the release of their first album “Post-Nothing” this Vancouver duo played the side stage of the festival in 2009. The energy of their songs and the catchiness of their hooks seemed to endear them to everyone. Every shout along chorus seemed familiar and inviting even to those in the crowd that may have only come to know the band that day. Not much has changed in the 3 years since that album was released. They have a new LP out, the aptly titled “Celebration Rock”, that is perhaps the best release of the year so far. The new one is even more exciting than the last, and that Japandroids have spent the majority of their time on the road has certainly helped. There is no question that this set will be fantastic, though I can’t hide my disappointment and frustration that Pitchfork has decided to once again relegate them to the smaller stage.

[audio:http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/07.-The-House-That-Heaven-Built.mp3|titles=The House That Heaven Built]

Dirty Projectors seem to be in step with Japandroids. The last time we heard from Dave Longstreth and company was the same summer that the Vancouver duo released “Post-Nothing”. Both albums fought for my attention that summer, and neither one surpassed the other in listens. I loved (and still do love) “Bitte Orca”, and being that a stream of the latest Dirty Projectors album, “Swing Lo Magellan”, was just released yesterday (and it sounds fantastic) I’m sure this will be another hard fought battle for the summer. The official release date for the album comes just before the festival (July 10 on Domino Records), and may push Japandroids around for their spot as “best release of 2012 so far”. But all that is ok. This will also be a repeat performance, as they played in support of “Rise Above” in 2009 just before the official release of “Bitte Orca”. That was my first ever introduction to the band, and now that I am more familiar with their stuff (as is everyone else) I’m sure to get a lot more out of it.

As for the rest of the performances on the first day of the festival, I have never really been the biggest fan of Feist. I found “The Reminder” quite boring and because of that I haven’t even bothered checking out her new one, “Metals”. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised.  Though earlier in the day I am going to have to check out The Olivia Tremor Control as they have been in the back of my mind forever as a band that I definitely need to check out. All that I know about them is that they are one of the original bands in the Elephant 6 collective. That alone is enough to get my attention. I also realize that I lose about a million hipster cred points for not checking them out sooner.