(Originally posted on Tympanogram on August 7, 2012)
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.
(Originally posted to Tympanogram on July 31, 2012)
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”]
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
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.
(Originally posted to Tympanogram on June 26, 2012)
Chelsea Light Moving
As a Sonic Youth obsessive, I take it as my duty to inform everyone that Thurston Moore has formed another new project. The name of this new venture is Chelsea Light Moving and they popped up out of nowhere late last week on the Matador Matablog.
Thankfully the band sounds like they are interested in more of the late Sonic Youth aesthetic than they are in the solo Thurston Moore sound. The track, “Burroughs,” comes off sounding like a B-side for The Eternal or Rather Ripped, with an upbeat and noisy verse, sharp guitar stabs, and an extended exploratory coda. This track captures the energy that I believe is missing from Thurston’s Demolished Thoughts effort. It sounds raw, exciting, and it doesn’t even matter to me that this is probably the millionth track attributed to the influence of William S. Burroughs that Moore has penned.
The band is rounded out by Keith Wood on guitar, Samara Lubelski on bass, and drummer John Maloney. According to the Matador press release the track was recorded and mixed May 18-20, 2012, by Justin Pizzoferrato at Sonelab, Easthampton, MA. And there are some (very few) dates posted for Thurston, with no mention if it is him appearing with solo material or with new Chelsea Light Moving tracks. We are promised another track in a week though, so be sure to check back and grab that one as well.
[audio:http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/chelsea_light_moving_burroughs.mp3|titles=Chelsea Light Moving – Burroughs]
Chelsea Light Moving | Blog
(Originally posted to Tympanogram on June 12, 2012)
Japandroids – “Celebration Rock”
When a band sort of falls off the radar for a little bit it’s natural to feel worried. In today’s musical climate a band only stays relevant for as long as they can pump out song after song and album after album. It’s even more worrisome when a band like Japandroids – a band so exciting, energetic, and original, and with such a talent for writing catchy, shout-along choruses – seems to be puttering to a standstill. The Vancouver pair seemed to be disappearing into memories, stretching themselves thin touring 475 days a year, and leaving us hanging with spare singles and cover songs to tide us over.
The problem with such an approach is that the expectation for something truly epic, something that will exceed all previous efforts increases exponentially. And this is the part of the post where I let you know what you are hoping: they have.
On Celebration Rock Brian King’s voice is a little bit more crackly and weather-worn, no doubt the result of all of the aforementioned touring, but all of the energy and shouts are still there; not only are they still there, they are surprisingly better, more earnest, and more filled with joy. After Post-Nothing I think we all figured that it was safe to assume that there was no way this band could continue on in the same manner. In order to remain relevant, they would have to try to do something different, branch out, and add things to their sound. Well, here’s Japandroids proving us wrong.
Celebration Rock is comprised of 8 songs that fly by in a frenzy, never letting up for a second. The album opens and closes with the sound of fireworks, and every song is propelled forward like it’s been shot out of a cannon. The steady drumbeat of “The Nights of Wine and Roses” fades in, and King can hardly contain his excitement as the guitar enters the mix, swaying a bit against David Prowse’s solid backbeat. Things pick up from there, building until the bottom suddenly falls out, and the pair’s most jubilant string of interjections is extended over the following thirty seconds.
Usually I would say that a good album needs to have a shape to it – the ups, the downs, the entire emotional landscape, you know. Albums need to take us on a journey and allow us to get lost as listeners. But with Celebration Rock, there is absolutely no room for complaint. Japandroids is rocking harder than ever before; they are clearly excited by their music, and they are unapologetic for it. Every single song is comprised of hooks that seem so effortlessly strung together. Between the energy, the hooks, and the nostalgic impact of the lyrics, it’s easy to get lost in Japandroids’ oeuvre. The songs sound new and familiar, capturing the fleeting idea of reminiscence that we all find ourselves feeling from time to time.
The album also features one of the most fantastic one-two rock punches in recent memory, placing “Younger Us” and “The House That Heaven Built” one after the other, the latter of which is a standout track among an album of standout tracks.
The pair is currently on tour, but from what I have heard tickets are selling incredibly fast, and with good reason. Seeing a Japandroids show is a great experience, and one that comes highly recommended. Check their website to see if they are coming to a town near you, and to order the album for yourself.
[audio:http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/07.-The-House-That-Heaven-Built.mp3|titles=The House That Heaven Built]
Originally posted to Tympanogram on March 14, 2012)
Cuff the Duke - "In Our Time"
I’m beside myself with joy right now. Sheer joy. Cuff the Duke is an amazing band from Toronto, and as is the case with too many great Canadian bands, they are quite often overlooked by American blogs. Cuff the Duke has released 5 albums since 2002, each increasingly better than the last. The most recent, Morning Comes, is the first part of a 2 part album, and was released in October of 2011. Produced by Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor, the album delivers all of their tuneful songwriting that finds the perfect balance of rock crunch and country twang, not to mention the soulful singing of Wayne Petti.
I would highly recommend checking out all of their albums, especially the newest one and their 2010 album Way Down Here (my pick that year for best album).
Their cover of Sonic Youth’s “Diamond Sea” has recently surfaced on Soundcloud, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that the results are simple stunning. The band manages to capture the affecting atmosphere of the famous Washing Machine closing track while sanding down the edges and making it all their own. They don’t change anything drastically, instead great care is taken to delicately insert their own unique sound while still managing to sound surprisingly like the original. You can listen to the track and download it below.
I jokingly tweeted that I should send an e-mail to bands if I’m able to listen to their entire album or EP without losing interest. Hey, we get sent a lot of music and unfortunately that means the music gets judged by how quickly it can grab us, and hold our attention. I’m not sure if the other guys would completely agree with me or not, so I’ll just say that that is true for me.
Last week Albany, NY band Alta Mira quietly sent me a link to their Soundcloud and Bandcamp sites, and I listened. After that I listened again, and as I write this I am listening yet again. It’s crafty pop music that is catchy and more on the quieter side at times, while more on the dance side at others. The mix is clean, and the tunes are solid on their forthcoming album entitled I Am The Salt.
Of the tracks available on their Bandcamp page, “Organ Anthem” opens up in the middle, when the vocals drop out, and just builds and builds before the driving and echoed guitar pulls us back in again. It’s probably my favorite of the 3 tracks available, and good on them for ending the release on a track that makes me want more. That’s the way to do it. Bands take note! The first track “Good Enough” makes me think of The Shins, but with perhaps a bit more layering and rhythmic drive.
It looks like they are already garnering some attention from reviewers from their previous EP from 2007 and a self-titled LP from 2009, so the only thing left for you to do is to check out their tracks. The full 10 song LP “I am the Salt” is slated for release on March 31st. You can download the first single, “Good Enough” below, and stream a couple more at their Bandcamp page.
(Post originally appeared on Tympanogram on March 9, 2012)
I’m still beating myself up over the fact that I wasn’t able to turn out a review for the newest, and stunningly beautiful, Sharon Van Etten LP Tramp. She’s currently on tour, and the album has been getting deservedly rave reviews. If you have not checked it out yet here is the latest video for the song “Leonard.” Don’t let the seemingly upbeat guitar strumming fool you, this song is about heartbreak. Van Etten sings “he’s smart, he leaves me wanting more, knowing that I gave less and knowing why” and it becomes clear that nobody is the bad guy here, or perhaps they both are. She sings with a longing in her voice, delicately calling out “I love you,” and one could easily imagine her reaching out, hoping for him to turn around and reconsider. That the song ends melodically and harmonically unresolved gives us a sense that she’s still holding out hope.
It’s a beautiful song, and the video’s kaleidoscopic, mirrored imagery perhaps hints at the confusion felt on her part as she re-examines the entire relationship from every possible angle, which only results in more unresolved confusion.
Her tour will likely come to a city near you, as she has dates booked clear through the summer, though there appears to be a few gaps that will likely get filled in so check her tour page here. Tramp is out now on Jagjaguwar.
(Originally posted to Tympanogram on March 8, 2012)
Chad Vangaalen/Xiu Xiu split EP "The Green Corridor II"
Chad VanGaalen’s Diaper Island instantly earned a place on my list of favorite releases of 2011. Prior to that I was a fan of his work as producer/engineer of Flemish Eye labelmates Women. His brand of rambling, echoed, jangly folk/rock is unique and infectious and perhaps somewhat of an acquired taste. His voice trembles and his guitar playing has all the sloppiness of punk rock, but, for me at least, it’s that fiercely unique sound-representative, no doubt, of his equally fierce independence – that draws me in closer.
Apparently Mr. VanGaalen doesn’t stop creating. Ever. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when I more or less accidentally happened upon this 10-track split EP with the über-arty Xiu Xiu, but I definitely was. Coming across this was a welcome surprise. I’m not exactly sure how to get a physical copy of it, though the Altin Village website is a good place to start.
The 9 VanGaalen tracks are plenty to keep any fan satisfied for some time. From the straight ahead stomp of “I Want You Back” the strangely poppy scratch and jangle of “Kiss Kiss Kiss” the buzzsaw thrash of “Nothing is Impossible” and the lazy country drawl of “Weighed Sin” this isn’t a set of 9 throw away tracks haphazardly tossed off for some strange release, this is a collection of songs that showcases VanGaalen’s dynamic, unique and wide ranging sound. Release of the split EP is set for March 17, and grab “Weighed Sin”.
The video below is taken from a live session VanGaalen did in Quebec for Stereo-Sequence, recorded on October 24, 2011. How one man can command such presence with his voice and simple, quiet guitar, is a sight to behold. Truly captivating.
Scout’s Ashen Keilyn has a voice that is instantly recognizable. It’s earnest and inviting despite that, in this track, it’s singing of heartache and pain. Of “So Close” Ashen says, “It’s a song I wrote after one of many arguments. The line ‘So I’m stuck down here with my heart in a splint / getting so close to calling it quits’…well that’s exactly how I felt at the time.”
Ashen, and Scout, are preparing to release their first album since 2003, and much like last time it will include guitarist Steve Schiltz. Though some things have changed since 2003, obviously, as at that time Schiltz was just starting to get things going with his band Longwave. Now Longwave is gone, but Schiltz has remained busy on the scene with his solo project, Hurricane Bells, and a new label imprint in Invisible Brigades, which will be releasing the new Scout effort.
This video comes from director Bill Moldt, recorded live in Olé Recording studios in Queens and caputres Keilyn and Schiltz on guitars, with Schiltz singing falsetto backing vocals (and manning the omnichord/drum machine). The new Scout album, All Those Relays, also partially produced by drummer/producer of Spoon Jim Eno, will be released March 27 via Invisible Brigades.
![Deerhoof - "Breakup Song"](http://tympanogram.com/files/deerhoof-breakup.jpeg "Deerhoof - "Breakup Song"")
![Thee Oh Sees - "Putrifiers II"](http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/theeohsees-putrifiers.jpeg "Thee Oh Sees - "Putrifiers II"")
![Red Alder - "Hyper Vertical"](http://f0.bcbits.com/z/36/81/3681815890-1.jpg "Red Alder - "Hyper Vertical"")
![Japandroids - "Celebration Rock"](http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/japandroids-celebration-rock-300x300.jpeg "Japandroids - "Celebration Rock"")
![Cuff the Duke - "In Our Time"](http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/cuff-the-duke-in-our-time.jpeg "Cuff the Duke - "In Our Time"")
![Chad Vangaalen/Xiu Xiu split EP "The Green Corridor II"](http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/chad-vangaalen-xiu-xiu-the-green-corridor-cover.jpg "Chad Vangaalen/Xiu Xiu split EP "The Green Corridor II"")
![Scout - "All Those Relays"](http://quartertonality.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/scout-all-those-relays-cover.jpeg "Scout - "All Those Relays"")
