New Releases from Odd Box Records

Ace Bushy Striptease, "Let Us Sit Quietly and Listen to Pop Punk" (DOWNLOAD)
The Smittens, "The Garden (Mesclun Mix)" (DOWNLOAD)

(Before I get into the reviews, if you're in Cleveland... Tonight Prisoners, Sun God, and Sweet Apple (members of Dinosaur Jr. and Cobra Verde) are playing at the Grog Shop! You should come out for it! Also, tonight is the Tremont Arts Hop and tomorrow is the Cain Park Arts Festival!)

Ace Bushy Striptease, A Little More Suspicion in Our Fairy Tales Plz

Birmingham's Ace Bushy Striptease have self-released several LPs and EPs, but their forthcoming A Little More Suspicion in Our Fairy Tales Plz is their first album to see a formal release. A Little More Suspicion in Our Fairy Tales Plz is hard to categorize -- its 12 songs touch on a surprising number of genres, exhibiting elements of pop punk, hard core, lo-fi, twee -- some songs (like "Bon Nuit, J'ai Changé Mon Esprit" are sweet & hooky, others sound downright sinister -- see the first 2 minutes of so of the 8+ minute album closer, "I'llfinishyrfinish (I'll Finish You.)") But the range demonstrated on A Little More Suspicion in Our Fairy Tales is what keeps it interesting -- you never know what the next song is going to sound like, which gives the album a life of its own. A Little More Suspicion in Our Fairy Tales Plz is forthcoming and can be pre-ordered from Odd Box here.

The Smittens, Dancing Shoes: The Smittens Remixed

I'll be honest... prior to listening to this album, I had never really listened to the Smittens. I had heard a few songs here and there, but had no substantial exposure to their catalogue. I think it's almost easier to go into a remixes album this way -- instead of drawing direct comparisons between the remixes and their original versions, I'm able to let the remixes stand alone without a preconceived idea of what I thought the songs "should" sound like (I wish I could hear that Mirah remixes album with this sort of perspective!) Dancing Shoes features remixes of 8 songs from the Smittens' catalogue as remixed by fellow indie poppers (among them Mark Robinson, Nixon, and Steve Williams.) It's not often that I put my dancing shoes on, but these remixes were sweet and understated and called to mind some of my indie pop favorites. I'm not sure how die-hard Smittens fans might feel about these tracks, it can be hard to hear old songs in new ways, but if you're looking for something to keep you smiling, these 8 songs will probably do it. Sonically, a lot of these remixes remind me of the Japanese compilation album Sonido Uzumaki, which is a favorite of mine when I'm at work. Dancing Shoes is forthcoming and can be pre-ordered from Odd Box here.

Ace Bushy Striptease on MySpace
Ace Bushy Striptease Official Site
The Smittens on MySpace
The Smittens Official Site
Odd Box Records

Ace Bushy Striptease, "Let Us Sit Quietly and Listen to Pop Punk" (DOWNLOAD)
The Smittens, "The Garden (Mesclun Mix)" (DOWNLOAD)