Have something you want reviewed? Is there a song of yours up here that you want taken down? E-mail me at heysideponytail@gmail.com and we'll work it out!
Tonight in Cleveland, Cloud Nothings will be celebrating the release of their new album with an in-store performance at Music Saves at 8pm. The in-store will be followed by an album release show at the Beachland Tavern. Doors open at 9pm and tickets are $2. Total Babes and Library Time are also on the bill.
You can stream the entire Cloud Nothings album on the Fader (it's just under half an hour of lo-fi hooky pop bliss) and you can check on their new video for "Should Have" on Pitchfork. Pitchfork also has a nice review of the album up for your reading pleasure ("Cloud Nothings' pop has become deceptively dense-- there is literally (and paradoxically) so much hook to be found here from corner to corner that, unlike similarly, ostensibly simple records, multiple listens are required to appreciate the taste of all its herks and jerks.")
I'll definitely write more after the show tonight (I've been listening to the album non-stop lately), but just wanted to get this out there for now!
Yesterday afternoon* (while hard at work at my day job), I was browsing the Burger Records website and I saw, at the very bottom of the page, a banner that said "COOL BAND!" with a little photo and text that said, "Summer Twins, cassette coming soon!" The photo used to promote Summer Twins on the Burger Records site struck me as so different from the imagery that I'm accustomed to seeing from them that I felt like I had to learn more!
Summer Twins is a four-piece pop rock outfit formed in Riverside, CA by sisters Chelsea and Justine. Their 6 song EP, The Good Things, is available for free download on their Bandcamp site (you can also send them $5 for a physical copy of the release on CD.) In a time when winter seems determined to cast the entire Cleveland landscape in an impenetrable shroud of gray slush, I'm struck by how fresh and clear the songs on The Good Things sound. It's cheesy as all get out, but this EP really is like a little ray of sunshine streaming out of my speakers.
Again, you can stream The Good Things (and if you like it, download it!) for free here. Physical copies of the EP are available for $5 (ordering instructions are on the Bandcamp.) If you like what you hear, keep your eye on the Burger site for info on their forthcoming release with Burger Records.
* I started drafting this over a week ago, so clearly things have picked up at the office.
Small Factory, "What to Want" (DOWNLOAD) Radon, "Kibbles and Bits" (DOWNLOAD) Kicking Giant, "Satellite" (DOWNLOAD)
I get a lot of e-mails from people about things they want me to write about and think I would like, and it's really cool that people do that & I am really very appreciative (even though I don't write about everything that I'm e-mailed about, I do my best to listen to all of it), but usually the things I enjoy listening to the most are things that I find out about completely incidentally, with no "please write about this" attached to it.
On Monday afternoon I came home to a stack of packages -- some 7"s and CDs from Jigsaw (really, really, I cannot say enough good things about what Chris is doing with his corner of the internet -- he has an amazing selection of indie rock and pop, the prices are good, and the shipping is expedient. It's everything you could ever want (and more!) from mail order), some Jordan Crane comics, and a mysterious package wrapped in plain brown paper.
The mystery package turned out to be a very generous and surprising piece of mail from Tae Won Yu. I'm quite a fan of Tae's art and music, and was nothing short of blown away to find this on my doorstep. One of the things in the package was a copy of Tiny Idols: Transmissions from the Indie Underground 1991-1995, vol. III. I took a quick look at the track listing & realized that I didn't recognize any of the bands (other than Tae's band, Kicking Giant), which made me even more excited to listen to the collection. So, I raced through lunch & then walked back to work, sat down at my desk, & plugged in my headphones.
& you know what? It's really, truly stunning. Mark from Snowglobe Records has curated a truly beautiful comp. There are 22 tracks and each of them brings something unique to the overall collection. It's hard to pick out favorites when each of the tracks are so strong (and so new to me!), but Small Factory, The Hazeltones, Witch Hazel, and Radon are definitely bands that I'll be looking to dig up some more on. The Tiny Idols series functions almost as an indie rock and pop Nuggets, collecting tracks from "lesser-known and underappreciated artists from the era who deserve reappraisal."
What I really love about Tiny Idols, aside from the music, is the care and attention that went into the compilation. The CD is accompanied by a beautiful, twenty page booklet that includes a bio of each of the 22 featured bands. A lot of information is packed into the bios, including a brief history of the band, major/notable recordings, band members, related projects, etc. It's not often that I come across a compilation so purposefully thought out & thoughtfully put together.
So often, independent music exists in tiny pieces of ephemera. It's easy to forget bands as old concert bills get crumpled and cassette tapes disintegrate. Scenes are packed away in boxes in closets and emerge later to be resold on eBay. Last month, Patton Oswalt had an article about geek culture on Wired where he said that the internet has changed the act of collecting knowledge -- that as we move towards an increasingly digital culture, we get closer and closer to "everything that ever was, available forever," and with it, instant, downloadable expertise. It's clear that the internet has changed the way that music is not only shared, but preserved, especially with regard to music that has been produced independently. It may not be possible to find a physical copy of a 7" limited to 200 copies or a tape limited to 75, but technology allows people to digitally transfer & instantly share these releases with each other (I won't lie, though, I'll always prefer a physical product to a download.) I like Tiny Idols because it's a compilation that seems to speak both to and against the concept of "everything that ever was, available forever." Tiny Idols gives you fragments of a scene, letting you peek into the windows to hear bits and pieces, but gently reminding you that the Big Picture, the experience of being there, is something that cannot be recreated. As our cultural products become increasingly digital (and everlasting), I think it's important to be reminded of the ephemeral and to recognize the importance of something that can't be perfectly preserved or recreated.
Volumes 1-3 of the Tiny Idols series are $10 each from Snowglobe Records, you can order online here. If the third compilation in the Tiny Idols series is this strong, I can't imagine how good 1 & 2 must be. Mike also has a Tiny Idols blog, though it's light on content and hasn't been updated for awhile.
Dear Tumblr, there's a lot I have to thank you for -- getting my through seemingly endless workdays, aggregating photos of cats and scans from vintage comic books, occasionally thought provoking political writing and cultural criticism, but one of the better things that's come out of my relationship with Tumblr (at least, in the past few weeks) are these six songs by Bedroom Problems.
Bedroom Problems is the home-recording project of Maria, whose Tumblr indicates a spot-on taste in music & a discerning sense of style. The six songs that Maria has recorded and made available for free download have a great range -- I initially thought that Bedroom Problems would be a garage-y band (the first track, "You're Boring," has a relentless buzzsaw guitar coupled with howling vocals), but it's striking how much some of these songs (especially "At Least Counting is Easy" and "See You Next Wednesday?") remind me of Young Marble Giants in their catchy minimalism (also worth noting: the way she sings the word "you" in "See You Next Wednesday?" sort of reminds me of Sue Tompkins from Life Without Buildings.)
Lately I've been thinking a lot about taste-making, wondering how I develop a personal canon of what's I like (Mirah, Guided By Voices, Hüsker Dü, Kaia) and what I don't like/straight up don't care about (Radiohead, Girl Talk, uh, most stuff, actually, now that I think about it.) As I've gotten older & as my taste has expanded, I've realized that what I actually appreciate is music that reminds me of the possibilities of the individual/the "amateur." Maria's songs are very clearly the product of someone who loves to make and listen to music & I love that.
You can stream Maria's songs on her bandcamp and download them for free (you just need to provide an e-mail address.) If you're on Tumblr, Maria blogs as theoreticalgirl, and she also hosts a radio program, Her Jazz, on WPRB in Princeton, NJ. Maria is also in a Go-Go's cover band, Lust 2 Love. You can stream their version of "Vacation" here.
Prisoners, "Fix Yer Head" (DOWNLOAD) Prisoners, "Brain Drain" (DOWNLOAD)
So, Drew asked me to write about the new Prisoners album, Pass the Stone, & was even kind enough to send me a Mediafire link with a download of the album, which is a big change from him handing me a CD and asking me to burn 5 copies of it, which is why I actually have three different versions of this album on my computer, BUT ANYWAY, it's actually pretty hard/weird for my to write about it for a lot of reasons, including, but not limited to:
The inevitable conflict of interest one enters into when they write about a project that their partner is involved in. (I worry that I will be either too nice as to avoid hurting feelings or too critical to prove that I'll say whatever I REALLY feel, even if my boyfriend is in the band.)
The fact that I'm actually accustomed to writing complete and total gushing praise for indie pop and lo fi indie rock bands, and what Prisoners do is something pretty different.
Also, thinking about writing about this album makes me feel like I'm really bad about writing about music.
So, that's my "full disclosure" list. All that aside, there are a lot of things that I really, really like about this album & two of those things are the first two songs, "Fix Yer Head" and "Brain Drain." In fact, I'd just as happily have accepted a 7" with just these two songs in place of an entire album (which is not to say that the album doesn't have any other good songs, it's really just that I like 7"s and have a relatively short attention span.) Honestly, it was an act of pretty good faith on Drew's part to even ask me to share my thoughts on Pass the Stone since my previous nuanced commentary of Prisoners has included such jams at, "It's so sad that you guys will never have a song as good as 'Freewheel' by Team Dresch."
Anyway, I think that part of what makes this album so interesting to me is that, over the last few months, I was really able to hear it develop. (You know, because every time they had a new set of mixes Drew would A) make me listen to it in the car and B) put it on my computer and burn copies so that other people in the band could listen to it.) The fact that I was able to hear these songs in various stages of development and sequenced in multiple ways really lends something to the experience of listening to the final product. In fact, the experience of watching the band in general grow, writing new songs, working to tighten up their live shows, etc. has helped me to reframe my own feelings about them (initial feelings: Does a band really need three guitars? Really?, present day feelings: It is sort of hard to imagine this band playing a show with only two dudes playing the guitar.)
The aforementioned "Fix Yer Head" and "Brain Drain" are both fantastic (and will be familiar to anyone who has seen Prisoners play a show in recent months), but aside from these two, the album's closing track, "Art Song," is probably my favorite (which is really saying something considering how frequently I complain about not liking slow songs.) The album also includes live show staples, "Boom Cha Cha," "Make You Cry," & "Street Creep," which are all all right songs (I know, I know, this is a really, really noncommittal statement -- I think talking about these "middle of the album" songs is where I really, really struggle, partially because of the overload of having heard these songs so many times & partially because, for me, some of these songs just don't "click.")
Prisoners have garnered a lot of comparisons to The Replacements in Cleveland's local music press -- something that Drew has whined to me about at length because he "just [doesn't] think [they] sound like The Replacements." I think that The Replacements comparison is an easy (and, to a degree, lazy) one to make, based largely on the fact that they wear flannel, have sloppy live shows, & feature a lead singer with a sometimes raspy sounding voice. I think there's also the fact that they're more or less a straight up rock and roll band with some garage and country influences at a time when there aren't many other young bands in Cleveland with a similar sound. I can see how comparing them to The Replacements might seem like a natural thing to do (especially when you hear the last 45 seconds of "Goner," which has undeniably Westerbergian elements.) Regardless of Drew's thoughts and feelings, I think that this comparison is one that's going to follow them for a long time.
I'm not going to lie, albums are all well and good, but I think that Prisoners' strength is really their live shows. They're honestly just a fun band to go see. I know I've seen them upwards of ten times this year & it's not just me -- I see a lot of the same people coming out for show after show. In fact, they have a show tonight with Wooly Bullies and The Prohibitionists at The Boo Box (1834 W. 45th in Ohio City).
If you can't make it out tonight, their album release show is December 30th at the Grog Shop with Cloud Nothings and Very Knees. Their new album will be available on cassette from Cylindrical Habitat Modules. (Their first album is still available on vinyl from Smog Veil.)
Prisoners, "Fix Yer Head" (DOWNLOAD) Prisoners, "Brain Drain" (DOWNLOAD)
I am so excited about this!!! This morning I got an e-mail from Alexa (who, practically a lifetime ago, hosted some of my poorly made websites) saying, that she was sure I had already heard, but just in case I hadn't, Rose Melberg was releasing a new EP this February. I hadn't heard! I am thrilled!
According to this Exclaim article, Rose has been fronting an all-female five piece band, Brave Irene, since December of 2009. They'll be releasing a debut 8 song EP on Slumberland Records on February 15, 2010.
Midheaven Mailorder has reviewed the EP and based on their description I am super stoked to hear it!
Melberg’s latest project is the Vancouver-based Brave Irene. Formed in December 2009 around the core of Melberg and Caitlin Gilroy, Brave Irene is comprised of five best mates whose friendship and camaraderie shines through the warmth of these lovely recordings. Gilroy’s and Jessica Wilkin’s keyboards play a prominent role in Brave Irene’s songs, adding a slightly psychedelic vibe that slots in well with early Flying Nun releases and even some of the Los Angeles Paisley Underground scene.
Opener “No Fun” is a fuzzy gem that recalls New Zealand legends Look Blue Go Purple in its organ-driven folk / pop groove. The rhythms are really key here, with Laura Hatfield’s muscular drumming giving the songs a real oomph and momentum that perfectly complements their catchy-as-heck tunes. “Tangled Line” is an uptempo rocker that sports a unforgettable melody and droning organ lines. “Longest Day” continues where “No Fun” leaves off, the harmony vocals pushing the song forward. The EP wraps up with “Good Ideas” and “Campfire,” two more uptempo tunes full of great melodies, jangling guitars and those bubbling organs.
Brave Irene's EP will be available on 12" and CD on February 15th, 2010. According to Exclaim, the tracklist is as follows:
1. "No Fun" 2. "River to Sea" 3. "Tangled Line" 4. "Bank Holiday" 5. "Longest Day" 6. "Hit the Grass Running" 7. "Good Ideas" 8. "Campfire"
Brave Irene does has a MySpace, though there are no songs on it yet. (Hopefully as we get closer to February, the band will throw something up there.)
Though I've really enjoyed Rose's solo work, I'm very, very excited to hear that she's working with a full band again and hearing that this new release would fit well with early Flying Nun stuff has me even more excited. Thanks again to Alexa for so thoughtfully remembering how much I love Rose and sending this e-mail my way!
Slowly (but, hopefully, surely) I'm continuing with my 2010 year in review posts. Last week I wrote about my favorite albums of 2010, this time I'm working on 7"s. There are a few other posts I'd like to make before the end of the year (most listened to artists, albums, and songs, best shows, & maybe a post about the handful of releases that don't fit in either the 7" or the album category...) Anyway, here are my 10 favorite 7"s of 2010 presented in alphabetical order by artist.
Best Coast, Something in the Way (PPM, out of print)
I tried not to double up on these lists (i.e. if someone was on favorite albums, I tried not to put them on favorite 7"s as well), but I couldn't help it. As much as I love the glossy (at least, comparatively glossy) sound of Best Coast's debut album, there's a soft spot in my heart for the fuzzed out pop sounds of this 7". "Something in the Way" is great, but "Already Gone," a sorrowful, drone-y meditation on lost relationships is (for me) the standout track.
("The Road")
The Blanche Hudson Weekend, Hate is a Loaded Gun (Squirrel Records) BUY IT!
God I love The Blanche Hudson Weekend. Really, I do. The Blanche Hudson Weekend consistently releases some of the most amazing songs out there. It sounds cheesy, but you get the sense that they really craft their songs. Every track on Hate is a Loaded Gun is a perfect mix of layered guitars and echoing vocals. Hate is a Loaded Gun's dark title and stark cover art suggest a series of bleak songs, but "Let Me Go" is an uptempo tune with driving pop guitars and a beat that, at times, mimics hand claps. "So Sick" is a little darker, with a composition that actually mimics the feeling of having a pounding headache (at least, as someone who currently has a pounding headache, that's what it sounds like to me.) The EP's closing track, "Song for Kristen," finds the space between "Let Me Go" and "So Sick" and settles in perfectly. It's just amazing.
("Let Me Go")
Cloud Nothings, Didn't You (Old Flame Records) BUY IT!
2010 was a big year for Cleveland's Cloud Nothings. They released a handful of great 7"s, did a ton of touring, and recorded their second album (forthcoming on Carpark), their 2009 debut Turning On (originally released on Bridgetown Records) was reissued on Carpark and Whichita... But my favorite thing Cloud Nothings did in 2010 is the b-side of this 7". "Even if it Worked Out" is the perfect pop song. I first heard the band play it earlier this year at the Happy Dog. I was sitting down playing a game of Ms. Pac Man, turning around in between completing boards so that I could see the band. Everything about "Even if it Worked Out" is just right on. I can't wait to see/hear was Cloud Nothings does in 2011 and am stoked about attending what is (I believe) their last show of 2010 (at the Grog Shop with Prisoners and The Very Knees on December 30th) -- hopefully Jami will be there with me!
Japandroids are probably the bro-est music I listen to, excepting the hardcore punk of my teen years that I refuse to let go of. "Younger Us" is the ultimate youth anthem -- the opening line, "Remember when we had them on the run," conjures up every last late night, legs up on the dashboard and out the window while friends drove, walking along train tracks, spitting at dudes who catcalled us. It doesn't hurt that the b-side, a cover of X's "Sex and Dying in High Society," is totally solid, too.
What would any list of mine be without something by Mirah? Though Mirah didn't have any new albums in 2010, she did release this stunner of a single. "Don't!" originally appeared on Ragazza Pop, a girl group inspired comp, & I had initially thought that this single was just a re-release of that version -- instead, Mirah re-recorded it with a slight country twang, mixed with girl group-esque backing vocals, and just a hint of horns and piano. It sounds fresh and perfect and Mirah's voice is clear as a bell. I sincerely hope that 2011 brings me another Mirah album because I could listen to a solid hour of songs that sound just list this.
("Don't!" (Ragazza Pop version))
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Say No To Love (Slumberland/Fortuna Pop) BUY IT! US and UK
My favorite thing about "Say No To Love" (aside from the moment in the impeccably crafted video where Peggy eats a soft pretzel) is the line where Kip sings, "with the parking lot kids, with the loneliest crowd." Those few words hit me with such intensity and such precision, calling up the most specific, beautiful, and dark teenage memories I can recall. This song is heartbreakingly gorgeous and the Pains' second album is high atop my list of things to look forward to in 2011.
("Say No to Love")
Seapony, Dreaming (Double Denim, out of print)
It's fitting that Seapony should follow the Pains in this alphabetical list since it was Kip's recommendation that motivated me to listen to them in the first place. Seapony makes some of the music that I like best -- jangly, poppy, "Hey, I could do this!" sort of music. Though I occasionally venture into something edgier or harder or more "advanced" sounding, it is this kind of simple pop that I am most grateful for, that really reminds me of why I collect records and why I occasionally get my guitar out and play the few simple chords my tiny hands can handle. Though this 7" is sold out all over the place, you can stream it here.
Sourpatch is the perfect band and it's breaking my heart that I have yet to catch them live. (I'm not writing an entry about the biggest letdowns of 2010, but if I was, my boss denying my request for time off and preventing me from attending the Athens Pop Fest would DOMINATE LIKE NO OTHER.) Anyway, Crushin' (released last December) was one of my favorite albums of 2009 and for good reason -- it took everything I like, mixed it all up, and spit it back out in a perfect half hour. The Mira Mija 7" brings four new songs echoing (and, in some cases, advancing) the pure pop perfection that was Crushin'. "Sky is Falling" is probably my favorite track -- it starts out with a dark guitar riff that reminds me of something from Black Candy and quickly builds into a simple & beautiful love song built around incredibly simple lyrics and accented with moments of feedback.
("Deli Dream")
Sweater Girls, Pretty When You Smile (HHBTM) BUY IT!
I was late to the game as far as Sweater Girls are concerned & only started listening to them earlier this month thanks to Matthew from Skatterbrain Good god, what I've been missing out on! Finally, a band that perfectly occupies the space between All Girl Summer Fun Band and The Softies. I'm so glad that I gave Sweater Girls a chance prior to the end of the year so that they could assume their rightful place on this list!
Weed Hounds consistently produce some of my favorite shoegaze-pop blends out there. The two songs on Beach Bummed continue right where last year's debut tape left off. The b-side, "Skating Away from the Cops" is hazy and winding, like a summer afternoon in suburbia. Something about Weed Hounds' songs feels rough, incomplete, not quite form, and in that absence of perfection: perfect. Beach Bummed happens to be the only Weed Hounds release with the privilege of still being in print & I'm not sure how long it will last, so snap a copy up while you can.
