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Having listened to this record 7 or 8 times in a row now, I am still totally at a loss regarding how best to describe it... Yes, this is a Post-Hardcore record, in that the songs can and do travel from hopelessness & despair to unbalanced madness and back again seamlessly. Yes, this is an Indie-Rock record, in that there are hints of Pop here and there and an undeniable playfulness that reminds me of a band like Frightened Rabbit. Yes, this is a Post-Rock record, in that the songs don't generally follow a standard structure, opting instead to ebb & flow through highs and lows like waves crashing against a "Fake Beach". Yes, this record is brimming with melancholy. I don't know if it's the piano that features so prominently throughout that gives these songs such a mournful feel, like a funeral march or a war memorial. But, listening to this so much over the last few days has really made me grateful for the random flashes of sunshine we get here in Seattle.
Winter Dust are from Italy. They have been playing music together since 2008. The band themselves have described their own sound as "Postrock-Emo-Core" which makes a lot of sense to me when you consider the bands they recommend as comparison. Thrice, Moving Mountains, Envy, Caspian, Explosions In The Sky. All great reference points when trying to describe this wonderful collective of brilliant musicians. I would even throw in some other names like Desert City Soundtrack, Joie De Vivre, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Benton Falls, Iselia... Maybe even Elliot...? Sometimes, comparisons are useless. Especially when a record can stand so well on its own without the need for namedropping.
In the end, the thing that matters most is how truly in love I have become with this record. I really wish I would have heard it at the tail end of 2013 when it came out. It most certainly would have been on my top favorites of the year list. No matter... this is one of the best records I have ever heard in my life and I will most certainly continue to enjoy it well into old age. That means everything.
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Here we have the debut from Dirt Nap who hail from Springfield, Missouri. There are some guys from the band Dirk Frazel in the ranks here, so the stoned nature of these songs begins to make a bit more sense. Dirt Nap play it scuzzy, fuzzy, loose and unhinged. There are very prominent elements of Surf-Rock and possibly circus music and even some... Maybe, Latin rhythms. Shit! This is, like, THE Slack-Rock record for the new millennium. I am really glad I am stoned right now, otherwise I don't know if this would make nearly as much sense as it does. These songs are jangly, super lo-fi and really, really charming. The vocals are drawled with a sort of I-don't-give-a-shit energy that really works within the framework. I hear bits and pieces of everything from Built to Spill, Pavement, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Oxford Collapse. Basically, this record incorporates elements from Grunge to dirty Indie-Rock to Post-Punk and New-wave while being completely blanketed in the sort of outright reefer madness these guys have become known for. The three D's are very highly represented here... Dirty, Dancey and Deranged and personally, I wouldn't want it any other way.
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Once again, scouring Bandcamp has paid off handsomely.
Christopher Walking are from Philadelphia. They are a three-piece Post/Pop/Indie/Emo powerhouse bringing the jamz with much infection and honest reflection. Everyone in the band sings, everyone in the band screams, everyone in the band sounds like they are having a blast playing these songs. The lyrics are funny and smart. I especially love the last line of the last verse from the song 'Gerald Has Exceptional Kneecaps.' Listen and find out why...
As far as comparisons go, I would cite early Built To Spill as a strong reference point as well as a band like Lync for that ramshackle melody running rampant throughout the songs. I have also been detecting heavy aural doses of a band like Oxford Collapse, who many of you might not be familiar with, but, believe me, are well worth the tracking down and falling in love with that they deserve.
For a first EP, this is brilliant! I hope these guys continue creating and building and bringing the raucousness, because I want more!!!!
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I am super stoked to bring you all the debut EP from Tapestry!! These young men are from Singapore and they are playing a style that doesn't really get it's due these days. I guess labels like Count Your Lucky Stars are working to bring back this Indie-influenced Emocore stuff. I think Tapestry would fit just perfectly on that label. This isn't that noodly Emo that all the kids are going nuts over lately. These guys are playing it very traditional, with the loud/soft dynamic in full effect. The vocals have that somewhat off-key tone that just make the songs so endearing. Sometimes, I am reminded of The Pine or The Hated or Evergreen. You know, that somewhat Slow-Core feel that just builds until the band sounds like they are on the verge of total collapse. There is much talk of hope, redemption, fear and faith in the lyrics. Very Emo indeed!! I have always had a weekness for this sound. I guess, if you like Penfold or Sweater Weather or 100 Words For Snow, I don't think you would be disappointed with Tapestry. Personally, I am stoked to hear a band playing this style and doing it so well. I hope they grace us with a full-length sooner than later.
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This arrived in my inbox this morning as a very pleasant surprise. Sea Of Tranquility Records out of Lawrence, Kansas have released a plethora of solid jams over the last little while and this is no exception. I might even go so far as to call this a modern Emo classic. Some readers might laugh at that statement, but, I don't care. The sounds I am hearing pour forth from this record have transported me to a much simpler time. A time before the Myspaces and Facebooks and Twitters took a dump all over our collective consciousness. There was a time when bands who generally sounded nothing alike could play a show together, or tour together and everyone would just be so stoked to be there, to be a part of it. Braids could play with Yahmos could play with RentAmericas could play with Aus-Rottens... Hardline Straight Edge bands were playing with "Crybaby Emo" bands and those Emo bands were playing with Crusty Stench-Core bands and everyone was content to enjoy it. There were no genre lines. There were no message boards. There was just community.
Both bands on this split are playing it the way it used to be in the early 90's. Boundless and passion filled. Well, I'm not sure if "band" is the correct term to use to describe Slurred Speech...? How about one-man band? Slurred Speech is Josh, Josh is Slurred Speech. He plays stark, naked Acoustic-Emo/Folk with passion and heart. His songs are gruff, melodic, introspective, sometimes screamy and all-around moving. Think Kind Of Like Spitting meets Thoughts Paint The Sky. I would love to see him play live as I am certain he could command a room with the power of his voice.
Sometimes, I have trouble describing in writing how a band sounds to me. I am having that problem with Twin Cyclist. They are a two-piece band that sound like a four-piece band playing sometimes Noodely, sometimes chaotically screamy Post-Hardcore. I do know that on their EP entitled Gilded Days, Josh Slurred Speech actually played bass. So, that might help bring a bit of circular connection to this split. Anyway, these gentlemen scream like Indian Summer, they twinkle like Cap'n Jazz, they emote like all the best bands do and they are doing it as a two-piece. I certainly can't fail to mention the soundbite that begins the song 'Grays'. The Life Aquatic is one of my favorite movies ever and if anyone can successfully use it to help build a song's atmosphere, I am going to love you forever. This is, perhaps, everything I have ever wanted from music.
I am more than stoked on this EP. Good job all around!!!
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Suns, from Connecticut, are playing a rather morose brand of Emo-ish Slowcore that is working in perfect harmony with this rainy Seattle weather. The idea of "Blackened Emo" is a recent revelation for me, though, that descriptor pretty much sums up what I am hearing in these songs. Willy, Willy, Billy and Pete have certainly been studying up on their Codeine, Slint and Blacktop Cadence records. These songs completely encompass that Loud-Soft dynamic I have loved and relied on for so many years for inspiration. The sad stories of life, love and broken hearts contained on this record are exactly what I have been looking for lately. If you enjoy Cloud Nothings or Ghost Thrower, you should grab this immediatly and get with the program. Well Done Guys!!!
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These guys are playing a sweet, bouncy Indie/Emo/Pop-Punk concoction that is infectious and fun. I hear hints of The Jazz June and Cross My Heart as well as some more modern stuff like Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate). The singing is gruff with some off-key, caterwauling screams from time to time. This is a fun two song outing that is getting me in the mood for summer.
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I am going to preface this early morning review by describing my current condition. The last two weeks have been filled with loving family, dear friends and the most debilitating lower back pain I have ever suffered. My Chiropractor tells me the pads between my two lowest vertebrae are either torn, bulging or bruised. Therefore, the nerves surrounding my lower spine are hyper-sensitive and prone to fits of unruly Hellfire. I have had so much trouble walking, let alone standing for any extended amount of time. The pain gets so intense at times, it almost feels like the world around me isn't real. Knee bucklingly painful!! I can't work, I can't shower, I can hardly take a piss on my own. It is getting to the point where I feel as if I am actually losing my grip on reality. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful woman in my life. She has taken care of me like no woman ever has (except you Mom, I could never forget about you!). Thank goodness for opiates!!
So, it's about 5:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. I was able to get three hours of sleep before the pain got too intense. After consuming a couple little white pills, the pain seems to have subsided for the time being... And this is where the review begins:
This album sounds amazing when listened to through the filter of Oxycontin and insomnia. The woman who wrote these songs is named Charlotte. She has the most intoxicatingly beautiful voice I have heard in a long time, reminding me of Liza Kate a little bit. I guess this would be considered Folk music by some people. To me though, there is just too much going on in these songs to limit them to one concrete genre or sound. In fact, I am just going to have to coin a new genre term and call it "Baroque inflected Chamber Slowcore". Try to imagine Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star with an actual smile on her face, singing for Codeine while the Postal Service play endless electronic loops in the bathroom next door. What does any of that mean? Well, it means this is Perfect Morning Music. Soft, lilting and cool to the touch. As of right now, during my third complete listen through this album, I feel no pain. Isn't that what music is supposed to do for us?
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I caught wind of this band through a review over at Collective 'zine. These Long Islanders play a rather ramshackle brand of Emo/Indie/Pop Punk that recalls the greatness of early slack rock like Built To Spill and Pavement. It is upbeat without being too sugary, youthful without being childish and rough enough around the edges that I get a feeling they are really having a good time bashing out these songs. Lyrically, they sing about the sorts of things you would expect boys playing this style of music to be singing about. Heart on sleeve earnestness regarding girls, hopes, friends and being young. I feel like there is a ton of sing-along potential here that elicits images of argyle sweaters and backpacks crushed against the front of the stage with hand claps galore. I have LOVED bands over the years that have played a very similar style to this such as Joan Of Arc, Stratego, Benton Falls, Braid, the Jazz June, Piebald, the aforementioned Built To Spill and pretty much 90% of the Deep Elm Records back catalog. There are also more recent bands having fun with this sound like Algernon Cadwallader, Grown Ups, Street Smart Cyclist, Joie De Vivre and almost every band on Count Your Lucky Stars Records. As of this posting, I have listened to the EP and full length about 8 times through which equals Totally Infectious!! I love the artwork, I love the LO-FIness of the recordings, I love the fact the vocals are rarely in key, especially during the choruses. Basically, this band makes me feel 16 again, and that ain't bad.
