Posted: July 7th, 2010 | Author: Nghia | Filed under: music, post-punk, psychedelic, shoegaze | No Comments »
Apologies for the lack of content, with the proliferation of music blogs since we started this site 6 years ago it was hard keeping traction with day jobs. We’ll keep at it.
London’s O.Children might be like nothing you have ever heard or seen before. Their frontman Tobi towers at 6 foot 8, but what stands out most is his booming Adams Family Lurch-esque vocals. O.Children’s heavy sound can be categorized as a post-punkish, psychedelic shoegaze that will make your insides feel like they’re being grinded to pieces inside out. You’ll hear serious nods to the likes of Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy, Joy Division and of course Nick Cave (who wrote the song the band took as their name). I’ve been listening to their demo CD for the past year and wonder how a little clean studio time will effect their sound. I hope not much.
Their self-titled debut full length ‘O.Children’ will be available digitally on July 12th on iTunes and physical copies here.
Preview the full-length album here. Video for O.Children’s Ruins below.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: July 24th, 2008 | Author: justin | Filed under: noise, post-punk | No Comments »
This isn’t music for the faint of heart, this is music for, as Nghia so eloquently puts it, “scaring the rodents away from your apartment” (if you’re so lucky enough to have any scurrying about). The City of Lafayette, Indiana, home to Purdue University and birthplace of Axl Rose (no shit!?) has a paranoia echoing through its streets – sending even the robust forms of life dwelling beneath them running for the hills fields. In the vein of The Cramps, The Fall, Suicide, and The Birthday Party, Lafayette’s Television Ghost tests the boundaries of rhythmic noise. Tense, manic vocals, aggressive drums, and the menacing attack of two guitars sends a distressing, eerie chill running down my spine. “The Nihilist” and “Babel” are corrosive numbers sparked with anxiety and saturated with Wire-like riffs that twist, turn, and swirl into the dark and ominous underworld of post-punk. Watch those critters scurry from the second you drop the needle on the band’s self-titled LP, as the lingering sine-wave of “XXXX-XXX” pulls them into a vortex only to be spit out and steamrolled by the violent shifting tempos of “No Doz.” If any brave souls are left, the fiery reverb and spooky vibrations of “Circus” should send them packing. By that point however, your neighbor might have shit his or her pants, opening up a whole other can of worms.
The Television Ghost LP is out now on Ohio imprint die Stasi.
[MP3]: Television Ghost ”Babel”
Televison Ghost LP, die Stasi; 2008
Posted: June 3rd, 2008 | Author: justin | Filed under: FRICTION, dub, events, music, post-punk, psych | No Comments »
GET HYPE! Southend, UK’s These New Puritans are bringing their trance-inducing post-punk across the pond in their first U.S. tour, which includes a stop in Brooklyn to play FRICTION at Music Hall of Williamsburg! The show also marks the quartet’s New York City debut. Two of Brooklyn’s most ambitious bands, the futuristic psych trio School of Seven Bells and the mystical dub wielding Effi Briest, round out the bill. Brooklyn, by way of DC, by way of France, Anicet, spins between sets.
Tix available now / Doors @ 8pm / flyer, mp3s & more below
Balancing staccato rhythms and itchy guitars with a neat line in woozy, trance-like synthesisers,
THESE NEW PURITANS have an oblique lyrical bent that’s all their own. [Uncut]
[MP3]: “Elvis”
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS, founded by ex-Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis and featuring twin-sister singers Alejandra and Claudia Deheza, slipped easily between epochs – medieval polyphony, laptop sorcery, the rhythmic turmoil of Public Image Ltd.’s 1981 album, Flowers of Romance – with smart hooks and the Dehezas’ alluring vocals, liberally greased with reverb. [Rolling Stone]
[MP3]: “Chain”
There’s sorcery afoot in
EFFI BRIEST‘S primitive droning psychedelia and hypnotic post-punk clatter. Like Yeasayer, Dirty Projectors, and MGMT, Effi Briest are reason to celebrate the casting-off of New York’s skinny jeaned shackles. They’re a willfully wonky NYC troupe making music that’s way off the typical spectrum of CBGB heritage-punk. Signed to Loog in the UK, fans of The Horrors’ occult will find plenty to enjoy in their strange incantations. [NME]
[MP3]: “Mirror Rim”
In part with:
Posted: May 23rd, 2008 | Author: justin | Filed under: art, nyc, post-punk | No Comments »
There’s something to be said about the consistentency of interesting artwork from a band. Although it’s not as important as the band’s music or live show, it’s key to create a visual image aside from the music for listeners to latch onto. Some bands manage to do this incredibly well, take Peter Saville and Factory Records for example, his designs weren’t that complex, but fit the music he created them for perfectly. One of my favorite designs of his is the cover for the 12″ Single of New Order’s “Ceremony” (Fac. 33). It’s a simple design, just a blue line on white background and black lettering, but for some reason I’m drawn to it and it represents the stark sound of the song.
Occasionally you’re immediately attracted to a band from their imagery, because these days, it’s likely one of the first things that you’re going to see and I guess that’s what lead me to write this post. It can also go the other way around; I can mention a few albums I picked up based on cover art alone and haven’t played since. But for Crystal Stilts everything clicked from the start. Even before I listened to a single note of Crystal Stilts songs, read a description or review, I was already drawn to them from their artwork. Their somewhat dark and moody art nouveau inspired work was a visual gateway to the band’s stripped-down post-punk sound. The one-two punch of solid songwriting and interesting artwork made me an instant fan of the Brooklyn quintet, now we’ll have to see about that live show.
Crystal Stilts play FRICTION on June 29th with Philly’s Tickley Feather and Seattle’s PWRFL Power at Cake Shop.
[MP3]: Crystal Stilts ”Crippled Croon”
Crystal Stilts, eMusic Select; 2008
Posted: April 28th, 2008 | Author: justin | Filed under: lo-fi, music, nyc, pop, post-punk, punk | No Comments »
Like the seven blonde adventuresome heroines from which they borrow their moniker, Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls have moxie. The all female, Henry Darger-inspired trio packs abrasive power and infectious harmonies that recall groups like The Raincoats and B-52’s. The lo-fi single, “Tell the World (Woodsist Records),” unites reverby vocal harmonies with buzzing garage riffs and a hurry-up rhythm. Floating above the trudging punk beat and thick bassline, the infectious group-sung vocal harmonies provide welcoming warmth in an otherwise dissonant atmosphere. Vivian Girls manage to straddle the line between catchy and abrasive and do it without compromising either side, making their debut self-titled LP (early May on Mauled by Tigers) one worth anticipating.
Vivian Girls kick off an extensive US spring tour starting May 12th. Until then, the trio has five local shows scheduled in New York, including one this Wednesday, April 30th, at Lit Lounge. The group’s self-recorded 7” “Tell the World” single will also be available in May via Woodsist Records in limited edition (500 copies only) black vinyl. Full tour dates, songs, and more at MySpace.
[MP3]: Vivian Girls ”Tell the World”
Vivian Girls, Mauled by Tigers; May 2008
Posted: March 17th, 2008 | Author: justin | Filed under: dreampop, new wave, nyc, philly, post-punk, shoegaze | No Comments »
Shoegaze will always remain one of my favorite genres of music, even if I get away from it from time to time, it’s something that I always come back to. Granted, shoegaze and dreampop saw their heyday in the early nineties, but today many acts continue to reinvent and push the envelope with the genre. I was reading an interview with Soundpool (one of the bands featured in this post) about the relation among shoegaze, electronica, and indie-pop becoming more familiar in Japan. One of the group’s members stated that there has been “a significant change in the global shoegaze scene with bands from many different cultures and backgrounds are collaborating and inspiring each other and exploring the possibilities of this creative genre which has brought so many different types of musicians together.”
This post aims to focus on some of my favorite new shoegaze acts that define the previous statement and for the most part features bands putting out material in 2008.
RESPLANDOR
Pleamar, AE; 2008
[MP3]: “Downfall”
Members of Mahogany initially tipped me off to the Peruvian trio, Resplandor, and since I’ve been a big fan of the group’s output. Their early recordings initially reminded me of Raphael Toral, but tracks from their forthcoming full-length Pleamar sound more akin to Just for a Day era Slowdive. Two words: sonic morphine.
AUBURN LULL
Begin Civil Twilight, Darla; 2008
[MP3]: “Coasts”
Michigan/Pennsylvania five-piece Auburn Lull craft dreamy, haunting, and ethereal dream pop. “Imagine The Moody Blues produced by Eno, if Slowdive originally wrote and recorded Surrealistic Pillow, or perhaps Seefeel on a good sedative/hypnotic [Darla].” Ulrich Schnauss mixed a track on added some treatment to two others. Begin Civil Twilight hits the street on April 8th.
FLEETING JOYS
Secret Garden Vol.1, Invada; 2008
[MP3]: “Good Kind Of Tomorrow”
Sacramento’s Fleeting Joys craft shoegaze in the vein of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine with an aural assault of shivering dissonant guitars, low-end baselines, atmospheric keyboards, layers of squalls, heavy drums, and buried androdynous vocals. Lush melancholia for the shoegazer soul.
SOUNDPOOL
Dichotomies & Dreamland, Aloft; 2008
[MP3]: “The Divides of March”
I’ve had New York’s Soundpool (pictured) on my radar for some time now and was stoked about the release of their second record, Dichotomies & Dreamland earlier this month – an album I’ve been playing pretty heavily recently. Danceable Joy Division/New Order-inspired basslines and guitars lie beneath saturated swaths noise and synth arrangements that are fronted with sugary female vocals. Soundpool plays Pianos in New York on March 22nd and a day later in Philadelphia at The Khyber. Dichotomies & Dreamland is out now on Aloft.
PORTS OF CALL
Like Thieves…, Self-Released; 2008
[MP3]: “Washout”
I couldn’t write this post without giving Philadelphia some love, so enter Ports of Call as another shoegaze act that you should get familiar with this year. The Philly quintet blends psychedelic with atmospheric in the most beautiful of ways, painting haunting soundscapes which are highlighted by the interplay of innocent boy/girl vocals that are almost drowned out by the noise. Ports of Call play Club Midway in New York on April 23rd and Johnny Brenda’s in Philly on April 30th. Like Thieves is out now and can be ordered from the band.
Posted: March 13th, 2008 | Author: justin | Filed under: covers, joy division, music, post-punk | 3 Comments »
It’s no secret that Joy Division is one of my serious crushes and over the past few years I’ve collected a bunch of covers done by all sorts of different bands since the early 80s.
The ten tracks below represent some of my favorite covers, with my pick of the lot being the hazy laid-back Galaxie 500 rendering of “Ceremony.” I actually prefer the song to the Joy Division and New Order versions, it’s slowed down but still retains the elegiac feeling of the original. Another highlight is Skog’s (a previous incarnation of Kings of Convenience) folky-acoustic take on “The Eternal.” Also, note that Starchildren were a Smashing Pumpkins side-project.
Joy Division Central has a listing of all the Joy Division songs performed by other groups, be sure to check it out, the website itself is a great resource for Joy Division enthusiasts. Also, today in Joy Division history, March 13th, the band played live at Band On The Wall in Manchester (1979).
[MP3]: Galaxie 500 ”Ceremony”
On Fire, Rough Trade; 1989
[MP3]: Skog ”The Eternal”
Balance, Ego Development; 1997
[MP3]: LCD Soundsystem ”No Love Lost”
All My Friends, EMI; 2007
[MP3]: Starchildren ”Isolation”
A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division, Virgin; 1995
[MP3]: Squarepusher ”Love Will Tear Us Apart”
Do You Know Squarepusher, Warp; 2002
[MP3]: Nine Inch Nails ”Dead Souls”
The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Atlantic/Wea; 1994
[MP3]: New Order ”Atmosphere (Live)”
Peel Tribute – Oct. 12, 2005 – Royal Festival Hall, London
[MP3]: Low ”Transmission”
A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division, Virgin; 1995
[MP3]: Ola Podrida ”Atmosphere”
The Signal Soundtrack, Lakeshore; 2008
[MP3]: Tortoise ”As You Said”
A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division, Virgin; 1995
