The Antlers - Hospice (2009, Self Released)

Every indie music fan has their gateway album, and mine from day one has been Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea". Over the years a portion of me has tried to find something similar, but all the low-fi and alt-folk I listened to always fell short lyrically. I finally have found something that comes close to Jeff Mangum's songwriting, in of all places "Hospice" from the Brooklyn shoegaze/dream pop group The Antlers.

A sober tale of illness, isolation and finally comfort unfolds over the 11 songs. The album plays between delicate Rhodes lines and twinkling guitar and wrenching loud sections. All the while lead singer Peter Silberman unfolds the album's touching narrative with a gentle falsetto that can turn into a scream that will move mostly anyone with a heart. When the album's "Prologue" finally comes, the emotional closer feelings strikingly like Hotel's "Two Headed Boy Pt. 2". While not at this point an "Aeroplane" to be, it is truly inspiring the parallels that "Hospice" makes me draw. Highly, highly recommended, one of my favorites of 2009.

http://www.myspace.com/theantlers

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (2009, Domino Records)

Consistent, a word that has always summed up Brooklyn's experimental outfit Dirty Projectors. After their brilliant 2005 release "The Getty Address" and then 2007's "Rise Above" an incredibly original re-imagining of Black Flag's classic "Damaged" they have now signed to Domino and continued their winning streak with "Bitte Orca". This is a very early leak (about 2 months or so) but I am going to write it up anyway, just because it was been impressing me for the better part of the week. The Projectors had my mouth watering when they teamed up earlier this year with David Byrne for "Dark Was the Night" and finally hearing them on another proper LP is as always a sonic treat.

Dirty Projectors craft a sound on Bitte Orca that is equal parts lush and delicate. Dave Longstreth's trembling voice is perfectly complimented by often skittish percussion and synth work. While the typically rich guitar and other string work perfectly compliments Amber Coffman's stronger voice. While there is really no strong concept or narrative, as with the last two albums, it does deliver roughly 40 minutes of engaging yet never pretentious pop with an experimental twist to it. The overall experience is a rewarding one, Longstreth and Coffman harmonize beautifully together and the string work is some of the best you will encounter in modern indie. "Bitte Orca" will be released on June 9th by Domino Records and the Dirty Projectors will be touring the country this spring and summer opening for TV on the Radio.

http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors

Crocodiles - Summer of Hate (2009, Fat Possum)

So let's see what we have here:

1. 2 piece band from So-Cal
2. Noise pop
3. Signed to Fat Possum
4. Just released their debut LP

And yet this is not a Wavves review, boy that is refreshing. San Diego's Crocodiles have been making some noise and have blown me away with their far less abrasive brand of noise pop. While Wavves cranked out gruelingly loud and harsh noise pop, Crocodiles tone is down big time though and end up creating a sound that is much more akin to The Jesus and Mary Chain with a little bit of summer So-Cal pop music mixed in for good measure. At 30 minutes it never feels like a chore to sit though, and the influences are pronounced but never detract from the overall product. Which is a breath of fresh air compared to some of the similar releases that have come out of late. While there is definately a nasty side, it still has a solid core of upbeat California summer time punk.

Track Review: HEALTH - Die Slow

I was thrilled to hear that LA noise rock outfit/CAPS enthusiasts HEALTH were back in the studio working on a follow-up to their 2007 self-titled debut. The first single, "Die Slow" comes out on 7" tomorrow, and the track is a serious banger. The song opens with a choppy loop of flanged out guitars mixed in with HEALTH's usual feedback soaked abrasiveness and shoegazey vocals. As always they are able to perfectly blend the abrasiveness of noise aesthetic and their love for poppy/dancey melodies. 7" is due out tomorrow on Lovepump with a new LP coming in the summer. Here is the song if you want to check it out.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KISJS809

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains (2009, Self-Released)

I hate the word epic; I’ve always felt that internet nerds have played the word out over the years, stripping it of all meaning. What was once meant to describe only the most lofty and grand things, now is used to describe things as mundane as haircuts and naps. This pet peeve has caused me to hesitate when it comes to applying this tag to any of the new music I come across. The streak is finally broken though, because “Why There Are Mountains”, the self-released debut from Brooklyn’s Cymbals Eat Guitars is nothing short of epic.

“Why There Are Mountains” brings that guitar driven indie rock vibe that is lost in the current obsession with lo-fi and shitgaze. Massive walls of sound, rich screams, delicate Rhodes lines all swirl together for a completely engrossing experience. In a period where less is considered more, it was very refreshing to listen to something so sweeping and polished. It is even more impressive considering that the album is self released, some of the bigger label indie lately doesn’t sound as good. The attention to detail creates a powerful experience and one of the first pleasant surprises of 2009. Despite a weak band name, Cymbals Eat Guitars are no doubt a band to watch out for. This debut is impressive to say the least, and is hopefully a sign of much more to come.
http://www.myspace.com/cymbalseatguitars

Concert Review: Ponytail @ T.T. The Bears

Last Thursday was WZBCN's spring concert, headed up Baltimore spaz-rock kings Ponytail. T.T. The Bears in Cambridge played host to a solid 4 or so hours of live music, here is a brief recap of a rather wild night. Credit to Amy Dermont for the great photos.

magic magic

magic magic kicked off the night, and you had to admire their tenacity in spite of their many difficulties. After going on about 10 minutes late they played a handful of songs that seemed to feel too long for their own good. The staccato heavy rock music is interesting but is a little too vapid to stay interesting over the course of the set. A broken bass drum and guitar strap made the performance even more awkward for the band, but they were still able to finish an otherwise acceptable set.

Many Mansions

Things quickly picked up as Baltimore's Many Mansions took the stage for a simply brain melting set. A mix of droning guitar work and digital sampling and looping was combined with what was my first live VJ set. The on the fly mixing of old cartoons, nature footage and stock footage all heavy distorted and manipulated left me with a headache, but the best kind. As I said to a friend of a friend next to me after the set, "I have no idea what I just experienced, but I like it!"

Pretty & Nice

Next was the "secret set" of the showcase, which had me worried as the club suddenly filled up with a very rowdy bro crowd. I was right to assume they weren't here for Ponytail, as Pretty & Nice took the stage. Honestly, I'm not going to spend a lot of time or effort reviewing the set. Very bland indie rock by folks trying to hard to act like they are in an 80s new-wave outfit. When they finally left, all their fans apparently followed, the dedicated prepared for the headliners.

Soft Circle

Soft Circle's pedigree is as impressive as his live sets. The former Black Dice and Lightning Bolt member uses a full drum kit, microphone, percussion pad and guitar to craft impressive, addictive and highly danceable songs. Only knowing his background, I was expecting drone or ambient and was thrilled at the fiercely funky night music. I've missed his New England sets with High Places and No Age, I am done missing his shows though after a monster of a set.

Ponytail

Finally, just after midnight, Ponytail hit the stage and absolutely exploded with their trademark max energy rock. Molly Siegel is so entertaining to watch, unleashing her trade mark howls, growls and yelps. The band powered their way through the bulk of 2008's "Ice Cream Spiritual", working the crowd up into a total frenzy. The benefit of the small venue was the lack of bouncer interference. While I am still a little bruised and battered, the pit that raged through the set made a fun experience even more enjoyable. A great way to kick off my spring, I definitely felt like I danced off whatever winter was left of me out. Oh and got a picture with Molly.



Get like me. Thanks to Amy for joining me, and shout outs to Justin and Ethan for also showing up.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Vs. Children

Owen Ashworth is back with a vengeance, after taking the last two years off. Early this year saw the release of "Advance Base Battery Life", a collection of rarities and B-sides spanning the bulk of his career. Now finally we have "Vs. Children", the follow-up to his 2006 LP "Etiquette". "Vs. Children" is his 5th full length release on Tomlab, and shows continuing growth and maturity to his sound. All but gone are fuzzed-to-hell keyboards and lo-fi drum machines. While both still play a part of his sound, the final production feels polished and much more clean. Drums don't have the glitchy aesthetic of his early work and the Casio that is his name sake is now supplemented with piano, guitar and a variety of other more.... ahem "traditional instruments.

While the album, like "Etiquette" has a much more polished and organic sound, nothing has changed in his lyrics. Always his strong suit, Ashworth deals out another half an hour's worth of snapshots, dealing with the pains or tribulations of being an early teenager and someone in their early 20s. However, unlike on his previous efforts, this album seems to have more of a unifying theme. From the first track (not counting a brief instrumental introduction) "Tom Justice, The Choir Boy Robber, Apprehended at Ace Hardware in Libertyville, IL" the life of crime is the theme that dominated the album's 32 minutes. Bonnie and Clyde style love and larceny seem to be on his mind, and Ashworth effectively adds his trade mark angst into each small tale. The album does slow down a little in the middle, a problem that "Etiquette" also had for me, but is overall another strong outing. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's dry miserable voice and funky while always depressing melodies make for another compelling yet slightly inconsistent effort. The album comes out on April 7th on both CD and vinyl via Tomlab. He is currently touring Europe and has a slew of US dates booked already.