diumenge, 31 de març del 2013

GAMMA BROS. Gamma Bros Ep


Des de Baltimore, la segona entrada d'avui ens obri una finestra cap a la llum dels dies de primavera. Un Ep farcit de bones peces de pop. "Echoes" n'és la més rellevant encara que el nivell es manté en les quatre composicions, com diuen els de Dingus, un treball curt i dolç que compleix perfectament l'encàrrec d'alegrar-te qualsevol part del dia. Bon dia de pasqua a tots.


As I listen to this split EP, a ray of hope comes beaming through my window. I immediately think of Summer and how near it is. Aquaduck and brightener have teamed up to release theGamma Bros EP and it’s a tenderness I haven’t heard in a while. Along the same lines as something the Morning Benders would release, The Gamma Bros EP is short and sweet, perfect for those warm days where you find yourself wandering around your neighborhood.  You’re not doing anything that the rest of the world would find purposeful but that’s not the point. You’re lost in the sunshine and your tangled in pop music. I don’t understand what more purpose anyone would need. [Free Download@LeahLovecat


TERRITORY. Territory Ep


Poca cosa més podem comentar d'aquest grup australià que no sigui la seva música. No hem pogut trobar cap tipus d'informació com no sigui la que publiquen al seu bandcamp, que és mínima. Una música tranquil·la que ens arriba de l'altre costat del món amb unes cançons que podrien passar desapercebudes si no t'hi fixassis. Estan en una ona semblant a la dels desapareguts Felt i es tracta d'un primer treball a seguir. "Distant night" i "Raincoat" les dues peces que més m'han agradat i que són molt recomanables per a moments tranquils de mitja tarda, entrada de vespre, com ara mateix.


dimecres, 27 de març del 2013

POW WOW!. D0n't stop to look


Cinc jovenets i jovenetes de NYC formen aquest grup amb inflències dels 80s i amb una certa retirada, almanco pel que fa a la veu, als Strokes. A la fi de l'any passat varen editar el seu primer treball en format Lp que avui vos presentam. Es tracta d'un treball sense gaires pretensions, directe i senzill i encantador precsament per aquest motiu. Es deixa escoltar mentres vas escrivint aquestes línies i et deixa un regust a temps no perdut que t'alegra el dia. "The devil came to me" i "Don't stop to look" són tal vegada els temes més representatius d'un so molt recomanable si et vols fer un petit regal que et provoqui un somriure sincer.

Voted one of of L Magazine's NYC Bands You Need To hear in 2009 and covered extensively by Brooklyn Vegan, Time Out New York, Village Voice, and various other local and international blog's after having released a handful of EP's and singles between 2009-10, pow wow! returns in 2012 with "Don't Stop To Look," their most diverse, yet focused and finely crafted pop record to date. Keeping true to their march to your own beat mantra as a band, the offerings on Don't Stop Look marry 60+ years of international pop music influence while honestly narrating an experience that is quintessentially New York. Passive and passionate; Yearning yet resigned. Candid, sometimes cryptic, but always conversational in delivery.(The Deli National)


dilluns, 25 de març del 2013

PLYMOUTH FURY. Vaudeville





Anam avui amb una entrada amb substància. Rock amb lletres majúscules amb certes dosis de garatge en un context com és el francés amb grans nombres dins aquest corrent musical. És un grup que va començar a funcionar el 2007 i aquest que us present avui és el seu primer Lp. Cançons directes i plenes de força, no aptes per a segons quins moments. A destacar "The basement" que podria figurar perfectament en cançoners dels Chesterfield Kings, els Kingsnakes, els Fixed Up, o qualsevol altre grup d'un cert prestigi en el món de garatge rock o la ràbia disparada de "Ajo i Agua".



Plymouth Fury is a loud and dirty project hitting the road since 2007, a maelstrom of noises coming from the basement inside the guts of Paris the grey . After their last release crumbling walls (2011 -fury prod) they are back with their first lp VAUDEVILLE, eight tracks of massive, rough and intense rock music.
Plymouth Fury, garage/rock, the band often likes to say they’re kind of a lookalike between the crazy “popiness” of the [ Dandy Warhols ], the “flying” guitars of the [ Black rebel Motorcycle Club ] and the old school version of the [ Black Keys ]. Their sound is mostly a cocktail of old fashioned guitars and old whisky jars, so it would be a mistake to compare them to other bands’ names…

The band could be sum up in two parts: ride the roads and craziness on stage. Bars, clubs, small or large stages, no matter where they play as long as they can burn the place down! Visuals speaking, the spirit of the seventies’ rock atmosphere is back: adrenaline and on stage power is what they aim for. The rest is about past experiences brought back to life.

Keep an open ear and an open mind for “Vaudeville” is a continuous listen that brings substances over substance. [ Plymouth Fury ] on one end is a more of a beautiful portrait the [ Dandy Warhols ] that’s been locked in their attic and with their newest album “Vaudeville” the band unleashes a blend of beautiful noises. And by that we mean a bit of pop, noise, garage, low-end prog / shoegaze with an indie edge surrounded by punk(ish) elements. And on the other hand if the punk and noise elements were to be replaced by acid feel you’ll probably be facing another BRMC. You might want to start with “Vaudeville” on this one but be sure to get them all.(The Sirens Sounds)



dimecres, 20 de març del 2013

WAVVES. Afraid of heights


Avui ens vestim de gala per posar enstream el nou disc de Wavves que ja ens ha tocat totes les fibres sensibles.
Anirem ampliant informació, per ara, que soni la música...



dijous, 14 de març del 2013

BRAVES. Sorrow


Avui anam a Perth (Australia) per trobar un grup que es diu Braves i que acaben de publicar un ep d'aquells que tant ens agraden. Lo-fi, dream-pop molt recomanable. Un treball curt i dolç, amb un tema,
"Sadko in the underwater kingdom" que m'encanta per la seva senzillesa i la seva addictiva melodia.



Having just returned from spending Christmas/New Years in Western Australia (the majority of which was on the beaches in Scarborough, just north of Perth), I found it a bit humorous to find a facebook message greeting me upon my arrival from the band Braves who happen to call that part of the world home. For those whose only knowledge of Perth music begins and ends with Tame Impala, it might come as a shock to learn that there are a lot of great uncovered bands out in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, I got to witness first hand the local talent, and, after listening to their linked EP, Braves definitely makes the short list of Perth’s best.

Sorrow is a five track, twelve minute ride that is full of lo-fi, rough-around-the-edges goodness. My favorite songs have to be the bookends: with the instrumentation and the verse vocals on the opener “Sadko In the Underwater Kingdom” reminding me a lot of early Wavves (you know, when he was good), whereas the closer “Hallows” sounds like a Captured Tracks-ready single. This is the type of EP that makes you salivate for more — here’s to hoping an LP also greets us in 2013!



dimecres, 13 de març del 2013

YOUNG BOYS. New York Sun


The Young Boys vénen de Brooklyn i ens presenten el seu treball en forma de garatge pop melòdic en línia de treballs com els dels Crocodriles o els Sleigh Bells. No són uns innovadors del gènere però ens presenten un primer treball molt honest, directe i interessant a un preu prou assenyat.


With a rooted affinity for black-leather noise, synth-strewed weirdness and layered, wall-of-sound pop, Young Boys is a story that crisscrosses the continent. Formed by Oakland-bred David "Legs" McDaniel who, after traveling across the country, guitar in hand, looking for love and a place to call home, hooked up with fellow slimers Ethan Miller and a Minneapolis-bred player Lee Lichtsinn to solidify ranks in New York City. 

Now knee-deep in NY grime and projected through technicolor static, Young Boys come armed with a pair of out-of-tune guitars, a drum machine and a certain, crunchy cohesion. The trio's slobbering stance on classic garage pop balladry has awarded them gigs alongside Crocodiles, Sleigh Bells, Dengue Fever, Ex Cops and SISU and gathered praise from the likes of NME and The Village Voice. 

Holloweyed is honored to release Young Boys' debut longplayer; the six-song wave of growing deconstruction, New York Sun follows the group's 2010 split with California noise enthusiasts FM Face for Digitalis and a 7" of "Bring Em Down" for Chicago imprint, Rococo Records. (Glasslands)



THE FIERY PIANO. Second Space


Des de Suècia, Estocolm més exactement ens arriba una nova proposta de banda dedicada a l'indie pop que tan bona premsa té al país nòrdic. L'ànima del grup, Gustaf Montelius va començar la seva aventura en solitari i s'ha anat recolzant amb altres companys fins a formar un grup pràcticament estable. Aquest és el seu album de debut fet de forma artesanal a casa mateix. Una banda a seguir.



The Fiery Piano is homemade sparkling pop music with dusty samples, yet crispy high-definition future-quality sound (instereo), dramatic, kind of big at times, sweetness in the lows (negative Hz), details to discover, layers to peel, DIY, not made to earn more money for old men in new suits who already have enough. (bandcamp)


BUKE AND GASE. General Dome

Al seu bandcamp Buke and Gase tal vegada exageren un poc amb les seves comparacions amb Picasso o els Rolling Stones però, a part d'això ens trobam amb un grup que promet una barbaritat. Jo ara també vull exagerar una miqueta i compararé la impressió que vaig sentir en escoltar per primera vegada "General Dome" amb el sentiment que vaig tenir en escoltar "Daydream Nation" dels Sonic Youth. Val la pena que els hi dediqueu uns minuts per escoltar amb atenció aquestes petites meravelles amb la veu sensual de Arone Dyer.


Buke and Gase have this vague sense of unease. Like someone, somewhere is always watching. Do a Google image search for the band's new album title, General Dome, and you'll come across images that instill ideas of paranoia and surveillance such as security cameras and rockets being launched. In times like these, when governments can freely survey the citizenry's every action and our lives become increasingly less private, people are often drawn to code. Take a look at Buke and Gase's album cover above. Its minimalist design could mean nothing at all. Perhaps this would be the case, if this were any other band than Buke and Gase. 

Inspired by a recent Sol LeWitt exhibition at the Dia Beacon museum in Beacon, NY, Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez started brainstorming about coded imagery. They decided to build a system of images that would dictate the direction of the artwork, which lead them to creating a new alphabet they could write with, not totally different from the way they create their music. They built a graphical alphabet that the artwork is made of, the code of which will be available on their website once it's released. There are more coded images like this throughout the packaging. 

*** 

Change is good. Picasso had a "blue period" and then he said "f*&k that" and invented Cubism. Gauguin moved to Tahiti to shed European ideals and dive headlong into Primitivism. The Stones cozied up in a chateau on the French Riviera to escape the city, wives, and bad habits and write Exile on Main Street. We're not saying Buke and Gase are the Stones or a dead painter, but when you live in the busiest city in the world, escape can be the mother of invention. It can be said three notable changes led to the new sounds that are encapsulated on General Dome, their new full-length record set to be released on January 29th on Brassland... 

First Thing: In 2011, Aron Sanchez moved from New York City to his home in upstate Hudson, NY, and Arone Dyer thusly followed, therein marking a large geographical change. She then began riding a motorcycle, the obvious next step from racing and building bicycles, and has been exploring this new form of excitement vigorously and often. She claims it comes across in the new music. 

Second Thing: They rented a cavernous empty room in between heavily used railroad tracks, warehouses and the Hudson River, and set up a temporary recording studio, a far cry from their previous digs, Aron's tight little basement space. The recordings have hints of their surroundings, such as natural reverb, train horns, rumbling annoyances, and the size of the new space also led to a grander songwriting style. As per usual, they recorded and mixed it themselves. During this time, Aron purchased a myriad of new guitar pedals in his ever-enduring chase for the "perfect gase* sound" which, to this date, he has yet to find. 

Third Thing: Out with the old and in with the new. A buke** creation by their friend now replaces the wooden-toy that formerly occupied Arone's hands. This new "battle axe" is made of steel salvaged from an automobile, with a halved pipe acting as the neck. 

And so, hot on the heels of their recent "Function Falls" EP, our favorite self-invented duo returns with General Dome. One track, "Hiccup," has already been unleashed, which Pitchfork named Best New Track and called a "mobilising, bodily cry" (Bandcamp) 


dilluns, 11 de març del 2013

RECOPILATORI. MARÇ 2013






Amb aquest post arribam al segon aniversari de recopilatoris. Com sempre hi trobareu un poc de tot el que m'ha cridat més l'atenció aquest darrer mes i com sempre vos dic, descarregau i llençau a la paperera tot allò que no vos agradi. Properament ho brufarem, ja arribaran notícies.



diumenge, 3 de març del 2013

BEAT RADIO. Hard times, go!


Beat Radio són una de les meves debiltats, ho reconec, un grup que costa acceptar perquè la seva música no té aquesta cosa que fa que quedis enganxat a la primera, perque les seves melodies no són contagioses, perque la veu tampoc és per tirar coets,... però tenen un no sé què que els fa especials. Els segueixo des dels seus primers treballs i ara acaben d'editar aquest llarga durada i el "Mixtape for a memory" una espècie de recopilatori de treballs anteriors. Per definir la seva música se m'ocorr una definició que no sé si serà prou encertada, practiquen un "pop de jugueta" que es recolza en la utilització de teclats de tota mena i una utilització de guitarres sempre en segon lloc. En certa manera em recorden peces dels Sparklehorse del tristement desaparegut Mark Linous però per definir el seu darrer treball qui millor que en Brian Sendrowitz mateix per fer-ho...


Before I explain our new record I should maybe introduce myself. I’m Brian Sendrowitz and I live with my wife Liz and our 3 young boys in Bellmore, NY. Bellmore is a small town near the south shore of Long Island. I’ve been putting out music as Beat Radio since 2005. I guess my music career/family trajectory was sort of backwards. I never wanted to put my life on hold for my art. The lineup for the band has changed a lot over the years, but the latest record has primarily been a collaboration between my drummer Brian Ver Straten and I.

I’ve somehow gotten into the habit of writing songs as lifelines. Last fall when I started working on the material for this album I was in sort of a dark place. The existing band lineup seemed to be dissolving. I don’t remember an exact moment when it happened. All I can remember is feeling a strong urge to start writing and figure out what the next step should be on my own. Liz and I were going through difficult times financially, struggling to make things work from one month to the next. Like so many people around the country we felt trapped and disillusioned. It started to feel like the walls were closing in around us.

I needed a place to put my anxieties about things, and perhaps more than anything I needed an escape. I headed down to my basement studio. In the past I’ve drawn inspiration mostly from artists like Sparklehorse, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Van Morrison. Last fall I fell headlong into a deep obsession with the Swedish pop star Robyn. I listened to her Body Talk album on repeat, hunted down all the remixes, watched endless Youtube clips of live performances. Liz and I would spend long road family road trips analyzing the narrative complexity of her songs. We also started writing songs together, trying to capture a little bit of the brilliance we heard coming through the speakers of our minivan.

The sound of the new Beat Radio album was beginning to take shape in my mind, and my ambition was to work with the rhythms and melodic structures of electronic dance/pop music, but flesh things out with more organic sounds. Lyrically I felt like the stories I had to tell needed to be more focused around the realities of what we were going through. My records in the past have been thematically centered around a romantic escapism and a nostalgia for things past. I wanted the new songs to address real adult problems, in the way Bruce Springsteen had started to do with his records Darkness on the Edge of Town and Nebraska. I didn’t feel like I should hold anything back, and I wanted to be as direct and honest as possible. I decided to follow Robyn’s lead and release a series of EPs the way she had done with Body Talk. My original ambition was to have the entire album thematically correlate with Robyn’s album, sort of in the way that Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville was a companion to the Stones’ Exile on Main Street. That plan ended up being a bit more grandiose than what actually happened.

In the end, we ended up with another Beat Radio record. We challenged ourselves to make it. The songs feel special, and we’re really proud of them. We’re trying to spread the word about our music as far and wide as possible. If you could share with your friends that would be awesome.

Thanks for listening,
Brian




THE STAMMER. The Stammer Ep



Des de Philadelphia ens arriben avui els The Stamer, un grup de jovenets que varen publicar aquest Ep el curs passat. Una col·lecció de cançons encapçalades per la fantàstica "Follow the leader" una peça amb un ritme quasi militar que enganxa a la primera. Un primer treball que promet coses interessants i un grup a seguir des d'Els Mons Diminuts.


With it’s fuzz and driving percussion, “Follow The Leader” by The Stammer exercises it’s demons with a cacophony of guitars and a sincere amount of background feedback. The Philadelphia three piece is quite effective at delving and diving between the brash rock exuberance of “Follow The Leader” and the slow, more thoughtful jaunt “Lonely Son”.
Brian Brotman’s voice is right at home on the lead track; the vocals and instrumentation surround each other effortlessly, as if the band is just jamming it out in the garage of some warehouse district. If “Follow The Leader” was 18 year old you, then “Same Lines” is the 24 year old version. You haven’t quite given up or given in and you’ve still got some of that edge, but time and experience have forced you to clean it up a bit. “Same Lines” finds Brotman more forceful with the vocals, clamoring distortion traded in for sparkling guitar work and a steady percussion backdrop that has me torn inside. I honestly don’t know which track I love more.
The Stammer EP, their first release, is also packed with two slightly more subdued tracks. “The Last Time” and “Lonely Son” – they both feature more shimmering guitars and more introspective vocal delivery.  Of the two, I feel like “The Last Time” is the more tightly crafted – “Lonely Son” is the most ambitious of the four track EP, and while it doesn’t exactly hit a home run, it’s at least a ground rule double. (Sirens of decay)