Cementing The Seams

I should have posted this ages ago, but I'm just lazy I guess.  The Minute Intentions of a Boa Constrictor are a Minneapolis duo who recorded at least one "art punk garage pop" EP that rules pretty god damn hard.  I would attempt to describe it, but honestly it wouldn't sound any better than "art punk garage pop", so I won't.  I suppose it has a lo-fi element and a sense of sincere weirdness that would make Mike Watt and D. Boone proud.  Anyway, it's awesome and I like it, so you might too.

Stream it, Download it, and Buy it at their Bandcamp

Firstly, let me apologize in regards to the lack of updates around here lately.  To be honest, I've been listening to old music a lot lately and haven't heard anything new that has really caught my attention.  I intend to change this pretty much immediately.  So check back, and if you want, recommend something.

That said, I did get some mail worth listening to recently.  The Gifted Children's first release of 2010 is "Please Freeze Me", a full-length cd that strives to capture the mood of winter, and though it's pretty much spring now, I can still get into this.  Their description is pretty right on: "Please Freeze Me" definitely has a wintery feel, and sounds pretty much like you might expect.  Lots of minor chords, piano, slow meter, melancholy, and general solemness that one would associate with 4 hours of daylight and 300 inches of snow (I'm from Alaska).  But it's not all sad, it seems they couldn't resist including some signature pop jams, including (but not limited too) probably one of my favorite TGC songs "Unlimited February".   Check it out.

For fans of: The New Pornographers, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Capstan Shafts, Guided By Voices

The Gifted Children on Myspace

That isn't a typo, the name of this album is "The Delicious The Delicious" (self-titled² ?) and it's totally out of place here.  So why am I posting it?  I don't really know.  I suppose because it's awesome, and because I don't really understand why this band isn't gigantic.  The Delicious are an indie-pop group from Bloomington, Indiana who have a totally unboring sound and a singer with a ridiculous moustache.  I'm not really in to kitschy indie-pop, but this is just so unrelenting.  The Delicious are either 100% sincere in their swashy rubbernecking (this means nothing but it seems only nonsense can accurately describe them) or absolutely faking it.  It can't be anywhere in between.  Either way though, they make intoxicating and catchy pop music that employs a lot of really interesting elements.  I'm still trying to figure out why Vampire Weekend exploded and these guys didn't.  Anyway, this record actually starts a little slow but once it picks up it doesn't let down.  In 2008 they released an equally solid EP called "Postcard To My Sewing Circle", did a Daytrotter session and toured, rereleasing this album in 2009.  I don't know if they plan to release anything in the future, but they have a pretty awesome unreleased track on their myspace.

For fans of:  The Unicorns, Vampire Weekend, Dismemberment Plan

The Delicious on Myspace

Get it.

There was a brief time where The New Pornographers were easily my favorite band.  I'm not sure what changed really, maybe it was a phase, maybe I outgrew it, or, most likely, just needed something else.  I've been looking back on those days as of late though and recalled just how good this band really is.  Now when you look at The New Pornographers you find a power-pop super-group that is much more it's own entity than a hodge-podge of its now-famous singular members (new hyphen record!). Carl "AC" Newman released one stellar solo record (and one that was merely good).  Dan Bejar is, in his spare time, otherwise known as Destroyer and has released somewhere in the vacinity of 40 albums, and sultry singer Neko Case has a pretty high-profile career as a solo country crooner.  Of course, when The New Pornographers formed, the individual parts weren't so prolific (unless you consider being in bands in Vancouver, BC "prolific") and they are really only a "super-group" in hindsight.

"The Electric Version" isn't the best New Pornographers album.  In fact, it's probably the least acclaimed of their four studio releases.  It may not even be my favorite of their LPs, but that's the beauty. This bands "worst" album is better than roughly 96% of music in existence.  "The Electric Version" is their sophomore effort and is, well... sophomoric I suppose.  Not as solid on the whole as their debut "Mass Romantic" or it's follow up album "Twin Cinema", but "The Electric Version" showcases, in my opinion, some of the Pornographers more transcendent moments.  There may be a few duds on this record, but it's highlights outshine a majority of their catalogue.  So, if you dig this, you'll love the rest of their stuff.

For fans of: The Gifted Children, Ted Leo, Lemuria

The New Pornographers on Myspace

Get it.

I hope nobody is sick of hearing about this band, because this probably won't even be the last time this year that I write something about them.  I said that this was coming and, although it's later than I anticipated, I am following up on that claim because THAT'S WHAT I DO, and truthfully this album deserves it.

I expected big things from these dudes this year, and frankly it's what I got.  The proper follow-up to 2008's "Always Stay Sweet", and, as far as I can recall, their only full-length album of the year, "My Museum Pieces" has The Gifted Children polishing their pop chops with a slew of characteristically pretty, concise songs.  At first the record seemed a little unremarkable due it's slow nature and pacing, but I suppose it's the mood that is important.  After a few listens though, the songs I regarded as at all sub-par really grew on me, and most of them started getting stuck in my head at random intervals.  And isn't that what good pop music does (I suppose this also happens with bad pop music, but you get the point)?  It may not be as in-your-face good as "Always Stay Sweet" but it managed to sneak up on me and turn out to be one of my consistenly played albums of the year.  This is all more impressive when you consider that "My Museum Pieces" isn't even the best release by the Gifted Children THIS YEAR (more on this in the future).

For fans of:  The New Pornographers, The Capstan Shafts, Neutral Milk Hotel

The Gifted Children on Myspace

Buy it from their website

With this post I think it's safe to say that The Gifted Children have probably gotten the most attention of any other band on this blog and it's for a damn good reason.  Actually two.  First, they are, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, probably the most prolific indie group (?) in the whole wide world and great, but most importantly, they are unique and relevant unlike most of what would qualify "indie" pop/rock these days. The Gifted Children are a sortof collaborative effort of DIY musicians orchestrated by one guy who release a flood of music every year ranging from one end of the indie spectrum to the other and release it by themselves on their own label (Tinhorn Planet).  Secondly, said guy/label sent me a bunch of new (and some old) stuff to fill my brain with just to see what I thought.  Like actual, physical CDs and vinyl which is as cool is it was unexpected. 

I think a little bit of luck was involved when I first heard The Gifted Children, when the one-two pop-rock punch that begins their 2008 full-length "Always Stay Sweet" hit the appropriate part of my skull I was hooked.  Listening to other releases from 2008 (there was like ten), it is possible that had I not heard "Always Stay Sweet" first (still possibly their strongest release that I've heard) I MAY have MAYBE overlooked them, which would have been pretty criminal considering their output since that release.  In 2009 The Gifted Children began with some undeniably solid material which they released for free (and I covered a few monthes back) and they're ending it one a high note.  If they are anything The Gifted Children are ambitious and are embarking on probably their most ambitious project yet.  "One Clear Minute" is a series of EPs released on 7" vinyl (a first, surprisingly) on which every song is less than one minute long.  Honestly this seems like where they are the most comfortable, as quick hooky pop songs are definitely their forte.  Only the first has been officially released, and to be frank it's one of the best EP's I've heard this year.  Volume 2 comes out this week.  So pick it up.

Also released recently was "My Museum Pieces" which is probably the closest thing to a follow-up to "Always Stay Sweet" that they have released this year.  But look for a proper review of that in the near future.

The Gifted Children on Myspace

Get a sampler cd (has stuff from a bunch of different releases)

Buy and download their music at their homepage

Ran across this today and figured it would be worth posting. Michigan power-pop trio Cheap Girls posted some new songs on their Myspace page as well as a blog-update revealing information about their upcoming sophomore release "My Roaring 20's". It's a follow up to their debut LP "Find Me A Drink Home" which was one of my top 5 releases of 2008.

Recently punk rock label Paper + Plastick remastered and re-released "Find Me..." on colored vinyl which can be ordered all over the place, I would suggest it.

For Fans of: Smoking Popes, The Long Winters

Cheap Girls on Myspace (again)

It's still Indie Day and...

Another EP = Time for another bullet review!

- The Gifted Children are back with a bunch of new music that was released in March.
- The most recent release "Open Windows" is a jampacked, 11 minute EP that picks up where "Always Stay Sweet" (one of my favorite releases last year, which I reviewed here) left off.
- It has the same excellent mix of acoustic, electronic, short and poppy songwriting that makes Always Stay Sweet so endearing (and a new version of album highlight "A Forest")
- Oh, its also free! Along with tons of other music on their website.
- Also, they quoted me on their homepage. I love these guys!

For Fans of: New Pornographers, Capstan Shafts, Neutral Milk Hotel

Download "Open Windows" and others Here

The Gifted Children on Myspace

Today is Indie Day at Cementing The Seams. Now, I'm using "indie" in a pretty generic sense that describes an extremely common musical asthetic, but hopefully with these posts you'll realize what I mean.
Why Indie Day you ask? No reason really, I simply am excited about a couple of newer releases that fall into a genre that I generally find pretty tired. I used to love this kind of stuff but I've become more and more disconnected with it as it's become more prevelant and honestly over-appreciated (thanks Arcade Fire). Good news though, there is (obviously) still great indie music out there.

Now then, Travels are a Massachusetts duo comprising former members of Victory At Sea and Metal Hearts. Their new record "Hot Summer", which came out in February, is a solid work from beginning to end. Borrowing elements from all over the map, Travels create a sort of collage of songs that sound almost like they don't fit together, but its so carefully constructed that it's impossible to fault them. Travels aren't eclectic, but they know how to compile influences, putting together styles, sounds and instruments together to make a whole record of great music. It seems like there are a lot of male/female duo's making this sort of music lately (insert list of said artists here). Luckily, Travels makes it sound like a really good idea. "Hot Summer" isn't poppy or ambient, but finds a suitable middle ground that I feel like just about everyone should be able to appreciate.

For Fans of: A Weather, Pinback, Death Cab For Cutie

Travels on Myspace

I think I bought this record in 2000 and I found it completely bizarre but I loved it. I was also like 15. Looking back on it, it’s not really so strange, but I like it even better now. Wicked Farleys are a long defunct 5-piece from Boston that put out 2 records in 3 years. Despite hailing from Bean Town they sound like they belong exactly in the middle of the interstate between Washington DC and Seattle (in reality this would put them somewhere in the vicinity of Lawrence, Kansas where they would be pretty out of place, but that isn’t the point of this metaphor). Dismemberment Plan meets Death Cab (who, as I recall, toured together)? Q And Not U vs. Sunny Day Real Estate? I don’t know, but they don’t seem that far off. I suppose what I mean to say is that “Sentinel and Enterprise” captures the angular franticism (this isn’t a word) of DC area post-hardcore and the anxious poppiness of similar era west coast acts (read: it's excellent).

For Fans of: Dismemberment Plan, Pinback, Les Savy Fav

Wicked Farleys on Myspace

The Gifted Children, an indie pop act from Rochester, New York, have released two full length records this year (and something like 7 EPs). As a rule, I pretty much stay clear of bands that release more material in a year than I can listen to in the same amount of time. But, Always Stay Sweet is making me rethink that utterly irrational (and admittedly uninformed) stance. In the spectrum of “somber indie pop” (think Neutral Milk Hotel) I regard Always Stay Sweet as, “generally a masterpiece”. Nothing about this record is complex or advanced, it’s all just really good. Many of the songs sound like they belong on the a non-existent AC Newman record that came out between The Slow Wonder and Get Guilty. An opus about an ex (from what I gather), the songs follow a pretty simple verse and chorus structure. The beauty is that on most the tracks it’s usually one of each and on to the next. With the longest song (the title track) clocking in at just under three minutes and over half the songs under two, Always Stay Sweet never has the chance to get boring, but I don’t ever get the sense that it would.

For fans of: New Pornographers, Capstan Shafts, Neutral Milk Hotel

The Gifted Children on Myspace

So, I planned on starting a blog in a different capacity about 6 months ago. Wrote a couple of things down and evidently kept them. The next few posts are the aformentioned 'things'. Some recieved addendum, others didn't.

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Evidently in the mid 90s all of the Other Men were in a band called Heavy Vegetable. More notable however, is that front man Rob Crow was (is?) the driving force behind indie rock mainstays Pinback for roughly a decade between Heavy Vegetable and reforming the aforementioned group under their new moniker. Rather than a reflective throwback, Wake Up Swimming is a record that makes the band’s otherwise inexplicable name change seem completely logical. A departure from the decidedly weirder style of Heavy Vegetable and the straightforward pop sensibility of Pinback, Other Men seem to borrow more from composition-focused experimental (I use this term loosely) bands like Dianogah and Faraquet. Influences from Crow’s days in Pinback don’t go unnoticed though. His penchant for particular pop injections occasionally permeates each song at some point, however brief, which adds a catchy element most bands in the genre generally lack (or omit). Unlike Pinback however, most songs are in multiple movements and rely on creative combinations of constantly flowing guitar work (there may not be a power chord on the entire record) and unconventional rhythms more characteristic of math rock bands like those mentioned before. Of course, this doesn’t say much, in fact, the genre is pretty much built on that premise. Other Men don’t break any ground, but they build an edifice worthy of some serious reverence. Anyway, Wake Up Swimming is fucking good, it might be one of my favorite records ever. I said it.


For fans of: Dianogah, Faraquet, Pinback

Other Men on Myspace