Cementing The Seams

 

 

Lately it seems like any time the term 'math rock' appears anywhere it is clear impetus for somebody to mention the band Tera Melos.  I'd heard their previous material and was always pretty quick to shrug it off, but "Patagonian Rats" demands attention and deserves it too.  Of course all the elements are there; complicated meter, angular rythms, songs that could easily be 2 or 3 different tracks.  Tera Melos don't do anything that hasn't been done already, but they certainly do it in style.  One of the things that seperates "Patagonian Rats" from the rest of their material is the amount of vocal work.  A noticable increase worked heavily in their favor on the new LP (then again, you may be aware my prejudice regarding instrumental music).  Here is how much I like this album:  I bought the double LP for $20, even though I hate double lp's and I think $20 is too much to pay for a record.  Now when somebody mentions 'math rock', even I will say "did you hear the new Tera Melos?"

For fans of:  Other Men, Les Savy Fav, Dismemberment Plan

Stream it on Bandcamp

Buy it.  (on vinyl with 3 exclusive tracks)

Get it.

This record took me by surprise for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, I didn't know it was coming out.  Secondly, it is so so so good.  If you aren't familiar with Les Savy Fav they have been one of the best indie/post-punk bands going for quite a while.  Their first release since 2007's "Let's Stay Friends", "Root For Ruin" finds Les Savy Fav polishing their chops with an even better LP that demands to be listened to all the way through, every time.  "Root For Ruin" opens with a few tracks of throwback Fav, songs that sound like they could have festering unrecorded since early in the band's career.  Classic angular guitar work and dynamic composition immmediately reminds long time fans why they are still listening to this band until the record shifts moods with a couple of tracks that would satisfy even the most die-hard Modest Mouse apologists.  The rest of "Root For Ruin" continues to up the ante to an appropriate climax in the last few songs that makes me want to start the record over from the start.  Not a throw-away track among the bunch, "Root For Ruin" will definitely be one of my favorite records of the year.

For fans of: Q And Not U, Dismemberment Plan, other stuff from that era

Les Savy Fav on Myspace

Get it @ Dark Center Of The Universe

Tilts performing "Sidepipin'" at the Firebird in St. Louis, MO on 5/28/10.

The Run-down:  Tilts is the new project of former Riddle of Steel guitarist/singer Andrew Elstner which also includes members of Shame Club.  They take the schlock rock elements of the last Riddle of Steel record and crank the knob to eleven, describing their sound as "The Immigrant Song meets Dukes of Hazard while listening to Brown Sugar in the General Lee somewhere in the year 1984."  Pretty much spot on.

Why this video is awesome:  Everything is dripping with awesomeness.  The clothes, the lights, the smoke, the guitar solos.  This is pretty much what rock and roll is supposed to look and sound like.

If you're like me, you have a weird aversion to musical acts that are just a dude's (or lady's) name.  Somehow, I'm more willing to listen to a solo act if the project has some unnecessary moniker.  Strangely, bands that use a person's name don't evoke the same distaste (i.e. Ethel Meserve, Doris Henson, Amanda Woodward, Jackie Carol etc).  Basically I'm writing about this to illustrate how stupid I am, because this guy Ajay Malghan sent me an email with a link to his new album "...In The Future Everything Is Perfect", and I will now listen to it all the time.  "Future" (as it will be called to the remainder of this review) is a swell example of non-pretentious indie rock that isn't as popular as it should be.  No flash or pomp, just really solid traditional song-writing and catchy melodies, mixed in with a bluesy feel that makes me want to play it loudly.  Also, I suppose I should mention that "Future" was written, performed, and engineered by Malghan alone, which is no small feat.  So check this out.  It's free to stream and free to download, so you have everything to gain.

For fans of:  The Black Keys, Colour Revolt, Constantines

Ajay Malghan at Bandcamp (stream + download)

Since day one I've been intending to post this album, because it's one of my all time favorites.  Smart Went Crazy are from D.C. and share obvious connections with other Dischord bands like Jawbox, The Most Secret Method, and the like.  Members of SWC went on to play in bands like Faraquet and The Beauty Pill.  I hear them referred to a lot as "art-rock", a distinction I can't really peg to any other bands, maybe people think Smart Went Crazy are too self-aware.  I think they get the tag because of a certain level of weirdness, both lyrical and instrumental, that the band exudes, but I suppose it works (although more-so with The Beauty Pill, who seem to have taken "art-rock" to heart and upped the weirdness quotient exponentially).  Anyway, this album is killer all over and is absolutely essential for fans of the ilk of post-hardcore you'd find on this blog.  I'm not going to think about it at length, but I'm going to jump the gun and say that "Con Art" probably has the best b-side of any record I own.  It is, however, sort of a grower, so stick with it.  Try not to get discouraged by the artsyness of it all.

For fans of: Jawbox, The Most Secret Method, Shudder To Think

Smart Went Crazy on Last.fm

Get it.

The more I think about it, the more it becomes apparent that 1998 was the best year for music ever.  I haven't listened to this album in probably 5 years (this was one of the old cds from my collection I was referring to), and right now it's blowing my mind all over again.  I don't use the term "chill" very often but I like it here.  Karate are probably one of the better indie-rock bands I can think of, and "The Bed Is In The Ocean" is likely their best album, but it's been a long time since I've listened to this band.  Perhaps my opinion may have changed.  Nevertheless, it's probably their most important.  There are so many bands that ape the sound of this record it's overwhelming.  Maybe it's a coincidence, but I doubt it.  This record is incredible, so if you're in the mood to relax or, well, "chill", put this on.  Every time.

For fans of:  Minus The Bear, Constantines, Pedro The Lion

Karate on Myspace

Get it.

I've been listening to this album non-stop this week.  Slowride first came to my attention when I discovered that they released a split CD ep with their mostly under-rated Deep Elm label-mates Red Animal War.  This was in 2004 (the split came out in 2002), and they had subsequently released two full-lengths by that time.  I listened to their debut LP "As I Survive The Suicide Bombing" which was pretty standard indie/punk.  The sort of thing I had come to expect from Deep Elm.  Anyway, it was pretty unremarkable as I recall and I completely forgot about Slowride (and Red Animal War, who have one stellar album called "The Phantom Crusade").  Fast forward to 2009 and I randomly decide to use Pandora Radio, which, if you are unfamiliar with is pretty neat and you can learn all sorts of fascinating things about your musical idiosyncrasies (for instance, I am evidently a huge fan of "exstensive vamping"). Long story short, I hear a Slowride song that sounds fantastic, but recall not really being into them.

On "C/S" (I have no idea what this stands for) Slowride's sound has changed pretty significantly.  They've tuned their guitars down and taken a more alt-rock and (dare I say?) "mainstream" approach.  Either way it payed off because this record was memorable right away.  There, an entire review and I've said nothing useful. 

For fans of:  Riddle of Steel, Cake, Foo Fighters

Slowride 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.

Sorry about the brief hiatus.  I don't have an excuse, but here's a new post!

Everyone's favorite DC indie/math/art rockers made their debut with a joint release on DeSoto and Dischord.  This EP features alternate recordings of two songs ("And The Washington Monument Blinks Goodnight" and "Kiss Distinctly American") on their much-praised debut full-length "No Kill No Beep Beep" and a song ("Busy Lights, Busy Carpet") that didn't make it onto the LP, but really should have.  An extremely strong debut from one of the most hailed bands on the Dischord roster.  And thanks to an apparent excess of picture sleeves (and an interest in re-releasing their back-catalogue) Dischord recently repressed this slab of gold (on clear gold vinyl, which makes that previous statement a pun.  Get it?)

For fans of: Faraquet, Les Savy Fav, Wicked Farleys

Q And Not U on Myspace

Get it.

- Sorry I haven't posted a current full-length album in a while. But EPs seem to be where it's at as of late. Plus, I like writing in bullets

- Anway, Forming are a Southern California band who play a brand of mellow, poppy indie rock that is really good, for lack of a better descriptor.

- It reminds me of a lot of bands like Cheap Girls, Tin Armor and other slowjam punk-rock acts you might see in the line-up for The Fest (they might have been there for all I know).

- "Sleep Like A Dog" is their debut and was released by Vitriol Records, which, if you have been paying attention, is run by members of Graf Orlock/Ghostlimb. I actually had been listening to this for a while and was surprised to finally learn that Vitriol released it. Doesn't seem like it fits, but clearly these dudes know good music. Watch for Vitriol Records in the future.

- Oh, they are giving it away for free too!

For fans of: Cheap Girls, The Wrens, Tigers Jaw

Forming on Myspace

Get it.

Buy it and other great stuff from Vitriol Records (check out the Graf Orlock shirts)