Audiovisuals...In Guards We Trust [album promo]

Quite easily my favorite band that doesn't yet have a full-length album, New York trio Guards have been circulating on my iPod ever since I stumbled upon their fabulous Guards EP January 18, 2011.   But that was two years ago.  Being that it is now January 2013, I have beaten that EP to death, memorized just about every verse and rhyme, yet it never gets old.

Thankfully, come February 5th, the wait will finally end as Guards has announced the coming of their debut album In Guards We Trust for that Tuesday.  In anticipation of the new LP, the band released a quick album teaser reminding us all to save the date.  a quick teaser little promo video featuring a brand new track called "Nightmare" that we can assume will pop-up somewhere on the upcoming album.  The song features a darker sound, blending their oft familiar brand of rock pop with a hint of psychedelia.  An off-shoot of what we have heard thus far with the twp previously released IGWT singles, but versatility proves fare when it comes to music.

And what goes better with the sounds of smoky psychedelia than a straining montage of fast cars, race tracks at night, and motorboats gliding across across the sea with people wearing veils over their faces? Its hard to describe as it is one of those "you have to see it" things, but trust me it fits like a glove.

With barely more than a few songs to their name, Guards are still in limbo, apart of that endless category of "emerging indie-bands hailing from New York" until February 5th, but this video surely deals them them an elusive hand.  Sure every band wants that Gwendolyn Brooks-we-cool-type mantra attached to them, but few actually do it. All in all, Guards has got it, and come February 5th, I see no signs of that changing.

                       

Useless Clatter...First Cuts/Demos- Tennis, Cults, The Brian Jonestown Massacre

      Like a writer's rough draft, a song goes through countless edits and re-edits as demos before the finished product finds itself on an album.  Sometimes big changes are made once a band is settled into the recording studio and begin to play. The Rolling Stones originally wanted "Start Me Up" to have a more reggae feel to it, until four years in the recording studio turned it into the song we know and love today.  In most cases though, it's just a tweak or two that comes by way of the producer or sound engineer meant to "clean up" a song and give it a crisp finish.  These demo tracks, or first cuts as they are sometimes called, often get tossed out and forgotten once the band discovers the perfect sound, records it and calls it a day.  

      In some cases, bands save their demos and first cuts to be released as promotional material for a forthcoming album.  The songs are let free into the realms of the internet and find their way onto various music blogs, tabloids and websites taken as evidence for what to expect next from the band.  We sit and listen to these first cuts as the band heads back to the studio to work the final nooks and crannies for another, better release.

[Personally I enjoy the Tennis demo versions better than the actual album tracks]

TENNIS
demo/first Cut                                                                          released on CAPE DORY  [2011]

demo/first Cut                                                                           released on CAPE DORY  [2011]

                                

CULTS
demo/first Cut                                                                         released on CULTS  [2011]

                               

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE
released on TAKE IT FROM THE MAN  [1996]                         re-released on STRUNG OUT IN HEAVEN  [1998]
                               

Hear This...Stream Foxygen's New EP "Take The Kids Off Broadway"

      From the same label that brought you the San Fran rock band Girls, Jagjaguwar Records moves across the country to grab a group of up and coming rockers hailing from the Empire State.  They call themselves Foxygen and these guys have generously decided to stream their second EP "Take The Kids Off Broadway" for free via their Bandcamp site.

      Describing Foxygen is no small task.  It took me a while.  Sure they're indie rock, but to pinpoint that sound is something else.  I hear something like a mix of MGMT psychedlia fused with the loose, jangly texture of The Strokes. A little Mick Jagger doesn't fail to show up either, especially on "Waitin' 4 You."

Here's the full track list-

1. Abandon My Toys  6:04

2. Make It Known  4:51

3. Take The Kids Off Broadway  3:14

4. Waitin' 4 You  4:07

5. Teenage Alien Blues  10:05

6. Why Did I Get Married  4:03 

7. Middle School Dance Song (For Richard Swift)  3:58

Breakdown*...Girls- 'Album' [2009] || 'Father, Son, Holy Ghost' [2011]

I've decided to change the name of this new category from "Review" to Breakdown

Album [2011]

Growing up in the Children of God cult, Girls singer Christopher Owens said he never had anything that could be called a childhood.  He hardly knew his father, his older sister fled the cult never to return and he watched his brother die due to the cult's lack of medical practice or use of technology offered through their atypical lifestyle.  "Imagine being raised in the Taliban," he once said in an interview.  Through their debut album, cleverly titled Album, Owens opens up these past wounds and wrenching memories and spills out those feelings and troubled memories in song.  By this description, one could infer a more melancholic tone throughout the album. But this is hardly the case. What he sings about and what it sounds like come as polar opposites.  Yes, he offers a slower more melancholic song or two, but this seems to be standard practice on rock albums these days.

Owens opens up the album on “Lust for Life” with a simple request- longing for love and continues on  asking for things I never think twice about having like “pizza and a bottle of wine.”  Simple joys that most people take for granted.  But Owens is in no position to do so. As sad and sorry as these words come through, no such sadness emerges through the sound.  Fit with his erratically squeaky voice, “Lust for Life” is not complete until you add upbeat guitar riffs, snare taps, and maracas.  The culmination of these sounds work to overpower the seemingly despondent lyrics and creates a song nothing less than an upbeat, top-tapping delight.  The same trick is done on the next song “Laura” where you will find yourself grooving along with the bendy guitars riffs in approval as his pleas for love ring out in the background.

The songs on Album largely contain lyrics of considerable sadness, grief and loss; this comes as no surprise given Owens tumultuous back-story.  But he cleverly disguises them behind the more joyous and upbeat tempo of Beach Boys-esque guitars and other groovy, eccentric sounds.  A simple formula sure, but no two songs sound the same on Album.   You go from scratchy, washed out guitar chords on a two minute song called “Big Bag” right over to “Hellhole Ratface,” where the surfer-guitar mantra pulls back in favor of slow acoustic melodies.  The maracas are exchanged for sleigh bells and Owens’s craven voice takes center stage in a more tepid sounding melody.  But halfway into the seven minute song, Owens brings back the familiar, strengthening the sincere tone of this song with two more electric guitars, an organ and a choir of hands clapping the song through its end in a soothing crescendo.  Readers can relate to many of the song's lyrics.  On "Hellhole Ratface," Owens shows his longing to live life to the fullest as he sings "I don't want to die without shaking up a leg or two..."  You may not find yourself dancing to this song, but you won't skip it either.

He does this and then has a song like “God Dammed” which takes a similar simple approach carrying nothing more than an acoustic, a set of bongos and the perfect every once-in-a-while tap of a percussion rattle.  Almost the same on paper, but it sounds much different.  No two songs really sound the same at all.  Owens commonly likes to emit his past pains and sadness through the lyrics of Album, but it’s hardly a plea for sympathy as the words tend to be overpowered by the energetic tones of guitars, and stabilizing precussion sounds in every which possible way.  Even so, the slower sounding songs end up evoking more appreciation for their sounds than any sort of sadness or empathy.  With such a variance in style, Girls will keep you guessing on every track of Album, ensuring a great listen from start to finish.

Useless Clatter...Best Coast Unveils Artwork For Upcoming Album

      Bethany Cosentino takes everything us non-Californians crave during these cold winter months and shoves it in our faces.  You and I both know we would too if we lived in sunshine all year round.  But we don't.    We see snow.  Seriously, I feel like the only time I ever see those "Visit California" commercials on TV is during the dead of winter.  Sometimes they really are tough to watch. And I have to admit when Best Coast shuffles its way into my ear-buds during these cold months I have to press next because I know that when I walk out the door I won't be wearing sandals, holding a surfboard on my way to the beach.

      But despite the envy and seasonal ignoring I embark on every winter with Best Coast, that can all end soon enough.  And I really shouldn't be complaining because this has been one of the warmest winters on record but, nonetheless when I wake up, I'm not in California.  And its perfect timing for Bethany and company to release the some news about their forthcoming sophomore album titled "The Only Place" [I wonder what that's a reference too...]  The album comes out May 14th and recently Bethany has been so kind as to release the album's and art work.

Hear This...Beach Fossils- "Shallow" | "Lessons"

      "Lo-fi" rock always seems at risk of steering into certain criticism.  I used to think that lo-fi  and garage bands sounded the way they did  because they could't find an adequate singer.  To hide this, they go ahead and scratch out the vocals.  In no way is that true, but its something I've always thought of. What's the point of distorting the vocals like that? I'm not going to criticize Sealings here but a song like "Rails Means Rails" kind of led me to that assumption early on.  But when I try to imagine "Rails Means Rails" without the scratchy, lo-fi voice blaring into the microphone, it just doesn't sound right.

      But I've taken a new stance on the idea of lo-fi though the more and more I acquaint myself with it.  This band, Beach Fossils, have steered me the right way.  "Shallow" and "Lessons" are the band's latest release since their What A Pleasure EP came out last May.  Commonly associated with lo-fi is the term "fuzzy" , there's actually nothing really "fuzzy" about these songs.  Both songs achieve a very clean sound in which every guitar stroke and drum tap are heard individually, all coming together in a very ornate manner.  "Lessons" and "Shallow" both possess some of the smoothest and uncomplicated guitar solos I've ever heard, and it works immensely with the mesmerizing sound of lead singer, Dustin Payseur's voice.  They do not try to do anything too fancy, [I could probably score these songs in Rockband pretty easy], but that's the beauty of their sound.  Beach Fossils don't strive for any sort of technical rock n' roll mastery and as a result, they standout in the midst of a vague and poorly defined genre such as "lo-fi."

Hear This...Streaming Tennis' new album 'Young and Old'

+streaming courtesy of Soundcloud.com

Hear This..."Chinatown" Destroyer

      For me, the word Chinatown can only bring to mind the 1974 Roman Polanski film of the same name.  It's an excellent movie but very dark and unsettling.  The word only brings to mind images of the film's notorious ending and final words whose utterance can leave shivers down your spine.  I liked the movie, but its one that can keep you up all night thinking about it.
      Thankfully the Canadian indie pop band, Destroyer, gave me a new meaning to the word with the release of their song "Chinatown" off their 2011 album Kaputt.  In comparison, the song is much more relaxed than the film.  Its a hybrid song thats background of indie pop is mixed with elements of chill-wave and jazz.  Unlike most indie songs, "Chinatown" complete's itself with a casual  brass solo.  Vocals are shared by front man  Dan Bejar and female singer Sibel Thrasher who comes in singing the phrase "I can't walk away at all."
      Maybe its a clever reference to Polanski's film.  I don't want to spoil the ending to any of those who haven't seen it, but Chinatown ends with Jack Nicholson's character, Detective J.J. Gittes, reluctantly being escorted away from the crime scene.  "Forget it Jake, its Chinatown."  Thankfully for music fans, Destroyer has made a song that's so pleasing, it simply can't be forgotten.

Audiovisuals...Wolf Parade's "Modern World" official video

      Everywhere we go, we are reminded what the human race is capable of doing.  Beginning with just a kite and a key, we have progressed from the inconceivable finding of electricity to those super compact, mega capable miniature computers we so modestly call cell phones.  And who would have guessed that less than 60 years after man first took flight in 1903 that we would be commanding missions into the frontiers of space.  It’s inconceivable. 

      But while innovation and modernity can seem to only possess an infinite number of blessings, I have a bunch here that think otherwise- they’re called Wolf Parade.  The song “Modern World” is off their debut “Apologies to the Queen Mary” album.  In it, the ultimate response they have towards the objects we so compulsively obsess over in our modern world are not of admiration and honor, but of disdain and scorn.  A question they want an answer to is simply ‘why?’  What is the need and when will we stop?  Their video seems to see the end of humanity as inevitable.  The end though is not a robo-pocalypse that sends all humans to their demise but more of a spiritual existence and characters that will see its end in all of us. 

      Being stop motion and animated, the video’s overall message and abilities are no way hindered.  There is a genuine sympathy these men deserve as they look across the way into the harrowing monotony of the factory, a cornerstone image of our modern world.  Technology- with it we are doomed, but then again, we wouldn’t have this video without it.

+Below was the top Youtube user comment from the video that I felt nicely sums up the feel of "Modern World":

"Machines will replace the human spirit.  Its a sad truth of our lifestyle.  People see money, and then they mas produce.  Then even more factories pop up.  Hey, I'm sorry, but you don't have a job anymore.  This robot here can do it ten times better.  You're left in the street because of greed.  There will ALWAYS be human spirit, but it will continue to be smothered to the point where it doesn't show."  -L07EK 1 year ago 23 

Audiovisuals...Official Video for Tennis' "Deep in the Woods"

      In anticipation of their upcoming release, I thought of it to post an official video for Tennis’ new single “Deep in the Woods.” Their sophomore LP Old & Young comes out February 14th.  For the record, the duo that makes up Tennis has quite an adorable story behind them. They met while taking a philosophy course together in college and in no time, Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley got married. Shortly after, the two dropped everything for a nine month sailing expedition out around the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard. And then of course, they formed the band, named themselves Tennis and began writing cute songs about the sun and the ocean and love.

      But the music video for "Deep in the Woods" shows nothing of the sort. Their light hearted, sea-filled lyrics were replaced by thoughts of violence and destruction- “I’ll bring down this house...”- that’s not like them. The worst part of course was listening to these twisted thoughts being projected from the sweet and sincere voice of Alaina Moore. Sounding not so bad anymore, “Deep in the Woods” is one of those songs that if you're intently listening to the lyrics, which in this case are about burning houses and burying loved one, you won’t mind it at all.  In your head, the song just passes off as adorable.
      With that being said, we can observe this wonderfully cheery video of two people in love with some new light and not discard the large amount of blood that’s seen amidst the smiling faces. On the topic of blood, the final shot of the video shows one of the female character’s faces as she sits behind the fire. Such evil symbolism arises with that single shot. Its recalls a shot used in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood to frame the main character/antagonist Daniel Plainview. I thought it was pretty clever and could only find it suiting.

+ I posted the video for “Deep in the Woods” below and below that you will find the shot from There Will Be Blood, which looks quite like the music video’s final shot.
+Also, get the lyrics in this link

Useless Clatter...2012 Album Releases (Jan-Mar)

      What many people look forward to in the New Year is the idea of a fresh start.  The physical act of swapping last year’s calendar, covered in ink and scribble marks of varying importance in exchange for a brand new, never been touched replacement can be both reassuring and gratifying.  Resolutions are made and become one’s priority for the next couple weeks (or days...) in an effort to begin the new year on the right foot.  Regardless, the new year always comes forth with its fair share of optimism. 

      For me, the joy of a new year comes in the form of music.  New artists will be found, making their mark on 2012, as well as albums from old time favorites discovered in years before.  I was in sixth grade when I was first introduced to the idea that the only two things certain in life are death and taxes.  Be that as it may, I have compiled below a list of albums whose release dates have been certified by various sources around the web.  The albums below are those that I am most looking forward to in the first three months of the new year- albums from bands that already make up my IPod. 

Of course, recommendations of similar artists not found on this list are always appreciated as the whole point of this blog is discovering music.

+ Updates, singles and other album previews will surely follow

Hear This...Guards- New Single "Do It Again" / "Swimming After Dark"

In the process of trying to fully understand the term 'pop wave doom,' I came across a new single from NY rockers Guards called 'Do It Again.'  As the seasons change and us in the USA have begun to adjust to the harsh realities of winter, this song can do nothing but bring us back to the warm feeling of summer with its catchy melodies and sing along mentality.  While it's definitely a killer, upbeat track, I'm not exactly sure how well it qualifies as pop wave doom.  So how can you define these guys? Fortunately, I came across another track of theirs, 'Swimming After Dark' which came out about the same time as previously posted ‘I See It Coming.’ After giving it a listen, I assured that it might point me back towards this mysterious genre. With a similar sound to their song 'I See It Coming,' ‘Swimming After Dark’ is definitely a great track complete with its own orchestral pieces giving the song a beautiful and rich sound differentiating it from other NYC mod-rock songs.

Audiovisuals...Watch Guards and the Magik Magik Orchestra perform "I See It Coming"

      Fishing the web for music in lieu of my final exams, I came across this stunning orchestral rendition of Guards' song "I See It Coming."  Coming across this song about a year ago, I instantly became a fan of this band's style- that of which I couldn't exactly put my finger on.  They were distinct enough from general rock n roll, but to the point were all their songs sort of carried something similar. I know, huge help with that last remark.  "A song like this one only brings to mind a collection of words like 'joyful pain,' or 'dark beauty.'" Still unclear, one site tags their music as 'pop wave doom.' "Perfect!" And that was enough to call me a fan.

      And finally to the point- I came across this adaptation of "I See It Coming" and thought it worth posting.  Its definitely a cool version, and this case, a rarity amongst renditions to be on par with its predecessor.  I quickly came to know it as the perfect farewell/conclusion/finale song song ever.  Its shouted towards you as if to be a poem of protest, shaking off the bleakness and disparity of life.  "Calling the living to go out and live"....I don't know exactly.

      Placing it under the term 'Audiovisual', I go out on a limb and imply that there's also some superior visual quality that deserves not to be ignored- hence the term. For this song, what you see is what you hear. Its nothing quite special. Preformed in front of a quaint symphony of brass, string and piano alongside a real live choir, all amidst the eerie backdrop of a Church, that of which bears the presence of  hazy morning light all around its inside. Oh and by the way, its filmed in black and white. What more can I say to it? Check it out.

Audiovisuals...Official Video for Best Coast's "Our Deal"

     Although well into October, I thought I would salvage the last few days of good/acceptable weather before plunging into the dark and dreary days of winter by posting something Best Coast.  Labeled as garage rock, garage pop, surf rock and indie, above all, the music of Best Coast can be defined as good old "summer music."  While dropping their debut album, Crazy For You, last summer to rave reviews, the band recently added an official music video to their list, directed by none other than Drew Barrymore.

     As her directorial debut, I got to give Barrymore props for this piece.  Containing elements from "West Side Story" and Romeo and Juliet, this video is more than just a regular, run of the mill MTV music video.  In my opinion, Barrymore's work is more than a music video, its a short film, complete with main characters, a conflict and resolution scenario, and a twist that even David Fincher couldn't devise. All in all, its worth checking out.

+Running Time- 10:39
+Starring- Chloe Moretz, Tyler Posey, Miranda Cosgrove
+Track List (in order)- "Our Deal" "Boyfriend" "Honey" "I Want To"

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast, Best Coast, Music, More Music Videos

Album Review...St. Vincent- Strange Mercy LP

        I had the opportunity of seeing St. Vincent around this time last year at a free outside concert in conjunction with my university.  To be honest, the quad was not packed with hundreds of fans sporting St. Vincent t-shirts, but at the same time, I don’t think that's her intention.  What I saw was a delicate yet powerful singer-songwriter and I didn't think much more than that. "Sure, I liked her," I told my roommate afterwards.

      A year later, her third album, Strange Mercy, has been getting rave reviews from the likes of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone Magazine as well as NPR, and you know when NPR approves, it’s got to be good.  They seem to have evolved more into the mainstream youth culture pop output and less of what your mom listens to as she drives you to soccer practice, as they are currently streaming the album of their website-  http://www.npr.org/2011/09/04/139946514/first-listen-st-vincent-strange-mercy (But that’s certainly a different topic all on its own.) 

      For Strange Mercy, it’s as though you have to publish your own bad review for this thing to have any negative publicity attached to it.  While obvious differences appear on this album compared to her previous works, Marry Me (2007) and Actor (2009), the change has come with widespread approval.  Pianos and violins have been swapped for the rougher, edgier sounds of electronic drums and synthetic tones.  From the first track, "Chloe in the Afternoon", the heavy synth-sound and electric riffs prove that she’s one to take seriously on this new style.  And while there seems to be a wayward swing towards pop-music and collaborations between traditional sounds and that of synthesizers and techno beats, Annie Walker manages to work it to perfection.  While the big buzz behind the album is the new sound, songs such as "Surgeon" and "Dilettante" hold a slower tempo that most St. Vincent fans can recall from previous tracks. On the last track of the album, "Year of the Tiger," Annie sings the line "Oh America can I owe you one?" as if indebted toward her listeners.  I think at this point, however, we owe her one.

      St. Vincent is definitely not the first artist to make an ambitious change in her musical style, but what can surely be said is that it works well- really well.  Looking back a year, I imagine it would be difficult to book a free St. Vincent concert like that again for some time.  My guess is that if I want to see her preform again, I’ll have to pay for the ticket, but that’s not such a bad thing at all.        - 8/10 

Strange Mercy was released on September 13, 2011 by 4AD Records


     Top Tracks:                                                 What They Say:
Chloe in the Afternoon                                Rolling Stone- 4½ out of 5
Cruel                                                            Pitchfork- 9 out of 10
Strange Mercy                                             Spin- 9 out of 10
Year of the Tiger