Finnish band Black Twig have just released their first album Paper Trees on Soliti . It's a tour de force through the back pages of big sounding guitar rock, conjuring the brilliant ringing guitars of early House of Love , the overwhelming power of the Catherine Wheel and the intensity of Bailter Space . Singer Aki Pohjankyro has a voice that sounds slightly whispered, but still strong which gives the songs an unearthly quality which really isn't necesarry since the twin guitar attack already lifts them pretty [...]
I saw Wimps back in November open for Wax Idols and the Terry Malts . They rocked like they already knew what the hell they were doing even though I think that it was only their first or second show. Wimps are a trio. Rachel Ratner plays guitar, sings and makes cool maps . Matt Nyce plays bass and draws . Dave Ramm plays drums and makes pizzas. Wimps are raw power with nothing in the way. It's punk rock the way it use to be; short, [...]
If you haven't heard of Kickstarter , it's a site that allows you to solicit funding from friends, family and total strangers for any creative project you can dream up. Who needs a sugar daddy when you've got the generous benevolence of the internet? The basic idea is you state what your project is, provide some incentives (ie. gifts) to get people to donate their hard earned cash to you, and then wait for the funds to roll in. It's a lot like a public radio fund drive. With so many people out there seemingly just dying to part [...]
Melbourn, Australia's Woollen Kits have just released their self-titled debut album via RIP Society and have commenced a tour of the US this week. These are three brave young men, embarking on a tour of the US virtually unknown and with no American record label. On the plus side they have a new record under their belts, and probably feel unstoppable. Of course, they may just be crazy. The self-titled album is crazy, as in crazy good. The band has two singers, one makes them sound like the Clean and [...]
Spray Paint are two guitars and drums from Austin, Texas that have apparently been abducted from Dikes of Holland , Expensive Shit , and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth . Their debut single has just been issued by Sacramento, California's S-S Records. It's a limited pressing of 200, and I just saw that there are only 20 copies left of it (so the 20 of you people that read this blog have been warned). This record fucking kicks ass (note: I only use the f-word when reviewing punk records that kick butt). If you are a fan [...]
I think I may have discovered the root of the Italian financial crisis. Apparently the Italian government has been investing heavily in indie rock. By now I thought everyone knew that there's no money to be made in indie rock (except on Ebay). Apparently that news hasn't been received by the bureaucrats in Rome. Good for us, potentially bad for Italy's bond rating. Vermillion Sands from Treviso, Italy have been bopping around from label to label for a few years now. [...]
I think I may have discovered the root of the Italian financial crisis. Apparently the Italian government has been investing heavily in indie rock. By now I thought everyone knew that there's no money to be made in indie rock (except on Ebay). Apparently that news hasn't been received by the bureaucrats in Rome. Good for us, potentially bad for Italy's bond rating. Vermillion Sands from Treviso, Italy have been bopping around from label to label for a few years now. [...]
It's another Saturday morning, so time for another dose of jangle-pop. Last week it was Austin's Literature. This week we go a few thousand miles to the upper right for the new single from Glasgow's Strawberry Whiplash . It comes in the form of a 7-inch single for better aural absorption. The A-side Stop, Look and Listen is another slice of sugar coated jangle from the band, harvested from the same cane fields as early Primitives and Darling Buds records. The single serves as a preview of their upcoming album Hits [...]
Jangle-pop could be my Achilles' heel, and Austin, Texas band Literature 's new album is like an arrow to my foot. You may remember their Cincinnati 7-inch single from 2010 which was three songs of the jangly stuff. Arab Spring is their first full length and they are obviously up to the task of keeping your attention for the length of an album. Every one of its 10 songs is an adrenalin rush with pop hook. There are so many good ones, I'm partial to the hyper manic Push Up Bra and Criminal Kids and the slightly more restrained [...]
I took a year off from doing a favorite Seattle records list due to lazyitis (sorry Seattle). Here's my top ten records from my fair city for 2011 (sorry Seattle). 1. Seapony - Go With Me ( Hardly Art ) Twee is alive and well in Seattle. Seapony kind of came out of nowhere late last year. They put their debut album out on local label Hardly Art, played countless shows around town and generally put the Northwest back on the map when [...]
A year end albums list is kind of a strange thing, especially when it's one person compiling it. Since this blog is a committe of one, it can become quite capricious. In all likelyhood I wrote about some records this past year that I was overtly enthusiastic about at the time. Now the end of the year rolls around and some of those records are not on the list. "What gives?" you might ask. It's hard to remember which label flew me to Tahiti and which one comp'd my CMJ this year, so I may have forgotten to include a [...]
The 7-inch single has been around since 1949. That's 62 years and counting! In my humble opinion the 7-inch single is still the essence, pinnacle and acme of pop perfection. Optimally, it's one song, one side (Some try to squeeze on more). That's no room for screwing up. You always hear that releasing a 7-inch is a money losing proposition, but that thankfully, doesn't keep pop geeks from doing it. In honor of true blue pop geek vinyl junkies out there, here is the fourth and final installment of the annual Finest Kiss top 40 7-inch singles countdown. [...]
The 7-inch single has been around since 1949. That's 62 years and counting! In my humble opinion the 7-inch single is still the essence, pinnacle and acme of pop perfection. Optimally, it's one song, one side (Some try to squeeze on more). That's no room for screwing up. You always hear that releasing a 7-inch is a money losing proposition, but that thankfully, doesn't keep pop geeks from doing it. In honor of true blue pop geek vinyl junkies out there, here is the third installment of the annual Finest Kiss top 40 7-inch singles countdown. [...]
The 7-inch single has been around since 1949. That's 62 years and counting! In my humble opinion the 7-inch single is still the essence, pinnacle and acme of pop perfection. Optimally, it's one song, one side (Some try to squeeze on more). That's no room for screwing up. You always hear that releasing a 7-inch is a money losing proposition, but that thankfully, doesn't keep pop geeks from doing it. In honor of true blue pop geek vinyl junkies out there, here is the second installment of the annual Finest Kiss top 40 7-inch singles countdown. [...]
The 7-inch single has been around since 1949. That's 62 years and counting! In my humble opinion the 7-inch single is still the essence, pinnacle and acme of pop perfection. Optimally, it's one song, one side (Some try to squeeze on more). That's no room for screwing up. You always hear that releasing a 7-inch is a money losing proposition, but that thankfully, doesn't keep pop geeks from doing it. In honor of true blue pop geek vinyl junkies out there, here is the first installment of the annual Finest Kiss top 40 7-inch singles countdown. [...]
Why is it that the older you get the more old music you buy? Probably because as you get older you start to realize how little you know about music. Here's to all the labels that do the crate digging for you, because there is no way in hell you could have found all of this stuff on your own. Here are the top 15 reissues that I crossed paths with this year. 1. El Rego - El Rego ( Daptone ) I was vaguely familiar [...]
I always miss California this time of the year. The gray has settled in for the winter up here in Seattle and sun, sand and sea are distant memories you store in the back of your mind like Frederick the mouse to brighten those cold, grey days. The Sea Lions who come from Oxnard, California know a thing or two about the sun, sand and sea geographically speaking at least and their new album is a kaleidoscope of color to sustain you through the winter. The Sea Lions were one of the core bands [...]
I always miss California this time of the year. The gray has settled in for the winter up here in Seattle and sun, sand and sea are distant memories you store in the back of your mind like Frederick the mouse to brighten those cold, grey days. The Sea Lions who come from Oxnard, California know a thing or two about the sun, sand and sea geographically speaking at least and their new album is a kaleidoscope of color to sustain you through the winter. The Sea Lions were one of the core bands [...]
I had no idea the Proper Ornaments had a new five song EP out until reading about it over at the Austin Town Hall blog . Their 73 from last year was good, but this new EP is pretty near brilliant. The band who take their name from a Free Design song share a member in James Hoare with Veronica Falls. Veronica Falls have an affection for the jangly side of the seminal Flying Nun label from New Zealand Flying Nun label. Proper Ornaments do too, but tend toward [...]
I had no idea the Proper Ornaments had a new five song EP out until reading about it over at the Austin Town Hall blog . Their 73 from last year was good, but this new EP is pretty near brilliant. The band who take their name from a Free Design song share a member in James Hoare with Veronica Falls. Veronica Falls have an affection for the jangly side of the seminal Flying Nun label from New Zealand Flying Nun label. Proper Ornaments do too, but tend toward [...]
the finest kiss
Monday Music – 28 May 2012
Bison - Quill
