Blog: Electronic Voice Phenomenon

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It was hard to fathom that the absence of Matt Sharp would greatly affect the output of Weezer that fateful time post- Pinkerton . Of course you must discount the mainstream criticism that Pinkerton dealt with despite its now resolute status as an album that influenced an army of Weezer clones that has now in turn made Rivers Cuomo a clone of his former self. Yet here we are, knee deep in greens, reds, and maladroits and not a sign of those ragged mop tops and nerd culture apologists to be found, replaced by a Rivers [...]

http://evpzine.blogspot.com Sorry to beat you over the head but we want to remind you of the impending changing! Thanks for putting up with the incessant disturbances. You can read a bit more about the why and how here .

What other band gets a crowd of arms-crossed concert-goers to raise their bottles of Red Strip and shake their fists to an anthem with lyrics like "Lama gama gama lama magoo!"? The Blakes --Seattle's own Garnet Kiem on guitar, Snow Kiem on bass, and Bob Husak on drums--played a farewell-and-good-luck show on Sept. 29 before taking off on a tour of the U.S. and Europe. Combining their booze-infused live show standards with exciting new songs from Souvenir , the show at Neumos was a complete slaughter. Second albums often turn out to be [...]

You may recall the band of brothers known as Starfucker took us to Jupiter this year on a seizure-inducing electro-rock brand of rocket fuel. Apparently, too many people had trouble telling friends and family they were going to check out Starfucker, with concerned grandparents wondering aloud: "Those homosexuals are everywhere!" So to avoid awkward parental conversations and perhaps due to the influence of their cover art and spectrum love, fans rebranded the group formerly known as Starfucker into Pyramid . Whether they are the $25,000 or the $100,000 version is yet to be [...]

http://evpzine.blogspot.com Remember that. It will be our new address come Monday! We wanted to let you know--because all of you have been so loyal and kind to us--that we are in the process of changing URLs. We've grown tired of the e-mails asking where all the pro-vote for the Vice President propaganda is on the site. Okay, we really don't receive e-mails like that but every time we thinking about our hideous choice in URL titles, we cringe and wonder why we haven't changed it. Please spread this news to [...]

Various Artists Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy ( Shout Factory ) Similar Sounds: Michael Stipe, Frank Black, Elvis Perkins, Dinosaur Jr. File Under: pop, rock, tribute, childhood nostalgia by Lauren Takores Can you imagine the impossible position I was in at age 11, coming of age and into the world of pop music in the mid-90s? What sheltered 11 year-old could have related to depressing grunge lyrics or appreciated the overwhelming amount of flux [...]

It feels oddly strange to reminisce about such illegal file wonderments as AudioGalaxy, but it is where this fearful reporter was introduced to the world of Jello Biafra--be it Dead Kennedy or dead on rant. That world seems so far away though it was not so long ago. However, that blue wave of PC screen nostalgia--which Jello would likely call dangerous--beacons with news of a new band and a new album. Fueled by the success of his 50th birthday party and quickly formed group Jello Biafra and the Axis of Merry Evildoers, Jello has put together his first [...]

Girls Album ( Matador/True Panther ) Similar Sounds: Brian Wilson, John Lennon, Ariel Pink File Under: pop rock, lo-fi, narcotic surf by Lauren Takores I was high, listening to the instrumental end of "Laura," the second track of the first album by Girls, when the clouds, pink and blue, parted and Mt. Adams came into view. From 38,000 feet in the air, I looked out the airplane window as Christopher Owens going [...]

>> Whenever the melodies of Brian Wilson drift in our direction, the same question always comes to mind: I wonder what would happen if Wilson played George Gershwin ? An answer to that question—as odd as it might be—is on the horizon as the endless one has been granted permission by the Gershwin Estate to completely unfinished works from renowned composer who passed away in 1937. >> It only seems fair that if Sub Pop can release a sneaker, so should the bands that are a part of the Seattle label's fabric. [...]

For quite awhile, Grant Lee Phillips has been floating somewhere outside his former musical self--whether through a concerted effort or in uneven attempts to rid himself of the smell of Paul Kimble. No matter what it is, Phillips' music just hasn't packed the same punch, though the upcoming (due the 13th) Little Moon looks to change that. So it is upon us to relive the simpler, happier times through the rose-tinted spectacles of nostalgia. But nostalgia does not make an album hold up and Mighty Joe Moon still hangs high from the starry hooks [...]

It's tough to sit here and scowl at what Wilco has become. There was a time when the additions of Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche made the band's fans giddy and fans of the guitarist and drummer dream of the new avant directions the once alt-country breadwinner was headed. Unfortunately Tweedy got all soft, cleaned up his sinuses, stopped smoking pot, and decided to entertain his kids. Thankfully the wise acres of Wilco stumble out of their moneymaking garb for loose-fitting casual wear, which is precisely what Kotche does in his duo On Fillmore , [...]

• On Fillmore - Master Moon

The Big Pink A Brief History of Love ( 4AD ) Similar Sounds: Suede, The Stone Roses, Atlas Sound File Under: shoegaze, emotional rollercoaster by Jen Laliberte Despite the North American nostalgia of their name (or perhaps in spite of it), The Big Pink are so English it almost hurts. Though pain is certainly a prominent element of their 2009 debut album A Brief History of Love [...]

Simple in execution but divine in its appearance, Cursillistas (known by layman's terms as Matt Lajoie) delves into the visual medium with the video for "Bag of Feathers." Don't be alarmed by the song's Animal Collective like feel, nor be frightened by the spectral visions that dare to haunt the rather ordinary living space of a stage. The video is a great mix of down home comfort and new weird visuals that will keep scenesters happy and experimenters enthralled. We should all be thankful that super-imposed visages are once again hip, albeit in new and exciting ways! Nicolas [...]

Times New Viking Born Again Revisited ( Matador ) Similar Sounds: Psychedelic Horseshit, Waaves, VU, The Thermals File Under: fuzz rock, distortion, Siltbreeze Other: TNV - Rip It Off by Tristram Burden Teen Zombie Cabaret: No hope, no hope. Everything becomes doom. The trajectory of most space is explosion. What does that sound like? Only Scott Walker knows. And librarians will refer to [...]

Sons and daughters, it's been awhile since we've last heard the words of Brother Sparhawk, be it in the form of Low or his awe-inspiring solo guitar forays. Either way, we have been feeling the loss and it has taken its toll upon our withered souls. It has also been a hot minute since Brother Sparhawk has entranced us with his Retribution Gospel Choir . Last we spoke, they were speaking the word of drudge on buddy (and former member) Mark Kozelek's Caldo Verde label. But the pulpit grows long in tooth, my sons and daughters, and [...]

Baalte Auto ( For Noise's Sake ) Similar Sounds: Black Dice, Eric Copeland, Wolf Eyes File Under: noise, chaos by Carter Mullin Seeing a CD-R with such a brain tumor of a sleeve, there was not one prediction circulating in my head at the time. I was told that this was drone but that didn't matter, I wasn't thinking that when my eyes were trying to scan the art for something that [...]

Admit it, you have a fetish for labels like Sublime Frequencies, Smithsonian Folkways, Light in the Attic, and Anthology . It's a whole new level of bin diving, despite the utilization of updated technologies such as compact disc and digital files. Discovering music from nearly 100 years of modern recorded music from all corners of the globe is a whole new variation of Christmas bliss. It's for this reason that you should be excited to learn that Anthology is readying a digital compilation featuring the likes of Betty Davis , Father Yod , and [...]

The Family Curse White Medicine ( Fainting Room Collective ) Similar Sounds: Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Jesus Lizard File Under: balls out rock, stoner, unleashed, all or nothing by J.P. Sutcliffe The way you packed these records, Mr Magoo, suggests you knew I'd be exhausted by the sheer weight of boredom that the previous acts induced but this is shit hot stuff! It's Tit Wrench having infernal dealings with the bastard off-spring of Lydia [...]

>> The sheik move of the moment is creating art in clusters known as collaborations; often known by the term 'supergroup'. Yet another fine specimen has cropped up, with Kim and Kelley Deal lending their sisterly vocals to the latest endeavor from The National 's brotherly guitar duo, Aaron and Bryce Dessner . Titled The Long Count , the piece also features contributions from visual artist Matthew Ritchie and contributions from Shara Worden and will debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music October 28th, 30th, and 31st. >> If you haven't [...]