Push/Pull “Between Noise And The Indians” (Joyful Noise)
I could tell from the press release that I would not like this and in fact I did not. It’s just a bit too “bizarre” for me as the band is all over the place but not in a good way. Prog/math/noise/post-punk…whatever. I don’t like weird for the sake of weird and these guys are trying way too hard.
Less is sometimes more and that would certainly be the case with Portland, Oregon’s Horse Feathers. House With No Home is one of those albums that softly languishes as it plays. The haunting, bare arrangements of the group slowly grow into moving pieces filled with an incredible intimacy and heart. People who dig on Bon Iver should love Horse Feathers cause frankly they are much more interesting. Also for fans of Iron & Wine. House With No Home was released on Kill Rock Stars.
15 songs, 53+ minutes. Does The Lonely Forest bite off a bit more than they can chew on their debut? Probably, but We Sing The Body Electric! shows off the kind of ambition that (for the most part) endears the band rather than distracting the listener. The Lonely Forest take the experimentation of The Velvet Teen, combine it with the pop melodies of The Long Winters, and then add in some rock muscle. Does it always work? No, but these guys try more on one debut than most bands attempt in a three record deal. We Sing The Body Electric! was released by Burning Building Recordings.
With vocals that give “gruff” a whole new meaning, the recently defunct Down In The Dumps punish their way through a bunch of punk rock tunes. Hey this ain’t the most original shit so let’s not pretend that Down In The Dumps are doing something never done before. But this is some good crusty pop/punk (Crimpshrine) that brings to mind the stuff that was coming out of the East Bay way back in the Lookout days. You will notice how catchy these songs get on your third or fourth listen. The guys went on to play in Jonesin’, Get Bent, Basement Black. Dumps Luck was released on Dead Broke Rekerds.
Go Sell Drugs play balls to the wall punk rock that makes no apologies for the battering ram they just shoved through your front door. I am sure that someone will take this the wrong way but these guys have an almost cock rock swagger to them. It is kind of refreshing to find a punk band so straight forward in their approach. With vocal snarls and growls full of piss and vinegar, these guys are mad as hell and want your undivided attention. American Handjob comes courtesy of Dead Broke Rekerds.
Here is another refreshing indie pop band. Wild Mocassins hail from Houston, TX and play indie pop with a dynamic and fun spirit. The songs can get kind of cute at times but never to the point of sheer annoyance. My tolerance for this stuff is pretty damn low but there is an innocence that carries the band to the finish line. Granted they don’t finish first but they certainly aren’t close to the hacks finishing last. And if the band keeps writing songs like “Spanish And Jazz” and “Fruit Tea”, for better or worse, these guys and gal won’t be in the underground for very long.
Spanish And Jazz
Richard Cranium play a distinct brand of experimental/math rock that is really quite enjoyable. Fans of Don Caballero and Maps & Atlases would probably be down with The Cranium. I would probably enjoy the band a bit more if they were strictly instrumental though. It’s not that the vocals are bad, I just find that they generally distract from the instrumental badassness going on here. I can’t help but think these guys would be ruling it otherwise. It’s a shame but overall, Richard Cranium have the chops to overcome. The album was self-released by the band.
With a member from Seaweed in the fold you might guess that To The Waves would be flashing some post/hardcore chops. Well, you would be correct. But, post/hardcore in the vein of Quicksand always runs the risk of drifting too freely into alt rock waters. Unfortunately, To The Waves fall into this trap a little too often on their self-titled debut. There are some great tracks here but all in all it is too inconsistent an album. To The Waves definitely show some promise though so let’s see where they can go with their sophomore effort. The album was released on Burning Building Recordings.
I will preface this quick hit with the fact that I am indeed a wuss and I do not like to “rock” so to speak. Git Some sees two former members of Planes Mistaken For Stars continue that band’s aggressive and maniacal path along with two new cohorts. The band’s debut, Cosmic Rock is chock full of drunk and dirty rock ‘n roll that pretty much goes over my head for 30 minutes. I have no problem admitting I don’t smoke enough weed (or any for that matter) for these guys. I need melody and it’s nowhere to be found here. Cosmic Rock was released on 1-2-3-4 Go! Records.
I don’t like it when press releases are misleading. Comparing The Oregon Donor to The Promise Ring and Dismemberment Plan is just a flat out tease. Somethings isn’t bad, just terribly unconvincing. I can see a comparison to a band like The Velvet Teen being completely valid. But The Oregon Donor has a long way to go to get where that band is. The band’s proggier tendencies remind me of Muse and that is not a good thing on my end. Somethings was released on Burning Building Recordings.
Adam Svec’s Enemy Swimmer was definitely a nice surprise of 2008. Svec strips down his songs to their bare soul. Quite reminiscent of Ben Gibbard/Death Cab stuff but there is a bit more darkness creeping into the cracks here. Perhaps a less eccentric John Vanderslice might be an appropriate comparison as well. Either way, Svec’s songs are real and moving. Enemy Swimmer was released by Draw Fire Records.
The Wayward’s Overexposure is a screamy clusterfuck of prog and math rock the likes of which I just have not been able to wrap my head around. These guys can certainly play their instruments but there is an air of psychedelic sloppiness the band wears on their sleeves with pride. Not really my bag but I can imagine people geeking on this band for sure. Overexposure was released on Magic Bullet Records.
