Last year Jayme had a great idea of making a list of our favorite records of ten years ago…way back to 1998 to be exact. Eric at Can You See The Sunset and I of course followed right along. Well, we are back again and hopefully making this a yearly feature for all of us. This time we explore our favorites of 1999. So, here we go again! This list ended up being 30 albums cause I could not stop thinking of great albums to recognize…1999 was a great year. I did not list any descriptions so if you want more info on a band or an album just ask in the comments and I will be happy to wax nostalgic on some of the lesser knowns.
Posts Tagged ‘American Football’
11.12.2009
07.10.2009
Madison, Wisconsin’s Often The Thinker is the project of Drew Lundberg and an evolving cast of contributors. Imagine American Football gone post rock and you might have some idea what Often The Thinker might sound like. Perhaps that sells the band’s first album, History, a bit short though. Often The Thinker certainly do not limit themselves to a single genre here.
History is a collection of songs that date all the way back to Fall of ‘06. While it comes off as a glorified jam session at times, the album still works remarkably well. At close to an hour, Often The Thinker dip their hands from one end of the spectrum and back. The band dabbles in tape effects, samples and loops that might have you reaching for your Lymbyc Systym comparisons. But then they slowly drop back to finger picking guitar and horns that quickly bring to mind American Football. Then the 9-minute plus “The Midwestern” and the 13-minute plus “Arlene Babilon” come on and you realize that comparisons don’t really matter anymore. The title track is a piano piece that closes the album out. Often The Thinker are creating their own little sub-genre and doing it quite well I might add.
While History is certainly not a polished affair it is a brilliant look into the natural artistic flow of Lundberg and his conspirators. The band is writing for their second album as we speak. I will be very interested to see what directions they take us in next.
Label: Self-Released
Warm Bellies
06%20Warm%20Bellies.mp3
The Juggler, The Drinker
07%20The%20Juggler%20The%20Drinker.mp3
29.09.2009
The “Midwest” in the name is a dead giveaway: these kids play 90’s style indie-emo. Sound Bend, IN’s Midwest Pen Pals‘ sound is often somewhere between Snowing and American Football, but never becomes entirely derivative like some bands in this emerging genre. After only a few months together, Midwest Pen Pals developed strikingly mature, original songs and a dedicated following on websites such as Last.fm. The band recently broke up, but I’m betting we’ll hear more from the ex-members of Midwest Pen Pals soon.
Movies Like Juno
06%20Movies%20Like%20Juno.mp3
You can download the band’s Inside Jokes EP here.
20.03.2009
Who? Talons’
Where are they from? Madrid, Spain by way of Central Ohio
What do they sound like? Ah, the mysterious Talons’…it is hard to believe I have never covered the prolific songwriter before now. Talons is mainly Mike Tolan (The Six Parts Seven, Trouble Books) with a little help at times from various musician friends. The monotony of everyday life is made beautiful and profound in the Talons’ world. Complete with background noise and tape hiss, ripe with intimacy and awkwardness, Talons’ work is pure honesty. A definite for fans of Mike Kinsella (Owen, American Football, etc). You can download most of the Talons’ discography here. I would start with Rustic Bullshit and Songs For Babes. Go buy something of his at Bark And Hiss, an amazing label which is putting out some really beautiful stuff.
Fuck Everything from Rustic Bullshit
Maddy from Songs For Babes
30.01.2009
Who? Castevet
Where are they from? Chicago, IL
What do they sound like? Melodic Beard Punk with obvious Illinois influences like Ghosts And Vodka, Colossal, American Football and Braid. I quickly imagined a meatier, mathier version of Small Brown Bike or Bear Vs. Shark. How amazing does that sound? Well, if the first three songs from Castevet are any indication, it sounds pretty damn sweet. The band’s debut full-length, Summer Fences, is recorded and scheduled to be released by Count Your Lucky Stars (Beartrap!) in Summer ‘09. Castevet feature a member of the amazing Oceans!
You can download the band’s three song I Know What A Lion Is demo here.
12.01.2009
And so we have the first great piece of wax for 2009. Monument has made a giant leap forward from their earlier demos which were pretty dang good themselves. From the beginning “umph” of the rocking “Busy Being Bees”, the overwhelming energy of the band is astounding and completely infectious. Much like Cap’n Jazz always seemed to be one false move from going off the rails into complete chaos, Monument bottle that momentum and let loose with a mass of unbridled enthusiasm. The shouted vocals of “yeah” over the top of “Memory And Location” and “It’s Clear, Tension” bring to mind Braid’s catchy approach at times. The production is raw but still so warm and inviting. Equally spastic and tuneful, Monument is quite adept at swaying back and forth with tempos. The band does just that too measuring their rocking moments with quieter introspection as well. These three songs run the gamut of emotions and the listener is just left to be amazed. After a ton of listens, WOW is all I have left to say. With this impressive three song 7-inch the band has jumped into Algernon-like stratospheres for hyped up (and for good reason of course) emo. Get rad indeed boys!
Genre: Indie/Emo
RIYL: Braid, Cap’n Jazz, American Football
Label: Self-Released
Busy Beeing Bees
15.07.2008
In the midst of the high-definition, words per minute and frames per second lives we lead, it’s easy to forget that it’s the things we don’t say that often leave the most lasting impressions. No matter our language or vocabulary, it’s the non-verbal cues and clues we give that unravel all the words to unmask our true intentions or dispositions. The most poignant of speeches can be reduced to mere background chatter by an unkempt appearance and anemic voice. Staring at her tits while complimenting her wit…you see what I mean.
Music is much the same way. Assuming the shoegaze position for an entire live set can crumble even the biggest wall of sound. Many otherwise great songs have been ruined by the likes of an amateur vocalist, and vice versa. McAllen, Texas’ They Mean Us side-step at least one of the above pitfalls and prove themselves as masters of the unspeakable. Their titanic album Friendship Lottery is truly one of the great communicators in the Instrumental genre that is tarnished by repetition, imitation, and for some, stagnation.
Typical to the genre, They Mean Us take a little longer to get their point across (“Pickle Seals” is the shortest of the six tracks clocking in just shy of the four minute mark), but by no means overstay their welcome. Rather than spend needless bars crafting celestial crescendo, They Mean Us rely on deft shifts of theme, tempo, style and perspective to draw the listener in. The sheer grace of it all is what keeps you there. Whimsical, That’s Your Fire era Aloha-esque vibraphone phrases, intricate American Football style guitar picking, rolling prog-rock bass lines, warm cello and tasteful electronics: Friendship Lottery takes the best elements of the past decade of music, fuses them, layers it, and executes it perfectly.
They Mean Us and Friendship Lottery bring to the table a peerless brand of post-ish rock without the drama, and math-rock without the geometrics. It’s less filling, and tastes great.
Genre: Instrumental/Math-Rock
RIYL: Toe, The Six Parts Seven, Dinomania
Label: Self-Released/Look Again Media
Dan Mason
Algernon Cadwallader was playing in my town tonight. I did not go. Instead, I find myself sitting here writing a review of the band’s debut album and sipping on a Pacifico. Believe me I know how backasswards that may sound. But, I’m 30 now and frankly, I simply do not have the energy for shows that I once did (especially house shows)! Maybe I would rather sit around my house with my girlfriend and eat quesadillas instead. So sue me!
Regardless, if you have followed the site at all, you know we love some Algernon Cadwallader here at SAL. The band’s four-song demo probably ranks as the most played demo in my lifetime (or a close second to the reformed Latterman demo). But as much as I loved the band’s demo, I would be lying if I said I did not meet Some Kind Of Cadwallader with a healthy amount of skepticism. Would the band be able to replicate their demo over a full-length’s worth of material? It would be a difficult task and frankly, I was not sure if they could pull it off. I still think the band’s brand of off-kilter emo might be better suited for shorter bursts of an EP rather than a full-length. But, a funny thing happened, Algernon Cadwallader actually delivered on that undeniable promise.
I guess the elephant in the room remains with Algernon Cadwallader. The band is playing spastic but tuneful indie rock/emo much in the vein of Cap’n Jazz. The throaty vocals and nonsensical lyrics are inarguably reminiscent of Tim Kinsella’s former group. All that may be true but so what if Algernon Cadwallader sound like Cap’n Jazz?! Some Kind Of Cadwallader is about as enjoyable a listen as you will come across in 2008. There is a beautiful balance struck between the thoughtful guitar noodling and the harsher screams of lead singer Peter Helmis. The band keeps things concise as they mow through the first nine songs of the album in about 25 minutes. Algernon almost make it to the finish line without a stumble. However the band falls prey to the wankery bug as the 13-minute jam session of “In Response to Irresponsibility” ends the album. By that time though, the band has already made their indelible mark.
Hype can be a killer especially for a band that has only released a four song demo until now. To make matters worse people seemingly lined up on two opposite ends of the spectrum when Algernon was discussed; you either loved them or hated them. That is tough for a band to overcome but what helps Algernon is the fact that the band seems to shrug their shoulders at it all. It is about the music and having fun; nothing more and nothing less. And luckily for Algernon, they have the songs to back it all up. So go ahead, listen to Some Kind Of Cadwallader. I dare you to not crack a smile when listening to this record cause it is damn near impossible. Algernon Cadwallader are the little band who could. And I’m already kicking myself for not getting to see that in person tonight.
Genre: Indie/Emo
RIYL: Cap’n Jazz, American Football, Braid
Label: Be Happy
Some Kind of Cadwallader
25.06.2008
First off, I will go ahead and state that I am not the right person to write a review on a Look Mexico album. Yes, I’ve heard the band before (and liked them, for that matter). But Will has tried to get me to go see these guys several times when they’ve been in town; the first attempt I showed up right as they were finishing the last song, and the past couple of times I’ve used some admittedly lame excuse for ditching out on four guys that could use some gas money more than I needed that A/B/Y pedal I just shelled out close to $50 for. Ironically, I’d rather be on tour than putting on a suit and going to work every morning, so I’m at least jealous of Look Mexico for being on the road so much.
But this isn’t the time nor webplace for me to be reminiscing on shows missed and friends let down. Look Mexico put out what I best can describe as a “compilation” of past work, or as Will informed me: “It’s a collection. All the songs from The Crucial EP, some songs from the So Byzantine EP, and B-sides and remixes.” Which doesn’t really help me out much, because as you’ve read, I’m not a fanboy or anything. Regardless, the music is good. Really good. And I appreciate that, especially as a musician. You don’t have to like golf to appreciate that Tiger Woods is a great golfer. And you don’t have to like indie rock to appreciate that Look Mexico is proficient at songwriting.
I’m not going to go into great detail on each of the 14 songs on the album. The average song length is easily over 3:30, and there are no less than a bazillion parts to each song, so I’d need the rest of SAL to cover it properly. It’s not shoegazer; it’s not jam band; it’s not just plain-ol-indie rock; it’s not anything that can be pegged into a genre. It’s just good. Hell, I don’t even know what to compare it to. But I will go on the SAL record that I’ll show up next time they’re in town. Promise. To end it:
“Look Mexico plays music that sounds great on a hot southern day right after it rained and you’re sitting on the front porch drinking a beer.” How’s that for a promo tag?
Genre: Indie/Emo/Rock
RIYL: Minus The Bear, American Football, Karate
Label: Lujo
Whose Ship Is This
Guys I Need A Helicopter
I recently talked with Keith Latinen of Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate). Here is the short Q&A.
Describe the band’s sound and major influences.
Keith: I guess I would describe our sound as a throw-back to the mid-90’s emo bands. The really pretty, heart-on-your sleeve gut-wrenching stuff that when you listen to it, you can tell the artist is pouring their heart out. So it’s only natural for our influences to start there- we’re talking Mineral, American Football, Appleseed Cast, Penfold, old Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab For Cutie, and The Get Up Kids.
What is the songwriting process like for Empire Empire?
Keith: The project started as a solo-project for me, so the first entire EP I did everything – all the instruments as well as the recording. At that point, I would write in blocks, so I would write every part for the first 30 seconds or so, then start the next part with guitars and build it up again. We actually recorded the full-length the same way, only Cathy played guitar as well. Nowadays though, Cathy or I will bring something to practice, or we just start jamming and molding it into whatever form it naturally takes.
What’s the band’s opinion on file-sharing?
Keith: At this point I think it would be foolish to be against something that is essentially the greatest form of advertisement. I think file-sharing has already helped us gain exposure as a band. It’s sort of a loaded question though, because we are all broke, and recording and pressing, and just being in a band is really expensive. It would be nice to be paid for every song someone downloads, but file-sharing is here, and I think it can help us more than hurt us. If it brings out someone to a show or makes us another fan, then that’s way more important than getting some change from a download.
What’s on the horizon for Empire Empire?
Keith: Right now, I am finishing the vocals up for our full-length, which we hope to put out sometime this summer. Past that, we are booking a tour for May, and hope to just keep touring and making music as long as we can.
SAL Review of EE’s Year Of The Rabbit 7″
25.03.2008
Know Think’s four song demo is a varied mixture of emo stylings. First song, “Aeroplanes” echoes the smooth sound of modern bands like Look Mexico as well as owing a debt to the great American Football (but of course). Middle tracks, “Craftwork Creatures” and “Cutting Signs,” are a bit more aggressive in their approach. These songs give nods to all the usual suspects (Cap ‘n Jazz, Braid) and are reminiscent of their current peers as well. But it is the seven minute closer, “Songo,” that seemingly pushes the envelope a little more. Sounding closer to the the expansive work of Aloha, Know Think show a willingness to move beyond genre norms. Still, all four tracks remain tied together by a wonderfully warm and intricate mood. Know Think’s mature sound defies their youthful age. Let’s hope this is only the beginning.
Genre: Emo/Indie/Rock
RIYL: American Football, Aloha, Look Mexico
Label: Self-Released
Aeroplanes
25.04.2007
It is quite a feat that I get two amazing demos in the span of a few weeks time. But, that is exactly what has happened with Street Smart Cyclist and Algernon Cadwallader. What’s even more amazing is the bands’ sounds have an awful lot in common as well. But, where Street Smart Cyclist sit on the more punk rock side of the fence, Algernon Cadwallader occupy the more emo confines. The odd-named band plays incredibly memorable and intricate emo. It is certainly in the vein of bands like American Football, Cap n’ Jazz and Braid. The nasally vocals and screams that burst up from under the band’s creative accompanyment touch on the unbridled passion of Tim Kinsella (Cap n’ Jazz, Joan Of Arc, Make Believe) in his early years. These four songs speak quite simply to the raw talent of the band. This is a style that has certainly been done many times over. Yet, Algernon Cadwallader sound incredibly refreshing and unique at every twist and turn. Street Smart Cyclist and Algernon Cadwallader both echo genre greats and that simply can not be ingored nor argued. You get the undeniable sense that the bands are playing the music they love and admire simply for the sake of doing just that. These bands just make you feel like you are experiencing something real. And in the end, isn’t that what it is all supposed to be about?
Genre: Indie/Emo
RIYL: American Football, Cap n’ Jazz, Braid
Label: Self-Released
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