Posts Tagged ‘Discount’


04.02.2010

Vinyl Corner: P.S. Eliot

posted by Will

in Music Reviews, Vinyl Corner

Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Minds Black Vinyl 12″

PSEliotLP

I think for a long time I didn’t give P.S. Eliot an honest chance cause I was mad that former band The Ackleys, who I absolutely adored, were sadly done. That seems petty I know but what’s a boy with a broken heart supposed to do? While The Ackleys specialized in power pop/punk, P.S. Eliot took a more lo-fi approach on their initial demo which honestly kind of threw me for a loop. While a lo-fi quality can enhance many bands I felt the production hindered lead singer Katie Crutchfield’s songwriting. For the most part, that has been rectified with P.S. Eliot’s debut LP, Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Minds.

The production has been ratcheted up here and that enhances Crutchfield’s infectious delivery and clever lyrical take on all of life’s ambiguities. Of course my favorite songs are the ones where Crutchfield’s vocals/lyrics seem to take center stage above all else. I still have no problem saying that for fans of Discount, Crutchfield’s bands are the closest you will ever get to touching that rare, special quality. My only issue with Introverted Romance In Our Troubled Minds is that at times songs do have a tendency to blend together. But with the majority of the material here being so strong its hard to not give the band the benefit of the doubt.

Label: Salinas

P.S. Eliot “Like How You Are”

18.12.2009

Albums Of The Decade: Volume Four

posted by Will

in Year End Lists

Cheap Girls “Find Me A Drink Home” (Bermuda Mohawk – 2008)

cheapgirls

Find Me A Drink Home was by far my most played album of 2008. Poetically frustrated lyrics set to power pop…fans of Lemonheads and Smoking Popes should fall in love just as I did many times over. Definitely honored to have worked with the band for Beartrap. Watch out for these guys. Bigger and brighter things are on the horizon!

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11.12.2009

SAL’s Best Albums of 1999

posted by Will

in Year End Lists

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.

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02.02.2009

Monikers: Wake Up

posted by Will

in Music Reviews

Boy, they sure don’t make them like they once did. It takes a band like Monikers to come along and reminds you just how good we had it back in the day. The band echoes such phenomenal pop/punk fore bearers like Leatherface, Jawbreaker and Crimpshrine. Monikers are fronted by Ryan Seagrist, former member of one of my all time favorite bands, pop punk legends Discount. Wake Up is the band’s debut full-length and is unabashedly chock full of ’90s East Bay-styled pop punk. This is pop/punk the way it was meant to be…no sheen and no bullshit. The band also has a modern feel that is reminiscent of Lawrence Arms and Dillinger Four. But where their debut EP sounded more like a collection of their influences, Wake Up is a solid and often thrilling jumping off point for kids who may be discovering this sound for the first time. The acoustic album closer “Black” is a great song and draws the album to an appropriate ending. Monikers are gritty, catchy and completely honest and Wake Up is a refreshing listen to say the least.

Genre: Pop/Punk

RIYL: Leatherface, The Lawrence Arms, Jawbreaker

Label: Kiss Of Death

Absentees

02%20Absentees.mp3

Them And Us

07%20Them%20and%20Us.mp3

www.myspace.com/monikers

15.10.2008

Little Lungs: Hoist Me Up!

posted by Will

in Best New Music, Music Reviews

[Best New Music]

From the ashes of Each Other’s Mothers and Tin Kitchen, rise Little Lungs. As much as I was stoked on the initial EPs from EOM and TK, Little Lungs’ Hoist Me Up! sees my enthusiasm at an all-time high! The band barrels through 7 songs in less than 15 minutes and it is a breath of fresh, rejuvenating air. Imagine if Sleater-Kinney went pop-punk but kept their angular approach. Little Lungs can play their instruments with the best of them and they show it off to a certain extent. But the band also keeps the noodling to a minimum and the pedal to the metal! “Atlantic Bridge” and “White & Green” are awesome, sounding like the discordant driving pop-punk of the great Discount. And I’m a sucker for anything resembling that band. “Dreary” should be a show stopper with its fist-pumping chorus. Hoist Me Up! is full steam ahead and it is an absolute blast because of the band’s energetic approach! Unbridled enthusiasm can only carry a band so far though. You got to have the songs to back it up. But no doubt about it, Little Lungs got the juice! EOM and TK bit the dust after debut EPs that truly teased the ears. Let’s just hope Little Lungs don’t suffer the same fate.

Genre: Indie/Punk/Rock

RIYL: Sleater-Kinney, Discount, Deerhoof

Label: Self-Released

Atlantic Bridge

02%20Atlantic%20Bridge.mp3

Dreary

03%20Dreary.mp3

www.myspace.com/littlelungsnynj

01.05.2008

Lemuria: Get Better

posted by Will

in Best New Music, Music Reviews

You know, the pop/punk gods can be a cruel bunch at times. But they make it up to me every now and then. Lemuria are certainly one of those godsends. The Buffalo, NY band finally graces us with a proper full-length release and it is a charming listen. Perhaps not as immediate as the songs from the band’s split with Kind Of Like Spitting, Get Better is a bit of grower.

The dynamic between co-vocalists Sheena Ozzella (guitar) and Alex Kerns (drums) is still the most compelling part of Lemuria. Granted, Ozzella is carrying the majority of the vocal load here but Kern’s contributions add a great deal of weight and tension to the band’s compositions. There is a subtleness expressed throughout Get Better. Lemuria’s songs are indeed melodic but never seem to be looking for a cheap hook. For the most part, the tempos are slower throughout Get Better as well. The arrangements show off a weathered maturity and tend to be looking outside the framework of the narrow pop/punk field.

Now, I love well played pop/punk, especially the female-fronted kind. However, the bands that excite me the most in the genre are the ones that are willing to move beyond all the normal constrictions. Lemuria answer the bell with Get Better and prove they a much more than just another pop/punk band. Taking the road less trampled upon, Lemuria make a compelling case for an even brighter future.

Genre: Indie/Pop/Punk

RIYL: Discount, The Ackleys, Superchunk

Label: Asian Man

Lipstick

03Lipstick.mp3

Yesterday’s Lunch

02YesterdaysLunch.mp3

www.myspace.com/lemuria