Indie/emo heart throbs Monument have decided to interview themselves for SAL’s Sound Off feature. These guys are really long-winded and name drop a lot of bands. It sucked doing the Tags for this post. Warning: this is the longest interview ever in the history of band interviews…but oh so entertaining! You can check out my review of the band’s most recent release, a 3 song 7-inch here. Monujamz!!
Click on album artwork for more.
#20 - Brass “Set & Drift” (Self-Released)
- If Brass were around ten years ago they would have been on Desoto Records and J. Robbins would have produced this record.
#19 – Good Luck “Into Lake Griffy” (Self-Released)
- Into Lake Griffy is a damn pop/punk opera!
#18 – Slingshot Dakota “Their Dreams Are Dead, But Ours Is The Golden Ghost” (Self-Released)
- Uplifting and heartfelt tales of the road and life in general. This album gives me a warm fuzzy feeling!
#17 – Lynus “Nice Outside” (Royal Blue Collective)
- The second coming of No Knife!? Angular pop hooks galore!
#16 – Off With Their Heads “From The Bottom” (No Idea)
- Desperation and hope twisted together beautifully with raging, melodic pop punk.
#15 – City And Colour “Bring Me Your Love” (Vagrant)
- Singer/songwriter material from Dallas Green of Alexisonfire. Don’t let that scare you away though. This is gorgeous stuff.
#14 – In The Red “Volume I” (Kiss Of Death/Rat Patrol)
- Mike Hale from Gunmoll’s awesome new band! Hale and Leatherface’s Frankie Stubbs should have a contest to see who has the gruffest vocals.
#13 – Lemuria “Get Better” (Asian Man)
- Mature power pop rock with dual male/female vocals. A distinct but successful leap from the band’s earlier releases. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.
#12 – Able Baker Fox “Voices” (Second Nature)
- Able Baker Fox was a wet dream come true for old school Small Brown Bike and Casket Lottery fans like myself.
#11 – Tim Barry “Manchester” (Suburban Home)
- If I had more time with it no doubt Manchester would have made my top ten. Barry is about as real as it gets for a singer/songwriter.
#1
Dillinger Four “C I V I L W A R” – 8 votes
#2
Bridge And Tunnel “East/West” – 6 votes
Constantines “Kensington Heights” – 6 votes
#3
Death Cab For Cutie “Narrow Stairs” – 5 votes
Fleet Foxes “Self-Titled” – 5 votes
The Gaslight Anthem “The ‘59 Sound” – 5 votes
#4
Able Baker Fox “Voices” – 4 votes
Algernon Cadwallader “Some Kind Of Cadwallader” – 4 votes
Polar Bear Club “Sometimes Things Just Disappear” – 4 votes
Torche “Meanderthal” – 4 votes
#5
Beach House “Devotion” – 3 votes
Cheap Girls “Find Me A Drink Home” – 3 votes
Drive-By Truckers “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” – 3 votes
Foals “Antidotes” – 3 votes
Fucked Up “The Chemistry of Common Life” – 3 votes
Good Luck “Into Lake Griffy” – 3 votes
Scream Hello “Everything is Always Still Happening” – 3 votes
Look Mexico – Gasp Asp 7″
Dustheads – Collected Sounds
Sinaloa – Oceans of Islands
Tigers Jaw – S/T
1994 – Thank You Arms and Fingers
Good Luck – Into Lake Griffy
This Will Destroy You – S/T
Algernon Cadwallader – Some Kind of Cadwallader
Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
Dillinger Four – Civil War
- I heard you can order that Look Mexico 7″ at Tiny Engines…just saying. – Will.
Ian Graham – Cheap Girls – Lansing, Michigan
1. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – “Real Emotional Trash”
2. Constantines – “Kensington Heights”
3. Able Baker Fox – “Voices”
4. Dead Meadow – “Old Growth”
5. The Hold Steady – “Stay Positive”
6. Ninja Gun – “Restless Rubes”
7. Old 97s – “Blame It On Gravity”
8. Lemuria – “Get Better”
9. Good Luck – “Into Lake Griffy”
10. Oasis – “Dig Out Your Soul”
Dave Garwacke – If You Make It/Halo Fauna – Brooklyn, NY
Maps & Atlases – You and Me and the Mountain
Bridge & Tunnel – East/West
Get Bent – Demo
Good Luck – Into Lake Griffy
Little Lungs – Hoist Me Up
Iron Chic – Demo
The State Lottery – Cities We’re Not From
Lemuria – Get Better
Eric Ayotte – Remnants of Story Town
Tin Armor – EP
I picked up Good Luck’s Into Lake Griffy on the recommendations of several people who gave the band rave reviews. However, this is an album that really took its precious time making an impression on me. But, the more I listened to it the more I realized why that was the case. I think I was expecting a great pop/punk record and instead what I got was a damn pop/punk opera. When talking to Ian from Cheap Girls about this record I think he put it best when he said “it’s so accessible that you want to consider it a great pop punk record but there’s that insane fingertapping guitar, dual vocals, etc. it’s definitely unique.” He’s right too, the dynamics of the record are absolutely incredible. And the musicianship is just off the charts. So, those pre-conceived notions of Good Luck simply being a great pop/punk band are shattered while you listen in awe.
Good Luck is Matt Tobey from Matty Pop Chart/Abe Froman, Ginger Alford of One Reason and Mike Harpring of Body Hammer. Matt Tobey has a quirky, intriguing way of telling his stories. If you know him from Matty Pop Chart, then you probably know exactly what I am talking about. If not, imagine the endearing quality of say, John K. Samson of The Weakerthans or John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. Lyrically and vocally, Tobey compares favorably to the two songwriting stalwarts. Just think more direct and more nasal. However, the unsung hero of the record might just be bassist Ginger Alford. Besides her booming bass lines, Tobey and Alford split most of the vocals as well. Alford also writes lyrics for four songs on Into Lake Griffy. There is a wonderful give and take chemistry between the two. To me, that is what propels Good Luck above Tobey’s work in Matty Pop Chart. Tobey and Alford strike a perfect balance on Into Lake Griffy and it pushes the album beyond boundaries as simple as pop punk.
I’m not sure what the future holds for Good Luck. Right now it seems the band is full steam ahead and if this record is any indication one would certainly hope they continue. Another highlight is the packaging as this self-released album matches the thought and care of the music just as much. Into Lake Griffy showcases all that is right with DIY music from head to toe.
Genre: Indie/Pop/Punk
RIYL: Matty Pop Chart, The Weakerthans, The Mountain Goats
Label: Self-Released
How To Live Here
01%20How%20To%20Live%20Here.mp3
Sleep With No Bad Dreams
Along with Get Bent, these are some other pop-influenced punk rock bands that have me going lately. All of them have new stuff that was either just released or is about to be released. Check them out.
Red And Blue (members of Get Bent!)
The State Lottery (ex-Gibbons!)
Traffic & Weather (ex-Gibbons!)
Young Hearts (ex-Dear Tonight)
