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Posts Tagged ‘Guided By Voices’


17.02.2010

Best New Music: It’s A King Thing

posted by Will

in Best New Music, Music Reviews
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(Click on album cover to download)

I have posted a lot about It’s A King Thing over the years here at SAL, that is true. But, I can honestly say, Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is the band’s coming out party. It really does take a lot for me to become obsessed with an album these days especially with the amount of stuff I try to listen to on a daily basis. But, you need this record! If you don’t know already, It’s A King Thing features former members of the criminally underrated Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start. If you love the first two Weezer albums, The Lemonheads circa-It’s A Shame About Ray or bands like Nada Surf and Guided By Voices this record is for you. In the past the band was a rotation of players but this is obviously a cohesive unit for the first time and it shows as the songs are even catchier than before. That’s a scary proposition but with With Buffalo…, It’s A King Thing has refined their sound and become sharper and a more focused in their approach. Despite the humor and innocence on the surface there is a noticeable depth to these songs that is infectious to say the least. Just listen once and you will be hooked. By god, I think we’ve already got a contender for album of the year folks!

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo is available for Free Download

Label: Self-Released

It’s A King Thing “Old Hobbies”

It’s A King Thing “Mush Mouth”

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24.06.2009

My Heart To Joy: Seasons In Verse

posted by Will

in Best New Music, Music Reviews
No Comments

[Best New Music]

myheartojoylp

Some bands are just not meant to be caged in. If you follow the trajectory of My Heart To Joy’s output, the band’s full-length debut, Seasons In Verse, might come as a surprise at first. But, when studied closer it is in fact the logical culmination of a burning that has noticeably been building up from the band’s core.

The instrumental first song, “Time Spent Breathing” reminds one of the lushness of Trail Of Dead rather than the melodic and screamy hardcore of the band’s past. And really that is a great comparison for My Heart To Joy (formerly My Heart To Joy At The Same Tone). The collision of art, indie and punk rock is quite similar to Trail Of Dead’s earlier material. Thankfully though, My Heart To Joy leave the pretension at the door. The band follows up the opener with the impassioned “Empty Homes” which leads into the album’s mid-paced mid-section. Songs like “Seasons In Verse”, “Worn Out Weather” and “Giving My Hands Away” may not be as in your face but they never lack the power and depth of the band’s more raging material either. “Old Capitals” is the collison of all facets of the band’s songwriting and is breathtaking in its delivery. My Heart To Joy even cover a Guided By Voices song, (ironically also covered by Trail Of Dead), “Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory”, with great success as they take the inner beauty of the song and turn it upside down with a healthy dose of vitriol.

When I reviewed the band’s seven-inch in January my RIYL was Hot Water Music, Small Brown Bike and Latterman…certainly good company to keep. But, with Seasons In Verse, My Heart To Joy have moved beyond those influences into more ambitious waters. The challenge with growth is to somehow maintain the signature quality of your songwriting. Even though the band has pushed their creativity into interesting new realms they have still managed to retain the raw and powerful nature of their earlier material. Seasons In Verse is proof of the dynamic and diverse heart that My Heart To Joy possess.

Label: Topshelf/Asbestos

Seasons In Verse
03%20Seasons%20In%20Verse.mp3

www.myspace.com/myhearttojoy

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20.11.2008

Bridges And Powerlines: Ghost Types

posted by Will

in Music Reviews
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I listened to this album non-stop when I got it but then it quickly fell off my radar. Unfortunately that’s the case with a lot of albums with the constant onslaught of new stuff headed my way day after day. And I don’t have the largest attention span in the first place. So, it’s really a bad combination but I digress. Bridges And Powerlines (not to be confused with Bridge And Tunnel) definitely deserve some coverage. Ghost Types is the band’s debut full-length. The band hails from New York City but sound nothing like you might expect. The band really reminds me of the alternative pop of Buffalo Tom mixed with a bit of new wave posturing. Perhaps akin to TVT-era Guided By Voices which some might scoff at but I actually enjoyed. Either way the band writes some amazingly catchy and intelligent indie power pop. Songs like “Floods And Fields” “The Maine” and “The Thieves, They Are Everywhere” possess such haunting, dark melodies. Bridges And Powerlines brand of pop has a way of possessing you and that will always be worthy of acclaim.

Genre: Indie/Power Pop

RIYL: REM, Buffalo Tom, Guided By Voices

Label: City Bird

Floods And Fields

02%20Floods%20And%20Fields.mp3

The Maine

10%20The%20Maine.mp3

www.myspace.com/bridgesandpowerlines

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10.11.2008

Julie Ocean: Long Gone And Nearly There

posted by Will

in Music Reviews
3 Comments

What’s the saying? The perfect pop song should never last more than three minutes. Something like that. Well, Washington, DC’s Julie Ocean abide by that golden rule on 8 out of 10 songs with their debut, Long Gone And Nearly There. The band is a super group of DC veterans with members doing time in bands like Velocity Girl, The High Back Chairs, The Saturday People and Swiz to name a few. This record, while granted a bit higher on the maturity chart, would have fit right in on the Lookout Records catalog back in the day. I can hear shades of Dr. Frank and The Mr. T Experience across the power pop of Long Gone And Nearly There and that certainly brings a smile to this aging face. I even dug up the MTX classic, Love Is Dead and gave it a good spin. But back to the band at hand. There is a bit of the mod pop undercurrent in Julie Ocean’s songs as well. Which I guess should not come as a surprise. The band takes their name from The Undertones and you can definitely hear some (The) Jam influences as well. While the album might go unnoticed upon your first listen or two just be patient. If this album was released 15 years ago it might be a classic by now. Ten songs at barely over 25 minutes, Long Gone and Nearly There is an absolute blast that will have you reaching for the replay button over and over again. And that is the simple brilliance of a well done pop song.

Genre: Indie/Power Pop

RIYL: Velocity Girl, Mr. T Experience, Guided By Voices

Label: Transit Of Venus

My Revenge

03%20My%20Revenge.mp3

www.myspace.com/julieoceandc

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