Posts Tagged ‘Hey Mercedes’


28.04.2010

Media: Touch Committee

posted by Will

in Media
4 Comments


(Click on album cover to download) | 1037 downloads

Who? Touch Committee

What? Winter Beard LP

Where are they from? San Francisco, CA

What do they sound like? Superchunky emo-laced pop/punk. Touch Committee are heavy on the guitar work and playful in all the right ways. Add in some endearing emo qualities (think Braid or Hey Mercedes)…mainly in the dual vocals that bounce off one another with beautiful abandon (and precision), and you have a hearty recipe for success. Winter Beard was in my Top Ten for 2009 so I’m pretty ecstatic to be able to have it in the SAL Media section.

Where Can I Buy? Touch Committee printed limited copies of the CD and have plans for vinyl soon as well. Get in touch with the band to get a copy.

Touch Committee “Sunshine Suit”

Touch Committee “For The Union Dead”

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21.01.2010

Heads Up! Into It. Over It.

posted by Will

in Heads Up
2 Comments

Evan Weiss, who is Into It Over It, is doing a bunch of split seven inches in 2010 following his awesome 52 songs project. The first split 7″ is up for order now and is the beginning of Into It Over It’s ‘Twelve Towns’ releases which I’m assuming are all songs about specific towns. Amirite Evan? Anywho, this first split is with Bob Nanna & Lauren Lo. Nanna of course is from Braid and Hey Mercedes fame. This one comes out on Evil Weevil. A few others are coming out on another rad label later this year but I’m not sure if that’s been announced yet so I’ll just shut up now.

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05.01.2010

Best Of 2009: Volume One

posted by Will

in Year End Lists
11 Comments

I have decided to combine LPs and EPs together into one big end of the year lovefest. No rankings til I get to my Top Ten. Click on the album cover for any more coverage.

Cheap Girls “My Roaring 20′s” (Paper + Plastick)

While it might not live up to the charm of their debut, My Roaring 20′s eschews any real sophomore slump and cements Cheap Girls as one of the brightest young bands around today.

Witches “Self-Titled” 7″ (Salinas/Mandible)

Simply gorgeous and mesmerizing songs and I can’t wait for a full-length.

Wooden Birds “Magnolia” (Barsuk)

Not better than AmAnSet but equal to at least. Welcome back Andrew Kenny. We missed you.

Grown Ups “Songs” EP (Kid Sister)

So many great young bands springing up and Grown Ups are one of the best. Pop punk with noodles!

Sleep Bellum Sonno “Judge Us By How We Lived Our Lives, Not By How We Made A Living” (Self-Released)

I understand that a lot of people probably won’t get these guys but I swear if you give this concept album time it is a moving experience. Proggy, arty hardcore with balls and intelligence. If you miss how mewithoutYou once sounded you should listen to Sleep Bellum Sonno.

Certain People I Know “4 Songs” EP (Self-Released)

I don’t understand why more people don’t talk about this band. Hell, it’s members of Braid and it basically sounds like Hey Mercedes with the addition of female vocals.

Communipaw “Self-Titled” (Self-Released)

The supremely talented Brian Bond and his band play a smooth and confident brand of indie rock laced with alt country and brit pop influences. These kids sound wise beyond their youthful ages.

Teenage Cool Kids “Foreign Lands” (Protagonist)

Built to Spill – The Jammy Parts + More Hooks = Teenage Cool Kids

Latin For Truth “We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies” EP (Pitfall)

I listened to this EP non stop upon first receiving it. Fast paced pop punk with definite hardcore influences throughout.

Dude Japan “Self-Titled” Demo (Self-Released)

Husker Du-ish Lo-fi indie power pop. These songs just have a way of slowly finding traction and before you know it they are on repeat in your head for days.

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09.07.2009

Touch Committee: Winter Beard

posted by Will

in Best New Music, Music Reviews
No Comments

[Best New Music]

touchcommitteelp

It’s not often that a band comes out of nowhere to capture your attention so swiftly. But that is exactly what happened when I first heard Touch Committee. When I covered the band earlier this year I was astonished to hear such familiar yet refreshing elements in the band’s playful brand of rock. Recalling bands that peppered indie rock in the 90’s, Touch Committee’s Winter Beard shows off a sound that should have a wide appeal.

I can not help but think of Superchunk when listening to Winter Beard. The way that band straddled lines of indie and pop/punk was brilliant enough to attract just about anybody with a passing interest in those two genres. Touch Committee are operating in that same fruitful area. Add in some emo influences like Braid/Hey Mercedes and you have a brilliant recipe for success. Touch Committee are heavy on the guitar work but punchy in just the right spots. The dual vocal approach should be noted as yet another weapon in the band’s impressive repertoire. The songwriting is precise and advanced for such a young band but never feels claustrophobic. Instead, Winter Beard breathes a light, airy quality that is nothing but intoxicating.

My only real complaint with Winter Beard is the length. At 46 minutes the album does run a bit long in places. But, that’s only a minor flaw on an otherwise brilliant debut that is truly one of the best albums of the year. If the band stays together and continues to progress I think we might look back at Winter Beard in ten years and come to the conclusion that this album is an absolute classic. It really is that good.

Label: Self-Released

Sunshine Suit
Touch%20Committee_Winter%20Beard_01_Sunshine%20Suit.mp3

For The Union Dead
Touch%20Committee_Winter%20Beard_07_For%20The%20Union%20Dead.mp3

www.myspace.com/touchcommittee

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21.01.2009

Band You Should Know: Certain People I Know

posted by Will

in BYSK
No Comments

Bob Nanna and Damon Atkinson of Braid/Hey Mercedes have formed Certain People I Know. The band’s name comes from a Morrissey song title (I assume at least). Certain People I Know is playing their first show on February 19th at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago, IL. While the band has not released any songs just yet, there is little doubt that this will be a band you should know.

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14.01.2009

Scream Hello: Everything Is Always Still Happening

posted by Will

in Music Reviews
4 Comments

Teaser EPs that come before full lengths are obviously meant to entice the listener to pick up the LP when it finally hits the streets. Sometimes the idea works, sometimes not. Scream Hello‘s Smart & Stupid EP definitely worked. The EP perfectly encompassed the nuances and eclecticism of the band. Simply put it showed all Scream Hello was doing right. Unfortunately, while Smart & Stupid did its job, the LP follow up, Everything Is Always Still Happening, falls a bit short of the high expectations raised by the proceeding EP.

The LP starts off promisingly with the rocking and expressive “35 Plums” and “You Have Good Taste”. The six-minute “The Kicker” twist and turns but never really finds its way through all the tempo changes. “Bullets” is raging but always makes me do a double take when it comes on. The song sticks out like a sore thumb on Everything Is Always Still Happening. “Cocoon” and “Golden Anniversary” follow the band’s endearing formula with telling lyrics and an undeniable charm. Unfortunately, the band doesn’t ever touch on the simple brilliance of “rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr” from the Smart & Stupid EP. But they make up for it on the album’s last three songs. The seven minute plus “We Don’t Exist” pretty much nails the band’s evolving sound with the addition of some metal riffs for good measure. “Vinegar & Baking Soda” makes an encore return from the Smart & Stupid EP and is certainly a welcome addition. The album ends with the six minute “20/21″ and I love the lyrics. We all want an adventure with meaning/So go and get it, if you want it/It’s there. Everything Is Always Still Happening is certainly an adventurous listen.

Scream Hello’s Smart & Stupid EP showcased a band truly on the brink of something special. The uneven Everything Is Always Still Happening proves the band may not be quite there just yet. But, that’s OK. There is certainly enough ambition here to to get excited about the band’s future. Frankly, I have no idea what Scream Hello’s next release will sound like. And that might be the most exciting conclusion of all.

Full Disclosure: This band’s press is handled by Beartrap PR. I work with Beartrap PR but I do not represent this band. These are my honest opinions. No shit, I swear!

Genre: Indie/Pop/Rock

RIYL: Hey Mercedes, Piebald, Braid

Label: Red Leader Records

35 Plums

01%2035%20Plums.mp3

Cocoon

07%20Cocoon.mp3

www.myspace.com/screamhello

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26.06.2008

Scream Hello: Smart & Stupid EP

posted by Bradley

in Music Reviews
3 Comments

There was a time when music was simpler. Bands kept their names to 5 syllables or less, adjectives and hyphens were mysteriously absent from genre designations, and file sharing was more trouble than it was worth on a 56k dial up connection. Bill Clinton was President of the United States; Bob Nanna was the pinnacle of musical influence.

Nearly a decade has passed since Braid’s Frame and Canvas and Piebald’s If ft Weren’t for Venetian Blinds it Would be Curtains for Us All. It took less than 20 minutes for Scream Hello’s latest EP Smart & Stupid to prove that many of the so called “ indie evolutions” that happened in between then and now were little more than pleasurable distractions. Less than 20 minutes to bring me back to the days when I was more concerned with getting laid than making a mortgage payment. Bravo.

Somehow, through an amazing act of balance, Scream Hello manage to project their obvious influences while maintaining a uniqueness all their own. Hooks that will echo in your head for days, smart lyrics, proficient vocals, all served up with an enthusiasm and air of fellowship; one that is seemingly absent in many bands as they struggle for a foothold in a fickle industry that will chew you up and spit you out faster than you can take the exclamation mark out of your name. Whether these New Jersey boys care much remains to be seen, but damnit if they aren’t having a blast in the meantime.

And contrary to the beliefs of some of the more aggressive reviewers out there, including the piano ballad “rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr” on this EP does not correlate with the “Stupid” in it’s title. In overhearing my umpteenth playing, my wife casually stated that it made her heart swell. And suddenly, like magic, the mortgage payments took a backseat and I was concerned with getting laid once again.

Everybody wins.

Genre: Indie/Pop/Rock

RIYL: Hey Mercedes, (old) Piebald, Braid

Label: Red Leader Records

Breakin’ Shit

02%20Breakin%27%20Shit.mp3

www.myspace.com/screamhello

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