Today’s Sound Off is an interview with Shuteye Unison guitarist/vocalist Daniel Mckenzie (git/vox) conducted by Parks And Records‘ Mimi Fee. The band is currently recording the follow-up to their amazing debut.

Today’s Sound Off is an interview with Shuteye Unison guitarist/vocalist Daniel Mckenzie (git/vox) conducted by Parks And Records‘ Mimi Fee. The band is currently recording the follow-up to their amazing debut.

I have some great bands lined up for SAL’s new Artist corner/interview/whatever feature. This should be interesting.
First two features will be posted next week and they come from Shuteye Unison and Oceans.
Also, I have gotten tentative confirmations so far from Algernon Cadwallader, Look Mexico, O Pioneers!!!, Bridge And Tunnel, Arrows, Static Radio, Sakes Alive!!, Iron Chic, Empire! Empire!, Rapid Cities, Driving On City Sidewalks, Monument, Joie De Vivre, Lights At Sea, Cloud Mouth, Little Lungs, Blue Sky Law, Henry Gale, Young Livers, The State Lottery and hopefully much more to come.
Alright, I’m off to Charleston, SC to see Dino Jr. play. Later suckas.
Click on album artwork for more.
#10 – Fleet Foxes “Sun Giant” (Sub Pop)
- I listened to the Sun Giant EP much more than I did the band’s following self-titled LP. Take that for what it’s worth.
#9 – The Gaslight Anthem “Señor and the Queen” 2×7″ (Sabot)
- Simply put, this band can do no wrong.
#8 – Shuteye Unison “Self-Titled” (Parks And Records)
- Moody, atmospheric indie rock played with huge intentions.
#7 – Little Lungs “Hoist Me Up!” (Self-Released)
- From the ashes of Each Others Mothers and Tin Kitchen comes Little Lungs. Pieces of those bands exist here but Little Lungs throw in a more punk rock approach.
#6 – Lanterns “Apocalypse Youth” (Self-Released)
- Huge pop hooks buried underneath swirling guitars. Lanterns are Trail of Dead without the pretension.
#5 – Dinomania “Text Messages” (Bark And Hiss)
- I was addicted to these songs upon my first listen. Not sure what the future holds for this mysterious outfit but I hope it includes more music in 09!
#4 – Tin Armor “Self-Titled” 7″ (Whoa Oh)
- Tin Armor are what Smoking Popes once were. Yeah, I said it!
#3 – Look Mexico “Gasp Asp” 7″ (Tiny Engines)
- The first release on the label I started with some buddies. I already loved Look Mexico but these songs cement the band as one of my favorites! And they’re super cute too!
#2 – Iron Chic “Demo” Tape (Dead Broke)
- Do you miss Latterman? You shouldn’t after hearing the first five songs from Iron Chic. So amazingly good!
#1 – Annabel “Now That We’re Alive” (Self-Released)
- I listened to Now That We’re Alive so many times this past year. I feel incredibly privileged to have worked with the band for Beartrap. Debut LP upcoming…stoked!
Bradley Robinson – Tampa, Florida
Top 10 is based on number of times the album was played, which was the only meaningful measure I could go by. Honorable mentions go to Cheap Girls, The State Lottery, and Dinomania.
10. Scream Hello – Smart & Stupid EP
9. Shuteye Unison – s/t
8. Unwed Sailor – Little Wars
7. Lite – Phantasia
6. September Malevolence – After This Darkness There’s A Next
5. You May Die In The Desert / Gifts From Enola – Harmonic Motion Volume I
4. This Will Destroy You – s/t
3. Algernon Cadwallader – Some Kind of Cadwallader
2. Sybris – Into The Trees
1. The Samuel Jackson Five – Goodbye Melody Mountain
From three members of The Rum Diary, comes Shuteye Unison. When The Rum Diary went on hiatus recently, the three (Daniel McKenzie, Jon Fee and Jake Krohn) began to write and record together. These six songs were the result of the collaborative effort and Shuteye Unison was born. Shuteye Unison immediately feels warm and cozy. Self-recorded and mixed with Pall Jenkins (The Black Heart Procession, Three Mile Pilot) the band displays a wealth of texture and restraint. “Tomorrow’s Five Horizons” gloriously kicks in after the instrumental waves of the opener “Crf030608″. The song is rapturous in its scope as it brings to mind the tendencies of bands like Autolux and Silversun Pickups. The seven-minute “Fields Landing” starts off quietly with a spoken word piece once again portraying the band’s ability to create their own space and time. The song is almost post-rock in its patient approach. “Latin Metrics” and “Slow Ravens” continue where “Tomorrow’s Five Horizons” left off. The band is simply hypnotizing with the striking moods they create. The nine-minute “Through Dunes” closes the EP out in wonderful style. Shuteye Unison are practicing a bold precision here. Haunting passages are offset by calming vocals. Intricate melodies are buried beneath monstrous instrumentals. I very well might have changed my tune on EPs being useless as 2008 continues to be the year of the EP. Shuteye Unison’s Self-Titled will certainly be near the top as the band has propelled themselves into rarified air with these six songs.
Genre: Indie/Rock/Post-Hardcore
RIYL: Silversun Pickups, Engine Down, Glös
Label: Parks And Records
Latin Metrics