Smith Westerns @ Howler’s Coyote Cafe, 4-18-09
© Mahsa Borhani, 2009
Smith Westerns – Gimme Some Time // I first got turned onto these guys in April when they played night two of Totally Wired fest along with a slew of other bands. They were the first band to play that night (probably due to them being underage at a bar) and pretty much blew me away. Once they started playing, I couldn’t believe that four fresh faced boys in the tightest jeans possible could bust out some of the catchiest pop gems I’d heard in a while. “Gimme Some Time”, which is off of their self-titled LP, is one of my favorite songs, not only due to the steamy lyrics, but also cause of the rambunctious chorus, punk sensibility, and the very fitting garage rock sound. In fact, I don’t think there is a single song on this album that I don’t love.
Box Elders – Cougars // I have to admit, I’m constantly bewildered by Box Elders. First of all, their drummer is a multitasking fiend who can drum, shake a tambourine, and play an organ all at once. Secondly, they have the most bizarre outfits and do crazy shit like shoot flames during songs such as “Cougars.” Third of all, they don’t take them selves very seriously but somehow manage to make really well crafted pop compositions that are a force to be reckoned with. Their brand of rock differs greatly from the increasingly favored fuzzed out & distorted breed that populates the underground scene today–this is straightforward garage pop that serenades you with strong guitar melodies and jeers at you with an underlying punk attitude. Combine that with a few surf rock guitar licks and punchy bass lines, and it’s very hard not to break out dancing. I’m a little late on their game, having only been introduced to them in January, but these guys tour a fair amount and I’ll have the pleasure of seeing them for the third time in September. Check out their myspace to make sure you catch them on their upcoming tour–you don’t want to miss one of the most entertaining bands to have graced the midwest.
Box Elders @ Howler’s Coyote Cafe, 4-18-09
© Mahsa Borhani, 2009
Buzzcocks – Promises // Definitely an oldie, but one of my favorite songs off of the Love Bites re-issue that effectively displays the incredible talents of John Maher to the band’s rhythm section. Buzzcocks have always been a defining figure in pop punk and “Promises” really depicts the level of imagination they possessed in terms of lyricism, melodies, and percussion. I think that Pete Shelley’s vocal range stands out on this track and has a certain vigor and emotion that is sometimes void in their more popular songs.
Bricolage – Flowers of Deceit // My first taste of Bricolage was “Footsteps” back when it was still an orphaned child with no album to call its own. I was very glad to finally hear the full length LP they released last year and also glad that none of their slightly lackluster demo tracks made the cut. Bricolage demonstrate a talent that is sadly absent from many American bands’ repertoires–harmonizing. The harmonizing is truly cohesive and deftly peppered in. I never realize what I am missing on some songs I hear until I realize it is solid vocal harmonies. You could have a good melody and it will just be flat without throwing in a tertian harmony or two; it’s why 90s top 40 pop hits are fucking great. With two guitarists, three vocalists, and really solid drumming, Bricolage stand miles ahead of other bands in their realm such as Franz Ferdinand or the eerily identical vocals of Dogs Die in Hot Cars. The chummy vocals on many of their tracks become more endearing with each repeating listen, instead of increasingly annoying, as I tend to find with other similar bands. This whole album has taken my fancy and there are a slew of other masterfully mixed songs such as “Turn U Over”, “Looting Takes the Waiting Out of Wanting”, “6th For Poet”, and of course–”Footsteps.” If you’re a slut for brit-pop, I warn you not to sleep on these guys–you will regret it.
X-Wife – Heart of the World // I kind of forgot about this band until I accidentally stumbled upon their 2008 full length album, Are You Ready For the Blackout?, a few weeks ago. I first heard “When the Lights Turn Off” a few years ago and was convinced they were British and emulating the Klaxons or something. You can understand how confused I was when I found out they were Portuguese and had more embedded in their talents than just being able to make very catchy dance rock. I think “Heart of the World” is a good example of that; it not only represents an uncanny resemblance to The Rapture, but it also takes the weirdo tinge out of their sound and adds a bit more of a post punk and melodramatic feel to everything. The synth also accompanies their music rather well–slightly cheesy yet still appropriate as it maintains a continuous personality throughout the majority of the songs from their album. Overall, the album remains quite accessible to mainstream tastes–despite the band being pretty unknown in the states–and I’ve found it to be a good source for addictive summer jams.
Blank Dogs – Open Shut // Blank Dogs are a diverse and talented band that I’ve criminally disregarded for a while. I missed the show they played in Pittsburgh in March, brushed off the hints I got last April & October, and ignored all the rave reviews from friends. Compared to their previous releases, Under and Under goes in a different direction with more centralized songs, a cleaner recording aesthetic, as well as a strong nod to coldwave influences. Basically, this is the kind of sound that shitty bands like She Wants Revenge are probably striving for. Blank Dogs’ angular melodies are somewhat reminiscent of the A-Frames, and similar to what Fredericksburg band Ceremony are also currently toying around with. I have to admit that the album took a little while to grow on me, but once you accustom yourself with their sound, you’re sent to an altered state adrift with oddball vocals, peculiar synth, and alarming guitar lines; together they form a soundscape which invokes feelings of nostalgia and despondency. “Open Shut”, in particular, is suffused with that kind of creepy, coasting-on-by attitude which is prominent in the band’s musical identity.
TV Ghost – The Recluse // The only chance I ever had to see this band was completely ruined due to them getting arrested for drinking underage, or some shit, somewhere in small town PA, therefore being unable to play their Pittsburgh show in April, as well as a handful of other shows on their tour. Very unfortunate, for sure, seeing as their newest album Cold Fish bears that same brand of weirdo rock that tends to spawn in Detroit rather than the band’s hometown of Lafayette, IN. The first thing I got from this track was that it sounded so much like The (now disbanded) Arm, from Texas. The whole album possesses a horror appeal to it–mostly from the reeling synth, erratic guitar and dingy bass–kind of like what Human Eye or Francis Harold and the Holograms have going on. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a larger, conceptual narrative present in the album with more listens.
Pissed Jeans – Pleasure Race // Pissed Jeans…what else is there to say? I have been anxiously waiting for them to drop a new album and when I heard “False Jesii Part 2″ I knew we were in for something magical. The 2007 release of Hope for Men was slightly disappointing, considering the earlier standard they had set with quite memorable songs such as “Closet Marine”, “Ashamed of My Cum” and “I’m Sick.” Pissed Jeans have always had a gross humor that they’ve enforced with grating guitar riffs, grimacing yells, and fast bass lines and then also with slower, heavier, wandering compositions; I’m glad to hear that the drums finally get a more considerate mix in the songs. “Pleasure Race” remains as one of my top three favorite songs off King Of Jeans with the repetitive guitar, driving drums, and vocal diatribe that Matt Korvette is notorious for. Once again, Pissed Jeans embrace mundane subjects, contradict the socially acceptable ones, and turn it all into some sort of idolatry. In addition, there are a couple of surprising tracks on the album–such as “R-Rated Movie,” where the instrumentals sound initially uncharacteristic compared to earlier work. Nevertheless, the song then descends into a raging chorus that lauds blood, sex & violence–contrasting the excitement of all the action to the narrator’s seemingly boring life. Who else writes a song about this shit, seriously? So fucking good. The album officially drops on August 18th so be sure to pick it up.
Take the Poll
NPR has put up a diverse poll on their website which ends at midnight, July 6th. Go vote for your top five albums of the year. Here’s what I voted for:
- The Dodos
- Santogold
- MGMT
- Hot Chip
- DevotchKa
Elephant Shell was a good album too, but in the end Oracular Spectacular was longer and possessed a more varied sound.
Filed under: album reviews, bands, events, pittsburgh | Tags: brain thrust mastery, chris cain, keith murray, we are scientists
To start off this review, let me implore you guys to pick up the 2-cd version, especially if you were into With Love and Squalor. In addition to the Brain Thrust Mastery songs, the live disc has three WL&S songs –It’s A Hit, The Great Escape, and Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt, which are different from the “under the sea” versions. Max Hart can be heard playing the pedal steel and it seems that Chris has gotten better at his harmonies. The acoustic version of Lethal Enforcer strips down the 80’s feel for a swinging western feel which also compliments the lyrics and Keith’s voice rather well. So for those of you bitching about how BTM sounds too different, chew on this. It even includes the banter and Chris picking up a phone call in the middle of Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt. Commissioner Cain can do this and pull it off sketch-comedy style.
NOW, onto the studio recording. What everyone will appreciate is that the album comes with a lyrics booklet this time. Not that they need it–Keith’s voice is stronger and confident, less reliant on pop punk stylings that were rising circa Safety Fun & Learning (released in 2002). Before I go into what I thought about the songs, I want to point out that the underground success of WL&S allowed the band for more experimentation in the studio. This was their time to take what they had been crafting on the road and give it more than just the drums/bass/guitar formula. There’s the buzzing synth on Ghouls to give life to a one-line chorus and the moody saxophone on That’s What Counts to conclude the album, but the song that really shines because of the instrumental diversity is After Hours. Organ, piano, tiny bells, crescendoing church bell–these are all sonic flourishes that make After Hours a rich and uplifting anthem.
LISTEN: After Hours
edit: I initially did not talk very much about the first track, Ghouls (this one is in fact Ethan Fogus’s favorite song), because the message is very clear in the composition of the song–this is the stripped down, this is the bare bones, they start out with this and by the time the album ends they have elaborated on the same idea in a different fashion. It reminds me of “The Ghost of You Lingers” but instead of being light and fleeting, Ghouls drags you down with heavy notes and vulnerable lyrics which invite an image of the narrator being stuck in a quicksand relationship. In fact, it reminds me of “We Suck Young Blood” more in terms of evoking a sense of dead weights on you while listening.
The reason why Brain Thrust Mastery has the ability to grow on you is due largely to We Are Scientists’ ability to pick and choose nuggets from different musical periods and integrate them into a style that is reminiscent of their earlier releases, such as the Inaction EP. I love the 80’s nod in Lethal Enforcer with the graceful pizzicato guitar but can also really appreciate the power pop feel of the following song, Impatience. Let’s See It makes me a fool every time I hear the New Order-esque guitar line come in at the bridge of the song; Cain’s fuzzy, loud bass ushers the song along at a groovy pace even though it’s a tad slower than what fans are normally used to from With Love and Squalor. The fuzz bass comes back in by track six, Tonight, but I find the arrangement on that song a little dull and the bass can only do so much to counteract those annoyingly ominous bells. Nevertheless, I noticed that We Are Scientists implemented what I think is a contrasting verse-chorus format throughout Tonight (and especially towards the end).
Spoken For is the softest track on album, but also contains the strongest transition of the album. I’m not sure how I feel about the almost-metal breakdown; it’s quite pronounced and almost ruins the song for me. Altered Beast takes it back up a notch though. This is Ethan Fogus’s favorite least favorite (to paraphrase “cookie cutter arrangement reminiscent of SF&L“) song and the drums really reiterate the pounding bass but could use a little less smashing on the crash cymbal if it’s not going to be as ferocious asChick Lit. Speaking of which, wow, what a ridiculous cock rock feel to this tune. Remember Ram It Home? Chick Lit is all that, add clapping, muffled crowd shouts, flaring guitars and a funky bass that makes a pronounced appearance right before the chorus at the end the song. Well, I still like Ram It Home better, but seeing as Chick Lit is full of surreptitious death threats, I can’t be surprised if it varies from the hormone-ranging aesthetics of Ram it Home.
LISTEN: Chick Lit
Dinosaurs is a bit acoustically constrained, but I do like the part where Keith sings that “Soon it will come and pass us by/The shifting tones and the rising tide/We’ll learn to swim or learn to die/Be cast in stone or cast aside.” He weaves poetic elements to a this-or-that logic throughout the album which I really appreciate. The last track, That’s What Counts, initially put me off because I heard it and thought, “Wtf? R&B? uhhhh…” Nevertheless, the lilting vocals can’t help but make me want to sing along. Unfortunately I won’t be able to sing along to these live because I’ll be in Kansas City while they play Pittsburgh on August 11th (@ Diesel w/ Oxford Collapse), but if We Are Scientists keep up their fastidious pace I’m sure that I’ll see them again soon.
BUYING:
I wouldn’t buy the sketchy two disc versions off of Amazon that are under 20 bucks…will have more information up about the this. Insound.com pretty much has the best deal on the album itself at $12.99.
Buttonhead are an experimental noise rock band from London who can really blur the line between insane and reserved. There are parts in their songs where I ask myself if they are not maybe a twee band in disguise. I first heard their song “Boys in the Ball Pool” a year ago, and it wasn’t even the full version where after the crazy crescendo, it calms down and goes into soft chanting. Well luckily, Buttonhead has decided to put their Weetabix Gigabyte EP up for FREE download in celebration of their upcoming debut. You can download it here:
Weetabix Gigabyte free download
Ever since I got the thing, I can’t stop listening to it. It is catchy in a very bizarre way. Definitely a sound I don’t get to encounter very often. It’s thrashingly beautiful and a complete steal. listen to it NOW!! their original myspace bulletin about the decision:
In light of our forthcoming debut single we’ve made our first demo, Weetabix Gigabyte, available for all to download, in glorious 256kbps quality, from our myspace (or here). We’ve also thrown in a few extras to keep you warm through those pummelled stomach nights.
We hope they might bring you joy, pugs and dreams of quarter sized yellow pages.
FORT NIGHTLY
The White Rabbits’ debut album is the best thing I have heard since I listened to The Boggs. They are what you would get if you mashed up Beirut and the Walkmen. Despite the fact that their songs are incredibly upbeat, they still sound a bit sinister. Everything about them with the exception of their bassist, comes in twos. They have two drummers, two vocalists, two guitarist, and twice as much enthusiasm as any band could possibly have. There is nothing sloppy about this album—every song is clean and layered, not a sloppy riff or piano stroke exists. I love every song on this album, except maybe March of the Camels. I don’t even know what to say, I’m pretty flustered with infatuation.
recommended tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11
sounds like: robbers on high street, the strokes
DOWNLOAD:
The Plot
While We Go Dancing
YOURS AS FAST AS MINE
When I first heard The Main Drag, I thought they were just another addition to the whole punk-pop genre. After listening to the whole album, I can safely say that was a hasty judgment. The first track uses a marching band percussion element paired with some xylophone to hold up the beautiful anthem they sing. The title tracks rolls full throttle into some western riffs via lap steel and demonstrates the same ballad skills as the first song, punctuating that with a delicate violin accompaniment. Although I don’t really like their single, I can see why they picked it, as it is the most accessible song on the album.
recommended tracks: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8
sounds like: hellogoodbye, tokyo police club
DOWNLOAD:
Swine Houses
What’s Yr Favorite Dinosaur?
IN WITH
The Ex-Boyfriends are straight outta the 90’s. I can’t listen to them and not feel like I’m stuck swimming in some terrible time warp. With that being said, there are still tracks on the album which are very enjoyable. I think their vocals work much better on the slower tracks—on the fast songs it just sounds really annoying and nasally. The song “Situation” is a great example where their vocalist expertly controls his sound in order to set up a very atmospheric track. “The Sound of Music” works in the same line of creativity; the song starts with a bassline that evokes Smashing Pumpkins, and then progresses to the chorus with some well placed “oh oh’s.” My favorite song on the record has to be “Saving Face” though, because it really sums up their sound without containing any hackneyed elements. It also incorporates fast and slow elements without sounding bad. Although I wouldn’t buy this album, I’d probably go see them live.
recommended tracks: 3, 4, 7, 9, 10
sounds like: foo fighters, greenday
DOWNLOAD:
Situation
Saving Face
A couple of short album reviews I did for the WRCT, reprinted here for your benefit:
THE CITY THE FOREST
Although singer and guitarist Rick Colado sounds precariously like Julian Casablancas in the chorus of “Appley”, Julius Airwave’s sound is much less terse than that of the Strokes. By weaving some incredibly infectious melodies with varying layers of piano, organ, synthesizers, and xylophone, Julius Airwave creates an eclectic sound–teetering somewhere between pop and post-punk. There are even patches of folk-driven guitar parts, in the first track and in the jangly ballad of “Marina.” Unfortunately, there are times when the piano arrangements sound dreadfully like a Yanni recreation (aka avoid track 3). Nevertheless, they are definitely one of the better bands coming out of Florida.
recommended tracks: 2, 5, 7, 10
sounds like: interpol, the strokes, division day
DOWNLOAD:
Glory, Glory
Für
WE CAN CREATE
Apparently, creating albums on a 16-track recorder is good for the spirit. For James Chapman it means that every song is created with an enormous level of care and attention. Although Maps’ sound can be easily labeled as electronic, many of the songs tend to evoke the musical elements of shoegaze instead (minus the hypnotic guitars). Add some trippy drums and euphoric synths and then you have the lovechild of rave and noise pop. Citing Low as his favorite band, Chapman doesn’t try and hide their influence on his style. The tracks tend to follow one another quite smoothly, resulting in an aurally satisfying straight listen that is superimposed with nonsensical lyrics.
recommended tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7,
sounds like: my bloody valentine, spiritualized
DOWNLOAD:
So Low, So High
It Will Find You
Filed under: album reviews
The Robbers on High Street are back, although I can safely say that my 13.98 certainly wasn’t stolen. Grand Animals, which was produced by Daniele Luppi (of Gnarls Barkley fame), contains a few familiar gems like “The Fatalist” and “Married Young” among heavy-hitting winners like “Crown Victoria”. Unlike the 2005 effort of Tree City however, the band has tried to explore new territories with slow ballads like “The Ramp” and the sweet slowcore of “Your Phantom Walks the Hall” (which inevitably reminds me of Beulah).
Although there have been many comparisons of the Robbers to Spoon, I sure didn’t enjoy Kill the Moonlight as much as I did Tree City. Ben Trokan’s cowboy crooning does evoke some Britt Daniel, but Spoon’s sound is much more terse. Let me explain further: whereas Spoon exhumes a certain mood from a psyche that you’ve forgotten, the Robbers on High Street prick the very part of you that’s been waiting to let loose. There’s a behavior to their music that takes on a whole new life when put into an album.
My favorite song on the album is probably “Nasty Numbers”; the melody moves around like a pretty girl in a slinky dress. the vocals, guitar, and drums all work uncluttered with a simple manner that’s very enheartening. It’s a great song to put on a mixtape for a long roadtrip when all you wanna do is throw your seat back and rest your feet on the dash. “You Don’t Stand a Chance” is a close contender, though, with its funky groove and soulful organ. The instrumentals contrast against the somber lyrics, which revolve around working oppressive jobs for the corporate Man. Although I don’t care much for the last two songs, they are appropriate closers. This was a decent sophomore effort for a band that’s been taking their chops from Elvis Costello and the Kinks. I’d still rather shell my money out on Gax5 though, that’s for sure.
Ok so maybe I should be careful about what kind of impression I send out to my readers but I’m not all that concerned about it right now. It just so happens that I just enjoy holding things and taking pictures with them. In fact, I would hold you and take a picture too! How special is that? Pretty darned speshul.
Anyway, I have been wanting to buy this Headlights album for ages. I heard T.V. a year ago. However, the mp3 file was unlabeled so I had no idea who it was for the longest time…it could have been Camera Obscura for all I knew. When I finally found out that Headlights were the masterminds of such charming pop beauty, I was surely hooked. Plus, they have a short interim song called, “The Midwest is the Best” for goodness sake! Ain’t that the truth. Headlights make me think of sundresses, daisies, cakes, swishers, sandals, robins, making out, and wandering through swaying fields during the night. Maybe a shetland pony too. Yeah, all things that will shoot cupid’s arrow through a young girl’s heart.
The album is comprised of fourteen tracks, but four of those tracks are actually shorts made to bridge the songs. I had already heard eight out of ten of the actual songs because I am a no good pirate, yet I was still pleased when hearing the album the way it should have been heard countless times before. Some of the most touching lyrics come through on track four, where Erin Fein sings with heartbreaking placation to “take us apart and put us back together right, so we can leave on our feet in the night.” The band then hits on the bleakness of adulthood by proclaiming on track nine that “lullabies never worked when I was young and they won’t work now.” It seems perplexing that they can sing with the tenderness that a mother sings to a baby but with the truthful words that a father lays down for his eldest son. Despite these gems, my favorite track is the twelfth, Hi-Ya!. The keyboards bouncing along with the drums make it the most jubilant song on a truly sweet record.
BUY KILL THEM WITH KINDNESS HERE
Oh by the way, the artist who did the album artwork for Headlights is Samantha Grasso, a young graduate of Ringling who now currently lives in Kansas City and works for Hallmark. What a small world! I’d known of her before I bought the album so it was a nice surprise. It was like finding out that Brendan Monroe did all the album artwork for David and the Citizens, haha.
