EP Grab Bag vol. 41

Marc Neibauer – Don’t Fall Apart (2013)

I have been in a twinkly guitar kick lately. Might be that my band is finishing up a few new releases, and we definitely leave the twinkly guitar licks out. Doesn’t mean I don’t dig that type of thing, and Marc does it well. This surprisingly polished work does evoke some of the prettier Sonic Youth and Pavement tracks from the 90s,  this is bedroom pop from someone who knows their way around an 8-track. Very enjoyable stuff, and free to download to boot.

 

The Swapsies – Another Game on Saturday (2013)

Producing pop-rock in Liverpool must be tough. A lot to live up to and all. Does the city permeate with Beatles nostalgia, or are young musicians free to create without the burden of excellence crushing their creative energy? The Swapsies may not live up to that aforementioned band’s skill, but they make some great clap-along pop jams. They even throw in a healthy dose of clapping with the recording to accompany the male/female vocal back and forth. It is fun, to the point, and need not be tethered to the past.

 

Springtime – South Hill (2013)

I love Fugazi. Not only is the band great musically, they continued to champion and articulate what a DIY ethics could be in music to the betterment of the world at large. Springtime come from Virginia, and there is little doubt they have also borrowed a great deal from the Dischord sound. Heck, they have a Fugazi cover on this 7 inch, which is great as far as I am concerned. Phat chords powered by Marshall amps and throaty vocals that don’t sound like high-schoolers trying to sound tough.

 

Nora and the Janitors – Girls Just Want to Have Gun (2013)

We don’t get many releases from North Dokota, and we rarely get someone name dropping Gorgias the Greek and Albert Camus the absurdist either. That can’t help but perk my interest, and thankfully the band’s sound is just as grand. Seamlessly crafted post-rock, these kids don’t let their literary repertoire get in the way of infectious music. “Banister” is my favorite track off this record, and while it is free to download, these folks are Kickstarting a vinyl release if you are inspired to pitch in.

 

Moduli – I Want to Kiss Your Girlfriend (2013)

I will be the first to say I don’t know much about the electro-pop scene, especially the vibrant scene in Europe. I generally like the music sonically, but the vocals leave me feeling wanting. This group from the Netherlands is about the same. If they worked on the vocal delivery, this could be some very enjoyable stuff, but as it is, most of our readers will probably skip over this single.  

 

 

 

Bataille Solarie – Documentaries (2013)

I have been a fan of the Oakland label Constellation Tatsu for nearly a year, and they put out some great collage centered electronic experimentation. These people take this stuff seriously. This is not throw away music or attempts at pop music that turned out too messy to release. These are full-fledged ideas and rhythms that have captured my attention and appreciation even on my third listen this evening. Highly recommended stuff.