Pueblo People - Giving Up On People (2015)

I always envision I'm gonna be able to make the most of the two day weekend every week. It is a pretty novel concept for me, my current job is the first time I've had two days off in a row without holiday or a special event since I started working. While I plan in my mind to crank through a bunch of music, I never am as productive as I'd like. The outside is so enticing after all. Yet as far as I'm concerned there's few better ways to begin a day then lazily listen to lo-fi rock while consuming an entire pot of hot coffee.

What I got to hear today was the full-length follow up from an Italian musician whose EP I posted up some time ago. I recall that release, Sentiero di Guerra, fondly and my description of it as "a Bright Eyes from 1976" still feels accurate. I thought I was pretty damned witty. Anyhow, this new album still bears a considerable amount of Saddle Creek-esque sound. If I told you this fella was from Nebraska you'd have little reason to question me. Regardless of where he's actually from, it seems like he jump his stylistic influences up a couple decades for Giving Up On People. Whereas the EP has long, fuzzy and sorta progressive feeling tracks the full-length contains shorter and more decidedly post-emo indie rock tunes. Makes for a delightful mixture of cozy nostalgia and warm lo-fi humming even with the gloomy lyrics, in fact largely because of those angsty lyrics.

To be had here:
Pueblo People - Giving Up On People

No Crowd Surfing - Pretending I'm Not Here (2014)

I am finding myself listening to submissions late at night. Not sleeping well these days, mostly because I'm fretting over everything and in particular my shitty car. I have been shifting it by jamming my index finger into where the shifter once was and rotating the steering column with my other hand. Basically, things have been far from ideal. But the music keeps coming and so long as I can pay the phone bill I have some little access to the internet to hear it. Tonight a band that sounds incredibly familiar for it being from thousands of miles south of Hamtramck's unplowed streets.

No Crowd Surfing are from Cianorte, Brazil. This isn't where most anyone I know would have guessed first, even excepting the fact that they've never heard of this medium-sized city in the south of Brazil. Furthermore, it isn't just because they sing in English. What and how they're playing was so geographically disconnecting for me and I imagine for most North American listeners. Pretending I'm Not Here is an album that could very easily be passed off as emanating from Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, Hartford or countless other American cities. You'd be wrong though, and I only bring this up as it shows the influence of these Brazilian musicians lies heavily in the genres popular in my own adolescence here in Michigan. These are lyrically driven songs with full to bordering on cacophonous instrumentation that are the result of low fidelity recording techniques, an option made out of necessity as much as anything else. As for those lyrics, they're angsty and charged, you know, like emotional rock so thoroughly was back in the late 90s and right after the turn of the decade. No Crowd Surfing hasn't reinvented the wheel, yet they've proven themselves capable musicians and most admirably holding to an aesthetic they clearly relate to. I'd like to explain that when I was a teenager this music drove me crazy, but as I get older and see it from a more elongated view I can see the charm in it I missed as a confused, sixteen year old fan of Lou Reed and Freddie Mercury.

To be had here:
No Crowd Surfing - Pretending I'm Not Here

EP Grab Bag vol. 65

This a damned epic EP Grab Bag. Not that I don't like what I've put of others, I wouldn't bother to write it up if I disliked it, but these songs all hit my ears at the right time, with me throughly yearning for some garage punk and psychedelic that makes up so much of my musical diet. So like a boozehound with a bottle of jack, I gulped all these EPs right up and this is what I can recall from the fantastic experience.

To be had here:

Divided Minds - Strangers EP (2014)

Another lo-fi punk rock release from Zagreb's Doomtown Records. You may recall the Modern Delusions album I wrote up a few weeks ago, and if you liked that this is most certainly a must listen for you. Four short, fast and relatively roughly hewn tracks that excellently convey anexity without getting whiney. Sounds very much like old school punk of the 70s, guitar heavy and very quick and clamorous drums. There'll be more to come from Doomtown's awesome catalog soon enough as well.

Qúetzal Snåkes - Lovely Sort of Death EP (2014)

Here is a most fucking amazing EP from French garage rockers with a very metal looking name. However, the music isn't metal at all, rather it is psychedelic garage rock that mixes dreamy, hypnotic rhythms in with fuzzy guitar playing. After having taken a spill off my bicycle last night and being rather battered and sore, this music is exactly what I wanna hear in lieu of any actual drugs to take my mind stinging in my hands. It seems rather likely that you can enjoy it without getting hurt as well. A damned fine EP for sure. Stream on BC but you can buy it on vinyl from Howlin' Banana for ten Euros.

Lazy Aftershow - The Gutter Tapes (2014)

Here is a fresh release from a recently written-up Greek psychedelic band from Thessaloniki. Or perhaps you heard a track of theirs on a recent episode of the podcast. Naturally, should you have enjoyed those this will surely tickle your fancy. Moreover, this is a sweet peaking of my use of music as drugs, with the very krautrock yet folksy psychedelic guitar noodling and steadily beating percussion. A damned fine follow up to the album they put out last year that excellent met my desire to hear more from these fellas. "Sunshine Over Grass Fields" is a winner for sure.

Local Onlys - Mt. Wister EP (2014)

Local Onlys are from a city I've had my eye on for some time as a city perhaps a bit less shitty than mine but not too nice so as to weird me out, Philadelphia. They're trio of garage punks who've put together a remarkably catchy EP of short rock numbers. And yes, they've got the angst, but seem to be dealing with it in an keenly humorous lyrical content and some of the fucking most cheerful guitar I've heard it some time from a punk outfit. Amazingly fine, especially for only a second EP from some college students.

baby dog - hinterlude (2014)

Gotta come down from that rocking high at some point, but why not ease yourself down with some emo rock from a band with the somewhat upsetting name of baby dog? I did it and I liked it as a throw back to what I recall the late 90s as, but like most things from the late 90s, this is a bit better than I remember shit being back then. I guess I got to hear this with my ass in a seat with a beer though instead of standing in a hot room with stupid kids like me. Plus this has got Garrett Linck whose music I've happy reviewed before, so trust him if not me.

EP Grab Bag vol. 64

Another collection of diverse and bizarre EPs that I pulled out of the inbox. From Los Angles to Edinburgh, Scotland with serval other locales represented as well. Hell the last one even want to get your help making a movie. So I guess hear this shit and be happier for it.

To be had here:

LOCAS - Locas Demonstration (2014)

A demo from an Los Angles band that makes lo-fi rock and roll in some unexplored middle ground between garage and emo. An immediate description might make this band not sound like my cup of tea with the the vocals being heavier than I normally prefer and the flourishes being for reminiscent of emotional hardcore of years ago, but I really enjoyed these songs nonetheless. I wish that the horrible bands I had to hear at the local shows in the Port Huron area could have been anywhere near as good as this group is. Also, I love how they tagged it as “gender is a construct,” how very punk.

The Joy Kills - The Joy Kills Everyone (2014)

An Atlanta-based band put out by Blood Drunk Records. The Joy Kills makes garage punk that has some of the Southern lo-fi soulful sound of Oblivions and Compulsive Gamblers. The singing reminds me of a metal band, for reasons I am not completely sure of, but I like it all the more for it. It is a solid set of four tracks and a good start for this group, though I think it would be great to hear some loud organ in the mix. The label touted their live show, and they’re going on a tour through the southeast US and up to Chicago and Cincinnati this month.

Wozniak - Pikes Peak (2014)

Wozniak is a Scottish band that plays instrumental post-rock with some touches of shoegaze and psychedelia thrown in. Pikes Peak is a dreamy EP that has some really finely done tracks, the production value of this is better than most of the music that comes in, not that it is a negative for those without it. My favorite track is “Columbo's Car” where they cut loose a bit and get a bit heavier, but the single from the EP, “El Maresme” is very alluring as well.

Fleshy Mounds - You’re Welcome (2014)

This is some really lo-fi and sleazy punk rock put out by More Power Tapes. It has the raunchy, growling tone of irreverence that I have found appealing in bands such as the Mae Shi, Le Shok and Lake of Dracula. In many ways it brought me right back to my high school years and the loud, rude punk rock that I was enamored with at the time. It is a fine visit back, but I do think these guys could either way towards a more insanity or calm it down and get something even more appealing. The EP is short but won’t say sweet as that isn’t the fucking point.

Preludes - Buried Under Salt (2014)

Another single with a b-side from this reoccurring Grab Bag band, Preludes. Like previous releases this is a touching and sparsely composed couple of songs that aren't quite like anything else I post or listen to. Still I cannot resist writing up these sweet dream pop singles as they put them out. And get this shit, they wanna make a film that is inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and running a kickstarter to gather the funds for it. Seems like it could interesting, perhaps you'll look into it, yes?

Dorena - Nuet (2013)

We have been getting a lot of pretty, mostly instrumental post-rock as of late, and this release from Deep Elm Records is just another jewel to be added to that crown. This Swedish band is well served by the professional, polished recording used to create this set of songs, with the lush harmonics melding well with the ethereal "vocals" presented by Kim Ruiz. The few times she actually delivers actual words, I was pleased to see them in her native Swedish. On Dandelion, she sings "Maskros. Jag finns kvar. Mjuk bris. När du far. Jag ligger i mylla. Jag finner dig en dag" which translates to "Dandelion. I'm still here. A soft breeze. When you leave. I'll crawl through soil. I'll find you one day." Clearly, the band has been influenced by bands like Sigur Ros and the various groups they left in their wake, but when you are putting together songs this well, who cares who came before you. Nuet stands on its own merits.

Even better, this is a free download and one that will sit well as the soundtrack to the theoretical film about your life.

Get it here:
Dorena - Nuet (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 58

Here sort of a mish-mash of all kinds of music that I found in the submission pile. International, mutli-genred, and thematically divergent but all united by some fine artistry.

To be had here:

How Scandinavian - The Educator (2014)

An overdue return of the mid-fi wonders, How Scandinavian. The Educator is the newest single by the group but sports enough supporting tracks that it pretty much an EP. The title track is a fine example of the whimsical song-writing that makes their music charming and the lyrics are rather witty if I understood them correctly. The second track is a neat jazzy number and then you'll be treated to a cover of the Beach Boys, which is never a bad thing. Finally a live track from the full-length I still recommend you hear, Dolorous.

Отстой - Сахара (2014)

I hope there's no situation where I have to try to pronounce this band's name, but I will pronounce these tracks to be righteous garage rock. This EP was submitted from St. Petersburg, Russia and has some very skillful written rock songs. These aren't the short ditties that we often get (and do enjoy), rather they're a bit longer and show the progress of a musician from the earlier wild, lo-fi songs on earlier Тупым EP. I haven't a clue what Дальше только даунхилл means yet it kept me coming back for listen after listen.

Nanaki - Afterlight (2014)

Likely our first submission from the Isle of Mann, Nanaki is a revived musical project with its first original release in 10 years. Five instrumental tracks that vary from post-rock to near-drone, but all with a heavy art rock vibe. The songs sound sophisticated in an appreciable fashion, and I believe he was aiming for that. The whole EP is done well and makes for a fine listen, yet above all I found the track "When Legs Go Bad" to be exceptionally pleasant to hear.

Good Empire - Good Empire (2014)

Good Empire are from Charlotte but I swear they could be a version of what I grew up hearing at the tiny, busted ass venues in my home county only like fifty times better. It is somewhere between garage rock, 90s alternative and emo (they even tagged it that way), but I don't want any of that to scare you off. I was always I proponent of a theory that any genre can be done well (expect ska), and here is proof of what potential songs that aren't oppressively emo being preformed excellently and being remarkably endearing.

The Hours - Steady Glazed Eyes (2014)

To end the quite diverse Grab Bag I've got some psychedelic rock from Winnipeg. Only two tracks here and it is still enough to let you know that this band has some incredible talent. It is thoroughly seeped in 60s psychedelia and the neo-psych of Echo and the Bunnymen-esque bands. They never get fast or guitar-heavy, remaining more dreamy and blissed out. If this is an indication of what an LP from this group could sound like I think we should all be eager to get our hands on it as soon as possible.

Little Big League - ST 7 Inch (2013)

You know you are old when you see a style of music come, go, come back, fall out of fashion, and re-surge yet again. Granted, this is not my first life on this earth, but that is beside the point. Now that Emo has gone through its “hair metal” phase, the best parts of the genre have bubbled out of the underground yet again.  Case in point: Little Big League from Philadelphia.

Simple guitar arrangements are used, but it’s the restraint on the vocal end that really makes this a great little 7 inch. Michelle Zauner I not new to the party, and has performed with some other notable acts like Post Post, and puts just enough poetic flair and angst into these tracks, allowing the group to avoid the trappings of other notable Emo acts. 

Tiny Engines is putting this one out, and they have been especially strong with their release schedule as of late. Grab a copy of this before they are all stored away and cherished in adolescent record collections across the country. 

Get it here:

Little Big League – ST 7 Inch (2013)

EP Grab Bag vol. 33

Some of these releases are fully fledged records, but in an attempt to catch up on some of the backlog, here they are in brief. 

Glories – Mother Reverb (2013)

A nice slab of twinkly goodness from Alabama. I think I referenced the Appleseed Cast in another review a few weeks back, but those Low Level Owl records must have made quite the impact on impressionable young musicians some years back. As for this record, you get lots of long songs with dueling guitars picking very pretty yet forlorn melodies that slowly build to an pleasing crescendo. My favorite track happens to be the last one (“Let’s Not Rush Out and Tell Everyone”), as it perfectly wraps up this strong set.

Vacanza – Cancello (2013)

I have been told that cities around Italy have been experiencing some interesting punk sounds for the last two decades, but as I have never been I simply have to take people’s word for it. If I did happen to drop in on some anarchist squat and heard the sounds Vacanza produce come through the sound system, I would be tickled. The group produces music on the screamy end of what we used to call Emo back in the late 90s. You know, lots of Dischord and Level Plane Records influences. I really enjoy that the group sings in their native tongue and doesn’t try to play to a foreign market’s expectations.

Horrible Houses – The Yellow House (2013)

Another great release from Sweden’s best current outsider folkster. Like a lot of outsider art, a lot of these songs sound like sketches produced in the bought of mental illness, drugs, or all of the above. In the case of Horrible Houses, the music has a remote, stoned feeling to it that helps capture in my mind what the frozen wilderness of Sweden must look like in the summer. “The Rebuilding of the Adelphi Rolling Grist Mill” was the track that called out to me more than once.  

Lou Breed – Stoned Out Two: Morning of the Way to Love (2013)

Back to Los Angeles for some more weird pop jams. I came across Lou Breed back in February when someone at Burgerama told me that I would probably like the band, but with all the cheap beer and garage rock I was digesting that night I forgot the band’s name. This is a pleasant but odd surprise. Songs like “Fellow Americans” sound like they could have been on a popular 80s rock station if a few of the song’s elements were adjusted for a mainstream audience. It’s odd, it’s weird, it’s good. 

Czar Rose – The Jet Black Pope (2013)

I generally like to end my listening session with something evil or satanic. You have to keep rock and roll evil kids! Czar Rose is a group from Los Angeles that throw together gloomy, electronically influenced pop songs that are on the light end of psychedlia. The lyrics and synth lines create a chant like result that is efficient in setting the tone the group is clearly looking for. When the demonic vocals come in with a rap cadence on “Music Comes (Alive)”, you know you are entering the fourth level of hell.

EP Grab Bag vol. 32

Some fine submissions from the last two months that I am just now getting around to posting.

Pilgrimage – EP (2013)

Some great twinkly post-rock from Florida.  If you had told me these guys toured with the Appleseed Cast in 2004, I would not have doubted you. These kids could ride that new wave of Emocore that seems to be picking up steam from the East, but without all the residual style crap that modern radio has put on the style. “Police, Don’t Shoot me” is my favorite track off this EP, with its dueling guitar licks and full-throated impassioned growling. 

Dally – The Shine (2013)

On the other coast (and what sounds like another world) comes the LA group fronted by Green Gerry. Dreamy and distant is the order of the day, as these songs sound like they were recorded in an abandoned porn shop with a microphone that was placed in the restaurant next door. It works surprisingly well for this group’s first EP, and helps capture the isolation and disenchantment reflected in the morose lyrics accompanied by surprisingly appealing and clever tunes. 

Treasure of Grundo – Dýsantzú (2013)

I was worried I was in for an audible pummeling when I read this band’s description and saw the cover to the record. Industrial noise is getting less and less play on my turntable in the last few years. Perhaps an effect of growing older and more boring perhaps, but likely that I simply have lost contact with some of the stronger acts putting that kind of music together. But I was pleasantly surprised by what I found on this Netherlands based bands record. This is cinematic stuff that is much closer to gloom-pop than anything I expected to find. “I Karestan” is the standout track on this bad boy. 

Crimes – Thin Sunlight (2013)

Now this is what I’m talking about.  Reverb heavy garage rock with girl/boy vocal harmonious from Minneapolis? Yes please! I am sure these kids are tired of being compared to the Raveonettes, but if you are a fan of that style of garage rock, you have no reason not to buy the vinyl Crimes is selling. The well constructed vocal harmonies separate them from the pack (see the track “Wind Thistle”), and since they are going on tour this summer, you should catch them when they come to town. You know they will have nothing but shitty beer on hand, so help a touring group and buy them some top-shelf shit.