From rainy nights in Glasgow to sunny afternoons in Los Angeles, Jihae and Wallace Meek have kept their collective nose to the grind in spirit of making quality pop music. Their latest brainchild, Neverever, is set to drop its debut release, Angelic Swells, today on Slumberland.
“Here Is Always Somewhere Else” properly introduces a record which shape-shifts through several different decades worth of sound scape. By way of balladry, with Jihae’s androgynous vocals falling somewhere between a croon and a wail like a female version of the Smoking Popes‘ Josh Caterer, “Somewhere Else” calls to mind early ’60s pop rock with a twist of distortion, or any other group that thrived upon mid-tempo swoon tunes ripe for American steel make out sessions. “Blue Genes,” however, signifies Neverever’s inclination for the delicate side of punk, upping the meter and falling into a familiar kick pattern behind the kit.
And while the performance nuances of both Meeks are strong throughout Angelic Swells, the duo is no doubt strongest when hearkening to their obvious love of the old school. Standing out among the crowd would be the chord pattern and verse melody of “Teardrop Tattoo,” a near replication of Curtis Lee’s 1961 doo-wop-inspired classic, “Pretty Little Angel Eyes.”
So if you’re near Los Angeles come June 14, do a favor to your pop bone and catch Neverever playing a one-off at the 2 Headed Horse in Echo Park.
London-based three-piece Male Bonding have officially anounced their presence with the release of a debut full-length for Sub Pop, Nothing Hurts.
Combining the quick-pace and short duration of mid-’90s pop punk with indie-fried arrangements and production, Male Bonding is capable of satisfying both radio rock laymen and Pitchfork snobs with washy guitars and hook-laden melodies.
“All Things This Way” sets the early tone for Nothing Hurts, with Kevin Hendrick grabbing attention by way of refrain (“Keep me waiting!”) while clocking in at under a minute-thirty. At track five “Franklin” drops the BPM and picks through a surf-inspired guitar melody, while “T.U.F.F.” and it’s use of cowbell call to mind old school Bad Brains. A curveball is later thrown with the album’s closer, “Worse To Come,” which features the Vivian Girls and drops all percussion, enhancing vocal melody and sending Nothing Hurts out a gentle, well-manicured lion.
Standing as the last bastion of Northwestern rock ‘n’ roll before crossing the Canadian border (while at the same time managing to support multiple record stores in a city of just 78,000), Bellingham, WA, the “City of Subdued Excitement,” is something of a novelty.
It is, however, no surprise to happen upon a quality musical outfit from said locale at complete random, the latest of which touring through Northern California happens to be the psychotic math rock beast known as Dog Shredder.
A power trio compiled from Black Eyes & Neckties and Cicadas, it’s a little unfair to call Dog Shredder “math rock,” seeing as the genre as a whole has become rather tired in that it so easily reeks of masturbatory technicalities. Dog Shredder, though, manages to harness schizophrenic time signatures and steer clear of prog cliches. While some of Shredder’s influences are obvious, evidenced by their 11-minute cover of Yes’ “Heart of the Sunrise,” the group offers in addition to ’70s prog a ferocious dose of aggressive punk rock riffage, and at times you might swear a touch of Reverend Horton Heat was breaking through to the surface.
Currently, Dog Shredder has only a two-song EP to offer (albeit 23 minutes in length), which is comprised of “Boss Rhino” and the above mentioned Yes cover. The group does, however, plan on releasing a full-length in 2010.
-Jacob Sprecher
Three years from the release of A Child But In Life Yet A Doctor In Love and rearing to put forth their second and self-titled LP, San Francisco’s Magic Bullets have offered up “Lying Around” as the album’s first single. Despite the lengthy wait, the Bullets stay true to their brand of Morrissey/Echo and The Bunnymen-inspired pop rock, and the aforementioned 7″ is certainly verification of just that. Phil Benson flutters his voice to and fro in familiar fashion as he begs listeners not to “ act like I’m untrue,” while guitarist Corey Cunningham gracefully wrists his way through licky chord changes. And again, as per usual, Colin Dobrin turns in a more-than-stellar performance behind the kit, lending the bounce to which Benson and fans alike can’t help but pogo.
Look for Magic Bullets on June 15th courtesy of Mon Amie Records, and catch the group live at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill May 30th.
The late-spring breezes of the Windy City now have more than just dying Cubbie quails to float through the air. Enter Light Pollution, a four-piece of synth-driven melancholy full of warm piss and vinegar, wafting about with their first full-length offering, Apparitions.
Beginning with “Good Feelings,” Apparitions initially summon thoughts of Band of Horses with James Cicero’s high-pitched croon behind a dreamy rhythm section and reverb-soaked guitars and keys. The mood picks up with “Oh, Ivory,” segueing with pleasantry into the disjointed Phil Spector feel of “Drunk Kids” (boom, boom boom, kah!). While “Fever Dreams” buzzes the almost-disco-pop-but-you’re-in-the-clear meter, Light Pollution set themselves back on track with five minutes of harmonious dirge in the form of “Deyci, Right On,” organ drone and all (which at this point begins to land the group heavily in the Galaxie 500/Walkmen realm). Continuing with spacey experimentalism on the subsequent track, “Bad Vibes,” “All Night Outside” and “Witchcraft” then return with a double shot of melody before “Ssslowdreamsss” takes Apparitions out with seven minutes of ethereal vocals and subdued slow-chord groove that’d make Jason Lytle proud.
All and all a more-than-worthy debut from a group not afraid of indulging their shoegaze sweet tooth, available June 8th on Carpark Records. MP3: “Oh, Ivory!”
-Jacob Sprecher
Truly great videos match the aesthetic of the original song. Like how a Hype Williams video pairs nicely with million-dollar rap production. So what better way to make a video for the bedroom synth-pop genius that is Penguin Prison, than by filming said video from his bedroom using Skype? Director Roman Rappak took a Skype conversation with Penguin Prison and filtered it into a beautiful psychedelic wash–a simple concept but truly fitting. Check out Penguin Prison at Neon Gold Records.
-Kirt Lind
Southern dandy stoner/doom juggernauts Zoroaster have officially completed work on their second LP, Matador, which is now set for a July release date. Issued by E1 Music, Matador will have large shoes to fill, as Voice of Saturn (put out in the spring of ’09) was nothing short of heavy brilliance. But intuition says that the forthcoming release won’t be anything to scoff at (can voices in the dead of night count as intuition?), and will most likely blow any and all hair straight back. Look for the Atlanta-based trio in a city near you as Zoroaster takes to the road in June alongside Black Tusk and Dark Castle. Tour dates are as follows:
Jun 15th The Nick Birmingham AL
Jun 16th Hi Tone Café Memphis TN
Jun 17th The Conservatory Oklahoma City OK
Jun 18th The Lounge on Elm St. Dallas TX
Jun 19th Emo’s Austin TX
Jun 21st Burt’s Tiki Lounge Albuquerque NM
Jun 23rd Ramona Mainstage Ramona CA
Jun 24th Viper Room West Hollywood CA
Jun 25th Oakland Metro Oakland CA
Jun 26th Thee Parkside San Francisco CA
Jun 28th Satyricon Portland OR
Jun 29th Funhouse Seattle WA
July 1st Club Vegas Salt Lake City UT
July 2nd Larimer Lounge Denver CO
July 3rd Riot Room Kansas City MO
July 4th Turf Club St Paul MN
July 6th Empty Bottle Chicago IL
July 7th Southgate House Newport KY
July 8th 31st St Pub Pittsburgh PA
July 9th Webster Hall Studio New York, NY
July 10th Khyber Philadelphia PA
July 17th The Earl Atlanta GA
To classify Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog as Rolling Stone recently did, that is, “classic rockers” with “a sound all their own,” is a simplistic disservice to such a splendid little band. Because while this five-piece of brotherly love owes plenty to ‘60s pop a la The Beatles and The Band, Shame, Shame takes Dr. Dog to new levels of prodigy, blurring the line between discernable derivation and the natural ebb of originality. Shame, Shame comes down as Dr. Dog’s fourth proper release, and finds the band with a new label (Anti-) and drummer (Eric Slick). From the gate the album differs greatly from its predecessor, Fate, as “Stranger” and “Shadow People” usher in a record that owes little to the country-fried musings of Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm. Rather, Shame, Shame revels in the hooks of We All Belong, harnessing progressive pop sensibilities in the wild-eyed drive of “Later” and the mid-tempo sing-song status of “Jackie Wants A Black Eye.” And while listeners may still search for exactly why Dr. Dog sounds so familiar, the answer is now less clear, as this is a band rolling in its own artistic stride. -Jacob Sprecher
