Review: Ava Luna | Infinite House

For the uninitiated considering the group on proverbial paper (is paper still a thing?), Ava Luna should never work. The Brooklyn quintet's principal songwriters have distinctly different approaches to the band's singular, malleable sound! Their most distinctive sonic influences are R&B and soul music, yet they tour primarily with indie rock troupes! Their bass player keeps a robust tour diary centered on the food they eat on the road! Madness! But the band's air-tight and mesmerizing live shows and catalog of next-level recordings -- including last year's dynamite platter Electric Balloon and now Infinite House, a new collection released this week -- are proof-positive that Ava Luna's music is no haphazard, teetering house of cards.

Ava Luna excels at balancing a fluid and grooved sensibility with the noisier, more angular sounds band principals Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez routinely commit to tape for acts like Grass Is Green, Krill and Palehound whilst working their day-ish gigs engineering sessions at Brooklyn's Gravesend Recordings. Readers will recall we fell hard for the aforementioned and transcendent Electric Balloon [review], and were particularly struck by the nervy and boundless energy of its first side. That the band has turned around a new record as accomplished and unconstrained as Infinite House in a year is a testament to the powerful fecundity of Ava Luna. To our delight and surprise, Infinite House willingly subverts even the expectations created by the prior record, stretching the band's rubbery aesthetic across eleven tracks that subsume influences as disparate as dub ("Victoria") and house music ("Company").

While its horizons are more expansive and the no-wave and punk undertones of last year's excellent record are smoothed over, Infinite House is no less engaging and beguiling. Where Electric Balloon erupted out of the gate with "Daydream," a whirlwind art-funk number that's probably the band's most pronounced Talking Heads homage, Infinite House commences with the thrillingly unhinged and aforementioned "Company." The at-times cacophonous tune proffers pulsing, synth-led verses that nod in the direction of Stereolab or even Lali Puna, but willfully decomposes in a series of thuds during the smile-inducing chorus. "Tenderize" ups the funk with plucky bass notes that spangle a wash of guitar chords; the groove slowly unwinds in the tune's final minute in a thoughtful instrumental passage that exudes patience and confidence. The word-jazz, beat bouillabaisse "Steve Polyester" follows, echoes the vibe of classic work by Ken Nordine, and is easily Ava Luna's strangest, most alluring recording to date (a terrific, animated video for the tune was released this week and you can see it here). "Coat of Shellac" -- Felicia Douglas' star turn on the LP which you can stream below along with two other tunes -- is the set's catchiest composition, despite subdued verses held aloft by barely-there guitars and one hell of a bass line.

Infinite House is out now via Western Vinyl, and you can purchase a copy of the collection on LP or CD right here. The band embarks on a protracted tour today, which includes a stop on at O'Brien's in Boston's Allston Rock City Saturday; we've included all of the tour dates below. It is also well worth noting that Mr. Fader recently released to the wilds of the Internerds via Bandcamp a very lively and creative solo collection under the nomme de guerre Um Are; the set is called Child Prodigy and we highly recommend acquiring the paywhutchalike collection right here. -- Dillon Riley and Jay Breitling

Ava Luna: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds







04.24 -- Durham, NH -- Wildcat Den
04.25 -- Boston, MA -- O'Briens
04.26 -- New Paltz, NY -- SUNY New Paltz
04.28 -- Philadelphia, PA -- The Pharmacy
04.29 -- Baltimore, MD -- Metro Gallery
04.30 -- Washington, D.C. -- Comet Ping Pong
05.01 -- Richmond, VA -- Gallery5
05.02 -- Raleigh, NC -- Kings
05.03 -- Columbia, SC -- Brookland Tavern
05.04 -- Charleston, SC -- Royal American
05.05 -- Atlanta, GA -- 529
05.06 -- Savannah, GA -- Hangfire
05.07 -- Tallahassee, FL -- All Saints
05.08 -- New Orleans -- One Eyed Jacks
05.09 -- Houston, TX -- Walter's
05.11 -- Tucson, AZ -- Club Congress
05.13 -- Indio, CA -- Coachella Valley Art Scene
05.14 -- San Diego, CA -- Soda Bar
05.16 -- Los Angeles CA -- Pehrspace
05.17 -- Santa Barbara, CA -- Funzone
05.18 -- TBA
05.20 -- San Francisco, CA -- Brick & Mortar Music Hall
05.21 -- Oakland, CA -- 1-2-3-4 Go Records
05.22 -- Portland, OR -- Bunk Bar
05.23 -- Seattle, WA -- Cairo
05.24 -- Olympia, WA -- Obsidian
05.26 -- Boise, ID -- Neurolux
05.27 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- TBA
05.28 -- Denver, CO -- Leon Gallery
05.29 -- Lincoln, NE -- 2SMOOV
05.30 -- Chicago, IL -- Observatory
05.31 -- Detroit, MI -- New Dodge
06.01 -- Milwaukee, WI -- The Villa Terrace
06.02 -- Indianapolis, IN -- Joyful Noise
06.03 -- Knoxville, TN -- Pilot Light
06.04 -- Cincinnati, OH -- The Woodward
06.05 -- Columbus, OH -- Double Happiness

Review: Swings | Detergent Hymns

Historically speaking, indie rock has never put a huge premium on articulation. Indeed, the music many of us cut our teeth on largely got by on feeling alone, not specificity. Swings, a relatively new, slowcore-indebted concern from the fertile DC scene, proffers a unpredictable, shifting sound that neatly situates the band within independent music's collection of indefinite expressionists. Fronter Jamie Finucane possesses a remarkably emotive voice that one could deem marble-mouthed. For all the moods and motifs conveyed across the threesome’s oft-thrilling debut LP Detergent Hymns, pointing to a particularly gratifying lyrical couplet is an exercise in futility. This renders the record no less moving, however.

If anything, Mr. Finucane’s syrupy, meandering enunciations present a worthy foil to the uneasy tension established by the trio’s deft, imaginative playing. Swings' songs routinely fall in and out of rhythm, an approach that on the surface comports with the mopey preoccupation ascribed to like-minded bands. However, over multiple listens, the haphazard cadences prove well-calculated, perhaps cribbed from jazz or influenced by the late DJ Rashad. And so Swings' ability to sound equal parts improbably loose and delightfully concise emerges as a key element of the band's aesthetic.

Detergent Hymns commences with "Pale Trinity," a composition cast from slow, plodding guitar lines that establish a narcotic pacem albeit one spangled by jazz-y drum fills that materialize seemingly at random. Musically, the vibe suggests a maniacal reimagining of the palpable haze sonic forebears Galaxie 500 conjured with its LP On Fire. It's also a thoughtful extension of the tone set by last year's "Champagne" single. It's worth noting here that Swings was once an entirely different, and -- as the group would likely admit -- more pedestrian project oeprating under the moniker Anchor 3. With that context, Detergent Hymns represents a complete rebirth. The transition certainly bodes well for the young group, considering the boundless possibilities seemingly afforded by the fresh direction.

The graceful, pulsating "Heavy Manner," as well as the record's closing statement "Calling It," were pushed as preview tracks, but the highlight of Detergent Hymns may well be "Phlegm." The tune's uninviting title does little to detract from its winsome, rise-and-fall, dynamic appeal. That said, it's difficult to single out specific tracks, as the entire record is strong, and works well as a cohesive piece. Swings wrapped a short strand of live dates Saturday in Harrisonburg, VA, and -- as noted on its social media platforms -- the trio already has another record in the proverbial bag and ready for mixing. We feel comfortable opining that if the planned successor set maintains the beguiling personality of Detergent Hymns, we foresee yet more success for Swings. Detergent Hymns is out now on cassette via Quiet Year Records in an apparent limited edition of 65 pieces, and we're given to understand that few remain in stock; try and grab one here. Or, grab a digital copy direct from the band right here. -- Dillon Riley

Swings: Bandcamp | Facebook

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Songs of 2014: Dillon Edition

[PHOTO: Quinn Banford] This was the first year I can remember in which the sheer volume of incredible music actually overwhelmed me. This is not a complaint, mind you, 'cause you know, there are things far worse than falling behind on the hype cycle merry-go-round. But it certainly made reassessing the highs a more trying process. In all honesty, 100 tracks might not be enough to fully detail how deep this year's roster of shit-hot tracks was, but the 10 below perhaps shine brightest.

Note that a concerted effort was made in compiling my list to exclude tracks that will be represented among my top albums, barring one (slight) exception. This limitation was imposed with an aim to both challenge myself and expose (or re-expose) you, dear reader, to as wide a universe of music as possible. I'd like also to highlight four tracks that just missed the cut and that warrant mention. Those are, in no particular order, Whirr's towering nü-gaze specimen "Ease," Kal Marks' queasy, existential stomper "It Was A Very Hard Year," Soft Fangs' buzzing lo-fi stunner "You're The Best," and Playlounge's powerful emo-gaze anthem "Zero." Thanks again to Jay and Eddie for making my writing look so good by association, and to all of you for reading. Here's to next year's list being even harder to concoct than this one.

1. Ovlov -- "The Great Crocodile" -- Little Big League/Ovlov Split EP [buy]

In our review of this split, we mused about this track potentially becoming Ovlov's defining statement. It's now safe to say it's the year's defining statement as well. A ridiculous 6-minute scorcher, "Crocodile" often feels like an HD scan of one's favorite Dinosaur Jr. tune circa You're Living All Over Me, but fronter Steve Hartlett’s high-register yearnings are crystal clear and as a result perhaps even more emotionally potent than Mr. Mascis' mumble. Plus, the bass is turned up far louder than J would ever allow.

"...it's in your way to walk around beneath your sound."



2. Beach Slang – "Get Lost" -- Why Would You Ever Want Anything So Broken? EP [buy]

In our most humble opinion, no band dealt in wide-eyed nostalgia better than Philly's Beach Slang in 2014, and "Get Lost" is perhaps their high watermark thus far [arguably -- Ed.]. Retelling stories of nights spent at basement shows with a figurative voice heavy on descriptors but light on specifics, the song does an unbelievably good job of replicating that time in an indie kid's life where every chord change feels crucial. It's a situation certain of the CC staff still lives out on a weekly basis.

"...who called the cops?"



3. Charly Bliss – "Urge To Purge" – Soft Serve EP [buy]

We've had our ears tuned into NYC power-pop concern Charly Bliss for a bit now; we're like two degrees separated, in a sense. And we reckon it won't be long before everyone is tuned in, 'cause they have all the proverbial goods. The three-song sampler the act issued this year was a winning combo of sweetly-sung melodies and crunch-y, exacting guitars. It's precisely the kind of a thing that demands repeated listens, especially this second tune, which features some nifty boy-girl harmonies and a killer fuzz-bassline that bounces around like a Super Ball.

"...I cannot help you/I never wanted to..."



4. Krill – "Unbounded Nameless Future" – Steve Hear Pile in Malden and Bursts Into Tears EP [buy]

Jay’s albums list poured plenty of praise on Krill's interpretation and usage of academia within their churning, post-punk attack, so let's instead unpack the sonics that made Steve Hears [review] such a vital release. Namely, the completely bonkers drum work the now-departed and Brunched Luke Pyenson unleashed at the tail end of this, the EP's penultimate track. Beginning around 3:30 Pysenson delivers easily the most stunning drum fill of the calendar year, a backwards roll across the kit that kicks the song's pained final chorus in the ass, hard. The new dude they got is pretty damn good, too, incidentally.

"...I only got two months in..."



5. Ava Luna – “Sears Roebuck M&Ms” – Electric Balloon [buy]

Speaking of Jay's list, he also ripped/riffed on the misnomer that is art-funk, which I'm inclined to agree with. Either way, Ava Luna's Electric Balloon [review] was an absolute stunner of a record, capable of interpolating seemingly divergent styles of music with ease and grace. The thing could also rock out, as evidenced by "Sears Roebuck M&Ms," a track that rests some utterly bat-shit stream of consciousness lyricism on a restless, body-heaving groove that refuses to quit. The tune is a live staple that we were lucky enough to take in more than once this year, including a particularly memorable iteration in a house in JP some months back.

"...Everybody says we’re talking about the new sweet thing WOOOO."



6. Chumped – “Hot 97 Summer Jam” – Teenage Retirement [buy]

We were a little late to the party vis a vis this Brooklyn quartet, having missed out on some previous EPs. But buzz towards the end of the year surrounding the release of Teenage Retirement piqued our interest, and it was "Hot 97 Summer Jam" that solidified Chumped's need-to-know status. A perfect approximation of everything great and fun about pop-punk, and done right, the song presents two-and-a-half minutes of unmitigated fuzz-rock hooks. The longing, hummed-out backed vocals on that chorus get lodged in your skull almost immediately.

"...I would wait for you all summer."



7. Cayetana – “Hot Dad Calendar” – Nervous Like Me [buy]

This year saw a number of insanely satisfying debut records, but perhaps none were more satisfying than Cayetana's. The Philly trio do the punky pop thing damn good, regularly packing hook after tuneful hook into three-minute bursts of charm. "Hot Dad Calendar" rocks hard, with its relatively clean guitar strums and hi-hat skitter setting the backdrop for what is ostensibly a self-actualizing anthem.

"...Kid you'll be ok/you’ll get better with age..."



8. IAN – "I Don’t Care" – IAN EP [buy]

Formerly local trio IAN’s self-titled EP was easily our favorite release of the year from local party-starters BUFU Records. A full-band interpretation of the lo-fi downers Berklee kid Jillian Medford started putting out late last year, the EP takes those folky asides and jolts them forward with abandon. Ms. Medford's jangly tone and idiosyncratic vocal squeaks steal the show, especially on "I Don't Care," the EP's centerpiece.



9. Dæphne – "Driving Down A Country Highway Blasting Weezer" – Family Vacation demo [buy]

Dæphne are somewhat of an unknown quantity even around Boston thus far. As far as we know, few of the reputable local publications picked up on the short, mystical Family Vacation demo the act issued earlier in the year, perhaps due to the fact that its physical release was handled by Texas-based Funeral Sounds. No matter, the demo, and the tune "Driving Down A Country Highway Blasting Weezer" in particular, is an excellent slice of lo-fi dream-pop. That it delivers the kind of math-y and sharp dynamic twists and turns characteristic of contemporary emo only sweetens the deal.



10. Coaches – "amisarewaswere" – digital single [buy]

The imminent sound of something very important, this is. Recently minted Boston shoegaze collective Coaches had a relatively quiet 2014, only loosing to the indiesphere a two-sided digital single, with one of said sides being an instrumental. However, "amisarewaswere" is a gargantuan tune, one capable of establishing a formidable reputation. Boston lost two of its great noisy compatriots this year in Soccer Mom and Young Adults, but Coaches appear poised to step into those large, empty sets of 'gazey shoes.

"...Massachusetts summer nights..."

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Albums Of 2014: Jay Edition

It can feel anti-climactic, writing the intro blurb to the year-end list. The choices are made, the listening, the re-listening, the consideration all put to bed. But here's the thing: just listen again and the records spring to life -- and particularly these records: their greatness is re-greatened, just add water, and volume, the more the better. We revealed our top songs of the year here last week, and that list certainly was a strong indicator of what you'll find below. Namely: the best of the best, our favorite 10 records of 2014. Every year with a new Johnny Foreigner release is a great year, our position on that has been clear for the better part of the last decade. But there were plenty of things that were revelatory when we first heard them this year. We expected the Lubec record to be great, but did anyone expect it to overachieve so much? Certain street-level Ava Luna or Perfect Pussy fans might have expected those records to rule as hard as they did, but we were blown away. Ditto for Cookies, Literature and the mighty, mighty shoegaze concern She Sir, whose LP Go Guitars probably logged the most spins on our turntable this year of any new release. So below we break it all down (and maybe you already heard us talk it out with KoomDogg during one of the last three episodes of the Completely Conspicuous podcast). Our default position on indie rock and electronic music and the various permutations of same that we champion is decidedly optimistic. 2014 only strengthened that belief, and so we are totally stoked for 2015, which already looks like it will be brilliant based on the early notices of forthcoming LPs from Pile, Krill, Speedy Ortiz and Colleen (and maybe even The Replacements), as well as possible reissues from Lilys. Bet you can't eat just one. We humbly thank you for reading the blog in 2014.

1. Johnny Foreigner -- You Can Do Better -- Alcopop!/Lame-O

The Birmingham, England-based noise pop titans are not only amazingly prolific, but also remarkably consistent. Pessimists can sit around prognosticating a slump, but Johnny Foreigner gives no indication of obliging, even in the wake of releasing a sprawling masterwork, its third LP Johnny Foreigner vs. Everything. As we summed up here in March, the successor album "You Can Do Better is a powerful, diabolically catchy set, a compact firecracker of a record that ably and convincingly delivers the band's intelligent brand of bash and pop. The music is as dramatic and as emotionally vital as ever. The Brummies have stared down the challenge of its own album title." The lean and mean record touts potent ballads and brawlers and somehow, remarkably, was as strong as any prior release from the act. Johnny Foreigner will mark its official 10th anniversary next year, and we know fronter Alexei Berrow has already set to work on new songs for the next LP, and we couldn't be more stoked about what comes next whenever it gets here. Stream the set via the embed below, and buy it from Lame-O right here.



2. Lubec -- The Thrall -- Like Young

Oh how we waited and waited, but when Lubec's proper-ish full-length debut The Thrall finally arrived, it surpassed every expectation. The Portland dreampop unit's debut is like an ideal mate, both really smart and super pretty/handsome, and while the set didn't necessarily breach the overground, the magnificent guitar pop speaks for itself. As we said here in our review in September, "The Thrall is, simply put, a revelation, a fully realized and kaleidoscopic guitar-pop masterpiece that presents the band's striking songcraft and bright optimism within a shifting aural landscape that brilliantly balances clean, jagged leads, crystalline reverbs and thunderous percussion and fuzz." The band has already been writing new material and has studio time booked early next year, so there is more where that came from. Still, one could understand if Lubec rested on its laurels just a bit more, given the remarkable accomplishment this LP represents. Stream the set via the embed below, and buy it on cassette from Like Young right here.



3. Cookies -- Music For Touching -- Self-Released

Cookies' terrific full-length debut was preceded by a series of four 10" EPs packed with immaculate pop tracks, but even so Music For Touching was surprisingly excellent. The set synthesizes fronter Ben Sterling's affinity for contemporary pop and yen for engaging experimentalism, and the album's tracks hit the mark across the board, from the boundless groove of "Go Back" to the electrified euphoria of "1,000 Breakfasts With You." While the icy cool in meditative closer "The Dream" echoes certain tunes from Mr. Sterling's increasingly remote former life as part of the dynamite act Mobius Band, the path forward for Mr. Sterling's present project feels extremely ripe for exploration. Hopefully a new record isn't as long in coming as this one was; we reviewed Music For Touching here. Stream it via the embed below, and buy the set from the band right here.



4. Krill -- Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears -- Exploding In Sound

The smartest, most intellectually challenging act in contemporary indie rock this year scored big with an EP highlighted by a song in which the fronter imagines he is a literal piece of shit. Indeed, the tension between Krill's academic, "high art" idea/ls and visceral everyman narratives is perhaps the act's most potent calling card, but the band's very relatable humor and inclination toward rock songs that rock make Krill's work connect no matter the level at which the listener (or reviewer) chooses to engage. Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears was a triumph, and we are expecting big things from the band's next LP, A Distant Fist Unclenching, as well. The forthcoming collection is slated for release in February; buy Steve from Exploding In Sound right here.



5. Perfect Pussy -- Say Yes To Love -- Captured Tracks

The meteoric rise of Perfect Pussy in 2014 created a platform for the band's fiery, progressive politics, and set the stage for a planned 2015 solo set from brilliant fronter Meredith Graves. But, more importantly for us, the Syracuse noise-punk quintet's dynamite Say Yes To Love placed hardcore-influenced music center stage -- at least in the underground, which as we all know is the only 'ground that matters. The exhilarating record is arguably the best melodic hardcore collection since Fucked Up's David Comes To Life. We spent a lot of time listening to straightedge hardcore at the turn of the '90s, so Perfect Pussy's ferocious collection felt a bit like coming home, and a bit like sticking one's head out the window of a car at 60 miles per hour. The future feels bright for the act, and we're hopeful that its pronounced stances on social issues might also spur a revival of the liberal politics of two decades ago in independent rock music. Dillon Riley reviewed Say Yes To Love for Clicky Clicky right here in March. Buy the record from Captured Tracks right here.



6. She Sir -- Go Guitars -- Shelflife

Oh how we waited and waited and waited for this one, too. After all, She Sir's triumphant preceding set Who Can't Say Yes was released seven years -- an Internet lifetime -- ago. What we finally got in 2014 was the year's most lush and pristine dream-pop record. As strong as label Shelflife's roster is, and as focused as its aesthetic is, we were still overjoyed when the Portland-based enterprise announced it had signed the Austin quartet, as the pairing seemed ideal. Senior Writer Edward Charlton deemed Go Guitars, which he reviewed here in February, a "tour de force of sunny, spectral and shimmering rock" music. The Clicky Clicky Brain Trust expected it would be one of the year's best, and the Clicky Clicky Brain Trust was right. Buy Go Guitars from Shelflife right here, and stream it via the embed below.



7. Ava Luna -- Electric Balloon -- Western Vinyl

Something about the phrase "art-funk" really bothers us -- it's the built-in presumption that there isn't any art there unless you make sure to tag it on the front end (same deal with the phrase "art-pop"). Our personal hang-ups aside, the aforementioned descriptor is perfectly fitting for Ava Luna's ridiculously smart and tight LP Electric Balloon. We've seen the band live a couple times over the last couple years and their shows are mesmerizing. But the music on the LP is somehow even tighter, slightly frenetic, and rich and soulful despite a claustrophobic punk edge. We suppose it's that edge that translates more directly on the record as opposed to the stage. But, either way, it's a curious party record with a head on its shoulders. And it's one of the best records of the year. Stream Electric Balloon via the embed below, and purchase the set from Western Vinyl right here.



8. Literature -- Chorus -- Slumberland

Big, fizzing melodies and fuzzy guitars are a hallmark of the Slumberland sound, and Literature's diabolically catchy LP Chorus delivered perfectly on the Bay area label's pleasing proposition. We were surprised to learn Literature was operating out of Philadelphia, as we like to think we have a good idea of what is going on back in our former hometown. But it was a most welcome surprise, of course, and this record in particular did us a lot of good during some long and grueling stretches of work. We recall at least a couple days during which we listened to Chorus on repeat for a good five or six hours -- it's just that good, and what more could you want from a guitar-pop record? Like an ideal piece of chewing gum, the set stays fresh and flavorful for hours on end, and we look forward to hearing more from these pop savants. Buy Chorus from Slumberland right here.



9. Soccer Mom -- Soccer Mom -- 100m

Dark, beautiful and majestic, Soccer Mom's long-anticipated self-titled debut arrived and burned brightly, but the combustion was apparently too much for the act, which by the end of the summer had already announced that it was decommissioning the battle station and going into mothballs. Five-year-old Soccer Mom's record reigned in the band's overwhelming live sound, and in doing so illuminated the elegance, passion and pathos that make its songs so powerful. We highly recommend picking up the vinyl of this one, as finally hearing it on a proper turntable after listening to digital files and early mixes for about a year revealed a low-end punch we had not previously appreciated. Soccer Mom is a huge record, and sadly, is also now a monumental reminder. Will Scales and Dan Parlin recently announced they have formed a new act called Gold Muse with Young Adults' Chris Villon, Earthquake Party!'s Justin Lally and musical journeywoman Deb Warfield, and we are very excited about the possibilities there. Buy Soccer Mom -- which we premiered here in April -- from 100m Records right here.



10. Radiator Hospital -- Torch Songs -- Salinas

Sam Cook-Parrott's facility crafting catchy indie pop approaches awe-inspiring, and -- as good as Radiator Hospital's sophomore LP Torch Songs was -- there were signs that his estimable talents were seeping into more experimental territory. But his proverbial bread and butter, hook-laden power-pop anthems and poignant downer ballads, were still well-represented. The prolific songwriter's scrappy, fizzing anthems brim with emotion on this distinctly summery record. Staff Writer Dillon Riley reviewed Radiator Hospital's Torch Songs here in July. Stream the set via the embed below, and purchase it from Salinas right here.

Today's Hotness: Bully, Palberta, Bored Nothing

>> When it comes to rocking songs, how does one objectively define a blaster? A banger? A stomper? It's a deceptively interesting question to ponder, even while sober (maybe), but at the moment the easiest answer might be to direct answer-seekers to the electrifying "Milkman" by Nashville indie rockers Bully. The song comprises the top half of the threesome's new 7", which was released April 25 on Chicken Ranch Records with "Faceblind" gracing the flip. The up-tempo (a blaster's gotta be uptempo, right?) "Milkman" metes a master class in how to concoct an A-side, while proffering some of the most riotous guitar pop we've heard this year. Bully's new single follows three pressings of the act's self-titled EP [as we wrote here] with tracks that feature similar sonics but even more power and more purposeful production. This reviewer is not a rich man, but he'd wager a fiver that the two-minute "Milkman" blows up in the underground in the coming weeks. Fronter (and producer) Alicia Bognanno drives the song's propulsive tempo and tried-and-true chord changes with her affectingly raspy soprano, which is reminiscent of that of Juliana Hatfield. Ms. Boganno's would seem to be a voice destined for greatness -- it's equally effective at punk sneers, candy-coated hooks screamed down an ear, and precise self-harmonizing, a rare gift. Also worth mentioning: "Milkman" presents some of the most tasteful cowbell heard in recent memory! "Milkman" b/w "Faceblind" is available in a limited edition of 500 flat, circular vinyl discs. One-hundred-and-fifty of these were pressed to blue vinyl and only three of those remained as of a week ago; the balance of the pressing is on black media. We recommend pre-ordering the new single now via the Bandcamp embed below, as the band's need to continually repress old records should be ample evidence that more and more people are in on this great, perhaps not-so-secret, Tennessee secret [Tennessecret? -- Ed.]. -- Edward Charlton



>> No-wave noiseniks Palberta returned earlier this month with more economical, tweaked tunes on a cassette split titled Special Worship, which features music from the equally madcap New England Patriots on the back side. When we last wrote about the Annandale-on-Hudson, New York-based threesome here in December, the prankster surprises and spooky songwriting on its creaky/jerky/perky debut collection My Pal Berta had successfully loosened at least a few screws in this reviewer's brain. Across five tracks on the new collection, Palberta delivers succinct blasts of wiry, squirming guitar, minimal drum textures and grungy, lo-fi bass. The great groove of "Store" -- a tune that echoes the taut, dry weirdness of Brooklyn-based punk-funk luminaries Ava Luna -- is interrupted in its last ten seconds by serrated guitar strums and high, menacing yelps that suggest a young child's new-found ability to sing with reckless abandon. A delightfully skewed cover of "Hot Cross Buns" takes the tune somewhere it's certainly never gone before. Skittering atop the wonderfully concise compositions are dueling female vocals, which almost seem to play out the roles of Freud's Ego and Id, respectfully. One voice is calm and collected, often evoking the cool, speak-sing street moves of Kim Gordon, while the other trades in bubbly shrieks that imbue the trio's music with much of its chaotic swagger. Palberta continues to tap into something rare with its music, and we recommend you keep an ear on what they are doing. Stream Special Worship via the embed below, and maybe consider buying it at the hilarious and awesome $1,000 minimum. -- Edward Charlton



>> It's not boring, and it's not nothing: it's the latest bit of pleasing downer-pop from Melbourne, Australia DIY pop outfit Bored Nothing, the nom de indie rock of one Fergus Miller. Titled "Why Were You Dancing With All Those Guys?," Mr. Miller's new slow-burner is a beautiful, rainy strummer, flush with delicate electric jangle. High-string whammy bar action floats low in the mix and lends the ballad just the right amount of lovesick tension. Handclap accents on the snare hits and perfect, brief guitar and organ leads say just enough without getting in the way. Additionally, on this track Miller's voice reminds this reviewer of Elliot Smith, but in an alternate universe where the famed singer-songwriter attempted to audition for Slumberland Records after hearing The Aislers Set. "Why Were You Dancing With All Those Guys?" comes in a limited edition of 30 lathe-cut 7" records (housed in sleeves that bear the likeness of cartoon antihero Bobby Hill), which we imagine must be sold out by now. Bored Nothing's Facebook and Bandcamp pages don't state definitively that the packages are all gone (they do state there will be no repress, and the song will never be made available as a download), so who knows. Orders come packaged with a shirt, sticker and letter that are all related to the tune, making the $40 Australian price tag a bit more understandable. Stream "Why Were You Dancing With All Those Guys?" via the embed below, and click through if you feel like trying your luck at getting what may be the very last piece of vinyl. We previously wrote about Bored Nothing here last July. -- Edward Charlton

Review: Ava Luna | Electric Balloon

Has there ever, in the now-actually lengthy history of indie rock, been a more apt descriptor for a band than "nervous soul," a tag some likely under-appreciated genius bestowed upon New York funk-punk (errrr... we mean "nervous-soul") quintet Ava Luna?

Ava Luna takes cues from classic soul and R&B, as well as the smart-guy tropes of turn-of-the-'80s bands including Talking Heads and Gang Of Four, and synthesizes them within its own skewed but wholly modern aesthetic. This is not to suggest that Ava Luna's music is overtly clinical: opener "Daydream" or the totally tweaked "Sears Roebuck M&Ms" provide ample evidence to the contrary, expressed in terms of devastating, Parliament-channeling groove. Indeed, Electric Balloon smoothly splits the difference between real-deal soul and the nervy indie rock that Ava Luna principals Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez have become known for crafting as producers. Call it a late-night jazz club jam remade for the basement shows set, arrived at as much by significant deconstruction and reduction as by appropriation.

Chatter regarding Electric Balloon deems it the more accessible of Ava Luna's two long players. While that may be true, the music is still far from a conventional. Stylistically, the band is all over the place. Bits of jagged, angular post-punk, loose funk, and slow-jam R&B all coexist within the space of these 11 tracks, sometimes skillfully blended, sometimes swapped in an out for one another in rapid succession. What makes the record so compelling (as well as the band on the whole, really), is how fluent and capable the players are in wielding these varied musical vernaculars. It all flows from the rhythm section. Mr. Fader is an especially tight drummer, and locks the band into formidable grooves on songs such as the aforementioned "Sears Roebuck"; he routinely dishes out thrilling and compact fills, even when the song arrangements are at their most stark. He also ably applies nuanced syncopation, like on the stop-start dynamics of late-album highlight "Genesee," where his light touch on the hi-hat is often the only thing holding the sparse arrangement together.

The vocal work from all three singers is impeccable throughout, with Mr. Hernandez, Rebecca Kauffman and Felicia Douglass each taking show-stopping turns at the mic. The band's greatest moment may well be the classic-rock baiting, massive song suite "Plain Speech." Commencing with a brilliant staccato riff from Hernandez, the song deftly shifts to half-time for the chorus while lush vocal harmonies bloom brightly from the pocket like they have something urgent to deliver. They probably don't, and Ava Luna doesn't seem push any particular message. Which is fine by us; we don't need to know the lyrics to groove, baby, and the weight of preachy didactics is probably best left, for present purposes anyway, in the past with the aforementioned Gang Of Four. Blunt politics would only drag down Electric Balloon, and that would be a cardinal sin, as Ava Luna's fluid grace and resolutely cerebral hymns for the hips clearly thrive in their unfettered state. Electric Balloon is out now via Western Vinyl, you can grab it on vinyl or CD right here. Stream the album's two opening cuts as well as the space-ghostly soul ballad "PRPL" via the Bandcamp embed below. The band is currently on tour with bugcore heroes Krill; the remaining tour dates are listed below. -- Dillon Riley



03.08 -- Albuquerque, NM -- The Sister
03.12 -- Austin, TX -- EIS/Impose Showcase
03.13 -- Austin, TX -- Western Vinyl Showcase
03.13 -- Austin, TX -- Father Daughter Showcase
03.14 -- New Orleans, LA -- Tulane
03.14 -- New Orleans, LA -- Siberia
03.17 -- Atlanta, GA -- Mammal Gallery
03.18 -- Charlotte, NC -- Snug Harbor
03.19 -- Durham, NC -- Pinhook
03.20 -- Richmond, VA -- Gallery 5
03.21 -- Washington, DC -- The Dunes
03.22 -- Baltimore, MD -- The Crown
03.23 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Golden Tea House
03.25 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Silent Barn

Review: Krill | Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears

Goddamn album title too long to fit on single headline. Motherfucker, that line just fit on a single line. Various publications stupidly parroting "failed concept album" talking point. This vs. "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - S.B. Jonah Furman -- un/reliable narrator? [Would be interesting to good cop/bad cop entire band in separate interrogation rooms and see if the other cats agree to this "failure" bullshit. Should we call Furman on this?] Failure as a positive, as a measure of distance [integers greater than zero, yadda yadda. must listen to The Power Of Failing sometime soon. must not let people see me cry in car while listening to The Power Of Failing. beauty hurts more. subtweet], the metaphoric distance between the purity of the envisioned / hoped-for / anticipated and the reality, no matter how alabaster-white, tidy and well-executed that realized reality is. The idea in your head doesn't smell unless the idea is a smell. And even then it doesn't smell. [FUCK. Look for notes to PHIL 103/Bucknell University/Fall 1993] IMPORTANT: Can music fail anyone besides the person/group of persons whose intent it is supposed to express? Steve : Mouth :: "Failure" of philosophical exercise that is Steve : incredibly satisfying music for fans, underpinned by the kind of stark honesty of an internal monologue. Whose desires are more important? Steve : Mouth :: Furman's ideas : Fan's love of Krill's music [Q: ANALOGIES REVERSED? / should probably mention band name earlier in piece]. Intended unintended consequences oooh that's good. Save. Preview. Save. Preview. Save. Save.

Music as trojan horse, honesty as trojans. Honesty as trojan horse, sentiment freed from melodrama/irony as trojans. [Possible prophylactic endorsement deal?] Real emotional [trash] honesty true hallmark of Mr. Furman's lyrics/singing. Maybe not cool to acknowledge. As much as the trio's music is underpinned in part by Furman's deep thoughts about existence, it is not the academic piece of Krill that makes them so compelling, it's the emotion, so unmediated it is extraordinarily powerful, and the instrumentation is part and parcel of that. Music as trojan horse, music as trojans.

Pile story line superfluous, a red herring. Imposes a framework on projections of pure thought. [SUGAR PILL? or simply just a Krill-esque big ups/high five to Rick and posse] Perhaps music is also a red herring? Music as delivery device for honesty-with-self. Know thyself/beast within. Self-knowledge provides parameters [kinda like in literal/visceral/physical sense as well hahahaha], actual true framework, skeleton on which happiness can be hung like (too-)wet plaster. Refer to Furman's remarks in 2013 interview here. Quote. End quote.

More exposition here: The more we listen to Steve the more the narrative recedes, and the more we just hear the line from "Turd" over and over: "If I could just keep a commitment, maybe I'd be happier?" Fucking majestic guitar work in that song, closing section echoes the opening sturm und drang of the album, that interval between the notes in the guitar memory. That line over and over again. Great hook, but also The Big Idea? It's no secret that Krill fronter Jonah uses a song as a framework to weigh and test philosophical ideas. He sort of said as much in our interview with him. And given the particular area he has concerned himself with (self love), those lines just jump out.

Musical self-reference... The guitar in "Turd" echoes the low/high interval (a fifth?) of the pounding, pulsing opening track, a la Slack Motherfucker or Pedro The Lion's "Never Leave A Job Half Done." Pace is slower than opener. "Turd" is subterfuge, in the titular sense. Yeah, the title gets a laugh, but that is mere deflection from Furman's poking with a sharp stick his own (or, sure, his narrator's) inability to commit, to... what? Happiness? Self-love? Contentment. IMPORTANT: EVERY KRILL RECORD WILL FAIL, AT LEAST AS SOON AS RECORD BUTTON IS PUSHED. OR FIRST PLAYBACK? OR FOLDBACK TO HEADPHONES. FUCK. FIND MUSIC RECORDING AND SOUND DESIGN NOTES / WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, RON KUIVALA (SP?) / FALL 1995

Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears will be released by Exploding In Sound Feb. 18 on black-and-white 10" flat vinyl circles with a spiral "groove" cut in both sides; it is also available for sale as a digital download. You can pre-order in either the physical or virtual formats via this link, where you may also purchase some pretty nifty and fashion-forward t-shirts. Krill plays a record release show for the EP at Great Scott in Boston Thursday, after which the trio mounts a five-week U.S. tour with avant pop operation Ava Luna. The tour touts so many dates that reading the list makes us tired. So let's not focus on that. The show Thursday at Great Scott includes sets from the aforementioned Ava Luna, as well as Kal Marks, Bad History Month and Fat Creeps.

Krill: Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud

Review: Krill | Lucky Leaves

Some bands this year will release good records, and a very small number will release excellent ones. But Jamaica Plain, Mass.-based trio Krill has accomplished something exceedingly rare by fabricating -- in a breathtakingly brief 10 hours of studio time -- a whole and quirky sonic universe all its own. A universe that, we imagine, has the same fidelity to perspective and logic as an episode of "Ren & Stimpy." Indeed, the threesome's sophomore collection Lucky Leaves boasts 11 clever and patient compositions, but each is a crooked house of cards, each adheres to an off-world gravity tugging steadily on wiry and sparkling guitar lines, rubbery bass and drumming that approximates the collective cadence of a few wind-up toys running concurrently but intermittently. The sum of all this is a rock critic's dream record, one that boasts a singular world-view from a charming coterie, complete with smart-guy time signatures, syncopation and instrumental interplay, nuance and dynamics, all beholden to a masterful economy. While some bands succeed by doing a few things right, Krill surpasses whatever expectations anyone might have had by doing EVERYTHING right.

This is especially the case with the dub-tastic and twangy preview single "Never A Joke," a potent case study of the curious dynamics and the crackerjack performances that bless Lucky Leaves -- listen to the stumbling drum fill just past the two-and-a-half-minute mark, just prior to the guitar bluescreening into a cascading repetition that sucks the song right down the drain. That dub influence isn't always as explicit, but even so the power and kinecticism of Lucky Leaves is as much due to the wide and deep space left by the economical compositions as it is the clattering rhythm section and technicolor guitar melodies. And swooping over or looping through the airy mixes are the surprisingly direct and occasionally demented vocals of singer and bassist Jonah Furman, whose adenoidal delivery is given substantial weight by variations in tone and texture employed in rendering his losercore declamations. Mr. Furman's singing recalls that of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!'s Alec Ounsworth, but Furman at this point is perhaps more relateable than the former and more believably unhinged than the latter. There is no effort to soften the loathing in the stark and harrowing lyrics to "Oppressor" ("...whenever I have a good time, I dismiss my suffering, I'm the oppressor...") or the irony of "Infinite Power" ("...if you wanna feel like a failure, that's your right..."). The latter is tempered somewhat by the follow-on and final track, the curiously content and centered acoustic reprise of the opener "Theme From Krill," but that contrast is perhaps the clearest example of Krill's greatest appeal, a wry but winking (if winking was coool...) humor.

Krill mark Monday's release of Lucky Leaves with a show at Great Scott in Boston Saturday; the bill includes Ava Luna (featuring Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez, who recorded Krill's record at The Silent Barn in Brooklyn in February), SaraLee and Huge Face. All the details can be found at this Facebook event page; there's another release show in New York the prior night. The record was initially only available on a USB stick embedded in a ball of cheese, on a CD (150 ludicrously packaged in a 12" sleeve, because whatever forever) or as a digital download, but somewhere along the way some wise person ponied up money for Krill to press Lucky Leaves to vinyl. You can review all of your purchase options at the band's Bandcamp wigwam right here; know that there is now vinyl available in a limited edition of 350 units on "barfy"-colored media. In the meantime, click over to Noisey to stream the entire collection or hear the two preview cuts via the Bandcamp embed below.

Krill: Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud

Previously on Clicky Clicky:
Show Us Yours #16: Krill

Show Us Yours #16: Krill

By our reckoning we're less than three weeks away from living in a world where those in the know will be walking around town unable to stop themselves from singing "Krill, Krill, Krill forever" [and oh shit hare krsna, now there are these t-shirts, too]. Not because a new cult is taking hold in indie rock circles... or at least not the kind of cult that one usually associates with word "cult." No, that simple chant is the chorus to the opening and closing numbers from Boston indie trio Krill's triumphant sophomore set Lucky Leaves, which is being self-released June 24. The melodic and wiry music collected on the record flexes and breathes and is awesome in about two dozen different ways that we intend to tell you about in a more fulsome review later this month. But in the meantime we thought it would be a good idea to check in with the band to see where they do the things they do, to sort of gauge the environment in which its particularly curious aural alchemy transpires, to see where it makes the sizzle and the sparkle. Krill bassist and singer Jonah Furman -- whose voice careens powerfully between the blissed abandon of Alec Ounsworth and the dark desperation of Isaac Brock on Lucky Leaves -- kindly obliged our request, and in the exchange below goes into detail about why the band until very recently lived in a mansion vacated by a professional baseball player, which member of the band was theoretically in line to share a room with parrot named Shakespeare, and more than a few other fairly odd things. Read on, then gather yourself together enough to listen to two cracking songs from Lucky Leaves below.

Clicky Clicky: So we should make it clear, this episode of Show Us Yours is sort of a "ghost of Christmas past" episode, as we're talking about a practice space you just had to leave. Our usual lead-off question is "why did you choose this space?" But it was your basement, so that question isn't as interesting as this: how is it that the band came to live in a mansion that used to be owned by a professional baseball player? Because that is sort of weird.

Jonah Furman: OK, the basic thing that happened is we were on tour, and our friend found this mansion on Craigslist, and we all thought it was a scam but we were away and were like, "yeah, OK, whatever Dan," and then Dan went and they showed him the house and it was this crazy mansion and at no point did a scam happen, so I guess it wasn't a scam. The guy who owns it is a JP mansion slumlord who walks around with a parrot on his shoulder (named Shakespeare; incidentally Jonah's room was constructed as a room for the parrot when the slumlord moves in in 2 years). There was a man named Vicente Padilla living there, the first Nicaraguan MLB player, Sox pitcher, led the league in hit batters in 2006, for some reason went to Japan I think and left the lease so... and then here is where I get lost. Something about Japan making it cheap, so we got it for real cheap. Since we got to practice in the basement it was ultimately cheaper than most normal places. OK.

CC: Was there an idiosyncrasy or quirk of the space that affected one of your songs, or even your overall sound?

JF: As has always been the case for Krill, we don't have a PA or any nice gear or anything, so that at least has affected the vocals; we just put them through the second input on Aaron's guitar amp and Jonah tends to have to strain/scream to be heard during practice, which is a hard habit to break when you can actually hear the vocals. Also, a lot of songs were written in a parrot's room.

CC: When you went in to the studio to record your upcoming full-length, was it weird adjusting to the room sound of the studio versus the room sound of your basement? That basement looks pretty big and boomy. Boomy's a word, right?

JF: [Our friend Adam] Schatz has this term 'gro-fi' which is, like, when lo-fi bands get a lil' nicer equipment and recording stuff. But the Silent Barn studio is still a very DIY spot, even though [friends and recording engineers] Carlos [Hernandez] and Julian [Fader] really know their shit. Since we were one of the first (I think the first full album?) bands to record there, it wasn't all that built-out yet, and was still pretty basement-y. The bass was all DI and the guitar amp was like across the room turned around and, I don't know, it wasn't like fancy studios. That was good for us, takes some getting used to being able to hear the music you're making.

CC: When it was still yours, when you walked into the basement, what was the first thing that you smelled?

JF: Hay. There were inexplicably many bags of hay at all times in the basement. Fusty hay.

CC: And so, as we alluded to above, you've had to move out of the mansion. Is there any sort of interesting story to why you had to move? How is the hunt going for a new practice space?

JF: The hunt is a horrid hunt. We're striking out left and right, please help us, we will pay menial fees. Move out was yesterday, they fucking threw away Luke's towel.

CC: What do the next six months look like for the band? Do you have it in you to do as grand a tour for the record coming on the 24th as the one you did last fall?

JF: We're goin' on a big tour in September, hitting lots of states we missed on the last national thing, like South Carolina and Texas and Tennessee and Alabama.

Here's the part where you listen to some great music, namely the two preview tracks from Krill's spectacular new record. First up is the lumbering rumination "Purity Of Heart," then wash that down with the more skeletal groover "Never A Joke." Both are time well spent.

Krill: Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter





Previous Show Us Yours episodes:
Shapes And Sizes | Dirty On Purpose | Relay | Mobius Band | Frightened Rabbit | Assembly Now | Meneguar | Okay Paddy | Charmparticles | Calories | Sun Airway | It Hugs Back | Lubec | A Giant Dog | Bent Shapes