Today's Hotness: What Moon Things, Family Video

>> Last week brought the first official new sounds from What Moon Things since the trio moved from upstate New York down to Brooklyn, the compelling darkwave number "Party Down The Street." Sure, there was the nice short stack of spacey jams casually and digitally released at the end of 2015 entitled, well, Space Jams, which fans shouldn't overlook and which also offers some indication as to which label might release the three's planned sophomore full-length. For sheer drama and major hookage, "Party Down The Street" -- which will likely feature on said forthcoming LP -- can't be beat. The song's arrangement comfortably sprawls through breathy verses (that exhale apparent reverse reverb), and anthemic, noisier sections where guitars swirl over the song's mechanical rhythm track. In said verses, Mr. Harms' vocals are impressionistic and emotive, but when he bellows "my face lit up like a question mark" the narrative focuses and the song catches fire. It also doesn't hurt that "Party Down The Street" echoes not just a little vintage and celebrated sounds from bands including The Cure. The tune closes with a tasteful, downbeat denouement, pulsing kick and boxy electro-snare into a roomy reverb while guitars slowly unwind the melody. No release date or title for What Moon Things' next record have been announced, but the band is presently on tour and we expect fans are hearing some new songs out there in the rock clubs of the American South as the Things venture to and from the annual SXSW music confabulation (Arkanas tonight! Full tour dates below). Hot Grits released What Moon Things' self-titled debut full-length in June 2014 as a vinyl 12", CD and digital download; that LP is presently in its second pressing. Stream "Party Down The Street" via the Soundcloud embed below.

3/10 -- Maxine's -- Hot Springs, AR
3/11 -- Denton 35 FEST -- Denton, TX
3/14 - 3/20 -- SXSW -- Austin, TX
3/21 -- Gasa Gasa -- New Orleans, LA
3/23 -- Blind Mule -- Mobile, AL
3/24 -- TV Land -- Tallahassee, FL
3/25 -- 1904 -- Jacksonville, FL
3/27 -- Will's Pub -- Orlando, FL
3/28 -- Tin Roof -- Charleston, SC
3/29 -- Brookland Tavern -- Columbia, SC
4/1 -- Slingshot FEST -- Athens, GA
4/4 -- The Camel -- Richmond, VA
4/6 -- Songbyrd Cafe -- Washington, DC
4/7 -- Old Mogul Theatre -- Montclair, NJ



>> The persistence of bass player jokes is one of those modern mysteries. After all, examples of notably talented bass players that can write songs aren't all that hard to come by: there's that McCartney guy, that Tweedy guy, and locally in Boston, just off the top of our head and only picking one, there's Jenny Mudari from Feral Jenny and Bent Shapes (whose album release show is tonight in Allston Rock City, doncha know?). As it turns out, Clicky Clicky faves Fog Lake have a talented, songwriting bass player as well. Her name is Jen King, and her project Family Video last month issued an understated but fierce set of indie pop songs called Places To Sleep. Sure, the St. John's, Newfoundland-based act's music isn't as deeply haunting as that of Fog Lake, but it is similarly affecting and occasionally even as downcast. Family Video's 11-song set features scruffy, guitar-centric songs that bash and pop through spare arrangements and echo in places the confessional songwriting of Liz Phair and the fizzing verve of Tiger Trap. Asymmetrical opener "You In The Night" morosely plods through pretty, chiming verses in the first 90 seconds, but soars for the final two minutes on the strength of spiraling, melodic lead guitar and steady synth tones. The cracking album highlight "My Sister's House" showcases buoyant bass playing and glistening guitar jangle, and escalates into a proper rave-up spangled by an urgent quarter-note cadence on the snare in its final third. "Winter Shadow" -- as well as its more poignant, delicate, acoustic iteration "Winter Shadow (Revisited)" -- presents Ms. King voicing the unguarded, forthright request "won't somebody smack me and make me feel realize..." The song's emotional heft compounds as its lyrics cast in different directions for deliverance from loneliness (it also references listening to the radio, which always gets songwriters a check-plus from Clicky Clicky's executive editor). Places To Sleep was recorded to and mixed on a four-track machine, and Fog Lake's Aaron Powell contributed synth to three cuts and vocals to the tune "Empty Bed;" he's also mentioned in the song "Aaron In The Basement." Family Video self-released Places To Sleep to the wilds of the Internerds Feb. 16. Stream the entire collection via the embed below and click through the purchase it as a paywhutchyalike download.

Regolith A3E3: Supriya Gunda Presents Choices

Wait, wait, wait! Come back! We've got that final installment of the third Regolith -- you know, the one featuring Supriya Gunda of Digital Prisoners Of War? As with installment two, there was some delay in dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's, because life is like that. But we are nonetheless very pleased to be able to present to you the fruits of Ms. Gunda's labor, a concise yet dreamy four-song EP titled Choices. As you will see in her interview responses below, the creation of this music was not without its challenges. But that real-ness is sort of the stock-in-trade of Regolith, non? And honestly, we don't really hear the struggle in the music, which is impressionistic and appealing. Choices, which clocks in at just over 10 minutes, opens with the pretty "Norman." The song foregrounds a chunky beat and pretty synth arpeggio, while Gunda's voice floats in and out of a misty middle ground. The tune faintly echoes '80s visionaries Eurythmics circa Touch, which is a pretty good row to hoe in this blog's opinion. "Privilege" opts for more a more jittery synth cadence and more aggressive beat, but still somehow establishes a placid, contemplative vibe with Gunda's intimate, indistinct vocal. All of Choices is embedded in full at the bottom of this blog post, and we encourage you to take a moment to go hit the play button right now. Read Gunda's thoughts on the new collection and the Regolith process below; if you missed the first two installments, click here and then here. We are extremely grateful to Supriya for participating in the Regolith 30-day songwriting challenge. The next Digital Prisoners Of War show is June 2 at Lilypad in Cambridge, Mass., during which Gunda will be performing solo, as her DigiPOW bandmates will be otherwise engaged. You can experience what we assume will be the full-band DigiPOW experience next on June 18, when Gunda, et al., open a very, very solid evening of indie music that also includes hitmakers Halfsour, Feral Jenny (which is fronted by current Bent Shapes bassist Jenny Shapes) and Baltimore lo-fi pair Romantic States (makers of this fine jam). Full deets on the June 2 show are right here and information about June 18 is right here. And stay tuned for our announcement about our fourth installment of Regolith, why don't you? -- L. Tiburon Pacifico

Clicky Clicky: So how did it go? Do you consider the results a personal success? A failure?

Supriya Gunda: It went harder than I thought! I ended up recording everything through the built-in mic on a $200 computer. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a success.

CC: What were the biggest challenges and frustrations?

SG: Time, mostly. Equipment, as a byproduct of time. It made me appreciate the resources other humans provide.

CC: How were you able to work around or overcome these challenges?

SG: Built-in computer microphone! Ha. I recorded stuff, like, in my car, I started to like the sound of digital clipping, I didn't finish most of what I started. The only [digital audio workstation] my computer could handle was Audacity.

CC: Did you find that your approach to writing and recording for this project changed over the course of the 30 days, or did you begin by finding an approach that worked (time-wise), and just apply that to everything?

SG: I don't think I ever found an approach that worked time-wise, but this really did give me a perspective on what 30 days actually feels like. Usually I don't notice time has passed until it's long gone. This wasn't really an exception to that, but I guess it enhanced my awareness in general that I was a person alive on this earth for a month.

CC: What song do you think came out the best?

SG: I'm not sure any of them did. But I do think I got some decent ideas in there, maybe.

CC: What song or songs do you wish you'd had more time to work on? Do you see yourself re-doing any of these in the future with DigiPOW or any other project?

SG: I'll probably use this as a source for ideas from which to build different songs in the future. Not sure any of this would truly work in a band setup, nor should it.

CC: Are there any songs you did for this project that you couldn't re-create live?

SG: I COULD probably recreate it all live, but I would choose to do things differently live.

CC: If there was one person or piece of equipment you could have brought in for the project, who or what would that have been?

SG: I used a sample of my friend Richard Lewis reading from the paper about the "British Coal Gas Story", which was [about] the prevalence of sticking one's head in the oven when coal-gas was around in the '60s and '70s. Once they took the coal-gas away, the suicide rate dropped dramatically. So I suppose he was there in spirit. If there was one piece of equipment I would have brought, it would have been a high-functioning studio.

CC: Did you learn anything about how you write and record music? What specific or quantifiable lesson, if any, did you learn that will help you in the future?

SG: Haha, yes. I learned I can' really force it. I don't know if I could be a Max Martin now. I just gotta be me.

CC: If you could travel into the future and speak with the next Regolith participant, what one piece of advice would you give them?

SG: Clear your damn schedule. Don't go to work. Get yourself a cabin in the woods. And don't come back after the 30 days.

Previously On Regolith:
Regolith A3E2: Supriya Gunda Is Writing Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A3E1: Supriya Gunda Is A Songwriter
Regolith A2E3: Sean Tracy Presents Dye's Alone
Regolith A2E2: Sean Tracy Is Writing Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A2E1: Sean Tracy Is A Songwriter
Regolith A1E3: Reuben Bettsak Presents Emerald Comets' Inside Dream Room
Regolith A1E2: Reuben Bettsak Is Writing Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A1E1: Reuben Bettsak Is A Songwriter
Introducing... Regolith

Regolith A3E2: Supriya Gunda Writes Songs Under The Gun

This one reads a bit like a manifesto at times, people, and we love it. Below we have part two -- or in Regolith parlance, that's A3E2, or Artist Three, Episode Two -- of Boston indie scene veteran Supriya Gunda's entry into Clicky Clicky's 30-day songwriting and song-recording challenge. "This isn't the right time and place for regular-ass rock," Ms. Gunda tells us in the midpoint interview below, speaking from somewhere, we imagine, deep inside a zone. "I can't stress the importance of just taking five minutes a day out of your life to breathe deeply, center yourself, and make a fucking dope beat," the proprietress of indie rock concern Digital Prisoners Of War continues. To say we're excited about where she's going with this, based on her focused responses to our informal check-in below about her progress, is an understatement. If you are just joining us, Gunda began her stint as our Regolith artist-in-her-own-residence a couple weeks back; the intro piece detailing Gunda's background and prior accomplishments is online here. Check out the complete interview below to learn more about her old-school, no frills approach, as it certainly gives us a sense of what we will (dope beats) and perhaps will not be hearing (guitar) when Supriya turns over her proverbial tapes at the close of the challenge in a couple weeks. And of course, don't forget to check back to hear the final results. We'll leave the light on for you. -- L. Tiburon Pacifico

Clicky Clicky: How has the project been going to this point? Easier or harder than you anticipated? What have been the biggest challenges?

Supriya Gunda: It's good! It's fun. I don't know [that] I have anything listenable going on but, who knows, maybe I do! It's a surprise! The biggest challenge is the everyday -- waking up, brushing teeth, driving on the Mass Pike westbound, sitting at a desk, eating, sleeping, repeating. But making the time to work on this is a visceral reminder that we only have so much time to work with in the first place. I can't stress the importance of just taking five minutes a day out of your life to breathe deeply, center yourself, and make a fucking dope beat.

CC: LOL, that statement would make a great framed needlepoint. Can you tell us a little about your recording equipment and setup? Are there specific reasons you use the equipment/software that you do?

SG: No need to get techie here -- dusty but trusty Tascam 4-track. $200 work-from-home laptop. IPhone voice memo recorder. Jewel-toned, CVS-brand earbud headphones plugged into the mic input for vocals. Pro gear, Pro 'tude.

CC: Could you describe for us the techniques you are using to get your sounds? Would you use the same techniques if time were not a limiting factor? How did you learn to record this way?

SG: I've been MacGyvering, mostly. You don't learn that in school. You learn that by watching "MacGyver."

CC: Do you have any unusual tricks or rooms/spaces you record in that are exclusive to your home studio?

SG: The bathroom isn't really unusual, but obviously a great place for natural reverb; likewise, under a blanket in bed can make for a great dead space.

CC: What instruments have you been using to this point? Do you foresee introducing others?

SG: I'm using a consumer-grade 1980s Yamaha keyboard and a lot of 'found' instruments. This isn't the right time and place for regular-ass rock. I might go guitar-free altogether.

CC: Do you find that the time limitations change your approach to writing and/or recording?

SG: Yes, in that I don't have time for self-doubt. I need to produce content without stopping to consider whether it is worthy of the world. Which, in turn, gives rise to the realization -- fuck what's worthy of the world. I NEVER have time for self doubt. #yolo.

CC: Do you feel that the songs are turning out differently than they otherwise would if you weren't restricted to 30 days? If so, what do you think would be different about them?

SG: Definitely. To paraphrase Taylor Swift, I think this may be my first real pop album!

CC: What makes you say that?

SG: Because I'm getting down to sick beats.

CC: At this point, do you find the time restrictions to be a hindering your process? Or do you find them to be liberating in some way?

SG: I find it to be very liberating. I crave endgames.

Well, an endgame is what she's got, as Ms. Gunda's time as our Regolith artist-in-her-own-residence draws to a close in a couple weeks, as stated supra. Be sure to check back in for our post mortem interview and the big reveal of Supriya's potentially guitar-free and likely dope-beated (beaten?) new sounds. If you somehow missed it previously, we've embedded Digital Prisoner of War's Casually Defying Physics EP below for your listening pleasure. And if you are just turning on to Regolith and want to click back through prior episodes featuring Guillermo Sexo/Future Carnivores/Emerald Comets guy Reuben Bettsak and Chandos bassist Sean Tracy below.



Previously On Regolith:
Regolith A3E1: Supriya Gunda Is A Songwriter
Regolith A2E3: Sean Tracy Presents Dye's Alone
Regolith A2E2: Sean Tracy Writes Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A2E1: Sean Tracy Is A Songwriter
Regolith A1E3: Reuben Bettsak Presents Emerald Comets' Inside Dream Room
Regolith A1E2: Reuben Bettsak Writing Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A1E1: Reuben Bettsak Is A Songwriter
Introducing... Regolith

Regolith A3E1: Supriya Gunda Is A Songwriter

Geology, as Ellis Boyd Redding taught us, is the study of time and pressure. If that is enough to shape one kind of rock, Clicky Clicky wondered, would it work on another?

Well, that was a long, dramatic pause, yeah? We refer, of course, to the gaping crevasse of time between the last installment of Regolith, our 30-day, tripartite songwriting challenge we introduced here a year ago, and this new one. As much as we are pleased to announce the return of the feature, we are even more pleased to have as our latest participant Boston scene veteran Supriyah Gunda, proprietress of indie rock concern Digital Prisoners Of War, former bassist for Boston indie pop heroes Bent Shapes, and formerly of more rock outfits than is practical to enumerate here. Digital Prisoners Of War self-released its debut EP Casually Defying Physics last fall, four tracks fizzing with hooks and featuring Ms. Gunda singing and playing everything but the drums. Folks will be interested to learn below about the songs whose drum tracks were laid down by a legendary drummer, but the short stack of tunes has much to offer on its own terms, from the big anthem "Last Resort Method" to the steady swing of the three-quarter timed "Kill Whitey." You can stream the entire EP via the embed at the foot of the piece. In our intake interview for Regolith 3 below we get the basics from Gunda -- where she's from and where she's been -- and make inquiries about how she plans to attack our challenge, which asks aspirants to commit to writing and recording as much new material as they can in a one-month span. The results of this challenge are then posted over at the Clicky Clicky Bandcamp page. Gunda's month as our artist-in-her-own residence is already underway, and we'll check in with her again in a couple weeks for a progress report, and then present the fruits of her labor a couple weeks after that, as that is how Regolith rolls. In the meantime, after reading our brief interview with Gunda below, we invite you to revisit the results from Regolith artists one and two, Reuben Bettsak and Sean Tracy, whose recorded work is here and here respectively. -- L. Tiburon Pacifico

Clicky Clicky: Hey Supriya. Where are you from, and where do you currently reside?

Supriya Gunda: The long answer is that I've never truly felt "from" anywhere, and I currently reside in a state of proto-Nietzschean metaphysical homelessness. Short answer: I'm from Danville, New Hampshire, and currently reside in Boston, Massachusetts.

CC: What are your musical endeavours, currently?

SG: Right now I am Digital Prisoners Of War, which is a moniker that has been used as a blanket statement for my solo endeavors for... about 54.8% of my life at this point, which is terrifying. I released an EP called Casually Defying Physics in the fall, recorded with Justin Pizzoferrato (Kim Gordon, Potty Mouth, Speedy Ortiz, Krill, i.e. one seriously prolific motherfucker) at Sonelab in Easthampton, Massachusetts. This is the first song on the EP, "Béla Bar Talk." It is about, like, an amalgamation of common themes, including the Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist Béla Viktor János Bartók, drunken one-off hookups and a deeply pervasive sense of existential loneliness. Murph from Dinosaur Jr. ended up playing drums on this track, I played all the other things alone. Existentially alone.



CC: What is happening with Digital Prisoners Of War right now?

SG: Currently, I have a proper live band featuring Tommy Palmer on bass (Babydriver, Hats And Glasses, Spirit Kid) and Dan Madden on drums (Four Eyes, Laika's Oribit, Daniel Striped Tiger). They are my Grohl and Novoselic. Our next show is March 18 at O'Briens in Allston, Mass. with Julius Earthling, Laika's Orbit and Grave Ideas. Hopefully tour this summer. Hopefully a full length before then. Hopefully more!

CC: What bands have you played in previously?

SG: Most recently I've played in Lost Twin and Bent Shapes, less recently played in Hats And Glasses, Thousands, Earth People Orchestra... as with most Boston area musicians, the list could go on forever. Honestly, at this point, I don't want to be in anyone's band. I want to be in MY band.

CC: So what instruments do you play? When did you start playing them?

SG: Not drums. Constantly learning that the hard way. I do however have plenty of drum machine apps for emergencies.

CC: And how long have you been writing music?

SG: Well, the earliest archive of music I've written is saved to floppy disk, if that's any indication.

CC: What are your songwriting influences? Do you feel like there's an influence on these songs that is obvious to you but might not be necessarily apparent to a listener?

SG: I'm sure it's the opposite -- a listener is probably far better equipped to spot my influences than I am. I was recently asking for help choreographing something for a video, and I asked for something of the same ilk as a blackmetal Kate Bush, so maybe that's an influence. So many of my peers are influences, maybe not musically, but it's really an inspiration to see my friends waking up and doing it, not eating or sleeping for it, working-after-work for it, sacrificing any sense of stability for it, just needing it. It's an influence to see an influx of women coming to the forefront right now and saying, "fuck the man's songs, I'm writing/recording/producing/promoting my own." In that way, sooo many of my buds are an influence. You're probably seeing their names buzzing around all over your social media feeds right now. You'll probably keep seeing their names for years to come.

CC: How would you describe your songwriting (not recording) process. Are the songs conceived of first, or planned out? Or is the process more organic, with single chords or melodies developing into parts, which then develop into songs? Or do you have a back catalog of riffs/parts/progressions that you mix and match until they find a home?

SG: I get anxious, I get a song stuck in my head that doesn't exist yet, and I try my damnedest to get it out of there so I can get some damn peace and quiet.

CC: Do you normally write your songs alone, or are you used to writing with others? Will this project change the way you typically write?

SG: I normally write songs very, very alone. So this project actually introduces a third-party influence that I don't usually have -- you.

CC: Where will you be doing your writing and recording for this project?

SG: Under a blanket, primarily.

CC: What are your goals for this?

SG: To be forced to work with limitations. The more crayons in your crayon box, the less creative you need to be. I just need a couple crayons and a hard deadline and I'll feel free. Attachment = root of all suffering, et al.

Gunda's next Digital Prisoners Of War shows are doozies. As mentioned supra, this Wednesday the act is on the bill for the big Julius Earthling EP release show at O'Brien's Pub in Allston Rock City [deets]. And on March 23 Digital Prisoners Of War support indie pop royalty in the form of Radiator Hospital at an undisclosed location in the Greater Boston area. Check the details of that gig here maybe? Be sure to keep an eye out for Regolith blog post A3E2 (that is, "Artist Three, Episode Two") coming in a couple weeks.



Previously On Regolith:
Regolith A2E3: Sean Tracy Presents Dye's Alone
Regolith A2E2: Sean Tracy Writes Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A2E1: Sean Tracy Is A Songwriter
Regolith A1E3: Reuben Bettsak Presents Emerald Comets' Inside Dream Room
Regolith A1E2: Reuben Bettsak Writing Songs Under The Gun
Regolith A1E1: Reuben Bettsak Is A Songwriter
Introducing... Regolith

Bent Shapes, Charly Bliss, Chandos, Fucko | O'Brien's Pub, Allston Rock City | 28 February

This goddamn bill being put on by the quality dudes over at Eye Design on Saturday night. Just gaze upon it.

We've spilled a formidable pile of digital ink championing Boston indie luminaries Chandos and Bent Shapes, so these are known quantities both. But just so we are all up to speed: Clicky Clicky fave anxiety-pop heroes Chandos just last month released its hotly anticipated and just plain hot full-length debut Rats In Your Bed via Carpark (tap the embed below), and scene stalwarts Bent Shapes are in the process of mixing its planned sophomore full-length (here they is in the studio), and if this snippet is any indication, the record is going to smoke. These acts are at the peak of their powers, so there is no need for us to resort to exhortation, you know you should step out Saturday and see them. Hash tag step out and see them Saturday.

On the other hand, its been a long-time coming that we formally introduce readers to New York indie pop quartet Charly Bliss. Fronted by Eva Hendricks and lauded far and wide by many including Clicky Clicky faves Johnny Foreigner, the band wields an unshakable tunefulness built up from a foundation of classic pop chops. Ms. Hendricks' bratty, earworm-inducing vocal melodies run full bounce alongside Spencer Fox's inventive and often fuzz-addled guitars, a pairing that evokes pleasant thoughts of Blue Album-Weezer, and to a lesser extent the Slumberland sound, without crossing over into mimicry. According to evidence on the Interwebs, Charly Bliss recently logged time in Western Mass. tracking its debut LP with hitmaker Justin Pizzoferrato. In the meantime, the band already has a couple EPs out, including its most recent three-song helping Soft Serve, which the quartet pressed to vinyl disks and self-released last summer for the public's enjoyment. We've embedded Soft Serve below; click through to get a copy of the vinyl now, as we don't expect they will last long, especially once the new record is out and goes Vesuvius. Be sure to give the EP's middle jam "Urge To Purge" some extra attention, as it made one of our Top Songs of 2014 lists, meaning it is top quality.

Opening the evening and not to be missed are Boston fuzz-rock newcomers Fucko, an act firmly lodged on our watch list. In addition to having one of the all-time great monikers in rock history, and legendary merch, the quartet shows considerable promise on its rockin' three-song demo, which was released to the wilds of the Internerds a year ago. It's all killer and no filler, touts a nice big bass sound, and we would particularly direct your attention to the closing track "Kind Of Mean It." Fucko, too, has a full length in the can, and for some time now, so we expect it is just a matter of time before college radio DJs are struggling to come up with acceptable ways to refer to the band on the air. A word of caution: a bill as hot as Saturday's might require some thinking ahead, so for folks who'd like guaranteed entry, we suggest snagging tickets right over here. -- Dillon Riley and Jay Breitling

Today's Hotness: Johnny Foreigner, Bent Shapes, It Looks Sad., Frontier(s)

>> We couldn't let this bit of news completely slip by without trumpeting it once more here, given our self-proclaimed status as the publication of record for all things Johnny Foreigner. So, in case you missed it in the mad run-up to our vacation last month, the Birmingham, England-based noise-pop titans have signed with Philadelphia's Lame-O Records to release its music in the U.S. The first fruits of this relationship is a weird virtual "mix tape" released a few weeks back called Worse Things Happen At Sea; it collects an unusual assortment of mostly previously released material, probably as many deep cuts as greatest hits, we'd say. Highlights include a session version of the opener to Johnny Foreigner's incredible 2014 LP You Can Do Better, "Shipping," as well the lead cuts from its titanic third LP Johnny Foreigner vs. Everything and devastating 2010 EP You Thought You Saw A Shooting Star But Yr Eyes Were Blurred With Tears And That Lighthouse Can Be Pretty Deceiving With The Sky So Clear And The Sea So Calm. The real deep cut is "Candles," a track that originally appeared on demos collections that pre-date any of the quartet's official album releases, and perhaps the most welcome return is the twinkling ballad "199x," whose only prior release to date was on the compact 2011 odds and sods set There When You Need It. Not that anyone's counting besides Clicky Clicky Music Blog, but the deal with Lame-O -- which is home to Johnny Foreigner BFFs The Weaks and has also put out music by Modern Baseball -- is the Brummie's third North American deal in its decade of existence. A 2008 deal with Nettwerk can most charitably be described as a non-starter (or even non-existent); Johnny Foreigner then signed with Chicago's Swerp in 2012 to release the excellent Names EP. It's unclear what will come next after the release of Worse Things Happen At Sea; the aforementioned You Can Do Better, which was released earlier in 2014, has not been released in the U.S., so we would hope that Lame-O might be able to make that happen (for that matter, besides Names, basically none of Johnny Foreigner's roundly excellent catalog has been properly issued on this side of the Atlantic, so, uh, you know, someone get on that). In related news, it would seem to be an unofficial off-season for Johnny Foreigner, as fronter Alexei Berrow recently disclosed he is working on new material for his solo guise Yr Friends, and drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley has similarly disclosed he has turned his attention to new recordings by his electropop project Fridge Poetry; the two projects even merged under the name Yr Poetry for a live date earlier this summer. Laidley, incidentally, has also signed on to drum for a new, full-band version of Birmingham's Mutes, which will make its live debut Aug. 15. Further bulletins as events warrant! For now, bask in the weird glory of Worse Things Happen At Sea via the embed below.



>> Another piece of news that fell in the gap during our vacation: Boston indie-pop heroes Bent Shapes issued recently its first new material since downsizing its official personnel to a two-piece. The release came in the form of a 7" plexi-disc put out by Olympia, Wash.-based "micro-indie" (redundant?) label People In A Position To Know. The disc itself is a legit piece of art, a flat, two-sided, lathe-cut plexiglass circle that carries the band's logo and the song titles on its front side; the disc comes in three colors in a hyper-limited edition of 25 pieces per color scheme (yellow/brown; black/teal; blue/brown). "It's thick and heavy and pretty pointy at the edges," fronter Ben Potrykus told Improper Bostonian recently. Fortunately for fans, the odd media is still not as snappy as the music. The A-side touts the tune "86'd in '03," which Bent Shapes has been performing live since at least its release show for Feels Weird a year ago. The flip-side carries a cover of a The 2x4's lost-classic Boston punk tune "Bridgeport Lathe" (whose title, incidentally, would be incredibly meta if it turns out these lathe-cut discs were actually fabricated in, say, Bridgeport, CT, or better still, Bridgeport, PA). "86'd" in particular is a stunner, compressing all the jagged changes and vocal hooks of the standout 2013 long-player Feels Weird [review] into a two-minute blast that proves the recent line-up shuffle has done nothing to squelch the band's fizz. One can acquire her or his own copy of "86'd In '03" b/w "Bridgeport Lathe" from People In A Position To Know right here, or at Bent Shapes' upcoming show later this month at TT The Bear's Place in Cambridge, Mass. But one, of course, should act expeditiously, even decisively, given the extremely limited quantities involved here. Stream both cuts below, then stream them again. -- Dillon Riley



>> In what we can only hope is a viable trend in indie band branding, one of the latest acts from the indefatigable Tiny Engines stable is the relatively new It Looks Sad. To dispel any confusion, yes, that is a full stop tagged to the end of the Charlotte-based quartet's name [counterpoint: special punctuation, symbols or use of capitalization in band names has been a deplorable scourge since at least NSync, whose name we will not grace with the once-requested-by-publicists giant asterisk. See me after class, Riley. -- Ed.]. The post-#emorevival self-parody via name is not the band's most distinguishing trait, however -- which is saying something, as the band initially traded under the signicantly more unwieldy moniker It Looks Sad, That's Why I Said It's You. No, more importantly, the native Carolinians favor an atmospheric approach to its music, injecting palpable elements of dream pop into an expansive sound. It's a key distinction that interestingly situates It Looks Sad. stylistically closer to bands on Captured Tracks than the foursome's hometown label peers. It Looks Sad.'s music is no less emotional, though. Fronter Jimmy Turner's reedy vocals do plenty to convey that, buffeted by airy guitar playing that ranges from mopey to soaring, in a manner not terribly dissimilar to the impressive contemporary work by New Yorkers Cymbals Eat Guitars. It Looks Sad.'s debut release for Tiny Engines is a four-song EP titled Self-Titled. During its sub-twenty-minute runtime, the quartet packs in nearly as many ear-catching hooks. The act's playing comes tightly into focus when it slows the tempo, consolidating into a loose groove on the standout track "Fingers" [video]. Here the band falls in around a high, trebly, circular riff that persists throughout the song, outlasting even a forceful, crash-cymbal aided chorus. Despite having just four songs out, It Looks Sad. exhibits an admirable mastery of its chosen musical argot at a time in its career trajectory when other young bands are struggling to break out of the bedroom. We're eager to hear where the band heads next. Self-Titled is slated for release later this summer, and it can be pre-ordered from Tiny Engines on 7" vinyl (in a limited edition of 500 pieces available in salmon, seafoam or cream) and/or download right here. Stream the entire short stack via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Dillon Riley



>> From the other side of the Tiny Engines spectrum comes another fairly new act, Frontier(s), which is helmed by Chris Higdon of '90s emo luminaries Elliot. The Louisville-based quartet dropped its second release, an EP titled White Lights, via the aforementioned label Tuesday. Drawing influence from the D.C.-styled post-hardcore sound that birthed first-wave emo acts such as Embrace and Rites Of Spring (and, honestly, maybe even a bit from '80s hair metal), White Lights feels a lot like the logical sonic mean of Higdon's prior acts, the early '90s hardcore collective Falling Forward and the aforementioned Elliot, despite the long passage of time since either of those groups have been active. More importantly, though, the EP feels vital and fresh, not a throwback to another time, much in the same way as the tremendous and recently released reunion album from Braid, No Coast. White Lights certainly carries in its five songs a certain amount of world-weariness, but doesn't feel bogged down with comeback emotions. Frontier(s) is at its best on set closer "Bare Hands," where the foursome sounds as if it has a lot to prove, despite its notable pedigree. You can grab White Lights from Tiny Engines on 12" vinyl and/or digital download right here, and stream the entire EP via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Dillon Riley

Today's Hotness: Gold-Bears, Bozmo, Mincer Ray

>> From its humble beginnings, the Slumberland Records catalog has always possessed a great spiritual unity, and an argument can be made that the revered label's aesthetic, as mapped by its recent output, is becoming more outwardly emotional and mature. It's in the remarkably affecting, folk-inspired rock of Withered Hand, and it's in the dazzling, exuberant new single "Simple And Sure" from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (who, strangely, are releasing the full-length that contains the single via a different label, Yebo). And it's also in the sparkling anthems of Atlanta-based guitar-pop giants Gold-Bears. That quintet's sophomore effort Dalliance will be released June 3 -- incidentally, the day after the band performs at Cambridge, Mass.'s Middlesex Lounge with local indie pop standouts Bent Shapes and shoegaze titans Soccer Mom [dee-tails]. As with another upcoming SLR band, The Proper Ornaments, Gold-Bears' two preview singles (the latest being the cascading, co-ed rush "Yeah, Tonight") draw from the '60s-influenced side of Slumberland's classic pop aesthetic, while pushing the emotion to the forefront in less usual ways. The first single "For You," is a step forward for Gold-Bears, particularly in terms of both audio fidelity and composition, when compared with the five-piece’s delightful 2011 debut. The song's impact is predicated on minimal, Ramones-inspired power chords and a thoughtful arrangement. What might at first seem a continuation of the band's frustrated, punk-ish yelp-pop in the tune's first half, though, shifts suddenly to a succession of refreshingly clear moments of triumph. At roughly the half-minute mark, a piano smartly lays a wedding-bell progression against the grind of the band, and emotionally flattens everything in the song's proverbial path. It's a simple move, but when that instrument counterbalances the fierce chord progression, it sets up a tight-throated rush that suddenly imbues aggressive lines like "You're a mistake" with a serious twist. Have you ever watched a song grow up before your very eyes? Spend three minutes with this one for sure: you can stream it via the Soundcloud embed below, and pre-order Dalliance from Slumberland right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> The madcap psychedelia lives! If our readers were truly in tune with this reviewer's taste, they would know he is very excited about the forthcoming cassette from Boston-born and now Berkeley, Calif.-based Bozmo. The set is called Leather Umbrella and it is due any day now on the un-Google-able Peaking Pear Records. The collection -- which was recorded entirely by Bozmo principal Bo Moore to a Tascam 388 -- presents a classic case of hard-shifting mod that chases it's own fascinating logic. The title track from the album has been loosed to the wilds of the Internerds for a couple weeks; it's a Revolver-esque jaunt through fields of poppies that features bouncy harmonized lead guitars and delicately picked verses that serve as a perfect foil to the bubbly guitar work that bookends the piece. Adorning the snappy composition are great, prominently mixed tambourines and period-correct vocal delays that neatly wrap the production in perfect 1967 indie dressing. While "Leather Umbrella" cycles resolutely between its A and B sections without further development, the overall energy and neat melodic flourishes recall our beloved Lilys circa Better Can't Make Your Life Better. That's high praise from this publication, don't you know. We've had an opportunity to delve into all of Leather Umbrella and are pleased to report that its contents are uniformly terrific, and, in fact, the brightest spots arrive back-to-back in the middle of the record. Here we find the mid-tempo strummer "Cheap Blue Memory," a slightly downcast mood piece with excellent lyrics, gentle vocal harmonies and an amazing, warped guitar solo. That tune is followed by the fuzzed-out pop triumph "Perry And The Vest," with high-voltage harmonies in the chorus and another, albeit briefer, transcendent guitar solo. The two tunes each clock at about three minutes and cry out for release as a vinyl 7", so if you've got unspent student loan money burning a hole in your pocket maybe now is the time to flush your future down the toilet and start your own indie label. While you ponder that exceedingly questionable advice, stream and download "Leather Umbrella" via the embed below and watch that Bandcamp page for information about the Leather Umbrella cassette, which may possibly be your most prized possession this summer. -- Edward Charlton



>> It's not uncommon for this American blogger to wonder about and perhaps glorify the life of ex-pats. For one thing, there's the suggestion of European jet-setting, or contemplative Far East sightseeing, but even more so, there's the thrill of making a fresh start somewhere challenging and different. Our urge is heightened by our recollection that Berlin indie rockers Mincer Ray counts among its number not one, but two American ex-pats apparently in search of some great truth about scratchy, trad-sounding indie rock. Mincer Ray recently completed a new, long-playing collection, Fellow Traveler, which is available to download now for any price via Bandcamp. What quickly becomes apparent when playing the ten tracks is the extent to which the group has surpassed the delightful Guided By Voices-inspired lo-fi of 2012's Ray Mincer, which we wrote about here. The new set is more scattered but no less creative, at turns surprisingly rootsy and soulful, and at others sonically aggressive. "Couch Neighbor Catherine" and "Bassmaster" trade in shambolic loose strums that remind this reviewer of Pavement at their most country-inclined, or Palace Brothers at their most precise. "A Pickaxe From My Mom" and "Grand Tunk Plastic Lake" are both bits of classic, Yo La Tengo-styled indie. Instrumental "Great Trunk National Park" evokes Fugazi at their most willfully sloppy and the shape-shifting, instrumental closer "Das Grune Tor" utilizes a distorted whammy to great effect. Sure, the Berliners often evoke their touchstones, but the sense that they're having a blast and tapping into something pure makes one curious as to what great truth they've uncovered during their international adventure. Download Fellow Traveler via the embed below; it's for you. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Andy Sadoway, Skyjelly, Pastel Colours

>> To a remote observer it may appear as if Boston indie pop heroes Bent Shapes are going through a sort-of wilderness phase, figuratively wandering the desert with one arm thrown over the shoulder of Jesus and the other over the shoulder of Jim Morrison, and, since we're just making shit up now, a superfluous third arm thrown over the shoulder of the equally superfluous Val Kilmer. Anyway, longtime Bent Shapes bassist Supriya Gunda recently (and amicably) left the band to focus on other projects including the whipsmart quartet Lost Twin, and now we have before us a new solo EP from Bent Shapes drummer Andy Sadoway. The good news is that the state of the Bent Shapes union is strong, they continue to play shows (like last week's hotly tipped Bleeding Rainbow gig), and we're told there is new music coming, so everyone just keep your shirts on -- everything is cool. In the meantime, this EP from Mr. Sadoway isn't going to write about itself. The short set certainly sounds like a winner, if its title track is any indication. "Str8 Sh00ter" is built up like a house of cards from flappy acoustic guitar and minimal, tom-centric drumming, with lots of nifty, tremeloed electric guitar sprouting across the stereo field. Its resolutely breezy and somewhat innocent sounding surf-pop reminds Clicky Clicky of both the terrific (but, sadly, perhaps defunct?) Chicago act Distractions and zero-year left coast pop duo Jan And Dean. The Str8 Sh00ter EP also includes the Sadoway-penned and performed "You Kept Things In Tact," "Don't Mind," and "Leave Some Space." The four songs were recorded at Mystic Steamship just outside of Boston. The EP will be released by Father/Daughter Records March 25 as a cassette and digital download, and you can pre-order your very own right here right now. Father/Daughter also released Bent Shapes' full-length debut, which we reviewed right here last August. Stream the tune "Str8 Sh00ter" via the Soundcloud embed below.



>> The music of Boston-based experimental concern Skyjelly rarely, if ever, seems to tread the same ground twice: indeed, unpredictability may be its most distinguishing characteristic. Our unsubstantiated speculation points to this unpredictability being a symptom of the sort of restless pursuit of T+B our college professors advocated in the '90s (that's "Truth and Beauty," to you youngsters not fortunate enough to have been educated by academics who themselves were educated in the 1970s). Or it may be that founding member Skyjelly Jones just gets bored easily (the musical project that carries the Skyjelly brand now also includes Eric Hudson). Whatever the reason, the peripatetic yen of Mr. Jones' songwriting has heretofore come to rest on beautiful, more ambient sounds like "Providence," which we wrote about here in early 2013, and on a new, debut EP, well, it's decidedly weirder. The music on the Skyjelly & Sun EP retains a wide-eyed psychedelia, to be sure, but aspects of the proceedings are surprisingly formalized. Opener "Tea, The Drink" cuts through a funk sample to stride along a solid groove accented by maracas(or some sort of backwards masking that approximates the slanting kiss-kiss of maracas). It's a firm anchor for cooed falsetto vocals and tremeloed rhythm guitar, which dodge gestural, scrawled guitar leads. "Catherine's Rabbi" ups the tempo and the pop ciphering, consolidating a barely there guitar sketch, a canned beat and more weightless falsetto in the four-song set's most conventional composition. "Krilltastic" tantalizes with its Clicky Clicky-friendly title, but the dense rhythm track in the first half of the tune -- which recalls moments of The Cure's Pornography record -- provides an equally strong focal point. Skyjelly & Sun will be self-released March 20, and if you are lucky enough to get a physical copy, it may (or may not) come packaged in a pocket cut from a pair of trousers. The EP will be feted at a release party scheduled for March 15 at the UnchARTed Gallery [boing] in Lowell, Mass. In the meantime, stream the sitar- and WTF-tastic EP closer "Peshawar (Astral)" via the Soundcloud embed below.



>> Pink Floyd never grooved as steadfastly as this, likely because Roger Waters is a rigid bass player. Nonetheless, there is a touch of classic, singles-era Pink Floyd to Pastel Colours' blazing psych-pop nugget "She Can't Decide." Something in the vocals, bass flange, blues foundation, and of course the massive descending chorus echoes Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive." Pastel Colours' smoking psych-rock number is apparently only their second recording; the Falmouth, England-based quintet debuted with the somewhat more restrained but somehow even more psychedelic track "Hands Like Silk" late last year. "She Can't Decide" is the third installment in Art Is Hard Records' 2014 Pizza Club series, with which readers will surely be familiar, because we write about it, and Art Is Hard's knack for finding brilliant music, often. Coincidentally, another Falmouth act, Goddamn Nobody, was featured as the first single in the 2014 Pizza Club series, and we wrote about that right here. Despite having but a brace of tunes released, Pastel Colours has already garnered a not insignificant amount of radio support, and we are eager to hear what else the fivesome can do. Can they stay true to the psych-pop idiom while keeping its music fresh? Time will tell. For now, stream "She Can't Decide" via the Soundcloud embed below, and click through to grab a download of the track for the friendly price of zero anythings. And, of course, music fans would be wise to keep their ears on Art Is Hard.

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Albums Of 2013: Dillon Edition

And here it is, our last year-end list for 2013, this one top albums selections courtesy of our intrepid Staff Writer Dillon Riley. There is noticeable overlap between this list and our own, which we published earlier this week. However, we embrace the differences between the lists even more, as they allow the publication to recognize yet more very worthy acts that didn't rate a slot on Jay's tally. Yet even Mr. Riley didn't have room in the manger for all he hoped to recognize; he extends honorable mention kudos to Medicine (To The Happy Few, released on Captured Tracks), Grooms (Infinity Caller, on Western Vinyl), Radiator Hospital (see Jay's list), Swearin' (Surfing Strange, Salinas Records) and Waxahatchee (Cerulean Salt, Don Giovanni). If you'll allow a brief aside, we're grateful not only to our readers for lending their attention to the publication each day, but also to the rock solid partners we've conned into helping further the mission of Clicky Clicky. So to Michael Piantigini, Edward Charlton and Mr. Riley, this blog's executive editor offers his sincerest, unreserved thanks. We hope you all enjoy their writing half as much as we do. Clicky Clicky will publish little or not at all for the remainder of the year, but rest assured we'll be out here listening to and weighing the relative merits of the new now sounds, and resting up for what is sure to be an exciting and indie-rock filled 2014. We thank you for your continued patronage. Now on to Dillon's Top Albums Of 2013.

1. Krill -- Lucky Leaves -- Self-Released

It physically hurt, having to choose between these jams and those of the equally impressive collection listed just below Lucky Leaves. No other records were more obsessively spun, streamed, talked and/or posted on Facebook/Twitter about, and air drummed along to in class by me than these two beauties. So, the question remains, why place Krill over Speedy Ortiz at the top of the heap? Well, concerned reader, it's simple: while Speedy most definitely delivered an (all-but) unbeatable collection of ass-kicking rock tunes, Krill invented their own sonic world with Lucky Leaves. So, out of pure journalistic obligation, I just gotta side with them. Plus, what other band on this planet or otherwise would release their highly anticipated sophomore LP in a ball of mozzarella for an obscenely high price? Or, for that matter, any price? I thought so. Buy it here.



2. Speedy Ortiz -- Major Arcana -- Carpark

What more can be said about this record that hasn't been dished already? The culmination of 1,001 basement gigs, a couple incredible singles and a legend-forging EP, Speedy Ortiz's meteoric rise, and the parallel ascension of the scene that birthed them, has been one of 2013's greatest success stories. Another release as good as this (and I'm expecting their forthcoming EP to slay based on the single), and we may have to declare Massachusetts the new indie rock mecca. Buy it here.



3. My Bloody Valentine -- mbv -- Self-Released

C'mon, like this one wasn't gonna make it... I, like many reading this, stayed up half the night on that fateful February evening waiting for the My Bloody Valentine website to gain its footing so I could get my metaphorical hands on these sweet, sweet digital goods. And, uh, no disappointments here. A basically flawless album from one of the most influential bands/sonic auteurs/musical masterminds of all time, mbv picked up right where the final flickering beats of "Soon" left off, despite the two-decade-plus gap. I was there at the House Of Blues gig, too, and in some ways I'm still recovering from it as I type these words -- emotionally at least. "Wonder 2" still induces vertigo when I slap it on the turntable. Buy mbv here.



4. Joanna Gruesome -- Weird Sister -- Slumberland

Complete with a mythic origin story (click and control-f for "anger"), a record bursting at the grooves with energy, and a deliriously bad name, Joanna Gruesome had me captivated long before they blew up at CMJ this fall. An arresting concoction of power-twee hooks and searing, noise-pop guitars, this Cardiff quintet's music presents a perfect yin-yang of indie rock goodness. Sure, they come off a little bookish at the onset with "Sugarcrush," but by "Secret Surprise" frontwoman Alanna Gruesome -- yeah they adopted band surnames a la The Ramones, as well as a certain other Cardiff-based indie pop sensation -- apparently bins her anger management training and embraces some good ol' fashioned violence as she dreams of pulling teeth from an ex's mouth. Joanna Gruesome is another band you can file under Dill-core for sure. Buy Weird Sister here.



5. Ovlov -- am -- Exploding In Sound

am, the debut LP from these Newtown, CT fuzz-rockers, was a near-revelation upon its mid-summer release. Delivering on the promise of their early EPs, Ovlov's current all-Hartlett lineup -- brothers Steve, Theo, and Jon -- is easily their best to date, one that takes frontdude Steve's compositions to dizzying heights. And yet, on an album filled with such intense, unrelentingly overdriven guitar anthems, it's the record's most restrained track, the lumbering "Where’s My Dini?," that shines brightest. At least to me. Whatever, the stratospheric launch around the 1:07 mark during "Blue Baby" stands as my favorite musical moment of the year, too, so what do I know? Buy am here.



6. Deerhunter -- Monomania -- 4AD

Here's why I will always love this band: fresh off their biggest release yet, 2011's gorgeously atmospheric Halcyon Digest, one would expect Deerhunter -- seemingly on the cusp of widespread adoration -- to drop another set of articulate dream-pop tunes. Instead we got Monomania, a haphazard collection of brittle, lo-fi, junkyard-rock, and a bizarre-even-by-Bradford Cox-standards appearance on Jimmy Fallon's late-night gabber. These songs are all splintering guitars and jagged-edge vocal squawks about motorbikes and obsession, a perfect backdrop for Deerhunter's most American-sounding effort yet. The kicker is the record's best song, Lockett Pundt's turn at the mic for "The Missing," is far more Lotus Plaza than Deerhunter: a perfect exception to the rules set forth by the Monomania's skewed aesthetic. Buy it here.



7. Smith Westerns -- Soft Will -- Mom + Pop Music

Speaking of smart, well-crafted indie music, these Chicago dudes kick up a pristine blend of guitar-pop, trading in angular guitars and restrained rhythms for Day-Glo keyboard melodies and glam-rock bombast. How the first single from Soft Will, the deliciously juvenile "Varsity," hasn’t appeared on more (read: any) best song lists for 2013 is beyond me. I guess people don't put as much of a premium on clean-cut pop melodies as they used to. No matter, I get the feeling this band will continue to quietly release 10-song batches of exacting, sugary-sweet angst like this one well into the future. After all, they're barely out of high school. Buy Soft Will here.



8. Bent Shapes -- Feels Weird -- Father/Daughter

Allston basement heroes done good, a classic story archetype you'll find with some regularity within this list. With their debut LP Feels Weird, indie-pop heroes Bent Shapes compiled and cleaned up a proverbial murderer's row of tracks they'd released in various formats (and production fidelities) to create a collection for the ages. A pre-release P-Fork album stream helped build buzz and landed them favorable reviews across the board, and their release show at Great Scott was one our favorites of the year. Not a bad year for the artists formerly known as Girlfriends, I'd say. Buy Feels Weird here.



9. Youth Lagoon -- Wondrous Bughouse -- Fat Possum

You wouldn't know it from the sound of his early singles, but Trevor Powers is quite the arranger. Where his debut under the Youth Lagoon moniker, The Year of Hibernation, exuded hushed tones and reverb-heavy keys, Powers went HD on this affair, trading up for expansive, panoramic production and hard-hitting live drums. This was far and away the best pure psych-rock album released in 2013; not bad considering this year also saw The Flaming Lips release a 24-hour-long song inside of a gummy skull head [total Krill wannabes -- Ed.] and a full-album tribute to The Stone Roses. A sparsely attended afternoon set at the first Boston Calling didn't do Powers justice, 'cause he brings the proverbial it live, too. Buy Wondrous Bughouse here.



10. Pity Sex -- Feast of Love -- Run For Cover

This record had all the trappings of what my friends call a "typical Dillon album:" Blown-out guitar production? Check. Boy/girl call-and-response vocals? Check. A mash-up of two classically "indie" sounds? Check. And last, but not least, a groan-inducingly un-Googleable name? Why, of course. Suffice to say, I fell hard for this Ann Arbor quartet's razor-sharp emo-gaze, and early album highlight "Keep" is still a go-to for my own version of the Seth Cohen starter kit. Buy Feast Of Love here.

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Albums Of 2013: Jay Edition

More so than in any of the 13 years in which we've devoted too much time to writing about music, it feels silly to pick the best of it for 2013. So much of what we heard this year was wonderful, and the year certainly exceeded our expectations. This despite our fervently held belief that there is *always*, every year, an abundance of excellent music waiting to be discovered; the trick is finding it. Which is kind of why this blog is here. And while we struggled with tough decisions that excluded deserving acts including Fat History Month, Heyward Howkins, It Hugs Back and Bent Shapes from the final top 10, well, dammit, rules are rules. We're going to have one more year-end list coming by the end of the week, top albums selections from our indefatigable Staff Writer Dillon Riley. Before we let you get to Executive Editor Jay's picks below, we want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading Clicky Clicky Music Blog. We try to do things a bit differently here, by offering more insight and analysis, more background and context. We hope the quality of the product makes reading about music here something you value. And another quick thanks for everyone, both bands and fans, who supported the Lilys comp And I Forgot A Long Time Ago How You Feel, as well as the Community Servings benefit show we presented last month. Music is important; we believe that with every fiber of our being. It matters. Below is a list of the albums that, in Jay's estimation, mattered the most in 2013.

1. Speedy Ortiz -- Major Arcana -- Carpark Records

While success outside the four corners of the record sleeve isn't something our year-end lists take into consideration, it's hard to draw any conclusions other than 2013 was owned by Speedy Ortiz, one of the hardest-working rock bands in the rock music-making business. Within the four corners of the record, it is easy to hear why: Speedy Ortiz makes the sophisticated sort of guitar music we want to listen to a lot. Indeed, Major Arcana, with its full-frontal guitars, churning rhythm section and engaging articulations of frustration and decathection, is immediate and gratifying. To paraphrase a singer from a different band discussed below, there ain't a stinker on it. We reviewed Major Arcana for Vanyaland right here in July; buy it from Carpark Records here.





2. Krill -- Lucky Leaves -- Self-Released

"Just go ahead, climb into my head," is what Lucky Leaves seems to say, leaning down and tipping its comically over-sized cranium toward you, snapping the clamps behind the ears upwards and open, and lifting off the top. "It's kinda weird in here," it goes on, although it is kind of hard to tell whether the record is talking to you or itself when it says that. "Never mind the other dude in there, he's harmless. He's actually got a pretty good band, you should check them out... though he said something about them breaking up? Half the time I don't know what he's on about." We reviewed Lucky Leaves here in June; buy it here (and tick-tock: we're given to understand there are fewer than 40 copies of the first vinyl pressing left for sale).



3. Veronica Falls -- Waiting For Something To Happen -- Slumberland

This was our go-to record for the first half of 2013, and we continue to put it on often. Eminently listenable British guitar pop. The songwriting on the album is so strong that the album feels like a singles compilation. What's more, Waiting For Something To Happen features one of the very best songs of the year, the wistful ode to young love "Teenager." The nagging question of seeing this record at number three on the list is whether that placement, ultimately, can be traced to the enjoyment we got seeing or otherwise interacting with the members of the bands mentioned above. Whatever the reason, the aggregate play counts across ITunes, etc., don't lie. This record is so good even Clicky Clicky Mom liked it when it was played during her visits to HQ; a fairly rare feat, this liking (it was accomplished previously by two admittedly amazing records, Okay Paddy's The Cactus Has A Point -- link -- and Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga). Buy Waiting For Something To Happen from Slumberland right here.





4. My Bloody Valentine -- mbv -- Self-Released

We recently discussed mbv with a friend, specifically its surprise release -- and everyone's mad dash to the My Bloody Valentine web site to purchase and listen to this tremendous new collection -- and how that release has been one of the very few communally shared experiences in modern indie rock. That pulse-pounding excitement was totally appropriate, especially given how great mbv is, and the dissonance of that excitement butting up against such a serene-sounding album opener, "She Found Now," perhaps only heightened the experience. My Bloody Valentine's follow-up to its legendary Loveless is terrific, offering not only familiarity (with its cooed vocals and bending guitars), but also an explanation of sorts ("In Another Way" manifests Kevin Shields' purported fixation with jungle, albeit years and years and years after that fixation was a topic of conversation). As gratifying as mbv is, perhaps most gratifying of all is Mr. Shields' uncompromising approach to the business of music; we'd say "outspokenness" if perhaps he spoke more often, although the interviews he's given over the past year are all amazing. Shields' is a singular sonic vision, and hopefully one that will be as inspiring to bands as Loveless has been. This 2013 collection extends and burnishes the deep MBV legacy; buy it here.



5. Los Campesinos! -- No Blues -- Wichita/Turnstyle

Big, bold and beautiful is what this is. While we are still unsettled by the revelation that No Blues was almost not made (the band had apparently considered hanging up its boots), that doesn't in any way diminish how enjoyable it is. Indeed, it's as accomplished a collection as Cardiff-based Los Campesinos! has made. The singles still punch hard, the album cuts are just as rich and soundly conceived. Fronter Gareth Campesinos' lyrics remain sharp and affecting, a feat all the more impressive given his stated practice of writing them as late as possible into the recording process. Let us not overlook just how neat a trick it is that so many of the lyrics center around football, yet still communicate as strongly as when he addresses affairs of the heart (perhaps it is no trick: football -- that's soccer to you, Yank -- is an affair of the heart to Gareth). The single "Avocado, Baby," with is ridiculously catchy chant, just missed our year-end songs list, and other album highlights include "Cemetery Gaits" and "What Death Leaves Behind." We reviewed No Blues here last month; buy it from the band right here. Los Camp play a rare Boston date next month.





6. Radiator Hospital -- Something Wild -- Salinas

Now that we have published our year-end songs list, wherein we disclosed that we favored this collection over even the dynamite releases by scenemates Swearin' and Waxahatchee, it's probably little surprise to find Radiator Hospital sitting here. Call it pop-punk, call it emo, it doesn't matter: Something Wild is fun and emotional and engaging (not that those aforementioned collections from the respective bands of the sisters Crutchfield aren't these things; we just listened to Something Wild more, and math counts). Our own Dillon Riley reviewed the set right here in July; buy it from Salinas records here.



7. Calories -- III -- Self-Released

Here is the third of three self-released records on our year-end list, which, of course, says something about the Music Industry of Today. However, this is not the place for a dissection of the challenges faced by bands trying to sell music. Even so, when something as objectively super and as wildly ambitious as Calories' III isn't the subject of a label bidding war, we start to wonder what the hell is wrong with the world. III is the foursome's most confident and rewarding to date, building up from the stoney foundations of the monolithic post-punk of its early years to embrace looser structures and more varied aural topographies. Somewhere along the way Calories started to sound haunted; at the same time the band started to engage a yen to fluidly jam across larger and larger stretches of time. Now vocals are subdued, guitars are just as likely to be acoustic as electric, but the potency of Calories music is not diluted. The greatest cut from III, the amazing, 10-minute closer "Tropics," is almost an album unto itself. The tune commences with broad distorted chords, crashing symbols and forefronted oohs, shifts into a steady four-four rocker for a minute, and then transforms into a spiraling, poignant final movement that stretches across almost eight minutes. That tune in and of itself is worth about 10 bucks, but you can download III from Bandcamp here in exchange for as much money as you care to pay for it.



8. Ovlov -- am -- Exploding In Sound

The conventional wisdom among the indiescienti is that -- from a label standpoint -- 2013 belonged to Exploding In Sound Records, who issued not only Ovlov's am, but also Fat History Month's blindingly brilliant Bad History Month, and Kal Mark's Life Is Murder, among other fine sound recordings. Ovlov's noisy hooks on am are undenible, despite the aural sludge in which the Connecticut trio encases them on belters like "Nu Punk" and the cataclysmic opener "Grapes." Vintage Dinosaur Jr. is a popularly applied reference, but Ovlov's vibe is less backwoods goth and more conventional (the opener's melody, reinforced by backing vocals from Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis, echoes great tunes by more pop-leaning Clicky Clicky faves The Wannadies and Projekt A-ko). The music on am shakes and shudders with desperate energy, fuzz flies off the guitars and cymbals, and the whole waxy ball of wax is anchored to punishing snare hits and fronter Steve Hartlett's Mascis-esque yowl. All of which makes the record endlessly listenable. Buy am from Exploding In Sound right here.



9. Guillermo Sexo -- Dark Spring -- Midriff Records

Diving deeper within to explore sounds and textures in the studio, Boston psych-rock unit Guillermo Sexo yet maintain an admirable level of focus, which is brought to bear on the urgent and dreamy material on its fifth long player Dark Spring. The remarkably varied album touts two seven-minute-plus opuses (inluding "Meow Metal," which was recognized in our year-end, best songs list) that speak to the band's confidence and willingness to stretch out and chase ambitious ideas. The set's first third, however, features a slate of immediate and more concise rockers. The collection has a classic '70s feel, adventurous and with an almost narrative quality, making it perhaps the most "albumy" album on this year-end list. We reviewed Dark Spring right here in September; buy it from Midriff right here.



10. Joey Sweeney -- Long Hair -- La Société Expéditionnaire

Long Hair is like an old friend, almost literally: Joey Sweeney's only other solo set, the excellent Heartache Baseball, was released in 1995. That's basically a lifetime ago, during a figurative pause between his most well-known bands Barnabys and The Trouble With Sweeney, the latter of which released its final recording almost a decade ago. This new and fresh solo collection has shed the youthful confusion, dyspeptic romances and coffee nerves that concerned Mr. Sweeney as a younger songwriter. Long Hair, instead, is confident and amused by life, and only a little world-weary. The well-measured, nicely orchestrated set distills decades of Philadelphia's rock and pop into nine songs that feel like a memoir: here is the park where the toughs trashed Sweeney for having new wave hair; there is the bar where the sweetest romantic conquest lifted a heavy heart. The record is highlighted by what might be the most direct piece of songwriting on the set, "Records And Coffee," Sweeney's ode to reliable comforts -- which is what Long Hair turns out to be. Stream selections from the record below, or the entire shebang gratis via this link to Emusic.com. Buy Long Hair here.

That Was The Show That Was: Bent Shapes Feels Weird Release Show With Potty Mouth And Krill

[Photo courtesy of Brad Searles] Shows like Sunday's at Allston landmark Great Scott are the reason why our favorite bands seem to be getting more press in, say, Pitchfork than the Boston media these days. The bill alone speaks volumes for the admirable diversity of our beloved little scene: there were the paranoid insectoid ruminations of Krill, the brash punk stylings of the hotly tipped Potty Mouth, and the whip-smart post-punk jams of Bent Shapes. It was the latter act's release show, and Bent Shapes certainly brought that nebulous "it" live in a big way. Much to our delight, Potty Mouth and Krill also delivered memorable sets.

Bent Shapes took the stage a little after 11 and quickly brought the proverbial house down. The trio's new record Feels Weird -- out today and now streaming at Pitchfork Advance -- is incredible, a hard-earned tour de force from one of the best indie pop band in Boston. They wear their influences proudly, to be sure, but the true appeal to Bent Shapes' fizzing sound is its tight songcraft, a trait that dates back to its early days as Girlfriends. Songs like "Big Machines" and set closer "Behead Yrself Pt. 2" neatly cram melodies and counter-melodies into shiny, breezy post-punk nuggets. None of that gets lost in the act's live show, either. Stripped of some studio polish, the songs register with even more conviction, all strained vocals and loud, crashing cymbals. Out-of-towners might not realize, and the unfamiliar wouldn't know it from the pop euphoria of Feels Weird, but Bent Shapes are veterans of the city's basement scene and were right at home on a small stage like Great Scott's. The show not only felt like a victory lap for the group, but also seemed to celebrate how far the Boston scene in general has come of late, especially this summer. At the end of it all, Bent Shapes had a totally rad encore walk-on moment, too -- not bad for a Sunday night in late August.

First up Sunday were JP's premiere bugcore trio Krill, who not long ago threw a record release show of their own on the very same stage. Dedicated readers of all things Clicky Clicky know we are big fans of that joint, Lucky Leaves. Dare we say it fucking ruled. This is a band that originally intended to release said sophomore set embedded in soft balls of mozzarella, a notion that speaks volumes about the trio's collective, warped persona. That sense of absurdity translates to the stage, as well: within seconds of opening their set, fronter Jonah Furman performed a sight gag for the crowd. Just before lumbering into dub-inflected album standout "Never A Joke," Mr. Furman began pulling what looked like a long roll of toilet paper of his front pocket... to muted applause. The dynamic set that followed offered older tunes, a healthy dose of Lucky Leaves (and we all learned recently that Lucky, indeed, is leaving), and a bit of their newly-written "concept album about wanting to play shows with Pile." Furman's piercing, emotive voice paints him as a natural, if unconventional frontman. Western, Mass pop-punkers Potty Mouth anchored the middle of the bill, delivering a fun-loving, shambolic set pulled largely (if not exclusively) from their pending debut Hell Bent. The catchy brat rock struck a clean, pleasant contrast to Krill's paranoiac parables, even if they had to borrow Aaron Ratoff's guitar. -- Dillon Riley

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