Today's Hotness: Night Dew Call, Katie Dey, TV Wonder

>> We love encountering evidence of the universality of indie pop, identifying acts from around the world mining the sounds of Anglophilic '80s guitar pop. That the "cause" side of the equation has traveled far and wide perhaps shouldn't be surprising any longer in our Internet-connected age, but the "effects" thrill us nonetheless. The very location of a band can seep into its interpretation of the form, and in sometimes subtle and effervescent ways complement the timeless aspects of the little genre-that-could. Be it in sound, language, spirit or even general enthusiasm, when it is good it is icing on the cake. Which is why recent digital singles from young Ukrainians Night Dew Call have caught our collective ear. Straight outta Pobho, the dreamy and twee four-piece craft dancey, clean and crisp singalongs for late night bar crawls amidst the open-collared breeze, as in its tune "Someday." "You'll see me around someday" promises a pleasant mid-range singer (in perfect English, we suppose it is worth adding for our lyrically fixated readers). The bending "ohs" and the earworm guitar line that opens the tune recall touchstone acts like The Smiths to some degree, but the brisk pacing and relaxed but confident guitar solos suggest that this band needs no help understanding how to execute an effective entrance into a three-and-a-half minute sleeper anthem. And so bring on the Globalism, we say. Download "Someday" for any price right here; that number as well as two other digital singles from this year, "Citizen" and "Schedryk," can be streamed via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton, At Large



>> We were quite entranced by Melbourne, Australia-based electro-acoustic sound manipulator extraordinaire Katie Dey's 2015 full-length debut, asdfasdf, taking note of her stunning and original twists of melody and sound. The songs were fairly singular, offering modernist, post-pop tones and pitch-shifted vocals that sounded painstakingly crafted. Just about a year later we now have the first fruits from Ms. Dey's follow up, flood network. Due Aug. 12 via Texas-based Joy Void Recordings, the album is heralded by a brace of preview tracks: "Fear o The Light" and "Only to Trip and Fall Down Again." The tunes indicate a slightly more rockist approach when compared against last year's model, with steady drums grounding impressive and unique EQ artistry and fuzz. Still, dubbing the tunes conventional, however, stretches the definition of that word toward the breaking point. "Fear o The Light" -- seemingly a counterpoint to asdfasdf's "Fear o The Dark" -- marries white-noise beauty to a steady, acoustic guitar-led folk-rock structure before Ms. Dey sets to work shifting her lovely vocals into hyper oblivion. The tune "Only to Trip and Fall Down Again" aspires toward blooping electronica that pleasingly echoes Clicky Clicky-faves The Books at times (that's an extreme compliment from this publication, don't you know), although the rhythm tracks' organic feel is more exotica than futuristic. This reviewer is expecting the majority of music press to adore Dey's inventive release: if only the overground was routinely this exciting. Joy Void is releasing the set on Pink/Blue/Yellow/Clear, Blue/Pink or Blue/Yellow splatter vinyl, color combinations that perhaps come close to approximating the amazing and original talent cut into the grooves. Pre-order flood network right here. -- Edward Charlton, At Large



>> This writer was absolutely in love with TV Wonder's Bird Sounds EP, which was released last year by the routinely excellent Faux Discx. The short set was a highlight of a pretty cracking year, and the Dutch quartet appear to have made the most of it, garnering slots performing with American indie heavy-hitters such as Viet Cong (now Preoccupations), dream-pop delighters DIIV and the mighty Detroit four Protomartyr. On top of this, the band has recorded two new songs for a cassette Geertruida Records issued late last month. "Glazed" and "Fixed Aesthetic" continue in the vein of the Sonic Youth-inspired jams of the aforementioned EP, but incorporate a pinch of additional clarity and studio punch. "Glazed" opens with a surprisingly major-key garage shuffle before introducing the more dissonant guitar interplay characteristic of the band's music. At the eighty-second mark, the band reacquaints listeners with its post-punk gloom and tension, and it is a delight to hear once more. From there TV Wonder locks into a groove so sinister that when the song's care-free opening chords return, they're run over flat by detuned anti-solos that capture the youthful anxiety and explosiveness this band expresses so well. It's just a great steamroller of a song that makes the most of its few, simpler parts. "Fixed Aesthetic" sticks more to the gloom side of the TV Wonder coin, but, again, the combo switches gears midway to a new part that captures a dreaminess and dread reminiscent of the late, great Women, while also still having its own stark and minimalist European voice. TV Wonder are on a roll, let us all pray they don't stop. Boston fans familiar with the shoe-brand cross-marketing phenomenon Converse Rubber Tracks will be interested to know TV Wonder recorded these two tunes in a single day as part of Converse Rubber Tracks Amsterdam. Order "Glazed" / "Fixed Aesthetic" on cassette right here, or click through the embed below to acquire the digital files. -- Edward Charlton, At Large

Today's Hotness: Nic Hessler, Swervedriver, Shores

>> Brooklyn label Captured Tracks is known for a stable of artists that methodically appropriate the sounds of a certain era and imbue them with modern sensibilities. Until this point, the analogue in question has predominately been late-'80s British alternative rock, a proclivity apparent in the watery shimmer of notable CT bands including Wild Nothing, Blouse, Beach Fossils and DIIV. We're now five years on from those acts' first releases, and it seems that Captured Tracks' aesthetic center has moved commensurately forward in time as well. Enter recent signatory Nic Hessler, a solo artist whose upcoming album Soft Connections streets March 17. Mr. Hessler actually first signed with the label as a teenager in 2009 under the name Catwalk, but he was apparently waylaid by illness not long after and was less active until more recently. Nevertheless, the spirit of mid-'90s power-pop looms large in Hessler’s bright and light preview single "Hearts, Repeating." The tune opens with crisp acoustic guitar chased by a meandering 12-string lead, conjuring a sound the echoes backdated major label pop perfectionists such as Del Amitri and Matthew Sweet. A second preview track, "I Feel Again," boasts an even bigger, '90s modern rock radio sound. The dry, up-front presentation even recalls production work of the period, Butch Vig-inspired studio practices that many of the aforementioned acts gravitated toward. Hessler applies a wistfulness and dreamy style to both tunes that makes them of a piece with the work of his Captured Tracks peers, so the label's stamp of quality persists. It is interesting to observe that the indie world now includes a generation of artists as removed from -- yet inspired by -- the early to mid-'90s as the groups that ushered in the post-punk revival roughly a decade ago were removed from the sounds that turned them on. We eagerly await the "post-punk revival revival" if it means we'll hear more songs as considered and well-constructed as "Hearts, Repeating" and "I Feel Again." Pre-order Soft Connections on CD, LP and cassette right here. -- Edward Charlton





>> Man, remember a month ago? February 4, 2015 will go down as the day that this reviewer finally decided to appreciate at least certain aspects of rock band reunions. Maybe it's the history degree on the wall, or maybe it's just having seen too many legacy-blighting cash-ins (*cough*Pixies*cough*) to think such enterprises ever do justice to the original, youthful identity of the project. But, back to Feb. 4th. Diehard shoegaze enthusiasts and readers of this blog might remember that day as when Swervedriver's "Autodidact," the second single from the resuscitated act's comeback effort I Wasn't Born To Lose You, first hit the Interwebs. The ultimate take-away from that fateful Wednesday was this: we may age, but Swervedriver do not. Or at least they seem to have not -- changing hairstyles aside. The song (along with previous single "Setting Sun") sounds as if it could be from the Mezcal Head sessions of 1993, which were overseen by legendary producer Alan Moulder. And that, dear reader, is a very good thing. Opening with a nifty, two-chord riff that switches from a major to minor key, "Autodidact" is strong evidence the band has lost not one iota of its expertise with layering guitars and initiating dazzling guitar interplay. The tune launches a couple of serene verses before shifting into a separate instrumental groove, coupling a steady beat with synthetic feedback squalling effects that build and build before the opening riff returns and births the song anew. Structurally, it is not far removed from "Duel," arguably the band's biggest hit from the first run. But rather than reiterating any previous glory, "Autodidact" feels like a natural addition to the Swervedriver's laudable canon, despite the band's 17-year pause. And that's the best part of "Autodidact" -- it's what fans wanted. There is no watered-down, over-polished production, they haven’t lost the excitement with their youthful noise, and Adam Franklin's vocals still sound as assured, crisp and American-drag-racer cool as they did in those earlier, dreadlocked days. They simply don't mess with the formula, perhaps mindful of exactly what earned them their fans and wise enough to be unafraid to stare it head on. I Wasn’t Born To Lose You was released this week via Cobraside Distribution, and you should purchase a copy right here. The band is out on tour in the U.S. of A. now and we've pasted all the remaining dates below; Swervedriver launch an 11-date tour of the UK in May, if it ever comes. Stream "Autodidact" and "Setting Sun" via the embeds below. -- Edward Charlton





03.06 -- San Francisco, CA -- Great American Music Hall
03.08 -- Seattle, WA -- Neumo's Crystal Ball
03.09 -- Portland, OR -- Doug Fir Lounge
03.12 -- St. Paul, MN -- Turf Club
03.13 -- Madison, WI -- High Noon Saloon
03.14 -- Chicago, IL -- TBA
03.15 -- Grand Rapids, MI -- Pyramid Scheme
03.16 -- Cincinnati, OH -- The Woodward Theater
03.17 -- St. Louis, MO -- The Duck Room @ Blueberry
03.19 -- Dallas, TX -- Club Dada
03.20-21 -- Austin, TX -- SXSW
03.23 -- Atlanta, GA -- Terminal West
03.24 -- Durham, NC -- Motorco
03.25 -- Washington, DC -- Rock & Roll Hotel
03.27 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Music Hall of Williamsburg
03.28 -- Cambridge, MA -- The Sinclair
03.29 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Union Transfer

>> We last caught up with Michigan-based slowcore stalwarts Shores (a what is now shocking to us five years ago) in 2010, when the prolific act's debut Coup De Grace surprised us by coming out on the punk-inclined and entirely legendary Florida label No Idea. It was a captivating thought at the time, as it suggested a universe where Shores' Red House Painters-styled introspection and sparse post-rock moves might coexist with hardcore. Fast-forward five years and multiple albums, EPs and singles, and we now hear Precedents, the slowcore shredders' sorta-new (it was recorded in 2012) self-released set. Featuring seven songs, with the majority over the six minute mark, the album recalls the best moments from bands like Codeine and the aforementioned Painters, but with a little more of a masculine element at times in the steadier, slow-burning squalls. The collection is highlighted by the steadily simmering "Angola," which crests wave upon wave of crash cymbal as a steady undertow of feedback grips at fronter Brian Przybylski's icy, subdued vocals. A video was created for the opening track "Litany," which features some beautiful scenery intercut with a bunch of shots of bearded dudes smokin'. You can look at the video right here. "Litany" works as a fine representation of what Shores does best. After commencing with delicately strummed electric guitars, Przybylski's steady, mournful vocals join in, entering in tandem with an open, solid drum march. After some quick words, the drummer switches to warmly recorded cymbals that parallel a towering bass distortion. The second time around during this B-section bassist Billy Bartholomew achieves the perfect sustain on the pedal to create some interesting oscillation with certain notes -- just one of the little sonic details revealed throughout Precedents, making the release a great comedown piece after listening to something aggressive. And with that observation, No Idea's logic five years ago begins to make perfect sense, although sadly the label doesn't have its stamp on this new collection. Precedents was released on Valentine's Day, and you can stream the entire thing via the Bandcamp embed below. Buy the album for any price right here. Shores are set to wrap recording sessions for a planned fifth full-length, which the band aims to press to vinyl and release later in 2015. -- Edward Charlton

Review: Perfect Pussy | Say Yes To Love

"We're Perfect Pussy, and we're terrified." So spake Meredith Graves, fronter of Perfect Pussy, just as the hotly tipped act lurched into "Big Stars," a standout track from its debut long-player Say Yes To Love last week at NPR's SXSW showcase. The statement was delivered, perhaps, with a knowing wink; fear was likely the furthest thing from her mind. Here was a band that six months ago couldn't beg their way onto a hometown bill, now opening up for the likes of Damon Albarn and St. Vincent. Just today it was announced that the band would perform on the final day of the Pitchfork Music Festival this July.

Here's the thing, though: with the release Tuesday of Say Yes To Love, the band has clearly grown into its success.

The debut from the seemingly fearless Syracuse noise-punk quintet operates largely within the same sonic framework as its furious, legend-making four-song demo tape I Have Lost All Desire For Feeling -- all crushing distortion and wide-eyed, mantra-like screams from frontwoman Ms. Graves -- but the new set just feels bigger. Sure, some of that je ne sais quoi may be reflected attention received lately from within the music blogosphere. But one gets the feeling with Perfect Pussy that its boiling Say Yes To Love was going to be a massive, bold statement whether 10 people or 10,000 or even 100,000 people heard it [the preview track "Interference Fits" has been streamed about 70,000 times at Soundcloud to date. -- Ed.]. The Syracuse hardcore scene from which the band emerged is now just a jumping-off point; on its new collection Perfect Pussy transcend straight-ahead punk and grasp a sound and a vision far more interesting.

Interviews with keyboard player/in-house producer and engineer Shaun Sutkus reveal that the band's signature, headphone crackling distortion, which cakes the band's instruments and vocals on Say Yes To Love, is the final ingredient added during a Perfect Pussy recording session. Only after first obtaining clean drum and guitar tracks do Mr. Sutkus and Graves streak thick, visceral noise all over the mix. In an era where the lines between mainstream pop and indie rock are increasingly blurred, there's something refreshing about a band purposely marring perfectly good pop songs in an effort to achieve an ideal sonic aesthetic.

So, the name. On the surface, choosing it seems as subversive as the group's searing, noise-slathered sound, perhaps an immature headline-grabbing move from a careerist group bent on leveraging the sexual politics of punk to sell records. Well, A., it's not, and B., this record probably won't sell that many copies (Captured Tracks has Mac Demarco and DIIV on the roster for that). In point of fact, the name-too-explicit-to-be-printed-in-uptight-publications is the product of the extreme self-consciousness Graves has grappled with throughout her life, she has said in interviews. Call the moniker, instead, an act of defiant self-definition, even social protest: Graves finding strength within perceived weakness concerning her body image.

Another common Perfect Pussy talking point is the band's decision to bury the vocals low in the mix. Graves has a well-conceived and entirely legitimate retort for critics of the sound: she's a loudmouth, always has been, always will be. And so the genesis of Perfect Pussy's scorched-earth sound has roots in Graves' desire to speak out, even if no one will -- or can, given all the noise -- listen. The band's audible meshing of music and lyrics spurs a practice largely faded from the post-Napster music-listening landscape: following along the lyric sheet while listening, as one did, for example, listening to New York Hardcore records in the '80s and '90s (incidentally, Perfect Pussy's bio namechecks mighty NYHC legends Cro-Mags). Perfect Pussy is at its most exciting when Graves shouts loud enough to be heard over the din, as with her titular query "Since when do we say yes to love?" between the sludgy guitar riffs in the aforementioned "Interference Fits." Or the TMI declarations that punctuate late album highlight "Dig": "I WANT TO FUCK MYSELF / I WANT TO EAT MYSELF."

Behind the fury and emotional turmoil of these tracks lies a band truly enamored with sound. The fivesome smartly zags instead of zigs with its choice of ending the EP. The ambient noise collage "VII" is the slow roll back to start on a roller coaster: an easy sway back down to Earth following an intense fifteen minute ride. Say Yes To Love is out now via venerable Brooklyn label Captured Tracks and can be ordered on LP, CD or cassette right here; download codes provide access to bonus live recordings, which we'll be eager to hear. The band is currently on tour and is slated to be in town April 24 at the Middle East with Canadian experimental collective Yamantanka/Sonic Titan. Full tour dates and links for the Perfect Pussy's debut EP can be found here. -- Dillon Riley

Perfect Pussy: Bandcamp | Tumblr

Review: White Laces | Moves

Sophisticated space-pop quartet White Laces' evolution has seen fronter Landis Wine and his cohort gradually bend the band's aesthetic and vibe ever closer together, as if attractive chrome pipes in parallel, the culmination of which is this atmospheric, seductive debut long player Moves. The Richmond-based act has over the last three years (during which time it released a number of singles and EPs) analytically assessed and discarded every superfluous element of its sound, and, in theory, one would think only a raw, punk-derived kernel would remain following such an exercise. But instead White Laces' efforts have revealed a sleek, soft-edged, melodic core that breathes within its own carefully conjured, fluid ambience. The sonic exploration has paid off, as Moves is one of the most promising full-length debuts of the year.

The music on Moves -- with its spare attack, off-center but ready hooks and remarkable sonic depth -- has contemporary peers such as current scene darlings Diiv. But White Laces' influences are far more seasoned: think "Dreams Never Fade" or "Procession" from the painful transition that birthed New Order from Joy Division; or think the casting about The Cure did between Seventeen Seconds and The Top. Mr. Wine's vocals on the album opener "Trading" -- whose first line is "I know I won't wake up..." -- are certainly reminiscent of Robert Smith's in his more subdued earlier years.

Nine largely asymmetrical song structures downplay the delineations "verse," "chorus" and "bridge," not because there are no clear focal points for the songs, but because White Laces operates at an elevated level that de-emphasizes such divisions and instead traffics in masterful shifts in vibe and groove. The concluding minute of "Impossible Windows" fires off mismatched clutches of snare beats to create an unsteady groove that will delight and confuse pogoing show-goers. Cascades of '80s-echoing synth color the chorus of "Carrousel" (not a typo, but a song named for the planned execution of those who turn 30 in the classic distopian sci-fi flick "Logan's Run"), while Mr. Wine's layered vocals billow out into cinematic space. Album highlight "Invocation," a stream of which is embedded below, reiterates in its opening section White Laces' long-held appreciation for motorik rhythms, which steadily pulses en route to an electrifying chorus that temporarily halts the movement of the song and apparently name-drops The KLF's biggest jam. Moves closes with the preview single "Crawl/Collapse," a spectral rocker whose spiraling denouement, perhaps more than anything else on the new collection, frames the brilliance of White Laces. Stream "Crawl/Collapse" below.

One final note: every band is layering on the reverb these days, but White Laces stands almost alone with its keen approach to imbuing its aural spaces with pronounced musicality. Much of the ambient sound on Moves was created the old fashioned way, via tracks pumped into a room over monitors and recorded as the band played live, a sort of modern reiteration of techniques pioneered by the great Les Paul. That vintage candy coating rests upon a decidedly post-punk frame, as we've stated supra. Moves will be released by Speakertree Records Sept. 11 as a digital download and LP; the first 100 of the 500 available physical copies are pressed to green vinyl. Local fans should mind our club picks in the sidebar, as White Laces is planning at least one Boston date for the mid-fall, and we'll be sure to post what we know once it can be revealed.

White Laces: Internet | Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | YouTube