Review: New Dog | Teeth Marks

The implication of the name New Dog, at least in the context of the old proverb, is that it can indeed learn new tricks. And while the new long-player from the so-named, Somerville, Mass.-based act doesn't stray wildly from the course plotted by two fine, noir-tinged and tension-filled predecessors, it feels brighter, louder, more potent and in places even inviting.

Perhaps it is more a question of a new outlook, rather than new tricks, but that question as yet yields no definite answer. Band mastermind Anar Badalov stated recently that the 10 songs that comprise Teeth Marks took shape quickly and with relatively surprising ease, such that only now, with the benefit of distance and time, are the songs' meanings revealing themselves to him. As before, Mr. Badalov's vivid lyrics present as closely delivered confidences, but therein there seems to be a new sense of contentedness, which suggests Badalov -- or at least the characters that populate his Sherwood Anderson-esque constructions -- is certainly learning something.

The album's quicker writing process (it's only nine months since New Dog's last record was released) didn't result in more spare compositions, surprisingly enough. Instead, Teeth Marks presents a fuller sound rendered from Badalov's characteristic blend of voice, guitar and piano. He expands his aural comfort zone via additional layers of each, finely appointed with reverbs and subtle synth swells. The record opens with "3 A.M.," a fleeting ode to infatuation ("I'll tell you anything you want to know, if you just let me walk you home") that commences with a burbling electric piano trill that wobbles like a plate spinning on a stick. "Home By Five" details the simple satisfactions of domesticity over skeletal guitar work delivered in 3/4 time ("I wear my ring but it's never too tight... life is boring, isn't it?"). The album highlight "Here All Days" introduces sturdy rhythm tracks and what feels like an inevitable cloud, the stark, dark admission "all the people that I love, I can count you on one hand, the other one I keep in my pocket." According to Badalov, the tune -- which includes the lyric that became the album title -- is loosely based on his time as a cubicle dweller ("all the hours I've been losing at my desk, you can empty the trash but you can't undo the rest..."), and also contemplates fulfilling commitments. Its restlessness recalls the nocturnal meditations of last year's excellent album Classic Ballroom Dances [review], as does the menacing distorted electric piano and fits of feedback that open the succeeding song, "Lover's Palm."

"Joe Brainard's Idea" is comprised of snatches of tangential memories, and was inspired by the titular author's volume "I Remember." The tune ruminates on the push and pull that memories can have as one grows older -- particularly memories that can cut both ways: is it joy or regret Badalov feels as he recalls "outside on a blanket at night, a thousand sparking eyes looking down at us?" The track "Sudden Amnesia" is notable for being the new collection's sole cover; its a composition by poet and literary critic Frank Manchaca. Badalov revealed on Facebook recently that he and Mr. Manchaca have been collaborating on a record titled Laughing Around The Bend that may also see release this year. Teeth Marks closes with the powerfully poignant piano ballad "Would You Let Me In?," a song made all the more poignant by its placement at the end of the record, and the repeated sizzle and snap of closing hi-hat, which suggests one possible answer.

Badalov self-released Teeth Marks in a hyper limited edition of 50 LPs and as a digital download today; Classic Ballroom Dances was released by Kill Rock Stars. Teeth Marks will be fêted with a record release show March 24 at Cambridge, Mass.'s charming bar The Plough & Stars; also on the bill that night is Emerald Comets, a side project of Guillermo Sexo's Reuben Bettsak. Stream all of Teeth Marks via the Bandcamp embed below.

New Dog: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds



Prior New Dog Coverage:
Review: New Dog | Classic Ballroom Dances
Together With Together: Clicky Clicky Presents Two Nights of Abstract Electronics And Indie Rock May 12+14
Review: New Dog | Lost Weekend
Today's Hotness: New Dog

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

YouTube Rodeo: Ranking Eight Covers of Palace Music's "New Partner"

"New Partner," the brilliant ballad from Palace Music's bar-setting, perfect 1995 collection Viva Last Blues, is the second-greatest song Will Oldham has written, in our humble opinion. His best song is the distressingly sad (to the extent we can't bring ourselves to listen to it sometimes) but absurdly titled "You Have Cum In Your Hair And Your Dick Is Hanging Out." But that is a topic for another day. Over a recent weekend we wondered to ourselves why no one had ever covered "New Partner," and moseyed on over to YouTube to see what we could see. After about a half-hour screening videos we modified our query to "why have only very few covered 'New Partner,' and even fewer covered it well?" Below we rank the eight covers we encountered. The winner's clip is posted atop this item. Note that the video for the winning clip sucks -- this wasn't a contest for best video, it was a contest for best cover. So there. The winner, also-rans and commentary in descending order below.

1. The Frames "New Partner" (studio version)
Like we said, this video is a weak slideshow. But the performance holds fairly true to the original, with perhaps a couple layers of gloss shellacked over top. We're not crazy about the lead voice, but The Frames, an Irish act that will celebrate 20 years of, uh, banding, next year, really work the dynamics of the song. This is head and shoulders, and maybe a sternum, above what is below.

2. Woodstein52 "New Partner"
Don't know who this guy is, but he nails this, and we very nearly named him the winner of this little exercise, except we weren't crazy about his phrasing in the chorus. But the lone man and guitar totally going for it really captures and conveys an Oldham-esque vibe.

3. dEUS "New Partner"
Another very strong entry, but we docked these guys substantial subjective points for the stupid capitalization thing they do with their band name. Sorry dudes. This is actually a really nice cover, although we lose the feel a little in the second verse. The first singer should have just bogarted the proceedings and left the other chap to back him up.

4. The Frames "New Partner" (live version)
Hey, look, it's The Frames again! Technically the studio and the live version are separate covers, so we gave them two entries. Obviously this suffers from the audience clearly not giving a shit about this band -- until suddenly at the second chorus you can hear under the buzz of the crowd a swell of the audience singing along. That's pretty cool. Still not as strong as the studio version, but that is likely as much a problem with the audio quality from this video as much as anything.

5. Jacob Ruefer "New Partner"
And we've dropped into the bottom half. This is a well produced, if not over produced, cover. The singer and the arrangement, unfortunately, completely miss the mark emotionally. This sounds like the kind of industrial pop you hear over the public address system at a regional airport or something. Sorry Mr. Ruefer.

6. Mark Kozelek "New Partner"
You know Mark Kozelek, yeah? He was the Red House Painters guy? Unfortunately he tries to do something very original with the track here, and while we admire his yen for experimenting with a beloved song, this cover is tepid and confusing. If we didn't know anything about the Palace Music version we might think this is great. But sadly, that is not the case.

7. Lev9876 "New Partner"
Starts out with a promising Dylan-esque twang but then the vocal just goes places we don't want it to do, hunting out cascading notes like all the Mariah Carey wannabes you hear soundtracking television shows or appearing on reality television competitions. But we do love the little yodle bit he does in the third line of each pre-chorus. But on the whole there is not enough Hank Williams, and too much "American Idol," in this version.

8. gnohara "New Partner"
We like that this guy goes for it, but the fact is there is just not a lot of there there once that chorus rolls around what with the fellow's vocal sneer. If it wasn't for that, we think we'd have ranked this one much closer to the top, because we like the genuine gusto of the delivery.