That Was The Show That Was: Waking Windows Night 1 with Hop Along, Speedy Ortiz and Chain & The Gang

[PHOTO: Dillon Riley] Hey! We we sent intrepid Staff Writer Dillon Riley to this weekend's Waking Windows music festival in Winooski, VT! He's filing reports! Even though today's his birthday! This is the first one! Exclamation points!

>>Hop Along, Outside Stage, 8 PM

Philly phenoms Hop Along were the second act we took in on the first night of Waking Windows, and the quartet easily impressed with a crowd-pleasing set culled mostly from the towering 2015 Saddle Creek release Painted Shut, one of Clicky Clicky's favorite records of last year. While the set was plagued early on with gear issues -- namely a blown bass head that left the band soldiering on as a trio for the vast majority of the incredible "Waitress" while Tyler Long scrambled to borrow a new unit -- the performance was otherwise thrilling. Bigger bangers like "Waitress," "Powerful Man" and the opener "Texas Funeral" were given strong, punchy and fuzz-fueled workouts, the group's earlier material also shined brightly. "Tibetan Pop Stars," the band's breakthrough track from its un-eff-withable 2012 debut Get Disowned and arguably [we might argue the point -- Ed.] the quartet's strongest song to date, persists as an electrifying reminder of how Hop Along had its shit together long before the wide success of Painted Shut.

>> Speedy Ortiz, Outside Stage, 9 PM

As fronter and guitarist Sadie Dupuis announced between songs on Friday night, last night's performance was Speedy Ortiz's third at Waking Windows, albeit the indie juggernaut's first as a main stage headliner. It's safe to say a lot has changed for the foursome in the span of time those three appearances represent. After opening with "Tiger Tank," a stand-out tune from the band's 2013 LP Major Arcana [review] and as good a candidate as any for the office of Band Sonic Calling Card -– Speedy whipped through a heroic, comprehensive set that spanned a majority of the act's vital oeuvre. Alongside stirring recitations of material from 2015’s fantastic sophomore set Foil Deer were heavy, fantastically erratic versions of early singles including "Taylor Swift" and its flip-side "Swim Fan." While already known as a singular and formidable lyrical and music talent from her recordings, Dupuis' idiosyncratic tics are particularly captivating on stage, where she enlarges and drags certain melodies, often leading into vast choruses or diving straight into sharp vocal pivots. This can be dizzying or even slightly chilling, as she fearlessly veers toward destroying the pace of certain songs before sliding into their massive hooks. "Indoor Soccer," one of the foursome's earliest and most cryptic gems was delivered as a final salvo, and the song's crushing and silly final admission served as an almost cruel reminder of how much Speedy Ortiz will be missed in Boston area now that Ms. Dupuis has moved south.

>> Chain & The Gang, The Monkey House, 12:10 AM Give Or Take

Chain & The Gang, the long-running, eclectic rock outfit fronted by former Nation Of Ulysses singer, D.C. scene legend and noted raconteur Ian Svenonious, seized the stage after midnight in matching pin striped suits. After a brief introduction from a festival representative and an impressive high kick they were off, loosing cuts from their late aughts run of full lengths. Interspersed between fast and loose versions of tunes like of "Detroit Music" and "Free Will" were wide-eyed and incorrigible dispatches from Svenonius. Preaching the importance of discretion, he at one point brought the cheers down and asked the crowd to not share the news of their set with anyone outside the Monkey House. Antics aside, the band ran through some particularly sharp takes from 2012's In Cool Blood, especially "Certain Kinds of Trash." That number, concerned with finding comfort in the old ways of doing things, feels like an apt anthem for a band that bends classicist influences to fit its own warped worldview. -- Dillon Riley

Hop Along: Bandcamp | Facebook
Speedy Ortiz: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds
Chain and The Gang: Bandcamp | Facebook

Today's Hotness: Funeral Advantage, Her Magic Wand, Break Up Flowers

>> We've persistently loved our idea of what M83 could be more than we actually loved M83 itself. The France-spawned but now LA-based project helmed by Anthony Gonzalez edged close to some sort of New Order-ish ideal (of an electropop band that irresistibly incorporated guitars into a dreamy sound) with its 2008 breakthrough Saturdays = Youth, and particularly its arresting single "Graveyard Girl." But Gonzalez had and has his own desires and agenda, and while these led him to great success with his succeeding albums, they never quite intersected with what we wanted the band to be. This continually crossed our mind in recent weeks as we listened obsessively to the flawless debut long-player from Boston dream-pop gigantes Funeral Advantage. The 10-song set Body Is Dead would seem to take "Graveyard Girl" as a stylistic jumping-off point to a certain extent, and the results are perfection. We discussed two preview singles, "Sisters" and "Gardensong," here in July. But the entire record is replete with dramatic and melancholy dream-pop the likes of which aptly soundtracked certain of our John Hughes-accompanied youths. Body Is Dead opens with the sparkling, perhaps Bloc Party-inspired "Equine," which whispers its secrets into delays and reverbs while a crisp beat propels the proceedings. "Should Have Just" similarly murmurs sweet nothings a la Mr. Okereke, but the tune is spangled by steady tambourine and clean, mesopheric guitar leads. The 10-minute-plus title track warrants special notice because it takes the rhythmic and melodic elements of the rest of the record -- not to mention the serene romance -- to a logical compositional terminus, successfully applying same to create a protracted, steadily spiraling composition of pop ambience worthy of the Kompakt series (someone please commission Axel Wilner for a 20-minute remix of same). Body Is Dead will rate high in our annual year-end list of best albums. The collection is available now on LP and as a digital download from The Native Sound here, and in a limited edition of 100 cassettes from Disposable America right here. Stream the entire, stellar collection via the Bandcamp embed below.



>> When we last wrote about Parisian dream-pop project Her Magic Wand here in these electronic pages in late 2014, the act had just issued "Everything At Once," a single from a planned LP. And while that LP has not yet materialized, the act is set to release later this month its Blossom EP. The short set leads with "Everything At Once," but perhaps more notably the A-side also features a remix of same executed by Grandaddy's Jason Lytle. Somewhat coincidentally, just hours after receiving an email about Blossom from Her Magic Wand mastermind Charles Braud, the Grandaddy reunion was announced; timing! Mr. Lytle's thoughtful and balanced deconstruction of the tune layers in a thin harmony vocal, a recognizable proclivity from the ol' Grandaddy tool set, and elsewhere erects tall walls of dense guitars in the mix. The final minute of the remix swells and burbles with electronic tones, elegantly interrupting the lock-step 4/4 of the original version to create something more nuanced and expansive. The b-side to Blossom features two tunes, "Draw A Line" and "Love Letters," and the entire collection will be released via Darla on 10" vinyl and as a digital download Sept. 18 in the USA (the EP will also be released in Japan and Europe via two other labels). Mr. Braud tells us a full-length is still in the offing, and will arrive Jan. 29. In the meantime, listen to both versions of "Everything At Once" via the Soundcloud embed below, and click here to purchase the collection from Darla.



>> While many in Portland hipster circles continue to champion slick "PBR&B" [Oh my god is that a thing. -- Ed.] acts and clean-cut rock outfits, the city’s DIY scene flourishes unabated in the underground. There a wealth of inventive and expressive guitar pop bands are peaking, achieving a fever-pitch of output, and drawing deserved attention within and without the scene. And there near the fore is the trio Break Up Flowers, whose seven-song, limited-edition cassette Man Made Path streeted Aug. 11 via Brooklyn's strong Mirror Universe Tapes. The matter-of-fact jam "Take Hints" was the preview single from the collection; its spare, gritty guitar and bass lines grind against a steady, tom-heavy beat as fronter Beth Wooten's calm vocals coolly warn "just give me my two cents, just take my some of my hints." Ms. Wooten's singing recalls that marking '90s greats such as Tsunami and the many projects of Mary Timony, as well as modern practitioners such as the mighty Speedy Ortiz – groups literate and thoughtful with a subtle temper and aggression that provide ready inspiration for young women rockers (and, at least in the instant case, by design: Ms. Wooten also heads Portland’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp For Girls). Further, Mac Pogue's laissez-faire production work situates listeners in the cassette's earspace like the best of the no-nonsense, realist gurus including Steve Albini. The result? Not only a promising debut from the kind of band we'd like to see more of, but also a hopeful sign of things to come as the reach of the underground extends toward the overground. Man Made Path is available from Mirror Universe now, and you can stream "Take Hints" via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton

No, Thank YOU: Exploding In Sound Commemorates Protracted Awesomeness With Long Weekend Of Shows In Boston, That Other Place

Anyone with a passing interest in this publication probably has some understanding as to the awesome might of Brooklyn's Exploding In Sound Records. Originally a Boston-based concern, the Empire State label powerhouse is home to arguably the greatest active roster in indie rock, a kudo likely to be burnished further by the recent signings of DC's elastic slowcore trio Swings and extremely curious New York indie four Palm. History lessons aside, the folks over at EIS do it good, and they do it righteously, which is definitely something worth celebrating. And what better way to do so than with a long weekend of shit-hot rock shows across two states, a couple cities and a half-dozen venues? To sweeten the deal, said rock shows are not only highlighting the formidable EIS stable, but also bring under the big tent certain extended and notable family and friends. The festivities are already underway this evening at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn, with the traveling circus not hitting Boston until Saturday. Below we look under the hood of those local bills, running down the sights and sounds of what's being called The Exploding In Sound Presents: "Thank You For Being A Friend" Extended Weekend. So read the good news and spread it wide, readers.

SATURDAY AUGUST 22nd | The Sinclair | Cambridge, MA | All Ages
Palehound, Stove, LVL UP, Big Ups, Krill

The first night of the Boston leg of the extended weekend takes place at what we believe is the biggest venue in the series, Harvard Square's opulent The Sinclair. Although our proposed review got somewhat lost in the shuffle of paperwork, music work, and real work, Palehound’s stunning debut LP Dry Food may very well be Boston's record of the year. An eight-song collection of inventive lyrical, and musical twists and turns, Ellen Kempner and co.'s work stands strong among her labelmates and neighbors, and -- as proven by last Sunday’s opening slot at the Royale -- Palehound proves to be an increasingly formidable live act as well, and we expect their time on stage Saturday will be particularly memorable. Also playing the big, big rock show Saturday is Steve Hartlett’s post-Ovlov (RIP) project Stove, which we gathered last time they were in town also includes other members, both former or otherwise, from hit-makers like Ovlov (duh), Sneeze, Bedroom Eyes, Kal Marks, and Big Mess. We promise we will die happy the day we get to see Stove play the Lemonheads classic "Stove" live, so, you know, keep an eye on us. New Yorkers LVL UP and Big Ups are also on the agenda for Saturday, and both groups have wowed us in the past with their live presentments. Clicky Clicky faves Krill plays last, most likely to little or no fanfare wink wink nudge nudge. Tickets and other info can be found right here.





SUNDAY AUGUST 23RD (Afternoon) | O’Brien’s Pub | Allston, MA | 18+
Coaches, Great Deceivers, Zula, Lady Bones, Swings, Washer, Vundabar

Sunday's slate on the far side of the river features not one, but two stacked rock shows in Allston at two of the city's most popular rock halls. The afternoon plays host to an eclectic bill featuring the talents of some out-of-town friends, some city-bred rising talent, and some new-comers to the fold. Vundabar's set is sure to stand out, as its recently self-released sophomore LP Gawk is chock-full of weird, slippery instrumental turns and expertly crafted phrases. The record is a huge leap beyond their still-pretty-great debut Antics. Other performers toiling in the daylight hours include local noisy rock outfit Lady Bones, formerly local heirs to Boston's shoegaze throne Coaches (whose likely forthcoming EP is like whoa, and whose drum stool for the afternoon we believe will be occupied by Infinity Girl's Sebastian Modak), New Yorkers Washer and Zula, Chicago-based math-punks Great Deceivers and the aforementioned jazzy DC slowcore heroes Swings. We’re given to understand there will be free pizza for those who show early. We repeat: FREE PIZZA. As if all the great rock sounds we’re enough incentive to roll out of bed around noon. Tickets and other info can be found right here.





SUNDAY AUGUST 23RD (Night) | Great Scott | Allston, MA | 18+
Bunny's A Swine, Leapling, Gnarwhal, Kal Marks, Pile

The finale of Sunday's double-header marks what we believe is the Boston debut of New York's Leapling, whose EIS debut Vacant Page caught the attention of our own Edward Charlton a ways back. The set presented a breezier, reverb-ier affair than we're generally used to from the Exploding camp, and yet another winner in a year full of unreasonably great records from the label. It is one that most definitely has us primed for a proper introduction to the indie pop group. Sunday night also boasts the talents of Nashville math-rock duo Gnarwhal and long-running Northampton fuzz-rock crew Bunny's A Swine. Eternal Clicky Clicky faves Kal Marks (!!!!!!!!!!) and the kings of the Boston underground Pile will bat cleanup at the joint, which presumably will be the final gig ever to take place at America's Living Room (a/k/a Great Scott) after the stage inevitably succumbs to all the heavy rock power. Tickets and other info can be found here. -- Dillon Riley

That Was The Show That Was: Basement, Adventures, LVL UP, Palehound | Royale, Boston | 16 Aug.

[PHOTO CREDIT: Dillon Riley] Let us now take the measure of the fairly meteoric rise of Purchase, NY-spawned indie rock troupe LVL UP. While a known quantity 'round these parts for some time, the Exploding In Sound-affiliated group recently gained the attention of another perennial hit-maker in Boston's Run For Cover Records. RFC signed on to co-release the Empire State act's forthcoming, Fugazi-ly titled Three Songs 7" with EIS' Double Double Whammy imprint. The short set features, unsurprisingly, three songs, is slated for release Sept. 11, and -- based on the readily available stream -- sounds like another winner in what's shaping up to be a stellar discography for the band. LVL UP put its aural gold on full display Sunday, when it performed on one of the summer's hottest rock bills, and certainly the hottest for host venue Royale in recent memory. Not unlike Clicky Clicky eternal favorites Teenage Fanclub (or, we suppose, any three quarters of power-pop lifers Sloan), LVL UP presents the charms of three legitimate songwriting talents, adding a layer of anticipation to its already hotly anticipated performances.

LVL UP labelmates Palehound opened the show, promoting the release of its potentially world-conquering debut LP Dry Food. Although the boundless charm of Palehound's first releases does not seem to dim with age, it's clear that the more assured and nuanced Dry Food is a huge leap forward. Sunday evening fronter Ellen Kempner's cutting guitar work and graceful lyricism shone during a set highlighted by the start-stop dynamics of "Cushioned Caging" and the jaunty, psych-tinged guitar leads on "Cinnamon." The latter also served to emphasize Ms. Kempner's even-tempered, yet commanding stage presence. Her brief but pointed condemnation of aggressive harassment at a past show on Palehound's current tour underscored Kempner's growing comfort wielding her voice as a "public person," something raised in the uniformly glowing press surrounding the release of Dry Food, issued by Exploding In Sound just last week. While its big-sister band Speedy Ortiz has set the most recent and obvious precedent for a big Boston break-out, Palehound may have in its stellar LP just the munitions necessary for a similar assault on the overground.

Pittsburgh-based power-pop quintet Adventures batted third for the night, bringing to the stage an armful of tunes from its still-hot Run For Cover debut Supersonic Home. Much of the early buzz surrounding the group centered around its affiliation with the hardcore group Code Orange, with whom Adventures share three members. But Adventures more than stands on its own right. The fivesome trades in the sort of big-riff vulnerability favored by the standouts on Detroit's Salinas Records, yet with even bigger guitars and a fuller sound. All of which is set off by frontwoman Reba Meyers' otherworldly voice, one capable of chilling harmonies and show-stopping solo turns. The wholly captivating Supersonic Home was released by Run For Cover in February.

UK post-hardcore heroes (at least to the all-ages set -- Ed.) Basement closed out the night with a wide-ranging set that dipped into all three of its Run For Cover releases. While Colourmeinkindness remains as natural a document of RFC's formidable influence as any, it was the tunes off their most recent Further Sky EP that drew the most cheers from our camp. "Summer's Colour," the Failure-tastic lead track from the EP, proved a critical component of Basement's live set, as the pretty, ascending melodies in the chorus offered a brief, yet potent respite from the thrash. The Boston show was the penultimate night of Basement's three-week U.S. tour; it closed out the strand of dates last night in New York's Gramercy Theater. -- Dillon Riley

Basement: Facebook | Tumblaaaaaahh
Adventures: Facebook | Tumblaaaaah
LVL UP: Bandcamp | Facebook
Palehound: Bandcamp | Facebook

Clicky Clicky Music Blog's Top Songs of 2014 (Jay Edition)

Another year. And one in which, frankly, we didn't get to spend nearly as much time enjoying music, experiencing it live and interacting with the cool people who make it, as we would have liked. There was a lot of life lived in 2014, a fair amount of crap to deal with. But all of it made the music we did listen to all the more precious to us. Listed below are the songs we carried in our head through long hours of work and all-too-fleeting hours of leisure, sometimes just during a dark 6AM walk or a, well, dark 5PM trot to the parking garage from the office. Oh sure, there were other massive tunes and tunes of note: who can forget Johnny Foreigner's insanely great cover of The Wannadies' legendary single "Hit?" Playlounge's fuzz-ball anthem "Zero?" The War On Drugs' entrancing "Under The Pressure?" Or basically all of She Sir's phenomenal Go Guitars? But, as we said introducing last year's list, the 10 songs listed below were the songs we sang to ourselves most throughout the year, and the songs we consumed most often according to a messy pastiche of ITunes playcounts and Last.FM scrobbles or whatever. Sure, there was no shortage of incredible songs this year, and our aim here is to make sure you hear at least these 10. But before you dive in, we'd like to acknowledge the crucial contributions to Clicky Clicky of Senior Writer Edward Charlton and Staff Writer Dillon Riley. When we are in our busy spells such as the one we're swirling in presently, these guys ARE the blog, they ARE the brand, and we sleep soundly at HQ knowing they are out there in the trenches of indie rock when we can't be. So thanks to them, and thanks to you for reading the blog this year. Expect to see a year-end list or two from Mr. Riley, as well as our own year-end albums list, before Christmas rolls around. We leave you with a quote from the immortal Homer J: "No, no, no, don't stop a'rockin'."

1. Johnny Foreigner -- "Le Schwing" -- You Can Do Better [buy]

This is a classic Johnny Foreigner ripper, sort of in the vein of "The End Is The Beginning" from way back in the demo days, but better, because somehow this band keeps getting better even 10 years on into its existence. It's also sort of a throwback to the sort of tunes that the band was writing for Grace And The Bigger Picture, songs about touring the world and messing up relationships at home. It certainly doesn't hurt that the band released a tremendous video to go along with the tune to coincide its recent South African tour. All of the Birmingham, England noise-pop titans' 2014 long-player You Can Do Better [review] is terrific, and we suppose we could just have easily have chosen "Shipping" or "Stop Talking About Ghosts" -- whose defenestrating chorus "the hardest part is letting go" may be the biggest chorus on the album. But there is something so comforting about this one. Cross those fingers that somehow -- with all of the personal stuff going on in the lives of the bandmates next year -- we get Johnny Foreigner back on U.S. soil for a tour in 2015 to support Lame-O's domestic release of the set. Devestator....

"...flew into America looking for a revelation, ended up in Washington, got our shit stolen..."



2. Krill -- "Turd" -- Steven Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears [buy]

Honestly, sometimes we think "Fresh Pond" is the better song. Hell, even the title track from Krill's 2014 EP Steve Hears Pile In Malden And Bursts Into Tears is incredible. But there is something perfect about the central metaphor of "Turd," and how its coarseness plays against the bright but tangled intellectual exercises fronter Jonah Furman is working through with his lyrics. Over and above that, it is the stirringly honest sentiment -- so uncommon among the set-piece artifices of rock music -- that makes the tune so special. As we said in our non-review [non-review] of the EP, if you'll permit us to quote ourselves: "The more we listen to Steve the more the narrative recedes, and the more we just hear the line from "Turd" over and over: "If I could just keep a commitment, maybe I'd be happier?" Real talk. What a song. What a record. We can't wait to hear Krill's next LP, which will be issued in February.

"...if I could just keep a commitment, maybe I'd be happier..."



3. Lubec -- "Sunburn!" -- The Thrall [buy]

Spoiler alert: Lubec's The Thrall is in our year-end album's list, too, and that's because all of the record is as strong as this incredible song. But let's just focus on this one for now. The production is beautifully dreamy, the vocal lines breathy and somnolent and referencing the classic Heasley/Sorrentino sounds from the earliest Lilys recordings. But there's also tremendous guitar playing here, vocals that reference Classical mythology, superlative melodies that cascade around the listener as every element in the arrangement seems to dance gracefully around where the song leads us, like birds coaxing the listener to follow. So much is happening on "Sunburn!" Why the exclamation point? We don't know. But "Sunburn!" teaches us to not question the process, because the results are so amazing. We reviewed The Thrall here in September.

"...what comes next when nothing is enough..."



4. Beach Slang -- "American Girls And French Kisses" -- Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street EP [buy]

At first we actually thought this number was a bit corny. But it is just so outrageously catchy, the pace and energy so invigorating, the stutter at the chorus, and the forthright emotion driving it all so wildly engaging. Dare we say it recalls the great Jawbreaker, as does the rest of the terrific Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street EP. Simple hooks, straightforward emo punk: even here there can be magic. It's exceptional songs like "American Girls And French Kisses" that reward the optimism of the serious music fan. The real headscratcher is why Beach Slang tucked this tune away as track three on this EP. But one listen will certainly lead to 30, maybe even 50, and then an hour or so trolling YouTube for live clips (there are some good ones, too). More songs like the four on this EP and we fear Beach Slang will become so successful that we'll get sick of them. But sick of this song? Probably never.

"...I hope when I die I feel this alive..."



5. Benjamin Shaw -- "You & Me" -- Goodbye, Cagoule World [buy]

Here's another tune sort of hidden away -- track six on Benjamin Shaw's wonderful seven-song set Goodbye, Cagoule World. But Clicky Clicky, as we've trumpeted many times before, will not be thwarted when it comes to finding the best jams, no matter where bands try to hide them. Label Audio Antihero made an uncharacteristically brilliant move in October, re-releasing the tune as the lead track on an EP alongside some truly stunning covers of same from other acts in the AAH stable, and we highly recommend that release to your attention. And each cover version underscores what a terrific song Mr. Shaw has here in "You & Me," from the charmingly comedic and sardonic lyrics to the affecting melody. Not content to just make a remarkable pop confection, of course, Mr. Shaw also richly appoints the tune with fine touches, like the tremeloed organ tucked into the right channel. Shaw is a treasure, and we hope he takes half as much satisfaction from his work as we get from it, and that he continues for a long, long time to come.

"...save a decade for a new leaf, and a hostile reception, for you and me..."



6. Pile -- "Special Snowflakes" -- "Special Snowflake" b/w "Mama's Lipstick" [buy, only three left]

Oh God the weight, the endlessly cool heaviness, the crooked and explosive mega-blues of Pile's "Special Snowflakes." Seeing Pile play this one live at the completely INSANE Mean Creek record release show last spring might be our live highlight of the entire year. The songcraft of Rick Maguire is stunning, and perhaps never more so than on this single, an almost-suite filled with metal parts, whipsmart dynamic, wildly inventive drumming, and Mr. Maguire's limber, stentorian vocals, whose contortions illuminate his dark lyrical imagery. But, oh God the weight. Pile. PILE.

"...now it's too tough to tell if ever he was real..."



7. Speedy Ortiz -- "American Horror" -- Real Hair EP [buy]

It continues to be Speedy Ortiz's world, and we're all just living in it, and the band's towering 2014 EP Real Hair certainly made us feel fortunate about it. The lead track from the short set, "American Horror," offers generous helpings of scraping guitar greatness, with textures and melodies reminiscent of the big rock sounds of Pavement's Brighten The Corners or a heavier reading from the book of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Fronter Sadie DuPuis' narrative of dealing with a loved one's struggles is gripping, and how she modulates her voice from the song's final chorus to its final moment is one of our favorite things about 2014, period. We've been singing this one in our head all year, and we don't really see that stopping any time soon.

"...baby ya feel so crazy, you keep me up for a whole week..."



8. Soccer Mom -- "It's Probably Not Your Fault" -- Soccer Mom [buy]

"Probably." Leave's some room, doesn't it? Soccer Mom and its self-titled LP should have been the biggest story in the Boston scene in 2014; unfortunately the act has already called it a day. If it's any consolation, we've still got their amazing record. Ironically, "It's Probably Not Your Fault" deals a bit with consoling, seemingly with coping with powerful loss. Co-fronter Dan Parlin's singing is gripping, and the melodies in the song are very engaging. But it is the bludgeoning, excoriating ending that provides the tune's most exciting and dangerous moments.

"...hopefully can replay what's left on my mind, it takes all day..."



9. The Weaks -- "How To Put An Audience To Sleep In Under Two Minutes" -- The World Is A Terrible Place & I Hate Myself And Want To Die EP [buy]

The best thing about this song is that it is actually more than two minutes long. Well, OK, that's not the best thing, but it makes us laugh every time we listen. The Weaks, emo's little band that could, decisively delivers on this kinetic belter. Massive choruses, pick slides, crushing drumming and clobbering bass playing render "How To Put An Audience To Sleep In Under Two Minutes" undeniable. Co-fronter Evan Bernard's lyrics ring so true, his singing is so unassailably so heartfelt, that it's hard to believe The Weaks haven't made a mint on just this song alone.

"...Dreams ending in white picket fences, dreams ending, the world isn't quite so big..."



10. White Laces -- "Skate Or Die" -- Trance [buy]

On an album that captures the sound of a band almost literally growing, this track in particular presents Richmond futurepop goliaths White Laces just totally going for it. Powerful rhythm tracks propel the song, furnishing a foundation for the tune's ricocheting, chiming melodies. Fronter Landis Wine's vocal become increasingly desperate and exercised as "Skate Or Die" rockets to its thrilling conclusion. Then, quietly, the song's final moments quietly shudder, reiterating its opening seconds, a twitching, winking film of oil shifting on a membrane that provides a subtle indication that the tune is a Jeff Zeigler production. "Skate Or Die" is ripe with huge moments, the kinds of moments that make it among the best songs of 2014.

"...you say it's fine, you won't come down, you want the lights, but hate the sound..."

Chandos Sign To Carpark, Rats In Your Bed Due Jan. 27

[PHOTO: Timothy Daniel Kennedy] Well, the band's tell-tale CMJ label showcase slot came and went, and the news went unannounced, and truthfully we were starting to worry a little bit. But today, finally, Carpark Records revealed that it has signed Boston anxiety-pop heroes Chandos -- the trio formerly known as Chandeliers -- and will release the act's debut LP Rats In Your Bed Jan. 27. The instrumental tracks for the 11-song set were recorded over two days with Ryan Stack at Format Audio in Exeter, New Hampshire, and vocals were cut in the Chandos' trusty practice space. According to the band, Rats In Your Bed will present a slightly more cleaned-up sounds. But not too clean, according to remarks accompanying the track over at Carpark's Soundcloud yert. In a canned quote, bassist Sean Tracy -- who Clicky Clicky readers will recall was the artist-in-his-own-residence for our most recent Regolith feature -- stated, "It's definitely a pretty dirty-sounding record." A review of the track listing for the new record shows a bunch of cuts from the prior cassette releases including "Creepwolf" and "Temperance" have made the cut for the full-length. The cracking first preview track from the set is a new tune titled "...Pretty Sure It's 'Tang Top'", and it doesn't stray too far from the Chandos sound we know and love. With the new tune's near-anthemic choruses, tumbling rhythm tracks and wiry guitar lines, it's little wonder that the label that signed indie heavyweights Speedy Ortiz would get behind Chandos. Pre-orders for Rats In Your Bed are already live via the Carpark web site here, where you can also check out the album art for the set. Pre-orders will ship by or before the release date, and digital downloads will go out the night prior, Jan. 26. We've heard whispers that Rats In Your Bed is next-level for Chandos, and we look forward to hearing the whole dang enchilada. Stream "...Pretty Sure It's 'Tang Top'" via the embed below.



Chandos: Bandcamp | Facebook

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In Bloom: Lilys Poised For Massive Resurgence; New Music, Reissues And Live Performances Planned

We suppose all the recent activity should have been enough of a clue that the proverbial gears are purposefully turning in the camp of legendary indie rock act Lilys, but even so the scope of the information brought to light by an interview published by Chickfactor yesterday is breathtaking. Indeed, we don't know which exciting information to lead with: that mastermind Kurt Heasley is resolved to substantially increase the number of all-too-rare live performances; that a new release is almost a certainty (although it may or may not be released under the moniker Lilys); that there are definite (but not yet finalized) plans to reissue three Lilys records over the next year-and-a-half.

While all of the above has felt inevitable for some time, in some ways it almost seems too good to be true. "I do see playing live a lot more over the next few years," Heasley tells Chickfactor. He says he loves playing the mod-ish, Monkees-influenced music of his mid-period releases Better Can't Make Your Life Better and Services For The Soon To Be Departed, and that he hopes to find the right line-up in order to perform some of that music live, in order to "materializ[e] the mythology."

With regards to the reissues of old recordings, Heasley confirms what has long been thought, that he intends to reissue Lilys' legendary, 1991 full-length debut In The Presence Of Nothing. Heasley states that not only does he hope to reissue that album (and hopefully the related b-sides? and some rarities? please!), but also two others. We assume, but do not know for certain that, these two others must be the towering EP A Brief History Of Amazing Letdowns and the mind-blowing LP Eccsame The Photon Band, which were released by the now-long-defunct Spin-Art Records. We had been told years ago by someone that the dissolution of Spin-Art had thrown the rights to those latter two recordings into a black hole, although that might have been speculative chatter. Nevertheless, and whatever they may be, three reissues are hopefully a dead certainty. "I am currently negotiating the reissues of 3 records over the next year and a half with Mike Schulman of Slumberland Records. He just sent me some old DAT recordings today that I am looking forward to hearing. We've also talked about recording a new project."

Wait, what was that last thing? We've been aware that Heasley has been steadily working on new music and recording, but in the interview he confirms that and notes his recent work with Nighttime Gallagher (a/k/a former Apollo Sunshine guy Jesse Gallagher), who also abets the present live iteration of Lilys. Heasley's new ideas sound tantalizingly massive, and they may be the most exciting of all of the news broken by Chickfactor. Calling the new music "solar pop," Heasley states, "Whatever it is, it's not just about the music anymore, music is visual and physical, it's a whole show and I have a lot of ideas for the next project that include a big multi-media environment." Amazing.

Lilys played a fairly surprise, barely announced show Sunday night in Cambridge, Mass., in preparation for a performance this coming Thursday at Chickfactor 22 at the Bell House in Brooklyn. According to the Chickfactor site, Lilys are expected to perform some new songs, which like WOAH. As of press time, passes for the show (actually both nights of the two-night event) were still available. Stream some Lilys music below, and get excited for all that is to come. And, hey, did you know we curated this awesome Lilys tribute comp featuring songs recorded by Speedy Ortiz, Lubec, Arc In Round, White Laces, Infinity Girl, Soccer Mom, Cuffs and many more? Cause we did. My, that was a time.

Lilys: Facebook

Review: Speedy Ortiz | Real Hair EP

It's hard to believe that fewer than two years have elapsed since the release of Speedy Ortiz's debut single, "Taylor Swift" b/w "Swim Fan." Since its inception, the band has worked its ass off, and as a result it has become one of the biggest successes in contemporary indie rock. Oh, yeah: it also wrote awesome songs. And while we don't pretend to know what drove the decision, it is interesting that, while its terrific and terrifically successful 2013 long-player was recorded with Justin Pizzoferrato, the Northampton, Mass.-based quartet reunited with producer and engineer Paul Q. Kolderie for its newest set of songs, the uniformly thrilling Real Hair EP. Mr. Kolderie was also behind the boards for the aforementioned debut single. His bona fides are well-documented and recitation of same typically includes words like Pixies and Radiohead and Dinosaur and Uncle Tupelo.

Could Speedy Ortiz be hoping to catch a little of Mr. Kolderie's '90s shine to help boost them to some mythical "next level" with Real Hair, which will be released by Carpark next week? Like we said, we don't know -- we're not even sure what "next level" means in the music business anymore. But we do know that Kolderie's recordings (and, specifically, these recordings) sound great. His deep experience was likely reassuring as the foursome experimented with the different sounds and production techniques that make Real Hair a confident step forward for the band. The results speak for themselves: Real Hair in places sounds rounder, fuller and crunchier than last year's long-player Major Arcana [review]. Weird organ peeks out of the corners of the unsettling closer "Shine Theory," and the bass guitar on "Oxygal" is delightfully rubbery. The guitars in the chorus of the undeniable rocker "American Horror" rage like a tsunami. Last month we called that song "an explosive and noisy (and, we should say, radio-ready) gem, shot through with unforgettable melodies. The lyrics deal with watching a loved one struggle with mental health issues, and despite the seriousness of the subject matter fronter Sadie Dupuis is still able to forge perhaps her most undeniably sing-alongable chorus since the 'Taylor Swift' single, no small feat."

The reunion with Mr. Kolderie may not have been the band's only look to the past. Attentive listeners may hear in Real Hair the influence of Pavement's superlative sophomore set Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. In a curious little bit of serendipity, Ms. Dupuis and her cohorts Mike Falcone, Darl Ferm and Matt Robidoux all recently proffered remarks to MySpace (yeah, really) regarding that particular Pavement record (which was released 20 years ago next week). Of course, if we are going to plot parallels between the discographies of Pavement and Speedy Ortiz, well, Real Hair should be analogous to the Watery, Domestic EP, right? Nonetheless, the dense, melodic thrust of Dupuis and Robidoux's guitars in the chorus of "American Horror" suggest a more aggressive restatement of the final 30 seconds of Pavement's "Elevate Me Later." Similarly, Speedy's "Everything's Bigger" announces itself with a grimy revision of the descending melody to Pavement's biggest commercial moment, "Cut Your Hair," an aural motif that recurs between choppy verses that highlight Dupuis' easy drawl. "When I got my driver's license, I would cruise around listening to Crooked Rain with my windows down," Dupuis told Justin Timberlake's cute retro web site. Vigintennial sonic echoes aside, it's Dupuis' facility with story-telling, her deceptively versatile singing voice, and the interesting sonic interplay between the vocals and guitar melodies that persist as Speedy Ortiz's defining charms, and it is those charms -- and not rank adulation of a bygone band -- that shine brightest on Real Hair. Incidentally, Speedy Ortiz will tour with Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks this spring upon the Mass. act's return from a strand of tour dates in the UK and the obligatory sojourn to the annual South By Southwest confabulation.

Speedy Ortiz plays an all-ages record release show in Cambridge, Mass. this Saturday at Tasty Burger with supporting acts The Channels, Sneeze and Idiot Genes. The evening is also a release show for Sneeze's long-player Wilt; there are additional (and FREE) Real Hair release shows in New York Friday and Monday. For the time being, one can stream all of Real Hair via Pantsfork Adpants right here. But, as Edie Brickell warned lo those many years ago, everything is temporary. When that link dies you can stream the aforementioned "American Horror" and "Everything's Bigger" via the Soundcloud embeds below. There may or may not will be copies of Real Hair availz for salez Saturday night, and the set can be pre-ordered on orange vinyl via Insound here and as a download via the digital music store operated by the company with the $447 billion market capitalization here.

Speedy Ortiz: Interpants | Facebook | Soundcloud

Today's Hotness: Screaming Maldini, Burning Alms, Palehound

>> The curious hints that popped up this past week did little to prepare us for the massive return of Sheffield, England-based ultrapop savants Screaming Maldini, whose new, Afropop-tinged tune "Soweto" is as strong a single as the sextet has ever released. The chorus is so uplifting and potent that it completely absconds with the second half of "Soweto," elevating without pause on the strength of the thumping 7/4 tempo and the jaw-dropping vocal arrangements and harmonies. Singer Gina Walters is at her most formidable and enchanting in the song's final moments, playing off the singing of Maldini mastermind Nick Cox to turn in a performance that tops even her singing on the last great Maldini single, 2012's "Summer Somewhere." The visual promotion of the single, we should note, is rather enticing, suggesting some sort of espionage or archeological theme. While no full-length has been announced, the single art labels "Soweto" as "3/12," which we'd venture means three of 12 of something, yeah? A photo on the Screaming Maldini Facebook appears to be a bill of lading of some sort from "The Maldini Institute," with the subhead "Miscellaneum Of Wonders." Could the latter be the title of a forthcoming collection? We shall keep our fingers crossed. Screaming Maldini is set to embark on a small strand of UK house shows in February. Its self-titled debut LP was issued a year ago by HipHipHip in France and we reviewed it right here. Stream "Soweto," and then stream it again and again, via the Bandcamp embed below.



>> Birmingham, England noise-pop luminaries Burning Alms Friday released to the wilds of the Interzizzles a second taster from its long-awaited debut full-length, In Sequence. The bracing brace of songs, "So Unreal" b/w "The Pastoral," highlight the opposing forces that pull at Burning Alms' songwriting, as "So Unreal" bashes and pops through 150 or so thrilling seconds of Swervedriver-styled guitars and punching percusion, while the acoustic ballad "The Pastoral" embraces its titular adjective, establishing a gentle, waltz-timed reverie with more subdued vocals and quiet dynamics during an even more brief 100 seconds. The tunes -- which the band describes as being part of a two-track EP, despite the fact that there is nothing "extended play" here -- are available as a paid digital download or stream via Bandcamp and Soundcloud. Within and without the context of the band and its related projects (Calories and Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam), "So Unreal" and "The Pastoral" are compelling listening, and make us all the more eager to hear In Sequence. In December we wrote here about "Matadors," the blunt and aggressive first single from the pending collection. No specific release date or other information about In Sequence has been proferred by the band (which, as we've previously reported, consists of John Robert Biggs and Thomas Whitfield with former Sunset Cinema Club guy and recording-engineer-to-the-stars Dom James), although the trio maintains it will be issued in 2014. This Facebook status indicates a release is moving one step closer, as the set is presently being mastered. Watch a video for "So Unreal" right here, and stream or download both tunes via the Bandcamp embed below.



>> We're as surprised as you to find that we haven't yet turned our attention to young indie rock concern Palehound. The act began as the vehicle for the music of one Ellen Kempner, a sorta protégé of Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis (Kempner = Eminem, Sadie = Dre). For her initial release, Palehound's entirely charming Bent Nail EP issued by Exploding In Sound in October, Ms. Kempner was abetted by the label's de facto in-house production due of Julian Fader and Carlos Hernandez. Palehound's whole deal snowballed all fall, with the addition of three new players (say hello to Mssrs. Lombardi, Kupperberg and Scherer on bass, drums and guitar, respectively) and the blogosphere spheorizing about what made this wonderful little band and songs like "Pet Carrot" and "I Get Clean" tick. Come now this four-piece iteration of the presently Yonkers-based Palehound, who issue via EIS Feb. 25 the Kitchen 7", the band's first recordings as, well, a band. The top side of the platter touts the tune "Holiest," with "Pay No Mind" on the flip. "Holiest," as we blurbed on Facebook, is a swaying gem with a terrific cascading hook that showcases well the new four-piece configuration of the hotly tipped band. Palehound plays a smattering of dates in New York and Philadelphia this month before embarking on their first U.S. tour, during which the 'hound makes the obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca. Sorry, not Mecca, Austin, they'll go to Austin for the annual SXSW music confabulation. We can expect another 7" after the release of Kitchen, at least according to this CMJ interview from November. But let us live not in the future, but in the now, a point in your life in which if you have enough time to read these words, you certainly have the time to click the button on the embed below and stream "Holiest." It's a fine rock song that we believe you will like.

Review: Grass Is Green | Vacation Vinny

There's a line in the 1984 baseball flick "The Natural" where assistant coach Red Blow says of spaghetti, "Can't spell it, but it eats pretty good, don't it?" Something similar could be said of the music propounded by Boston math-punk behemoth Grass Is Green. The act's first three releases collect about 30 good-to-great-to-unfuckingbelievable tunes, but this reviewer can't tell you what a single one is about. That's no knock against the mighty quartet: their musical derring-do is routinely more thrilling than it is confusing, and confusion is simply endemic to Grass Is Green's songwriting. Fans will be pleased to find the act remains true to its characteristically manic style on Vacation Vinny, their fourth long player and second for white-hot Brooklyn label Exploding In Sound.

A Grass Is Green song rarely plots a linear course. Instead, off-kilter blasts of feedback and clattering drums typically burst out from compressed pauses, songs that barely eclipse the three-minute mark often employ just as many time signatures. Lyrically, the band continues to be exuberantly unrestrained. Turns-of-phrase dart out like malevolent desk drawers, and they typically scan like disparate thoughts, random data, ingredients labels. It's a well-reasoned approach that mirrors the foursome's agitated instrumentals.

While sonically there is much that fans will find familiar about Vacation Vinny, its music is presented on a grander scale. Call it an indie rock upgrade from standard resolution to HD, albeit not in the sense of heightened production quality (Grass Is Green's prior recording, Ronson, still sounds sweet to these ears). It's more an issue of increased potency. The whipsaw turnarounds approach vertigo-inducing levels of vim, the rhythms rock even more crisply, the guitars run tighter circles around one another, and the melodies are inescapable. The record's opening triad -- the slow-burning "Sammy So-Sick" through the grungey "Big Dog Tee Shirt Birthday Weekend" -- is arguably the band's strongest run to date in terms of songs AND song titles. Vacation Vinny is a legend-making record.

The band is presently touring with BFFs Speedy Ortiz; the remaining dates, as well as others already on the docket, are listed below. These additional engagements include a release show at the Elks Lodge in Cambridge, MA, Jan. 25, a bill that also offers Boston sludge-peddlers Trespasser and EIS labelmates Krill, Ovlov and Palehound (info here). In the meantime, order Vacation Vinny vinyl (a limited number of which is pressed to "beer-colored" media) right here. -- Dillon Riley

Grass Is Green: Facebook | Bandcamp





ON TOUR w/ Speedy Ortiz:

01.13 -- Birmingham, AL -- Seasick Records
01.14 -- Nashville, TN -- The Stone Fox
01.15 -- Asheville, NC -- Toy Boat
01.16 -- Charlottesville, VA -- Tea Bazaar
01.17 -- Washington, DC -- The Dougout
01.18 -- New Brunswick, NJ -- Cooler Ranch

THEN:

01.25 -- Cambridge, MA -- Elks Lodge (w/ Ovlov, Krill, Palehound and Trespasser)
01.31 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Silent Barn (w/ Frankie Cosmos and more)
02.06 -- Portsmouth, NH -- Red Door
02.21 -- Allston, MA -- O'Brien's Pub

PREVIOUS GRASS IS GREEN COVERAGE:
Today's Hotness: Dec. 2013
Today's Hotness: Feb. 2012
Today's Hotness: April 2011

Today's Hotness: Joey Fourr, Poledo, Owls, Speedy Ortiz

>> Loyal Clicky Clicky readers last year no doubt noticed our regular coverage of the releases from Exeter, England-based Art Is Hard Records, a little label that had a terrific 2013. The concern Wednesday announced its latest endeavor, an ambitious split 12" to be issued in tandem with Glasgow imprint Reeks Of Effort. The LP -- the existence of which was first tipped in the NME in early December -- is cheekily titled Art Reeks, and it features songs from rising UK noise-pop heroes all Radstewart, Joey Fourr, Pinact and Poledo. Each of the four bands has a pair of songs on the 12", and two tunes, Joey Fourr's "Born Slippery" and Oxford-based Poledo's "King Of Cool," are available to stream now ahead of a March 3 street date for the set. We've followed the meandering musical path of Joey Fourr pretty closely around these parts, and while a recent very grungy release felt a little hollow, the yearning strummer "Born Slippery" featured on Art Reeks is understatedly urgent and wholly affecting, touting a simple, danceable beat and some tidy harmonies. Poledo's preview track is a guitar-heavy and shouty blazer that, despite the band's Dinosaur Jr.-referencing name, seems to instead take a page from the Superchunk playbook. Which we think everyone agrees is a good thing. Reeks Of Effort, for those not in the know, is a small indie run by members of the white-hot noise-pop combo Joanna Gruesome; that act's Weird Sister LP was among Clicky Clicky's favorite releases of 2013. Incidentally, Joanna Gruesome also contributed two tunes to Art Is Hard's first quad-split, the Family Portrait 7" issued in June 2012 (which also featured Playlounge, Gum and Keel Her). Art Reeks will be pressed to white vinyl in a limited edition of 300 relatively flat circles and placed in hand-numbered sleeves. Pre-order the set via this link, and stream "Born Slippery" and "King Of Cool" via the embeds below, and sit back wait to see what voodoo Art Is Hard comes up with next.





>> The debut LP from Owls was really the last time we kept close tabs on the brothers Kinsella and basically the entire Cap'n Jazz cohort save for Davey von Bohlen, whose tuneful bands Maritime and the defunct The Promise Ring are unceasingly delightful. We were as surprised as the next guy when it was disclosed two years ago that Owls had re-formed, although we suppose nothing should have surprised us after the Cap'n Jazz reunion shows of 2010. So maybe we're just stupid and/or short-sighted. Whatever our problem might be aside, Owls have finally disclosed it will issue a second long-player, simply titled Two, via Polyvinyl March 25th. Two will be issued on all the currently acceptable media, including vinyl and cassette, and pre-orders -- including a number of compelling bundle options -- are being taken right here. The first 800 copies of Two sold will be pressed to orange vinyl, which around Clicky Clicky HQ is actually a pretty enticing product feature; some additional quantity of records will be available at retail on light blue vinyl. The original Owls LP - which was reissued on vinyl a couple years ago -- is a beautifully jagged collection of post-punk, and one we listened to constantly throughout the early 2000s. Hopes for the new collection are high, and the preview track "I'm Surprised..." is quite promising. The tune feels slightly restrained, in the sense that it is more formal and less loose than the free-wheeling and beautiful weirdness that was the hallmark of the self-titled collection. Fronter Tim Kinsella is reliably odd, but keeps his characteristic caterwauling in check, taking a more contemplative tack and pushing out syllables largely in-time to the chugging bass line. A swell of feedback balloons toward the close of "I'm Surprised," but it politely fails to overtake the proceedings. Even if there is no more explosive fare on Two, it's still a delight to have these guys (or rather, this particular combination of these guys) back. Stream "I'm Surprised..." via the embed below.



>> Honestly, we were going to try to ignore for the time being the release of "American Horror," the second "single" -- which these days is apparently a term equivalent to "promotional track," the latter being a term we prefer here at HQ, because a single to us is a thing you can buy, a thing that carries a catalog number, like FAC-13 or DRYL 11, not just a thing you can hear on the Internet, but we digress, see how we digressed? -- from Speedy Ortiz' forthcoming Real Hair EP, which is due next month on Carpark. We wanted to ignore "American Horror" temporarily because we're weeks away from drafting a complete review of the brilliant quartet's four-song EP, but this song is just so massive we can't help but engage with it at least superficially now. Indeed, we're compulsively listening to the thing over and over. And over. "American Horror," which leads Real Hair, is an explosive and noisy (and, we should say, radio-ready) gem, shot through with unforgettable melodies. The lyrics deal with watching a loved one struggle with mental health issues, and despite the seriousness of the subject matter fronter Sadie Dupuis is still able to forge perhaps her most undeniably sing-alongable chorus since the "Taylor Swift" single, no small feat. "...BABY YOU FEEL SO CRA-ZEEEE..." See? Stream the track via the Soundcloud embed below. And if you still haven't pre-ordered Real Hair, Jiminy Crickets, what the hell is wrong with you? Pre-order right here (more orange vinyl!). Speedy Ortiz is out on tour now and pretty much forever; we look forward to seeing them open up for Los Campesinos! Jan. 21 here in Boston at the Paradise Rock Club.

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.