Review: Radiator Hospital | Torch Song

Among rock-and-roll songwriters, there are something like three archetypes: the industrious perfectionist, the chronic over-sharer, and, well, all those other people. Sam Cook-Parrott is most certainly of the over-sharing ilk. A perusal of his indie rock concern Radiator Hospital's Bandcamp page speaks to a prolific bent, and -- more importantly -- a mastery of power-pop that few Cook-Parrot's age can claim. His band's oeuvre presents an embarrassment of riches, with records that shift through various styles while reliably twisting nostalgia and heartbreak into arms-outstretched, sing-alongable anthems. Indeed, the best-of-2013 full length Something Wild [review] found Radiator Hospital equally adept at crafting potent, Hüsker Dü-descended pop-punk and crackly, confessional downer folk. Radiator Hospital's fizzing latest collection Torch Song is perhaps even more lean and refreshing, and ably hoists the act up onto par -- in terms of renown -- with its more-celebrated affiliates.

For many, Something Wild, and particularly its killer songwriting and vital perfomances, served as a proper introduction to Radiator Hospital. The runaway successes of Waxahatchee and Swearin' (certain members of which have contributed and continue to contribute to Radiator Hospital records) definitely cast some reflected glory upon Something Wild, but Radiator Hospital need not ride anyone's coattails. And Torch Song is the definitive proof. The set sparkles with uptempo, Buffalo Tom-styled rockers like "Five & Dime" and "Honeymoon Phase" as well as more pensive acoustic strummers like the bottomlessly poignant "Fireworks (Reprise)" and the concise gem "I’m Alright." All of it is delivered with remarkable economy. Indeed, Cook-Parrott is smart to remain true to the short burst, high reward modus operandi of Something Wild by opening the new set with "Leather & Lace," a thrilling punk ditty punctuated by drummer Jeff Bolt's frenetic rolls and a barn-burning final chorus. Elsewhere, the record's notable guest vocalists provide perfect foils to Cook-Parrott's high and lonesome singing, as both Crutchfield sisters and All Dogs' Maryn Jones each feature prominently on various tracks. However, Torch Song's greatest vocal turns come from Cook-Parrott himself, when he harmonizes his higher register with a laconic, gravel-y monotone. The verses of closer "Midnight Nothing" eschew singing altogether, opting for a sing-speak style conveys well the narrative nature of the song’s evocative lyrics -- before bursting forth once more with life-affirming choruses.

Torch Song is not only the best Radiator Hospital record to date, but it also includes its fair share of outlier ideas. The most intriguing of these is "Sleeping House," a late-album swoon that rests on nothing more than some minimal rhythm work and a droning, repetitive organ lead. In-and-out well before the three-minute mark, the song makes a strong argument for Radiator Hospital as ambient-pop project. Still, its likely just another genre experiment from Cook-Parrott: a guy who succeeds at those sort of things far more than he fails. Preorders for the Torch Song LP are being taken by Detroit-based label Salinas Records here right now. The record is also available as a pay-what-you-like download via Bandcamp; click through the embed below to purchase. -- Dillon Riley

Radiator Hospital: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds

Today's Hotness: All Dogs, Idiot Genes, Soft Focus

>> You are going to start hearing Columbus, OH-based indie-punkers All Dogs' name quite often. The young, female-led trio is signed to Salinas Records, a label the music cognoscenti have come to know well for releasing the crucial indie rock platters from Swearin', Waxahatchee and Radiator Hospital over the last two years. Indeed, All Dogs' music neatly fits into the label's aesthetic: the threesome's four-four rockers burst with energy even at the mid-tempo that characterizes the opening pair of tunes from the very enjoyable self-titled, debut 7" that Salinas released last week. The rudimentary instrumentation leaves a lot of space for fronter Maryn Jones' clear and evocative voice to take a starring role, and hers (which recalls that of Bettie Serveert fronter Carol Van Dijk at times) is particularly affecting during the doleful closing cut "Say," certainly a highlight even among this very strong four-song collection. The All Dogs 7" is available via mail order now, and easily worth double the $5 asking price, so click this link to get yours from Salinas before the first run is gone, 'cause these are gonna go fast. All Dogs don't have any shows booked until next month, but Boston fans should take note now that further out in the future the band will be at Great Scott Jan. 21 supporting their very, very hotly tipped labelmates Waxahatchee, who just finished a triumphant strand of UK dates. We expect that will be a show everyone will talk about all through the late winter and into the spring, and we advise you to get tickets ASAP because the buzz is only going to get louder. And that may or may not be your tinnitus talking. What? I can't hear you, the phone keeps ringing. What? Stream the exquisite All Dogs single via the Bandcamp embed below. All Dogs are already at work on songs for a full-length, and previously issued a very fine split tape with Slouch.



>> You thrilled the sandpaper-across-the-face vibes of its self-titled EP at the beginning of the year, which included the bouncy shouter "The Charles Mansion," and now Allston Rock City fuzz-pop standouts Idiot Genes are back with another eight-pack of beery, big-muff anthems. Idiot Genes come by all of their bashing and feedback and sludge honestly: the new collection, titled Lousey, was recorded in the quartet's practice space earlier this fall. The set is thronged with throaty belters including the breakneck bomp of opener "Regular" and the more moderately paced "Soaked Pillow." The latter's lyrics evoke an easy smile, particularly the closing chant "WHEN I DREAM I DROOL! WHEN I DREAM I DROOL!" It's tempting to employ the word "primitive" here to try to capture the essence of the foursome's collective appeal, but that word would not do justice to the way Idiot Genes' music will infiltrate your consciousness. Lousey was released via Bandcamp on Hallowe'en; stream it via the embed below and then click and paywhutchalike to acquire the digital files for your personal use. Idiot Genes are playing on a ridiculously good bill (presented by Allston Pudding) Nov. 14 top-lined by UK-based indie sensations Paws and Philadelphia nu-emo stars Little Big League, who rule. We featured Idiot Genes' "The Charles Mansion" during New Music Night 10 last spring.



>> There was little actual use of soft focus employed by Soft Focus, the scrappy, youthful Cambridge, Mass.-based indie pop group whose music we have been enjoying lately, and who, sadly, have apparently already called it a day. But perhaps the threesome's name evinces itself in other ways. Soft Focus gradually resolved over the past year with a couple of singles, and now comes the posthumous Day EP, which showcases well the band's bashing, gleeful style. Jangly, sometimes angular guitar lines announce each of the four songs here, and the ensuing performances and production suggest that the trio's music is an apt soundtrack for a swinging basement show. One can almost see (smell? -- Ed.) the beer stains, smiling faces and taped-up Christmas lights as tunes like the yearning, head-bobbing opener "POG" ply their charms. Drummer Garren Orr keeps the snare tight and fast, while lead singer Joe Holcomb delivers emotional, punk-braised vocals -- which incidentally, recall those of Shout Out Louds fronter Adam Olenius -- without clouding the carefree character of the tunes. On EP highlight "Summer Sin" the band executes perfectly. Crisp lead guitar proclaims a bright melody and presents 12-string resonance, which in sum reminds this reviewer of George Harrison's work on "Nowhere Man." While that influence is likely not front of mind for Soft Focus, their listing of Bloc Party as an inspiration frames the Day EP in an interesting light. It's evidence of a younger generation of DIY musicians taking decade-old references and reshaping them into part of their own musical identity. It is hard to know whether such influences would have continued to guide the band's music, as this EP and one other referenced at Bandcamp would seem to be the final transmissions from Soft Focus (two of its principals have apparently gone to the west coast). Even if that next EP fails to materialize, the Day EP is a fine way to go out. It was released to the wilds of the Internerds Oct. 2 and is available as a pay-what-you-choose download; stream it below and then click through to make it your very, very own. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Potty Mouth, Psapp, Swearin'

>> So we endeavored to deliver some real talk in our review of Potty Mouth's full-length debut, which was published in the fine electronic pages of Vanyaland Friday. We wrote about gender and double-standards and all-female bands, if only because when we came up in the scene decades ago those sorts of discussions were an everyday occurrence. We don't hear them much anymore, which is probably more a function of our spending 1/3 of our life at work, another 1/3 interacting with those under the age of five, and the final 1/3 either asleep or wishing we were asleep, than anything else. If we have one misgiving about the piece it is that it may read as if we felt like the Northampton, Mass.-based foursome needed defending. Nothing could be further from the truth. These women are as capable of staking their place in the world as they are of creating a terrific rock record, which is what they've done with Hell Bent. Sure, the collection does not invent the wheel, and as we stated in our piece, it neither aims to instruct (think Bikini Kill) nor does it get arty (think The Slits). This is the reason we set up the Vanyaland piece by referencing legendary California punk acts JFA and The Descendents. If you take a wide view on the first decade of punk rock, we think California bands more than those of any other scene kept punk fun, playful. Yes, Dead Kennedys brought serious political game, yes, Uniform Choice delivered straightedge rage in spades, and, yes, there are other notable outliers. But California punk's collective determination to keep punk fun, maybe even somewhat innocent, is a notion we feel Potty Mouth shares. We think you'll like Hell Bent, and we encourage you to check out our piece at Vanyaland via the link above. Before you click away, however, check out the two tracks from the record, "The Spins" and "Damage," that we've embedded below. Old Flame releases Hell Bent Tuesday, and you can order it right here.





>> Four years used to seem like a long time... and we suppose it still is in the life of a rock 'n' roll band. That's how long it has been since we've heard a squeak, skronk or ding from UK-based toytronica duo Psapp. We suppose the band is best known for having a song used as the theme to a teevee show in the US, but their records are all enjoyable and quirky in a sort of Tracey Thorn-meets-Tom Waits kind of way. News arrived last week that the duo was back, with a new song in tow and a promise that a new LP is not far off. The new tune "Everything Belongs To The Sun" touts a jagged, percussive groove, which underpins singer Galia Durant's incantatory vocals. It's not nearly as melodic as the powerfully poignant ballads that highlight Psapp's catalog, such as "Tricycle," or the brilliant click-and-cut tour de force "Leaving In Coffins." But "Everything Belongs To The Sun" exudes energy and confidence, and leaves us eager to hear more of the new music the band has promised. We'll keep you updated. In the meantime, stream the new song via the embed below.



>> Philly-based punk-pop superheroes Swearin' announced Friday it will release a sophomore set entitled Surfing Strange later this fall. The quartet's collection, described by some as both heavier and moodier, will be issued by Salinas Records in the US Nov. 5, and via Wichita in the UK the prior day, because that is how the UK rolls. Surfing Strange presents 11 songs, including the preview track "Watered Down," a thumping, mid-tempo strummer sung by Kyle Gilbride. Swearin' are touring the UK in October with its literal sister band Waxahatchee, and then will return to the US for a long strand of dates that stretches from mid-November through mid-December. Swearin's self-titled debut was one of our favorite records of 2012; Wichita is releasing it in the UK next month, meaning two Swearin' releases will be issued in back-to-back months over there, meaning UK music fans should be feeling pretty happy right now. Stream "Watered Down" via the Soundcloud embed below.

Review: Radiator Hospital | Something Wild

It seems like only yesterday we were praising the merits of the latest and greatest from the white-hot Philadelphia underground, but even so it didn't take us long to turn up something new from the musically fertile City of Brotherly Love, something that just may be the best the metropolis has to offer this year, Radiator Hospital's terrific LP Something Wild.

Indie pop concern Radiator Hospital is the brainchild of Philly-based singer/songwriter Sam Cook-Parrott. While Something Wild features a fully fleshed-out, four-piece band including Swearin' drummer Jeff Bolt on the skins, Mr. Cook-Parrott has been releasing singles and EPs with different collaborators for a few years under the Radiator Hospital moniker. Incidentally, Mr. Bolt isn't the only connection between Radiator Hospital and Swearin’: the two acts also share a living space. That’s right, folks, the house that brought you Swearin', Waxahatchee and the Crutchfields twins' mutual side project Great Thunder is also home to yet one more killer indie rock act. Indeed, Something Wild was even recorded in said house. And while a new record from Swearin' could be out this fall, any new entries in the realm of indie pop in 2013 will have to go a very great distance to surpass the brilliance of Something Wild.

Breathlessly brief at under a half hour, Something Wild still captivates and satisfies in a way few other records have this year. That's largely because it's so dynamic. The long-player, which touts 13 tracks, boasts an impressive stylistic breadth and depth offering almost equal parts revved-up pop-punk, unguarded folk and jangly downer-pop. Indeed, at times individual songs can sound like the product of different groups. But what's best about Something Wild, however, is that it never feels the least bit empty. Cook-Parrott jettisons all unnecessary excess, and occasionally even conventional song structures, to focus more intently on crafting short and sweet bursts of sugary pop goodness. Even in the single rare instance that the band draws things out over three minutes during the acoustic strummer "Big Cloud," the subdued tune more than gets by on the raw immediacy of pretty, layered vocal harmonies and rootsy instrumentation.

Cook-Parrott is just as comfortable nasally waxing poetic over a brittle and crudely recorded acoustic guitar as he is belting out love-lorn narratives above over-driven guitars and pounding drums. Needless to say he's just as effective at conveying emotion either way. It should come as no surprise then that Something Wild's greatest track, "Your Boyfriend," reaches its emotional climax when Cook-Parrott and co. shift from one dynamic extreme to the other. Kudos to any band that can turn real emotional pain into catchy summer jams as well as these guys do. With no shortage of electrifying tunes, from the belter "Our Song" (and its fist-banging chorus "You won't get off that easy, no don't say you love me, when you know you don't") to the, uh, other belter "Ghost Story," Radiator Hospital delivers the goods in as impressive a fashion as we've heard all year. Something Wild is due July 15 on LP from Salinas Records and pre-orders are being taken right here. The record is also available as a free download from Bandcamp (click through the embed below), so indie rock fans have no excuse not to treat themselves to Something Wild. -- Dillon Riley

Radiator Hospital: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds | Vimeo

Today's Hotness: Audio Antihero Comp, Break It Up, COH



>> London's ineptly brilliant Audio Antihero recently unleashed a cracking, 31-track charity compilation, the latest in the label's efforts to leverage the music of its various constituents and supporters to do some good for those in need, in this instance the organizations Rape Crisis -- England and Wales and Rape Crisis -- Scotland. These two entities do an impressive number of things that you can read about here and here, but we think it is important for our largely US-based readership to understand that these services "are community-based, and independent of government and the criminal justice system." It being Audio Antihero, of course the comp has a ludicrous professional wrestling-inspired title, Regal Vs. Steamboat. Given the length and stylistic breadth of the collection of songs -- which is available for a minimum donation of £3.99 -- the set is just short of an unspoken invitation from the label to fans to mix and match favorites, perhaps creating three more traditionally sized compilations. The line-up includes a number of tunes from Clicky Clicky besties, including a thrilling hyperpop gem from Internet Forever and a classic downer from Benjamin Shaw, whose tune "Goodbye, Cagoule World" was recorded live at London's Union Chapel last year as part of Daylight Music weekly Saturday lunchtime shows. Well, consider AAH's unmade challenge met, as we've gone ahead and identified a Clicky Clicky's Choice (tm) version of Regal Vs. Steamboat that spotlights our 10 favorites of the 31, jumping off from AAH helmer Jamie Volcano's own lead-off choice, Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love's "Change The Mistake." Along the way you'll also hear a blindingly brilliant rocker from Glaswegians United Fruit and a similarly vital anthem from Ben Parker's current and ridiculously slept-on project The Jonbarr Hinge. You can stream our truncated, guitar-pop-plus-leaning Clicky Clicky's Choice version via the series of hyperlinked titles below, but once you click through, do what you can to support this extremely worthy cause being championed by Mr. Halliday, who is both a good and amusing man.

1. Low Low Low La La La Love Love Love - "Change The Mistake"
2. Burnt Palms -- "Empty Place"
3. Internet Forever -- "I'll Sleep When I'm Alive"
4. Wartgore Hellsnicker -- "Perfect Competition"
5. United Fruit -- "Go Away, Don't Leave Me Alone"
6. The Jonbarr Hinge -- "Don't Feel So Sorry For Yourself"
7. Salvage My Dream -- "Give In, Give Up (Modern Girls cover)"
8. Princess -- "Junk Mail"
9. Grand Pocket Orchestra -- "No One"
10. David Cronenberg's Wife -- "Drawn Again (Original Version)"

>> While Clicky Clicky will always have at least one ear on the city because it is the former home of our esteemed executive editor, presently Philadelphia is noticeably gathering some of that shifting, cyclical shine that periodically illuminates the music scenes of certain cities, causing folks to weigh appellations like "indie rock mecca." Between the runaway success of the Crutchfield twins (who you know from their shit-hot and totally quality acts Swearin' and Waxahatchee), the buzzing rise from Purling Hiss and the prolonged success of scene mainstay Kurt Vile, Philadelphia's present ascendency is incontrovertible. One could make an argument the aforementioned shine shows no sign of dimming based on the city of brotherly love's latest entry into the fold, indie-pop trio Break It Up. The band -- which includes Easton, Mass.-bred Dan Morse on guitar -- achieves a familiar, '90s-styled sound without a bassist, instead electing to leave aural space into which fluid, textural guitar work blossoms and bounces. The threesome's "New Penzance," taken from its recently released full-length debut Break It Up, is a stunner, all galloping drums, ringing guitars and two-part harmonies. Stream the tune via the Soundcloud embed below, and purchase the entire peppy and bright set, recorded at Philadelphia's Uniform Recording with renowned engineer Jeff Zeigler, via Bandcamp right here. -- Dillon Riley



>> As we've stated somewhere, we've been coming back around to revisit and catch up on the progress of certain of the electronic acts we used to follow when we first started spending a lot of our time writing about music. Some 11 years back we drew an assignment for Junkmedia to review a full-length of minimal electronic compositions from Russian-born Swede and acoustic engineer Ivan Pavlov, who releases music under the guise of COH, among others. We were largely stymied by COH's 2002 release (of recordings made several years prior) titled Mask Of Birth, as this over-long and rather defensive review evidences. There have been at least 17 releases since that time for various projects Mr. Pavlov is part of, but the latest set from COH (which, incidentally, is the Russian word for sleep), Retro-2038, is where we've finally picked up the thread again. In contrast to Mask Of Birth, the new eight-song collection is warm and inviting -- not necessarily the first two adjectives that come to mind when discussing minimal electronic music, we admit. Even so, we can't say enough good things about what we've heard: there is still a variety of textures and tones at play here, but rhythms tend to gravitate largely around a conventional 4/4 and melody is as pronounced in these eight songs as it is in, say, this recent, more banging but brilliant track from the untouchable electronic genius Keith Fullerton Whitman, or even My Bloody Valentine's superlative 2013 surprise mbv. Retro-2038 was issued by Editions Mego May 13, and the record is available for purchase on CD on double LP (drool...) as an import right here. Sure, with the shipping and exchange rate, this isn't a cheap investment, but it is certainly one of our favorite electronic releases of the year so far. Stream the entire collection via the YouTube embed below.