Today's Hotness: Noveller, Thisquietarmy, Ultimate Painting

>> Just as we were in danger of wearing out our Auburn Lull Hiber cassette with an umpteenth zoned-out play, we were pleased to discover the similarly zone-worthy Reveries. The four-song set is the latest release from the international and experimentally inclined duo comprised by experimental guitar musicians Noveller (a/k/a Brooklyn's Sarah Lipstate) and Thisquietarmy (a Montrealer whose given name is Eric Quach). The pair's collaborative effort presents masterful exercises in guitar pedal drone, as evidenced by two sublime preview tracks. "Reverie 1" commences with a sustained sullenness before incrementally building steam via the application of layer upon layer of guitar signal treatments. Like some moments on the aforementioned Hiber, which we wrote about here in June, Reveries captures textures and sounds that simply do not sound like guitars, and in very compelling ways. Subtle and long-form melodies fill the first three minutes of "Reverie 1," and then -- at 3:22 -- something quite special transpires. Here a snappy, chiming melody manifests and dances atop the piece. Whatever the source instrument is, its tone is rich and soothing, leading one to wonder just how Noveller and Thisquietarmy -- whose press materials claim that they are a guitar duo -- are able to conjure such a sound. We may never know, but the effect is entrancing and psychedelic and comforts this reviewer with the knowledge that there are still artists out there driving the traditional six-string to new heights and into exciting sonic terrain. And like Hiber again, Reveries comes in a gorgeous package -- all stark white architecture against a PVC sleeve which houses a thick slab of 160g white vinyl. Shelter Press released Reveries July 1. Buy the vinyl, which is pressed in a limited edition of 500 pieces, right here, or snatch the digital download from Noveller's Bandcamp page right here. Then turn the lights out, will ya? -- Edward Charlton





>> Chicago label Trouble In Mind made news last month that we didn't want to let slip by, namely that it will issue in August a single from Ultimate Painting. The relatively new act, if you don't know, features James Hoare of the stellar London indie pop outfit Veronica Falls alongside Jack Cooper of Mazes. An eponymous preview track is as good a mission statement as the pair could hope for, and evidences that Ultimate Painting is in part a vehicle for Mssrs. Hoare and Cooper's classic rock leanings. Indeed, "Ultimate Painting" grooves in a rare and tasteful way, capturing the spirit of New York circa 1969. The tune touts a chin-out strut that evokes the Velvet Underground around the time of its self-titled third record, when clean electric guitars and a Mo Tucker beat were all that was required to spark youthful transcendence. A simple bass line chugs along to a steady snare cadence, keeping the pace but making room for dual guitars that trade in spare, bent licks. Plaintive, unadorned vocals enter, all quick lines and wordless repeats. A brief chorus separates the verses, but otherwise the vocals get over with the typical pop structure quickly, knowing full well that the real hero of "Ultimate Painting" is the warm, natural production and feel-good chord progression. The seeming ease with which Ultimate Painting evokes a breezy, classic spirit calls to mind New Zealand greats The Clean or even Stereolab. We can't wait to hear the b-side, and for that matter the duo's inevitable full-length, which is said to contain five songs each from Hoare and Cooper and is slated for release by Trouble In Mind this fall. Keep an eye out for pre-order information regarding the single and album right here, and in the meantime you can stream "Ultimate Painting" via the embed below. Bostonians and psych-pop aficionadoes will recall Trouble In Mind previously released Doug Tuttle's solo set. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Lubec, Las Ligas Menores, Braid

>> There are few releases as hotly anticipated by this blog's executive editor as the forthcoming sophomore set from Portland, Ore. guitar-pop visionaries Lubec. The long-awaited collection is titled The Thrall and it has gestated some 18 months or more in the quartet's collective mind-womb [wasn't that a The The record LOL/ugh -- Ed.]. The appearance of a new preview track -- the amazing "Almost Vince" -- is cause for celebration, not only because the song is amazing, but also because the Bandcamp page that houses the jam states The Thrall will be released in Summer 2014. Summer, if you don't know, begins Saturday and ends in September, meaning that sometime in the next 90 days or so the rock action is go. Lubec's aforementioned "Almost Vince," unveiled last week, is an impressively architected and jangly strummer that flirts with two tempos in the first 30 seconds before coming to rest upon an upbeat pace that anchors fronter Eddie Charlton and organist Caroline Jackson's diaphanous vocals. The song features a very smart, almost linear arrangement and widescreen melodies, and decomposes into a dazzling coda in its final quarter. There feedback slowly swirls like smoke, spare guitar notes pulse, elegant piano ascends and subdued drumming gently floats the song in for a landing. We are not yet aware of any additional information regarding the release of The Thrall, but we've heard what may be the final version of the set and it is astonishing. The collection was engineered and produced by Robert Komitz at the Frawg Pound in the band's hometown, as we noted here in April 2013. We world-premiered the title track at New Music Night 14 in January. And we will be certain to hip you to firm release information once we've gotten clued in. But budget now some future attention for The Thrall -- it is filled with tremendous songwriting and imaginative arrangements, and we think the long, long wait will prove to have been well worth it. Stream "Almost Vince" via the Bandcamp embed below and click through to download.



>> Bueons Aires-based indie concern Las Ligas Menores recently issued a brilliant self-titled full length, and every Clicky Clicky reader needs to hear it. While we admit to having a very limited understanding of the lyrical content, which is delivered in Spanish, the quintet's superlative songwriting, strong performances and emotions require no translation. The act is comprised of four women and a guy and touts two guitars and keys, so Las Ligas Menores have a relatively broad sonic palette with which it concocts its fairly conventional indie pop tunes. What makes the straightforward compositions so arresting are the fivesome's great melodies and balanced approach. There is a firmer rock groove to "Hoy Me Espera," while opener "Renault Feugo" -- which we assume is named for the '80s vehicle of the same name -- is rolls along a buoyant bass line and tambourine cadence, with Nina Carrara's keys and Anabella Cartolano and Pablo Kemper's sparkling guitars pushing an instantly memorable melody. Ms. Carrara's keys lay a foundation of drone under the tune "A 1200km," which reminds us of Stereolab's amazing cut "1000 Miles An Hour." The album ends very strongly with the seemingly Velvet Underground-inspired "Tibet" and the smoking album highlight "Miércoles." Overall the set has a sunshiney feel, and we are having a lot of difficulty listening to anything else during our current beach holiday. If Google Translate has not led us astray, the set was recorded and mixed by Jose Maria D'Agostino at the Moloko Vellocet studio between April 2013 and March 2014; Mr. D'Agostino and the band co-produced. Vocals were recorded at Ion Studios in February 2014, and the set was mastered by Daniel Osorio at Angel Studio. All of Las Ligas Menores is a treat, and it is available to download for free, so really, there is no reason not to get in on this. Stream it via the embed below, and download it right here.



>> We were first introduced to second-wave emo heroes Braid the old-fashioned way: via a mixtape sent by a friend at Northwestern in late '94. But it was the quartet's invigorating, desperate sophomore set Frame And Canvas, released in 1998, that really captured our imagination, and it was a constant friend at the turn of the century. It held much market share (of ears) in our household as one side of a dubbed cassette, and it had the distinction of being among the first things we burned to a CD via a CD burner we installed ourselves into a desktop PC back when there was no such thing as USB and installing drives in desktops was a thing that people did. But we digress. Urbana-based Braid's star shined brightly in the wake of Frame And Canvas, but the band went the way of the Dodo Bird by the end of the 20th century. And although we still blast "First Day Out" and "The New Nathan Detroits" now and again, we were pleased to see the news last month that Braid was back. The foursome actually reconstituted back in 2010, released an EP in 2011, and toured in 2012 (and apparently in 2004?), but 2014 sees the Braid releasing its first long-player in 14 years. Emo superpower Topshelf is doing the honors, releasing the all-new set No Coast July 8; the 12-song collection is already available for pre-order as an LP, CD or digital download right here. The title track commences with a jazzy syncopation, but rapidly revs up into a pretty and uptempo chorus with tidy vocal harmonies and an undeniable vocal hook. It's classic Braid, and we have to say we are pretty well stoked to have the band back. Stream "No Coast" via the Soundcloud embed below. A tightly wound second song, "Bang," was premiered by National Public Radio last month and can be heard right here. Braid performs at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston on July 24, along with Marietta and A Great Big Pile Of Leaves, and we expect that will sell out, so maybe commit to this thing now, yeah?

Today's Hotness: WHOOP-Szo, Dignan Porch, Popstrangers

>> We make no secret of our affinity for the unexpected in music -- hell, even perplexity, in the right frame of mind -- and the latest band to wow us in that regard is Guelph, Ontario-based psych-pop explorers WHOOP-Szo. The act, which just this week self-released their incredibly ambitious and apparently third LP Niizhwaaswo, has spent a substantial amount of time living in "Arctic Canada" among certain Inuit people, and a curious email we received described their latest release as "our third and final document of our adventures" there. The songs on Niizhwaaswo are bathed in a manic, modern psychedelic sensibility; soothing faraway vocals anchor a collection that otherwise readily sprawls in every direction with a sort of aural schizophrenia. While perhaps hard to grasp at first, this is truly rock music that betrays little in the way of traditional influence or stylistic corruption. Instrumental opener "Boat Cave" establishes a mood with long blasts of feedback, organ and all manner of squiggly fuzz sounds, as well as jazzy percussion, all of which serves to introduce the improvisational nature of the band. By the next track, "CSG," group vocals bathed in reverb and atonal chordings make overatures toward a traditional tune, but are ultimately scuttled by metallic chugging, snotty screams and a derailed train ride of moans and yelps. "Myeengun" recalls EVOL-era Sonic Youth, and their bruised and tense no-wave sexuality. Lead single "Jan. 3rd" even more surprisingly peels things back to reveal an acoustic strummer befitting of certain songs in Kevin Drew's repertoire. "I'm Outside Looking In," they sing, on their one truly "normal"-sounding song, and really no sentiment is more fitting, especially considering where this set was recorded. Given the vast amount of terrain it covers, Niizhwaaswo is shockingly brief. In today's ultra-connected era, one expects nearly every musician to have consumed heaps of other styles and touchstones that set general parameters before she or he ever writes a note, but WHOOP-Szo are the exception to the rule. Are these guys the spiritual successors to yesterday's unhinged, experimental improv pop ensembles like The Red Krayola, The Pop Group or Butthole Surfers? Maybe. Either way, we're all lucky that there are still creative minds out there that can so interestingly break free. We highly recommend Niizhwaaswo, which you can purchase here as a beautifully silkscreened, single-sided vinyl LP or digital download. Stream the entire LP via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> Coming June 16th is yet another classy slice of mid-fi goodness from Brighton, England's reliably great Faux Discx label. We speak of the third album from South London-based jangle merchants Dignan Porch, the one-time bedroom pop-ject of one Joseph Walsh (no relation, we're sure) that is now a quartet. Their forthcoming set is called Observatory, and, based on the jaunty pop of the preview track "Wait & Wait & Wait," we expect it will be a fine compendium of the band's signature refined guitar-pop sound. Having already released two albums on New York's renowned Captured Tracks imprint, Dignan Porch are hardly newbies. "Wait & Wait & Wait" is a fuzzy, bouncing and vaguely country-tinged track with a fine dual vocal harmony throughout the verses. The tune touts a fantastic pop structure, with a subtle, sly chorus that sneaks up on the listener. Tasteful guitars never showboat, but instead inhabit the sad, patient groove in ways the Velvet Underground's Sterling Morrison was particularly adept at on those classic live albums. Even more special are the last three chords of the main riff, which are emphasized by the drummer's crash cymbal and effect a great downward run that perfectly highlights lead singer Joseph Walsh's melancholy, choked-up acceptance as he waits, and waits, and, well, you know. Preorder Observatory on 180g vinyl or as a digital download right here. If you want that vinyl, act fast: according to Bandcamp only 36 of the original pressing of 500 flat circular discs remain unsold. Stream "Wait & Wait & Wait" via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> In the run-up to the release of it latest LP, London-transplants Popstrangers have played a perfect inning. The first brace of preview singles, the undeniable "Country Kills" and dark groover "Don't Be Afraid," stepped to the proverbial plate with quality, and a third preview single from Fortuna, the trio's recently issued sophomore set, loads the bases. "Distress," is a delay-soaked classic punk rocker, sporting the band's characteristic textures, a free-wheeling sensibility and a sly chord arrangements. The tune touts fantastic, seemingly off-the-cuff verse melodies that present a perfect aural foil to the song's straightforward guitar strumming. "Distress" builds to a brilliant if cloudy Britpop plea in the chorus ("Why don't we all just stop fighting?") that, interestingly, evokes the more accessible cuts from (formerly) fellow New Zealanders Bailterspace. Indeed, the press materials accompanying Fortuna make light of Popstrangers' transition from their native NZ to London, so maybe, just maybe, said evocation is a friendly shout-out to a life left behind. Popstrangers' grand slam, of course, is Fortuna itself. Released just last week in the U.S. on the increasingly formidable Carpark label, the collection confirms what this reviewer suspected -- Popstrangers are capable of applying their careful sense of texture and production to an entire, dynamic set of songs. Opener "Sandstorm" dramatically shifts between dreamy picked passages and a key-changing strummed chorus. "Tonight" conjures more of the odd, choppy, upfront guitars that made the dynamite album highlight "Country Kills" so thrilling. Closer "What's On Your Mind?" further evidences that this band's boldness at marrying together disparate slices of songs to form unexpected, poppy epics. Carpark released Fortuna May 23; purchase it right here, and stream the entire collection via the Spotify embed below. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Frankie Cosmos, The New Mendicants, Beach Volleyball

>> The hype surrounding NYC-based combo Frankie Cosmos belies the cloistered, personal vibe of their music -- proof positive, we suppose, that great songwriting finds its audience. The quartet, which is fronted by Greta Kline and includes among its number Aaron Maine of Porches., trades in the kind of plainly stated, lo-fi pop that lives and dies on personality. It's music that emphasizes unadorned, in-your-ear moments -- such as those that characterized Velvet Underground's third album -- as opposed to the blunt grandiosity and electronic immersion found more widely in today's underground. Frankie Cosmos' "Birthday Song" is a sweet, minute-and-a-half pop confection that recalls a certain stripe of indie pop that has not pinged the mainstream for years. The tune's biggest moments arrive at the end of each of the verses, when the drums shift into a half-time beat -- a trick borrowed from the metal and hardcore bands of our youth, perhaps, but it's very effective here, where Ms. Kline's vocals seem to get dragged down with a sadness that matches her year-closing observations and angst toward a changing world. Kline's wistfulness here is perfect and fresh for a band that hails from the Big Apple in 2014. With the success of Hospitality and now Frankie Cosmos, we're holding out hope for a full-blown indie pop renaissance emanating from New York City. "Birthday Song" is the second preview tune from the forthcoming collection Zentropy, a set of songs that is the first featuring a full-band iteration of Frankie Cosmos. Zentropy will be released as an LP by the Exploding In Sound-affiliated label Double Double Whammy March 4. The first 250 copies of the collection carried a screen-printed B-side and appear to have already sold out; another 200 pieces are pressed to white vinyl, and you can pre-order it right here. And although we do not know details and haven't yet cracked it open ourselves, fans would do well to note that Frankie Cosmos has issued what seems to be an even newer collection of recordings called Donutes, that can be snatched via Pukekos for free right here. Stream "Birthday Song" via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> If this -- along with last year's Black Hearted Brother album -- is any indication of the way things are rolling, yesterday's indie pop and shoegaze pioneers are finding plenty of fresh inspiration in new trios that embrace collective legacies, adaptability and excitement. Here we are referring, of course, to Into The Lime, the tremendous new collection from The New Mendicants, a threesome comprising Joe Pernice (The Pernice Brothers), Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), and Mike Belisky (The Sadies). The set finds all three principles fluidly rotating duties while creating vibrant, cohesive work. With each successive track, it seems the band challenges itself again and again to create classic, harmony-laden pop in the vein of British Invasion bands such as The Hollies, Peter and Gordon, The Beatles pre-Revolver, and (more recently) XTC. Songs such as "Cruel Annette," "If You Only Knew Her," "High On The Skyline," and "A Very Sorry Christmas" all balance rich vocals that the light acoustic strumming, organ, and other period touches feel like the only extra weight the compositions could handle. The balance of the record emphasizes electric guitar, echoing at times Mr. Blake's Teenage Fanclub (with "Shouting Match") while coming as close to that classic band's power-pop euphoria as any combo in recent memory. Into The Lime, like BHB's Stars Are Our Home, so impressively balances the individual strengths of each band member that one can nearly cherry-pick them from any three-second clip form any song. Even so, the enthusiasm, songcraft and performances are so tight and fluid that it is hard to overstate the pop smarts at work. Perhaps the most telling gauge of success is this one: The New Mendicants on Into The Lime work free of whatever the confines of Teenage Fanclub, The Sadies or The Pernice Brothers might be, yet the disc feels like a welcome addition to any of their discographies. Buy the set from Ashmont Records right here, and stream the now seasonally inappropriate "A Very Sorry Christmas" via the Soundcloud embed below, and watch a beautiful and spare live iteration of "Follow You Down" right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> When we last tracked the arc of London shoegaze luminaries Beach Volleyball here last fall, we made sure to remark on the irony of their name, given the windswept, downcast vibe of the act's music. Now we are confronted with a second realization -- namely, that Beach Volleyball does classic, American-style shoegaze better than most American acts in the game. We're not the only ones taking a second look at the combo, as Oakland, Calif. and Berlin-based label Spiralchords announced late last month that it will reissue Beach Volleyball's full-length debut Broadcast later in February. The first teaser track from the collection this time around is "Contack," and it is a stunner. The short piece (short in shoegaze terms, anyway) is knotted and tense, and confidently arrays a driving group of chords. These bristle with texture, between the deep bass and droning, bending high notes, and the rhythm guitar's serrated tone applies an element of knife-fighting menace to the proceedings. Alex Smith's saddened drawl slips amid the textures, adding just the right pathos, contrasting against the noise rock danger and rolling drum beats. Closing with an ambient outro, the tune turns more contemplative as it slowly fades into greyscale. "Power Cuts," another pre-released tune (although, technically, all of them were "pre-released" last August), is similarly strong, and showcases again the driving snare and undulating bass of the rhythm section. These songs suggest a darker take on the early '90s, Isn't Anything-inspired rock of Americans all Lilys, She, Sir, Lorelei and The Swirlies -- bands unafraid to revel in mystery while staying true to their indie roots. Broadcast will be re-released digitally Feb. 28. Stream "Contack" below; it's not presently clear whether there will be a pre-order for the set, but keep watch at the Spiralchords Facebook page for additional release information. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Best Friends, Sapphire Mansions, Radstewart

>> Art Is Hard Records continues to command attention, not only for its fine curation and great taste, but also due to brave and unconventional packaging concepts. Perhaps it's because of their singular methods that we sometimes lose sight of the fact that they still function as a tried-and-true label with a steady supply of CDs, tapes and vinyl. Which, of course, brings us to their latest 7", a stunning double A-side for the manic Sheffield, England quartet Best Friends, due Sept. 23rd. One side of the disc, "Happy Anniversary," reveals the scrappy band wearing a bit more production polish that we've heard from them previously, as well as more mature subject matter (their earlier, surf punk-inspired numbers explored such multi-dimensional aspects of the human condition as "Surf Bitches" and "Dude Love"). While there's still plenty of thick, churning guitars, one can't help but notice the way "Happy Anniversary" unfolds – full of space and a crooned vocal. It evidences a band unwilling to adhere to one approach for too long. After its delicate intro, "Happy Anniversary" introduces a descending surf lead and fuzzy flange on the rhythm guitar that each add thoughtful and evocative texture to the band's brand of bash 'n' pop. Best Friends has consistently exhibited a steady hold on the mid-range of their productions, and this thankfully remains true here: the mix is thick and pleasant, the drums splash along, and the chorus follows the guitar line for a great melodic punch. The flip of the single is quick-paced strummer "Nosebleeds," which -- impossibly -- is even more catchy, melodic and direct than "Happy Anniversary." All of which has us wondering: is this the best single of the year? When all is said and done, it will certainly be a contender. Both sides of the cracking single are embedded for streaming below; judge for yourself. Pre-order "Happy Anniversary" b/w "Nosebleeds" -- which comes packaged with a comic drawn by Nai Harvest's Lew Currie, and the option of adding a t-shirt to the deal, as well -- from Art Is Hard right here. -- Edward Charlton





>> We recently noted the head of a certain terrific American indie label recommending to the attention of friends an act called Sapphire Mansions; the label is constantly putting out first-rate stuff, so we thought we'd best have a listen. Brooklyn-based pop upstarts Sapphire Mansions are preparing to self-release Oct. 23 a debut six-song EP (eight songs if you buy the cassette, or even more if you buy a CD-R) titled Over America. Despite its title, the short set's hazy but spare indie pop suggests the influence of decades-old U.K. and even Kiwi acts as much as it does bands closer to home like The Ocean Blue and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Sapphire Mansions distinguishes itself via the unconventional application of mixing EQs and reverbs, something that makes the quartet's EP a compelling listen. Often the tracks feel at arm's length, squeezed and swirled, so that what would otherwise seem conventional production assumes a foreign quality via, for example, the mysterious, hissing treble in fronter Jay Hough's vocals, or the mechanistic whooshes surrounding drummer Josh Feldman's snare beats. The overall flavor is one of slight unease, giving Over America an intriguing tension, even a sense of danger, despite the sturdy pop skeleton underneath. The EP is refreshing and definitely worth pre-ordering, so that blasting it on the hi-fi can become a reality come late October. Be the first kid on your block to own one by pre-ordering it at Bandcamp; click through the embed below to find out how. -- Edward Charlton



>> This reviewer often takes a sharp turn in terms of rock music consumption once summer starts to inevitably wind down. Gone are the gleeful and blissed records that encouraged lazy afternoons. Instead -- as if in preparation for the cold -- the harsh, aggravated noise of detached garage singles and the cool, mechanical precision of post-punk suddenly seem the best aural accompaniment. Our good and perhaps telepathic friends at Alcopop! may be feeling the same way, based on its recent announcement that it has signed and will release an EP in October from the spectacular Cardiff, Wales-based slack-core foursome Radstewart. The year-old act -- part of the aforementioned Art Is Hard's constellation of acts, as well -- is just the kind of band the world needs right now. Mixing a sense of The Fall's humorous and wordy motorik antics, a pinch of the Velvet Underground's taste in chords, and the goofball chemistry of early Pavement (which, we suppose, also comes by way of The Fall), this young Cardiff unit has hit upon the perfect indie cocktail. The promotional single "Beer Swindlers" is a fuzzy, grinding bit of tongue-in-cheek noise-punk. The singer's deep but nasal speak-drawl imbues the recordings with an agreeable and easy character, not unlike that of popular American peers Parquet Courts (who have seen great success with their updated, millennial take on the roots of punk and DIY). "Beer Swindlers" can also be found on the group's superb self-released and about-to-sell-out three-song CD, the last five of which are on offer at the band's Bandcamp here. If that short disc (and this video for the sublime "Hot Dog") is any indication of what Alcopop! has in store for us, be ready for greatness; we advise keeping an eye on the Alcopop! store for the appearance of pre-order details. Radstewart have landed a plumb spot supporting Sky Larkin's fall U.K. tour, the dates of which one can inspect right here. Listen to "Beer Swindlers" via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Bored Nothing, Kigo



>> Sounding as laid-back and natural as when your humble scribe first listened to it in his underwear, the latest release from Melbourne, Australia's slacktastic Bored Nothing captured that relaxed mindset, and man, was it perfect for the occasion. The self-released, four-song Thanks For The Mammaries EP (not the wording that we expect many use on Mother's Day) collects a set of warm, fuzzy lo-fi rock tunes that tout just enough strange tones and warbling to recreate for listeners the bedroom in which it was recorded. Bored Nothing is a vehicle largely driven by a fellow named Fergus Miller, who has been releasing music under the Bored Nothing moniker for about three years. The songs from this latest EP are the sort that travel with you during the day -- never forcing themselves in, but always eager to provide the right frame of reference for your thoughts. The two strongest cuts, "Just Because" and "Dial Tone Blues," showcase the disparate soft and loud aspects of the project. The former is a tape-machine acoustic lament that is achingly beautiful in its clunking rhythm and loping chord structure. It needs little more than a repeated chorus to work its charm. "Dial Tone Blues" is a more surfy, guitar-pop number that layers clean electric guitars and a helping of reverb over Miller's slight falsetto. The result is a mellow bouncer that echoes efforts of bands like Real Estate or even Further (circa their great, under-appreciated lo-fi statement Grimes Golden). The biggest appeal of Thanks For The Mammaries is in the approach: its charm could be compared to that of the self-titled third Velvet Underground album, where the closeted mix of rock elements works more as a lullaby than an alarm. Go ahead and get cozy. Stream the EP via the embed below and click through to download it gratis. Bored Nothing also contributed a tune to the recent Audio Antihero compilation we wrote about here last month, so take some time to revisit the Homerically titled strummer "Black Snuff Pouch And Scuffed Mood Ring (Original Version Recorded While I Was Writing It, Through My Laptop Speaker While I Was Watching 'Castaway' With Tom Hanks On TV, Which By The Way, Did Not Make Much Of An Impression On Me)" right here. As for the future of Bored Nothing, it sounds like the band is taking some time off to write a new record after a flurry of recent live dates, so Mammaries will have to occupy you for the foreseeable future. -- Edward Charlton



>> Sure, Tame Impala undeniably has their dream-pop moments, but we honestly can't call to mind another contemporary Australian shoegaze act (without resorting to the Googles). Until now, that is, as we recently turned on to Kigo and the act's clipped, neon approach to the form. Comprised solely of one D.B. Pearce, Brisbane-based Kigo's latest EP, self-released in late May as a digital download under the title Some Other Place, beautifully explores some singular textures and monumental moments within a framework marked by maximum delay and distortion. The music is almost gothic; indeed, Kigo's compositions carry a certain dark element to them, calling to mind the music of mighty lovesliescrushing and their ecclesiastical tones. Closer "Washed" features a guitar lead that hints ever so briefly at The Cure's "Pictures Of You." But it is the song "I Won't (I Can't)" that is the highlight of Some Other Place. It is almost a love-letter to the blistering alien world that is My Bloody Valentine's "To Here Knows When." Glitchy drums flicker underneath dark, excoriating distortion, while soft whispering, cooing, and a pleasant, rising synth-flute line imbue the song with a gentle humanity, even eroticism. Some Other Place furthers the great shoegaze and dream-pop conversation, one which newer bands keep current and relevant as each endeavors to put its unique stamp on the revered sound and style. Kigo does all of this, and from a country where -- at least from an outsider vantage point -- this sort of thing is a little more rare and precious. Stream the EP via the embed below and click through to download it for whatever you'd like to pay for it. And then get ready for more, as an update to Kigo's Facebook teepee from last week indicates that a new EP is already being written. Thereafter the pace of releases may slow, as Pearce considers writing a full-length collection. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: Royal Wedding, Halasan Bazar

>> Bursting forth with the ferocity of Link Wray's meanest, tobacco-spitting moments comes Boston's Royal Wedding. The trio's dilapidated, guttural, rockabilly skronk quickly drew us into its latest release, Inhabitants, which was released to the wilds of the Internerds last month. The EP, available as a pay-what-you-like download from Bandcamp right here, touts six skeletal and electrifying numbers. Echoed, harsh and dangerous-sounding effects fly from each instrument, but paint-by-numbers rock-shock sleaze Royal Wedding is not. Each song from the threesome's EP carries wisps of driving, atonal no-wave, like opener "S.C.U.M," the primal intensity of which recalls O.G. heroes like Mars or early Sonic Youth in the clean, serrated chops of tangled guitar. Elsewhere, singer Eric Boomhower's voice delightfully proves to be a dead-ringer for Thurston Moore at his most engaging on Royal Wedding songs including "Inhabitants" (which calls to mind Moore indulging Ramones-referencing yelps and vocal ticks in the late '80s). Royal Wedding's "This Many Phases" boasts such colossal delay on the mix in its early moments that the song nearly assumes a dub reggae posture. It's no secret that this reviewer greatly appreciates the repurposing of genre signifiers within a broad spectrum of popular styles. It's this ever-evolving conversation that creates most worthwhile contemporary music. It's also the stylistic bent that makes Royal Wedding's no-wave rockabilly fusion deserving of all the attention and praise it can get. Somebody get this band in a studio with Wharton Tiers! Royal Wedding play this Friday at Cambridge, MA's Plough And Stars, and the next day the act joins Clicky Clicky-approved garage ravers Thick Shakes at Collective A Go Go in Worcester. In the meantime, stream the entirety of Inhabitants via the Bandcamp embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> With some bands, sometimes it seems they have arrived on the scene via time machine. Halasan Bazar of Copenhagen is one such act. The quintet's latest album Space Junk, available for sale on vinyl right here via the Crash Symbols label, features on its cover a rendering of a futuristic farming-colony starship. It's not, however, toward the next space age that these men are headed, but rather some imagined one from an increasingly remote past. Indeed, the group of visionary tunesmiths sounds straight out of San Francisco, circa 1966. With a warm, jangling acoustic drive, Halasan Bazar repurposes the idealistic folk-rock synonymous with a bygone California, and augments it with modern hypnagogic tape warbling and gooey, spaced-out vibes. Further bolstering that concoction is singer Fredrik Eckhoff's bouncy and playful spirit, which helps the five-piece breathe new life in to both the musical past and present. Space Junk is highlighted by "Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad," which leaps into the stereo field with thoughtfully delayed guitar leads, cheapo keyboard lines and lo-fi fuzz. Mr.Eckhoff's Neil Young-evoking slacker croon makes the tune as bittersweet as its title tidily suggests. Elsewhere, the album plumbs more mellow depths with delicate, subdued and echoed folk numbers. Closer "Ease Up" is the best of these, touting a crisp, circular lead guitar guiding soft, beautiful melodies; the songs captures an intimate spirit reminiscent of certian numbers on Velvet Underground's serene third album. Halasan Bazar counts itself one among a growing number of European bedroom recording acts that smartly appropriate elements of the 60's pop avant-garde and re-interprets it via a youthful, weirdo aesthetic that sparks new sounds and songwriting perspectives. With the Elephant 6 scene somewhat dormant -- beyond Of Montreal's funk and soul exploits -- and the latest wave of garage-revival big dogs such as Ty Segall apparently more focused on the pounding hiss of the usual chords, one hopes more acts on our side of the pond will wake up and smell some of the same acid as Halasan Bazar. We'd suggest you pull the couch out into the back yard, get comfortable, and stream all of Space Junk via the Bandcamp embed below. -- Edward Charlton

Today's Hotness: William Tyler, Life Model, 28 Degrees Taurus

>> More music taste-makers should look past the gloss and acknowledge the spiritual connections between all types of music; they're never as different as radio programmers and the guys who magic marker shelf dividers at the record store would have you believe. This idea is reinforced by Merge's recent release of William Tyler's Impossible Truth, a tasteful and gripping collection of solo guitar compositions. The double LP, released March 19 in the U.S. and April 29 abroad, avoids the pitfalls of virtuoso showcase; instead, the pieces are restrained, structured and brim with thoughtful layering and emotive chord sequences. Indeed, Mr. Tyler can say anything with only the basest metallic vibrations, and his tune "Cadillac Desert" serves as a fantastic introduction. Opening with an orchestrated two chord chug, the song recalls the majesty of Joy Division's "Atmosphere," albeit as filtered through the drop tuning carnival and clang-drone of classic Cale-era Velvet Underground. The song drifts gradually into mid-'70s Laurel Canyon folk serenity via delicate picking and distant slide guitar. Still, "Cadillac Desert" never completely sheds the sense of power that defines its opening moments, although it re-focuses eventually into a questioning introspection. Tyler is as much a skilled arranger and producer as he is a guitarist, managing to sound forward-thinking despite a relatively traditional approach. And so Impossible Truth is a record for spring afternoons, preferably with a book and wine and the scent of freshly mown grass. It is also already one of 2013's most beautiful albums. Stream "Cadillac Desert" via the Soundcloud embed below, and buy the record from your friends at Merge right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> Now that the hype surrounding My Bloody Valentine's shocking return has abated, shoegaze devotees can return their attention to listening to and appreciating music being created by newer bands working with the sound in singular and revealing ways. Glaswegian noise-pop upstarts Life Model released April 1 its eponymously titled EP, and the opening number "Glazed" quickly caught our ear. Driven by a baggy Madchester-rhythm, Life Model further appoint the song with a Kim Deal-evoking, root-note bass line and gratifying amounts of fuzz. Underneath it all is storming, clean drumming that seems taken from the mixing boards of Marc Waterman and his god-like production of Ride's towering Nowhere. Floating above is fronter Sophie Evans' voice, and hers is a commanding performance that is dreamy yet full of presence. Taken in sum the sound hearkens back to the more neon, liquid, colorful, and outwardly sexy generation of noise-pop bands working at the turn of the '90s, groups that brought an otherworldly element to the quiet-loud pop formula propounded by the Pixies. And so Life Model show that there’s still a lot of life within an area of danceable dream-pop that references the work of previous heroes. "Glazed" certainly suggests that the quintet's splattered, sensual take on things will make a long-player a record worth partying to. For now, Life Model is certainly about 18 minutes well-spent. The EP, issued by the U.K.-based Viscerality label, is available on a limited edition purple cassette and as a digital download via Viscerality's Bandcamp page right here. Stream the EP via the embed below and then click through to order. Life Model plays a hometown show May 21 with the hotly-tipped Bleached. -- Edward Charlton



>> While its Facebook fans can readily recognize the band is at an inflection point, it'd be unfortunate if that completely overshadowed that veteran Boston psych-rock outfit and DIY stalwarts 28 Degrees Taurus issued late last month a pretty, foreboding new digital single "Vast Majestic." The release, which also includes the tunes "Playing With Fire" and "Out Of The Ashes," is a harbinger of a full-length expected to be released later this year. "Vast Majestic" aspires to its title, as Ana Karina DaCosta's chiming vocals -- which will sound very familiar to Slowdim fans, as she also plays bass in that band -- skate across steady waves of ethereal guitar and reverb and into crashing choruses. "Playing With Fire" ups the tempo and the intensity with guitarist Jinsen Liu's vocals shadowing the syncopated drum beat. The brief rocker "Out Of The Ashes" opens with a skittering, hi-hat-pocked drum pattern that recalls The Cure's "Plastic Passion," although 28 Degrees Taurus' characteristic wet and spacey production markedly contrasts with the uncharacteristically dry sound of that early tune by the legendary British act. The Boston trio had intended to make a short tour out to the midwest last week, but a personal matter led to the band having to scotch the jaunt. The band's next local appearance will be April 20 at the rejuvenated and now-thriving Boston-area psych-pop festival Deep Heaven Now. The festival again takes over Somerville's PA's Lounge and Precinct nightclubs and feature numerous Boston noise-pop heavy hitters including Infinity Girl, Night Fruit, Winter and Boom Said Thunder. 28 Degrees Taurus play the midnight slot at Precinct, and it may be one of the last times fans can see the band for the foreseeable future, so definitely put the set on your list. In the meantime, the new single is streaming in full via the Bandcamp embed below; click through to grab the three songs as a pay-what-you-want download.

Review: The Feelies | Here Before

Stubborn and beautiful in their strummy, jittery, Greater NYC pop, The Feelies bless us today with Here Before (Bar/None), an album that stands up to just about any in their prior 30-year/4 album catalog. Which is good, since absolutely no one was waiting to hear how they incorporated dubstep, emo, shitgaze, or indie rock in general into their sound.

That's a comfort. Despite the trepidation of Here Before's (reviewer-bait) opening lines "is it too late/ to do it again/ or should we wait another ten? ...Well you never know/ how it's gonna go..." the band sounds as confident as ever behind Bill Million's strident stumming over Brenda Sauter's round, driving bass and Stanley Demeski's rock solid drums abetted by Dave Weckerman's percussion. Glenn Mercer glides over it all with easy, laid-back melodies and biting leads.

Though hailing from New Jersey, big city-stimulated jitters were the band's calling card. Early single "Fa Cé-La" was a tightly-wound energy shot for a band so closely compared to the Velvet Underground. Hmm... is it OK to compare a 30 year old band with a 40 year old one? They are a clear influence, but The Feelies are a much more fastidious band (score a point for Jersey over New York?). Similar attitude, sure, but less ponderous and more determined.

The intervening years may have calmed some of those jitters in favor of the jangle, and though that's not a bad thing at all, there's a lot of life here: "When You Know" is a reassuring driver, and "Time Is Right" resolves the questions posed in that aforementioned opening track with a simple riff resolving to a catchy, head-nodding cowbell in the chorus. "Time/Right/Now/Tonight" - yeah, it feels right to me too.

Elsewhere, "Change Your Mind" is a warm guitar embrace, "Bluer Skies" is an e-bow-laced optimistic act now plea (and I'm a sucker for a good "ba-ba-ba" song), and "On and On" seems to nod to The Good Earth's "Slipping Into Something's" slow-burn intro. It all sounds and feels so good. I can't wait to pick this up on vinyl.

Some, and occasionally all, of The Feelies have played together in one tantalizing form or another for the two decades following the release of their last album, 1991's Time For A Witness (A&M). In (relatively) recent history, that included a memorable show at Somerville's Johnny D's while Feelies guitarist Glenn Mercer was pitching his fine 2007 album, Wheels In Motion, where the band was awfully close to being The Actual Feelies, with early drummer Vinny DeNunzio and percussonist Dave Weckerman in the lineup, and bassist Brenda Sauter (who's own great band, Wild Carnation, opened) joining in on the encores. Throughout all of these, and other spinoffs like Mercer and Weckerman's Wake Ooloo, they were missing an important ingredient: guitarist/songwriter Bill Million. Million, who up and moved from New Jersey to Florida when the Feelies called it quits in 1992, provides a key element of the band's sound: a strummy base on which balances Mercer's sharper lines.

Feels so good to be writing that in the present tense.

The band is scheduled for the Middle East on May 14th (tickets). There are no openers listed at the moment, so if we're lucky it'll be another "evening with..." show like their last visit there. Two stretched-out sets are hard to argue with.

-Michael Piantigini

The Feelies: Intertubes | Facebook | MySpace

Today's Hotness: Women, Superchunk, The Hush Now

[Women at Urban Outfitters Back Lot 3/19/09 during SXSW 2009. Photo by Michael Piantigini]
>> The impressive self-titled debut by Calgary's Women pulled off the difficult and rare trick of taking some easily recognizable influences and spinning them into a sound uniquely the band's own. The new track from their upcoming, second long player, Public Strain (due 9/28/10 on Jagjaguwar), continues in this vein. Hooky, with a Spector-esque wall of sound reverb, "Eyesore" continues Women's apparent quest to redirect the rock lineage of the Velvet Underground back on itself. Or something. -- Michael Piantigini

Women -- "Eyesore" -- Public Strain
[right click and save as]
[buy Public Strain from Jagjaguwar right here]

>> For a few, brief shining moments/hours yesterday, indie icons Superchunk were previewing their almost-decade-in-the-making new album, Majesty Shredding, at the Merge Records site. First background-at-work listen sounded good to us, though being already familiar with a couple of tracks -- "Learned To Surf" and "Crossed Wires" graced last year's EP and 7", respectively -- made those stand out the most. If I'd known that Superchunk were just teasing, I'd have paid more attention! They've helped us out a bit, though, by Tweeting a link to a download of the new album's opener, "Digging For Something," which also exists as the A-side of a new 7-incher that is apparently available in limited numbers in record stores (I couldn't find one!) and on the band's upcoming tour, which hits Royale in Boston with openers Versus on September 21st. Jay recently pined for next month's reissues of On The Mouth and No Pocky For Kitty right here. - Michael Piantigini

Superchunk -- "Digging For Something" -- Majesty Shredding
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[pre-order Majesty Shredding from Merge Records right here]

>> Boston-based dream pop heroes The Hush Now have titled their forthcoming EP. The short set bears the moniker Shiver Me Starships and will (we assume) be self-released by the band on a date to be determined. The mastering of Shiver Me Starships is expected to be completed any moment, album art is in the works, and you can expect to hear some of the new material when The Hush Now plays an RSL Blog-curated date at Great Scott Boston Aug. 2. Longtime fans of the band will be amused/amazed to learn that for the second time in the band's career recording has been impacted by studio flooding. If you come to learn that you live on the same street as singer/guitarist Noel Kelly, you may want to consider moving... -- Jay Breitling

>> If you're like me and the 90's were your musical wonder years - that is, old - then have I got a music festival for you. It isn't a real, actual festival, but one does seem to be curating itself for a stretch at the end of September:

9/18/10 Pavement at the Agganis Arena
9/21/10 Superchunk with Versus at Royale
9/23/10 Bettie Serveert at TT's
9/25/10 Teenage Fanclub at Royale
9/26/10 Come (reunion of all original members) at TT's
9/30-10/1/10 Built To Spill at the Paradise
10/5/10 The Vaselines at the Paradise
10/8/10 Fountains of Wayne at the Paradise

These will help soothe the pain of getting shut out of the rather unbelievable lineup at Matador Records' 21st birthday party in Vegas. Sigh. -- Michael Piantigini

Review: Velvets | Big Star | Feelies | Pixies

The Beatles weren’t the only trendsetters whose work reissued in September. Their legacy goes without saying, but there’s an influential underground that musicians and record geeks look to that has been –- until the internet, at least –- a sort of shared secret code. This month, there have been a few reissues of bands that represent the missing links between the Beatles and modern/indie/what-we-used-to-call-college rock.

The Velvet Underground practically pioneered the underground leaping from a springboard of some simpler '50s/'60s early pop song structure and launching themselves forward into the avant garde and sometimes backward into the primitive. “Heroin” came out the same year as Sgt. Pepper, and though it was weirder and less accessible than The Beatles's stuff, it has had an impact just as deep. The Velvets already have a comprehensive box set out there, 1995’s Peel Slowly and See, that contains all of their original albums plus singles, demos and live tracks. It is essential. Still, though, this new Sundazed box of reproduction 7” vinyl singles is awfully tempting.

Big Star were, I guess, what happened when you took '60s pop and gave it bigger amps and distortion pedals, and moved it to Memphis in the early '70s. Which is to say, big rockers and tearjerker ballads, all with amazing harmonies. Criminally under-appreciated in their time and suffering their share of turmoil (though not nearly as much as their British power pop brethren Badfinger), their influence has nonetheless been well-documented; Cheap Trick, REM, The Replacements, etc., etc., yadayada… Anyway, after a recent lackluster reissue of the two-fer of their first two albums (the same shoddy artwork, one non-essential bonus track, no thanks), the new box set Keep Your Eye On The Sky is a long time in coming and is finally a release worthy of their legacy. Rhino is really, really good at this reissue business and this set is packed with demos, alternate mixes, and a live disc, and sounds amazing and is simply a must-have.

The '80s gave us The Feelies, who took elements of all of the above, added a healthy dose of post-'70s druggy New York jitters and made it all uniquely their own. How lucky are we that they have recently reunited (their show at the Roxy last year was a highlight) and are (supposedly) working on new material? Like Big Star and so many other influential bands, The Feelies’ catalog was out of print for a long time surviving mostly in used vinyl racks (scarce in its own right) and through online traders. 1988’s Only Life, their third album, was quietly (and we think un-officially -- ed.) reissued last year on the Water label and is findable, but good luck finding any official online recognition of its existence.

So, finally, the band’s seminal 1980 debut, Crazy Rhythms and its follow-up, The Good Earth have been reissued by Bar None, with bonus tracks and everything. Though they are unlikely to be as scrutinized for their sound as the Beatles reissues, these albums have been re-mastered from “digital sources” as the original master tapes could not be located. I’m not entirely sure what that even means, and I have only heard mp3s (from official sources, deadbeats) so can’t comment on the CDs or the vinyl. They sound good to me -- they seem to have a bit more life than what’s been available. They’ve taken a novel approach to their bonus tracks: they want the albums to stand on their own, so the bonus tracks are not on the CD, but available by download with a provided code. According to the press release, they are only going to add a couple of the bonus tracks to the digital versions, so I’d say go with the physical formats. These cats are old school.

You are definitely advised to make sure you get all of the Crazy Rhythms extras simply to hear the demo of “Moscow Nights,” which is even more propulsive than the album version. The demo for “The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness” has a bit of a darker vibe, though is no less manic. The original single version of “Fa cé-La” is rawer than on the album, and you can hear that the band have not missed a step with the pair of live tracks from DC's 9:30 Club from earlier this year that round out the set. There’s also a reverse bonus track of sorts: the album originally contained their cover of “Paint It, Black,” but it was added by the label without their consent, so they’ve left it off here.

The Good Earth bonuses include another track from the 9:30, plus the non-album tracks from the 1986 EP No One Knows: their straightforward cover of the Beatles “She Said, She Said,” and their hyper cover of Neil Young’s “Sedan Delivery.”

Tickets are already on sale for The Feelies return to our fair city on November 22nd to open for Sonic Youth at the Wilbur. Hopefully, they’ll try out some new stuff –- singer and lead guitarist Glenn Mercer’s 2007 solo album Wheels In Motion and bassist Brenda Sauter’s 2006 Superbus album with her band Wild Carnation were both great records, so they collectively still have a lot to give.

Not having much more to give, apparently, are the Pixies. At the end of the '80s and into the '90s, the Pixies perfected the soft strum/screaming guitar dynamics (before Nirvana et al merged it with metal) combo with melody and wacko lyrics that influenced another few generations. Look, I LOVE the Pixies and have been a huge fan for a long time, and I was beyond excited to see the first round of reunion shows –- I saw a few of them. But they’re starting to wear out their welcome, aren’t they?

They tour for the money, and have not claimed otherwise, but this latest round of Doolittle shows and, especially this frivolous Minotaur box set is really pushing it. Seriously, guys -- $200 for four and a half albums? Or $500 for the super-duper version? Sure the CDs are gold, and that’s good because, well, I don’t know... Maybe you can recoup the price at Cash4Gold?

I’m happy that they too have been getting the attention and accolades that they richly deserve and were just starting to get when they broke up after touring with U2 in 1992, but if you’re going to keep this going, make a new record already. -- Michael Piantigini

The Feelies: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | at Bar None Records
Glenn Mercer: MySpace | YouTube | at Pravda Records
Wild Carnation: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube
Big Star: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | at Rhino
Velvet Underground: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | at Sundazed
Pixies: Internerds | MySpace | 4AD | Facebook | Minoutaur