Today's Hotness: Strange Passage, Snowball ii, Mendez

>> Our music fandom is reborn with each great surprise, as when the unexpected find flips up against our thumbs in the record bin, or when a sound we love appears out of the blue right in the blog's backyard. This latter circumstance is what has us jazzed lately, said jazz having been sparked when friend-of-the-blog Jeff Breeze sent us a link to a smashing new debut EP from upstart Somerville, Mass. four Strange Passage. The quartet's Shine And Scatter EP echoes the melodic, guitar-centered sound of the turn-of-the-'90s UK with surprising competence and confidence. Indeed, the short set's four songs echo The House of Love and the early RIDE EPs, and -- more contemporaneously -- are startlingly reminiscent of the massively underrated and short-lived aughts combo The Boyfriends. While there is a thread of shoegaze shot through Strange Passage's alluring brand of guitar pop, and Boston continues to have a strong share of contemporary 'gaze practitioners, Strange Passage's music still feels somewhat delightfully off-trend. There are just not a lot of acts out there right now trying to write the next "Chelsea Girl" or "Shine On," are there? Shine And Scatter also boasts some production choices that make the EP feel particularly mature for a debut, including putting an understated, even-keeled vocal up front in the mix. It's a confident, but not showy, move. And so it almost feels as if Strange Passage has foregone the trials and travails of writing a first and second EP, and have just jumped in with a terrific third. Each song is dynamite, but the uptempo rager "Viaducts Burning Down" stands out with its urgent intensity, and the repeated feeling of resolution that comes with each recitation of the title in the chorus. Shine And Scatter was recorded through the late spring and early summer with hit-maker Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios in Western Mass. and self-released via Bandcamp Aug. 16. As impressive as its EP is, Strange Passage has yet to play a show; its first live outing is slated for Sept. 30 at The Democracy Center in Cambridge, Mass., where they will be joined by Amherst, Mass. noisemakers Dirt Devil and -- we're told -- others. We're torn about urging everyone out to the show, as every band deserves a chance to get its collective feet under them before being subjected to scrutiny. But all the same, we feel like it's going to be exciting seeing Strange Passage blossom, so, you know, you should probably go. Stream all of Shine And Scatter via the Bandcamp embed below.



>> That LA dream-pop concern Snowball ii jumps styles with its new album and latest single "I Doughnut Want To Live" is little surprise, given band mastermind Jackson Wargo may consider notable shape-shifter Kurt Heasley's long-running, magical Lilys one of his lodestars. Snowball ii's clever February 2016 debut long-player ? was often a devoutly shoegaze affair, and its most recent music prior to "I Doughnut Want To Live" were spooky, ethereal covers of Lilys' "Black Carpet Magic" and "Day Of The Monkey" for Colorful Acts: In The Presence of Lilys, a Lilys-themed compilation issued by The Blog That Celebrates Itself over the summer (for short-tenure Clicky Clicky readers, if the prospect of a Lilys comp excites, you should also check out our own). And while much of the Snowball ii's forthcoming sophomore set feels influenced by Sufjan Stevens, the appealing ballad "I Doughnut Want To Live" stands apart in the new collection. The deceptively serene song is built up from patient acoustic guitar strums and glistening leads in the verse whose optimism plays against Mr. Wargo's somber confession in the chorus ("'cause I don't think I can love her like I did before."). "I Doughnut Want To Live" is the first taste of Snowball ii's long-player Doughnut Holes, which the band recorded and produced at its own The Doughnut Shop studio and will released via its own Doughnut Records Sept. 16 (sense a theme? -- Ed.). Snowball ii celebrates the record with a release show the same day; a third Snowball ii LP is slated for 2016 release as well. Stream "I Doughnut Want To Live" via the Soundcloud embed below.



>> Singer and songwriter Gregory Mendez has made a bunch of music over the years, and a fair amount of it with input from The Superweaks' Evan Bernard, among others. Projects including Airport and Getting Sick eventually led to a well-received singer-songwriter thing under his own name, perhaps out of a desire to simplify. That presumed yen is manifested both in Mr. Mendez's new moniker and music; his latest effort Phone Records is attributed to the yet-more-concise Mendez, and the self-released collection features nine tunes tracked to a smartphone app. We mention the means of production here not to encourage folks to start sending us an avalanche of crap they made on their phones, but to underscore that it is still novel to encounter a recording made on a phone that is this good. The trick, of course, is to start with great songs or song ideas, as Mendez does. Phone Records presents what may be an unanswerable chicken and egg question: is the intimacy of these recordings enhanced by capturing the bedroom sessions on a phone's tiny microphone? More likely the production is just a side-effect of making do, but there is substantial charm to the feeling of "being there" as Mendez plies his trade. Songs including "Try" and "Control" firmly echo the balladry of early Elliot Smith (although the latter tune cleverly incorporates the synth melody from Soft Cell's iteration of "Tainted Love"), but Phone Records' more dynamic tunes, such as the shuffling, early Yo La Tengo-styled "Stained Glass Boys" and "Gum Trash," are its strongest. Album closer "The Drug Trafficker's Daughter" feels demo-ish in the way one would expect a phone recording to be, but that's the other side of the "hey-this-was-recorded-with-a-phone!" coin: some stuff feels like an idea waiting for fuller treatment. But the bulk of Phone Records feels accomplished, evidence that while Mendez may be seeking simplicity, his songcraft remains robust. Stream the entire thing via the Bandcamp embed below; the cassette-inclined will be pleased to know they can get a limited edition physical artifact from Houston-based Some Weird Sin Records right here.

Premiere: Pleasure Gap's Ambitious, Ranging Scatter

Manchester, NH indie rock five Pleasure Gap returns next week with its third full-length, an eight-song set impressive in its ambition and range. The collection is called Scatter, the music it contains bucks simplistic categorization, and we are pleased to premiere the entire thing for you today via the embed below.

Scatter commences with the mournful epic "Therapist," which deliberately interlaces guitar and bass lines, cycles through thoughtful tempo and rhythm changes, and detours almost too briefly for an arresting, harmonic-spangled interlude. Indeed, the compelling bones of Scatter are its complex arrangements, which eschew standard verse-chorus-verse construction in favor of rambling forays. Here and elsewhere across the album, fronter Ryan Egan's high and lonesome vocals slide around his range, sometimes depositing mumbles a la Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, and at others delivering adenoidal expostulations after the fashion of Alec Ounsworth. The result is a record with notable range, as adept at delivering the garagey, Pavement-ings of "Merkle" (that's no typographical error referencing the German Chancellor, but rather the last name of Pleasure Gap bassist and co-founder Sean Merkle), as it is the vestigially metal, melodramatic "Dumpster Dreams." But the track that shines brightest on Scatter is the smoothed-out, mid-tempo ballad "Murder Me Gently," which bobs and weaves along to prominent slide guitar, swaying gently -- as one would expect -- in subdued, heartfelt choruses that take on increasing color in the final minute via multiplying layers of moving, melodic, low-octave guitar work.

Midnight Werewolf releases Scatter March 29 as the third and final monthly installment of the label's Triple Threat series of cassette releases; it is available for pre-order now in a limited edition of 100 light pink cassettes in hand-crafted, hand-numbered cases, which come bundled with stickers and pins. Scatter will also be available as a digital download. Pleasure Gap plays on a particularly hot bill next month at O'Brien's in Boston's Allston Rock City enclave, a benefit for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The show transpires April 23 and also features hitmakers of the day and Clicky Clicky faves Funeral Advantage, Burglary Years and Kitner; full event details are right here, and Pleasure Gap's complete slate of upcoming shows is listed below. Pleasure Gap's first long-player Tropical Barn was self-released in 2013 [link]; a sophomore set Cream Wave arrived last summer [link].

Pleasure Gap: Bandcamp | Facebook



03.23 -- Manchester, NH -- Fuzz Hut
04.15 -- Providence, RI -- AS220
04.17 -- Dover, NH-- Wrong Brain HQ
04.23 -- Boston, MA -- O'Brien's
05.06 -- Portland, ME -- Geno's
05.07 -- Winooski, VT -- Waking Windows
05.08 -- Albany, NY -- The Tree House
05.09 -- Brooklyn, NY-- Palisades
05.29 -- Manchester, NH-- Fuzz Hut

Review: Film School | June EP

Rock historians have yet to come to a final consensus on the now-infamous early-aughts post-punk renaissance, which burned brightly in the American underground and elsewhere for a few years before becoming something of a punch line. Still, it is certitude that for all of the more limp major label cash grabs (which spanned from big dogs like Interpol to smaller acts like Moving Units), there were more noble and original artists digging deeper to develop greater insight into influences that others thoughtlessly incorporated rote. To this reviewer's recollection, no artist of the time established a sounder legacy than San Francisco's Film School, a five-piece led by sole constant member Greg Bertens. Though the band released five albums and an EP during its lifespan, its 2006 self-titled sophomore release on Beggars Banquet best captured both the anxiety and delight of the era in its brilliant songs.

On intricate, thoughtful compositions like "Harmed," "Breet," and the bonus-track/career highlight "P.S.," Film School's eponymous effort combined the throaty lilt of Robert Smith with simple bass lines, a shoegazer's sense of guitar texture and the bummed-slacker vibes of '90s rock (the involvement of Pavement members early on in the Film School discography should not be surprising). Following the release of Film School, the lineup shifted and the album's perfect alchemy would not be replicated. By the time the follow-up Hideout appeared in 2007, the band had moved on to a denser and more ethereal sound, possibly to counter a backlash that the movement as a whole was beginning to experience. The band dissolved four years later, and that was the end of that. Until now.

Perhaps in acknowledgement of the legacy of Film School, the band's circa 2006 line-up returns a decade later with the new four-song EP June. The digital release presents the same crystal clear guitar delays and snappy drums, while gothic distortion tones dominate. On opener "City Lights," an epic crescendo of fuzz and cymbals sets the scene. Evoking a night's drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, the tune at least metaphorically assesses the journey of its members; Bertens' echoed vocals join in for a brief refrain. "Give Up" reintroduces the driving post-punk bass and drum work that marked many of Film School's best uptempo tunes; a pinging guitar line in the right channel adds just the right amount of retro and spacey futurism. "Waiting On A Cause" hints at a loungey groove and delivers requisite surf guitar lines. In its simplicity, space and mysterious-yet-hummable chorus, "Cause" is the track that best recalls the sound of 2006 in its yet under-appreciated glory. Bertens mostly sticks to the smooth and silky singing style of the band's later years and slower tracks, and (sadly) eschews the cool croon he commanded so well on the self-titled album (perhaps that smacks too much of the era still). Otherwise, June is a solid rock release worthy of Film School's excellent arrangement and production talents, a release that serves not only as an album teaser, but as proof that the classic lineup's chemistry was no fluke. Purchase June from the band's website right here. -- Edward Charlton

Film School: Facebook | Interpants

Today's Hotness: National Park Service, Floral Print, Light Heat, Sun Gland

Ever since we turned on to the Lakewood, Ohio-based ambient/experimental concern National Park Service a couple years back, the anonymous, five-year-old act has kept us busy, releasing extensive, quality albums of atmospheric post-everything sounds that, frankly, have just stunned. The music asks more of listeners than pop music or even indie rock, so it might be more easy to take its brilliance for granted. But even so that brilliance -- indeed, we consider National Park Service the Aphex Twin of autumnal folk-drone and melodic ambience -- is underscored once more by Everyday Feelings, a recently issued, 14-track odds 'n' ends compilation of hard-drive rarities from the past year. The collection commences with "Disillusion," a bass-y synth exploration limned with a crisp live drum beat. The composition delivers listeners into optimistic head space, introduces samples of conversation, and then the piece is knocked aslant as it is run through a hi-pass filter before evaporating. The composition "I Have Not Forgotten" presents warped post-shoegaze chords that rumble in the distance while field recordings of chirping crickets and cicadas approach the top of the mix, which surprisingly approximates well the experience of standing in a muggy Southern field next to a highway overpass. "Light Up" is a fully formed post-rock masterpiece of looping guitars and percussion that vaguely resembles the start-up modem sounds of yesteryear. The song packs enough dynamics and continually evolving textures to believably show up on the next Mogwai album. It's that good. Everyday Feelings was self-released as a digital download to the wilds of the Internerds Oct. 11. Stream the entire compilation via the embed below, and click through to download Everyday Feelings for any price. While you're there, be sure to catch up on the other albums as well, especially the recently released '97 Tracer (which we wrote about here) and the undisputed 2013 classic I Was Flying (which we wrote about here). -- Edward Charlton



>> Special things continue to brew in the Atlanta indie rock scene. There a wave of bands proffering mathy, punky post-pop guitar music and bent on rewriting the compositional rules ply their trade via emotive lyrics and clean, disarming instrumental figures. Scene figureheads Red Sea and Warehouse both went big in 2015 with releases that deservedly drew national attention (albeit in the underground). Cresting presently is the trio Floral Print, whose recent two-song digital single more than delivers on the promise of its entirely terrific but undersung 2015 EP Woo [seriously]. The single's de facto A-side "Running Joke" presents dizzying, chipper-to-somber tempo changes within its first minute, but the tune stays anchored to strong vocals and the side-winding melodies of guitarist Nathan Springer. Fans of the masterful post-punk mods Each Other should certainly take note, as the tune contains a similar entrancing logic. Flipside "Alice Arm" at first operates on a lopping Pavement-esque verse (think "Grounded") before interrupting itself repeatedly with dreamy post-rock interludes saturated in heavy delay moves. Both tunes evidence an act with highly imaginative, forward thinking songwriting, firing our anticipation for the planned physical release of these two cuts and possibly more soon via Philly-based tape and vinyl label Bacon Beak Records. If you're lucky enough to be in Atlanta on Nov. 21st, be sure to catch Floral Print with the venerable Swings at the Mammal Gallery. "Running Joke" b/w "Alice Arm" was released to the wilds of the Internerds Oct. 8; stream both tunes via the embed below, and click through to download the set for any price. -- Edward Charlton



>> Perhaps one day erstwhile Philadelphia psych-pop act Mazarin, which released three sparkling and wistful albums between 1999 to 2005, will garner the totality of praise it so richly deserves. That band's towering final collection, We're Already There, adhered to its own singular logic, and in doing so superseded the group's masterful, skittering guitar pop to don an elegant, velveteen shoegaze shroud. The set not only featured a Kurt Heasley (of our beloved Lilys) cameo, but also gave the then-en vogue The Shins a run for their melodically pleasant money, while paving the way for similarly inspired scene contemporaries Dr. Dog. And that's all without even mentioning Mazarin's must-own 2002 "Memories Change In Patterns" single, released on the venerable Sub Pop label. Following this fully realized run? Silence, then an announcement that the Mazarin moniker was surrendered under legal threat to a lame bar band, then a brief name-change to Black Stoltzfus, then... nothing. Mastermind Quentin Stoltzfus thankfully -- and as chronicled here in these electronic pages in 2013 -- resurfaced at long last with Light Heat, a new group featuring key members of Mazarin. As quick as the act's self-titled debut arrived from seemingly nowhere, the band receded back to the shadows, and only the rare blog post provided hope that new music from Light Heat might be forthcoming. Then, just as the aforementioned Lilys was set to launch its short strand of shows in October with support from Light Heat, Stoltzus' act announced The Silver Light Of The Late Night, a new five-song collection. The EP retains Stoltzfus' trademark meandering verse melodies and steady vocals but marry them, at times, to a more neon-lit, club-going, dream-pop aesthetic. The title track opener sets forth a mission statement, layering billowing delay guitar lines atop a ceaseless, clean hi-hat disco beat without ever sounding at all like a follower of the many other post-2005 bands that have charted a similar course. "You Know About Me" interrupts itself with handfuls of bratty garage rock chords but its angular rhythmic gallop persists throughout. "Villains" perhaps best recalls the Mazarin of old, with opening backwards guitar effects and the sturdy, folksy acoustic strums that formed the bedrock of the early Mazarin sound. The gorgeous and gauzy closer "Under The Spell" surveys the events of the proverbial and perhaps titular night, pleased with the results, though no less wistful (get the feels from that guitar solo) than ever before. It's a beautiful ending to the EP, and a reminder of what makes Mr. Stoltzfus such a special songwriter. Let's hope it is also an auspicious teaser for similarly skilled and moving work that will hopefully follow. Listen to The Silver Light of The Late Night via the Soundcloud embed below. Philadelphia fans can see the act this coming Thursday at the Boot And Saddle, when it supports a bill top-lined by the similarly legendary HiSoft. Full show deets are right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> Glaswegian noise-pop goliaths The Cherry Wave are arguably one of the most six-string-centric acts around, as evidenced by its stinging feedback and twisted, distorted chords, so the idea of a solo project from its bass player Billy may seem a dubious proposition on its face. What's this surnameless bass player got to offer, anyway? The answer, it turns out, is quite a lot. Operating under the moniker du rock Sun Gland, Billy purveys refreshingly nuanced and frenetic post-punk. Sun Gland's debut offering is a five-song EP titled Songland (get it). The music switches out The Cherry Wave's devastating feedback swells for angular jabs of minor chords and guitar lines much more in line with experimental post-punkers like Women (and its offshoot soon to be formerly known as Viet Cong), TV Wonder, The Dories and other practitioners, most of whom hail from Calgary, Canada. There is, however, just enough of The Cherry Wave's shoegaze texture to appreciate a connection between Sun Gland and its proprietor's day job. Opener "Miracle of Hate" casts plaintive, far-off vocals against piercing, overdriven blasts of guitar to summon a stunning, funereal stomp. "Glinted" opens with delicately picked, moody guitar arpeggios, but surges with a strong "folding into a light" chorus refrain. EP highlight "Chime" expands on these blueprints, but packs it into a breath-taking, punky minute-and-a-quarter blast. Closer "Ochre" plots a somber, slow-dancing approach for much of its duration, sounding like a more discordant Ride, but one unafraid to steer recklessly toward a locked-groove churn. In all, Songland is a fabulous and promising collection, and one that not only establishes a very separate realm for Billy, but also is equally impressive as nearly all of the instruments are played by just the one dude. Stream Songland via the embed below, and click through to download it for any price. It is very well worth noting here The Cherry Wave's recently issued split single with like-minded noise-poppers Airs.The release includes a brace of tunes from each act, with The Cherry Wave offering two anthems notable for actually feeling, well, relatively -- relatively -- restrained, even conventional. Opener "Still Light" is surely a paint-peeling rocker, but with a more pronounced melodic sense than we've heard from the band before; the blissfully cacaphonous "Swedger" hews more closely to the classic Cherry Wave sound. Airs acquits itself wonderfully with its pair, which curiously includes a high-octane take on the Oasis classic "Supersonic," which somehow comes off even more cocaine-fueled than the original. Stream all of the The Cherry Wave/Airs split via the second embed below. -- Edward Charlton

It's All I Know: Cameron Keiber On Eldridge Rodriguez's New Noise-Pop Monument, The Castrati Menace

Seasoned Boston rock fans need no introduction to the work of Cameron Keiber, indie label tycoon, the principal songwriter of rock act Eldridge Rodriguez, and co-fronter of the city's legendary The Beatings. In a way his own musical history mirrors that of the modern Commonwealth: he was playing shows while studying at UMass during Western Mass.'s early '90s heyday, he toured the U.S. with the aforementioned Beatings in the aughts, and he has haunted rock clubs on both sides of the Charles River for the better part of two decades. The Beatings' extended hiatus continues unabated, making Eldridge Rodriguez Mr. Keiber's de facto primary vehicle for secular rockulidge. Since its last LP was released in 2011, that band has reformulated its lineup and its sonics, and its forthcoming long-player The Castrati Menace -- to released by Midriff Records Friday -- sees the band fully shedding its early, gritty and more menacing sound and achieving a stylistic pinnacle. This is in no small part due to an adventurous pursuit of a noisy melodicism the band began exploring in the studio a few years ago, recording a cover of a shoegaze classic for this very blog. Indeed, The Castrati Menace is characterized by a colorful cacophony that feels reverent to a classic style but also contemporary. And the blogosphere outside the Boston bubble is (finally) taking note (Exh. A; Exh. B). With the album release just days away (and a successful New York release show already under his belt), we thought it was high time to check in with Keiber about the band's new sound, his drive to create and the album title's pointed meaning. Read our full exchange below, and stick around for the details about Friday night's Boston release show at the foot of the piece.

Clicky Clicky: This will be way inside baseball for all but our hardcore Boston readers, but is The Castrati Menace a concept record about your "personal manager?" The title echoes that of what is now considered to be the first "Star Wars" movie, and one of the record's best songs is called "Social Graces Vigilante," so maybe you can see why we're wondering? Given the epicly funny shit-talking between you and said manager during your old podcast days, maybe this record is just an incredibly next-level shot at him?

Cameron Keiber: That's a total coincidence. I was reading an article about castrato and the parallels to what was happening then and how pop stars are groomed and positioned now, and it struck me how nothing changes. I wanted to name the album The Menace in reference to that, but then remembered there was an Elastica album with that name. So adding on the Castrati part was an easy fix and made my point more [precisely]. I never made the Lucas connection until a few weeks ago. I like "Star Wars," sure, but not enough to directly reference it, but I can see where you'd get that. But its not. "Social Graces..." was a song I've had kicking around through several projects, but it never really worked until this line up of the band. But its not without precedent that we've gone with a manager reference, namely [with] The Beatings' Italiano! album. But its not consciously in this case, certainly could be subconscious but what do I know? But I like where you are going with this, and if it makes Bouchard's day, then let's just say, between you and me, that [the record] is about him.

CC: Sticking with the inside baseball angle a bit, we recall that when you were recording your covers of "Vapour Trail" (this, that) a few years back for our compilation that you remarked on the social media that you were exhilarated by the fact that it was the noisiest thing you'd done to date. We feel like that vibe really carried through to the new record. Was there something about how you approached recording "Vapour Trail" that sort of unlocked how you went about the tracking of The Castrati Menace?

CK: That cover was the first thing we did with this line up and production team. It was kind of an experiment in what has become our regular recording process. Mike Quinn (Moontower Studios), who mixed both the Ride cover and the new album, killed it. He just nailed the noise ebbs and flows and so when we heard it we knew that this was the way the next album would go. The band will record the track and then tack on 10 or so noise and idea tracks and Mike and Dave (Grabowski) kind of have to sit down and figure out where its gonna all sit in the mix with my only notes being "I want to hear everything at some point." Its not easy. And they both get what we are all going for. But yeah, that Ride cover fleshed out how we'd approach this album.

CC: What was it about the noise that appealed to you at this stage of the game? The sound of the record is dense, not quite claustrophobic, but dense, and it reminds us of an extreme take on Psychedelic Furs and its efforts at a wall of sound.

CK: I'm a huge fan of noise and experimental stuff. I don't think you get anywhere creatively without experimenting. That said, I write the way I write, usually in a basic song structure that can be played on guitar, piano, whatever. But I've always tried to shoehorn a noise element into my work. But I'm not a big jam guy. I don't particularly enjoy improvising an idea and getting there in the way some noise bands do. I like writing a song beginning to end, and then pig-piling noise and experimental ideas on top, throughout and in between those parts. But this isn't a new idea. Bands like The Fall, Magnetic Fields, Pavement... they all do a similar thing, I imagine. I'm also a huge Psychedelic Furs fan. They are one of those great rock bands that got that idea of seamlessly stitching darkness and discord with pop. I love that. Also having Den(nis Grabowski, drummer for E.R. and brother of the aforementioned Dave) on this project adds a lot to it, because its a lot of similar stuff to what we were doing in The Beatings. So that's a nice security blanket to have.

CC: Is "Giving Myself Over To Boston" kind of the bizarro world version of, or maybe the inverse of your old cut "Stillborn In New Jersey?" We feel like they set up an interesting contrast, something about the home you are given or born into, versus the home that you make for yourself.

CK: "Stillborn in New Jersey" was about a very specific person and time in my life long after I had left home, and me working out my feelings about it all, albeit unfairly. "Giving Myself Over to Boston" is a much more general, playful take. I've always felt like an outsider in this city, and there was a very fleeting time when I felt like the city was opening itself up to me and then just as quickly it shut the door and I really wanted to lash out at it in a tongue-in-cheek way. But I realize none of that probably happened and it's a matter of flawed perception on my part. I also realize I have my own problems socially, mentally, not keeping my mouth shut and that I'm sure that many of the problems that may actually exist were created by me and that I do it to myself. Regardless, I wrote [the song] at a time of pettiness and spitefulness, but with a healthy sense of humor. In all fairness the snark in that song doesn't come close to what others have written about this town, so I'm not too precious about it.

CC: At the same time, those two songs represent opposite ends of a spectrum, we think, with snark on one end and sincerity on the other. Could a younger E.R. have written "Giving Myself Over To Boston?" It feels to us like not only a great songwriting achievement, but dare we say, an achievement of maturity.

CK: I don't think I could have written it when I was younger. I was so angry for so long that the playful teasing, snark and misdirection in the lyrics would have just come out as venom and piss. It's a clever song and maybe my least favorite on the album, because it reminds me that regardless of any strides made that that petty little directionless shitty punk kid is still fighting to lash out when shown a modicum of inclusion or when hurt, and no one wants to be reminded of their failures.

CC: The final lyric of "Big Dead Heart" is a real spine-tingler -- we listen to the song again and again just to feel that final crashing wave again and again. We can see you coming up with that first and then writing the whole song around it. Did you?

CK: Yeah, thanks. That last verse certainly wraps up everything that happens before it. How the mistakes and embarrassments made in youth mean nothing because we eventually all die, and how quickly life moves the older you get. I think I had the title first. I liked it because it reminded me of a Raymond Chandler title. That last verse kind of came out of something a friend who is much older than me said. It was late and we were tired and he said something like "Life just moves like a stream down a continuously narrowing chute and the more it narrows the faster the stream moves until it leaves the chute and death," or something like that. The idea of dignity in aging always felt fake to me. There is no dignity in getting old. There may be knowledge and experience and know-how but there is no inherent dignity in it. You can have dignity in dealing with your death, sure. There is dignity in the bravery of facing the unknown. You can hold yourself in a dignified fashion, but then it's just a prop. Old people are the same people they were when they were 16, and should behave as such. Some do, and I think it's great. There are many dumb, stupid, boring, misguided old people and they don't get a pass because they are old. Getting old is scary and should be handled according to whatever policy you used that got you to that point, with compassion for others and with grace. But there is no inherent dignity is getting old.

CC: We think this record is the first you've made since your brother Clayton signed on. So the question: is that experience a necessary evil, or terrific filial bonding that you relish every second?

CK: Clayton is great and a much better guitarist than I'll ever be. He and I work on label stuff daily, so him coming on board was natural. We get along well and bicker and fight sometimes, but its a very good, stable relationship. We've always gotten along, and he's always supported me, so there really wasn't any big emotional transition when he came on. In many ways, I couldn't do any of this without him.

CC: Music is so aggravating now. Not the music itself, but everything that surrounds music. We know you've got other shit to do -- why do you still put so much of your heart into this after close to two decades of this nonsense?

CK: I don't even want to dignify this question with a response, but I'm compelled to say this. Its really a compulsion that I can't trace to anything. What else would I do? It's all I know how to do well. I still enjoy the process. I consider recording and playing and writing an art form, and not solely as a process that produces a product for commercial consumption. And we've always done things DIY and on our own terms, so all that nonsense doesn't really effect me creatively. I enjoy the art of it, from the beginning idea to end. I've been doing this since I was 15 or 16. Its not something that I'm ever without. What else would I do? Get into sports? Distract myself from these ideas and feelings and thoughts that consume and influence my emotions and thought every second of every day with a fantasy football league. Give me a fucking break.

CC: So, ultimately, what is the titular Castrati Menace? Can it be eradicated in our time?

CK: Its an unhealthy and unseemly cultural obsession with the awful aspects of youth culture and pop, and time eradicates everything.

CC: Thanks Cam.

Eldridge Rodriguez fête the release of The Castrati Menace Friday night in Boston at Allston Rock City's Wonderbar. The bill includes support from notable experimentalist/s Skyjelly and an act called Party Bois, and more fullsome details can be scrutinized at this Facebook event page. Midriff releases The Castrati Menace Friday, but it is already available for pre-order via ITunes right here. Eldridge Rodriguez's previous full-length, You Are Released, was issued by Midriff Records in early 2011.





Prior Eldridge Rodriguez Coverage:
Today's Hotness: Eldridge Rodriguez
Clicky Clicky Music Presents... N O F U C K I N G W H E R E : 11 Boston Bands Perform Ride's Classic 1990 Album
Midriff Records Night with Eldridge Rodriguez
Out Now: Eldridge Rodriguez | Christmas On The Allston-Brighton Line EP
That Was The Show That Was: Get Help with E.R. and Soccer Mom
Eldridge Rodriguez Record Release Show | O'Brien's Pub | 1 April
Be Prepared: Eldridge Rodriguez | You Are Released | 22 March
Behold! The Eldridge Rodriguez Residency!
That Was The Show That Was: E.R., The Mitchells | PA's Lounge
Review: E.R. | This Conspiracy Against Us

Review: Happyness | Weird Little Birthday

Often, bands elect to clean themselves up when entering a professional studio, to figuratively comb back their collective hair and don their best shared suit. What are seen as mistakes get edited out, a winning take gets punched in over top of an off-key vocal, or a guitar is redone to scrub out amp buzz and microphone hiss. Others acts, however, take the opposite route, and point to an album that includes random and imprecise moments as an authentic snapshot of the experience, and thus, life. London indie rock trio Happyness seemed to take the latter approach when making its vital and consistently rewarding 2014 album Weird Little Birthday, which -- after a successful year for the band -- arrives in an expanded re-release this week via Bar/None in the United States and Moshi Moshi Records in the UK.

Weird Little Birthday is an exercise in charming, mid-fi messiness, a record that leverages the limits of a traditional three-piece to create sonically rich music that finds fresh poignancy in the mistakes, flubs and the random blurts of feedback that most acts would never think to celebrate. Steeped in the sounds and methods of buzzy '90s indie rock, Happyness incorporates enough modern influences -- indeed, enough of themselves -- to enliven its chosen amalgamation of sounds. The single "Naked Patients" borrows a millenial hook from Jeff Tweedy and then rides a steady, Yo La Tengo-esque bass groove for the duration. But the tune is highlighted by elements that are all Happyness: a swooning vocal in the chorus, and open-ended and jagged guitar soloing, during which fuzz pedals are turned on and off seemingly at random.

The Yo La Tengo comparison feels particularly apt, in part because the legendary Adam Lasus -- whose first production credit appears to be YLT's masterful 1992 EP Upside-Down -- mixed Weird Little Birthday, and this record's thick, blocky beats evoke a sense of fun similar to that found in the early releases of Space Needle, another Lasus production credit. But comparing the Londoners' music to that of Hoboken's finest is more apt due to the way both bands allow compositions to spread and breathe into longer, noisier explorations. The finest tunes on Weird Little Birthday are notably long; the transcendent cuts "Weird Little Birthday Girl" and "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere" clock in at over eight and five minute respectively, and provide ample room to both play out beautiful melodic ideas via meandering lead guitar and color and shade with subtle backing vocals and keys.

One of the best, and probably under-appreciated, parts of the Happyness sound are its lyrics, which are packed with great lines, including the snarky and amusing jab "I'm wearing Win Butler's hair" in the aforementioned "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere." That tune and three others are what make the 2015 release of Weird Little Birthdaya so-called "expanded 2.0," and many of these previously served as b-sides to Happyness singles. Elsewhere, opener "Baby Jesus (Jelly Boy)" incorporates widely panned, double-tracked vocals that project a downcast sadness and texture that both disorients and soothes. Preview single "Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste The Same" echoes slacker titans Pavement with its drawled verses (a comparison Happyness is probably as tired of hearing as Pavement was of hearing about its reverence for The Fall), while highlighting the trio's singular deadpan humor and violent imagery. The 2015 release of Weird Little Birthday marks the first time that the collection is available on wax within the good ol' U.S. of A, and you can purchase it from Bar/None right here. We also recommend visually consuming the threesome's new video "A Whole New Shape" which is over at Noisey, and this amazing live iteration of "Montreal Rock Band Somewhere" filmed at SXSW. Stream the entire expanded Weird Little Birthday via the Spotify embed below, and check out all of the band's remaining current U.S. tour dates below that. -- Edward Charlton

Happyness: Facebook | Soundcloud | Tumbledore



Upcoming U.S. Dates:
03.26 -- Boise, ID -- Treefort Music Festival
03.28 -- Los Angeles, CA -- The Echo
03.29 -- Santa Ana, CA -- Burgerama 2015
03.30 -- San Francisco, CA -- Bottom of the Hill
04.01 -- Portland, OR -- Mississippi Studios
04.03 -- Seattle, WA -- The Sunset Tavern
04.04 -- Missoula, MT -- Stage 112
04.06 -- St, Paul, MN -- Turf Club
04.07 -- Iowa City, IA -- Gabe's Oasis
04.08 -- Chicago, IL -- Subterranean
04.09 -- Cleveland, OH -- Happy Dog East
04.10 -- Middletown, CT -- Wesleyan University
04.11 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Baby's All Right
04.12 -- Manhattan, NY -- Cake Shop.

Today's Hotness: Gold-Bears, Bozmo, Mincer Ray

>> From its humble beginnings, the Slumberland Records catalog has always possessed a great spiritual unity, and an argument can be made that the revered label's aesthetic, as mapped by its recent output, is becoming more outwardly emotional and mature. It's in the remarkably affecting, folk-inspired rock of Withered Hand, and it's in the dazzling, exuberant new single "Simple And Sure" from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (who, strangely, are releasing the full-length that contains the single via a different label, Yebo). And it's also in the sparkling anthems of Atlanta-based guitar-pop giants Gold-Bears. That quintet's sophomore effort Dalliance will be released June 3 -- incidentally, the day after the band performs at Cambridge, Mass.'s Middlesex Lounge with local indie pop standouts Bent Shapes and shoegaze titans Soccer Mom [dee-tails]. As with another upcoming SLR band, The Proper Ornaments, Gold-Bears' two preview singles (the latest being the cascading, co-ed rush "Yeah, Tonight") draw from the '60s-influenced side of Slumberland's classic pop aesthetic, while pushing the emotion to the forefront in less usual ways. The first single "For You," is a step forward for Gold-Bears, particularly in terms of both audio fidelity and composition, when compared with the five-piece’s delightful 2011 debut. The song's impact is predicated on minimal, Ramones-inspired power chords and a thoughtful arrangement. What might at first seem a continuation of the band's frustrated, punk-ish yelp-pop in the tune's first half, though, shifts suddenly to a succession of refreshingly clear moments of triumph. At roughly the half-minute mark, a piano smartly lays a wedding-bell progression against the grind of the band, and emotionally flattens everything in the song's proverbial path. It's a simple move, but when that instrument counterbalances the fierce chord progression, it sets up a tight-throated rush that suddenly imbues aggressive lines like "You're a mistake" with a serious twist. Have you ever watched a song grow up before your very eyes? Spend three minutes with this one for sure: you can stream it via the Soundcloud embed below, and pre-order Dalliance from Slumberland right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> The madcap psychedelia lives! If our readers were truly in tune with this reviewer's taste, they would know he is very excited about the forthcoming cassette from Boston-born and now Berkeley, Calif.-based Bozmo. The set is called Leather Umbrella and it is due any day now on the un-Google-able Peaking Pear Records. The collection -- which was recorded entirely by Bozmo principal Bo Moore to a Tascam 388 -- presents a classic case of hard-shifting mod that chases it's own fascinating logic. The title track from the album has been loosed to the wilds of the Internerds for a couple weeks; it's a Revolver-esque jaunt through fields of poppies that features bouncy harmonized lead guitars and delicately picked verses that serve as a perfect foil to the bubbly guitar work that bookends the piece. Adorning the snappy composition are great, prominently mixed tambourines and period-correct vocal delays that neatly wrap the production in perfect 1967 indie dressing. While "Leather Umbrella" cycles resolutely between its A and B sections without further development, the overall energy and neat melodic flourishes recall our beloved Lilys circa Better Can't Make Your Life Better. That's high praise from this publication, don't you know. We've had an opportunity to delve into all of Leather Umbrella and are pleased to report that its contents are uniformly terrific, and, in fact, the brightest spots arrive back-to-back in the middle of the record. Here we find the mid-tempo strummer "Cheap Blue Memory," a slightly downcast mood piece with excellent lyrics, gentle vocal harmonies and an amazing, warped guitar solo. That tune is followed by the fuzzed-out pop triumph "Perry And The Vest," with high-voltage harmonies in the chorus and another, albeit briefer, transcendent guitar solo. The two tunes each clock at about three minutes and cry out for release as a vinyl 7", so if you've got unspent student loan money burning a hole in your pocket maybe now is the time to flush your future down the toilet and start your own indie label. While you ponder that exceedingly questionable advice, stream and download "Leather Umbrella" via the embed below and watch that Bandcamp page for information about the Leather Umbrella cassette, which may possibly be your most prized possession this summer. -- Edward Charlton



>> It's not uncommon for this American blogger to wonder about and perhaps glorify the life of ex-pats. For one thing, there's the suggestion of European jet-setting, or contemplative Far East sightseeing, but even more so, there's the thrill of making a fresh start somewhere challenging and different. Our urge is heightened by our recollection that Berlin indie rockers Mincer Ray counts among its number not one, but two American ex-pats apparently in search of some great truth about scratchy, trad-sounding indie rock. Mincer Ray recently completed a new, long-playing collection, Fellow Traveler, which is available to download now for any price via Bandcamp. What quickly becomes apparent when playing the ten tracks is the extent to which the group has surpassed the delightful Guided By Voices-inspired lo-fi of 2012's Ray Mincer, which we wrote about here. The new set is more scattered but no less creative, at turns surprisingly rootsy and soulful, and at others sonically aggressive. "Couch Neighbor Catherine" and "Bassmaster" trade in shambolic loose strums that remind this reviewer of Pavement at their most country-inclined, or Palace Brothers at their most precise. "A Pickaxe From My Mom" and "Grand Tunk Plastic Lake" are both bits of classic, Yo La Tengo-styled indie. Instrumental "Great Trunk National Park" evokes Fugazi at their most willfully sloppy and the shape-shifting, instrumental closer "Das Grune Tor" utilizes a distorted whammy to great effect. Sure, the Berliners often evoke their touchstones, but the sense that they're having a blast and tapping into something pure makes one curious as to what great truth they've uncovered during their international adventure. Download Fellow Traveler via the embed below; it's for you. -- Edward Charlton

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: National Park Service, Francisco Franco, Spectre Folk

>> Not since the early days of file sharing or the rugged heyday of affordable used-record stores has this reviewer experienced so much adventure. Adventure with what, you ask? The contemporary, underground cassette culture, that's what. It's no news that the tape scene is experiencing a renaissance, as the present disheveled state of the music industry has encouraged artists and consumers to reconsider the medium. The colorful, home-grown masterpieces one can find when navigating the wide-open possibilities of plastic cases and spooled reels both delight and abound. Take, for instance, our happenstance discovery of The National Park Service, an anonymous, Cleveland-based experimental artist (not to be confused with the LA- based Americana concern) whose soundscapes dazzle the ear. The outfit's first publicly issued cassette I Was Flying, released via the lovely Lily Tapes and Discs label last month, presents a tastefully pastoral twist on dream-pop and ambient music. NPS here employs many of the methods of loud shoegaze, including feedback washes, loops and backwards guitar tracks, but manages to temper its aural explorations into sculpted instrumental pieces that suggest autumnal introspection as opposed to delirium. "Community Sunburn" inserts the listener among field recordings of what sounds like a seaside marketplace; one can almost feel the crisp coastal air biting at woolen sweaters as looped guitar erects a motif of knotty whirring and distant booming. NPS proves a master of the greatest tool of the ambient artist: the fade-in. One is employed to great effect on "Road Dog," a piece that transitions effortlessly from a collage of pitch-shifted mumbles, distant percussion and stray noise to a front-porch acoustic guitar exercise and then again to trippy, reverse-guitar dive bombing. The set's twangy acoustic guitar work provides some of the most arresting moments on I Was Flying. On "1993," "Stormwatchers," and the absolute highlight "Quick, Before It Rains," the instrument's rural timbre shines when set against the electronic textures. It has not been since Van Dyke Parks' 1968 masterpiece Song Cycle that this reviewer has felt the resonant power of this very particular and category-defying fusion of the Antebellum and psychedelic. "Put it in your Walkman and take it for a walk through the park with a cup of coffee," urges Lily Tapes and Discs, and we couldn't agree more. This is modern outdoor music, as attached to a sense of place as it is to its own joy and wonder. Stream all of I Was Flying via the Bandcamp embed below, and buy the tape here before the limited edition of 50 cassettes sells out. -- Edward Charlton



>> Another subtle and powerful instrumental group has held our attention at Clicky Clicky HQ lately, the Philadelphia-based trio Francisco Franco. The pre-released single from the act's self-titled album that was released today on New Images Limited is a cool and moody analog stunner. Called "Three Cushion Champs," the tune is a masterful almagamation of crisp, minimal post-punk and steady surf rock. Francisco Franco -- a duo comprising principals Rob Francisco and Matt Franco -- utilize simple bass and deftly layered guitar loops like fellow instrumentalists El Ten Eleven, but the Philadelphians bring to bear more of a 1960s Factory-scene vibe that would seem an appropriate soundtrack to modern-day Fishtown gatherings. After establishing a dreamy, two-chord strum, the song cycles through several tasteful changes, transitioning from reverberated, single-note leads to a tasteful bass solo (!). The entire proceedings are swaddled in warm, vintage-sounding production but are still able to concoct a breezy, pensive atmosphere. Perhaps it's the sparse drum machine, or the brittle tone to the strings, but Francisco Franco remind this reviewer of many of the early '80s Martin Hannett-produced artists that weren't afraid to reveal some bruises within their rock maximalism. A video for "Three Cushion Champs" can be seen right here; it appears to feature a bunch of footage shot along the commuter rail lines stretching out from Philadelphia into our beloved Philly suburbs. Purchase Francisco Franco from New Images Limited right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> Ah, serendipity. While perusing the New Images Limited web site for info about the aforementioned Francisco Franco, we encountered the surprisingly little-discussed news that just last week the label released a new 7" from Spectre Folk. Spectre who?, you reply. Well, the act is the long-time concern of Magik Markers drummer Pete Nolan, and also happens to be a heavy-hitting NYC indie supergroup featuring both Pavement bassist Mark Ibold and Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, the latter of whom we assume has some more time on his hands following the much-lamented end of his iconic band. The A-side of the new Spectre Folk single, "Mothership," is a heady slice of wah-wah infused psych rock. While not expressing the more experimental bent that some of the members' other projects are known for, the veteran status and skill of all involved manifests itself in tasteful and vital jamming that never grows tiresome. Starting out with a loose classic rock jam, the song eventually showcases Mr. Nolan's reedy vocals; these anchor the structure with some lucid, groaning melodies. After some short incantations from Nolan, the song blossoms into eight minutes of saturated, neon guitar soloing and feedback. The superstar rhythm section shines, as Ibold's rich bass melodies and Shelley's ever-evolving snare vivify the frayed guitar shredding, which echoes the majesty of Ron Asheton's boneheaded six-string genius on the first two Stooges albums. "Mothership" is late 1960s Eastern-U.S. guitar rock of the purest, most undiluted grade, from a group of seasoned players that are not only enjoying themselves, but also reminding the psychedelic tastemakers of today where most of the contemporary trends originated. New Images Limited is clearly on a roll; support the label and snap up this great piece of wax right here. "Mothership" can be streamed via the Soundcloud embed below, and we recommend you do just that. -- 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: Her Parents, Scott & Charlene's Wedding



>> Our executive editor last August described U.K. spazz-pop band Her Parents' music as "hypercaffeinated," and we can't turn our back on that apt summation. It simply nails the band and its sound too well to ignore it, and it applies as firmly to the early tune "Justin Vernon" as it does to the latest album from the quartet. Her Parents, hailing from London, released May 20 the breathlessly brief long-player Happy Birthday on the beloved Alcopop! label. As we wrote here in March, the new set is so brief that it is pressed to one side of a vinyl 12" with the band's debut LP Physical Product pressed to the flip. Consider the new collection a State of the Union address for a band that has cut its teeth on strong digital singles (the aforementioned "Justin Vernon" and the ludicrously genius "Why Don't You Just Fuck Off?") and blinding passion; it also evidences the evolution of a chaotic-yet-tuneful blend of punk rock that makes this band so vital and worthy of attention. Like caffeine, Her Parents push and prod both body and mind, while reminding listeners just what a punk-influenced tune can be capable of. Lead album single "Lithuanian Mercedes" is a great case study. The tune clocks in at just over a minute and a quarter, yet is crammed with a full arsenal of snotty pub jeers, jarring halts, post-hardcore guitar lines, dramatic ambient backing vocals and a grinding chorus that is over before one can regain her senses. The sarcastic sense of play, the upbeat melodies and caterwauling tempos are delivered with a curious aggression that the band seems to revel in. Happy Birthday is all delightfully disorienting, to be sure, but it also showcases a group of musical minds that can take the high road by bludgeoning its audience with crafty intelligence as surely as it does with adolescent, brute force. Simply put, Her Parents is the kind of band the world needs. Stream "Lithuanian Mercedes" via the Soundcloud embed below, stream all of Happy Birthday at Bandcamp here, and buy Happy Birthday from Alcopop! right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> Australia is totally killing it right now in the indie rock department, in case you haven't noticed. The immense success of Tame Impala makes it the latest act to illuminate the land down under in the minds of indie fans the world over. But that's not to say Tame Impala is the only antipodean outfit making waves right at the now. Indie pop concern Scott & Charlene's Wedding, spawned in Oz but now operating out of New York, recently upped its profile with the cracking single "Fakin NYC." The tune arrives in advance of the act's sophomore LP Any Port In A Storm, which is slated for release July 22nd via Fire Records on CD, vinyl and digital. Scott & Charlene's Wedding, fronted by Craig Dermody, clearly mines a well-traveled indie rock lineage. The biting, distorted guitars and arch lyricism of "Fakin NYC" pleasantly echo prodigal slacker kings Pavement or the lo-fi pop stylings of fellow countrymen Twerps. "Fakin NYC" was inspired in part by Dermody's awkward experiences upon moving to New York City. Channeling real-life tales of security guard jobs and grating interactions with snobby New York types, the song presents a moodier attitude than the usual slacker-pop fare, but not so moody that it soaks the pop thrills propounded by scritchy guitars and shouty vocals. The band will be supporting Any Port In A Storm with a lengthy tour in Europe for much of the summer (peruse the tour dates here); there's no word yet on North American dates. Pre-order Any Port In A Storm right here. Clicky Clicky previously wrote about Scott & Charlene's Wedding's Two Weeks 10" here in March. -- Dillon Riley

Today's Hotness: Scott And Charlene's Wedding, Hallelujah The Hills, Speedy Ortiz

>> What keeps us coming back to Soundcloud every day are the surprises, the stuff we love but that we had no idea was out there just waiting to be heard. The latest act we discovered there that caught our fancy is a Brooklyn-via-Australia combo named Scott And Charlene's Wedding (so named, we believe, for a major happening on a popular Aussie soap opera that starred Kylie Minogue, whom most Americans associate with this or even this). The band is the solo vehicle of Craig Dermody, former denizen of Melbourne, where he played in the bands Spider Vomit and Divorced, according to this handy Village Voice piece from October. Anyhoozle, Scott And Charlene's Wedding issued earlier this month via London's Critical Heights label a new 10" EP titled Two Weeks. The five-song short set is filled with cracking, jangly indie rock touting a recognizable slacker bent that suggests '90s indie touchstones Pavement and Guided By Voices. We are embedding two tunes from the 10" for listening below: "My World" and the more uptempo, billowing pop gem "Gammy Leg." The latter track sounds at least partially autobiographical (it references Dermody's move to New York), a lyrical approach characteristic of Dermody. Indeed, one of the more compelling numbers from Scott And Charlene's Wedding's debut long-player Para Vista Social Club [Bandcamp], the big strummer "Footscray Station," recounts Dermody's daily grind driving a truck and the inspiration he took from a friend struggling with a fledgling retail situation. Para Vista Social Club was originally issued in Sept. 2011 in a limited edition of 200 LPs with covers painted by Dermody. The act plans to release a second LP with a new, New York-based lineup later this year via Fire Records. Scott And Charlene's Wedding's next show appears to be at the Philadelphia Museum of Contemporary Art on May 4, supporting the presently white-hot Parquet Courts, and Dermody, et al., are also planning a tour of Europe for July and August, according to this Facebook post. Do the streamiez.





>> Boston indie rock institution Hallelujah The Hills last week disclosed it will release May 7 an odds and sods collecton titled Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Trash Can. The collection will include three new songs, as well as all the band's non-album singles, its Prepare To Qualify EP, remixes, radio performances and a never-released Daytrotter session. Hallelujah The Hills' next area performance is May 3 at The Sinclair in Harvard Square, a date so very proximal to the release of the compilation that we're gonna go ahead and call it a release show. The now eight-year-old sextet recently issued the terrific digital single "The Three Minute Mark" b/w "Meet Me In The Car," and neither song is slated to appear on a planned fourth full-length that Hallelujah The Hills is working on for potential release this spring later this year. According to the HtH web dojo, the record has "a title and a concept and is loud." Which we think is a good sign. The band's prior full-length, No One Knows What Will Happen Next, was released in May 2012. Pre-orders for Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Trash Can are already being taken right here; the set is being offered on the popular compact disc format or as a digital download. While we sit around and wait, shall we revisit a hot one from the 2009 set Colonial Drones? Sure we should. Stream "Classic Tapes" via the Bandcamp embed below.



>> If you were all tl;dr;moarsandwichez this afternoon with the latest update from Northampton, Mass.-based snack rock superlatives Speedy Ortiz, then perhaps you missed the part where they disclosed the name of their full-length debut. The quartet's long-player will be titled Major Arcana and it is "probably coming out in July." Speedy Ortiz also revealed that Inflated Records will release next month a new single featuring two older tunes, "Ka-Prow" and "Hexxy," which were re-recorded during recent sessions for Major Arcana with Justin Pizzoferrato. The art for the single is posted in the update, so click through and scroll down if art is something that appeals to you. There is as of yet no pre-order info online for the single. As we mentioned in prior reportage, Speedy Ortiz is basically on tour for all of April, during which it will take in such sights as the annual MacRock fest in Harrisonburg, play with Marnie Stern in Brooklyn, and do three dates in Canada. Full tour deets are at the Speedy Facebook yert right here. So as to get you pumped up for things, we are embedding below a stream of that older version of "Hexxy," which we think you will agree rocks most steadfastly.

Review: Infinity Girl | Stop Being On My Side

Upstart Boston quartet Infinity Girl last month quietly released a dominating debut, a seamless collection of 11 shoegaze songs that evidences a remarkable facility for recreating the cacaphony, exhalation and swirl that are hallmarks of the genre. The great paradox of apparent success for shoegaze adherents is that successfully emulating the sounds of its most prominent forebearers doesn't afford contemporary bands the opportunity to establish a singular personality upon which to trade. But on its long-player Stop Being On My Side, Infinity Girl with some regularity fearlessly steers into the genre's margins, where listeners can hear the band starting to plot where the past ends and Infinity Girl begins.

That the Boston act has produced something this good only six months after playing its first show is astonishing. Stop Being On My Side is stacked with anthemic, guitar-drenched and melodic noise-pop the likes of which we haven't heard since the last Fleeting Joys record. The Bostonians' "Please Forget" is textbook shoegaze in the very best sense, spiraling, dense and emotionally engaged. The beautifully blurred verses of "By Now" set off triumphant, swooning choruses punctuated by octaved guitars approximating clarion blare. The most immediate numbers impressively channel the classic sound of recently reactivated titans My Bloody Valentine (the shape-shifting "Pulling A Smile From A Drawer;" the sculpted, fiery album opener "Poppyblush"), but there is substantial charm to be found in the songs that echo the sounds of less obvious progenitors such as Yo La Tengo ("Even If"), Velocity Girl ("Cellophane And Gold") and even Pavement (compare the meandering denouement of "Cannons" to the bridge of the fabled slackers' "Starlings In The Slipstream")

Infinity Girl's remarkable acuity for echoing My Bloody Valentine is all the more notable because it goes beyond a recreation of the elder band's sonics. Perhaps more than any peer in recent memory, Infinity Girl succeeds at emulating the Dublin-spawned act's sensual/sexual appeal where most contemporaries often present cold and detached. It's in the pulsing breaths of the bending chords of "By Now," and the insistent, quietly violent arc of feedback throughout "Even If," which spreads like a line of skin appearing from beneath an unstoppable tear in a black stocking. And, if we are hearing the (naughty) lyrics correctly, it is explicit in Infinity Girl's "Void."

But as stated supra, it is when Infinity Girl incorporates elements of ancillary styles such as power-pop ("Cellophane And Gold") and even emo (the startling shouts that punctuate "Cannons" also puncture the mesmerizing record's fourth wall somewhat) that the proceedings begin to take on a unique flavor, and the resulting hybrid that populates Stop Being On My Side brims with melodic and textural possibilities. Infinity Girl self-released the set via Bandcamp May 8; check out streams of "Even If" and "By Now" below. The foursome's next local live dates are at Precinct in Somerville Aug. 4 and TT The Bear's in Cambridge Aug. 30. If they can do it again like they did it last time, those shows will definitely smoke.

Infinity Girl: Internerds | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube