#pile – Eyes Like the Summer

July 25, 2021July 25, 2021

Got (Woodstock) ’99 Problems — Postcards from the Edge

Finally recovered from the America-inspired bender I went on for the 4th, celebrating my freedoms and global superiority to the max — just in time to do it again for the Olympics! Before I go back down the rabbit hole, though, had a few items worth sharing to serve as an alternative to the anthem for the forthcoming fortnight. First, had a chance to watch the new HBO documentary on Woodstock 99 last night, the aptly named Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage, and like the festival it portrays, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

Things it gets right — there were a lot of bros. A LOT of bros. I believe a study conducted afterward by the prestigious Boston School of Zoology & Migratory Travel determined that 87% of the world’s bro population was present at the festival that weekend, making it the third largest gathering of a single species last century. And they were mostly white. And gropey. And they really enjoyed the more aggressive, harder bands that headlined each night. (The Offspring and Korn the first, Limp Bizkit, Rage, and Metallica the second.)

As someone who was there I can verify these things are all true — also, my GOD was it hot. And dirty. As I was watching I started to get flashbacks and my skin started crawling as I have never been so consistently hot, filthy, and uncomfortable as I was that weekend. The 100 degree temperatures, the miles and miles of concrete you walked on between stages and sets, the lack of shade or ability to cool down at night. You were camping out in tents or your car, remember — if you could recall where the hell yours was, that is — as the surroundings continued to radiate the day’s heat and you tried to sleep while covered in sweat and grime from the day’s activities.

Add in the soupy morass of piss and shit you had to wade thru as you tried to refill your water and/or rinse some of the grime off you meant you had a lot of people who basically baked for three days straight, stewing in their own juices (if not throwing in loads of mind-altering booze and chemicals on top of that to really perfect the recipe). I remember the promoters turning hoses on the crowd to try and cool them down during the day, but when you’ve got hundreds of thousands of people that only goes so far (and lasts so long).

By the time the weekend was done I had definitely gotten heat stroke — the sun was so incessant (and my attempts to hide from it so ineffective) that my head had swelled about an inch in size. (I discovered this fact when I got back to my buddy’s house and sneezed after that first amazing shower, at which point I felt my entire scalp slide forward like it was riding on a slip and slide — which essentially it was, as my head had started stockpiling whatever moisture it could find up top in an attempt to protect my brain. The picture I took upon realizing this shows my forehead jutting out like Frankenstein, which I found simultaneously hilarious and horrifying.)

So all of that was true and made for a pretty uncomfortable concert-going experience. It was hot, it was dirty, and there were a ton of white bros roaming around. (Also true, there were a TON of topless women — I had forgotten about the tents doing the skin art, but that led to an endless array of women walking around with paint shirts on. I honestly saw more breasts that weekend than I think I have in the subsequent 20 years combined.)

What the documentary gets wrong is when it tries to portray the festival as this overtly aggro/aggressive/racist/misogynistic thing that was doomed to devolve the way it did. Yes, there were a lot of hard rock acts on the bill — but there were also ones like Counting Crows, Dave Matthews, Brian Setzer, Bruce Hornsby, Elvis Costello, and Rusted Root, which are about as far to the opposite side of the spectrum as you can get. Yes, the lineup was skewed more towards more white male-led rockers — but there were also bands like The Roots, Ice Cube, Wyclef, and George Clinton, in addition to the iconic performance by DMX and the three females (Alanis, Jewel, and Sheryl Crow) noted in the documentary. (And as at all festivals they were butting right up against each other — the two acts that preceded the Chili Peppers on that closing night were Creed and Jewel, which has to be among the more bananas transitions in styles and fan bases you’re ever going to see.)

Yes, there was a an uncomfortable amount of groping of women crowdsurfers (and turns out full-on assaults, which was not apparent to us at the time) and a whoooole lotta white people shown saying the N-word in response to DMX’s exhortations — but portraying it as some liberating release of pent-up racism and rapiness isn’t fair or accurate. All of which makes it sound like I’m defending the festival or saying what happened was acceptable (or enjoyable) — I would no sooner go to this again than I would condone the actions of the idiots who torched the place, looted things, and/or assaulted the female concertgoers. I just don’t think you can say those things were destined to happen and/or caused by some broader societal tolerance of misogyny and racism. (For every asshole/idiot who acted unacceptably there were an equal number if not hundreds more who did not, which diminishes the argument for predestination and inevitability.)

Avoidable? Potentially. Something to be held accountable for? Absolutely. (Although 20 years on this is something the promoters still seemed largely unable to do — in their telling this was a Fred Durst (and maybe MTV) problem vs anything they could have done better.)

So while I wouldn’t do it again, I don’t regret going either. I remember some fantastic performances — DMX’s in particular stands out (a point validated by rewatching his set after his sudden passing recently). I remember the vast carpet of humanity undulating like a wave during Limp Bizkit’s set — the first time I’d ever seen that happen. (And still probably the largest — it went on FOREVER, just like waves in the actual ocean, which you can get glimpses of in the documentary.) I remember that Saturday bloc of Bizkit, Rage, and Metallica being a pretty epic close to a pretty decent day. (I had forgotten about the plywood surfers until I watched this, but there were LOADS of em out during that stretch, which is another memory.) I remember driving out while the Chili Peppers were playing, as the bonfires started to multiply and things really started to disintegrate. And I remember being hot, dirty, and wanting to shower really, really bad. That, and Frankenstein forehead and nearly boiling my brain.

All in all a fun trip down memory lane! (Eye roll) Worth a watch, though, if only to appreciate how far we’ve come at our festivals since then. (The occasional Fyre Fests notwithstanding…)

We’ll close with a couple new tracks that caught my ear the past couple weeks — first up comes the latest from Woods, whose deluxe release of last year’s Strange to Explain (which landed at #13 on last year’s best of list) came out Friday. It sports five new tracks including this one, “Nickels and Dimes” — give it a listen here:

Next comes the latest from the poppier side of some Norwegian death metalers, Beachheads, who released the single “Jupiter” recently. It’s a bright, catchy little tune — no word on if it’s part of an upcoming release or not, but am glad to have it either way. See what you think here:

Up third is the rolling celebration for the Indiana label Secretly Canadian’s 25 anniversary, which has spawned some solid singles where their acts offer deep cuts and/or special covers to help raise funds to combat homelessness in their hometown of Bloomington. It’s a good cause that’s yielded some good tunes, including Jim James’ recent cover of Steve Miller, “Seasons.” This early one from Jason Molina’s first Songs:Ohia album is the one that’s gotten stuck in my head, though — a solid tune from someone gone too soon. Check out “Gauley Bridge” here:

Someone else looking back is Pile frontman Rick Maguire who decided to spend part of his pandemic revisiting old songs and demos of the band, recreating and re-envisioning them for a solo album, the upcoming Songs Known Together, Alone. One of those tracks was the first thing he recorded for the band, the demo “Build a Fire,” which he delivers this time as a lovely piano ballad. Really interested in how the rest of the album turns out — in the meantime give this one a ride:

We’ll close with one last band deciding to dive into the archives, Wye Oak, whose album Civilian turned 10 this year. As part of that re-release the band went back to a couple outtakes and demos from those sessions and unearthed this one, the excellent “Electricity.” It would have sounded perfect alongside existing album tracks, harnessing the power and urgency of the band in this era — still my favorite of their many incarnations. See what you think here:

That’s it for now — until next time, amici…
–BS

March 9, 2019March 9, 2019

Spring Forward — Less Sleep, More Songs

Of course it being the weekend and finally having an opportunity to sleep in a little, my body decides to wake up even earlier than during the week (4am instead of the normally sporty 5), compounding the deficit we’ll all shortly have with the extra hour of sleep we lose tonight. Whether you lose a bunch like me or you lose just the single hour tomorrow, there’s a ton of new stuff out to help you wile away the time. It’s another sign of the coming spring after a long stretch of cold, barren months — new songs and albums popping up like bright green growth from last year’s bulbs. It’s a welcome sight and hopefully bodes well for a bounty harvest. Since there’s so many I’ll bore you less with my insights than normal (the eight of you got your wish!), so without further ado let’s kick off a round of Sunshine Speed Dating!

DING! “Hi, what’s your name? Grian? How do you spell that? Oh you’re in a band? What’s it called? Oh…….[long pause] you know that place is filled with assholes and idiots, don’t you…” [cue both parties looking at their watches, neither of whom are actually wearing one] First up meet Fontaines D.C., a band from one of the best places on earth (Ireland) whose name calls out one of the worst (this shitbox) and whose frontman’s (Grian Chatten) I’m still not sure how to say. Don’t let the monikers keep you away, though, as these guys have some pretty catchy tunes on their debut, Dogrel, which comes out in April. None moreso than the lead single, “Big,” which is the perfect soundtrack for one of these rounds — bright, energetic, and just about two minutes long. Give it a ride here:

Next! “Oh you look familiar — Czarface, isn’t it? Something’s a little different, though — did you ombre your hair?! No? You just brought in another emcee? Mmm…I dunno, I still think you did something to your hair…” State of the strands aside, the touch of color Czarface bring to their already good getup is Ghostface, teaming with his Wu brother Inspectah Deck (along with Esoteric and 7L) for the first time since that band’s official albums. This group continues its recent pattern of pairing with another big name act to make an album (along with their overall hit or miss streak), dropping this on the heels of last year’s partnership with MF Doom. Similar to that one, it’s got a couple good tracks on it, including this puppy, “Mongolian Beef,” so check out the latest fishscale here:

Next up — “Oh hi! Good to see you again — Will, isn’t it? Ha, yes, not Will-i.am, that guy’s a bit of a clown. You have spent the last few years re-recording your early material as synthy dance tracks, though, so…” [insert awkward silence and shuffling] The Will in this case is Toledo, the frontman/brainchild of Car Seat Headrest, and while he has spent more time reworking (“improving”) old songs than I’d like (as on last year’s Twin Fantasy), it seems like he’s been writing new material based on some recent shows. One of those tracks is “Can’t Cool Me Down,” which despite the nearly two minute synth intro (honestly — if one more band starts dicking around with synths………..) is a pretty catchy tune. We’ll see what else he churns out — in the meantime, see what you think:

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeext! “Oh hello! My that’s a lovely accent you have. Oh all five of you have it — meoooow! Where are you from again? Oh nice — ha yes I’m sure you all have a tremendous amount of thunder down under, but I’m quite fine not seeing it firsthand, thanks…” The lads with the didgeridoos in their Dockers here are the Aussie quintet Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever who look to be coming back from their full-length debut last year (which landed at #13 on my list) and releasing some new material. The first single is “In the Capital” (which apparently will be followed by one called “Read My Mind,” based on the cover) and it’s another winner in the vein of War on Drugs or Roadkill Ghost Choir — bright guitars, shining melody, and the perfect soundtrack for a drive on the coast with the windows down. Take it for a spin yourself:

NEXT! “HELL-o, laaaaaaaaaaDEEZ… Pleased to make your acquaintance. Or should I say ‘acquaintances.’ Cuz there’s three of you. I’m good at counting. I took math a bunch. In school. What? No I’m not nervous. Why would I be? Girls don’t terrify me. I read an article on what they search for on porn sites and it totally didn’t make me break into a sweat…” (Side note — I’m very worried about what’s happening in Iowa, Missouri, and Maine… special shout out to the Uzbek women as the globe’s sole proponents for research on MILfs) The ladies in question here are Mary Timony’s posse from Ex Hex who are back for the first time since their debut, 2015’s aptly named Rips (which landed at #13 on that year’s list), and it sounds like they’ve lost none of their edge the past four years. They’ve already released a couple singles from the upcoming album (It’s Real, due out March 22nd), but this third one “Rainbow Shiner” is my favorite so far — another ripper right in line with 80s rockers from Joan Jett and Heart (and their debut). Break out the leather and Aqua Net and crank up the volume:

NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEXT! “What’re you doing here? I thought you were dating the Waxahatchee lady? She’s got a pretty voice — I love her first couple albums. The covers you two have been doing together are pretty great, too. Hey has anyone ever told you you sound a lot like Bob Dylan? Oh all the time? Literally every person you meet? Well that’s a bummer. You really do sound just like him, though…” That’s right, the boy who sounds like the bard is back again, ready to drop another album full of gems on a mostly unsuspecting population. That’s a real shame because Morby has quickly become one of my overall favorites, dropping a string of great albums the past few years — City Music landed at #4 on my 2017 list, Singing Saw at #6 on my 2016 one, and Still Life at #10 on my 2014 one. He’s back with another full length (Oh My God, due out April 26th), which he says will tackle religion and spirituality. Seems like a dicey proposition, but based on the initial track will likely be worth a listen. It’s a different subject matter for him and maybe as a result so is the sound he’s surrounding it with — in addition to the hand claps there’s also flute, sax, and piano with almost nary no guitar to be found. It still works, though, so we’ll see what the rest of the album brings — in the meantime check out “No Halo” here:

LIGHTNING ROUND! “Oh man! You used to be in the Walkmen! (You guys were one of my absolute faves) But now you’re doing solo stuff (that’s also been really good, very glitzy and Sinatra-like) and you did one album with the dude from Vampire Weekend (I know he left, but you’ll be fine — that’s why you’re here!) but you also did an album with your old guitarist in there that no one heard about (Dear God). It came out three years ago? Eesh, I’m really sorry — well I really like the one song I found, “Proud Irene” — I’m going to go look for the rest of the album now. Hope to see you again soon — good luck!”

DING! “Oh hey, you’re the guy who sounds like Dave Grohl when he sings! I love Dave Grohl. He seems like the coolest dude. I’d love to have a drink with him or just hang out. He is just so funny! And MAN what a drummer — our generation’s John Bonham. Do you know Dave Grohl? Oh right sorry — no I really like your band Pile too. I’ve written about em a couple of times on my blog. Well, don’t get too excited, literally like eight people read it. But I try. One day I’ll break into double digits… Anyway, I really dig you guys. You really rip when you let loose. I’m glad to hear you’ve got a new album coming out (Green and Gray, due May 3). The first single is pretty cool — I’m not sure what a “Bruxist Grin” is (is that the smile of a Marxist Teddy Ruxpin or something? I should look it up…) but it sounds cool. I’m looking forward to the rest of the album — hopefully it rocks a little more than Hairshirt, that was a little weird…”

DING! “OOOOH Chemical Brothers, you guys NEVER come to the States. It’s an honor! I saw the video for “We’ve Got to Try” and it’s pretty great. Where’d you get the idea to have a dog drive a racecar? And then become an astronaut! Ha, that was really funny. My dog doesn’t do much but snuggle and fart — sometimes at the same time. Just like my wife! I kid, I kid. Anyway, I’m glad to see you guys have a new album coming out soon (No Geography, due April 12th) — your ninth! That’s super impressive. You guys are always really good — I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the album. By the way — can you please do some shows in the States? I’m too lazy to travel and afraid of foreign food — just fast food and golf carts for me. Just like the President! Wait where are you going? It’s nothing to be ashamed of!”

DING! “Wow. That is a huge glass of red wine, Mr Berninger. What is it, merlot? Remember that scene from the movie Sideways? ‘I am NOT drinking any fucking merlot!’ That was a pretty funny scene. That guy kind of reminds me of you. Bearded, smart, kind of cranky and forlorn. Do you know him? I think we’d get along well together — I mean, YOU’D get along well together. I’m nothing like that… Anyway. I love your band — the new single’s nice. The female vocalist was a nice touch, but I wish you guys would let up with the electronic stuff a bit, though. You trying to be Radiohead or Bon Iver? Wait Justin Vernon is really tight with your guitarist? And they were actually in a band together and curated a festival last year? Oh wow right, I forgot. Anyway, you guys always make my year end lists (2017, 2013, 2010, and 2008) and Boxer’s one of my all-time faves. Yeah yep, I write a blog, one day people will read it, it’s about the love of the music and doesn’t matter how many people hit it, I know, you’re right. Boxer, though, what an amazing album. It was the soundtrack to one of my old relationships and its explosive end. Yeah it was a MESS. That is kind of a dark album. Time, too. Man oh man, what a show… but we get out of it — you’re right. I’m glad you’re in a better place, too, Mr Giamatti — hey do you mind if I have a sip of that merlot?”

DING! “Dan Auerbach! Man I love your band. You and Carney have been faves since thickfreakness. I’ve seen you live like a gajillion times. There was one stretch where either you or the band were at Lolla for like five years straight. It was almost like you were the house band! I’ve written about you a ton too — Attack and Release was my album of the year back in 2008 and Turn Blue came in second in 2014. What? Oh yeah I have a blog. No, not many people read it, you’re right. Ha yep, you have more albums than I have readers, that’s probably true. Very funny, Mr Auerbach… Anyway, I know you’ve been busy producing a bunch of people the past few years — Pat too — but I’m really glad to hear you two have an album coming out soon. Yeah I know it doesn’t sound very different from your other stuff, but that’s ok — the world could use a little consistency and rock and roll right now. Yeah, I know Greta’s doing rock and roll — have you heard their lyrics though? Fucking cornball fantasy nonsense and cheesy cliches about getting high when you’re low. Wait you guys have a line like that too? In this song?! I’m sure it’s just a coincidence — I didn’t mean you guys were corny. I love you guys — come back!”

DING! FINAL ROUND! “Oh hey Local Natives! You guys are great — and back with TWO new singles?! Who are you trying to impress? Ha oh right, me, that’s why you’re here. “Cafe Amarillo” was nice and I really liked “When Am I going to Lose You.” I saw Kate Mara in the video for that one — she’s really pretty. Did you get nervous talking to her? That never happens to me, but I hear it does to some people. Particularly when you think about what they’re thinking about. Like — do you know what girls in New England look for on the internet? Squirts, and I don’t think they’re talking about the beverage… Anyway, you guys are great — I love how chill your albums are. Your last one made my year end list (Sunlit Youth, #8 in 2016). What? Yeah I have a blog. No, I know not many people read it. Yeah I could see why you’d think that’s a big waste of time. Yeah particularly when I’ve been doing it for over ten years. For this page. Other ones were…..exactly the same. But yeah, you guys are great. Hey it’s really been fun to talk to you — where’s Berninger with that fucking merlot…”

August 19, 2018August 19, 2018

Pinched Nerves, Open Ears: Welcome Offerings from Old Friends

Since I can’t manage to do much else this weekend, having apparently obliterated a nerve in the midst of such strenuous activities as stretching when I woke up yesterday morning, I slowly clawed my way to the keyboard to throw out a few finds before I pass out from not being able to breathe. They’re all from folks I’ve written about before, so shouldn’t be too surprising — I’d hate to startle you and have you end up in the same state I am. #eldercare

First up comes the lead single from the Dodos’ upcoming album Certainty Waves, which will be the seventh for the San Fran duo. It’s been three years since their last one, Individ, which for whatever reason didn’t resonate with me as much as previous favorites (several of which have appeared on year end lists here). It’s not like they changed up their formula and adopted the dreaded synthesizers I lambaste so often. Then and now frontman Meric Long and drummer Logan Kroeber layer guitars and atypical rhythms up to surprising levels, balancing the noise with Long’s warm voice and lyrics. It’s worked really well in the past, but didn’t connect quite the same last time out. We’ll see if things hit differently this go round — step inside the “Forum” and see what you think:

Next comes two more songs from the upcoming debut from Big Red Machine, which as I wrote about a few weeks ago is the fusion of gents from beloved indie gems — Justin Vernon from Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner from the National. They’ve already released four songs from the album online, so with these two I think we’ve got a pretty good idea what the album will sound like, and thankfully it’s every bit as pleasant as you’d expect from those two alma maters. They continue to mine the electronics-infused vein both bands have been exploiting lately, while balancing the bloops and chill with Vernon’s angelic croon, which remains as bright and warming as a blast of sun through the clouds in the middle of winter. “I Won’t Run From It” is the favored of the new pair, another spare pairing of acoustic and that voice — give it a listen here:

Batting third we’ve got an odds and sods compilation of unreleased stuff from recent discovery Pile, the bombers from Boston I wrote about back in January after stumbling upon them in the midst of my annual scan of other folks’ best of lists. I didn’t quite agree with the album that landed them there, but it piqued my interest enough to go back through their older material and I’m sure glad I did, as they frequently call to mind fave thrashers Jesus Lizard. The first cut from this collection (due out next month apparently) is more subdued then some of their other stuff, but showcase how effectively the band builds tension in their songs (AND how compelling a voice frontman Rick Maguire has). I’m excited to see them when they come to town in a few months — I might not be able to hear after it, but if that’s the case it’s been a fun run. Enjoy it while you can:

In the cleanup spot we’ve got a couple aging veterans, two albums that’ve been around for twenty years and walked very different paths (the thought of Ben Gibbard hanging out with the wild-eyed Keith Flint is pretty comical actually), but whose impact was felt far beyond their niche communities in the intervening years. The two albums are Something About Airplanes from Death Cab for Cutie and Fat of the Land from Prodigy, whose histories and resonance are recounted by Stereogum and Pitchfork, respectively, from their weekly trips in the wayback machine.

As suggested, the two bands couldn’t be more different — Death Cab were the soft, sensitive band from Seattle who quietly and earnestly tried to make you fall in love with them with their lovely lyrics and melodies. Prodigy were the hard, bombastic band from Britain who loudly and belligerently tried to make you move (ZFG for falling in love with them) with their bludgeoning beats and non-sensical (and occasionally insipid) lyrics. Despite those differences, both albums had outsized impact on the population and have continued to for over twenty years — Death Cab became the poster children for the sentimental set, soundtracking untold dozens of shows and movies as the sonic synonym for angst and unrequited love; Prodigy fostered the first tsunami of electronica with fellow Britons the Chemical Brothers, helping create the wave that laid waste to the country in the late 90s/early 2000s (and is still doing so with second wave acts like Skrillex, Steve Aoki, etc). Both articles are worth a read and albums worth a listen, if for some reason you haven’t done so dozens of times already. I disagree with Pitchfork’s panning Prodigy and look back more fondly on Fat than they do — the lyrics may be inane/misogynistic, but those beats are hard to deny even now. “Diesel Power” was always one of my favorite bangers — check it out here:

We’ll close with a pretty ditty from the soundtrack to The Fundamentals of Caring, a charming little movie with the ever-winning Paul Rudd we found on Netflix recently. The song (and broader soundtrack) is done by Guster frontman Ryan Miller, a formerly beloved band that has gone down that dark path of synthesized pop in recent years, much to my chagrin. (I used to love these guys and they’re three of the funniest, nicest people to boot, having interviewed them several times over the years in my former life as a paid scribbler.) This song calls to mind some of the band’s old strengths, Miller’s endearing voice and disarming lyrics, so often on display in their heyday. All that’s missing is the juxtaposition with fellow singer Adam Gardner, whose bass always balanced Miller’s more nasally tones, and drummer Brian Rosenworcel’s hand percussion and it could have been from the trio’s early albums. It’s a nice reminder of those outings and a nice listen regardless, so give it a spin (and give the movie a try too — who doesn’t like Paul Rudd?!?):

January 20, 2018January 20, 2018

The Sound of the Wrecking Ball — Parades, Gazes, and a Pile as Big as Texas

Now that the last minute negotiations failed and the government is officially shut down, I know what you’re thinking — “If I can’t count on my elected officials to get things done, and civil employees aren’t allowed to come to my rescue now, surely I’m doomed.” And while I see the merit in that logic, and how dark these times seem, I know your need to believe is strong and you haven’t quite given up. So this civil servant isn’t going to let you down. I’m going to save you the only way I know how — by telling the three of you who read this thing about some great music. And do so on my day off. For free. Because the country needs it. And I believe in you. You’re welcome, America.

All kidding aside, one of my favorite things about this time of year — other than this town being largely vacated and the precious two to three weeks of peace that means at the office, on the commute, and just generally day to day as the majority of the sh#$birds are off contaminating other areas — is the abundance of similar year end lists to yours truly’s where kindred spirits offer their highlights and I get to discover bands or albums I might’ve missed during the year. Despite my constant vigilance, there’s always a handful that slip through undetected, so part of the fun is discovering these treasures every year post holidays. Really helps grind out the hardest part of winter, bringing a little warmth to the coldest days of the year.

This year’s been no different, as I’ve already stumbled on a couple new obsessions to share, so what better time than now when you’re in the midst of a crisis of faith and the temperature is hovering around Congressional approval rating levels or lower? So without further ado, here’s some of the happy discoveries I’ve made thus far!

First up is the latest release from the flock of Canadian geese flying south for the winter, the lads from Wolf Parade back with their fourth album (their first in over six years), Cry Cry Cry. I’d never really listened to these guys, but this one kept showing up on several of the lists and I keyed in on the frantic, joyous tones used thanks to the band’s prolonged hiatus, so thought I’d give it a try. The album grabs you from the outset with an ominous lower octaves piano run and a cryptic opening line that immediately seizes you attention — “Lazarus online, I received your message. You’re a fan of mine — your name’s Rebecca, and you’ve decided not to die. Alright, let’s fight — let’s rage against the night.” It’s a great line, a rebellious sentiment suited for the times and one that swells as the song goes on.

The band calls to mind several touchstones that resonated as I worked through the album — frontman Spencer Krug’s voice reminds you of Beck at times (before he went pop and was still endearingly weird), the organs/pianos/keys hearken to quintessential Canadian bands like New Pornographers/Broken Social Scene/etc, and there’s an epic swell to the songs that is reminiscent of early Arcade Fire (a band they used to open for ten-odd years ago, coincidentally). It all works really nicely — aside from the aforementioned “Lazarus,” other highlights include Dan Boeckner’s guitars at the end of “Valley Boy,” the driving percussion and sentiment of “Incantation” (“remake my heart — let morning come!”), the jittery buildup of “Baby Blue” that erupts in blissful chaos at the finish, or the shapeshifting epic “Weaponized,” which should be a set closer for them for years. It’s a really solid album and delving into their earlier albums similarly rewards the ears (I’ve been spending a lot of time on the debut Apologies to the Queen) — check out a medley of their stuff here:

Next up is Male Gaze, the band from San Francisco that proves the Schoolhouse Rock rule that three is indeed a magic number. The band itself is a three piece (frontman/guitarist Matt Jones, bassist Mark Kaiser, and drummer Adam Cimino), back with their third album (Miss Taken), and their sound is an interesting hybrid of three distinct styles — there’s a new wave vibe (think Joy Division with less gloom), fuzzed up garage rock (Black Angels kept coming to mind), and 60s style psychedelic (take your pick of British invaders). Somehow they all flow together well and make for an enjoyable listen.

Tracks like “Keep Yr Kools,” “Pale Gaze,” and “If U Were My Girl” fall into the former category with Jones nailing both the delivery and lyrics of that era (“if you were my girl the future wouldn’t look quite so bleak, I might actually feel something — if you were my girl” on the latter track), “All Yours” and “African Ripoff” charge forth from the middle one like amped up mustangs, while “Didn’t,” “Tell Me How It Is,” and the title track brightly glide from the latter. It’s a really cool mix, balancing between funky, muscular riffs and jangly, chiming counterpoints as you move from song to song. The previous two albums tipped more towards the first two categories (which I truthfully prefer a bit more to this one, particularly the smoking debut Gale Maze), but the band’s growth in that span, releasing an album a year and adding the new elements here, is impressive. Definitely one I’m going to be keeping an eye on moving forward — check out what they can do here (for some reason the new one is MIA online, so enjoy the stellar debut):

Last up is a magic band from Beantown that I’ve been obsessing over the most since finding them, Pile. Similar to the above bands who I’ve discovered several albums into their career (four and three, respectively), raising the slightly maddening question of “how the fu#$ did I miss these people?!” every time it happens, that point is driven home with a hammer fist with these guys as they’ve somehow eluded me for SIX albums, including this one (A Hairshirt of Purpose). And they’re really effing good.

They showed up just outside the top ten on The Onion’s top twenty of the year list (#11) and the writeup’s characterization — that the band “plays its songs…as if they were horror films…running right up to the edge of a cliff to dangle there precariously” — was what caught my eye. And then I played the video embedded in the article, which belongs to the aptly named monster “Texas” and I was done. Sounding like the beloved hometown Jesus Lizard, the song is just over two and a half minutes of wild, noisy fury like that band at its thunderous best. It’s the high point on the album, which is a more subdued affair than previous outings.

Here they opt for a more muted, atonal tone mostly — from the opening “Worms” to “No Bone,” “Milkshake,” and “Making Eyes,” or the frond end of songs like “Rope’s Length,” “Leaning on a Wheel,” and “Slippery,” the band opts to keep its knives sheathed more than normal. (They brandish them rather wickedly at the end of those latter three, thankfully, violently thrashing to life like the person on the cover after his head slips below the surface of the tub.) Outside of “Texas,” though (and comparable freight trains “Hissing for Peace,” “Hairshirt,” and “Fingers”) it’s a much more subdued affair, and if I’d only listened to this album I might’ve let these guys remain out in the cold. Thankfully what I heard on that first track intrigued me enough to check out their earlier stuff, and that’s where I really fell in love.

On albums like Jerk Routine and Magic Isn’t Real (sorry, Stephven) the Lizard vibe comes through even stronger and the band flattens you with what it can do. Frontman Rick Maguire has a wail that vacillates between a pair of Daves — the aforementioned’s David Yow and the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl — on the rockers, while guitarist Matt Becker, bassist Matt Connery, and drummer Kris Kuss (whose name appropriately calls to mind both ‘percussion’ and ‘concussion,’ the former causing the latter in his playing) bludgeon you in the process. There’s nary a bad song to be found, and the spell continues on later albums Dripping and You’re Better Than This, which dole out even more punishment. When the band does quiet down (as it does so frequently on Hairshirt, while much more sparingly on the others) you notice how much warmth Maguire’s voice has, drawing you in close before smashing both fists into the side of your head. It’s a potent juxtaposition, and as the Onion writeup says, it’s “both lovely and ugly, even when — especially when — it doesn’t make a lick of sense.” For me the heavier earlier albums where this punishing whiplash is in such high supply are more irresistible, but I never would have discovered ’em without a little trip to “Texas” on Hairshirt. See which version you prefer here:

We’ll close with some odds and sods from the last few weeks — first a video from fellow Scotsmen Frightened Rabbit that they dropped on Christmas Day. It’s the single “No Real Life,” which was released to support Alzheimer’s research, and is a characteristically lovely tune from the lads. They’re coming to town soon to play their classic The Midnight Organ Fight in its entirety for its ten year anniversary, so super excited to see that shortly. In the interim, enjoy the new one here:

Next comes the latest single from the upcoming release for Portland’s Mimicking Birds, and similar to the first single “Sunlight Daze,” it’s a bit more amped up and electrified than their earlier, folksier work. We’ll see how that works across the broader album once it comes out, but does well enough on its own so far. Check it out here:

Lastly we’ll close with the latest single from the ever productive Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest, whose upcoming album Twin Fantasy (a re-recording of a previous effort of the same name) drops next month (Feb 16). He, too, seems to have been bit by the 80s/synth bug, but it isn’t as jarring as some of the other bands fussed at on this site since his stuff already sounded a bit like the Cars at times. This one’s a glammy, upbeat revisiting of “Nervous Young Inhumans” and hopefully the rest of the album sounds as good as this one the second time around. Check it out here:

Until next time, amici… –BS

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