Archive for the ‘7'' Series’ Category

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Woods // I Was Gone 7”

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

After seeing that order shipments from Woodsist have been delayed until April 1, I got a nice surprise when my I Was Gone 7”, the latest from Brooklyn experimental folk group Woods, came in the mail this past week. Although probably not considered as rare as some of their other albums (an initial pressing of 1500 7′’s is the vinyl equivalent of what Dan Brown got for The Lost Symbol), it’s still one of my favorites as it explores what post-Songs of Shame Woods might sound like.

Similar to “Creeps Collage” off of their Woods Family Creeps S/T, the A-side “Days Gone By” is a mix-and-match of track snippets, transitioning from one to another sometimes abruptly, sometimes smoothly. No doubt the mid-section of the song is the preferred part, featuring a soulful guitar line and the delicate falsetto of Jeremy Earl chanting the line “many days gone by”. The B-side is filled with a duo of jamming two-minute tracks. The first of which, entitled “I Was Gone”, is certainly “Eastern inspired”, prominently featuring some sitar-like sounds that mesh well with the psychedelic-tinged tendencies of the band. On the other hand, “Hang On” is one of their patented creepy songs which showcases spidery guitar lines and haunting background moans that no doubt add to the overall sense of uneasiness of the track.

You can check out the mashed together “Days Gone By” below, and, if you like it, cop the record from Midhaven Mailorder for a timely delivery:

Woods // Days Gone By

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Beaters // “Fishage”

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Found this gem of a song from San Diego electro-rockers Beaters off the Volar Records website. Entitled “Fishage”, the track is a three minute non-stop raucous jam that barrels through at 100mph without pausing once for a quick breath. Maintaining a driving beat and a pulsating electro-bass line throughout, the song’s energy is set from the beginning and doesn’t stop for anything until the abrupt ending. If you are looking to get sweaty on a dance floor, “Fishage” is sure to do the trick.

Looks like Volar is repressing the group’s debut 7” (and, coincidentally, the label’s first release) which includes “Fishage” as well as the topically titled track “Obamanation” on a very limited red vinyl, so hurry up and snag one of the remaining 125 124 copies (also, Single Screen Records has a few of the repressings as well)! You can also check out the group live as they are slated to open for most of The Soft Pack and Nodzzz’s US tour.

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Best Coast // Sun Was High (So Was I) 7”

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Sorry for sounding too much like a shill for LA noise-rock act Best Coast, but Ms. Bethany Cosentino & Co. have been one of my favorite new bands of the past year so I feel all of my recent posts have been justifiable.

If you’re like me and you just missed copping their Sun Was High (So Was I) 7” on the unfortunately named Art Fag Recordings, have no fear because a repressing has just been announced! Printed on orange vinyl this go around, this limited edition 7” is sure to be snatched up quickly by the hordes of recently converted fans. So if you want a copy, head over to one of the fine online vendors to snag one before it’s too late again! Below, is an mp3 of one of the B-side tracks (and one of my favorite BC songs), “That’s The Way Boys Are”:

Best Coast // That’s the Way Boys Are

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Wetdog // Lower Leg 7”

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

No need for just the US girl garage-punk bands like Vivian Girls, Finally Punk, and Explode Into Colors to have all the fun, right? Hailing from the UK, the female trio Wetdog has been making a splash just as much across the pond as their gender-equivalents here in The States. With an uneasy, off-kilter feel that you’re positive is going to come crashing down at any second, every song on their Captured Tracks 7” somehow winds up rescuing itself from total collapse while getting you caught up in the whirlwind in the process.

Like most of these garage punk 7′’s, Lower Leg tries to squeeze as much music as you can into a 7” double-sided piece of wax. Consisting of a lengthy single A-side track and a pair of sub 2-minute songs on the B, you’ll be done spinning the record for the third time before you’ve really understood what you’ve just listened to. Although relatively tame in comparison to some of their noisy songs, the super-poppy title track still has some bite to it. One second you’re chanting along to the final syllables of each couplet (“The lower leg’s fine / the lower leg’s NOT FINE”), and then *BAM* you’re hit by a tempo change and some intense bass playing before being thrown back down to the slower-paced sing-along verses.

Now the first B-side track, entitled “The Burry Man”, will be more familiar to long-time Wetdog fans. Chalk-full of discordant chords and bizarre insane asylum-like shouts of “Like I Said” and “BAAAaaaahhhhh” which are more than enough to make you feel slightly uncomfortable, it’s the noise-filled counter to “Lower Leg”. Taking cues from both the tracks before it, “How Sweet the Sound” seems to blend both pop & noise, alternating between the two in this song fit for a carnival ride.

You can check out “Lower Leg” as well as “Jane Bowles”, one of my favorite track of theirs, below. If you like their stuff, head over to C/T to cop a 7” or to Angular Records to snag their LP Frauhaus! (can’t seem to find a US distro for that one…)

Wetdog // Lower Leg

Wetdog // Jane Bowles

Also, the guys at PodOmatic pieced together a nice 40 minute mix of Wetdog material that is sure to give you a better introduction to the band, so check it out here.

[Shout out to Adult Acid for introducing me to band]

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Hanoi Janes // Across the Sea 7”

Monday, February 8th, 2010

With Hanoi Janes’s Across the Sea release, the third of five recent Captured Tracks 7” purchases, I think I’ve found the perfect counter to the depression-filled dreary days that is the Portland winter. With the name taken from the much publicized Vietnam War incident, this group of Germans from the Sachsen region have pieced together some of the best lightheartedly fun music I’ve heard in a while. I mean, look at that picture above, doesn’t it make you want to be the fourth in whatever board game they’re playing?

Similar in both name and overall playfulness as The Sandwitches’s “Back to Sea”, the A-side “Across the Sea” is a gem of a track. With a collage of sound coming from tripleting guitar line, the communal “OOooOOoos” of the chorus, and the mallet chimes, the song is ripe for a Go Team! comparison — even exhibiting the lo-fi recording hiss that their British counterparts prefer to use. The real treat is at the 100 second mark where a small improv section of raucous guitar is inserted which blazes a trail up until the abrupt ending.

The B-side “Skeleton Girl” (not to be confused with The Evangelicals “Skeleton Man”, however they would make for a nice pair) maintains the momentum of the reverse-side. No doubt the chants of “ooOOoos” are a bit repetitive, but the track is mostly a new, cleaner beast, featuring more intricate drumming and less muddy guitars. Calling to mind a less-poppy version of Happy Birthday’s “Girls FM”, “Skeleton Girl” is certainly more indie rock than it’s A-side predecessor, making for a well-rounded 7”.

You can listen to “Across the Sea” below and if you like it, head on over to the Rose Quartz where they have some additional songs for download, or just cop the 7” from C/T here.

Hanoi Janes // Across the Sea

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Cosmetics // Soft Skin 7″

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Another 7” from my Capture Tracks five-pack, Vancouver duo Cosmetics’s Soft Skin was the biggest surprise in the bunch. Going from not knowing anything about the band beforehand to instant fan after the needle raised on the A-side, the group’s seductive minimalist dance music is good enough to hook anyone after one listen.

With S&M tinged titles “Soft Skin” and “Black Leather Glove”, it’s no surprise that sex plays a role in the music. However, instead of using not-too-discreet Prince-like references to “the act”, the Cosmetics’s approach is more indirect and a lot more subtle — with the sensual feeling being mostly set by the tone of the music rather than sexually explicit lyrics. With a throbbing electro-bassline and bare-bones percussion reminiscent of The Raveonettes’s “Aly Walk With Me”, no doubt both tracks on the 7” could easily fit into a DJs rotation at one of those crazy underground dance parties where pretty much anything goes (in fact, it seems like some of their live shows are just that).

Not to say the lyrics aren’t sultry, because they are. Aja Emma’s whispered lines of “I get a feeling of pleasure / when I wear black leather” is enough to put anyone in the mood (don’t tell fellow bandmate Nic that, as the two are an item), however the soft drum-machine cymbal claps and sustained synth buzzs gives the song just as much appeal as the smoky vocals.

Thanks to Nic, you can check out the B-side track, and my personal favorite, “Black Leather Gloves” below. If you need more material, Emmanuel at the Delicious Scopitone posted two other songs that are definitely worth checking out.

Cosmetics // Black Leather Gloves

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Veronica Falls // Found Love in a Graveyard 7”

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Yesterday I got a treat when my set of five new Captured Track 7′’s arrived in the mail. I’ll be posting my impressions on the other four later this week, but for now I’ll dive into the one I was most excited about: Veronica Falls‘ Found Love in a Graveyard.

Judging by the album art alone, you would think this was the back cover to another Woodsist release, but instead of being filled with noisy lo-fi goodness that “the other” NY label tends to gravitate towards, Veronica Falls C/T release is a concoction of sweet pop mixed with shadowy Raveonettes-like lyrics (the confectionery equivalent being somewhere along the lines of “dark chocolate”). I mean, the title of both the 7” and the A-side epitomizes their music best, tipping you off on what to expect before the needle ever hits the wax.

“Found Love in a Graveyard” is unquestionable their largest hit to date, garnering a lot of attention from a lot of people who know music better than me. Opening with an ominous guitar line and ghostly hums from vocalist Roxanne Clifford, the track could easily have gone down the uber-creepy path like Fielder’s “The Watcher”. Instead, it switches gears at the arrival of the first chorus, generating some extremely catchy lo-fi pop.

On the other hand, the B-side “Starry Eyes” — a Roky Erickson cover — is much more straightforward 50s pop than its flip-side counterpart. With bouncy lighthearted instrumentation ripped straight from The Crickets playbook, the track tempers the country feel of the original, letting the pop shine through more clearly. Although Clifford doesn’t possess as unique of a voice as Erickson, she holds her own with her soft-spoken whimsical rendition.

You can check out Veronica Falls version of “Starry Eyes” [Via: Transparent] as well as a rare Erickson acoustic performance of the song below:

Veronica Falls // Starry Eyes (Roky Erickson Cover)

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Washed Out / Small Black 7”

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Haven’t received my copy from Lovepump United yet, but I thought I would go ahead and talk about it since the mp3s have been floating around for a while now. Taking two of the more respected hazy lo-fi artists of ‘09 and having them remix each other is a not only a guaranteed recipe for selling a lot of records but also a treat for us music fans.

Georgian Ernest Greene, better known in music circles as Washed Out, released a couple of EPs worth of material last year showcasing his 80s-infused tape-deck appeal that pretty much took everyone by their ears. Unfortunately breaking through at the same time as pretty much everyone else in the absurdly named “glo-fi” genre, Greene was relegated to the collective group of Neon Indian, Ducktails, and Memory Tapes (a good bunch to be associated with, however) rather than laying claim to “that unique sound” if he burst onto the scene a couple of years earlier. I must admit that I don’t know much about Small Black besides from a handful of mp3s I’ve stumbled across late last year. Although a bit more rocking than their cassette-loving brethren, the Long Island duo of Josh Kolenik and Ryan Heyner still make heavy use of reverb and lo-fi production to channel their inner beach bum.

No doubt, taking two groups from the same genre and asking the to remix each other is like switching up from a Bartlett pear to an Anjou — you’re not going to experience much difference — however both Small Black and Washed Out add their own personal touches to each track, making it well worth the purchase. Check out the Washed Out remix of “Despicable Dogs” as well as the original to decide for yourself:

Small Black // Despicable Dogs (Washed Out Remix)

Small Black // Descpicable Dogs

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Christmas Island // Nineteen | Twenty-Nine 7”

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Without a doubt, Captured Tracks is most responsible for my downfall into poverty. Arguably the best label of 2009 (and unquestionably if fellow NY label Woodsist wasn’t around), C/T has been blazing a trail with their stellar 7” releases which I seem to be eating up like candy. My recent purchase, which I have to admit was due to the awesome cover, is from the San Diego garage indie-rock band Christmas Island.

Combining the titles of both sides, you wind up with a topic I’ve already covered, however each track is meant to be taken separately — lamenting the problems encountered at the ages of nineteen and twenty-nine. The younger A-side certainly expounds upon the Wavves’ “So Bored” feeling of not having anything to do while a teenager. The opening lines “growing up in a small town / nothing every happens / spend your time hanging around / nothing every happens” sets the mood of the track, giving the sense that Christmas Islands formed as a band more from a blasé attitude the members all shared than a common music appreciation. Similar to Nathan Williams’s seemingly paradoxical description of boredom using high-energy driving beats, “Nineteen” isn’t a sorrowful woe-is-me type song, but rather a fast-moving “call to action” type track.

The B-side “Twenty-Nine” has a more laid-back vibe to it chiefly due to the surf-y guitar line which certainly echoes the “everything is out of my control” feeling one has when you get older. Another theme expressed throughout is the sense of no accomplishment even at a relatively young age. Unless you are going for a Fields Medal, there’s no reason to feel a strain of not making your mark on the world when you’re twenty-nine; however, it’s natural to do so — and the song represents well this illogical worrisome.

Here’s a track from the 7” (which you can buy here):

Christmas Island // Twenty-Nine

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Explode Into Colors // Coffins 7”

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

(courtesy: Christian Reed – Concert Co-Op)

As seen by my glowing review of another Explode Into Colors 7” release , it doesn’t take a Mensa member to find out that I love the band. So when I saw a lonely copy of their currently out-of-print M’Lady’s released 7” on the shelf at Mississippi Records, I had to snatch it up — and good because I think their debut certainly outshines its two successors!

For those with a short memory, Explode Into Colors is an all-girl garage rock trio hailing from Portland that can best be described as a Northwest version of Austin’s Finally Punk, only noticeably “less punk-y” than their southern contemporaries. Without a doubt, percussion tends to be the favored locomotive power of the band and the A-side “Coffins” is a prime example of this. With a tribal tom-tom drum beat that any marching band drum-line would be envious of, Explode Into Colors do what their name suggests and spatters their music into the ears of the listener.

Not one to buck the trend, B-side “Sharpen the Knife” features a similar powerful drumbeat only this time it has a bass line (courtesy of Claudia Meza) to match the intensity of the pounding by Lisa Schonberg. No doubt all the blood, sweat, and tears Schonberg puts into the group is deserving of an inevitable Tom-Tom zine nod, but with “Sharpen the Knife” it’s Meza’s voice that shines, emphasizing the creepiness the track title implies.

Fortunately, for those who weren’t quick enough to purchase this record, M’lady’s will be releasing all three of Explode Into Colors 7′’s in one 12” vinyl package in the coming months, so be on alert! To whet your appetitie, here’s a video of them performing “Sharpen the Knife” live back in May:

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