Seattle's La Luz is celebrating their recent signing to Hardly Art by offering a free download of "Big Big Blood". The debut LP, It's Alive, will be released by Hardly Art in October.
Hardly Art
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
"Big Big Blood" by La Luz (free download)
Seattle's La Luz is celebrating their recent signing to Hardly Art by offering a free download of "Big Big Blood". The debut LP, It's Alive, will be released by Hardly Art in October.
Hardly Art
REVIEW: The Mallard - Finding Meaning in Deference
Yes on Blood, the 2012 debut LP from San Francisco's The Mallard was one of my top five albums of the year. It was a bit of garage, a bit of surf, a bit of punk, and a lot of interesting rhythms. Conceived and recorded by Greer McGettrick, The Mallard expanded to a live three piece to perform the tunes. During 2012, while promoting Yes on Blood, Greer began writing the sophomore LP. That album has become Finding Meaning in Deference, which was released this week by Castle Face Records. Quite simply, this album is a beast. A grand, snorting, charging beast. While elements of the the garage rock ethos permeate the album, and some psychedelia creeps in, Finding Meaning in Deference is tough, unapologetic, angular post punk, with plenty of clang and well used dissonance. It is taut, a bit nervous, and bursting with energy and spiky shards of glass. And it is done so well that it prompted me to re-examine some albums previously released this year that trumpeted their post punk bona fides; after listening to Finding Meaning in Deference, most of them are left in The Mallard's furious wake.
I was only able to find one track to embed in this post, the album closer "Iceberg". Fortunately, although the album boasts diverse song structures, "Iceberg" is fairly representative. If you search the internet you may find a download of "Crystals & Candles" (a spiky post-punk coat of paint on solid garage rock bones -- add a psychedelic swirl garnish, and you have a delicious track). If you want to sample other tracks, you can try Amazon or iTunes. I recommend "React", "Just An Ending", "Gestur" and "Out the Door" for starters.
There is more than a twinge of regret in posting this review, as Greer disbanded The Mallard after SXSW 2013 and before this album was released. So this would appear to be the last time I will write about one of my favorite bands of the last two years.
Did Greer, whose stage persona (while always professional) seemed to vary between reluctant and fierce, burn out on performing? Did she burn out in satisfying her obviously perfectionist recording muse? Her statement said that she was sick of her songs and sick of performing them, and needed time away from the music scene. I have met her, and she is an impressive young lady. I hope she finds what she is looking for.
For this album, The Mallard was Greer McGettrick, Dylan Tidyman-Jones, Miles Luttrell and Danny Kendrick.
Tumblr
Soundcloud (old songs)
Castle Face Records
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
REISSUES: George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers - George Thorogood And The Destroyers and Move It On Over
Whether it was a gimmick or a demonstration of stamina (probably both), George and the band embarked on their “50 States in 50 Dates” tour, traveling in a Checker Cab (flying only to Alaska and Hawaii).
From Rounder's announcement:
The Destroyers went on to continued and greater success after leaving Rounder, when the label entered a joint venture with EMI for George’s fourth album, Bad to the Bone, but their first two albums are the essence of everything that makes the band great. Recorded live in the studio, George Thorogood & the Destroyers and Move It On Over capture perfectly the energy of their live shows. There’s not a wasted note, and if George never aimed for the pyrotechnics of later blues rockers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, the directness of his approach cuts straight to the heart of each song.
On July 30, 2013, Rounder Records will re-release Thorogood’s first two albums, 1977’s George Thorogood:
1. You Got To Lose (3:15)
2. Madison Blues (4:24)
3. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer (8:20)
4. Kind Hearted Woman (3:48)
5. Can’t Stop Lovin’ (3:04)
6. Ride On Josephine (4:17)
7. Homesick Boy (3:02)
8. John Hardy (3:18)
9. I’ll Change My Style (3:57)
10. Delaware Slide (7:45)
and 1978’s Move It On Over.
1. Move It On Over (4:16)
2. Who Do You Love (4:15)
3. The Sky Is Crying (5:09)
4. Cocaine Blues (2:46)
5. It Wasn’t Me (3:54)
6. That Same Thing (3:05)
7. So Much Trouble (3:15)
8. I’m Just Your Good Thing (3:29)
9. Baby Please Set A Date (4:42)
10. New Hawaiian Boogie (4:34)
Thirty-five years later, these performances still ring true. Mastered from new digital transfers of the original analog tapes, these albums have never sounded better. If you were around when these first came out, the joy of hearing them in good digital format will make you happy. If you weren't and you like roots rock, well, you're in for a treat...
George Thorogood website
NEW SONGS: Flamingo Bay - "Serpentine" b/w "Bleed" from upcoming album Loco Pony
Here's "Bleed" - which contains all the guitar swagger, but is more uptempo with a lot of punk energy, and some guitar feedback:
The band consists of Dillon Henningson, Kris Gies and Vince Rankin - a hard-working power trio with a ton of promise. This single is free for now on Bandcamp (just click through the links above), the album's due out in September - if you like guitar rock, don't waste any more time. Grab this gift from north of the border.
Flamingo Bay Facebook
REVIEW: Heaven - Telepathic Love
With today's release of Telepathic Love Brooklyn's Heaven have made their claim to be heirs to Ride, and Spaceman 3 and The Jesus and Mary Chain in the Scottish act's more melodic moments. The group is comprised of Matt Sumrow (Dean and Britta, Comas, and Ambulance LTD), Mikey Jones (Swervedriver, Big Sleep, and Snowden), and Ryan Lee Dunlap (Fan-Tan). Sumrow and Jones have played together in Bolts of Melody, the project of Swervedriver's Adam Franklin. This band is an opportunity for the guys to fulfill their shared musical visions.
And that vision is characterized by dense, melodic guitars, mid-tempo rhythms, vaguely druggy atmosphere and hushed, understated vocals. Reverb, drone and fuzz are in good supply, but so is skill with pop melodies. Thus, despite the classically heavy shoegaze/psychedelic sound, the songs remain accessible. The result is a very promising debut.
My recommended tracks are "Colors In The Whites Of Your Eyes", "Telepathic Love", "Mountains Move", and "Once the Heartache".
Telepathic Love is out today on Goodnight Records.
Website
Goodnight Record's Bandcamp page for the album
credits_______________________
REVIEW: Jan Roth - L.O.W.
"Glühwürmchen" is a quiet start but a wonderful warm-up that showcases Roth's considerable piano skills and his facility with experimentation and with stretching and poking at the tempo and rhythm. "Einundzwanzig" is sort of cinematic - you can sort of picture a journey across a blasted landscape (or whatever type of landscape you might imagine). "Siebzehn" is one of the more upbeat, almost pop songs, but of course that is relative to the rest of this album:
"Kleine Freiheit" is reminiscent of some of the US jazz/hip-hop stuff from artists like Yesterday's New Quintet or The Bad Plus, or, again, Brad Mehldau. It's available for free download right now:
"Achtzehn" is perhaps my favorite song on the record, and showcases Roth's talent with using not a lot of notes to make some gorgeous music. Album closer "Regen" evokes more of a cityscape and is quietly beautiful, with only piano in the track. This is an impressive, sort of majestic debut. Roth has previously played drums live with German musician Tim Neuhaus at many of Hundreds' live shows. He has also played on many of Clueso and Max Prosa's records as well as countless jazz bands. L.O.W. is out now on German label Sinnbus Records.
Jan Roth Facebook
Sinnbus Records
Math And Physics Club - Long Drag 7"
Math and Physics Club is a Seattle band I've been able to watch grow up (in an artistic sense). I bought their debut EP in about 2005, and have happily enjoyed all of their subsequent releases. Today, Matinee Recording releases the two-track Long Drag 7", which is the first record from the band since 2010. Math and Physics Club songs have, in the past, tended to be twee, nerdy, romantic, humorous and self-deprecatory, as well as well written and boasting excellent melodies. Nothing good from the past has been lost for Long Drag, but the title track presents an additional dimension -- a narrator who is angry and is willing to tell off his former lover. The song is fast-paced, energetic. Accompanied by staccato percussion and hand claps, he points out that he was holding up his side the relationship and she is the one who is failing to keep her end of the bargain. It is a great pop song in every respect, but in particular possesses that killer refrain that makes the song memorable -- and reminds us of the power of music: "My arms are shaking, I feel so naked. It's my heart that's breaking in your hand. But the song that's playing is my all-time favorite, and it just might save me in the end."
The B-side is "Across the Paper", a lovely twee song with clever lyrics sung wistfully to the accompaniment of ukuleles. There is a bottom line here, and it is that this is one of the better 7" records you'll have a chance to buy this year. And it is a great example of why singles are a wonderful way to experience new music.
The 7" was recorded at Dub Narcotic studios in Olympia, Washington, and precedes a new LP from the band.
Math and Physics Club are Charles Bert, Ethan Jones (who also is in Eux Autres), and James Werle.
Math and Physics Club Website
Matinee Recordings
Matinee Recordings Link for record
Monday, July 29, 2013
Naked - Lie Follows Lie 7"
We are born naked, the undertaker prepares us for final rest naked, and moments in between we find ourselves naked. When naked, we are defenseless, vulnerable, without trappings or extraneous distraction. Edinburgh band Naked seeks to reveal that vulnerable, exposed element in music. The band has just released their debut recording, the two-track Lie Follows Lie, on Song by Toad Records. While two tracks is scant evidence to project a career arc, the songs comprising the single promise very good things for the future.
The title track is a icy, cinematic, reverb-heavy soundscape of guitar, vocals and percussion. If it is dream pop, it is haunted dream pop. "In Heaven" is a somewhat more traditional song, but yields nothing to the title track in terms of impact. The vocals convey more emotion and the arrangement adeptly builds and releases tensions. I love both tracks, but if I had to choose, I'd choose "In Heaven".
Here is the video for "Lie Follows Lie" --
Naked are Aggie, Alexander and Grant. The members also have worked with Edinburgh School for the Death, which is one of my favorite Edinburgh bands over the last several years.
Website
Soundcloud
Sunday, July 28, 2013
New tracks from LUNGS "Faraway" b/w "Loner" - listen now, release date July 29
Here's "Faraway" - dreamy, really beautiful and kind of languidly paced. Blake's vocals predominate, and Magrao's soundscape is haunting:
Here's "Loner" - a bit faster-paced, and on this one Blake's vocals are urgent, almost shouted in places:
Looking forward to hearing more from them - and you can learn more, or order the single from Hero Records, at the links below.
Lungs website
Lungs at Hero Records
REVIEW: Teenage Guitar - Force Fields At Home
A friend of mine is fond of expressing the sentiment that this is a very blessed time for fans of goofy, literate, well-crafted guitar rock... because we are fortunate indeed to share the planet with Robert Pollard and a number of record labels who are willing to let him release a seemingly unlimited number of records. Well, here we go again: Teenage Guitar is the name of this project, and the album is Force Fields At Home.
Teenage Guitar is mainly Robert Pollard, with some help from Greg Demos and Joe Patterson on drums and bass, respectively. All else is Pollard, and it's one of his more peripatetic releases, with a delightful variety of tempos and instrumentation.
The opening track, "Court of Lions", is a fairly conventional Pollard guitar rock song with a strong vocal. The longest song "Come See The Supermoon" is one of the weirdest, and of course this album contains some of the ultra-short gems that Pollard and GbV fans are accustomed to expecting: "Strangers For A Better Society" and "Peter Pan Can" get to the point quickly, the latter with a double-tracked Pollard British-accented vocal, an insistent tension/release guitar line and just a bit of chaos. Taking the trend to what might be its ultimate conclusion, "Bars of Meaningless Matilda" is just a perfect :34 of guitar pop with no frills at all. This leads into a pretty, acoustic number "Harvest Whale" - with the pleasing sounds of acoustic guitars and vocals offset by what sounds like a struck spring or one of those giant plastic microphones.
Here's "Atlantic Cod", a majestic psych/pop song:
In short, the album covers the four P's and is a delightful mixture of oddities and delights - and being released on the same day as the previously-covered Honey Locust Honky Tonk, it merely confirms my friend's observation: these are special times indeed.
REVIEW: Cuzo - Son Imaginaciones Teves
Here's the opening track, "Caída y Auge del Heavy Metal" - you could call the title a bit of statement of purpose:
And here's "Turbisofon", a heavy boogie/krautrock number with great drum, bass and synths:
The Spanish label BCore Disc has announced that, for a limited time, this and other releases are available for "name your price" on Bandcamp. Do not delay - this stuff will improve your collection immediately.
Friday, July 26, 2013
New Video from Boardwalk - "I'm To Blame"
We recently featured a track from new L.A. dream pop duo Boardwalk, who have been signed to Stones Throw and will be releasing an album in the fall. The song is "I'm To Blame", a hypnotic bit of reverb-drenched near-shoegaze with swirling guitars and otherworldly vocals, and this is the video they've released to go along with it. Fittingly, the video is gauzy, multicolored, oblique and pretty:
Broadway is Mike Edge and Amber Quintero, who met and formed the band last summer - we're really looking forward to the album.
Boardwalk on Stones Throw
REVIEW: Doc Feldman and the LD50 - Sundowning at the Station
I think this is a good time for all of you to meet Doc Feldman. You see, Doc and some of his musically inclined friends, calling themselves Doc Feldman and the LD50, have released a southern gothic/Americana/alt country masterpiece titled Sundowning at the Station. It is gritty and dark with restrained and experimental instrumentation, including field recordings, and observations that cut like a knife or hit like a hammer. In addition to Doc, the LD50 are James Jackson Toth, David Chapman and Jeremiah Floyd. But after living with this album, it occurs to me that a contingent of ghosts and memories deserves to be credited as well, and they all should be proud to do so.
I'm sure you are familiar with albums that hook you in with a bouncy, happy first track? Well, this isn't one of them. Sundowning at the Station begins with "Ready" -- the musings of a murderer waiting on death row for a lethal injection.
The following "Texas Moan" dwells on a lost love, with the refrain "Shame on you Texas for pushing her away".
The vocalized pain becomes generalized to life itself on "Alive for Now". The passionate "Let It Go" addresses coming to grips with transitions, and the regrets of the past. "Can't Quit You" is a minimally adorned blues dirge. After an instrumental interlude with gentle banjo picking and samples (the wonderfully named "Pinecone Drone"), Doc and company amp up the Southern Gothic with "Cold Tile Floor", referencing LD50 -- the toxicology term for a median lethal drug dose. Then the electric guitars buzz in fine southern rock fashion on the cover of "Battle Hymn", which is the most up-tempo song on the album.
Restraint takes over again for "Only Light". The band goes electric again for the country ballad, and one of my favorites of the album, "Bless This Mess". The narrator begins with "damn this harsh reality" and then confesses to having expected too much from his dreams. But I think that all that I need to write about this song is that the refrain prays "Bless this mess of a heart, its come apart at the seams, the hollowed out dreams ...." Indeed.
The album closes with "Weighted", featuring gentle picking and washed out vocals before swelling into feedback. A more perfect ending to this album could not be devised.
The album was recorded in Lexington, Kentucky. It is out now on This Is American Music.
Website
Bandcamp
This Is American Music
June 2013 - When You Motor Away Spotify Playlists
The music is always playing in the back ground at my house. I assume it is the same for my fellow bloggers and many of you. The playlist for June 2013 is only 454 songs down by nearly 200 songs from last month's list. The year-to date playlist is 3,254 songs. Both could be viewed as overwhelming numbers. Some of our fans have asked the the playlist to be pared down. We - as a group - have listened to everyone of these songs - and many more which did not make the cut. If one of us isn't hooked, we don't review the group or the album.
Music is an individual relationship with the muses. I don't know your muse. I would not order for you in a restaurant, pick out the clothes you should be wearing, or tell you what books you should read. Look at our list as a first pass on music we heard and liked this month. Delete what doesn't hook you and personalize the list.
Music is an individual relationship with the muses. I don't know your muse. I would not order for you in a restaurant, pick out the clothes you should be wearing, or tell you what books you should read. Look at our list as a first pass on music we heard and liked this month. Delete what doesn't hook you and personalize the list.
Hit play and put the list on shuffle. The second Spotify playlist is for the first 6 months of 2013. Our ears have collectively listened to over 3,200 tracks. A solid summer playlist by anyone's standards. You will automatically receive updates to the list if you follow the year-to-date list on Spotify. Enjoy the fruits of our passion.
June 2013 - When You Motor Away
2013 - When You Motor Away
JAZZ REISSUES: Concord Original Jazz Classics Remasters from Monk, Evans, Adderly, Montgomery, Baker, Mulligan...
Uniformly wonderful, yet varied in approach, these discs cover the span of time from 1957 to 1962. Since we make it clear that, at WYMA, we are not critics but "appreciators" of music, I will dispense with any effort to evaluate these records individually, except to say that they are all terrific and the one I thought I would like the best (Evans) is in fact wonderful, but the one I wasn't so sure I would like (Baker) might be the best of the bunch. But that's the problem with these Riverside records, as anyone who collects jazz will know. With no bad records, ranking them becomes a bit futile. To put it simply: if you like 50's and 60's jazz, you will want all of these.
Here is more information on each record, directly from Concord:
Riverside was launched in 1953 in New York on a shoestring budget by traditional-jazz enthusiasts Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews as a platform to reissue jazz and blues recordings from the 1920s by King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Ma Rainey, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and others. Over the next decade, the label evolved into one of the premier purveyors of modern jazz. With Keepnews producing the sessions (and often writing the liner notes), Riverside brought jazz giants like Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery to the forefront of American music. Riverside folded in 1964, a year after Grauer’s death. The catalog was acquired by Fantasy in 1972, and Fantasy was in turn acquired by Concord Music Group in late 2004.
All five Riverside titles in the current round of reissues were originally produced by Keepnews and include his original liner notes. All reflect the ambitious depth and scope of influential jazz captured in the Riverside catalog over the relatively short span of 11 years.
Thelonious Monk & Gerry Mulligan: Mulligan Meets Monk
Recorded in mid August 1957, Mulligan Meets Monk is a summit of two artists from two very different and distinct worlds — Monk representing what was then known as East Coast jazz, and Mulligan deeply rooted in a West Coast sound. Rounding out the quartet are bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Shadow Wilson. Even with the two frontmen’s disparate styles, the unlikely pairing resulted in an engaging and enduring recording, according to Neil Tesser’s new liner notes.
“Despite their radically different personalities, and their almost antipodal approach to improvising, Monk and Mulligan found common ground in composition,” says Tesser. “Not in the songs themselves — no one would ever mistake one of Monk’s for one of Mulligan’s — but in their devotion to the craft, and their admiration for the balanced, well-turned tune. That devotion manifested itself quite differently in their individual musics, but it provided the foundation for their unimagined friendship . . . and allowed them to join in this unexpectedly successful venture.”
Bonus tracks on the Mulligan Meets Monk reissue are alternate takes of the Mulligan composition “Decidedly” and Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser,” along with two alternate takes of the Monk/Coleman Hawkins piece “I Mean You.”
Bill Evans Trio: How My Heart Sings!
Recorded in New York on three separate days in May and June 1962, How My Heart Sings! features Bill Evans accompanied by bassist Chuck Israels (replacing Scott Lofaro, who had died in an automobile accident less than a year earlier) and drummer Paul Motian. The album is actually the second of two to emerge from the 1962 sessions; the first was Moonbeams, a collection of ballads. How My Heart Sings! is, by design, a bit more lively and energetic.
“The selections represented here are primarily of a more ‘moving’ kind,” says Doug Ramsey in his new liner notes to the reissue, “though there is in the trio’s approach to all material a desire to present a singing sound. Hence, the title of the album, despite its intended program of faster swinging vehicles.”
How My Heart Sings! includes three bonus tracks: an alternate take of “In Your Own Sweet Way,” and previously unreleased renditions of “34 Skidoo” and “Ev’rything I Love.”
Wes Montgomery: So Much Guitar!
So Much Guitar! was recorded in August 1961, with Wes Montgomery fronting a stellar lineup that includes Hank Jones on piano, Ron Carter on bass, Lex Humphries on drums and Ray Baretto on congas. The album was a turning point, not only for Wes but for bassist Ron Carter as well, says Marc Myers, author of the reissue’s new liner notes.
“While Montgomery’s previous release on Riverside in 1960, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, put the guitarist in play with critics, So Much Guitar! caught the ear of poll-voting jazz fans and established him as a soulful force,” says Myers. “The album also marked Carter’s first opportunity to show his stuff on the fly — transforming the formally trained 24-year-old into a first-call session player. Today he is one of the most prolific recording artists in jazz history.”
The bonus tracks here essentially make up an entire second album, capturing eight songs recorded earlier in 1961 at the Cellar, a club in Vancouver, British Columbia. This Canadian set — originally issued on Fantasy as The Montgomery Brothers in Canada, includes Buddy Montgomery on vibes, Monk Montgomery on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums
Cannonball Adderley & Milt Jackson: Things Are Getting Better
Recorded in a single day in October 1958, Things Are Getting Better showcases the brilliant impromptu interplay of Cannonball Adderley and Milt Jackson, with assistance from Wynton Kelly on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Art Blakey on drums.
While Keepnews’s original liner notes referred to the recording as “fundamentally a blowing date in the best sense of that much abused term,” the set is clearly much more than that, according to Willard Jenkins’s new notes. “The album’s groove stems primarily from the successful partnership formed by the blues firm of Adderley and Jackson,” says Jenkins, “each of whom were hall of fame representatives of the essence of the groove factor during their time as the respective histories of each have borne out.”
The reissue of Things Are Getting Better includes two bonus tracks not found on the original LP: alternate takes of Buddy Johnson’s “Serves Me Right” and Lawlor and Blake’s “Sidewalks of New York” (the latter arranged by Adderley).
Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe
Chet Baker Plays the Best of Lerner and Loewe is exactly what the title suggests — a set of eight innovative renditions of compositions by one of the most prolific and recognizable theatrical teams of the mid-20th century. Baker’s supporting cast on this July 1959 date includes Herbie Mann on flute, piccolo, alto flute, and tenor sax; Zoot Sims on alto and tenor saxophones; Pepper Adams on bari sax; Bill Evans and Bob Corwin trading off piano duties on various tracks; Earl May on bass; and Clifford Jarvis on drums.
The album “is easily heard as a sequel to the popular Chet (also on Riverside) album of standards released earlier that same great-jazz year of 1959,” says James Rozzi in his liner notes to the reissue. “The mix of personnel throughout the set provides the recording “with a similar timbre while adding uptempo fare to the previously released, slow and relaxed ballad set of Chet.”
The music, the packaging and the liner notes (both the originals by Keepnews and the new notes by a variety of writers) are all very good. The amalgamation of talent is nearly unbelievable - Thelonious Monk with Gerry Mulligan, Cannonball Adderly with Milt Jackson, Wynton Kelly, Percy Heath and Art Blakey - really, dream combinations. Herbie Mann's flute work on the Baker disc is just tremendous. But these are just highlights, as there is not a weak moment on any of these. The links in the record titles above will take you to the Concord site where you can learn more, follow their links to Amazon or iTunes to listen to samples or order the records.
REVIEW: Standish/Carlyon - Deleted Scenes
Standish/Carlyon are Conrad Standish (bass/vocals) and Tom Carlyon (guitar), formerly in Australian noir rock group Devastations. But on Deleted Scenes they take a different tack into the night. The rhythms and beats often are sparse, yet the arrangements have a glossy, urban noir feel. The listener senses depths of emotion swirling under the surface. This is some of the best headphones music I've heard this year, and is highly recommended for those late nights.
Several notable collaborations are part of this project. Album closer "2 5 1 1" includes Benjamin John Power of Fuck Buttons, and "Feb Love" -- a slowly building slice of electro/dub soul -- includes vocals by Standish's spouse, Johnnine, who is a member of HTRK --
I love the heavy dub sound in this track --
"Moves, Moves" is a delightful rhythmic exercise underpinning Standish's falsetto --
The relaxed vibe for "Aqua Valerie" is a late-night favorite of mine --
Deleted Scenes was recorded in London. It is our now on Felte (US/EU/UK) and Chapter Music (Aus)
Soundcloud
Felte
Chapter Music
Friday Nuggets - "Louie Louie"
We probably should have done this week 1 of this series, but it's time to honor the song that more than any other started the garage rock movement - "Louie Louie".
Recorded by more than 1000 different bands, the subject of an FBI investigation over its lyrical content, lawsuits over royalties, rival versions by bands from the same town on the charts on the same time, controversies galore - "Louie Louie" is full of legend and lore. It's more like a force of nature than merely a song.
But we honor songs here at WYMA not long stories, so forget the Rice University Marching Band version and Black Flag's cover, and even the Wailers 1961 version that formed the template for the garage rock arrangement of what started in 1955 as a Jamaican folk song about a sailor coming home to see his girl. (Those Wailers being the seminal garage rock band from Seattle, a/k/a The Fabulous Wailers, not to be confused with the Wailers from Jamaica fronted by Bob Marley; phew).
The Kingsmen, an unknown garage band from Portland Oregon, released this single in 1963 and rock'n'roll was never the same:
One interesting tidbit: The best moment of the song, the shout of "Okay, let's give it to 'em right now!" as intro to the crazy guitar solo, was lifted by The Kingsmen from the Wailers version, so it wasn't quite as spontaneous as it sounds.
Curious about how all this "Louie Louie" madness came to be? The Wikipedia write up is a fun read.
As a special bonus, here's a video with the three earlier versions - the Richard Perry original, the Wailers garage rock redo, and one from Little Bill and the Blue Notes:
Friday morning update:
I posted this last night, only to wake up today, go outside to get the local paper from my mailbox and be greeted with this headline article: "Louie, Louie, We Gotta Be Art Now", about how the artwork in the new federal building here in Portland will be based on the chords and sound of "Louie Louie". Awesome and too funny.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The New Mendicants - Australia 2013 EP
The New Mendicants are Joe Pernice (Scud Mountain Boys/Pernice Brothers) and Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub/BMX Bandits), so one thing of which every listener can be assured is that the pop craftsmanship will be top shelf. The fruits of their recent collaboration is the Australia 2013 EP, a largely acoustic affair that showcases the ability of Pernice and Blake as interpreters, as well as the quality of the underlying material.
The EP begins with a cover of the Andrew Farriss-penned INXS' song "This Time". It starts out the proceedings in a glorious power pop groove.
"Follow You Down" and "High On The Skyline", the second and third tracks, are a gentle acoustic tunes written by Pernice and Blake. Track 4 is a memorable cover of the Blake-penned "I Don't Want Control Of You", which was a hit for Teenage Fanclub (the bongos are a nice touch). Track five is Pernice's "Amazing Glow". The album closes with the jointly written gem "Sarasota".
A pop fan will not regret the 16 minutes spent with this album, although I suspect you will fall in love with many, or all, the tunes and spend a lot more time with the EP. And for additional good news, I note that The New Mendicants are preparing a full length album for release in 2014.
Australia 2013 EP is out now on One Little Indian. Blake and Pernice were joined by Mike Belisky of The Sadies on drums.
New Sebadoh Track "I Will" - album Defend Yourself due in fall
Here's a video with them discussing the album:
And here's the advance track "I Will":
And some tour dates in the Western US:
07/30/2013 Bootleg Theater - Los Angeles, CA
07/31/2013 Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
08/02/2013 Bunk Bar - Portland, OR
08/03/2013 Barboza - Seattle, WA
08/05/2013 Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
08/06/2013 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
08/09/2013 The Crescent Lounge - Phoenix, AZ
08/10/2013 The Casbah - San Diego, CA
08/11/2013 Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
This is definitely something to look forward to. The record is due out Sept. 17 on Joyful Noise.
Sebadoh website
Joyful Noise Recordings website
REVIEW: Dub Club - Foundation Come Again
Here's sound system legend Josey Wales with "Hard Time":
Artists like Wales, who has a direct line back to U Roy's sound system, bring a level of credibility to this record that is almost unbelievable. However, while authenticity and gravitas are good, the sound is the thing. And this all sounds tremendous.
Here's Tippa Lee's own "Mr. Big Man":
Sadly, three of the vocalists on here: Ranking Trevor, King Stitt, and Errol Scorcher all passed on after recording their tracks for this album. But they are captured in fine style. Perhaps the best track on the album is Trevor's opener, "Paper and Pen". Note the dedication on the back cover:
If you're a fan of 70's-80's Jamaican dancehall and dub music, you will be amazed at the quality and quantity of music on Foundation Come Again. This album works as a time capsule or historical document - truly, just to have one track by each of these Jamaican legends, it would be worth much more than the cost of the album. But it's also (and perhaps more importantly) a great reggae album - a test for your sound system's bottom end and an invitation to the neighbors to come over for a good time, if you live too far from Los Angeles to catch one of the weekly shows at the Dub Club.
1. Ranking Trevor – Paper & Pen
2. Josey Wales – Hard Time
3. Little Harry – Revolution
4. Ranking Joe & Tristan – Bring The Sensi Come
5. Lone Ranger – Wicked Dem Come
6. Danny Dread – Every Herbsman Is A Star
7. Dillinger – Around The World
8. Tippa Lee – Hey Mr. Big Man
9. Trinity – Rolling Stone
10. Tullo T – Can’t Stop The Ras
11. Natty King & King Stitt – Gimmie Gimmie
12. Jim Brown – Sensimilla
13. Welton Irie – Chant Down Babylon
14. Errol Schorcher – Ride Riddim
15. Kojak – Hear Me Now Star
16. Brigadier Jerry & Ranking Joe – Meditation Chant
17. Prince Jazzbo – Black Shadow
18. Pompidoo – Selassie I Rule
19. Big Youth – Healing Of The Nation
20. Robert Mystic – Satta
Foundation Come Again was released last week (July 16) on Stones Throw. Buy the album, individual tracks, or learn more at Stones Throw. Learn about the shows on Dub Club's Facebook page - both below.
Dub Club website on Stones Throw
Dub Club Facebook
REVIEW: Dub Noir - Pick Your Century
Although Pick Your Century is their debut album, Dub Noir was formed a decade ago by guitarists Joe Howell and Casey Immel-Brown. Perhaps surprising for a band based in Columbus, Ohio, their sound seems to be a close kin of the New Zealand guitar pop, the UK C86 bands or Australia's The Go-Betweens. Due to several members moving from Columbus, the band is on hiatus. However, Portland's Shelflife Records has a fine ear for underexposed pop bands, and has assembled 11 tracks recorded between 2003 and 2006. Take the album for a test drive with jangling "The Careerist". It is a wonderful song, and reminds me of New Zealand's The Chills and the excellent album released by Phil Wilson of C86 band The June Brides a few years ago.
Dub Noir slows down the pace on a few tracks (for example, "Beneath the Wheel"), but most of the tracks utilize a quicker beat, which I think is the best approach for this kind of pop music. Overall, this album rates well with me for the following reasons. First, I love jangle pop, and these boys do it well. Second, the melodies reflect excellent songwriting; the melancholy tones and Brydsian jangle of "Grim Expectations", the stormy chords of "Disco Lights" and every single second of the title track never fail to bring a smile to my face. Third, a band this good deserves to be collected by guitar pop fans, and given the current status of Dub Noir, it isn't certain that there will ever be anything else to collect.
The band credits, in addition to Howell and Immel-Brown, are Marcus Matthews, Cameron Sharp and Michael O'Shaugnnessy. Chris Bailey and Eric Thompson as played in the band for a period of time.
Pick Your Century is out now on Shelflife. It is available as a CD plus digital download (limited to 100 numbered copies) or digital download alone.
Shelflife Records page for album
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
REVIEW: Weekend - Jinx
Weekend are Shaun Durkan, Kevin Johnson, Abe Pedroza. Jinx is out now on Slumberland Records.
Slumberland Records page for album
"I Had A Dream" by Sagamore
I'm willing to admit that I know almost very little about Sagamore. I have learned that they are from the south coast of Australia and will be releasing an EP later this year on the Flightless label. Why do I think we should care? The answer is "I Had A Dream", the debut single from the EP. If that song is representative of what we should expect from the group, then I care quite a bit.
Sagamore are Sam Cooper, Monty Hartnett, Chris Jennings, Sopnia Lubczenco, and Casey Hartnett.
Flightless Records
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
"Dojo Rising" by Cloud Control
Here is "Dojo Rising", the first single from Dream Cave, the sophomore LP from Cloud Control. The band consists of Alister Wright, Heidi Lenffer, Ulrich Lenffer and Jeremy Kelshaw. They are from the Blue Mountains of Australia, but now reside in the UK. After listening to this song, I suspect that you will be interested in knowing whether the rest of the album is similarly tasty. I can assure you that it is, and we'll review it next month.
Dream Cave will be released in Australia on August 19 via Ivy League, in the U.K. on September 16 via Infectious, and in the U.S. on September 17 via Votiv.
Website
Votiv
REVIEW: Arts & Leisure - Choose Your Adventure
Ah, Arts & Leisure -- '60s girl group, power pop, garage pop, or dream pop? Why, yes, yes it is. This group is about hooks, harmony and a good beat. If you want to try to define it, be our guest. But my decision was to just enjoy this Sacramento band's music. After all, summer is for enjoyment not unduly taxing our remaining brain cells.
Arts & Leisure was formed by the core members of Baby Grand (whose most recent album we liked quite a bit). The new configuration adds a second female vocalist to the Baby Grand boy-girl vocal package, resulting in a fuller, more versatile sound. With a classic instrumentation of two guitars, bass, drums and keys the band is well equipped to delivery the goods. And the goods on Choose You Adventure are sweet, sun-kissed tunes perfect for the middle of the summer, and not a dud in the bunch. With touchstones such as The Dum Dum Girls, Veronica Falls, The Breeders and Best Coast any indie pop fan could be forgiven for just making this the go-to summer soundtrack. In fact, the toughest part about compiling this post was deciding which of the eleven tracks to highlight. Here are four gems, and the full package can be streamed at the Bandcamp link below.
Arts & Leisure are Gerri White (vocals/guitar), Becky Cale (vocals/bass/keys), Cory Vick (guitar/vocals), and Tim White (drums). Choose Your Adventure is out now on Test Pattern Records.
Soundcloud
Bandcamp
Test Pattern Records
Monday, July 22, 2013
RIP - Faye Hunter
Readers of this blog who are perhaps too young to know the name Faye Hunter should. Every "jangle band" and the many female musicians we cover here owe a great debt to Hunter. Her work as bass player and harmony singer in Let's Active in the early 1980's was highly influential. Hunter was a pivotal figure in the nascent college radio world or the "alternative scene" as it might be called today.
Let's Active was a trio formed in North Carolina by Mitch Easter, best known for his production of R.E.M.'s debut EP Chronic Town and LP Murmur. Let's Active became the artier, quirkier cousin of R.E.M. and were a big success on college charts and the club circuit. Hunter was a huge part of their sound. Let's Active's inventive rhythms were unique and memorable.
Here's "Room With A View" from their 1983 debut Afoot, featuring Hunter on the opening vocals and playing some terrific bass lines:
I will always remember Hunter as she looked right here in the video to the 1983 single "Every Word Means No":
Hunter left Let's Active in 1986 and went on to play with Marshall Crenshaw, Tim Lee, Chris Stamey and on various power pop projects, but kept a lower and lower profile over the years. Life didn't treat her nearly as well as she deserved.
Her death has hit her friends hard, especially those in the Winston-Salem music community where Hunter grew up and was revered. The best thing I've read today was by her longtime friend Peter Holsapple (dBs, Continental Drifters, R.E.M., Hootie and The Blowfish) in the Independent Weekly in Durham NC: Faye Hunter Reflections, 1954-2013.
I was a huge Let's Active fan and saw them every chance I could. I met Hunter a few times, and while I didn't know her well, I had a great impression of her and not just because she was the coolest woman around in 1983 and pretty much every guy I knew had a crush on her. My closest contact with her was in 1983 when Let's Active rolled into Tut's in Chicago after a long drive and facing a grueling schedule the next few days. So my partner at time and I prepared a cooler full of road food for the band to take with them, including a ham. When the band came back to their dressing room after their amazing set, the cooler was empty, the ham gone with the opening band who had departed the club and cleaned them out. Hunter was in tears: "But you went to so much trouble for us. It's so unfair to you guys."
And that's a glimpse into Faye Hunter's personality and character, thinking only of others when anyone else might have been thinking of either themselves or retribution. She had Southern charm to burn and shined both on and off stage.
It's not too late to discover Let's Active. And the place to start is Afoot and Cypress released the following year while Faye Hunter was still with the band. She will be missed.