"Cats Go Car Watching" by The Laughing Chimes

 

As ably demonstrated by their previous recordings, the The Laughing Chimes can jangle and chime with the best of the indie pop bands. But prepare to be blown away for the Southeast Ohio's expanded sound on their upcoming second LP, Whispers in the Speech Machine. Blending elements of Athens, Paisley Underground and Dunedin in a way that is fresh and memorable. But more on the album when it arrives at the end of the month via Slumberland Records. For now, enjoy the dreamy appetizer: "Cats Go Car Watching".

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My Favorite - Tender Is The Nightshift: Part I

 

One thing we decided early on in our blog careers is that we never should be embarrassed about covering an album that has been out for a while. Our goal is to feature music we like, not just music released this week that we like. We're actually proud that this excuse can apply frequently, but it is mentioned now because it also applies to the subject of this post. Tender Is The Nightshift: Part I was released about four weeks ago, but we just listened to it a few days ago. And then we listened to it again, and again, and again (we'll stop the reputation because we lost count).

So, what is it, (we hope) you ask. It is new wave, new romantic pop created for the modern times. Does it work, (we hope) you ask. Yes, better than we could have hoped. Of course, when one peels back the cover on My Favorite, the quality is perfectly understandable. Almost 30 years after their first single, the core of the band formed at Stony Brook is back to spin tales. The five members are down to two, but the core principles of new wave/art pop with punk spirit remains, leavened by the passage of time and the potential for eventual apocalypse. There are five tracks (the fifth a dub nice dub of the fourth) on this EP, which is the first of a planned three EP set. Count us as totally on board for the next two EPs as well.

My Favorite is Michael Grace Jr. (vocals/vocoders/melodica), Kurt Brondo (synths/piano/drum machines), and Gil Abad (bass). For this recording they are joined by Jaime Allison Babic (vocals) and Joseph Babic (guitars). Tender Is The Nigthshift: Part I is available as a digital download from the Band's Bandcamp and digitally and in vinyl from the Bandcamp for label HHBTM Records in the UA and wiaiwya in UK/Europe.

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"Osaka" by Rats On Rafts

 

We will start out today with a new single for the terrific "Osaka" by Rotterdam's Rats On Rafts. We have included the Bandcamp stream, but we think the video is the best way to appreciate the song for the first time. It was written in appreciation for the namesake city when the band was in Japan a few years ago. To our ears it is a wonderful mix of The Fall, The Cure and perhaps a bit of Peter Gabriel.

Rats on Rafts are Mathijs Burgler (drums), David Fagen (vocals/guitar), Doortje Hiddema (piano/synth/vocals/guitar), Arnoud Verheul (guitar/vocals) and Natasha van Waardenburg (bass/vocals). "Osaka" is out now in digital and vinyl formats via Fire Records.

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Adult Books - Grecian Urn

Adult Books is LA-based Nick Winfrey, who writes, sings and plays a lot of the music on Grecian Urn, with help from Sina Salessi (drums) and Alex Galindo (guitar/synth). This is his second record, coming four years after his first. The intervening time was spent touring, considering his future in the music business and, fortunately for us, writing and creating this excellent record. A host of new wave and indie rock comparisons are getting thrown around - Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, Mission of Burma - and that's fine, but like the best new music, Grecian Urn takes those influences and goes in its own direction. 

The opening track is "Innocence", with a pulsating rhythm section and slashing guitar lines. And here Winfrey's vocals remind me of Richard Lloyd's solo work. There's a bit of desperation in his voice:

   

 The title track, "Grecian Urn". The opening synth and bass line certainly shows where the New Order comparisons are coming from, but stick around while he layers in some guitars at the top of the range, multi-tracked vocals, and the whole thing takes off. 

  

And here is previously-released “Florence”. Have to admire a track that starts with the lyric “Do you really know yourself?”

 

The last track is, to me, the masterpiece here - "Sparrows on the Wire", at about 4:00, builds to a hell of a crescendo for the last minute, and Winfrey shouts out the last several lines of the song over some fiery guitar lines. You'll have to get the record to hear that one, and you should.

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"Silver Socks" by Cat Princess

Today we bring you another single from Forbidden Items, the forthcoming debut album by Sweden's Cat Princess.  The song is "Silver Socks", a bright pop tune with a new wave sheen and a tempo that will put a bounce in your step for the rest of the day.

Cat Princess are Nils Krång (vocals, synth), Robin Åberg (guitar), Robert Lanneborn (guitar), Isabelle Friberg (bass) and Victor Klint (drums).  Forbidden Items, is due in May via Rama Lama Records.



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Frankie Rose - Cage Tropical

In our view Frankie Rose's musical journey has led her to a very good place.  In terms of style, she has found a comfortable platform in the intersection of new wave, dreampop, and high gloss shoegaze.  In terms of content and attitude, she has reinforced confidence in her writing and performance.   The result is Cage Tropical, her new album for Slumberland Records.

Cage Tropical is a progression from Intersteller and Herein Wild, her two most recent albums and the first albums as she began to break away from the fuzz pop of her period with Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls, and first solo album under the banner of Frankie Rose and the Outs.  Perhaps writing the album in a different location and time -- during a difficult period struggling for success in Los Angeles -- was partially responsible.  But we are more inclined to believe that Rose has gained an enhanced appreciation for how to use all of the high production tools at her disposal to tell a story in a way that the story is still the focal point, rather than the gloss and full sound.  Make no mistake, the gloss, full sound, and Rose's otherworldly vocals shine to perfection.  There just is a lot of substance to go with it, as well as quieter moments delicately constructed by infused with crackling emotion.  The result is a record that is as intelligent as it is entertaining, and is a testament to the artist's continued growth and personal tenacity.

Cage Tropical is out now in all formats via Slumberland Records.







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Next Exit - One Way Ticket 1981 - 1982

In our opinion, Sweet Madness was a band that deserved to be regarded as one of the United States' best new wave band (our review of one of their compilations here).  They had just enough raw garage and punk to add some frayed edges to the new wave gloss, and they could write and perform at a very high level.  Maybe it was bad luck, maybe it was their location in out of the way Spokane, Washington, but it didn't really happen for them.  But not a band full of quitters, by 1981 they decided they needed to change their venue and their name (in the latter case, to avoid confusion with second wave Ska band Madness).  So Sweet Madness of Spokane became Next Exit of Seattle.  Ancillary to those changes, John Robison the keys/synth player and one of the songwriters, and bass player Don Lynd, dropped out and guitarist  Greg Morlan and bassist Jef Morlan added to the remaining members Jan Gregor (vocals/guitar) and Mark Fenton (drums/backing vocals).  In Seattle Next Exit continued to play from the Sweet Madness catalog while developing new material and reworking the new, more guitar-centric sound.  I know, you are asking how you can get some of this material.  Well, this is your lucky day, because a trip to Bandcamp can get a digital download of One Way Ticket 1981 -1982, which includes 13 Next Exit interpretations of Sweet Madness songs and three new songs.  We'll note that even if you have the Sweet Madness material this album is worth getting, because the added edge and energy of the added lead guitar puts a different cast on the Sweet Madness songs.

Happily, this isn't even all we'll here from this talented lot.  Next Exit lasted two more years and an additional compilation may be ready by this Autumn.  By the way, the band later became Variant Cause, but I have no word on whether any of that material is forthcoming.








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EWAH & The Vision Of Paradise - Everything Fades To Blue

You deserve to have been told about this album sooner.  And the band most certainly deserved to have me tell you about it sooner.  But here we are, two months after the release date and I'm finally publishing the feature on Everything Fades To Blue by EWAH & The Vision Of Paradise.  From the opening notes of opening track "As the Sun Goes Down", with the twangy desert rock guitar and cavernous percussion, I was happy to be in the world conjured by the band.  It is an album of wide open spaces, of light and dark, and reality and memory.

The Tasmanian band's vehicle is a mix of new wave synths layered over solid rhythm section, while tremolo and saturated guitar and pop vocals weave the melodies and the haunting stories.  Listeners may detect echoes of PJ Harvey,  The Triffids, and Bat for Lashes, but ultimately the album sounds like nothing else.  And once you try it, I suspect you'll get to know it well.  It is that king of record.

The songs originally were written for electronic instruments.  But EWAH recruited a rock band dubbed The Vision Of Paradise to recast the songs, and the result is epic post-punk with a scope as wide as the Australian skyline.  EWAH plays the electric guitar and sings.  The Vision Of Paradise are Charles Donnelly (keys), Stuart Hollingsworth (bass), and Paul Brooks (drums).

Everything Fades To Blue is out now in vinyl and digital formats. See the Bandcamp link below for details.  And while you are going that, do yourself the favor of listening to the entire album.  It is well worth your time, and worth of a spot in your musical library.








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Fabulous Downey Brothers - TURF

Today we bring you the survivors of the urban wilds of Tacoma, Washington -- The Fabulous Downey Brothers.  We must admit, however, that the music suggests that the origins of the band may be, quite literally, out of this world.  But that impression could also be related to the fact that his band actually has their own line of legal marijuana.  Eat your heart out, Snoop!

TURF, the band's new five-song EP, is full of fun, zany observations about life, and a dominant, surging lower register rhythm that begs to be on the playlist for your next party.  Check out of few of the party-starters below, and stream the entire EP at the Bandcamp link below.  And to thank you for reading today, we'll share a couple of special secrets: (1) The band members are not all from the Downey family; (2) The band members are not all brothers.  Did we tell you about the weed?  I don't remember.

TURF is out now via home town label Swoon Records.







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Hi-Tec Emotions - Hard To Handle

Melbourne's Hi-Tec Emotions are very good young band.  They also have become our favorite substitute for energy gels.  The trio refers to their music as "glow wave", but in case your favorite music glossary isn't handy, it seems to refer to a blend of punk and new wave.  Your introduction to them is via Hard To Handle, a rush of tempo and energy with a sharp edge and a big heart.  The band eschews guitars, relying on a keys, bass and drum format, but you'll probably be surprised by how little you will notice that decision.  Your focus is drawn to the heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics, frenetic pace and, most of all, Ema Dunstan's '80s style vocals.  The closing "Iridescent" shows the band is capable of a lovely ballad, but until that point this album is the best possible companion for completing your to-do list in record time with a big smile on your face.

Hi-Tec Emotions are Ema Dunstan, Jess Lakotosh, and Mackenzie Randall.  Hard to Handle is out now in digital and cassette formats via Listen Records.










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Veronique Vincent & Aksak Maboul - 16 Visions of Ex-Futur

Like a fine wine, the music on 16 Visions of Ex-Futur has aged beautifully.  Written over 30 years ago by March Hollander and Veronique Vincent (the vocalist for the band Honeymoon Killers), the songs were recorded by Vincent and Hollander's band Aksak Maboul for an album titled Ex-Futur.  However, the album was then left on the shelf.  It finally reached our ears a few years ago when released a few years ago by Crammed Discs, the Belgian label founded by Hollander.

The songs mix electro pop with French pop and electronic dance music, and sound perfectly current for today's tastes despite their date of origin.  16 Visions of Ex-Futur isn't a re-release of the original album, but effectively a tribute album with covers and remixes of the songs from the original album.  In addition to updated interpretations from the original artists, contributions come from Nite Jewel, Jaakko Eno Kalevi, Laetitia Sadier (late of Stereolab), Forever Pavot, Ramona Gonzalez and others.  The result is a delightfully swirling and rhythmic soundscape in which you can get happily lost.  And then press replay over and over again.

By the way, Crammed Discs has been one of my favorite label discoveries of the year.






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Hi-Tec Emotions - Hard to Handle

Melbourne's three-piece Hi-Tec Emotions offer a satisfying musical club sandwich with punk, grunge, and new wave layers.  I don't care whether a band's members are male or female, and often don't even mention it, but Hi-Tec Emotions tells their tales with a female perspective, so the information is relevant.  The ten tracks on their new album, Hard to Handle, share a palpable sincerity and high energy.  There is rage, and outrage -- this lot doesn't flinch from identifying the bad guys and telling their story.  And it all rocks fast and rough, just like it should.

The album kicks off with the punk fury of "Look Around".  By track three, "Heart Line" we are in heavy rhythm new wave territory.  Other highlights are punky "Evil", the new wave anthem
"Mirror Mirror", and the glittering "Tess".

Hi-Tec Emotions are Ema Dunstan (vocals/keys), Jess Lakatosh (bass), and Mackenzie Randall (drums).  Hard to Handle is out now via Listen Records.







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Video for "I'm Not Vicious" by Sweet Madness

In late June we featured the sweet sounds of Spokane, Washington's Sweet Madness (review here) upon the release of the the second compilation of their work, Volume 2 Made In Spokane 1978-1981.  When music is that good, we are happy for any opportunity to feature it again.  Our chance to do so comes via this video for album track "I'm Not Vicious".  My goodness -- this is great stuff!



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Rose McDowall - Cut With the Cake Knife

Rose McDowall attended university in Glasgow and played with the punk band The Poems.  In 1981 she formed Strawberry Switchblade with her friend Jill Bryson.  They earned a following, opened for Orange Juice and released a few singles and a self-titled album.  Their sound was characterized by bright new wave melodies, sweet vocals and melancholy lyrics.  Commercial success didn't reflect the quality of the material, however, and by 1986 the band was finished.  But Rose wasn't finished with music.  In 1988 and 1989 she recorded Cut With the Cake Knife, consisting of new material and songs that she had penned earlier but were left homeless when Strawberry Switchblade ended.  The songs are sad, full of loss, disappointment and regret.  But the melodies are captivating, bouncing along with synths and drum machines, and Rose's sugary voice soothes you like a warm cup of tea on a chilly morning.  The album title's incorporation of "knife", "cut" and "cake" could not be more apt.

Fortunately, the story doesn't end in '89.  Night School Records has remastered the original tapes, added two bonus tracks, photos and extended liner notes by Rose, and reissued Cut With the Cake Knife.  The release is by Sacred Bones in the United States.  If you are a fan or Strawberry Switchblade or Rose's other projects, you likely will consider this a necessary purchase.  For the rest of you I have one comment:  If all new wave sounded as good as Cut With the Cake Knife, we'd all still be listening to new wave.  Give your ears a piece of cake.







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Sweet Madness - Made In Spokane 1978-1981 Volume 2

Why the hell didn't I know of this band sooner?  Why didn't all of us know of this band sooner (you can't blame music bloggers, because the "art form" didn't exist back then)?  I suppose the answer is that Spokane, Washington was no more a major music capital in the 1978-1981 span than it is today.  But during that time span Sweet Madness created a wealth of songs that strut the boundary where punk, garage, new wave and power pop join.  So at times they will sound like The Jam, and at times they will sound like The Clash, and there are definite strains of the British invasion and their Pacific Northwest brethren such as The Sonics, The Fastbacks and the Wipers.

Sweet Madness is Jan Gregor (vocals/guitar), John Robison (vocals/keys and synths), Mark Fenton (drums/backing vocals), and Don Lynd (bass/backing vocals).  Benefiting from two talented songwriters in Gregor and Robison, and solid vocals and musicianship throughout the lineup, their significant role in their area of the Pacific Northwest is that they were the first band to push past the rock and blues rock common in their area and fuse the underground sounds of new wave to their garage rock and punk.  Their songs are concise, sharp and focused.  Stuttering rhythms support spiky guitar lines and well-crafted lyrics.  Listening to this collection I can't help thinking that I'm listening to the greatest hits of some past band with decades of prominence and multiple major label albums.  The reality that this is the second fifteen songs from a short period of productivity of a Spokane, Washington band is mind-blowing.

Get a copy for Dad for Father's Day.  Then get a copy for yourself so you can discuss it with him, but really just because it is that damn good.  After a few spins, you likely will be motivated to chase down a copy of Volume 1.  I second that emotion.

The digital album is a mere $7 at the Bandcamp site below, at which you can stream the entire album.  The vinyl version is distributed via Seattle's Light In The Attic.










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REVIEW: The Solicitors - Blank Check

The Solicitors are the sound of Friday night.  Get out of work, head straight to a smart bar with desirable romantic options.  Dance, drink, and try your luck.  On stage are four sharply dressed guys (maybe they just left work too) laying down an end of the work week soundtrack that is a perfect mix of new wave and power pop.  You aren't sure, but they seem perfectly in tune with what's happening around you: Found love, lost love, laughter and tears.  How the hell to they do that anyway?

Their debut LP, Blank Check, races through ten songs in a little over a half an hour.  With one exception, the tempo is high and adrenaline-charged.  The instruments pull no tricks -- there is a rock-solid and straightforward rhythm section, a guitar driving the hooks and a call-and-response approach with the lead and backing vocals.  The lyrics can have a bite, but no worries -- you are young and it is a  Friday night.  Let some other band carry the load on date night, the work week is over and lust is in the air -- find The Solicitors.

The Solicitors were formed in Melbourne by English songwriter Lee Jones and American guitarist Laf Zucallerello.  James Manning (bass and vocals) and Max Sterling (drums) complete the quartet.  There is a bit of Elvis Costello, The Knack and Joe Jackson here, but the garage rock energy and power pop arrangements bring it all up to date.  These guys are too good to be a pub band, but if you were filming a movie and wanted a top drawer band that could play the part of a pub band, only be really, really good, these guys should be at the casting call.  Of course, that probably is why Popbboomerang Records snapped them up soon after their birth.  Blank Check is available at the Bandcamp site, and you have a few more days to get ready for Friday.


The Solicitors - If You Let Me Hold You from The Solicitors on Vimeo.





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REVIEW: Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain

"Amazing" is a very hard-working term these days, and some of us cynics think it could use a break.  But before I tuck it in and turn or the lights, I'm compelled to recognize that the word remains appropriate from time to time.  And a prime example of something that is amazing is High Land, Hard Rain.  The early '80s were a heady time for guitar pop in Glasgow, a time that resulted in fame for Edwyn Collins' Orange Juice, Josef K, and Alan Horne's hip Postcard Records label, among others. A&R men from near and far were scouring the city for the next big talent.  And shouldering his way into the mix was Roddy Frame, whose Aztec Camera released their "Just Like Gold" single on Postcard in 1983 when Roddy was 16-years old.  There followed another single via Postcard and then, when Roddy was at the advanced age of 18, Aztec Camera released High Land, Hard Rain, their debut LP via Rough Trade in the UK and Sire Records in the US.

Roddy's songs reflected the bright sheen of new wave pop, with jazz and soul influences.  But the skeleton is Glasgow jangle and the heartbeat is the optimism and insecurity of a teenage romantic.  Bold, inspired, sincere and unaffected, some music writers considered it the best debut in pop music history.  And it performed well commercially as well, charting well in the UK and the US.

Domino Records is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of High Land, Hard Rain by reissuing a deluxe edition.  The record has been remastered from the original analog tapes.  For the CD version, disc 1 contains the original album, and disc 2 contains alternate and live versions.  I wondered whether the second CD was necessary until I heard it, and quickly concluded that it is a wonderful addition.  Some of the alternate takes have become as interesting to me as the track on the main release.  The vinyl version contains a download card for all the bonus material included in the CD version.

In my opinion (and the opinion of many others) there are no bad tracks.  But I think any discussion of this album should feature the opening track, "Oblivious".  Breezy, upbeat and boasting an appealing groove, it deserved its top 20 ranking.


Album track "We Could Send Letters" also was the B-side to the band's first single --



Roddy Frame's favorite song on the album was "Walk Out to Winter" --



Here is a live version of the album closer, from a 1984 performance in Madrid --


If you already are an Aztec Camera fan, you know you want this release, but I think any guitar pop fan would consider it an essential part of his or her collection.

Domino Records US pre-order page

REVIEW: Darren Sylvester - Off By Heart

Stylish '80s pop seems to be the "new black" for bands.  But anyone tempted to dismiss the result as easy mimicry should remember that for every soaring top of the charts single by a new wave band, there was .... well ... the rest of that band's output.  It is that knowledge (and that memory, if the truth be told, because even though the blog is young, we aren't) that causes us to appreciate the intelligent, high quality Off By Heart from Darren Sylvester.  The album is melodic, dramatic, well-written, hook-filled, bright, smooth, and undeniably sensuous.  But it also boasts big, attention-grabbing drums and pronounced, thick bass lines.  And it reflects the tasteful attention to detail that one would expect from a musician who also is an artist, sculptor, videographer, and photographer.

Melbourne resident Sylvester played all of the instruments on Off By Heart, and is the primary vocalist.  Back up vocals are provided by Jojo Petrina and Biddy Connor from the group Magic Silver White).  Sylvester doesn't hide his influences.  The templates provided by Avalon-era Roxy Music and some of David Bowie's late '70s work are honored.  But Sylvester makes it all his own with his lyrical contributions.  And the end result is a delightful evocation of a style, rather than a mere replication.  This album exists to make your late nights better.  Consider it a public service from the kind Mr. Sylvester.






Off By Heart is out now via Chapter Music.

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REVIEW: Frankie Rose - Herein Wild

Frankie Rose is a few years removed from her time with the Vivian Girls, but the greater span is the musical distance covered in her path from that first band, through Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Stilts and Frankie Rose & the Outs to her current project.  But perhaps Ms. Rose is where she wants to stay for a while, because Herein Wild, her new LP for Fat Possum, follows the same path as 2012's Interstellar.  And for her fans, that is a good thing because continuing to work in the realm of glossy, new wave pop allows Rose to fine tune her songcraft, tweak her sound and, it seems to me, produce the best album of her career.

As with its predecessor, Herein Wild is melodic and jangly, with sweet vocals and bass and percussion well up in the mix.  Stylistically, it probably fits best straddling the fence between dreampop and new wave.  The differences are the addition of strings, a more melancholy cast to the lyrics and a surer touch with production.  But with the those engaging lead vocals, soaring choruses and bright arrangements, sad lyrics aren't enough to make it a downer of an album.  Unless a listener is obsessed with the words, listening to this album is likely to be among the most uplifting moments of his or her day.  This is high-quality pop music for savvy adults; I recommend it.






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REVIEW: Las Kellies - Total Exposure

For Total Exposure, their fourth album, Argentinian trio  Las Kellies have chosen to not be defined by any specific genre.  The key production question wasn't "what fits", but "what sounds really good".  So the 15 tracks reflect new wave, post punk, chillwave, funk, dance rock and reggae influences.  What is consistent, however, is the quality of the performances and a glossy, dub-heavy production that maintains a coherent pop presentation and omnipresent groove.  And whether the ladies are channeling the garage pop of the Slits or the danceable trip hop of Massive Attack, you may well find it to be one of the catchiest collection of songs you have heard in a long time.  The Best synopsis I can offer is that the album is a wonderful package of raw intensity and infectious rhythms.  Get this album and put it on for your next party; you will be an instant taste maker.

Check out the sublime "Melting Ice" --


Here is an engaging reggae mash up with guest Dennis Bovell (who has worked with the Slits, Madness and Fela Kuti, and who mixed The Kellies third album) --


Enjoy a video of two of the album tracks, "Go V!" and "Typical Bitch", performed live in Paris last month --


The members of the band are listed as Ceci Kelley (guitar/vocals), Betty Kelly (bass/vocals), and Sil Kelley (drums/vocals).  They met at a gig in Buenos Aires in 2005 and decided to form a band.  Total Exposure is out now on Fire Records.

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