REVIEW: Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers - Luck

There are bands that play at rock and roll, and there are bands that play rock and roll. And there are bands whose art is so convincing that you can say that they have a rock and roll heart. The rock and roll heart beats strongly in Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers. On their debut release, Luck, they don't give you slick music with soaring harmonies. But they do make you want to move and sing along, and they validate that life can be hard and cruel but if you're still breathing, still sipping your drink, you're winning. Most importantly, they make you feel. And if you don't feel what Jacob's feeling, the music just might remind you to think about something else you should be thinking about. (Of course, if you don't want to think about it, you can drink to forget.)

In general, the sound is a mix of blues, punk, swampy southern roadhouse Americana, rockabilly, Tom Waits storytelling, bar band and Glasgow urban rock. And the songs are fleshed out by Jacob's direct, observational and somewhat outrageous lyrical expression. The instrumentation is guitar, bass, drums and piano/organ. Listen to them and you can hear the authenticity of the descriptions of Jacob's music as "Doom Wop" and "Horror R&B". Think Tom Waits and Nick Cave channeling Junior Kimbrough. But why just think about it? You can hear it in one of my favorite tracks -- "Can't Stop":



There are eight tracks on Luck. Some of them are stompers, and some of them are mid-tempo musical stories. The opening track, "Mark", is one of the doom wop stompers, and kicks off proceedings with a fittingly dark tone. The following surrealistic psychobilly of "Black Dog" leads us to another of my favorites, "Mary Hell". "Mary Hell" is a horror R&B impression of the Maryhill area of Glasgow, complete with descriptions of Jacob's legless father and a barbecued cat. "Dundee" is a musically softer, but continues the dark tone. The fifth track is the above "Can't Stop". The sixth through eighth tracks encapsulate the band's range. "Vessels" is a serious and stately piano-driven piece with bitter lyrics. "Lemonade", which I've provided below, is a rousing slide guitar bit gem of bluesy pop/rock. "Luck" closes with "When You Left Me". And this final track underscores why the music of Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers is so much more than a weekend night's good times soundtrack. The somber subject of the death of Jacob's dad is told in a way that conveys love, loss, anger, and abandonment, but is infused with sufficient deftly phrased levity to provide genuine depth to the story. I suggest you treat yourself to a session with that song at the Bandcamp link below.

Popular track "Lemonade" (as a backdrop to a biking video):

Escaping the city from Stefan Morrocco on Vimeo.

Overall, the album is both boisterous and dark. To understand the darkness, you need to realize that since the music is based on Jacob's observations, it reflects a certain Glasgow experience. Experience with a city in which a sizable segment of the population is being treated for drug dependency, and many dwellers deal with drugs, gangs, joblessness and sectarian strife. It is just a different facet of the modern human condition illustrated by Kimbrough, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Hound Dog Taylor and other greats in America.

Thanks to Re:Peater Records, you can stream the entire album below:



Jacob's actual surname is Lovatt; Yates is his mother's maiden name. The band is listed as "Jacob Yates, Jamie Yates, Rick Yates and Michael Yates", but the other three actually are Richard Holmes (guitar), Michael Bleazard (traps), Jamie Bolland (keys and guitar). Luck was recorded at the Green Door studio and is released on Re:Peater Records. As is the case with the band's labelmates, She's Hit, the attractive album art is by Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir.

I love this album. For me, it is one of those essential branches of rock music that some of us who grew up in America, decades ago, find to be hard wired into our brains. Even if this edition, and the stories it tells, come from Glasgow. Should you be interested in agreeing with me, I've provided the Bandcamp link to Re:Peater records below.

Bandcamp link for album
Facebook for Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers
Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir's website

Best Video of the Year?

Mere words won't do this justice:

REVIEW: Touche Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me

This is just a short note to join the chorus of positive reactions to the new album by LA hardcore/screamo band Touche Amore, called Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me. Released in June by Deathwish, the label started and run by Jacob Bannon of Converge, it's an old-style 13 song, sub-30 minute slab of loud.

After just a couple of times through, though, the loud starts to reveal its contours and colors as being more than just three bar chords and a couple of cusswords. Listen to the terrific guitar sound achieved by Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt on 'Home Away From Here' in this nicely produced video.



The rest of the band includes drummer Elliot Babin, bassist Tyler Kirby, and vocalist/songwriter Jeremy Bolm. Here's a video of 'Amends', from the new album, performed at a festival in the Czech Republic on 31 July. The sound quality's pretty rough, but it's always fun to watch a quality band get after it like this. In fact, this vid's worth a look for the stage diving alone. Stage diving is the very definition of lameness to begin with, and this crowd takes it to new heights of ridiculousness. Thankfully, the band is unfazed. Enjoy:



As I often point out, I'm not a big lyric guy, but Bolm's got a really nice ear and has loaded his songs with interesting lines and images that defy you to ignore them. Exhibit A is the album opener, denoted by a tilde mark that I can't do in html. Check it out.



In a feature on Alternative Press, Bolm says he wrote the song below during a time when he had the National in heavy rotation. See if you don't hear strains of 'Murder Me Rachael' when you click play. All right, me neither, but that doesn't mean this isn't a kickass song. Heck, they all are.




Touche Amore website

Deathwish Records website

Get to Know: The Postelles

The Postelles are a young New York City band with a pop/rock sound that reminds this listener of The Strokes, The View and The Kooks. The comparisons to The Strokes seem inevitable, as Albert Hammond Jr. of that group produced this groups recently released album, unsurprisingly titled The Postelles.

"White Night"


The band consists of Daniel Balk (Vocals, Guitar), Billy Cadden (Drums), David Dargahi (Lead Guitar), and John Speyer (Bass). They will be touring this fall in support of the album.

"Sleep on the Dance Floor"


"123 Stop"


These sorts of things are tough to predict for bands that are just starting to get national buzz, but I think they have the talent to stay a while. And meanwhile, we are happy to give them some press.

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Parson Red Heads - Free Download of "Burning Up the Sky" available!

Following up on JD's excellent interview/feature on this group, here's an opportunity to get a free download of their song "Burning Up the Sky" from Yearling.

Cool Video Thursday

Hiatus and Shura with "Fortune's Fool"



Here is something interesting and quite different:

Quad Time from The Joy of Box on Vimeo.

"Too Much to Lose" by Sun Glitters

Sun Glitters - too much to lose from Victor Ferreira / Sun Glitters on Vimeo.

"Winter Beats" from a band previously featured on Midnight World Pop Scout, I Break Horses

Lo-Fi Freebie: Sneakpeek

I promise that I won't drone on and on about Sneakpeek, although my economic approach has more to do with having very little real information to share than any affection for economy of expression. What I do know is that the band is a Los Angeles garage/psych/lo-fi outfit influenced by the likes of Galaxie 500, My Bloody Valentine and Singapore Sling. Sneakpeek are Dora Hiller (bass/vocals), Aric Bohn (guitar), Aaron Haack (drums), and Mike Motz (guitar). and they have provided one free song and two songs available for one dollar. The band has said that the intend to release an EP soon.







Bandcamp
Twitter

New Punk Discovery: Fay Wrays - "Comrade Weather" from Strange Confessor

Here's a punk group from Fresno. Well, it's not all punk... for example, on the 5:21 "Painting Dollar Bills" they really stretch out and play some guitars. And for that, I like them even more. Strong guitars and a heavy bottom, that's a nice combination for a band that just wants to rock.

And they've got some stuff that reminds me of Swervedriver, at least in spots... check out "San Francisco (in) General". Well worth a listen, and at $5, I don't know why you wouldn't just buy the darn thing on Bandcamp.





Fay Wrays page at Riot Act Media

Download "Painting Dollar Bills"

Feature Story: The Parson Red Heads - Yearling

WYMA has been such a booster of The Parson Red Heads that their new record label, Arena Rock Recording Company, asked us to write a feature story about the band to include in their press kit as a way to introduce people to the band and their great new CD Yearling.
Finally, the record release date is here. Fans of skilled pop music must get this record, one of the year's very best.

The Parson Red Heads will soon embark on a US tour with fellow Portlandians. Viva Voce. Tour dates are listed here

Here is our feature story --

The Band members:
Evan Way - songwriter, vocals, guitars
Brette Marie Way - drums, vocals
Sam Fowles - guitars, vocals, songwriter (“Happy We Agree”, “I Was Only”)
Charlie Hester - bass, vocals

Produced by Raymond Richards, Chris Stamey and The Parson Red Heads
Mixed by Chris Stamey

Additional Engineering by Mitch Easter

By any definition, The Parson Red Heads are in harmony:
har·mo·ny noun \ˈhär-mə-nē\
1 tuneful sound
2 the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord
3 pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts
4 internal calm: tranquility
5 an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative

It is impossible to discuss The Parson Red Heads without acknowledging the remarkable chemistry among the four members, their fans and friends. The band’s generous spirit is inseparable from their masterful songwriting, gracefully finessed guitar lines, precise arrangements and gorgeous three and four part harmonies.

With their new and second full release, Yearling (Arena Rock Recording Company), The Parson Red Heads deliver on the great promise that has been steadily building during their eight years as a band. Yearling was carefully recorded over a series of many months first in a familiar setting, Red Rockets Glare Studio in their former home of Los Angeles, with close friend and sometimes member Raymond Richards producing. Several of the songs on the record were done later on unfamiliar terrain, at Mitch Easter’s Fidelitorium in North Carolina with alternative pop legends Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter producing and engineering, respectively. Stamey mixed the record.

Stamey pushed the band in a manner they had never experienced. Lead singer-songwriter Evan Way explains: “Chris was a different type of producer for us, especially vocally. We’ve always pretty easily done a take and it is in tune and sounds good and it’s fine. But Chris would have us sing ten or twenty more takes and he was consistently pushing. He’d say ‘That sounds great but I don’t feel like you are really singing the song.’ Chris wanted to hear every word, and make us convey what the lyrics really mean. He didn’t care as much about perfect pitch compared to if we were conveying the true emotion of the song.”

"When I first worked on some string and brass arrangements for them,” Stamey says, “the gentleness and warmth of the songs and the approach came across in spades. It wasn't until I saw them live that I realized what a powerhouse they can be, as well. They played spur-of-the-moment shows here while we were recording and--how else to say it? -- kicked ass."

Stamey came away a big fan: "There's something about this band that lifts your spirits. It's not facepaint, it's all the way down to the grain. In the sixties, we would have said that they are totally 'together,' and they do have an all-for-one and one-for-all ethos, you can hear the musicians' genuine affection for each other in every skywriting chorus and every sweeping improvisation.”

Yearling celebrates appreciating your friends, living thoughtfully and creating an intentional meaningful life, reflecting the heady maturity of a band whose members are in their mid to late 20’s. Evan Way says: “I don’t know if the theme was totally intentional. But all the songs came out about learning the best way to live. There are love songs in there, but it’s more about growing up, your memories and taking everything you’ve learned to make your life better.”

“We came up with the name Yearling as the title,” Evan continues, “which is a horse between one and two years old. That word captured the idea of something growing up. And the record took us a long time to make and we learned so much making it.”

You can listen to a bit of each song here.

This focus on growing and getting better finds its way into many lyrical lines here, such as “Think of the man you used to be, he is less than the man you’ve become” (“Time is Running Out”), or “Every day I wake up saying, I look the same but my soul is different” (“Unemotional”), hardly the typical voice of a band in their 20s.

And the Parson Red Heads have literally grown up together, forming while still their teens. Evan and Brette went to high school together, then became bandmates, then married in 2006.

Part of the band’s development is the musical maturity to slow down the tempos a bit to allow the songs to breathe and the vocal harmonies to best serve the lyrics. Two of the standout tracks here, “When You Love Somebody” and "Seven Years Ago", are especially effective in how they rein the speed in a bit like a great Beatles pop song. These recordings are far more skilled and deliberate than the Parsons’ prior CDs.



Yearling has a timeless quality that continues and expands the classic pop-country-rock lineage stretching from The Byrds and Fleetwood Mac to the Jayhawks and Wilco. Evan hears those reference points, but says the band feels a stronger musical kinship with contemporaries such as Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, Dawes and The Fruit Bats.

"It's easy to hear a connection to the Byrds in some of the material,” Stamey opines, “in the vocal harmonies and guitar stylings, but maybe the real connection is in the sense of balance and poise both bands share. It's a confidence in what they are doing that makes a listener want to lean in to it, to soak it up, instead of having to fend off a sonic assault."

Other musicians immediately appreciate the Parson Red Heads. Various LA musicians sat in with the band over the years, with their live lineup swelling to more than a dozen members on many nights. Members of Blitzen Trapper and Wilco attend their shows, as do Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey from R.E.M., who have joined the Parsons on stage to rip through a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Wrecked Me”.

Peter Jesperson, the longtime manager of the Replacements and now handling A&R and Production at New West Records in LA, says this about what turned him into a major booster of the Parson Red Heads: “First and foremost - the singing. Evan as a lead singer with Sam and Brette doing harmonies is one of the best things going on in rock today if you ask me. First live show of theirs I saw, the vocals quite literally took my breath away.”

While many of the songs on Yearling start in a mid-tempo, they tend to go off into a looser and rocking instrumental direction near the end of the song (check out “When You Love Somebody”, “Hazy Dream” and “Time is Running Out”). When I asked the band about it, I hesitated to use the term “jam”. Evan laughed, “It’s okay, you can use the word. My alternative to a bridge is usually some sort of guitar solo and my tendency is to put it at the end. I like to put it at the end because then we have the freedom to do what we want without having to worry about going back to the song.” Brette adds, “We can’t help it now. We just keep playing and something cool usually happens.”

The band also rocks out, particularly on “Kids Hanging Out”, a power pop gem that is a highlight of their live shows. The record opens with “Burning Up the Sky”, which is a perfect introduction to the band’s warm vibe, with their defining big vocal harmonies front and center.



“Hazy Dream” reflects the band’s characteristic psychedelic folk sound and strong melodic sense. “Unemotional” is a particularly affecting and sophisticated highlight of the record, made all the richer by Stamey’s additional piano work and Mitch Easter’s bottle-neck slide accents.

A major role in their growth as a band came from their five years in Los Angeles, where they moved in 2005 from Eugene Oregon where the band formed in 2003. Brette tells the story: “When we played our first show there, we said ‘Oh that was really bad. This is embarrassing.’ We made a decision and said we are not going to be that. So we practiced three hours a night, three days a week. We were all working 40 hrs a week day jobs with a commute. We call it the dark times. We were exhausted and probably malnourished.” Evan adds, “Meanwhile we were playing shows the other four days of the week, any place that would have us, the weirdest gigs.” Brette says, “It was crazy, but all the playing and practicing really helped us.”

The band moved back to Oregon in 2010, settling in Portland where they have quickly become beloved favorites on that thriving local scene.

So where did The Parson Red Heads get their name? Evan explains, “Brette and I both have red hair. My dad was minister, a parson, and people say we remind them of the Byrds [Gene and Gram Parsons], but it doesn’t have anything to do with any of that.” “At first we were called Vulture Town,” Brette recalls, “because I had a dream that we were called Vulture Town. Of course that didn’t sound anything like us, so after awhile we started searching for a better name.” Evan continues, “Our friend and former band member Anastasia opened up this big jazz dictionary, found a reference to the Pearson Red Heads, and she totally misread it and suggested ‘Hey how about The Parson Red Heads?’ And we said that sounds pretty good. The entry said they only played 2 times in the 1950s with Benny Goodman and they never recorded. And so we were like ‘Oh yeah, we could totally steal that. That’s the one, we’ll steal that name.”

Brette finishes the story: “Then a couple years later when we were getting ready to put out our first record, I tried to look them up and I couldn’t find anything about them. So I called up Anastasia and asked her if she still had that book, and she looked at it and said ‘Oh my gosh, I totally misread it. It’s the Pearson Red Heads.’ And I said ‘Then I guess we didn’t steal the name!’ But of course then our name means nothing.” [Evan and Sam crack up laughing].

The years of hard work, a careful recording process this time around and the band’s well-earned good karma have paid off with Yearling, a majestic pop record and a huge step up for The Parson Red Heads. The band members feel good about where they are and emphasize how much fun they are having. “Music is the main thing I care about,” Evan says. “I discovered something that I not only love doing, but I feel like I have something to contribute. And I want to make sure we do it right and work hard at it. But I also make sure everyone’s contributions are important, because if they don’t feel a part of all of it, they won’t have fun. For a band to work, everyone needs to have fun and then they’ll contribute their best.”

Brett’s final thoughts: “I am in the perfect band, because everyone is easy going, but these guys have a great work ethic. They work really really hard. I don’t know a lot of people like Evan and Sam, who just generally have good attitudes and are nice all the time, but are not bums. They are not bums at all!”

Band web page: http://www.theparsonredheads.com

New Sounds of Scotland-Part 24: Spaghetti Anywhere; Shambles Miller; Letters

Spaghetti Anywhere edges into qualification for our New Sounds of Scotland series by reason of the origins of one of its members, and it lists London, Glasgow and Rome as its home. The band's sound is a wistful brand of twee indie pop most similar to Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura. The members are Francis, Valerio, Nathan and Dave.

I've included their new EP, Doolally, below. I think the whole thing is very nice, but if you only have time to give Spaghetti Anywhere a one song trial, check out "Super Special", a tragi-comedy about an alcoholic. Oh, hell, listen to "Hulk" as well. It will remind you of those times you have a bit much to drink and feel more powerful and bullet-proof than you have any right to feel. That only leaves out the song "Drugs", about a guy who likes to drop acid and walk around naked, and it is between the other tracks, so you might as well listen to that as well. That's that, then. Can't be helped. By the way, the three track EP is free at the Bandcamp link.



Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
Myspace


Shambles Miller is a folk punk artist from Glasgow. While I'm not active in seeking out folk artists, there is a good dose of the punk here, and Shambles has a way with words that captures my imagination.

The delightful "Things that Make Me Angry"


Here is his description of the song "Rapture":

Y'know how when it's the end of the world, so you use it as an excuse to tell a girl you like how you feel? Then you write a song about it? Well, thats what this is

Rapture by ShamblesMiller

"Strike!"
Strike! by ShamblesMiller

Website
Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter



Letters are an Edinburgh band consisting of Kerr Donaldson (drums), Dougie Fuller (bass), Georgie Williamson (cello/vocals), Ed Ellis (guitar/vocals) and Mikey Ferguson (guitar/vocals). The band's own description is that they are "5 piece Dark Cello pop noiseniks". Letters released a double A-side in February consisting of the following two tracks.

"Pipe Dreams"
LETTERS- PIPE DREAMS by Soundandvisionpr

"The Grand National"
LETTERS- GRAND NATIONAL by Soundandvisionpr

New single "Flash! Lights!
LETTERS - Flash! Lights by Soundandvisionpr

The above tracks all are available for free download on the Music page of their website.

Website
Myspace

New Discovery: The Tamborines

When I think of instruments used by pop bands, tambourines are not among those that spring immediately to mind. Guitars, drums, keys, the odd horn and, of course, plenty of cowbell. But tambourines, not so much. Nevertheless, that instrument seems to pop up as a band name somewhat more often than, say, "piano" or "bass guitar". There is the iconic noise pop band Black Tambourine (1989-1991), and the very good Black Tambourines from the UK, which we profiled HERE. And now we have the quite excellent fuzz/twee indie band from London -- The Tamborines. Founded by Lulu Grave (drums/ organ/percussion) and Henrique Laurindo (vocals/guitar); bass guitar is attributed to Chokis. The band's first album, Camera & Tremor, was released in 2010, and they are working on their second.

In April of this year, they released a single with "Black & Blue" as the A-side and "Indian Hill" as the B-side. Here is the demo for their single, "Black & Blue"



"Indian Hill"

Indian Hill by The Tamborines

The following three songs were included on Camera & Tremor:

"Sally O'Gannon"



"31st Floor"



"Come Together"



Website
Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter
Myspace

REVIEW: Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - Marble Son

From the beginning of the 8:00-plus opener "Hushed by Devotion", Jesse Sykes' husky, haunting voice and Phil Wandscher's rugged, ragged guitars combine to let you know you're in for a singular experience, a strong and truly timeless record. Self-produced by Sykes and Wandscher, and released on the band's own Station Grey record label, the band is to be congratulated and applauded for creating this heavy, beautiful masterpiece.

In playing "guess the influences," I'm coming up with echoes of Sticky Fingers-era Stones, Fillmore East-era Allmans (check out the way the guitar swings in the title track - manna to your reviewer here, who has always thrilled to "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed"), heck, even Meddle-era Pink Floyd... it's hard to come up with a precise analogue, but perhaps this is piquing your interest.

Of course, nothing works quite as well as giving a listen. Check out the opening track, recorded in a live performance in KEXP's studios (and a big thank you to KEXP, which is where I heard the opening track on a Song of the Day podcast):



And here is "Your Own Kind"... the guitar, oh man, the guitar:



To accompany lyrics like these:

To live a life completely;
to have lived a life complete,
you must first let go,
of everything that you know.
You must let go.

it makes sense that the music would be pretty unrestrained. There are a lot of lyrics about the ends of things, regrets and letting go, and the music supplies a haunting backdrop for the exploration of those ideas. It also supplies a sort of runway for letting go, with extended fierce guitar runs throughout the longer songs.

Can they "play it pretty," you ask? Well, yes. There are a couple of hushed tracks that really feature Sykes' voice up front, with some delicate acoustic backing. Here's "Wooden Roses":



Heavy rock, folk, country, blues, psychedelia... To try to classify this record is to minimize their accomplishment...Marble Son is recommended for people who like any kind of rock music.

Jesse Sykes Website

Midnight World Pop Scout-27: Midday Veil; Carnival Moon; Sweatshop Union

This weekend we have a Seattle band followed by two Canadian bands. And so far, it is a nice fall day in Seattle.



Midday Veil is a Seattle band whose music is a psychedelic synth/drone/new age brand of experimentation. The band was formed in 2008, and now consists of David Golightly (synths), Emily Pothast (vocals + rhythm guitar), Timm Mason (lead baritone guitar), Jayson Kochan (bass guitar and clarinet), and Chris Pollina (drums and the occasional banjo).

"Asymptote II"


"Anthem"


Website
Facebook
Soundcloud


I guess we're slipping a bit. Carnival Moon released Our Little Hourglass EP on August 12, and we're just getting around to alerting all of you. Things just get very sloppy in the summer. Anyway, it is a very nice bit of electronic folk from Toronto, and you can stream it below. The primary players are Elaine Kelly-Canning & David Scanlon, with help from Stefan Banjevic, Will Whitwham and Scott Bouwmeester.



Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter


Sweatshop Union are a hip hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia. The members of the Union are listed as Léon Nordlund, Pigeon Hole, DirtyCircus Undertakings, Ronnie Mejia, Kyprios BayDay, Mo Moshiri, Lee Marrmalade Napthine, and Metty Dert Merchant. Yes, I know that hip hop isn't something I usually bring to the table, but when something is good, it is good.

"The Thing About It"
Sweatshop Union - The Thing About It by Anver

"Oh My" (2009)


"Humans Race" (2007)


Website
Facebook
Myspace

Howling Bells: "Into the Sky" from forthcoming album The Loudest Engine

First I've heard of this band... and I'm happy to share it on here. The Australian-formed, London-based four piece comprising singer/ guitarist Juanita Stein and her brother Joel (lead guitarist), drummer Glenn Moule, and bassist Brendan Picchio, travelled to Las Vegas to record this record, which will be released on Cooking Vinyl on September 12.

Here is the first song off their forthcoming album The Loudest Engine, "Into the Sky". I like the sound, strong vocals and psychedelic guitars:



A little more to listen to at their website, looks like you can stream some more songs on there but I can't embed them here... it all sounds pretty good:

Howling Bells Website

Booker T Jones - "Green Onions", Live This Summer!!!

Hopefully it's not too late to get this in on a Soul Corner Friday...

Wandering around checking out some videos on YouTube, came across this live performance of the classic Jim blogged about a couple weeks ago, and it also gives me an excuse to post another link to this review of Booker's great new album, The Road From Memphis.

Here's the video... as Jim noted, this thing never gets old:



Booker T Jones Website

REVIEW: Strong Killings - Strong Killings

This is a Seattle-based punk power trio, and they have released a very well-done punk album... I don't hear any deficiencies at all: killer drumming, rumbling bass, great guitars throughout, and the vocals are, well, strong. As well, if you're tired of tinny-sounding, underdone punk records, you'll appreciate the production work that obviously went into this record. The lead track, "Annals of Animals," marries some amazing drumming with Jello Biafra-style vocals and adds in a scorching lead guitar over the last minute or so. Here's the video for "Annals of Animals". I was hooked from the beginning of this song:



Song two, "Licked, Nicked" is, oh, I don't know, Rancid meets Dick Dale? And "Winnebago" continues the punk backbeat/surf guitar combination to great effect. Next is "New Mexican Frontier" which made me smile and remember boon and Watt in their heydays, but again with a surf undertone for a little twist. There are a couple of instrumentals on here, and all the songs share one characteristic: they don't stay too long. "Winnebago" at 3:38 and "Worst Case" at 3:45 are the only songs much over 3:00, but you hardly notice. Here's the video for "Too Cool," at 3:04 the third longest song on the disc... there's a little NSFW language:



People tend to think punk is "easy" or that these musicians don't work that hard, but this record is evidence that, to do it right, nothing could be farther from the truth. If you like punk rock, and want to encourage the good stuff, get this record. And tell your friends.

Check out a few songs at Soundcloud:

Latest tracks by StrongKillings

Buy Strong Killings at Don't Stop Believin' Records

Soul Corner - Edwin Starr "War"

It saddens me beyond words that this song from 1969 remains so timely and in fact, especially so this week. WYMA is an apolitical forum, so I won't preach as the song and the news of this week speak for themselves.

But even if brave young soldiers and innocent people dying for nothing in Afghanistan doesn't move you for whatever reason, this song remains one of the defining moments of the anti-war Vietnam era. Originally written for the Temptations, but considered too "controversial" for their large mainstream audience, it was recorded by Motown bench warmer Edwin Starr. And he killed it.

"War" was then and remains one of the Vietnam era's signature protest songs.

From a musical perspective, it was a prototype funk song, and arguably Motown's very best melding of rock and soul.

But I sure wish it sounded more thematically dated.



Here's a live version with Edwin Starr with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, not the best quality video, but pretty cool nonetheless:

<

REVIEW: She's Hit - Pleasure

I think we all understand that there aren't a lot of new elements to pop music that are going to be discovered and played for us. But we can delight when a young band takes influences, good influences in this case, and fuses them into something different than what their contemporaries are offering us. In the case of Glasgow band, She's Hit, we get a scuzzy, dirty, noisy brand of garage rock built upon a foundation, in varying amounts depending on the track, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Stooges and The Birthday Party (a song of which provides our subject with their name), and hell, maybe Suicide and The Cramps, too. And it is topped by lead singer David Wilson's understated, louche but somewhat snarling vocals that seem born of Iggy and Mark E. Smith. As the band notes, their music has been tagged with a number of labels, but my favorite probably is "dirty surf".

The debut album from She's Hit, Pleasure, was released on June 20. It begins with the a cappella opening of title track "Pleasure", which tips the band's adventuresome nature and then its affinity for scuzzy noise. The next track is the standout "Shimmer Shimmer", which is perhaps the hardest edged song while still being very accessible:

She's hit - Shimmer Shimmer from Fiftyquidvids on Vimeo.

However, the band is capable of dialing down the noise -- although fortunately not the intensity -- to wonderful effect. Here is the dirty surf of "Part One", with guest co-vocalist Jen Paley:
Part One by She's Hit

She's Hit may have the coolest vibe going in Scotland. Part of it is their distinctive sound. Part of it is their bold decision to create their own label, Re:Peater Records, to give them control of their music. And part of it has to be the maturity of developing their songs adequately, despite the ability to rush out a record on their own label. Nor can one discount the affect of the band's friends and colleagues. While She's Hit lists five members, David Wilson, Mike Hanson, Philip McLellan, Cammy Wilson, and Fraser McFadzean (listed on Facebook but only as a guest on the album), they list as honorary members Scott Paterson (guitarist and vocalist of Sons and Daughters), Emily Mclaren, and Jen Paley (vocalist for the late Astral Planes). All of the honorary members played a part in the album, including Paley's vocals on three tracks. Paterson also is thanked for his "input, enthusiasm and advice". I like the boys' sense of humor, too. When faced with a harsh review of a live show, they responded with their own humorous improvement of the offending journalist's written product.

An good example of the reverb-drenched scuzzy sound found in several songs is "Re:Peater":


The album was recorded at the Green Door Studio in Glasgow. You can stream it below and buy a digital copy or a physical copy from the Re:Peater Records Bandcamp site linked below. Both the download and the CD include nine bonus tracks, which are remixes of album tracks. Of course, digital is easy, but you should know that the physical album is lovely, with artwork, design and layout by Iceland native Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir.

Stream Pleasure here:


This album is completely under my skin, and I've been playing it nearly daily for weeks now. It is vibrant, noisy, dark and intriguing. Obviously, I recommend it.

Facebook
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Myspace
Hrafnhildur Halldorsdottir's website

New Album Alert: Beirut - The Rip Tide

Zach Condon's Beirut is releasing The Rip Tide at the end of the month. On this LP, Condon's songwriting is said to be based less on imagination and more on personal experience and introspection. If you check around the internet, you will discover that music blogs and zines are praising the increased maturity of Zach's work, so I expect this album will be worth your time in listening to it. I know that I've liked what I have heard so far.

Here are two of the songs on the album.

"Santa Fe"

Beirut - Santa Fe by Revolver USA

"East Harlem"

Beirut - East Harlem by Revolver USA

And if you'd like to stream the entire album, the nice folks at NPR have you covered here.

website
Facebook

Cool Video Thursday

Hunx and His Punx with "Lovers Lane"

Hunx and His Punx
Get More:
Hunx and His Punx, MTV Hive

"Vomit" by Girls


"Our Deal", by Best Coast

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

AM and Shawn Lee with "Dark Into Light"

REVIEW: Acrasia - Acrasia

I try to be really careful about classifications when I start talking about subgenres of heavy metal music. This is because there's always some smartass nearby itching to correct me -- usually because I need to be corrected. When it's stuff I don't spend a ton of time listening to, I can get particularly facile in my categorizations. For example, when I hear guttural, horrorshow vocals or screams like someone who's just been clubbed in the nards and likes it, I generally think, 'oh, death metal.'

Such vocals are an acquired taste, to put it lightly, and that's fine, because it's an aesthetic choice. By this I mean that I can say with some certainty that these guys don't go home after a show and speak to their mothers in that tone of voice. It's cultivated. They are speaking to a very large and rabidly devoted community of music fans who are all in -- for them, the vocals are an indispensable part of the music experience.

I've never been dismissive of death metal because more often than not the music behind the vocals is intensely interesting. Nowhere will you find as many folks who actually have studied music theory and even composition than in this little corner of the rock and roll world. Ultimately, even if you can't get used to the singing (I generally can), the musicianship more than makes up for it.

So I'm probably not being as careful as I should be when I apply that term -- death metal -- to a very exciting band out of Raleigh called Acrasia. I throw that term out there because most of the time, vocalist Michael Rumple's singing sounds like the bellows of hell. Again, it's an aesthetic choice -- at several points during their self-titled full length, Rumple actually sings, revealing a powerful and far-ranging voice.

But is it death metal when you listen to the band winding through these complex and beautifully played songs and think that you could just as easily envision them putting out their next album on an old prog label like Relativity or the now-defunct E.G. Records as you could see them signing to Metal Blade or The End? I don't want to create an impression by saying they play art rock that their music is not apocalyptic and bonecrunching. It most certainly is both of those things. Check out album opener "Pulse", which will put any such concern to rest.



Here's the second song, "Waves Within", which will remind you of some of your favorite Isis tunes, albeit with much showier guitar work from Zach Dresher and Devin Janus (never a bad thing), and an aggressive foundation laid by bassist Blake Privette and drummer Alex Finn. Again, you can hear the band's progressive leanings burrowing in and out of the song. It's prog like Mastodon, but it's also prog like early 70s King Crimson.



The album is exceptionally strong from front to back, with superb production by Jesse Clark. Take a look at their bandcamp page and listen to "Contextual Relevance", which features a fascinatingly unforced saxophone part right in the middle of a cyclone of noise.



Then buy the whole danged album. It's cheap, it's great, and they deserve it.

New song from Avi Buffalo: "How Come?"

Two song vinyl 7" from Sub Pop by this terrific California band that really broke out last year. Sorry I'm just now posting this (apparently was released in late June), but maybe we're closer to an album release? Hey, a guy can hope.

Avi's self-titled 2010 album made the top 20 for both me and Rocksteady... pretty high, too.

Here's the song and a free download if you sign up for the mailing list:

Website: Avi Buffalo at Sub Pop

Lo-Fi Freebies: TV Girl

TV Girl are a lo-fi dream pop duo consisting of Trung Ngo and Brad Petering. They hail from San Diego and you can stream their most recent four-song EP, Benny and the Jetts below. And you can download it for free at their Facebook link below. The band also has a link to another free EP at Bandcamp. It is really good, chill, summer stuff.



Well, I've been so generous today, I may take the rest of the day off.

Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter

Now We've Got Trouble: Vintage Trouble - The Bomb Shelter Sessions

I'd describe Vintage Trouble as a throwback soul/R&B/rock and roll band. But really, why try to improve on the band's own description -- "Live-wired, straight-shootin, dirty-mouth'd pelvis-pushin' juke music ...." The band consists of Ty Taylor, Nalle Colt, Rick Barrio Dill and Richard Danielson, and were formed in early 2010 in Los Angeles by Taylor and Colt. The music produced by Vintage Trouble is exciting not because it is new or innovative, but rather because they take a classic American sound and faithfully and energetically bring it to date. And Taylor's vocals are an absolute knockout. The band has just self-released The Bomb Shelter Sessions. Give it a listen; it will remind you of that great Otis Redding era of American soul.

"Nancy Lee"


"Nobody Told Me"


Website
Facebook
Reverbnation
Twitter

New Sounds of Scotland-Part 23: The Mouse that Ate the Cat; Café Disco; The Moth & The Mirror

The Mouse that Ate the Cat a Scottish electro pop duo consisting of Colin Keenan, a former member of Drive By Argument, and Brian Henderson, who is the lead singer of The Dykeenies. The group is based in Glasgow.

Here is their 2011 two-track release:


And a video for the title track, "Falling Down"


"Calm" (live)


Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter



Café Disco are a relatively new Glasgow pop/alternative group. The band are Fraser Welsh, twins Paul and Rachael Swinton, and Clare Gallacher, the last three of which are only 18. They met at the Academy of Music & Sound in Glasgow, where the members are enrolled, and formed the band this spring.

"Terra Nova"


Facebook
Twitter



The Moth & The Mirror Consist of Stacey Sievwright, Gordon Skene, Louis Abbott, Kevin McCarvel, Ian Sandilands, and Peter Murch, some of whom also play in other projects (Sievwright in The Reindeer Section and Arab Strap, Skene in Frightened Rabbit, Abbott in Admiral Fallow and Song of Return and McCarvel in Smoke Jaguar). The group intends to release an album, Honestly, This World in October, but first have issued the following track, "Lights in the Sky".

"Lights In The Sky"


Bandcamp

Midnight World Pop Scout-26: The Offset: Spectacles; Dominant Legs; Age of Consent

We find ourselves back in China again, to profile some acts I learned about from Matthew Young's Song By Toad blog. No, he doesn't specialize in Chinese pop either, but neither do I. Then we visit San Francisco for a promising new pop band, and finish with a goth synth band from London.



The Offset: Spectacles recorded this nice EP in Hong Kong and Beijing. There are three members, and the also run a label called Rose Mansion Analog, but I don't have any other information to share.



Bandcamp
Facebook (not much information yet)
Rose Mansion Analog



San Franciso based pop band Dominant Legs consists of Ryan Lynch, Hannah Hunt, Rene Solomon, Andrew Connors, and Garett Goddard. They have a debut album coming out in September, and the following track is free on their Facebook page. And you may be interested in knowing that Ryan Lynch's other gig is live gig guitarist with Girls; I don't know about you, but that is serious indie pop credibility for me.

"Hoop of Love"

Dominant Legs - "Hoop Of Love" from stereogum on Vimeo.

"Laughing the Whole Time"
Dominant Legs, "Laughing the Whole Time" by The FADER

Facebook
Ryan Lynch's Twitter feed ( @DominantLynchie )
Myspace



Age of Consent is a goth, synth pop band from London. The members are Joe Reeves and Daren Cullen. I've given you some links below, but if you decide to look for information on your own, be advised that putting their name into a search engine may provide some unrelated hits with which you may not want to be associated.

"The Beach"


Two track single to be released in September:


Facebook
Bandcamp
Twitter ( @Age_of_Consent )
Myspace

New Wilco song - "I Might"

From the forthcoming record, The Whole Love, due out Sept 27. I dig the farfisa organ.



More info about the release available at Wilco's web page: Wilcoworld.net

Wake up to a great song! "Not Me" by Milk Maid

Here is a live performance of "Not Me" by Milk Maid, performed Thursday in Edinburgh. I'm not sure, but it may have been in Matthew Young's apartment. Matthew has a very good blog named Song By Toad, and also runs his own record label.

Milk Maid - Not Me (Toad Session) from Song, by Toad on Vimeo.

Big News! New Bloody Hollies - Yours Until the Bitter End - to be released on September 13!

From San Diego by way of Buffalo, the Bloody Hollies play a loud, beautiful blues-punk that has made them one of my very favorite bands of the last 10 years. I have been shouting their praises from the rooftops every time, well, every time I've been allowed on a rooftop. Despite three brilliant albums, though, the stardom they would receive in a good and proper world has been elusive. That's a shame, especially because each album has been an improvement over its worthy predecessor, as the band becomes ever more careful about and comfortable with who they are. Frontman Wesley Doyle is a gifted guitar player with great garage instincts. He's not one bit afraid of his wah-wah pedal, nor is he afraid of taking a step back to let mate Joey Horgen have a crack at slide guitar. Doyle's vocals likewise have evolved from the Bon Scott screech prevalent on 2003's Fire at Will (ain't nothing wrong with that) to a near perfect wail that's one part Chris Robinson and two parts Jeffrey Lee Pierce.

See if you can handle this song from their second album, 2005's If Footmen Tire You (Alive Records), complete with the wah-wah and pretty much everything else.



Here's a live video of them playing a great tune off their last album, 2007's Who to Trust, Who to Kill, Who to Love.



And here's the official video for 'Satanic Satellite', also from the last album. This tune got picked up for a video game commercial that I heard during NFL games last year (can't remember which one).



So after putting out records in '03, '05, and '07, I was crestfallen when '09 came and went without a peep. Then '010 -- nothing. So you can be sure there was much rejoicing when I found out recently that Alive Records is releasing the new Bloody Hollies album, Yours Until the Bitter End, on September 13. Go listen to the entire first side at the nicely updated Bloody Hollies website and see if you aren't as blown away as I am. They haven't lost a bit of their edge, thanks in part to reenlisting legendary Detroit engineer Jim Diamond (Dirtbombs, Ghetto Recorders).

This 3 song Soundcloud embed has 'Satanic Satellite' again, followed by two excellent tracks from the new record. I'll post more on this record when it's released. Start saving your quarters.

The BLOODY HOLLIES by alivenaturalsound

The Soul Corner - Percy Sledge "When a Man Loves a Woman"

Do yourself a favor and listen to this song as if you've never heard it before. Give it your full attention. Put the cell phone away, turn off the TV, banish the kids from the room, put the dog out. Intently listen, and enjoy.

I was going to hold this all-time classic until later in the year to bring the Soul Corner to an apex, but I needed one for this week and could wait no longer.

This live version is perfect:



The song reached #1 on the charts in 1966. Legend has it that Percy Sledge wrote the lyrics on the spot in the studio while recording the track. If even close to true, that is so crazy off the rails, I have no comment.

Here's the recorded version with mostly though not entirely accurate lyrics:



The Soul Corner doesn't get any more soulful than this.

Percy's Blog (still touring, still making records)

REVIEW: The Loose Salute - Getting Over Being Under

The Loose Salute released a critically acclaimed album in about 2007, and then seemed to drift off the map. Or at least they drifted off my map. Then, with regrettably little fan fare, the band released Getting Over Being Under this summer (on Big Potato Records in the UK and Graveface Records in the US). I invite you to listen to album track "Perhaps She'll Fly" while you continue to read (and if you don't want to continue to read after hearing that track, I can't help you).

The Loose Salute - Perhaps She'll Fly from The Loose Salute on Vimeo.

The Loose Salute is headed by Mojave 3 and Slowdive drummer Ian McCutcheon, and McCutcheon's voice is remarkably similar to his old bandmate, Neil Halstead. In fact, if you listen to the first cut on Getting Over Being Under, "It's A Beautiful Thing", you could be excused for thinking that the album is going to be Oh Mighty Engine! part II. However, the error of such an assumption is quickly dispelled as the album continues. For one thing, this is a summer pop album of varied tempos and styles. For another, while McCutcheon's vocals lead on some of the tracks, the voices of the two female members of the band, Lisa Billson and Charlotte King, carry many of the tracks. For the record, the additional members of this six-piece are Alan Forrester, Robert Jesse and Alden Evans.

"Happy I Don't Count"


While the overall feel of Getting Over Being Under is light and airy, the individual songs still command the listeners attention. They reflect mature songwriting ability and the musicianship confident enough to change tempos and combine styles in a single song. Sure, the primary touchstone is US west coast dream/indie pop, there are more than a few touches of Americana and folk rock. And lyrically the songs reflect the additional years, and resultant triumphs, failures, and inevitable bruising that come with the passage of time.

The first track I heard from the album (and the one that reminds one of Neil Halstead) is the wonderful "It's A Beautiful Thing":

☁ It's a beautiful thing ☂ from The Loose Salute on Vimeo.

In case you still are in doubt, I think this is a great summer album.

Facebook
Graveface (USlabel)
Big Potato Records (UK label)
Myspace (badly out of date)
Prior videos

Kid Icarus - American Ghosts, out August 23

Discovered in a roundabout way... Matt from Beat the Indie Drum (a recent WYMABlog Twitter follower) has a label, Big School Records which is releasing this new record from Scranton band Kid Icarus. Got all that? At any rate, I followed the trail to Kid Icarus' site and checked out this record... It's good, straightforward indie rock music with ragged, jangly guitars, definitely worth checking out. Reminds me a little of American Princes out of Little Rock... that's a compliment.

You can listen at their Bandcamp site and download a couple tracks for free:

Cool Video Thursday

The first video comes from the productive gang Honeydrum, which has been cranking out wonderful lo-fi stuff all year.

Honeydrum - Night Runner from honeydrum on Vimeo.

From OK Go and dance troupe Pilobolus, "All is Not Lost"


"Go Easy" by We Cut Corners

GO EASY from Nico Casavecchia on Vimeo.

The War On Drugs with "Come to the City"

The War on Drugs - "Come to the City" (Official Music Video) from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.

"Come On Over" by Veronica Falls

Veronica Falls - Come On Over from Army Of Kids on Vimeo.

New Song: "She Fell Into My Arms" by Wake the President

Glasgow twins Bjorn and Erik Sandberg's Wake the President have a new album named Zumutung! to be released in the fall, and claim to be working on a another album. Or they're touring around Europe but telling us they are working on albums to be released later. Anything to get out of Glasgow in the summer. But to add some credibility to their claim, they have released "She Fell Into My Arms". And since it is a fine song, we'll share it with you.
She Fell into my Arms by Wake the President

REVIEW: Pure X - Pleasure

When I listen to the radio, I make a list of songs/artists that impress me so I can track them down later. Recently, I noticed that Austin, Texas' Pure X had earned several entries on the list. Investigating further, I discovered that this intriguing music was on the band's 2011 album, Pleasure. Thus, my mission of discovery became an album review.

Pure X takes a style of which I'm fond, lo-fi psychedelia, and then personalizes it by slowing it down and minimalizing it to the point where any added flourish or sound becomes more striking. The result is a hazy wave of delicious distorted vocals and reverby instruments. Some of the songs, such as "Easy", "Voices" and "Dream Over", have a pop feel to them, while others, like "You're In It Now", have have more of a jam vibe. If I pretend that I have a few seconds during an elevator ride to explain their sound to you, and I'm required to use at least four other artists as reference points (I only deal with realistic scenarios here), I'd say Pure X sounds like a combination of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Deerhunter at 2 AM after a session drinking and jamming with Townes Van Zandt and Neil Young.

"Easy"

Pure X - "Easy" from Malcolm Elijah on Vimeo.

The band was founded in 2009 by guitarist/vocalist Nate Grace, bassist Jesse Jenkins, and drummer Austin Youngblood as Pure Ecstasy, and later became Pure X. Pleasure is released on Acephale Records. I understand that an earlier EP has been re-released as well.

"Voices"



"You're In It Now"

pure x - you're in it now from Scott Gelber on Vimeo.

Pleasure is a good album for the rush you get when you hear the songs that first drew you to Pure X. But its lasting merit is in the way the entire recording works its way into the pleasure center of your brain, slowly but surely demanding recognition and replay.

Highly recommended.

Website
Facebook
Soundcloud
Label