REVIEW: Cristina Bautista - Gold Parts

Gold Parts is music with a heart. Perhaps a bruised heart. Perhaps at times an angry heart. But there definitely is a heart and it belongs to a rocking bass player named Cristina Bautista. It is pop music ("confrontational pop" in the artist's own words) with aggressive guitar and upfront bass and rock energy. More than that, you get well crafted songs delivered by a remarkable young voice. You can hear Bautista's self-described influences of Ted Leo and PJ Harvey (more the former in this set than the latter, to my ears), but the vocal instrument is a rare gem and would stand out in any style.

As I understand it, Gold Parts is about Bautista's recent journeys in life, and doesn't ignore the messier parts. The lyrics are available on Bandcamp and, presumably, with a purchase of the album. But I can't really describe it better than she does:

Some people pull themselves together so quietly no one realizes there was any falling apart to begin with.
I'm certainly not about to do that.

So, with the stage set in Cristina's own words, enjoy the ride:


Bautista, now in her early 20s, has been playing in Seattle bands since her teens, and recorded a four song EP in 2006. The busy woman also serves as the bass player for the rock band Visqueen. She recorded Gold Parts at the House of Breaking Glass in Seattle. The band for Gold Parts is Cristina Bautista (voice, bass), Jeff Gall (drums, voice), Eric Howk (guitar), and sometimes Leif Andersen (guitar, voice). The EP is released on Seattle-based Local 638 Records, which is owned by Visqueen's lead, Rachel Flotard.

I've included this recent live version of EP track "Heartless" because I think it illustrates the passion and energy that Bautista brings to her music.


This is an acoustic version of the third track on Gold Parts:
"I Don't Want You" (live, acoustic)


I strongly recommend giving this young lady and her band a chance to entertain you.

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Cool Video Thursday

Car theft and flirting in "Hunny Bunny" from Girls


Talented UK artist Emmy the Great with Paper Forest (In The Afterglow of Rapture), a single from her second album.


"Palomino" by Mates of State


"Nervous Breakdown" from Shimmering Stars

Shimmering Stars - Nervous Breakdown from Salazar on Vimeo.

"Milkshake" by Yuck


Milk Maid is sufficiently DIY that the album was recorded in an apartment, so the DIY feel of the video for "Dead Wrong" is appropriate

Milk Maid - Dead Wrong from FatCat Records on Vimeo.

New Song from The Twilight Sad - "Kill It In The Morning"

Champion Scottish brooders The Twilight Sad are releasing an album No One Can Ever Know on Fat Cat Records in February 2012. We understand that the album will expand on their big sound with increased keyboards and programming. The band also will release a single -- "Sick" -- from the album in November 2011.

"Kill It In The Morning" will be the closing track to the new album. If you like it you can download it for free from the band's website, which is linked below.
The Twilight Sad - Kill It In The Morning by Fat Cat Records

The Twilight Sad are Andy MacFarlane, James Graham, Mark Devine. Martin Doherty and Johnny Docherty are touring members.

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Stream the New Album from Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams

We consider the upcoming September 27 release of a new album from California's Dum Dum Girls to be good news. And we consider Sub Pop Record's decision to make the entirety of Only In Dreams available to stream to be good news on top of good news. Perhaps we should call it the hot fudge sundae of good news. So what have Dee Dee, Jules, Bambi, and Sandy fashioned for us? Introspective lyrics, harmonies produced by a four voice attack, and the amalgamation of 60s girl group, noise pop and punk that we would demand from Dum Dum Girls. To my ears, it is a very good album.

Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams by subpop

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Rocksteady's Single Pick of the Week: We Are John Wean's "Desperate Dan (She told me she was single)"

Yes, the video for "Desperate Dan (She told me she was single)" from We Are John Wean was featured in our Cool Video Thursday feature a few weeks ago. It is here again because the fellows have released the tune as a single. They also are giving those who register on their website a chance to be selected to be extras in the video for their American promo. Be advised, however, that the promo is to be shot in Glasgow. We Are John Wean is Conor Cartwright, Jude Smith, Stuart Anderson, and Simon Coakley, and they are based in Glasgow.



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New track from Kid Icarus - "American Ghosts"

Though it would appear to be the title track, this song did not make it onto Kid Icarus' recent album American Ghosts. But they assure us it will make the re-issue.

Reissue? Here's hoping they put together a follow-up EP, especially if they've got a few more tracks this good.

Kid Icarus - American Ghosts (The Song) by Kid Icarus (Scranton)

REVIEW: Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls

I sometimes get a bit nervous when first listening to an album, particularly a debut album that I have eagerly anticipated because of one or two previously released songs and, perhaps, comments made on the internet by others. To be realistic, the odds of high expectations being met completely aren't favorable. I fear discovering that the album is mostly filler, or that the band tried things it can't do. I can't help it, I grew up in a time where the major labels made a point of putting out albums with a couple of good songs and others you struggled to like before just giving up. Well, in the case of the self-titled debut from Veronica Falls, such worries are unnecessary. This is a remarkably good, and remarkably complete, indie pop release.

Veronica Falls' music takes from several styles -- C86, noise pop, '60s guitar pop, The Velvet Underground -- without being chained to any of them. Comparisons have been made to US bands Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts and Brilliant Colors, but I think such comparisons are too confining. The dueling guitars are taut and precise, the rhythm propulsive. The music isn't dreamy music that gradually envelopes you; this is bold music that grabs your attention. And then there are the vocals, confident girl-boy harmonies that remind me of The Seekers (for you young folk, that is a '60s reference and is meant as a high compliment) and other groups from that era.

The songs on Veronica Falls are an amalgamation of dark and light "Bad Feeling" is a fine and representative track, combining an insistent and intense musical foundation for vocals that are sweet to the ear but deliver a more ominous message.

Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling from Philippa Bloomfield on Vimeo.

The combination of melodic sound and dark messages permeates the album. Some of the tracks, like "Found Love in A Graveyard", "Right Side of the Brain" and "Beachy Head" have more insistent, aggressive melodies like "Bad Feeling". Others, like the anthemic "Wedding Day" boast soaring pop melodies. But the bittersweet remains; the song begins "So sorry I missed your wedding day / I didn't know, just what to say", followed by the chorus: "Except you don't look at her like you're looking at me,
She'll never know that's the way, it will be". In the second chorus, vocalist Clifford repeatedly asserts "You don't love her, like you love me".


"Misery" ("Misery, has taken over me / Misery, my old friend / Come with me, I see Misery / Stay with me, 'till the end") also is an excellent pop song with a dark core:


The last clip for this review is "Beachy Head", which seems to me to be a racing, jittery version of surf rock, about a suicide:

Veronica Falls - Beachy Head from Philippa Bloomfield on Vimeo.

Veronica Falls is Patrick, Roxanne, Marion, and James. Several of the members are from Glasgow, but the band are based in London. The album is released on Slumberland Records.


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Carlos Forster - "I Walk I Talk" from Family Trees and Other Songs of Warmth and Melancholy

Forster, former leader of the band For Stars and guitar contributor to early M Ward records, is back making records after taking a few years to pursue a career apart from music. On Family Trees, he is playing some dreamy pop/rock, with layered sounds and good understated guitars. Download a free copy of "I Walk I Talk" here:

Record was released online in July, apparently physical copies not available yet, at least according to the website. Worth checking out, especially if you like M Ward (who also plays on the record).

Carlos Forster Website

REVIEW: The Janks - The Hands of Time

The Janks are LA-based brothers Dylan and Zack Zmed with Garth Herberg, and they play an intriguing blend of old and new... for fans of some of Jack White's heavy stuff with the Raconteurs, there's common ground... check out the heavy start in opening track "Demon Dance", for example. But for all-out fans of 70's rock, there are points of reference, too. And songs like "Dead Man", with its mixture of Thom Yorke-style vocals, acoustic guitar and keyboards, are just good old-fashioned rock music. Like I said, intriguing. Here's the video for "Dead Man":



The title track, "The Hands of Time", starts out like a Fairport Convention track and is definitely the ballad of the bunch, really putting the vocals up front to emotional effect. "Rat Racers" combines The James Gang with Queens of the Stone Age, maybe... it's a nearly six minute track with plenty of good electric guitar and a swagger you used to only hear on album rock stations back in, you guessed it, the 70's.

The next few songs: "Billy The Kid", "Can't Give Up", "Echo Whispers" and "Don't Hide Your Eyes", slow it down, indulging in a lot of emotional, sometimes whispered vocals over hushed acoustic guitar, electric piano and pedal steel. It's real pretty stuff... until "Separation From Your Body" gets the guitars cranked back up again, and brings it to a crescendo with more soaring guitar solos and layered keyboards over drumrolls fading in and out.



"Drama King's Ball" features a reggae beat and a sneered vocal that will bring to mind the last couple of White Stripes records. A circus interlude, the :42 "Adolescence", leads to the heart-rending "When I Was a Kid", "Child Prodigy" and "Get Out of Town".

According to the artist, it's a concept album. "The album is like musical theatre," says The Janks' Dylan Zmed [Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Percussion] "The first half develops the plot of a young boy who comes from a broken home, while the second reflects the visceral intensity of growing up from separated roots. At the end, we see there's possibility for change."

This record will be out September 27 on Sprouted Records.

The Janks Website

New video from the Parson Red Heads

The Parson Red Heads released this video of "Burning Up the Sky", a very effective blending of a recent concert performance and an impromptu session in the alley outside the same club.


They are on tour in the US now with Viva Voce, see dates here, including at one of my favorite clubs, Schuba's in Chicago on Sept 19:

http://www.innocentwords.com/tabId/807/itemId/2540/pageId/4/Viva-Voce-Announces-Fall-Headline-Tour-With-The-Pa.aspx.

Prior WYMA feature story on the Parson Red Heads here:

http://whenyoumotoraway.blogspot.com/2011/08/feature-story-parson-red-heads-yearling.html

The Soul Corner - Charles Bradley

As mentioned earlier this week, I saw Charles Bradley perform at MusicfestNW and it blew my mind. I was not familiar with him, actually went to the theater to see the previous act Motown/Funk Brothers guitarist Dennis Coffey (who was great), and fortunately stayed for the main event.

Bradley, 62 years old, just released his first full CD, No Time For Dreaming (go buy it today!). He is tearing it up on his first coast-to-coast tour and making every second count. His appreciation for this opportunity and his deep goodness and humanity radiate from him.

His show made me feel so good! Dig this:

Bradley's journey was not your usual one to a hip indie rock musicfest - lived in the streets, joined LBJ's job corps in the 1960's, got trained as a cook, traveled around the US and Canada holding restaurant and odd jobs, and barely made ends meet. But Bradley loved old soul music, loved to sing and finally about ten years ago landed a regular gig in a Brooklyn bar as a James Brown imitator.

Here's his TV debut on Carson Daly show performing "The World (Is Going Up in Flames)", the lead track on No Time for Dreaming:

Bradley got discovered by the good folks at soul revivalist label Daptone Records (Sharon Jones etc), was paired with the Menahan Street Band, some of Brooklyn's finest young soul musicians from the Dap-Kings and Budos Band, released a few singles and now this great new CD No Time For Dreaming. This CD will for sure make my top 10 list for 2011 and has not left my CD player this week. His lyrics, vocal phrasing and timing are amazingly great, especially for someone starting a recording career at this stage of life. He's moved far beyond James Brown tribute status with his own distinctive vocal style, rooted in the classics but a powerhouse soul'n'rock combination all its own.

My favrote song on the CD is "I Believe in Your Love", a ballad with a slow slinky groove. Love the moment at the 1:35 mark, "Baby when you get your mind right [female backup singers: "Get it. Get it."], come and talk to me and I might give in to your love." I love that - "I might...". Keep her working, brother.

Want to learn more about Charles Bradley? Here's a terrific 9 minute piece with an interview and more live footage:

This is an amazing success story. The Soul Corner has a new hero.

Web page: http://thecharlesbradley.com/#home

New Discovery: Bonfire Nights

Ruth Nitkiewicz, Stephen Foster, and Nicole Hoaran are Bonfire Nights, a psych/pop/noise band that lists its location as London and Brisbane. I think they have a great sound, rocking but with a bit of a jittery, anxious atmosphere. They've been touring with Sons and Daughters in the UK. We've provided a video or their single, "Own Worst Enemy", as well as a full set of their songs from Soundcloud. Don't miss their cover of the Undertones' "Teenage Kicks".

"Own Worst Enemy"


Showcase by Bonfire Nights

Session recorded live under the streets of Brisbane:


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Cool Video Thursday Annex

I had no idea what to do with this, but felt a need to post it. Because, what the?

Cool Video Thursday

"Rose Red" by Sons and Daughters, inspired by a Scottish serial killer called 'Bible John' who picked up his victims at the Barrowlands Ballroom, a famous Glasgow live music venue. In my view, "Red Rose" was one of the highlight tracks on the group's fine 2011 release, Mirror Mirror.


"Replicate" by British group Fanfarlo


Little Dragon with "Brush the Heat". We profiled this band on the Midnight World Pop Scout about a week and a half ago.


A gentle little study on relationships called "By Your Hand" from Los Campesinos!


"Better Off Without You" by Summer Camp

Midweek Roundup - And the Giraffe, The Pack a.d., Folks, Sorrows, Sands

We get these things, we find these things, we'd like to share them with you...

And the Giraffe is a Florida/Tennessee-based duo that plays thoughtful, stretched-out music that in places reminds me of Papa M and in places reminds me of a quieter Richard Buckner. They've released an EP, Something For Someone, which you can check out (and download free if that is your desire) at their Bandcamp page. Personal favorite is probably song 2, "1055":



The Pack a.d. has a new record out this week: Unpersons. We reviewed it (short version: raucous, rocking, snotty and real good!) here, and the band has created a new video for the song "Take":



Folks is a UK band that is in the process of finishing up an album due out in early 2012. Here's a song they've made available for download, "Avalanche". Great jangly guitars and a nice pace to this one, not to mention it gets to rocking out about 2:00 in:

Avalanche by wearefolks

They're currently on tour in the UK. Check out their Facebook to learn more.

The re-formed punk/power pop group Sorrows is on tour and has made the title track from their recent release Bad Times Good Times available for free download here. It's real good punk/pop, a la Flaming Groovies, Plimsouls, and the like. Check out their Facebook if you want to learn more, including tour dates. You can buy it at Bomp! Records.

Finally, here's a California band Sands, who released a four-song EP this summer. An intriguing mix of blues-based psych and country rock... if you didn't know they're from California, you'd guess it pretty quickly. It's worth checking out:

New Song: Saints of Valory's "The Young Sons"

The Austin, Texas rock outfit Saints Of Valory have just made a new song available. And here it is for your listening pleasure. If you like it, you can download it at the link below.

"The Young Sons"



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New Sounds of Scotland--Recent Singles: We Were Promised Jetpacks; Cancel the Astronauts; Maydays; My Tiny Robots

This edition spotlights recent releases by four bands based in and around Edinburgh. The first band already has made a name for itself, but I'm expecting big things from from the remaining three in the future as well.


We Were Promised Jetpacks has released "Medicine" in advance of the October release of their new album, In the Pit of the Stomach:

The album will be released by FatCat records.

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We've mentioned Edinburgh (formerly Aberdeen) indie pop group Cancel the Astronauts before, and since they are releasing a proper single, we'll take the opportunity to mention them again. But frankly, we'll probably mention them from time to time anyway because they are a good band and deserve it.



The band are Matt Riley, Kieran McCaffrey, Michael Craig, Neil Davidson, and Chris Kay.
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During the summer we profiled the indie pop band Maydays. The talented folks recently released the single "By Appointment to..." The songs have a nice melodic feel and the vocals are excellent.

Maydays are Joe (vocals), Swannie (guitar), Kev (guitar), Tittles (organ), Calvin (bass), and Darren (drums).
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My Tiny Robots have made this smashing anthemic indie pop song available for free download (see Bandcamp link below) as a teaser for three singles they will be releasing beginning in October.



My Tiny Robots are Gareth Anderson, Dylan Childs, Ryan Marinello, and Russell Williams.
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REVIEW: Bloody Hollies -- Yours Until the Bitter End

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REVIEW: Shimmering Stars - Violent Hearts

Sometimes genius is found in a number of little things done right. A case in point is Vancouver, B.C.'s Shimmering Stars and their debut release, Violent Hearts. Shimmering Stars have taken the simple, stripped down melodic approach to pop employed in the 50s and 60s, crafted songs with timeless themes (with a few twists), and performed them with full-on reverb, three part vocals and Phil Spector-style wall of sound. The result is a sound that feels both engagingly fresh and yet, familiar. There probably is no better way to dive into the album than to listen to its best track, "I'm Gonna Try", showcased in the fine video below. The song begins "Walking down the street / and I wanna kill everyone I see / how come I don't like anyone I meet?". A bit later the song gives us what to me is the best line -- "I've lost my mind / I'm losing you / It's just as well". "I'm Gonna Try" is two minutes of pop bliss:

Shimmering Stars - I'm Gonna Try from Salazar on Vimeo.

The members of Shimmering Stars, Rory McClure (guitar, vocals), Andrew Dergousoff (drums, vocals), and Brent Sasaki (bass, vocals), all grew up near Kamloops, B.C. and have played in previous bands, but they formed this band only 18 months ago. The genesis for the songs on Violent Hearts was Rory's fascination with old Everly Brothers footage. He wrote the songs using the Everly Brothers approach as a platform, giving the songs a modern indie spin and penning lyrics focusing on relationships and the failure that is endemic to them. In one interview he noted that there may be some ex-girlfriends portrayed in the songs, but they probably wouldn't be flattered. Yes, you will be reminded of the music of an earlier generation, but that generation didn't tend to feature lyrics with the same level of violence and anxiety.

My second favorite song on Violent Hearts is the bouncy "East Van Girls" (note to those unfamiliar with Vancouver, "East Van" refers to East Vancouver).
"East Van Girls"

Shimmering Stars - East Van Girls from MAGIC CHILL on Vimeo.

Violent Hearts was recorded at the Garage Mahal in Kamloops, which I understand is otherwise referred to as Rory's parent's garage. The album is released on Seattle's Hardly Art label in North America and Almost Musique in Europe. If you like the kind of music I like, you owe it to yourself to check out this album. Go ahead--you deserve it; you know you do.

"Dancing to Music I Hate"


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MusicfestNW dispatch #2 - Pacific NW bands - Blitzen Trapper, Fernando, Sarah Gwen Peters, Moondoggies

Usually at these festivals I try to check out bands I have not seen before or at least can't see often. But somehow the sets I enjoyed most this weekend by NW acts were, with one exception (The Moondoggies), bands I am familiar with.

Blitzen Trapper's new CD American Goldwing is being released tomorrow and it's a good one. Mixed by top shelf engineer Tchad Blake (Tom Waits, Pearl Jam, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello etc etc), the new record is a big step up for this terrific Americana band. They played a high energy set at a packed and sweltering Crystal Ballroom on Friday night (we get one heat wave per year and it happened to be this weekend) and while the crowd reacted best to the older familiar songs, I thought the new songs were by far the highlights. I particularly liked the keyboard sounds, really tasteful. Fans of the Band and similar timeless Americana music should pick this record up (link at end of this post).



I can think of no higher compliment than this - Fernando Viciconte (performs under his first name only) is Portland's Bruce Springsteen. Fernando's songs brims with energy, compassion, intelligence, and most of all, heart. His live sets are always a thrill ride and I try to see him whenever he plays. Here's a cool film set to what I'm talking about:



Sarah Gwen Peters is an artist on the verge. Her debut record is in final mixing and looking for a label. I've heard it and it is stunning. Great songs, voice, well played, everything. There is an authenticity to Sarah that I find intoxicating.

Often compared to Lucinda Williams, Sarah writes in a very direct manner and lays it out there, while managing to stay away from anything sounding even remotely self-indulgent. She played a great set with her very tasteful guitar player Scott Weddle (Amelia, The Flatirons) in a packed pizza parlor on oh-so-hip North Mississippi Ave on Friday night. I love this film and recording, but this performance here is far quieter and subdued than Sarah's live shows and the upcoming record:



One tricky thing about these festivals - with so many bands playing, one can be tempted to hear the first song by one band and decide to scoot out and down the street to see another band instead. Had I done that for the Moondoggies from Seattle, thinking it was the sort of hippie jam band stuff that doesn't do much for me, I would have missed a varied, ambitious and rocking set. Fans of My Morning Jacket will like the Moondoggies.



Band web pages:

http://www.blitzentrapper.net
http://www.fernandoviciconte.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sarahgwenjamms
http://moondoggiesmusic.com/

Dispatch from MusicfestNW: Centro-matic, The Romany Rye, Charles Bradley

Wednesday through tonight was the big MusicfestNW here in Portland OR, a boutique version of SXSW where a dozen+ clubs put up a different band every hour on the hour from 9:00-1:00. You buy a wristband and make your way through the maze of bands, bars, music and beverages.

There were some larger shows held outdoors downtown in a big public square (Iron and Wine, Band of Horses, etc.).

I saw a dozen plus bands, but rather than review them all, in keeping with our masthead I will just write up a few that I really loved.

Three sets stood out. Soul man Charles Bradley killed me. Bradley's history is a long story and an especially good one, so we'll tell it in this Friday's Soul Corner. But here's a little taste from the "Screaming Eagle of Soul":

http://vimeo.com/couchmode/daptonerecords/videos/sort:date/18014728

And WYMA's old friends Centro-matic lived up to the lofty pedestal we've put them on here. Their set made me think of one of my favorite observations about music, which came from Ian MacKaye of Fugazi who told a buddy of mine that "There are 2 types of music - signals and echoes. And I am interested in the signals." Will Johnson sends out signals. On the surface he might appear a typical son of Neil Young, alt-country rocker. But the compositions, lyrics, musicianship and singing are all so careful, thoughtful and original that every song is a revelation.

Centro-matic is one of the first bands that our fearless leader John Hyland turned me onto when we first connected maybe 10 years ago, and I've enjoyed their recorded output. But this is the first time I've seen them perform and it's just that much better live. Will Johnson has simply got it - magic flows from his guitar and voice. And the band is right with him - as with all great bands, the whole greater than the sum of its parts.



Here's some very recent Centro-matic footage from this tour, giving you the flavor of what I experienced:



The other non-NW band that I was really impressed with was The Romany Rye from LA. Another rocking alt-country sort of outfit but with great vocals, big harmonies and a terrific warm vibe. Here's two:





Many Portland and Seattle bands played and I'll write a piece in a day or three on some sets I enjoyed by some local Portland and nearby acts. And please check back in Friday to hear about the great Charles Bradley.

Band web pages:

http://www.centro-matic.com/
http://www.theromanyrye.com/
http://thecharlesbradley.com/

REVIEW: Howling Bells - The Loudest Engine

In announcing this release, the band made much of the impact the location (Las Vegas, the Great American Landscape) had on the music on it, and in listening, I'd say they ain't lying. They're laying down a very heavy blues-based foundation -- a big, American rock sound with a psychedelic lean a la The Doors. But lead vocalist Juanita Stein can really sing, and her clear, strong voice is not the least bit overwhelmed by all this rock.

The Loudest Engine starts out with "Charlatan", which is something like Maria McKee fronting Queens of the Stone Age, and rolls into "Into the Sky" (we posted the video previously here), which has a beautiful, transcendent vocal fronting a very tough-sounding rock band. "Wilderness" is more of the same, but things slow down a little bit on "Secrets", giving the band a chance to demonstrate some real skill at varying the tempo - it doesn't all have to be heavy. "Don't Run" is a bona fide ballad, a country-sounding acoustic-based song that really suits Stein's phrasing. "Gold Suns, White Guns" exhibits a wall of sound quality with some psychedelic guitar over the second half of the song. Again, the common thread throughout the album is Stein's vocals, and Howling Bells are smart to feature it this prominently.

The record is out tomorrow (Monday, Sept 12). Right now you can stream the album at their Facebook site, or visit Howling Bells Website to find out about buying it.

REVIEW: Robbers on High Street - Hey There Golden Hair

Robbers on High Street are a Brooklyn-based, rather large pop band who play a bracing mixture of indie rock, British Invasion and soul sounds that, in places, reminds me favorably of The Style Council.

Apparently they've been through a few lineup changes since forming in 2002... On Hey There Golden Hair, it's a big group with a big sound - guitars, piano, harmony vocals, and they've thrown in the Dap-Tone horns for some extra flavor. It all goes together very well.

Vocalist Ben Trokan really takes this band different places: Beatlesque baroque pop on lead track "Hollow Hill", a soft croon on "Electric Eye" (a little bit reminiscent of Wilco circa Summerteeth),  ragged and plaintive in "Monkey", and, by God, positively Kinksian in "All Wires Are Crossed". I'm impressed. Can you tell?

The band keeps up just fine, travelling through impeccable pop territory on "Hollow Hill" and "Face in the Fog" (which prominently features the Dap-Tone horns to great effect), and really driving hard on the urgent "Monkey"... all the way through to the impeccable power pop tour de force closing track, "Supernatural Shivers".

Here's a video of them performing "Face in the Fog":



Here are a few tracks, courtesy of ReverbNation:







 
If you like what you hear, I'd recommend going over and checking out the opportunity they've offered to download a free track, pledge and receive a free EP along with the album.
 

 
Out September 13 via The Connextion and Pledge Music, and highly recommended. I think this is a beautiful pop/rock record.
 
Robbers On High Street Website

The Soul Corner - "Ain't That Peculiar"

My favorite of all the great Motown singers, and probably my favorite vocalist ever, is Marvin Gaye. Before the end of the year, I will come back and do a more in-depth Soul Corner feature on Marvin.

For today, let's go with one great track from 1965, produced by Smokey Robinson, "Ain't That Peculiar":

And here is a terrific, slow and oh-so-deeply soulful cover version by a criminally underrated contemporary soul singer, Chocolate Genius:

Emerging Seattle Bands: Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs

Ellensburg, Washington's Star Anna & the Laughing Dogs is a rock/alt country band that is likely to garner a lot of recognition in the next few years. Formed in 2006, the band released a rootsy album named Crooked Path in 2010 that was well-received in the Pacific Northwest. In July the band released Alone In This Together, which retains a rootsy feel while amping up the rock intensity. The focal point is Star Anna's bruised, aching vocals, full of passion and devoid of contrivance. But the band -- Justin Davis, Travis Yost, Keith Ash, Ty Bailie (and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam played guitar on tracks 3, 5, and 7) -- provides the foundation that makes it work. This isn't a singer-songwriter project with hired musicians in the backdrop; this is a tight, organic music machine.

Here is the album opening track, the restrained "Shine"

I don’t make things any easier I know
I can’t even say I do the best I can
Though I’d like to say I tried
I’m afraid it’d be just one more lie
I’ve given too much of myself to bad years
My memory is too full of sad times
To my aching heart tonight
I’ll make this promise to make it right
and clear some space for joy

Star Anna & The Laughing Dogs - Shine by Burn and Shiver

There are no weak tracks on this album, and it has about an honest a feel as you are going to find among recent releases. If you like Americana/alt-country rock, and especially if you like it dark, emotional and authentic, this band should be on your short list to check out. Ultimately, the test is in the music and your reaction to it. But it doesn't hurt to consider the opinion of others. In addition to considerable praise from the music press, one should give weight to the support (he financed the recording) of McCready and the faith of the great Rachel Flotard in signing the band to her Local 638 Records.

Title track, "Alone In This Together"


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Local 638 Records

Cool Video Thursday: DMB, John Wean, Low, Wild Flag, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Wilco

Carly Crabb, a talented young Seattle photographer and friend of ours, made this engaging video of the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Gorge Amphitheater last Sunday. The great thing about it is that in just a few minutes it stitches together the vibe at the concert as well as showcasing the unique venue that referred to around here as The Gorge. There also is a sighting at the end of a flesh and blood member of the Rocksteady74 clan.



"Desperate Dan (She told me she was single)" is a very good, and funny, song from the promising Scottish band John Wean that we profiled earlier this year. And now we have an amusing video to illustrate, at times in excruciating detail, the song. Consider it a public service especially for Americans who may struggle with the accent.



"Try to Sleep" by Low is a beautiful song. The video starts out merely intriguing, but left me speechless at the end.



OK, this one absolutely made me want to attend a Wild Flag concert. I suppose that's why it was made, but they may be happy to know that it worked.


Wild Flag - Romance from Merge Records on Vimeo.

And by the way, Wild Flag is Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Janet Weiss, Rebecca Cole, whose past associations, in addition to Brownstein's Sleater-Kinney, include Helium, The Minders, Croissant Cocktail, Feeble Knees, Quasi, Dogz, @@@, The Consortium, Asia, and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. Clearly, there are plenty of reasons to check them out besides the video. These ladies can flat out play.
http://www.facebook.com/WILDFLAG?sk=wall

An educational video about "Tigers" from Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks




Wilco with "Born Alone"

Get to Know: Letting Up Despite Great Faults

Letting Up Despite Great Faults is a Los Angeles dream pop/shoegaze band. Their songs are melodic and infectious, although the lyrics can take a melancholy turn--a perfect sound as summer slides into the fall.

Letting Up Despite Great Faults released the EP Paper Crush on Old Flame Records in the US, Heist or Hit Records in the UK and Europe, and Happy Prince in Japan. One of the tracks is "Teenage Tide":


The members of the band are founding member Mike Lee, and Kent Zambrana, Chris Gregory, Matt Salas, Caitlin Dwyer. They use both electronic and acoustic instrumentation to produce their sound.
Another of the five tracks on the EP is "Sophia In Gold":
Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Sophia In Gold by lettingup

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New Discovery: Dibiase - Here Comes Forever EP

Dibiase is a strong instrumental four-piece from the Collinwood, Illinois (St. Louis area). When I say strong, believe me I mean it. This is real good heavy rock music, of the variety that you sometimes see referred to as "stoner rock": heavy riffs, great drumming and bass on the bottom, just real hair-shaking, head-bouncing stuff. They've got a new EP due out next Tuesday, Sept 13 which, based on these two tracks, I'd definitely recommend checking out.

It's on a newly-formed label Earth Analog, which was started by Hum's Matt Talbott and also refers to the recording style.

According to Talbot: The impetus for the label came from my desire to marry bands I liked with traditional analog recording methods in a real studio (In this case, my studio, Earth Analog). I know that doesn’t sound very exotic…but bands are now so used to working on computers and with unlimited tracks, editing, and processing capabilities. My studio offers an alternative to that. I still think tape sounds better than any analog to digital converter I’ve ever heard, and the track count and editing limitations put the focus squarely on the band, their songs, and their performances.

Here's "Hails from Dark Places": Dibiase: "Hails from Dark Places" by earthanalog

And here's "12 Pound Tooth": Dibiase: "12 Pound Tooth" by earthanalog

I'll be looking for more from this group... and label.

Dibiase Facebook Page

New Discovery: Teens

I love garage rock, I love surf rock, and I love punk rock. It should come as no surprise that I'm delighted to find a young band that combines two or more of those elements. Boise, Idaho's Teens combines all three. Teens are David Wood (guitar/vocals), Gabriel Rudow (bass/vocals), Christopher Kolody (guitar/vocals), and Dustin McFadden-Elliot (drums). They recorded their debut, Teens, in an underground bomb shelter outside of town with two mics and less than professional equipment. It has a bit of the old Black Lips loose energy, and if they can produce Teens under those circumstances, I think they can make a splash.



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Barn Owl Records (with free download)

Stream the new Girls album!

The Hype Machine has made Father, Son, Holy Ghost, the new album from San Francisco's Girls, available for streaming. And here it is.



Since the entire album is available to stream, and I've previously put up a video of one of the songs, I'll let you review the album for yourself. However, if you want my opinion, I think it likely is a top-ten-of-the-year album. Of course, I thought last year's EP and the prior LP were top ten albums as well. And I'm never wrong.

The album is available on September 13.

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New Sounds of Scotland-Part 26: Natalie Pryce; The Last September; Aggie Doom

As I was listening to the various Natalie Pryce tracks available on Soundcloud, I was musing about how to describe a band that has been described (according to their own Facebook page) as 'a tirade of obscene poetry', 'more psychotic than pornographic', and 'Bosch meets Kafka at a crack party in Islington'. And then I realized that listening to Glasgow's Natalie Pryce in 2011 is like listening to the Monks of the 1960s, if the latter band had grown up in this century and resolved that Velvet Underground nihilism was a more comfortable artistic voice than proto-punk. So there you have it. The band is comprised of Mark (Misc), Greg (Guitars), Litts (Bass), and Stephen Coleman (Drums).

Natalie Pryce by Natalie Pryce

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Edinburgh band The Last September is taking an unconventional approach to potential success. After their first album, Vagrant Song, they put the band on the shelf for five years. Now they are back with their second album, As the Crow Flies. The band's sound is indie rock with a folk edge, and is distinguished by beautiful songs. The band consists of Pete Deane, Dave Bishop, Calum MacLeod, Jos Collins, Ali Petrie, Poppy Ackroyd, and they have no label at this point.

The Last September has released the following two-track single, "Precious Time", comprised of songs from their new album:


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Glasgow band Aggi Doom plays music they call darkwave, which seems to be a somewhat more darker version of '80s new wave. I say it "seems to be" rather than it "is" because I don't have much of a musical record for evaluating the band. However, what I've heard is good and interesting. The band members are Claudia Nova (vocals, keyboard), Hillary Van Scoy (vocals, guitar), Joan Sweeney (vocals, bass), and Scott Caruth (vocals, drums).

"Loving Kind"


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Midnight World Pop Scout-30: Little Dragon

We only have one band on the MWPS this week, but in terms of potential, they are worthy of carrying the burden by themselves.



Little Dragon are from Gothenburg, Sweden, although the lead singer, Yukimi Nagano, is from Japan. The other members of the band are Fredrik Wallin, Håkan Wirenstrand, and Erik Bodin. Their sound stitches together electronic, R&B, new wave and experimental pop. After building buzz for months, they released the album Ritual Union in late July.

"Summertearz"


"When I Go Out"


"Little Man"


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New Bloody Hollies video for "I Dream of Bees"

From the upcoming album Yours Until the Bitter End, to be released on 9/13.

The Soul Corner - Sam and Dave - "Hold On, I'm Comin'"

How could we go for 30+ weeks of the Soul Corner and not include Sam and Dave? Well kids, the long wait is over.

And have we got the classic live performance for you, from the 1966 Stax-Volt European tour. Backed by Booker T. Jones, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Steve Cropper, and Al Jackson Jr, and a killer horn section, Sam and Dave throw down here! Be sure to watch all the way through. And what slacks those fellas are sporting! You may think you know the song but you have to experience this live version:

The track was produced and co-written by Isaac Hayes. Legend has it that Hayes was trying to hurry his songwriting partner David Porter from the men's room while they were starting to write the song, when Porter bellowed out "Hold on, I'm comin'."

New Single and Video: Veronica Falls - "Bad Feeling"

We recently learned of a new single from the UK band Veronica Falls. "Bad Feeling" is released on Slumberland Records in the US and Canada. The release is accompanied by a video directed by Philippa Bloomfield, which we've provided below as it is an enjoyable way to experience the song. Veronica Falls is Roxanne Clifford, Patrick Doyle, James Hoare and Marion Herbain. Their sweet spot is well crafted, great sounding pop songs with a dark cast. They will be releasing their self titled debut album later this month.

As for "Bad Feeling", I like this song quite a bit. It has a good melody with a nice jangly delivery and insistent rhythm. The vocals have quality that remind me of the 60s, but it a good way. If this is a representative taste of the album, I'm looking forward to eating the whole thing.

"Bad Feeling"

Veronica Falls - Bad Feeling from Slumberland Records on Vimeo.

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How about a cool video from Unnatural Helpers?

Unnatural Helpers is a Seattle band comprised of drummer/singer Dean Whitmore and apparently whoever's calendar is clear on that particular evening. They have a lovely raw noise that's sort of a cross between late-era Bumpyface and the Unicorn Knuckles. To be candid, I am pretty sure no band ever has used either of those names. Do you remember those Tool videos for the songs on "Undertow"? Well, I don't know if this was done by the same guy, but if so, thanks to the warden who let him out to start scaring little children again.

"Girl in the Window"


That tune is ample evidence of the awesomeness of their 2010 album Cracked Love and Other Drugs, a 15 track, 26 minute exercise in garage. Here's another, earlier tune with that urbane UH vibe, aptly entitled "Gettin' Classy".


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and on Hardly Art Records

Mogwai to release new EP, Earth Division on September 13

Following on the heels of Mogwai's excellent Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will (WYMA review here), we're looking forward to their previously-announced four-song EP, Earth Division, due out September 13.

According to the band, these aren't outtakes from Hardcore Will Never Die..., but new songs, representing "a creative departure from the band’s trademark cinematic mantra of pulverizing, scorched guitar riffage, into a more recontextualised domain of hazy electronic distortion, accompanied by spiky wafts of violins, violas, cellos and double bass and jagged keys."

But just in case you haven't got Hardcore Will Never Die... yet, here's a chance to download "San Pedro":

Mogwai Website

Emerging Seattle Band: Pickwick

Not to get too confessional with all of you virtual strangers, but I'm genuinely remorseful that, as a Seattle-based music blogger, I haven't presented this band to you before now. In addition to exuding quality, and a personalized take on a respected genre, Seattle's Pickwick wins the highly coveted "Best Reinvention" prize from When You Motor Away. The band now presents a R&B/neo-soul oriented version of indie pop along with some of the best vocals I've heard lately. However, when formed in 2008 Pickwick had an alt country sound, and then they tried their luck as a folk act. While struggling to attract a following in those musical spaces, the lead vocalist, Galen Disston, was inspired by Sam Cooke recordings to try a musical style that allowed greater vocal range. The happy result is represented in this live recording from January of this year:

Live From The Basement - Pickwick from Sound on the Sound on Vimeo.

Apparently, enthused by Disston's vision for a new direction, the rockers dug into Stax and Motown recordings. In my view, the result isn't a cover of those great old sounds, but the Pickwick version of those sounds. Yes, the rhythms and vocals are R&B and soul, but there still is an indie rock edge and jangle to the proceedings. I like the result a lot, and hope it helps them stand out.

Here is their March 25, 2011, release, Myths, Vol. 3:


In addition to Disston, the band is comprised of Michael Parker, Garrett Parker, Matt Emmett, Cassady Lillstrom, and Kory Kruckenberg. The band is working on an album intended for release in 2012. I'm not aware of any label in the picture at this point.

Myths, Vol. 2 from December 17, 2010:


Myths, Vol. 1 from November 2010


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