It only makes sense that a great new band gets it’s introduction to the world on one of the music blogs I look to for new and emerging artists, but the most unique part about this is that they are both based in North Carolina. Months ago Get Off The Coast posted a couple tracks by Gross Ghost, and “Golden T” has really proven to have staying power in my day to day listening.
Gross Ghost do what bands from Chapel Hill/Carrboro/ Raleigh/Durham area do best, and make good straight up indie rock, and it doesn’t hurt that they have great pop sensibility. In a day where where keyboards and electronics tend to dominate my intake of new music it’s nice to hear a band using just guitar, base, and drums. Gross Ghost bring what I want to hear coming out of NC following in the steps of the states’ great indie rock past bringing melodic and catchy rock with vocals that can back it up perfectly. Their use of backing vocals, almost as if it is the brief entrance of a chorus backing them, on this track make the band seem larger than three members, and really fill out my speakers. Mike from Gross Ghost told me that they are headed into the studio this month so hopefully we will be getting more tracks as good as “Golden T” from these southern dudes very soon. It’s exciting to see rising acts from North Carolina, and with Love Language’s recent signing to Merge I hope this means big things are in store for Gross Ghost.
I don’t think New York City could have had a more perfect weekend weather wise, and my lady even busted out her warm weather ray bans…just in time for this warm weather I stumbled across Sunglasses.
Sunglasses are beach influenced electronica coming from Savannah, Georgia…not to far from my home town of Charleston SC, where this genre seems to be thriving (if you haven’t checked out South Carolina’s native sons Washed Out and Toro Y Moi you might want to do that).
While there are lots of bands riffing on the beach theme these days, there is just something about Sunglasses’ “Referee” that is particular infectious. I wasn’t expecting what I got when I played “Referee” for the first time. A track that just starts out with the sound of rain that begins to slowly build up to vocals using electronics and minimal percussion. Only after a full minute goes by does the full beach dance party kicks in. The track continues to talk about cold weather, but inside it only evokes signs of spring and even the far away summer. ”Referees” was the first song on a mix I made for a gathering I attended last week. About half way through this mind penetrating song three of the ladies in the room were grooving to it, and even trying to check my iPod to see what it was. While totally into the song afterwards they asked “who is this?,” and then they proceeded to say it sounded a bit like Animal Collective. But if Sunglasses can get them dancing after only two minutes that can’t be a bad thing at all.
This duo comprised of Samuel Cooper and the mysterious entity known only as Baby Seal have only released two tracks into the world, but both worthy of recognition. When a band releases two songs, and both are this good I can’t help to put them on my list of artists to watch out for as 2010 progresses. These bands from the South move fast…start rocking this jam now before you are asking…”What is Sunglasses?”
tonstartssbandhtis from Montreal, and was first introduced to me by the Friendship Bracelet Club Vol. 2 compilation where the demo version of “Black Country” appeared. Friendship Bracelet has been curating amazing compilations (go here and check out the side bar to download/buy), and if you haven’t looked at Friendship Bracelet in a while make sure to check out their rad new header for the blog… I’m so ready for baseball season…Go Pirates.
The demo version of tonstartssbandht’s “Black Country” made me track down a copy of their full length from last year titled An When, and the album version of that song is even more powerful than the demo. An When was released by Does Are Records last year.
“Black Country” is a unique track that uses extremely heavy booming drums and percussion to create the beat and tone of the song, but musically it lies in a grey area between heavy psych and extremely dark folk. There is a underlying repetitive melody that makes such a heavy track sound some what light. The melody has a tone of hope, and it adds a an additional element of mystery and wonder. This song started off as just something that caught my ear, but has quickly become an obsession. The vocals are haunting, and at this point I just wish I knew what the fuck he was saying…repetitive listening hasn’t really helped me decipher the the lyrics, but has just made hit repeat as soon as it ends.
Listening to “Black Country” while walking home from the train yesterday evening was a great experience…the sun going down but the last glimmer of light was reflecting off the snow, and it brought me to the cold dark place that this song brings me too, but in both cases the melody and and glow let me know everything was ok.
“Black Country” isn’t the only song on An When that has this tone, but tonstartssbandht has one of the most eclectic sounds that I have heard in a very long time. You can’t lump them into a category, and you should expect to hear more about them on the Great Pumpkin. I’m sure this is not the last post, and I can’t wait til the Midnight Cobras 7″ goes on sale from Psychic Handshake Recordings. Links to various record labels that have released other tapes, cdrs, 3″ cds by tonstartssbandht can be found on their myspace.
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This is part of my Speed Dating series. You can read more about singles I have featured in this series here.
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The photo above was taken in Vermont on a holga using medium format film. This photo is part of the White Lodge.
Slothbear have an album coming out this year called Qids. My first hearing the band was a couple months ago when I grabbed the first single, “Don’t Taunt a Tiger,” of either Pop Tarts or Gimmie Tinnitus. ”Don’t Taunt a Tiger” is a well written up beat pop track that I enjoyed, and I even made a note of…but it wasn’t until the b-side showed up in my inbox that I was really motivated to write about them.
“Killed By Cars” has a much darker tone than the single almost dwelling in the realm of post-hardcore or post-punk more so than the pop of it’s a-side counter part. Discordant guitars, and vocals start off this long six minute track. Musically “Killed By Cars” brings to mind sounds of the 90’s, but not the sounds that we typically think of. I feel that the influence of Pavement is strong these days, but it’s much more rare to get a Silkworm or even just slightly a Fugazi vibe from a band, and that is what “Killed By Cars” does for me. I’m always fond of 90’s influenced rock, and I think it is a phenomenal place to draw inspiration, but it is a welcomed surprise to hear a band bringing these dark sounds from that era to my computer and stereo these days. About two minutes into the track there are some vocals, more the cadence than the tone, that are a bit reminiscent of Moon and Antarctica era Modest Mouse (and if you listen I’m pretty sure you will understand what I’m talking about), but it complements the song in an unexpected way and is not over used. The track even ends in a fairly lengthy guitar solo making me wish there was a little more from Slothbear to digest…I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next single.
An impressive second track from the upcoming album. If Slothbear is able to balance their light and dark sides like they did on this single it might just be what sets them apart.
Growing up in the South with all the cult churches and Christian altern-a-rock gives me enough reason to never want to hear another song with “Jesus” in the title, but when DOM’s single more or less starts out with “and the ecstasy is kicking in” I’m pretty sure I can make an exception.
DOM is an artist that comes from Worcester, MA..which is a place I know absolutely nothing about. Very little info is available about the band, but this first single is a guitar tinged electro pop is pretty damn infectious. The type of thing that you would expect to hear in a really hopping basement party. It’s been one of the tracks that I keep going back to from my recent downloading spree, and I have to say it is pretty painful that this is the only track on their myspace (actually another got posted today). Take a listen…I bet you will be hooked too:
Welcome to the new format of Speed Dating…one song/band that I am currently digging that has made it on to my mp3 player, and is getting repeat play. I’m hoping to share more of what I’m listening to by focusing on single songs. I hope you enjoy. More Speed Dating Posts can be found here.
So the holidays are looking pretty dismal this year for me…car broken, car fixed, car broken 30 minutes after being fixed…so it looks like Brooklyn is where I’ll be for the holidays. Since I’m trying to kill time until I go check on the car again (which is already back at the mechanic) I thought I would put up a couple not so holiday themed Christmas songs…and why are they not so holiday themed? Well I’m not feeling in the spirit enough to listen to my favorite album, Vince Guaraldi Trio’s Charlie Brown Christmas (BUY IT HERE!!!), so these are doing ok to keep my mind on and off the season, as well as being slightly related to the time of year.
Parenthetical Girls is a band I have been meaning to check out, whether it is a blog or Gareth from LC! talking about them I feel like their name has been floating around for far too long for me not to have heard them yet. No Conclusion posted a couple tracks from their self released Christmas 7″, and the original (the other is a cover) titled “Flowers For Albion” is pretty amazing. It mentions Christmas, but doesn’t give a holiday vibe. Parenthetical Girls sound like they could be from somewhere in Europe, but in actuality they hail from Portland, Oregon. Their sound makes me think it should be called cinematic pop, something that should be in a movie but has not been found yet. If this Christmas single is anything like their other albums (which apparently they have a lot of them) I should be checking them out soon.
Candy Claws is a band that I have been hearing about for months from Weekly Tape Deck, Chocolate Bobka, and Mimi at Made A Blog. While studying for the GRE I downloaded the Glacial Prey EP, and found exactly what people have been talking about. Candy Claws make music that is both pop and ambient, tropical and chilly, and that makes you wonder if they come from outer space or from deep below the sea. ”Christmas Love” is a track off of Glacial Prey, and just so happens to fit the season. Candy Claws also released In the Dream of Sea Life a full length that has worked it’s way into my regular listening too…I wish I had found out about them earlier in the year…very dreamy.
[mp3] Candy Claws- “Christmas Love”
download Glacial Prey for free here.
there is another ep for download, and information on how to buy In the Dream Of Sea Lifehere.
When Karl Blau was in town a couple months back I picked up a copy of The Coconutcracker Suite, his re-interpretation of the Nutcracker but adapted to reggae. Coming from Karl Blau it is no surprise that this album is phenomenal, and has already become a holiday staple in my house. While it might not appear to be holiday themed, click play…you will be pleasantly surprised. I’ve written extensively on Karl Blau this year…read it all here.
The next song was recorded for the Ear Farm Christmas album (lots of good stuff on there too!). Shark? is a newish Brooklyn band that has been playing with Liam the Younger, Family Portrait, and the like…and that is a good thing. I’m pretty sure they are loosely related to the wonderful Quiet Color blog too. Shark? make distorted grungy rock and roll, and have several eps for free download here(downloaded both of them the other day, thanks Shark?!). They covered one of my favorites for the Ear Farm x-mas album, and I have for you to hear right now:
Last but not least is a 90’s classic, and a tribute kind of to Christmas. Archers Of Loaf for me are right up there with Pavement, and “Assassination of X-Mas Eve” is one of those songs that hits you a little bit of the wrong way the first time you hear it, but you come to love it. When are Archers of Loaf going to get back together for a reunion? I might be more into that than the Pavement reunion?
I know it’s been a while since the last Speed Dating post, but I’m half way done with the next one…so maybe next week…until then keep your loved ones close and have a happy holiday…I’ll be trying to do the same. cheers.
This is something I’m going to try to keep up with even while my other posts slack off over the holiday season (yes, my posts are going to dwindle to just a couple a week)…but that’s ok. I’m probably going to stop doing my weekly recs post because I would rather have actual posts on the blog rather than out dated event listings…but other than that content will remain the same…just less of it.
I’m pretty excited to post about these three bands being that they all have been running around in my head for a while. I hope you enjoy too. Happy Thanksgiving.
Named after two things that I really like sandwiches and ummmm anything paranormal I have to say these ladies would have made it on to my iPod independently of the fabulous scene that surrounds them…but the fact of the matter is that The Sandwitches roll in the same scene as Thee Oh Sees, Tim Cohen, and Sonny and the Sunsets, as well as share members with Fresh and Onlys, and Brilliant Colors… this only points to good things. Twangy riffs coming out of the head phones totally caught me off guard, but I kept on listening. From the twangy bluesy guitars to the chorus-ey, at times doo-wop esque, vocals the Sandwitches seem to be bringing some fresh new sounds that actually sound pretty old with hints of blues, country, and a hint of rhythm and blues. Look forward to seeing what is on the horizon from them…if their cohorts are any indication we should expect to be bombarded with Sandwitches vinyl in 2010. The Sandwitches have already started with the release of an LP on Endless Nest, titled How to Make an Ambient Sad Cake, this year that I’m beginning to think I should be tracking down.
Magic Kids have been spinning quite often on my turntable since I picked up the Hey Boy 7″ at the WFMU record fair (and for only $2 at that!), and again more music being made today that feels like it could have been many many years ago. Magic Kids are putting their own touch on a throwback to ’60s pop, and I don’t think it can get any catchier. Magic Kids are on Goner Records in the US, and Rough Trade picked them up in the UK…here is what sparked my interest:
I thought that it could only go down hill with a debut single as strong as “Hey Boy,” but the second single hit the interweb a couple weeks ago…called “Superball” it is also a really strong showing in the same vein as the first single and b-side. I’m glad a got the first single, and can’t wait to see what they do with an LP. Rough Trade is proclaiming “Hey Boy” to be the best song of 2009.
klk has been telling me to listen to Field Music for years (probably literally), and for some reason it has never happened until now. I downloaded the the track “Measure” from their to be released album, and all I have to say is that I don’t know why I waited so long. I’m pretty sure there is an album or two lurking on our hard drive, and I think it’s time to dig them out. I can’t wait to see what I have missed from the past couple of years from David and Peter Brewis, who seem to be a phenomenal song writing duo. Overall just really well done indie pop, and that is just the type of thing that I have been in the mood for lately…maybe I need to catch them when they play the Bell Houseon December 3rd (tickets here)?
What is Speed Dating? Well on the Great Pumpkin that is where a bunch of singles get together, and hang out, but this time it’s mp3s, 7″s, and EPs rather than people. Speed Dating is where I highlight some tracks that I have been listening to lately. Whether I like them, hate them, am intrigued by them… no matter what I think they are note worthy for one reason or another. Each post will feature one to five songs by different bands, and aim to get my thoughts out on music that I have been trying to write about, but might not have formed a strong enough opinion to write a full post on. Hence I think that Speed Dating is an appropriate heading for these posts….brief thoughts on singles from my record player and the web.
CO.is from Charleston South Carolina, and first caught my attention earlier this year when I heard “Waiting for Saints to Arrive” on Somebody Come and Play. That song again showed up on the Charleston 2009 Compilation Zine (which if you are wondering what is going on artistically in Charleston, SC right now email Kim (at) maltedmilk.org for availability of the zine…lots of good stuff on there…and some more of it will be showing up here on the Great Pumpkin). “Waiting for Saints to Arrive” is a fuzzy stoner jam that brings me back to college in a very good way. As bored college kids in the south this song feels very true to life, but then again I feel that it is an anthem for bored youth everywhere. It really captures something important about life, and the first time I heard it remember rewinding the Somebody Come podcast to listen to it five times in a row. Starting off with just an electric guitar and vocals for almost the first thirty seconds I almost didn’t expect the rest of the band to kick in, but when it does it goes from a minimalist to full blown 90’s influenced indie guitar rock. It’s a song I find myself returning to now, even months after I initially heard it.
CO. seems to be moving away from the fuzzy guitar pop in favor of more complex, almost classic rock driven, jams. They have posted five tracks from their upcoming full length, The Shepherd’s Ocean, on their myspace (and a lot more) for your listening pleasure.
Sole is one of those artists that I can credit with turning me on to hip hop, but I unfortunately haven’t been following him that closely in recent years. Bottles of Humans, Sole’s debut, is possibly my favorite hip hop album ever, but in recent years he picked up a backing band…the Skyrider Band. As expected this new track has what I remember best about Sole…his lyrics. This particular track was remixed by Tobacco of Black Moth Super Rainbow, and adds a touch that I didn’t expect to hear in a hip hop track, even with a live band…Tobacco successfully gives Sole a synthy psychedelic touch…not overwhelming, but enough to make the track unique and still let Sole shine. Either way it was enough to make me seek out the EP, and check out the new full length.
Big Troubles? The initial information about this group only pointed to good things…from Ridgewood, NJ…associated with Underwater Peoples…and now I read that they have a 7″ and an LP coming out on Olde English Spelling Bee, another 7″ on Blackburn, a split with Fluffy Lumbers scheduled for Transparent, and will also be on the Underwater Peeps Winter compilation. Musically Big Troubles has a bit of the fuzzy beachy surfiness you would expect hailing from this New Jersey crew, but unlike the rest portrays an almost authentic 80’s vibe on the track “Freudian Slips.” This track got me hooked, and so far Underwater Peeps and OESB can do no wrong…can’t wait to hear the LP…only good things can come from these guys. Keep an eye on the record labels listed above for ordering info (and from the looks of it…I’ll be writing about some of these releases in the future).
This is it for Speed Dating Vol. One, but I hope to have another edition up next week. I’m really looking forward to this new segment on the Great Pumpkin, and I feel like I will be able to cover some bands that I have been meaning to talk about for a long time. Cheers, Tom.
based in greenpoint, brooklyn. established in 2009. thoughts on music, pinball, beer, food, and happenings in and around new york city.
the white lodge
the white lodge is a photography collaboration between klk and myself. We specialize in analog photography using both 35mm and medium format film. Please check out our flickr.
i occasionally post mp3s and videos on this blog for the sole purpose of promoting artists that I believe deserve attention. all songs are for sampling purposes only, if you like it there will be a link to buy music from the artist (or tour dates...go see them!). if by chance I post an mp3 or video with audio that you own, and you would like me to take it down please let me know. you can reach me at:
(tom at gprecs.com)
in this instance i am very sorry.
fuck yeah! can't wait! RT: @BrouwerijLane: Just tapped: Cask of the new Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. Hoppy Belgian tripel.about 20 hours agofrom Echofon
