1) TO DOWNLOAD King of the Beach: “Our record leaked today, so go download it. Don’t pay for that shit.
2) TO BRING GOODS + PARTY: “BRING US a) WEED b) ALIEN AND OR GARFIELD STUFF c) MIX TAPE. COME AND PARRRTTTTYYTT.
All posts by G. Gordon Gritty
CD Review: Electric Toys [2010]
Band: The Dig
Release: 6/2010
Label: Self-Released
1. “Carry Me Home” – B+
2. “Two Sisters in Love” – B+
3. “You’re Already Gone” – A
4. “She’s Going to Kill That Boy” – A-
5. “Penitentiary” – B+
6. “Sick Sad Morning” – A-
7. “He’s A Woman” – B
8. “Look Inside” – B+
9. “For All Your Sins” – A-
10. “Shadow” – A-
11. “I Just Wanna Talk To You” – B+
12. “Feel Like Somebody Else” – B+
Comments: The Dig is at their best when they’re crafting straight-up rock songs. While the more atmospheric numbers are a nice little change-up once in a while, tracks like “You’re Already Gone” and “Shadow” are more immediately engaging. At any rate, The Dig are way bigger than their unsigned status indicates. This LP isn’t ordinary self-released fare.
Grade: B+ (88)
Walkmen Cover Art/Boston Tour Date
Some more Walkmen related news!
First things first, they will be playing in Boston on October 7 at the Royale Nightclub, presumably headlining or co-headlining with The Helio Sequence. This is exciting!
Second, here is, again presumably, what the cover of their album Lisbon (out September 14 on Fat Possum), will look like:
The Dig: Daytrotter Session
The Dig! I’ve seen them three times live (twice opening for The Walkmen and once for Editors) and they’ve always put on a solid performance. I can almost vividly remember them playing these songs at the House of Blues. Speaking of these tunes, they are all on the band’s just released debut record Electric Toys. Expect a review of that LP soon.
For now, here’s a think to the Session: http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/the-dig-concert/20031186-3738326.html
CD Review: King of the Beach [2010]
Band: Wavves
Release: 6/2010
Label: Fat Possum
1. “King of the Beach” – A+
2. “Super Soaker” – A+
3. “Linus Spacehead” – A++
4. “When Will You Come” – A-
5. “Baseball Cards” – A+
6. “Take On The World” – A
7. “Post Acid” – A
8. “Idiot” – A
9. “Green Eyes” – A-
10. “Mickey Mouse” – A-
11. “Convertible Balloon” – A-
12. “Baby Say Goodbye” – A
Comments: Ye gods, the production quality on this is fantastic. Nathan Williams goes from being a lo-fi tape hissing noise punk on his first two records as Wavves to a pop punk extraordinaire on this one. Count me in on The Impressed Club. These songs are simply warm-weather chilled out re-playable classics. For obvious reasons, Wavves does a much better job at this than any of those ’90s/early ’00s hype summer pop rock bands that birthed hit singles. Wavves is much more real. Thank God they got a nice studio to kick around and experiment. It seems like they really took advantage of that setting by trying out new sounds: a light organ and sleigh bells (reminiscent of something in between Panda Bear and Christmas music) on “When Will You Come,” snapping, more vocal samples, synths, and all around Panda Bear esque psychedelia on “Baseball Cards,” and uncontrollable laughter on “Idiot.” A song built around laughing behind someone’s back? There you go. Like I said before, I’m truly impressed that this is the same guy who recorded simple, but only sometimes really catchy tunes in his bedroom. This isn’t selling out folks. It’s exploring and expanding. It’s…surprising and unexpected. A stripped down “Mickey Mouse” would have fit in Wavves catalog fine a few years ago, but it would have had only two or three layers. The “Mickey Mouse” on here has at least six different layers and every single one of them truly makes a world of difference. “Baby Goodbye” might be really awesome live, but damn that ending is far too long. The first three minutes or so are just fantastic. This record is tied for being my favorite of the year. I really don’t see that changing much. The quality and immediate impact of these songs is currently blowing my mind, but that might be because I’m looking outside it’s 90 degrees and sunny. This kind of weather just works this sound. Good work, Wavves.
Grade: A (94)
CD Review: In and Out and Back Again [2010]
Band: Woven Bones
Release: 5/2010
Label: HoZac
1. “I’ll Be Running” – B-
2. “Guess You Already Knew” – A-
3. “Seven Year Mirror” – B+
4. “If It Feels Alright” – B
5. “You’re Way With My Life” – B
6. “Creepy Bone” – B+
7. “Half Sunk Into The Seats” – B+
8. “Couldn’t Help But Stare” – A-
9. “Blind Conscience” – A-
Comments: Awesome drumming. Vocals can be a little disappointing, but am I the one to talk?! Woven Bones’ got Thee Oh Sees thing going on, but ho ho ho something is lacking. I may never figure out what it is, but it’s not like whatever isn’t here isn’t helping. Whatever is here works to a satisfiable degree. It might be the sometimes apparent cross between shoegaze psychedelia and no-gaze garage rock.
Grade: B+ (87)
7″ Review: Strangle You [2010]
Band: Southside Stranglers
Release: 6/2010
Label: Fashionable Idiots
1. “Strangle You” – B+
2. “Daddy’s Worst Nightmare” – B+
Comment: Fast, fairly catchy, pretty retro, borderline hardcore. Worth a listen.
Grade: B+ (87)
Song of the Day: Lissie
Cover Me Songs — the best covers blog I’ve encountered — posted this video of Lissie covering Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” That song was one of my favorite hip-hoppers of 2009, but I’ll tell you this spirited cover might just be a tad better.
Walkmen’s Sixth Album Titled “Lisbon”
The Walkmen’s sixth studio album now has a name: Lisbon. Although the band has showcased at least sixteen new songs live and recorded twenty-nine in studio, Lisbon will only have eleven when it drops on September 14.
Click HERE to download a live recording of “Lisbon,” presumably the title track on the record. It’s of a pretty bad quality, but if you are really eager to hear something new then listen!
Top 5 Labels [1/2 Year 2010 Style]
Top rated albums from January to June 2010 by label. If a label is a subsidiary or an imprint of some larger label, the larger label/owner will be used. Score multiplied by .4 if at least one album scored a 90 or above. Score multiplied by .3 if at least one album scored an 84 or above. Score multiplied by .2 if at least one album scored a 76 or above. Score multiplied by .1 for everything below that.
1. Beggars Group [Includes Matador Records, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings, and 4AD]: Hippies by Harlem [95]; Gay Singles by Hunx and His Punx [95]; Be Brave by The Strange Boys [91]; Contra by Vampire Weekend [90]; High Violet by The National [88]; Minor Love by Adam Green [85]; The Monitor by Titus Andronicus [84]; Big Echo by The Morning Benders [83]; Before Today Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti [77]; Brutalist Bricks by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists [75]
– Grade: 272.5 (38+38+36.4+36+26.4+25.5+25.2+16.6+15.4+15)
2. Warner Bros. [Includes Sub Pop Records, Atlantic Records, Vice Records, and Epitaph Records]: Teen Dream by Beach House [95]; I Will Be by Dum Dum Girls [94]; Expo 86 by Wolf Parade [92]; Avi Buffalo by Avi Buffalo [89]; Male Bonding by Male Bonding [89]; Something For Everybody by Devo [89]; Adventures by Bobby Ray [82]; Brothers by The Black Keys [81]; Shame, Shame by Dr. Dog [75]; Realism by The Magnetic Fields [74]
– Grade: 213.3 (38+37.6+36.8+26.7+26.7+26.7+16.4+16.2+7.5+7.4)
3. Merge Records: Work by Shout Out Louds [89]; Swim by Caribou [83]; Transference by Spoon [81]; Volume Two by She & Him [81]
– Grade: 84 (26.7+24.9+16.2+16.2)
4. EMI (Includes Capitol Records, Mute Records, and Virgin): This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem [81]; Plastic Beach by Gorillaz [78]; Sisterworld by Liars [76]; Head First by Goldfrapp [74]; Heligoland by Massive Attack [73]; Of the Colour… by OK Go [69]
– Grade: 68.6 (16.2+15.6+15.2+7.4+7.3+6.9)
5. Universal (Includes Interscope, Geffen, and A&M): Permalight by Rogue Wave [84]; Thank Me Later by Drake [78]
– Grade: 40.8 (25.2+15.6)
5. Secretly Canadian: Pigeons by Here We Go Magic [83]; Odd Blood by Yeasayer [81]
– Grade: 40.8 (25.2+15.6)
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Predictions: If both Black Lips and No Age release new LPs in 2010 and they are awesome (as projected), then the Warner Bros. grouping might just gain some ground. I’m not so sure there are going to be any more really really noteworthy Beggars Group releases besides Interpol for the remainder of the year. We’ll see. Merge, I’m sure, will see its stake rise up with the release of Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Superchunk’s Majesty Shredding.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 