A drumbeat and a whistling melody cribbed straight from Adam and the Ants, the perfect setting for a song so seeped in nostalgia such as this. Sure, the past tense in this case is only "last night," but the wistful feeling remains all the same. "Jonny boy" is the first single single from Kite's forthcoming EP "III", due out September 22 via , and it is a fantastic continuation of their winning streak thus far.
MP3: Kite - Jonny boy
I should know by now to keep my expectations in check, but I was so looking forward to the new Bastard Priest album and have been for so long, it's such a letdown to report that it's merely okay. And the fact that it's only decent is almost enough to make me hate it. Almost. The problem isn't even that the b-side of the LP consists of an updated version of their stellar "Merciless insane death" demo, an obvious sticking point for many discriminating listeners, it's that the new songs on side A aren't that hot. They all stick to the same basic formula more or less with a chorus that repeats the title of the song and it's extremely tiresome the 3rd or 4th time around. I'm fine with cro-magnon lunk-headed metal, but this is too much, especially when the riffs aren't so hot to begin with. Thankfully, the title track "Under the hammer of destruction" sounds just as raging as when I first heard it on the demo over a year ago. The detonating bomb intro: not subtle at all, but a perfect summation of what Bastard Priest sounds like at their best. And yes, the chorus does just repeat the title.
MP3: Bastard Priest - Under the hammer of destruction
Yes, I am a total sucker for noisy indierock, especially if it has a distinct 90s bent, and Norway's Mindy Misty fit that bill to a tee. Not that I want to get all grumpy-old-man about it, but I like what I like and there's no getting around it and this stuff goes straight to the heart. Anyhow, they've apparently been kicking around for awhile already since the upcoming record "Generic communion" will be their 3rd release (due out September 6 via their own ), but this is the first I've heard of them and I'm way, way into it. They've got tons of thick Sonic Youth-esque harmonies and when they combine it with that oh-so-Scandinavian sense of melody, they can't lose. Give me slightly buried vocals and a hard-driving rhythm section on top of that and I'm sold. Easy and done! So if you dig KVLR, early Motorpsycho, Unwound, Dinosaur Jr., etc etc... you will be into this. And you should.
MP3: Mindy Misty - Volcano sea
I like CEO best when he goes for a more ominous tone as opposed to the now-typical Balearic Plague sweeping the world. "No mercy" does retain some of those summer beach vibes, but the first 30 seconds or so before the vocals come in sounds like Death in June and I love it. I know I shouldn't be surprised, considering the title, but then again, I suppose that surprise is the name of the game for . They're constantly in danger of painting themselves into a corner and I'm doubtful that anyone in that circle of artists will ever be able to deliver a confident live show, but once in a while they do something so right that it's worth taking notice. Even for someone like me who could usually care less about this sort of indie/electro pop.
MP3: CEO - No mercy
xxx: Ludwig Bell sounds so lame
xxx: Like fucking Jumper
me: hahha
xxx: it sounds exactly the same
me: wow
me: it does
xxx: swindie was not always amazing
It's true: Ludwig Bell really does sound a lot like Jumper, though I disagree with my friend's implication that it's not that great. Yes, prime-era 90s Swindie really wasn't always top-notch and sure, maybe Jumper are justifiably relegated to the list of also-rans, but I really don't mind them at all and neither do I mind Ludwig Bell. It's not "amazing", but it's still good pop music as far as I'm concerned. Probably helps that I didn't grow up subjected to the stuff though; chances are high I might not be so charitable in such a case. But who knows? I find myself enjoying a lot of music I once hated as a surly teen.
MP3: Ludwig Bell - Kärlek slutar alltid med bråk
I haven't been posting too many mp3s lately because there hasn't been too many releases that I'm really excited about. Of course I could keep on posting negative reviews of stuff I dislike, but that's extremely depressing, not to mention needlessly tedious. I still have to listen to the stuff, y'know? So what I'm going to do is what I've been doing (more or less) which is post more tracks from bands I've already talked up. I pretty much have only been listening to the same dozen-plus bands anyway, so it logically follows that my playlist here reflects that. Anyhow, EL-SD impressed me a lot with their side of their Axe split from a few months back and the group is now working on a full-length album. I've been lucky enough to receive a few preproduction samples and lucky for you, I've been given permission to share one. "Hille" doesn't differ much from the template on display in "Walking sideways"; they're still building walls of discordant noiserock anchored by a heavy rhythm section, but oh man, do they have hooks too! I wouldn't think it possible with such weird vocals, but they pull it off exceptionally well. I guess you could say that weird = memorable in this case. I'm told the band is currently seeking label support and though I'm not optimistic for them, I'm eager to be proven wrong. Personally, I'd go DIY in the face of so few indie labels putting out actual indierock, but hey, like I said, I'm happy to be refuted on the subject. Don't let my negativity rub off on you. Spread the word/music.
MP3: EL-SD - Hille
Is Kvelertak hyped because they recorded at God City with Kurt Ballou and supported Converge on tour, or did they get to do that stuff because they were hyped before? Excuse my ignorance, but I wasn't paying attention. Regardless, I can't say that I'm much interested in their kitchen-sink stew of modern hardcore and metal. "Ordsmedar av rang" is easily the most coherent, straight-up rock track on their self-titled debut, but that doesn't make it good. When they stick to basics, it's monotony; when they keep throwing odd twists and turns into their songwriting, it's annoying. A can't win situation.
MP3: Kvelertak - Ordsmedar av rang
I never paid too much attention to Moofish Catfish because, let's face it, that name is straight up unappealing. Good thing they changed it to Tiger Tape, I'm just sorry I didn't hear about it sooner because the album they put out in April ("I woke up in Hökarängen", released via /) is really really good, maybe even a little bit great. Time will tell, but I've been listening regularly for the past fews days and its luster has yet to fade. Also, considering that a good 98% of all indierock bores me to tears, it's worth noting that these ladies do not -- listen for yourself at Bandcamp: http://tigertape.bandcamp.com/
And for the xenoglossophobic, be aware that this is the only tack på Svenska. Tack igen Mathias for the recommendation!
I like this song a lot. It's really different from Andreas Söderlund's other bands (Niccokick/Sounds Like Violence) material in that it's very beat heavy and loaded with synths. Heavy 80s vibe too, especially with the over-the-top guitar solo ala "Beat it" (though Andreas doesn't milk it as much as I'd like). Curious to hear how the rest of the album stacks up, especially since title track "Daustralien" is more typical for him and far less exciting. I think the more he steps away from his over-emotive rock guy shtick, the better. A solo album is the perfect opportunity to indulge in indulgent sounds and with "Hawaii", he does it well.
MP3: Andreas Söderlund - Hawaii
My mind is on vacation, so I'm letting contributor Lars Garvey handle today's mp3 post:
With "Narcissus can wait", Cut City came fully into their own, exceeding even my highest expectations and demonstrating a breadth of expression and talent so often lacking in contemporary post-/art-punk outfits. There were numerous intimations of this level of songwriting throughout their career, most notably "Just pornography (for M.E.)" off their debut full-length "Exit decades" and the anthemic "Replacement" from their split 7" with Cat Party, but the craftsmanship on "Narcissus can wait" revealed a maturity and confidence that placed Cut City decisively in a class of their own. With "The sound and the sore", Cut City continue their upward ascent. The song crackles with all the vigor we've come to expect from the band, brimming with the cautiously optimistic energy of a track like New Order's "Ceremony". Starting strong, the composition builds brilliantly to its massive, stratified close -- the final moments of the track are phenomenal, eclipsing most of what I've heard this year. Unsurprisingly, "The sound and the sore" has quickly become one of my favorite Cut City tracks, and, like much of their catalogue, it continues to grow on me a little more with each listen. While I am delighted the band had yet another gear to move into, the fact that the upcoming album "Where's the harm in dreams disarmed" is set to be Cut City's final offering is now rendered that much more heartbreaking. At least their swan song is set to be something amazing.
MP3: Cut City - The sound and the sore
mattg | Wed, Aug 25th, 2010 17:00:26