Stereo Bus (the) - s/t

Name: The Stereo Bus
Album: s/t
Year: 1997
Style: Bedroom Pop, Lo-Fi, Shoegaze, Atmospheric Pop
Similar Bands: Imperial Teen, Game Theory, Track Star, Beat Happening, Belle & Sebastain
"One-Word" Review: self-proclaimed "Sissy-Pop"
Based Out Of: Christchurch, New Zealand
Label: Beats Bodega Records, Festival Records

Fold Out, Tray Art, CD

Cover, Back, CD Back

The Stereo Bus (1997)

1. Shallow 4:21
2. Don't Open Your Eyes 5:09
3. Wash Away 2:34
4. Mirror 3:00
5. Be A Girl 3:49 (single)
6. Tell 4:03
7. Lie in the Arms 4:09
8. Waste of Time 3:19
9. Bright Lights 1:45
10. Fade 4:49
11. God's Fingers 3:34
12. Far Away 3:44

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

• David Yetton - Vox, Guitar (Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, Jay Clarkson)
• Alan Gregg - Bass, Piano (The Mutton Birds, Dribbling Darts, Remarkables, Three Leaning Men, Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, Allyson Seconds)
• Ross Burge - Drums (The Mutton Birds, Spines, Rodger Fox Big Band, Dennis O'Brien, Jon Stevens, Midge Marsden band, Eddie O'Strange, Two Armed Men, Sahara, Jodi Vaughn, David Feehan, John Niland, Nick Swan, Bill Lake & Living Daylights, Happening Thang, Dave Dobbyn, Marshmallow, Finn Brothers, Don McGlashan, Hera, Pie Warmer, The Bend)
• Gary Sullivan - Drums (JPS Experience, Solid Gold Hell, Dimmer, Chug, Breathing Cage, Graeme jefferies, Jay Clarkson, Punches, Stano, Shayne P Carter)
• Sonya Waters - Backing Vox (Fang, Orange, The Broken Heartbreakers, Instigators, White Swan Black Swan, This Way Out, The Rosemarys, Smoothy, 
• Janet Holborow - Strings (Radha Sahar, Rhian Sheehan)
• David Pine - Bass (Sneaky Feelings, Death Ray Cafe, Bleeding Allstars, The Moas)
• Phil Knight - Engineer
• Max - Engineer
• Bruno - Engineer
• Rex Vizible - Mastering
• Rebecca Lovell-Smith - Sleeve Design

Unknown-ness: Picked this up at an Oxfam on a trip to the UK. Like the biohazard and day glow orange and pink artwork that screams manic energy, and I assume it will be wacky, fun pop music from New Zealand. First impression is that this will be in the realm of Presidents of the USA or Nerf Herder

Album Review:  First reaction is the opening chords sound like the Gin Blossoms, and when the lyrics begin, it shifts to Imperial Teen. Not manic at all, rather, the complete opposite; calculated, medicated, and reserved. On the whole, the vocals are an intimate, quiet whisper with light, production.

The Stereo Bus started as a side project for Yetton, member of Jean-Paul Sartre Experience, who experimented with the moody, atmospheric tracks as parts of mini set's he'd head off with the band as they wound down their shows. This is one of two albums, the second record grew The Stereo Bus into a full band project with a modest profile- something that began to feel like too much work for Yetton, and he let his project wind down as well. Since then. he's produced a solo record, and reimagined The Stereo Bus for a small tour with 4 new tracks in 2011

Stand Out Track: Washaway

Links:

Spotify
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

AudioCulture
Dunedin Sound Tapes
Rate Your Music
Music. NZ
Off the Tracks

NZ Music
Stuff.Co Yetton Interview

Jett Brando - The Movement Toward You

Name: Jett Brando

Album: The Movement Toward You

Year: 2000

Style: Dream Pop, Lo-Fi

Similar Bands: Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Velvet Underground, Later XTC

One Word Review: Moody Medicated Happiness

Based Out Of: Brooklyn NY / New Jersey

Label: Gern Blandsten

 The Movement Toward You - Cover, Sleeve, Record A

The Movement Toward You - Back, Lyrics, Record B

The Movement Toward You (2000)

1. The Center of Gravity (Sink Right Down) 5:07
2. Waiting 3:44
3. Well, Well 3:00
4. Athuna 2:31
5. Love You Blues 1:22
6. Won't You Treat It Like A Storm 1:56 /
7. All Your Tongues 4:21
8. More than Becoming 1:55
9. Nobody Wants to Know 3:12
10. In the Dead Hot Sun 4:07
11. Who is to Decide 6:10

Album Rating (1-10): 8.5

Members & Other Bands:

Jett Brando /Jeremy Winter - Vox, Guitar, Bass, Keys, Percussion, Producing, Sleeve Design (All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors, Chase Pagan)

Pete Murphy - Bass, Keys, Percussion, Producer, Cover Art, Photography (Jack Rubinacci, All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavor)

Steve Doherty - Drums (Hymn Makers, Delerious?, Kingsway Kids)

Alap Momin - Engineer, Mixing, Recording

Alan Douches - Final Mastering

Sonny Ristorante - Handclap & Scream Assistance
Dan Marino - Pre-Mastering
Jennifer Holland - Original Art on Cover

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band, and from the moody, shadoy artwork, I imagine it is either moody art-rock or emo pop. It was in a dollar bin, and I am a fan of the bands that come from Gern Blandsten, so I wanted to pick it up. That said, the GB artists have a bit of an edge to them, so perhaps this is much punchier than I've given its artwork credit for. But maybe not.

Album Review: At the center of this band is Jeremy Winter, a multi-instrumentalist whose work was previously in a band called All Natural Lemon and Lime flavors, similar in vein to My Bloody Valentine. This is a beautiful album that I really enjoyed, but at the same time, would never pull it out to just put it on.

“The Center of Gravity (Sink Right Down)” fades up with a ringing string note. This cuts out, and dreary acoustic guitar strums support a very Radiohead – “The Bends” style of drawn out vocals. The strings come back in, followed by drums and a full production. The song finds its repetitive droning groove and pounds it into the listener without much diversion or alteration. The one dimensional song falls into its own pattern, and there is no telling when it would ever end. So when it does so, quite abruptly, the listener is shaken awake from a hypnotic trance.

“Waiting” feels more like a Jeff Buckley song with the guitar and jazzy drums. The vocals are echoing, and remind me of Ben Folds Five’s solemn songs from Reinhold Messner ("Hospital Song"). But the chorus has a very Buckley emotional delivery, without quite as much range. Overall, it is a very moody, pretty song.

“Well, Well” feels like it is going to be an oldie-pop song. But the vocals take it in a much more relaxed direction. After a couple delicate run throughs of verse-chorus, the heavier lo-fi guitars are brought out to distort what was kind of a straightforward pop song.

“Athuna” as more moody, romantic sounding acoustic guitars and the echoes on the vocals again make the whole project very Buckley-ish. The haunting high notes in the chorus have a bit if a British feel to them too (Radiohead’s “High and Dry”). As the guitar continues to play, the song ends in a fade out.

“Love You Blues” employs a looping, solemn vocal hook over some 60’s inspired dance pop. The mesh oddly well. The end result is a medicated happiness.

“Won’t You Treat It Like A Storm” straddles the thing Yorke-Buckley voice similarity, with some held notes that rattle away and a dark, Doors-like mood (minus the famous organ sound). The song ends in a looping psychedelic bass-guitar fade out.

“All Your Tongues” starts with strong daylight, waking up vocals, and a warbling acoustic guitar line. There is a bit of an alt-country feel to this song, but it is peaceful and organic. The interlude breakdown features an alarm-sounding guitar cadence mixed in with the bass line. The song resets itself, and wobbles though a few minor notes and slightly off pitches. The song feels as if it was produced in a soft, small, intimate room.

“More than Becoming” is a bouncy pop song, tweaked out with a buzzy electric guitar (like Of Montreal). But the song is a lot of fun, with its marching melody, reminds me a little of Euros Childs (Of Gorky’z Zygotic Mynci).

“Nobody Wants to Know” steps back from the fast dance song with a waltz. This reminds me of something you might hear on a demo recording from XTC’s “Mummer.”

“In the Dead Hot Sun” features the most straightforward vocals, reminding me a little of the Kinks. The melody reminds me of something a friend of mine would write (Jon Rosenberg). The music is a rollicking 60’s inspired slightly psychedelic pop song, and it even ends with a fade out of LaLaLaLa’s. This is followed up with a quiet fade up, one note at a time guitar with a hiccupping percussion in support. After a minute, this fades back out, and actually threw me because I figured it was the next track.

“Who is to Decide” quietly comes into existence with a record skipping “whoop” sound and warbling surf/steel guitar notes. Uneasy and tired, the song lolli-gags around, oscillating from foot to foot, as the ballad-like vocals rise and fall, matching the music, like a rowboat adrift on a gentle sea. The song bobs up and down as the tide draws the boat out further on a warm, moonlit night. As if this was a dream, a static buzz begins to grow, as if the sleeper is being awoken by a skipping record with a weedwacker running outside. A harsh jolt back to reality finally ends the record.

Stand Out Track: More Than Becoming

Links:

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Best Albums Ever

Mike G - Sugar Daddy

Name: Mike G

Album: Sugar Daddy

Year: 2000

Style: Lo-Fi Indie, Folk

Similar Bands: Grandaddy, Lincoln, Beck, Johnny Polanski, Ween, 

One Word Review: Harmonized Sludgy Warmth

Based Out Of: NYC? (recording @ Moose in NY)

Label: See Thru Broadcasting

 Sugar Daddy - Cover & CD

Sugar Daddy - Liner Notes & Back

Sugar Daddy (2000)

1. Clothing Store Girl 2:13
2. Standing at the Party 1:59
3. Sugar Daddy 2:33
4. Anything You Want 3:12
5. I Hope 2:37
6. Asian Girl 0:57
7. Uh-Huh 1:56
8. Frederique 2:42
9. Plastic Monkeys 2:03
10. Our Lives 1:00
11. Nothing in the Sky 2:54
12. Don't Get Any Better 1:16
13. Not the End of the World 0:45
14. I'm So Into You 2:47
15. When We Speak 0:49
16. Move On 1:31

Album Rating (1-10): 9.0

Members & Other Bands:
Mike G - Writing, Recording, Producing (Kabah, Dr. Manette, Pressure Point, Whiskey Rebels, Bill Hamel, Bray, US Roughnecks, Da Outsidaz, Four Finger Five)
Dave Berk - Writing, Drums (Johnny Moped, The Damned)
Greg Gordon - Co-producer, Transferring
D. Sardy - Executive Producer, Mixing
Jovar Andrews - Management
Seth Ginsberg - Legal
Marina Zurkow - Art Direction
Nancy Nowacek - Design
Susan Glenn-Matus - vocal

Unknown-ness: This record appeared on my CD shelf. I'm not sure when or why I bought it. Perhaps I read a brief snippet about this album, or perhaps I bought it because it was on the same record label as Enon & Starlight Mints at one time. I'm pretty sure I got it used for a few bucks. Based on the artwork, I would not be able to tell what kind of music was in store. It is bright, so I imagine it will be cheery. The font for Sugar Daddy has a bubblegum 60's pop feel to it, so perhaps it is fun & cheery. In the liner notes, he describes the music as noise, so perhaps it won't be fun and cheery, unless that description is just self-degrading. And unless the songs are 1-3 minutes long each, this will be a long album. But it seems very DIY too, so that offers some sort of catchy indie hope.

Album Review: What is to follow are 16 sketches and musical experiments. All catchy and poppy, but nothing fleshed out to a full song template style. I imagine these are DIY at home demos that were fleshed out half-way, but no plans were engaged to add or combined the individual thoughts. This one only one of four or five bands ever on the short, but brightly shining label See Thru Broadcasting. The samples here are tied together with the nasally and precious vocals that are closely related to Jason Lytel

“Clothing Store Girl” is a beatnik poem set to a simple jazzy three piece instrumental. It is funky, and then there is a fuzzy, noisy interlude. It jumps right back into the familiar melody, and enhances things with a Ween like fuzzed out guitar. It is simple and one dimensional, but a nice “period piece” that could also be described as slightly Captain Beefheart in nature. 

“Standing at the Party” also brings a funky bass and drum beat that I'd associate with BS 2000. The vocals, are rigid and again, it reminds me part of Ween and part of Beck, and a dash of Soul Coughing. It’s silly effects and vocal effects don’t detract from the song at all, which makes it a solid concept song.

“Sugar Daddy” is a dripping, slippery, harmonized pop single sung with light inflection like the majority of Grandaddy songs.  

“Anything You Want” is more folky at the beginning (the acoustic Flaming Lips stuff). A strong kick drum balances the light tambourine percussion, and the melody cruises along a steady path unchallenged. The vocals are slight and pining for affection in an Ass Ponies, or Lincoln way. But the general sentiment and melody of the song is identical to Johnny Polanski’s stuff.  

“I Hope” is a wash of gargling vocals and warbling electro-tinged instruments. It feels a little like a Rentals song, where there is a solid and simple power pop melody at the base of the song. The layering of instruments in the instrumental section is a driving, building “Spy Hunter/Theme of Peter Gunn” stylistic parody.When the weight of the additives becomes too much, the song emplodes in a fade out.

“Asian Girl” reminds me of Captain Beefheart, in an awkward amateur recording that is also unsteady and feels as if it could topple over at any time. It’s weird with a foot stop tempo.

“Uh-Huh” features a techno drum loop and catchy four power chord progression of fuzzy guitar. This feels like a song idea that was not fleshed out completely. It is a party song with the only lyrics Uh Huh, Come On and Yeah.

“Frederique” is a slow Starlight Mints like song in the beginning, but it never follows through on the complex melody the Mints employ. The vocals are quiet and hushed, like Grandaddy again. The song is sung in Spanish, but as most of the song sounds like a western tinged campfire song, an electronic element is added that brings the technological age into the song.

“Plastic Monkeys” is a side to side jangley guitar with a harmimonica played in the background. The vocals are a little distorted, and it has a bright, nasally, slacker voice. It never progresses beyond a sing-a-long intro & harmonica status.

“Our Lives” rests on the harmonized vocals holding and stretching notes an extra-long time. It is a solem and hsort number.

“Nothing in the Sky” reminds me of the deadpan delivery of Marcy’s Playground’s “Sex & Candy.” With the thick electric guitar and drum loop.

“Don't Get Any Better” reminds me exactly of the band Lincoln that opened for TMBG, who also lost their guitarist to TMBG. It is nasally, thoughtful vocals over a jangley guitar full of catcy melodies and a steady cymbal percussion beat.

“Not the End of the World” continues in a slightly different direction with the previous song’s style. The rapping drum beat seems out of tune with the rest of the melodies.

“I'm So Into You” begins with a bunch of annoying La-la-la’s but it quickly sheds that and becomes a powerful chugging guitar heavy track, reminding me of Track Star in its lo-fi production. It has the cleanest power-pop guitar hook, and it is produced with a steady density that is completely streamlined. It builds very nicely, and delivers in the chorus with harmonized sludgy warmth.

“When We Speak” heads back to the singer songwriter acoustic guitar and vocals. It is slow in its delivery, at least comparatively to the rest of the album. And does not last long, as it fades out before it has a chance to change or recover.

“Move On” is the album ender, but it feels like it should just be followed by 16 more rapid fire song sketches and bleeding heart sympathy. Like many of the songs that came before it, it feels a little old timey in the simplicity and delivery of the vocal-guitar pairing. But it is the other tidbits and electronic flourishes that keep it deeper than a harmless singer songwriter’s journal. 

Stand Out Track: I'm So Into You

Links:
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Bingo Gazingo - s/t

Name: Bingo Gazingo
Album: s/t
Year: 1997
Style: Outsider Music, Poetic Ranting
Similar Bands: Half Japanese, Very Early Ween, Wesley Willis
"One-Word" Review: repetitive-auction-sports-commentating-to AM radio.

Based Out Of: New York City, NY
Label: WFMU Production

Bingo Gazingo - Cover, Photos, CD & Back

Bingo Gazingo - Liner Notes

Bingo Gazingo (1997)

1. Psycho/Psycho 4:44
2. Up Your Jurassic Park 3:36
3. Everything's OK at the OK Corral 5:55
4. I Love You So Fucking Much I Can't Shit 2:18
5. Everyday I leave 10 Dollars on the Table 2:14
6. Baba Booey 2:45
7. I'm a Wabbitt 2:41
8. Indecent Proposal 2:39
9. Two Strangers From Georgia 2:45
10. Two Pack Shaker 3:25
11. Calling Casablanca 3:06
12. Like Beavis & Butthead 3:01
13. Artie Wexler 3:08
14. Are You A Lover? 2:37
15. Oh Madonna (You Stole My Pants) 4:05
16. Bingo Gazingo's Bolero 14:14

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

Bingo Gazingo - Vocals

R. Stevie Moore - Piano, Bass, Guitar, Theremin (R. Stevie Moore Cassette Club,

Dennis Diken - Drums, Percussion (Smithereens, Husky Team)

Chris Bolger - Guitar, Bass, Egg, Moog Source, Recording Engineer

Stork - Producer

Krys O. - Production Assistant
Chris Drago - Production Assistant

Stephanie Damoff - Production Assistant, Photography, Design, Cowbell

Scott Williams - Production Assistant

Diane Farris - Recording Engineer

Dave Amels - Recording Engineer, Remixed to DAT, Mastering, Arp Odyssey, Farfisa, Moog Source, Piano, Theremin (Husky Team, Reigning Sound)

Brian Drago - Mastering

Chris Butler - Guitar, Autoharp, Conga, Bass

Bob Brainen - Drums, Percussion

Rich Hazelton - Layout

Unknown-ness: I'm gonna be honest here, I bought this, not knowing it at all, but because the name has the same flow and is reminiscent of Oingo Boingo, and it was a quarter. The first thing I noticed was that this was sponsored/recorded by/in a radio station, which, when read next to the track titles, made me believe this might be a "comedy" album. And I might be right: from the inspection of the booklet, this was a live recorded album that is basically dialogue over unmatched music. There is a notice that "The musical accompaniment was entirely extemporaneous, in case you were wondering." The vocalist is a rather old gentleman, so I image some "getoffmylawn / racist" content. But some of the jokey titles suggest a time capsule of things pop-culture in 1997. This might be a complete waste of time.

Album Review: After reading more about the man behind Bingo Gazingo, and his tragic passing two years ago, I had a better picture of what to expect. The stories about his self-promotion and his rise to mediocre notoriety are pleasant and fun. A friend even has one of his songs on an outsider music compilation (Songs in the Key of Z).

“Psycho/Psycho” starts after a few seconds with an echoing, antique vocal recording of BG reciting a music-less song (as he calls it: not poetry) he wrote regarding the film Psycho. It sounds like a sports announcer recalling a close head to head horserace. There is faint use of the theremin through out the song. The voice waxes in wanes in intensity, seeming very psychotic, dual personality in itself.
“Up Your Jurassic Park” actually has musical value with a synth bass beat and video game sounding watery effects. This time the vocals recount a trip to Jurassic Park. The vocals are almost preachy, but they still retain the handheld radio sports caster quality of audio with a tinny pitch. The sound effect flow in and out and up and down on their own accord, unrelated to the vocals, but that is what the disc warns against: audio and voice are independent of each other.
“Everything's OK at the OK Corral” features music as if in a sad country western piano bar, mixed with a calming surf guitar. The vocals announce, in a calm but enthusiastic way, a play by play of what happens at the OK Corral, which is anything but OK. There is a nice side to side, drawn out, reassuring swagger behind the delivery and production of the music. The vocals seem to be an off-the-cuff account, and feel unscripted, except they always loop back to the title & message of the song.
“I Love You So Fucking Much I Can't Shit” is a jittery, nervous account of love and pain of the literal dilemma of constipation due to love. The music is jazzy and frantically played, as different instruments take turns over a mostly constant driving drum beat.
“Everyday I leave 10 Dollars on the Table” has a ticking clock percussion followed by acoustic guitar to start off. The song has a very beatnik, coffee shop feel to it, and the repetitive rhyme of table, cain & abel.
“Baba Booey” rocks out from the very start, with driving guitars and drums, like a typical alternative song. The vocals are very low-fi, and the repetitive chorus of the once-famous Howard Stern side kick is catchy. You could say this is reminiscent of early Ween. The theme is that of a crazy love song to Baba Booey, that ends up devolving into crazy noises that kinda sound like the name.
“I'm a Wabbitt” is quiet and ethereal in its start. It is spoken slowly with the “Ewmer Fwudd wisp.” The theme of this song is about being a wabbit & making love. I get the impression the POV is from Fudd’s mind when he is dressed up like a rabbit trying to get Bugs.
“Indecent Proposal” is a very smooth and fun surf-rock song. But the vocals are a cliff’s notes of the film of the same name. The music stops for a stint while the vocals give a menu of indecent proposals. The surf comes back, and the menu continues, followed by the restrictions and stipulations on the proposal.

“Two Strangers From Georgia” revisits the country bumpkin musical theme. It still uses a nice looped poetic flow, revisiting the chorus/title after two or three lines. The song continues to wind down for a good deal of time after the lyrics stop.
“Two Pack Shaker” is a funky jam with bluesy guitar and a church organ. The free flowing lyrics are more refine here, and flow in a much more rhythmic pulse. It is much more listenable, and is a bio about Tupac, who had recently passed away in 1997…with a little extra rhyming verse added in.
“Calling Casablanca” is literally a one sided phone call, as if a madman is ranting about whatever he wants to, related to the film. There are some hints and lines from the movie and lyrics sort of sung of Louis Armstrong’s As Time Goes By from the movie…and parody variants on said song. The backing music is ethereal and ambient, not really fluid, but it paints the feeling of the hotel in Casablanca very nicely.
“Like Beavis & Butthead” is very neurotic, as said/spoken as if on speed or coke. It is reminiscent of a horse race or auctioneer caller. I think the lyrics are recounting different episodes of B&B. The music behind is upbeat and sort of new wave poppy. The song devolves into yacking and sounds that emulate the famous Cornholio character from the cartoon as the song finishes.
“Artie Wexler” is a swaying waltz musically with a deep, dark undertone. The prose is circular, repeating “Artie Wexler” and “on the roof” about Artie Wexler making love. The organ played in this song is a very new wave sound (Elvis Costello and XTC) but it is not played jittery or fast.
“Are You A Lover?” is a smooth jam that is juxtaposed against crazy and fast spoken questioning from the crazy ranting vocalist. It consists of lots of short and quick repetition of rhyming words (usually the same word)
“Oh Madonna (You Stole My Pants)” is an electronic disco song with zapping, pulsing electric beats in the beginning that evolves into a general buzz. The rhythmic beatnik recitation of the lyrics feels very performance art inspired. It flows and twists into different topics, each following topic tripped into by one random word from the preceding section. It ends in a climactic flurry of vocal at the height of excitement, and the end of the song rides out on the disco beat.
“Bingo Gazingo's Bolero” starts out with a poetic description of a relationship. The accompanying music is dark and cloudy, but basic and simple. The vocals continue to repeat with the same rolling repetition. The music begins to take shape as a sort of military march cadence. This is a very long song, and as of now, I see no signs of it changing from this pattern over the final 10 minutes of the album. The general line of repetition is “a woman that’s more than a woman, and a man that’s more than a man” The music builds louder and louder, and begins to gain a bit of a Celtic feel to it. This would truly be impressive to see live, if it were all in one take, because there is virtually no break in the rushed rambling of the vocals.

Stand Out Track: Oh Madonna (you stole my pants)

Links:

wikipedia

rsteviemoore website
rsteviemoore trouserpress
BG on WFMU's blog
This CD's website
Dave Amels wikipedia site

RIP Life Just Bounces

HTMl Giant
'97 NYTimes article
EV Grieve

wiki songs in key of Z

allmusic

Chromatics - Cavecare EP

Name: Chromatics
Album: Cavecare EP
Year: 2002
Style: Post-Punk, Lo-Fi
Similar Bands: Enon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Coachwhips, Glass Candy, Liars
"One-Word" Review: Distorted-Angular-Demos
Based Out Of: Seattle Wa
Label: Hand Held Heart

Cavecare - Cover & Record

Cavecare - Cover & Liner Notes & Trackless Record back

Cavecare EP (2002)

1. Cavecare 2:00
2. Steps 2:17
3. Arms Wither Away 1:37
4. Trnbrrd 1:22
5. Beach of Infants 2:35
6. Jesus 3:30

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:Adam Miller
Devin Welch - Guitar
Michelle Nolan - Bass (Straylight Run, Taking Back Sunday, Destry)
Hannah Blilie - Drummer (Gossip, Shoplifting, Sarah Dougher, Stiletto, Mr Yuk, The Lumpies, Vade, The Vogue, Soiled Doves)
Aaron Coyes - Recording

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this band, but I love the cover art, the basic color scheme, the angular presentation, and the randomness of the logo. I realize it is an EP only, but I imagine it will either be good punk or angular rock.

Album Review: This EP is only on one side of the record, as the other side is just a trackless piece of plastic.

“Cavecare” starts with a dark thudding bass beat and constant drum beat. The vocals are completely distorted as if sung through an un-tuned TV set. But random angular guitar notes are played along with the side to side rhythm as the track ends.
“Steps” is more heads down & driving with a looping guitar hook, pounding drum & cymbal beat and more angular guitars in the bridge, which continue through out the song. The vocals are just as distorted and lo-fi as the first track, but altogether, this song is more cohesive.
“Arms Wither Away” starts with the distorted vocals and mid-pace drum beat. Then heavy angular guitars are added in a sing song manner.
“Trnbrrd” starts out musically just like The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song “Black Tongue.” And at first the vocals sound like a very distorted Rolling Stones, but the devolve to something Enon would create. I wish this song were longer, it is a good little snippet.
“Beach of Infants” begins with distorted feed back guitars and a plodding, dragging drum beat. The vocals sound whiney in there distorted nature. There is a surprisingly uplifting guitar hook after the first verse, but the vocals come in and yell and whine over the slowish tempo.
“Jesus” has an echoing drum beat, and a dark, murky feed back-like bass line. The five note musical procession, almost like a military drum beat, marches on as the vocals take their own emo-screeching, distorted path over the repetitive music. It reminds me a bit of Early, Early Ween. I mean Synth Socks Ween.

Standout Track: Trnbrrd

Links:Last FM

Punk for Peace
ebullition
Discogs
Wiki
Pitchfork Links
Echo Park

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