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What I’ve Been Listening to Recently
As one can tell from glancing at the list below, I’ve been listening to a lot of noisy indie-pop and garage-pop recently.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong (Slumberland)
What sophomore slump? The Pains of Being Pure at Heart deliver what’s thus far my album of the year. David Musto‘s review is right-on.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Heart in Your Heartbreak” EP (Slumberland)
This came out last November and I’ve been streaming it for a while now, but I got a copy of the 7” this past week. The A-side is one of the best songs on the new full-length, but sounds more of a piece with their debut or especially the “Higher than the Stars” EP than most of the stuff on the new one does. The B-side “The One” isn’t as strong, but overall this is a very strong release.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Belong” EP (Slumberland)
Not only have they made a terrific album, but the title track (released a single a little over a month ago) is also my favorite single of the year so far, too. Simply put, the title track is perfect. Like Silversun Pickups if they were way better, it expertly combines a huge chorus out of something from Smashing Pumpkins‘ Siamese Dream with the dream-pop atmospherics of My Bloody Valentine. Astounding! The B-side, the typical-for-them suggestively-titled “I Wanna Go All the Way” is as close as they’ve ever gotten to Psychocandy-era Jesus and Mary Chain. It’s a nice pastiche and enjoyble, but definitely B-side material.
The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar (Atlantic)
This came out on CD this week and is thus far my second favorite album of the year. This album lives up to its name and then some. I think that the import comes with a well worth it bonus disc called It’s Just a World Apart. It also really makes me want to see them live again in a few weeks because the production sounds amazing and gigantic, just like their live shows.
Dum Dum Girls – “He Gets Me High” EP (Sub Pop)
I have liked Dum Dum Girls in the past, but this is by far the best thing they’ve done to date. Produced by The Raveonettes‘ Sune Rose Wagner, most of the tracks here aren’t a million miles from that band’s mellower side (think Pretty in Black) but yet better. It also contains what’s possibly the best Smiths cover I’ve ever heard. They manage to speed up “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” and not mess it up!
Vivian Girls – “I Heard You Say” EP (Polyvinyl)
I can’t believe I’m typing this, but Vivian Girls’ first release for their new label Polyvinyl is a bit of a disappointment. These songs are OK, but lack the energy, speed, drive and catchiness of their 1st 2 Lps or many wonderful singles they’ve put out in the last few years.
Vivian Girls/Jacuzzi Boys – “Surfin’ Away”/“Your Flags” EP (Bruise Cruise)
This is Bruise Cruise #2, one of a series of split 7“s designed to commemorate the recent “Bruise Cruise” where a bunch of indie and garage bands played on an actual cruise line. Anyway, the Vivian Girls side here is for hardcore fans only. It’s a demo version of “Surfin’ Away” that in reality sounds more like an unreleased background track or sketch for the version that appeared on the Surf’s Up EP several years ago.
This is my first time hearing Jacuzzi Boys and I can’t say I’m all that impressed. It’s an OK mid-tempo garage number that needs more energy.
Jay Reatard – Live at Golden Plains (Shattered)
This is a limited edition (500 copies) vinyl only record that captures Jay and his backing band in absolutely furious form in early 2008 in Australia. As such, the set contains material from 2006’s astounding Blood Visions and songs that would go on to be on the series of singles he released for Matador later that year along with a few songs that were released on singles around the time of Blood Visions as well. RIP Jay.
Jay Reatard – “You Get No Love” EP (Shattered)
This is a 7” consisting of the last two songs Jay recorded a few days before his untimely passing in January of last year. As such, these songs are sparsely recorded and not really fleshed out, but still worth hearing for dedicated fans. One odd thing is that his vocals don’t even sound all that familiar on these tracks. Fans can only wonder what would’ve been had he had a chance to re-record them and continue to make music in general.
Frankie Rose and the Outs – Frankie Rose and the Outs (Slumberland)
This came out last fall and is the debut of the former Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts drummer. In the same vein as both bands, but with more of a melancholy ’60s girl group feel, it easily bests anything Crystal Stilts have ever done and is on par with many of Vivian Girls’ best records as well.
