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Bells with Travels and HIRS – Pi Lam (Philadelphia) – March 3, 2012
Please see my full review here.
Travels – “The Sun Shines Down on Me” EP (self-released)
The titular A-side of this 7” is a Daniel Johnston cover while the B-side is an original called “Stencils”. There is a download code included and the download contains 3 extra tracks. Overall, this is quite, moody and crudely-recorded (some might say “lo-fi”) indie-pop that seems inspired by the ’80s and ’90s K catalog without being fully indebted to it as well. Uniquely, this is limited to 150 copies and each cover is a different piece of handmate art. You can stream and purchase it here.
Tommy Stinson – World Cafe Live (Philadelphia) – March 9, 2012
Please see my full review here.
The Thousand Pities – Believe in Sound (OverPop Music)
This New Jersey quartet, a band since 2006, finally released their first full-length album late last year, but I only got to hear it very recently. Don’t let the fact that they’ve only been a band for 6 years fool you, though. These folks are all seasoned veterans. Frontman Matthew Davis was in late ’80s/early ’90s band The Vestrymen and crucially, guitarist Michael Carlucci was in Winter Hours (the subject of a recently-released tribute album featuring luminaries such as Nada Surf‘s Matthew Caws, Feelies offshoot Yung Wu and Gordon Gano of Violent Femmes (amongst many others). Thus, the sound here hews towards ’80s and early ’90s jangle-pop, but with a moody, almost dream-pop-like textures to give it an ethereal feel. The end result is not unlike ’80s college rock like The Reivers or perhaps The Connells mixed with Swervedriver‘s softer side (or some of Adam Franklin‘s recent records).
Honeychurch – Will You Be There with Me? (Siren)
I finally got a CD copy of this a few days ago and it inspired me to once again wallow in the beauty of this gorgeous album.
Lost Sounds – Black Wave (Empty)
Watching the Jay Reatard documentary Waiting for Something led me to revisit not just his solo catalog, but some of his earlier material as well. Released back in 2001 and long out-of-print, this synth-punk masterpiece is the finest hour of the Memphis band (around from 1999 to 2005) fronted by Reatard and fellow synth/guitar wiz Alicja Trout. Utterly combustible both live and full of rage that sounds like they’d both been to the bowels of Hades and back (though surprisingly melodic at times), anyone interested in hearing what a modern-day Screamers, early Wall of Voodoo or Units mixed with the garage-punk fury of The Reatards would sound like should seek this out if they can find it.
Beach House – “Myth”
The first single from the forthcoming Beach House album Bloom on Sub Pop continues in the vein of 2010’s Teen Dream, but is perhaps even better than anything on that fine album. If the rest of the album is as good, it’ll be one of the best of the year.
Magnetic Fields – Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge)
Magnetic Fields return to Merge (their first album on the label since 1999’s 69 Love Songs) and also return to the synth-heavy sound of their earlier material before experiments such as 2004’s i, 2008’s fantastic Distortion (still my favorite of their albums) and 2010’s Realism.
Adam Franklin and Bolts of Melody – “Winter Winter Winter” EP (self-released)
Last December, Adam Franklin recorded what sounds like home demo versions of songs by Tyrannosaurus Rex (“The Throat of Winter”) and The Doors (“Wishful Sinful”). You can stream them and buy the digital EP here. Be sure to check out the other digital-only tracks (like the cover of The Velvet Underground‘s “Black Angel’s Death Song”) on the page, too!
Lambchop – Mr. M (Merge)
The first Lambchop album since 2008’s OH (Ohio) is just about the most stunningly gorgeous album I’ve heard all year alongside Honeychurch’s similarly wonderful Will You Be There with Me?.
