Best Coast – The Only Place (Mexican Summer)
Please see my full review here.
OFF! – OFF! (Vice)
16 songs in 16 minutes and the sound here has not changed one iota from The First Four EPs, their first quasi-full length release. That’s a good thing, though, as this as close a recreation of the early, Keith Morris-led Black Flag as one can find. Sure, the drums could’ve been mixed higher, but this doesn’t affect my enjoyment of this one bit. Get it!
Spiritualized – World Cafe Live (Philadelphia) – May 11, 2012
Playing only a half hour set and opening with the 9-minute long “Hey Jane” and flanked by a relatively small lineup (6 backing musicians, including 2 female backup singers), Jason Pierce and Spiritualized only got to play a few songs (mostly new, but concluding with “Come Together” from 1997’s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space). Still, it was a treat to see them play for the first time since I saw them in 2008 at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and since I skipped their headlining set later that night at the TLA to see M83 at Union Transfer. This show was part of a double bill with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, who played after them. Since I’m not a fan of theirs, I left after Spiritualized played.
M83 with I Break Horses – Union Transfer (Philadelphia) – May 11, 2012
Though M83 played only a 45 minute set last night at Union Transfer with no encore due to some technical difficulties, they sounded absolutely amazing. They’re coming back here to play a venue 3 times its size in a few months and I predict that they will probably be filling arenas soon, so I feel like this was our last chance to see them in such an intimate venue for quite a while. And what a way to end the show as well, with a version of “Midnight City” that ended with an almost sort of skronky version of its sax solo (which on record is on the cheesy side, but still fun).
M Ward with Lee Ranaldo Band – Union Transfer (Philadelphia) – May 12, 2012
We are Serenades with Night Panther – Johnny Brenda’s (Philadelphia) – May 8, 2012
With only one album and an EP to their credit, this side project of Shout Out Louds singer Adam Olenius only played for 45 minutes. This was fine, though as their best songs “Come Home,” “Birds” and Oceans” were all played on this evening.
This is the debut EP from FOOD (which stands for “Far Out Old Dudes), who consist of Ed Crawford of fIREHOSE, Eric Vermillion of Gumball and Mike Quinlan (The Cynics). Of the 3 songs here (4 on the digital version), “Santa Maria” (which I’ve reviewed in a previous Top 10 list) is still the best, but the others are worthwhile as well. This is great ’90s alt-rock that sounds the previous bands of the participants therein (especially fIREHOSE) and now I’m really looking forward to hearing a full-length!
The Beach Boys – “That’s Why God Made the Radio”
I had absolutely zero expectations for the new single from the forthcoming album of the same name, but this is shockingly really good. Written by Jim Peterik (who also collaborated with Brian Wilson on the “Your Imagination” single in the late ’90s), this rivals “Where I Belong” (from the self-titled 1985 album) or “Strange Things Happen” from their last album (1993’s Summer in Paradise). I only hope the rest of the album is as good!
We are Serenades – Criminal Heaven (Interscope)
A collaboration between Shout Out Louds singer Adam Olenius and Markus Krunegard of the band Laasko, this one is a little tough to describe. Fans of the Shout Out Louds will immediately dig this because of Olenius’ vocals, but the sound here is somewhere between indie-pop and something a bit more bombastic. Thankfully, it’s not too bombastic and while the entire record is a consistently good listen, the standout songs like “Birds” and especially the terrific “Oceans” really overshadow the rest of the material here.
Kam Kama – The Tiled House EP (Sister Cylinder)
This is the debut EP from the Bloomington, IN based post-punkers led by Scott Ferguson. More than anyone, I hear an uncanny resemblance to For Against on the 6 songs here, but there are strong hints of The Sound as well. You can all check it out and buy it here.
