Archive for the ‘CLASSIC ALBUMS’ Category

EYELIDS – ” 854 “

Posted: December 30, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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EYELIDS have a collective history of creating music for some of the most legendary indie songwriters. These longtime Portland, Oregon collaborators were not only the principal instrumentalists for Robert Pollard’s post Guided By Voices band Boston Spaceships for over eight releases, but they have also worked with Stephen Malkmus, The Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Sam Coomes of Quasi, Black Prairie, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Loch Lomond, Damien Jurado and Peter Buck (who is producing their upcoming EP this Fall).

Principal songwriters John Moen and Chris Slusarenko have turned inwards to their loves of New Zealand/Flying Nun guitar buzz, their teenage L.A. Paisley Underground obsessions, haunts of early Athens and all things beautiful, lopsided and rock. Along with members Jonathan Drews (guitar), Jim Talstra (bass) and Paulie Pulvirenti (drums) they push and pull against each other’s songwriting, in a beautiful tension that just works. Their critically celebrated debut 7”vinyl Seagulls Into Submission got airplay everywhere from BBC Radio to WFMU and was also included in MOJO Magazine’s Editors Picks of The Month. This single, as well as the accompanying video, is just a hint of what Eyelids are all about.

With 13 songs, most of them clocking in at less than 2 1/2 minutes, their debut album ‘854’ is full of what Eyelids describes as “sweet melodies and bummer vibes”. ‘854’ makes us remember when our favorite songs were both melancholy and buoyant—those same songs that could make you feel justifiably sad and later make you feel incredibly happy and empowered. That’s what these guys are onto. And, although they are on their own trip, they’ve been compared to Love, Dinosaur Jr., Big Star, and even early R.E.M. Good company. This is the spirit that comes alive in Eyelids songs: the Beatles meets Television jangle of “Psych #1,” the wistful pleas of “Abby’s Friends,” the beat-your-head-on-the-dashboard croon of “Forget About Tomorrow” and the deserted desperate cries that propel “Say It’s Alright”. And as you listen, you will soon find out that Eyelids’ music is seriously catchy, haunting and uniquely their own.

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RUBY FORCE – ” Evolutionary War “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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2017 was the year for alt-country rock goodness. Acts like Nikki Lane and Ruby Force, led the charge with tremendous releases. Ruby Force is the persona of multi-talented Erin McLaughlin and is perhaps her most personal release. Rolling Stone dubbed her one of the 10 New Artists You Need to Know earlier this year, but we were lucky enough to hear her fantastic album, Evolutionary War, before many others. The new alt country project of songstress Erin McLaughlin is refreshing, confident, and incredibly engaging. “Damn Your Love” plays like the greats who came before, mainly Dolly and Tammy, while still sounding refreshingly new. “Ode to Vic Chesnutt” is an equally as personal exploration of heroes and love. Her songwriting is able to connect with many – both the country blooded fans as well as those who simply love great songwriting.

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Evolutionary War is Ruby Force’s debut ten-song record. It transports a listener through McLaughlin’s own experiences – from her upbringing in the yellow-hued fields of the Southwest, through the dank, fluoresced streets of urban metropolises, and across a myriad of international seas. Enlisting the collaboration of musical luminaries such as Elijah Thomson (Everest, Delta Spirit, Father John Misty), Richard Swift (The Black Keys, The Shins, The Archs, Foxygen), Frank Lenz (Pedro The Lion) and Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), McLaughlin keeps good company on the sojourn as these creative partners inject a wealth of heart, brains and guts into her already soul-wrenching compositions.

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WARBLY JETS – ” Warbly Jets “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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For those of you asking for the whereabouts of rock and roll in 2017, look no farther than LA’s Warbly Jets. “Alive”, the opening track from their debut, is a confident declaration of their stubborn existence while being a Dandy Warhols style rock tune – fun, catchy, and rocking. “The Lowdown” was the first track we heard from the guys and it is a perfect example of all they do so well. Distorted guitars, thriving bass, and classic rock drums all build to a swelling piece of rock goodness. Being total fans of the grit rock of acts like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, made this album a no brainer for us to fall in love with. The four-piece outfit has a sound that transcends the dingy clubs they played in ’17 and will continue to grow tighter as audiences continue to fall in love with them. The sense of epic is not lost on them either. Closer “Getting Closer (Than I Ever Have)” is the perfect way to end with a gospel choir and hopeful rock anthems.

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JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD – ” Sorry is Gone ” Best Albums Of 2017

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Full disclosure, To date everything Jessica Lea Mayfield creates including her latest album fits nicely between her breakthrough Tell Me and her previous album Make My Head Sing.

On her latest release, she has seemed to find her confidence again. After a public split up at the result of domestic violence, the album takes a whole new angle with a courageous narrative of a songwriter who no longer feels bound by “Sorry”. The title track is some of the most pop heavy on the album, yet still carries the weight of her trademark heartbreak well. “Meadow” showcases her guitar distortion that was so refreshing on her last release. What makes Jessica Lea Mayfield such a talent is her achingly poignant lyrics that somehow are sung with a sweet detachment that draws listeners in.

Perhaps our favorite lyric is found on “Maybe Whatever” with her ability to rhyme shotgun with futon. Yet with Mayfield, there is always more going on than what is found on the surface. Honest and brave, “Sorry is Gone” is definitely one of the most phenomenal releases of this year and finds a songwriter who continues to fight demons with the proper amount of guitar and melancholy vocals.

PATSY’S RATS – ” Is It Alright? “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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This Portland Duo write great hooks that are part Cheap Trick and part Fastbacks. Is It Alright is a blast when played at full blast!

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The Band

Patsy Gelb – Guitar/Vocals
Christian Blunda – Guitar/Vocals
Stevie Pohlman – Bass
Jon Barron – Drums

Recorded at Red Lantern in Portland,

HALF WAIF – ” Probable Depths “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Nandi Rose Plunkett finds beauty in empty space. Battling with the inner-workings of identity and what it means to be alive, Half Waif is an escape into the void. Whilst her lyricism is distinctively enchanting, it’s her gorgeous, thoughtful melodies and layered instrumentation that feels like time is standing still.

Plunkett has spoken of wanting to “tear out [her] guts” and give titular form to the feelings which flow through us when in and out of relationships, and on the EP she does this time and again with an honesty that is often lacking in what’s ostensibly a synth pop record.

The breaks between notes are as meaningful as each utterance of instrument, acting as an pleading inhalation. Layers are added as she unravels each tale, throwing spectacular colour and warmth towards a hopeful conclusion. ‘Probable Depths’ thrusts neon surges into a brutal landscape, shattering nerves in its wake.

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Vocals, Keyboards, Songs / Nandi Rose Plunkett
Drums, Electronic Percussion / Zack Levine
Electric Bass  / Adan Carlo

The DIALS – ” That Was The Future “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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No one could accuse The Dials of hiding their influences. Their sound is a glorious mix of late 60s pop-psych, fuzzed up guitars and funky 70s style keyboard and synth lines. Yet this is no exercise in homage. What sets The Dials apart is both the standard of their songwriting and Joe Allenby and Rich Parrish’s perfectly judged vocal melodies.

The Dials have been familiar faces on the Brighton music scene since 2002, playing their own peculiar blend of psychedelia, surf, folk and jazz garage. Dermot Watson, Andy Taylor, Rich Parrish and Joe Allenby-Byrne sound like The Zombies, Funkadelic, Caravan and Miles Davis jamming at the UFO Club on a rainy September night.

Their eponymous debut album in 2007 showcased a bewilderingly eclectic collection of songs which somehow won the hearts of small pockets of radio DJs and listeners worldwide. Their showcase at NXNE in Toronto was described as “pure energy, hard-howling, Brit-infused honky-tonk”.

After famously requiring a fire crew of nine to rescue them from a bank vault in which they had become trapped whilst recording 2009’s “Companions of the Rosy Hours”, the band disintegrated in a whirlwind of passive aggression. Dermot and Andy shut themselves away and began writing the album which would become the critically-acclaimed “The End of the Pier” (2013). Self-produced and recorded all over Brighton with a rotating cast of musicians including Gordon Russell (Dr Feelgood), the album was eventually released with the current lineup established.

For the last three years, the Dials have been recording in UNKLE’s Toy Room studio in Brighton with Ben Thackeray (Patti Smith, Nick Cave, My Bloody Valentine, Gruff Rhys) producing. Featuring pump organs, mandolins, Moogs, mellotrons, pastoral folk and Bavarian waltzes, “That Was The Future” will be released on vinyl and CD on October 13th 2017.

Songs such as the genuinely funky “Cuckoo Stone” or the Spencer Davis Group style strut of “The Nark,” display an effortless cool. The band’s previous releases hinted at something great, but “That Was The Future” comes straight out and delivers it.

Lyric video for That Was The Future, taken from the album ‘That Was The Future’ by The Dials on Gear Discs.

GOLD CLASS – ” Drum “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Drum is the bold second album from Gold Class. Recorded at Melbourne’s Head Gap studios / Tropical Fuck Storm Studios and co-produced by Gareth Liddiard of The Drones, “Drum” sees Gold Class explore new territory in both songwriting and sonics.

On Gold Class’ second LP, Adam Curley is punchy, the music percussive. “We were beaten, but I still feel a thump,” he hollers, amidst Evan Purdey’s knotty guitar scrawl on the relentless “We Were Never Too Much”. And Drum duly delivers a thump, producer Gareth Liddiard’s stripped-down setting letting the propulsive rhythm section push towards the foreground. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but the quartet boast heart and wit, sounding committed to their cause. “Weave the blows/Like a boxer on tiptoe,” Curley bellows in “Thinking of Strangers”, recalling Morrissey’s lyrical pugilists as the song drags Smithsy jangle into a dark alley.

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The FLESH PANTHERS – ” Willows Weep “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Like fellow Chicago rockers Twin Peaks’ latest release “Down in Heaven,” Flesh Panthers are taking a step back from brash garage energy in favor of something a little more “mature” (heavy emphasis on the quotes). With more atmospheric moodiness in the album lead-in and outro, “Willow’s Weep” is much more meticulous and coherent than straight garage rock assault, bringing to mind late-60s Rolling Stones more so than 70s punk. It surprises me every time I listen to it, not because I didn’t think they were capable (their live versions of some of my favorite songs by the likes of Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan showcase their tightness and versatility), but because they’ve made such a remarkable transition from their high-energy garage punk into these really beautiful, compelling rock songs.

I really love Flesh Panthers. They’re a brilliant inside secret of the Chicago rock scene that deserves far wider exposure. With “Willow’s Weep,” they’re proving they’re a force to be reckoned with beyond our city walls. Great follow up album.Cant wait to see them on tour

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The FLESH PANTHERS – ” NGC 2632 “

Posted: December 29, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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When Garage Punk four-piece Flesh Panthers dropped their first two releases last year—a seven-inch on Tall Pat and a self-titled cassette on Dumpster Tapes—they sounded like a group of kids looking for the kind of fun that’s hard to tell from trouble. And in case the ragtag, deranged shrieks and squeals of the band’s guitars didn’t make it obvious enough, front man Ryan Zombotron doubled down with his lyrics: on “Bleed Black Leather” from Flesh Panthers, he half screams, “I just wanna stay high forever.”

Zombotron says those recordings are faithful to Flesh Panthers‘ anything-can-happen live sets, but that for their full-length debut the band wanted to try something different. They went into the studio intending to mess with their sound, and they had a field day with noise boxes and the tape head of an old reel-to-reel player, among other gadgets. NGC 2632 puts a psychedelic spin on their messy punk punches: the woozy “Teethe” cleans up some of the band’s sonic muck and dials down the pace, but keeps their noisy euphoria intact.

Zombotron wrote the new album’s lyrics by drawing inspiration from a list of about 100 words and phrases—”flies,” “city living,” and “linear energy,” to name a few. “There’s an insect theme in the album, but there’s also a mysticism that has to do with the planets and stars and space,” he says. Zombotron hopes NGC 2632 is the first of many albums for Flesh Panthers: “Hopefully I can keep on putting out records and people won’t tell me to shut up.”

The songs of Flesh Panthers’ NGC 2632 swagger and sneer with unrelenting attitude, but rather than evoking anger and alienation, it’s the kind of attitude that says, “We’re here, we’re beautiful, we’re going to go wild and have another big ol’ party!” This fuzzed-out record rocks and reels, reminiscent of a mid-July major rager full of all your favorite weirdos.

Mid-tempo stompers “elevator girls” and “47 Eyeballs” allow a glimmering guitar lead to weave through the cocky snarl of vocals.

“Good-time punks, Flesh Panthers unapologetically bust down your front door with their new album, N G C 2632. At first listen, the 12 tracks embody a New York Dolls’ draw and swagger that’s much more glam than what came across on the band’s previous releases. These tracks are fully-fleshed, leaving a heightened ringing in your ears and putting a relentless stomp in your boots.”

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