Modern Mystery Blog Archives #12: Valleys

The cover of Valleys’ newest release, Stoner EP, is well suited to the mood of this three song spell: an image of tainted youth in the form of a young girl painted with Day of the Dead-like makeup. The music is dark and eerie, almost Wiccan, while retaining some sweetness with the celestial, soothing female vocals best showcased on “Ordinary Dream.”

As with the other songs on the EP, the soft vocals are offset by aggressive guitar and drums made jagged by the fuzzy feedback and reverb. This track is appropriately titled as it is deliciously dreamlike with lyrics like “your eyes are steadfast” that melt into the song.

“Ten Thousand Hours” begins with rumbling drums and a steady keyboard line that leads into static and noise as the introduction to the screaming of upset male vocals. In comes a feedback solo that seriously lasts several minutes, during which the mind wanders from the song until it is lured back in by the keys and reminded that there is actual music here. As soon as that happens, the song has come to an end.

“The Cold Cold Skinny” starts with ominous xylophone and co-ed voices singing in unison, with a regimented rhythm that sounds like a chant. Distressed electric guitar in conjunction with shrill, tense keys becomes a piece for a scene in a horror film, made complete with the creepy lyric “Walk into the evening with your cold, cold skinny legs.”

These three songs strategically serve as a tease or a taste, rather, to what this band may be all about, but more must be heard to discover what that really is. From Stoner EP, we get experimental rock, sultry feminine vocals and lyrics with cryptic imagery.

As seen on the dreamy Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #11: USF

Male duo U.S.F. on Seattle label Highfives and Handshakes has crafted an aquatic club album, Jamaica Plain EP released on February 8 of this year.

“Point Break II,” whether or not is alluding to a sequel in song of the 90’s Keanu surf hit, or the reference just conjures images of surfing, but I can’t help but seeing the tops of waves arch over a surfer’s head as he/she cuts through them while this song plays.

The title track is a wonderful ADD reflection on multilayered synth with club beats, delicate melodies and psychedelia. At first the track submerges underwater through a submarine ride of muffled wave and calming electronic effects, then forges upward into an epic stratosphere of sound. The sudden change of pace goes from chilled out oceanic grooves to heightened synth and booming bass drum determination, ending in a euphoric catharsis. It is truly a story told in sonic tropes.

“Greywolf” is one of two tracks with any vocals, and they function as a fuzzy, Thurston Moore inspired dictation.

All four tracks including “Branss” which has a M.I.A. base dance beat and helium infused sporadic vocals are all heady ambient pieces that make for an interesting EP that piques many moods.

As seen on the exotic Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #10: Hermes

Hermes, a group of young English chaps from the small town of Cirencester are fresh on the scene with a double A side, “Anyone Who Cares / More Love In Death” available on April 25.

“Anyone Who Cares” shares upbeat instrumentation with self conscious lyrics like “I wouldn’t know the truth if it hit me/Wouldn’t know love until it bit me.” The synth line sparkles, the buildup to the chorus is adrenalin charging and everything culminates once the chorus sets in. The echoing backup vocals compliment the lead’s in this well rounded track.

“More Love in Death” features steady, perfectly subtle drums - the driving beat throughout the song. The liberating message emphasized by the repeating lyric “You can let go,” is blanketed under a softer, more forlorn feeling evoked from the music and vocal style. “Anyone Who Cares” and “More Love in Death” are two distinct and significantly different tracks, when juxtaposed balance each other and show the range of capabilities from this young band.

Judging from these new singles, Hermes sounds like they’d out on an awesome live show, so let’s hope they tour the US in the near future.
hermes - Anyone Who Cares/More Love in Death by Sainted PR
As seen on the jolly good Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #9: Idiot Glee

Idiot Glee’s (AKA James Friley) tour is underway promoting his first LP, Paddywhack to be released on June 7.

“Happy Day” which can be downloaded on Daytrotter along with other Idiot Glee songs shows us an artist who sings knowingly about about, well, not so happy days but the 60s California vocal style, the sleepy yet jaunty keyboard lines and even a “Bohemian Rhapsody” reference slipped in suggest some latent brighter sides beneath the dark in which he sings. The effective vocal looping and double tracking beefs up the somewhat minimal one man show involving just his voice and electronics, which on their own are already substantial, especially the former element.

Friley’s rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” is fantastically creepy, avant-garde and respectfully soulful. Based on the few recorded treats he presently has available, Paddywhack should prove to be an interesting and pleasant surprise. Idiot Glee will be performing at SXSW March 16-18 in between upcoming shows around the South and the Gulf Coast.

As seen on the electric Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #8: Girls

On the True Panther Sounds record label website, a love letter written by label member Christopher Owens is published. Owens and Chet “JR” White are the two California boys who make up Girls. The letter’s subject is you and me: the fans. His confession that without us, their fantastic new EP, Broken Dreams Club wouldn’t exist is oozing with sincerity and endearment to a surprising and delightful degree, for I fear we are the ones who should be thanking them.

The EP begins with “Thee Oh So Protective One,” an almost loungey, luxurious cruise ship dance tune. It has the kind of sound meant to be played on or by water, begging for a steel drum to make a cameo, but Girls know better than to ham it up that far. In all seriousness, it’s a well dichotomized song with an easy, rich and full sound with brilliant, almost majestic trumpet incorporation but then sad and unfortunate lyrics: “He’ll never know about the times that you cried in the movies, never know about the times that you cried to the music” and insecure reflections: “I wonder if he’s impressed/Should I have worn the other dress?” This first track is also a great introduction to Owen’s classic vocal style, conjuring that of Burt Bacharach.

White’s bass skills really shine through on “Heartbreaker.” The bass drives the song and adds an extra level of cool to this already radical song. It’s full of charm from the groovy, playful vocals, expert bass, innocent and earnest piano, 80s electric guitar riffs to the light, twinkly tambourine. This well polished song exhibits professional production and a band who means serious business, as far as quality is concerned.

There’s a significant country influence on the title track and on fittingly titled “Carolina,” the former with a somber blues tone actually quite in line with Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning. The muffled, raunchy horns add a nice ragtime jazz touch. “Carolina” is much more experimental but still carries the twangy, drawling, country guitar featured on “Broken Dreams Club.” “Carolina” is a delicious pop dish with booming lines delivered a capella, an oldies “do run run run do do run run” refrain in the background and trippy electronic effects.

“Substance,” if you couldn’t guess from the title, is about drugs: “If you want to shape your brain, I know a substance…that helps you rock and roll.” Ironically enough, it seems to be an anti-drug anthem mocking drug users and their absurd habits, and based on their West Coast, partially ex-hippie cult background (Owens hails from the Children of God cult – or movement – spawned during the 60s California drug phase), are probably mocking themselves: “You can do anything yeah, you can rock and roll outta control/Who wants something real when you could have nothing/Why not just give up, who wants to try.”

This record is buoyant, a little kitschy, and varied in styles. If you’re not already one of the addressees of Owens’ letter, listen to the Broken Dreams EP immediately and find out what you’ll soon to be gushing over.

As seen on the girly Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #7: Empress Hotel

Right now is a really exciting time for pop and rock music in New Orleans and Empress Hotel is a prime example. The group comprised of six young yet seasoned musicians is an offshoot from other bands that came before it, fellow forgers of an indie movement in the Jazz capital of the world.

Brothers Ryan and Eric Rogers on guitar and drums as well as Leo DeJesus on precussion/synth/vocals come from popular bands on the younger generation’s radar in New Orleans, like Antenna Inn and The City Life among others, and lead singer/guitarist Micah McKee founded local favorite Silent Cinema in 2002 which can be held responsible for other spinoff bands from its members, like Big History – a sexy new electronic emphasized band. The main point being, anything coming from this group of guys (and girls: Julie Williams plays keys and sings for Empress Hotel) which also includes Portland transplant Patrick Hodgkins on bass is going to be good.

“Bells Ring” is their recently released single to be included on the self-titled debut EP slated to drop in March on Park the Van Records. Whether it’s the shrill Cassio keys, the doo-woppy back up vocals or the lyrical imagery of not letting it (life?) pass by, the track instills a sense of nostalgia and envy all for an older era, childhood and even pastimes never experienced.

The drawn out, robust lead vocals that harken The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser, the steady, momentous drums and the bells that ring through the chorus also give the song a triumphant slant.

And don’t overlook “Here Comes the New Challenger” which can be found on the band’s Myspace page. The song is utterly cool with a Who-esque synth intro, inebriating lyrics and McKee and Williams’ vocal harmonies that are beyond charming.
Empress Hotel-Bells Ring[1] by smally pockets
As seen on the excellent Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #6: Dawes

It’s not hard to hear why “When My Time Comes” from Los Angeles band Dawes was chosen by one of the automobile industry’s leading brands, Chevrolet, to score their newest commercial. The single off their September 2009 released album North Hills, named for the part of Los Angeles from which they hail, is a real solid, folksy narrative and one that seems to target the Chevrolet demographic.

It’s got that blue collar pride and Springsteen spirit that accompanies all too well the Chevrolet truck and what it represents: The American Dream, more or less. The diffence between Dawes’ video of “When My Time Comes” and Chevrolet’s sampling is a shift in hope and progress over time. The band’s official video shows an early 20th Century impoverished and enslaved life as the band plays inmates shoveling dirt on the side of the road watched over by oppressive, Aviator-adorned cops, then they escape to a haven in the woods playing makeshift instruments in the form of pots for drums and an upright bass with one string.The Chevrolet commercial, using effective marketing, shows the modern American life using the truck as proof of endurance and invention ranging from everyday tasks to police missions and ending with a declarative motto: “This is how America gets work done.”
As seen on the rugged Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #5: The Sword

“Lawless Lands” is the second chapter in the epic tale of The Sword’s mystical travels from Earth to Space, called Warp Riders, also the name of their latest album. “Lawless Lands” is the next installment after the first chapter, “Tres Brujas” or “Three Witches” in English. As one could surmise from the title, the Texas metal outfit in a haze of “sacred smoke” encounter three witches in “Tres Brujas,” the first of whom will “rob,” the second will “deceive,” and the third will “show you the way.”

As a perfect segue, the third bruja shows The Sword the way into “Lawless Lands,” or outer space, as it turns out. “Lawless Lands” immediately takes a new musical tone from “Tres Brujas,” from epic to looming doom with the change of riffing, fast paced guitar to slower, more ominous bluesy rhythms. The video looks like a hodgepodge of old school sci-fi movies like Willow and The Dark Crystal with some Star Trek mixed in, centered around some chick who is part goth princess, part child empress from Never Ending Story.

The Sword puts a fantasy twist on metal with “Lawless Lands” and the rest of Warp Riders that is nothing short of totally awesome. The Sword is currently on an American tour for the release of Warp Riders through mid December.

As seen on the mystical Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #4: No Joy

The 90’s are back, girls and boys and I, for one, am pretty stoked about it. Laura Lloyd and Jasamine White-Gluz are the feminine forefront of the noise-fuzz-dream-rock band, No Joy. Their second album, Ghost Blonde was just released on esteemed Brooklyn label, Mexican Summer – host to buzz-worthy band Best Coast, among others – who picked up No Joy in less than a year after their conception.

If you could pick out a song to be released as a single on the album, it would be the second track, “Heedless.” It’s driving and droning with plenty of feedback, distinct guitar melody and soft, silky, and sweet vocals a la The Breeders or Amber Valentine from Jucifer when she’s not shrieking. That pretty much goes for the rest of the album, as well. Their signature sound is largely due to a contrast between masculine, forward music and feminine, restrained vocals. It’s hard to make sense of the lyrics amid the sonic layers but one line from “Heedless” is discernable: “if you don’t care, then I don’t care,” adding to the grungy, submissive tone of this great song that could easily have been released in 1992.

A lot of songs like “Maggie Says I Love You” start out with the slow buildup of static and dissonant guitar reminiscent of Sonic Youth that lead into echoey, drawn out vocals and persistent and repetitive percussion. Others like “You Girls Smoke Cigarettes?” are quick, loud and more varied musically, making for a song that’s easy to rock out to. Each song is about four minutes long on average, so you get the best of both worlds: progressive rock sensibility and pop rock length. This gives the listener just enough time to come up for air before plunging back in to the pool of noise laden with reverb and distortion.

It might be assumed, for no other reason than their name, that No Joy is a sad, complaint-rock band, and even if traces of such mentalities are detected, they are in a purposeful and passive way. More than somber, Ghost Blonde is a female driven record with balls that has sexy guitar riffs and vocals that knock you down and then float you away.

As seen on the grungey Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #3: Birds + Batteries

The new video for “We’re An Industry” by the San Francisco band Birds & Batteries conveys a lot using just some metal and other hard materials employed by the method of stop motion. The video was carefully crafted by the Made By Cabbage Head production company who designed the set by hand and filmed frame by frame.

The protagonists of this video – seeming like more of a short film – are two steel wool people placed in a desolate, industrial setting with pipes, coils and other constructional components who discover they create sparks when touching together.

The song itself is a lamentation of belonging to the center of the earth with lyrics describing baring the burden of causing natural disasters under rough and hot conditions, sorrowful strings and mechanical, almost militaristic drums.

Then, the instrumentation becomes looser and builds up with the percussion quickening and the vocals all the sudden taking a new, proud tone. Greenery begins to grow up the metal structures and flower as the vocals harmonize and reach higher notes and the two steel wool characters look on, sparking hand-in-hand. By the end of it, you are left with a beautiful, resolved feeling.

Birds & Batteries- We're an Industry from Birds & Batteries on Vimeo.

As seen on the artisanal Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #2: Radio Dept.

The Radio Department comes out with a selection of their latest (of the past eight years) and greatest (of those eight years) work: Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010 for release on January 25th, 2011.

This “best hits” compilation of sorts of at least their time thus far with Labrador Records is complete with a double disk and some B-sides and rarities mixed in. The Swedish indie label is boding this release as a result of the success of their best selling band. Such success does not come without its obstacles, however. The Radio Department are undoubtedly rock stars, but hesitant – or at least coy – ones at that. Considering their popularity, it seems strange that they have consistently been hesitant to sign contracts, expose themselves to the media and generally skeptical of their acceptance by fans, critics and the rest of the musical community they – whether or not they believe they do or should – belong to.

Until their tour of said album, satiate your need for The Radio Department with the dream-pop track “Never Swallow Fruit” off their just released EP, Never Follow Suit, accompanied perhaps by a candle lit room with an uncontrolled drug of the green variety.

As seen on the rocking Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK

Modern Mystery Blog Archives #1: Good Old War

The Pennsylvania indie-folk male trio, Good Old War, follows up their debut album Only Way to be Alone with the self titled offering featuring a music video from the single “That’s Some Dream.”

The dream, the song and the video all hold a simple theme: living, dying, and being alright with both. The video tells the story of a self discovering journey with like-minded companions. In this case, the journey is a tour and the companions are band mates, and it’s as straightforward as it is poignant.

It’s damn hooky and with a little Paul Simon inspired non-lyrical vocal addition to the chorus (you’ll have to listen to hear what I mean), the song is so damn likeable that you’ll be listening to it more than once in a sitting. As far as the video journal that is the accompanying music video, the personal and endearing nature will make you feel all warm inside.

As seen on the wholesome Modern Mystery Blog: ORIGINAL LINK