Artigos com o marcador lo-fi
Woven Bones – In And Out And Back Again (2010)
22/07/10
Obeying the old adage about leaving ‘em wanting more, the Austin trio give us just 9 tracks in 26 minutes – packed with walls of guitar noise, dirty riffs, pounding primeval rhythms and slashing distortion. Taking a cue from the Jesus and Mary Chain and the Velvet Underground (with additional nods to Suicide, The Cramps and the Damned), Woven Bones makes raw sinews-exposed rock’n’roll from blasts of indie guitars (‘I’ll Be Runnin’), primal rock’n’roll drumbeats (‘Creepy Bones’) or extravagantly garagey fuzzrock (‘7 Year Mirror’). They sweeten the darkness, however, with plenty of melody, especially on the 60s garage-poppy ‘Guess You Already Knew’. It’s an outpouring of pent-up passion that despite the fuzz and the crepuscular influences is pretty ecstatic when it comes to presentation. ~ Ged M, SoundsXP
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Guess You Already Knew”
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The Love Language – Libraries (2010)
15/07/10
MERGE RECORDS The Love Language is a fortunate by-product of frontman North Carolina native Stuart McLamb’s rudderless mid-20s, where a tempest of breakup, inebriation, and incarceration found the abandoned songwriter embarking on a storage-space recording project to slow his seeming disintegration. On sophomore effort Libraries, the equilibrium of frontman McLamb’s madness and producer BJ Burton’s discipline has rendered an album in the classic sense, in which no song is expendable and no passage is without purpose. Libraries captures Spector-esque walls of reckless sound, cavernous drums, middle-school percussion, and moody swells of stringed instruments, all decorated hastily with stray leads, which bleed beautifully all over everything.
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Heart To Tell”
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Marbles – Pyramid Landing and Other Favorites (1997)
15/07/10
ALLMUSIC Pyramid Landing and Other Favorites collects Robert Schneider‘s pre-Apples (in stereo) four-track recordings, cut between 1992 and 1993. Far more spare and delicate than the Apples’ fuzzy pop, the Marbles‘ songs are still cut from essentially the same Beach Boys-inspired cloth; while not as dynamic or accomplished as Schneider‘s later work, his early compositions are nevertheless melodic, bright, and charming — even at his most derivative, he’s an engaging talent and a smart pop revisionist. \\ Jason Ankeny
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Swimming”
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VA – 2nd Fanfare for Elephant 6 (2010)
14/07/10
My Rate: 8.5/10
Tracklist:
DISC 1:
01. Yesterday’s World (Circulatory System) — General Oglethorpe & the Panhandlers
02. (iv) (The Gerbils) — tiny folk
03. A Song of Love (The Gerbils) — radiowires, theaddingmachine, & DaveKent
04. If I Were You (Nesey Gallons) — Sally Seen Nog
05. Little Birds (Neutral Milk Hotel) — The Curiously Strong Peppermints
06. Fooled With the Wrong Guy (Beulah) — Lou Nathanson
07. Love Athena (Sunshine Fix) — Impaled Peach
08. Lucky Girl (The Gerbils) — Carton Sonore
09. The Shower Song (Chocolate U.S.A.) — The Voyages
10. Me and Jesus Don’t Talk Anymore (Beulah) — Carnival Bird
11. King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Dead Canaries
12. King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 2 (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Tall Building
13. Sun Is Out (The Apples in stereo) — Velma Spaghetti
14. Pyramid Landing (Marbles) — Zombie Girlfriend Hospital Attack Force
15. Rue De Lis (The Essex Green) — Mayor Byrne 3
16. Glue (The Gerbils) — Sea Shoes
17. She Did a Lot of Acid (Neutral Milk Hotel) — pitaburd
18. Hank the Yankee Dalmation (Chocolate U.S.A.) — Champagne Khampagne
19. Sinking Ship (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Daydreaming in the Forest
20. You’ve Got a Gift (of Montreal) — Akryllic Love
DISC 2:
21. The Arrow Flies Close (Elf Power) — Stomach Ulcers & Jason
22. The Piece That Fits (Madeline) — Madeline Ava
23. There Won’t Be Any Crows (Nesey Gallons) — ufoinkushiro
24. The Past Is a Grotesque Animal (of Montreal) — Freemdoom
25. The Secret Ocean (Elf Power) — Fig Mints
26. To Hell and Back (Madeline) — Stomach Ulcers
27. Gravity Car (Olivia Tremor Control) — Thosedamnbuckets
28. Aurora Borealis (Nesey Gallons) — The Garrats
29. Lysergic Bliss (of Montreal) — Ace Azzameen & officeparty
30. Big White Limo (The Gerbils) — EllertMichael
31. Hideway (Olivia Tremor Control) — Lou Nathanson & Impaled Peach
32. Psychotic Feeling (of Montreal) — lenn9o9n
33. Calm Go The Wild Seas (Beulah) — Stomach Ulcers, Lou Nathanson, & lenn9o9n
34 A Baby for Pree (Neutral Milk Hotel) – Chapman’s Friend and the Glorious League of Imposters
35. Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider (of Montreal) — Nick Fraelich
36. A Peek (Circulatory System) — Zakk Zielke
37. Engine (Neutral Milk Hotel) — Jo Rose & Liam
Fungi Girls – Turquoise Hotel 7″ (2010)
07/07/10
INSOUND The unlimited charm of Texas strikes again as Fungi Girls release their first 7-inch single, following up an impressive 12-inch EP debut on Play Pinball! Records, both of which will have you twitching with unexpected enthusiasm. The guys that comprise this power trio are all still barely over the legal driving age, but still not even close to the drinking age, so when the surprising and wise-beyond-their-years modern psychedelic/gaze sounds first bolted from our speakers, we had to do something about it. Their first impression sits heavily on the unique and subdued vocals that seem to lightly hover over the hazy, yet complex arrangements, forming an incredibly atmospheric blast that doesn’t really sound like anything else. These promising teenagers somehow harness the confidence and proclivity to emulate compelling mid-tempo lo-fi pop songs that eerily deliver hooks that stick, and come out with a sound all their own that you’ll no doubt be hearing more of soon. Dive into their world head-first with this seductive single.
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Doldrums”
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Woods – At Echo Lake (2010)
07/07/10
ALLMUSIC Since forming in 2005, Woods have been churning out albums, EPs, and singles at such a brisk pace that it’s not surprising the band’s music changed quickly as well. At Echo Lake is some of the group’s most focused and accessible music — relatively speaking, of course. Woods still love lo-fi production values as much as they love jangly guitars and sweet harmonies, but this time the band puts its pop instincts and classic rock fetish at the forefront. At Echo Lake isn’t just folky rock, it’s straight-up folk-rock in the tradition of the Byrds and early Grateful Dead. “Blood Dries Darker” opens the album with a melody so sunny that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t recorded in California, while “Mornin’ Time” evokes the Dead’s hazy warmth, albeit surrounded by billowing clouds of distortion. If there was any doubt that Woods have the lo-fi aesthetic down to an art, this album proves the band is in control of its noise instead of vice versa. “Pick Up” uses sound effects and subtly static-laden synths to add space and emotion, and the gorgeous, chiming “Suffering Season” shades its pristine melody with almost imperceptible tape manipulations courtesy of G. Lucas Crane, who also worked on the band’s previous album, Songs of Shame. Indeed, there’s something very precise about At Echo Lake, particularly in Jeremy Earl‘s vocals and the arrangement of “Time Fading Lines,” which manages to add a buzzing banjo/sitar without feeling retro. Even when the band channels the Byrds and Sonic Youth on “From the Horn,” which sounds like “Eight Miles High” meets “Dirty Boots,” Woods never come across as overly indebted to their ‘60s or ‘90s influences. Though At Echo Lake recedes into static on later songs like the moody ballads “I Was Gone” and “Deep,” it just underscores that the album’s focus isn’t too contrived. These are some of Woods’ finest songs, and the freshness of their melodies and Earl‘s voice makes them among the most sophisticated and transporting bands of the lo-fi vanguard. ~ Heather Phares
My Rate: 9.8/10
Áudio de “Pick Up”
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The Fresh & Onlys – August In My Mind (2010)
07/07/10
BOOMKAT Last seen delivering top-quality garage-pop for Woodsist, The Fresh & Onlys move over to that other great home for scuzz-rock tunesmiths: Captured Tracks. Expect six songs filled with clattering ’60s psych-pop revisitations and astutely observed, melodious punk-rock detritus. “After some great records in 2009, theres a new album on In The Red due in the Summer, a bunch of super cool 7″s on a wide variety of labels, UK tour in May, ATP in May, 2010 will be the year that F&O broke…amazing stuff from San Francisco, skewed pop, with swoooping choruses and a real “punk” detail, really hard to pigeon hole, draw from all sorts of rock, psyhedelia, even Mid 80′s Australian / US indie rock stalwarts..but a furious brew of their own, 6 tracks on here..every one of them an instant skewed pop classic.”
My Rate: 8.5/10
Áudio de “Garbage Collector”
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Beat Happening – Crashing Through [Box Set, 7CD] (2002)
01/07/10
ALLMUSIC If context is indeed everything, then an artist’s step into the world of box sets signifies a major change in their positioning in the pop firmament. Box sets lend the music they contain a new sense of historical importance; with their retrospective booklets, wealth of unreleased material, and remastered sound, box sets possess an air of archival permanence, a library piece signifying that this is a history worth preserving and analyzing. Of course, Jethro Tull has a box set, so that’s another theory that’s shot, but in the case of Beat Happening, it truly means something. With the aptly titled Crashing Through, not only does the Olympia, WA, trio finally restore their catalog to record bins, but their music takes its rightful place alongside the true greats of the rock & roll canon. Primitives far ahead of their time, Beat Happening defined more of the spirit and aesthetics of independent music than any other band of the early ’80s. Fusing naïve yet dark lyrics, brittle but hypnotic melodies, and the wondrously off-kilter vocals of Calvin Johnson and Heather Dunn, the group championed a simplicity and honesty that punctured every last vestige of rock & roll excess, virtually creating the template for the indie pop to follow in their wake. Crashing Through brings together pretty much everything Beat Happening ever released: their five official LPs (Jamboree and You Turn Me On certainly the best), singles, that split EP with the Screaming Trees, and much more, including video content and a booklet authored by Lois Maffeo. Songs like “Midnight a Go-Go,” “Indian Summer,” “Cast a Shadow,” and “Tiger Trap” are quite simply among the finest recorded by anybody ever. Suffice it to say, essential stuff. ~ Jason Ankeny
Tracklist
Disc one
1. “I Love You”
2. “Cast A Shadow”
3. “Calvin Chat”
4. “Bad Seeds”
Disc two: Music to Climb the Apple Tree By (2003)
Collection of singles & compilation tracks
1. “Angel Gone”
2. “Nancy Sin”
3. “Sea Hunt”
4. “Look Around”
5. “Not A Care In The World”
6. “Dreamy”
7. “That Girl”
8. “Secret Picnic Spot”
9. “Zombie Limbo Time”
10. “Foggy Eyes”
11. “Knock On Any Door”
12. “Sea Babies”
13. “Tales Of A Brave Aphrodite”
14. “Polly Pereguinn”
15. “I Dig You”
Disc three: Jamboree (1988)
Original Album
1. “Bewitched”
2. “In Between”
3. “Indian Summer”
4. “Hangman”
5. “Jamboree”
6. “Ask Me”
7. “Crashing Through”
8. “Cat Walk”
9. “Drive Car Girl”
10. “Midnight A Go-Go”
11. “The This Many Boyfriends Club”
Disc four: Beat Happening (1985)
Original Album
1. “Our Secret”
2. “What’s Important”
3. “Down At The Sea”
4. “I Love You”
5. “Fourteen”
6. “Fun Down Stairs”
7. “Bad Seeds [live]”
8. “In My Memory”
9. “Honey Pot”
10. “The Fall”
11. “Youth”
12. “Don’t Mix The Colors”
13. “Foggy Eyes”
14. “Bad Seeds”
15. “Let Him Get To Me”
16. “I Spy”
17. “Run Down The Stairs”
18. “Christmas”
19. “Fourteen”
20. “Let’s Kiss”
Bonus Tracks
1. “1, 2, 3″
2. “In Love With You Thing”
3. “Look Around”
4. “Bonus Track 1″
Disc five: You Turn Me On (1992)
Original Album
1. “Tiger Trap”
2. “Noise”
3. “Pinebox Derby”
4. “Teenage Caveman”
5. “Sleepy Head”
6. “You Turn Me On”
7. “Godsend”
8. “Hey Day”
9. “Bury The Hammer”
Disc six: Dreamy (1991)
Original Album
1. “Me Untamed”
2. “Left Behind”
3. “Hot Chocolate Boy”
4. “I’ve Lost You”
5. “Cry For A Shadow”
6. “Collide”
7. “Nancy Sin”
8. “Fortune Cookie Prize”
9. “Revolution Come And Gone”
10. “Red Head Walking
Disc seven: Black Candy (1989)
Original Album
1. “Other Side”
2. “Black Candy”
3. “Knick Knack”
4. “Pajama Party In A Haunted Hive”
5. “Gravedigger Blues”
6. “Cast A Shadow”
7. “Bonfire”
8. “T.V. Girl”
9. “Playhouse”
10. “Ponytail”
My Rate: 10/10
Vídeo de “Cry For a Shadow”
The Mantles – The Mantles (2009)
28/06/10
ALLMUSIC The Mantles may hail from San Francisco and their self-titled album may have been released on Siltbreeze in 2009, but after listening to it, one would be excused for thinking the group hailed from Los Angeles and the album was released on Down There in 1986. Or that they were from Auckland and the record was released on Flying Nun in 1990. (Or even that they were from the Midwest, maybe Dayton, OH, and opened for Plasticland or Death of Samantha when they came through town.) They share the swirling guitar and organ textures of the Paisley Underground crowd, the chiming, chugging feel of classic New Zealand groups like the Chills, and the jangling, melodic songcraft of bands like Love and the Byrds (who inspired the Nuns and Undergrounders). The Mantles isn’t some studied nostalgia trip, though, despite how strong their influences come through. They escape it through strong songwriting, spirited performances, and the garagey energy that comes hopping off the grooves as the record spins. Songs like the pretty folk-rocker “Don’t Lie,” the surging rockers “What We Do Matters” and “Yesterday’s Gone,” or the a surprisingly soulful organ-led ballad “Look Away” make a strong case that the Mantles are almost on par with their inspirations. The rest of the album isn’t far behind, with the hits beating the duds 10-0. It’s an impressive debut album from a band that loves the past but doesn’t live in it. ~ Tim Sendra
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “James”
Beach Fossils – Beach Fossils (2010)
22/06/10
ALLMUSIC In 2010, there were a lot of bands doing roughly the same thing as Beach Fossils. Namely, a lo-fi take on the indie pop sound with loads of reverb, guitar parts reminiscent of surf music, simple-to-rudimentary drums, and innocent, almost deadpan vocals. Many of the bands are on the same label,Captured Tracks. Many of them are one-person outfits, as well. In this case the one person beingDustin Payseur. Of all the bands operating in this general area, Beach Fossils is one of the best and their self-titled record works as one of the early landmarks of the sound. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, though it helps that Payseur’s songs are instantly catchy and his voice betrays no smirkiness, just pure innocence. The focus and clarity of his playing and arrangement also give the record an originality that lets the record stand out from the hissing crowd. No one else (apart from the Drumsand their naggingly omnipresent “Let’s Go Surfing” or maybe Surfer Blood with “Swim”) has written as song as radio ready as “Daydream.” More impressively, that song is only one of many shining examples of on-the-cheap pop that hits like the blunt end of an axe. Beach Fossils may be very 2010 but they aren’t just along for the ride, they’re driving the bandwagon. ~ Tim Sendra
My Rate: 8/10
Áudio de “Daydream”
