Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory [2012]

For Fans Of: Beach Fossils, Weekend, Small Black

Genres: Lo-Fi, Indie Pop, Shoegaze

Preview: Could Nothings - Our plan by Lorina Karreci

While trotting Insound for a copy of Your Favorite Weapon, I came across a pre-order for Cloud Nothing's newest LP. Although filled with remnants of the usual lo-fi indie pop we have come to expect, Attack on Memory is just different enough from their previous works to hint that the band has way more up its sleeve than just upbeat poppiness, choosing instead to anchor its ambition with simpler indie-punk jams. This is a more diversive work that carries the band into considerably heavier territory than the previous two releases. But not to worry - the catchy melodies are still interwoven into each song, just more obvious in some than others. There's also a great instrumental track about halfway through the album. The band will offer many opportunities to catch this new material live on their upcoming North American tour, which runs from February to April.

Shoelaces EP by The Submarines

Kind of Like: Stars, Mates of State, The Postal Service (with female vocals)

Genres: Indie Pop, Electronica, Shoegaze

Preview: Ride The Tempo

I've had a thing for these two cuties since I heard the song "Xavia" a couple years back. Yeah, they've been in Apple commercials and all that jazz, but you shouldn't hold that against them. They're really good at fusing together male and female harmonies to poppy, feel-good beats, with a bit of folk mixed in there as well. I'll admit it may be a bit girlier than some people may prefer, but hey, girls read this blog too! This EP just came out a month or so ago, and it features brand-new material, as well as a cover of one of their older songs. I would say that "Your Silent Face" is probably my favorite tune, but the others are catchy as well.

Fun fact: I just learned that the female vocalist, Blake Hazard, is the great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald. So not only do I have a girl crush on her 'cause she's super cute and has a lovely voice, but she's also related to one of my favorite writers. Oh, AND she's created a foundation to help children fighting cancer. Yep, it's pretty safe to say that I love her.

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Fire Like This by Blood Red Shoes (2010)

For fans of: The Joy Formidable, Nico Vega, The White Stipes, Nirvana, The Pixies
Genres: Garage Rock, Shoegaze, Indie
Preview:

This British duo plays a style that sounds nostalgic of 90's shoegaze and grunge but introduces a new touch without feeling forced or out of place. For just guitar, vocals and drums, there is no lack of energy or complexity; the magic is in the arrangements. Dynamically this is a very strong album and offers more and more surprises with repeat listens.

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Of Whom I Always Think by Damascus (2011)

Kind of Like: Explosions in the Sky, GY!BE, Talons, Russian Circles
Genres: Post-rock, Ambient, Shoegaze, Metal
Preview: Bandcamp

This link popped up in the Turntable room I was in yesterday, and I tried them out.  They are like a lot of post-rock bands but they have more of a metal feel to them at times. The album, loosely based on the striving and struggles of Nikola Tesla, is available for free stream and download on their Bandcamp page.

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Lenses Alien by Cymbals Eat Guitars (2011)

Kind of Like: Deerhunter, The War on Drugs, Girls, Male Bonding
Genres: Indie, Shoegaze, Noise Rock
Preview: Myspace

The timing of the above photo, is absolutely perfect.  Something about it just bothers me, it's almost awkward to look at.  For the record, the lead singer does not look like that; this is a pretty unforgiving shot. But it's like a train wreck, I had to share it.  Along with their new album.  I first heard it on Turntable.fm and when I saw it was floating around on the interwebs, I decided to pick it up.  I don't have much time to write about it, but it's pretty rockin', brah.

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Everything by An Autumn For Crippled Children

Kind of like: a groovier Liturgy
Genres: Black Metal, Shoegaze, Post-rock, "Depressive Experimental Doom"
Preview:

I really like the idea of "Post-Black Metal". I am not super into really crusty black metal and, honestly, a lot of traditional BM annoys the shit out of me. with that said, Liturgy opened up my mind to the progressive side of this new genre. Netherland's An Autumn For Crippled Children bring more of the shoegaze (blackgaze) element to the table than bands like Liturgy and Wolves in the Throne Room, and this creates a very interesting atmosphere that is actually catchy and groovy. They do retain elements of traditional black metal and have some incredibly epic crescendos that climax in a hail of buried screeches, thundering double bass, and soaring guitars, but it is the softer dynamics that really appeal to me on this album. And I can't quite figure out why, but this reminds me of The Smashing Pumpkins in a very obscure way. Enjoy this western European gem.

Listen here.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Girls (2011)

Kind of Like: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Smith Westerns, Bright Eyes
Genres: Shoegaze, Garage Rock, Indie, Rock

Preview:

The song starts off slow for sure, but the further it gets along, the more I like it.  They have a shoegaze feel, but at times explode with some heavy garage rock/rock n' roll riffs.  They feel almost nostalgic at times, especially in the last couple minutes of this song.  Their other songs are also pretty varied, ranging from folky/indie-y Bright Eyes stuff to surfy sounds.  So far I like "Alex" and "Vomit" a lot.  Then there are songs like "Die" that have straight up Queens-of-the-Stone-Age guitar riffs that I think even Kenny might appreciate.

Other news:
I'm sure you all heard, the beloved band, Snowing, has broken up.  It's a shame because I really was interested to see what their next LP brought.  I feel like they were getting a lot stronger as a band.  Not to mention, the title of this blog is lyrics from one of their songs.  I'm happy I at least got to see them twice before they broke up, and hopefully we will be seeing new projects by them soon.

Those of you waiting for the Prawn/For Hours and Hours split, I talked to Tony the other day, and it looks like it won't get a formal release.  They did sell about 100 cd's of the split while they played with For Hours and Hours in Texas, but that is the only format that the split will see the light of day.  They weren't happy with the quality of their songs, but he did say the songs will be released on a forthcoming EP after they are rerecorded.  So if anybody in the Texas area got their hands on the split, and would like to share it, I'm sure people would still be interested.

So, Fest released it's schedule, and I finally got my tickets and my mode of transportation set.  The end of October can't come soon enough.  It's going to be a fantastic road trip.  I even got all organized and made a spreadsheet of the bands I want to see and when they are playing.  What a nerd.

***=I won't really care if I miss them for some reason.

And I also want to visit this place to or from it.  It's a town of hundreds of cats, living in hand carved buildings. D'awwww.

Oh yeah, back to Girls:

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Vacations by The Caution Children

For fans of: We Were Skeletons, Touche Amore, Kidcrash, Daniel Striped Tiger
Genres: Screamo, Shoegaze, Post-Hardcore
Preview: Bandcamp

TCC is on tour right now with We Were Skeletons, who's show I just got home from. If any of the bands listed in the FFO section interest you, check these guys out. Vacations was released in 2008 and is available as a "pay what you want" through bandcamp. Live, these Floridians take charge of the stage and put on a very entertaining show. Their newest record was released late last month and is available through Tokyo Jupiter Records here.

(Classic) Do Make Say Think

Kind of Like: Godspeed, Explosions, Mogwai, Broken Social Scene
Genres: Post-Rock, Indie, Shoegaze
Preview: Myspace


Quite simply put, the first Do Make Say Think concert was one of the best shows I ever went to.  It was back when we could still smoke in bars in Michigan, so a lot of people were smoking "cigarettes".  I sat back and was treated to one of the best jams ever.  They subtly changed so many parts of their material, and wove together songs to epic proportions.  Their first self-titled album was extremely experimental and shoegaze, eventually they developed into a more formal post-rock band over time with having hints of folk/indie in the mix.  It is also one of the many projects associated with the Broken Social Scene family.  Charles Spearin is in this BSS and DMST, and I will contend that he has the meanest moustache of indieness.  And he had it before it was the ironic thing to do.

Moustache Ride: Free (I would hope)

My favorite album by them is Goodbye Enemy Airship, followed by You, You're a History in the Rust.  Their newest album was decent; I still thoroughly enjoy the first track: "Do" (can you guess the names of the other three songs?).  Here are four albums by them:

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Do Make Say Think (1998)

Goodbye Enemy Airship, The Landlord is Dead (2000)

You, You're a History in the Rough

Other Truths (2009)

Soft For Sight EP by Shut Eye (2011)

Kind of Like: Young Widows, Mogwai, These Arms Are Snakes, Sonic Youth
Genres: Noise Rock, Shoegaze, Punk
Preview: Bandcamp

"The album that lies before you is the debut release from amplifier-worshiping, world-weary riff rats Shut Eye. Born of the barren, southern california womb that is the Inland Empire (san bernardino, colton, calimesa and other such shitholes), Soft for Sight is a 5 song tribute to boredom, substance abuse, and unattractive-yet-refreshingly-attainable women. So download, listen, and drop out of life with beer in hand."
-Shut Eye via e-mail

I have a hard time finding reader requested bands in my inbox that I immediately like.  I just saw Young Widows along with a couple other stoner rock bands last night, and this instantly took me back to the intensity from last night.  This is a solid debut EP from a new band, and I look forward to what they put out in the future and hopefully seeing them live because noise rock/garage rock bands always seem to be way more impressionable live.

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As High As the Highest Heavens and from the Center to the Circumference of the Earth by True Widow (2011)

Kind of Like: Codeine, Whirl, Earth
Genres: Shoegaze, Sludge, Post-rock

Occasionally female fronted slowcore three piece from Texas.  This album trudges along at a sludge pace.  Look out for these guys opening for Surfer Blood and Trail of Dead.

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Oh Brother by Joan of Arc (2011)

Genres: Experimental, Shoegaze, Drone

When I saw this I thought, is this the same Joan of Arc that just released Life Like.  It turns out it is, but this certainly isn't your daddy's Joan of Arc.  This is a vinyl/digital release only.  I could see this best suitable for vinyl release for sure because each song takes up one side of a record, so there are four 20 minute songs making up this album.

"Oh Brother (Joyful Noise) is one of the group's wiggiest albums yet. Or maybe that should be "groups'," since each side of this two-LP vinyl-only release contains a 20-minute composition played by a different combination of personnel; mastermind Tim Kinsella is the sole constant linking the four lineups, which include Hella drummer Zach Hill, Lichens drone maker Rob Lowe, and local jazz-percussion monster Frank Rosaly. The individual tracks are as unpredictable as Kinsella himself; they veer from frenetic free jazz to shroomy psych-drone to contemplative fingerpicked guitar interludes. There's even an occasional bit of the angular post-posthardcore commonly associated with his name, though I expect he includes that just to tease anyone still hung up on Cap'n Jazz."
-Chicago Reader

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Silesia by Jeniferever (2011)

Kind of Like: The Appleseed Cast, Deathcab, Sigur Ros, Sunny Day Real Estate

Genres: Ambient, Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Emo

Here's a group of Swedes I like that play music, not hockey.  Not a big fan of the name Jeniferever, but whatever I guess.  Most people call them ambient indie rock from what I see, but I think it fits more into emo than indie.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  Meh, I'll put it down for both.

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In A World of Reassurance by Unholy Tongues (2010)

Kind of Like:  Te, LITE, My Dad vs. Yours

Genres: Post-Rock, Indie, Shoegaze

If you like the band I just posted, then you will definitely be interested in this one.  A little more darker at times than the My Dad vs. Yours at times though.  Also more delay for sure, but they both don't use the formula that most post-rock bands use.

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Cerulean by Baths (2010)

Kind of Like: E*Vax (downtempo pre-Ratatat), Stateless, Dosh
Genres: Electronica, Chillwave, Ambient

Hip-hop continues to influence contemporary music.  This album is clearly beat driven, but it is pretty downtempo.  It makes out to be a great album to chillout to.  And just look at this puppy!:

Here is "Hall", the closing song of the album.  This is actually a less downtempo song from the album, I really like the whimsical vocals a little after halfway through.





Here's a link to the full album:

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Friends For Now by Young Prisms (2011)

Kind of Like: Minks, White Fang, Animal Collective

Genres: Experimental, Shoegaze, Indie, Electronica, 

Heres a debut album from a dreamy band from San Francisco.

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Everyone I Ever Met by Spokes (2011)

Kind of Like: Godspeed You!, Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene
Genres: Post-Rock, Ambient, Folk, Shoegaze

There are too many shitty regurgitated post-rock bands.  This is not one of them.  This is actually much more chorus and melody driven than most post-rock bands.  Probably because this is nowhere near a conventional post-rock album.  One issue I'm having: is Everyone I Ever Met even a sentence?  Shouldn't it be Everyone I've Ever Met?  Oh well....

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