New Song: Best Coast-Our Deal

When Best Coast stops putting out great songs, I'll stop posting about them. Until then, indulge in Best Coast's latest offering "Our Deal". A mixture of their wonderful guitar meets beach sound with an added '50s vibe and about a million '60s hooks thrown in for good measure. It's only on stream, but you will still listen to this song over and over again. Someone please explain to me how it is possible that these two humans have not made a bad song yet?

Stream: Our Deal

Links:

Best Coast on Myspace

City Center at The Mohawk (4/24/10)

I owe a debt of thanks to Tom from The Great Pumpkin for this show. Due to his constant blogging on City Center, I have become a bigger and bigger fan of them and was ecstatic to be able to catch them that this year's Austin Psych Fest (unfortunately the only band I got to see as well). Still, the set was incredible for only two guys from Brooklyn. There was an Animal Collective feel to the show and sound with the guys constantly fiddling with all of their electronics and sound boards. Thankfully though, the whole set was not just two guys tinkering with knobs the entire time. They were pros with their songs, managing to bring the soundscapes to life on stage, louder and supercharged with Fred & Ryan's respective guitar and drum playing. Even though they had to cut it short to get to a show in Denton, it was still pitch perfect.

EP Review: No Paws (No Lions)-No Ghosts

Chalk another one up to good ol' Bridgetown Records. They have gotten their hands on and released this exquisite little EP into the world. No Paws (No Lions) are a three piece from California that perform very airy twee (almost post twee) with a little dabs of goth thrown in, but very lightly and only musically. The music has common threads running through every track, with the twinkling piano lines and mixture of drums and and drum machine popping up everywhere with no guitar to be found. Everything is also super coated in reverb, but not the in the lo-fi way. It's more like pure reverb, with every instrument gaining a minor echo effect that really complements the songs.

The songs are very sweet, very short bursts of very off kilter twee influenced pop. Nothing is close to the three minute mark and there's a child like feel to the whole EP as well, from the cover art to the simple instrumentation. The first track "Don't be Afraid Of Where You Live" is just the title repeated over and over. The title track "No Ghosts" is a cute tune about death and not wanting to die. It's done so well that when a spacier version of the same song called appropriately "No Ghosts (Version)" appears later, it feels in place rather than odd. "Content" stands out both for how restrained it sounds compared to the rest of the album and how good it is. All the songs "Kobe", "Hills", and "For Sean" follow suit, perfect in the dry sweetness of their sound and complete no matter how short they are. No anyone who says drum machines and synths can't sound original, please pick this up and enjoy being wrong. For everyone else, do the same.

(mp3) No Paws (No Lions)-Content

Links:

No Paws (No Lions) on Mysapce
Buy the EP on CD or cassette here, at Bridgetown Records

New Video: Jacuzzi Boys-Smells Dead

Just a few days after posting about their upcoming single, the Jacuzzi Boys drop another gem, this case in the form of a video for their song "Smells Dead". A disturbing mix of horror films, wierd avant-garde pieces, and the band performing with rave lights. They're taking the song title a bit to serious, but the song is still great not matter what they do to it. I'm sensing greater things coming from this band.

(mp3) Jacuzzi Boys-Smells Dead

Links:

Jacuzzi Boys on Myspace

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Announces Tour With Peal Harbor, Magic Kids

Since the release of the incredibly gooey, dancy, '80s style, and just plane great "Round and Round", Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti's movements have been at a constant surveillance, with people dying to know what he would do next. Beside the announcement of the cover art and date of the new album Before Today, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti has been relatively quiet. Until now. The band has announced a full scale United States tour with reverb and washed out as fuck girls Pearl Harbor and happiness and pop wunderkinds Magic Kids this July. Eclectic for sure, but what else would you expect from Ariel Pink?

(mp3) Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti-Round and Round

Tour Dates:

04-May New York, NY Mercury Lounge *
09-Jul Los Angeles, CA Echoplex#
10-Jul San Francisco, CA Bimbo's #
12-Jul Portland, OR Doug Fir #
13-Jul Seattle, WA Neumo's #
14-Jul Vancouver, BC Biltmore #
16-Jul Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge #
17-Jul Denver, CO Bluebird #
19-Jul Minneapolis, MN Entry #
20-Jul Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall #
21-Jul Detroit, MI Pike Room #
22-Jul Toronto, ONT Mod Club #
23-Jul Montreal, PQ La Sala Rosa #
24-Jul New York, NY The Fillmore / Irving Plaza #
25-Jul Boston, MA Middle East #
27-Jul Philadelphia, PA JB's #
28-Jul Washington, DC Rock N Roll Hotel #
29-Jul Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 #
30-Jul Atlanta, GA Earl #
31-Jul Birmingham, AL Bottle Tree #
02-Aug Denton, TX Hailey's #
03-Aug Austin, TX Mohawk #
05-Aug Tucson, AZ Plush #
06-Aug San Diego, CA Casbah #
07-Aug Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar #

* = w/ R. Stevie Moore
# = w/ Pearl Harbor & Magic Kids
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As an added reminder, the "Round and Round" b/w "Mistaken Wedding" 7 inch on 4AD is coming out on April 26th both physical and digital.

Links:

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Website
Pearl Harbor on Myspace
Magic Kids on Myspace

Various Deficiencies Vol. 1

As part of the steady stream of indie labels putting out free, and really good, mp3 samplers of all their current and upcoming releases, Blackburn Recordings has put one out as well with CHOCOLATE BOBKA titled Various Deficiencies Vol. 1. For those who (understandably) don’t know, Blackburn Recordings is a brand new indie label who just put out Big Troubles’ newest 7". This 17-track sampler is an awesome mix and a great showing of what’s to come from this label. Note the new Cloud Nothings and Campfires tracks, as well as tracks from up and coming bands like City Center and Coasting. Also, this is apparently going to be put on a limited number of cassettes, so people can get their physical release fix in as well. I can’t wait to see what Blackburn puts out next.

Various Deficiencies Vol 1. Track List:

City Center - Grow Up Again
Big Troubles - Chalk Circles
Cloud Nothings - Leave You Forever
Campfires - Oh Golden Dawn
Sore Eros - Melting
Brett Marren - Love Is A Jawbreaker
Possum - Red Hot
Coasting - Snow Song (Live on WNYU)
Lame Drivers - Working Song
Metal Rouge - Fast Flora Lights
Cursillistas - Trail of Tears
sleep in sundays - Flour
Falsetto Boy - Hey Sue
mountainhood - Coney Island
Sleep Over - The Key
Island's Eyelids - Western Cameo
Sultan - There Goes My Girl

Download Various Deficiencies Vol. 1 here.

Check out Blackburn Recordings here.

Album Review: Effects Precede Causes-The Dawn of The Day

Well, this is a nice change of pace. So far, Stankhouse Records has released nothing but pretty weird but also pretty good punk records. Now they have released the debut LP of Effects Precede Causes, something that could not be further from that sound. Yet, it somehow makes sense for the label to put it out at the same time.

Effects Precede Causes is a Portland based band. They're relatively new, so there is little info on them, but I do believe that the band is made up of various band members from various D.I.Y. folk bands from that area. The sound of the LP produced from that mess is a bit hard to pin down. No one is doing music quite like these guys. It's a weird mix of current and old style folk along with a little bit of a '40s and '50s pop in there as well. There's also no scruffiness to the sound either. The sound is very clean and the lead singer seems to have been in some singing classes growing up.

The songs tend to follow a formula of a constant rhythm and melody with an instrument popping in for a few seconds to add a quick touch to the song. Opener "Come On" is great in its simple mantra of doing everything capsuled in the song's jangly piano and sweet vocals. The record dives into two slower jams with "You Picked A Fine Day To Say" a cry about losing a love that has a great 60's wilting guitar line. Then "Dragon Song" an even slower one with maracas, sand blocks, accordion, and a desire to do whatever you can for love. "Someday Monkey (Won't Play Piano Song)" picks up steam again in a silly little song that manages to be catchy while you picture the band playing it in the '30s on a train, washboard and all. The other side opens with a quick instrumental called "The Hunt" and with "Wasted on the Young" the band's love of Elton John comes to the forefront, but they manage to make it listenable. The classic rock a la piano vibe is continued with "Let Love Slowly In" with the higher placed vocals and weird "ooh laas", that thankfully ends on just the right spot before the joke gets bad. "Darkest Day" is a bleak little tune using imagery of rabbits scurrying and well placed cello to trigger dread, but in a good way. "Wooden Room" is the most conventional track, only a minute long with just the singer and an acoustic guitar, but after all that piano, it becomes the perfect pallet cleanser.

The Dawn of the Day winds up being just as different as everything Stankhouse has put out before, but for totally different reasons. The LP is both very familiar, but quirky at the same time. If you see it in a record shop, it wouldn't be a bad buy to add to your collection

(mp3) Effects Precede Causues-Someday Monkey (Won't Play Piano Song)

Links:

Buy The Dawn Of The Day at here, at Stankhouse Records

New Song: Jacuzzi Boys-Bricks or Coconuts

Jacuzzi Boys are a Florida band that plays really catchy, guitar jangle, 60's influenced style garage songs that... hey come back here! Trust me, I know you've read a post like this a million times else where over the course of a year, but this stuff is just ecstasy. As I was saying, the band sounds like a slightly more scuzzier White Wires which is great thing if you don't know. They released a raved about LP last year on FDying that I've been meaning to get for a long time. Now the band is going to release their latest single on Mexican Summer some time in mid-May and Weekly Tape Deck was able to snag the A side "Bricks or Coconuts". Download it and escape into the guitar based bliss.

(mp3) Jacuzzi Boys-Bricks or Cocounts (via Weekly Tape Deck)

Links:

Jacuzzi Boys on Myspace
Pre-order the single soon here, at Mexican Summer

Record Store Day: A Day in Review

Ah, Record Store Day. A day for music lovers (i.e. record nerds) where they can go to their favorite record shop to snatch up really neat exclusive singles and LPs put out by our favorite indie labels and bands, and a-holes go to make a ton of money on eBay. This being the third one, it was the biggest one yet and the most insane one as well. Here's how mine broke down.

8:00 A.M.-Wake up extremely early so I can mange to get to my record store on time. It doesn't open until 10:00 A.M.

9:20 A.M.-Arrive at Waterloo Record, my record shop of choice. Notice that there are already 20-30 people in line. Don't want to see what it looks like next year.

9:35 A.M.-Begin format debate with people in front of me. Say I love CDs and cassettes as much a vinyl. People in front begin to laugh hysterically.

10:00 A.M.-Doors finally open. Mad dash inside ensues.

10:02 A.M.-Being to madly grab at almost everything around me to make sure nothing is missed.

10:03 A.M.-Mass chaos in full effect already. Poor set up in shop causes massive vinyl fallings and some foot crushing of vinyl as well.

10:06 A.M.-Crowd around singles corner to try to get remaining vinyl. Store employee trapped by shoppers trying to get more singles from the box he has. Attempt to help pass them out to people who want them. More vinyl falls occur.

10:11 A.M.-Come to realization it is actually very unpleasant to be surround by 50+ people in two 10x3 halls trying to get the same exact thing you want.

10:25 A.M.-Get in line to pay for haul. Notice friends with huge stacks of vinyl swapping with each other so they can all get a copy. Hope they're not doing it for eBay.

10:55 A.M.-Still in line.

11:10 A.M.-Still in line.

11:20 A.M.-Finally pay. Get really cool Record Store Day bag too. Of course, it's pouring at this point as well.

11:30 A.M.-Sit down at diner next door to finally start eating my breakfast.

5:00 P.M.-Get home at last to listen to records. Upon listening to them, very happy to know the whole experience was worth it.

5:30 P.M.-Foolishly check eBay to see if the records are already on sale. They are and try to hold back gag reflex at the prices.

5:45 P.M.-Finish day by watching Record Store Day DVD I Need That Record! The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store, a great if slightly depressing documentary about independent record shops and their current state. Highly recommended.

The Haul:

Built to Spill-Water Sleeper 7"
Dum Dum Girls/Male Bonding split 7"

Fucked Up-"Waterloo" 7"

Happy Birthday-"Shampoo" b/w "Aliens" 7"

Let's Wrestle/The Love Language split 7"

The Rolling Stones-Plunder My Soul 7"

Superchunk-signed "Misfits and Mistakes" 7"

Surfer Blood/Holiday Shores split 7"

Beastie Boys-Super Special Record Store Day 12"

Pavement-Quarantine the Past 2xLPs (Record Store Day Version)

Long Live record stores and Record Store Day!

Video: Titus Androncius + Cassie Romane Cover Weezer's Undone (The Sweater Song)

Current contender for best cover of the year. Never thought something like this would ever happen, but it did, and the band's manage to make it look like not stupid but still silly at the same time. Plus the audio and video quality is great as well.

Single Review: Sandy City-Nice Hat

I have been dying for this single. Ever since I got the band's stellar debut cassette "Surfin, WA", from Fox Pop and falling head over heels in love with it, I have been waiting for the band to put something out so I could get my grubby little hands on some more of their infects surf punx/indie pop. Low and behold, the band has finally delivered with a brand new three song single, just as good as the cassette. For those who don't know, this is the side project of members of iji and Blanket Truth, so there is a definite friends just having fun and playing sloppy as possible vibe to the music. At the same time, that same vibe is what makes the songs so addictive . Take "Graces", a surfer's love song to a girl by comparing her to the sea, complete with super speedy indie guitar licks to boot. "Area Zeros" has slight tings of darkness to its song about watching buildings decay, but that beach vibe and the sugar sweet melody bring it back back. "We Want the Fun" is just pure silliness, with more vocal chants than lyrics, but the indie-rock guitar and cardboard box drum kit manage to glue it together.

Everything on here sounds like the band wrote it in 10 minutes, didn't practice them, and recorded them on a water damaged 4-track with a bad cassette. And that's what is so great about it. 3 catchy as hell surf pun indie-pop tunes on sweet black wax.

Links:

Sandy City on Myspace

Buy the single here, at Lost Sound Tapes/Party Nogg

New Video: Best Coast-When I'm With You + Live Videos

Creative Intersection favorites Best Coast have released the video for their Black Iris single "When I'm With You". A slightly surreal love clip involving the beach and a fake Ronald McDonald. Definitely something you need to see to understand.



Also, Creative Intersection blog buddy Tom at The Great Pumpkin was lucky enough to catch the band at their recent NYC show. Even better, he recorded video of the show for everyone to see. He even got a new song "I Want To" on video, plus some great videos of an awesome band performing as well.









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One final note before leaving. Best Coast will be releasing yet another single on May 3 for Eskuche headphones. It will have the new songs "Far Away" and "Everyone's Gone" on it, but you can only get it if you buy a pair of headphones. My guess it will be well worth the cost.

Links:

Best Coast on Myspace
Get the Eskuche Headphones from here soon.

SXSW 2010: Reading Rainbow at The Mohawk (3/19/10)

My SXSW this year ended with both loud and softly with Reading Rainbow. I knew nothing about this band besides thy were playing the Slumberland Records showcase (an already great sign), and was plenty surprised. It was a boy/girl duo playing what sounded like really noisy and unclean shoegaze. It was an unholy racket that was a mix of Times New Viking and Dum Dum Girls. And cranked through the tiny speakers of the inside stage, the band still managed to be loud as fuck, but in a good way. Not the worlds most energetic show, but still a nice "mini bang" to end this huge music fest on.

SXSW 2010: Thurston Moore at the French Legation Museum (3/19/10)

On the proverbial list of all the possible ways Thurston Moore could have done his solo set, this was definitely on the bottom. He could done some stuff from his two great solo records. His new hardcore super group with J Mascis and Andrew W.K. seemed a more likely thing to see than what he did. Just him, one microphone, and one twelve string guitar (tuned only one way the whole time!) were what made up the set. He then proceeds to play a whole new batch of I believe unreleased new songs. It was outdoors and on a tiny stage, and the show definitely had a pretty and slightly folky feel to it, but not in a bad way at all. It was more the equivalent of hearing an acoustic Sonic Youth session live, if that's imaginable.

New Song: No Joy-No Summer,No Joy

Thanks to the wonderful Georgia of Microphone Memory Emotion fame, every blogger is developing their new lo-fi obsession with No Joy. Two girls who make music that is equal parts Best Coast surf catchiness and vibe along with an apprent shoegaze and noise rock love as well. It's a really different take on the genre and one I like a lot, so I can't wait for these girls to make some more. So far they only have a these two very addictive songs to download from their Bandcamp page, and an apprent cassingle version of them that I don't know how to get. I expect some single labels to start asking them to release some new stuff soon.

(mp3) No Joy-No Joy
(mp3) No Joy-No Summer

Links:
No Joy on Myspace
No Joy's Bandcamp Page

New Song: Alex Bleeker-Getting By

Alex Bleeker is a man of many talents. Not only is he the bassist for chillwave easy going surf pop kings Real Estate, but he also manages to lead his side project Alex Bleeker and The Freaks with his Real Estate band mates in tow. For those who don't know, his 12" on Underwater Peoples is eight tracks of slow burning indie bliss. Now after a brief break, the man is back with a new single from Group Tightener called These Days, and thanks to the people over at CHOCOLATE BOBKA, we have the A-side to it. No idea what happened to The Freaks, but "Getting By" still follows the greatness of the 12" perfectly, in that it is another woozy, guitar and bass smoldering in reverb, early summer morning track. It's on sale right now, so grab it because Group Tightener's releases tend to sell faster than youy can say "Wow, that was a really great, Alex Bleeker song".

(mp3) Alex Bleeker-Getting By (via CHOCOLATE BOBKA)

Links:

Alex Bleeker on Myspace

Buy the These Days now, at Group Tightener

SXSW 2010: Surfer Blood @ Emo's (3/19/10)

This show was probably one of the best experiences of my life. Through methods I will not divulge, I was able to see this backstage show with a Pitchfork photographer (hey Erez!), Brain from Japandroids (hey Brian!), and a really nice blogger girl (hey Pam!). And my god was Surfer Blood on fire. They probably played as many shows as Pains of Being Pure at Heart did last year, but you would never know that by seeing them here. This band is less than a year old and yet they play with the same passion and ability of all their influences. JP's and Thomas Fekete's twin guitaring was fierce, especially when Fekete played with a drumstick a la Sonic Youth. Marcos Marchesani was so frantic on his keyboard and played so hard on his percussion that he snapped his drum stick. Tyler Schwarz matched him steadily on his drum kit, and all the while the band managed to actually get the crowd moving and happy and transmit those Florida times with blown-out 90s alt-rock. An absolute highlight and it was just fucking fun.

SXSW 2010: Best Coast @ Emo's (3/19/10)

Well, I finally put my money where my mouth was. On the third (and my final) day of SXSW, I went to the incredibly crowded Pitchfork party at Emo’s and saw Best Coast live in person. It was not a pleasant experience to get there, waiting in a 30 minute line to get into Emo’s, which anyone can tell you at full capacity is horribly cramped. Yet it was all worth it to get to see them live. The band was really able to send out the same laid back vibe that is embedded in their music into the crowd. And it pretty much made my festival when I got to see “Sun Was High (So Was I)” live. Plus, the band previewed some new tunes from their upcoming debut LP like “Boyfriend” that sounded even more catchy then the tunes they have out now, if that is even possible. Completely worth seeing them, even if one of my shoes got semi-soaked in beer because of it.

New Video: The Apples In Stereo-Dance Floor

I haven't done any Elephant 6 news in awhile, so consider this make up. This is the first video for the Apples in Stereo's _ album Travellers in Space and Time, featuring a wonderful guest appearance by The Apples in Stereo's most famous fan Elijah Wood as a time travelling scientist who sings with The Apples in Stereo's in their most funktastic song ever! Well, as funktastic as The Apples in Stereo can get. If you don't know, Travellers in Space and Time is coming out 4/20 on Simian/Yep Roc Records. The band is also going on a short East and Mideast tour, so catch them if you can.

(mp3) The Apples in Stereo-Dance Floor

Tour Dates:

04/16 – Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie’s
04/17 – Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant Street
04/18 – Washington, DC @ The Rock and Roll Hotel
04/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
04/21 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/23 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Underground
04/24 – Ithaca, NY @ Castaways
04/25 – Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
04/27 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
04/28 – Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room
04/30 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
05/01 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
05/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
05/04 – St. Louis, MO @ Billiken Club

Links:

The Apples in Stereo's New Website
Pre-order Travellers in Space and Time here, at Yep Roc

SXSW 2010: Ray Davies @ La Zona Rosa (3/18/10)

(All photos via Club Kingsnake)

I know SXSW is about seeing new bands you’ve never heard of and that superstars should not really be attend the festival. That for every amount of time you spend trying to see some band you know that your not seeing an unknown band that could be equally as mind blowing. But damn it, you do not pass up seeing Ray fucking Davies in a small venue, acoustic for crying out loud?! This is the guy that every indie band front-man wants to be, and all legends wish they could age as gracefully as this guy did. Just him and Bill Shanley on guitar for the majority of the show, yet it was so magical. Hearing “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” or “Victoria” live just sends shivers down your spine. The man was filled with wonderful dry wit and even included a small tribute to fellow New Orleans towns mate Alex Chilton. Then, he goes and gets a full band with The 88 and he was still great, for “You Really Got Me” and “Lola” never get old. This show was awesome, end of story.

Single Review: The Babies-"Meet Me in the Ciy" b/w "Somebody Else

The Babies is a project you don't think should work. Members of Woods and Vivian Girls thrown together into a band seems like it would come out as a lo-fi mess. But with this single we have proof that it actually makes a very nice band. The folk elemnts of Woods have ceome more jangled and Cassie's vocals harmonize perfectly with Kevin's. Thake the tune that's beein every bloger's ear for the last 6 months "Meet Me in the City". What starts off sounding like simple weird folk-pop quickly metamorphicies into a shambolic lo-fi 60's tune. B side "somebody Else" actually does this formula even better, a dirty but sweet garage-pop track about emptiness in the bit city, with a stellar guitar solo to boot.

This is The Babies second single after their first on Wild World sold out (thanfully a repress is coming soon). It is very stark and minimalist, with nothing but the coverart and simple titles on the single. This is keeping up with the band putting out as little info about them as possible, despite how well publisised the members other bands are. Who knows why, but if they keep putting out tunes like these, I will keep buying.

(mp3) The Babies-Meet Me in the City

Links:

The Babies on Myspace
Buy the single here, at Make a Mess Records

SXSW 2010: Hunx and His Punkettes @ Cheer Up Charlie's (3/18/10)

This show was cheeky has hell. No, I'm not just describing Hunx as he shock his ass in tight plastic pants during the set. What other band I ask, has the lead singer dressed up half in drag, with a 4 female back-up band dressed up as 60's style waitresses while they play some of thee most infects and gay power-pop bubblegum punk around? None, that's how many. The thing is, as much the show was a spectacle and the music is suppose to be quirky, when you get down to it is really well crafted pop, even if it is being sung by someone in a sailor hat and lipstick. The drum was tight as hell, the girls added stellar harmonies and guitar, and Hunx was great, hitting on the crowd and asking them when they first had sex. Hunx threw on a show if I've ever seen one.