Internet Forever-Break Bones

WHY DOES NO ONE CARE ABOUT THIS BAND?! Truly everything about Internet Forever should have gotten plastered across blogs across the country by now. They did a release on Art Fag Records, Dee Dee of the Dum Dum Girls really likes them, and their British. But despite all this, Internet Forever's perfectly post/semi twee tunes have managed to slip past everyone's radar. Give a listen to "Break Bones", off their Art Fag 7 inch, and see how quickly you fall in love with this sweetly off-kilter, lo-fi tune. It's like a female Calvin Johnson fronting a sugar coated Times New Viking. It's that good.

(mp3) Internet Forever-Break Bones

Links:

Internet Forever on Myspace
Buy their 7 inch here, from Art Fag Recordings

Secret Cities and Campfires

I've going to be spending the next few days playing musical catch up after my extended break. And while I'm going to enjoy it (the Best Coast LP is sooo good!), knowing what to post is going to be a little bit tricky. Luckily, I was dropped with two stellar pop tunes that are buzzing out of my tiny computer speakers as I type. The first is Secret Cities' "Pink Graffiti Pt. 1" , a song that I know has been floating around for awhile from these North Dakota kids, but since I always come later to the party, this should be expected. It's one of those swirly pop songs that are all over the web these days, and sounds something like a more K Records version of Oberhofer's "I Could Go" (another increasingly favorite song), which pretty much means this song is pop nirvana. I heard their Pink Graffiti album is also great, so I am going to dive into that as well.

(mp3) Secret Cities-Pink Graffiti Pt. 1

-----------------------------------------------------------------------



What way better than to greet me home them then a brand new Campfires song too?! Seriously I don't know if this kid can do wrong. If you still haven't gotten one of his cassettes or singles, I don't have the faintest idea what your waiting for. "Eastward, God Damn It!" is a bit of a new step, punchier and more rocking, but still wonderful in that Campfires way. Some might only consider this a throw away song, but for everyone else, it is less than a minutes worth of bliss. Thanks to the always great Georgia of MME for the track.

(mp3) Campfires-Eastward God Damn It! (via Microphone Memory Emotion)

A Small Break

Hello. The Creative Intersection will be taking a short time out and stop posting until very late July. Thank you for understanding and posts will begin to show up ASAP.

Thanks,
-David

Bands to Care About: Sparky Deathcap

If your awkward college/post college years were made into a movie, Sparky Deathcap would be the one hired to make the soundtrack. Comparisons can be made to Smog or The Microphones, but due to Sparky's deep seeded love of Pavement and other '90s indie rock, some humor and irony is injected to the formula as well. This creates something more akin to what Superman Revenge Squad is doing or if David Berman of the Silver Jews started touring by himself and a guitar.

Creating the persona five years ago, Rob Taylor has been crafting his woeful acoustic tunes for anyone willing to hear them. His first release was a 100 press, all hand made, mini-album titled Let's Build a Fire for Pulsar Records. Suffice to say, it would go on to sell out. Before putting out his next EP, Sparky Deathcap wound up doing a lot of tour, going across Europe, playing multiple music festivals, and even opening for the great Daniel Johnson on a few US dates as well as playing with Los Campesinos! too. In fact, Sparky Deathcap is now a sort of 8th member of the band, playing guitar and drums with them live. During all this, Sparky also found time to self-release a brand new EP on his own Nettlejam Records in 2009 titled Tear Jerky. It's only five songs, but it manages to hit you hard, and it's very impressive how he manages to manipulate standard acoustic tracks into something so much more with feedback, drum loops, hand claps, and more.

While Sparky Deathcap is a bit preoccupied with playing with Los Campesinos!, he still has forgotten about his own work. He recently started recording demos, and has a (no joke) ukulele opera based on love in the works that he wants to have ready for this upcoming Valentines Day. Rob Taylor's is a breath of fresh air in these over self-obsessed, over electronic days, not mention his music is quite beautiful, in a self-depreciating sort of way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a small side note, Rob Taylor is also a master illustrator, and draws incredibly dark, incredibly funny comics as well. They can be seen on his webpage as well.

(mp3) Sparky Deathcap-Mountain and Central
(mp3) Sparky Deathcap-Glasgow is a Punk Rock Town
(mp3) Sparky Deathcap-Blossomwing

Links:

Sparky Deathcap Website
Sparky Deathcap on Myspace

Cover: Alex Bleeker & Evan Brody-Motor Away (Guided By Voices Cover)

Alex Bleeker (of Real Estate and Alex Bleeker and the Freaks fame) and Evan Brody (of Family Portrait fame) have teamed up together to cover the Guided By Voices classic "Motor Away" for an upcoming Guided By Voices covers album, Guided By Guided By Voices. Strangely enough, they manage to contort the song right into their New Jersey scene style, so instead of the classic indie rock of yore, you get a gooey, drenching in reverb style version of it that sounds to the unsuspecting ears like a brand new Real Estate song. I can't tell yet whether this is blasphemy or genius, however for now it is a wonderful tune and any excuse to listen to more GBV is good enough for me.

(mp3) Alex Bleeker & Evan Brody-Motor Away (via p4k)

Links:

Alex Bleekr on Myspace
Family Portrait on Myspace

Dead Gaze-We All Belong To You

The ever constantly great Dead Gaze has unleashed a new song for the entire world to enjoy from his upcoming 10 inch release on Group Tightener Records. "We All Belong To You" is a nice combination song of sorts, with Dead Gaze digging back into his more synthy days, but still incorporating the that more "indie rock" element to it as well. The end result is a stellar mix that is not unlike what a Jackson Pollack painting would be like if it was turned into a song. Very excited for this 10", and don't forget that a split cassette with Gray Things is out now on Clan Destine Records.

(mp3) Dead Gaze-We Belong To You (via Weekly Tape Deck)

Links:

Dead Gaze on Myspace
Get the 10" soon here, from Group Tightener Records

EP Review: Vehicle Blues-Changer

Changer, Vehicle Blues' excellent follow up to their previous Bridgetown release Punks on Transit, could have just have been titled An Introduction to Post Shoegaze. Spread over these four tracks is blurry, fuzzy, dream pop at it's best, showing an equal love of My Bloody Valentine edge and Galaxie 500 fluff. These are unpure pop songs and shinning examples of what pop music should be today (read: not chillwave).

The EP opens with the magnificent title track, a fusion of '90s Yo La Tengo and "Wall of Sound" style fuzz. It's neat how the fuzz is used as an actual instrument, building with the intro, cutting back at the verses, and returning (but restrained) in the chorus. It clouds perfectly with the lyrics of loss and, ahem, change forming sonic bliss. The textures the band is trying to make come out even more in "Winter Lamborghini". A percussion less track of nothing more than swelling vocals and layered, symphonic guitars, it has a Desolation Wilderness feel to it, both in terms of sound and what it mentally conjures up. "real Loner Shit" is a dark, sinister song with a shimmering guitar that slithers across the song, invoking both creep and comforting vibes. the big finale comes in the form of "Worn Out", were the sparse vocals fade into the single note wave of guitar that makes up the song. It's almost as if the band was sonically trying to recreate it's back cover art, a faded and bleak picture of a beach.

This is a very simple EP, just one guy slowly creating each song until Changer came together. It's sparse, post-shoegaze that actually triggers emotion and not pure boredom, and sometimes it is as effortless as that.

(mp3) Vehicle Blues-Changer

Links:

Vehicle Blues on Myspace

Buy Changer here, from Bridgetown Records

Eddy Current Suppresion Ring/The Hex Dispensers/Fergus & Geronimo Live @ The Mohawk 6/12/10

A good punk show can do wonders for an indie rock kid. A nice brake from any art or pretension of any sort, replaced instead with loud guitars and passion. And who to do it better than the increasingly legendary Eddy Current Suppression Ring playing their first US show in three years! Add to the set two rising Texas punk bands and crafted in one hot, June night was an increasingly perfect show.

Fergus & Geronimo from Denton opened the set with some good mid-paced indie punk. The songs were catchy, and a Teenage Cool Kids sound could definitely be heard in them, probably due to them having a member of Teenage Cool Kids in the band. Nothing, unfortunately, grabbed you in the set, but there was entertainment none the less, like when the band pulled out a saxophonist for a few songs or when a guitarist broke a string and frantically ran around the stage trying to fix it. Not as engaging as I wanted, but there was potential to be seen for sure.

The Hex Dispensers brought the punk fury full swing though with their set. The moment their sound check ended they started blasting through their set. Dark, gritty punk rock was pumping out of the Mohwaks speakers at a rate you though might make them break. All the while, all the band members were jabbing and hitting their respected instruments like machines. I had never heard this band until then, despite the fact their from Austin, and I am proud to say I walked out with one of their LPs after the show.

However, it was Eddy Current Suppression Ring that truly unleashed the completely sublime, utterly great set everyone had been waiting for the entire night. From the moment the chords of "Memory Lane" filled the venue, the band took complete control. Mikey (guitar), Rob (bass), and Danny (drums) all played so in sync with another you'd think they were a well oiled clock. While this was going on Brendan sang and moved like a spirit had possessed him. It was like seeing David Byrne fronting a hardcore band. He shook, jumped on speaker, dived into the crowd. He even dived into the mosh pit that (finally) opened up mid way through the set. The band were masters of their craft, and even at their first show on the tour, managed to make it near perfect.

Fergus & Geronimo



















The Hex Dispensers

Eddy Current Suppression Ring

Single Review: Ancient Crux/Weed Diamond Split

Straight from the UK's Half Machine Records is a nice two band, song song each split 7 inch. What's cool about it is that it's not only showcasing two rising bands, but also bands that showcase West Coast's answer to the current New Jersey scene. Take for instance the Ancient Crux tune. "In Teen Dreams" has a Real Estate feel written all over it. Not just in the airy, but crisp guitar or subtly loud drums, but in the harmonies with the smooth vocals and "sha la la las". Add to it the sweet and cute lyrics and you've got a California Real Estate.

The Weed Diamond track "Nothing to Write Home About" is a different matter altogether. It has a very "solo effort" air to it, in complete contrast with the way "Oklahoma" sounded. Nothing but slow burning singing and guitar smothered in reverb and echo. It sounds like something that could come out of a song box, especially when the tinkering sound comes in near the end. the earlier works of Julian Lynch can be compared here, but that's forcing it a bit because while some similarities can be drawn, there's nothing derivative about the music of these bands, which is what separates them from the flock.

The only problem with this single is the cost, with it being a UK release. However, both bands were kind enough to upload both songs onto the web. These songs are pure introduction, so dive in more into each band's sound once these tunes grab you.

(mp3) Ancient Crux-In Teen Dreams
(mp3) Weed Diamond-Nothing to Write Home About

Links:

Ancient Crux on Myspace

Weed Diamond on Myspace

Buy the 7 inch here in the US, from Bridgetown Records

Buy the 7 inch here in the UK, from Half Machine Records