The And / Ors are proof that rock is not dead. Their CD "Will Self-Destruct" was my favorite album of 2001. Lane Miller channels Robert Quine through his battered Telecaster. Daniel Black set aside his Interstate Ten intensity and penned some classic indie pop gems. Please come back to Boston!
The Rosenbergs are on your side! They believe that if you listen to their generous samplings of free music on mp3.com you will rush out to by their CDs. How often do you get a chance to be thankful for anything in New Jersey?
Mr. Airplane Man used to play around Harvard Square before it was overrun by former day traders turned jugglers. They play a spare, gritty, bluesy garage rock that'll make you forget where you are. Most importantly, they're chicks!
What would have happened if REM continued playing Byrds-infected ballads and vintage college-radio-friendly thrash instead of continually trying to reinvent themselves? They would sound alot like The Red Telephone, another Boston favorite. Their sound is so polished you'll wonder why you haven't heard them before.
I hesitate to call these guys "alternative" - they play a jangly, chaotic garage rock that'll get you dancing with your beer bottle. They are my favorite "undiscovered" band in Boston. The Triple Thick website is at http://www.triplethick.com/
Jason Loewenstein (Lou Barlow's longtime cohort in Sebadoh) just released a solo record on Sub Pop called "At Sixes and Sevens", and I picked it up a few days ago on a whim. When Sebadoh hit their stride (circa 'Bakesale' for me), his songs were the ones that stuck with me. 'Drama Mine', 'S. Soup', 'Careful'... catchy, hook-laden, slightly-skewed rock numbers all. I hadn't heard anything about this new disc, but I had 'Drama Mine' stuck in my head last week, so the timing was right. All I hoped for was a sliver of what he once contributed to the 'Doh...
And I'm just plain floored. This album grabbed me from the first few notes, and hasn't let go. Solid all the way through, hardly a throw-away song in the bunch. Sure, there's the jokey, messed-up Santana-ish number (titled, of course, 'Crazy Santana'), and a goofy but fun metal-ish track (called, uh, 'Metal'), but they don't take away from the rest one bit, which is just all-out rockin'. 'Funerals', 'Codes', and 'Upstate' are stand-outs, surpassing his best Sebadoh stuff, with excellent at-home production and ace lyrics ("I killed my suit. I burned my tie. I hope you stay alive, because I don't do funerals!"). This is a full band record made by one exceptionally-talented musician. Welcome to my top five of 2002, Mr. Loewenstein.
For an mp3 of 'Cassarole', the second track from the cd, click here.
I have this bad habit of saying "back in the day..." - so much so that sooz says I should have a BITD category on my blog/in my life. But...BACK IN THE DAY, my favorite album was My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. Recently, I threw it in the CD player and it refuses to come out.
Figuratively. Not literally.
Starting with the sonic wall-o-guitars that is "Only Shallow," a song so perfect in its execution you just don't care if Bilinda Butcher's vocals are intelligible. She's Liz Frasier-like in that regard. The soaring guitars and throbbing pedals make every song on this album a dissonant lullaby. I adore it, I do, I do!
After they nearly bankrupted their record company recording this album, MBV more or less disappeared. Kevin Shields has been keeping busy, but there's not much else to report. Rumor has it they recorded another album after Loveless which has never been released.
If you don't have it already, buy Loveless today. You won't regret it.
This album was released a couple months ago to sadly minimal fanfare...
It's the debut album from the Audio Learning Center, titled "Friendships Often Fade Away", and it's an amazing piece of work. The main man behind the band is Chris Brady, former bassist/singer for the vastly underappreciated, and immensely talented band Pond.
Chris is an excellent songwriter, a truly innovative bass player, and it's a damn good thing he kept writing and recording after Pond broke up. Songs of heartbreak, medication, growing older, and broken robots. Go to Vagrant Records for a free mp3 ('Favorite'... the poppiest song on the record, not entirely indicative of the more somber and introspective tone of the rest of the record).
The band is on tour, hitting Boston on Tuesday the 21st at the Middle East. Pond was a stellar live band, and I expect no less from ALC. (and yes, you can still catch the Buffy season finale and make it to their set ;) ).
He might sound like Randall Scott of the Anchorage band Railer. I first heard the band's music when they submitted their tunes for the playlist on soozradio. Randall's voice does sound a little bit like Billy Corgan with one significant difference: his voice sounds much better than the Smashing Pumpkins singer. If you like Garbage, Depeche Mode and Radiohead then you'll love Railer. The band just released their debut CD "Frame of Mind." It will be available at CDBaby.com on May 31st.
Railer : Frame of Mind : Kiss Fix
Here's the sweeper that Randall recorded for soozradio. Nice voice. ;)
Back across the ocean to Columbus, Ohio, home of midwestern darlings Pretty Mighty Mighty. What do they sound like? Hmmm. My Bloody Valentine with intelligible vocals and a live violinist named Noel? No, that's not quite it. Let's just say they have a very solid rhythm section, nice jangly pop guitars and a healthy dose of college town angst. Proximity to minor fame moment: once I watched guitarist Jon Chinn format band flyers in the Ohio U computer lab. PMM used to have a Hare Krishna chick for a singer (this was around the release date of Ugly), but now John handles vocals, and quite well. He's got the plaintive Ohio boy thing down pat.
Recommended album: Famous Past Lives (available on Derailleur Records)
Pretty Mighty Mighty : Discography : MP3 download page
If you want to learn about German hip-hop, Die Fantastischen Vier are the group to know. Alas, no sanctioned MP3s on their official site, but the label they run, Fourmusic.com, has a great selection. You can find music by Thomas D, the Fantas' "Mikrophonprofessor," among others (many German hip-hop artists). Thomas sang "Wish (Komm Zu Mir)" with Franka Potente on the Run Lola Run soundtrack (also highly recommended by yours truly).
When Thomas isn't rapping, he writes rather thoughtful love songs such as "Liebesbrief" (Love Letter). (If you click on the name link above, you can listen to his other solo songs by choosing »Tracks anzeigen / hören on the page sidebars).
(Die Fantastischen Vier) Thomas D: Liebesbrief (single)
If you are not doing anything Saturday night, a local Boston band by the name of Dirty Valentine is playing at The Times on May 11. They play really good covers of alternative bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Goo Goo Dolls, and many more. Have Fun!