Is it live or is it Memorex? (Wow, that reference seems really dated…) A band or someone hiding behind a curtain of computers? Either way it’s as if robots recorded My Bloody Valentine music in the Mojave desert. But robots like the Tin Man, who had heart.
Fernando
Fernando plays geetar with the skill and freewheeling spirit of a Crazy Horse by the name of Neil, and that deep and raspy voice of his is begging for an arena with cavernous acoustics so it can get lost in the reverb for a while. Anyone waiting for the second coming of Mother Love Bone, now’s a good time to pull your lighter out and lift it to the sky.
Film School
San Francisco psychedelic outfit crash headlong into wall of sound. The result? Stripped down indie rock with detours into lingering, epic rock operas awash in layers and layers of guitars.
Mahjonng
Mahjongg is an ancient Chinese tile game responsible for the academic downfall of countless college students. The band Mahjonng has similar powers with their frenzied pop disarray (a la the supremely underrated Beatnik Filmstars). Be strong.
Arab Strap
Like the Scottish tongue: lots of burrs and still a great listen.
Guitar Wolf
Is Guitar Wolf a Japanese homage, pastiche, or caricature of U.S. garage rock? As with “Iron Chef,” does it really matter? Guaranteed to be the best 2:27 of your otherwise dull day…
Eyes Like Knives
Urgent, angular post-post punk with boy versus girl vocals not unlike their neighbors in Boston who quietly redefined rock music some twenty years ago.
Division of Laura Lee
Meet the Swedish offspring of Blur and the Stooges. (I meant that musically, you perv.)
Oranger
Oranger are just plain old fun — a bunch of guys who sat around listening to the Kinks, the 13th Floor Elevators, and Al Green as teenagers (hey, who didn’t?) — although they’re pushing into more pop these days.
Joel RL Phelps and the Downer Trio
While the band’s name has always been a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, the new single shows off Phelps’ range and energy with a brazen and emotive Paul Westerberg-style number.