If you were to strip the music from the songs of some awfully fine lyricists like Bob Dylan or Conner Oberst, you would likely be a little perplexed by what you’re hearing. Indeed, the few attempts there have been to give Dylan’s lyrics a more literal interpretation on stage and on the big screen have been so disastrous that it can make one lose respect for the incoherent old bastard. Fortunately, when such lyricists set their thoughts to a simple melody, what they say doesn’t have to be open for the simplest of interpretations. So even though you can easily find out why Sam Potrykus named his band Christians & Lions, or you can dissect the big-brained, big-hearted meanderings of songs like “Gimme Diction,” you can just as easily get lost not in what the words mean, but in the way they rise from the music like smoke from an agitated candle, creating a deductive harmony you can ponder or simply take on your own terms.
Sonya Cotton
You know how, with some singers, you can pick up on speech or vocal patterns like accents or dialects really easily, while with others it’s almost impossible? Think about how British Billy Bragg sounds compared to, say, Paul McCartney. Or how a lot of the Swedish and Canadian bands we’ve posted actually sound like generic suburban America. Research has probably already been done on the impact of mass media on localized speech patterns ever since the popularization of radio; heck, this research could probably go back to the effects of court (ruling class) language on the merchant or even lower classes. Anyway, to get to the point, I like how Sonya Cotton sings the phrase “Guard your heart, darling,” in the song below with a similar title. It reminds me of Gillian Welch, and they both remind me of people singing the way they really speak. And sometimes that sounds nice.
The Early Years
Incubating across the Atlantic in their native London The Early Years released this, their first single, almost a year ago. “All Ones & Zeros” bounces along with a cheerful Joy Division-esque bass line, then the guitars hit. And hit. And hit. Droning, reverberating, backwards, forwards, feeding back and just making wonderful noise. You get an idea of what The Early Years’ first show was like, David Malkinson, on stage, alone, armed with a guitar, amp, and a plethora of effects pedals treating the small crowd to a twenty-minute long wall of sound. The vocals remind me of (brace yourselves for a really obscure reference here….) Butterfly Train, with Brett Nelson of Built To Spill on bass and vocals (In fact, the two bands have a similar vibe, but Butterfly Train had that certain Seattle-in-the-90s sound). The Early Years do a fantastic job of holding back the guitars just enough so they don’t lose control of the song. Stop by the band’s myspace page for a few more songs and to get an idea of their range. Expect their self-titled debut early next year on Beggars here in the U.S.
Henry’s Dress
Slumberland Records changed my life. My first Slumberland purchase was the compilation Why Popstars Can’t Dance, which introduced me to Rocketship, whose 7″ “Hey, Hey Girl” I have completely worn out. My second Slumberland purchase is still the most prized piece of vinyl that I own: Henry’s Dress “1620.” (My failure to obtain the Henry’s Dress/Rocketship split single released on Slumberland in 1996 and re-released in 1999 still haunts me.) Slumberland also introduced an entire new world of bands to me, many of whom have been my “favorite” band at particular points in time. The aformentioned Rocketship and Henry’s Dress, plus Lilys, Small Factory, Velocity Girl, Honeybunch, Swirlies, The Ropers, Jane Pow, Boyracer, Beatnik Filmstars, Hood, The Aislers Set, and The How.
I’ve mentioned Henry’s Dress several times in my last few posts, so with the rebirth of the Slumberland website, it was time to finally get my beloved Henry’s Dress on 3hive. Henry’s Dress is my favorite band of all time, cause I simply keep coming back to them over the years, and each time it’s like discovering their feedback-drenched, bass-heavy, punk-pop songs that could rarely reach three minutes all over again for the first time. I’ll spare you a long history of the band and even more of my sentimentality, other than saying that former members can be found in The Aislers Set and The How so you can get on with the downloading.
The Asteroid #4
Some bands are just Clay bands, whether or not he posts them. Upon first listening to The Asteroid #4, I catch that British re-invasion vibe that make Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the Lilys all Clay bands as well. In fact, Lilys frontman and fellow Philly Kurt Heasley produced The Asteroid #4’s first two releases. So, with all this said, I feel a little weird invoking Clay’s rep without getting his take first. So, Clay, what do you say? The A4, yay or nay?
Matthew Friedberger
This one’s been sitting on the back-burner for too long. An enigmatic little label releases the first solo record (a double album!) from prolific songwriter Matthew Friedberger, one half of the brother/sister duo The Fiery Furnaces. Part 1 of the album, Winter Women, as represented by the first download, is a more hooky, melodic affair with plenty of spacey textures Furnace fans will appreciate. Spontaneous speaking in foreign tongues inspired part 2 of the album, Holy Ghost Language School, and expectedly embodies the weirder, more experimental tracks such as “Do You Like Blondes?” Possessed or collected, Friedberger continues to compose songs that will both trip you out and get you singing along.
First Coat
Another band from Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, and a member of the Mr. Hyde Records family, First Coat is a band that keeps getting better and better. This improvement could be due to maturity or significant line-up changes, but either way, their newest work is confident and well-constructed. The thick and rich 8 minutes or so of rock in “Catchy Pneumonia Pajamas,” from their recent album Move Like Sparrows, is a stark contrast to the demure country strains and simple pop off Great Lakes Disorder, their first effort. Check it out for yourself. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!
The Elected
I originally wanted to make this a topical post a couple weeks ago when the Dems took the power back. Now the gag is a bit dated. It’s just been that kind of month for me… But good music is good music and The Elected make good music. Their textured folk-pop stops time and encourages introspection. The Californian quartet is fronted by Rilo Kiley guitarist/songwriter and former child actor Blake Sennett. Go vote with your wallet if you like what you hear.
Free Prototypes EP
Over The Atlantic
Today, we sail South down the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand to tune into Over The Atlantic—a couple young lads recording music that’s completely unhip compared to today’s standards. I mean none of the kids are doing this. As far as I can tell, most of the kids this age still style out their jet-black hair curtains and whisper/scream, wearing their bloodied emotions on their sleeves. I was never cool in school, so I’m always glad to find fellow geeks, the kind that that lock themselves in their rooms and record their own music videos. The bonus with Over The Atlantic is their skills are those of a songwriter twice their age, yet they fill their hooks with youthful exhuberance. I have a feeling their parents’ record collections (which undoubtably contain the entire Church catalog) are to blame for their twenty-year old sound, which is an entirely good thing.