i hate the sound of guitars » indie pop

quick take : mixtapes : hope is for people

guitarlover — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:40:37 +0000

Holy crap, I haven’t written about Mixtapes before? Really!? I have literally listened to this band more than any other artist this year.

Mixtapes live in a weird intersection between well-produced pop-punk and lo-fi indie pop. On the one hand they have a fatter drum sound than I expect from low-budget indies; on the other, the co-ed vocals sometimes have just enough unsteadiness to be endearing (not grating). They write insanely hooky tunes about stuff like sexual frustration, classic Metallica, coping with life, feeling sour grapes-y about an ex, and guilt over not wanting to go to a party. They tackle these subjects with keen observation and sharp humor. If they have a flaw it might be a little too much self-awareness; I could give them a song-about-writing-songs penalty flag, but it’s waived on account of general awesomeness. So far they favor frequent, short releases, which I am totally down with. The recent “Hope is For People,” is as a fine starting place; the title track is for sure on my year’s best shortlist. mixtapesohio will help get you hooked up with almost the whole enchilada. You’ll need to hit up Death to False Hope records to score the “Castle Songs” single (while you’re at DtFH, check out the Candy Hearts release, too). Most of Mixtapes’ releases are Creative Commons licensed, so you can download ‘em legit for free, then kick a donation to the band if you love their music like I do, and want more, more, more.

quick take : lemuria/cheap girls : split single

guitarlover — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:18:00 +0000

On the A-side, Lemuria offer two more examples of the smart, catchy, indie rock that’s made Pebble one of my most-played albums of the year so far. I expected their side to be swell, and it delivers. But the revelation here for me is Cheap Girls’ “Pure Hate.” I’m not quite sure what “And I/Keep breathing pure hate into ever’thing/I only wanna stare you down,” means, but I am sure it rides a mighty, indelible hook, setting up and releasing tension in the space of a few bars. I wouldn’t exactly say that Cheap Girls sound like the Lemonheads; Ian Graham’s voice is gruffer, and this band as a whole is heftier. But there’s still something about Graham’s relaxed phrasing and the way the vocal melody sits above the fragmented-arpeggio style riff that reminds me of Dando’s outfit circa It’s a Shame About Ray. I am now A Fan.

quick take : if by yes : salt on sea glass

guitarlover — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:00:10 +0000

Hard to slot this into a specific genre, it’s not very “rock” (not in the least “rawk”), largely (but not exclusively electronic). It’s the sort of record in which choices of “which instrument voices this part” seem driven more by sonic coloration than by personnel. There’s a lot going on if you pay close attention (which this album rewards): parts interlock and overlap, but it never feels cluttered. It’s often, but not exclusively, quite pretty.

I’m tempted not even to mention that is sort of an indie/alt/electronic supergroup, founded by Cibo Matto’s Yuka Honda and That Dog’s Petra Haden, bolstered by Cornelius’ Hirotaka Shimizu and Yuko Araki, because If By Yes sounds nothing like the members’ best-known projects. It’s a far cry from the melodic alternarock of That Dog, the aural aggression of Cornelius, and the kitchen sink aesthetic of Cibo Matto. Those aren’t criticisms, just observations — I think Salt on Sea Glass deserves to be judged on its own terms, not saddled with expectations based on what its members used to do.

And I like much of it quite a bit, especially “You’re Something Else.”

quick take : craft spells : idle labor

guitarlover — Tue, 03 May 2011 11:08:58 +0000

New Order would decidely have struck me as a useful point of reference for Idle Labor even if the cover art didn’t recall Power, Corruption & Lies. As it is, I’m wondering if they want to get threatening letters from some lawyer. Craft Spells’ flowers are less gloomy, of course, and so is their music. As you’d expect from an artist on Captured Tracks, it’s also a lot more low-tech. And it’s not like there are no other influences audible in Idle Labor, it’s just that the debt to New Order is so specific that the other elements are actually a little jarring.

quick take : little scream : the golden record

guitarlover — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:58:18 +0000

When I heard “The Heron and the Fox,” it knocked me out. In that subtly arranged song, lovely finger-picked guitar and an extraordinary vocal performance from Little Scream leader Laurel Sprengelmeyer (delicate to the point of fragiliy, with unusual phrasing) unite to deliver a narrative that’s intriguing but ultimately obscure. It’s probably the strongest composition, but I enjoy the album as a whole, and I appreciate the breadth of its palette, which includes weird, clattery percussion, electric guitar, and odd keyboard textures; although it’s largely acoustic, it’s definitely not a folk record (freak or no). Arcade Fire/Bell Orchestre’s Richard Parry co-produced, which makes sense.

quick take : the long tangles : silver city

guitarlover — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:52:52 +0000

The Long Tangles have coined a term to encompass the many husband and wife indie pop/rock outfits: matrimony rock. Their take puts wife Courtney Han’s vocals and the keys (piano, specifically, on many tunes) way out front. I find it quite pleasant, if a little unassuming (a lot less thorny than, say, Quasi). Hans’ voice reminds me very specifically of another singer with similar timbre and careful enunciation, and it’s kinda driving me nuts that I can’t remember who, but the important thing is that it’s a singer I like. “Ode to the Wrecking Ball” is my fave. Score it for cheap at The Long Tangles bandcamp.

heads up! the stairs

guitarlover — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 11:21:37 +0000

Ryan Walsh, leader of the much-beloved-’round-here Hallelujah the Hills, used to be in a band called The Stairs, who released a pair of albums and some odds-and-ends. Looking at ‘em with hindsight, The Stairs recordings seem like a bit of an exploratory/learning/growing experience, with Walsh and crew figuring out their songwriting and performing strengths, and how to express their big ideas in a studio. I wouldn’t necessarily say The Stairs albums are as consistent as HtH’s, but they’ve got some very fine tunes on them. If this wakes your curiosity, the happy news is that there’s a brand-new tumblr blog about The Stairs and a bandcamp site for The Stairs where you can download both albums.

quick take : la sera : la sera

guitarlover — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:56:38 +0000

La Sera is helmed by Vivian Girls bassist/vocalist Katy Goodman, which both is and isn’t relevant — on one hand both acts share a solid pop foundation and a distinctly retro quality to the writing (I had to check the credits to be sure none of these songs weren’t obscure 50’s/60’s chestnuts). But on the other hand, this is slower, smoother, prettier, and comparatively speaking, a marvel of clear recording.

quick take : holden : l’essentiel

guitarlover — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:13:56 +0000

The confusingly named L’essentiel is split into two halves: “Champ” (field) is 14 tracks culled (and remastered) from Holden’s previous releases; “Hors-Champ” (off-screen) is another 14 previously unreleased tracks. I suspect some, like a cover of The Smiths’ “The Boy With the Thorn In His Side,” were left off earlier albums because they simply didn’t fit; some missed the original cut because they were weaker; and a few sound like early demos before Holden found their voice — most of “Hors-Champ” hardly qualifies “representative,” let alone “essential.”

But L’essentiel finally provides US listeners with a (legitimate) way to hear 2 songs — “Dans la glace” and “Un toit étranger” — from Holden’s brilliant Fantomatisme, perhaps my favorite 2009 release. Fantomatisme walks a crazy tightrope between the fragility of largely acoustic arrangements and Armelle Pioline’s voice, and Uwe Schmidt (aka Señor Coconut)’s otherworldly electronics. It’s simultaneously hushed and noisy, arresting and compelling, and not quite like anything else I’ve ever heard. It’s also virtually impossible to (legally) hear it in the United States; Amazon says We don’t know when or if [the CD] will be back in stock; no digital service I could find is licensed to sell Fantomatisme in the US.

I think record companies that want to survive need to remove all barriers between music and the people actually willing to pay for it. Nationalistic protectionism isn’t doing anything but depriving Holden and their (former, I hope) label of resources to help create Holden’s next release (which I really want to hear). Anywhere in the world, you ought to be able to type “holden fantomatisme” into Google and get a link to buy it. You can’t. But you can get a link to hear it. (Although you may need to dip your web browser in lye afterwards.)

In the meantime, at least L’essential is readily available from Amazon’s MP3 store or iTunes.

quick take : anna waronker : california fade

guitarlover — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 09:47:44 +0000

Wow, this is good. The arrangements are thoroughly sympathetic; a few crunchy rock moments à la that dog or her previous solo album, alongside more sedate piano- and string-driven numbers. Production is rich and satisfying with some lovely details, the pick slide in “I Don’t Wanna” being a favorite of mine. The pacing of the album is terrific — it could so easily get snoozy, and it just doesn’t. Waronker’s singing has never been better. It takes some guts to start a song (the kinda Aimee Mannish “How Am I Doing?”) with the lines “My songs are good/My voice is strong,” but Waronker really delivers.