- Classics of Love – Classics of Love
Classics of Love falls into the general category of punk veterans — in this case Operation Ivy’s Jesse Michaels — forming retro 80s/punk/hardcore bands. I’m pretty susceptible to this trend, and Classics of Love is no exception. Nothing here is quite as amazing as “No Return” from 2009’s “Waiting in Shadows” EP, and the LP is overall a little more straightforward, with fewer echoes of artists like Wire and Fugazi. This seems more in spiritual debt to Bad Religion and Agent Orange. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, it sounds like it was fun to make, and it’s fun to listen to. “Light Rail,” with an almost Weller-esque chorus, the overlapping-vocal-driven “We Need a Change,” and the chugging “Moving Pictures” are particularly strong. - Grafitti6 – Colours
Kinda like OK Go after they quit being a rock band, pop with a little soulful or rockish seasoning as the song demands. This is not the kind of thing that I generally like, but this is done pretty well — strong vocal performances, solid production, okay tunes. Special mention for the coda of “This Man” which channels ’70’s Stones to an amazing degree. - Heartless Bastards – Arrow
Tough, bluesy rock distinguished by the powerhouse vocals of Erika Wennerstrom. Features more swagger and clarity, loses the garage fuzziness and any indie-rockward leanings from the earlier records. Not my bag, but done well. If there’s any justice this one will break them to a big mainstream audience. - Hospitality – Hospitality
Hospitality has a spirit that reminds me the moment when post-punk* was just on the cusp of becoming new wave — without the sonic aggressiveness of punk, but still restless and inclusive of many moods and textures. But except in the most general of terms, Hospitality don’t actually sound much like any of the band they remind me of, let alone like a retro exercise. Which alone is almost enough to warranted a recommendation from me; that’s cemented by interesting (if not immediately earwormy) songs and thoroughly sympatico production. (Aside: Shane Stoneback has got an impressively, even bizarrely, eclectic resumé.)
*Still hate that label, no matter often it’s been coming up in 2012. - Imperial Teen – Feel the Sound
I wasn’t very familiar with these folks, although they’ve been around a while. I must’ve heard something I didn’t like by some other band and mixed it up with Imperial Teen; my loss. This is a little on the samey side, and just a touch smooth for my taste, but goes down easy. Reminds me of the less psych-side of Elf Power, the New Prawnographers, and the less thorny side of Quasi — dense, often key-centric arrangements and good harmony work abound . “Over His Head” and “The Hibernates” are particularly nice. - Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
The production and arrangement on this record knock me out. It evokes some windswept, desolate, wide open space. Van Etten harmonizes with herself in huge stacks almost, but not quite, rendered ragged by the depth of reverb. Unruly guitars snarl from somewhere toward the horizon; instruments wander in and out of the soundscape, usually staying at some remove, some never quite revealing themselves (were those bagpipes? or guitars sounding like bagpipes?). Van Etten’s have solid unsurprising structures somewhere under the sonic tangle, some are even a bit bluesy. The record’s themes are scaled to match the vistas the songs occupy. The artist this record most evokes for me is Wilco. If Van Etten manages to top, or just equal, this record, we’re all in for a hell of a ride. Can’t wait. - We Have Band – Ternion
We Have Band don’t sound anything at all like Art of Noise, but nonetheless they have a similar tension between their accessible/danceable and more experimental sides (We Have Band also sometimes sounds like a bonafide rock band). Both also like to play with the latest toys, and often employ a sample-heavy cut-up aesthetic. Shriekback also comes to mind, most especially on “Steel in the Groove,” which could almost be a mutant cousin of “Working on the Ground.” Ternion pushes the indie rock elements to the fore a bit and downplays the dancefloor friendliness. It seems like a surprising follow up to a commercially successful record. I like it a lot.
21 feb 2012
21 Feb 2012 · No Comments
Tags: 2012 · lists · quick take
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