Palebear Archives

May, 2006

Sorry folks, we’re skipping blurbin’ fridays this week… too much other stuff to take care of. That’s right, it actually takes time to put it together, usually on the order of 1-3 hours. We don’t just slap random links on a page. Does anyone actually read these things? Anyhow, we will be back next week.

Oh, happy Cinco De Mayo!

by Palebear | 2 Comments

Sorry kids, this week has been nearly a complete wash as well for us. Sickness to blame. The blurbs (w/out descriptions this time), if you should choose to follow them, are:

1. La Guerre Des Tuques – Welcome To Paradise

2. Men In Fur – The Tiger Song

3. The Cannanes – You Name It

4. Wooden Wand – Eagle Claw

5. The Court And Spark – Your Mother Was The Lightning

by Palebear | Comments Off

Finally got a chance to make up a REAL Blurbin’ Fridays. All of today’s blurbs are from artists whose material we received through email or snailmail. Enjoy…

1. Company Car – Driving Star (Dismembering the Soundgarden Plan)

2. Disposable Thumbs – Soap Lady (Bowie likes The Like Young)

3. The May Bees – Fields Of Albany (Netherlandian Robert Pollard, Pixies, Dino Jr.)

4. Think About Life – Paul Cries (The Fall with Helio Sequence?)

5. The Destroyed – Dangerous Bomb (50 year old Sex Pistols on Television Personalities )

by Palebear | 1 Comment

Hello Fun Palebear Friends and welcome to another fine Friday. I am thinking of making a crossword puzzle one of these days with the hints being the cryptic summaries in parentheses following each of the blurbs. Wouldn’t that be fun. And educational to boot!

1. Kyte – Lover To Me (Wilco, bit rootsy, Posies hints)

2. The Doormats – Dr. Phil (Descendents of Mission of Burma poppypunk)

3. Hymns of Bedlam – In Ink and Strings (Bonnie Price M. Ward Blues)

4. Tullycraft – Rumble With The Gang Debs (Uh, sounds like Tullycraft because it is?)

5. The Skydrops – Now Would Be (MBViva Voce)

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Mike Downey
Adventure, Bless, and Don't Be Sorry

Though he now plays under his own name, you might have come across Mike Downey’s musical contributions in the past without knowing it. He’s been a member of the legendary indie band Wolfie and enjoyed stints in Mathlete, National Splits, and The New Constitution.

His latest album, “Adventure, Bless and Don’t Be Sorry” packs some unabashedly electronic musings (throwback to Mathelete perhaps) against honest troubadour-style indie pop. The production sounds a bit 4 track-ish which fits well with the heartfelt songs. Downey’s vocals are fairly high and a bit squirrely, often reminding me of Mac from Superchunk, Chad VanGaalen, or even Doug Martsch. The music, however, is more electronically dreamy and contemplative than rockin’, though definitely beat driven overall. Even a bit twee at times. It could be a bit of Field Mice plus Postal Service plus Tullycraft perhaps?

“You’ve Your Spy Map Out” could definitely be Postal Service. You know what though – I actually think Downey’s voice works better than Gibbard’s against this type of music. “Oh, Randomness” reminds me of a Future Bible Heroes track (the same goes for the later track”Event Camera”).

“Judge On The Horn” has a great beat and guitar melody going. Another particular favorite is the semi-anthemic “Rats Were Comrades”. The descending bassline melody of “House / Hotel” was also kind of fun. Though the songwriting in general is pretty top notch, he is just as likely to throw some more experimental drum beats at you, as he is try to win you over with shiny bedroom pop gems. Kinda cool to have that jumpiness going at all times.

by Tyranosaur | Comments Off

Mission of Burma
2wice

In honor of the new Mission of Burma album “The Obliterati” out, please listen to the single “2wice” from the Matador website. Initial feeling-outs of the latest release from this legendary punk band are pretty cool… same energy-bomb density and urgency. But this is like decades later. The trio seem to have worn awfully well over the years. Well, “worn” is probably the wrong word to use here; their sound is as fresh as back in the day, with frenetic drum hits and bass lines and raw slashing guitars that meld together in a powerful and melodic song.

Band Members:

Roger Miller
Clint Conley
Peter Prescott

Albums on Itunes:

Vs.
Signals Calls and Marches
ONoffON
The Obliterati

Band Website:

www.obliterati.net/

by Palebear | 1 Comment

Mon Frere
Blood, Sweat and Swords

Never let an album cover pre-influence your opinion of a band. These words should be enscribed on a stone tablet and hung over every prospective music reviewers desk. I’m often guilty of this sin, and the Mon Frere album was no exception. I mean just look at the cover. Swords with skulls through them… hmm, can you say either supergoth or blast-plaster metal?

Indeed. The band is nothing like that and they’ve even provided a handy genre categorization for me which is Powerhouse Electro Dance Rock. Oh, another rule for the stone tablet mentioned above: Never let the first song of an album influence your overall perception of the band. I listened to the first track (“Y.M.M.W.D.S.B”) and was all, like, Mates of State! But after that first song, they start to live more up to their genre.

I will give Nouela some props in that she has some crazy amazing pipes. She belts that stuff out. However, the music tends more toward synthyish new wave and electro-rock like No Doubt. (Occasionally, I hear something that reminds me of Rainer Maria, but it’s mostly a fleeting hint.) Her voice fits the music style superbly and the songs are fairly catchy, but just isn’t my cup of tea. Right now, anyway.

There is a bit of a campy or even loungey aspect to some of their tracks. The guitar is often nicely choppy and chunky, like on “Let It Bleed”, “Big Shot” or “Drain”. For “Bulliton” can you say Barracuda? Hehe. They even slow it down a bit on songs like “Leaving Town” which sort of reminds me of a Devics song?

Bratty and brash, I think most of these tracks would fit pretty well next to your synth-pop stuff. Just don’t let your mom see the cover.

Band Members:

Kyle Swisher – Guitar
Nouela Johnston – Vocals, Keys
Dustin McGhie – Drums

Albums on Itunes:

Blood Sweat and Swords
Real Vampires EP

Available Tracks:

Drain

by Tyranosaur | Comments Off

Pants Yell!
Recent Drama

Pants Yell! writes the songs that I wish I had written.

I was trying to think of other ways to praise their new CD “Recent Drama” but this is probably the one that I feel the most. So, coming from a songwriter’s perspective that’s probably the best I can give: Godamnit, I wish I had written these songs.

I’ve been following the band ever since receiving a copy of their 2003 cassette tape release “Our Horse Calls”. When I got this CD, I stupidly didn’t put it on immediately but left it in the “good pile” because I knew I’d like it. Geez, a bonehead move. That’s one month’s time I could have been immersing myself in Pants Yell! greatness. Instead, I waited until now to put it in on, so I need to make quicker judgements in this review based on only a few listens.

Not that it’s that difficult. Their stuff has always been honest and open indiepop all the way through. Nothing too grandiose. But it also has those occasionally quirky chord jumps and slightly shambling but amazingly organic feel to the drums that sets them apart from other indiepop bands. And because this is a trio, there’s also much more room for the bass to make a melodic presence. The whole shebang is often nicely loungey; you come home, put the CD on, settle back with a drink and make the most of the rest of the day.

On just a cursory listen however, it’s evident that this album has quite a bit more arrangement and fullness than some of their earlier work. The songs are still standout indiepop, but things are definitely moving around faster. The opening track, “Kids Are The Same”, is probably one of the best examples of that. This is superfast for them, and definitely different from their more laidback stuff. This song is pretty lushly recorded as well.

I’ve always had a hard time doing a “sounds like” description. Here goes: It’s sort of like Belle and Sebastian, Beat Happening, Masters of the Hemisphere, The Pastels, Tullycraft and Galaxie 500 rolled into one. How’s that for namer-dropping?

“Easy Way To Be Cruel” leaves you with a peaceful easy indiepop feeling; deliciously understated lyrics go hand in hand with the groovy music. Yes, groovy! Both “Our Weather” and “It’s Been Done” motor along in classic Pants Yell! fashion. “We’ve Got History” has a strange but delicious guitar line that goes atonal suddenly.

Continue reading “Pants Yell! – Recent Drama” …

by Bryan | Comments Off

Snow Patrol
Eyes Open

Somehow or another, a review copy of the new Snow Patrol CD found its way to me awhile back. I didn’t put it on immediately and by the time I did (a few days ago) the CD “Eyes Open” had already been released, robbing me of the chance to brag about an album I had listened to that not too many others had (you mp3pirates out there don’t count).

Well, the thing is that I didn’t know a thing about them, except that they’ve experienced a pretty big swing in popularity. I have no idea if it’s “popularity a la DCFC” (who they resemble at times in their songs) but anyhow, the music IS quite mainstream sounding. At least for Palebear standards. Perhaps this is why they feel need to name drop Sufjan Stevens in the 2nd track “Hands Open” (“Put Sufjan Stevens on / And we’ll play your favorite song.”)

You know what though? I surprised myself by liking the album… I don’t know if that spells danger for my indie music lovin’ soul. Snow Patrol reminds me a bit of Coldplay with the sensibility of both Nada Surf and the melodical grace of Doves. Their more rockin’ tracks are very catchy indeed and even have the chugging and driving beat of a band like The Dandy Warhols.

A few of the more mellow songs are pretty interesting too, such as “You Could Be Happy” which features very pretty bells in the background. “Set Fire To The Third Bar” has an interesting combination of female vocals with Gary Lightbody’s ever-affable singing.

Sufjan Stevens they are not, though. You need to go into this album thinking you’re getting something more mainstream than any of the Barusk bands, but commercial sounding (and better) than say Weezer or U2. I think Coldplay is a good reference point, and I’ll even go as far to say that I definitely like them better.

Albums on Itunes:

Final Straw
Eyes Open
When It’s All Over We Still Have to Clear Up
Songs for Polarbears

by Tyranosaur | Comments Off

The 88
Coming Home

Target continues their run at trying to be the hippest purveyor of indie music in commercials. Their latest bid is a song from the L.A. band The 88, called “Coming Home”.

I’ve actually caught a few songs from the band under sadder circumstances – it was at the Elliott Smith Tribute at the Henry Fonda theatre. On that note, I believe this band quite frequently used to play as backup members for Elliott Smith when he played live. (There is a MP3 on their website from 2003 that features them backing Smith on “Can’t Make A Sound”.

Back to the commercial… I heard this played twice the other day. It’s a great indie pop track that harkens back to the 60s or 70s a la the Kinks, Beatles, T-Rex, Elton John, etc. A little bit on the campy side at times. You’ll recognize it from any of the following lines: “Won’t You Be Night To My Day”, “Won’t You Be Someone New”, “Won’t You Be Good To Yourself”, and “It’ll Be Like Coming Home”. I actually don’t remember too much about the commercial because I was just paying attention to the song, which is quite catchy. (I read elsewhere that the commercial features people in towels and a girl in a Target ball gown, but I don’t even remember that!)

Unfortunately, to my knowledge they are not yet featured in Itunes.This actually IS available from Itunes. You can also get the track off of their Myspace site (embedded in the Flash player, though), and they also have the album on Amazon.

by Bryan | 14 Comments

The Love Letter Band
Fear Not My Brothers ...

I was actually fearful that the extremely long name of this nifty little CD by The Love Letter Band would explode the Palebear database constraints, so I’ve waited until here to print it in its full glory: “Fear Not My Brothers, Fear Not My Sisters, For I Have Seen The Future…”. Woo!

There’s a weird folk/country stream of consciousness theme going on in the songs, and at times it feels like Conor Oberst is mixing it up with Bonny Prince What’sHisNameNow. I don’t usually go in for ribald emo-angster singing, but the songs were really engaging and complemented the style really well. No slap against the singing, but just something I usually pass on; if the songs weren’t so good then I definitely would have handed this CD off.

The band is a “loose nuclear family” revolving around the nucleus in question – Chris Adolf. Because many of the tracks are very short, it’s got that GBV feel to it. Devendra Banhart definitely comes to mind as well.

The title track (I’m not going to write out the name AGAIN) is a wonderful Southwestern cantina romp complete with trumpets and pedal steel with Adolf egging the rest of the band on.

The room chorus at the end of “Everybody Sings Their Own Little Song” is VERY Saddle Creek, but the fun instrumentation (recorders, melodica, accordian, etc.?) is more E6 styled. The nice guitar instrumental right after that reminds me of something off of M Ward’s latest. “Love Will Be My Home” is like a Buddhist Woody Guthrie clapping (with one hand) along in time with the music, while “I Will Be Here” is a more standard, pedal steel driven country pop tune.

You can find this one out on the ever-pleasing HHBTM label from Athens, GA…

Available Mp3s:

Love Will Be My Home

Band Website:

www.indiepages.com/loveletterband/

by Tyranosaur | 1 Comment

Semi-hot off the presses, here’s a new track from Yo La Tengo off of their upcoming album “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass”. Their penchant for long album titles continues, and I sort of feel this is a combination of the previous “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out” and “I Can Heart The Heart Beating As One”. Interesting, they have the “beating” theme going again.

The song itself is called “Beanbag Chair” and is another one of their campier pop tracks. This one actually features copious piano riffs and even some trumpet. Ira sings lead, and I actually liked this one a lot (as opposed to much of Summer Sun).

Anyhows, no I did NOT get an advance copy of the album yet (whine, whine… but maybe it’s still too early yet? Hope, hope…) so I’ll just have to wait until September 12, 2006 like the rest of the world. Interestingly, it comes out a week earlier in Europe??

by Palebear | Comments Off