Blurbin’ Fridays - Jan 20

Welcome to “Blurbin’ Fridays” Number Dos. Hope you enjoy this week’s selections:

1. Boyracer - The Sadness In You
Much fuzzier than advertised. Depending on the songs, it sometimes sounds like Tullycraft meets The Jesus and Mary Chain. Melodic punkypop mixed with bleeding pink noise distortion, now going on 15 years. From the EP Insults and Insights.

2. Red Pony Clock - Wasting Away Only got to see this band live once (the drummer played a toy kit at the time?) but heard they’ve upgraded the sound a bit since then. Sometimes akin to a circus orchestra being fronted by Nothing Painted Blue’s Franklin Bruno playing the Sgt. Pepper’s album. Lots of kitchen sink instruments (trombone, clarinet, trumpet, bells) that are played in a jazzy hawaiian ragtime style. From the split CD w/ Cat & Dog Dialogue: Party Animals.

3. Face Parade - Backfire on The Desert Shot Leans heavily in the direction of Crooked Rain for this particular track, but with nods to Matt Pond P.A. for use of strings and more straightforward modern rock in other songs. Dorian definitely sounds like either early-Thurston or mid period-Malkmus. I dunno why I like these songs so much. Maybe that says it all. From the EP: Face Parade.

4. Constantines - National Hum
Read one description of them as “Fugazi plus Bruce Springstein” which might be more true than expected. The Toronto band could be The Sea And Cake on crack some tracks and The Hives on another. Louder modern rock tempered by tinges of alt-country leanings makes them more interesting than the usual bratty flailing going on around the country. From the album Shine A Light.

5. The Jena Campaign - You Lie
Excellent, sparsely populated indie folk pop in the style of Trembling Blue Stars, Mojave 3. “From Here To North Dakota” is also a great track. Some songs teeters on emo-ish or noise rock but thankfully do not make that leap. “No Lie” has falsetto harmony vocals and a slight country inflection. Definitely has that Nobody’s Favorite Records sound, who re-released this album last July. From the album: The Jena Campaign.

by Palebear