LOCAL Album Review: The Hussy - Galore

Longtime fixtures of the recently booming garage-punk circuit here in Madison, self-described “trash-rockers” The Hussy deliver what we’ve come to love while simultaneously expanding their sound on the fourth LP Galore (released June 30, 2015).  The most noticeable change is the addition of bass, which the former-duo incorporates through the entire album.  Their stripped-down aesthetic is further bolstered by layers of guitars and effects, percussive elements, and on some tracks creative instrumentation such as violin and lap-steel guitar.  Make no mistake however, this is still a band and a record built on no-bullshit charming scrappiness.  Even while delivering some of their most immediate, hooky material to date, the DEVO-esque cheeky pop is balanced perfectly with an aggressiveness and abrasion reminiscent of early grunge bands like Mudhoney.  Bobby Hussy continues to be one of the more exciting guitar slingers going, with fuzzed-out progressions and a ramshackle (though very proficient) soloing style that cuts through the mix like a lawnmower.  The boy/girl vocal dynamic is also on full display, with impressive harmonies and defiant, carefree lyrics delivered with a grin and a middle finger.  

Galore digs its claws into you right of the bat with standout opener Asking for Too Much.  Acoustic and electric guitars mesh together and Bobby cooly laments from a deep sea of reverb in a track that has all the makings of a garage rock classic.  Things only get better with follower Take You Up.  Bob plays the crooner for two verses, channelling the deep post-punk type of drone of Ian Anderson or Peter Murphy.  Punctuated by a vocal-less chorus centered on guitar interplay, the track finishes with a soaring wall-of-sound bridge. 

Following a very solid pair of snotty punk bangers in EZ/PZ and Made in the Shade, guest musician Justin Aten’s violin takes center stage in the exquisitely somber downtempo dirge Darkness.  What begins as a sparse psychedelic arrangement of delicate guitar arpeggios and Heather’s mellow brooding gets the garage treatment during it’s second half.  Like a breaking wave the track explodes into a noisey whiteout as guitar distortion kicks in and Aten wails away on the violin in such a way reminiscent of John Cale’s viola work with The Velvet Underground.  All the while the detached monotone vocals continue, washed all but out of the mix as Galore’s side one comes to a shoegazing close.

With such a high standard set by Galore’s first side, side two tends to sag a bit as repetition sets in.  Several tracks have the feel of a band that is still struggling to capture the intensity and passion of their live performance in a way that makes for a consistently satisfying at-home listening experience.  These tracks ride purely on the guitar work, and for the most part Bobby makes it happen with an absolutely in-the-pocket performance.  Through memorable riffs and volatile soloing, he commands his distorted, livewire sound like a rock n’ roll cowboy wrangling a mad stallion.  J Mascis is the very apparent influence on his style, and there is no doubt that this display would earn a nod of approval from the legendary Dinosaur Jr frontman. 

Closing track My Bad plays like a Vivian Girls-esque neo-shoegaze as Heather’s ethereal vocals float delicately over a raging sea of feedback and distortion.  The album ends with noisey psychedelic freakout that features Bobby’s most extensive soloing before gradually giving way to pure static.  It makes for a grinding finish, but fits the album’s tone awesomely.   

Overall Galore sees The Hussy craft an incredibly listenable record that not only maintains but builds upon their established identity as a band.  Some of the more straight-forward numbers leave a bit to be desired, but at its best the album delivers brilliantly ragged psychedelia without any sense of indulgence or pretension.  It isn’t until the final track that any song hits the three minute mark, but every song is packed with dense instrumentation and production that absolutely hits its mark as almost a grungy version of Pet Sounds.  Galore is not only satisfying for those familiar with the band, but has the authenticity and execution of an album that any rock fan can appreciate.  This is the kind of record that you immediately put on a second time, while you anxiously wait to see what the band does next.

To purchase your copy of Galore, swing by Mad City Music Exchange or visit Southpaw Records

*Catch The Hussy on night two of TurkeyFest; Saturday October 24 at Crystal Corner, as they play their first show back in the states following an extensive European tour!!

A Tribute to Lou Reed

It was a rainy evening in early spring, 2009.  I had nothing particularly going on and my roommate at the time had left to take a load of his things home, leaving me sitting there in our dark and mostly cleared out dorm room.  As I did a lot during that time, I found myself reflecting on my first year of college and thinking about the void lying ahead, since I knew by then that I wouldn't be returning to Stevens Point.  As I munched on the apple that I had just finished using as a broke-college-kid pipe, I looked at the rain and fog out our third story window and set my music to shuffle. 

I had a passing knowledge of The Velvet Underground at the time; I knew that way back when they had broken new ground in the subject material and aural presentation of rock music.  I knew that more than a handful of people more knowledgable of rock history than my teenage self strongly believed that the punk movement, and all of the ensuing sub-genres, wouldn't exist as we know it if it weren't for that iconic banana-sporting album.  I knew the Brian Eno quote regarding that album and how "the first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band".  However, the few times I myself had given The Velvet Underground & Nico a listen, it just didn't grab me the way that its legacy led me to believe it would.  The crunchy melodicism, driving angst, and reckless energy that built my interest in punk rock to that point was hardly even hinted at; instead what I heard was a droning, detached, and at times downright depressing musical fever dream about dirty sex and even dirtier drugs.  I didn't get it.

What I felt that rainy night when Heroin came on and inexplicably thrust me into an eight minute trance is similar, I imagine, to what those 10,000 people Brian Eno was talking about felt back in 1967.  Why it picked that time to finally click for me will forever be a mystery, but during those eight minutes everything I thought I knew about music was shook to its very foundation. There was no discernible consistent rhythm or structure, the tempo and dynamics rose and fell with great range; but I had never physically felt a song the way I did then.  The song ended with a climax of pure noise and chaos, but I had never felt such a catharsis over a piece of music.  Most subtly (to a desensitized teenager of the internet) but perhaps most importantly, this was a man singing about something as dark as the depths of heroin addiction without any semblance of either disgust or glorification, but acceptance for what it is.  I had never felt as empathetic for the struggles faced in life by other people.  

I cannot speak for those 10,000 people that started bands after hearing The Velvet Underground and Nico and went on to shape the punk/alternative/indie rock scene as we know it, but I can speak for the way that Lou Reed and his bandmates forever changed the way that I approach, listen to, and appreciate music.  I suppose it goes without saying that The Velvets have become one of my favorite bands since that night.  Furthermore, they led me to admire aspects of other bands that I otherwise wouldn't have thought much of:  the darkly honest subject matter of The Stooges, the detached "cool" of Television and The Strokes, the droning experimentation of Bauhaus and Spacemen 3, the volatile self-destruction of The New York Dolls, Patti Smith, and The Ramones, the sheer noise of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine.  Without listening to The Velvet Underground & Nico on that rainy night I likely wouldn't have ever gotten into many of the bands I know love, and without that album they likely wouldn't have ever existed.

 Lou Reed died today, but his legacy and impact on the music world will live on forever.  I'll never forget that night when the doors were opened to me to countless aspects of rock music that I hadn't yet considered.  I will always be grateful to Lou Reed for giving me that opportunity to experience a fraction of what his audience in the 60s experienced when he and The Velvets blasted rock and roll to the ground and re-built the foundations of what it has become over the decades.  

Thanks for everything Lou, rest peacefully.  

Matt's Halloween Mixtape; Part One

Sonic Youth - Death Valley '69

With a few weeks left to go, it feels appropriate to kick things off with a song that leaves its intentions shrouded in mystery.  Sonic Youth uses this vagueness to its advantage by crafting an atmosphere of impending doom and an aggressive creepiness on its own terms.  Death Valley '69 was inspired by the ultra-creepy Manson Family; and the pulsating rhythm, screeching discordant guitars, and schizophrenic vocals stay true to the source material in the most satisfying way.  

The Horrorpops - Walk Like a Zombie

To introduce the other side of "Halloween music" are a Danish group of jubilant misfits (foreshadowing definitely intended) known as The HorrorPops.  Taking the "psychobilly" subgenre to the brink of caricature, The HorrorPops energetically combine 1950s rockabilly and doo-wop songcraft with direct lyrical references to the undead, the otherworldly, the luridly sexual, and the violent.  The result of course, is an ominous yet upbeat representation of whatever debauchery comes to life for Halloween.  

With that we reach the point of no return, the Halloween season is upon us.  It is said that this is the time of year in which the barrier between the living and the dead is at its weakest, and later in the week we will take a close look at some songs that unearth the darker depths of our human psyche…

Introducing: Matt's Halloween Mixtape

Among all of the things that I love about music, possibly the most significant is its ability, perhaps more than any other art medium, to play on one's imagination.  The perfect song choice for any particular moment can emphasize, influence, or sympathize with the listener's mindset in a way that is nothing short of magical.  For a certain type (or types) of music, this quality is brought out in spades once the leaves start drop, scary and/or risque disguises are put together, and an aura of mischief and the macabre creeps into the atmosphere.  Whether the music directly acknowledges Halloween and traditional horror tropes or takes a more vague approach, many artists have found their own ways of celebrating the strange sub-season of October.  

Out of fascination for this, I've decided to start a series of posts highlighting my absolute favorite of these songs; culminating towards the end of the month with The Noisepaper's FIRST EVER compilation release.  The selections will range from the lighthearted celebratory, to the deranged and legitimately fear-inducing, to the just plain weird.  The one thing they will all have in common though is an undeniable contribution to the mysterious, sometimes threatening, but always enjoyable and impossible to ignore Spirt of Halloween.  

Starting tonight, I will be adding songs one by one several times per week until the full compilation is released just in time for All Hallow's Eve.  Stay tuned, if you dare!

ALBUM REVIEW: My Bloody Valentine - m b v

You know those weird dreams where you feel like you are free-falling into a terrifying abyss, only to come to a sudden "landing" when you jolt awake in bed?  In a certain way, m b v feels like that moment of weightlessness, only it takes that split second of subconscious panic and stretches it out into 46 minutes of beautiful yet tense submission.   

In 1991, My Bloody Valentine shook the world with Loveless; an album that not only altered the course of indie rock, but brought a new perspective to what music itself could be.  Loveless put a backdrop of sheer noise and distortion to the band's beautiful pop melodies in an absolutely sublime meshing of style and mood, and in the process nearly bankrupt their record label.  In the following decades frontman Kevin Shields would go on to record numerous incarnations of the followup- all of which would be subsequently shelved out of his fear of not living up to the timeless release of Loveless.  That is, until now.

In January, Kevin Shields mentioned during a London concert that the new album will be released in "maybe two or three days"; the type of flaky response that had become typical of one of rock's greatest perfectionists.  This time, however, the promise held true.  On February 2, 2013, the new My Bloody Valentine album was released.  The band's official site crashed immediately, leaving an untold number of fans (including your's truly) staring at error messages for hours on end.  

Such a turbulent release, after two decades of buildup, would be more than enough to cripple any other band.  Of course, in a way that only they could manage, My Bloody Valentine fed off of the hype.  This is an album that was mythical for over two decades before its actual release; it and now that it actually exists, it certainly delivers on its monolithic stature.  Beginning with the artwork, the surreal pink hue of Loveless' cover has given way to ever-darkening shades of blue for m b v.  After being wrapped up in the warmth and surreal comfort of loveless we find ourselves in confrontation of the other side of the spectrum.  Subtle as it may be, it is an effective first-impression to the album.  This is not the smothering euphoria we all fell head-over-heels with in '91.  This is the claustrophobic struggle of a genius haunted by his own legacy.  While Loveless wrapped us in a blanket of bliss that felt as natural as breathing, m b v challenges us to find it within ourselves to embrace the free-fall.  

This is definitely an album that picks up momentum as it goes.  The first half or so operates on relatively the same plain that Loveless did over two decades ago.  This is by no means a negative though; Loveless was far ahead of it's time, and frankly, I think it could come out today and the world still wouldn't be ready for it.  m b v begins with a wall of sound fading in in as if the old machine is warming up to pick up right where it left off.  Upon reaching operating temperature, the band continues in a warm, comfortingly familiar drone for the duration of opener she found now.  only Tomorrow to me, was an early classic upon first listen.  In Bilinda's first appearance she coos sleepily, just as we remember her and hear her in our dreams (or is that just me?).  Meanwhile, the guitars smolder and swirl, but show hints of welcomed modernization with crunchy, start/stop dynamics.  

As the album nears its midpoint, any concern of it simply being rehash gets debunked in the best possible way.  The most assertive change on display is the prominence of the rhythm section.  The drums and bass really make themselves known this time around, especially on new you, which thumps and pulsates behind echoing guitars like a hazy dance song.  Fittingly, this is the point where things early kick into high gear for m b v.  in Another way opens with an alien-sounding burst of manipulated feedback, which jolts into a grinding, uptempo guitar groove.  Bilinda even puts a twist on her signature vocal style, singing with a more staccato, articulate approach that hadn't been seen since the band's early EPs.  For much of the song the guitars stutter and screech with controlled feedback, but it is much faster and more upbeat than what we have come to know.  During the bridge sections there is a ringing drone that sounds like bagpipes.  By the time you get used to all of it, the song segues into nothing is.  For the following three and a half minutes  the noise machine chugs along, building and building tension like some sort of psychedelic snowball.  In true My Bloody Valentine fashion however, the payoff never comes.  Instead you immersed in this turbulent sea of noise and perpetual sonic momentum.  Just when it becomes unbearable, the album drops you back into the abyss with wonder 2.  As the hazy phantom melodies, wall of noise, flanging drums, and overall comforting chaos disappears into flowing waves of feedback, you find yourself in a disorienting yet incredibly satisfying state of sedation.  The final deafening silence leaves you to reflect on the experience, and to realize that it was everything you could hope for in a My Bloody Valentine album.  

For 22 years it seemed impossible, but m b v has proven itself to be a worthy followup to Loveless, and addition to the sublime discography of My Bloody Valentine.  Whether m b v will reach the legendary status of its predecessor is something that only time will tell.  As it stands though, it is an incredibly satisfying outing from one of indie rock's greatest bands.  

New My Bloody Valentine album OUT NOW!

UPDATE:  2/2, 9:17PM (Central)

It's over, the website is up and running and the album that seemingly would never see the light of day is available for purchase.  Listening to it right now...this is what being a music fan is all about.  It has been awhile since an earthshaking release like this has been made.  Look for a review in the next few days, once all of this sinks in.

In the meantime, the album is, at least for the time being, available in its entirety on YouTube; thanks to user acs111501

My thoughts on the album during my first listen:

ORIGINAL POST:

The 20+ year wait for My Bloody Valentines followup to 1991's gamechanger Loveless will continue for at least a little bit longer.  Just over an hour ago today the band made the brand new album available for stream on their website.  Of course, the server was crashed almost instantly due to overwhelming amounts of traffic, leaving thousands of music fans staring at this message while frantically refreshing their browser-

The impact of this album truly can not be overstated.  In the late-80's My Bloody Valentine spearheaded the groundbreaking "shoegazer" scene, and in 1991 released the album that epitomized the genre (and at the time, indie rock itself) with Loveless.  The seamless meshing of harsh, hypnotic distortion and soft, tender melodicism continues to be highly influencial in all genres of music.

Frontman Kevin Shields spoke with England's NME in November, and had the following to say about the long-awaited followup:

 "with this [new] record, people who like us will immediately connect with something. Based on the very, very few people who've heard stuff -- some engineers, the band, and that's about it -- some people think it's stranger than 'Loveless.' I don't. I feel it really frees us up, and in the bigger picture it's 100 percent necessary".

UPDATE:   2/2, 8:05PM (Central)

The website has been blinking in and out, here are some screenshots of what the lucky individuals that have managed to get in were greeted by (images courtesy of buzzfeed):

purchasing info and details on the release

MBV tracklisting

shipping info and details on the vinyl pressing

Here is what the website currently looks like for me:

(this album rocks!)

New Bass Drum of Death album "coming soon"

This afternoon frontman John Barrett posted the following video on the band's blog and facebook page.   He calls it a "promo" for the new Bass Drum of Death album, referred to as simply LP2, and says that it will be "coming out soon" on Innovative Leisure Records.  This is all the information out at the moment, but it definitely seems like a reason to get excited.

As I side note I think I have to have one of those "PISS" shirts he's wearing...let me know if you find one anywhere

Noisepaper EXCLUSIVE Track: Formal Infection - Silverfish

All rights reserved by FORMAL INFECTION  -  Absalom Munoz, Anthony Dombrowski, and Matt Dippong
Recorded at MADISON MEDIA INSTITUTE  - Madison, Wisconsin


Formal Infection is the latest incarnation of a band formed near Madison, Wisconsin in the mid-2000s.  Originally beginning as an angsty punk band, their sound evolved over time; mixing influences from various genres and eventually reaching the peak of creativity and energy that they display on this track.  

More than anything, Silverfish is the sound of a band just doing their thing, having let go and at some point ceased to give a shit.  The DIY recording is satisfyingly raw, yet impressively clear.  The band breaks into catharsis at the final verse, which it carries to a memorable guitar solo, improvised vocals and crashing drums, and rides the momentum throughout the remainder of the track.  This vibe is supported by the minimalist lyrics, which do their part to convey the nature of the band with a stream-of-consciousness narrative focusing on good times and good vibes.  

**Keep an eye out for the Noisepaper exclusive release of Formal Infection's upcoming The Swan EP**

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Album Review: Bass Drum of Death - GB City

As described by its label, Fat Possom, GB City sounds like "the soundtrack playing in your head when you're fucked up and walking home in the middle of the night".  Reminiscent of the under appreciated early 60s "frat rock" scene of the Pacific Northwest,  this is an absolutely vintage, blown-out garage rock record dripping with surfy delivery and subconscious hints of twisted psychedelia.  The album was written and recorded entirely by singer/guitarist John Barrett in his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, using minimal equipment and even less bullshit.  

The album is especially strong during its first half.  Nerve Jamming opens with pounding, lightening-fast drums and jagged angular power chords, wasting little time before cracking open into a headbanging scream-along chorus about wasting time (ironically) and blowing minds.  The pace doesn't let up at all as BDoD thrashes their way through the title track and into highlight third track Get Found.  The tune is driven by a grinding, muscular, guitar riff as the only constant as rest of the band jolts to brief stops for the sake of jumping back in and exploding into cathartic ferocity during the final minute.  Velvet Itch rounds things off with a comparatively slower pace as the guitar and drums bang along in unison to create a groovy, earth-shaking rumble while John screeches about talking to Elvis in his sleep.

Over the course of the second side of the album things slow down somewhat, literally in the case of standout track Spare Room.  It starts with the familiar Phil Spector drumbeat, slowed to the point of desperation by a sea of guitar grime and ominously trippy five-note bassline.  The energy returns with Young Pros, a bouncy, upbeat song that in some screwy alternate universe could have been huge in the 60s. Sunny guitar hooks and serenading verses are bracketed by a sky-opening chorus featuring doo-wop backing vocals and gleeful drum fills behind John's warped croon.

While the greatest appeal of this album undoubtedly lies in its raw, primitive musicianship and garagey recklessness, the vocals do more than their part to complete the package.  John bashes his way through the songs with a droning howl, dripping with reverb and overdriven from sheer volume.  He goes on about religious girls, demonic possession, drugs, depression, paranoia, and destruction while punctuating his phrasing with absolutely brilliant moments where he erupts into screeching cracks and yelps of excitement that sound like Little Richard on acid.

I had the opportunity to see Bass Drum of Death at the 7th St Entry shortly after this album dropped, and they did not disappoint.  John lead the charge behind an untamed mop of hair obscuring his entire face, which he couldn't be arsed to brush aside at any point.  It was oddly fitting though as the faceless ball of hair spat songs in much to passionate of a way to be entirely human.  They closed the show with a manic rendition of Nirvana's Territorial Pissings, and just about left the building and everyone inside in ashes.  While nothing could convey the chaos of this band in a live setting, the album does an admirable job of replicating the vibe.

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Track of the Day: Wavves - Demon to Lean On

San Diego's Nathan Williams, AKA Wavves, has been an interesting artist to follow over the years.  The project was conceived in 2008, when Williams self-recorded his first album using Garage Band and a 1980's cassette recorder, and began sharing the songs online.  Chock full of irreverent lyrics and buzzing (literally) with the unintentional distortion if clipped inputs, his debut and its followup were carried to prominence by widespread praise within the blogosphere.  In a strange way, the proudly amateur quality of the recordings complimented his summery melodies and snotty, self-deprecating sense of humor very well, and thus his signature aesthetic was born.  In 2010 Wavves brought this aesthetic into an actual recording studio for the first time,  and came out with his best album yet- the Fat Possum release and instant summer classic collection of slacker anthems known as King of the Beach.

Almost exactly two years later, Wavves is poised to strike once again with another step forward.  Earlier this week Williams released details on his upcoming album Afraid of Heights, due out March 26 on Mom + Pop Music.  He suggests that the album will move away from the sunburnt psychedelia of his previous work, instead turning his irreverence inward with darker and much more "real" musical and lyrical themes.  The noise and snotty delivery is still there, but the past couple years has clearly brought his cockiness down to earth somewhat, despite his obvious growth as a songwriter.  This is on high display on the brand new track Demon to Lean On, which embraces a a more straight-forward grungey sound and great pop sensibility.  

"The general theme of the record is depression and anxiety, being death-obsessed and paranoid of impending doom.  I feel like the narration is almost schizophrenic if you listen front to back; every word is important, even the constant contradictions and lack of self-worth.  That's all a part of this record- questioning everything not because I'm curious, but because I'm paranoid."  (Nathan Williams)

http://wavves.net/

Mom + Pop Music

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Track of the Day: Metz - Wet Blanket

Home recording is a beautiful thing.  Even if it the mix isn't just right, or if the processing is bad, here is a certain urgency and authenticity about a record made entirely out of one's own pocket.  Toronto trio Metz is a band that embraces that quality, but teamed up with a record label that knows a thing or two about optimizing it in Sub Pop Records.  The result is 29 minutes of artfully organized chaos known as their self-titled 2012 LP, spearheaded by standout track Wet Blanket.  Metz channels the spirit of Sub Pop's early grunge acts, particularly Mudhoney, and ups the ferocity with buzzsaw guitars that power along with overdriven feedback noise and frantic vocals delivered with manic recklessness.  

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My Bloody Valentine - Debut new song, suggest new album THIS WEEK

Consequence of Sound reports that My Bloody Valentine surprised an audience in London with the premier of a new song (referred to on the setlist as "Rough Song").  The surprises didn't end there however, as frontman Kevin Shields went on to respond to a fan's question by announcing that the new album, the near mythical hypothetical followup to 1991's legendary Loveless, will be released in "maybe two or three days".  Granted this must be taken with a sizable grain of salt given the out-of-nowhere (and noncommittal) nature of the announcement and prior comments about the new album coming out last year, but with a group like MBV it is definitely worth talking about.

As far as the new song goes, it is hard to base any early judgement on the low-quality fan video, but it sounds very much Loveless-esque, which is certainly a good thing.  The video of the performance, as well as Shield's claim can be seen below.

Too good to be true?  Sound off in the comments.

At any rate, this seems like a good time to give an old classic a nostalgically anticipatory spin:

Throwback Track of the Day: The Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly

Compared to most of The Lips' other material, it is easy to write off the closest thing they've had to a mainstream hit as a throwaway novelty song.  In my opinion though, it is a great reflection of their approach to the surreal and their ability to inject a healthy dose of weirdness and obscurity into the most conventional of song structures.  Crashing drums and distorted pedal steel noise lace what would otherwise be a straight forward singalong chord progression, and Wayne Coyne ratchets it up further with bizarre lyrics about the strange idiosyncrasies of particular people.  It's the type of lyrical riddle that begs for an allegorical meaning, but you know that there is none; it is simply an acknowledgement of absurdity, and the perfect soundtrack for a generation of kids that can't bring themselves to take the world seriously.

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Track of the Day: Milk Music - I've Got a Wild Feeling

Milk Music is definitely one of my favorite up-and-coming bands.  Out of Olympia, Washington, the group is a great throwback to the glory days of 1980s indie rock, when "hardcore" was transitioning into "alternative".  On this track especially, with the driving, melodic guitars and strained croon of the vocals, they sound like they could be the reincarnation of Minnesota legends Husker Du.  This is not a band that is gonna get cute with the hipster stuff, this is just classic no-bullshit American songcraft, delivered with authentic rawness and energy.  They are the type of band that you listen to and feel like you've stumbled upon the best rock band in the world when they're just jamming out in someone's basement without giving a damn.

After a handful of self-released EPs, Milk Music signed to Fat Possum just this week and delivered this gem of a single.  Their Fat Possum debut Cruise Your Illusion is set to be released on April 2nd.

Fat Possum Records

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Track of the Day: Dumbo Gets Mad - Eclectic Prawn

Imported from Italy, the duo Dumbo Gets Mad brings a fresh approach to the well-trodden territory of psychedelic rock.  It opens with three key loops that will continue throughout much of the song; a breezy, reverb-drenched electric guitar shuffle, sudsy, bubbling background synths, and the lazy bounce of the bassline.  The loops are soon joined by breathy, shoegaze-esque vocals.  The song builds gradually before opening up into a larger-than-life chorus section, and then continuing to explode into an amazing, fuzzed-out solo section at the bridge.  What I like so much about this song is that there is so much ambiance to it yet it is still engaging, without being at all provocative.  It's like when you dive under water at a public pool or beach- you can still sense everything going on above the surface, but as far as you're concerned, as you float within the water's embrace, everything else might as well be a million miles away.

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2013 Coachella Lineup Announced

After much speculation, Coachella has announced the official lineup for this year's edition of the legendary Southern California music festival.  As has come to be expected, the valley will be host to a veritable who's who of modern indie and alternative music during the two weekends in mid-April.  Some names to note at first look are the recently reunited britpop giants The Stone Roses and Blur, and perennial heavyweights Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, etc, not to mention the ageless Chili Peppers.  There also looks to be some nice draws for us Orgcore types, with Social Distortion, Dropick Murphys, Gaslight Anthem, Japandroids, Dinosaur Jr, and Descendents all on the bill.  Oh and of course, Milwaukee representatives The Violent Femmes.  Tickets go on sale HERE next Tuesday (1/29), grab one for me while you're at it.

The White Wires

Sometimes, that which may seem stale and boring in theory winds up being a pleasant breath of fresh air in practice.  Such is the case with The White Wires.  The 'Wires are an Ottawa-based garage rock trio who specialize in bouncy summer tunes straight out of 60s AM radio, with a healthy dose of garagey energy and recklessness.  Equal parts Cheap Trick and The Beach Boys, the band seems tailor-made to provide the soundtrack for your next pool party, sock hop, or anything else that demands a little bit of retro-minded fun.  Three-minute songs are almost unheard of for The White Wires; they need just enough time to bounce their way through a handful of well-crafted hooks and a little bit of self-aware snarkiness.  They came onto the scene in 2008 with a self-titled debut on Douchemaster Records, and in 2010 released the even better sophomore effort WWII on Dirtnap.

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