Things Behind the Sun

Well, look at that...Lancaster, PA has more to offer than Amish people, Magic the Gathering conventions, and farmer's markets. From their Myspace:

"Things Behind The Sun is a Lancaster-based Indie Rock band made up of four beardless men who had a dream. A dream of making great music, and of one day having beards that would rival those of kings. Giving up on the latter part, they decided to write some music - with unconventional instrumentation featuring the unique timbres of violin and cello, driving rhythms and catchy choruses, emotional melodies and climaxes, and mood-evoking lyrics. The debut EP "The Beards of Kings" will be released sometime in late 2010."

 This also prompted this drawing in an email:

Yes, my friends, this is an emo cello. Do not let said cello fool you, though, this indie-rock quartet is oh-so-much more than that. However, I AM a sucker for a good cello.


They're insanely infectious. In fact, I think I'll have to apologize to my friends and co-workers in advance, because they only have four tracks up on their Myspace and I've been consistently listening to them on repeat since the later hours of the morning. You can actually download one of their songs, "Captured in Colors" for free. Well, not free I guess, but in exchange for a simple Tweet or Facebook post. It's well worth it.

Falling into this new, "Baroque Rock", folk category with bands like the Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons, and Iron and Wine, Things Behind The Sun is a welcome addition to my music collection. While they are similar to other bands when it comes to the music, Jordan Taylor's voice owns. Imagine that Maynard Keenan and Serj Tankian had a baby. And that it's an angel. That's Jordan Taylor. Maybe the lack of beard helps. A lot of these singers are mumbling lyrics at you through the thickest of hipster beards, see?

 

Robin Pecknold from the Fleet Foxes

Sam Beam from Iron & Wine

Colin Meloy from The Decemberists

And that's just three examples! Look how delightfully beardless Things Behind the Sun are!

I think we can now make the informed decision that naked faces make better rockers. Wow, this blog went totally off tangent...

Long story short: Things Behind the Sun is an awesome, awesome band and you should check them out. Also: PA REPRESENT! Keep an eye out for their debut album, "The Beards of Kings" coming soon!

OWL – Chants (The Vibrations in the Streets Keep Me Weak in the Knees)

Not Owl City, but it’s driving me crazy that OWL’s first single is “Modern Eyes”. Owl City, Ocean Eyes. Come on now. Thankfully, OWL is good enough to make me look past that. From their Myspace:

Originally starting as a bedroom recording project between Vanessa Murnaghan and Matthew Macdonald (The Superfantastics) in August 2008, Owl quickly made their way across internet music blogs, into rotation at indie dance nights, and onto the stage.
With Matthew’s electronic arrangements that evoke equal amounts of MGMT and The Postal Service, combined with Vanessa’s warm melodies and laid back delivery, Owl will make you want to cuddle in a warm blanket with some hot chocolate.
Owl will make you want to dance in the middle of the street with your best friend during an Atlantic Canadian snowstorm.
Owl will make you want to throw a surprise party for a complete stranger.
Owl will make you want to bake a batch of cookies, but then eat all of the dough before the oven is heated to the proper temperature.
Owl will then tuck you in to bed because your tummy hurts, and apologize for the cookie dough incident.

I find this to be true. I want to do all of those things, especially the cookie dough one. They’re another one in a long list of bands that I’ve been hooked on lately and I’m beginning to see a pattern here. Bitter:Sweet, The Bird and the Bee, Jem, Owl City and the Postal Service. I love electronic indie-pop bands. I just can’t help myself. They were the natural progression of emo, and we all know I’m a giant emo kid. Okay, maybe you didn’t know that, but you know it now.

The duo from Halifax, Nova Scotia have released their first EP, Chants (The Vibrations in the Streets Keep Me Weak in the Knees) and you can download it for absolutely free here. I love free things! So should you! Charmingly sweet vocals and catchy melodies are keeping this album on repeat for me. MacDonald creates a soothing, aquatic quality while Murnaghan’s soft voice carries that melody along and gets it embedded directly in your brain parts. I’ve had “Morning Eyes” stuck in my head for two days now, only with small breaks for “Sandi with an I’s Song” and “Airport”.

Seriously, guys, what do you have to lose? The album’s free, and even if you don’t want to download it, it’s available on their Myspace. Take a minute and check out OWL, they’re certainly worth the time. B!

All the Right Moves – Self Titled

Formerly The Evermore Escape, All the Right Moves is another one of those bands (much like Go Periscope) that I simply can’t believe aren’t signed yet. Some record company is gonna snatch them right on up.
All the Right Moves is one of those bands that I hate to love. They’re not even pop-punk…they’re power-pop-punk. They try just thatmuchharder. Their debut, eponymous EP was released alllllll the way back in 2008, but the quintet from Minneapolis, Minnesota is currently working on a new album, due out sometime this year.

This album is everything you would expect a power pop album to be, but with just a little bit more. From the slightly ska-driven slash surfer rock “Wildfire” to the oh-so-painfully emo “Mona Lisa”, it’s just…fun. It’s a carefree, loose, enjoyable album. It’s cliche, it’s been done to death, it sounds like a million albums that have been out for years, and goddamn is it catchy. I just can’t help myself, but I’m a giant emo bastard. On the plus side, it’s not just a bass, a guitar, a drum set, and some kid whining into a microphone…they do apparently have some variety including piano and some kick-ass violin. I’ve heard of them referred to as a “piano rock band” and that’s a huge lie. It’s no Something Corporate, but it’ll do.

Another bonus? Solid quality. Produced by Jordan Mark Schmidt (All Time Low, Automatic Loveletter, Sing It Loud), this album is all neatly wrapped and ready for the masses and the radio stations and the screaming 15 year old girls. I have a feeling that these guys are gonna start popping up all over the place. They’ve already won some battle of the bands thing for Pizza Hut (kinda weird, I know, but hey, that’s how you get your name out there right!?), have had a few spots on the Warped Tour circuit, and have consistently stayed in the Top Ten over on Smartpunk.com. If you love shitty emo punk as much as I do, definitely check out All the Right Moves. You can get their debut EP on iTunes right now for super cheap, or you can stream it for free on their Myspace. B

Broken Bells – Self Titled

So I know I’m a little late with this and have been a terrible blogger, BUT…
Dear Indie Geeks, rejoice in the knowledge that James Mercer loves you. He loves you SO MUCH.

Ever since I heard about the insane collaboration of The Shins‘ James Mercer and the utterly fantastic Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, I have been waiting not-so-patiently for their eponymous debut. Oh, how I love Danger Mouse. His collection of works, remixes, and ventures just makes me drool a little. From remixing Neutral Milk Hotel (of all bands) to Jay-Z to Gorillaz to Gnarls Barkley, the guy’s the goddamn Midas of the music industry. Add that to the incredibly talented indie-rock-god, James Mercer and it’s simply sublime.

So many people have been disappointed in this album and I’m really not sure why. Yes, it’s slightly over-produced, but it is James Fucking Mercer (that’s his real middle name in case you didn’t know) and Danger Mouse…what the hell did you expect? For them to make this album in their garage? Sorry, hipsters, that’s just not the way it works.

The blend of hip-hop roots and indie sensibility is just seamless. Who ever thought that that would come out of me? Really. It does seem that Mercer is the main attraction of this album, but you can really hear the themes of the vintage-inspired Burton. From the pop culture friendly “The High Road” to the nearly falsetto “The Ghost Inside” to the 80′s synth beat laden “October”, I love this album.

The only thing that I can possibly find to complain about is the length…at a mere 30 minutes, I just find myself really getting into the groove before the album starts over. Well, there’s rumored to be a new Shin’s album on the way, so perhaps we’ll get a larger James Mercer fix then. In the meantime, definitely take that half hour out of your day to check out this album. Absolutely incredible. B

Check out the complete album over on their Myspace.

Go Periscope – Self Titled

A year and a half after production began, Go Periscope has officially released their first, self-titled album! Hooray!

This album seems to begin with the songs that they’ve been pushing for months on all of their sites (see: previous blog) including “Crush Me”, “Breathe Deception”, “No Chaser” and Emily”, but dives into some totally new tracks. At least for the masses.

Even since I first covered them in November, the Seattle duo has spread like the herpes virus, popping up on Top Spot USA‘s list of breaking artists, MTV’s The Real World, and Oxygen’s The Bad Girls Club, all the while still rocking radio stations like Fusion Radio Chicago and C89.5 Seattle. Keep in mind that all this action is occurring around their first, self-released album. Imagine what’s going to happen when these guys get signed. It’s bands like Go Periscope that make me appreciate the fact that I don’t listen to the radio. I don’t want to get sick of them, and they’re an incredibly marketable band. Look at Owl City. I would hate Owl City if I listened to the radio. David Guetta, too! I don’t blame the artists, I blame the radio stations for not playing more than four tracks on a regular basis.

Anyway, back to the album. This is a solid freshman effort, especially for being self-released. It sounds spectacular. The only qualm I have about it is the song order. They put the majority of songs that they’ve pre-released at the beginning, leaving the new tracks at the end. What’s going to happen is that everyone who has been listening to them for the past few months are going to listen to the first few tracks, then begin the album over again. If you hadn’t listened to them in advance, this probably wouldn’t happen. I’m just hoping people listen to this album all the way through because it’s really quite good.

It’s got all the pumps, thumps, and grunts needed on the dance floor, infectious beats, just enough sex appeal without being raunchy, not to mention two adorable guys. These guys have really just…got it. I love this wave of new electronic and electronically inspired artists coming out these days! Go Periscope is on the forefront of something huge, so check ‘em out! You can find their album on Amazon and iTunes right now! B!

The Soft Pack – Self Titled

Oooooooh, I know what I’ll be singing into my hairbrush and dancing like Molly Ringwald to later…The Soft Pack’s new, self-titled album released earlier this month. Formerly “The Muslims”, looks like the boys of The Soft Pack finally grew up enough to know that controversy isn’t all that grand. Thankfully, their music hasn’t changed. It’s still that gritty “I don’t give a fuck” punk with a little bit of SoCo surfer and just a sprinkling of garage rock.

Formerly of San Diego, the Los Angeles residents seem to finally be making it to the main scene and I think the new name really helps. Post 9/11, you get a lot of ignorant assholes out there. According to the band, when they formed, the name meant “nothing to them”. Well, it certainly means something to everyone else now.

Anyway, this album’s awesome. This album reeks of cassette tapes and cigarettes and hair glue. It’s delicious. It’s got it’s poppier numbers such as the opener, “C’mon”, vaguely reminiscent of The Strokes. What ever happened to those guys, anyway? On the other side, it’s got grittier, garage rock tracks like “Answer to Yourself”.

It’s excellently…simple. It takes rock and roll to a stripped down level of just the very best parts. With basic guitars and too-cool-to-care vocals, you really don’t need much else to make a good punk album.

The quartet is currently touring over in Europe, but I’d love to catch them live. This albums seems like it would translate into a great, energetic show. The kind that makes life-long fans, even if you’ve never heard of The Muslims. Check ‘em out! B

The Soft Pack’s Site

Honeycut – The Day I Turned To Glass

Excuse me, I love them. And once again, I love Current TV for telling me about them. Three pieces with a full sound are a serious weak point for me. Also, Honeycut’s got it. What is “it” you ask? Well, it is THE FUNK.

Part of Quannum Projects, the San Franciscans are intertwined with such awesome people including Blackalicious, Chief XCel, and DJ Shadow. Unfortunately, since their first album, The Day I Turned To Glass was released in 2006, they haven’t released a full length album.

Dear Honeycut, I WANT MOOOOOOORE!

This album has a lot of the elements I wanted to hear in the new Sade album, Soldier of Love. It’s got some groovalicious tracks to make sweet love down by the fire to, total chill out, to tracks like “The Day I Turned to Glass”, very Blackalicious mixed with Gorillaz. Then, there’s “Aluminum City”. CANNOT get enough of this track! Or the strings in this track. Luscious! This album is downright sexy. It’s what Jamiroquai would be making now, had he not gone all creepy on us. It’s amazing how versatile this album is. The downtempo tracks are so chill and the upbeat tracks are so catchy and there’s just such a nice blend between the two.

From what I remember from that show on Current, they came together on a connection to soul and you can really tell. They go straight up bossa nova a few times. It makes me sad that more people don’t know who they are. Like Go Periscope, these guys are gonna be HUUUUGE. Make more music, Honeycut. Please. A!

Check them out over on their site.

Them Crooked Vultures – Self Titled

Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age have come together to have a very musically talented, if not a little deranged, love-baby. Compromised of Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), this band is…

Well, it’s three badass musicians rocking out. Three generations of rock and roll pumping directly into your brain. This album is a blend of both Zeppelin and QotSA inspired tunes, but with some decidedly original tracks thrown in there. This album is FULL of music. Every inch of space is filled with rich and expert sound. Every beat from Dave Grohl’s hands is perfectly placed. Every note from Jones’ reverberating bass is perfect. Every strum and lyric of Homme’s is wholly amazing, lilting in and out of incredibly composed pieces of music…

As for the album, self-titled and just released yesterday, it’s an ebb and flow of music. Rising and ebbing in unmatched waves, bringing you up and down just enough to keep you riveted until the very end. The bi-product of three genius minds, all equally obsessed with music.

That being said: I don’t like it.

I’ve been waiting for this album for weeks? Months? Ever since I first heard of this collaboration of hard rock glory. It was supposed to be the album of the year. The defining moment of 2009′s musical history…and I just don’t get it.

I understand where they’re trying to go with it, but I just don’t like it. I do find myself more drawn to the Zeppelin inspired tunes, “New Fang”, “Elephants”, “Reptiles”, the more trippy, 70′s inspired tracks. Some tracks on here are just plain fucking weird, though. “Caligulove”? Really?

Alright, look. I really want to like this album. I want to like all music, it just doesn’t work out that way. I’m still giving this album a B, because it IS original and it is musically superior to so much of the utter shit that the music industry churns out anymore. It’s just not my cup of tea.They look like tons of fun live though…Dave Grohl is an animal on the drums.

The Them Crooked Vultures Site

Signal to the Ocean Estate – Tunes for the Bird of Chittenden

Pittsburgh locals, Signal to the Ocean Estate, have released their debut album, Tunes for the Bird of Chittenden. I am shocked at how good this album is. Really. I don’t know why I’m so shocked that it’s good, Pittsburgh has a really awesome local music scene.
Perhaps, it’s just been too many years since I’ve been directly in it. Years and years ago, if you needed to find me, you would look at the nearest all ages local show. What the hell else is there to do when you’re under 21 and in the suburbs?

I am ashamed! Ashamed I tell you! Why did I not know about all these awesome bands currently rocking out in Pittsburgh, including Signal to the Ocean Estate?! I seriously got this album yesterday afternoon and have not stopped listening to it since. It has this indie/experimental yet familiar vibe to it. As per the band’s Myspace, their influences include Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists, Radiohead, The Beatles, Cake, Nine Inch Nails, and a ton of other seemingly unrelated people. That’s what makes Signal so great. Not a single song on this album sounds the same.

Also, I can’t believe the rich sound that they have on this album for technically being a three piece. (And for those of you who know me, you know my penchant for three pieces!) Like the track, “Tribute to the Capital”, a politically driven doo-wop revival. By the end, it’s just a cacophony of friends and family and sounds like a silly good time to me. If you don’t find yourself at least smiling to this song, you don’t have a pulse. This is my favorite album on this song because they just sound like they’re having so much fun making it, and isn’t that supposed to be what it’s all about? I’ll admit it, I danced to this song in my kitchen last night while doing dishes…what?

Other super awesome tracks on this album include, “Ghost Town”, an obvious hit with a parasite of a chorus. Once it’s in your brain, you’re fucked. I love the vocals on this one as well. They kind of remind me of Brand New, in the Your Favorite Weapon days (the best ones!). Also, check out the video for this one at the bottom of the page. Fucking rad, right? Incredibly well made and creepily awesome.

“In Heaven” has a sultry Nick Cave/early Marilyn Manson quality to it. The only qualms I have about this album, and I’m not sure if it’s the singer or the productions, is the low volume of the vocals. These guys can sing and they should do it loud and proud, dammit. But maybe that’s just me.

And then…there’s “Hope”. What is that? Is that a fucking ukulele I hear? I fucking love ukuleles! (Don’t worry, this isn’t the only song with it, either). Also, some sweet female backing vocals. I’m game.
“The Ocean” was definitely not one of my favorite tracks when I first heard this album, but it’s quickly growing on me. You can see the Radiohead influence in this song. It’s like when you’re tripping…this is what colors sound like. Kind of like all of Ruby Vroom from Soul Coughing.

The album ends with “Wings”, a spectacular male/female duet, hauntingly sweet. Another thing about the album is how well it’s assembled. I don’t think there’s any better way for the tracks to be positioned on this album. It has a swell and ebb better than I’ve heard in a long time. From people who are signed with big record deals.

All in all, these guys are really fucking awesome. It’s great to see such talent pumping out of Pittsburgh (again). Definitely check them out! They have a show coming up at The Brillobox tomorrow night with The Slant and The Central Plains. Support the Pittsburgh local music scene! A!

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The W's - Fourth From the Last

Ahhh, Christian ska bands, how I miss thee. This album was released in 1998, amidst the popularity of bands like Squirrel Nut Zippers, Five Iron Frenzy, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra. It's a shame that The W's kind of got lost in that third-wave ska/swing era, because damn they're good. Kind of like The Cheese, awesome band far before their time, and another reason I can cite for hating the Nirvana/grunge movement.

The amount of information on these vast intertubes about The W's is meager and sad. Really. Google them and you'll get one page of results. At least their Wikipedia entry is half decent. Thank you to whoever made that page. If you search Wikipedia for The Cheese, you get nothing...except some results from Wisconsin.

Onto the band...formed in 1996 in Corvallis, Oregon, they became an immediate hit in the Christian market, touring with Five Iron Frenzy and DC Talk, eventually doing the "Holy Rollers Tour" with The Insyders, playing skating rinks across the country. They even had a song on Veggie Tales. Ooooh creepy, talking Christian vegetables! If you're really bored one day, go watch Larry-Boy and the Rumour Weed, and listen for "The Rumour Weed Song".

The band broke up in 2000 after releasing only two albums, this (in case you're dense, W is the fourth from the last letter in the alphabet) and The Trouble With X.

This debut album from The W's is fun, slightly religious and downright silly sometimes, as all ska should be. Really, the only "religious" songs on this album are "Moses", "The Devil Is Bad", and "Open Minded", the latter two being two of the best songs on the album. Then you have "The King of Polyester". You're just not a ska band until you've sung about polyester.

This album has those swanky vocals and blaring horns that remind me of being 14 years old, skanking my ass off in friends' basements sipping warm PBR and smoking Lucky Strikes. Jesus (no pun intended), just look at the cover. I can SMELL the hair wax. Plus,  I've always had a soft spot for those young Christian boys. I should have been a priest.

Also, I love horns! Honestly, you can get a copy of this album for $3.32 on Amazon right now, INCLUDING shipping. Just do it. B

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLO2-_emvDY&hl=en&fs=1&]

They don't even have a website, so here's their Wikipedia entry.

Rhett Miller - Mythologies

Mythologies You will see that I did link to this album on Amazon, but you won't find it there...

I even tried to find a link on EBay, nothing.

I am a rare album junkie I have decided. It's an addiction. It started with Y Kant Tori Read and it's gone to Rhett Miller's Mythologies. I have tracked this album down and it makes me smile.

This album was released in 1989, making Mr. Miller a mere 18 years old. How. Freaking. Adorable. It's amazing listening to this album back to back with his new release Rhett Miller. On Mythologies, it's like a little window into the future of the Old 97's front man. Naked, acoustic tracks and perhaps a slight British accent on Miller? Who knew. "Iron Child", "Song for Truman Capote", and "Still They Sing" easily could have been on The Instigator, Miller's first well-known solo album. I love his acoustic stuff. I was actually a little disappointed in The Believer for that point, but it did quickly grow on me. I'd love to see him do an acoustic solo show again. Then again, I'm just a sucker for anything acoustic.

He does have a few awkward teen moments with "Honey In My Tea" and "Days Between Stations" but obviously, he can hold his own in the music industry. If you can find one of the 1,000 hand numbered copies, sell a limb. It's like a fountain of youth in Rhett Miller Land. A!

Rhett Miller's Site, though you won't find any mention of this album on there.

Tori Amos Two-Fer! Abnormally Attracted to Sin and Y Kant Tori Read

Holy shit do I love Tori Amos' new album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin. Tori's got her groove back, hardcore! I do have to admit that I was less than pleased with the last few albums. I mean, they were good, just not up to Tori standards. I think she was getting back into the swing of things with American Doll Posse, but this album takes the cake.

Tori's 10th studio album brings her to...trip hop? Holy shit, I love this album. If it wasn't for her distinct vocals, I would mistake this album for Portishead. (This album is definitely better than Third BTW.) Perhaps it was the jump from Epic to Universal Republic that allowed this new, electronically inspired Tori. Well, they did give her full artistic independence, so I'm sure it didn't hurt!

It is said that Tori released The Piano as sort of a last round-up of her works before moving in an entirely new direction, but this record definitely has the ghosts of albums past. "Strong Black Wine" could just have easily been on Little Earthquakes, while "Curtain Call" could have been on To Venus and Back. It's like Little Earthquakes, From the Choirgirl Hotel, and To Venus and Back had a little vinyl baby, but made only with the greatest parts of those albums. And I'm not really that big a fan of To Venus and Back.

This album finds Tori's already amazing voice harmonized with symphonies of violins as well as curious, ambient, electronic noise. In two words: trip-hop goodness!

She does have a few throw backs to the olden days, intoning songs like, "Maybe California", a whole new perspective from Tori on motherhood, done in the classic vocal style that Tori does so well.

All in all, this album is fucking fantastic! Hooray for Tori! A!



While shopping for Abnormally Attracted to Sin, I came across Y Kant Tori Read! Yes, I finally found it! This album makes me smile. It's amazing that Tori has had this musical path carved out for herself for over two decades! Granted, most songs sound straight from the final scene in a cheesy 80's teen flick, but that's how it was supposed to sound back then!

I don't understand why this album was so poorly received. Hot chick, big hair,  killer synth...the epitome of great 80's music! There's even a song about PIRATES!!!! Everyone should have a song about pirates!

I love the dirty, little, religiously rebellious Tori of those days. Twenty-one years old, playing piano in smoky little bars, full of piss and vinegar. It's amazing to see how far she's come since 1985.

If you can find it, I highly recommend this album. And it's kind of a necessity for any long-time Tori fans. This album also gets an A!

Tori Amos' Site