Category Archives for Alternative

Fun Home – “Knit Into Place”

(Photo Credit: bandcamp)

Grade: B+

Fun Home started as a folk duo, with twin sisters Sara and Rose Savage. Although they’ve since expanded the band to include Daniel Hagendorf on drums and Benjamin Gardner on bass, and have adapted a more emo/indie sound, their folk presence is still a strong influence on their new “Knit Into Home” EP, released on Broken World Media. Four of the five songs end on lightened, often acoustic rhythms. The vocals have an unfiltered sweetness to them, not usually akin to emo groups. And even the lengths of the songs reflect an indie-folk element – the longest is 3:03.

“Stay Inside,” the opener, is a sweet and light midtempo song, with a very distant and almost apathetic attitude to it, using electric guitars but only barely. “Felt So Tired,” meanwhile, has more of a driving energy. The energy comes from a pounding snare drum during the verses that counteracts a bigger sound during the chorus. “Felt So Tired” might be the EP’s best song, with beautiful lyrics paired with a heartful energy that’s equal parts emo and folk.

“Bad Weather,” the EP’s midpoint, is the most driving track. It leans closer to emo than any other one, with a more simple, louder rhythm and some powerful lyrics. “Falling Asleep On the Floor” acts almost as an interlude – acoustic, quiet and pretty – although it is definitely a standalone song, and a strong one. It’s a great follow-up to “Bad Weather,” and one that shows the band is equally effective at quiet rhythms as they are loud blasts. The final track, “I’m Not There,” is the strongest vocally, with a very catchy vocal chorus. The song is actually the weakest musically, but it is saved by the strength of the vocals.

It’s snowing where I am right now, and it makes the perfect backdrop for “Knit Into Place.” It’s a cold weather album (one song is called “Bad Weather”). It has a warm feeling, produced by beautiful melodies and acoustic work mixed in alongside escalating, electric volumes. Fun Home aren’t exactly a “Fun” band, but the EP is consistently sweet yet drastic, and although it might take a few listens to fully appreciate, all four members are obviously talented musicians. Through the fusing music and captivating lyrics, the band manages to sound like average people, recording music not for profit or to make a statement, just to make something of their own – a big part of the current emo movement. “Knit Into Place” shows a lot of potential. The blending of folk, indie and emo works nearly every time. Let “Knit Into Place” be part of your snowed-in soundtrack.

The album is available for cassette purchase here and for streaming and downloading here.

If you like this, try: Laura Stevenson & the Cans, any album. Though the band doesn’t sound all that much like the Cans, they have all the same elements: poppy, catchy rhythms that are vastly different on every track; devastating lyrics; strong, strong vocals.

-By Andrew McNally

together PANGEA – “Badillac”

(Photo Credit: stereogum)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Offer” “Depress”

together PANGEA’s previous full-length, “Living Dummy,” released when the band was still known simply as PANGEA, is an album I’ve listened to more times than I can count. It’s cohesive, fun, loud, silly and has low-key production – everything you want from a garage rock album. And every song is unique enough to make a perfect listen. On “Badillac,” the band – with a new name and on a new label – aim to diversify their music, while keeping a cohesiveness. “Badillac” isn’t as good as “Living Dummy,” but it still hits that goal.

The first song on “Badillac,” called “Alive,” sounds ripped out of rock radio instead of a California garage. It’s almost a mission statement – that the band is branching out and expanding their sound. The production is upped, although the vocals are still beautifully unintelligible sometimes. The songs are, at times, louder than ever before, or softer. More acoustic elements are incorporated, as is straight rock songwriting. The band explores their own sound, ending with a collection of songs that are more diverse, while still cohesive. The songs on “Badillac” don’t feel as related as they did on “Living Dummy,” but they don’t try to. The band set out to make more well-rounded songs, and they’ve done just that.

From a lyrical standpoint, “Badillac” is not as strong as “Living Dummy.” I’ll never forget the latter half of the first verse of “Make Me Feel Weeeird”: “Let’s talk about you now / What kind of guy is he? / You say he hates fags / Well I think he’d like me / Get bent / Get bent.” I’ve always loved the bluntness of the verse, but the lyrics are vaguer this time around. Simpler song titles – “Why,” “Alive,” “River,” “Offer” – symbolize this. The songs on “Badillac” are not as instantly memorable as before because of it. Not entirely, of course. “Badillac,” “Offer” and “Cat Man” still grab pretty quickly. But the album’s one major disappointment is the move towards more conventional lyrics.

Still, “Badillac” is a great release and will hopefully propel the band onto a bigger stage. It’s fun and it’s easy to revisit many times – all of their music is. together PANGEA are making their own thing out of garage rock, going beyond all limitations without losing the spirit. They’ve made a new identity and sound, while still resembling the old PANGEA. Hopefully they’ll keep the trend up – this could be their year.

-By Andrew McNally

Ummagma – “Rotation / Live and Let Die”

(Photo Credit: bandcamp)

Grade: B+

Ummagma are a little bit of an unconventional group – a sort of dreampop/shoegaze hybrid, consisting of just Shauna McLarnon from Canada and Alexx Kretov from Ukraine. McLarnon handles the lyrics and vocals, while Kretov tackles all of the instrumentation. The duo has released a single, containing “Rotation” and “Live and Let Die.” Both songs properly showcase their crossover sound in some memorable and easily listenable dreampop.

“Rotation” is a slow-building song. It starts with a low-key drum and synth beat, that kicks up around 35 seconds in. It’s centered around a repetitive synth beat, that seeps the song into a serious dreampop feel. McLarnon’s vocals sound swooping inside of a very condensed sound. The song’s medium energy and consistently full sound lend to a shoegaze resemblance, even if the guitar is only a slight factor. “Rotation” is ultimately the cross between dreampop and shoegaze, and it does both very well.

“Live and Let Die” is a much catchier song. It opens with a drum beat that’s already louder than the previous song’s peak. The song continues with the condensed, shoegaze type sound, but it features a guitar rhythm that’s much more resembling of a garage rock band. A heavier guitar presence lends to a dreamy sound, just one that’s more alt-based instead of pop. “Live and Let Die”s moderate tempo and medium volume acts as a compromise between dreampop and post-rock, and sounds familiar even though it really isn’t.

This is a very solid single, and a nice tease at anything the band might be working on. There seems to be a little something the songs are missing, just to pump up a little energy. But both songs are intricate and unique, combining a number of influences into an aura that sounds conventional until you really listen. They’re very easy songs to enjoy, dense without being unbreakable. Ummagma are doing their own thing; combining genres and doing it well. “Rotation / Live and Let Die” brings hope for whatever the band might release in the future.

The two songs are available for download and streaming here.

-By Andrew McNally

Weepikes – “We Are Weepikes”

Grade: A

Key Tracks: “Bad Valentine” “Flatliner”

“We Are Weepikes” is probably a very fitting name for the Finnish avant-pop group’s latest release. The band, which consists of Pasi Peni on vocals and guitar, Jyrki Lehto on guitar, Tomi Nuotio on bass and Ari Reiska Lehtinen on drums, is coming off a 13-year hiatus. Originally forming in 1994, they released a couple EP’s before disbanding in 1997. The reformed in 2010 and, after releasing a couple EP’s, dropped the longer “We Are Weepikes” in February of 2013.

The album has a distinct Lou Reed feel to it.  It is guitar-heavy, and stays melodic without venturing into catchy. Unlike most avant-pop groups, Weepikes focus more on the “avant” than the “pop.” Peni’s vocals align with Reed’s slightly gritty, melodic talk-singing. That’s the most apparent on “Flatliner,” a nearly six minute track of spoken word chaos.

“We Are Weepikes” has a little bit of a lo-fi feel to it, and the whole album has a heavy energy that resembles that of a 90’s alternative band. The last part of “Bad Valentine” has a particularly heart-pounding energy to it. Plus, the album is capped off with two remixes, and because they don’t exactly fit with the more straight-forward blasts before them, they actually strengthen the album’s avant feel.

“We Are Weepikes” has a hybrid alt-pop spirit, gleefully different without being too unapproachable. The band channels 60’s pop-rock and avant-garde, and every song is unique and memorable while still fitting in with every other song. It is simply a great release, and it won’t be attractive to everyone but it should fine a healthy audience.

The album can be streamed and purchased here.

If you like this, try: Another recent bandcamp release, The Raspberry Heaven’s “Nascent Meadows.”

-By Andrew McNally

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks – “Wig Out at Jagbags”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “Lariat” “Surreal Teenagers”

At 47, Stephen Malkmus is very much an adult. He has had nothing to prove for many years, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still play music. His last few releases have served little purpose other than establishing Malkmus as the reluctant adult he is. And that’s where “Wig Out at Jagbags” stands – it’s youthful, but definitely adult. Malkmus seems like a ‘cool dad’ that will take his kids to shows and steal the neighbors wifi. His most well-known project, Pavement, served as an antidote to to those turned off by Nirvana and Sonic Youth in the early 90′s – deceivingly catchier, while still grungy and ear-aching. But now, Malkmus is comfortable making fun and diverse alternative that’s never great, but is always an easy listen.

“Wig Out of Jigbags” has a little of everything, like a less stoned Kurt Vile. “Lariat” has keyboards. “Houston Hades” heavily features a trombone. “Rumble at the Rainbo” is a punk blast and “Surreal Teenagers” has volume shifts akin to the Pavement years. The album feels like a mission statement – Malkmus is committed to having fun in the studio. The music doesn’t have much to it, and it doesn’t have to. These are songs Malkmus wants to record, and damn if he isn’t going to.

Lyrically, too, the album reflects Malkmus’s life. Some songs, specifically “Cinnamon and Lesbians,” are steeped in poetry, but some are simply referential. “Lariat” frequently mentions listening to music from the greatest decade, without ever saying what it is, and namedrops Tennyson and the Grateful Dead in the same line. The album has plenty of songs about age – reminiscent odes to growing up, and songs about accepting it when it happens. It’s a playful record, one that accepts adulthood with the stipulation of continuing to look at life through the eyes of an inspired teen. Malkmus is only aging physically, and it’s evident in his consistent releases. “Wig Out at Jagbags” won’t gain many new fans, but the payoff is Malkmus knowing his audience.

If you like this, try: Lee Ranaldo & the Dust’s “Last Night on Earth” – Another fun and eclectic album recorded by an alt god stripped of his band.

MisterWives – “Reflections”

(Photo Credit: fistintheair)

Grade: A-

I had to choose wisely on which review should start off 2014. I couldn’t start with just anything. For a while, I’ve had a note in my phone that just says “MisterWives.” I’ll come across it occasionally and sometimes I can’t even remember what it means. But I had the pleasure of seeing MisterWives, kind of by chance. A Manhattan Fitz & the Tantrums concert was being reviewed for a paper I was writing for, and the promoter threw in tickets to see the band Pyyramids. It was a 21+ show, so I had to go in place of the usual reviewer. So it was like a bonus concert to a bonus concert. I found them inherently intriguing in a way most opening bands can only strive to be.

MisterWives, and their new EP “Reflections,” are in the same realm as Grouplove. Their music is soulful and fun, combining many influences at once. The result is a very complex sound made out of relatively easy parts. Each of the six tracks on “Reflections” is centered around easy rhythms on conventional instruments. But while one song sounds soulful, the next is more electro, and when one is vocal heavy, the next is focused on guitar. It’s a surprising balance for an EP of only six songs. They maintain a relaxed, fun and folksy sound throughout the balance.

The standout of the EP is the title track, which relies on some strong vocals. It has a resounding pop vocal harmony over a slightly funky guitar, and it sounds primed for crossover radio. Each track on the album, in it’s own way, sounds ready for radio – it’s telling that all six songs range from 3:06-3:33. But they stand out enough to make for a promising debut. I’m a little ashamed I didn’t get to see their full set now, so I’d like to highly encourage you to seek out MisterWives yourselves. “Reflections” is a fun and carefree release with some genuinely original songwriting.

If you like this, try: Grouplove, whose song “Shark Attack” was #20 on my 2013 list. (Incidentally, Pyyramids also made the list, with “Don’t Go” at #28. That was a productive concert for me.)

-By Andrew McNally

The Raspberry Heaven – “Nascent Meadows”

(Photo Credit: bandcamp)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Substance” “Meadow & Her Missing Wolf”

I don’t know of anyone, myself included, that’s been clamoring for a hybrid of pop melodies and emo sympathies, but that’s what makes the Raspberry Heaven sound so engaging – it’s something you didn’t know you wanted to hear until it starts playing. The band, independent and based out of Ontario, is self-described as “sad pop,” a misnomer that describes their music pretty accurately. It’s the soft subtleties of traditional pop, with the sadness and occasional lack of restraint of emo.

While some current emo-leaning bands are pushing up the volume, “Nascent Meadows” never gets much above a speaking level. Uninformed listeners could mistake “Nascent Meadows” as some sort of a lo-fi project, but it’s simply a reserved album. This is where the pop element comes in – nearly every song is kicked off by piano or acoustic guitar, creating a warm sound. The music is engaging, which strengthens the lyrics.

And that’s where some of the album’s more emo qualities come in. The lyrics are honest and personal, poetic and original. The album deals with rough topics, and it feels reflective of the people on the other side. Musically, the album treads into some different territories. “Substance” has a bit of a guitar wall at the beginning, and saves room for some gang vocals (as do a few other moments on the album). The album feels reminiscent of some of today’s lighter emo bands, if they decided to take a semi-departure from the genre.

What makes so many great albums work is hearing the musicians behind it feel invested in what they’re doing. The Raspberry Heaven – made up of Michael Hansford on Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Piano and Percussion, Jamie Chute on Vocals, Guitar and Keyboards, Rian Gravelle on Vocals, Darcy Robichaud on Guitar and Vocals, and Phillip Child on Percussion – are passionate about the music they’re creating. “Nascent Meadows” is very real and honest, and it’s evident that the band put a lot of effort into the making of the album. It’s soft and personal, and it only expands when it feels the need to. It’s a very interesting release – it seems to exist in a genre that feels foreign to listeners but natural to them. It’s got a haunting foundation-less deja vu because of it. “Nascent Meadows” will make you feel right at home, in a place you’ve never been.

The album can be streamed on their bandcamp page.

-By Andrew McNally

Human Colonies – “Demo EP”

Grade: B+

Human Colonies, a four-piece out of Bologna, Italy, have a sound that’s a healthy mix of shoegaze and dream-pop. Their Demo EP manages to showcase a few different influences over just four songs and fourteen minutes in what’s a promising debut. The band consists of Giuseppe Mazzoni on guitar and vocals, Roman Dagner on guitar, Davide Hare on drums and Sara Telesca on bass.

The EP’s first track, Sunshine Jesus, actually starts with a more traditional rock beat, courtesy of the rhythm section. The vocals are buried under a wall of fuzz in a typical shoegaze sound. But, with the driving beat and the short 2:21 length, it comes off as a unique, shoegaze/pop-punk hybrid track. Follow-up “Hey You” has a much slower tempo, with vocals just as distant. The song feels a little too restrained, although it opens up to a full band feeling in the last minute. The third song, “Falling Deeper,” might be the best of the four, taking on a more rigid, post-rock sound. It’s a tense song, and almost totally devoid of lyrics. The band instead really explores the space while confining themselves to a repetitive rhythm. The song hovers much closer to post-hardcore than to shoegaze. Finally, “Cross” is the most shoegaze-resembling song on the EP. It’s a very slow song that makes use of the non-stop guitars to build a relentless wall of sound. It’s a little draining, in the way shoegaze should be.

The band has a surprisingly polished sound, for a young band. They probably benefit from having an intentionally fuzzy and distorted sound, but the production sounds better than expected. Throughout the EP, they really explore their surroundings, bringing together a bunch of hyphenated sub-genres into a good listen. Because each song focuses in a bit of a different direction than the previous one, the flow between tracks is a little jaunting. Luckily each song engages quickly so it really isn’t a major issue. All in all, it’s a great demo, and one I’d recommend.

You can find the EP on the band’s bandcamp and soundcloud pages, and you can find them on Facebook.

If you like this, try: Pity Sex’s “Feast of Love.” They can get a little repetitive, but it’s another shoegaze crossover album.

-By Andrew McNally

Jake Bugg – “Shangri La”

(Photo Credit: http://www.entertainmentwise.com)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Slumville Sunrise” “What Doesn’t Kill You”

When Bob Dylan went electric at Newport Folk Festival, he shocked audiences and divided his fanbase. Bugg, the 19 year-old from the UK, might just be trying to do the same. His self-titled debut came out in Britain this week last year (and in April in America), but he’s already got his second album out. The leadoff single, “What Doesn’t Kill You,” is single-handedly louder than any song from “Jake Bugg,” sounding more like a 70′s garage-punk song than a 60′s rock-and-roll one. There’s more electric on this album, and there’s more balance. It’s a fun, nostalgia-driven album with no real low points.

The average length of a song from “Jake Bugg” looks to be around 2:30-2:45. On “Shangri La,” it’s closer to 3:00. It’s not much of a difference, but it shows. Bugg expands on this album. While his first album was full of enjoyable ’60′s throwbacks, it got too repetitive. “Shangri La” has a balance between quick, energetic blasts and well-developed ballads. “All Your Reasons,” the longest song across either album, even allows for a lengthy musical bridge. And while some of the album’s opening tracks are a little louder and faster than his previous songs, the album ends with some songs that are slower and softer.

Bugg’s influences are defined here – he was raised on classic rock and garage rock. It’s just as evident here as it was before, and it makes for a delightful throwback. There’s plenty of artists doing 60′s nostalgia, but with their own modern flairs. Bugg’s only real flairs are a combination of older influences, and crisper production (courtesy of the ubiquitous Rick Rubin). Otherwise, his simple and energetic music actually sounds original amidst a sea of bands trying to be more and more complex.

It’s still a little much – it’s a great listen that doesn’t take up much time, but there are still some moments that get a little repetitive. The album’s midpoint has a few tracks that are great on their own, but don’t particularly stand out on an album format. Still, that barely deters “Shangri La” from being a great and varied album. It’s an album that won’t get old fast. Pretty much everything works on “Shangri La,” and things are looking up for the young Jake Bugg.

-By Andrew McNally

Veenstra – “People & The Woods”

(Photo Credit: bandcamp)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “I’m Sorry, I’m Lost” “The Hollow Realm”

“People & The Woods” is the third album in a trilogy – you can find my review of the second album, “Six Months of Death,” here – and it largely feels like the ending to a progressing narrative. It does what any finale to a trilogy should do, it kicks it up a notch. The album, much like the two previous, is wickedly lo-fi. It was all written and recorded by Francois Veenstra, and it often has the tone of an ambitious solo project. The trilogy isn’t exactly a happy one, as this album deals with finding yourself suddenly alone. While maybe not as existential of a topic as before, it’s one that’s just as striking.

This album has more of a band feel to it, although it is still a solo act. There are full band instruments on more of the tracks than before. For a finale, Veenstra wanted to go for a more cohesive feel. The album has a great balance because of it, with shorter, more ambient pieces intersecting some more traditional tracks. And the heaviness of the album’s story gets transferred through the varying volumes. Each sound, be it guitars, vocals, bass, drums, all are elements of the story. They’re never working against each other, instead complementing each other and working to fill a story. He continues to show an ability to switch up an album before any certain idea gets too old, providing for a very satisfying listen. It’s interesting that the album has just as much of a dreamy feel, despite the added instruments. Even with the increase, the album feels more sparing, more distant than before, and it helps it to feel just as lonely as the character.

The only real criticism I can muster is a slight dissatisfaction with the final track, “Mirror Lake.” Veenstra’s longer songs have often been some of the bigger opuses of the albums, but the song is instrumental and softer. On a purely sonic level, I was a little disappointed in a more subdued track to end the trilogy. But even then, I understand it on a level dealing with the album’s dark themes. Having a lighter, more ambient finale is a little haunting when you take the tone into account. Otherwise, I think it’s another solid experimental, lo-fi album. It won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s very good for those that it will. It’s a great finale, full of existential dream-pop and lo-fi rock that’ll likely stick in your mind for a while.

The album is available here.

-By Andrew McNally