“Born to Lose” is the first single from Sleigh Bells’ upcoming second album Reign of Terror, out this February. Judging by this single, listeners can expect the same sort of cheerleader-like vocal chants and voraciously fuzzy guitar riffs found on 2010’s Treats, their widely acclaimed debut full-length. Fun stuff as usual.

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Feathers are four girls from Brisbane creating infectious lo-fi dream-pop. While some of their songs are lively and upbeat, a large number are darker and based on harmony rather than rhythm. Hunter’s Moon is an album full of different moods and well-executed hooks, not to mention some great vocal performances that are far from gender-specific.

I’m generally a fan of music where the singer’s gender is indistinguishable, like the recently featured Black Partridge. Upon my first listening of “Darklands” I did not realize it was an all-girl group. The poppy guitar deliveries are reminiscent of bands like Girls and Malajube, and the vocals tout a similar punch as well, but the gender was still enjoyably indiscernible. The majority of Feathers’ songs are hazy pop gems with plenty of replay appeal and “Darklands” is no exception.

Feathers utilize many intricately evolving harmonies that resound with an art-rock punch. This tactic helps to give them a full sound, almost as if their voices are making up for the absence of an orchestra. “Early Morning” begins with a collective voice. The song is much slower than tracks like “Darklands”, with a chill intentionally drawn-out vibe, whereas “Cruel For Love” applies a rhythm section reminiscent of post-punk greats like Joy Division.

I look forward to seeing what Feathers release next. A comfortable and dazed album is always in high demand for those lazy days, and along with the likes of Beach House and Toro y Moi this group could be your next best bet.

RIYL: Beach House, Joy Division, Girls, Malajube, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, Twin Sister, Grizzly Bear, Wild Nothing, Best Coast, Beach Fossils, Cults, Tennis

MP3: Feathers – Darklands

MP3: Feathers – Cruel For Love

Feathers – Early Morning

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I have no complaints about post-punk fetishism. If an artist justifies their attempts to replicate the dark, grumbling moodiness of bands like The Chameleons UK or Joy Division, then listeners are generally treated to polished songwriting that parallels styles arising from primitive psychedelic-rock. Post-punk, shoegaze, and indie-rock show frequent tributes to early forms of psychedelic-rock – like that of 13th Floor Elevators, The Beatles, and The Byrds – and often serve as a gateway for older listeners struggling to identify with modern indie-rock sensations in the vein of Phoenix or Vampire Weekend. Recent notables – like the post-punk of Twin Shadow, Tamaryn’s shoegaze, and Beach House’s mixture of both – find success among young and older listeners alike because their music offers some classic familiarities while staying faithful to the “indie-rock” tag that permits contemporary production techniques. An all-girl rock group from LA by the name of Warpaint looks to be joining that venerable list with their outstanding new album, The Fool.

The ethereal guitar tone fuzzy bass in the gripping “Undertow” resembles the spacey guitar work of artists like The Smashing Pumpkins or The Cure, particularly on respective albums like Siamese Dream or The Head on the Door. The increase in hi-hats around the 02:30 mark signals a snazzy twist, with the lethargic pacing of moody guitars transitioning to a quicker flurry of angular guitar chords. “Runnin’, runnin’, runnin’,” Emily Kokal repeats, “from the troubles.” The howl that complements the plea here is pretty spine-tingling, as is the percussively involved conclusion. Tracks like this and the fluttering arpeggio-led “Warpaint” remind me distinctively of Deerhunter, who produce an unrivaled blend of indie-rock and post-punk that does not confine itself to the stereotypes of either. Comparisons to Fleetwood Mac are not far off either.

The ambition of Deerhunter and Warpaint fit as well in alt-rock as they do in shoegaze or post-punk, and that is simply because both have an infinite grasp of psychedelic-rock concepts. The intricate layering of guitars, stop-start percussion patterns, and flashes of synth allow infectious hybrids to be bred that remain indebted to quality songwriting. The quality is enough to allow the existence of a subtle vocalist, who employs mood and pacing over ferocity and flexible pitch. It seems natural in a style like this, where the tonal resonation that houses the songwriting in question reigns supreme. This is one the main drawing points of The Fool, which certainly has something for everyone from the lush balladry of “Baby” to intricate rock efforts like the exceptional “Bees”.

“Bees” is an immediate standout on the album for its interesting percussion, which sets itself apart from the other efforts by opting for rhythm that sounds more sample-based than the organic presence of other efforts. This serves as a decoy though, and we see why during the chorus when a grumbling bass erupts over new drums that are more aligned with post-punk expectations, in being simplistic but aptly concise. A middle-eastern melodic theme is somewhat consistent throughout as well. The high-pitched guitar lick at the tail-end of each verse is reminiscent of the jangly guitar work of Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, two more influences that are clearly at play throughout The Fool. It is hard not to love the transition from high-pitched plucks to lower ones as the bass line becomes more boisterous over an eerie set of “dah-dah-dah”s from the variety of talented vocalists in Warpaint. There is alteration between Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman on the vocal front, but it hardly matters on who it is since both show mastery and similar tonal recognition.

“Shadows”, one of Wayman’s vocal offerings, works with a phased acoustic guitar to usher in a ghostly serene form of indie-folk. A little trickle of piano signals the bass-led tremolo and drum-line percussion as Wayman’s vocals soar with vigor familiar to fans of Hope Sandoval. “The things you once told me, the thoughts you once gave me,” jump-starts an excellent chorus featuring grainy piano chords and subsequent percussion that shows outstanding pace as usual. Wayman’s hollers and yelps that conclude the latter part of this track is also notable, as is the balmy bridge that leads to a chaotically brilliant final 45 seconds.

Moments like this comprise the bulk of The Fool, which will certainly be one of the most talked-about albums of the year by its end. There is little stylistic innovation here, but the sheer charisma and innovation of the band is extremely present. Simply put, their songwriting is a homage to post-punk and shoegaze without containing stylistically superfluous aspects that artistic admirers of these genres often fall victim to. There is absolutely no filler to speak of on The Fool, which is as sharp as any rock album of 2010. It is an album that is going to get absolutely gushing reviews once it reaches a broader audience. A free preview of The Fool on Hype Machine this week will not hurt those chances at all. Check it out below:

RIYL: Deerhunter, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Fleetwood Mac, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, Twin Sister, Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls, Tamaryn, Beach House, Twin Shadow, Glasser, Blackbird Blackbird, Marissa Nadler, Beach Fossils, Zola Jesus 13th Floor Elevators, The Beatles, The Byrds

Warpaint – Bees

Warpaint – Undertow

Warpaint – Shadows

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Jay Watson and Nick “Paisley Adams” Allbrook are not unfamiliar with success. They are used to it as members of Tame Impala, the group from Western Australia that released perhaps the best psychedelic-rock release of 2010 in Innerspeaker. It was a beast of an album that has drawn acclaim for a genre too familiar with criticism. Their own project, Pond, will inspire kudos for similar reasons. Many contemporary “psychedelic” artists ignore the concept and aim of the genre, which to many is the emission of music that is both invigorating and calming; the namesake alone recalls the intent, which should be receptive to a subdued and tranquil mindset without being too simplistic or over-done. It is understandably a thin line to tread, so I find the premature criticism against psychedelic-rock as “a genre for fetishists” to be a bit off, as success within the genre is renowned to the point of the style being inarguable. When you hear quality psychedelic-rock, you just know it. Innerspeaker was one of the few psychedelic-rock releases in the past few years able to accomplish that.

It is easy to throw around criticism when artists focus too much on how their pedals sound or whether a sample from an actual psychedelic track would fit, and THEN attempt to call themselves psychedelic musicians. Call it a plague brought on by our modern days, where the superfluous multitude of sub-genres dilutes the tradition of certain styles. Or you could pin it on the availability of technology, which could allow your little brother’s guitar to sound like David Gilmour if he familiarizes himself with Pirate Bay. These are absurd things to blame it on though, like blaming a McDonalds for obesity. More options should result in more creativity, not an over-dependence on substitutes for artistic expression. No one wants to hear “drone-rock” with three chords played over a Native Instruments program, just like how listeners could give a shit if you play a backwards loop of a Jefferson Airplane song over ambiance. Optimistically, hearing shameful examples like these makes Tame Impala and past psych-rock heroes sound even better. These revered groups do not need inferior comparisons to prove their selective worth though.

Watson’s history with Tame Impala goes back to their beginnings, as he performed on their 2008 self-titled debut EP. Allbrook has been touring with them for several years and was named an official member earlier this year due to his participation on Innerspeaker. Tame Impala’s head honcho/lead songwriter, Kevin Parker, has returned the favor for his friends by playing live with Pond on occasion. Their fourth studio album, Frond, was released earlier this month and is clearly their best. Chalk it up to experience perhaps, but regardless this is an album that is not a far cry from Innerspeaker, both in terms of quality and style. Pond treads in areas of garage-rock more than Tame Impala by using a sharper tone of distortion and less reverb, while sharing some electronic components that never override the psych-rock feeling. For example, the trickles of synths during “Mussels Tonight?” is not distracting or superfluous, while the vocoded bridge in the middle is simply preparation for a dizzying guitar progression that recalls the best of the genre.

Under the gauzy layers of guitar in “Cloud City” there lies a bit of funk, which in addition to the garage-rock in the self-titled cut and extensive prog-rock in “Duck and Clover” provides for Frond’s fresh perspective on psychedelia. There is not one effort on Frond that lingers away from psychedelia, but the flourishes of various stylistic attemps within concise bridges or outros is always delightful. The last four minutes of “Frond”, for instance, is a beautiful arrangement of orchestral elements and guitars that evolves with superb organization from the track’s initial pop-heavy leanings, which is led by a sprightly piano and choir-like procession. A track like “Torn Asunder”, which recalls Suede and Brett Anderson in more ways than one, contains the type of songwriting that most psych-rockers envy. Complete with delicate keys, a calming background of strings, and flourishes of woodwinds, this is the type of effort that will stun a listener making their way through the entirety of Frond. The album has so many surprises, twists, and hooks that one may question its stylistic consistency, even if it is clear. It just contains so much excitement and variation, two components that modern psychedelic-rock has been lacking.

RIYL: Tame Impala, Here We Go Magic, Suede, Beach Fossils, Midnight Juggernauts, Male Bonding, Wild Nothing, MGMT, Wavves, Friendly Fires, The Faint, Justice, The Teenagers, Late of the Pier,Phoenix, Shiny Toy Guns, VHS or Beta, Klaxons, Lotus,  Passion Pit, Wolfmother, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Hawkwind, Devendra Banhart

Pond – Frond

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How to Dress Well? The name sounds like some early 19th century etiquette pamphlet. Things like that tend to lose relevance after a decade. But like all remnants, they maintain historical value. Music, like all forms of art, provides timeless durability in the sheer experience of it, even if historical relevance provides varying outlooks on the theme or style. At heart though, the timeless characteristics of art resound consistently; the point in time of one’s experience inspires variables of reception and accessibility, dependent on social and technological standards of the time. But when it comes down to it, the witnessing of art presents feelings conceived no differently than they were hundreds of years ago.

The brains behind How to Dress Well, Tom Krell, provides a twist on the whole experience. His music is instantly familiar, injected with doses of R&B, soul, and pop that actually reach radio-friendly points of accessibility. Of course, when soaked in reverb, adorned with an echoed falsetto, and featuring a modernistic synth-laden sound, the clashing of both varying degrees of accessibility and time periods leaves room for plenty of great ideas. For Krell, comparisons to chillwave trademarks like Washed Out and Neon Indian are imminent based on his production alone. But How to Dress Well fall more in the vein of Ariel Pink, who uses his adoration for ’60s/’70s frontman art-rock to create a sound that is both hauntingly sad and infectiously vibrant. Of course, Neon Indian’s “Deadbeat Summer” just barely shows the extent of frontman Alan Palomo’s undying love for Todd Rundgren. But even the “Izzat Love” sample aside, the song sounded distinctively modern.

Unlike past motivators of the “chillwave” movement, Krell creates a sort of timeless whimsy within his beautifully fragile sound. Their music resounds with no particular decade, instead offering a meshing of both nostalgic and futuristic styles that bring out a variety of guesses from “some ’80s post-punk variant” to “Michael Jackson if he just chilled on blunts instead of pills”. The latter shows some indication of Krell’s obvious rhythmic ability, but more so in his vibrating falsetto that brings comparisons to MJ, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and even at times Antony Hegarty. Krell’s approach is, for the most part, what brings him such individual success though. His high pitch is not supposed to sound this great under a caressing assortment of synth pads and distorted bass. It does though. You really need to have your vocal rhythm down for that. And in that sense, Krell shows some outstanding talent in both his songwriting and vocal work, showcasing an ambiguous enigma that – for once – does not reek of pretension or greed. Just a genuine love for music of the past, present, and future. That is one aspect of this “chillwave” thing anyone could get behind.

Krell’s innovation is evident throughout the bulk of Love Remains, his debut full-length. His song are all treated with such delicate care, but the differences in ferocity are certainly evident. A track like “My Body” is solemn from the get-go, incorporating a series of layered falsetto that sound like a haunted choir. This in particular is reminiscent of Sigur Rós’ Jónsi. “We were known for the choice that we do, I was hoping for the rain, I was hoping for you,” Krell sings after percussion – which is used sparingly throughout Love Remains – enters the fold. The rhythm here is particularly important because the song’s R&B influence is extremely pronounced, with Krell even incorporating the post-verse falsetto yelps that artists like The-Dream show mastery of.

“Suicide Dream 2” is one of the more unclassifiable songs on the album, meaning that comparisons to R&B and pop take a backseat to serene electronica that sits somewhere between ambiance and soundtrack. If anything, the vein of dubstep that Burial specializes in is the focus here. The twinkling synths emit a melancholy feel that steadily repeats, its tempo and volume never shifting. Instead, Krell’s voice is what exhibits the emotional transitions; he is able to craft stellar hooks on his own with rare preciseness. His unconventional pitch is often the culprit of emotionally-charged mastery. Songs like “Escape Before the Rain” rely on little more than a simplistic piano progression, as echoey click-clacking and whirs of synth in the background provide a deeper audible experience. But Krell’s voice is almost always the emphasis, even around the 01:45 mark when he gives way to the piano loop. His return is imminent of course, and as soulful as ever. I can nearly guarantee that he is going to give chills to any attentive listener (and by attentive, I mean this is the type of artist that you must use good headphones or a stereo to listen to).

A flurry of funk is present in the vibrant rhythm section of “Endless Rain”, which incorporates a DJ Shadow-like loop clip for gradual accentuation. It would be really great to hear a studio version of “Walking This Dumb”, but the live version presented on Love Remains is more than adequate quality. The little crackle in the live bass just adds to the allure. This is certainly one of Krell’s more dance-heavy songs, riding on a distorted chorus that sounds more Girls Aloud than Burial. The intensity of the following song, “Date of Birth”, brings us back to an intenser Krell though. His panting during the progression of string-like synths flows into a distant echoed croon, the song fading out as it progresses. Like most of Krell’s songs, it would fit perfectly as a soundtrack to a dream. Whether the dream is a haunting nightmare, sex-charged romp, or adventure on a night bus is up to you.

RIYL: Burial, Washed Out, Neon Indian, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Gauntlet Hair, Memoryhouse, Toro y Moi, Wild Nothing, Active Child, Best Coast, Beach Fossils, Pure Ecstasy, Big Spider’s Back, Cults, Tanlines, DOM, Memory Cassette, Kisses, Eternal Summers, Golden Ages, Nite Jewel

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Cloud Nothings is Dylan Baldi, a 19-year-old from Cleveland that creates music his buddies would probably call outdated, if only for the fact that it hearkens back to a time when record stores were relevant. His interpretation of power-pop is not without its modern traits, but overall the result is one of throwback excellence in finding comfort in a sound where repetition is allowed – if not encouraged – when it bears worth repeating. Sure, that sounds like a Yogi-ism, but power-pop’s history has found several constants that separates it from the psychedelic, operatic, and neo-classical work of artists like The Beatles, who are certainly influential in the genre’s sound but are not precisely the most effective example to show what power-pop sounds like (apart from their early material, of course). Contemporary power-pop in the vein of Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub, and The Apples in Stereo has retained part of that original formula, never branching out too ambitiously yet still producing freshly-sounding power-pop. Baldi has some experimental tendencies, so his success will likely be judged on how he is able to juggle ambition and stylistic dependency. Baldi’s new 7″ single, Didn’t You, shows both his love for nostalgic power-pop and contemporary indie-rock.

“Didn’t You” sounds like a dumbed-down Wolf Parade in a sense, with synth progressions that disregard fear of repetition and face occasional struggles as a result; the sound is too much like art-rock, not power-pop, for the amount of repetition. The vocal harmonies will likely be the Cloud Nothings’ selling point, recalling shades of Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes and Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake in a hook-laden formula of “woo-oo-eee-oooo”s repeating themselves over synths that could use a bit of messy experimentation. On the musical side, the comparisons are more fitted toward Black Kids though. The song’s strengths are certainly there, but this sounds like it should have followed the power-pop convention and stopped around the two-minute mark. On the bright side, it sounds like the makings of a solid band with a great grasp of power-pop; “Didn’t You” could be the type of song treated as b-side novelty in a decade or so when Cloud Nothings are accomplished. I hate to make it sound so imminent, but their delivery is exceptionally smooth and the hooks should shine brightly once their songwriting is improved.

“Even If It Worked Out” finds Baldi moving toward the alternative-punk category, with power-pop elements fortunately remaining in the structure. Shimmering guitar accompaniments flutter over an even more enthralling synth accompaniment than in “Didn’t You”, as the lyrics tell of romantic difficulties simplistic enough for high school. “I’m sorry we can’t be friends, my heart is overrated,” Baldi sings with a slight snarl. “I don’t like being alone but I don’t like being with you.” He’s also sorry that they can’t be friends and, well, you get the point. A pretty typical breakup song, but it stands as a particularly strong b-side serving as a more expansive foray into diverse stylistic territory. More personal subject matters and musical intricacy could make comparisons to The Wrens ring even louder, but their mastery of both alt-punk and power-pop components are commendable. With some more diversified songwriting, Cloud Nothings could be huge. At the very least, Baldi is way ahead of his years and most peers attempting to pull off a similar sound.

RIYL: Girls, Teenage Fanclub, The Apples in Stereo, Black Kids, Matthew Sweet, Beach Fossils, Smith Westerns, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, The Morning Benders, Avi Buffalo, Japandroids, Wild Nothing

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Cloud Nothings – Even If It Worked Out

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Cloud Nothings – Didn’t You

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In crafting what is deemed personally nostalgic, Dan Lopatin and Joel Ford share a fondness with many others in their late 20s or early 30s. Young enough to remember the ’80s peaks, yet too old to concern themselves with the decade’s abundance of conformity, their songwriting recalls the more innovative attempts at stylistic fusion during the decade. Re-workings of vintage ’80s sounds tend to be more respected than modifications of psychedelic pop, funk, blues, or other genres that are certainly nostalgic in their own ways, yet do not possess the flexibility to be incorporated into the popular music of today. The relatively recent infusion of sampling into music has been very friendly to two genres particularly: ’70s soul and ’80s pop. The soul music, often of the famed Philly variety, has a boatload of strings and soaring vocals, both smooth and continuous enough for seamless sampling. The ’80s are known prominently for the emergence of electronic components like MIDI and synthesizers, but the decade’s frequent re-appearance is also fueled by the fact that the “creative” tag was handed to old genres in new (electronic) clothing all throughout the decade. With their project Games, Lopatin and Ford ride with the fuel of artists that succeeded in such a manner, all while their own project reaps in its own originality.

Games’ music is constantly in motion, whether applied to the sampled vocals or trembling twinkle of keys, and the pulsations of bass clash appropriately with echoing keyboards to create the ethereal quality of Games’ sound. They are able to blend samples of various pitch and delivery with instrumentation that is gushing with serenely intoxicating products of a sound influenced by funk, soul, and most electronic-aided genres with the word “fusion” in them. The comparisons to sample-based masterminds like Air France and Avalanches are easily made with a sound that steps beyond the restrained realm of “chillwave”, where soothing production tendencies are often a priority over song development. This is not to say that Games’ songwriting is more refined than the atmospheres they present though, because that would not be true. The duo sometimes want to impress audiences with a gorgeously placed sample or tempo-laden stutter, neglecting a talent of hook manufacturing that peeks its head in “Everything is Working” but does not truly emerge until “Heartlands”, a riskier track that shows Games’ adventurous tendencies in the best possible light.

“Everything Is Working” is one of those alarming efforts that makes a linear, repeating sample entertaining for several minutes. The duo throw different twinkles of keys, bells, and woodwinds at the overlapping vocal samples, multiply layered to give the song some definitive structure outside of the casual percussion and padded synths. The downbeat tremolo of keys during the song’s second half provides some much-needed tonal diversity, but it still is pretty extraordinarily how enjoyable the final result is with this in mind. It would have been so easy to turn a track like this into some ambient music for a pretentious art film, but instead Games turn it into a scenic achievement of thematic summer very much in the vein of Air France’s “June Evenings”. Sit back and relax… this song does all the work for you.

The excellent b-side on the 7″ of Everything Is Working, “Heartlands”, is probably a more impressive artistic achievements due to its capricious nature. The swanky tube synths immediately recall a trashy ’80s funk vibe, which comes across perfectly under a vocal sample as flamboyant and stereotypical as this falsetto-lined one. Here, Lopatin and Ford construct elements of noise to serve as pretty explosive hooks, like around 50 seconds in when a wolf howl of sorts signals percussive changes and a messy stab at organs. Despite how cluttered this had the potential to sound, the organization on “Heartlands” is impeccable and is one of the primary reasons I think Games is going to be a huge project. Not just that the song has organized variation, but also that the duo clearly are treating their influences the right way. Of course they will always have a handful of songs where the atmosphere transcends middling songwriting, but these two efforts show that Games are among the elite of sample-friendly electronic-pop groups.

RIYL: Air France, Avalanches, Panda Bear, Washed Out, Neon Indian, Toro y Moi, Nite Jewel, Memory Tapes, Beach Fossils, Best Coast, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Real Estate

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Games – Heartlands

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Games – Everything Is Working

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The King Khan and BBQ Show
by Jay Mattson

It has been a rough tour for Arish Khan (King Khan) and Mark Sultan (BBQ). Last month, The King Khan & BBQ Show nearly split ways in Australia after a heated argument and a slew of insults. Fortunately, the band patched things up and continued on to finish their pan-Asiatic tour. This month, though, saw (recent) history repeat itself here in Daegu, South Korea. For readers who don’t know, I’ve been an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in South Korea since last November, and from time to time, my fair city of Daegu (Day-goo) hosts some amazing shows. Since I’ve been here, we’ve seen Xiu Xiu, Moools, Lymbyc System, and Bane, just to name a few. Of course, Seoul usually nabs the bigger acts (see Caribou later this month), but Daegu does get it’s share of impressive acts. One of these was The King Khan & BBQ last week.

For a mere 15,000 Korean won (~$18) my friends and I entered the dark, cozy Bar Guess in downtown Daegu to see the raucous, lo-fi sound of King Khan and BBQ. Before the show started, Mr. Khan was already causing a scene, becoming increasingly irritated that the small, locally owned bar couldn’t supply him with free alcohol. Not knowing he’d already ingested a more-than-fair amount of soju (traditional, VERY alcoholic Korean rice wine), I offered to buy the band some drinks. Soon after, a fog machine kicked on and the band started playing. If you’ve heard Arish and Sultan’s music, I don’t need to tell you how awesome the show was. Both players were decked out in their expressively flamboyant attire, looks of determination upon their faces. For 45 minutes, they brought a party. Songs from their whole catalog littered the set, though most of the songs seemed to come from their 2009 album, Invisible Girl. But 45 minutes was all we got. After a few of Khan’s questionable on-stage antics (flailing into the crowd, purposely spilling a whole bottle of beer in front of the stage, pushing an audience member around), the lead guitarist told the crowd they’d play two more songs. This seemed to be the catalyst for the storm of emotions that filled the rest of the night at Bar Guess. A quick chat between Khan and Sultan resulted in Sultan walking off stage, much to the audience’s confusion, and Khan playing a mess of a song to end the night.

Soon after, everyone in the audience could hear the screaming. A projection screen was pulled down in front of the instruments and performing space, and Sultan was seated to the direct right of the screen. From behind the screen, the high-pitched screams of Khan resonated throughout the entire bar, partly because they were so loud, and mostly because no one else was talking, just listening. A visible Sultan was shrugging, calmly trying to converse with Khan about the state of their musical act. Khan’s drunken jeering and explosive insults toward Sultan kept coming, though. After conversing with my friends for a few moments, we came to the conclusion that one of two things was happening: 1.) The band was actually breaking up, or 2.) This was one of the most intricate and theatrical shows we’d ever seen. Within the next ten minutes, Sultan was out from the back room, conversing with audience members. I took my opportunity to speak with him. The following quotes are straight from Mark Sultan, who told me that he wanted it known that “[Arish Khan] is a jackass who can’t hold his alcohol.”

Though I do write for Obscure Sound, my interest in the situation outweighed my journalistic tick and I ensured Mr. Sultan that I wouldn’t print anything about the incident if he didn’t want me to. “Actually,” he said. “You can write whatever you want. Please write about what happened.” We talked about the tour, how his favorite part of touring was “going to new places and seeing new people.” Of course, our conversation veered toward the night’s incident and I was able to understand a little better what happened.

“This happened back in Australia,” said Sultan. “I mean, I patched things up there and thought we could make it until the end of the tour.” (Side note: the band’s three Korean dates in Daegu, Busan and Seoul were the very end of the tour anyway.) “But he’s really just an alcoholic,” and “I’m sick of the abuse. We’re not finishing the tour.” When I asked what would happen to the last two tour dates in Busan and Seoul, Sultan assured me that “I can play those shows myself. I write [and perform] 99% of the music.” Throughout our conversation, Sultan was completely relaxed and calm. He reiterated a few times that “I’m fine. I’m alright.”

Honestly, I’ll never forget that night. I’ve been a fan of The King Khan & BBQ Show for quite some time and seeing them live was amazing. Seeing them break up was more of a bittersweet event; I was witness the the implosion of a phenomenal garage rock duo whom I truly enjoyed. Khan and Sultan have been friends since the mid-90s, playing together since then, as well. Though it seems like this break-up is quite final, there’s always a chance things will work out between these two artists. Near the end of our conversation, Sultan explained that “Speaking as a friend, I just hope [Khan] gets the help he needs.”

RIYL: Black Lips, Reigning Sound, Jay Reatard, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, The Gories, The Deadly Snakes, The Dirtbombs, Thomas Function, The Soft Pack, The Seeds, The Detroit Cobras, The Monks, The Standells, The Ponys, The Shadows of Knight, White Denim, Beach Fossils

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The King Khan & BBQ Show – I’ll Never Belong

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The King Khan & BBQ Show – Treat Me Like a Dog

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The King Khan & BBQ Show – Too Much In Love

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Forest Family Records, created by the brains behind Gorilla vs Bear and Weekly Tape Deck, tends to show a penchant for timely pop music. Their previous 7″, Go Outside by Cults, had most critics gushing over its exuberant blend of twee-pop and chilled-out electronica. Their most recent offering, Gauntlet Hair, associates that same vein of hazy electronica in their material, albeit with a more anthemic and boisterous approach. Their emphasis is also on post-rock and art-rock instead of twee-pop. These two bands sound nothing like one another, but they share the characteristic of stylistic relevance. Gauntlet Hair take the hypnotic sample-driven pop of a Neon Indian or Washed Out and substitutes many of their samples and synths for fluttering vocal accompaniments and blistering guitars, with Gauntlet Hair’s adventurous songwriting sitting in a perfect place between experimentation and accessibility. This is where most of the Animal Collective comparisons are coming from, despite their techniques and actual styles differing. As they are an adventurous example of retaining innovation while attempting to write catchy songs, they are bound to get mentioned in a review of Gauntlet Hair. The label seems to pursue artists like these, and Gauntlet Hair may be their best pick-up yet.

At the very least in regard to production, Forest Family Records seems to be quite fond of artists that fit within the “chillwave” label, which also means they probably have to sort through lots of terrible stabs at the style courtesy of Apple GarageBand. Most self-respecting labels tend to stay away from automated material like that though, and in this label’s case the more organic workings of Cults and especially Gauntlet Hair show this. Gauntlet Hair were complete unknowns before “I Was Thinking…” started taking blogs by storm in April. Essentially dripping in lucid atmosphere and eruptive hooks, its evolution from gently strummed guitar chords into a series of tremolo-based alterations finds many variations along the way. There is repetition present throughout, but the accomplishments on “I Was Thinking…” are more of an intricately evolutionary nature. With muted guitars on the left side of your speaker and a full-blown tonal burst of electric energy on the other, the contrast between restrained subtlety and anthemic chaos creates for some very exciting moments on this Colorado-based duo’s debut. This song should be your first reason for checking Gauntlet Hair out.

The vocals on its follow-up “Our Scenery” are frequently compressed behind a blur of guitars and click-clacking percussion, but the shouts of “hey!” at the beginning of each main verse and the duet-of-sorts occurring in the middle before the eerie guitar interlude shows just how subtly evolving the songs are. They remain steady under a repeating beat or melody that is enhanced just before it is about to wear thin. Gauntlet Hair’s two songwriters (Andy R. and Craig Nice) seem to have something up their sleeves ever other verse or chorus. It does not matter whether this realization occurs during the final minute of “I Was Thinking…” in its escalating backing harmonics, or during the most breathtaking moment of “Our Scenery”. This occurs right before the 3-minute mark, sparing little room for excess as they beautifully come down from left-over distortion and unbridled energy with swiftness and clarity. It is an oasis in a desert of wavering unpredictability, its caressing tone holding little in terms of intricacy but contributing significantly to the track’s ebb and flow.

I am really looking forward to Gauntlet Hair’s debut full-length, which they are currently working on, because they appear to be one of the few that recognize both the goods and evils of repetition. Unpredictability can be a great thing in music, and Gauntlet Hair keep their listeners on edge for just the right amount of time. When over-ambition begins to restrain a band and it becomes unpredictable to the point where cohesiveness and memorability are absent, there is nowhere left to go. I doubt Gauntlet Hair will face this dilemma anytime soon, since these songs show a young band with an extremely firm grasp of their listeners’ desires, which is to have their ass kicked by great music that flows with grace but packs the unpredictable punch of avant-garde’s best. This duo have walked this fine line quite impressively early in the early goings, earning the rapidly growing spotlight that has shone on them this past month.

RIYL: Best Coast, Memoryhouse, Beach Fossils, Small Black, Male Bonding, Washed Out, Neon Indian, Explosions in the Sky, Brian Eno, Dum Dum Girls, Real Estate, Julian Lynch, Sleigh Bells, Titus Andronicus

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Gauntlet Hair – I Was Thinking…

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Gauntlet Hair – Our Scenery

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Cults – Go Outside

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Forest Family Records

MySpace

BUY

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by Jay Mattson

If you haven’t heard Sleigh Bells yet, you haven’t been listening hard enough.  If you have heard Sleigh Bells, your hearing (and speakers) have already taken quite a beating.  In late 2009, Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss rose out of the mist of the CMJ Music Marathon and dropped a treble-saturated bomb onto the underground music world.  The band’s first single, “Crown on the Ground”,  is a monstrous song; it surges with an energy rarely seen in today’s indie scene.  It’s not surprising, though, as Miller used to be a member of hardcore outfit Poison the Well.  What is surprising is about Krauss’ musical background is her involvement with girl-pop group Rubyblue.  Somehow, one part hardcore guitarist + one part pop princess = gritty, infectious noise-rock.  CMJ was the beginning of the Sleigh Bells onslaught, but it was just that: the beginning.

In early 2010, Sleigh Bells was confirmed to play both Coachella Music & Arts Festival and Pitchfork Music Festival.  Overlapping acts between Coachella and Pitchfork isn’t uncommon (see Beirut in 2009 and Pavement this year).  Miller and Krauss, though, succeeded in booking two of the major indie music festivals this year without a proper release of any sort. With only a single (technically unreleased) CD-R under their belt, Sleigh Bells still managed to catch the attention of anyone who heard them.  In love-it-or-hate-it fashion, some listeners have trouble getting past their utterly forceful jams, others can’t get enough (myself included).

The third track on their demo disc, 2HELLWU CD-R, “Beach Girls”, shows how versatile Sleigh Bells aims to become.  While not veering from the over-the-top treble work of “Crown on the Ground”, it is a different kind of noise.  Synthesizers play a heavy roll on “Beach Girls”, which adds to the motif of the track and feels like a dystopian version of what a beach jam should be.  With “Infinity Guitars”, yet another facet of Sleigh Bells is revealed to the tune of murky, dirty ’90s rock mixed with a beat-conscious producer.  My favorite track on the CD-R has to be “A/B Machines”, a song that swells with a twisted, gnarled melody that would make Jesse Keeler and Sebastian Grainger cringe with excitement.  Oddly, the ‘title track’, “2HELLWU”, is the most soft-spoken, tender track of the bunch, with only minimal backing for Krauss’ impeccable vocal style.

Recently, Miller and Krauss released the first single from their debut album, Treats. Aptly named “Tell ‘Em”, it is a confident showing of excellence.  Seeing as this track will probably be the first Sleigh Bells song heard by a broader audience, it delivers a sincere and powerful representation of the material we’ve already heard.  Power-guitars and smoldering drum work succeeds in destroying my speakers (yet again) while pulling me in so hard that I can’t turn it off, even to save my poor Korean-brand sub-woofer from certain doom.

It’s hard to categorize Sleigh Bells.  Today, a venerable volcano of lo-fi indie pop/rock has been erupting from the New York scene (see Vivian Girls, Cymbals Eat Guitars, etc.). Miller and Krauss have taken elements of this scene and infused a grandiose sense of noise and rock so succinctly that it feels effortless in the face of so many down-tempo acts who rigorously attempt to provide their own uniqueness in a sea of similar bands.  If Treats doesn’t deliver, it might be one of the biggest letdowns of the year.  But that doesn’t seem likely.  Sleigh Bells has, thus far, shown impressive ability to create amazing music, and that momentum doesn’t seem to to be slowing down any time soon. Treats is out May 11th on N.E.E.T and Mom + Pop Records.

RIYL: Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, Real Estate, Beach Fossils, Phantogram, Smith Westerns, Titus Andronicus, Beach House, Zola Jesus, Girls, Penguin Prison, Delorean, Eternal Summers

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Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring

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Sleigh Bells – Beach Girls

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Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground

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MySpace

2HELLWU

The post Sleigh Bells: Destroying Speakers Since 2009 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.