Light shows are not exactly synonymous with indie bands. Superfluous visual appeal and leisurely expenses are not the most attractive concepts to artists on a budget, even if it supplements their music well. I am not sure exactly how Morningbell are able to conduct a consistently impressive light show for less than $100, but this DIY resourcefulness is something that is not only echoed in their colorful array of lights. This is also a group that hardly needs the excess when they play live; the light show is merely a luxury, for they would still remain captivating if their show took place on a tree stump. Perhaps a frenzied local following could attribute to the band’s apparent motivation when performing. Their reputation among fans in Florida, specifically college students, is intensely strong for a group as new and uncovered as Morningbell and there is little to suggest that this is an illusion. Originally based out of Miami when it was formed in 2000, Morningbell’s first lineup included brothers Eric and Travis Atria along with Eric’s girlfriend, Stacie Thrushman. They went under the name Future Feels Good and released an EP, The Day I Was Born, in 2002. The trio changed their name to Morningbell in 2003 following a move to Gainesville, stirring interest Their shows began to resemble Florida Gators games, and all of a sudden Morningbell were becoming one of the hottest thins in town.

The composition of Morningbell is fairly normative for an indie-rock group, seeing a bunch of day-time professionals rocking out a bit. Guitarist/drummer/vocalist Travis Atria worked as a journalist for the most part, while Thrushman was working as a veterinary student before lending her keyboard skills to the group. Travis’ brother and Thrushman’s husband, Eric, is a public defender and the group’s bassist. Though the group has yet to reach that quit-your-day-job status, it does not look that far off. Their first few EPs were fun but lacked the explosiveness to show this, which set up 2007’s densely enjoyable Through the Belly of the Sea as the release that would commence Morningbell’s vigorously growing reputation. The release’s title included “A Choose Your Own Adventure Album” at the end, a rather enjoyable and relevant reference to those Goosebumps books many of us read as kids. The method for this was that Morningbell included directions of sorts in the liner notes, directing listeners toward specific songs in response to their personal experience of previous songs. It almost played like a children’s book complemented by beautiful flourishes of psychedelic rock and indie-pop, featuring monsters and shipwrecks throughout an “undersea adventure” which encompassed “chapters” that allowed listeners to experience it in a unique manner. Even the listeners that ignored the instructional adventure had a positive experience, as even without thematic ingenuity Through the Belly of the Sea is a worthwhile release that shows the first glimpses of a group poised for the big time.

Morningbell’s fourth release, Sincerely, Severely, continues upon the ambition of its predecessor without using a unique listening device, like the choose-yr-own-adventure they undertook in 2007. For a group that dominates with light shows and seafaring narratives, it would be difficult to call this a straightforward album. Somewhat contrary to their previous release, Sincerely, Severely relies on accessibility and song-based functionality instead of resourceful devices, making it their most accessible effort to date. Through the Belly of the Sea was a nice refresher of nostalgic indie-rock with its psych-pop and classic-rock fixings, but Sincerely, Severely marks the point where Morningbell have combined their strengths to produce an album even more memorable than their last. It begins strikingly from the get-go, with “Let’s Not Lose Our Heads” using toothbrushes as percussion and highly distorted bass to immediately enforce the rhythm section’s flexible potential. Its traditional structure and lighthearted vocal delivery should remind listeners of Weezer or The Wrens, two bands that really took coarse ’90s alt-rock by the throat and turned it into amiable power-pop that attained plenty of radio airplay and critical acclaim. Travis Atria’s vocals can resemble or Animal Collective-like world influences, like on “Marching Off to War” and “Good Morning, I’m Here”. The latter emphasizes a youthful desire to live forever, accompanied by an outstanding vocal performance that relives the guitar-led hooks of ’90s alternative-rock. This track in particular makes it sound like Morningbell have been around for at least two decades, sounding anthemic in a guitar-led enigma that was reflective of both the popularity in Brit-pop and grunge during that period. It is great nostalgic fun like Through the Belly of the Sea, but there is considerably more ingenuity and consistent quality throughout Sincerely, Severely to separate itself from its predecessor.

In addition to resembling anyone from Avey Tare to Rivers Cuomo, Atria’s vocal performance takes another leap on “Soul Ma’am”. As the title may suggest, he soulfully croons his way over a stunning array of guitar progressions that distinctively resemble classic-rock in the vein of the Allman Brothers with its southern-y twang. Combine this fascinating infusion with soulful brass and his spot-on falsetto and you have one of the most interesting tracks on Sincerely, Severely. His vocals quiver and bounce about alongside a very playful bass line, being quite typical of soul in its contagious combinations. It also stands as one of the most technically impressive efforts, as the transition from blue-eyed soul to subtle southern-rock is not as easy as it sounds. If you are looking for more straightforward soul then the catchy “King Mango Strut” will fill your needs as well. The near-instrumental “The Blue Whale and the Fly” is also notable for its usage of soul, once again using brass and expertly timed falsettos. Soul is not the primary focus here though, as everything from polka to rockabilly is displayed with its worldly selection of instruments and melodies. Tracks like “Pictures of the Sun” and “Good Morning, I’m Here” bring us to more familiar psych-rock territory with their beautiful layers of reverbed production and certainly fulfill those needs, bringing us to the special thing about Sincerely, Severely. This album is basically like a buffet of stylistic treats, with everything from slowly developing psych-rock to swift soul and rockabilly conquering. It is remarkable how each track uniquely identifies itself, whether it be through toothbrush-percussion or psych-rock elegance, and it derives a unique classification that could make Morningbell one of the biggest breakouts of 2009.

RIYL: It depends on the song… Weezer, Animal Collective, The Wrens, British Sea Power, The Rosebuds, Harvey Danger, and Aqueduct all come to mind though.

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Morningbell – Good Morning, I’m Here

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Morningbell – Soul Ma’am

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Morningbell – Marching Off to War

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Unless their family’s name is worth a few cool million, most young musicians are forced to get creative when attempting to generate some sort of substantial income. Like many artistic professions, the line between raking in millions per year and barely scraping by in the music industry is very thin. A most desirable situation for individuals who view music as a full-time occupation in the future would be to hold a job that allows them to devise their own schedules, opening up more opportunities for any gigs or recording sessions on the path toward a musical career that will hopefully break out one day. So, as the 4 members of Down Home Southernaires would likely tell you, a logical solution would be to find a side-career within the realm of art as well. Jose Castello, the group’s pianist, finds time to be a painter and a poet, while drummer Jorge Rubiera is a filmmaker and occasional fashion photographer. The other two members also serve in some unique side professions; guitarist Kristopher Pabon is an amateur anthropologist and bassist Jarrett Hann is on his way to becoming a professional in the culinary arts. And while all four of these childhood friends clearly have different interests based on their preferred occupations, there is a common bond that keeps these guys as the best of friends. For that, we can thank the power of music.

The occupational eclecticism of Down Home Southernaires proves to be appropriate when applied to their intended style, as the four-piece’s masterful blend of punk, R&B, ska, funk, and soul provides for one of the most unpredictably enjoyable releases of the year thus far. Packed with such stylistic fervor, the ambitious propensities tend to carry on over to the group’s actual songcraft. If you are someone who gets quickly tired of conventional song structures in pop music, Down Home Southernaires may be a great find for you. The 8 tracks on Negro En Bicicleta, the group’s newest release, all remain extensively cohesive in that one is able to identify Down Home Southernaires’ distinctive sense of individuality, but the subtle weaving of various genres within the intricate structures creates an enjoyably unique listening experience that marks the album as something of a rare entity. In an age where many artists are reluctant to mix and math a variety of styles in fear of critical backlash, Down Home Southernaires have emerged practically out of nowhere (or Miami) with a release that should hopefully encourage other new artists to promote their ambitious nature as candidly as possible. The impressive Negro En Bicicleta succeeds in such aspects for the most part, granting listeners with something that they can both relax and dance to.

I suppose that if one were forced to compare Deep Home Southernaires to a familiar face, Elvis Costello would be inescapable. Listening to the first minute or so of the curiously titled “Israelis on the Beach”, I imagine that many will scratch their heads at the comparison, but it becomes increasingly prevalent as the song evolves. Initially guided by the repetition of an electric guitar over the smattering of funk-tinged keys, the vocals of Jose Castello emerge shortly thereafter. While they initially sound somewhat out of place in contrast to the instrumental touches of funk and R&B, Castello’s vocals follow the footsteps of the song’s structure in transforming from a somewhat hesitant attempt into a full-fledged demonstration of stylistically eclectic success. The rhythm section halts briefly at around 37 seconds in as a swift piano chord establishes the entry point for the real meat of the song, featuring a variety of piano progressions over the constant urging of underlying guitars, bass, percussion. Purely as a keyboardist, Castello also remains extremely impressive, as tracks like “Israelis on the Beach” and the exotic rush of “Otro Sur (Sagan Samba)” demonstrate. And as for the Costello reference, once Castello belts out “At first I get patient at my last resort” during the bridge in “Israelis on the Beach”, it should be quite obvious that some influences show regardless of opposing intentions. In this case, it just contributes to the success even more.

Apart from good ol’ Elvis Costello, Down Home Southernaires remind me of the previously featured White Rabbits with their implementation of punk and R&b within classic forms of ska. Considering that White Rabbits’ Fort Nightly was one of the most talked-about debuts last year, I certainly believe that Down Home Southernaires have a similar degree of appeal that should open them up to a plethora of new fans. Negro En Bicicleta‘s opening track, “High Effect”, takes more dues from funk and soul. Backed by a faint organ and a vigorous bass line, the funky twang of a guitar leads the budding verse. The chorus sees the re-emergence of the twinkling keys found during the track’s first few seconds, creating an instantly memorable hook as Castello laments about. “High Effect” also serves as a great example of Down Home Southernaires’ structural tendencies. You could actually say that a few tracks on the album almost seem like two or three songs in one, as the arrangements that alternate consecutively in tracks like “High Effect” and “Fishing Wire of Feeling” differ so dramatically from one another that the variation – while occasionally overbearing – is generally rewarding. “I Hate the Nightlife”, for instance, relies on a sparkling rendition of folk-pop before transitioning to an anthemic burst of key-led effervescence, sounding nearly patriotic in tone. It is surprising how well they are able to mix their preferred genres together, even if they are occasionally separate structural entities altogether. If you can deal with the constant sense of variation, Down Home Southernaire’s Negro En Bicicleta is a very gratifying listen.

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Down Home Southernaires – Israelis on the Beach

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Down Home Southernaires – High Effect

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Down Home Southernaires – I Hate the Nightlife

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It is a rare when a month does this, but I cannot recall a moment in April where I did not have something new and enjoyable to listen to. Whether I found myself humming to southern-rock, Swedish pop, intricate shoegaze, or sample-led electronica, both the diversity and quality presented by this month’s featured artists did not fail to please. I didn’t really appreciate the consistency of quality this month until I compiled this month’s compilation, featuring releases by the likes of My Morning Jacket, Quiet Village, The Explorers Club, and Bryan Scary that are already a few of my favorites for the year. If you have not been following the posts for the past few months, I hope these tracks find as much enjoyment for you as they did for me.

01. My Morning Jacket – Two Halves (post)
02. The Explorers Club – Don’t Forget the Sun (post)
03. Quiet Village – Pacific Rhythm (post)
04. Håkan Hellström – För sent för Edelweiss (post)
05. Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears – Flight of the Knife (Part Two) (post)
06. Centro-matic – Quality Strange (post)
07. Chin Chin – Miami (post)
08. This Is Ivy League – London Bridges (post)
09. Cinderpop – Cinnamon Winter (post)
10. Soundpool – The Divides of March (post)
11. Russian Red – Nice Thick Feathers (post)
12. Bravo Johnson – Are You Dreaming? (post)
13. Bill Priddle – Like to Smoke (post)
14. Years Around The Sun – Failing At Art (post)
15. Needers & Givers – Digging (post)

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE COMPILATION>>> (55.3MB, .RAR)

The post Obscure Sound: Best of April 2008 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

One of my favorite YouTube clips is of legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins laying down a slick live bass solo in 1978 with Parliament-Funkadelic, treating an audience in Maryland to the glorious sight of his nearly unmatched skills as a funk bassist, his trademark space bass, and a form of emotional involvement that very few modern musicians are able to express on both an audible and visual level. Take a look at the clip here and let me know if you are aware of many other contemporary artists who exhibit the same form of passion and personal enjoyment that Bootsy does; you may be able to name a few, but certainly not many. Sure, a naive critic could pin it all on the hallucinogenics of the ’70s, but it is inevitably agreed upon by fans and critics alike that Bootsy would be strutting out his unparalleled skill regardless of his level of intoxication, with his talent and personality leading the way. It would be safe to say that he found his own perfect little world in funk music, the infectious fusion of soul, jazz, and R&B that originated in the mid-1960s. Since the funk explosion of the ’70s, the popularity of the genre has diminished throughout the years, as alleged substitutes like dance and synth-pop began to reign dance floors and lure listeners who begged for anything that was hip, new, and instantaneously infectious. It had to do with both a decline in quality and a commercialized demand for something else, leaving new artists with funk influences in a bit of a daze.

Though it seems that all the sensationalized pop stars feel the need to cling onto the “hot new thing” in order to capture a fan base, independent artists have maintained a commendable mentality that shuns what is recently accepted in order to create a fresher, innovative, and more engaging sound. In fact, as the Brooklyn-based Chin Chin prove on their glaringly impressive debut album, recapturing the nostalgia and infectiousness of ’70s funk can give off an ironic feeling of freshness, even if the rooted elements of the result take their dues directly from artists who thrived over 30 years ago. With subtle implementations of dance and contemporary pop, Chin Chin’s grasp of funk provides for a listening experience that should appeal to both veteran and new listeners. In addition, the group remarks simply enough on their web site that their intentions are to make listeners dance, chill, relax, and “bug out”. Though I have not had such a simultaneous rush of emotions during one single track on their self-titled debut, it remains heavily apparent that it was the intentions of the group to do so. Instead, each differing track provides enough variation in the genre to give off multiple and differing sensations. It would be easy to call such a rush a trademark of quality funk music, as artists like Sly & the Family Stone, James Brown, and Parliament-Funkadelic have proven in the past. Chin Chin provides a glimmer of hope that enjoyable funk music still has its niche in the often cluttered world of independent music.

Chin Chin is primarily the work of a trio in guitarist Jeremy Wilms, keyboardist Wilder Zoby, and drummer Torbitt Schwartz. However, in most press photos and live performances, they are accompanied by a variety of musically capable friends. Session musicians Tada Hirano, Jeff Pierce, Jesse Boykins III, Yusuke Yamamoto, Felix Chen, Yoshi Takemasa, Marcus Farrar are most of the collaborators, often transforming the band into anything from a four-piece to a group of nearly one dozen musicians capitalizing on their similarly touted influences. Wilms, Zoby, and Schwartz serve almost like conductors in the studio, directing the talented cast of session musicians on a route toward success. On the album they perform on, set to be released on April 29th via Definitive Jux Records, Chin Chin’s self-titled debut follows a series of acclaimed singles and EPs that served as mere glimpses of the group’s potential. With popular acts like Gnarls Barkley and Outkast bringing funk music with a contemporary, hip-hop edge to mainstream audiences, Chin Chin certainly chose a great time to come forth in the public eye. Audiences appear more receptive to funk music – regardless of its form – than they have in several years, which should be quite satisfying to Chin Chin and their fans, as Chin Chin is one of those few debut albums that proves memorable right from the get-go.

The primary aspect that makes Chin Chin so enjoyable is its tendency to stray outside the norm, playing with a variety of styles in ways that conventional thinking would not be able to comprehend. Despite utilizing a tight rhythm section and a plethora of brass that appears typical of most funk music, Chin Chin’s inclusion of elements such as dance and world music makes it a very unique experience. Considering that Gnarls Barkley found extreme success with several funk-tinged singles, I would not be surprised if “Miami” turns out to be one of the most acclaimed singles of the summer. Its unpredictability and varied structure may make it seem too inaccessible for most radio stations, but most open-minded listeners who tend to discover quality music on their own should bask in its infectious glory; I was digging the track extraordinarily from the first time I listened to it. As an opener and a surefire ode to the city of Miami, it prepares the listener well for the rest of the album. Ardently soaring vocals, intricately bustling instrumentation, and a variety of great hooks are steadily prevalent, especially in the stirring chorus. The last two minutes of the song is entirely instrumental, transforming from a swanky brass to an energetic guitar solo; it is simply one example of Chin Chin’s faultless display of musicianship.

As I mentioned earlier with Chin Chin’s use of synth-pop and world music, “Appetite” serves as another incredibly catchy track that has the same chance as “Miami” of breaking the group out in a big way. In fact, considering its more conventional structure, its higher degree of accessibility may make it the first breakthrough track from this Brooklyn collective. The vocals are gently sung, quickly declaring “appetite!” during a chorus with underlying synths, snappy guitars, and a rhythm section with a concisely effective R&B flair to it. An excellent vibraphone solo, compliments of Yusuke Yamamoto, emerges around 01:52 after the blaring of horns subsides, providing yet another display of the group’s multi-instrumental prowess. “Le Petit Mort” is fascinating in that it is so different than both “Miami” and “Appetite”. Though elements of funk are constantly evident, the use of a vocoder over a swanky bass line is certainly something new for the group. The mixture of classic funk elements (horns, ) and slick modern techniques (vocoders, synths) personally reminds me of Prince, which is certainly nothing to be ashamed about. Be sure to pick up Chin Chin when it drops next week; I would be surprised if a better release in the realm of modern funk comes out this year.

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Chin Chin – Miami

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Chin Chin – Appetite

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Chin Chin – Le Petit Mort

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The post A Funky Chin Chin appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Though currently only available as an import, this Swedish dance album is worth every penny of the hefty import price.

The Tough Alliance
A New Chance
(Playground Music)
Available as import
My review on PopMatters

by Mike Mineo

The Swedish music scene has offered us plenty to rejoice about over the past several years. From electronic virtuosos like The Knife and The Field to more instantaneously endearing pop acts in the vein of Jens Lekman and The Concretes, it seems that at least a handful of Swedish artists per year have made a significant impact on the international scene. Perhaps even more impressive than their expansive output is their stylistic diversity, churning out a variety of musical styles that can be easily deemed both rich and highly expressive.

While the placid casuals of listeners may have previously assumed that Sweden was the home of ABBA and little else, justice has been richly served through a seemingly endless list of exemplifying artists. It has easily come to a point where one should not be surprised if a Swedish artist wins any individually valued “Album of the Year” award, as Swedish music has finally reached a point where it is no longer considered to be a staple of obscurity. These artists are no longer part of a localized majority. They are instead now recognized on a international level.

When a band like The Tough Alliance comes along, it simply serves as a reminder why it is impossible to singularly classify contemporary Swedish music. The duo from Gothenburg can arguably serve as one of the most accurate summations of the recent music trends in Sweden. The Tough Alliance weaves elements of irresistible pop seamlessly with electronica that, while occasionally complex, offers more than a handful of melodic swoons capable of instant favorability. Though the duo’s central focus remains within the somewhat conventional realm of electronic pop, the showmanship presented on their sophomore album, A New Chance, is stylistically remarkable. From the infectiously danceable leading synth line in the irresistible “First Class Riot” to the brilliant incorporation of reggae and electronica in “Looking for Gold”, it is difficult to strictly classify The Tough Alliance as either an electronic, pop, or even reggae artist. It truly depends on which song on A New Chance you are exposed to, as the album is spread all over the place in an enjoyable form.

When A New Chance opens with “Something Special”, an energetic opener featuring a vocal sample depicting some form of a Middle-Eastern language unbeknownst to me, there is marginal room to make forthcoming stylistic assumptions. However, when the sample is abruptly supplemented by a brisk burst of keys and an overlying synth a few seconds later, the intentions of The Tough Alliance are highly evident. This is a duo that has inherited the desire from their Swedish forefathers to give listeners the sensation to be anything but motionless. With their eclectic mixtures of dance and star-studded electronica clashing cohesively with invigorating synth-pop, such feelings are difficult to resist.

As their full-length debut, The New School, demonstrated in 2005, they are certainly no stranger to the dance floor, whether it comes off as cliché or not. While “Something Special” works mainly off of a repetition of key-based chords, it is the diverse array of vocal melodies that grants the song its absolute infectiousness. The two boys from Gothenburg mix low-tone verses with high-pitched choruses and, with a chorus that remains cheesy but also guiltlessly pleasurable, it works seamlessly well in “Something Special”. While the fleet vocals are hardly demonstrative of a falsetto, the swift change is executed willfully and shows little hesitation.

While “Something Special” performs to the best of its abilities in creating an opening track that is catchy and simplistic enough to please first-time listeners, it serves as merely a tease to the stylistic ambitiousness spread throughout A New Chance. Perhaps the best example would be “Looking for Gold”, undoubtedly one of the most innovative electronic tracks of the year. Featuring a pair of melodically leading whistles intertwined with the drive of bouncing keys, the sound is both tropical and exotically invigorating. While the main melodic flow remains to be influenced by reggae, Henning Fürst and Eric Berglund demonstrate a larger knack for accessible pop music in their consistent vocal delivery. The Tough Alliance’s ability to blend several classic genres into a mold that is largely electronic remains to be one of their most glaring strengths, as it is most noticeably evidenced in the exceptional “Looking for Gold”.

Another highlight, “Miami”, is a casually invigorating dance track that implements a pulsating synth-oriented melody over a variety of samples. From an infant’s laugh to a choral accompaniment with a native Spanish tongue, The Tough Alliance remain to be one of the few electronic acts who abandons tiring repetition in favor of ceaseless structural capabilities involving instrumental advancements and sophisticated sampling to create a vivid listening experience. With this in mind, it is nearly ironic that the best track on A New Chance is “First Class Riots”, a straightforward dance-punk ballad that is inarguably one of the most infectious dance tracks I have heard all year.

While the instrumentation is nearly solely reliant on quick guitar chords and a few varying synth lines, the duo carries the entire song with their quick wit and vocal-led melody. As a quick “hey!” concludes each verse, it is one of the components in an abridged build-up that is executed without fault. With the verse, bridge, and chorus each being perceptibly separate in harmonic delivery, it serves to differentiate “First Class Riots” from the masses of other dull electronic hopefuls hoping to invade the dance floors with rhythmically dominating repetition. With a melody as strong as “First Class Riots”, this one has a more than legitimate shot.

When the final song on A New Chance, “1982”, closes with a series of wind instruments overlapped by the same Middle-Eastern chant that was sampled in the first moments of the album, it leaves a sense of lingering satisfaction but also a yearning for more. With the album stretching just over 30 minutes, The Tough Alliance’s electronically diverse style is far too short-lived for its own good. While there is truly not one disappointing song on A New Chance, the short length and clashing of various styles leaves a sense of slight disappointment, even if gems like “First Class Riot” and “Looking for Gold” will be on repeat for quite awhile.

While the debate about the “perfect length” for an album will always continue to live on, listeners should be fortunate of A New Chance’s impressive achievement. It is one of the few electronic albums this year that manages to avoid all geographic and stylistic clichés while in the mean time producing a very satisfying album. We can only hope that this import-only gem hits the US sometime soon.  8/10

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The Tough Alliance – First Class Riot (video)

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The Tough Alliance – Looking for Gold

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The Tough Alliance – A New Chance

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Some cities are simply blessed with a ceaselessly active music scene. While most major cities have their share of prominently historical artists to tout about, there are few that can accurately describe their city as still being an organic breeding ground for artists with heaps of potential. I have covered dozens of bands from Brooklyn, New York during my time here, with the wide stylistic range impressing me the most over the sheer number of artists themselves. From gritty rock ‘n’ roll (Pela) and funky art-rock (The Virgins) to catchy electro-pop (Mixel Pixel) and free-form jazz (The Budos Band), the majority of Brooklyn-based artists I have listened to show no fear in taking risks. With this in mind, it is hardly surprising that local blogs like Brooklyn Vegan and BrooklynRocks have so much content to offer. One of the newest acts out of Brooklyn has already seen their fair share of exposure… on television, anyway. With a few of their songs already featured on Grey’s Anatomy, CSI Miami, Shark, and The L Word, The Jealous Girlfriends may in fact be a band that you have already obliviously listened to. Considering that the New York Times called them “one of the best bands in New York” and they have impressed live at the likes of the Bowery Ballroom and the Mercury Lounge, you may wish to make that listening experience more conscientiously agreeable.

Formed in 2004, this four-piece has been rising briskly ever since their inception. After their music video for the riotously delectable “How Now” won the iPod Music Video Contest, most of the music press began to take notice of the unsigned band. Unsigned? Yes indeed, The Jealous Girlfriends are yet another great band who, for whatever reason, have yet to be picked up by a label of any sort. However, I do not think that there are many artists who remain unsigned for long after appearing on television shows as popular as Grey’s Anatomy. Hell, most indie-rock bands do not even appear on national television at all. Their appeal to early 90s alternative rock certainly does not hurt their chances, as obvious nods to Sonic Youth and the Smashing Pumpkins are highly evident throughout most tracks. Oh, additional fun for fans of the hilarious Flight of the Conchords: take a look at the music video for “How Now”… notice something familiar? Perhaps Jermaine and Brett borrowed more than Daft Punk’s technique in their rendition of “Robots”. Either way, the music video is nearly as fun as the song itself, being an imposing blend of guitar-oriented distortion and melodically captivating aggression, blending in a variety of swirling guitar riffs and indefatigable percussion as a raucous chorus erupts with a wholesomely fervent aroma. “You can bury me with your bullets and your crime,” lead vocalist Josh Abbott sings over his conspicuously boisterous guitars, “They’re one in the same, I won’t blame you for trying.” Such a display of desperation and angst occasionally sounds scripted among other bands, but Abbott sings it sincerely and powerfully enough to trigger a wide range of emotions.

Despite the purely executed titillation of “How Not”, the track that is most characteristic of The Jealous Girlfriends’ generalized consistency is “Something in the Water”. Alongside “How Now” and “The Pink Wig to My Salieri”, it serves as one of the highlights on The Jealous Girlfriends’ self-titled debut album; now available and certainly worth the $10 price tag. The full-length album, their second release after the eight-track Comfortably Uncomfortable in 2005, also features mixing by Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio) on the opening track, “Machines”. Even though it is considered somewhat elementary to liken an indie-rock group with a male and female vocalist to the legendary Sonic Youth, The Jealous Girlfriends have resounding similarities in more areas than one. While Abbott and vocalist/keyboardist/trombonist Holly Miranda exchange vocal sections in forms of singularities and duets on both “Something in the Water” and “The Pink Wing to My Salieri”, the reverb and distortion effects applied to the guitars nearly reach a point where they would be considered experimental if not for the impressive structural organization. Whereas in “Something in the Water” a subtly agreeable transition to an infectious chorus is greeted with a newly acquired effect on the guitars, “The Pink Wing to My Salieri” is more dependent on the chugging “na-na-na”s of both Abbott and Miranda than the actual instrumentation, though the keys play a significantly larger role. Despite their different structural tendencies, both songs are strongly memorable in that they hit a strong point of nostalgia, beckoning back to the days in the early ’90s where quality rock music relied more on slick, melodically capable guitars and a steady rhythm sections instead of reprocessed production techniques and commercialized pressure.

In a dutiful effort to showcase their diversity, The Jealous Girlfriends take a step back from their call to the early ’90s in several tracks – particularly “Organs on the Kitchen Floor” and “Roboxulla”. Both make proper use of Miranda’s vocals and Alex Lipsen’s synths, with “Organs on the Kitchen Floor” being enjoyably unlike anything else on The Jealous Girlfriends. With a chorus that is reminiscent of Pulp’s This is Hardcore era (two Pulp references in two days!), Miranda’s sensuously appealing vocals wrap a cloud of seductiveness over a devastatingly enchanting mixture of keys, synth, and bass. Such proficient marksmanship makes it my favorite track on the album, as The Jealous Girlfriends took a risk and achieved it with fledging success. Though the Sonic Youth-tinged rockers in the vein of “How Now” and “Gifthorse” are fulfilling in their own right, I find myself personally in favor of the fantastic “Organs on the Kitchen Floor”. As their debut has shown, The Jealous Girlfriends’ ability to seamlessly conquer any rock-oriented genre of stylistic play should carry them far. Soon enough, once a label finally picks them up, The Jealous Girlfriends will be much more than a band whose songs can be heard in the background of Grey’s Anatomy. I just hope that they continue to write songs like “Organs on the Kitchen Floor”.

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The Jealous Girlfriends – Organs on the Kitchen Floor

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The Jealous Girlfriends – How Now

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The Jealous Girlfriends – Something in the Water

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Ever since I posted about The Postmarks about a month ago (here), they have been critically acclaimed blog darlings. According to Elbo.ws, ‘Goodbye’ was the “#1 most blogged track” from September 11th to October 4th, however that would be calculated. This isn’t hard to believe though, as the song is simply irresistable in terms of overall catchiness with the very delightful Swedish pop-like sound. The group from Miami even scored a spot on Grey’s Anatomy and they haven’t even released an album yet! Their debut is scheduled for January 23rd on Unfiltered Records. In the mean time, they released a Remixes EP for two released tracks: ‘Goodbye’ and ‘You Drift’. Remixes for a band with only a couple of songs released? How does that happen? Well, it just gives you an idea how hyped this band actually is. To make it better, the songs were actually remixed by some prominent names, including James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins) and Tahiti80. It’s nice to hear at least something from Iha, who has released nothing since the Pumpkins’ breakup (sadly, he is not involved in their reformation).

In festive Halloween spirit, they also did a cover of Ministry’s fantastic ‘Every Day Is Halloween’. I plan on doing a full-out Halloween post tomorrow, but this should tide everyone over while kids throw eggs at your house. My favorite remix of ‘Goodbye’ is by leaps and bounds by Tahiti80. They have almost transformed the song’s pace into an energetic and rapid succession of suitable chords, while retaining the general innocence of the song. Iha’s remix is somewhat bare, with the only notable change being in the percussion. It’s nice to hear Iha’s backing vocals again though, especially over Tim Yehezkely instead of Billy Corgan. ‘You Drift Away’ is great as well, even while being a bit more darker. To hear the rest of the remixes, I suggest you purchase their Remixes EP. I, for one, can’t wait for their debut.

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The Postmarks – Goodbye

The Postmarks (Tahiti80 remix) – Goodbye

The Postmarks (James Iha remix) – Goodbye

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The Postmarks – You Drift Away

The Postmarks – Every Day Is Halloween (Ministry cover)

The Postmarks – Know Which Way The Wind Blows

The Postmarks (Roger O’Donnell remix) – Leaves

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Official Web Site

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The post The Postmarks: remixes, halloween, and more appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.