What’s in a name? In the case of Sweden’s Surrounded, it also describes their sound, an intense, brooding, and surprisingly simple brand of indie rock that surrounds and fills and envelopes. The second LP The Nautilus Years, is out in June in the US and is already available in Europe.
David & the Citizens
Swedish pop is actually a very wide ranging label. You got your twee pop, your synth pop, your acoustic pop, your shoegaze pop, your pop pop, and with David & the Citizens you’ve got your rockin’ pop. Think of them as Sweden’s The New Pornographers. Catchy, smart, full of energy, and able to manipulate emotions with a wide range of topics and just the right hook to fit the moment.
Magic Bullets
Writer’s block. That’s it. That’s the only explanation of how I can continue to tap my foot and nod my head on the sixth consecutive listen of “Heatstroke” from Magic Bullets and still not come up with something to write about it. Yes, it’s lame to just write “I like it” about a band/song, but with the pulsing keyboards and snappy drums of “Heatstroke,” that’s all your gonna get outta me. I like it. a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love is the debut album of this San Francisco band just out on Words on Music. If you must have comparisons, try these from Words on Music: C86, Felt, Gang of Four, New Order, Feelies, Talking Heads, Stranglers, Orange Juice, and the French Kicks. And make that eight consecutive listens!
Prewar Yardsale
Last week’s cover of the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “That Girl Suicide” by Prewar Yardsale was just a taste of Prewar Yardsale to whet your appetites for today’s offering of four, count ’em, four free and legal songs available from Olive Juice Music, a collecive of artists. The simplicity and the rawness of this New York couple’s antifolk, from the hammered acoustic guitar to the drum kit assembled from whatever was found in the kitchen cabinets, enourages toe-tapping sing-a-longs. And that’s what it’s all about.
More from Machine Go Boom
Brian Jonestown Massacre
1996. Methodrone. The first LP from the Brian Jonestown Massacre was the inspiration for Mike G and I to finally start a band after months of talking about it. You see, I had gotten in his car with some friends not really knowing Mike, and lo and behold, playing in his car stereo was Lilys’ Eccsame the Photon Band, which was my favorite album at the time. Mike and I quickly became good friends, yet the band talk continued until Mike brought over the Methodrone CD. Mike drafted in Chris on bass (I’d have to play the basslines before each song so Chris could remember) and Tom on drums (He was a skater kid so every song gradually got faster and faster while we played). We advertised for a lady singer and the auditions consisted of Mike and I playing BJM songs while getting the wannabes to sing to them. After several hilarious auditions, we had the good fortune of meeting Jessica Foxylady and convinced her to join us. Our first song: BJM’s “Wisdom.”
Anton Newcombe has put out seemingly dozens of albums in dozens of styles with seemingly hundreds of band members, is the subject of the film Dig, and has been called every name in the book and visited every city in the country. All of those albums are available for free download from the BJM website as zipped ogg files.
Also of note is the Brian Jonestown Massacre Fans’ Cover Project, a fantastic site which has collected an ever-growing number of songs. My two faves are below.
Hey Lover
Hey Lover is the latest boy/girl duo to be covered here on 3hive. So while Hey Lover proves the genre is still going strong, with plenty of opportunity in the single guitar and drums space, this Portland band is also the most likely to destroy their kit with their frantic punk-pop pounding. And that’s a good thing.
The Muggabears
Now I understand NYC is all cleaned up these days. I personally have walked in Central Park more than once over the past few years without getting mugged, despite the best efforts of television dramas like “Law & Order” to keep me paranoid of being mugged upon setting foot within any of the boroughs. So perhaps it was destiny that three friends from Norman, Oklahoma, with a band named the Muggabears would move to NYC. The band’s website describes them as a “structurally-mutilated brand of noise-pop featuring blissful interplay, sonic experimentation and song destruction,” going on to refer to influences from early 90’s indie rock like Pavement and Sonic Youth. I’ll add Superchunk, Some Velvet Sidewalk, and even Polvo while we’re listing early 90’s indie rock influences. “The Goth Tarts” is from their new EP Night Choreography out on April 24th, and the other two are from their 2006 EP Teenage Cop. Wasn’t there a Law & Order franchise called Law & Order Teenage Cops?
The Fake Fictions
Barn-storming pop from the Fake Fictions, full of handclaps, shouted whiny choruses, and jangly guitars interrupted by intermittent fuzz. Welcome to spring!
The Like Young
“For Money or Love,” the second song on The Like Young’s Last Secrets really says it all about the Like Young: for the love of their music, for the love of the band, for the love of each other (they’re married), Amanda and Joe made sacrifices to do what they loved, despite the struggles with money. Last Secrets explains it all, and perhaps, fittingly, was their last album before they retired the band back in August. Many more songs of their duo-punk-rock from earlier releases can be downloaded from their site.