Party Photographers – Let the Red Lights Riot 7″ EP

Today’s band comes from our hometown of Philadelphia, and that usually makes the music all the more interesting. It kind of gives you the feeling that you can reach out and contact these guys if you had to, and chances are you’ll always be nearby when they’re playing a show at home. Unfortunately they don’t have any shows listed at the moment, but we can be patient, right? These hometown-hero’s are going by the name PARTY PHOTOGRAPHERS, and this 7″ EP just happens to be their debut release of any sort! It’s also the debut release for Ian Records, so let’s give them a nice warm welcome.

Party Photographers are a four piece band consisting of two guys and two girls, and their names are Christian, Shane, Elizabeth, and Karlina. I’m not sure which person does what in the band, but together they play these mangled and moody lo-fi pop tunes with enough noise and fuzz to blow your mind. For example, B-side “D.A.F.H.B.” is a hard hitting track with face pounding drums that keep things moving along at a steady pace while the lead singer (Elizabeth or Karlina) urges us to tell her what we’re going through. I think I’d trust her, too. Also on the B-side is the song “Piano Vache”, which I’ve uploaded for you guys to listen below. The lead singers voice (again, Elizabeth or Karlina) sounds blissfully happy over the mix, leaving you with no other option but to smile and sing along with her “Na na na na naaa” harmonies. “It’s just imaginary,” she carelessly reminds us over and over again. The gritty lead guitar licks take her singing to the next level all while this song secretly buries itself under your skin. This was definitely a fantastic way for them to close out their debut 7″, and it leaves me with promising notions for their future releases. Hopefully we’ll hear more from these guys very soon. Check out their Myspace for other songs from the 7″.

Piano Vache –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Noise, Pop, Shoegaze
Let the Red Lights Riot 7″ EP: Tracklist:
1.) Let the Red Lights Riot
2.) Penn Treaty
3.) D.A.F.H.B.
4.) Piano Vache

Party Photographers on Myspace
BUY their 7″ from Ian Records

Forming – Forming 7″

Hey hey. Got something for you guys today, and I think you’re gonna like it. The name of the band is FORMING, and they’re from Long Beach, California, where they’re living the life and chillin’ …eternally. They’ve got two official releases out there for us – one of them being this 7″ we have here today and then a CD-EP called “Sleep Like a Dog” that were both put out by the same label.

Now I know this might be a stretch, but the singer in this band somewhat reminds me of Tim Kinsella from Cap’n Jazz, but certainly not in every way – just that raspy quality of his voice. I’m only saying this because I’ve been listening to a shit ton of Cap’n Jazz since that AWESOME show last Saturday, which you can still check out right here. But moving on…

This 7″ captures the bands raw energy quite nicely, with their heavy guitar driven jams and grieving lyrics about being drunk and unhappy and stuff. Perhaps the best example of raw energy comes about halfway through on the third track “BABCAB”, which is a fiery guitar solo that will certainly lighten the mood of the song, because chances are the lyrics aren’t going to do that. If you really want to talk about lyrics, skip ahead to the last track “Stay Home”. “Stay home tonight, turn out the lights…and cry for help” he screams about halfway through the track, only to have the song transfer over into this lazy stoner-jam until the final 30-seconds or so. They come back for a quick 30-second freak out at the end, which ultimately brings us to the end of the 7″. Listen to the two songs I just mentioned right below, and if that’s not enough for ya, head on over to their Myspace.

BABCAB –

Stay Home –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Rock, Alternative, Emo
Forming 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Hate My Guts
2.) The Night Before
3.) BABCAB
4.) Stay Home

Forming on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Vitirol Records
Check out their CP-EP too, although it’s sold out – You can download it here

Whitesand/Badlands – Seeding the Clouds

YO. I have something special for you guys here today. I’m hoping that these sound waves are entering your ears for the very first time, mainly because it’s brand new music and it seems to be the bands first official release (but I’m not 100% sure on that).

That band would be known as WHITESAND/BADLANDS, and their 52-minute double LP was just released to the masses recently, and they would be more than happy to share it with YOU. They recorded their new LP at Sacred Heart Recording Studio, which just so happens to be a 19th century cathedral converted into a recording studio, and after learning that it almost seems too perfect that the record came out the way it did. They released the music in vinyl and mp3 format only, so to get these tunes you either gotta cough up the money for some brand new wax, or just buy some new mp3’s. But seriously, we all know which option is giving you more for your money. Just do yourself a huge favor and buy the vinyl.

Whitesand/Badlands have been around since at least 2008, and they’re currently made up of seven different members at most – but it’s usually just a combination/variation of those seven members. Andy Larson appears to be the constant frontman, although I’m not entirely sure about that – bear with me people, there’s not that much information out there to be found about these guys. While I can’t necessarily answer every question about the band, we can leave their music to do the rest of that for us.

Most of the songs from the LP are quite long, so it usually takes awhile for them to hit their mark, but each one does in due-time, and you’ll definitely notice the difference once they change things up. And it’s not a sudden burst of madness you should be looking for either, they do it all with much more subtlety. Some good examples of this would be on the longer tracks like “Magician’s Hat”, “Syntax Trees”, and “Sunburn”. Along with this, most of the songs have an underlying dark mood in them, at times sounding extremely eerie, tribal, or primitive. Primitive would probably work best with the song “Witch Hunting” or “Magician’s Hat”, while eerie would work best with “Brandspeakeasy”. Then you get much more welcoming jams like “Statue Park” and “Thought Leader”, but they still manage to change the direction of the song midway so you never get too comfortable with any sound.

“Thought Leader” takes about a minute to build up, and once it does you’ll find yourself in a mess of crunchy guitars and buzzy bass lines. It all ultimately leads up into a triumphant ending with some great little guitar licks during the final minute, making me go on to say that this might be one of the most accessible songs on the record. In a few of the other songs (“Sunburn”, “Brandspeakeasy”, “Syntax Trees”, etc) they bring out what sounds like a legitimate grand piano, and it really goes a long way in bringing the songs to life and giving them their own, unique (and much more serious) sound. But that’s enough from me – listen for yourself with the songs I left below. I had a tough time figuring out which ones to leave you all with too, so be sure to listen to them all. If you want more go to their SoundCloud page.

Witch Hunting –

Syntax Trees –

Thought Leader –

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Post-Rock
Seeding the Clouds: Tracklist:
1.) Angels on a Pinhead
2.) Witch Hunting
3.) Brandspeakeasy
4.) Statue Park
5.) Magician’s Hat
6.) Syntax Trees
7.) Sunburn
8.) Thought Leader
9.) False Prophets
10.) Whale Song

Buy the Double LP – Just send $25 to whitesandbadlands@gmail.com
Whitesand/Badlands – Official Website
Whitesand/Badlands blogspot
Listen to more from the LP on SoundCloud

JEFF the Brotherhood – Mellow Out 7″

YO. I hate when this happens, man. I’m late to the game once again on another awesome band, and this time I really feel like I’ve been missing out. After listening to this 7″ all I could think about was what their full-length “Heavy Days” sounds like. And by now you’ve probably already figured out that today’s band is JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD. But if “Heavy Days” is anything like this 7″, then I’m gonna be alllllll over that stuff as soon as I get my hands on it.

So this 7″ was put out by Suicide Squeeze Records in a hand-numbered edition of 750, and if it’s anything like other JEFF releases, this thing is bound to sell out. The coolest part is that 250 of them were pressed on glow in the dark vinyl, just in case you’re ever in the mood to spin your records in the dark…but moving on.

This gem features two JEFF songs, one of them being brand new and the other coming from their LP “Heavy Days”. The new song is called “Mellow Out”, and it’s absolutely fantastic. Jake Orrall sings about keeping his records on a shelf because he cares about his health, but I can’t seem to find a connection between records on shelves and the well-being of a person. Either way this song is going to reel you in pretty quickly with it’s invigorating, electrified guitar psych-outs that pop up in the little breaks and the careful, frantic drumming of brother Jamin Orrall. The two complement each other almost perfectly in the music, playing together at the right speeds and switching things up at the proper moments. That brotherly chemistry is definitely noticeable in their sound, as these guys both know how to hit that mark. Check out “Mellow Out” right below – you’ll be glad you did.

Mellow Out –

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Grunge, Punk
Mellow Out 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Mellow Out
2.) Heavy Days

BUY the 7″ @ Insound! – It’s only $4.40!
JEFF the Brotherhood on Myspace

Monotonix – Fun Fun Fun 7″

This is definitely the first band from Israel that we’re covering here on the Styrofoam Drone. Come to think of it, I can’t think of many bands at all that come from Israel, but I’m sure there’s a ton out there.

The band is known as MONOTONIX, and they’ve toured around the world countless times playing hundreds of shows ranging from extremes like SXSW to shows in the basements of churches. Speaking of the basements of churches, the first time I came across Monotonix was when they opened for the Silver Jews back on their final tour, and the band was NUTS! They played anywhere in the room but the actual stage, and it was just straight-up madness. This 7″ looks like it’s the latest release from Monotonix, coming from the Drag City imprint, and I’m sure it won’t be their last.

It might seem a bit cliché to call this 7″ fun, but that’s basically what it all comes down to. These jams would go perfectly in the background of your typical raging party, with people from wall to wall guzzling down beer, playing flip-cup, and yelling as loud as they possibly can. The two songs included are staggeringly heavy with grungy guitars and a raspy Ami Shalev who basically freaks out the entire time while he forces his words right down our throat – and he doesn’t see a damn thing wrong with it either! Especially in a live setting. That being said, I think seeing Monotonix live is probably the best way to experience their music and the band themselves. If they ever make it to your town, you should definitely make a point to go and check them out. Good times all around for sure.

Fun Fun Fun –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Alternative, Israel
Fun Fun Fun 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Fun Fun Fun
2.) Try Try Try

Buy the 7″ @ Insound!
Monotonix on Myspace
Monotonix – Official Website!

No Joy – No Summer 7″

I was having a difficult time finding any solid information on this band, but then I found this, which gives us a little more insight than we had before. According to Best Coast it’s two hot blonde girls just shredding away, and it sounds pretty accurate going by the music – the only problem is we don’t know who the girls are. But what we do know is that this is their first 7″ record, and it’s unexpectedly awesome.

The 7″ begins on a song called “No Summer”, and if you ask me that’s quite a depressing name for a song, because everybody deserves a summer. Heavy, atmospheric guitars rule the mix as one of the “hot blondes” sings amongst the swirling, moody haze, and they’re led by an energetic drummer who changes up the beat to keep things moving right along. Flipping over to the B-side gets you into another mess of heavy guitar and crashing drums. It’s called “No Joy”, and the scuzzy guitars that introduce it continue to grow and grow, giving this song a huge, ever-growing sound that doesn’t stop until the song finally comes to an end. The drums follow along in the madness and destroy everything in their path while anybody who is watching is sure to have their jaw drop. The song changes pace about halfway through, but they don’t lose that momentum for a second.

That’s all the music from the 7″, and unfortunately for us I don’t know of any other No Joy songs besides these two. But either way, lets hope that these shreddin’ hot blondes continue to serve up their raw, high-energy, face-melting psych rock until we can’t handle it any longer – although I don’t think that’s going to happen. They’ve got some shows coming up in Brooklyn according to their Myspace, and I’m telling you this because they seem like one of those bands you have to experience in a live setting.

No Joy –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Post-Punk, Dream Pop, Ethereal
No Summer 7″: Tracklist:
1.) No Summer
2.) No Joy

You can buy the 7″ @ Insound! – It’s only $4.77!
No Joy on Myspace
Listen to the 7″ on the No Joy Bandcamp page

Cap’n Jazz Live in Philadelphia (7/24/10)

Who?: Cap’n Jazz w/ Gauge
Where?: Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA
When?: July 24th, 2010

Yo. Last night Cap’n Jazz played in Philadelphia. Where were you when it happened? I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the best night of many show-goers lives last night, because it definitely seemed that way. People were going ape-shit in the 100+ degree Starlight Ballroom, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that Cap’n Jazz put on a hell of a show. I’ve brought my evidence along with me – just check out these videos below!

In the Clear – This was their first song of the night. Watch everybody dash right towards the stage immediately after they start. Everybody also chants along perfectly with Kinsella during the pause.

We Are Scientists! – I especially like the use of the french horn in this one.

Basil’s Kite – I was really hoping they played this one last night. Sure enough, they did. WHEN I FLYYYYYYYY!!!!

Little League – The sprawling first track to their timeless album. Everybody is singin’ along as best as they can with so much dedication.

Oh Messy Life – Oh sweaty ballroom. This song definitely put a lot of smiles on faces last night, although I’m sure people were smiling the entire time anyway. It’s not every day, or even every year, that Cap’n Jazz comes to play a show in your town.

Take on Me – So I must apologize for this one. I didn’t have my camera handy when they started playing the song, so I missed a good chunk of it, but I still figured people would love to see it. I’m pretty sure Kinsella is reading the lyrics right off of that paper in his hands.

That’s all the video I had from the show. That’s for all you silly people who didn’t come out and try to get in last night! I hope I brought the experience right to your computer screen. In case you’re new to Cap’n Jazz though, you can check out this song “Basil’s Kite” right below – it’s damn good.

Basil’s Kite –

Get the insight on Cap’n Jazz right here @ Jade Tree
Cap’n Jazz on Myspace

Son of Rams – Untitled LP

A little over a month ago a brand new band began making waves and hitting everybody’s inbox with words about their debut 7″. You might remember them as Family Trees.

There’s a dude who makes up 1/3 of Family Trees, and his name is Joseph Pruitt. Believe it or not, Mr. Pruitt has a solo-project when he’s not concentrating on Family Trees, and the name of the band is SON OF RAMS. He’s pretty much the only member of the band, taking the position on just about every instrument you can hear in the music. And if you’re expecting this to be somewhere in the same vein as Family Trees, then you’re sadly mistaken! He ditches that lazy, summery sound you hear in Family Trees and goes with his own blend of intoxicating guitar-driven weirdo-psych-rock that’s just fantastic. Each song features Pruitt shrieking and carrying on at excessive volumes, along side of some nasty lead-guitar work. No exaggeration either – just about every last song has a bad ass lead guitar hook (In Kind, This Wisdom, No Concept/No Logic, Spanish Mansions, The Veteran: James Page, Flying Tigers) or some crazy ass chicken-scratch solo (A Second Season, Ancients), and that’s about all it takes to get you to play the songs over and over again.

Since you guys have the ability to stream each song from the album (you can even download it all at once), I’m not going to go too in depth with any descriptions. Instead I’ll just say that the sooner you guys get into this stuff, the quicker you’ll be becoming addicted to all the unpredictable guitar madness that’s waiting for you around every corner of the album. If you don’t want to waste time downloading anything, just check out the few songs I’ve uploaded below. I’d recommend starting with “In Kind”. It’s a welcoming start to the album, as it almost comes off as a type of anthem when the lead guitar comes in during the second half.

In Kind –

No Concept/ No Logic –

Ancients –

Flying Tigers –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Psychedelic, Rock, Experimental
Untitled LP: Tracklist:
1.) In Kind
2.) This Wisdom
3.) No Concept/ No Logic
4.) A Second Season
5.) Ancients
6.) Spanish Mansions
7.) 7th Wonder
8.) The Veteran: James Page
9.) Flying Tigers
10.) Masters
11.) Claude Monet

DOWNLOAD the Untitled LP for FREE!!!
Stream/Download each song from the LP right here!
Son of Rams on Last.fm

Mazes – Cenetaph 7″

Yo! So originally I didn’t have anything to post today, so instead of going post-less, I searched around for a bit and found something nice.

It’s yet another 7″, and it’s by a band called MAZES from Manchester in the United Kingdom. I tracked down this little gem from this blog right here called BE BOP KIDS! There’s some other cool stuff on that blog, you should check it out while you’re at it. You can even download the Mazes 7″ while you’re there.

This band Mazes has got a handful of releases that have came out already, and you can see them all at their Myspace. This is their most recent release though, and it came out on Suffering Jukebox Records (which may or may not be a tribute to a Silver Jews song). It’s got two new songs from the band, and they’re both these fast paced numbers ruled by crunchy, spiky guitars and it’s all done with an honest folk-pop-goodness that’s pretty difficult to deny. These guys are good, and I’m going to look into their other material for future posts down the road. Until then, you can listen to the song below and then check out the others on their Myspace – one of them is also the B-side of this 7″ called “Go-Betweens”. Check it out.

Cenetaph –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Folk Rock, Pop
Cenetaph 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Cenetaph
2.) Go-Betweens

Mazes – Official Website
Mazes on Myspace!
BUY the 7″ directly from Suffering Jukebox Records

First Base – She’s Boy Crazy 7″ EP

If you’ve been having trouble smiling lately, First Base might be able to fix that for you. Their most recent release from Play Pinball! Records is about as poppy as they come these days, and there’s just no way you can wear a frown when listening to this stuff. They play these picture perfect pop songs, and if you’re not usually into this sort of thing, then chances are it will drive you crazy from their relentless pop approach. Each song is a rockin’ good time complete with boy-girl lyrics about relationships and things of that sort, and the band takes a minimalist approach to the music. The songs don’t last any more than three minutes, as each one starts just as quickly as it ends, and although it’s still not that long, this is the longest First Base release to date.

The EP features four songs, and they’re all just as shiny and glistening as the last First Base 7″ we covered. Only this time the 7″ takes on a much fuller sound than the previous one. Each song has it’s climax at some point, and it’s usually marked by a short but sweet guitar lick. One perfect example would be the song “You’re a Waste of My Time”. It’s nearly two minutes of in-yr-face pop action, and during the final minute comes some delicious guitar work that’s enough to make you spin the track again. This band probably doesn’t seem like much at first listen, but pay attention to the quick songs and you’re bound to fall in love. Beyond addicting.

You’re a Waste of My Time –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Rock, Pop, Minimalist, Lo-Fi
She’s Boy Crazy 7″ EP: Tracklist:
1.) She’s Boy Crazy
2.) I’ll Be Your Hangover
3.) You’re a Waste of My Time
4.) Back to Japan

First Base on Myspace!
BUY the 7″ from Play Pinball! Records – just waiting for the repress!
Check out the other First Base single “I’ve Got a Girl”