Silver Pines – Forces

Not too long ago I initially came across the band Pure Ecstasy. In discovering Pure Ecstasy, I came across another band from the same record label as Pure Ecstasy, and their name would be SILVER PINES. They both have released something on the Light Lodge imprint, and if it wasn’t for Pure Ecstasy, I don’t think I would have come across this gem of a band.

Silver Pines come from the same place as Pure Ecstasy, (which would be somewhere in Texas), and they actually share some band members. Jesse Jenkins and Austin Youngblood from Pure Ecstasy also play in the Silver Pines, and if you’re asking me, Silver Pines is like the next step up from Pure Ecstasy with a few elements added to change things up a bit. They play deliciously hazy and atmospheric slow summer jams, all being drowned out, layered and as frothy as can be. Stefanie Franciotti takes vocals duties in Silver Pines, and that’s probably the most noticeable difference between them and Pure Ecstasy.

Their debut LP “Forces” is a dazed out journey across an endless beach, and it all begins on the first track “Timefather”. Franciotti voice hangs perfectly over the mix, being as moody as possible, but at the same time completely laid back and relaxed. It’s almost like she’s trying to sing you to sleep as all the little subtleties in the music come and go. Towards the end with about a minute left in the song, the guitar beings to squeal and swirl away, becoming a textured wall of sound that you probably didn’t see coming at first listen. Next up comes the darker ambient song “Polar Bear Music”, and while I’m not entirely sure this goes along with things a polar bear does, I can tell you that this one becomes another textured and layered mess of a song, with crashing cymbals and scorching guitars – except this one is instrumental.

Following up this song is the moody “Maypearl”, which is about as slow as it gets on “Forces”. The bass line shakes the ground below your feet as Franciotti’s vocals float above the song, and they even bring in the keyboards for this one. During the final minute of the track a crunchy guitar solo comes through to melt our faces, and before you know it it’s time for the next song, “Payasito”. This one is probably the most welcoming and accessible song on the album, as the joyous guitars that introduce the song continue on as it builds up more and more and gets louder and louder. The numbing guitars swirl around towards the end as they evoke a heavenly landscape that beckons you to jump in and just float away. Great stuff right here. Following that song would be the slow, strung out track “Travelin’ Bones”, filled with a bunch of subtle sound effects, tambourine hits, and Franciotti’s beautiful, comforting voice. Next up comes another instrumental track, and it’s strangely called “Fortress of Daughters”. The drums are ridiculously drowned out, giving you the sense that they’re being played from miles away. They echo like crazy in the beginning, and then everything else comes in midway and we’re in the midst of another textured Silver Pines wall of sound that they’re so good at doing. I’m not exactly sure why, but I don’t have the next song that should be the final track, “Old Sky”, so I guess this is where I’ll end for today.

One last thing: The Philadelphia Flyers MUST win tonight, or else they’re fantastic run in the post-season will finally come to an end. We’ll see what happens. Either way, thanks for a great season, and possibly the most exciting post-season I have ever seen in my 18-or-so years of watching ice hockey. See ya tomorrow!

Timefather –

Maypearl –

Payasito –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Ambient
Forces: Tracklist:
1.) Timefather
2.) Polar Bear Music
3.) Maypearl
4.) Payasito
5.) Travelin’ Bones
6.) Fortress of Daughters
7.) Old Sky

Silver Pines on Myspace
BUY the LP directly from LIGHT LODGE
Pure Ecstasy previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone: Easy 7″ – Voices 7″
Silver Pines on Discogs – They have a cassette tape that I’d like to get my hands on!

Wounded Lion – Wounded Lion

Here is the first release to be put out by the band WOUNDED LION. They released another 7″ record as well, and you can check that one out right here. Sadly, both of those 7-inchers are now out of print, but the good news is that Wounded Lion recently released their first full-length record from In the Red Records, and it came out back on April 27th. The LP is a fantastic debut release for the band, and it sets them on the right path for things to come down the road. They tackle the garage rock sound with flying colors, and they do it with their own little sense of humor that I found to be just fantastic. Parts of the album get noisy (Carol Cloud, Silver People), other parts get goofy, and they manage to stick to their own formula throughout the entire record (various crafty guitar hooks and riffs). They don’t hesitate to throw in their knowledge of obscure Star Wars references either! How awesome! That’s certainly not something you see everyday in music; a Star Wars reference. Touche, Wounded Lion!

The record kicks off on the first track “Hungry?”, and I’m not quite sure what they’re curious about in this one, but a playful and friendly opening track nonetheless. This one sort of sets the tone for the rest of the songs to come. Following up would be one of their 7-inch songs, “Creatures in the Cave”, and it’s a nice little gem packed with some chicken-scratch guitar work towards the middle, and they ride it out all the way until the song comes to an end. The scratchy, distorted guitars you hear in this one dominate the rest of the record, especially this track. Next up comes the hilarious track “Dagobah System”, which is definitely an obscure Star Wars reference. The planet Dagobah is where the master Jedi Yoda resides, and Luke Skywalker is sent there to complete his training as a Jedi. In the movies, you see all sorts of crazy aliens and creatures in the swampy mudlands of Dagobah, and Wounded Lion don’t waste any time referencing these crazy creatures. Lead singer Brad warns us to look out for “crazy shit” and “people with asses for faces”. They don’t hesitate to be a bit silly in this song, and certainly throughout the entire album.

Skipping ahead to “Carol Cloud”, this song is yet again full of crafty guitar hooks that dominate the album from beginning to end, and chances are these hooks are what’s going to keep you coming back for more. This one gets a bit noisy towards the middle as the relentless guitars crunch and scratch their way through to the end. Skipping ahead to the track “Pony People”, they whip out the keyboards for this one, and they certainly don’t forget to bring along their humorous attitude, talking about centaurs and the asses of horses. Skipping ahead to the track “Silver People”, they tend to get a bit noisy again in this one. Once again dominated by catchy guitar hooks, a bit past the middle of the song they tear shit up with more scratchy guitar work, as they continue to reference Coors Light throughout the entire song. This song seamlessly moves into the next track “Omar Walk”, and while we don’t know exactly what an “Omar Walk” is, they still continue to rock out and bring forth the noise. This one gets crazy at the end.

Last but certainly not least on the album is the track “Crunchy Stars”, and it’s a great title for a track based on the sounds of this record. A heavenly lead guitar guides us through on this one, with a nice little guitar solo being introduced by lead singer Brad as he yelps out “guitar!” Shortly after the song comes to an end, it leaves you wondering where this band might go next. Definitely a solid, valiant effort from our friends Wounded Lion, and hopefully we can look forward to something bigger and better from them down the road. While humor is almost always a good thing, sometimes it can be a bit overbearing (and that’s probably why some people won’t like this record), so we’ll see where LP #2 takes us. Did I mention these guys remind me of Camursi? Thanks for coming by, and have a fantastic day.

Creatures in the Cave –

Dagobah System –

Carol Cloud –

Crunchy Stars –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Pop, Psychedelic
Wounded Lion: Tracklist:
1.) Hungry?
2.) Creatures in the Cave
3.) Dagobah System
4.) Hunan Province
5.) Carol Cloud
6.) Hangin in Ancient Circles
7.) Belt of Orion
8.) Pony People
9.) Black Socks
10.) Silver People
11.) Omar Walk
12.) Crunchy Stars

Wounded Lion on Myspace
Wounded Lion on In the Red Records
BUY the Wounded Lion LP/CD directly from Midheaven Mailorder
BUY the Friendly 7″ directly from Midheaven Mailorder

The Ills – Lost Trams EP

When I was surfing around the web trying to find some information about this band, I didn’t get very far. Most of the descriptions across the web are just copy-and-paste descriptions that seem to be used in every necessary place you could think of. The description I am talking about can be found on their Myspace page, and even on their Last.fm page. Unfortunately for me, this is all I know about the band, so just regurgitating the material certainly isn’t fun or entertaining to read.

So this is the Ills in a nutshell: Their name came about as a joke after they made their first song in September 2008, and since then they’ve gained momentum, found their own sound, and began playing shows in their hometown of Bratislava, Slovakia. Fun. Now here they are today putting out their most recent EP after putting out their first one back in September of 2009. I haven’t listened to the first EP, but the latest one is a beautiful, thought-evoking album in which they force you to paint a picture in your head to go along with the music. Along with that, their music also creates an environment, (known as a soundscape/dreamscape to some), and it’s as dreamy and lethargic as you could hope for and the second track “Vulnerable” is a prime example of this. The following track “To Go Through the Silence” also fits into this category as well, until about halfway through they suddenly kick things up and the cymbals crash until we’re at the end of the song. The opening track “Immense” is a bit different from these other two, and you can hear it for yourself right below. The final 7-minute track “Broken Wheel on the Ambulance Car” is more electronically dominated than the rest of the songs, resulting in an electrified atmosphere present throughout the entire song. You shouldn’t waste any more time listening to what I have though – download the EP through the link below and find out for yourself! Happy listening!

Immense –

Vulnerable –

My Rating: 6/10
Genre/ Tags: Instrumental, Post-Rock, Shoegaze
Lost Trams EP: Tracklist
1.) Immense
2.) Vulnerable
3.) To Go Through the Silence
4.) Broken Wheel on the Ambulance Car

The Ills on Myspace
Download the “Lost Trams” EP right HERE directly from the EXITlabel
Download their first EP right HERE

Kurt Vile – Square Shells EP

Hey! So I’ve had this one sitting around for a few days, and I just kind of forgot to listen to it. For whatever reason I remembered I had it just yesterday and decided to give it a spin for the first time. Not too long ago the good people over at Matador Records were nice enough to set the brand new EP free and give everybody a chance to download it “for the next 24 hours, or so.” Sadly, it’s way past that “24 hours or so” limit, but I’m going to share a few of the brand new, hazy Kurt Vile tunes with you here today, so you shouldn’t get too upset. If you’ve been looking to buy the EP, you can head on over to their store and buy it at this very moment! And I know this comes up here a lot on the blog, and it even says it on the Matador page, but these 7 new tracks are perfect summery jams and they came out just in time for summer.

Opening track “Ocean City” starts off with just Kurt and his lovely sounding acoustic guitar, as he sings about not being too sure about a new “best friend”, suggesting that “If it stinks it makes you think, maybe baby, I love you more.” The song continues on while Vile strums away on his guitar, and during the final minute some shape-shifting sound effects come into play, and then the songs fades out. Next up is the track that had been floating around on the web before the EP came out, and it’s called “Invisibility: Nonexistent”. It’s a psyched-out 7 minute jam as Kurt plays his trusty acoustic guitar over top of some grimy sound effects. You can easily get lost in a long, drawn out song such as this one, and at some point you may ask yourself when it’s going to end, but the song fades out and next comes “Losing Momentum”.

Unlike the others we’ve heard so far, this one is a bit more on the soundscape side of things, as it kind of forces you to paint a picture in your head to go along with the music, similar to the track “The Finder” found later on the EP. Following up would be the track “I Wanted Everything”. This is a perfect example of a breezy summer jam if there ever was one from this EP. Kurt continues to “strum away” for us on the EP as he says in the track “I Know I Got Religion”, and it all comes to a close on the lazy sounding final track “Hey, Now I’m Moving”. Kurt whips out the harmonica at the end of this one, and it works great for the song. A fantastic way to bring the EP to an end. Check out the songs below to hear for yourself! Thanks for coming by, and LET’S GO FLYERS. We’re just two wins away from becoming NHL Champions. Too much excitement!

Invisibility: Nonexistent –

I Wanted Everything –

I Know I Got Religion –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Acoustic, Psychedelic, Lo-Fi
Square Shells EP: Tracklist:
1.) Ocean City
2.) Invisibility: Nonexistent
3.) Losing Momentum (for Jim Jarmusch)
4.) I Wanted Everything
5.) I Know I Got Religion
6.) The Finder
7.) Hey, Now I’m Moving

Kurt Vile on Myspace
Kurt Vile – Official Website (Coming soon)
BUY the EP directly from Matador Records

The Dodos – Live from Akropolis, Prague

Here is a band I know I haven’t heard much about lately. I think the last time I heard anything about the Dodos was when they released their third album “Time to Die” and that they had added a third band member to play the vibraphone. The album came out back on September 15th, so yeah, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve heard from the Dodos. Which makes this brand new live album all the more special. Upon first discovering they had a live album, it was pretty exciting, because the Dodos put on a hell of a live show, and it would be great to capture their intensity and give everybody the chance to hear them live. Long freaking out on his guitar, Kroeber never missing a beat on his drum set…seeing the Dodos should be high up on your list of priorities.

Now when it didn’t look like things could get any better, they still did. The album is 10 full tracks long, clocking in at just under an hour of time, and every last track comes from their epic, freak-out packed sophomore album “Visiter”. The live album features all of the greats from “Visiter”, including freak-folk jam outs like “Joe’s Waltz”, “Paint the Rust”, and “Jodi”, and then a few of the more laid back tracks from the record, such as the opener “Walking”, the 2008 single “Fools”, “Ashley”, and “Winter”. If you can’t wait any longer, you should swing on over to THIS website so you can download you’re copy of the live album – you just need to give them an e-mail address. It’s that simple. If you’re still not sure, why not check out the few songs I have uploaded for you below? And if that’s not enough, you should definitely check out the Dodos while they’re on tour with the New Pornographers (they’re coming to Philadelphia on June 21st). You can check out their tour dates on their Myspace.

Fools –

Paint the Rust –

Jodi –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Folk Rock, Freak Folk, Pop, Live
Live from Akropolis, Prague: Tracklist
1.) Walking
2.) Red and Purple / Eyelids
3.) Fools
4.) Joe’s Waltz
5.) Winter
6.) It’s That Time Again
7.) Paint the Rust
8.) Jodi
9.) Ashley
10.) The Season

The Dodos on Myspace
Download your copy of the brand new live album HERE

Navies – Seeing Hands 7″

Now here’s something I don’t think you’re going to be too familiar with. This is exactly why I like going to my local record stores to dig around and find something new and fairly unknown. I didn’t know a thing about what I was buying that day, but it was only $2.99, so I almost felt like I had to buy it.

What I speak of is a beautiful 7″ record by none other than a band called NAVIES, and believe it or not, I almost can’t find ANYTHING about this band anywhere on the web. The furthest I got was with this entry over at the Discogs database, which means somebody else out there has this 7″. I wish I had found that sooner, because I actually went downstairs to scan the cover art for blog-entry purposes because I didn’t think I would find it anywhere else on the web.

But this awesome 7″ comes on a beautiful slab of clear yellow (or gold) vinyl, complete with an insert giving some background information on the release and also the lyrics. If it wasn’t for the insert, I would be completely lost on what to say. And I’m just noticing this now, but apparently this 7″ came out in 2004. So how long was this sitting around in the record store without a home? Well, I gave it one, and without further to say, I give you Navies.

The 7″ only has two tracks (as you probably expected), with one song on each side. The total time is just shy of 8 minutes, and it’s 8 minutes of noisy, sloppy, shambolic post-punk with nods to bands like Double Dagger or any other punk-related band who bring the action full-throttle all the time. The best part about that is Double Dagger frontman Nolen Strals is mentioned on the insert included with the 7″ for credits on the design and printing of the record. Awesome. But moving on.

Navies seems as if it’s a 3 piece band, consisting of members Sean McGuinness, Ed Brant, and Mike Petillo. I’m just going by what this insert tells me. The music was recorded and mixed on 4 tracks during January and Feburary of 2004 by none other than the Navies boys at places called Eternal Life and Invisible Hand in Washington D.C. The name of the record label is FOLIAGE, and they actually have a website listed for the band (www.naviesband.org), but that shit don’t work. I went to even greater lengths to share the music with you guys, and I ripped the music right from the vinyl so you could listen to it below, so please enjoy! If you want to see more pictures of the record or pictures of the insert, just send me an e-mail!

Seeing Hands –

A Surveyor’s Measure –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Lo-Fi
Seeing Hands 7″: Tracklist
1.) Seeing Hands
2.) A Surveyor’s Message

Navies on Last.fm
Navies – Seeing Hands 7″ on the Discogs Database
Edit (Nov. 30th, 2010) – just found this stuff below
Found this about NAVIES too
Navies – An Estate LP
Navies – 2 Song 7″

The Samps – The Samps EP

So with all of the recent chillwave stuff we’ve been seeing and hearing, it only seems appropriate that the Samps are putting out their debut EP. The EP is due out on Mexican Summer and should be available by June 15th, and it’s filled to the brim with danceable pop tracks, ranging from bent disco pop, dance-club electronica, and possibly even a bit of techno/house music. It also seems as if the songs were completely submerged underwater – they add this extra layer of summery haze over top of the whole project, almost as if this EP was made for Summer, and now this is our result. This groovy EP is bound to put a smile on your face as it forces you to get up and move without giving you any other options. As many other reviews go on to say, they cover quite an array of pop music in their short 15 time span, and the sounds they capture is enough to send you through a loop and keep you coming back for more.

The EP kicks off on the oddly named “Wizards Sleeve”, and if your first listen was anything like mine, then you’re going to be completely lost when this song starts. It goes through a few different sections at first, including manic laughter and otherworldly sounds, but they finally get to their point with a floating keyboard and magical sounding landscape, and once you’re finally comfortable with how it sounds, they change it up and it’s time for track two. This one is called “F.X.N.C.”, and I don’t know exactly what it stands for, but this track is a mess of all sorts of crazy sounds and effects that could literally lift you up out of your seat and put you into outer-space…that is, if you’re mind wants to take you there. The mangled bass lines are enough to keep your attention, not to mention the glowing, shimmering sounds they used to create soundscape-like songs rather than just individual dance gems. Following up is the longest song from the EP, “Yellow Jacket”. This tracks falls a bit more on the funky side, and you can hear it clearly through the slap-bass and whatever else qualifies to you as being “funky”. I’m finding it very difficult to not bounce my head along to the beat while listening to this funked out tune. This sounds like music you would hear on another planet or something, it’s nuts.

Skipping ahead to what would be the B-side of this EP, now we’re on the track “Hyperbolic”. “Hyperbolic” starts off with classic computer-sounding beeps and bops as the song continues to get more and more complex. I think it’s safe to say that I still feel like I’m floating around in space somewhere on this one. I think that’s a feeling that’s difficult to get away from while listening to this EP, too. Just picture a dance floor and people going totally ape-shit as they dance and dance without another single care in the world. That is this song. Last on the EP would be the track “Peppergood”, which again brings forth the funky rhythms and that immediately recognizable slap-bass. It’s just too good to ignore, seriously. This is probably my favorite part of the EP right here too. They end it on a good note, and they do it all without ever giving you a chance to think otherwise. If you like dancing and having a good time, this EP is certainly for you. See what you think by listening to the tracks below! Enjoy! And seriously, tonight’s our night. LET’S GO FLYERS!!

F.X.N.C. –

Yellow Jacket –

Peppergood –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Electronic, Dance, Instrumental
The Samps EP: Tracklist
1.) Wizards Sleeve
2.) F.X.N.C.
3.) Yellow Jacket
4.) Thys
5.) Hyperbolic
6.) Peppergood

The Samps on Myspace!
Download music by the Samps for free from RCRD LBL
Download the EP digitally from Mexican Summer, or wait until June 15th and order the vinyl!

Girls Names – Girls Names EP

This is pretty interesting. The band Girls Names formed in January of 2009, and they had their first gig booked before ever playing a show together. How do you even book a gig without any music to show for it? That’s what I want to know. Does that mean they hadn’t practiced at all either? If so then that’s pretty awesome, but at this point Girls Names are way beyond that. Having been a band for over a year now, Girls Names hail from Belfast in Northern Ireland, the capital and largest city in Ireland. Up until this point they have released a mini-album on Tough Love Records, a cassette tape split with the band Heavy Hawaii on Cass/Flick, and last but not least the 12″ EP put out by Captured Tracks. The Captured Tracks EP features 4 original tracks from the band, and it clocks it at just over 10 minutes of noisy, strung out, reverb drenched guitar driven garage/surf rock.

At times when listening to this short EP, the band Crystal Stilts would come to mind. I think that would mainly be due to the droned out, howling vocals of lead singer Cathal, and also because of that primitive and simple-but-complex drumming style of drummer Neil (I couldn’t figure out their last names). The second track on the EP, “Warm Hands, Cold Heart”, is a great example of this. Lead singer Cathal hangs over the mix while the frantic drums and urgent guitars push the song almost into surf-rock territory. The first track “I Guess” also takes a stroll into the surf-rock side of things.

Moving onto the last track on the EP, “Graveyard” starts out with some welcoming guitars, and again this track goes deep into the surf rock side of things as the guitars almost become a quick Hawaiian dance jig as they switch it up a bit past the midway point of the song. One thing that is certain is that a graveyard will never evoke the same feeling that this song does. If yr interested, you can check out two of those four songs right here. If these aren’t enough for you, shoot on over to their Myspace where you can check out a bunch more of their songs. That’s all for today!

Warm Hands, Cold Heart –

Graveyard –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Surf Rock, Noise Rock
Girls Names EP: Tracklist
1.) I Guess
2.) Warm Hands, Cold Heart
3.) Don’t Let Me In
4.) Graveyard

Girls Names on Myspace
Girls Names Official Blogspot
BUY the 12″ EP directly from Captured Tracks