Who?: Vermillion Sands w/ Omar, Factors of Four and Slutever Where?: The Drone Duplex in Philadelphia, PA When?: October 2nd, 2010
This past Saturday night was quite a good time. Before I go any further, I want to thank everybody that came out to party and enjoy the show, because it turned out to be a memorable night. Since it all went over without any issues, we can only hope that there will be another show in the very near future!! The Vermillion Sands enjoyed their stay in Philly, and we’re glad they came out to play their bandit style garage rock for us. They were super psyched to be playing at a house party, too, because I think they were ready for some fun. Last night was the last night of their tour, and it ended in Baltimore. Now I think the band is hanging out in the US for a little bit before heading back to Italy. Here’s how Saturday night went down, after the jump: Continue reading “Vermillion Sands – Live in Philadelphia (10/2/10)”→
I hope you all didn’t forget about today! I can’t believe how quickly it crept up on us either! Italy’s own VERMILLION SANDS are probably on their way to Philadelphia as you read this, and they’re coming to play tonight with local Philly bands Omar, Factors of Four, and recently added guests Slutever! (If you haven’t guessed it yourself, the theme/trend for the bands tonight is definitely female singers.)
The show is taking place tonight (Oct. 2nd) in North Philadelphia, around 8-8:30 pm in the Temple U. area, at Park Ave. and Dauphin Streets. The show costs $5, and there are arrangements for people who would like to drink beer! If you’re from the Temple area, just follow Liacouras Walk up the street (to Park Ave.) that leads you behind the McDonalds across from White Hall. Continue walking down Park Ave. until you cross over Dauphin St., and then look for the house with the loud shit going on on your left hand side. If you’re coming from a bit further away in the city, take the Broad Street subway line up the North Philly direction until you reach the Susquehanna/ Dauphin station. Follow the street behind the Rite Aid (which is Park Ave.) until you cross over Dauphin. Then “look for the house with the loud shit going on on your left hand side.” Hopefully nobody has any trouble, but you can get more details right here on the Facebook event page. Hopefully you’ll all come out tonight and witness the madness that will be taking place in my very basement. But just in case you can’t, I’m going to capture a good amount of the show on video for y’all to see sometime next week. So come on out, don’t forget yr $5, drink some beer, and have a great night. See you then.
Yo! I have something slightly different for you guys today. I didn’t have to use that ‘lo-fi’ tag yet again for this post, which was definitely a great change of pace. So much coming out these days has that gritty lo-fi production, so it’s kind of nice to hear music like this for a change. I’m not gonna lie – I kind of forgot this stuff existed! Obviously joking, but this album is certainly a refreshing burst of music with a fuller sound and with overall better production. You get rich and warm layered recordings – definitely a quality that is lost with all of this upcoming ‘lo-fi’ stuff we’re always seeing. So let’s get on with it.
KID ICARUS is a band based out of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, and believe it or not, these guys have been around for longer than you might think. Eric Schlittler is the lead man, and it’s been this way since the bands inception way back in 1996. These guys have got at least seven different full length albums, including this one we’re talking about today. “Imaginary Songs & Aluminum Hits” would be the most recent, which is actually the first LP to come from Kid Icarus in over five years. It has a little bit of everything you’d want to hear, with the basis being mostly guitar-driven indie rock. On top of that, the band manages to work in their own unique blend of psychedelia, alongside an equal amount of a twangy folky flair. A few of these tracks have a good amount of heart ache weaved into the mix, as there is definitely a longing feeling in a few of these songs like “Encased” and “A Good Place to End”. Other times it seems like Schlittler is singing about what is happening right in front of him, almost like he’s giving us a play-by-play of exactly what his own two eyes perceive. It helps paint a nice picture as you listen to the songs, and it’ll definitely help you pay attention to the music, because you’ll be wondering what happens next.
Then there’s other songs on the album that were put down just to rock out. Songs like “Dig Architecture”, “Disappearing Act”, “Projection Loop” or “Figure A”, which features a metallic, screaming guitar that may or may not catch you off guard upon first listen. These are the songs that help you forget about the sad times. Then along comes a song like “Who’s Blues”, which kind of sits out of the loop with the rest of the songs in this. It’s like a quick trip to outer-space to record a song real quick and then come back down to Earth to finish the rest of the album. Shortly after this starts the pounding rhythm on “In My Windowed Life”.
These final three songs on the album play into each other almost perfectly, making quite a nice ending to this album. “In My Windowed Life” acts like an intro to the song “Victory Smokes, Victory Gin”, which is another song on it’s own on this album. It has an extremely heavy feel to it, almost like Schlittler has some burdens to unload before it’s all said and done. Heavenly guitars and lyrics about police intrusion make for an interesting story. Then comes “PA Year Zero”, which starts up with some delightful acoustic guitar. This song will definitely put a smile on your face if you’ve been having some hard times lately. Check out the songs I’m leaving for you guys below, because I think yr gonna like them. Whatever you do, don’t forget to listen to “Disappearing Act”. It rocks.
Dig Architecture –
Disappearing Act –
In My Windowed Life –
PA Year Zero –
My Rating: 8/10 Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Folk Rock, Psychedelic, Pop Imaginary Songs & Aluminum Hits: Tracklist:
1.) Dig Architecture
2.) A Good Place to End
3.) Disappearing Act
4.) My Mother the Car
5.) Figure A
6.) Encased
7.) Projection Loop
8.) Who’s Blues
9.) In My Windowed Life
10.) Victory Smokes, Victory Gin
11.) PA Year Zero
Kid Icarus – Official Website
Kid Icarus on Myspace BUY this LP directly from Summersteps Records – Limited to 250 !!!
More info. on Kid Icarus right here !
Vancouver’s own DEAD GHOSTS have been pulling in quite a bit of excitement lately. I first heard of these guys with their awesome 7″ from the Goodbye Boozy label, and since then it’s kind of been like love at first listen. Soon enough they’re going to be back on the scene with a brand new full length record from the Florida’s Dying label, and it looks like that’s going to be out sometime in October. But before this full-length hit’s the shelves, Dead Ghosts just put out another 12″ from the Psychic Lunch imprint, featuring songs that were all recorded in a live setting. Originally, this release was put out in cassette form from Southpaw Records (more info. on the cassette version right here), and now it’s got a vinyl release with a slightly different tracklisting. Pretty cool.
So – we’ve got nine new Dead Ghosts songs on this beautiful slab of single-sided, clear vinyl, in a limited edition of 300. Luckily for you, this is the only item that isn’t sold out at the Psychic Lunch store (with the exception of a few t-shirts). So if you want this one, it’s probably best to buy it as soon as possible. I certainly wouldn’t wait too long.
As I already mentioned, each song was recorded live, and it puts on a fantastic display of what these Dead Ghosts would sound like in a live setting. The energy is certainly palpable as they rock out and plow through these nine new songs. This is a bunch of bros putting on a fine display of what garage rock should sound like – sometimes doing it up with bluesy qualities, and other times touching on the psychedelic side of the fence – but never forgetting about their women! The guitar twang is simply irresistible, and I’m pretty psyched to check out this new full length when it’s finally unleashed to the world. Until then, we’ll just have to sit tight. Check out these songs from the 12″ below – but be careful – these songs WILL get stuck in yr head. “Thunderbird ESQ” especially (which is a Gories cover)! You’ve been warned!
Girl Across the Street –
What to Do –
I Want Your Love –
Thunderbird ESQ –
My Rating: 8/10 Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Lo-Fi, Live Live Tapes 12″: Tracklist:
1.) Staying In
2.) Girl Across the Street
3.) Messed Up
4.) What to Do
5.) Detroit Jerry
6.) I Want Your Love
7.) Getting Older
8.) Haunted House
9.) Thunderbird Esq
Hailing from Philadelphia, PA is the one and only FAR-OUT FANGTOOTH. These guys just put out their debut 7″ on Philadelphia label Ian Records, and it looks like it’s their first official release to be unleashed on the world. The blog in that link hasn’t been updated in quite some time, but it looks as if another Ian Records release is due out soon enough. The only problem is I couldn’t really find a link to buy this Far-Out Fangtooth single anywhere. I happened to stumble upon it during a record store trip just the other day, so unless you have time to get to yr local record store, I don’t how else to get this one. Especially if yr not from Philadelphia. I’m sure they’ll have a way to buy it soon enough.
So for starters, I was slightly confused when I first went to listen to this 7″. I’m pretty sure they have the label stickers on the wrong sides. The side that says “Pathways” plays “Why Don’t You Cry”, and vice-versa. It’s not anything Earth-shattering, but I’m sure they didn’t mean to do this. “Pathways” is supposed to be the A-side (I think – might be wrong about that), and it starts out on kind of a slow note. It’s going to take a few listens for this stuff to grow on you, that is if you think you can get into it. Until about 30 seconds in, this sounds like just another scuzzy lo-fi song, but then an ambient and invigorating lead guitar takes control, as things begin to liven up a bit. Good thing too, because the singing probably wasn’t going to help change that. That lead guitar is complemented by other twangy guitar rhythms and bass lines alike, on top of relentless, crashing cymbals. Check out the other side of this 7″ right below – it’s a heavy, grungy guitar-driven jam out. Then you can hear “Pathways” right on the Far-Out Fangtooth Myspace.
Why Don’t You Cry –
My Rating: 6.5/10 Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Psychedelic, Punk Pathways 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Pathways
2.) Why Don’t You Cry
Far-Out Fangtooth on Myspace
Far-Out Fangtooth on Facebook
Download some Far-Out Fangtooth tracks right here
I don’t think there is a place to buy this yet online – check yr record stores in Philly
What’s up? Today looks like another lousy day in Philadelphia. The forecast calls for rain basically all day. The same thing happened yesterday day too – it’s such a bummer. If there was anything that made my rainy day exciting yesterday it was the fact that my brand new copy of the new WOMEN album “Public Strain” came in the mail.
That’s right, Women have a new album out, and it’s official release date is today, September 28th! In most places across the web (like Insound, and Aural Exploits), if you buy the album, it’ll come packaged with a limited edition 7″ featuring two new and unheard Women songs. That’s the 7″ I have here for you guys today. So the only way it seems to get this one yourself is to buy the new Women album from one of those places I just listed. I also actually saw they were offering the 7″ with purchase of the new album at my local record store, so that might be your best option. Either route you choose, please keep in mind – they only have the 7-inchers “while supplies last”, so order carefully!
First up on the A-side is a song called “Service Animal”, and the guitar work is enough to make yr head spin right off your shoulders. Spikey, spiny, and jagged guitars cut at your throat for most of the song, which at times has both noisy rock and pop qualities, while a rubbery, fat and slappy bass guitar keeps the song in order. The guitar progressions you can hear in this song are absolutely flawless, and they might actually catch you off guard at times. No wonder that guy on Pitchfork said “When you’re trying to tell a guy at your New Year’s Eve party where guitar-based indie rock is headed right now, remember to include Women” (the quote is at the very bottom of the list). But yeah, it’s pretty clear what he meant. This song “Service Animal” illustrates that quote perfectly.
Flip that 7″ over for another highly enjoyable listen, this time with a song called “Grey Skies”. It’s funny though, because with the way this song sounds, the sky seems like it would be any other color than the dull and unexciting color of grey. It’s much more laid back and delicate than the A-side was, and this song would go somewhat perfectly with a stroll through the park on a beautiful, cloudless day without a worry in the world. Definitely pure bliss up in this track.
It’s odd – I feel like both of these tracks could have been on “Public Strain”. Maybe they just ran out of space or something, because these two songs are like the answer to that “…To Be Continued” feeling you get once that epic album closer “Eyesore” finally fades out on their new album. Seriously though, if you haven’t heard that song yet, you’ve been missing out. It just might be my favorite of the year at this point. Check out both of the songs from the 7″ below, and please make time for a quick listen of “Eyesore”. You won’t be sorry – trust me.
PS – Women come to Philadelphia on October 10th @ Johnny Brenda’s
Service Animal –
Grey Skies –
Eyesore –
My Rating: 8.5/10 Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Indie Rock, Experimental Service Animal 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Service Animal
2.) Grey Skies
Women on Myspace BUY the new Women LP “Public Strain” from Insound – The 7″ comes with yr order (while supplies last!)
Yo yo! So sorry for the past few post-less days. I spent my weekend in New York City with some awesome people. I got to see some fantastic bands like Pavement, Titus Andronicus, and Free Energy, and now I’m back in Philadelphia ready to get back to the usual daily grind. Which on top of blogging, unfortunately includes dreaded school work that I would rather not spend my precious time doing. Nobody really wants to do that shit, they just have to. Unless I’m totally wrong and you like sitting at a computer for three hours typing some paper you won’t care about ever again once you’re finished it.
Before I went away for the weekend, I stocked up my mp3 player with some righteous new tunes to listen to and check out to keep me blog-busy, and I think what stood out most was a 7″ from Anthens, Ohio natives WHEELS ON FIRE. It’s smart, honest, and guitar driven poppy garage rock that’s about as addicting as music comes these days. I just ordered the 7″ when I got home so I can spin it over and over again. I suggest you do the same!
The 7″ comes with four songs clocking in at just under 12 minutes long, and each track includes a memorable hook or catchy lyrics that’s bound to keep you coming back for more. Whether it’s the catchy guitar hook at the end of “Cherry Bomb”, or the witty break up lyrics in “Broken Up”, this band is bound to turn heads with their infectious take on the sometimes psych-ish, sometimes bluesy guitar-driven garage rock. Don’t forget to check out the two songs from the 7″ below, and then hopefully you’ll see what these dudes are all about. You should definitely consider snagging that 7″ while you can as well, because I’m sure it won’t be around forever. See ya tomorrow.
Broken Up –
Cherry Bomb –
My Rating: 9/10 Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Alternative, Blues Rock The Cherry Bomb EP: Tracklist:
1.) Black Wave
2.) Broken Up
3.) Cherry Bomb
4.) Go Give Yer Love Away
Wheels on Fire on Myspace ! BUY the 7″ directly from Kind Turkey Records – 500 copies total w/ 100 on purple vinyl – GET SOME!
Yo! So I saw Titus Andronicus and Free Energy last night in Philadelphia. I hope y’all don’t mind that I left behind the cameras and stuff, because there was WAYYY too many people there to be whipping out a camcorder in the middle of the (much) heated madness. It was extremely hot, and extremely packed.
If you’re from Philadelphia and also familiar with R5Productions, then you know what it’s like to be at a sold out show at the Church. It tends to be very unpleasant, that is until the bands you’ve been waiting for take the stage. Then suddenly everything is okay again. Like that weight is lifted off your shoulders. That weight being the hundreds of people behind you pushing and going ape-shit and just trying to scramble to the front. Except that never really stops – the people just keep pushing the whole time, like a never ending storm out at sea. You’ve only got three ways to escape the madness – 1.) stay up front until the show ends, 2.) crowd-surf the FUCK outta there and get to the back, and 3.) just turn around and try clawing your way out. The third is probably the most difficult way too.
So as some of you may already know, Titus Andronicus and Free Energy put together quite a treat for us before they set foot on this current tour (which actually ends this weekend in New York). It’s a split 7″ with one song from each band on either side. Titus Andronicus covers the Television Personalities “Anxiety Block”, while Free Energy take on Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Going Down”. Both songs are excellently executed, and I’m having an exceptionally hard time trying to figure out which of these two covers I like better. Free Energy does a fantastic job of capturing some of that authentic Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band magic, while Titus does an equally awesome job of destroying faces and tearing shit up with their cover.
“Anxiety Block” is a fitting song for the way Titus usually does things – loud, excessive, relentless, and triumphant. And Paul Sprangers (of Free Energy) voice is surprisingly soothing and comforting in their Bruce cover, complemented by some flawless guitar playing that even the Boss himself might be a bit jealous of. Not that he has anything to worry about. I’m sure he’d approve of this cover. And I’m sure you guys will, too. It’s a magical track indeed – kind of like love at first listen. Check out both sides of this 7″ below, and if you live in either Washington D.C. or New York, it’s still not too late to catch both of these bands live in action. Because let’s be serious people – that’s how Titus Andronicus and Free Energy were meant to be experienced.
Anxiety Block –
I’m Going Down –
My Rating: 9/10 Genre/ Tags: Covers, Indie Rock, Classic Rock Split Tour 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Titus Andronicus – Anxiety Block (Television Personalities)
2.) Free Energy – I’m Going Down (Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band)
Was anybody else aware that a new Spider Bags 7″ was upon us? I certainly had no idea until I received an e-mail yesterday about their brand new 7″ from Churchkey Records. It’s still not due out for a good chunk of time – until about midway through October on the 19th – but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it! This is their first release since their second full-length effort, “Goodbye Cruel World, Hello Crueler World”, and as the e-mail claims (and rightfully so!), “Take It Easy Tonite continues the quality output.” Two awesomely produced and new ramshackle punk-rock-country throw downs (just like the Spider Bags you know and love) put out on beautiful blue and violet swirled vinyl in a limited edition of 100, and then some on the traditional black vinyl. Now you just gotta wait til October 19th…
According to this e-mail, the song on the A-side (“Take It Easy Tonite”) is about the Spider Bag’s undying love for partying while they’re on tour. Normally when the band pulls in late to their next stop on tour, they claim that they’re gonna “take it easy” for the night. Unfortunately for the Bags, it never seems to work out this way. You might be able to figure that out by their music, too, because once you get to the bar, it’s kind of difficult to just “take it easy”. Lead singer and guitarist Dan McGee had this to say about the nature of the song, “It sounded kind of fun to write a hard-rocking pop song around the idea of ‘taking it easy.'” So as you can see, they just basically took this idea and ran with it. The result? This wonderful track “Take It Easy Tonite”, which was carefully mixed for over an entire month. You can hear it in the recording too – epic, eyebrow-searing guitars, echoing drums, and an attitude that’s sure to make you want smash everything in sight – check it out below!
Then the B-side, “Shaunda (What’s My Sign?)”, kind of goes off in a not-so-similar direction. They slow things down for a dirge-like feel, and as it’s said perfectly in this e-mail, “it’s a singeing breath of strung-out fire that’s sure to leave a mark – a late-night rock ‘n’ roll slow-burner.” Normally I’d come up with my own description, but whoever wrote this shit totally nailed it. Props! They even went as far as including overdubs of backwards drumming, which if you’re paying attention close enough, you can certainly hear it. Now I’m curious why they would want to do that. And I almost completely forgot to mention that this B-side features the singing of Bryan Schmitz – a dude you might remember from The Golden Boys. The Bags take control of the instruments while Mr. Schmitz sings away. Normally I’d stream this track for ya as well, but it’s out of my hands this time. October 19th isn’t that far away!
Hey there, how are we today? I hope all is well. If not, hopefully that will change after you check out what I’ve got lined up for you guys today. It’s the brand new split 7″ between your favorite scuzzy lo-fi act outta Texas called FUNGI GIRLS, and then another band called INDIAN WARS who hail straight outta Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. We’ve covered a good bit of the Fungi Girls discography here at the Drone, but this is the first time we’re talking about Indian Wars. This looks to be the second 7″ from these rowdy Canadian rockers, and I’m sure it won’t be their last. They also appear to be friends with another Drone favorite, the Dead Ghosts, considering that both acts hail from Vancouver. At first glance you may wonder why these two bands are splitting a 7″ together, but those questions are put to rest immediately after the first listen.
So. We start off on the A-side (duh), which is a gritty new track from the Fungi Girls called “Sun Blues”. Bouncy, elastic bass lines and a headache-inducing guitar scratch dominate this song from beginning to end, complete with that all-too-familiar Fungi Girls howl that you (and I myself) have become extremely fond of. They even managed to work a surfy sounding transition into the song, which definitely causes you to double-listen. Kind of like a double-take when you turn yr head, but this time you’re turning to your music player to rewind the song a bit to hear that awesome shit again. DOUBLE-LISTEN!!! Then after a quick face-melting guitar in the last minute (otherwise known as an authentic Fungi Girls psychedelic freak-out), it’s time to flip that shit over to the B-side for some Indian Wars action.
This is the first I’ve ever heard of these bros, but it won’t stay that way for long after hearing this song. Oh no! The first 30 seconds kind of start off on a different level, which I guess acts as an intro for the song. Then a galloping drum beat takes control of everything and there’s no turning back. After this the song has a mixed feel between a rowdy county-punk song and a bluesy guitar shuffle – it’s almost impossible to pick just one, because they both work so well. The lead singer (name unknown? is it Brad Felotick?) sounds like he’s got some mighty burdens to unload before this song comes to an end. Wait for the final 40 seconds and you’ll be in the middle of a nasty, twangy guitar solo that sums up the raw energy of this song quite perfectly. There’s almost a Black Lips feel to this song now that I’m thinking about it.
This 7″ absolutely rips, and I highly suggest you go buy it from Rough Trade, because I think that just might be THEE last place to get it. I’m probably wrong though – get in touch with the dudes at Psychic Lunch or CMRTYZ to find out for yourself. Either way you decide to go, it’s limited to 300 and pressed on some nice white vinyl, so you’re going to be happy no matter what. Just get it before that other scumbag does! Hurry!
Sun Blues –
Pick You Up –
My Rating: 9/10 Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Garage Rock, Psychedelic, Punk Split 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Fungi Girls – Sun Blues
2.) Indian Wars – Pick You Up
Fungi Girls on Myspace
Indian Wars on Myspace
The 7″ is still available from Rough Trade! Get it quick because this thing is SOLD OUT everywhere else!
Fungi Girls – Turquoise Hotel 7″ previously posted on the Drone
Fungi Girls – Seafaring Pyramids previously posted on the Drone
Styrofoam Drone 