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

The Band in Heaven – Demos

The Band is Heaven is a two piece band hailing from the beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida. On their Myspace they already have two incredibly accurate descriptions of their music, making this very difficult for me to do myself. I feel like any way I go about this is going to look like a cookie-cutter description of the band, and to be honest, I’m at a loss for words today. All I can think about is the Flyers game tonight. But when I downloaded the Demo file from the Band in Heavens Bandcamp page the other day, I immediately opened it up, and for whatever reason the first song I chose to play was “High Low”. This was a wonderful unintentional decision on my part.

“High Low” is a beautiful, murky mess of a dream pop song, dominated by fuzzy bass lines and gorgeous background organs. They put the extra icing on the cake right before the two minute mark as the guitar solo works it’s way into the mix. By that point you’ve probably already made the decision that you’re going to play this song again, because if you were ever desperately searching for a specific sound when it comes to gritty dream pop/shoegaze music, this is it right here. The moody, spaced out vocals drip through the song, and they’re enough to sing you to sleep while the guitars, drums, and bass twang, buzz, and crash their way right on through in this picture-perfect pop song. Ladies and gentlemen, this is textbook shoegaze right here. You can download it entirely for free at their Bandcamp page, too! Included in the file is a fantastic cover of the Cranberries song “Dreams”, along with a few other “rough” demos that when polished up should be just as buzzworthy as the song “High Low”. The demo track “A Tunnel into Your Dreams” has that extra layer of haze, along with more wonderful background organ that’s bound to bring you back for a second and third helping of The Band in Heaven. People, this is your chance to know about this band before everybody else does, because it’s bound to happen sooner or later. So please enjoy it!

High Low –

A Tunnel into Your Dreams –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/Tags: Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Pop
Demos: Tracklist
1.) Dreams (Cranberries cover)
2.) A Tunnel into Your Dreams (demo)
3.) Summer Bummer (rough)
4.) High Low
5.) Coal

the Band in Heaven on Myspace
the Band in Heaven on Bandcamp – You can download all the demos here.

Girls in the Eighties – Teenage Royalty

Hey. Last night I came across this album, although I wish I had a lot sooner. The name of the band is Girls in the Eighties, and they hail from Nashville, Tennessee. Their first official release, “Teenage Royalty”, was put out in Feburary, 2010, and it was recorded in late 2008 in Nashville at a place called the Red Room. It features Chase on guitar, bass, vocals and other stuff, Matt plays the keyboards, and Josh plays the drums. While I don’t know a damn thing about Nashville or the Red Room, I can tell you about Girls in the Eighties.

The first thing I learned is that they have a lot of technical difficulties when trying to release new stuff, but that’s besides the point. Girls in the Eighties play noisy punk rock gems infused with a tinge of electronic elements/sounds that’s balanced almost too perfectly. It’s neither entirely electronic, and neither is it entirely noisy punk rock – it falls somewhere right in the middle. At times when listening to Chase’s vocals, I can’t help but think of the Smith Westerns, but that doesn’t go for every aspect of the music, just the vocals really. While you may not agree with that statement, one thing that is certainly true is that yesterdays really don’t mean shit. Woo! Such a triumphant listen! Nothing else matters when you listen to this song! You can listen to the first four tracks from the album below, so why not give it a shot? “Teenage Royalty” is an enjoyable listen from end to start, and it won’t hurt one bit, I promise!

Vacation –

Yesterdays Don’t Mean Shit –

Teenage Royalty –

Too Cool for This Crowd –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Pop, Punk, Shoegaze
Teenage Royalty: Tracklist
1.) Vacation
2.) Yesterdays Don’t Mean Shit
3.) Teenage Royalty
4.) Too Cool for This Crowd
5.) Burn Your Riches
6.) Slow Motion
7.) Glory Fades
8.) The Duke Boys Anthem
9.) The Seconds After an Explosion
10.) No More Last Goodbyes
11.) Youth Experiment
12.) Future Years
13.) Strange Lights

Girls in the Eighties on Myspace!
BUY a copy of the “Teenage Royalty” CD right here!
Download “Teenage Royalty” right here! (This link was on their Myspace blog)

Pure Ecstasy – Voices 7″

Just the other day I got a brand new 7″ record in the mail from Acéphale Records, which I believe it based out of somewhere in New York. The 7″ features just under 8 minutes of brand new material from the hazed out beach rockers in Pure Ecstasy. Pure Ecstasy hail from Austin, Texas, and their music always finds a way to crawl under your skin. Going by their last 7″ we covered, they didn’t change too much for this 7″, but that’s totally okay with me. As far as I’m concerned, we haven’t gotten enough material from this band yet, which is why it’s 100% okay that they keep putting out these quick little 7″ gems. On their Myspace it says “LP coming soon”, so hopefully they won’t keep us waiting too long for that. Until then, maybe we can continue to see new singles released here and there.

This new 7″ features two brand new songs – one on the A-side and one on the B-side. The A-side is a track called “Voices”, and Nate Grace is there right away to greet us with “I know, I know, I know.” At times in these Pure Ecstasy songs, instead of an intense guitar solo, it seems like the guitar is being used to create a sort of texture before anything else. A bit past the 1 minute mark of this song and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Instead of coming off as a solo, it comes off more as a hazy wall of sound that gives the song a bit more depth. Flipping over to the B-side now, this track is called “Alexandria”. Right away you’re face to face with a ground shaking bass line, and it continues on this way for the entire song. It’s songs like these that are responsible for being stuck in your head for days at a time. Graces guitar is once again swirling away in the mix, creating textures and evoking hot summer days. Grace howls away towards the middle, giving this track that sense of longing that can be heard in most of these Pure Ecstasy songs.

While the music on this single is one thing, the vinyl itself is a completely different story. Acéphale puts the utmost care into their vinyl, and it shows with this release. The single is limited to 500 copies with no repress; the first 150 come pressed on a swirled maroon/beige vinyl with the remainder being maroon/black; and to top it all off they give the record sleeve a matté finish, which certainly gives it professional look and feel. Just take a look at this picture.
Be sure to listen to “Alexandria” below, and you can listen to the A-side “Voices” over on the Pure Ecstasy Myspace. Enjoy!

Alexandria –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Dream Pop, Lo-Fi, Psychedelic
Voices 7″: Tracklist
1.) Voices
2.) Alexandria

You can buy it at insound!
Easy 7″ previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone
Pure Ecstasy on Myspace
Pure Ecstasy on Tumblr

Islet – Celebrate This Place

The world islet refers to a very small island with minimal vegetation and no wildlife. The band Islet is certainly none of these things, being as far away from the word small as you could possibly imagine. Their sound is huge, and it challenges you with something new around every corner, but the only problem is there isn’t much you can say to actually describe Islet’s sound. Many of the Islet descriptions around the web all seem to go to a similar place, saying things like “Islet shuns the web” and “They don’t even have a Myspace” and that “They evade all description possible”. While all of these things may or may not be true, it doesn’t necessarily seem to be hurting Islet much at all. Islet hails from Cardiff in the UK, and chances are their music is going to catch you so off guard you won’t know what the hell hit you.

The six track “mini-album” clocks in at just under a half-hour long, and it’s bursting with energy from end to end. The opening track “We Shall Visit” starts off sounding like you’re in the middle of a jungle somewhere participating in a ritualistic ceremony, being huddled around the fire while summoning the gods above you. In other words, it sounds like the music you would hear in a tribal gathering. The use of the tom toms and the click-clack of the rim hits work wonders for that primitive sound, not to mention all the subtle little chants and yelps you can hear in the background. There are even some crazy whistling sound effects that bring the song to an end. Immediately you’re throw into the next track, the ground shaking “Iris”. I don’t know the names of the members in this band, but there is a girl in this band, and she sings in this track. The only reason I know that is because of the pictures I’ve seen. This track features some noisy guitar work, and strangely enough, they actually manage to work a sort of “solo” into the madness. I’m not sure if that’s what you’d want to call it, but the bass and guitar go at it together and bring the noise full force, all on top of the relentless crash of the cymbal. Apparently they have two drum sets going at the same time in this band, which when watching live must blow any listener away. With that being said, this band better make a trip across the pond very soon to play their “tribe-rock” for us.

The following track “One of These Worlds” is dominated by a pulsating bass line throughout, and it all transforms into this huge, otherworldly jam session at the end, as everybody in the band would probably be going ape-shit on their instruments at this point in the song. The next track “Jasmine” could arguably be one of the more accessible songs on the album. They challenge you to get up out of your seat on this one and dance along to the beat. The singers howl over the mix like a frantic wolf in heat, as they never quite sing in this one. It’s mostly just howls and yelps. Towards the end the tom-toms get a nice beating, making that primal element of their sound come through once again. The next track “Holly” is definitely an intense one, but then again, they all are. A short bit past the halfway mark and you’ll hear some quick tom-toms rolls filled in with the rim shots again. Then the lead singer starts singing “Holly’s in your head, head, Holly’s in your mind,” all why the drumming goes seemingly perfect over the vocals. This is sure to keep you head swaying along with the beat. Be sure to listen to this one below. Last but not least would be the final track “Rowan”, in which they actually take a step back on the madness. This one is a bit more laid back and easy going as they finally give you a chance to catch your breath. That’s all for today, but be sure to listen to the songs below. They’re all great in their own way, so definitely check each one out.

Iris –

One of These Worlds –

Jasmine –

Holly –

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Experimental Rock, Tribe Rock
Celebrate This Place: Tracklist
1.) We Shall Visit
2.) Iris
3.) One of These Worlds
4.) Jasmine
5.) Holly
6.) Rowan

Islet – Official Website!
An Islet Fansite – This is Islet
BUY “Celebrate This Place” directly from Shape Records
Turnstile Music Website

Friendo – Cold Toads

Friendo is a 3-piece band who hail from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. If you already know about Friendo, chances are it’s because Michael Wallace, drummer of the band Women, plays guitar and takes singer/songwriter duties in Friendo. This is his first time ever coming out from behind the drum set to take the necessary duties to be the frontman. He is backed up by band mates Nicole – who I am assuming takes the bass guitar – and then Henry, who holds down the drumming. It also happens to be Henry’s first time playing behind the drum set in any band, so most of these guys seem to be going into uncharted territory when it comes to making music. After listening to the record, you probably never would have guessed these kinds of things either.

They used whatever recording equipment they could find around the house for the recording process of this oddly named “Cold Toads” record, such as tape decks, four-tracks, and just about anything else you can imagine. The result? This wonderful new record that comes from the St. Ives imprint – a division of Secretly Canadian – in which each record goes through a very specific process, just read their Manifesto. With that being said, it’s absolutely appropriate that “Cold Toads” was released by St. Ives.

As for the music, “Their songs range anywhere from breezy, effortless jams, to pulse-pounding post-punk outbursts. The multi-instrumentalist members love to mix harmony with noise, creating their own seasonal landscape,” said in the artist description on their Last.fm page. One perfect example of Friendo mixing harmony with noise would be on the gem “Oversees” or the closer “Young Fellows”, while the song “Callers” definitely fits into the “breezy, effortless jams” category – although they’re not effortless in the literal meaning of the word. The track “New Sibley” is arguably a “pulse-pounding post-punk outburst”, so whoever wrote that short description did a hell of a job. Do yourself a favor and check out the songs below, because I think you’re going to like them.

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Post-Punk, Noise Rock
Cold Toads: Tracklist
1.) Counter/Time
2.) Liner
3.) Callers
4.) Oversees
5.) Hailey Omen
6.) New Sibley
7.) Young Fellows

Friendo on Myspace
St. Ives Official Website
St. Ives Mailorder
Secretly Canadian Mailorder
BUY “Cold Toads” on cassette tape directly from Bart Records

Florida – Icarus 7″

Not long ago we covered the latest Haunted House 7″ from the band Florida. Now were going to take a closer look at their debut 7″ entitled “Icarus”, which was put out by the one and only SHDWPLY Records. Although the record is now sold out, you can still find it if you search hard enough, like right here. It’s pretty cool – the 7″ comes with a pair of 3D glasses unlike any other record I’ve ever bought. So if you’re wondering if you should buy that, 3D glasses are a pretty good incentive.

Like the previous 7″, this one has just two tracks, one on each side, and they’re just about as creepy and shiny as the last batch of Florida songs. Creepy mostly fits in with the opening track “Icarus” as lead singer Daniel Rineer’s voice is towering over everything as he sings “You can fly but you’ll put out an eye or two before you come down.” About halfway through the track they change things up a bit and Rineer can be heard howling into the mix. Flipping over to the b-side “Once Yr In It”, this track is glistening with a chiming sound effect in the background for just about the entire length of the song. Rineer’s voice sails smoothly over the mix as things build up more and more in the song until about the final minute and a half. Suddenly the guitar solo comes through almost simultaneously with the roll of the drums. They draw out this sweet jam session for a short bit until the song comes to an end. That’s all for this 7″, but you can check out more music from Florida right over on their Myspace.

Icarus –

Once Yr In It –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Lo-Fi
Icarus 7″: Tracklist
1.) Icarus
2.) Once Yr In It

Florida on Myspace
BUY the Haunted House 7″ and a bunch of other gems from SHDWPLY Records
BUY the Icarus 7″ directly from Goner-Records.com

Moonbeams – In Transit EP

Going by the Moonbeams Myspace page, the main member of this band would be Ryan Lescure, considering he is the only band member listed as “always”. Of course these songs can’t be played live by Lescure alone, so he has some friends to come in a fill the open spots. Moonbeams play music drowned in an increasingly atmospheric environment, with guitars swirling above your head and buzzing basslines that hum through the music, almost as if it’s got to puncture a thick layer of haze before it actually reaches your ears. At this point in time, Moonbeams have put out two EPs, and we’re covering the later of the two. The In Transit EP was released on CD by Hop Skip Jump Records, and it’s a 5 track EP clocking in at just over 18 minutes long. These 5 songs were recorded in the Spring of 2010, and it didn’t take long for them to see a proper release.

The Hop Jump Skip Records description of the album reads like this: “Inspired more by C86 indie pop and jangly, chorus-laden guitars, In Transit is meant to be viewed as a bridge between the Moonbeams debut and their first LP, the Daisy Chain, to be released in the future on Hop Skip Jump Records.” With that being said, I guess “In Transit” was an absolutely perfect name for this EP. Everything they say here is true, although one song doesn’t quite fit into that description. The second track “I Am Forgotten” is certainly heavier than anything else on this EP, and they addressed that on the HSJ page as well. The song starts off with a thunderously distorted guitar, and it’s quite a haunting track. The constant hit of the ride cymbal holds everything together while Lescures vocals are enough to “sing” you to sleep. At times he sounds very bland, and not much like he’s singing at all, maybe more like talking. If you want a different flavor of Moonbeams song, then check out the blissful “Adorable” below. Still not enough? Head on over to the Moonbeams Myspace to check out a few more.

I Am Forgotten –

Adorable –

My Rating: 6/10
Genre/ Tags: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Pop
In Transit EP: Tracklist
1.) Elise
2.) I Am Forgotten
3.) Adorable
4.) Portland
5.) Tulip

Moonbeams on Myspace
Moonbeams on Facebook
BUY the In Transit EP directly from Hop Skip Jump Records