White Denim – Workout Holiday

My Rating: 10/10
Genre/ Tags: Blues Rock, Garage Rock, Indie Rock

Back when it was still 2009, which now seems like it was forever ago, I was just beginning to discover the magic that is White Denim. After starting off with their most recent effort, titled “Fits”, I was totally hooked on White Denim. It was unusual if I didn’t hear multiple songs by them in a single day, and they would be all the same tracks, considering I only had their latest album. Over some time I figured the only way too hear more music like White Denim was to seek out other White Denim releases, so, of course, I couldn’t just sit back and deprive myself – I went out in search of other White Denim albums. To my surprise, none of the records stores in Philadelphia had anything, so I was forced to turn to the internet. After searching the web, I had located just one other White Denim record, and it was in Osaka, Japan in a record store called Panda Panda Records. Not a problem. I purchased it online, and just under 2 weeks later I had a brand new, still sealed White Denim record at my front door. It didn’t stay sealed for long either.

After getting a whole new dose of White Denim songs, I was once again floored. How do they do that!? In the beginning I would have preferred listening to Fits up until getting Workout Holiday. Now when someone mentions White Denim all I can think about are tracks like “All You Really Have To Do”, “I Can Tell You”, “Mess Your Hair Up”, “Hearts from Us All” and “Don’t Look That Way at It”. The song “All You Really Have To Do” features some wild guitar and bass work, with parts of the song almost being like the two instruments are having a conversation with each other. “Mess Your Hair Up”, the longest track from the album, deserves a lot of attention as well. I am especially fond of when lead singer James Petralli sings “In the backseat, my heart attacks me, when you ask me…” and they go into this hazy, almost ambient like part of the song that a first listener would have never ever even thought was coming up. At this point it’s almost like the guitar is having another conversation with itself – they pause things for a moment and say “ahhh-oohhhhh”, only to begin the madness once again with a fuzzy bass line. I have a video that I came across on YouTube one day, and it features the trio playing these two wonderfully amazing tracks, one right into the other. It wouldn’t be White Denim if they took a break between the songs. The energy is ridiculous – these guys really know how to deliver. Just look at how much they’re sweating by the time the songs end. Seeing this band perform live is at the highest position on my list of thing to do. When they do go on tour, I plan on seeing them in multiple cities.

Workout Holiday: Tracklist
1. “Let’s Talk About It” – 3:53
2. “Shake Shake Shake” – 2:37
3. “Sitting” – 2:16
4. “I Can Tell You” – 1:57
5. “Mess Your Hair Up” – 4:48
6. “Heart From Us All” – 3:10
7. “All You Really Have To Do” – 2:48
8. “Look That Way At It” – 3:25
9. “Darksided Computer Mouth” – 2:15
10. “WDA” – 3:03
11. “Don’t Look That Way At It” – 4:03
12. “IEIEI” – 3:13

White Denim’s Official Website
White Denim on Myspace
Workout Holiday: BUY

Vermillion Sands – Miss My Gun EP

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Folk Rock, Italian

Last Friday night I had some down time, so some friends and I decided to go out. We made one of our stops at AKA Music, along with a few others. Before going into the store I hadn’t necessarily planned to buy anything, but sure enough, like always, AKA had something I had previously been seeking out. After discovering the band Vermillion Sands and posting one of their other releases here on the blog (Vermillion Sands – Mary 7″), I couldn’t help but get all giddy when I came across another one of their records. This time it was their latest effort, the “Miss My Gun” EP which was released in December of 2009 by Sacred Bones Records. The EP features five new tracks from the band, along with a cover song. The cover, “I’m a Little Mixed Up”, was originally performed by a woman named Betty James from back in 1961. More information on Betty James right here. As far as the rest of the music goes, the band stays within the confines of their infectious folky-garage rock that’s dusted with a thin layer of country. Infectious is the appropriate word, because songs like “Where Was He From”, “Miss My Gun”, and “I’m a Little Mixed Up” will probably get stuck in your head and keep you coming back for second, third, and fourth listens. Dare I say fifth? While the EP downloads, be sure to listen to “Miss My Gun”, which you can hear below. Please keep in mind that the band is fronted by a female singer, Anna Barattin. Also, a full length is due out on Fat Possum Records in the near future! Please come soon!

Vermillion Sands – Miss My Gun

Miss My Gun EP: Tracklist
1.) Where Was He From
2.) Miss My Gun
3.) I Need No One
4.) I’m a Little Mixed Up
5.) Disappear Chanell

Vermillion Sands on Myspace/Facebook
Miss My Gun EP: BUY
Mary 7″ previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone

13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Psychedelic, 60s

Although it is widely disputed, the 13th Floor Elevators were quite possibly the very first band to describe their music as “psychedelic”. These guys were active back from 1965 to 1969, and they only released a few albums in their short existence. Their first album came out in 1966, and it is titled “The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators”. Included on this album was their first and only charting single, “You’re Gonna Miss Me”. This song peaked at #55 on Billboards Pop Singles Chart in 1966, and after that they never had much luck with getting another song on the charts. But this certainly does not mean they’re not a good band, and I have brought the album here with me today to prove it to you. Songs like “Thru the Rhythm”, “Don’t Fall Down”, “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, and “Tried to Hide” all make the album worth listening, but my personal favorite would have to be “Roller Coaster”. This song is intense, with lead singer Roky Erikson continually urging you to trip and “Open up your mind” and to “Let it happen to you”, all the while that crazy “electric” jug never ceases to mystify. Do yourself a favor and listen to the 13th Floor Elevators. You won’t regret it.

13th Floor Elevators – Roller Coaster

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators: Tracklist
1.) You’re Gonna Miss Me
2.) Roller Coaster
3.) Splash 1 (Now I’m Home)
4.) Reverberation (Doubt)
5.) Don’t Fall Down
6.) Fire Engine
7.) Thru the Rhythm
8.) You Don’t Know (How Young You Are)
9.) Kingdom of Heaven
10.) Monkey Island
11.) Tried to Hide

13th Floor Elevators Official Website
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators: BUY

Vermillion Sands – Mary 7″

It’s always a great feeling when a band catches you off guard and you’re thinking, “Wow, I didn’t think these guys were going to sound like this.”. That’s exactly what I was thinking when I first heard these songs here. The band I have for you today is called Vermillion Sands, and they’re quite good. The band is currently made up of 4 members, and they all come from Treviso, Italy. Up to this point, there are only a few 7″ records and a 12″ EP that the band has put out. You can check out their latest 12″ EP over at Insound. If you’re interested in the 7″ records, you can probably find more information about those here, here, and here. As far as the music goes, these guys make an infectious blend of garage rock and folk rock that’s just great. The opening track “Mary” has more of the garage rock feel and also some crazy sound effects, while songs like “Wake Me When I Die” and “Would You Kindly Direct Me to Hell” are a bit more on the folk side of the fence. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention they have a female singer. Her name is Anna.

Mary: Tracklist
1.) Mary – 3:33
2.) Wake Me When I Die – 2:16
3.) Would You Kindly Direct Me to Hell – 2:47

Vermillion Sands on Myspace/Facebook
Mary 7″: BUY! from InterPunk

The Strange Boys – And Girls Club

Hello, hello. Today I have an album for you that I wish I had known about much, much sooner. This album surely would have been included in my “Best of 2009” lists, but it’s a bit too late for that now, huh? This album is called “The Strange Boys and Girls Club”, and it was released by In The Red Records on March 3rd, 2009. Before initially listening to the record, I didn’t think it was going to be anything special, but I was sadly mistaken.

The Strange Boys, like many bands these days, come from Austin, Texas. Their roots can be traced back to 2001, when lead singer/guitarist Ryan Sambol and the now former drummer Matt Hammer used to be a punk rock duo back in 8th grade. More on that here. Since the 8th grade, the members have continued to concentrate on finding their very own sound, and this was most prominent on their 2007 EP, which is called “Nothing”. The EP contained just 4 short songs, and it was released on Dusty Medical Records. Unfortunately, this EP is no longer available, but hopefully they’ll press it again someday. The Strange Boys continued to work, self-releasing another EP in 2008 that they called “The Strange Boys Will Now Forever Be Known As the Martin Luther Kings EP”. It was a bit more difficult to find any information on this release, considering it was self-released by the band. Moving on to 2009, this would end up being the best year for the Strange Boys yet. Most importantly, they released their first full length album, which brought in some positive reviews from places like NME, Pitchfork, and the Austin Chronicle, amongst many others. While playing the album, many different genres might run through your head that you could tag The Strange Boys with, but once you pin one down, The Strange Boys are already making you change your mind. You might be thinking country music one second, and then all of a sudden you’ll be listening to striped down garage rock song with a bluesy guitar twist. One such song would be “This Girl Taught Me a Dance”, which appears on their full length album. Like this song here, every song has it’s twists and turns, and every song is just as good as the next. Some other album highlights would be “Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up”, with it’s insanely catchy first line “I’m in trouble with another man/I did something I shouldn’t”. I found myself singing this line all day yesterday. Singer Ryan Sambol continues in the song with “I didn’t do anything you wouldn’t”, which is 100% true. Listen to the song…you’ll know what he’s talking about! I could sit here and type all day, because each track is good in its own way. Seriously. Just download the album and find out for yourself. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!!!

The Strange Boys and Girls Club: Tracklist
1. “Woe is You and Me” – 2:13
2. “They’re Building the Death Camps” – 2:51
3. “Should Have Shot Paul” – 1:55
4. “MLKs” – 1:49
5. “This Girl Taught Me a Dance” – 3:06
6. “For Lack of a Better Face” – 3:15
7. “Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up” – 2:09
8. “No Way for a Slave to Behave” – 3:11
9. “Poem Party” – 1:53
10. “To Turn a Tune or Two” – 2:25
11. “Most Things” – 1:36
12. “A Man You’ve Never Known” – 2:00
13. “Then” – 2:11
14. “Who Needs Who More” – 2:18
15. “Probation Blues” – 2:14
16. “Death and All the Rest” – 2:39

The Strange Boys on Myspace.
And Girls Club: BUY

White Denim – Fits

Well, it’s Christmas Eve day, which means tomorrow is Christmas (really?). The album I’m going to post today is like my gift to you for Christmas. I hope you can enjoy it as much as I have. The album is called “Fits” by White Denim, and it is my overall favorite album from 2009.
Okay, so on “Fits”, the music doesn’t start til about 45 seconds into the first track, “Radio Milk How Can You Stand It“. Up until then, the sounds and voices you can hear only leave you guessing what’s about to unfold. Then, all of a sudden, the drummer starts beating away at his snare, and seconds later, he is joined by a sprawling bass line. The two continue to play until they are joined by the guitarist, who signals the start and stop action that is present throughout the song. They continue to beat down on their instruments, never really letting you get too comfortable with anything they’re doing. By that I mean that this song has something new around every corner, and once you’re comfortable with the way it sounds, they’re going to completely change things up on you and catch you off guard. It’s like having a punk rock song fused with a bluesy-garage rock song. It’s extremely difficult to describe, but entertaining and satisfying nonetheless.
As you continue to listen to “Fits”, you’ll notice that a lot of the songs have this style. The second track, “All Consolation” follows the same structure. This song has a punky yet psychedelic feel to it with the guitar soloing and the sound effects used, but once again, things aren’t going to stay this way. They break it down for the last minute of the song, unexpectedly slowing things down, and even throwing in a cowbell to hold together all the spastic drumming. The following tracks all further prove that there is not one genre you can tag White Denim with; there is just too much going on in a single song. Another good example of this would be “Say What You Want” with its punk/garage rock feel that turns into a tropical islands version of a punk song. I’ll say it again, they’re extremely difficult to describe, but amazingly entertaining and beyond satisfying. Skipping ahead to the track “I Start to Run“, which starts off with it’s undeniably catchy bass line, is definitely a highlight from the album. With James Petralli claiming somebody is listening to the song in his head, you can’t help but sing along to this one. The album is made up entirely of highlights, with every song being just as good as the last. Now please, scroll down and check out this masterpiece for yourself. Thanks for reading and happy holidays to all. Considering tomorrow is Christmas, chances are there won’t be a new post, but if I find the time, I certainly will be here. Thanks for reading once again, and keep checking back for more!