Song of the Day #49: Left of Logic – “Subconscious”

LEFT OF LOGIC is a trio specializing in a form of synth-driven technicolor rock from northeast Philadelphia. The band consists of Dan Townsend on keys, Austen Royce Goodman on bass guitar and Tim Knowlton on percussion, with each member holding down a particular element in the band’s sound. Their instrumentation is completely free of guitars, leaving syrupy synth work, grungy bass lines and crushing percussion to do the damage.

That’s exactly the case on EP opener “Subconscious,” which opens up with a trail of glimmering electronics. They offer a squishy and glossy texture, fortified by nasty bass throbs and timely percussion underneath. The synths create a constant, colorful swirl, spearheaded by vocal efforts from both Townsend and Goodman. The song continues to morph into a menacing affair with the buzzy snarl of the synth, complemented by some wild bass guitar shredding. It could almost go without saying, but it’s a refreshing sound to hear around here at SD. This EP is only a small sample of what the band has done, and there’s bound to be more on the horizon!

Genre/ Tags: Electronic, Progressive, Minimalist
Hue of Man EP: Tracklist:
1.) Subconscious
2.) What Comes Next
3.) What You Have Done

BUY the digital album from Bandcamp !
Left of Logic on Facebook

Lunch Ray – A Dirty Love Letter from San Francisco 7″ EP

Here’s a weird one from LUNCH RAY out in Los Alamitos, California. The 7″ was released by Baby Carrots Records in Orange County in a very limited run of just 20 lathe-cut pieces. Continue reading “Lunch Ray – A Dirty Love Letter from San Francisco 7″ EP” →

The Cinnamon Band – Black Love 7″

The Funny/ Not Funny label in Virginia has been churning out the goods these days. They continue with the debut 7″ from the twangy guitar duo of THE CINNAMON BAND who also hail from Virginia. Continue reading “The Cinnamon Band – Black Love 7″” →

Nicolas Jaar – Don’t Break My Love EP

Coming down the home stretch for 2011, NICOLAS JAAR releases two more songs before the new year. This new EP comes from his own label Clown & Sunset and sees him sustaining his usual minimal pace. Continue reading “Nicolas Jaar – Don’t Break My Love EP” →

Christmas Island/ Meth Teeth – Split 2×7″

Coming from the Sacred Bones folk is this set of singles from both CHRISTMAS ISLAND and METH TEETH. The set includes two 7″ singles, each with a pair of songs from the respective bands you see here. Continue reading “Christmas Island/ Meth Teeth – Split 2×7″” →

Polly Pockets – Weird Floor Head Face

POLLY POCKETS uses her drum machine, an acoustic guitar, and just the right amount of weirdness to create quite peculiar, airy and delicate songs. She’s got plenty of free downloads on her Bandcamp page, and this is her latest batch to date. Continue reading “Polly Pockets – Weird Floor Head Face” →

The Deeep – Muddy Tracks 12″

I don’t exactly like borrowing words, but sometimes it’s all too necessary. Uttered first from the folks at 100% Silk, “Muddy Tracks” is a “stripped down satisfying zombie trance-hop” from start to finish. You can’t really get more straight to the point than that statement with this record in mind. Continue reading “The Deeep – Muddy Tracks 12″” →

Heavy Times – No Plans 7″

Hailing from Chicago comes HEAVY TIMES. These three guys have been out there recording music for awhile now, and their most recent release comes in the 7″ vinyl format from the renowned Hozac Records label. Continue reading “Heavy Times – No Plans 7″” →

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”

First Base – I’ve Got a Girl 7″

Here’s something new for today. The name of the band is FIRST BASE, and they hail from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They’ve had their Myspace account since November of 2007, and since then it looks like they’ve released two 7″ records. The first was put out in 2009 by Pizza Party Records, and then the second was just released during 2010 on Play Pinball! Records. Today we’re gonna focus on the earlier of the two records, but don’t get too upset – I’ve ordered the other 7″ from Play Pinball! so we’ll see that up here eventually. Just sit tight.

Now on to the music. “I’ve Got a Girl” is an exceptionally short release (it barely passes three minutes), but those three minutes are so poppy and catchy that they’re bound to get stuck in your head and keep you coming back for more for days. That’s probably what they’re going for, too. The two songs are so clean sounding and polished up that it makes it really hard to deny this band. A short bit past the first minute of “I’ve Got a Girl” and you’ll be facing a nasty little guitar lick, and it might not seem like much at first, but it’s pretty sick. Of course, it doesn’t last very long, but it still fits in their perfectly, and it’s kind of like the climax of the song. Then before you even have a chance to change gears, it’s time for the B-side.

Now I know it’s a good thing that this guy doesn’t want anybody to make his girl cry, but shouldn’t he be a bit more cautious too? If he’s writing this song he’s probably made his girl cry at least once. But let’s not get into that…that’s a whole different story. I think that’s it for today guys, so check out the song below, and then go to the First Base Myspace if you would like to hear more (including the B-side) . So that’s it…now instead of singing songs about this girl in your bed, why not get in there, son?

I’ve Got a Girl –