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 –
My Rating: 7/10 Genre/ Tags: Pop, Rock, Lo-Fi I’ve Got a Girl 7″: Tracklist:
1.) I’ve Got a Girl
2.) Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me
Velvet Davenport is the moniker of the one-man band led by Parker Sprout, who hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has other people fill in certain positions when it comes to recording, but it’s still all about Sprout. I am to understand this cassette came out sometime during 2009, and since then Velvet Davenport has gone on to release some other material. There’s a 7″ single from the awesome Shdwply Records called “Get Out”, and then there’s a full-length CD called “Happy Ending” that was also put out by Shdwply, which I’m having difficulty finding any solid information on.
This cassette tape doesn’t last very long (it’s pretty short – only about 13 minutes), but it’s packed with these trippy, hazy, sun-shining jams that bring to mind the likes of Syd Barrett and his solo efforts, or even his early work from Pink Floyd. There’s a song called “Lemon” on the cassette, and it’s a gorgeous mix of heavenly guitars and shimmering sound effects, and Sprout howls over the mix in a somewhat monotone fashion – probably the most defining moment when it comes to comparing to Barrett. But whether you think that or not, these sunny songs are bound to put a smile on your face. Listen to the tracks below, and then check out the other tracks they have for you up on Myspace.
Lemon –
Drop –
My Rating: 7/10 Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Acoustic, Pop Lemon Drop Square Box: Tracklist:
1.) One
2.) Lemon
3.) Drop
4.) Two
5.) Square
6.) Box
Hello y’all. Today’s post comes from a record I just picked up from the record store over this past weekend, and I feel like this stuff is going to be new for you since it was for me. The name of the band is TAMMAR, and they’re from the unexpected Bloomington, Indiana. Their self-titled EP came out sometime back in 2008, which probably means this poor record was sitting in the record store for over a year! Poor thing. It’s all good though, because it has a home now, and it just so happens to be loved very much! I didn’t know what I was getting into when I bought this EP, but the main reason I picked it up that day was because it’s from the St. Ives imprint. As of lately, these St. Ives records have really hit the spot (See Radical Sons or Friendo), so I can’t help myself but pick up another one when I see it. You can mark my words that there will be another one up here sooner or later, I just have to find it first 😉
So who are these Tammar folk you ask? Well, for starters, I’m pretty sure this is their only official release, so the chances of finding this band any other way seems pretty slim. The EP is just under a half an hour long, and it’s filled with Tammar’s head spinning blend of wobbly indie pop – going from the headline on their Myspace page that reads “Wobble-Pop”. The first track “Summer Fun” fits this description best in my opinion, as the song’s sounds brings words like “confusing” and “amnesia” to mind. Amongst the pulsating bass lines and hazy sound effects, there’s plenty of things going on in these songs. The guitar comes in heavily about halfway through this track until the dizzy fade-out at the end of the song. This leaves us at the beginning of the next track “Weddle On”, which starts off with a fun intro that is sure to leave the listener guessing what direction this song is going to take. The song starts off somewhat slow and very quiet, but as time goes on the song picks up some speed, definitely gets louder, and it actually gets more and more complex over time. Come to think of it, a few of these songs take a similar form where they’ll start out slow and quiet, but as time goes on they get bigger, louder, and more intricate.
The following track goes almost hand-in-hand with what I just said, and it’s called “Dig A Hole”. This just so happens to be the longest song from the EP, as it clocks in at over seven minutes. The song starts out on a slow bass line with some eerie sound effects, and you’ll see as time passes that the song starts to form into it’s own. The steady drumming and the buzzing bass lines are always present as more and more begins to come out in the song, but they never break the song off into a different direction – they stay focused throughout and keep it moving forward without ever looking over their shoulder to see what could have been.
Skipping ahead to the final track of the EP called “Hot Juice” (just a quick thought – hot juice definitely doesn’t sound refreshing). But moving on. “Hot Juice” is definitely a highlight from this EP, and it starts out on some groovy keyboards. The drums and guitar slowly join in on the fun, and before you realize it they’re building up their song again as you listen to it. During the second minute the song turns into a fast-paced acid jam filled with lots of cowbell and more bouncy sounds. In other words, it’s just a long, intense jam out with enough sound effects and cowbell to keep you happy for days.
That’s the end of their EP, and unfortunately I don’t think these guys ever put out anything else. It doesn’t seem like Tammar ever gained the popularity they could have achieved, which is probably why there isn’t anything else to listen to, but I’ve been wrong many, many times in my life. Trust me. Listen to the songs below, and thanks for coming by again!
Summer Fun (3:57) –
Weddle On (5:13) –
Hot Juice (6:53) –
My Rating: 8/10 Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Pop, Indie Rock Tammar EP: Tracklist:
1.) Summer Fun
2.) Weddle On
3.) Dig A Hole
4.) Emily’s Army
5.) Hot Juice
So the post for today wasn’t originally supposed to be this EP. Last night Twin Sister played in Philadelphia, but after a series of unfortunate events, I was unable to make it to the show and capture any footage of the band. You can probably guess that I was a bit upset, but that’s okay, because I’m sure Twin Sister will be back in Philadelphia in no time. As of now I don’t see any dates, so we’ll just have to wait for them to come back around. But moving on. Instead of show footage today, I give you the brand new EP from the one-man, bedroom-pop-band WILD NOTHING. The EP was put out by the UK label Warmest Chord, and they just released it about a week ago.
The EP features three brand new, unheard songs from Tatum and his Wild Nothing outfit, and they’re sort of a continuation of the songs we heard from his debut LP “Gemini” that came out earlier this year. The EP is just shy of 12 minutes long, and it’s equally parts poppy and dancey, but Tatum still does it all with his undying love for nostalgia and the buzzy sound of classic 80’s pop music. All three of the songs have their moments, but the real prize from this EP comes on the last track “Take Me In”. It’s a straight up jam-out with a shape shifting bass line and a glitchy guitar riff all over top of the glistening sound effects you would expect from a Wild Nothing song. I’ve uploaded the track below for you to listen to, so please check it out!
Take Me In –
My Rating: 7/10 Genre/ Tags: Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Pop Evertide EP: Tracklist:
1.) Your Rabbit Feet
2.) Golden Haze
3.) Take Me In
Hailing from the beautiful Boston, Massachusetts comes the trashy, three-piece surf-rock band GIRLFRIENDS. Their debut 7″ single was just released yesterday (July 1st) on the Aurora7 label, and now they’re setting out on quite a long trek across the United States in order to promote their fantastic new 7″. They’ve got dates lined up from now until about halfway through August, so chances are Girlfriends are playing a show in your town. You probably won’t want to miss this one either – they’ll be in Philadelphia on July 3rd, so hopefully I can make it out to the show. For those of you who won’t be able to make the show, that’s why I am here today, and I am glad to be introducing this band. Their new 7″ is just six minutes of twangy, hectic garage rock that also takes a shot at the surf rock sound, but either way this little gem is sure to get stuck on repeat.
The 7″ kicks off on the A-side with the self-titled track “Gov’t Seizure”, and right off the bat you’re already thrown into the midst of a gritty guitar hook attack. The relentless guitars keep at it for awhile before a nasty guitar solo about halfway through, and then they slow/quiet things down about 3/4 of the way through until they ride the rest of the song out into a huge, head spinning finish. Next would come the B-side track called “Creep Stuff”, and the pounding drums and guitar kind of give it a menacing sound in the beginning. They have a bluesy-sounding breakdown just before the halfway mark, and then they suddenly speed things up, only to slow them down again pretty quickly. Still curious? Listen and find out for yourself right below! Why not buy their 7″ while you’re at it? It’s only $6!
Gov’t Seizure –
Creep Stuff –
My Rating: 8/10 Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Pop, Surf Rock Gov’t Seizure 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Gov’t Seizure
2.) Creep Stuff
Yo yo. The name of today’s band is SLEEPIES, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the word ‘the’ is not part of their name. Unsurprisingly, this three-piece band hails from the ever-populated Brooklyn, New York, and the band is made up of singer/guitarist Thomas Seely, Josh Intrator on the bass guitar, and Max Tremblay behind the drum set. Unlike most things that have been coming through here on the Styrofoam Drone (with the exception of a few posts), these guys take on a heavy, pop/punk style that definitely leans much further to the punk side before anything else. This self-titled LP (with the intriguing “naked people waving” cover art) just came out recently, but they have been playing shows together since May of 2008, and above all else, SLEEPIES would be delighted to play a show in your basement!
So when I received an e-mail from these guys, I had no idea what to expect – and that’s usually how it goes in a situation like that. When things go down this way, that usually sets you up to totally be caught off guard, which is probably my favorite thing when it comes to listening to brand new music. Sure enough, these guys did just that. Their LP hits all sorts of lows and highs – whether it’s from a relentless, fast-paced punk rock song or from a grimy, electrified guitar solo – these guys really know how to do the punk thing, and they know how to do it good. The first track “Get Fucked” sort of sets the tone for the rest of the LP, as it starts things off with heavy guitar distortion, crashing cymbals, and frantic, yelling vocals. After listening to this song, you should have a rough idea of where the rest of the album will be going, but in no way will it reveal everything they have in store for you.
The next song “Monolith” is only the beginning of the punk fueled madness you’re about to endure, but that’s certainly not meant in a bad way. It’s an electrified punk song with shards of scuzzy guitars, and about halfway through they slow everything down and then suddenly pick it all back up again with a frantic drum roll before they bring you to the end of the song. The following song “Backbone” is another fast-paced, head-spinning punk song with grungy bass lines, and it’s followed up by a second one called “Dome”. Towards the end of “Dome” there’s some nice lead guitar work, and it all comes to an end with a spastic breakdown before the following track “Good Hunting” starts. I’m going to leave you guys with a good chunk of songs from the LP to listen to, including the sprawling final track from the LP called “Housewife”. If these tracks don’t do the trick, you should check out their Myspace because they have much more to offer over there.
Monolith –
Dome –
Housewife –
My Rating: 7/10 Genre/ Tags: Punk, Pop Sleepies LP: Tracklist:
1.) Get Fucked
2.) Monolith
3.) Backbone
4.) Dome
5.) Good Hunting
6.) Unfortunate Faces
7.) Hypochondriac Blues
8.) Carpultunia
9.) Squirrel Guns
10.) Polylith
11.) Summer Bummer
12.) Huh
13.) Housewife
Sleepies on Myspace!
Sleepies on Last.fm! BUY the Sleepies LP directly from their store!
To start things off today, I would like to apologize for not posting anything the past few days. I was visiting the beach for the weekend and didn’t really have the time to post anything (except for Monday), and finding a free internet signal proved to be quite difficult, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to let a few days pass without a post. But don’t worry, I have something new for you guys today, and hopefully you’ll enjoy it. The name of the band is ENDLESS WAVE, and they’re a three-piece band coming from Boston, and they just released their debut EP called “City Walls” from a record label called Fort Point Recordings. Endless Wave take on that familiar atmospheric shoegaze sound, but they do it in their own special way in which the music gives you a feeling that you’re soaring through the sky. Hence the descriptive word “skygaze” I’ve been seeing when looking up some information on this band.
As I already said, these guys play a familiar sound, and I’m sure you can name bands from the past that these guys sound like. There music is full of heavenly, crystal clear guitars (Ocean Drive), fuzzy distorted bass lines (Last Phase), and sudden bursts of energy from start to finish that are bound to catch you off guard. Songs like “Triangular” and the epic seven-minute “Premeditated” include many of the things I just mentioned, but do you really want to hear it from me? Listen to the songs below yourself and see what you think!
Ocean Drive –
Triangular –
My Rating: 7/10 Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Pop, Shoegaze City Walls EP: Tracklist:
1.) City Walls
2.) Last Phase
3.) Ocean Drive
4.) Triangular
5.) Premeditated
Today we have something else that I picked up on my most recent trip to the record store. As you already know, I spent a good chunk of time without making a trip to the store, so when I finally made it back I couldn’t just keep things simple; I had to buy multiple items. Along with the Radical Sons LP that I snagged up, I also walked out of the store that day with this gem of a 7″…not to mention a few other things…but we’ll see how long it is before I’m making a trip back. I’m really glad I picked up this little 7″ too, because it turned out to be quite a fun listen. It’s a split 7″ record with our already-familiar friends the SMITH WESTERNS on the A-side, and you flip it over to the B-side to hear a track from a band called MAGIC KIDS. We already know the Smith Westerns are from Chicago, and something new we learned is that the Magic Kids are from Memphis, Tennessee. And if any single music-describing word comes to mind when listening to this 7″, chances are it’s this one: pop.
The 7″ starts off on the A-side with the Smith Westerns, and the name of the song is “Imagine, Pt. 3”. While I’m not entirely sure if there’s a part 1 and 2, I can tell you that part 3 is a fun a lovable track, straight up. The Smith Westerns just rock out an any given opportunity, complete with squealing guitars, mushy vocals about love, and they do it all with enough promise to give me great hopes for their forthcoming LP due out on Fat Possum Records sometime in the near future. Hopefully they won’t keep us waiting too long for this one. Now we flip over to the B-side, and we’re face to face with the Magic Kids. This side is just about as poppy as the other side, but this time the song is more piano or keyboard-driven. Whatever you want to call it – I’m cool with either. This song is much shorter than the A-side, but it’s still two and a half minutes of picture-perfect pop glistening with all sorts of sound effects and peppy vocals about superballs: “Bounce bounce bounce!” Why waste any more of your precious time? Check out these two songs for yourself right below.
Imagine, Pt. 3 –
Superball –
My Rating: 8/10 Genre/ Tags: Pop, Garage Rock, Lo-Fi Split 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Smith Westerns – Imagine, Pt. 3
2.) Magic Kids – Superball
Awhile back somebody from our Last.fm group suggested to check out this website BEKO-dsl.com. It’s an awesome website where they release a brand new digital single every Monday, and they keep churning out the jams like it’s their only purpose here on Earth.
About two weeks ago they put this one up from a band called HOORAY! (exclamation included), and it’s an equally mysterious and interesting single that I found to be quite pleasing to the ears. It’s 8 solid minutes of sad, eerie noise pop from a guy named Ben Wagner, and as of lately it looks like there’s a lot going on in his world. His Myspace has two new releases posted up saying that they’re both “coming soon”, and then there is also a list of direct links to Mediafire where you can download all of his past efforts, including an EP called “Winter Break”, along with three others entitled “Snow Daze”, “Stuffed Animals”, and “Sleep(c)Overs”. I haven’t gotten around to checking any of these other releases out, but if they’re anything like the BEKO digital single, they’ll surely be worth your time. If this still isn’t enough for you today, you should check out the entire catalog over at BEKO, because they have an ever-growing list that is only going to get bigger and bigger.
Kyle’s Having People Over –
My Rating: 6/10 Genre/ Tags: Shoegaze, Pop, Ambient Beko 51: Tracklist:
1.) I Guess…
2.) Jimmy, Grow Up
3.) Kyle’s Having People Over
Here is something a bit out of the ordinary. The name of the band is Monster Rally, and they certainly have their own sound going for them. Instead of playing songs like everybody is used to hearing, Monster Rally create these abstract, hazy environments that could most easily be described as being background music for scenarios of all sorts. Whether it’s a busy, hot flea market mobbed with people from shoulder to shoulder, a lazy beach side Jamaican jam out, or just a breezy jazzy tune you can tap your foot along to, Monster Rally play a different form of music.
Probably the easiest way to describe their sound would be the “Soundtrack to your summer”, because that’s exactly what it is. Pretend you’re listening to the spaced-out, intergalactic journey of Flying Lotus’ “Los Angeles”, only this time you’re doing it on a tropical island somewhere, and it’s hot, sunny, and there’s not a chance in hell that summer is ever going to end. At least, as long as this EP is around. You shouldn’t wait any longer – head on over to their Bandcamp page to download this mysteriously awesome EP (for FREE!), so you too can be a part of the hazy, endlessly looping madness that is bound to play a role in your summer.
Shangri La –
Honey Moon –
Suns Hula –
My Rating: 7/10 Genre/ Tags: Pop, Abstract, Psychedelic Monster Rally EP: Tracklist:
1.) The Wolf
2.) Maori Mai
3.) Shangri La
4.) Honey Moon
5.) Pearly
6.) Suns Hula
Download the Monster Rally EP from their Bandcamp page
Monster Rally on Last.fm
Styrofoam Drone 