Teen Suicide // Goblin Problems

They’re back. Again. Sam had been teasing the release of the EP Goblin Problems for a while now, then he decided that today was as good a day as any to drop it. And since my blog has become Sam’s personal cheerleading squad for over two years now I figured I’d add another two cents on the fuzz punk troublemakers known as Teen Suicide.

Sam remains an interesting online presence. I told him that Teen Suicide is noise pop for people who don’t like noise pop. Plus they chose a purposefully offensive name for the project; one that many people would ignore without even checking out the music were it not for the fact that it’s by the (in)famous Sam Ray. But for all his quirks and his ADHD-riddled Tumblr page, Sam remains one of today’s finest songwriters. If you were never sure how seriously to take him, do yourself a favor and let the music speak for itself. He and Teen Suicide’s under-acknowledged other half Eric Livingston are doing their best to absolutely own 2012 and Goblin Problems is just another step in making that goal a reality.

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BANDCAMP | TUMBLR | FACEBOOK

 

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Each Other // Taking Trips

I featured a track from Montreal band Each Other a few weeks ago called “Sit Still.” That song was my first introduction to the band and it had me absolutely pumped to dive into their previous EP. The funny thing is that I thought I knew what I was getting into with it, but I was way off.

In reading about this EP I found a lot of comparisons to another Canadian band: Women. Now I usually try to avoid comparing bands one to another, but once I had Women in my head I just couldn’t shake the similarities. They use the same guitar-centric foundation and employ seemingly dissonant notes with interesting time signatures. Fortunately for Each Other they also manage to set themselves apart in some pretty fantastic ways as well. 

The harmonies that made “Sit Still” such a pleasure are here in spades. The voices are layered and reverbed to perfection and it gives the already jam-packed music an added measure of depth. They also pen really catchy melody lines, but they do it in a way that never feels like they are taking a pop route. But as good as those vocal lines are, the reason to make camp with Take Trips and stay there is the songwriting. They just do some really interesting things with the instrumentation. They’ve written these tracks in such a way that you can never quite get a fix on where they are going, and it is always exciting rather than taxing to see where they take it.

This one comes exuberantly recommended. Download it for free on Each Other’s bandcamp or grab it on cassette via Prison Art.

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BANDCAMP | TUMBLR | FACEBOOK

 

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Boy Crush // Hauntr

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of High Pop. Their brand of scuzzy New Jersey noise pop is totally infectious and judging by how crazy the blogosphere went over their Hippie Speed Ball albumI think it’s pretty safe to say that that’s a sentiment shared by many. So when the dudes posted a link to Sean’s solo project Boy Crush I was all over it.

These jams on Hauntr are not completely removed from the fizzy beach pop of High Pop, but the dudes are right in that they are more along the lines of “dream pop popsicles.” And even though Halloween has come and gone, you can still enjoy these songs that according to Sean were “recorded in a haunted house mostly about ghosts” any day of the year. It’s free on his bandcamp so snatch it up.

 

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School Knights // All Dawgz Go To Heaven

Here is something special to scorch your ear canals and leave them with a burning sensation for the better part of the day. Scuzz rockers School Knights just dropped their eagerly-anticipated debut album called All Dawgz Go To Heaven on the consistently impressive Dracula Horse label (run by those jolly old chaps in COOLRUNNINGS).

The album is eleven tracks of blistering noise pop with surprisingly high replay value. The album features reworks of several tracks from their two previous EPs as well as a slew of righteous new tracks. With a more full-band sound the guys have never sounded so good. It’s perfect summer time music for skateboarding or just chillin’ with friends. You can almost feel the ripped jeans and bloody knees. So do yourself a huge favor and download this thing ASAP. I know I’ll be spinning this thing quite a bit in the coming weeks.

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BANDCAMP | SOUNDCLOUD | MYSPACE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

 

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*PREMIERE*

Teen Suicide // Bad Vibes Forever

I have the extreme pleasure of premiering this new project. It’s been a long time in the making and its creator has gestated it like a nurturing mother (father, whatever), waiting until the time was right to release it into the world. That creator is none other than songwriting dynamo Sam Ray. Churning out a sickening amount of music as Ricky Eat Acid he has switched gears completely with this new noise pop project Teen Suicide. In fact, switching gears really isn’t strong enough of a term to convey the metamorphosis here. A total changing of tracks, course, and final destination is what has occurred in a basement somewhere in Maryland.

On Bad Vibes Forever Sam makes his love for three things painfully obvious: music, fuzz, and the early 1960’s. When these tracks aren’t buzzing the headphones out of your ears they will be crooning you into a nostalgic haze of years that you didn’t even experience. On the album closer “Crying” Sam plays the part of a love-sick teenager whose raw emotion has left him nothing to do except pour himself out into his music. The gently cascading guitars (and later piano) create an atmosphere that comes off as utterly wistful but also gentle and charming. It’s about as perfect of a track as I really care to hear these days.

I’m really proud of Sam and the work he’s done here. I am also really blessed to consider Sam a friend of mine. He’s been a big supporter of mine and this weirdo blog even before I really knew what it was. So do yourself a huge favor and support Sam by downloading this thing as soon as possible. You can nab it in its entirety from either the bandcamp site or from this here link.

Check him out: BANDCAMP | TWITTER

 

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The Earth Is Made of Nylon // “O.K. Carol”

I will contend that “O.K. Carol” is one of the sweetest 1960’s teen pop inspired songs that you will hear all year. But if you are a listener with fragile eardrums then I implore you: tread carefully. Here things crackle and pop and challenge the listener to dig deeper than production value. It’s a world of jagged lines and piercing noise, but in the center is an ooey-gooey pop melody that makes it all worth it.

I have literally no clue who is behind the curtain with The Earth Is Made of Nylon, but it really doesn’t matter because whoever they are, they write some slammin’ noise pop. And if you listen to all of the single tracks that they put up on their bandcamp then you will notice that they are only getting noisier as time goes on (the exact opposite of the cleaned-up-sound approach that many bands of this ilk are taking). Like the blurred photographs on the cover artwork, everything here is shrouded in a thick cloud of mystery. And really, that’s how I like it.

You can download all of The Earth Is Made of Nylon’s tracks for free on bandcamp. They make you exchange an email for every one which gets tedious, but believe me they are all worth it.

Oh and a big thanks to The Leaving Scene for the tip. Though not really his thing, he was thoughtful enough of to suggest it to me.

 

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Poppers // “Do You Like TV?”

Wow wow wow. Poppers is a new band (supergroup?) featuring members of Birthdays, BAnanas Symphony, Cough Cool, Nude Beach and BlackHawks. As if all these dudes’ bands weren’t already interconnected enough…

If there was a way for a seedy night club to be housed in a cave, then this is what the live band would sound like. It feels undeniably chilly and if you close your eyes you can even see/hear the water droplets plinking as they fall from the ceiling into shimmering pools on the cave floor.  Everything about this track feels so right. The way the reverb-soaked guitars and vocals bounce around and the devilishly seductive percussion create this perfect atmosphere. I am digging this track HARD, and hoping that we hear more from Poppers in the very near future.

(via The Human Touch)

 

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Babes // Sides

Sides is the most recent release from the weirdo pop wonder that is Babes. Even though this 12-track mini-album went up on bandcamp this last month, these tracks have been around for a year or more and were recorded at various times/places. And although it might seem like it’s going after several different styles and directions, there is one thing that solidifies this release: the inspiration for the tracks.

Babes mastermind “Z” let me know that he started slowly piecing this release together after the death of a close friend (who is featured on the cover). The vibrant nature of the tracks here directly parallel the life that his friend lived. And although the inspiration here comes from a place of sadness, I admire Babes for choosing to celebrate life rather than mourn loss.

If you enjoyed Babes’ quirky pop music in the past you’ll find more to like here. Some of the tracks here are bits and pieces of hissing noise, but they are injected with the sort of color that only Babes could deliver. Grab it for free on their bandcamp site.

 

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Heavy Ghost // Ten Thousand Years EP

Caden Moore, who is probably better known as LAKE R▲DIO, did some really interesting things with the witch house microgenre. People that typically wrote off the spooky genre found themselves admitting to liking LAKE R▲DIO’s music. I personally didn’t need convincing. I saw what he was trying to do and I thought it was great.

So when Caden emailed me about his new group, Heavy Ghost, I was eager to give them a listen. And then he listed the band’s influences: My Bloody Valentine, Boards of Canada, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Joy Division. Wait, WHAT?! Any eagerness that I had quickly turned to excitement. Like a young child ripping through their presents on Christmas morning, I plugged my headphones into my computer as fast as I could. And it wasn’t fast enough because Heavy Ghost is frickin amazing.

The bands listed, while not necessarily of a singular genre, represent a classic indie rock sound. An exciting and influential time in rock music that Heavy Ghost does a pretty darn good job of emulating. So download Ten Thousand Years for free on the band’s bandcamp, and hearken back to a time when you were sneaking into your older sibling’s room to listen to their cooler-than-cool music collection.

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gain some: “Clarity”

 

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Youth Castles //  DEMOS

I have been craving some good shoegazey noise pop lately. You know, something to remind me why I love My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Cocteau Twins so much. Thankfully, Brooklyn band Youth Castles gave me that. They currently only have three tracks to download on their bandcamp, but they are three amazing tracks. Plus, I’d rather have three great tracks than an album full of mediocre ones. 

As far as authenticity goes, these guys are spot on. The reverb, the layered singing, the borderline monotone vocals, the haze of electric fuzz. It’s all there. There is a vibrant energy to this music, it’s electric and you can feel it in your fingertips when you listen to it. It’s the kind of delicious noise that you just want to wrap your head in and forgot all the crap that life brings.

If you couldn’t already tell I’m kinda geeking out over this band. I really hope that they record more stuff in the future, because I’ll be eagerly awaiting it. Download their DEMOS over on their bandcamp.

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can’t we just: “FEEL”

 

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Winks // Daisy Ingraham EP

Winks’ self-titled debut album was criminally underlooked. Put out by Friends Records, the album felt spacious, retro, and tropical and it quickly became one of my favorites (you can still download it for free on bandcamp). Then this past December the band released their followup album called She’s Done on the same label. That album found the band moseying down a similar path as their debut, but the caverns were a bit deeper this time around. There was more to explore.

Well today via the label’s blog Bmore Musically Informed, the duo released a brand new free EP called Daisy Ingraham. This new is EP is… well it’s completely different than their previous material. Pretty much the only aspect that is retained is the presence of sunny pop melodies. In place of the 1980’s synths and guitar licks is a thick, jagged wasteland of noise. Various and seemingly random noises crash and squeak in the background while the almost unidentifiable guitar line plods along. Then laying on top of the trash heap is the shining jewel. The thing that keeps your headphones plugged in. That melody. It makes it all seem so beautiful.

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over here: “Ennui”

 

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Looking for Jenny // Random Walk EP

If there is one thing that I have come to associate with Brazilian label Transfusão Noise Records, it is just that: noise. Now this is not a bad thing, not at all. I happen to love noise and fuzz and reverb. I won’t go into the reasons why my brain loves all things lo-fi, just know that it does.

So when I’m craving some scuzz, Transfusão is one of the first places I look. I’ve discovered some amazing noisy Brazilian bands there, such as: Babe Florida, The John Candy, and Carpete Florido. Well, this week one such artist spared me the research by sending me his band’s EP. They are called Looking for Jenny and they really know where to put the fuzz. If you’re looking for some good noise pop to make your eardrums tingle, then look no further. You can download the nine-track EP for free on the label’s site.

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badda boom: “I’ll Let You Fall”

 

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Babe Florida - Vol. 1 EP

Hot off the beaches of Brazil comes Babe Florida. They, along with other bands like Top Surprise and Carpete Florido, are proof that the lo-fi noise scene is alive and well in South America. Vol. 1 is like a getting a shot to the arm. It’s quick and relatively painless, but it still leaves a mark on you. Most of the songs here don’t even surpass the one-minute mark, but it doesn’t even matter because they are short and sweet. They do what they set out to do, and then they are gone. No lingering. No point.

The EP is released through the Brazilian label, Transfusão Noise Records. Make sure that you visit and poke around on the site, because there is a ton more to discover than just Babe Florida on there. It’s literally a treasure trove of awesome stuff to dig up.

You can download the EP for free from the label’s site or the band’s myspace.

mp3: “Pé de Amoras”

 

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Seamonster - Two Birds EP

Straddling the gap between appalachian folk and fuzzy noise pop is Seamonster. The short five song EP, Two Birds, is short but warm and welcoming. The sounds here are nostalgic and familiar like a chance encounter with an old friend. It will put a smile on your face and give you a couple tunes to hum before sending you on your way. It’s perfect music for this chilly fall weather.

You can order the 7” vinyl which was released on Gold Robot Records (the same label that Fox Hands is on). You can also download it for free from the label’s site or from Seamonster’s bandcamp. After you download and fall in love with Two Birds, make sure that you also download its companion, Those Bones, the free remix EP.

mp3: “Annalee”

 

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Do you like Crocodiles? I like Crocodiles. I thought that their album Summer of Hate was great fun and it reminded me of all my favorite Jesus & Mary Chain songs. The kind of music that gives you a headache that feels so good.

Well, if you head to Fat Possum’s website, you will find that Crocodiles have a new instrumental EP called Fires of Comparison that you can download for free. Hopefully it will tide you over until their new release, Sleep Forever comes out later this month.

 

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