Signals Midwest, “Light On the Lake” LP

cover - signals midwest light on the lakeIt took the second run-through on the turntable to notice it, but Signals Midwest frontman Maxwell Stern sounds a lot like Bomb the Music Industry’s Jeff Rosenstock. If I remember correctly, I really liked their last album, but this one kind of refuses to stick in my mind.

The guitar solo on “In the Pauses” grabs your attention first and foremost, if you’re not a BTMI fan. It’s one of the few moments Light On the Lake‘s first side that doesn’t work in the loud-quiet-loud dynamic that’s become almost de rigeur for punk bands these days — quiet spoken parts, then big anthemic choruses.

It’s great for singing along and fist-pumping, but the fact that Signals Midwest actually do more guitar-wise than just strumming or rocking power chords gets lost in these songs that are, honestly, more like pieces from a Broadway musical than rock ‘n’ roll.
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PYPY, “Pagan Day” LP

cover - pypyPYPY‘s debut release, Pagan Day, has the unfortunate timing of coming out after Savages’ Silence Yourself. It’s all too unfortunate that it’s going to be compared to that bit of disco-tinged post-punk.

This is, however, a less focused release than that, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Pagan Day meanders and engages in psychedelic freakout workouts, making the moments when PYPY focuses that much more intense. There’s a lot of build-and-release on this album, and it makes for an involving listen.

“New York” will just work a dance bassline for a good half minute before turning the burbling, underwater guitar into pointed riffs, simply exploding from your speakers. You’ll be nodding along, then suddenly rocking out, thrashing about the room, like you’ve been possessed by a fucking demon.

Then, of course, the song following it, “Molly,” is a pretty standard psych-rock number. Guitar solos all over the place, flanged vocals, and an end that doesn’t so much build as collapse upon itself. It’s the sheer unpredictability of PYPY that makes Pagan Day such a fantastic, intriguing listen.
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Marco Beltrami, “Carrie” OST LP

cover - carrie soundtrackThe Music On Vinyl release of Marco Beltrami‘s score for the recent Carrie remake is absolutely fantastic in terms of … well, everything. Beltrami’s score isn’t presented here as a series of individual pieces, which is good. While there are slight pauses between each selection, for the most part, the Carrie score is almost arranged in such a way as to make it seem like one singular work.

Which is as it should, be really. Think of it this way: if a filmmaker has a visual aesthetic for the film, you’d want it complimented by a composer who can do the same thing with the score, and that’s what Beltrami has accomplished, here. Each piece plays like a movement to a larger work, rather than each scene being compartmentalized.
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The Book-Burners, “People’s Songs” LP

cover - book-burnersStarting off sounding like a Midwestern band gone Seattle on “Quick,” the Book-Burners quickly establish themselves as a band loathe to embrace modern trends on People’s Songs, their debut full-length release on Latest Flame.

However, despite being a band that looks backward in terms of sonic dimensions, the advantageous part is that they’re doing so from a remove of a decade and a half, meaning they’ve the ability to pick and choose, keeping the good bits and discarding that which doesn’t work. There’s some early R.E.M. angularity, the droning fuzz of In Utero-era Nirvana, some Kill Rock Stars looseness … it’s fun.
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KC Uncovered III to “Shine A Light” on the legacy of Abigail Henderson

Poster by Jud Kite

Poster by Jud Kite

On Saturday, December 21, Slimm Adkins and Bill Sundahl will present Kansas City Uncovered III at the recordBar in Kansas City. As the name implies, it’s the third installment in the popular cover-song performance series, but this installment’s a little different than those previous.

This third installment, entitled “Shine A Light,” will deviate from the formula the initial KC Uncovered shows have followed. In those cases, bands would draw a CD from a hat and then have a month to learn another local act’s songs. The first KC Uncovered was May 22, 2010 (also at the recordBar), and featured the likes of American Catastrophe covering Federation of Horsepower, and Federation of Horsepower covering Bleach Bloodz, and so on.

The particular reason for “Shine A Light” is to celebrate the music of the late Abigail Henderson, who passed away from cancer on August 27. Henderson, in addition to her work as musician, was the co-founder of the Midwest Music Association, which raised money to help provide musicians with access to health care.
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Like Like The The Death, “Cave Jenny” LP

cover - like like the the deathUsually, when someone talks about how a record’s not left their turntable for however long, it’s a bit of hyperbole. In my case, with Like Like The The Death‘s Cave Jenny, it’s absolutely literal. The LP showed up about a week or so ago, and once it went on, it pretty much stayed there.

I’d go over to grab it off and put it away, but would then figure, “Well, I should really give that another listen …” Next thing you know, I’d be hearing the opening chords of “Here Comes Irregular,” and I’d be working my way through the album once agin. This happened once or twice a day for five days straight.

It’s a hard album to describe, Cave Jenny is. The fact that it’s absolutely fascinating isn’t to be denied, but how to communicate what it is? Frankly, it’s one of those frustratingly wonderful records that leaves you in the position of telling people, “You really just have to hear it.”
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Adam Widener, “Vesuvio Nights” LP

adam widener coverAdam Widener‘s new album for Speakertree Records does really bring to mind the late Jay Reatard, but any dirty power pop these days is likely to do so. Reatard’s sound was so distinctive, it’s hard to avoid comparisons. However, Widener is actually quite a bit more than just a knock-off.

The best cuts on Vesuvio Nights, like “Telephone Traps” and “Crystal Castles,” work surf rock through chiming guitars, and it’s infectiously wonderful. It’s something akin to what’s been done in indie rock the last few years by the likes of Vivian Girls or Best Coast, but far more accomplished. It’s not sloppy and dreamy, but energetic and fun.
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Ruleta Rusa, “No Aqui Es” LP

cover - ruleta rusaLooking at the cover, I was thinking, “What the fuck? Did Sorry State put out a thrash record?” Just taking a glance at the jacket for Ruleta Rusa‘s No Aqui Es, and you’re thinking Grim Reaper or some other mid-’80s stalwarts.

However, the instant the needle drops on this LP, and it’s a different matter. This is rock ‘n’ roll — punk ‘n’ roll, if you want to be specific. It’s like Motorhead at first, but moves smoothly into ’80s hardcore by the end of the first side.

To clarify, in terms of hardcore, it’s got that East Coast flair, where everything was a little more standard rock ‘n’ roll, whereas West Coast hardcore always seemed a little warmer — it’s a totally random decision I made on my own, to which I attribute the weather differences.
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Waxeater, “Baltimore Record” LP

cover - waxeater baltimore recordListening to Waxeater‘s Baltimore Record makes me really wish I’d been able to get into The Wire. I certainly would like to be able to analyze exactly how the lyrical content specifically relates to the plight of Omar or the whole Baltimore drug trade.

But I didn’t, and I can’t, so rather than blather on about what I’m missing in analyzing Waxeater’s latest, let’s discuss what makes it so appealing for those such as myself, who came to the band only knowing that their split 7-inch with Lawrence’s Jabberjosh a few years back was flipping intense.
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Jim Mahfood releases limited-edition “Pop Up Funk”

pop up funk - coverJim Mahfood, aka Food One, aka one of our favorite artists ever, has released some dope shit over the course of his career. Ask for Janice, his ‘zine about the Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, might be one of the coolest things we own. The man does amazingly with everything he touches, such as turning his online strip Los Angeles Ink Stains from JPGs to a massive book that lets you see everything in tight detail.
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