Episode 1364 is up
April 15, 2010The Bundles “The Bundles”
April 14, 2010The lead singer, Kimya Dawson, was in Moldy Peaches, it says here. Apparently, The Bundles were around before that but never recorded anything. This explains the sound, which reminds me of old Rilo Kiley or some of the less-weird Kung Fu U.S.A. tracks, because of the boy-girl vocals.
“Pirates Declare War” has a power-pop sensibility to it, although it isn’t fuzzy at all. It’s very structured and lo-fi. “Shamrock Glamrock” does the thing where one vocalist says one set of lyrics while the other vocalist does the same thing. It’s like when Kelly & Kline would tell the dirty joke in one ear and the clean joke in the other. Or if you lived too far from San Francisco then you didn’t get reception in stereo, so you just heard both no matter what. That’s this song.
“Desert Bundles” has that weird mouth instrument thing that Snoopy would play when he was on the bus going to camp, such as on “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown.” This song would be worth seeing live, if nothing else, just to see someone play it.
“Be Yourself” is the last track and might be a cover. It sounds familiar, but that could be the case because I’ve just heard the rest of the album. Musically, this sounds like Blake Babies, and vocally it sounds like Matt & Kim. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Episode 1363 is up
April 14, 2010Hildur Victoria “Herringbone EP”
April 13, 2010It’s an EP. “Four Young Sons” sounds like Tanya Donelly. It’s slow but not plodding. It’s very stripped down and sounds like what you’d hear from an opener at Slim’s. Then, as you walk down Ninth to get to Civic Center BART, you talk about how the opener was much better than the headliner, and if only you’d bought a CD because you’re far too drunk to remember her name when you get home to see what you can torrent out there.
“Diamond Eyes” has stronger guitar and some heart behind the vocals. The sticker tells me it is the single. Sure, why not. It could use another chord, but it’s still very accessible. “Palisades” turns the lead singer’s voice (Hildur Victoria is a band, not a she) into Kate Bush’s, but the music sounds like something Paramore would do. At this point you have to wonder what direction the band is going in. They’ve really settled into this midtempo style that focuses on plus vocals and crisp mixing, but I feel that the structure is confining them too much. They need to cover a Ramones song. I can’t picture them being any faster than Pink Floyd.
“Wilder-Ness” would be funnier spelled “Wild-erness” because they are from Minnesota. How did they miss the playoffs, anyway? Their uniforms are so rad! The songs sound a lot alike, and all I hear is raw talent with no glue or fertilizer. We all have to start somewhere. I hope that they continue to grow. Next stop: melody and a Moog.
Episode 1362 is up
April 13, 2010Evelyn Evelyn “Evelyn Evelyn”
April 12, 2010There were myriad reasons fer me to grab this one. Bill McNeal on NewsRadio had the middle name “Evelyn,” but it was pronounced EVE-lyn. One of the shift managers when I worked at Arby’s was named Evelyn, but she pronounced it Eba-LEEN. Naturally blond Filipinas are a trip. And the mother of my first penpal ever (also Filipina — huh) was named “Evelyn,” and she pronounced it the right way. Did I mention they lived on Joel Court? They did! And now they have no cops, because they live in Vallejo.
So at any rate, I was ready to get Jollibee with this record, and what plays before me now is a modern take on Simon & Garfunkel in some places and IBOPA in others. This record is meant to be listened to from beginning to end. It’s an epic in the truest sense — not in the overused slang of today.
But if you’re looking for songs to pick out to listen to and stand up on their own, look no further “Elephant Elephant.” A cross between 8 1/2 Souvenirs and They Might Be Giants, it’s whimsical both with lyrics and musical accompaniment. It’s fun enough that I would like to take a redneck, tie him to a chair and play this song for him. Absolute torture, it would be to him.
If you want something folksier, listen to the title track or “You Only Want Me ‘Cause You Want My Sister.” The obligatory cover? “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” All in all, you can’t go wrong with this one.
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