I Rock Cleveland

Top Jam of the Week: "No Mongo" by Wizzard Sleeve

2009-11-19T13:07:00.001-05:00

Wizzard Sleeve’s "No Mongo" is one fantastic slab of something awesome. One could call it fuzz or scuzz or lo-fi or punk or psych and you’d be right. One could come up with clever metaphors like "Early Jay Reatard soaked in robo," or "Like Seattle Sludge meets The Smell," or "Like what music from Brooklyn would be sound like if it had any balls," and you’d be right. The Mobile, Alabama band pulls from varied underground movements and a wide swath of scenes and whips them into one wild, reverb heavy mix. One where there may be one overriding riff, but it’s the devilish details – The bits and pieces, the scattered static, the cleverly buried, barely audible six string freak outs piled one on top of another – which make this cut so necessary.

MP3: Wizzard Sleeve - No Mongo

Wizzard Sleeve's Make the World Go Away is out now on Hozac Records.

Wizzard Sleeve
Hozac Records

Moving Pictures: "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend

2009-11-19T12:23:00.003-05:00

Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig earned super respect from this writer when during a recent interview with Pitchfork, he was asked to discuss the spoiled white-kid label often given to him and his band. He answer was priceless:

When people try to frame us as these spoiled rich kids, I want to say, "Well, hold up. You don't know anything about my family, you don't know where I went to high school, you don't know how I paid for college." I mean, I grew up in New Jersey listening to the Ramones, the Clash, Elvis Costello, and I was always keenly aware that a lot of punk was created by people who came from middle-class backgrounds. Whether some people can accept the idea that I probably grew up listening to the same music as them isn't my problem, ultimately. But in my experience, a lot of people don't feel that way. We have 14-year-old kids coming to our shows, and those kids aren't thinking, "Can I listen to Vampire Weekend and the Clash?"

It's not an issue. But even trying to engage in that conversation is ridiculous and petty, because essentially it's just a bunch of college-educated people trying to compete for who has it tougher, when the truth is none of us had it tough.

Touche, critics.

Now, my advice to you, you who refused to listen to Vampire Weekend's debut because they were too rich and too white and their shirts were too perfectly pressed and their girlfriend's went to the school you couldn't get into, is to lighten up a bit and approach Vampire Weekend as a fresh, new band, one without all the trappings you've added. Once you give a single like "Cousins," a chance, you'll find out that Ezra and Co. are a lot like you. They listened to the same punk and new wave bands you did, and they know how to lay down quite the happening groove.

VIDEO: Vampire Weekend - Cousins

Contra, the follow up album to Vampire Weekend's much talked about self-titled debut, will be out January 12th on Beggars Group/XL Records. Contra's first single, "Horchata," is available now as a free download from the Vampire Weekend website.

Vampire Weekend
XL Records

"Swim" by Surfer Blood

2009-11-19T11:59:00.004-05:00

Surfer Blood's debut single, "Swim," is one of those numbers that had it been recorded in the '80s, its video would require a California beach, bikini babes, muscle men, and a flashy Camaro. Thankfully, we're in a different decade. By utilizing a lo-fi approach similar to that of Japandroids, the band crafts an unapologetic anthem (Which "Swim" most definitely is) replete with big guitar lines and well placed "Whoas" and presents it in such a way where it doesn't sound hopelessly dated, but fresh and fun.

MP3: Surfer Blood - Swim

Surfer Blood's debut record, Astro Coast will be available January 19th on Kanine Records.

Surfer Blood
Kanine Records

From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Blurt Rates Bill Fox's Shelter From the Smoke Reissue a Very Fine Nine

2009-11-16T12:14:00.003-05:00

Blurt Magazine's Edward Burch has some mighty high praise for Bill Fox's Shelter From the Smoke, the Cleveland songwriter's long out of print 1996 solo album which has been freshly expanded and reissued by Scat Records:

For the past ten years, the two Fox solo albums are all we've had from sessions that presumably yielded over 100 songs. The only reason this reissue of Shelter doesn't get a 10 is so as to give Scat that much more incentive to follow through with their planned 2010 reissue of Fox's other stellar solo release, Transit Byzantium. And if they can manage to release the lost Bill Fox third album from these same sessions, I will give it an 11 before I even crack the shrinkwrap--without hesitation. That's a promise (I can't speak for what my editor will do).

As you may already know, Fox's Shelter From the Smoke is available now through Scat Records. The CD can be found locally at Music Saves and the double LP should be out shortly. Scat Records is set to start shipping vinyl orders this week.

Inside Gotta Groove Records -- Cleveland's Vinyl Pressing Plant

2009-11-16T07:50:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday night, I had the opportunity to attend an open house party at Gotta Groove Records, Cleveland's new vinyl pressing plant, located in the Tyler Building on Superior Avenue, on Cleveland's near East Side, and in between finger foods, beers, and perhaps the best piece of chocolate ever (Those who were there, know exactly which piece of chocolate I'm talking about), I was able to get a quick tour of the facility.

In short, Gotta Groove was nothing like I expected. I suppose had I taken the time to contemplate what it takes to press a record I would have imagined something a but more industrial, but in my fairytale mind, I imagined a magical place, filled with smooth, agile machines, carefully etching grooves on round mats of plastic. Instead, I was greeted to a room of these hulking, brutish things, reclaimed from an era when vinyl was still king and cutting edge technology actually involved cutting.

The controls of each vinyl pressing machine resembled Homer Simpson's station at the Springfield nuclear power plant, with dials and buttons, and a large siren light, supposedly for those times when things go horribly wrong. They operate at extreme temperatures, taking little bits of vinyl and cooking them into a malleable paste. They smash hot vinyl biscuits (Yes, that's what vinyl is called after it is melted and before it goes through the pressing process) with massive force. Gazing at these beastly inventions, it's amazing that something so sweet as a fresh 33, could come from a process so forceful.

For a complete tutorial on how vinyl is made, I'd suggest these groovy youtube tutorials. Although they document the step-by-step process of vinyl manufacturing quite well, they have all the entertainment value you'd expect from an industrial instructional video -- The narrator is sedated with a strong psych drug cocktail and the accompanying music is the audio equivalent of clip art -- In other words, they're the farthest thing from entertainment you can find on Youtube.

YOUTUBE: How Vinyl is Made (Part 1)
YOUTUBE: How Vinyl is Made (Part 2)

For more information on Gotta Groove records, including pricing, visit gottagrooverecords.com. Tours are available upon request.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski.

By the Numbers: The Flaming Lips' Unrated Video for "Watching the Planets"

2009-11-11T18:52:00.011-05:00

* 19 Totally, buck naked bicyclists.
* 1 Wayne Coyne in a big, plastic bubble.
* 1 Large, grunting fur ball with a vagina.
* 9 Totally, buck naked people who emerge from the large, grunting fur ball with a vagina.
* 49 Totally, buck naked people dancing in the forest around Wayne Coyne in a big plastic bubble.
* 517 bare breasts from the 19 totally, buck-naked bicyclists, the 9 totally, buck naked people who emerged from the large, grunting fur ball with a vagina, and the 49 totally, buck naked people dancing in the forest around Wayne Coyne in a big plastic bubble (Each breast counted once per each sighting, i.e., one pair of breasts on the same totally, buck naked female cyclist could account for 11 breast sightings -- five times in pair, one just the right. While another pair of breasts on a different totally, buck-naked female cyclist could account for 16 breast sightings).
* 211 Bare bottoms from the 19 totally, buck-naked bicyclists, the 9 totally, buck naked people who emerged from the large, grunting fur ball with a vagina, and the 49 totally, buck naked people dancing in the forest around Wayne Coyne in a big plastic bubble (Again, bare bottoms were counted in much the same manner as bare breasts, i.e., the same bare bottom on the same totally, buck naked person in the forest could be counted more than once. In this case, however, I didn't split the bare bottoms into cheeks, else the number would have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 397 -- accounting for the times both cheeks weren't visible).
* 0 Freely flopping penises (Yes, there are men amongst the totally, buck naked troupe, and I guess there probably was a freely flopping penis somewhere in all of the totally, buck naked footage, but, quite honestly, I got distracted by the 517 bare breasts and never got a clear view of any freely flopping penises. I could change the number to a one or a two, but it is my goal to give you the most accurate accounting of this new Flaming Lips video, and I don't want to over-account for any freely flopping penises which may or may not have been in said video).
* 1 Totally, buck naked Wayne Coyne shoved back into the large, grunting fur ball with a vagina by a troupe of 49 totally, buck naked people in a forest.
* 1.3 seconds of footage where you won't say a bare breast, a bare bottom, or a freely flopping penis.

VIDEO: The Flaming Lips - Watching the Planets (via NME)

The Flaming Lips
Warner Bros Records

Housekeeping!

2009-11-11T18:19:00.003-05:00

Regular updates will resume shortly.

For those of you who don't already know, I started a new job this week, meaning I don't have time to sit around all day and think about I Rock Cleveland. Not that I sat around and thought about I Rock Cleveland all day when I didn't have a job -- There were cigarettes to smoke, body parts to scratch, belly button lint which needed removal, and (In case you're reading this Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services) potential employers to email and call.

Complicating matters, I'm still adjusting to grown up time (Remember, it's been months since I've had to use an alarm clock with any regularity), and I've yet to find a suitable remote blogging station in the downtown Cleveland area.

The requirements for my new remote office are quite simple. One, I need coffee, and two, a strong wi-fi signal. Hot baristas, though not a requirement per se, are very much appreciated. Something to nosh on while writing about rock music would also be a plus, but, like the hot barista requirement, it is not a necessity. Preferably, this new blog office would be located between E 40th and Ontario as my new work office is around E 40th and Superior. All suggestions are welcome.

Moving Pictures: "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)" by BlakRoc feat. Mos Def and Jim Jones

2009-11-06T12:55:00.002-05:00

For all the instances in music history where rock and rap mixed quite well -- From the hip-hop influenced work of Blondie and The Clash to the high profile collaborations between Aerosmith and Run DMC, Anthrax and Public Enemy, and The Judgement Night soundtrack -- it's the one instance of rock and rap gone horribly wrong which perhaps had the greatest influence on the two genres current separation. After the musical and cultural wreck which was Limp Bizkit, very few wanted to be associated with the words rap-rock.

Now, nearly a decade past the Bizkit's unfortunate peak in popularity, we've finally reached the point where it's safe for rockers and rappers to share a groove. And who better to lay down said dusty groove, than Akron's Black Keys. When their blues-rock stomp is cut to mid-tempo, as is the case with Blakroc's "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)," the thick thump of drummer Pat Carney and the heart-felt riffing of guitarist Dan Auerbach sounds tailor made for hip-hop. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have Mos Def handling the first verse. If we're easing ourselves back into a place where rock and rap can coexist and collaborate, it's an asset to have someone like Mos Def on board. Someone who's often integrated the sounds of Rock 'N' Roll into his own albums. Someone who won't lay down a chorus of "Nookie."

P4KTV: Blakroc - Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)

Blakroc's debut album will be out on Black Friday, November 27th and is available for pre-order now, on vinyl or CD, at the Black Keys web shop.

Blacroc

C'mon Get Heavy with Shrinebuilder's "Pyramid of the Moon"

2009-11-05T11:18:00.001-05:00

For fans of the underground heavy, a super group of underground heavies couldn't possibly be more super than Shrinebuilder. Simply saying the names Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Al Cisneros (Om, Sleep), Wino (The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, Hidden Hand), and Dale Crover (Melvins) out loud adds inches to your beard.

Even better for fans of the underground heavy, is the fact that Shrinebuilder doesn't disappoint on its promise of being a modern Traveling Willburys for the shredding sect. Cisneros, Kelly, and Wino all take turns singing, growling, and chanting, sometimes within the same song, and the styles of heavy range from heavy psych, post-Sabbath doom, and massive sludge. The one constant, besides Shrinebuilder being consistently heavy and consistently awesome, is the riffage, of course. On a number like "Pyramid of the Moon," the thick, rumbling, and repetitive style of Cisneros' bass, first heard with his pioneering doom metal band, Sleep, and later with his more spiritual project, Om, is an ideal match for the sticky, space-infused, '70s style shredding of Wino and Kelly. It's as if this quartet had been melting minds for years. And well, they have been, just not all in the same room at the same time.

MP3: Shrinebuilder - Pyramid of the Moon

Shrinebuilder's self-titled album is out now on Neurot Recordings.

Shrinebuilder
Neurot Recordings

Moving Pictures: "Freak Train" by Kurt Vile

2009-11-05T10:45:00.000-05:00

In many ways, Kurt Vile's Matador Records debut, Childish Prodigy, is a work in progress. There's a noticeable split between the swamp rock of a track like "Hunchback," where he's backed by his band, The Violators, and the ramble-tamble, electric folk which comprises the bulk of the album. As a result, Childish Prodigy, sometimes feels like a greatest hits album for an artist who has yet to chart a hit, even in the Pitchfork ripple effect, top of the music blog charts kind of way. Still, when Vile is on, the man is on. Take "Freak Train," for example, a song which owes its genesis to krautrock, classic rock, and displaced troubadours. This ode to gettin' home fits more guitar notes in four bars than most underground folkies deem fit for a four minute song, making it not only a meandering, mesmerizing, and memorable ride, but also one which you won't ever want to end.

YOUTUBE: Kurt Vile - Freak Train

Kurt Vile's Childish Prodigy is out now on Matador Records.

Kurt Vile
Matador Records

Top Jam of the Week: "Certain Famous Covered Bridges" by Pursesnatchers

2009-11-03T11:15:00.001-05:00

It's always been my contention (And I'm sure others would concur), that the perfect three-to-four minute pop song doesn't need an explanation. One needn't study the lyrics, chart its chord progressions, or burrow into its back story. All the proof you need occurs during the first impression, the second the sound meets your ears.

Such is the case with "Certain Famous Covered Bridges," the latest single by the Brooklyn husband-wife duo of Doug Marvin (Dirty on Purpose, Black Acid, and Neckbeard Telecaster) and Annie Hart (Au Revoir Simone), collectively known as Pursesnatchers. They freely admit to sounding a bit like Yo La Tengo, others may here the wistful tones of The Shins, and this track in particular, has a Built to Spill style break down near the end. And really, that's all you need to know. Point, click, and enjoy.

MP3: Pursesnatchers - Certain Famous Covered Bridges

Pursesnatchers' "Certain Famous Covered Bridges" is out now on 7" via Death by Audio Records. The split single also contains two tracks by IRC favorite, Coin Under Tongue. For the vinyl averse, DBA is offering the split as a free download.

Pursesnatchers
Death by Audio

From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Tickets for the November 27th Black Keys Benefit Show in Akron Go on Sale Tomorrow

2009-10-30T13:37:00.004-04:00

Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney of the Black Keys are putting aside their respective side projects and will perform a benefit show for the recently deceased artist Alfred McMoore, on Friday, November 27th at Musica in Akron. Proceeds from the performance will benefit Community Support Services, an organization which aided the mentally ill McMoore before his passing. Tickets aren't cheap, but consider the cause, and consider the rare chance to see Akron's hometown heroes in a small setting. The event goes on sale tomorrow at noon. More information on this event can be found at the Cleveland Scene's Music Blog, C Notes.

Rocktober Week 4: Halloweekend

2009-10-30T10:32:00.002-04:00

Friday, October 30th: 3rd Annual Halloween Show @ the Beachland Tavern feat. featuring The Who (by The Hot Rails), Nirvana (This Is A Shakedown & Leo), The Damned (Living Stereo), and Dead Milkmen (Fakawi). Halloween show @ Pat's in the Flats feat. Presidents Of The United States Of America (by Megachurch), Angry Samoans (Space Dokkers), Flipper (Mohammed Cartoon), Machine Go Boom (Self Destruct Button w/ Jae Kritoff ), Bikini Kill (Uno Lady & Friends), The Grateful Dead (Kill The Hippies). Casual Encounters, Mother Country Madmen, Other Girls and Safari @ Happy Dog. Playing for Change Peace Through Music @ Beachland Ballroom.

Saturday, October 31st: WCSB's Halloween Masquerade Ball featuring Zero Boys, My Dad Is Dead, Fragments, Sun God, Mr. California @ Cleveland Public Theater. Halloween Boo-ga-loo Dance Party feat. Wiley & The Checkmates with DJ Mr. Fishtruck and DJ Racecard @ Beachland Tavern. Keelhaul, Dysrhythmia, Stats, Sikhara, Clan Of The Cave Bear (performing Lightning Bolt songs), Jerk, Xrin Arms @ Now That's Class.

The Rockometer: Mission of Burma, Health, F*ck Buttons, Lightning Bolt, and Pyramids with Nadja

2009-10-29T12:28:00.003-04:00

Mission of Burma
The Sound The Speed The Light
Matador

Exhibiting the rawness and aggression of a band half their age, Mission of Burma's third post-reunion album, The Sound, The Speed, The Light, has more in common with the early-to-mid '80s output of this seminal Boston post-punk band than with either of the two albums which directly preceded it. "1, 2, 3 Partyy!" and "Good Cheer" are as bold, direct and anthemic as any of their classic cuts, including "Academy Fight Song," "This Is Not a Photograph," and "That's How I Escaped my Certain Fate." They haven't lost their sense of detail, either, filtering in manipulated sounds, augmenting the bottom end, amplifying the more raucous moments, and deceptively slicing the intros, outros, and bridges. Add in the pummeling drive behind such numbers as "One Day We Will Live There" and "Blunder" and the assimilation of the old Mission of Burma into Mission of Burma take two, is so complete, had The Sound, The Speed, The Light been revealed as a missing late '80s LP, few would have reason to question such a statement's authenticity. 8 out of 10 on The Rockometer

MP3: Mission of Burma - 1, 2, 3 Partyy!
YOUTUBE: Mission of Burma - 1, 2, 3 Partyy!

Health
Get Color
Lovepump United

Noise or noise rock? Man against the machine or man working with machines? Blurt blurt crash crash beep or a song? Two albums into their career and LA's Health are no closer to deciding how to channel their primal screech. Normally, this wouldn't be such an issue, but with the gulf of quality between the songs and non-songs being so great, Get Color becomes an interactive experience of next, next, repeat. Thankfully, we have iPods and playlists and mp3s. Take the marching electronics of "Die Slow" and "Nice Girls," pair those two tracks with the dream pop and a massive percussion injection of "Severin" and "Before Tigers," tack on the coarsely textured ambient movements of album closer, "In Violet," and now, you have a killer EP. 6 out of 10 on the Rockometer

MP3: Health - Die Slow
MP3: Health - We Are Water
YOUTUBE: Health - Die Slow

F*ck Buttons
Tarot Sport
ATP Records

Noise fans shouldn't be dissuaded by the early reports of F*ck Buttons second album, Tarot Sport, being a dance album. The beats may be a bit cleaner, and the trancey, tribal-house influence may be a bit stronger, but as on their debut, Street Horrrsing, the duo of Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power, still use an untidy array of toys, keyboards, laptops, and mixers to craft alien sounds and coax them into melodies. If there is a difference between the two albums, it's in how they wield their table to toys. Where before there was a curiosity factor to their music -- Hey, let's string together a bunch of things which shouldn't be strung together, send them through a maze of processors and filters and see what sounds come out the other end! Hey, let's sing through Mr. Microphone and see what that sounds like! Now, with the confidence that this crazy set up can work, F*ck Buttons are able to smooth away much of the harshness, emphasize the more melodic moments, and make something which kinda, sorta, in some left field way, resembles instrumental rock. 7 out of 10 on The Rockometer

YOUTUBE: F*ck Buttons - Surf Solar (Radio Edit)

Lightning Bolt
Earthly Delights
Load Records

The bass and drum and feedback of Lightning Bolt's Earthly Delights hits at a frenetic pace. It's one uneasy, gut churning rumble after another after another, caterwauling, contorting, assaulting and only occasionally settling down to reveal a monster rock riff. It's also an album which shares more than a passing resemblance to Ministry's industrial rock masterpiece, Psalm 69. But if Ministry's work was that of a fine tuned hot rod, Lightning Bolt's Earthly Delights is the sound of a sub-compact having no business going 100 mph. The feet could fall straight through the floorboard. The engine block could crack from the stress. The four wheels could fly off at any moment. The car could explode in one of those fantastic movie explosions where no laws of science could explain such an explosion, but that old Chevy fantastically fireballs itself in its final scene, nonetheless. 7 out of 10 on The Rockometer

MP3: Lightning Bolt - Colossus
MP3: Lightning Blot - Flooded Chamber

Pyramids with Nadja
Pyramids with Nadja
Hydrahead

In the past year alone, Nadja have recorded a collaboration with the New Zealand drone-metal band, Black Boned Angel, and Nadja's Aiden Baker has done two additional collaborations as a solo artist with experimental musicians Tim Hecker and thisquietarmy. That's in addition to the Nadja proper album, When I See the Sun Always Shines on TV, and the ambient-drone, side project, Whisper Room, which released an album on Elevation Records. If Nadja and Aiden Baker aren't a-listers in the doom/drone/experimental music set, it's not from a lack of output. As for this latest Nadja-related release, Pyramids with Nadja, it is at the same time their least cohesive and most intriguing of the bunch. Whereas past projects found Baker and Nadja working together with their collaborators to produce ambient static or mountainous drones, Pyramids with Nadja, finds the two sides often at odds with each other. A prime example would be the 15 minute track, "Another War" where the Pyramids half wants to breathe easily and the Nadja half wants to burrrrrrrrrrr, shake, shatter, burrrrrrrrrrr. It's as if a piano ballad is playing quietly inside while a great street-sucking catastrophe is occurring outside. Picture the trailer to 2012 and John Cusack racing for his life as the end of the world is upon us. Now picture someone at peace, serenely tapping at the keys. The difference in emotion couldn't be greater, and the difference in tone, texture, and strength couldn't be more compelling. 8 out of 10 on The Rockometer

From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Bill Fox's Shelter From the Smoke Gets the Deluxe Treatment

2009-10-27T13:50:00.002-04:00

Those long rumored Bill Fox re-issues are about to become a reality. A pre-order is now available from Scat Records for the deluxe version of Fox's first solo album, Shelter from the Smoke. The expanded tracklist compiles cuts from both versions of the album and also includes the '95 single "Bird of the World" b/w "I May Never Know." You can expect the cd version to be available in stores on or around November 10th, with the double-vinyl version to follow a couple weeks later. More details are available at the Scat Records website.

Drummer, Other Girls, Royal Bangs @ Beachland Ballroom Cleveland and Unsparing Sea @ Beachland Tavern Cleveland 10.24.09

2009-10-26T15:00:00.006-04:00

If you came out to the Beachland Ballroom Saturday night hoping to hear the blues, you'd have left the venue damn well p*ssed. In spite of the American roots rock pedigree of Drummer's bassist, Pat Carney, aka, the drummer for the Akron blues, duo, The Black Keys, the assembled super-group of drummers who comprise the band, Drummer, stayed comfortably clear of anything resembling the blues, instead treating the crowd to a set of modern indie rock in the vein of Wolf Parade, complete with nerdy, prog-rock flourishes.

Jon Finley (Beaten Awake, Party of Helicopters) was intent on stretching the range of his rough, scratchy voice. Jamie Stillman (Party of Helicopters, Teeth of the Hydra) wanted to shred. Steve Clements (Houseguest) geeked out on his keyboards, Greg Boyd drummed (someone in a band of former and current drummers had to do it), and Carney, here the bassist, was content to place himself in the rear of the band and out of the spotlight. And somehow it worked. Maybe not the way in which people expected Drummer to work, and maybe not in the vein of a true super-group, rather Drummer performed much in the same way the band came together, as five friends from the Akron/Kent scene jamming for the sheer pleasure of it.

Perhaps the most telling moment of the night came mid-set, between "Diamonds to Shake" and "Feel Good Together" when Finley questioned the audience, "Are we having a good time?" It was met with a mild response and quickly redirected back to the band, to which he replied without a second of hesitation, "F*ck yeah, dawg." Even if Drummer weren't quite what you expected, you have to admit it was a good time seeing all the boys in the bands we've watched for the past ten years, together on the same stage, playing music for the purest reason possible, enjoyment.

---

Cleveland's , Other Girls, preceded Drummer, and at first glance, they appeared to be the answer to the indie rock fashion riddle, "What do you get when you cross a mesh-back hat and a new wave flop top?" A Flock of Truckers? Drive-By Seagulls? Jesus and Uncle Jessee Chain? The answer, unexpected to those who haven't seen the mismatched styles of Other Girls in action before Saturday night (The bassist, sporting the meshback look, and the guitarist on the opposite side of the stage, sporting the flop-top) , was power pop. It wasn't power pop in the Seventies sense of the genre, but a more nuanced form, drawing bits and pieces from modern acts as diverse as Interpol, The Walkmen, and Band of Horses. Numbers like "Sleep a Year," bounced and swayed with energy, while the "Long Con" proved that new-wave inspired pop can be channeled into more lively directions than minor-key moping. Their set wasn't without the occasional misstep, however. Lead singer, Jonah Oryszak's decision to take "The Facility" down an octave, sapped one of their record's brightest moments of its bristling pop. Luckily, it wasn't a set killing miscalculation, with the woozy ballad, "White Rabbit," and its wandering guitar tones, providing a well placed, set-ending highlight.

---

No, I checked my calendar, and it wasn't opposite night at the Beachland Ballroom, still the most energetic, and ultimately, the most enjoyable set in the big room belonged to the night's first band, Royal Bangs. Using a combination of riveting, synth waves, dance-rock beats, and abstract guitar riffery, the Knoxville, Tennessee five piece had a sound which was both comforting and unique. Vocalist/keyboardist Ryan Schaefer had the pipes of a bluesman, while guitarists Brandon Biondo and Sam Stratton gave hints that they could capably play in either a revival rock band or a metal band, but instead chose to chop their licks into little bits. The result was quirky, slightly off-center, and deceptively intelligent rock music, alternately skipping with blips and bleeps and pulsing with thick, layered blasts of sound.

---

Give credit to the Beachland staff and Unsparing Sea for having the foresight and the generosity to open up the Tavern side of the venue for those who paid for Drummer, Other Girls, and Royal Bangs in the Ballroom. Without their good will gesture, many local rock fans would have had to make the difficult choice between the two shows, and may have missed Unsparing Sea's album release.

First evidenced by their 2007 debut, A Cloud in the Cathedral, and reinforced with 2009's follow-up, In the Diamond Caverns, Unsparing Sea have the talent and the ability to be Cleveland's next big thing. Right now, they're one of those things that only people who are hip to such things, thing. With a little luck, and the power of the internet, that may change.

On record, Unsparing Sea come across deliberate, careful, and ruminative, exquisitely arranging their blend of modern folk, never wasting a note. However, Saturday night being a release show, and one week from Halloween, JR Bennett and the rest of the band, exhibited a considerable amount of pep, showing up in costume and giving many of their numbers a bit of an extra kick.

"Sing Devil Sing" and "Sleight of Hand" had the feel of rum infused sea shanties, true to the nautical nature of their name, with punk-trained drummer, Ryan Kelly, accounting for much of that oomph. Similarly, "Here, Here," a nine-minute, quiet drone on record, was transformed into an upbeat stomp, and "Fires, Attics, Etc," hit with the full force of a rock band, not a band whose work garners easy comparisons to indie-popsters like Beirut or Neutral Milk Hotel.

It wasn't all get up and rock out, however. As mentioned earlier, Unsparing Sea have a knack for skilled arrangements, "Held in Light," in particular stood out, thanks in part to ~~In the Diamond Cavern's producer, and one time Six Parts Seven member~~, Mike Marks, sitting in on banjo, adding precise fills to the off-beats, augmenting Tara Klein's steady cello.

Playing their new record front to back meant that In the Diamond Cavern's closing number, "All I Want," would be the night's closing number, as well. Here, Marks' pedal steel, in concert with backing vocals which echoed the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," albeit in a somber sort of way, added depth and sincerity to Bennett's tale of longing. When Bennett sang "Make me cry woo-hoo," it wasn't a cry of joy, but one of put on your happy face and force out some joy. At least on record, that's how it came across. This night, it was real joy, however, the kind which comes from knowing you did your job well, in the studio and on stage.

All photos by Mara Robinson

Updated 10.24.09 06:34 PM with one additional photo each of Drummer, Other Girls, and Unsparing Sea.

"Diamond Caverns" and "All I Want" by Unsparing Sea

2009-10-23T11:17:00.003-04:00

In speaking with Unsparing Sea's JR Bennett a few weeks back, he stressed the importance of not recording the same album twice when he and his bandmates went to work on the follow up to their stunning debut, A Cloud in the Cathedral. It's a fine sentiment, to be sure, but so many here in Cleveland fell in love with that disc and its skilled arrangements and its detailed depiction of love, loss, loneliness and redemption across the vast oceans. What if they made a rock album, or a noise album, or even worse, went all Sufjan on us and composed a suite of songs celebrating the Detroit-Superior Bridge?

Well, it turns out all that trepidation was for naught. Through near constant line up changes, the soul of the band remains in tact with Bennett's narratives as strong as ever and cellist, Tara Klein, lending gravity to the proceedings. If there is a shift in sound on their sophomore album, In the Diamond Caverns, it can be heard on tracks like, "Diamond Caverns," where their bleary-eyed weariness is replaced with an up tempo jangle reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel's much adored, In the Aeroplane, Over the Sea. Conversely, slower numbers, like, "All I Want," should appeal to fans of their earlier work as well as those who found themselves engulfed by the multi-faceted folk of Phosphorescent on his 2007 album, Pride. Together, these two sides of Unsparing Sea not only show a band intent on growing their reach as artists, but also a group poised to expand their appeal beyond the shores of Lake Erie and on to a nation wide audience.

MP3: Unsparing Sea - Diamond Caverns
MP3: Unsparing Sea - All I Want

Unsparing Sea's In The Diamond Caverns won't be out nationally until November 24th, but us locals will get a chance to pick up a copy when they celebrate its release this Saturday night at the Beachland Tavern. Trouble Books and Casual Encounters are opening.

Should you have trouble deciding between Drummer in the Ballroom and Unsparing Sea in the Tavern, don't fret, the Beachland is running a deal where a ticket to Drummer in the Ballroom gets you in free to see Unsparing Sea. For more on Unsparing Sea, check out this profile from the Cleveland Scene.

Unsparing Sea

The Rockometer: The Flaming Lips' Embryonic

2009-10-22T13:07:00.002-04:00

The Flaming Lips
Embryonic
Warner Bros.

The Flaming Lips' Embryonic is endearingly weird album. Alien sounds can be found in the fore of the mix, in the rear, and in every section in between. And when the Lips aren't processing the familiarity straight out of their instruments, they have Karen O, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer, screeching like a beast unleashed on her backing vocals.

Embryonic is a long album. Its 18 tracks and 70+ minutes would be considered lengthy in any era, but especially today, where the album's death is routinely proclaimed, the iTunes single is the supposed king, and a vinyl resurgence has aided in limiting run times to the 40 minute mark.

Embryonic is an album which can be frustratingly rough on your stereo speakers. Abnormally high recording levels produce forceful distortion, the likes of which no amount of knob twisting can alleviate. Big, bulbous bursts of synth, tortured and twisted bass lines, and fractured bits of guitar all take turns pushing recording norms and challenging standards of what a "good" album should sound like.

However, once you get past the eccentricity and the volume and the harshness, and you give up lowering bass, raising treble, positioning and repositioning speakers, and you finally find 70 minutes to sit down and let it all sink in, you'll find Embryonic to be an awesome record, awesome in the truest sense of the Oxford English Dictionary definition of the word.

Highlights abound in the form of tech-y, astro-lounge grooves ("Convinced of the Hex" and "The Sparrow Looks Up at the Mountain"), ominous movements of robot rock gone horribly wrong ("See the Leaves," "Powerless," and "Worm Mountain"), and fragile, startlingly beautiful, atomospheric pieces ("Evil, "If," and "Gemini Syringes"). Yet, the tour de force doesn't arrive to the very end, when "Watching the Planets" encapsulates an album's worth of rigidity, beauty, subtlety, and oddity in one five minute shot of acid rock madness, providing a fitting end to an album which succeeds and exceeds The Flaming Lips previously high standards of strange first set on 1999's The Soft Bulletin and 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. 10 out of 10 on the Rockometer

YOUTUBE: The Flaming Lips - I Can be a Frog

From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Pat Carney Talks Drummer with The Plain Dealer's John Soeder, Announces new Black Keys Album

2009-10-22T11:02:00.004-04:00

* John Soeder interviewed the Black Keys drummer/Drummer bassist Pat Carney for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and got the scoop on some Black Keys news. In addition to the previously announced BlacRoc project with Mos Def and Ludacris, The Black Keys also have a new studio album recorded and are eying a Spring '10 release date. The new album was laid down at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, and as Carney relayed to Soeder, it's their most minimalist recording to date, with the seclusion of being in Alabama and having nothing else to do, but record music, resulting in a dark and heavy record.

* Also revealed in the interview with Soeder, is the possibility of a Black Keys hometown gig at Musica in Akron, next month, to honor the recently deceased artist, Alfred McMoore.

* Lastly, in related news, Drummer's debut album, Feel Good Together, was reviewed today at Pitchfork and received a very complimentary 7.5 review.

Moving Pictures: "H.M.A. (Heavy Metal Addict)" by Boris

2009-10-21T10:20:00.002-04:00

Never let it be said that Japanese heavy music maestros, Boris, don't like to have fun. Granted, the 60 minute drones in their catalog bear the hallmark of a serious band who make serious music, but to see them live, is to see a group who are genuinely enthusiastic about melting your face with big riffs. On their last tour, especially, they were all smiles, Takeshi, striking poses as he blasted that double neck guitar, and Atsuo drumming as much for the crowd as he was for his bandmates.

The video for "H.M.A. (Heavy Metal Addict)," takes the fun factor one step further, into the realm of absurdity, riffing on pretty much every hair metal cliche of the '80s -- Big, big, and I mean big, poofy hair, pyrotechnics, random acts of violence with a sledgehammer, black, bondage inspired outfits, an Axl Rose kilt, a club straight outta Sunset Strip, and two long-haired dudes head-banging stage center -- all within the first 90 seconds. "H.M.A (Heavy Metal Addict)," the song, plays a similar game with our hair metal heroes of yore, as speed metal riffs, throbbing power chords, and blood gurgling chants are all worked into the context of a propulsive, post-industrial setting. The result is the type of fun, free, and ferocious heavy metal Axl's new G'N'R so desperately wanted to discover, but only occasionally succeeded in finding, during their decade long Chinese Democracy sessions. And to think, Boris, as prolific as they are, probably laid down this massive slab, in what -- a week, maybe two?

YOUTUBE: Boris - H.M.A (Heavy Metal Addict)

Boris' "HMA" 7" single is available now through Southern Lord Records and should be popping up at your favorite e-tailer any day now.

Boris
Southern Lord Records

Idolator Presents a Different Kind of Decade List

2009-10-19T15:39:00.005-04:00

Idolator are the latest internet publication to do the best of the decade list thing, but theirs comes with a sinister twist. In counting down F2K, Maura Johnston and Christopher R. Weingarten (ex-Parts and Labor, 1000 Times Yes, music journo extraordinaire) will be revisiting the 50 worst songs of the '00s. And if Brokencye's "Bree Bree" can only manage number 50, then this one is going to get really good, or bad, or really bad as in good. You know what I mean.

F2K: Idolator Counts Down The 50 Worst Songs Of The ’00s, One By Ear-Splitting One

Rocktober Week 3: The Son of The Return of Rocktober

2009-10-19T11:10:00.005-04:00

Monday, October 19th: Old Canes, American War @ Beachland Tavern. Converge, High on Fire, Keelhaul @ Grog Shop.

Tuesday, October 20th: St. Vincent @ Beachland Ballroom.

Wednesday, October 21st: Langhorne Slim, Dawes, Mike St. Jude & The Valentines @ Grog Shop.

Thursday, October 22nd: Hallelujah The Hills, The Lighthouse & The Whaler, and Chad Hill @ Beachland Tavern. Saul Williams @ House of Blues Cambridge Room.

Friday, October 23rd: Get Up Kids, Kevin Devine, The Life and Times @ House of Blues. Coffinberry, Brian Olive @ Beachland Tavern.

Really, it's ok to admit you listened to the Get Up Kids in the late '90s and early '00s, and it's ok to admit you've secretly circled this date on your calendar. Plus, they've repeatedly apologized for spawning that whole emo thing in the press. Now, you can go to this show guilt free.

Saturday, October 24th: Drummer, Other Girls, Royal Bangs @ Beachland Ballroom. Unsparing Sea, Casual Encounters, Trouble Books @ Beachland Tavern -- free admission to the Tavern with purchase of a ticket to the Ballroom show.

If you've been paying attention at all during 2009 you're supremely stoked for Saturday night at the Beachland. In the Ballroom you have the Akron super group, Drummer, along with Audio Eagle label mates Other Girls and Royal Bangs. While in the Tavern, Unsparing Sea are hosting a cd release party for their latest, In the Diamond Caverns. Cleveland Bachelor published an interview with Unsparing Sea's JR Bennett this morning. You can expect more from Unsparing Sea, right here, later in the week.

Sunday, October 25th: Leonard Cohen @ Allen Theatre.

Moving Pictures: "Whole New Way" by The Horrors

2009-10-19T09:34:00.001-04:00

Originally available on the Japanese import version of their second full length, Primary Colours, The Horrors' "Whole New Way" recently got a studio re-tweak courtesy of Rodaidh McDonald, a 7" single, and a video. And while the video itself offers little in the way of groundbreaking performances (Think any number of clips you saw on 120 Minutes from the early '90s where an English band wanders around a desolate landscape, lip-synching along the way, pausing occasionally for a glamor shot, or two), the song continues the band's transformation from short shelf-life, horror punk to something worthwhile and intriguing -- A fresh, nuanced take on classic bands like The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs.

PFKTV: The Horrors - Whole New Way

The Horrors' "Whole New Way" 7" single will be available on Novermber 3rd with the album track, "Primary Colours," serving as the B-side. It can be purchased now through iTunes.

The Horrors
XL/Beggars Group

Six For Sweater Weather: A Mini Mix Feat. Small Black, Tape Deck Mountain, Lightning Dust, Beaten Awake, Molina & Johnson, and The Dutchess & The Duke

2009-10-16T15:26:00.000-04:00

Go ahead, be cynical. The first mention Small Black on Pitchfork came with the disclaimer, " Live, they ( Josh Kolenik and Ryan Heyne) add Pitchfork.tv contributors Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin to the mix." Personally, I'd urge you to put aside your conspiracy theories for a moment and give "Despicable Dogs," a fair listen, for in its four minutes you'll find an abundance of warm keyboard sounds presented in the framework of DIY styled, New Order synth-pop.

MP3: Small Black - Despicable Dogs

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What did you do with your unexpected summer vacation? Speaking from experience, I can say that taking on artistic projects whilst unemployed is easier in theory than reality. I have no fewer than three movie scripts sitting in various states of completion. San Diego native Travis Trevisan, on the other hand, made himself a band (Tape Deck Mountain) and an album.

"Ghost Colony," taken from Tape Deck Mountain's forthcoming release on Lefse Records, starts as your standard slacker rock take on shoegazing (If there is such a thing) and takes an interesting twist near the four-and-a-half minute mark when Trevisan embraces his inner metal man. Oh, if only more indie artists would embrace their inner metal men...

MP3: Tape Deck Mountain - Ghost Colony

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The voice of Lightning Dust's Amber Webber is one made for the chillier months -- It's a full, dynamic voice, wavering with expression, and a hint of isolation. Here, on "Never Seen," the second song released from her recent Jagjaguwar release, Infinite Light, that voice is paired with sparse percussion and the warmer tones of electric piano, giving the listener a kind of fireside effect, where the body feels both hot and cold.

MP3: Lightning Dust - Never Seen

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With all the press Beaten Awake's Jon Finley has been getting for his work fronting the Akron super-drummer group, Drummer, it's easy to overlook the fact that his other band also has a new release out. Beaten Awake's second album, Thunder$troke just came out this past Tuesday on Fat Possum records. The first single, "Coming Home," may be a bit more synth-y than the band's earlier work, but once it gets rolling, it hits that same spot -- A convergence of workingman, Ohio rock, Nineties indie, and Northwest folk -- that made their debut so enjoyable.

MP3: Beaten Awake - Coming Home

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If Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James can call their collaboration Monsters of Folk, then Will Johnson (Centro-Matic, South San Gabriel) and Jason Molina (Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co.) could have surely gone a similar, self-congratulatory route and given themselves an equally ridiculous name like Rulers of Rustic Rock, or Amazing Purveyors of Americana, or Titans of Twang. Instead, they went the low key route and named their collaboration, Molina and Johnson. Quaint name aside, their self-titled debut, due out November 2nd on Secretly Canadian, is one all indie-folk types should have on their radar.

MP3: Will Johnson and Jason Molina - Twenty Cycles to the Ground

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Something happened to The Duke (Jessee Lortz) between The Dutchess and The Duke's debut and their follow up, the recently released Sunset/Sunrise. Reviewing Sunset/Sunrise for Pitchfork, Rebecca Raber suggested that fatherhood may have been weighing The Duke down, as much of the album was penned while Lortz's wife was pregnant. Only The Duke can say for sure, but there certainly is a change of mood between albums one and two. Whereas The Duke previously showed an inhuman ability to deflect life's downturn's and make them into bright, folk melodies, he now finds himself getting weighed down more and more.

When you listen to "Living this Life," the second track released from Sunrise/Sunset, you hear gravity in Lortz's voice, and a string section accenting his pain. Yet, even as life has piled onto The Duke, and the day to day has become harder and harder, there's still quite a bit left of those qualities which made his first pairing with the Dutchess (Kimberly Morrison) such an endearing record -- Like the barren production style emphasizing voice and acoustic guitar, those honest harmonies, and real, unfiltered, human emotion.

MP3: The Dutchess and The Duke - Living This Life

From the IRCWHQ Newsdesk: Northeast Ohio is the New Williamsburg

2009-10-15T15:39:00.003-04:00

Well, at least for two days, it is. In the past 24 hours, the Pat Carney side project, Drummer, has seen their video for "Feel Good Together" featured at both Stereogum and Pitchfork, Kent's Beaten Awake had two singles featured at RCRD LBL, and Cleveland's Hot Cha Cha received a complimentary record-release preview from the local alt-weekly, Scene. My Google Reader hasn't seen this much NEO Rock 'N' Roll action since that one time the Raspberries' Eric Carmen appeared in that police video and had his DUI arrest re-broadcast all over the internets, and that wasn't exactly one of the Cleveland music scene's high points.