Vol. 4 Episode 15

The new Man Or Astro-Man? album has been named. It will be called Defcon 5…4…3…2…1. It will be released on download (4/22), CD (5/21) and vinyl (5/28). Why the delay for the physical releases? They are physical releases! I believe Chunklet will be in charge of this one too.

I think there will be another single released from the new Veronica Falls Album. I have not heard which one yet.

Vampire Weekend and Daft Punk will also have new albums out next month. It has been too long since a regular release from Daft Punk has come about. I have heard the new Vampire Weekend single and am very excited for the rest of the album.

Here we go...

The Postal Service – Give Up (10th anniversary edition) (LoserEdition)

This has been finally released by Sub Pop. I got my copy on last Friday but the official release date was last Tuesday (April 9th, 2013). The set comes with a download but I couldn’t access it until the release date. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is a three record set. The Loser Edition denotes the fact that this is a colored three record set. Each record is a different color; white (the original album), clear (unreleased and rare tracks), and transparent red (B sides from singles). I briefly talked about this album in Vol. 2 Episode 16. I never actually talked about the music itself though. I thought I would go through the singles and some of the rare tracks here. Also, everything extra on the double LP version is contained on this three LP edition plus more music that was not on that double LP version.

The first single released from the album is called SuchGreat Heights. This single was originally released before the album was released. The song was used in multiple add campaigns including the UPS whiteboard campaign in 2007, five years after its original release. This just shows that there is something special about the track. I even have a copy of a Christian metal rock group that covered this song in 2009. The song is simple with lots of staccato sign wave sounds and a simple key bass line that just works. Bens’ vocals are silky smooth. In the verse his vocals travel from left to right and in the chorus comes in on both channels. The programmed drums come off a bit harsh but very listenable.

The second single released from the album is called TheDistrict Sleeps Alone Tonight. This is my favorite song on the album. It is obviously a reference to Washington D.C. The song was written after Gibbars’s then girlfriend moved to the city state. The song has meaning for me because it was released and in heavy rotation on radio stations during the time when I was going through my divorce. The lyrics and slow bass line are what really speak to me. Ben sings in the chorus, “I am finally seeing, why I was the one worth leaving.” It gave me an outlet for some of my feelings during this time.

The next single that was released from this album is called We Will Become Silhouettes. This was the fourth single released from The Postal Service but the third from this album. The lyrics, and the video, allude to what life may be like in a post-nuclear future civilization. This is not my favorite song from the group but it is the song that really got me into liking the group. The music is a lot of fun but the lyrics are a bit depressing.

The third single from the band is called Against All Odds. This is a cover of the Phil Collins song originally from the soundtrack for the movie of the same name. The cover of this song was put on the sound track for the movie Wicker Park. This cover has garnered high praise from many critics with its simple design musically. I had never heard this version until I got this 10th anniversary edition of the album. It is an exceptional version of the song but gets boring after repetitive listening.

The new single, A Tattered Line Of String, is very good. I talked a little about it in Vol. 4 Episode 7. "The song is a great track filled with the classic beeps and boops that the band is known for. The drums and synth parts are the foundation for the song. The added guitar work sweetens the deal with the lovely vocals from both Ben and Jenny. It is really a great track..."

The other new song on this version of Give Up is called TurnAround. This song uses xylophone along with the standard synth sounds that the group is known for. The song is a bit harder than what is on the standard album. It is a nice change for the group. It is not what I expected but it is not a new album either.

There are other great songs in this new collection including remixes and B sides but it is still not a new album. The group is on tour this summer. Here’s to hoping that this tour will produce a new album. The Postal Service is not a priority for either of the two members of the band so it is probably a long shot that a new album will be produced at all.

The Oh Hello’s – The Oh Hello’s EP

This is their first release. It was only released as a download. It consists of four songs released in the end of 2011. You can still download the EP from their Bandcamp web page. They also have a full length album that you can get CD copies or download from the Bandcamp site as well. My wife found out about this group from a local radio station. They are a brother and sister group from Texas. So, to hear an indie group who is self published up in Minnesota is pretty impressive.

The track that I was introduced to them with comes from this EP. It is actually the first track on the EP. The song is called Hello My Old Heart. The song is a beautiful acoustic track that reminds me of something that Bon Iver could have done on his first album. The song is about someone who is not sure if he is even alive, asking if his heart is even beating still. He also sings, “Don’t leave me here alone.” This also makes me think that his heart may be a significant other. The one thing that I don’t like about this recording is that the vocals have a tape hiss sound. When there are no vocals the tape his is not there. This is a bad recording technique; either leave the tape hiss in for the whole song or fix/re-record the vocals. Other than this annoyance the song is fantastic.

The second track on the EP is called Lay Me Down. The male female vocal technique reminds me of a song from Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeroes called Home that was released in 2010. I think that I like The Oh Hello’s song better though. I can also hear the harmonics in the song resembling something from The Avet Brothers too. It is a very good song. I hope that they get more popularity. I will have to listen to the new full length album to be a better judge though.

The third track is called Cold Is The Night. This song is a bit more folk in style. It is a song about being lonely and missing the company of others. It is a sweet song that brings forth sad emotions. The story that is being told is that of the burden of life and the desire to be free of the burdens that life brings us or at least to share that burden with someone. It is a good song but it has that same tape hiss on the vocal that bothered me with the first track.

The last track is called Trees. This is a happier track about climbing trees just like we did when we were kids. It is a fun song, a happy song and a nostalgic song.

This is a great EP is you can get over the recording issues that pop up in the vocals here and there. I look forward to listening to the album, Through The Deep, Dark Valley and talking about it in the future. You can listen to all four tracks on this EP before you buy at the Bandcamp page.

Golden Grrrls – Music For Neighbors/Never Home

This is a single that was put out for the groups’ recent 2013 tour. It was released on a new record company called Timid Disks. The company is so new that I don’t think they even have a web page yet. The record came with a panted/screened center label with no writing. I could only tell what side was what by the etching in the runout on the record. The sleeve for the record was a sheet folded over with a 7” sleeve inside. There was a single staple in the corner to hold it all together. There is a print mark in the corner that shows what number out of 335 copies you have too.

The first song, Music For Neighbors, is at a quick pace like most of their music is. The melody in the vocals is nice. It focuses mostly on the female vocals. I like it when they do this the most. The song fits and I am just not sure how they put out so many different songs that sound so much alike and still keep them separated in their heads.

The B side of this single is Never Home. is a slower song for the group. The melody between the male and female vocals is very smooth. I am always afraid that they will not match as they have done in the past. With this track the vocal work very well. The song itself is not super catchy but still works very well. I just wish that they would put all of these random tracks that they have released in one spot as there are so many of them.

Sexy Kids – Sisters Are Forever

This is the groups one and only release. It is a 7” on light pink vinyl. This is my first record in this particular shade of pink. This is a Slumberland Records release. I just found out about the release but it was originally released late in 2008. The reason that I bought the single is that two members from Veronica Falls were a part of this group before Veronica Falls was assembled. Those two members are Patrick (drums) and Roxanne (vocals and guitar).

The A side of the single is called Sisters Are Forever. It is a fun song stating just simply that sisters are forever. They are happy to be together no matter what the situation is. The lyrics say, “Sisters are forever, And I am so glad that you are mine, Tie us both together And then wrap us up.” It is really a fun, cute track for sisters that love each other.

The B side to the single is called Drown Me. both of the songs are the same tempo and start off with the same hi-hat hit. This was a little misleading on first listen as I thought that the same track was on both sides at first. This song has the same taste as the A side but the lyrical material is a bit depressing. I am not exactly sure if this song is tongue in cheek or totally serious. They sing about drowning, hitting in the head with a heavy rock and eating glass. This may have been fodder for the dark theme that the first veronica falls album had.

That's all for now...