The soundtrack for the movie Blue Valentine will be released
on LP, CD and DL this winter. It features many instrumental versions of songs
from Grizzly Bear albums. You can pre-order it now on Amazon
I think that I mentioned a while back that White Laces have
a new album but, at the time, didn’t have a record company to release it. They
have found one now and it will be coming out in October through Happenin Records
with help from Arrowhawk Records and Egghunt. No official date or preorder as
of yet.
Allo Darlin’ have a new album coming out in October as well.
You can pre-order it on iTunes now or wait for Slumberland to put their
pre-order up and get it there.
Graveface records has put up a Kickstarter
to get some of their upcoming releases pre-ordered.
Here we go...
Originaly released in 2012 but repressed in 2013, this is
the first album from Literature. The album was released through Square Of Opposition Records and Austin Town Hall
Records. The album was put out on LP CD and cassette. The cassette was put out
in a red case. The record was bout out in many different colors as were the
represses. The copy that I got was on clear vinyl. There were a bunch of
repressed CDr’s put out in different sleeve colors. I got my copy as a bundle
with their new album, Chorus, on Slumberland Records. The record was pressed at
45 rpm which is unusual for a small band but makes sense at the same time
because the record is so short.
I am pretty sure that there was one single from the album
but there are some really great tracks on this album aside from the single. The
single is the title track from the album, Arab Spring. The song is quite fast
paced. The band is on with the DIY music scene that has sprouted up in the past
years. They have a sound that reminds me of a lot of the groups that have come
out of the UK
in recent years like Golden Grrrls and Joanna Gruesome. It is music that isn’t
absolutely perfect but musically works incredibly well. The music is on the
higher end of the spectrum sonically so if you don’t like your fender tone on
the high side this may not be for you.
The other song that I really like and became the reason for
getting the album for me is called Push-Up Bra. It is a super pop track that
moves very fast. The guitar part is mostly staccato chords which give it that
pop sound that was famous from the 80s indie pop sound. There are some added
horns and an effect that sounds like a chorus of people modified. It is kind of
odd sounding and caught me off guard at first but I have gotten use to it.
Most of the songs from this album can be found is some form
on the internet. Weather it is live, taken directly from the album or via a
radio show. They are all great tunes and I hope they get some recognition for
the efforts they have put in. Great tunes deserve to be heard.
This is the fifth album from The Gaslight Anthem. The album
was released this week (August 12, 2014). It is the first album for them on
Island Records. Island has absorbed the label they were on, Mercury Records.
Brian Fallon, vocalist and guitarist for the group, has said that the album
took heavy inspiration from the Pearl Jam record called No Code among other
album that focused on career shifts. The album has been released on CD DL and
LP. All versions have been released as a deluxe version with three extra
tracks. Best Buy has out done this by putting out a deluxe version with a bonus
track. The deluxe version has a total of fifteen tracks. I did get the deluxe
vinyl version which is a double picture disc. It looks very pretty but I wish
it was pressed vinyl instead of a picture disc.
There have already been three singles put out from the
album. The first is called Rollin’ and Tumblin’. This is my favorite track from
the album. I talked about this single in Vol. 5
Episode 30 along with the second single and title track from the album, Get
Hurt. Here is what I said about them, “Rollin’ And Tumblin’ is
a faster track that I like just a bit more than Get Hurt. This track has a beat
that almost reminds me of The White Stripes but the vocals keep it grounded in
that classic Jersey sound. The group is not
known for using full band staccato notes but they pull that style off very well
with this track. The bridge of the song goes back to the classic Gaslight sound
that I like. I think that the combination of the different styles works for the
group on this track and hope that the rest of the album will have some more
surprises.
The first track, Get Hurt, is the title
track for the album, Get Hurt. It is a slower track but has a driving beat that
pushes the track along. I guess if you get the slower track out of the way
first you don’t need to worry about putting one out later. The song has a good
beat and uses a synth sound to accentuate the vocals in the chorus. This is a
new addition in sound for the group. I kind of like it actually. This is
similar to what the Black Keys did on their last album.”
The third single from the album is called Stay Vicious. This
track is a harder rock track than the band has put out before. I like it a lot.
It hits hard musically but the vocals are on the softer side like all of their
music has been. I almost expected Fallon to start screaming when the song
started out but that doesn’t fall into his wheel house apparently. The song
still has a lot of emotion but comes off restrained like most of the groups’
style is.
The album as a whole is very good. The three bonus tracks
are not all that needed but since the 7” single has seemed to fall by the way
side again the B sides need to get out to the fans somehow. The deluxe version
of albums seems to be the easiest way to get those songs out there. I love the
7” single personally but they are becoming harder and harder to find. I usually
have to get them directly from the record company or the secondary market if I
miss the initial release.
All Girl Summer Fun Band & Cars Can Be Blue Split single
This is a split EP between the two groups. It was released
on Happy Happy Birth Day To Me Records (HHBTM). This was released as a 7”
record with each group contributing two tracks. It was released as a part of
the 2007 Singles Club series that HHBTM put out. It was released on light blue
marbled vinyl. I got this EP because I decided that I liked the group Cars Can
Be Blue. I found out about the group through Odd Box Records, who put out a
single from them in their 100 Club series. I still haven received my copy of
the single from the 100 Club Series but I do have this special EP.
The first track on the A side, the All Girl Summer Fun Band
side, is called Communication Problems. It is a fun song about a relationship
that is failing because they can’t seem to talk to each other. Everybody has
this type of problem with a significant other at some point. When people are
young this happens sometimes because the person one is dating is with this
person because they can’t say no or possibly for other reasons but they are in
no way in the relationship because they like they person. It is a silly idea
but happens.
The second track is called Little Bird. It is a supper short
track at 55 seconds long. It is a short track about someone walking under a
little bird and they are just asking that the little bird not poop on them. It
is a cute funny almost skit like track.
The third track is the first track for Cars Can Be Blue
(CCBB) called Touch It. The song is a fast paced poppy track on advice from a
woman to a man about touching his penis. She gives him the advice of, “You
better touch it before it gets old.” It is sort of funny but sad at the same
time. The verse parts of the song walk the listener through parts of this guys
life starting at 25 and moving on to 35 where he still has no girl friend and
through until he dies when he reflects on his sex life to find that he has only
had relations with his hand.
The second track from CCBB is called Mosh Pit. This is a
story about a girl who finds her true love in a mosh pit and she hates it. She
also feels good about the girly things like kissing and touching each other but
she hates it. She wants to be a hard core rock chick and these girly things are
getting in the way of this aesthetic. It is an interesting view point to write
a song about and I totally give them props for writing from that perspective.
This is not a necessary EP unless you are really into either
of these two groups.
More CCBB and Literature to come. That is all I have for now...
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