Category Archives: Punk/New Wave/Hardcore
The Twilight Sad- No One Can Ever Know (Fat Cat)
The Twilight Sad
No One Can Ever Know
Fat Cat
Links:
The Twilight Sad on Facebook
The Twilight Sad on Myspace
Fat Cat Records home
Melancholy and sweet, borrowing much from the mid-80s British alternative/proto gothic music scene, The Twilight Sad released No One Can Ever Know earlier this year.
Occasionally energetic and aggressive, most of No One Can Ever Know features a wall-of-sound presence recalling their Scottish compatriots Idlewild, yet at other times the it is more like a mopey, shoe gazer version of lo-fi Bauhaus or Joy Division. The most obvious difference, aside from the 30-year time frame, between these bands is the absence of infectious hooks with The Twilight Sad. They’re one clear, repetitive and catchy line per song away from bringing the glory days of black nail polish and exploded hair-sprayed jet-black big hair.
Their third LP, the gloomy No One Can Ever Know is a breath of fresh air in these stale days of reverb non-surf indie rock that currently floods and washes out the music scene. Generally adhering to the modern lo-fi sound with the occasional clipping of vocals or instruments, the album stays consistent without overdoing the sound or lyrical feel.
The third track, “Sick,” is a standout song. As a perfect example of the influence from the 80s alternateen music scene, “Sick” uses muted, rapid-fire electronic drums and lightly distorted guitars to carry singer James Graham’s heavy Scottish accent. Toward the close of the song, strong, building synthesizers add a strong crescendo to off set Graham’s dying words “Until the party ends, until the part when we retire.”
“Don’t Look At Me” is the strongest song on the record. Heavy bass lines lay over an accordion (sounding much like a synthesizer in its relentlessness) and odd-timed drums carry the song through four minutes of near-constant aural massage. Lacking an obvious chorus to repeat, opting instead to repeat a changing set of lyrics over a more defined musical chorus, “Don’t Look at Me” never allows the listener to get to an easy ending point. This matches the lyrical content as well. Leaving out the beginning of the story by starting with “And I still watch you/ It’s not the right thing to do,” Graham moves to repeat “I hated watching you grow old” near the middle, and circles back to asserting “and I still watch you,” the song never fully starts or resolves—forcing the listener to hit the repeat button.
Broadcaster – Tightrope Walker (Jump Start Records)
Broadcaster
Tightrope Walker
Jump Start Records
Link: Jump Start Records on Bandcamp
At one point in my life, I couldn’t wait to get home and pop in something like a Descendents album or Samiam release spinning on vinyl. Feeling those modern pop punk songs at the time and a band pounding their hearts out on a platter for you to relate to, it really meant something.
Broadcaster is supposed have the same effect or so my first impression implied. I am much older now, but I can still see where a band like this comes from and what they could mean to you. Personally, I wanted more out of this trifecta of pop punk verbage. Maybe I wanted more grit and singing at the top of their lungs until they are on the verge of passing out with passionate rage. These are the things that made the genre in the ‘80s so great, and leaves the debate of which is more important, carrying a note or stressing that note passed its breaking point because you are pouring your heart out. The Descendents did a great job at making that tune of puppy love so great, while Samiam wanted to rip their own hearts out.
Even with something like Weezer’s Pinkerton, you felt that sense of desperation in the songs. The title track to Tightrope Walker tries to spit out lyrics with a singed tongue. He wants more. It shows in the lyrics, but even beyond the bouncy crunch, the harmonies glosses over the fact that the music is just smoothed-out ritual. One has to give, and for these three songs, none of them do and that does little to convince you that he is giving it all for the cause of love.
“Anything You Never Heard” does a better job simply because it’s a great summer-like jam. The guitars crunch with fervor and you want this band to be that band that gets you. This is as close as it comes.
Three songs are not enough to develop a close relationship with Broadcaster. The Joyride EP does a better job and is a better all-around release for the band. You cannot go wrong with the rock and roll atmosphere of “Snow Party” and the college rock demeanor.
Tightrope Walker is a step down and does not capture the lively spirit that Joyride provides. Chalk it up to a smoothed-out production or trying to fall into a niche of modern rock where bands like Jimmy Eat World resides. Maybe it’s that strive for bigger hooks. Whatever it is, Tightrope Walker needs to be more pungent. Turn the volume up and cut to the quick. It’s where this band does its best work.
The Jukebox: Child Bite’s “Begin the Hiss”
(Click on the label to listen/download the song.)
Dig deep into a dystopian underground and sludge through the thick of heavy bass lines and a cacophony of estranged power rock. Child Bite is back, and this Detroit band sounds better than ever.
With a new EP hitting the shelves, the Joyful Noise 10” vinyl-only release titled Monomania (Joyful Noise) is a find, not just for the exceptional junk punk this band puts out, but because it contains one of the greatest album covers you will experience in a long time.
Not since the ‘90s Chicago scene have I heard a song that sounded so tight while maintaining an urge of chaos. “Begin The Hiss” is a power struggle of rhythmic muscle and melodic hypnosis luring you deeper into the song. The surprise clearly lies at the end of the journey.
If you have ever seen Child Bite live, you know what I’m talking about. If you have not, you are missing out on one of the more intense rock bands to hit a stage since David Yow’s armpit impacted your face.
Go Radio – Feeling Lucky
After a successful SXSW performance, and a great kickoff to a cross-country tour, Go Radio made a stop though Indianapolis, playing the Emerson. The band is still riding on the high of the successful Lucky Streets (Fearless) album as these songs have been shining bright on stage. Absolute Punk called it the best rock album of 2011, while their songs popped up on the Billboard 200.
In between the tour, their recent cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” for the Fearless compilation Punk Goes Pop 4, they are busy working on new material for a follow-up album to land later this year.
I got the grit from Jason Lancaster about the tour and the upcoming album from this Tallahassee, Florida, band, a place they will always call home and keep near to their heart as you hear in their lyrics.
Link: Go Radio on Facebook
How are things going with the sophomore album? Any proposed titles for the upcoming release?
We have a few titles floating around, but nothing solid yet. It’s really hard to find a couple of words that describe the last year of our lives, but the record does a good job I believe. We’ve finished recording and are waiting on mixes, but I’m really excited. Wisner and all of us had a sit down and talked about it, and we all feel collectively that it’s the best thing any of us have ever done. It couldn’t have come out better to me.
How has it been balancing out working on the new material while still riding high on the Lucky Street album for this current tour?
We don’t ever really separate those parts of our lives. Everything that we go through is written about, so there are even songs about the stress of having to conceptualize the new record. It’s been a great ride so far, and we want to let people know that in the things we write.
What are you doing differently for the upcoming release than on Lucky Street? What is the direction you feel the music is taking this time around?
The record as a whole is a lot different. We’re all in different places in our lives and feeling different things so it was bound to do so, but I think it’s a good change. We we’re very particular about every aspect of this record. Not a single detail was overlooked for us. I think although different, our fans will love it just as much as we do.
I want to say how well the band does at connecting with their fanbase both on the stage and off, how do you keep that momentum and what kind of conscience mentality does the band have to have incorporate it into your ethics?
We are very aware of how important our fans are both on, and off the stage. We wouldn’t be anywhere without them and although we can’t be on a name basis with all of them, we’d like to try. we love meeting them and hearing the stories they tell us about how something we did helped. It’s a tremendous way to keep us grounded and humbled, which is important because they’ve all done so well at making us feel on top of the world.
You recently covered Adele’s “Rollin’ in the Deep” for the Punk Goes Pop compilation. Why choose that song and how easy was that to fit into the band’s curriculum of sound?
We actually chose that song BECAUSE it fit so easily into what we were doing. We were all fans of the song and the artist, and when Fearless brought it to us, there was never a second thought. I have to say, we didn’t see it picking up the speed it did. It took on a life of its own and really helped us get a lot of promotion we might not have gotten otherwise.
Where I wanted to go with that is to point out how diverse the band can be, reaching out to various elements and bringing them back into something that is uniquely Go Radio. Do you find that element of diversity in the band a strong point? What other strong points do you feel this band has?
I wish I could say it was a conscious thing, but it’s something we’ve been very lucky with. We’ve always had only one goal in mind when writing or putting together a song, and that’s to let the song become what’s natural to it. I think that may be why it sounds like us, is because it is us.
You just recently played SXSW? How was the response of the showcase and is that a gauge to what we will expect with this current tour?
SXSW was amazing for us. We did three different showcases and each one was amazing. Fearless was there and doing an incredible job making sure we had a blast, but I wouldn’t say it is going to mirror the Lucky Street tour. Everything is going to be so different, from our set time to the production side of it. it’s going to be an amazing tour, and now matter how awesome SXSW was, it could never compare to how we feel about doing a headliner.
What can we look forward to from the live show? Do you plan to play any of the new material?
We’re actually planning on doing a new song from the record, and I’m in love with it. As far as the live show goes, people can always expect the same live show from us. We always leave everything on the stage, and always make sure we have fun doing it. We did get a chance to work on some production for this one though, and it’s the first time we’ve had things like a lighting guy. It’s going to be a great tour.
To be a band from Tallahassee and have a strong reach nationally must feel great. What is the Florida city’s music scene like these days and how has that influenced the band, for better or worse?
Florida has always had a great scene, and it’s full of fans that will support Florida bands until the day they can’t. The music there has always been a big influence on all of us. Although not as many people go to local shows anymore, the music hasn’t suffered. An artist doesn’t have to have someone saying he’s great to love what he does, because he loves what he does. Florida is a testament to that. The scene surges and retreats, but never has a shortage of great bands to come back to.
One Model Nation – Total Werks Vol. 1 (1969-1977) (The End Records)
One Model Nation
Total Werks Vol. 1 (1969-1977)
The End Records
Link: http://onemodelnation.com/
You may know Courtney Taylor-Taylor from the drizzle pop of The Dandy Warhols, but do you know the Courtney Taylor-Taylor from the politically and culturally tensile group One Model Nation?
There is not much difference between the two bands. Look beyond the sterile uprising from Total Werks Vol. 1 (1969-1977) and you get the same fashionable cool that Taylor-Taylor is so good at presenting.
One Model Nation is not simple romantic retro-cizing back to the late ‘70s and early ‘80s Krautrock turned industrial musical uprising, it’s a story with gigantic proportions. Taylor-Taylor has concocted a historical fiction that takes us back to the year 1977. The location — Berlin.
Fueled by the historically immortalized albums of that time — David Bowie’s Station To Station and Iggy Pop’s The Idiot — One Model Nation takes the emotional elements that now seem to go hand in hand with ‘70s German cultural revolution even though they stem out to various geographical entities from around the world (the Sheffield, Toronto, and Paris scenes, for example), and create a romantic vision fueled by turbulence.
Taylor-Taylor has done his research because if you don’t blink, you may gather a sense of confusion. Is this really 2012? That’s what he wants, for you to feel the confusion of this period in German history and relate it to a sense of now. A lot of emotions ride on the sterility of their sound.
“Transmission” is a power trip through analog Krautrock and industrialized background samples, you feel the song slowly evolve as they gently take from early Front 242 and the other politically fueled industrial bands from the early ‘80s.
But that is as far as it goes as Taylor-Taylor looks more towards the gyrating sounds of vintage Tubeway Army, Bauhaus and Scary Monsters era David Bowie. “East Berlin” is the band’s theme song while a song like “Russian Eastern Time” pushes the band’s envelope, turning the horror scene into something that was ripped from the guts of Skinny Puppy.
It all turns into sexual prowess and “The Dominator.” The repetitiveness within their call to arms would turn any revolution into a sweaty mess that transcends into the instrumental “Bicycles,” and a direct homage to Kraftwerk, a band that cannot be mistaken for inspiring everything on this album.
Skinny ties ripped from their sockets and messed up hair in a frenzy, you feel the pre-dawn redness of “Throaty Neumann.” By time, you realize you are a part of this movement whether you like it or not. You have heard too much. There is no turning back. And you can thank all of the experimental electronic bands who were fueled by paranoia to try to explain these unexplained sounds that follow a communist manifesto.
In correlation with all of this is a supplemental graphic novel. With art by Jim Rugg from The Guild, they do their best to recreate the story and not just tie in the experience of the album, but help better explain something that really cannot be explained unless you lived in Berlin during this time.
Not as effective as the album, it’s like a book to a movie, where in this instance, the book is the music and the movie is the graphic novel. Do you need both to make this album effective? Absolutely, not. Is it good currency for a collector. You bet.
One Model Nation does an excellent job at preserving the sound and the emotions of the late ‘70s. If I walked into a record store who was playing this album, I would be fooled, but fooled by a surprising discovery that this album is worth sitting next to the founding generation of ‘70s electronic music.
