REVIEW: Black Hearted Brother - Stars Are Our Home

7.25 out of 10

Find it here. 

If you tell me somebody (anybody really) from Slowdive has a new project I will look into it with eager ears. If you tell me that same thing and then tell me somebody from Seefeel is also involved I may need a new pair of pants. Black Hearted Brother is "my ticket towards new trousers".

Black Hearted Brother is a new sonic experimentation from three friends; Neil Halstead (Slowdive/Mojave 3), Mark Van Hoen (Seefeel/Mark Van Hoen), & Nick Holton (of Holton's Opulent Oog). From what I understand there was no clear direction of style /genre when starting this project, merely more of a jam session that would hopefully evolve into some form of a full length LP. I'd say the three amigos pulled it off quite sufficiently. 'Stars Are Our Home' is an [Experimental] Post Rock meets Shoegaze jam session wrapped with elements of Indie [Space] Pop-tronica. From upbeat jams to spaced-out euphoria and everything in between, there are more than enough layers here to keep any audiophile warm this winter.

Notably-"If the above names don't peak your interest I'm not sure I can agree with your lifestyle."-Recommended.

Standout Tracks: (I Don't Mean To) Wonder, Got Your Love, If I Was Here To Change Your Mind (♡n l♡♡p), Time In The Machine, I'm Back

EIC's 10Q's w/ Wise Blood

"..incredibly blurry/out of focus, bizarrely nostalgic-hazy.."

Wise Blood

Mischievous Yearning

Wise Blood Bio:

Wise Blood is Chris Laufman, a young guy who lives in Pittsburgh and makes woozy, inward Pop songs out of other people's music. Laufman's voice is usually the only original element in Wise Blood's songs. But Laufman's sample manipulation can turn something like the brontosaurus-stomp drums from Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" into just one element of a funky swirl of a track. To hear Laufman tell it, he'd like to take over pop music completely in the next year or so.

Hello, how are you?

 I'm doing alright, it's raining outside and my lower abdomen is killing me though

What are you currently listening to?

The new Tyler record 'Wolf', the song "Next To Me" by Emeli Sande, my new record, SpaceghostPurrp, some Dean Blunt, I'm pumped for 'The Redeemer'..Oh! Also Metro Zu.

What's with the band name?

 I'm really not sure anymore.

I read somewhere that you were getting into some shenanigans/trouble which held up the recording/writing process a bit, care to elaborate on this?

Not exactly, it was n.b.d. to tell you the truth. I really did want people to know there was a reason for the delay though, but I probably didn't need to. I'm pretty certain people weren't panicking wondering where I was.

Is there an overall theme for "Id"?

 Thoughts and experiences, I want to let people form their own opinions on it though. There is some recurring stuff in there, the 1st and last song tie together and the record plays out like 1 day as it progresses.

Will you be touring the US extensively for said release?

 Yeah, waiting on details about that but I'm pretty sure I'll be hitting most U.S. cities and counties and boroughs.

Got any other projects we should know about?

Some stuff I'm working on, a free album I may just drop late summer, a lot of visual shit which I'll be selling for 3 figures minimum.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?

The new Evil Dead movie, just try it..

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?

Wise Blood's 'Id', or if I couldn't choose that one maybe The Bug's 'London Zoo' or something by Riff Raff..

Are you living your dream?

My dream is to live in a swimming pool, so I'm not there yet.

Thanx Chris!

Wise Blood is about to release his debut LP 'Id', make sure you check that out as soon as possible..!

REVIEW: Wise Blood - Id

8 out of 10

Find it here. 

A few years ago Wise Blood began it's "take over pop music completely in the next year or so" Internet campaign. For a while it seemed like it was happening. An EP, LP, 7", & remix album (all of which have their truly great moments/catchy tracks) later and Christopher Laufman has returned again as Wise Blood. He has brought with him his "A" game, new tails of shenanigans, and a whole new attitude.

I wanna talk about the imagery behind Wise Blood first. It's incredibly blurry/out of focus, bizarrely nostalgic-hazy, and for a lack of a better term "Lo Fi". Now take that exact concept and apply that to Wise Bloods sound. On 'Id' Wise Blood still utilizes mass amounts of terrific samples that are meshed & collaged perfectly together with really terrific beats/catchy hooks, lots of "fun/weirdness" and "Soulful meets Alt-Hip-Pop" vocals that display a truly unique auto biography. The main difference between this release and something older, is overall stronger compositions, really awesome production/sound quality, and a "darker" sense of humor. I'm still semi-confused on who this "Rat King" is, sorry for the loss of your dog though:[.. Can't really think of who to compare Wise Blood to, maybe just trust me one more time when I say there will be at least 1-3 tracks on here that you will love. If you haven't found "your summer jam" yet, start with 'Id'.

I'm ready for the upcoming Wise Blood (re-)take over, won't you join me? Recommended ~like furshure.

Standout Tracks: Alarm, Rat, Routine Reality, AMC Loews Waterfront, 8 P.M. - 10 P.M., Spider Web, 11 P.M. - 1 A.M., Universe Is Blessed, 0.01$ ..yep, I pretty much just listed all of them.

Check into (x4!) Mmpsuf & Velvet Glacier ..as well as..The Name & Pop Campaign..

First; something for this season..

Mmpsuf - Retina
&Velvet Glacier - Soon, I Promise

&
Second; something for the next..The Name - The Journey (Remix By Christine)

&Pop Campaign - Pop Campaign Theme Tune


Mmpsuf's debut EP (which is FREE via the band's site) is absolutely stunning. A must own/obsess over album from 2012. Like a wintery Taxi Taxi! meets Midaircondo♥♥. Velvet Glacier is a criminally smooth frozen tundra melting slowly over a teched out experiment. The end product being "Lo-Fi Experi-Pop". I would also recommend THIS album and THIS album of VG's. The Name are French duo with an ear for catchy House/Disco beats. I especially love this Christine remix from their latest 'Journey EP'. Pop Campaign are a girlfriend/boyfriend duo who will be releasing their debut album on Valentines day. They Remind me of an act from the late 90's/early 2000's Electro Pop boom that unfortunately fizzled.. I hope you enjoy the future transition..

Check into Doldrums..

Doldrums - Empire Sound EP

Unicorns + Avalanches + Gang Gang Dance = Doldrums(?). Get the limited edition vinyl via No Pain In Pop.

EICV7" No. 10 - The Artificial Sea ..coming soon!

EverythingIsChemical Virtual 7" No. 10 - The Artificial Sea comes out July 17th!

Laid back & breezy Indie/Dream Pop (including a cover of one of my favorite Boo Radleys tracks)
(hopefully you checked out the last v7"?)

EverythingIsChemical Virtual 7" No. 8 - Sally Paradise

Prendre une promenade un long un littoral surréaliste avec Robert Smith.. vous le méritez.



Next release comes out June 19th.

REVIEW: Cold Cave - Cherish The Light Years

7 out of 10

Find it here.

It's already been about a half decade or so since Cold Cave began forming/emerging. Their earliest sounds were barely audible Industrial Lo-Fi masterpieces that carried the same aesthetics as an early Throbbing Gristle release ..and then came "Love Comes Close", the band's first "official" release/LP. On "Love Come Close" (EIC'c #4 of '09) Cold Cave pushed themselves harder than they had before. The production was astounding, the general writing/quality of songs was up, the sounds were catchier than I thought would be possible. "Love.." was a nearly perfect album with highly addictive results. Now, "Cherish The Light Years", in-which we see the band push themselves even harder as well as gain a little help from (Indie "Man of the Moment" Producer 2.0) Chris Coady (YYY's, Beach House, TVOTR). There is also a slight shift in sound, instead of "dark/gloomy Industrial Pop" CC have now entered the realm of "Hardcore-esque" Dance Pop. So what do I think of this "shift"?

As far as comparing this release to previous releases it will be clear from the album's grand opener "The Great Pan Is Dead" that "Cherish The Light Years" is most certainly the strongest forward-push in the "right" direction of seriously solid/strong Pop productions. As far as comparing it any other aspects of Cold Cave's young career, I would say older releases are a little better/more my taste. I fully realize the title of this album, however this album almost feels "too peppy/bright" for Cold Cave. It makes me wonder if that was the band's decision or a certain producer? If it is indeed the bands decision kudos to them for trying something a little different. Please, please, just don't forget about where you came from, maybe "return to form" on one of your next releases? This album will sell, I know that much. Honestly, I can see this release becoming a household/Hot Topic name. They've got all the right names behind them now, they have an incredibly catchy Pop record here, they've got the right image & they've already got a bit of a fan base. Your 15 minutes begins now Cold Cave. With all this "bashing", understand this; I do really appreciate the quality of writing on this release, I can still hear a bit of CC in a few of these tracks, I just also know it's not 100% up my alley, close (really close). Just not what I was expecting.

A good/solid album, not the way I prefer my Cold Cave, but still pretty decent. Either it's the shift in their sound the bothers me, or there was a shift in my musical taste over the past couple years (which is completely plausible). Expect to see/hear about Cold Cave more and more if the band decides to continue down the Pop route.

Standout Tracks: The Great Pan Is Dead, Underworld USA, Burning Sage (I want an album full of tracks like this!!), Villains Of The Moon

EICV7" No. 5 - Telafonica

EIC/Telafonica's answer to what "Modern Pop" music should sound like.. THIS is pretty catchy stuff ..I seriously can't tell you how many times I've listened to this release.

Next release comes out March 13th. Info soooon;]

Check into Anamanaguchi..

Anamanaguchi - Airbrushed 7"

Reminds me of a "peppier" Midwest Product. Chiptune Pop is always welcomed around here:D

REVIEW: Electric Sunset - Electric Sunset

7.75 out of 10
Find it here.

Electric Sunset is the debut solo release of ex-Desolation Wilderness front man Nic Zwart. The history of this project so far is short, but it won't be for long.. The self-titled album will be out September 14th via K Records and I'm fairly positive it will get many friendly remarks from the blogger community. On "Electric Sunset" Mr. Zwart combines elements of Chill Wave with Indie Pop to create a ridiculously pleasing sound that seriously begs to be listened to over and over (and over) again. Fans of good music; this one's for you..

One man, his guitar and a synthesizer. The formula is simple, and quite possibly overdone (nowadays),but Electric Sunset has a way with making it interesting again. Catchy pop melodies (the catchiest), terrific electronic backdrops, mellow male vocals sometimes (generally) distorted, and guitar riffs that leave a stain in your ears after soaking them in the first few times. "Electric Sunset" is one of those albums I have come back to quite a few times ever since I laid ears on it. It's got the perfect amount of Pop, modern Electronic beats, deep bass lines, and non-confrontational vocals. The tracks on this album range from mostly upbeat, to breezy/"surfy", to ultra laid-back yet dancey and somewhat psychedelic. My main complaint, I already want more and I have to wait for it.

Sounds like Toro Y Moi had he leaned towards the poppier side. Very catchy, and a seriously impressive debut. Electric Sunset should please even the pickiest of ear buds. RECOMMENDED.

Standout Tracks: Morning City, Infinity Avenue, Soda, Prayer (what a perfect ender)

Have you heard the new Thrushes track?

Thrushes - Crystals

I think it's pretty catchy! Click HERE for a remix.

Woot. New Blonde Redhead on the way..

Blonde Redhead's "Penny Sparkle" comes out September 14th via 4AD.

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to check out the first single HERE.

Check into Faded Paper Figures..

Faded Paper Figures - Invent It All Again

Ladytron and Postal Service just made sweets-weet lovin', here's their baby..

The Drums debut album finally has a release date..

The Drums "The Drums" comes out July 6th via Moshi Moshi.

For those of you that haven't checked them out yet, inject this ear heroin into your brain right NOW.

REVIEW: Jónsi - Go

8.25 out of 10

Find it here.

Sigur Rós frontman Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson was once quoted as wanting to make a record full of music that didn't quite fit the specific style of the music he's most known for making. It wasn't until the writing process for Sigur Rós' 6th studio album "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" began. It was then that his audial visions started to come into focus. Last January, the band had announced that the were taking a year long hiatus for several reasons, one of them being several members recently having children. This opening in Sigur Rós' schedule gave Jónsi time to bring his ideas to fruition. Enter; "Go".

This solo effort by the falsetto intoner more than picks up where he and his band mates left off, only in a sightlier "more whimsical direction" boasting an almost childlike feel. On the more up-tempo tracks like "Go Do", "Animal Arithmetic" and "Boy Lilikoi", the driving drums astronomically aligned with sweeping woodwinds and flirty strings paint a portrait of a innocence and young love. On the opposite side of the audio sensory spectrum, songs like "Tornado", "Kolniður" and "Hengilás" are instilled with the familiar Icelandic Shoegaze formula that we're used to hearing (minus the quiet epic lengthiness of Sigur Rós). However these tracks could still easily be mistaken for b-sides from "Takk..." or "( )", but the adolescence-inspired shtick still applies. Also contributing in this opus is composer Nico Muhly, Fat Cat Records producer Peter Katis (Mercury Rev, The National, Fanfarlo, The Swell Season) and Parachutes founding member as well as Jónsi's live-in boyfriend, Alex Somers (1/2 Riceboy Sleeps).

"Go" can best be described as "Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" Part 2. Which might be bad news for those of you who aren't huge fans of Sigur Rós' more recent "Pop" feel. But don't fret. Although "Go" is saturated with naive playfulness, Jónsi clearly and beautifully crafts a wise and mature approach to what I consider to be the quintessential soundtrack of youth in general.

Standout Tracks: Go Do, Kolniður, Grow Till Tall

REVIEW: Monster Movie - Everyone Is A Ghost

6.75 out of 10

Find it here.

Monster Movie are one of those bands that have been around for a while (10 years or so), they have the right musicians; Christian Savill (ex Slowdive) & Sean Hewson (Eternal), and yet for some reason they have yet to get the attention they deserve. "Everyone Is A Ghost" is the band's 5th full length and by all means should be their most commercially successful.

I'll go ahead an admit it, the only reason I ever checked into MM was because of Mr. Savill, as many of you know I am a huge Slowdive nut. I make it a point to check into any and every release they have a hand in. I don't have all of the Monster Movie albums (yet) but I do believe this one to be one of their more tenacious releases. It defines their sound by using stronger productions, and contagious compositions. "Everyone Is A Ghost" starts out with the terrific track "Bored Beyond Oblivion", which has a killer guitar riff that sort of reminds me of Weezer's "blue era". After that the catchy pop tunes just keep getting better. Some tracks are a little Indie Pop/Rock-y and some are a little more Indie Electronic/Synth Pop. I read a review online somewhere that referred to this album as a mix between My Bloody Valentine and Grandaddy, I couldn't agree more. For those of you that aren't into MBV because their "too loud" don't worry, this album picks only up hints of fuzzy & distorted guitar bliss. For those of you that aren't fans of Grandaddy because they're too "light-hearted/poppy" don't worry, this album only carries a few of GD's sunny dispositions, as well as their catchy attributes. Mellow guitars (both rock and reverberated), gallant synths (both air-y and pulsating/dancey), uncomplicated drums (both electronic and standard), and pleasing vocals make this album a nice addition to anybody in need of a "new" pop sound. If I had anything negative to say about the album, it's that the second half doesn't seem quite as "strong" as the first, but that's not really a bad thing considering how good the first half is. I really do hope though that "Everyone Is A Ghost" finally gives Monster Movie the much needed attention they really do deserve.

This is pretty good Indie Pop music with a slight electronic edge to it. If you're looking for something simple and catchy/good for the warm seasons ahead check into "Everyone Is A Ghost" post haste. Recommended.

Standout Tracks: Bored Beyond Oblivion, Everyone Is A Ghost, Fall, Help Me Make It Right (love the drum samples on this one)

EIC'S10Q'S w/Parenthetical Girls

"..Zac Pennington's vibrato has the ability to swoon you under the right circumstances. His voice is truly unique, as well passionate and over zealous. You can hear/feel every emotion with every dip, swell, and quiver of his voice. The music behind the curtain is also quite unique. It could probably be best classified as "Left Field Indie Pop". Quirky electronics (minimal to the rest of the sound) fill in the voids between string arrangements and horn sections that sound seriously just like something you would hear from an old time Spector production mixed with a few other Indie Pop niches.."


Parenthetical Girls
Understated Jangle Pop Eminence

Parenthetical Girls Bio:
A group that has cautiously moved from the bedroom recording studio to the stage, Parenthetical Girls began as an amateur recording project by two longtime friends, rock writer Zac Pennington and part-time musician Jeremy Cooper. Indulging in a shared fondness for British post-punk, Brian Eno, and Phil Spector, the two began creating eccentric but playful indie rock tunes in 2002 on a lo-fi eight-track recording setup dominated by glockenspiel, a cheap synthesizer, and a guitar that refused to stay in tune. Calling their collaboration "Swastika Girls" (after a tune from Brian Eno and Robert Fripp's No Pussyfooting), Cooper and Pennington were initially unimpressed with their results and set the tapes aside until Pennington gave some of the material another listen in 2003 and decided to resurrect the project. Pennington handed the original session tapes over to two different musicians he knew and admired -- Jherek Bischoff of the Dead Science and Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu -- and asked each to mix the seven selections he'd unearthed. Cooper and Pennington were impressed enough with the results that they decided to release an album of the material; embracing the less-controversial handle Parenthetical Girls, their self-titled debut featured Bischoff's mixes on the "X" side of a vinyl LP, with Stewart's versions appearing in the same sequence on the other "O" side. A brief tour followed, with Cooper staying home and Pennington joined by Bischoff and Sam Mickens, also of the Dead Science, followed by another road trip featuring Pennington and Mickens. By the time the debut album was reissued on CD in 2006, Cooper had dropped out of active service within the Parenthetical Girls, and the second album from the "group," Safe as Houses, was primarily created by Pennington and Bischoff, and released in mid-2006. The group's lineup finally solidified around Pennington and multi-instrumentalists Matt Carlson, Eddy Crichton, and Rachael Jensen, with Bischoff continuing as a studio collaborator. This version of the group collaborated with 25 classically trained musicians on Parenthetical Girls' third album Entanglements, which took their music in an ambitious, orchestral direction. Tomlab released Entanglements in 2008.


Hello, how are you?
I’ve certainly been worse. Thank you for asking.

What are you currently listening to?
I’m presently listening to the purr of the space heater at my feet—I can’t really type and listen to music at the same time. But I’ve spent the last seven days listening pretty much exclusively to The Fall.

Where does the name Parenthetical Girls come from?
The name Parenthetical Girls is an awkward play on/heavy handed allusion to the group Theoretical Girls—a No Wave-era band featuring Glenn Branca. It was chosen after our previous name—Swastika Girls—became a cross none of us was interested in bearing any longer, and was decided upon for mostly phonetic reasons.

What is the title of your next full length album? Is there a theme?
The title of our next album is Privilege. It is being release over the next year and a half or so as a series of five 12” EPs—the first will be issued on February 23, and is subtitled “On Death & Endearments.” The album is still being written, but for the most part, the themes seem to be a lot less direct than on our previous records. In general terms: Death & Endearments, Fame & Delusion, Failure.

You find a time machine and it works, what year do you go to and why?
How functional is this time machine? Is it so dubious that I only get one go of it? For safety’s sake, I think I’d go for some nominal leap forward, for fear that things might get all Butterfly Effect or whatever. The space-time continuum is a fickle mistress, and she probably has the clap.

What’s the strangest thing that has ever happened to you at a live show?
I’ve been involved in several minor scuffles at a number of shows, but that’s not particularly notable. I don’t think that any of us will ever forget the show that we played in a disused highway tunnel on the side of a mountain is Northern Italy—mostly because the gas generator that we were using to power the stage nearly destroyed all of our equipment on the second day of our European tour. I literally prayed to God for the first time since prepubescence to fix our keyboards—God granted us only half-divinity that evening.

What’s your least favorite genre of music?
While I can’t imagine having the gall to write off an entire genre per se, I can safely say that I have yet to hear anything self-described as “Gypsy Punk” that hasn’t made my skin crawl. I also have a fairly marked distaste of the recent C-86 revival movement.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
My head says Van Dyke Parks’ "Song Cycle", while my heart yearns for "Astral Weeks". The eternal struggle of Ego and Id. Astral Weeks is slightly longer—I’ll go with the numbers.

Are you living your dream?
My actual dreams are filled with disappointment and looming dread—and are almost all entirely mundane. So in this sense, yes—I suppose I am living my dream.

Thanx Zac!

Parenthetical Girls are in the middle of releasing a bunch of new 12" records, look for those at your local record store...

REVIEW: Parenthetical Girls - Privilege, Pt. 1

6.5 out of 10

Find it here.

I first became aware of Parenthetical Girls with their wonderfully glorious 2008 release "Entanglements". I listened to the album quite a bit when I first got it (almost addictively for a couple weeks). The music Parenthetical Girls creates is a pleasing mix of Indie/Jangle Pop fused with Classical arrangements, Folkloric tales, and unique/acquired vocals. Any-who, for those of you that are unaware; Parenthetical Girls are a group of Ex-Bedroom Pop stars turned Abstract Indie Pop stars who have been noticed by many reviewers and pop stars a-like as being one of "the next big acts". Mix the experimental pop side/early recordings of Brian Eno with the orchestral arrangements of Phil Spector, add a dash of Xiu Xiu's or maybe even Patrick Wolf's "playful side" and there you have it. "Privilege, Pt. 1" is somewhat of a concept album, the idea is to release a slew of EP's rather than one full length and have them all tie in with each other. So far, so good..

Zac Pennington's vibrato has the ability to swoon you under the right circumstances. His voice is truly unique, as well passionate and over zealous. You can hear/feel every emotion with every dip, swell, and quiver of his voice. The music behind the curtain is also quite unique. It could probably be best classified as "Left Field Indie Pop". Quirky electronics (minimal to the rest of the sound) fill in the voids between string arrangements and horn sections that sound seriously just like something you would hear from an old time Spector production mixed with a few other Indie Pop niches. A pleasing experience the first time around with a few more surprises each listen, Parentheical Girls should impress even the hardest to impress critics with ease.

Parenthetical Girls may not be for all, but for those of you that take your Indie Pop with a side order of ambitious and anomalous this could be your calling. If you're just now checking out this band I strongly recommend starting with "Entanglements" and then going on to this release, I do like this, but it's not quite as ardent as the "Entanglements", still though it's pretty great.

Standout Tracks: Found Drama 1, On Death & Endearments

Charlotte Gainsbourg 2010 US Tour..

Charlotte Gainsbourg '10

04-14 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
04-15 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
04-17 San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts
04-18 Indio, CA - Coachella
04-21 Chicago, IL - Park West
04-25 New York, NY - Webster Hall

Not as spanning as I'd like it to be, but I would go if I lived closer..