posted by Nick on January 27, 2012
Admittedly, Attack of Memory, the third major release by Cloud Nothings, the Cleveland outfit born from the lo-fi basement mixtapes of Dylan Baldi that straddles the fault line between garage punk and noise rock, putting the city on indie rock’s radar, caught me by surprise. I’d greedily devoured Turning On and Cloud Nothings over the last year that I settled into a music coma.
Attack of Memory draws the curtain back slowly with “No Future/No Past,” as Baldi copes with an aching, Doomsday manifesto that lures you to the next track, because, wait, there’s no way this is Cloud Nothings. It’s uncharacteristic of the band’s previous opening tracks, as well as the rest of the album. At eight tracks and about a half hour, it’s Wolfpack of a work that bursts into the second cut, “Wasted Days,” a nearly nine-minute ballad that’s familiar, fist-pumping Cloud Nothings, laden with exultant, Mike McCreadian riffs and Baldi’s roar before curiously losing itself in a mess of drum fills and distortion. It’s longer than any of the band’s prior songs (after a cursory look at my iTunes).
You’ll find a Cloud Nothings that’s making the most of graduating from the basement to the recording studio on “Fall In,” which sheds the lo-fi fuzz and embraces fast, shredding guitar. Much like Turning On’s “Can’t Stay Awake,” Baldi’s petulant, pleading fit, “Stay Useless,” reveals perhaps he’s unsure with the trajectory his band, his tempo, his everything is taking: “I need time to stay useless / I need time to start moving.”
Keep up with the all-instrumental “Separation” with its erratic, Thunderbirds Are Now!-like lane-shifting amid Ween-esque bridges and solos, before taking a dark, slow turn on “No Sentiment,” a ruthless asterisk to the album’s title. “Our Plans” is more forgiving but shivers equally with snare drums and uncertainty: “No one knows our plans for us / We won’t last long.” The last track, “Cut You,” fades out, leaving behind everything but reassurance.
If you’re hungry for the perennial glut of music that drops before summer, endowing you with songs to index moments of the year to remember upon later listens, Memory’s friction and fears will give you the fix you won’t forget.
Cloud Nothings – Fall In (Downloaded 3 times)
Cloud Nothings – Our Plan (Downloaded 4 times)
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Loading ...posted by Loren on January 17, 2012
Whatever his stage name may be it is undeniably so that Archy Marshall is talented for his age. At only 17, he’s seeing gigs at festivals more often than American rated-R movies. But that is rather insignificant for a guy who hails from the old empire, a native of gloomy city blues we all know as London. His delicate, beachcomber windowsill tunes reminisce over the tired lyrical themes of love and hurt, pain and pleasure. But the difference in his delivery of cliché antics about being “beaten down” by a girl is the man himself. This isn’t a band or symphony of coupled ideas; this is simply a guy with a guitar who stands alone, his own isolated silhouette. The depth of his voice and the direction of his words suggest that despite being young, he is rather experienced at life in a hauntingly beautiful way. His voice and his echoed message sound distant, channeled from another room in another land. He is a young lad from South London, but what he is manufacturing transcends international stigmas. The Brits are known for their pop sensibility and catchy gigs, but Zoo Kid/King Krule undercuts the stereotypes with dark new wave and sometimes dubstep infused melodies. I am engulfed in his London fog ballads because they are captivating and a mellow drug addiction in themselves. Although his earlier songs fall under the moniker Zoo Kid, Marshall has since flipped the title to a more childlike King Krule (supposedly a Donkey Kong reference). Despite the implications, King Krule is a must listen.
(Side note: try and be patient with the beginning of the songs, Zoo Kid likes to ease you into it)
Zoo Kid/King Krule – Out Getting Ribs (Downloaded 105 times)
Zoo Kid/King Krule – Ocean Bed (Downloaded 82 times)
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(9 votes) Loading ...posted by Susanna on January 16, 2012
I’m looking forward to a lot of things in 2012, but music-wise the new Morning Benders album has me the most excited. If you like the feel-good vibes that you get from the Kooks (review here) or Phoenix, you’ll feel right at home with the poppy harmonies of the Morning Benders. The band resides in Brooklyn, but they formed in Berkeley, California. You can definitely soak up the California sunshine in their music, listening to ‘Cold War’ and ‘Promises’, both from their most recent album, “Big Echo.” You might also find yourself swaying along to the undeniably catchy lyrics and folky guitar found in nearly every track. If you’re really craving a carefree mood (think driving down a country road on a sunny day with the breeze in your face and no particular place to be) check out the video below of ‘Excuses,’ performed with a full hipster orchestra in a Yours Truly session. How can you deny the joy of that?
Morning Benders – Cold War (Downloaded 88 times)
Morning Benders – Promises (Downloaded 61 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Americana • Happy • Male vocal • Poppy • Upbeat
(11 votes) Loading ...posted by Jessica on January 9, 2012
In 2011, the best actually was saved for last. I couldn’t tell you how many shows I saw last year, because despite experiencing epic aural moments and multiple all-weekend festivals, all was forgotten in the wake of Alabama Shakes. This time last year the Athens, AL quartet was working day jobs, and by this time next year they’ll be sitting on top of the world, propelled by their exuberant blend of blues, soul, and rock and roll.
Alabama Shakes’ live show is a significant experience. Vigorous, soulful grooving based in Southern rock, their skillful performance is passionate, even yearning. You feel as though they’re leaving nothing behind, and the eruption of front woman Brittany Howard’s earnest and powerful vocals awaken a contemporary Janis Joplin or Otis Redding. The show kicked off with “Hold On,” and included “You Ain’t Alone,” both off of this year’s self-titled EP.
After their show at Chicago’s Hideout (see video below), I expressed my awestruck admiration to Ms. Howard and drummer, Steve Johnson. They reported that Alabama Shakes’ first full-length album is recorded and slated for release this spring, and that the band is excited to showcase a more rock-fueled edge to their sound. Conversation turned to touring, and I discovered that Johnson’s sister attended my alma mater some 10 miles from where he grew up. Familiarity is the thing about Alabama Shakes. There’s no artifice, slickness, or attempt at reinvention, but a genuineness and devotion to a resonant musical heritage we can all get down to.
Alabama Shakes – Hold On (Downloaded 231 times)
Alabama Shakes – You Aint Alone (Downloaded 180 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Americana • Big Sound • Rollicking
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January 10th, 2012 at 1:54 am
[...] Read the rest of my review and get MP3s at Indieball.com. [...]
January 10th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Great post. Couldn’t agree more. Looking forward to the full release in the spring. And the chance to experience them live once again
January 13th, 2012 at 1:17 am
wow, i just was in nashville so do appreciate the southern vibe and rawness of this band. And the front woman kicks mega derrier too! Really brings back the classics.