posted by John on March 12, 2012
Allyson Baker doesn’t scare easily. Back in the ’90s, she was sneaking into Dwarves shows and frequenting mosh pits before she was barely out of junior high; by age of 17, she was playing guitar for some of Toronto’s most notorious punk and hardcore bands, before leaving her friends and family behind in 2000 to relocate to San Francisco.
Dirty Ghosts, like the name might imply, has a sound that straddles a few different opposing genres and styles, both heavy and light. Gritty rock guitars, sampled beats, new wave bass, and a arsenal of percussive loops all play host to Allyson Baker’s pop (in a good way) tunes, and powerful vocals.
“Ropes that Way” kicks off the album with a repetitive and percussive drum beat, brash guitars and Baker reassuring her catch:
And on a better day
Gonna finally say
That I’m never gonna leave you with
The ropes that way!
From start to finish, Metal Moon keeps the energy high, and the tunes danceable. Standout tracks like “No Video,” with its early 90s electronic feel and “Pretty Face” with its straight up garage rock, heavy on the rock, fall together quite nicely despite the slightly varying styles.
Fans of Metric, Elastica, Duran Duran (first album), and garage rock will all find something to latch onto in Metal Moon.
If you should find yourself in Austin, TX this year for SXSW, Dirty Ghosts have quite a few shows scheduled, and if the energy on Metal Moon translates to the stage it should be a great show.
Tues Mar 13th Panache Party – SCOOT INN: 11pm
Wed. Mar 14th KVRX Party – SPIDER HOUSE: 2:15 pm
Wed. Mar 14th Panache Showcase – BEAUTY BAR: 12:00am
Thur Mar 15th CHECK YO’ PONYTAIL Day Party – EMO’S: 1:20pm
Thur Mar 15th Vagabond Collective/ATX Sound Day Party – 450 EAST 7th and NAVASOTA: 3:30pm
Fri. Mar 16th And So Party -SPIDER HOUSE: 6pm
Dirty Ghosts – Ropes That Way (Downloaded 397 times)
Dirty Ghosts – No Video (Downloaded 156 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Danceable • Electro • Female vocal • Punk • SXSW2012
(5 votes)
Loading ...posted by Tina on June 13, 2011
Photo by Leigh Celent
One of the greatest things about music is that there’s something for everyone out there. Not only for the listener but, if you create it, you can make it sound any way your heart desires. Delta hotel set out to do just that. Named after the military radio code “Direct hit,” Delta Hotel seeks to create music that touches a certain crowd.
Frontwoman Kiri Oliver’s songwriting comes from ingenuity and life’s trials and travails. From writing about relationships to feeling isolated and awkward in this thing we call “life,” Delta Hotel crafts these emotions into punk-inspired energetic pop pieces. Check out the track “Prime Numbers” below; if you like what you hear, you can download their free 4-song demo from Bandcamp or check out one of their shows in the Brooklyn DIY scene. Not only do they rock the venue, but they often do it at charitable events, with Oliver offering vegan tasty treats as part of the effort. Talk about using your music for a good cause? I’d say they accomplish that too.
Myspace || Official site || Bandcamp
Delta Hotel – Prime Numbers (Downloaded 218 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Clever Lyrics • Female vocal • Poppy • Punk • Sugar
(15 votes) Loading ...posted by Patrick on November 24, 2010
New Mexico doesn’t lend itself to pithy reviews. They are not about nuance or inflection, subtlety or atmospherics. Instead, the band is all high decibels, pounding guitars, and driving drums. Like Green Day before they got old and clean, New Mexico combines punk spirit and singalong lyrics. We could write more, but in this case description only takes you so far. Crank the volume to 11, press play, and try your best to sit perfectly still. If you make it to the chorus without tapping anything, I’ll be impressed.
New Mexico – Abused and Amused (Downloaded 739 times)
New Mexico – Chosen Ones (Downloaded 371 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Anthemic • Catchy • Driven • Male vocal • Punk
(15 votes) Loading ...posted by Patrick on October 17, 2010
I always thought Deerhunder was a bit too . . . something. Quiet. Loud. Angulur. Twee. And much too strange. But the band just played the 9:30 Club in DC, a place near and dear to me (literally – 2 miles), and they put on a terrific show. Somehow, Deerhunter live is all of the above, but in a winning way. The result is some strange hybrid of Pavement and Radiohead, with driving, sometimes screaching, guitars, random loops, obscure lyrics and ethereal voices. Sound like a train wreck? Try it and see.
Deerhunter – Live @ 9:30 Club 10-12-10 (Downloaded 250 times)
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» Meaningless labels: Driven • Fuzzy • Male vocal • Punk • Shoegaze
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August 16th, 2011 at 10:16 am
All of these articles have saved me a lot of headaches.
August 16th, 2011 at 10:57 am
It’s about time someone wrote about this.