The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas- Courtney Barnett

Grade: 7.3

Tracks:

1. Out of the Woodwork

2. Don't Apply Compression Gently

3. Avant Gardener

4. History Eraser

5. David

6. Anonymous Club

7. Lance Jr

8. Are you Looking After Yourself?

9. Scotty Says

10. Canned Tomatoes (whole)

11. Porcelain

12. Ode to Odetta

Listen Here!

You've got to love the honesty of autobiographical music, even if that honesty admits of mediocrity, or supposedly worse, inactivity. That's exactly what Melbourne's Courtney Barnett admits of in her The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, a passionately passionless mix between slacker rock and 60's folk.

It isn't really folksy in terms of musical style, but it definitely is when it comes to the record's lyrics and their structure. The quick succession of the stories that Barnett tells in her music is very, very Dylan. Barnett's music really is strongest when it tells stories, when it drifts from meandering melodies about the banality and meaninglessness of the mundane to fascinating stories that could've easily been pulled from the pages of a very good novel.

This comparison isn't perfect though. The album does lack continuity. That's to be expected though. It is an EP. Barnett has stated that she is working on a full length record. Hopefully it will grasp the continuity that I know she could form so beautifully.

Avant Gardener (track 3) is really the best song on the album. It captures everything that makes this style of music so good. It's reserved chord progression meanders, her monotone focuses attention on the lyrics rather than inflection, the story is lovely.

Speaking of style, this is hipster music and it's incredibly difficult to put it in any musical category. The influences seem to be so eclectic that if I named them all in succession, your incredulity might keep you from giving this a listen. I'd hate to do that, this is great music and I'll certainly be keeping me eyes open for news of Barnett's full length album.

Stray Observations

• How can something so twangy remind me so vividly of So-Cal Indie Rock? Maybe because it's Indie...
• I love the Pulp Fiction reference on Avant Gardener and the fact that song is called Avant Gardener
• "I'm not that good at smokin' bongs, I'm not that good at breathing in."
• I realize that like %50 of music is influenced by Bob Dylan, but I really didn't expect to find that here. 
• The name of this EP seems unnecessarily long

I'm a Fucking Vampire by Woodgraves

I'm a Fucking Vampire | Woodgraves

1. We're More Than Just Myspace Friends

2. I wish I could Leave

3. Let Me Sleep or Let Me Die, I don't Care Which Comes First

4. Let the Waves Carry Me to Pieces (I hope I drown next to your lifeless body)

5. Interlude I

6. These Sleeping Pills Don't Help. 

7. It's Too Cold out and I don't know where I am.

8. You've Become a Shapeshifter

9. It's hard to stay standing when all you've got to hold you is yourself.

10. Interlude II

11. Don't let me drown in a pool of my own blood

Saint Louis act Woodgraves's latest is a fully acoustic emo/twinkle release that shows off the solo act's ability at songwriting. Single guitar and vocals, these releases can usually either be really interesting, or really boring to listen to. On one side of the spectrum you've got your June and on the other hand you've got your releases by people who know how to play four chords and play 5 minute long songs. One thing I like about Woodgraves is that he keeps the songs emo style short. Averaging out at about 2 and a half minutes. So at least he's conscientious about these things. Recording is fine, lo-fi to say the least, was most likely done through a condenser mic. The thing that I go for on these kind of releases isn't vocals, or lyrics, which most people would want to take into consideration, but I go for the songwriting on the only instrument that is being played. If what's being played in the background isn't interesting, then I'm just listening to chord progressions for 13 or so minutes. If someone who went of vocals judged this based off of Ryan's singing ability, which reminds me of some emo band vocalist who ripped out his vocal chords screaming, then they would probably say this was horrible. I on the other hand, think that his vocals compliment the style of music/and the overall tone, perfectly.
A notable song for guitar on this release would be during "It's Hard To Stay Standing When All You've Got To Hold You is Yourself". It's got this twinkly vibe thingy going on that made me listen to it more than any of the other tracks on the release.
Overall, it's a cool release, so check it out.

Favorite track: It's hard to stay standing when all you've got to hold you is yourself.

bandcamp

Nothing- Guilty of Everything

Grade: 6.9

Tracks:

1. Hymn To The Pillory 04:41 

2. Dig 04:02 

3. Bent Nail 02:57 

4. Endlessly 04:13 

5. Somersault 04:30 

6. Get Well 04:32 

7. Beat Around The Bush 04:05 

8. B&E 05:18 

9. Guilty Of Everything 04:23

Listen Here!

The first time I finished listening to this album, the same initial judgement was still swimming in my mind. I just kept thinking, "This sounds a lot like post-rock." I don't know if I could classify it in that genre though. I'm more inclined to classify it as a sort of alt-rock... mild space rock mixed with traditional 90's alt-rock, but the post-rock is definitely there. There is a progression in nearly every song. Each starts with reposed guitars which carefully build into triumphant riffs, the cousins of those used in metal. Things never get very heavy though. They build to a point and top out. So if you're a headbanger, find something else. Furthermore, post-rock songs are 2-3x longer than songs on Guilty of Everything. 

Nothing's vocalization is very hypnotic. Most lyrics are incomprehensibly murmured behind the careful arpeggio that the drums offer and the nearly incessant roar of electric guitars. The lyrics are cryptic, but poetic. They remind me of Deafheaven, minus the run-on phrases and general lack of structure. Dominic Palermo's ghostly voice whispers hidden truths which are poignant about half of the time. The lyrics are really quite surreal, inlaid in the fuzzy guitar haze. 

Spent Summers in a well watching pale moons disappear 

Alone 

And crucifixion seems noble 

when Paradise is Hell 

Atone

See what I mean? It's poetic and probably sort of profound, but its so cryptic it's difficult to deduce exactly what Palermo is trying to say. My one major contention with the album is that its stylistically one-note. There's nuance to the sounds that it creates, but it really does constrain itself to those specific sounds for the whole album (incessant guitars, steady percussion, hypnotically trickling vocals, etc.). Track 3 interested me the most. The whole album sounded very distorted, but this quality was most pronounced on Bent Nail. It had a garage-rock sort of character that very closely bordered grunge. It was the most obvious departure from the band's stylistic tendencies. It did keep the general sound of the band though. The departure was not a lewd one.

All in all, this is a very good album. It's ambient but still formidable. I'd imagine it's the type of things metal-heads fall asleep to each night. I couldn't fall asleep to it, but I certainly enjoy listening to it when I'm awake. 

Introvert Party--January 2014 demos

Introvert Party-January 2014 Demos

Trackz:

Born Mad

Double Dose of Hurt

Beans And Rice

"The kind of party I'd kind of think about kind of enjoying" 

Yeahhhh, here's a Springfield band that's around. They're pretty neat, their vibe reminds me of Reverend Horton Heat. Every thing here just grooves in that rockabilly/blues-rock kind of way. I've hung out with guys that do a lot of weed and this is what I imagine they would sound like if they were to start playing instruments. Vocals are fun, staccato (short for you non-music nerds), and off-key{(I think?) I like the sound of them anyways}. Guitar riffs are pretty heavily Hendrix-influenced in Beans and Rice, which is pretty neat. I don't know if there's bass or not; if there is, it's not coming through the mix at all. I heard these guys play with Those Dirty Eyes a bunch, and if that's the case, then these guys are probably a party to watch live.

Favorite Track: Born Mad

bAndcAmp  

Pinkly Smooth- Unfortunate Snort

Pinkly Smooth--Unfortunate Snort

"Sold my brother into Hell"

Trackz: 

Necromance Theatre 

Mezmer

Nosferatu Does A Hefty Dance

The Body Of Death Of The Man With The Body Of Death

Pixel & Nasal

McFly

Vampires, sacrificing babies, possession, black magic, murder. All of that is on this release. I'm actually just review this for nostalgic reasons (being this is from 2002 and the singer died in 2009), but I still find this a solid release. Self-proclaimed "Goblin Metal", Pinkly Smooth brings all the flavors of Thrash metal, funk, polka, and even some pop-influenced melody lines in the vocals, into a schizophrenic mess that doesn't ever get boring. Besides that snare tone in the first minute of the opening track, this release is golden (Seriously, that snare drum sounded like someone was just punching a balloon on beat.). In Necromance Theatre it starts of with a kind of Pantera-influenced riff that just evolves in some crazy inverted-funk/ska pattern for the verse. I've still yet to hear anything like it, and it's kind of disappointing. Mezmer starts off with a gnarly guitar solo in 6/8 the songs energy doesn't ever go away, even when everything but the piano drops out. Pixel & Nasal is basically Jaws if the shark became best friends with cowboys and were on a shit load of acid and copious other amounts of drugs. McFly could've EASILY been a radio hit, it's so catchy, but it won't because there's no market for this band and there never was.

All the instruments on this EP are top of their class, like damn, there's sweet guitar action everywhere, drums do a funny thing were they keep me entertained. The BASSIST actually knows how to play something other than what the guitarist is playing, the pianist/vocalist: DO YOU HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? DO YOU? 

I highly encourage taking the time to find all the tracks here on the internet. 10/10   

Sleep/Talk by Lord Okkotonushi

Sleep/Talk | Okkotonushi

1. Forchids

2. Shimmer

3. Utterances

4. Spindles

5. Harahan

6. Circles

7. Sleep

8. Talk

9. Diemtea

10. Breathe On

Okkoto is a local 417 Math Rock/ "Psychedelic Shoegaze Hardcore" band that's been around for longer than most people around here have been in the Springfield Scene. They're a different kind of band that I've ever seen, but one that I really like. They actually played before one of my bands before and I was blown out of the water. Sleep/Talk has been around for a while, but they just recently released it hard-copies so people are taking another look at it. 

This is a long release, almost 3 times longer than most of the releases I review, but the length of the listen is definitely worth it. 

Anyway, Some of the Math riffs, as seen in "Shimmer" and throughout make my head spin. This band only has one guitar player, and he is just amazing at what he does. Bass as well. People don't give bassist's much of a rep but I mean have you tried being the bassist of a mathcore band because that shit's probably hard. Drums are heavy hitting when they need to be, and otherwise their slight accents highly compliment the track, and help get across what they are trying to do. The entire release is supposed to be like a journey through the mind, and trust me, some of the things they do may put you in some kind of a trance. Do not listen to while driving. Vocals are fun. The screams are mid-ranged to high, frankly chaotic, and the cleans are raspy and melodic. This band is really good at contrasts, and with songs that are clocking in at 10 minutes, they do some awesome contrasting things. I'm not usually a big fan of longer tracks, they tend to drone on and leave me bored, but this release is different. The tracks do drone on, but that's exactly the point. All of the songs do kind of meld together, (also probably the point) so if I ever see something that really strikes me as amazing, I have trouble finding which song it was in. This isn't the kind of release you can listen to in segments, or just skip to one song. To get the full experience, you'll need to listen to the entire thing through. Great release, get it.

Favorite track: Shimmer

Bandcamp

Mobile Freedom Home by Roof Doctor

Mobile Freedom Home | Roof Doctor

1. Mobile

2. Bulldog

3. When I Was Really Losing It

4. Way Too Long

5. Every Three Months

6. Dad

7. Freedom

8. She Can't Jump

9. Bottle it Up

10. Home

Mobile Freedom Home by Roof Doctor is a release i've been waiting for for quite a while, so expect a more in-depth rant than my usual “I don't know what I'm doing” reviews. I reviewed Roof Doctor's first two releases a while ago, and fell in love with them. RD's first release was a fully acoustic jam that I listen to to this day. Their second release showed capability as a full band, and was a lighter, art pop folk jazz mixture that sounding amazing. Mobile Freedom Home shows an ambient rock folk pop. Production is just as on the last two releases: very well done and radio worthy. The overall tone of this release is still the same sad that I love, but with a feeling of accomplishment, or of happiness, but then again maybe I'm just searching.

They toned down the use of horns and brass instruments that was seen in I Am Going To Die, which isn't exactly that bad of a thing. Drums are a fun little thing to listen to. As a person who's drumming skills extend to me playing blast beats in a rock/powerviolence band, I can't exactly get too in depth with a drum review, but I really love a lot of the accents that are used, such as in “Bulldog”. Bass is actually heard in this release, and it's melodic grooves help carry the song along. As most bass does, it's just there, and even though it can be heard, it of course doesn't stick out amazingly. Guitar is in the fashion of a mixture between emo/twinkle/indie that just makes me nod my head in happiness.

Cool thing: we get to see another version of “When I Was Really Losing It”, a track from Roof Doctor's first release, June. This was something that I really enjoyed hearing, and something I bet everyone else enjoyed hearing.

The finisher track on the release, “Home”, is a ballad of a sad track. Banjo is definitely heard in this song, along with all of the other stuff seen in the release. I feel like it's the perfect finisher to Mobile Freedom Home. I feel that the entire release really flows well and that the songwriting abilities of this band is something amazing. Mobile Freedom Home Is more than what I was expecting, and I was so happy to see that it was finally released. Check it out, it's free to download.

Favorite track: Home

Bandcamp