The week’s best new music: Obits, Generationals
I already highlighted the Pains of Being Pure at Heart for releasing one of the best albums this week. I should also note that garage rockers Obits came out with Moody, Standard and Poor. If your tastes fall more toward the pop side, try Generationals’ Actor-Caster. Both albums are recommended.
Best new release: Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Who knew the Pains of Being Pure at Heart could rock? Belong, the opening song and title track of the band’s sophomore album, has an unmistakable sound: Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins. The influence is undoubtedly due to the Pains’ producer, Flood, who didn’t work on Siamese Dream but collaborated with Smashing Pumpkins on later albums.
Not every song sounds like a Smashing Pumpkins retread but the album definitely has a more sonic feel than the excellent self-titled debut from ’09. That album — as I said at the time – sounds like Jesus and Mary Chain if JMC was a pop band. This is the second album released in the last couple of weeks that has a slick, polished sound that also resonates ’90s-era alternative (See my review of the Joy Formidable). But Pains continue to show their love for the ’80s on other songs, such as The Body and My Terrible Friend.
The album, out Tuesday, is recommended. The band is scheduled to play two shows next month, April 27-28, at Lincoln Hall. Twin Shadow opens.
Guided By Voices, Neko Case, No Age, Kurt Vile added to Pitchfork
The Pitchfork Music Festival added another round of bands to its July 15-17 lineup, including the reunited Guided By Voices (worth the price of admission alone), Neko Case, No Age and Kurt Vile.
The rest of the lineup additions: The Fresh and Onlys, Twin Sister, Health, the Radio Dept., Baths, Shabazz Palaces, Gang Gang Dance, G-Side, How to Dress Well and Chrissy Murderbot.
GBV and Neko Case play Friday. No Age plays Saturday and Kurt Vile performs Sunday. You can see the full lineup (so far) here.
Best bet: Warpaint at Lincoln Hall
Warpaint puts a new spin on the the girl group sound. Check the band out at Lincoln Hall Thursday.
Generationals release a song, ‘Ten-Twenty-Ten’
Generationals just put out a new song and video to promote the band’s upcoming album release, Actor-Caster, out at the end of the month.
Best new release: The Joy Formidable debuts with ‘The Big Roar’
Listening to the The Joy Formidable is like taking a trip back to the early to mid-’90s when bands like The Breeders were suddenly “big.” Up and down tempos climax with bombastic sonic blasts. The Breeders’ Kim Deal lifted the template from her former band the Pixies, which influenced scores of bands that decade (most notably Nirvana).
Wales-based Joy Formidable takes the Breeders template and spiffs it up on The Big Roar (out in the U.S. on Tuesday). In parts, it’s a little too slick. Nonetheless, it’s addictive and one of my favorite album releases so far this year. It’s not entirely new. Four of the albums songs appeared on the 2010 EP A Balloon Called Moaning. Those four songs – The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade, Cradle, Austere and Whirring – also happen to be the best tracks on the new album.
The style isn’t entirely new either. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Elastica and others copped the same sound. But it’s working for me.
Best bet: Ty Segall at the Bottle on Monday
Ty Segall took up where the late Jay Reatard left off. Young, loud and snotty, Segall made a great album last year in Melted. He plans to follow with a new release in June.
The San Francisco-based rocker headlines a cheap show at the Empty Bottle Monday night. Heavy Cream, Half Rats and Slushy open.
Best bet: Obits at Empty Bottle
The Obits is the latest band featuring Rick Froberg (Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes, Pitchfork). It’s nothing fancy: Stripped-down, uptempo garage rock. But it’s good and nasty. If you like that kind of thing, the band’s second album, Moody, Standard and Poor, definitely gets the job done. It will be released March 29.
You can catch Obits headlining the Empty Bottle tonight. Milwaukee’s Jaill opens.
Download Shift Operator from Obit’s upcoming album.
Here’s a video from a 2008 gig:
New video: Yuck’s ‘Get Away’
Yuck, a new favorite band here, released a video for the song Get Away. You can see it by clicking here. Unlike some of the band’s other videos, it’s (mostly) safe to watch at work.
Here’s a live performance of the song:
New music: Wye Oak, Kurt Vile, Beach Fossils
It’s Tuesday! Among this week’s new releases: An album by Wye Oak, Civilian; Kurt Vile’s Smoke Ring for My Halo; and Beach Fossils’ EP, What a Pleasure.
Jacuzzi Boys play the Hideout Sunday
Jacuzzi Boys play old-school, cave stomp-style garage rock with a touch of psychedelic flair. After a series of 7-inch releases, the Miami band put out its debut album, No Seasons, in 2009. Next week, the band heads back into the studio to record its second LP.
You can catch Jacuzzi Boys at Hideout Sunday for a bargain cover of $9. Tyler Jon Tyler opens.
Pitchfork reveals partial lineup: Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Ariel Pink, Yuck
This year’s Pitchfork festival starts off strong with Animal Collective headlining the first night. Or at least that’s the way it appears now. A partial lineup was announced today as tickets went on sale for the July 15-17 fest at Union Park. Animal Collective also headlined Pitchfork in 2008.
The Friday night schedule also includes James Blake and Das Racist. On Saturday, ATYP-approved bands Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and Woods perform. A reunited Dismemberment Plan also plays Saturday, and at the top of the bill (?) …Fleet Foxes. Hmm.
Sunday features Deerhunter, TV on the Radio, Cut Copy and an ATYP new favorite, Yuck. See the rest of the initial schedule announcements here. Tickets are $45 a day or a three-day pass for $110. The three-day passes will sell out quickly.
UPDATE: The three-day passes were sold out by Saturday.
Of course, the schedule will be beefed up over the coming weeks. And the order of performance will be more clear as we get closer to July.
I’ve been to every Pitchfork festival and I’ve never been disappointed. There have been some incredibly strong performances in recent years.
Brother Sport – Animal Collective
New band: Junk Culture opens for Girl Talk
Deepak Mantena, from Oxford, Mississippi, aka Junk Culture, makes trippy music. His latest release, last month’s Summer Friends, sounds a little bit like Animal Collective, nods to the Beach Boys and has a whole lot of other influences snaking through electronic beats.
Junk Culture opens for Girl Talk this weekend for a sold-out, two-night stand at the Congress. Download the title track from his latest release below.
UPDATE: Junk Culture also plays a free show at Beauty Bar Sunday night.
Here’s a Junk Culture video from the 2009 EP West Coast:
New video: Wavves’ ‘King of the Beach’
Here’s a new video from Wavves:
