Published by Scott February 11th, 2007
in Album and Review.
Kentucky’s Ideal Free Distribution have been kicking around for almost a decade but are only now releasing their recorded debut. With some help from Elephant Six-ers Robert Schnieder (Apples in Stereo) and Jason Nesmith (an early Of Montreal member, currently of Casper and the Cookies), they’ve unleashed an album of 60’s influenced pop rock perfection. With catchy vocal hooks and lush arrangements tempered by occasional flashes of psychedelia and fuzzed out garage guitar, it’s truly a joy from start to finish. The only problem is the band lacks a distinct identity. Certain songs recall particular artists, like “Saturday Drive” (The Shins), “The American Myth” (XTC), and “Mr. Wilson” (duh, The Beach Boys), but there’s not an overall defining sound. If I heard a random track by them and didn’t immediately recall who it was, I doubt they’d be the first band to come to mind. Still, this doesn’t mar the listening experience in the slightest. Ideal Free Distribution have crafted a fine first album.
Mixtape tracks- Saturday Drive, Mr. Wilson
Freebies- None, but you can stream three songs from their MySpace page.
Published by Scott November 29th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
Maybe it only seems this way, but I swear every member of every Elephant Six associated band has another band that he or she leads. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you. Hannah Jones, percussionist for The Circulatory System, provides another piece of evidence for this half-baked theory with the debut release by her latest project, The New Sound of Numbers.
Liberty Seeds is rife with layers of unusual and seemingly contradictory singsong monotone girl-group vocals. The harmonies are lush and striking but icy cold in their detachedness. I always imagine a roomful of Nico clones droning out these songs to a backdrop of kaleidoscope swirls and strobe lights.
Balancing pop with experimentalism, Liberty Seeds manages to be cohesive in its ebb and flow. Score that to their unique and fascinating vocal style. So for every “Frequency Transmission System,” which sounds like Le Tigre set to the herky-jerky rhythms of Old Time Relijin, there’s a mildly grating, tuneless psychedelic counterpart like “La.” But even with the occasional patience testing track, The New Sound of Numbers have contributed a memorable work to the E6 canon.
Mixtape tracks- Frequency Transmission System, Minimal Animal, You’ll Soon Be Singing
Freebies- None to download, sadly, but you can stream four songs from the album at the band’s MySpace page.
Published by Scott October 4th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
Sure, summer is over but Brooklyn by-way-of-Athens based Great Lakes have released a fall album with a loose, summery feel. Their third full-length, Diamond Times, is a briskly paced, inspired set of guitar pop with a little bit of twang and a nod to a time in popular music when the saxophone was a key ingredient. Killer tracks include the vaguely Stones-y “Farther,” doo-wop flavored “Hot Cosmos,” and “Horses Wings,” with its blazing slide intro that gives way to some chunky, melodic riffs.
As might be expected from card carrying members of the sprawling Elephant Six family, there are guest contributors galore, including personnel from Of Montreal, Essex Green, and Ladybug Transistor to name a few. These players bring a wall of sound’s worth of instruments to the proceedings but rather than cluttering up the aural scenery like a lawn full of illuminated plastic crap around Christmastime, their parts are judiciously chosen and add to each song as a whole.
Not every number is a knockout though. The one-two countrified punch of “The Moon and the Lunatics” and “Shaky Faith” almost causes the album to lose its momentum. And the closer, “Eagle and Swan,” is doubly damned for being silly and dull. But even these don’t exactly feel like missteps and there’s plenty of stronger material to overcome such slight dips.
And I have to mention this because I think of it every time I listen. Singer Ben Crum’s voice often bears an uncanny resemblance to John Linnell’s of They Might Be Giants. Check out his ultra-nasal delivery on “The Pinks and the Purples” and see if you don’t agree.
Mixtape tracks- Farther, Hot Cosmos, Horses Wings
Freebies- There’s a 128 kbs mp3 of “Horses Wings” here from the Empyrean Records site. You can also stream or download low quality versions of “Farther” and “Diamond Times” at MySpace.
Published by Scott August 27th, 2006
in Meta-Chatter and Concert.
We went to Orange Twin today so my kids could participate in Elf Power’s video for Pancake Mountain. It was a lot of fun. I knew in advance that the band wasn’t actually going to perform live. Instead they lip synced to “Peel Back the Moon, Beware!” from their latest album, Back to the Web. Most of it took place on the little stage pictured above, but there were also scenes of the kids and band streaming out of an Air Stream trailer, riding on this three-wheeled cart type thing, and sloshing around at the swimming hole. And if you’ve never seen the show, Andrew Rieger is dressed as the character Captain Perfect.
It was funny because director/producer Scott Stuckey seemed to have a “that’s good enough” attitude and was very open to suggestions. For example, after the first take Andrew noticed that it didn’t seem right for the kids to still be rocking out for the last part of the song because it slows down considerably. So they came up with having the kids sit down and sway back and forth for the last verse and then pretend to go to sleep at the very end. I can’t wait to see how it’s all put together!
Published by Scott August 23rd, 2006
in Meta-Chatter.
As I mentioned in the comments section the other day, The Day Jobs posted that Elf Power will be filming their appearance for an upcoming episode of Pancake Mountain this weekend at the Orange Twin Conservation Community in Athens. I sent the band a message asking for more info and quickly got a response:
Hey
bring those spastic dancing fools on out!…we’re going to start filming at 3pm so get there around 230 if you can….andrew
—————– Original Message —————–
From: Scott
Date: Aug 21, 2006 4:40 PM
Hi Elf Power!
Could you please give me some more information about the upcoming Pancake Mountain taping at Orange Twin? We don’t actually live in Athens but we’re close by and love both Elf Power and Pancake Mountain. I have 7 year old twin boys (w/red hair - orange twins!) and a 2 year old daughter. They are spastic dancing fools! I’ve been out there for the last two Orange Twin fests so I know where to go.
Thanks,
Scott
Looks like we’ll be checking out an Elf Power Dance Party! We’re definitely excited. I have no idea what they’re going to play but I had the kids “dancing” to select EP tunes last night.
Published by Scott August 15th, 2006
in Free Tracks, Review and Concert.
Elf Power recently headlined a night of the Team Clermont Ball at the 40 Watt in Athens and played two sets. The first consisted of their own material and the second was all covers, including eyebrow raising fare like “Ghostbusters” (actually a lot of fun) and that annoying theme song from The Greatest American Hero. I finally got a chance to listen to the whole show, generously made available by Sloan Simpson at his great Southern Shelter blog.
I jumped on the covers set first because I was very curious to hear the band’s versions of those songs. Novelty tunes aside, Elf Power has excellent taste. They play loose and likable versions of The Beatles, VU, Dylan, Stooges, Sabbath, Neil Young, and Bowie among others. Their take on My Bloody Valentine’s “When You Sleep” is especially good. Nothing’s Going To Happen, their ‘02 covers album, is also worth checking out if you can’t get enough of them playing other people’s songs.
The first set is pretty cool too. They give a nice sampling of their catalog, with a song or two from each of their albums except for their debut, Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs. (That’s the only one I haven’t heard, incidentally. I’m still hoping for a reissue that lands on eMusic some day.) The band sounds like they’re having a fine time as they run through some of their best material. “The Separating Fault” and “Skeleton” are particularly strong. But the real standout for me is the jangly, slightly faster version of “All the World Is Waiting” from their most recent album, Back to the Web. It loses most of its glam swagger but the scrappy, stripped down translation calls attention to just how good a song it is.
Elf Power has played several times in Atlanta or Athens in the last few months, but I haven’t caught any of their shows. I hope to get another chance to, not only because I want to see them again, but also so I can get my hands on a copy of their tour only rarities collection, Treasures From the Trash Heap. I must have that album!
Published by Scott August 10th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
It’s a Bright Guilty World has been my go-to album for the past couple of weeks, the latest recipient of my ever changing musical crushes. As with all of The Minders’ work, it’s another batch of 60’s/70’s inspired guitar pop crammed full of catchy melodies and riffs. This newest one also happens to be nicely varied. From fuzzed out rockers to delicate acoustic driven pop to spare and dreary ballads, the mood shifts often but never in an unexpected or jarring way. It’s expertly sequenced and gives the sense of gently pulling the listener from one pleasurable song to the next, like a host making the rounds with a late arrival to a swinging party, introducing one interesting and likable person after another.
As good as the songs are, two things really put this album over the top for me. First is the production, at least part of which the venerable Elephant Six co-founder Robert Schneider (Apples In Stereo) is responsible for. One of the drawbacks of purchasing music through an online service is the dearth of liner notes, so I’m not sure where It’s a Bright Guilty World was recorded. Regardless, they have achieved an incredibly warm and inviting sound, most likely using vintage analog equipment.
The second deal sealer is the charming anachronistic details, like the straight out of 50’s guitar solo on “Red Admirals (Gonna Pass Me)” or the oldest-trick-in-the-book key change near the end of “Don’t You Stop.” The most curious of these idiosyncrasies is the sudden fade out on “Accidental Joy.” No matter how many times I hear this great song abruptly tail off, I’m left puzzling over it. Couldn’t they come up with a last verse? How long did they keep playing? Who made the creative decision to end the song like that? I’d love to hear an outtake version for comparison’s sake.
With only a few reviews here and there so far, It’s A Bright Guilty World doesn’t seem like it has caught on yet. Hopefully it will start to garner more attention in the near future. And while I freely admit to being a strong E6 booster, I think I can objectively recommend this one to pop rock fans of all stripes.
Mixtape tracks- Don’t You Stop, Jenny, 357, Accidental Joy
Freebies- Check the fade out on Accidental Joy, courtesy of the Future Farmer label.
