Category: Just The Bits

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Petty Morals – The Cotton Candy Demo (2013)

Petty Morals - Cotton Candy Demo

Petty Morals
The Cotton Candy Demo
2013

Petty Morals is what happens when members of Tijuana Sweetheart, Cult 45, The Grinds, The Spoilers, Killer Abs and Ghost Box Orchestra get together to play some synthed-up punkish tunes. I’ll give that slightly mind-blowing idea a second to sink in, but then we really need to move along because I’ve got something really important to tell you. Ready? Good. So, the first two songs on this demo, “You Get Me Loose” and “Girl Gotta Do,” have the bite and snarl you’d expect from this crowd. OK. You still with me? Here’s the really important thing I needed to tell you: You need to hear “Radio Action” right now! It’s new wave dynamite! Go, go, go!

Where to get it:

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Harris Hawk – Feeder (2013)

harris hawk - feeder
Harris Hawk
Feeder
2013

I’ve been listening to Harris Hawk’s Feeder a lot, but I must confess it makes me a little uncomfortable. I feel like I’m eavesdropping on the band’s therapy session. It’s not going well. Someone keeps yelling “You’ll never keep me here!” I’m afraid outbursts like that aren’t going to help her cause. I want to walk away and pretend I don’t feel guilty about listening in, but the songs are just so damn compelling. There’s a level of agitation to the riffing that keeps me on my toes. I’m just going to hide over here and hope the band doesn’t notice me.

Where to get it:

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You People – You People (2012)

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You People
You People
2012

You People’s noisy indie rock packs a wallop. They pull no punches on their scrappy debut EP. Listen enough times and you’ll see shades of Dinosaur Jr, Hüsker Dü and The Afghan Whigs in the bruise they leave behind. These songs will be ringing in your head for days.

Where to get it:

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Parks – “Modern Fiction” (2013)

parks - modern fiction
Parks
“Modern Fiction”
2013

I have a history of thinking that there’s no way songwriter Brian E. King can top himself.* You’d think Parks’ debut single, “Sweater Weather”, would have taught me a lesson. I still had doubts. “Modern Fiction” should dispel that notion for good. I was pleasantly nodding along to the song’s vintage groove, particularly the “going crazy” part, when 2:35 happened. From that point on, “Modern Fiction” turns into a systematic dressing down of anyone who thinks that they know how to write a song. It’s masterful. The bridge perfectly contrasts with the parts that precede it before morphing into Super-Mega-Awesome-Reprise-O-Tron. Mind blown. I will doubt no more.

Where to get it:

* Which, not coincidentally, means I also have a history of being wrong.

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Velah – Knotted / Glass Heart (Acoustic) (2013)

velah-knotted
Velah
Knotted / Glass Heart (Acoustic)
2013

Velah continue to find the perfect balance between atmosphere and immediacy on their latest single. “Knotted” opens with a slightly off-kilter, circular guitar riff that would have been at home on Amnesiac. This entrancing guitar line is offset by Nick Murphy’s measured vocal. His voice is a calming force amid the complex rhythm patterns. “Knotted” is a Velah song, so we’re soon awash in haunting backing vocals, swells of saturation and layers of delay. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Knotted” is backed by an acoustic version of “Glass Heart” from the bands Black Olympia EP.

Where to get it:

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Slowdim – “Money” (2012)

slowdim money
Slowdim
“Money”
2012

I knew nothing of Slowdim before catching their recent set at The Middle East. I left the club that night wanting to hear more, so I hit up their Bandcamp page to check out their musical wares. Wow. “Money” is a chiming indie pop number that immediately won me over. How come I didn’t know about this? Sweet vocal harmonies and singable guitar lines are right up my alley. This song is packed so full of pop goodness it bursts from the speakers with colorful sparks. Looks like I’ve got some more downloading to do.

Where to get it:

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The Susan Constant – Shapes (2013)

the susan constant - shapes
The Susan Constant
Shapes
2013

The Susan Constant were one of my favorite surprises of the 2012 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble. I knew nothing of the band going into the night, but their passionate set won me over instantly. Their new EP, Shapes, is equally fan-inducing. Somehow, the band has managed to capture the spark of their live performance on these six well-crafted indie rock gems. These are the kinds of songs that get packed clubs hopping or swaying in unison.* “Locked Up” and “One Good Reason” have hit single written all over them.** The rest of the release is just as solid. Songs like “Tennessee,” “Like A Ghost” and “Draw Us All” show off how a band can vary their songwriting while cultivating a well-defined sound. It all leads up to “Midwestern You,” a song that opens with a U2-esque intro before riding out on a wave of synth pads and almost horn-like guitar melodies. That’s a pretty nice way to close out Shapes.

Where to get it:

* The release show for Shapes is Saturday night at The Middle East Upstairs. I’m pretty sure this is going to happen.

** “Locked Up” even has a hit single video.

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Ruby Rose Fox with Glenn di Benedetto and Nate Leavitt – “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” (2012)


Ruby Rose Fox with Glenn di Benedetto and Nate Leavitt
“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”
2012

This is why I love this city. Ruby Rose Fox and Parlour Bells shared a bill at the debut of Lounge Act. The next thing you know they’re collaborating on an old holiday standard. Ruby Rose Fox, Glenn di Benedetto and Nate Leavitt’s rendition of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” drives home some of the reasons I find them so enchanting. Ruby Rose Fox has one of those timeless voices that would sound good singing the instructions to program your VCR. It should come as no surprise that it sounds even better here. She and Glenn play well off each other while Nate provides the perfect guitar accompaniment. The ease with which the Parlour Bells gentlemen pull this off proves that their remarkable cover of “Get Thee Behind Me Satan” was no fluke. These guys have standards in their souls.

There’s even a nicely done video here.

Where to get it:

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OldJack – Holiday Homage (2012)


OldJack
Holiday Homage
2012

On their new Holiday Homage single/EP-thingie, OldJack have managed to turn the sugary sweet Mariah Carey classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” into a smoldering, well, OldJack holiday song. A soulful lead vocal, gritty guitars and those trademark OldJack backing vocals breathe new life into this well worn number. It’s a great arrangement by a great band. Toss in one of those let’s-get-our-friends-together-and-sing-about-better-times-ahead songs* and you’ve got a release worth adding to your Christmas playlist.

Where to get it:

* In this case the friends are Brendan Boogie, Dave Mirabella, Keith Pierce, Jess Collins and Nate Leavitt. The song is “The Christmas Song (10th Anniversary Remix)”

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The Field Effect – “Last Christmas” (2012)

The Field Effect
“Last Christmas”
2012

If you look down there a little bit you’ll see a player for The Field Effect’s cover of “Last Christmas”. I’m not going to say too much about it. It’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect when an excitable young band that loves a pop hook covers Wham!* That’s a good thing if you like guitar melodies, vocal harmonies, obligatory sleigh bells and a rhythm section that packs a punch. I do.

Where to get it:

* Which happens all the time, right? No?