Category: Reviews

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Butterknife – Attractions (2013)

butterknife - attractions
Butterknife
Attractions
2013

Butterknife’s slick Do The Needful was one of my favorite releases of 2012. The crisp production and hooks-for-days tunes “Restless” and “Coattails” were the sugar that made the emotionally charged subject matter go down easy. The band’s 2013 follow-up, Attractions, mines similar lyrical coal with less of the candy coating to keep your tummy from getting flip-floppy. This is grown up stuff. There are still hooks, but this time they cut a little deeper. It still sounds great, but this time the band isn’t afraid to let things stay a little ugly.

The opening riff to “Goodnight Goodbye” messes with your balance before delivering a knock-out chorus punch. “Muscle Memory” conjures the best escalator imagery since the movie Mallrats. “Afraid Of Me” has a guitar-and-vocals-in-unison run that is the perfect lead-in to another well crafted chorus. All six songs are solid. Attractions is really good. Butterknife wins.

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Mellow Bravo – “House Party” (2013)

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Mellow Bravo
“House Party”
2013

Mellow Bravo covering “Ain’t Nothin’ But a House Party”? This is some chocolate and peanut butter stuff right here. If you’ve ever seen Mellow Bravo and you’re familiar with the song then you already know what this is gonna sound like. All that’s left is to go download it. Need more incentive? All proceeds go to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan via the American Red Cross. Pony up some dough for a good cause and boogaloo!

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Sinnet – Year Of The Whale (2013)

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Sinnet
Year Of The Whale
2013

Remember that Sinnet song I loved so much? “Year Of The Whale”? Well, it’s now available on vinyl! Yay! The B-side is “Searching For Spectors,” which continues the band’s ability to walk the tightrope stretched between natural feel and slick production. The harmony vocals really shine on this one. Oh, and the handclaps. Can’t forget the handclaps.

But wait, there’s more! The download that comes with this record is for a four song EP. In addition to the two songs on the vinyl, you get a couple of bonus tunes. The first, “Nitetime Creepy Crawlies,” is a real gem. It’s the poppiest number of the bunch. It wears that distinction with pride. “Everybody Into The Pool” brings back a haunting piano sound, like the one in “Year Of The Whale,” before launching into another quality indie rock number.

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The grooves of this small-hole, 33 ⅓RPM 7″ are pressed into cool dark gray marble vinyl. The rest of the package is the tried-and-true white sleeve/fold over/vinyl bag combo.

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Mellow Bravo – RiPPER (2013)

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Mellow Bravo
RiPPER
2013

Oh, what’s this? Mellow Bravo have a new EP?* That’s nice. I’ll just download it and OH MY WHAT THE HOLY GEEZUMS HELL YES! THIS F’N RULES! Look, I love Mellow Bravo. Strut is a great party record with moments that hint at something more. Their self-titled album dug deep to show the world their guts. This one here, RiPPER, cuts through you like a chainsaw through brie. “Feel Like Dancin'” and “Party” are both destined to be perennial set openers. “So Pretty” is right there with the riffs, too. Mellow Bravo close out the EP with the devastating “Low Ain’t The Bottom.” They back off the gas a bit to deliver the knockout blow. RiPPER just became my favorite Mellow Bravo release. JUST GET THIS, OK?

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* Yes, I know it’s not brand-spankin’ new anymore. I’ve been too busy listening to this thing to write about it, OK? Back off.

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The Deep North – “Voices” (2013)

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The Deep North
“Voices”
2013

The Deep North must be a pretty self aware bunch. They have to know about their knack for polishing up anthemic indie rock tunes. It’s something they’ve done in the past and have refined to near purity with “Voices”. The soaring vocals, relatable lyrics and wall of guitars that hit when the chorus comes around are designed to lodge the song in your head for at least the rest of the day. It’s a proven technique, and one The Deep North execute effectively. Like I said, they know what they’re doing…

Where to get it:

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Velah – Skeleton House / Rose Wave (2012)

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Velah
Skeleton House / Rose Wave
2012

Velah’s Skeleton House / Rose Wave 7″ is something special. There’s always been something a bit mysterious to their sound. For this release they embraced that side of the band’s personality.

“Skeleton House” is a reflective number haunted by a tinkling piano sound. Where some Velah songs shower you in layers of reverberating guitars, this one is content to let the melody come front and center. The sparse verses fill out nicely when the chorus comes around. There’s a level of calmness throughout, which makes the song’s ending crescendo all the more effective. Velah’s restraint persists on “Rose Wave”. Guitar melodies, vocal harmonies and controlled swells serve them well.

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I love unique packaging ideas, and this one is pretty crazy. Velah puts these things together by hand. There’s the black 7″ itself, but that’s just the start. There’s a key, a skull and symbol cloth thingy, some chalk and a cool little pop up house. I’m not going to pretend to know what it all means, but it’s pretty neat. Everything comes nestled in a box for little skull face guy to peek out of.

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Camden – “Talking About You” b/w “You’re So Fine” (2013)

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Camden
“Talking About You” b/w “You’re So Fine”
2013

Hey, remember this year’s Rumble? That was fun. A good amount of that fun came courtesy of the guys in Camden. I once described the band’s last single as “a perfect 3 minute pop tune in just over 2 minutes.” Their latest, “Talking About You,” may just be the perfect 3 minute pop tune to come, period. Camden shed their trademark hyperactivity on this one. In its place is a brisk, melodic stroll through some nice guitar arpeggios. This song does everything right. The B-side is equally memorable. “You’re So Fine” picks up the pace a bit, punctuated with some peppy tambourine work in the chorus. What a fine pair of songs.

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The 7″ is a small hole, 45RPM number on black vinyl. There’s a lyric sheet and a full color fold-over to keep it company in the sleeve. You can grab the digital bits, too.

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Ryan Schmidt – “Another Friend” (2013)

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Ryan Schmidt
“Another Friend”
2013

I first became aware of Ryan Schmidt through one of my all time favorite One Night Bands, Golden Owl.* Then I got turned onto his White Horse EP, with a title track whose presence cannot be denied. Ryan just released a new single, trading in lush string arrangements for synthesizers and a modern R&B groove. “Another Friend” is a big departure for the ambitious musician, showing a breadth of ability the defies the overused-and-now-nearly-meaningless singer-songwriter label that has been hung on him in the past. Ryan’s working it on this one. His vocal delivery is outstanding. The melody deftly bobs and weaves its way between the beats. Ryan has a passion for this. The song has a hook. The production is outstanding. Impressive.

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* I even got to shoot their promo pic!

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The Lights Out – “Vinny & Roxy” (2013)

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The Lights Out
“Vinny & Roxy”
2013

Hey. The Lights Out have a new single with a nice story. What does it sound like? Phil Lynott singing a song about a couple of kids from Bruce Springsteen’s America. Yup. “Vinny & Roxy” has a summer song feel, so enjoy it while the days are still long. Good luck you crazy kids.

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Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents – “Get Away” (2013)

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Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents
“Get Away”
2013

How long did I just sleep? The last thing I remember, Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents were mining ’60s girl group gold. That was before “Get Away” was released. Suddenly Dee & The Dees sound like Blondie being produced by Jeff Lynne. I’m not going to question it. I’m just going to enjoy it. After all, it’s not often you get to hear an impeccably produced slab of late ’70s pop from one of the city’s best rock ‘n’ soul groups…

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