Category: Reviews

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The Daily Pravda – “Take It” (2015)

The Daily Pravda - Take It
The Daily Pravda
“Take It”
2015

The Daily Pravda played their first show 10 years ago last week. To celebrate this milestone, they’ve given me the opportunity to premiere their new single! I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m pretty darn happy about it.

The Daily Pravda have always worn their influences on their collective sleeve. When you so expertly weave an elaborate musical tapestry from the best material, why not show off a little? Show off they do. “Take It” is downright majestic. The hint of tremolo. The slide guitar. The melodic bass and locked-in drums. All spot on. That’s just the intro. The verses build with a “Kashmir”-like haunting. The tension is palpable before flooding the chorus with saturated chords and a triumphant melody. Knowing there’s going to be a big payoff doesn’t make the outcome any less rewarding. It’s glorious, ready to take on all late night singalongs. The Daily Pravda have put out a bunch of great singles recently. This may be their best. The future is not boring.

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Mercury On Mars – Be The One (2014)

Mercury On Mars Be The One
Mercury On Mars
Be The One
2014

Let’s take a little listen to Be The One by Mercury On Mars. The title track of this EP is so shrouded in love for Hüsker Dü and The Replacements that I can’t help but want to hear what comes next. Thankfully, we get “So Happy,” which adds an injection of high octane Swedish rock ‘n’ roll to the band’s sound. “The Vapors” is in the third spot, with a nifty slide guitar part blurring and slurring its way through the mix. The EP closes with “X-Believer,” bringing things back around to that Twin Cities sound. Solid.

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Earthquake Party! – Let’s Rock, OK? (2012)

earthquake party lets rock ok
Earthquake Party!
Let’s Rock, OK?
2012

Here’s a collection of over-modulated fuzz-pop nuggets from 2012 courtesy of Earthquake Party! Listening to Let’s Rock, OK? is like playing The Apples In Stereo a little too fast and way too loud, which is a totally legit way to do things. Oh, and there’s some screaming. Don’t overthink this one. The songs are only about a minute long each. You could have listened to the whole thing by now.

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The Wrong Shapes – “Right Man on Yr Side” (2015)

wrong shapes right man
The Wrong Shapes
“Right Man on Yr Side”
2015

Well, well, well. It looks like I’ve found a new favorite song from The Wrong Shapes. This creative duo just cooked up a sophisticated, electro-swamp-blues number for your next heady hoedown. The cello and guitar intertwine while “Right Man on Yr Side” stomps along with intoxicating repetition. The vocals are cool. The solos are trippy. I don’t know how these sounds and styles work together, but they do. It’s hypnotizing. Dig it.

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Devil On Horseback – Rule The Deep (2015)

devil on horseback rule the deep
Devil On Horseback
Rule The Deep
2015

Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your riff hats. Devil On Horseback are coming for ’em. These guys made some kind of deal with the man down below a while ago and now they’re cashing in. Is it metal? I don’t know, but Priest and Jake E. Lee are certainly in the mix. Hell, the bridge from “Blowfly” sounds like Ride The Lightning-era Metallica. So, yeah, at least metal-ish. Eric Waxwood and Alejandro Necochea rip up their fretboards while Dave Riley keeps the low end in check. Then there are the drums. I’ve been a huge fan of Bruce Caporal for years, but I’ve never heard him play like this. I’m floored. This rules.

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The Daily Pravda – “Country & Western” (2015)

the daily pravda country western
The Daily Pravda
“Country & Western”
2015

This is dark. Real dark. I didn’t expect this from The Daily Pravda. “Country & Western” tosses and turns in the night, never letting you get comfortable. “There’s terror waiting in the wing.” Indeed, there is. It slinks and slithers through the saxophone sleaze, Ruby Rose Fox wails and electronic shrieks. Don’t let the mid-song lullaby fool you. There’s no happy ending here. That would be too predictable. Who would want that?

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Soft Pyramids – Fossils Of The Free World (2014)

Soft Pyramids fossils of the free world 1
Soft Pyramids
Fossils Of The Free World
2014

My renewed love affair with the perfectly understated music of Soft Pyramids continues with a quick look at their 2014 full-length record, Fossils Of The Free World. I should probably mention what a solid album this is, from the dreamy opening of “Light By Heat” to the lush outro of “Porcelain Outlaws Break Easier.” I’d be remiss not to mention the high points of “Waning Moon” and “Tequila Sirens” that fall in between. Sure, these are things are all true. That said, there’s just one thing you truly must know: Any record with “Around This Town” on it is needs to be heard.

Soft Pyramids fossils of the free world 2

The physical product is a 12″ black vinyl record played at 33 1/3 RPM living in a full color sleeve. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

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Soft Pyramids fossils of the free world 3

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These Wild Plains – Evils (2015)

these wild plains - evils
These Wild Plains
Evils
2015

These Wild Plains have come to haunt the summer winds with Evils. There’s a shimmer to these tunes. The melodies flirt with optimism, but the songs themselves are about reality. In the real world, sunshine eventually gives way to clouds. We’re left with three songs that paint in never-ending shades of gray, where contrast and texture control the mood. These are black and white snapshots of the dog days. Revel in the twang, bends and warm fuzz of These Wild Plains while you can. The bright colors of autumn will be here before you know it.

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Dream Generation – “She’s So Wild” (2015)

Dream Generation - Shes So Wild
Dream Generation
“She’s So Wild”
2015

Simplicity and repetition can be powerful in the right hands. They can make a moment feel bigger. A melody more memorable. A song more endearing. “She’s So Wild” is the latest from Chris Keene’s Dream Generation solo project. It is bigger, more memorable and more endearing than it ought to be. It’s exactly what it needs to be.

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Ruby Rose Fox – “Blue Angel” (2015)

Ruby Rose Fox - Blue Angel
Ruby Rose Fox
“Blue Angel”
2015

Team up Ruby Rose Fox’s vocals with a ripper of a tune and you’ve got a song worthy of the repeat button. “Blue Angel” layers hand claps, big backing vocals, ample amounts of reverb and a touch of fuzz on top of a pocket groove. The whole thing is dipped in the most soulful vocals found on either side of the Charles for a number that melts into your ears and fills your heads with a snappy sound. You’ll be humming it for days.

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