REVIEW // Halloween Summer by Neil Jarvis

Happy Tuesday everyone! Are you just the bees knees about today? If not then let me try and turn that around with a new album review. 

Today we got Halloween Summer, a new album from Greater Manchester based band, Neil Jarvis, which is now a full-fledged band! Hooray for having all your bells and whistles and stuff! Halloween Summer is the follow up to the Jarvis' 2012 release, Weekends. 

Weekends was a good album but it wasn’t great. Now, don’t take that the wrong way, you should definitely still listen to Weekends (and read my review!), as it was both the debut release of Neil Jarvis and also just a good album. But as stated on the On the Grind Records page, Weekends was an experiment in sun-drenched pop and hypnagogic rock, a dreamy and hypnotic (hence the name) sub-genre of rock. As with most normal experiments there are good and bad results which is no different here.

Fast-forward to the present and now Jarvis is back with his sophomore release, Halloween Summer. This album really shows the band progressing in the right direction and learning from some of the mistakes of the previous record (or cassette tape in this case). But not all of these mistakes are corrected as there are still a couple tracks that I had a lot of trouble with. One of these tracks is definitely "Young As Me". Although it is definitely one of the more carefree sounding songs on this album it seems to not care a little too much as the vocalising and distortion of guitars seem to hinder to songs quality. This distortion was present in a couple tracks from Weekends too but luckily only really makes a reappearance in this track. 

On the flip-side Halloween Summer really shines on it's fast-paced rock tracks and its more instrumentally driven tracks. "Help", "Shred Met", "Good Years", "Shootin' the Breeze" along with many others help to make a very good album all in all. If you are at all a fan of Kurt Vile, Hibou, or even if you just like jam bands or surf rock, then you'll really love this album. Right now you can purchase Halloween Summer by Neil Jarvis on On the Grind Records for £3.00. Purchase comes with a cassette tape and digital download of the album. Below you can listen to a couple of songs off the album.

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NEWS // Modest Mouse announce new album, Strangers to Ourselves

Well the wait is almost over everyone. Last night an apparent special fan of Modest Mouse received his copy of the band's test pressing of "Lampshades On Fire" (which I am beyond jealous about. How much do you want for it?). In a twitter post from the fan you can see that this pressing came with an accompanying letter which read:

"...'Lampshades On Fire' is a new single from our new album Strangers to Ourselves, which will be released on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015."

You can listen to the new single, "Lampshades On Fire" below.

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REVIEW // Automata by Low Voltage Rangers

Low Voltage Rangers have returned this past month with a brand new full-length, called Automata. The 10 track long LP is the band's second full-length and shows the group continuing to explore different musical techniques. A major exploration in Automata is that of fermatas and other ways of holding notes. Look no further than the very first song and you'll hear this. For the majority of the album frontman Jeremy Toltzman executes this wonderfully and adds a lot of power and punch to the tracks, but there is maybe 1 or 2 tracks where this kind of singing becomes slightly distracting to the rest of the music. So what's the verdict? Is this album worth your time and money? Let's dive in and find out.

The Good
Automata has a wealth of really great tracks in it. In fact, I would say the second half of the LP is really where the album shines. Tracks like "Around the Greenbox", "Something Beautiful", and the absolutely outstanding closer "How to Say Goodbye" are among my favorites. Want an example of when everything falls together perfectly? Listen to "Something Beautiful" and tell me it's not a beautiful song.

The Bad
Some tracks in this new LP can be forgettable, most notably the opener, "Out of Mind". Also, just like I mentioned at the top of this article, the singing has a potential to be hit or miss in Automata. I will say that at least it doesn't miss too often, but it does happen from time to time in this album. "Runaway" is a perfect example of this. This track starts out sounding pretty cool with the almost western sounding guitar in the opening, but it's really just the singing in this song that brings it down.

Conclusion
So what's the conclusion? Is it worth your time and money? The short answer is yes. Automata suffers from a couple short-comings like every album does, but this is nothing too horrible to actually ruin the enjoyment of the album as a whole. Also insanely awesome tracks like "Stealing an Angel", "Our Parade", and the wealth of outstanding tracks mentioned above in the "Good" section make it easy to ignore the rocky moments in Low Voltage Rangers sophomore album. Automata is being sold for a mere $8 over at their website: www.lowvoltagerangers.com and at their bandcamp page. If this sounds like an album you'd enjoy you should also like their Facebook page!

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT // JTF

Earlier this month, rising Chicago based musician, JTF released his debut single Fuchsia to Facebook and SoundCloud. The single is a synth-filled electronic pop track guaranteed to get you dancing, and while this might be the first release from JTF, it is not the first musical endeavor from the man behind the initials, Jonathon Freund. Assuming the majority of those who read this aren't part of the whopping 88 fans from JTF's Facebook page, I decided to reach out to him and ask him about his band and plans for the future.

JTF is the current solo project from Freund and comes nearly 4 years after his last musical project, SPIDER▲WEBS. Unlike his last project, which was primarily a witch-house band, JTF "is designed around [his] interest and fascination with electronic pop music [specifically] new wave and house classics from the 80's". It is his outlet to connect to this time period while also blending contemporary sounds into the mix. 

For the time being it sounds like JTF will remain a one-man-show, "I had spent 2 years living in Chicago trying to form bands around the same direction, but adding members created more variables; it became very cumbersome," which is fine. There have been many talented and successful solo acts and extra members for the sake of extra members is definitely not a necessity. As for future plans JTF is currently working on a 6 song EP as well as getting ready to move to Seattle, Washington. 

JTF's debut single Fuchsia, which can be viewed below, is out now and available on Facebook and SoundCloud, the latter of which the single can be downloaded for free. Make sure to "like" and follow JTF on both sites as this guy has got some amazing potential for the future, and you won't want to miss a thing.

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NEWS // Heaven by the Bilinda Butchers is out today!

Earlier this morning California based dream poppers the Bilinda Butchers released their newest album, Heaven, to the public. Heaven is the group's first full-length album and features a different recording of last year's single, "The Lover's Suicide".

The 13 track LP is a concept album that follows the life of "a young woman who lived in Japan from 1836 to 1864. It's entries catalog her catastrophic marriage to a cruel nobleman, and her later introduction to a young, idealistic poet whose expressions of sympathy inspire her to escape from her unfortunate circumstances. When her friendship with the poet is discovered, Ume is sent away to a distant village, where she falls into a deep depression and eventually learns of the poet’s death. Though the news of the poet’s death initially disturbs Ume, she soon discovers within herself a new sense of clarity and motivation. Her diary ends with a final pronouncement: she will drown herself in order to reunite with her fallen lover." While I don't condone suicide at all, man does it make great music. Digital copies of Heaven are available here via Orchid Tapes. Limited Edition white vinyls of Heaven are available here...also via Orchid Tapes!

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MIXTAPES // Up from the Underground presented by Ultimate Underground

I would like to introduce you to the Ultimate Underground. No, this is not an amazing new band that you have to check out. It is something equally as cool though... and it does have to do with "amazing new bands you have to check out". The Ultimate Underground is a project from one of my college friends who's actually just graduated this past spring, (congratulations dude!) and brings together the best in, you guessed it, underground music for us to discover and become unnaturally obsessed with!

Ultimate Underground's birth comes from the inevitable end of my friend Jake King's college radio station, Ultimate Kickback, when he graduated. I could paraphrase more things that Jake has told me but he could say it better so here is a statement from the Ultimate Underground's Facebook:

"Ultimate Underground is a website and fully functional internet radio station that highlights new independent, D.I.Y., and underground music. Many of the bands featured on here are working class individuals who are just trying to break into the seemingly impenetrable wall known as the "mainstream." Ultimate Underground is designed so bands have a voice off stage and into the press. 

On this website, you'll see news, reviews, upcoming releases, exclusive premieres, concert information, and more on the bands that you may have never heard of, but you wish you had. The radio feed will stream 24/7 via Radionomy and will compensate the bands for what's being played through SoundExchange in the US, and other services around the world."

Jake's been hard at work too and recently has released the site's first compilation, Up from the Underground: Volume 1. This 18-track compilation features over an hour of great rock and grunge bands from all over the world. The entire compilation is great, but some favorites of mine are "Leech" by Northbound, "I am" by CRUMN, and "In Vain" by JACT, among others. Listen to it below and check out the Ultimate Underground here!

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NEWS // New European tour dates for Twin Shadow.

New European tour dates are out for those of you "across the pond" who like Twin Shadow. The presale for the upcoming tour are available now and general tickets are available to purchase tomorrow, June 6th. London fans listen up though, Twin Shadow is offering a special offer for you guys and including a limited edition T-shirt for the "Eclipse Tour" while supplies last! Purchase tickets for Twin Shadow's Eclipse Tour here!

Twin Shadow Eclipse Tour

August 20 -- XOYO, London, GB
August 21 -- Bi Nuu, Berlin, DE
August 22 -- Leeds Festival, Leeds, GB
August 24 -- Reading Festival, Reading, GB
August 27 -- Badabourn, Paris, FR
August 28 -- Barby Club, Tel Aviv, IL
August 29 -- Popaganda, Stockholm, SE
August 30 -- Electric Picnic, Dublin, IE

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LISTEN // "How to Walk Through the Fire" by If Anything Happens to the Cat

If Anything Happens to the Cat are back with a new song! Their new track, entitled "How to Walk Through the Fire" is the opening track off their upcoming album, Sun Drunk Moon, due out hopefully sometime this October. The band recently lost their drummer Mikel to his first love, psychedelic punk rock, and he is now part of a group called Mind Rays, so this has no doubtedly delayed the release of the album, but they have said on Facebook that it should be here this October.

"How to Walk Through the Fire" is a great and interesting new track from the band. While still, post-rock for the most part, it definitely leans more toward the rock side of things, especially around the 2 minute mark. Highly reminiscent of the super awesome track from 28 Days Later, "In the House, In a Heartbeat" by John Murphy, this is for sure one song you have to check out!

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NEWS // New album on the way for Cymbals Eat Guitars. Hear the opening track.

This week Cymbals Eat Guitars announced their new album, LOSE as well as shared a new song called "Jackson". LOSE will be the third album from the New York based rock group and possibly their most emotional release to date. This is because the album is about coping with loss, specifically the loss of frontman Joseph D'Agostino's friend and collaborator Ben High. Below is a statement from D'Agostino on LOSE:

LOSE is a very apropos title because it refers not only to losing Ben, but also it's about a sort of nostalgia, a longing for a time when music meant everything to you and your friends, and it seemed like one great rock record could change everyone's life the way it changed yours. It's about being in mourning for your long-held belief that music could literally change the world. That's the contradiction at the heart of LOSE... You're disillusioned, but somehow you can do nothing else but rail against that feeling mightily and try, once again, to make a record that makes you and everyone else "wake up wanting to listen to records."

As for the song, "Jackson" is wonderful and powerful return for the band. The piano in the opening of the song is actually very reminiscent of the guitar from "...And the Hazy Sea" and is a great introduction for those less familiar with Cymbals Eat Guitars, and it only gets better from there. "Jackson" has already become one of my most favorite CEG songs, and will definitely be making a return to the blog in this years Best of 2014. You can listen to the modern masterpiece below and make sure to mark you calendars for LOSE, out August 26!

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WATCH // U Got All I'm Looking 4 by Summer Heart.

Well, the semester is over and all is calm again. Some really cool things have been happening around here, like me not failing out of school! That's always nice. Also, I have recently been elected to Music Director of WMLU, the university radio station. As music director I will be in charge of bringing some really great and unique talent to our biannual music festivals. If you live in Virginia, USA, check it out! One such talent I would love to have if he didn't live all the way in Sweden, is Summer Heart.

Below you can see the new music video for Summer Heart's new single, "U Got All I'm Looking 4". It's by the always great Jonas Börjesson, and is an auto-tuned, electro-pop jam perfect for your summer playlist. Now, I know some people will be turned off to the whole, "auto-tuned" thing, (thanks crappy rap singers for ruining that for the rest of us), but trust me when I say that it totally works. Check it out for yourself and follow Summer Heart on Facebook!

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REVIEW // Dunes by Gardens & Villa

Since Chris Lynch and his friends began making music in 2008, these Santa Barbara-based musicians have been experimenting with a very cool combination of electronic music. Part electro-pop, part chillwave, and part psychedelia is what make up Gardens & Villa and it is a combination bound to get anyone up and dancing, or at the very least tapping their foot and bobbing their head in their chair. Dunes is the band’s second full-length album and was released earlier this year in February. The band, currently signed to Secretly Canadian (The War on Drugs, BLK JKS, Porcelain Raft, etc), got help producing the album by Tim Goldsworthy, who has worked in the past with Cut Copy, LCD Soundsystem, and Hercules & Love Affair. 

Dunes is an overall good album. Sure, it has some snags here-and-there, but almost every album has that. It’s weird though, because where Dunes really brings home the gold is also a factor in its big flaw. All the tracks sound outstanding (minus one or two due to personal preference) by themselves. Unfortunately, when they are all put together into album format, especially the way they actually were put together, they some-what seem to lose steam half-way though. There are four really killer tracks right in the beginning rather than spaced out through the album and that leads to a rather boring and dull second half. There are a couple great tracks in the latter portion of the album but overall this is a first-half heavy album. Also can we talk about the bizarre closing track “Love Theme” for a minute here? What the? Why is this even in the album? The entire album is either soft rock or electro-pop, maybe a chillwave thrown in, but for the most part pop or rock songs. Then there’s “Love Theme” at the end being the black sheep… Whatever floats your boat G&V.

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LISTEN // Hear a teaser of Neil Jarvis' new album

Well, we may still have a ways to go before the warm rays and relaxing days of summer arrive, but with Neil Jarvis' new teaser for his forthcoming album, we can at least pretend it's here already. "Halloween Summer" is the newest track out from Manchester England based band, Neil Jarvis, and is the title track off their upcoming album by the same name, out this May via On the Grind. 

This will be the band's second album, who draw influences from bands such as Real Estate, Pavement, Silver Jews and others. I briefly talked with Jarvis about the album, and the band in general, and you can read his response below. Don't forget to look for Halloween Summer this May, and while you're at it listen/purchase the band's last album Weekends here!

Neil Jarvis on influences, Halloween Summer, and the band:
"My main inspiration is bands like Neil Young, Pavement, The Feelies, Real Estate, Sun Araw. We played a gig last year with Bob Nastanovich from Pavement who joined us on stage for a song - (we asked him if he would), and that was highlight, i'm a big fan of Pavement and Silver Jews, and they are big influences... 

...This album is much more the sound of a band playing together, unlike the first album 'Weekends' which was myself getting my friends in to play on songs. I got a permanent band together last year and it's definitely added something extra to it. There's more conventional pop songs on this album and less of the ambient experimental stuff, but it still has some [experimentation] in the sound."

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REVIEW // The new Pains of Being Pure at Heart single is simply the best.

It simply just is guys. In the beginning it really doesn't even sound like a Pains of Being Pure at Heart song, but then Kip Berman's soft and fuzzy voice comes in around 0:25 and you're in heaven. What's truly great about this song is the amount of new things present in it. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have always had some elements of pop to them but they have always tended to sway more to the dream-pop or indie rock side of things. Some might argue that they have even been shoegazy at times, but this song screams pop! It's the kind of pop that immediately brings a smile to your face and gets you dancing, if maybe only in your chair a little. You can listen to the amazing super awesome gets you pumped for spring song "Simple And Sure" below. Happy Thursday readers!

"Simple And Sure" is the first single off The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's upcoming album Days of Abandon out March 22nd!

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NEWS // The Drums to release new album.

"celebrating the only way we know how. Album 3 is finished" 

That was the word (and photo) from surf-rock group The Drums this afternoon on Facebook. Their new album finished and hopefully on the way relatively soon for us listeners and fans.

It's been a good 3 years since their last release (if you don't count a single they released in 2012 where only the B Side was a new song) and I'm definitely ready for some new drums. It is a long time to wait though, so if you need a refresher on The Drums, below you can listen to my top 5 favorite songs from them. Happy Sunday! (or whatever day it is that you're reading this!)

The Top 5 Best Songs from the Drums

5.  Saddest Summer Ever (from their 2009 release, Summertime!)
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4.  Best Friend (from their 2010 release, The Drums)

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3.  Me and the Moon (from their 2010 release, The Drums)

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2.  In the Cold (from their 2011 release, Portamento)
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1.  How It Ended (from their 2011 release, Portamento)

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NEWS // Debut album on the way for Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks.

Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks is a new band featuring (surprise!) Avey Tare from Animal Collective and ex members of Dirty Projectors and Ponytail Angel Deradoorian and Jeremy Hyman, respectively. The group will be releasing their debut album Enter the Slasher House this coming April. Below, you can hear their new single "Little Fang", a sassy psychedelic pop song filled with catchy lyrics and great potential for what's to come. 

Enter the Slasher House will be out April 7th internationally via Domino Records and April 8th in the US.

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LISTEN // New single from Cloud Nothings.

Above you can hear Cloud Nothings first single off their upcoming album Here and Nowhere Else. It's reminiscent of their earlier pop/noise rock albums with it's catchy, repetitive choruses (and honestly verses for that matter!) like "I'm not, I'm not you / You're a part me! You're a part of me!" but not at all in a bad way. The song, though a little rough around the edges, shows good potential for the upcoming album and suggests maybe another pop or noise rock release. Hopefully Dylan Baldi will throw in a couple good garage rock tracks in there for good measure too as I have fallen in love waaaay too hard with "Wasted Days". Here and Nowhere Else comes out this April 1st.

Pre-order Here and Nowhere Else here! (and nowhere else!)

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LISTEN // New single from Bombay Bicycle Club!

Happy 2014 readers! Only less than a month left till Bombay Bicycle Club's new album is released. till then, check out their new single, "Luna" below! In contrast to the other single released last year, "Carry Me", "Luna" falls in line with their previous songs in musical style and sounds just as awesome. So, all you people who were worried it'll be just "techno" as this fan was, you're wrong!.....probably. I mean we don't know till its here so you might be right but...

Look for So Long, See You Tomorrow this February 3rd!

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