Tag: Polyvinyl Records

White Reaper – White Reaper Does It Again

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White-Reaper-Does-It-AgainRating: ★★★½☆

White Reaper’s claim to fame first began after their explosive live act started turning heads and ears in Louisville, which led them to take off on a little tour in which the live act caught the attention of crowds nationwide. A little time has passed since this tour, and the four piece of young 20-somethings have used this bit of experience to craft this bombastic and raucous full length debut, White Reaper Does It Again. This record, though on the short side, is a rambunctious and explosive first album with select tracks that will surely be jammed in your head for a long time in the future.

The record’s start is explosive and immediately gripping: the first track, “Make Me Wanna Die” has enough fuzz on it to give you imagery of tv static all while you jam along. The instant you press play on the album and this song comes rapidly flooding through the speakers you can hear the band’s direction and genre fairly instantaneously— they waste no time in getting to the meat of their material. As I already mentioned, the electric guitar is ferociously fuzzy, raging through the track at high volume, the vocals from Tony Esposito are also heavily distorted and yet they crisply resound. Meanwhile, one element stands out quite cleanly from the mix, and that’s the intermittent organ sounding keyboard riffs which pop away from the mass of reverb and grit, acting like a cool wave of water to splash you in the face from the white hot guitar, vocals and cymbal-heavy drums. It’s a bright start to the record, and surely one of the bright stars on White Reaper Does It Again.

As the first track suggests, this album is a blistering shot of adrenaline to the heart from the beginning to the end and the band doesn’t ever really slow it down or pause for a break. Even in the middle of the album, where one might expect a lull in the garage rock, White Reaper give you the killer back to back duo of “Candy” and “Sheila.” The first of these two tracks centers around the rapid fire vocal delivery from Esposito, which is at once sweet and fierce. His voice, perfectly distorted, snarls and spits verse after verse, matching the guitar riffs and playfully bouncing around. These vocals are pushed to a new level on the next track, “Sheila,” on which I’m reminded of the vocals from Surfer Blood. This track simmers at the beginning, and the vocals serve as almost an agitator to bring the song to full volume. When the band bursts into the chorus, they truly shine, and all the elements come together for a buzzy whirlwind of garage rock.

While this is quite the impressive full length debut, I’ve found that some tracks simply stand out a little brighter than the rest. This is not to say those that I haven’t singled out here aren’t good or worth spending time with— on the contrary the whole record is quite gripping, but with further extended listening, there are certainly numbers that will stay with you for longer than others. Figure out which ones those are for you and spend some time with White Reaper Does It Again.

 

Just Another Rad White Reaper Tune

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whiteyWe’re less than a month away from the release of White Reaper‘s new record, and as we draw near, they wanted to offer up another song to get its hooks in you.  There’s a heavy-handed chugging guitar chord leading the tune along, but the eruption of the pop hook that serves as the chorus is destined to have people playing this tune all over the place. Looks like the band aim to take the space that seems vacated now that Surfer Blood aren’t as prominent. Arena rock built for small clubs. Look for White Reaper Does it Again via Polyvinyl on July 17th.

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Hope You Didn’t Miss This White Reaper Jam

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whiteyThe latest single from White Reaper has been floating around for a few days, so I’m circling back hoping you didn’t miss the band’s new tune.  Guitars build here in alternative fashion that recalls some of the work that Weezer was doing upon their reformation, chugging down on those heavy riffs.  But, even if that’s not your thing, you should wait until the 1.5 minute mark where the song erupts into the chorus; it’s an emphatic punch that continues to build on the band’s bombastic live shows.  You’ll get to hear the group’s new album, White Reaper Does It Again on July 17th when it sees a release from Polyvinyl Records…so get yourself ready.

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Jacco Gardner – Hypnophobia

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jacco-gardner---hypnophobia (1)Rating: ★★★☆☆

If you were clued in to anything about this album based off its name, it should be the psychedelic genre that Jacco Gardner employs. Patch this together with the album artwork and just like that you can already begin to see where Gardner is leading you with this sophomore effort. What these two signifiers don’t inform you is that like a drug trip, Hypnophobia slips in and out of lucidity; there are times when the music completely engages you and others that encourage you to fall away from focusing on the tunes at hand.

The overall tone of this album is fairly one note, which is why the aforementioned phenomenon is able to occur over its course. That’s not to say that this one dimension sound—heavily mysterious/spooky 70’s synth matched with wandering guitar riffs and Gardner’s soulful yet wispy vocals—isn’t enjoyable. On the contrary, to say that any of the songs on this album aren’t good would be false, but there’s a loss of suspense in the repetitive nature of the sound here. By around the third or fourth track on the record you begin to feel that you’ve heard all there really is to hear from Hypnophobia. While that isn’t necessarily true (some of my favorite tracks come on the end of the record) the lack of variety in the twee psychedelic genre wears a little bit on your hopes.

There are definite numbers that will have your attention more than others. For me, among those are “Find Yourself,” and “Before The Dawn,” both of which are more upbeat and rambunctious numbers for Gardner. It is in this space where Gardner seems to shine the brightest: “Find Yourself” enters your headphones swiftly and with force: the tinny synth here bounces around almost violently, which pushes the song from meek to commanding. Surprisingly, Gardner’s vocals are heavily distorted on this song, but they too feel more forceful than on the other tracks of the album, and lead you to the catchy chorus that somehow ironically makes me want to lose myself in the track. “Before The Dawn” creates more of a swirling kaleidoscopic listening atmosphere, but then the electric guitar joins the mix to ground you with the vocals, akin to the feeling of walking through an optical illusion tunnel.

To me, this seems like the kind of album that you put on to comfort you in the background of studying, working, reading, etc. It’s easy to get lost in, but still occasionally pops in to pull you back to it. Perhaps you feel differently—the only way for you to find out is to have a listen for yourself to Hypnophobia.

More from Jacco Gardner

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jackoJacco Gardner has been an ATH favorite, and as he prepares us to listen to his new record, Hynophobia, it seems that’s he constructing music that fits the album’s title.  The first minute of the album’s title track has this hypnotic build to it, wrapping up the listener in the aesthetic pleasure of Gardner’s work before allowing his whispering vocals to gently croon in to the track.  It’s his patience in songwriting that really has drawn me closer to listening to his music; you’ve got to have a patient ear, but in doing so, you’ll ultimately be rewarded by your repeated listens.  Look for the new LP on May 5th via Polyvinyl.

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Damn This White Reaper Tune is a Gem

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reapyThere are times when you make a mistake at SXSW.  My big regret, especially after hearing this track, was missing out on White Reaper.  I heard they absolutely killed it, throwing an energetic live set together to match their equally rambunctious tunes.  They seem to have shredded a bit of that psych approach that got them some early attention, wrapping this new song in nothing but huge hooks and solid drumming.  It’s the sort of tune that’ll appeal to your punk friends, but will grab your on-the-fence indie rock bros too.  Their debut album, White Reaper Does It Again, is set for a July 17th release via Polyvinyl Records.

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Pure Pop from Fred Thomas

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fredFred Thomas has made his mark throughout the last decade with Saturday Looks Good to Me (I still adore Every Night).  But, as he steps into his own, I think he’s making a statement as one of the great pop songwriters we’ve got around.  There’s no frills and hiding behind studio tricks, instead just rocking this song with his voice and his guitar.  I’m always amazed how much people can accomplish with so little, and there’s a lot here for great pop fans.  Look for his solo effort, All Are Saved, which is being released by longtime label Polyvinyl on April 7th.

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Get On Board the Jacco Gardner Train

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jackoI’m pretty sure I’ve implored you get behind the music of Jacco Gardner already, but in case you haven’t jumped aboard this train, take a listen to his newest tune below.  There’s hints of psychedelia, but I like the light-hearted soulfulness that comes from his vocal display.  The guitar continues in the track, taking on a fuzzier note as a high vocal jumps from the distance for accentuation.  This should be enough info to get you excited for his new album, Hypnophobia, which is slated for a May 5th release via Polyvinyl.

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Show Preview: The Dodos/Springtime Carnivore (02.18)

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dodos-779623

Date 02.18
Location The Parish
Doors 9:00pm
Tickets 15$ Here

Now this is a show I am super excited for as both of these bands are on the heels of releasing killer albums, so you really can’t afford to miss out on this night of music. Up first will be Springtime Carnivore, the psychedelic pop project of Greta Morgan, whose debut album is filled with classic pop hooks and effortlessly reverb soaked vocals that will set your feet to dancing and your head bobbing in approval. If you’re having doubts check out “Name on a Matchbook” below and get hooked.

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And of course, who can forget the main act of the night, The Dodos, whose recent fifth studio LP felt like a trip back to their high energy sound. They’ll surely bring a setlist of new and old tracks, both of which are bound to delight. If you haven’t already, listen to “Competition,” so you’ll be refreshed and reminded of how infectiously good these guys are at making rustic pop music.

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Sonny & The Sunsets – Talent Night At The Ashram

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sonnyRating: ★★★★☆

For years, Sonny Smith, with and without the Sunsets, has been turning out a ton of youthful and light tunes, incorporating aspects of whimsy into his odd indie rock music to create a genre all its own. Talent Night At The Ashram marks yet another album for Sonny and company, but this time around, a running thread of melancholy and seriousness runs through with the whimsy, creating an album exploring the relativity of normalcy.

The overall sound on Talent Night At The Ashram continues in classic Sonny & The Sunsets style: soft indie rock with a touch of whimsy, but elements on this album make it feel slightly like a stripped down approach to glam rock, a-la Ariel Pink, but with more subtlety and nuance. The guitars are twangy and distorted, there’s a heavy reliance on piano or synth riffs that runs through and under everything, and Sonny’s vocals seem as distant as ever. Opening “The Application,” gives you a brief insight into this transition, as the song meanders along, with Sonny opening with the lyrics “I filled out the application to be a human being,” underscored by a twee synth riff, creating a rosy sound that’s juxtaposed by the solemn lyrics Sonny spins. This is where the gravity of album lies, and it works well for the band.

Sonny continues his tradition of storytelling, as most of these tracks tell the tale of some, often titled woman and her thrills and spills in daily life. You get the obvious ones, like “Alice Leaves For The Mountains,” and “Icelene’s Loss,” in which the title characters are the main focus of the songs. As you delve deeper into the album, it seems that each song talks about matters of daily life. Take centerpiece and main attraction track “Happy Carrot Health Food Store,” which listens more like a multi-act play, with its distinctive movements. The first of which gives you classic Sonny, setting up the stage with exposition of this imaginary, or perhaps real, natural health food store that you enter “through a mystical door.” This opening brings the eclectic glam rock, with clip-clopping percussion and Sonny’s faded vocals. Then you transition to the next act, where the band really kicks in and you’re greeted with vast and detailed imagery of the characters that work there, and when the band launches into its wirey guitar chorus and following instrumental break down, you’re completely hooked into this weird little play. The ending acts gives you Sonny talking with a barking dog, which, oddly enough, feels like the only natural end to this exercise in the sometimes mundane, yet meaningful nature of daily life.

Talent Night At The Ashram walks the line of sincerity and irony with a smirk and a wink, and sometimes an outright grin. Admittedly, this album takes a little work to enjoy: the music is subtle and not overtly becoming on first listen, and I found myself needing a few spins around before I could really sink my teeth into the tracks. However, once I got on board, the album really opened up and revealed that Sonny & The Sunsets somehow still have a bit more up their sleeves to give to you. Spend some time with this record and get lost in its subtleties.

 

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