This is fine.
We’re a little bit late on this show review and we apologize for that in earnest. Today we’re excited to introduce new contributer Cameron along with his handy photographer Ruth Vasquez for a review with photos. I think you’ll find that you like him just as much as we do. Follow the jump for his thoughts and fancy photos.
All I need to make the Kevin Morby triumvirate of greatness complete is a new Babies record. He’s already had a good year with a new 7″ this year and an album with his other act Woods; today he announced yet another album under his own name, featuring this great new track. It’s a relaxed tune filled with light touches of piano and horns, again illustrating his growth as an incredible writer. This new collection of songs is titled Still Life, as an homage to a art piece by Maynard Monrow; you can get the new record from Woodsist on October 14th.
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Listening to the newest single from The Skygreen Leopards, it’s no surprise that the album had some studio work applied by Jason Quever of Papercuts fame. It’s got that rich feeling you get with most of the music Jason’s worked on, including his own, which provides this whispering warmth that allows the listener to attach themselves to the songs internal melody. This song has a nice steady pace, worked around the connection between the guitar lines and the piano pieces. You’ll be able to check more from the group when they release Family Crimes on July 8th via Woodsist.
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I’m in love with the feeling of this song. At first, I got overwhelmed by the tone of the guitar; it’s got this deep tone that feels like it’s slowly strutting along the streets with a carefree attitude. But, I also am really impressed with Matt Kivel‘s voice. There’s a gentle quality to it, and it’s carefully placed just atop the guitar chords. The rest of the track has pretty minimal instrumentation, even down to the guitar noodling in the background, but it’s this understated beauty that might just make Days of Being Wild a great listen; you can pick up the record on July 8th on Woodsist Records.
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If you haven’t heard this song already, then you’re going to immediately enjoy your Friday. The duo known as the Skygreen Leopards are setting up to release their newest album, Family Crime. It’s a light bit of pop, recalling much more of an indiepop feel than one would expect for a group on Woodsist. These are the sorts of tracks that make your day livable, giving you immense pleasure from the moment that you press play. The album is slated for a July 8th release, meaning you’ll have yet another record to sit with around the pool or fire.
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Ah. Finally a new Woods record is on its way. There’s just something about the band and the various projects of the members that simply makes you feel welcome in the musical world they’ve created. Sometimes it’s their classic rock harmonies that win you over, while other times it’s their desire to jam things out in a mellow fashion that grabs you. Here, you get both of those, which reminds me of the fact that I think the band is one of the most endearing bands around (despite some of the drug association). Their new record is titled With Light and With Love; it’ll be released by Woodsist on April 15th. They’ve also been included in the most excellent Austin Psych Fest schedule this year.
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Admittedly, I’m not a fan of Foxygen, at least in so far as the live setting goes. I thought the band was so horrible that I actually walked out of their set. But, that being said, I can’t say enough about the songwriters in that band, especially Jonathan Rado. He’s announced a solo effort for Woodsist, and it definitely harkens back to days of sincere pop. If you didn’t hear the 60s influence on his writing before, you’re definitely going to hear it in this new track. The album is titled Law and Order and should see a release date at some point in the fall.
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Rating: 
I’m late to the party on this one, having only recognized Eat Skull by name, rather than by their previous efforts. That being said, III seems like a good place to start for me, as it’s already made me a champion of the work the band are creating. If, like me, you’re new to the band, then come along as I take you on my first journey with the band, which has already been an exceptional trip.
“Space Academy” immediately had me sold on III. It’s got a fuzzy guitar riff that opens up the album, followed by some chanted vocals that dictate to us exactly “how it’s going to be.” My ears recalled bits of a Brit-pop stomper, albeit an extremely louder/scuzzier version. Even as the song trails off into an instrumental guitar dabbling, I still found myself enthralled. “Dead Horses” soon follows, and it doesn’t do anything to dissuade my adoration. For one, the band references taxidermy, my favorite pastime, on multiple occasions, but it’s also got this rolling pop-centric guitar line that lives in the middle of the track, which oddly works in harmony with the discordant accompaniment. I’m psyched to watch these “dead horses decompose with taxidermy eyes.”
Eat Skull do decide to turn things into a different direction on the third track, “How Do I Know When to Say Goodnight,” which seems like a blend of glitch-pop and their ramshackle folk influences. There’s an other-worldly chanting going on in the background that at times can be a tad grating, but otherwise, the experimentation of the group opens your ears to some incredible pop moments. I think the group’s dallying between genres comes to fruition, however, on the most inconspicuous of songs. There’s a heavy coat of bass fuzz atop light guitar playing, yet the vocals have this certain clarity that isn’t present on all the other songs within III. You’ve got to have patience on this number, and I appreciate that, leaving me with my own personal haunting. Another gem you’ll find lurking in the musical madness is “They Burned You.” This jam has its own ghoul, which comes in the way of a looped vocal circling through the foreground and the background. For me, my appreciation comes from the strumming guitar work and the rising and falling of the vocals. It starts off your final leg of the journey that will take you through the joyous “Amnesty Box” and the more exploratory pop of “Catch Em Before They Vanish.”
It’s easy to admit that Eat Skull might not be for everyone’s enjoyment. There’s certain elements that I can see as being inaccessible, especially if you’re one to quickly push through your musical collection. But, if you’ve got the patience for listening, then find yourself peeling back the layers of III; it’ll take you to places you might not go, musically speaking, for the rest of the year, making this a memorable listen time and time again.
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It’s always interesting when you can see a geographical stamp in a band’s sound, so it’s no surprise that new music from The Woolen Men bares some homage to the Pacific Northwest. Sure, this most comes through in the bands vocal stylings, with hints of woodsmen, though the aesthetic of recording and running things on your own has also played a huge part in the region’s output. The band just signed on with Woodsist to release their brand new self-titled LP, which will be in stores officially on March 5th. I have a feeling a lot of you are going to find this release something you can really get behind.
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2013 has a lot of great things coming our way, and I wasn’t really expecting to be as blown away by this new Eat Skull track, which only adds to my list of lofty expectations for the new year. At first, I sort of felt like I was immersed in a Wes Anderson moment, but then the song sort of began to fill with a bit more noise, so if it’s an Anderson homage, then perhaps this is one of those rare action scenes. I love the distance between the vocals and the listener, creating a haunting, yet enchanting, bit of psychedelia. Their album III comes out via Woodsist on February 19, and here’s your first taste.
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