After a month which included a weekend boozer in Boston and a working weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival, I’ve found myself to be perpetually behind — Behind on my email, behind on new jams, and behind on my bills.
I’m sure the credit card company will understand when I tell them the money marked for July’s bill “accidentally” went to a bar in Boston. It was an honest mistake, and, um, one that I made with the electric company’s money, too. Today, we’re going to make everything right. Not with the bank (They’ll have to wait for pay day), or the utilities, but with the jams. Following is a selection of music that came my way over the past few weeks that was overlooked while I was boozing, traveling, and sleeping. I did a lot of sleeping last weekend.
The Ohio band State Bird (Wooster/Dover) generated some local buzz a few years back with the album Mostly Ghostly, a set of free and adventurous folk gems, detailed and developed far beyond their years. Now, they’re back with an entirely different type of buzz — The type of guitar buzz that band’s like Yuck are bringing back in a big way. State Bird’s Healin’ the Pain will be released August 19th on The Record Machine.
MP3: State Bird – Talking Real Shit
My, what a difference two years and better fidelity can make! Sure, the second coming of lo-fi was fun while it lasted, but now that one can make out the texture and feel the airiness in a song like “Bones,” Male Bonding’s noise-pop, not only has more of a bite, but it actually pops, too. Endless Now, the second Sub Pop album by Male Bonding, will be out on August 30th.
MP3: Male Bonding – Bones
Case Studies is the Dutchess and The Dukes’ Jesse Lortz backed by various friends and cohorts, doing pretty much the same thing he does with his other band — Simple, Stones-like folk, with honest, sometimes brutal lyrics. The difference, as far as I can tell, being there’s someone different on back-ups. This one will be out August 16th on Sacred Bones.
MP3: Case Studies – The Eagle, Or the Serpent
The Dum Dum Girls’ spring EP, He Gets Me High, was notable not only for having (No exaggeration) the best Smith’s cover ever with their take on “There’s a Light That Never Goes Out,” but also for featuring a stronger, more confident and more dynamic Dee Dee. Her new found vocal-prowess is on display here, with the hazy ballad, “Coming Down,” the first single from their forthcoming, full-length, Only in Dreams. The Dum Dum Girls’ Only in Dreams will be out September 27th on Sub Pop Records.
