ESM Rating: 9/10 |
Listen if you like: Rock ‘n’ roll for rock ‘n’ roll’s sake, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, The Gaslight Anthem’s quieter moments, KISS, Cheap Trick
First impressions: With a name like Nude Beach, you’d be forgiven for assuming these Long Island dudes were trafficking in the latest iteration of witch-house/shoegaze-electro/acid-house crap. But the first five seconds of album opener “Radio” prove that assumption immediately wrong, as Chuck Betz launches into an impassioned howl over the finest two-minute jam I’ve heard in some time. And “Walkin’ Down My Street” seriously sounds like a grungy, strutting outtake from Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A. period — shouted choruses of “baby, baby,” treble-drenched, major-key guitar riffs, a head-banging, tongue-out, vaguely countrified guitar solo from Betz… For real, put this one on for your dad/cool uncle and see how long it takes ‘em to start rocking out.
The nitty-gritty: But there’s plenty here for young hipsters and indie rock geeks, as well. “Some Kinda Love” still jangles with a heartland swagger, but also packs a bit of a country-punk punch; “You Make It So Easy” blends in a bit of tropical pop (although its guitar solo is still ‘70s wholesome and oh so epic); and “Cathedral Echoes” is just rough enough around the edges to make these New York guys slot well with the current garage rock renaissance. Plenty of II, however, points lovingly backwards — “Keep It Cool” is strummy and even a bit skiffly, providing the best link between Elvis Costello and Nude Beach. And a sense of nostalgic heartache creeps into the mix as Betz sings about smoking cigarettes and, well, keeping it cool. Meanwhile, for all you Petty fans out there, it doesn’t get as offhandedly easygoing as “Love Can’t Wait,” although the song kicks into an amped-up, trigger-happy higher gear that The Heartbreakers rarely match in their old age. The more avant-garde among us might snicker at Nude Beach’s heart-on-sleeve awesomeness. But forget innovation and experimentation for a minute and remember what good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to sound like.
Other recommended tracks: If you dream of the long-gone day when blue jeans and varsity jackets and slicked-up hairdos were the stuff that rock ‘n’ roll thrived on alternately celebrating and skewering, Nude Beach is the band that’s going to soundtrack your upcoming fall of football games, beer blasts, and ironic barbecues. Longing for some indeterminate place on the emotional map as you watch another stunning East Coast sunset? “Don’t Have To Try” is your downtempo jam. Looking back on your jaunty, hell-raising, but mostly harmless night out with the boys? “The Endless Night” will have you smiling and strutting until sun-up. Need a frenetic amp up for next week’s first big hurricane-swell session? “Loser In The Game” will get you ready, and serve as the perfect backing track for the week after that’s bangin’ video clip.
East Coast tour dates? Brooklyn on August 29th, and then nothing but the west coast in September — but that’s alright. We’ll happily let Nude Beach show our Cali and Pacific Northwest friends what East coast rock is all about. Stay tuned for updates at www.NudeBeachBand.com/blogspot.com. By Nick McGregor
Nude Beach - Radio by Other Music Recording Co
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ESM Rating: 8/10 |
Listen if you like: Slowdive, Ride, The Wake, Black Tambourine, The Swirlies, Unrest, Jawbox.
First impressions: Mid ‘90s East Coast post-punk meets early ‘90s UK shoegaze.
The nitty-gritty: Nearly 20 years have passed since Washington, DC’s, Lorelei first put out their debut LP, Everyone Must Touch The Stove, on the dream-pop label, Slumberland Records. The band narrowly missed the window of post-punk and shoegaze’s respective heydays and became the unfortunate victims of a twee invasion. Now, after a long hiatus, having disbanded in ‘96, Lorelei has reconvened back in their East Coast stomping grounds, where they’ve emerged with a tighter sounding, albeit dated, Enterprising Sidewalks. It’s only their second full-length, but is still full of impressive guitar work, great hooks, and melodic post-punk with a twinge of math rock and, of course, heavy dosages of dreamy shoegaze. It’s apparent that Lorelei hasn’t missed a beat, as this album sounds like it should have come out shortly after their debut LP. They sound exactly the same, only crisper and slightly more aggressive. Heck, even their cover art looks like it’s straight out of the mid-‘90s. Like looking into a time capsule, it’s fun to see how good these guys were (and still are) at complex song structures and subtle intricacies, which make discovering these guys, at the very least, an entertaining look into the past.
Other recommended tracks: “Hammer Meets Tongs,” “Wound Up,” “Let Go Of Our Ego,” and “Three Interlocking Screens” are the best examples of Lorelei’s capabilities and are the most palatable and catchy tracks on the record.
East Coast tour? They’ve had some dates already this summer on the West Coast and only have one posted for September 23 at the Strathmore Mansion in Maryland. But being East Coast-based, Lorelei is sure to stay busy ‘round these parts later this fall. Stay tuned to www.TextileSounds.com for updates. By Peter Viele
| Lorelei - Hammer Meets Tongs by Slumberland Records |
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ESM Rating: 7/10 |
Listen if you like: Nerdy white-guy hip-hop, The Beastie Boys, sample mutants like Beck, celebratory art-punkers like Japanther, blues, folk, house, R&B, radio rap, and countless variations on all of the above.
First impressions: Although those descriptions might initially turn you off, give this Milwaukee, WI, native a chance. First off, he’s a positive dude; I Don’t Wanna Go Into The Darkness starts off with a sweet little soul-rock riff on “Thunder Jam #5,” on which our man chants “All the kids and everyone/Are searching for a dream.” Second off, there’s more than just hip-hop posturing here — much of Juiceboxxx’s DIY manifesto reminds me of his good friends Japanther, who ply their punk-infused, up-with-people, down-with-authority trade with a laughing sneer and a no-surrender mentality. And when it comes to having tongue-in-cheek fun, “Like A Renegade” points directly back to The Beastie Boys’ simple yet snarky early rap-rock material. And we all know how that party music turned out.
The nitty-gritty: You also can’t help but smile at “Wasted Town,” which combines speedy rhymes from Juiceboxxx with a badass, uptempo, squelching sample. Similarly, things don’t get as direct as “21 On The 101” or “Expressway To The Darkness,” arena-rock riffs, house beats, and punk energy all combining in a disparate but mind-blowing way. Juiceboxxx claims to blur the lines between countless American musical subgenres, and although that might seem overblown to an untrained ear, by the time I Don’t Wanna Go Into The Darkness reaches its end, you’ll be amazed at the fun-loving, ‘80s and ‘90s-inspired path down which you’ve just gone. Even better, Juiceboxxx tells an intensely personal story on I Don’t Wanna Go Into The Darkness, celebrating the high points of his life while also recognizing where the darker moments have brought him. While clichéd moments like “Pump It” might get under your skin, you gotta give the guy credit for pursuing his particular brand of artistry full-throttle.
Other recommended tracks: Musically and lyrically, “Thunder Jam #8” connects its dots with nearly every other song on the album. But the languid rhyming and laid-back instrumentation serve as a great way to say sayonara to summer. Juiceboxxx also deserves big props for somehow channeling everyone from Springsteen to Mellencamp to Eminem on “Like A Hurricane.” And although “The Darkness And The Dream” might seem to be another album retread — how many times can the word “darkness” pop up on this record? — the song actually boasts this record’s freshest rock-inspired beat and Juiceboxxx’s gnarliest flow. Finally, “Never Surrender Forever” is another uplifting electro ditty that fully encapsulates this dude’s life-affirming philosophy. Want to get inspired to do whatever it is you want to do? Listen to Juiceboxxx.
East Coast tour dates? Juiceboxxx just wrapped a quick Midwest/East Coast run, but chances are he’ll be hitting the road hard again soon. Visit www.Juiceboxxx.com for updates and regular editions of the man’s killer Thunder Zone Radio mixtapes. By Nick McGregor
| LIKE A RENEGADE by JUICEBOXXX |
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ESM Rating: 7/10 |
Listen if you like: Cursive, Peter Stampfel, Bears, Said The Whale, Drew Stiles, Little Silver, Joshua Radin.
First impressions: Black Rabbit opened on deaf ears with an immediate dislike coming from the group in my living room. A few minutes later, though, all minds were open and mouths were shut, as it was a classic case of a bad opener followed by a majority rules solid album.
The nitty-gritty: The Hague seems to be living on the border of three time periods. The first of these would be the time when punk saw a fierce shift toward melody and elongated vocals in unison. Most notable in my eyes would be a similarity to the sometimes-contradictory sound of Cursive mixing quick runs on the symbols with Tim Kasher’s vocals moving at a snail’s pace. The second foot of The Hague’s Black Rabbit is firmly rooted in a resurgence of classical instruments fused with contemporary composition. The best parts of this album grow from the multitasking singer/guitarist Shawn Stevens' ability to synch his noise with that of violins. It’s a sound easy to associate with the flair of Arcade Fire and the movement that took place around them just a few years ago. The third time period is one when a band knew just how to feed the emotional monsters living within their fans, even if those monsters do not have the best judgment. I believe this period began with the first sounds man made. Despite the ability to step through time periods, The Hague will not please all. Yet this Portland, OR-based group seems content working up a strong stand with a young audience hoping to retrofit their musical stock.
Other recommended tracks: “An Open Book Conversationalist” is the one that will hook you in or throw you out. After this, the tracks hit stride, with standouts “California” and “Passing Cars” possessing the most substance.
East coast tour dates: Philadelphia tonight, Arlington, VA, on August 24th, Kent, OH, on August 25th, and Rockford, IL, on August 26th. Find out more at www.Facebook.com/TheHaguePDX. By Will Tunstall
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ESM Rating: 4/10 |
Listen if you like: Emo pop-punkers like My Chemical Romance, Coheed & Cambria, or Newfound Glory.
First impressions: Not this shit again. There are few to no redeeming qualities to the genre titled emo. It’s a musical experiment at making the balls-to-the-wall heavy sounds of punk and metal accessible to small children and somewhat dissatisfied teenage girls by substituting whiners for singers.
The nitty-gritty: Unfortunately, Thieves are by most measures an emo band. Sure, the band will tag itself as pop-punk or even hardcore, but don’t be fooled. Vocalist/guitarist Billy Canino leaves the listener without a bit of a doubt as to what’s going on with Achiever. “As a child they told me I would never learn to fly,” he sings in the opening seconds of the album’s title track. These first words set the crybaby tone for the rest of Achiever, a concept album presumably about a kid who wants to fly and so invests in a jetpack… yup. Canino says Achiever is about “facing your demons and admitting that you have room to grow. It’s about learning to truly appreciate the people who make you want to be a better, more honest person, instead of obsessing over the idea that you have something to prove to them, society, and yourself.” Well put me in tears, buddy.
Other recommended tracks: One of the funniest tracks on the eight-song Achiever is “Quarter Life Crisis,” which is exactly what you think it is: someone freaking out because they turned 25. “You’re not grown up or old/Stop living like your story’s already been told,” Canino sings in a slightly less feminine purr that still drips with emo warbling. Left alone, “Quarter Life Crisis” features uninspired but respectable metal instrumentation. Two guitars have at it throughout, charging through core-inspired punk riffs. Thieves gets closest to sounding like an actual heavy music band on “Compassion vs. Contempt,” with instrumentation reminiscent of punk stalwarts Pennywise and Canino manning up a bit. The song also shows that guitarist Chris Skiles knows a thing or two about soloing with melodic runs that go easy on the flash and fit right in.
East Coast tour dates? Decatur, AL, on August 24th, Baton Rouge, LA, on August 25th, San Antonio, TX, on September 1st, and Austin, TX, on September 8th. Find updates at www.Facebook.com/ThievesTX. By Alex Lemonde-Gray
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