With songs about trolls, tigers, bullfighters, Egyptians, tropical birds and coyotes, it’s clear that Miniature Tigers aren’t taking this stuff too seriously. That’s not to say that these guys aren’t good musicians – they definitely are. But on their second LP Fortress, the Brooklyn via Phoenix quartet is truly focused on entertainment.
Incredibly playful tracks designed with a back-to-basics sensibility are what keep this record enjoyable. Jangled guitars and harmonic vocal choruses give this album a depth that keeps it out of the kitsch category.
Combining with members of Neon Indian and the Morning Benders, Miniature Tigers recorded the album at Dreamland Studios in upstate New York to ensure the weirdness was not lost in some massive corporate sound stage. The result is a lighthearted and enjoyable mix of future alternative rock.
Growing up in a very small town in Texas, I had to take musical shelter in the only place I could find it – a public radio station on the far left hand side of the dial called KNON. It was the early 80’s and I remember hearing R.E.M., Sex Pistols, Joy Division and a ton more for the very first time and thinking “this is what it’s supposed to sign like.”
Fast-forward almost 30 years and I’m feeling like a kid again. On their latest album Twin Hand Movement, Baltimore based Lower Dens deliver a raw and very powerful ode to a time of Alt-Rock and a spirit of adventurism. 80’s flavored for sure, this record is filled with longing, the search for redemption and the quest for fulfilled dreams and promises.
Lead singer Jana Hunter’s voice glides effortless across the muted tones of guitars and drums and lands perfectly in the heart of the unknown. And these kids are content to stay there – In the perfect world of a “post-urban porthole.”
To label this as only a “pop” record would be unfair. This is pop, house, electro and disco-glam all combined in to one campy cup of perfection. Non-Stop, the second solo album from Erasure front man Andy Bell, illustrates his on-going love affair with the nightlife and club culture in general.
Occupying the same music space currently reserved for artists like Laroux, Robyn and Kylie Minogue, Bell shows his veteran chops are still as relevant as they ever were. With production from Pascal Gabriel (Ladyhawke, Little Boots), Non-Stop is a record that is sure to keep hips wiggling and butts jiggling.
With cameos from Perry Farrell (Janes Addiction) and Vince Clarke (Erasure), Andy not only shows his diversity, but his sense for exactly what it takes to make a brilliant record – collaboration, class and did I mention camp?
Described as “pop psychedelia,” and inspired by bands like Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear, Chicago’s very own Light Pollution conjure up whimsical sounds and elaborate arrangements all designed to rustle the spirit and stimulate the soul.
On their debut album Apparitions, plucked keys, bashed bells and slapped tambourines all combine to form a sound unique to the band but altogether familiar to the listener.
With their driving rhythms and lush orchestration, Light Pollution have ensured the only phantasmal about Apparitions is the empty feeling you’ll have when you stop listening to it.
Open with a cinematic wash of sounds and samples. Pick up the pace a bit with a strong synth pattern and an accompanying guitar riff. Peak with a pulsing bassline and tribal percussion, then kill them softly with a five-minute lesson in the Swedish language accompanied by symphonic melodies.
May sound strange, but Swedish sound maker Eric Berglund has created just that. On his first album under the ceo moniker, Berglund imparts on the listener an electro-pop package of scattered beats, bouncy tracks and effect heavy productions that could only come from the land of Dolf Lundgren.
Heavy in concept but light in production value, White Magic makes up for what it lacks in length, with opulent beauty.
In New York there were two simultaneous screenings of the film - one by Morgan Spurlock for about the same number of people - and one by the woostercollective. We were invited by Marc and Sara and Marc was so secretive about the film prior to it that he couldn’t even divulge where the screening was to held until we actually got the invites! So we figured something cool was going to happen. Only 99 guests were invited to our screening. The guests included celebrities, artists, weirdo’s and some really cool people. In the words of Marc - “it was like a very interesting dinner party.”
So, some of you might know of an artist that people have accused of “ripping off Banksy,” who recently had a series of shows in LA and NYC. I can’t tell you any more than this: the film might have something to do with something or someone that those shows involve. We really cannot say any more than that. You guys will have to check it out for yourselves.
Be warned, in true Banksy style, the first 10 or so minutes are a bit disorienting, and I think it was done deliberately. You’ll see what I mean when you see the film. I highly, highly recommend that you see it on the big screen.
Here is the synopsis from Banksy’s spokespeople:
OPENS IN CINEMAS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES BEGINNING APRIL 16TH
For Exact Theaters And Showtimes Check The Official Website: http://www.banksyfilm.com
Exit Through the Gift Shop, the first film by renowned graffiti artist Banksy, became the hottest ticket at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival where it made its world debut. Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post—hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film. Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the incredible true story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner with spectacular results. The film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader and many of the worlds most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview. As Banksy describes it, Its basically the story of how one man set out to film the un—filmable. And failed
Hailing from Los Angeles, California, the dynamic duo behind the band KISSES proves that not only does disco NOT suck, it actually kicks ass! On their debut album The Heart of the Nightlife, band members Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson have strung together a 9-track masterpiece of feel-good, melodic perfection.
A modern interpretation of a golden age, KISSES has set out to deliver “a subconscious embrace of simple emotions and sentimentality.” The clean drum lines and pre-programmed instrumentation are perfectly crafted around the vocal harmonies of Kivel and Edmundson, all culminating in a synth-laden, guitar-plucked treasure.
If the world was ever in need of a disco resurrection, I’d say the time was exactly NOW!
Recording their first tracks in 1989, Black Tambourine are the most influential band you’ve probably never heard of. With influences and comparisons as diverse as Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and Phil Spector, Black Tambourine is a seminal re-issue revised to include four never released tracks.
Clamorous sounds, distorted guitars and more feedback than almost bearable at times, this “greatest hits on steroids” smacks the listener in the face from the very first track on the record and doesn’t let up until the 16th song has played.
The hollow vocal delivery of Pam Berry is juxtaposed flawlessly and nestled in perfectly with what is ultimately 40 plus minutes of gobsmack!
Referred to once as “descendents of The Beach Boys and The Mamas And The Papas,” San Francisco’s The Morning Benders have created a sound that is uniquely their own.
Recently signed to Rough Trade Records, Big Echo was produced by band front man Chris Chu and Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor. And the sound is exactly what you would expect – cinematic pop with a retro twist. Jangly guitars, floating basslines and uncomplicated percussion all add up to an effortless amalgamation of peerless pop.
In what sounds like a middle school note secretly passed to a best friend in science class, the lyrical stylings of Austin’s Yellow Fever offer a simple take on some of the world’s most pressing issues like ex-boyfriends, secret crushes and cats and rats!
The beauty is in the simplicity here. Infectious three chord progressions matched with a snare drum and the occasional keyboard help to create it’s understated attraction.
Issue 23 The Collectors