Against Me - New Wave

Oh my. my my my. So there i was, minding my own business at the College of Communication, Information, and Media SuperParty (kind of like a meet-and-greet fair ordeal) when i came to the booth of WCRD 91.3. there was a large box full of cds that said FREE, so naturally i began to shuffle over there. Against Me!'s New Wave was the first cd i saw, sitting atop the rest. Before anyone else could move i snatched it, amazed that it would just be there for the taking. So i took it home with me, put it in my truck, and played it as i went for a drive the next day.

What resulted was this: i have a new favorite album.

I had heard some of this album before, but never got a chance to take and breathe it all in. This band is all about ATTITUDE. so much attitude. the drums are very punchy and never get out of hand in the songs. the guitars, everything - it fits nicely. the vocals are this pumped up yelling that would make aaron weiss crawl into his little humble, homeless world and grow a wimpy garden.

the songs are a good mix of punk riffs and rock emotion. the lyrics go from protesters and war to breaking up to an anthem for a party girl. even if that sounds goofy you will find yourself wrapped up in music that embodies the idea that being in a band like this is not only a total mood lifter, but also that there is still hope for rock n' roll.

Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (vinyl)

I first heard about Grizzly Bear back in March, when i was buying my tickets to see Radiohead in August. Figuring i should listen to this band, as they were opening, i did. I wasn't impressed. In fact, i was pretty bored. I think the song i listened to was from their newest EP, and that's about all i remember. Watching them live, though was pretty good. The drummer had a good style and they seemed like pretty humble guys.

So, a couple weeks ago, i was at the Village Green Record Store shopping for some new tunes, and i came across Yellow House. I was hesitant at first, but the art (or photo, rather) on the packaging is just so fucking cool. It's a stairway and floor of an old house. This house, in fact, is probably one of the two houses that this album was recorded in. One house, in Brooklyn, belong's to one of the guy's Mom, the other, a grandparent's. how cool is that? The record sleeves contain more pictures of these houses. Looking at these pictures, you get a good feel of what the music is going to be like.

It's hard, really, for me to full explain how it all sounds. Besides the guitar/guitar/bass/drums lineup, there are others: banjo, lap steel, xylophone, keyboard, and autoharp, to name a few. The music is reflective of a day in the fall, where the morning is bright and sunny, with leaves breaking from trees. And it also shows those afternoons that are cloudy, cold, and windy. Brooklyn in the Autumn, if you can imagine such a landscape, is what this album encompasses. Someone once said their music was spiritual, but i have a hard time getting that wrapped around my head, but that is just because of my views of music.

One of the record sleeves (as there are actually two vinyls here - each containing three songs on the A & C sides, and two each on the B & D) shows this one long paragraph of words on it - this is the album lyrics. They read like a story. Kind of. Through these lyrics you can get a sense of what this Yellow House is like and what things occur and revolve around it. I think that's an interesting route to go.

A side note: these vinyls are the sizes of 33's, yet play at 45. i listened to this record for about three days at the wrong speed. i kept thinking to myself "this is all really dreamy stuff. and i don't like the guy's deep voice. they didn't sound like this live" and then checked out their myspace and saw the songs were upbeat. then, after some heavy thinking, i changed the speed on my record player and everything sounded good. there's no markings or anything saying what speed to play it at.

This is a very good record that took me by surprise. I will make the stretch and say Radiohead (specifically In Rainbows and Amnesiac), the music/sound of Sufjan Steven's Seven Swans, and the general mood that Bon Iver gives off is a good representation of things you can flesh out in Yellow House. It's worth buying.

note: this album does not come with a digital download.

The Mae Shi - HLLLYH

You know, sometimes a band comes out of nowhere into your life and then you wonder how you ever got along without them. This is the case lately with The Mae Shi and me.

I saw them last year with Aaron and Luke at the Launching Pad at Aaron's recommendation. what ensued was one of the best live shows ever. songs kick in along with flashing christmas lights, dudes strip down to their boxers and change into white jump suits, and people are flailing about. so much energy and fun. ever since i have always wanted to buy this cd, better never got around to doing it. until last week.

The Mae Shi is a unique, quirky, electric, punk band. i believe they use a suzuki Q Chord. they use gang vocals like it's nobody's business. they are some of the forefathers of LA's The Smell, home to such bands as No Age and Abe Vigoda. Unfortunately i don't think these guys get as much recognition as the should. If you're familiar with Totally Michael, think about him on cocaine. oh, and punk rock!

The only downside of this album is an 11 minute song. yowza! but along the way you will find tunes about the apocalypse, big hearted-love, and anything in between. these guys are just fun. they're raw and they enjoy themsevles. Think about a better sounding, less serious Blood Brothers. with about 14 songs and 46 minutes worth of tunage, you are bound to find something enjoyable. this track shows some of their catchiness and rock at the same time.