Spring Singles Spectacular 2006

by Treble Staff

04.23.2006





What we could have done: offer our opinions on whatever songs are playing on the radio at the moment.

What we did instead: the usual—go over the best extended play singles of recent months, and tell you why they're worth hearing. We've gotten a few notable short-players in our mailbox that we want to share with you, so have a look. Besides, you already know what "Crazy" sounds like anyway.

Amandine - Leave Out the Sad Parts EP (Fat Cat)

Usually, EPs are a preview of an upcoming album release, but in the case of Sweden's resident folksters Amandine, Leave Out the Sad Parts is somewhat a footnote to the band's debut album, This is Where Our Hearts Collide. In actuality, the EP was meant to be a US only introduction to the band before they began their stateside tour, spent with the Fruit Bats. This EP couldn't be any more inaptly named as the music of Amandine is the kind of wistful and melancholy new folk that has seen a resurgence in recent years.

Only "Firefly" is reprised from the full-length, followed by four unreleased tracks that make the EP a worthwhile purchase for fans. Again, just as last time around, Amandine's songs are like Neil Young backed by the Cowboy Junkies and just slightly sleepy from a long hard day of drinking away one's sorrows. It's like Snow Patrol on a valium-and-whiskey cocktail diet. Chances are, if you don't like them, your girlfriend will.

Similar Albums: Amandine- This is Where Our Hearts Collide, Cowboy Junkies- The Trinity Sessions, Iron & Wine- The Sea & the Rhythm EP - Terrance Terich

The Late Cord - Lights from the Wheelhouse (4AD)

You could call The Late Cord something of a super duo, but it's a pairing that has occurred in past recordings. Micah P. Hinson's The Gospel of Progress featured backing by Texas psychedelic wonder band The Earlies, in which John-Mark Lapham plays. So hearing that Lapham and Hinson are collaborating again doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it's still good news, as the two inevitably make some amazing melodic bliss together. As the Late Cord, Hinson and Lapham abandon their respective projects' sounds to some degree, emerging with something less folky or psychedelic, respectively, instead creating a bleak, yet comforting sound from the barest of elements.

The Late Cord's debut mini-album Lights From the Wheelhouse begins with the droning sounds of "Lila Blue," a harmonium-pumping dirge that approximates Neutral Milk Hotel playing a funeral procession. "The Late Cord," which follows, is a much more ambient and spacious track, Hinson's voice floating amongst drones that sound as if being cast down from a chiming campanile upon a dismal village below. The weeping strings on "Chains/Strings" only further the already saturnine and murky quality of the record, while the fittingly titled "My Most Meaningful Relationships Are With Dead People" is a stark and haunting elegy.

Hinson and Lapham are on to something unique with The Late Cord, tapping into a darker side of pop music balladry that may not be as immediately accessible as their previous work, but no less finely crafted. An entire album of this ilk could prove emotionally exhausting, but the sheer beauty of the songs is reward enough for enduring.

Similar Recordings: Micah P. Hinson - The Gospel of Progress, Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life, Lisa Germano - Slide - Jeff Terich

The Upwelling - The Upwelling EP (AMG Records)

The do-it-yourself ethos has certainly swept up musically minded individuals in the past few years. Bands like The Arcade Fire, whose debut was recorded in lead singer Win Butler's apartment, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, indie-darlings whose self-released debut was among my top ten of last year, are the first that come to mind. Brooklyn-based The Upwelling, brothers Ari and Josh Ingber and Conor Heffernan, are the latest such band to stare straight back into the face of Corporate Media with the release of their self-recorded EP.

This EP plays more like a sweeping, 17-minute song rather than five separate tracks. Right away it had me thinking Dark Side Of The Moon, and it wouldn't be the last time I'd reminisce "The Floyd" while listening. The electronic tinkering and grandiose compositions of The Upwelling most notably encompasses a pastiche of '70s psychedelic rock. "Ladder 104," with its reverberating keyboard and acoustic guitar intro, could be an outtake from Wish You Were Here. Ingber's whispered vocals that eventually build into a towering crescendo of, "Can everybody breathe? / Is everyone okay?" leaves the listener shuddering with a sense of urgency.

But the EP is not all stoner-rock. The anthemic chorus of "American Night" fits more comfortably into the realm of Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. And the discordant guitar riffs that open "Murdered By A Big Bomb" is more My Chemical Romance-y than I care to think about. Which is not to say that the EP doesn't maintain a certain cohesion, but the Ingber brothers would be wise to steer clear of the modern "rock(?)" tendencies of bands like Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard that are currently polluting popular radio waves.

When they recall Pink Floyd (and even modern psych-rock bands like Seattle's Voyager One), The Upwelling's EP flickers with brilliance, but when they remind of the top-40 music masquerading as rock on MTV, they start to lose their stride. Like their name alludes, The Upwelling should have no problem rising up in the ranks of the music industry. As long as they stick their Floydian aspirations and avoid the pitfalls of the MTV crowd, they'll be well on their way to a great full-length.

Similar Albums: Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon, Voyager One - Dissolver, Jimmy Eat World - Clarity - Mars Simpson

La Rocca - Sing Song Sung EP (Dangerbird)

Michael Penn once said (and I'm paraphrasing) that we really only have a musical attention span of about twenty minutes, making an EP, or one side of a vinyl album, the perfect slice of listening pleasure. His point was that CDs ruined that perfect harmony, but he could have also been championing the EP. One that deserves championing is the recording debut of La Rocca. If Conor Oberst or Paul Westerberg fronted the E Street Band, they might sound something like La Rocca. This Irish quartet recently relocated to Los Angeles in order to work with hot producer Tony Hoffer who has helmed albums by the likes of Beck and Supergrass. This relationship then in turn landed them a label in Dangerbird. After hearing their preview EP, Sing Song Sung, the precursor to their upcoming debut album, The Truth, it's obvious that they've got game.

The EP's title track is pure pogo-inducing fun while "Sketches (20 Something Life)" is like the iPod age version of Springsteen's "Born to Run." "Home" recalls some of the best from the Replacements while "Cambodia" is a rousing pub sing-along anthem. Both of these songs are live favorites that La Rocca chose to complement the two album tracks. More often than not, EPs tend to have a couple of decent tracks, but Sing Song Sung is a four song powerhouse achievement.

Similar Albums: Bruce Springsteen- Born to
Run, The Replacements- Don't Tell a Soul, The Hold Steady- Separation Sunday - Terrance Terich

Mystery Jets - Mystery Jets EP (679)

Across the pond, the word that's been unnecessarily tacked on to reviews of Eel Pie Island's Mystery Jets is "prog." Certainly, they're talented musicians and, sure, they can play music that's unquestionably more interesting than slapping together three chords and a catchy chorus. Hell, they even sound "complex" at times, if you really want to get down to it. But prog? I'm not so sure.

The Mystery Jets' debut US EP (a sort of compilation of singles and assorted tracks) seems a little too accessible, too pop-oriented to truly be prog. I suppose there are elements of '70s art rock, particularly on a mystical druid romp such as "The Tale," though even then I'm reminded as much of The Beta Band as I am of Genesis. But the first track "You Can't Fool Me Dennis", which appears on their new UK full-length Making Dens, is a leaner, British pop single more fit for play alongside Maxïmo Park and British Sea Power. It's the hit here, though it could be the only one, as the rest of the bunch don't quite have the hooks, which makes it stand out that much more.

Meanwhile, "Zootime," now that I think about it, does have some prog sensibilities, stretching out into an atmospheric, psychedelic epic. It's lengthy and heavy on the Crimson-isms, but rocks regardless. "Lizzie's Lion," despite its odd time signatures, actually sounds a little like Franz Ferdinand, yet again moving away from the longer, trippier songs, and sticking to the more accessible stuff. The Mystery Jets are a hard band to pin down, but that's part of the charm. An EP this exciting and surprising can only lead to an even more intriguing full-length.

Similar Recordings: Mercury Rev - See You on the Other Side, Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Barafundle

Rock Kills Kid - Rock Kills Kid Teaser EP (Reprise)

As we enter into the second half of the first decade of the twenty-first century, there seem to be more bands, labels and musical styles than ever. Of course, it always seems that particular styles get recycled every so often, and the genre du jour is new wave post-punk. The market can only bear a few mediocre bands past the small quota of good ones in any particular distinctive style. Luckily for Rock Kills Kid, the Los Angeles based quintet, there was just barely enough room left at the inn.

Jeff Tucker's rags-to-riches story is almost enough to steal the thunder from the band's music, having secretly lived in a recording studio under his old label's nose. Dude used to shower with BabyWipes for criminy's sake! But the songs on this preview for their upcoming album, Are You Nervous? are new wave romanticism done right. With a little bit of U2 flavor backing the Modern English vibe of the infectious single, "Hide Away," Rock Kills Kid is destined for repeated airplay. The album's title track, plus "Paralyzed" and the anthemic "Raise Your Hands" are all worthy album tracks, meaning that if the rest of Are You Nervous? is this catchy, we're in for an entertaining, if not unique, treat.

Similar Albums: Modern English- After the Snow, U2- Wide Awake in America EP, The Killers- Hot FussTerrance Terich

Stevedore - Almost Beautiful (Hard Work)

Let's step back in time for a brief moment, back to the early '80s. Punk had just crested, while new wave took the spotlight. Leather jackets were traded in for skinny ties, and bands got rid of drums in place of machines that made the beats for them. Depeche Mode and New Order were powerful forces, while Stevedore got shunted through a time warp into our modern day. Listening closely to the newest release from this Oklahoma based trio, I was certain that they were an '80s group I'd never heard of. It came as a joy to find out this wasn't the case. This 'dated' sound is arguably one of the main strengths of Stevedore, along with catchy and sing along lyrics.

What I mean by their 'dated' sound is that it is reminiscent of very early new wave bands, particularly the two I previously mentioned. The result is a peppy and poppy, uptempo four song set on Almost Beautiful. Synthesized beats essentially take a backseat to the singing, merely providing the ground for them to run on. The real strength is in the vocals, especially in the choruses. Each song eventually has moments where the group comes together for a gang chorus, and I found it impossible not to sing along.

The second track, "Tiny Thoughts" is a standout example of Stevedore's creativity. They take the clichéd subject of rejection and spin into an ode to snipers, grenades and leveling towns. The synth melody fits very well with the tone of the vocals, including a well done group chant in the background. Overall, the lyrical style is tight with only the occasional awkward line. Rather, the lyrics are consistently witty and intelligent, as "Tiny Thoughts" shows. I can't say anything negative about this release, except that the monologues in the final song, "We Are Stevedore" can be jarring. Otherwise, I give a hearty recommendation of Steverdore, especially to fans of any of the bands mentioned below.

Similar Albums: Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell, New Order - Substance, Pet Shop Boys - Please - Dean Steckel


The Grates - The Ouch. The Touch (Cherry Tree)

I could state the obvious, that the Grates' sound is "grating." In fact, I just did. But that's not necessarily grating in a bad way. One hardly thinks of jagged and irritating as a good quality, but in a band, an extra little bit of abrasion doesn't hurt. The Grates have that, packing their debut EP with as much sourness as there is sweetness. From a band that started during a night of Disney karaoke comes a release, just shy of ten minutes, with as many hooks as there are jabs.

One might be inclined to call the Grates the Australian Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and it's possible that somebody has already, though I haven't heard it myself. It is, however, quite apparent in their rowdy minimal punk songs, comprised only of guitar, drums and super-sassy vocals courtesy of Patience Hodgson, who sounds like more cartoonish version of Karen O. Alternately cute and menacing, the band trades vicious breakdowns for sweet melodies every couple seconds on opening track "Message," while playing it fairly straightforward on "Sukkafish" and rocking out raw and fuzzy on "Trampoline." Did I also mention this came out a really long time ago? With a new full-length on the way, it doesn't hurt revisiting.

Similar Recordings: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Machine, Be Your Own Pet - Damn Damn Leash, The White Stripes – "Fell in Love With a Girl" – Jeff Terich