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Simian Ghost – Wolf Girl

By Chris Gedos

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Is there anything the Swedes can’t do right? Sexy crime fiction, metaphysical art-house flicks, even paid paternity leave from work when the momma has a child! Simian Ghost’s first single off the forthcoming Youth LP, entitled “Wolf Girl”, is an absolute delight and sure to perpetuate Sweden’s post capitalistic superiority. The crisp production values (#lovethefadein) set the stakes, but the arrangement is solid with lyrics considerably more fluent than those coming from some native Anglophone acts. The music video runs with the trippy, baroque-twee vibe and even throws a pillow fight into the mix. The Sebastian Arnström (of Aerials) project is sure to have many in Sweden thinking spring.

Simian Ghost – Wolf Girl

Simian Ghost sweden (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

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reviewed by
01-16-12

THROWBACK: Josef K – It’s Kinda Funny

Contributed by Chris Gedos

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Hey every band from the past thirty years! Josef K called! They’d like their royalty check now! How fitting that fellow Scots Franz Ferdinand would be indebted right down to a name similarly lifted from the dawn of modernism. It’s impossible to do Kafka justice, but Josef K sure gives it a good shot on their only album, The Only Fun In Town. “It’s Kinda Funny” was recorded, according to frontman Paul Haig, in the shadow of Ian Curtis’s death. It’s one of the few albums from the period which can go toe-to-toe with the Mancunians.

Josef K – It’s Kinda Funny

Josef K scotland (Myspace) (Purchase)

Rating 8.85

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reviewed by
01-16-12

SHOW REVIEW: Voxhaul Broadcast @ The Satellite, Los Angeles 01/11/12

By Chris Gedos; Photos: Jillian Prado

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Voxhaul Broadcast gave their LA legion plenty to shout about on Wednesday night, January 11th, as night #7 of Satellite Nights was a rousing success. It’s quite a thank you from a venue to its patrons to host nine straight nights of free music! And I stayed away from the bar, so it really was a free night, even though all had fun whether they were imbibing or not!

Any doubts I harbored of Voxhaul sinking into the quicksand of anonymity vanished about four measures into their set. They’re a good band prima facie, as they say in the legal profession (upon first glance, literally ‘first face’). Three generations of music snobs could be in a restaurant, hear this band play over Sirius XM and all have the same immediate impression: “This is good shit!” During a brief, approaching half-hour set, the band knocked out “Cheetah” and “Leaving on the 5th”, both from the Timing is Everything LP, along with “Broken Nerve”, from their Between Love and War digital EP. Voxhaul Broadcast’s contrasting styles of bluesy, roots rock and Springsteen-esque indie were in harmony throughout. My only gripe is that it was difficult to move around on Wednesday night, so you’d better get there early when Voxhaul hosts the Satellite residency every Monday in March.

Voxhaul Broadcast – Broken Nerve

Voxhaul Broadcast california (Facebook)

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Rating 8.29

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reviewed by
01-13-12

British Sea Power – A Light Above Descending

By Chris Gedos

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“A Light Above Descending” calls to mind The Decline of British Sea Power, back when “Remember Me” spoke for a sub-generation and band members were getting injured at every other show. I recall with fondness Wayne Coyne’s quote from my old BSP poster: “They’re just a good band. They have trees on stage and they’re doing something really exciting. I wish they’d take more care on stage though. If they carry on like that they’ll injure themselves.” Coyne may very well have been at the Grog Shop with us in 2004, when Yan infamously swung on the rafters from the stage to the soundbooth and back. Maybe the past isn’t a foreign country.

British Sea Power england (Facebook)

Rating 8.5

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reviewed by
01-12-12

SHOW REVIEW! Fidlar at The Smell, L.A. January 10th, 2012

By Chris Gedos

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Testosterone was at max capax Tuesday night for Fidlar at The Smell, on Main St. between 2nd and 3rd in Downtown Los Angeles. Downtown LA, for those of you unfamiliar, is a sort of platform 9 ¾ where one can escape from the rigmarole Hollywood wheel of fortune. One can go to the Smell, soak up the grittiness and easily imagine themselves in Milwaukee, Cleveland, or Rochester, N.Y., discounting the January evening in the high-50’s.The graffiti-laden walls and sawdust floors provide ideal environs for Fidlar, who are first and foremost a punk band.

I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys each drank a couple cans of Monster before their set! To say they played with a fiery intensity would be an understatement. They play louder and more abrasive than on their EP, DIYDUI (great name). But they’re a punk band who can make serious inroads with the indie rock tastemakers. We can all get down with young punks who tip their caps to Iggy and The Stooges. And if you’re a real punk and stuck in suburbia, Fidlar might be a band to change your modus operandi. I can see these guys playing Coachella just as easily as Warped Tour, which is no easy accomplishment.

I nearly saw a fight break out in the mosh. The lead singer’s mic was stolen for thirty seconds. And Fidlar even covered Blink 182’s “Dammit”, a great song whatever your predilections. Vice was on hand to video all the debauchery. Just another night at The Smell for Fidlar.

FIDLAR – Max Can’t Surf

FIDLAR california (Facebook) (Bandcamp)

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Rating: 8.444

brown8

reviewed by
01-12-12

Giraffage – With You

By Chris Gedos

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Charlie Yin, aka Giraffage, drops a stunna’ called “With You”. The mother nature sample may be an homage to Dan Snaith’s discography, or, equally as appetizing, the Donkey Kong Country Soundtrack. The SF based Giraffage is firing on all cylinders right now. Get it while it’s hot.

Giraffage – With You

Giraffage california (Official) (Facebook)

Rating 8.4

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reviewed by
01-09-12

Doug Bleek – Island in the Sky

By Chris Gedos

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Slothbear bassist and multi-instrumentalist Doug Bleek drops a mutha’ of a track with “Island in the Sky”. A hypnotic intro and chord progression, reminiscent of one of those great B-sides from Mavers and The La’s (“Over”and “Endless”, in particular), leads into a sweet vocal more nuanced than “Sleepy Daze”, Bleek’s track from Slothbear’s Canter On EP, which was spun into the ground here @ HQ. Comparisons to Sloan come to mind as well. Bleek’s well versed in the pantheon; that much is certain. Listening to “Island in the Sky”, one is struck with that feeling of a shared history, of having heard the same music, read the same books and lived the same experiences, an increasingly rare thing given 2k12’s hyper-fragmented culture.

Doug Bleek – Island in the Sky

Doug Bleek newyork (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.6

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reviewed by
01-07-12

Tree & Shelf Nunny – This is Separation

By Chris Gedos

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“This is Separation” succeeds on the same formula as Tree’s previous offering, “People” lo-fi ethos, big yet intimate refrains, and very deliberate arrangements with unexpected shifts not unlike symphonic movement transitions. Whether Tree & Shelf Nunny record alone or in collaboration, I’ll be very excited to see if the youthful San Fran artists plop any LPs in 2k12.

Tree & Shelf Nunny – This is Separation

Tree california (Facebook) (Free Download)

Rating 8.2

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reviewed by
01-06-12

THROWBACK: The Serenaders – I’ll Cry Tomorrow

Contributed by Chris Gedos

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It should’ve been your New Year’s Resolution to listen to more Motown – especially when antiquated b-sides by minor artists are so enjoyable, as is the case with “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” by The Serenaders. From January of ’64, the song’s doo-wop proclivities will sound even more outmoded by the time Mary Wells and The Supremes break big with “My Guy” and “Where Did Our Love Go”, respectively, later that year, but the melodramatic intro into a verse underpinned by shala-wala-walas is difficult not to adore. Don’t be fooled by this grainy, lo-fi cut, for it’s a solid performance of a song with infectious structure and arrangement.

The Serenaders – I’ll Cry Tomorrow

The Serenaders newyork (YouTube) (Purchase)

Rating 8.5

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reviewed by
01-02-12

Djidiot – Atale

Contributed by Chris Gedos

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Check out “Atale”, by France-based Norwegian artist Djidiot. What starts out as a minimalist indie loop-de-loop ends up becoming so much more. The song’s early minimalism gains so much more power once Djidiot flexes his classical muscles (Holla at yo etude!) It almost sounds like four or five ditties strung together to make a cohesive whole. This is music designed to take you on a journey. Tres bien.

Djidiot – Atale

Djidiot france (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.4

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reviewed by
12-20-11

Redanda – This Bed Is A Rock

Contributed by Chris Gedos

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Redanda hails from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada’s Steel city. Comparison cities in the US would be Youngstown, Cleveland and Pittsburgh; in England, Manchester. They wear their love for gritty, greasy rock on their blue collars just like b3sci. “This Bed is a Rock” is industrial music because it comes from a city of industry. Frills and accoutrement need not apply. Be sure to check Expanda and Carl, their two EPs from 2011.

Redanda – This Bed Is A Rock

Redanda canada (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
12-14-11