Long Trees - Drifting EP

Long Trees -

“Drifting EP”

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Lead by the duo of Rafael Attias and Dan Wright, Long Trees is a Providence-based alt. country band with slowcore overtones, giving fans of both genres plenty to enjoy.

Basking in slowcore/alt. country perfection, "Drifting" is a sparsely produced and orchestrated masterpiece. With a clean, minimalist guitar line, brushstroke drumbeat, and warm male vocal, it is the strongest track here. While none of the other tracks quite reach the height of its subtle beauty, "Jenny" is good skipping country rock in the vein of Wilco's AM. "Prez" is glacial psych rock, and "You Keep On Singing My Songs" waltzes along like prime mid-'70s Grateful Dead. A must have for fans of Lunapark (or Pup Tent)-era Luna, Codeine, or any of the aforementioned bands, Long Trees puts together a solid EP that is worth more than a cursory listen.

https://longtrees.bandcamp.com/album/drifting-ep

Self-Released/2016

Dinosaur Jr. -

“Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not”

By

Jesse E. Mullen

(Image: Dinosaur Jr./Jagjaguwar)

Note: I wanted to shake up the style of this review a bit. Consequently, it’s a bit bottom-heavy compared to what I normally write. (Yes, I am critiquing my critique.)

The original Dinosaur Jr. trio of J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph have done it again, with Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not, another masterpiece to go alongside You’re Living All Over Me, Bug, and 2007's excellent reunion record, Beyond as well as the albums featuring mostly J. doing his own thing (Green Mind, Where You Been, Hand It Over.) The songs focus on more of the mellow side of the band, with a good balance of loose jamming, and tight chemistry between the members (especially bassist Lou Barlow and Drummer/Drum performer Murph.) John Agnello’s crystal clear mix gives the songs a multi-dimensional feel, while still maintaining a live edge. Unlike the previous album I Bet On Sky, which had a sound based on keyboards, and meandering grooves, Give A Glimpse returns to the jangly, folkier song structures that give it the perfect sound for lazy summer afternoons, but also the loud guitars, and heavier sounds making it perfect for running up a mountain to. Standout tracks include the instantly catchy, rough but melodic "Tiny," the dark, minor key fingerpicked blues style track "Be A Part," the folky "Blowin' It" sequel "I Told Everyone" (it uses a similar riff, with a different rhythm figure, but I digress.), Lou's excellent folk ballad "Love Is..," The heaviest tune on the album "I Walk For Miles" with a pounding drumbeat, and mid-tempo off kilter riff, proving that J. Mascis is still the master of the guitar, all the while writing excellent drum beats. Rounding out the list of highlights are the wistful jangle-folk song "Lost All Day," which reaches a meditative state at the end with it's soothing repetition of the verse, and the slow, soft "Knocked Around" which has a quiet, mindful melody similar to Bob Dylan's "Most of the Time," until halfway through when it "ends," followed by it rapidly speeding up, and ending with one of J.'s signature solos. That, folks, is how it's done. I realize I've named over half of the album as highlights here, and there's a good reason for that; the entire thing is near perfection, and choosing highlights was nearly impossible. Buy it as soon as possible. I've already bought it on three different formats. Dedication, or craziness? You decide

 

 

Jagjaguwar/2016

Song Review:

Lush - Out Of Control

By

Jesse E. Mullen

Lush, the popular shoegazing group formed in 1987 in Camden Town, London are back, following a 20 year break up, after the untimely death of drummer Chris Acland. They have announced a UK/US tour, and have a brand new EP out April 15th, the first single of which, "Out of Control" is nothing short of astounding. Emma Anderson’s swirling, heavily delayed guitar is instantly recognizable like none other, and when Miki Berenyi’s wise, comforting voice comes in, shoegazers the world over no doubt tear up.

The great thing about "Out of Control" is that it takes the lyrical themes of "Lit Up" (one of Anderson's classic compositions), and updates them from the perspective of a parent. Part of what makes Anderson’s songs with Lush so emotionally moving to so many, is that she writes lyrics that are incredibly relatable for those who are on the fringes, or feel like an outsider. She seems to empathize with the listener in a way that few artists attempt to, particularly towards young people finding their way in life. And Berenyi’s great strength, besides her own more acerbic style of songwriting wit, is to take Emma’s songs and give them breathtaking vocal performances. Out of Control has all the hallmarks of classic Lush, yet it also sounds like a song that the band couldn’t have made the first time around. The song seems to be passing on a wisdom, that only comes with age, and can’t fully be understood until one reaches that point. There is also a sense of mortality that hangs in the air, and an understanding that life can be short. Out of Control is deeply moving, and will no doubt whip the next generation of guitar bands back into shape.

Edamame/2016

Chvrches - “Leave A Trace” Lyric video + Pre-Order Link

By

Jesse Mullen

Scottish Synthpop trio Chvrches have announced their new album, Every Eye Open, and have shared a lyric video for the first single from it, “Leave A Trace.”

It begins with an Icy synth line, and a surprisingly harrowing vocal from Lauren Mayberry, before leading into its chorus, where Mayberry’s traditionally bell-clear, yet frosty voice comes in to play. Lyrically and tonally, I was given a stronger reminder of “Your Silent Face” by New Order from the Power Corruption and Lies album, which coincidentally has quite similar artwork.

Listen here for yourself here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZRxFsMD4UM

And Pre-order Every Eye Open, which comes out September 25th on Glassnote records, here:

http://www.chvrch.es/

Stream/Download Wilco’s new album,

Star Wars, For Free

By

Jesse Mullen

I can honestly say that I wasn't expecting much, when I heard that this album would be available free of charge. But I couldn't have been more wrong.

With Star Wars, Wilco have captured the steamy summer evenings of Yo La Tengo, the abstract guitar sounds of Sonic Youth, and the concise pop of latter-day Beatles. All while maintaining true to themselves. Nels Cline is given a chance to shine on the experimental "You Satellite" and the ripping "Random Noise Generator." I'm certain that this album will continue to untangle itself in my head in the coming days, but in the meantime, just sit back and enjoy. What have you got to lose, besides half an hour of your time?

 Listen here:

 
https://youtu.be/9n36fehFSiA




And Download, in exchange for an email, here:



 http://wilcoworld.net/

4Knots Festival 2015 Review (New York, NY)

By

Jesse Mullen

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to have attended New York City's 4Knots Festival at Pier 84. Here are my short (from one sentence to a paragraph) recollections of the day's performers in the order that they appeared onstage, starting with Happyness, and culminating with Super Furry Animals. I did not include set times or setlists, but both should be easily accessible, and I will link them when they become available, in an amended version of this article marked as such.

Happyness - Versatile Noise Pop trio from London, their sound is in almost equal parts Sonic Youth and Pavement. (The first song reminded me of "The Empty Page," with it's riff and vocal melody being very similar to that song.)

Screaming Females - Marissa  Paternoster is still one of the greatest to ever shred the guitar. And this group is still one of the most engaging live acts you will see. A set filled with tracks from new album "Rose Mountain," an unexpected highlight was "It All Means Nothing" from their 2012 album Ugly.

Mikal Cronin - A nice expansion of the sounds we heard on MCII. The new songs on MCIII had an even more Ty Segall feel live. (Fitting considering he is the bass player for his live group)

Twin Peaks - At first their sound was too brutish for my taste. But they won me over with their tight playing in the end.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - excellent show. While Malkmus is obviously the star, these veterans sound incredible together, and every member is irreplaceable. A stunning, tear jerking version of "Freeze The Saints" was only given a lighter touch when Malkmus spoke up to Mike Clark during the piano interlude. "You're stepping on me, man. I love you, but you're stepping on my foot."

Ah, Malky. You never disappoint.

Super Furry Animals - stunning set, from the Cardiff group. The new found live effects show that they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Though the entire set was a spectacle to behold, things got especially intimate when Gruff Rhys requested that the audience wave to a ship that was passing by. Nearly everyone in attendance complied, and the act gave the spectators a communal feeling; we were no longer individuals. We were a part of something greater than ourselves. Thank you Gruff.

Penultimate track "Mountain People" was an obvious highlight, with an extended sequenced bass loop at the end, as well as “Run Christian, Run,” which was given a trance like status, with it’s lucid backing vocals from guitarist Huw Bunford. The classic "The Man Don't Give A Fuck" was jammed out to nearly fourteen minutes, with an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

*4Knots has been running for five years now. It was previously held for free at South Street Seaport in the financial district, but this was the first paid year of the festival.

**I arrived late and missed the first two acts. This review includes everything after those bands/artists

Happyness (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Screaming Females (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Mikal Cronin (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Twin Peaks (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks Pre-Set huddle (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

“Mountain People” Super Furry Animals (Photograph © Jesse Mullen 2015)

“We Can’t Be Silent No More.”

And The Kids Branch Out Live,

With New Bass Player In Tow

By

Jesse Mullen

And The Kids 06/12/15,Gateway City Arts Center, Holyoke, MA

When And The Kids played the Columbus theater, in Providence this March, I thought they were a good band with potential. When they performed at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke last night, I thought they were an impeccable band, who had realized that potential. Part of this can be credited to new bass player Taliana. Not content at merely holding down the low end, she also filled the role of a sort of hybrid between rhythm guitar, and traditional basslines, without merely getting by on walking lines, or dub-style, a true rarity in modern indie. This makes for an interesting dynamic between her and Hannah (Vox, Gtr.), and her and Rebecca (Drums, vox); she's woven in and out of Hannah's melodies, while locking in firmly with Rebecca's hi-hat-heavy sticksmanship. She is the glue between Hannah and Rebecca, that they've been missing since their estranged keyboardist Megan was deported last December.

They've found their Doug Yule. (Bassist who was abruptly added to the Velvets, and changed their entire group dynamic, in my opinion, for the better.) I sincerely hope that, upon Megan’s return, they become a quartet. They're too good with Taliana not to be.

They've also tightened up tremendously as a unit, while still allowing the songs to breathe, and take shape in the live environment. Even a "bicycle" stunt between Hannah and Tiliana towards the set's end couldn't slow them down. (They laid on their backs facing each other, and peddled against each other's feet, while finishing the song without missing a beat. Gary Young, the eccentric drummer from Pavement would proud.) Hannah and Taliana occasionally swapped vocals as well, with Hannah’s higher range being complemented nicely by Taliana’s slightly lower voice.

Rebecca, and Megan, who was there in spirit.

They played many of their signature songs (no pun intended) off of their long awaited debut from earlier in the year, including "Cats Were Born," and longtime fan favorite "Wiser," which had the entire crowd dancing in one big swaying motion. They always had chemistry, but the songs felt bigger than before in the live space, making me wish that they would record their next album in front of an audience. My one regret from this eye opening show, was that I had forgone any form of glitter cosmetics, before attending. An excellent performance by a now excellent band. And to think I once thought they were just "good."

“Makin’ money,but you make no sense..” Hannah and Taliana switch sides for the middle eight of "Wiser"