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Turnover: sweet ear treats

Felipe — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:00:25 +0000

2016 might be their year. One convert at a time, Turnover is becoming a band that whoever listens, keeps listening. A super great break out album, Peripheral Vision. Adoration by genre-crossing fans. Sharp and resonant lyrics. An easy going vibe conducive to repeat listens. And a great label full of killer up-and-coming bands: Run For Cover Records (Pinegrove, The Sun Days, Pity Sex). They are currently on a Europe and UK tour with four previously shared FSL bands: Moose Blood, PUP, and Boston Manor (sweet new tunes out recently). Without terrible success their first few years of existence, and nonstop touring taking its toll, the band decided if something didn’t change, they’d cut back and make this more of a “hobby-based thing.” That allowed them to take some risks (if you can call it that) and make some changes to their sound, just do whatever they wanted without the fear established bands have of pissing off their fan-base (as reported from last night’s Cymbals Eat Guitars show in Brooklyn). The risks have paid off, and this year “has definitely been the coolest and best year,” taking them to Europe, Japan and Australia. The real question now becomes, so what’s next? Do they take more risks and mix it up again? Hang tight to what’s paying the bills? People hate on bands selling out, but usually selling out goes hand in hand with gettin’ paid son ($$)… so who are we corporate sell outs to judge?

Speaking of hanging on to things, here’s an older track from a few years back. The EP came about when they mixed up their lineup and brought Eric Soucy in for guitar and back up vocals, initiating the transformation to their current sound. This song’s about the fallout with that person you kinda hung on to, who was always around, but never “the” person. You never meant to hurt anyone, or yourself. You both knew the deal. Still didn’t change the way things ended up.

Feli Says Listen to Peripheral Vision on repeat

Get Lost in the Pinegrove

Felipe — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:49:28 +0000

Some folks are labeling the Montclair, NJ (mostly) 8-piece band, Pinegrove, as alt-country. I don’t think that’s terribly fair, but then again, labeling things is hard to do well. We as Americans love to label (#LTL). It’s one of our favorite past times. Dr. Remen at UCSF states that “labeling sets up an expectation of life that is often so compelling we can no longer see things as they really are“ and “a label is an attempt to assert control and manage uncertainty.” Hmmm… so we label things to exert control, and so we don’t have to “think” anymore. Verrrrry interesting Doctor. Very interesting indeed. So if I told you that Pinegrove’s great debut LP is alt-country, you’d probably go in to with some sort of expected parameters that would be different that if I told you it was midwestern-indie-emo, or folksy, or introspective art-rock. Maybe we should just stop labeling people/music/religions and let people experience things for themselves and make up their own minds (but then how will I #hashtag!? ugh…). Most things in life are more complex than one or two labels. Then again, these links of amazing label faux pas makes them fun again (here & here). Back to Pinegrove, their new album is really good and really chill. It’s good for work, for home, for walking. But that’s just my opinion. Think what you like.

“[Labeling] may allow us the security and comfort of a mental closure and encourage us not to think about things again. But life is known only by those who have found a way to be comfortable with change and the unknown. Given the nature of life, there may be no security, but only adventure.” #labels #amirite? #pleaseagree

Feli Listens to this

If you Can’t Swim, then don’t. Or learn. Whatever.

Felipe — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:00:33 +0000

The term “punk rock” really doesn’t mean anything specific anymore. AS IT IS, those words tend to be an easy way to encompass what is now a vast array of sounds and subject matter. People who aren’t Neck Deep in the scene tend to shy away (and immediately push away) from anything with that label, since, by definition, the genre is non mainstream, or “OMG what a throwback! I listened to that kinda music in high school… You still listen to that? I’m super grown up now and listen to Beck and Mumford & Sons while on Molly at Coachella.” Well these days are the Best Years to be in the (pop) punk world. Lots a really catchy super fun music. Some dark, some uplifting and happy. All just great tunes. And if anyone has come with me to a punk show, you’d know that punk fans are hands down the most friendly and welcoming of any genre show. You can go to just about any punk show alone, make Real Friends for 2 hours, then take off never to see them again. It’s legit. A welcome addition to The American Scene. The newest entrant, and a welcome one at that, is Can’t Swim. A Jersey quad recently signed to Pure Noise Records (blending punk, indie, alt, and post-hardcore) and debuted their first EP a few days ago: sweet song structures, and some serious raging bubbling beneath the surface. The Forecast for Can’t Swim is looking like Fireworks (had to get two more in). Meow.

Feli’s getting back to his roots

Boston Manor: (London) Underground no Longer

Felipe — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 15:48:43 +0000

Confusingly not from Boston but Blackpool, Boston Manor are also not named after the London tube station in Ealing, but just a working song title they stole from a friend’s band (not as cool). This quintet is another welcome addition to the sweet UK rock scene dominating the genre these days, so much so that they got snatched up by Cali-based outfit, Pure Noise Records, who are repping a bunch of cool up-and-coming youngsters. Their recent EP is pretty sweet. They’d been listening to a lot of Thrice and Brand New, so that’s why it sounds so good (case you were wondering). To any of you out there looking to start a band, the three tips [when asked] from Boston Manor are: 1) play shows, 2) write as much as you can, and 3) “don’t be an arsehole.” Good life lessons to live by: go DO stuff, and don’t be a jerk.

Feli DID Say he’d bring backthe dark tunes

Fill your lexicon with Beach Slang

Felipe — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 14:30:40 +0000

If you’re in a rut for some new Japandroids (they basically just don’t make albums because they’ve admitted, “we stink at our instruments so it takes us a long time to make stuff“) or perhaps some old school early 90’s Goo Goo Dolls, fear no more, Beach Slang is out with a new album, and their first full length, last week, “The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us” (btw, anyone else loving these super long band names and album titles? just awesome). The Philly foursome’s previous EPs had equally awesome titles: “Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken?” (#soemo) and “Cheap Thrills on a Dead End Street.” Now, where did they get a name like Beach Slang? Funny you ask. Frontman James Alex “used to skate with this really sweet girl who would refer to the way I spoke as ‘beach slang’ and I’ve never shaken that off. The really soft parts of your childhood have a way of sticking around.” Cool cool cool… But 1) what business does a kid from Philly have talking in what would be referred to as “beach slang”? And 2) how would some kid from Philly even really know what “beach” slang sounded like? Shouldn’t it be like “grey-and-cold-all-the-time slang”? or like, “we’ll-never-be-happy-with-our-sports-teams slang”? or “all-of-our-politicians-are-corrupt-but-hey-look!-more-snow! slang”?

Very relistenable this album is, Feli Says

Trying to Track Kurt Thomas Travis

Felipe — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 20:43:07 +0000

Kurt Thomas Travis (KTT to some – not to be confused with **heartthrob** JTT, who btw, stepped away from the limelight and went back to school! Good for him) is a Sacramento vocalist who has played with a whole slew of bands. After getting kicked out of Dance Gavin Dance so they could re-hire their original vocalist whom they had also kicked out… (weird. But I guess they like the wild spontaneity of Johnny Craig the whacky ginger. I didn’t know they could sing so well!), he hooked up with some Cali bands and decided to flex his solo muscles. Enter his 2014 album “Everything Is Beautiful” – a nice weird mix of sounds, but splendid album art a-la Where The Wild Things Are (although a bit phallic – or is that just me..? :-/).

Feli Says Listen, but you probly won’t.

The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Felipe — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 16:06:29 +0000

So I’ve been listening to lots of new music this week and truthfully, I’m a bit exhausted. I’ve been researching my magazines, reading sites, talking to friends (mostly my concert boyfriend – Joe Ciolli). Then I listened to an album that came out last week by a nine-piece band that’s always fluxing members depending on what they’re trying to accomplish. It’s wonderful. For real though. Really REALLY good. Seldom these days do you find an actually creative sound (you can tell I’m serious cuz I haven’t made any wisecracks yet). A sound that keeps changing and you guessing. Where you don’t even know which song you’re on because it’s just a ride you’ve gotta enjoy. A car ride with no destination, a “fuck it, let’s just drive.” A “clear eyes fulls hearts” journey. It’s not the radio friendly, done a thousand times album, with verse-hook-chorus-verse-hook-chorus-bridge-chorus songs, but an album meant to be listened to all the way through. Actually listened to. Think like, the polar opposite of a Katy Perry album.

The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die have a serious title shot for Album of the Year in whatever genre some jerks decide to put them in (but don’t think about genres, just listen – Feli Said So). Harmlessness is complex, and smart. These cats tried really hard. Here are some quotes from Music Reviewers since I know you cake-eaters don’t believe me:

“It’s a powerful, human thing — the first masterpiece in the career of a band who hopefully have a few more of those under their belt. Maybe there will be objectively “better” records that come out this year, but there will be none that I love more.” – James Rettig; Stereogum

“The emo revival ends here because its flagship band made the best indie rock record of 2015, period.” – Ian Cohen; Vice

“Harmlessness is the gold standard for all of 2015 […] What matters is this: Harmlessness is a perfect record and it’s the best one we’ll hear in 2015 and nothing will come close. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die have created their magnum opus and the most transcendent and challenging piece of music to emerge from modern rock in a long, long time.” – Drew Beringer; Absolutepunk

“Their Epitaph debut may have been met with trepidation in some quarters, but it absolutely obliterates expectations: a masterpiece of emotional dexterity and musical precision, and an absolute must-hear.” – Gareth O’Malley; TrebelZine

Ok, enough seriousness. Back to jokes. Feli – Out.

The Notionaries – Excited Eyes

Felipe — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 14:30:50 +0000

Hailing mostly from Tornado Alley (not a good start), The Notionaries sing happy songs while bringin’ to mind a similar sounding British youngin’, Saint Raymond (ok, getting better) and his jams “Brighter Days” & “Wildheart” (remember the Notti-teens and the daggering? No? You should re-read it, but whatever, fine; you won’t). The Midwest-born (OKC/Wichita/Denver) quartet formed up early last year and just pumped out an EP (solid album art too). The lads are a high-spirited bunch, living for today, and figuring it out as they go along without any worries #artistslife #imsurprisedtheydontliveinbrooklynyet #nowayOKCcankeepthem #DuranttoNYC

I’d listen. #wwfs