by: Kyle Olson, KUCI Music Director
Hello music-likers,
Did you guys have fun this weekend? Yes? Why’s that? Went to a party? Oh. Awesome. When was that party? Friday? Oooooooh. I get it. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
It’s a weird week for musics. I am tired from work, and we’re gonna get through this. I have two more meetings to go to before I get to eat dinner. No time to dink around, friends.
Frog Eyes – Tears of the Valedictorian (Absolutely Kosher)
This is one of them Spencer Krug bands (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown). He’s not chief songwriter, but if you enjoy the theatrics of those other bands, this may have a little ear-hug for you. Frog Eyes is sort of a halfway point between Wolf Parade and Xiu Xiu. The indie song-styles of Wolf Parade, but with some (SOME) of the histrionics and artiness of Xiu Xiu. This release actually seems less over-the-top than past Frog Eyes releases, which may have them finding new fan recruits. Recruits in the Frog Army. An amphibian fighting force of undying loyalty to overly theatrical indie-rock. (Fun fact: I was salutatorian of my Junior High. I was close to being valedictorian, though. Do you think I’m smart now? I need you to think well of me. I NEED IT. I NEED IT.)
Karl Blau – Dance Positive (Marriage)
OK. Facts. There was this band called “D+”. It had Karl Blau, Phil Elvrum (the Microphones/Mount Eerie), and Bret Lunsford (Beat Happening) in it. They are all from Anacortes, Washington. Karl Blau puts out a MONTHLY CD in a mail-order club called “Kelp”. For the January edition, he took a selection of lyrics written by Bret Lunsford and re-recorded them, transforming them into a bizarre organic-electro hybrid (heavy on the organic) that only a guy who rolls with Phil Elvrum could really come up with, and released it on Marriage Records. It’s like an ocean-bottom dance party up ins. Wanna get your boogie on with some fish? It is my understanding, darling, that is is bettah down where it’s wettah. Take it from me.
XBXRX – Wars (Polyvinyl)
I don’t know if this CD is going to get any play. It’s a hard left turn from a lot of the stuff I add/you guys play. If you’re unfamiliar, XBXRX is some sort of hybrid of, in my mind, Gravy Train!!! and the Locust. The type of band that opens for the likes of Holy Molar and Peaches. One of the members, Vice Cooler, is the force behind Hawnay Troof, whose hypersexual electro-fuck anthems you may be familiar with. XBXRX has frothing youth-energy and synthesizers and noise and so on, in that fashion. This is a less new/no-wave affair than some of their previous work, having more guitars and such, possibly due to the inclusion of Weasel Walter (Flying Luttenbachers) into the band. I’m just naming bands and people at this point. Sorry. Funfact: Wesley Willis wrote a song about this band. God rest his soul.
Feist – The Reminder (Cherrytree)
It’s totally pretty lady-singin’ and romantic and emotional and such. (Hey guys! It’s the new Feist album!). Not to be confused with Faust. That’s something different.
Pterodactyl – Pterdactyl (Brah)
The “Brah” imprint of the Jagjaguwar umbrella is fronted by members of Oneida, and specializes in ROCK. It’s a sort of fun, drunken, tongue-in-cheek type of thing. I believe their slogan is “If it doesn’t suck, it’s probably not on Brah.” I mean. Shit. The label is called “BRAH” for God’s sake. Anyway. The band. They come out of Brooklyn and the label compares them to Racebannon, Boris, and Hella. Meaning: it’s a nimble little noise-making post-punk rock outfit. It’s not nearly as heavy as those three band comparisons will let on, though. Knowing that Oneida fronts the label, adding in influences by those bands, you can probably mentally calculate what this band sounds like. It’s pretty durned legit. I hope you cats like it. You won’t. But. I hope you do.
All Smiles – Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird)
New project of the guitarist from Grandaddy. That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.
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