GIMME GIMME SCHLOCK TREATMENT:
It has been a great first two days of this, the second week of June. Yesterday we saw the release of the 4th Generation iPhone (a flash, but no FLASH!) and today marks the release of the Drums’ debut LP. What does a full LP of The Drums mean for us? LA, It officially means it is time for the June Gloom to pass…and then come back. “Let’s go Surfing,” a.k.a the best whistling on a song since Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks,” should be used for the “Summer 2010″ videos you’ll all be making on the fly with your new fancy 4th generation iPhones with 720p video and iMovie on the go all summer long. It is the perfect summertime anthem since…well…”Summertime.” Just don’t expect the rest of the album to be as 60’s infused pure, punchy, and soundtrack worthy. The tone of the LP jumps from sweet innocent surf infused pop to an 80’s synth downer party soaked in reverb. However even in their darkest hour they emit rays of sonic sunshine that can’t help but make you want to reach for the light in the midst of the lyrical darkness. Go grab your beach gear…but just remember to bring some SPF 100 and Zoloft. Consider it Seasonal Affective Disorder for your iPod…or maybe make it the soundtrack to when you decide to play beach volleyball teamed with Morrissey & The Smiths versus The Cure. It will all end in tears.
Side out Muthafu$kers!
Highlights: “Let’s Go Surfing,” “My Best Friend,” “Forever and Ever Amen,” “Me And The Moon.” “It Will All End in Tears”
Added bonus: For some reason they chose to leave their best song off of last year’s EP and this year’s LP. You can check it out here: “I Felt Stupid“
Jun 08, 2010 | Categories: Deltron 3030 Recommended Albums, Music, Uncategorized | Tags: Del LeFevre, Deltron 3030 Recommended, Deltron3030, Drums, iPhone, The Drums | Leave A Comment »
GIMME GIMME SCHLOCK TREATMENT:
As a listener and collector of music I’ve never been a big fan of the EP format. It always felt like too much work for far too little music. Personally, I always felt as if I was getting force fed leftovers from someone else’s meal. On top of that if you purchased one of these EPs there was a good chance it would be full of remix filler. No one needs four different versions of the same song. That doesn’t scream EP to me That screams OCD. I held this anti EP stance for most of my adult life. Truth be told I’m still kind of standoffish towards them but once Radiohead announced they’d be pushing their future recordings towards an EP existence I felt like it might be time for me to embrace the EP temperament and attention span. Helping this transition was the stellar group of EPs that I came across in 2009. I now present them to you, in list form:
(Year end lists are like crack cocaine to me. I need this to stop. January 1st can not come fast enough!)
10) Yim Yames – A Tribute
I’m a sucker for George Harrison and for cover albums so this was an easy choice. Jim James of My Morning Jacket peels away the Phil Spector meddling and leaves you with the stripped down basics of Harrison’s key solo tracks.
Key Track: “My Sweet Lord”
9) Memory Cassette – Call & Response
On top of some great tracks this EP was home to the best video of 2009 and the coolest cover art.
Key Track: “Surfin’ ”
8.) Delorean – Ayrton Senna
I was willing to track this band’s EP down thanks to their brilliant remix of the Teenagers “No Love”. It was well worth the effort.
Key Track: “Deli”
7) Suckers – Suckers
I had to skip this blurb and come back to it at the end of the list like that annoying person who stares at the menu for an hour and then tells the waitress to come back to them after she’s gotten everyone else’s order. I hate that person…but I could relate as I didn’t have much knowledge of this band. What do you say about a band that is more or less a mystery to you? That’s when I realized that’s the beauty of the shortened EP form. You can go out on a limb and reach for a band you know nothing about at the lower price point. No one wants to drop $11.99 to experience an unknown album or artist. What if it blows. You’d feel like a real Sucker (no pun intended). People are crippled with fear when it comes to picking something unknown that they may not like. I once dated a girl who suffered from the crippling fear that she’d hate everything on a restaurant’s menu. It would usually end with us fleeing the scene and running to the comforting embrace of Subway. If only more restaurants priced their food under $5 maybe she and people like her would be more willing to roll the risk dice. I paid under $4 for this Suckers EP and was pleasantly surprised . This Brooklyn band sounded like part Modest Mouse part Clap Your Hands. Not bad. Not bad at all. Lesson learned: Embrace the unknown. After listening to these four tracks I found myself wanting more. Lucky for me the band signed with a major label last month and are currently recording their label major debut LP.
Key Track: “Easy Chairs”
6) El Perro Del Mar – Love is Not Pop
The way Sweden churns out beautiful blond moody songstresses one might think that they’re interchangeable Ikea parts. They’re not. El Perro Del Mar is the rich man’s Lykke Li. “Change of Heart” slays me every time.
Key Track: “Change of Heart”
5) Animal Collective – Fall Be Kind
It’s nice to see the darlings of the indie rock circuit not resting on the laurels of Merriweather Post Pavilion. Instead they released Fall Be Kind, an EP of songs that push even more sonic boundaries. Take that, Grizzly Bear, you good for nothing slackers.
Key Track: “What Would I Want? “,”Sky” (more…)
Dec 21, 2009 | Categories: Gimme Gimme Schlock Treatment Column | Tags: A Tribute, Animal Collective, Ayrton Senna, Blood Bank, Bon Iver, Call & Response, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Delorean, Deltron 3030, Deltron3030, Drums, El Perro del Mar, Fall Be Kind, G.D. Hoarders, George Harrison, Gimme Gimme Schlock Treatment, Grizzly Bear, Jim James, KCRW, Life of Leisure, Love is Not Pop, Lykke Li, Memory Cassette, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Modest Mouse, Morning Becomes Eclectic, My Morning Jacket, No Love, Phil Spector, restaurant menus, Suckers, Summertime, Teenagers, The Middle East, Top EPs, Top EPs of 2009, Washed Out, Yim Yames | Leave A Comment »
