Monday, October 31, 2011
#14 - Juned Every Night for You
"Awesome album: The lead guitar uses alot of phaser and chorus effects, doing some blistering spacey leads, with chunky, fuzzy rhythm guitar riffs. The dual-female vocals are soft and dreamy, with lots of reverb. The bass is pretty muscular, and the drums are at times jazzy, then tribal. They opened for Dinosaur Jr a few years ago. I saw the drummer in the grocery store the other day. Cool. " -Amazon.com
Juned formed from members of Seattle bands, Kill Sybill and My Diva. Mixing hints of Seattle grungerock with ethereal guitar and vocals, Juned travelled where few other bands did. (The only other band I've heard that sounded remotely like them were Kittywinder, who broke up at almost the same time.) Not so punk they'd only appeal to alternarockers, and almost melodic enough for the mainstream, they are also talented instrumentalists with catchy flavours to their playing. I loved their blend of sound, and it was plenty gritty and melodic enough both for me. Their second album, Every Night For You, which stresses their melodic side just a little more than their first, is a wonderful album and should have garnered them a wider audience had they stuck together long enough to reap the rewards. They should have had a bright future in the wider world they were poised to reach. (Neile)
#5 - Mira - Mira
" Listening to the melancholy songs of Mira, it's hard to believe the band reside in Tallahassee, Florida. Sun, fun and college parties don't usually encourage somber introspection, but away from the local clubs and bars featuring hard rock and ska bands, Mira's wounded lyrics and lush guitars have attracted quite a following. "I don't really know why people like our songs," says singer Regina Sosinski. "I think they identify with the emotion and the music, because we are definitely not a band people come and mosh to." The quartet's eponymous debut (on Projekt) sounds more like a Slowdive-inspired soundtrack for nights of quiet contemplation. The swirling guitars of Tom Parker and Mark Davidson and the downtempo percussion of Alan Donaldson provide the backdrop for Sosinski's yearning vocals. "I tend to be more withdrawn, and that's something I've been dealing with lately," says the singer. "Trying to open up and tear down internal boundaries I have and realize we are all the same inside." After exploring the mournful depths of the human soul, what direction will Mira take next? "Our songs are getting happier," Sosinski says. "I'm just not in a down period of my life now. The new stuff will be more about people and life." --- David Slatton "
Sunday, October 30, 2011
1. Experimental Aircraft - Third Transmission: Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace
"It's a shame that Experimental Aircraft probably won't ever get the respect and acknowledgment that they deserve. Realistically, I suppose it would be a little much to expect anything more for the band than the occasional e-props from some obscure blog. The Texas-based shoegaze quartet was formed in 1997, and has only released three full length albums to date; a tidbit made more notable owing to the fact it's been six years since Experimental Aircraft's second album. Given the sheer brilliance of Third Transmission: Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace, however, the six year gap following Love For the Last Time has been well worth it. With twice as many tracks as both of its predecessors, Third Transmission is an hour long, but manages to capture and maintain the listener's attention for the entirety of the experience.
Opening track "Stellar" effectively offers the listener the rundown on Third Transmission's musical direction. Walls of noise are the foundation in which Experimental Aircraft's sound is built, with emphasis placed more on the hazy atmosphere produced by guitarists Rachel Staggs and T.J. O'Leary. And it is the dominant bursts of fuzzy distortion that give Experimental Aircraft their biggest asset. Despite being pieced together by layers of noise and the occasional subtle melody, as can be heard in "Paintings in the Attic" or "Start Over Again", Third Transmission presents a very serene, dreamy listen. The aforementioned Rachel Staggs helps accentuate the music with her soft, almost hypnotizing voice. Similarly to the spacey overtones heard throughout the record, Staggs sings in the exact same tone throughout the entirety of Third Transmission; that being in an airy, nonchalant manner, in which she drifts in and out of the mix. However, to say that all fifteen of the album's songs sounded exactly like one another would be a tad misleading. "Sit Still", for example, is more of an upbeat indie-rock number featuring a mumbling O'Leary behind the mic. Though perhaps not an album highlight, the song effectively injects some energy into the album, albeit only briefly.
Though Experimental Aircraft's third L.P. features several songs which can be enjoyed individually, songs such as "Stellar", "Remember", "Paintings in the Attic", and "With a Gun", Third Transmission: Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace is one of those albums one needs to listen to in whole to best appreciate. The album flows flawlessly, with each song contributing towards the sixty-mute blur of hazy noise rock, complete with its beautiful musical backdrop, and engaging instrumentation. Pretty good for a band whose previous release was a seven track recording from 2002, huh?"
-sputnikmusic.com
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