News :: Third Eye Laser Surgery :: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The new album by the Pains of Being Pure at Heart is streaming for free over at their cleverly named website. And, BLAM, it's on our site, too, 'cause we're smarter than we look. Seriously, don't fuck with us: we photocopied your license when you left your wallet on the counter. Now we've got your address.



Belong comes out on the very respectable Slumberland Records on March 29 (of this year, you sweet stupid bastard). On first listen it's all pretty syrupy in that way that makes me want to run around in diapers barking like a dog. And if it holds up to repeated listens, then we've got a winner just like their first album.

Since their giving away the new stuff, here's some old stuff to satisfy your appetite for theft in the age of the interwebs.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart :: Come Saturday

Review :: Psychotronic Wiretap :: Brown Recluse

Brown Recluse
Panoptic Mirror Maze
Self-Released



I woke up way too early this morning so I could toss my Vox Jaguar organ into the trunk of my dad's VW and have him drive me to a repair shop in the palatial suburbia of Kensington, MD. Kensington, MD, as it turns out, is the shittiest place on earth. I shut my eyes and dozed off as my dad pointed out the veterinary clinic he worked at when he was 16, now entirely swallowed by monolithic slabs of concrete that lifeless people buzz in and out of. I had a nightmare, then woke as the gurgle of the diesel engine quit, yanked the organ from the back, and knocked on the door of the windowless storefront. After a moment, Merlin opened the gate and welcomed me into his castle, a giant warehouse space filled wall to wall with vintage keyboards: Farfisa, Wurlitzer, Hammond, Rhodes, Arp, and now my Vox; I wanted to hear all of them playing at once.

Philly's psych-pop outfit Brown Recluse shares that same desire, but they have the means to make it reality. The fine folks over at Weekly Tape Deck recently posted a video for "Mirror Mansion," and I had to find out more. The song is available on Panoptic Mirror Maze, a free mini-LP offered on the band's Bandcamp page. This shit came out of nowhere for me; at times Martin Denny, other times BBC Radiophonic Workshop, or the Elephant Six, always technicolor and brimming with sugarsweet arrangements. "Mirror Mansion" pulls me straight off the couch and plugs me directly into the Ghost n' Goblins video game. I've always searched for that feeling. Fire-breathing ghouls knocking my clothes off, all pixelated and grainy. They take the warm hum of my analog dreams and paint murals with them.

Apparently, this release is a teaser of sorts for their upcoming debut LP, Evening Tapestry, out March 15 on Slumberland. If it's not pressed on glow-in-the-dark vinyl, I'm throwing it away.

Brown Recluse :: Mirror Mansion

Video :: Remote Viewing :: Crystal Stilts

"Blood Barons"
Crystal Stilts
live at Brooklyn Bowl
11/14/2010

I'm legitimately excited about Crystal Stilts. The hype surrounding their 2008 debut, Alight of the Night, kicked my inherent sense of bullshit into high-gear, and, very fortunately, my instinct proved me wrong. Dead wrong. Their recent single "Shake the Shackles" is my most-played tune, not only according to my iTunes flying-machine, but also my left-brain that can never make sense of the lyrics.

Crystal Stilts are among the lineage of bands that obsess over alliteration, and they make every song-title, album-title, band-name, lyric-aside count... full-force, mang. Fuck FUCK yes. Here's "Blood Barons," (from Brooklyn Bowl, no less), and it reminds me of riding a carousel. Only, on the brass-cast pony behind me rides Jack the Ripper, and his reach is just-too-short to pierce my back. Over and Over.

Video :: Remote Viewing :: Weekend

"Monday Morning/Monongah, WV"

Weekend

Sports

Slumberland

Reviews :: Armchair Telepathy :: Crystal Stilts

Crystal Stilts
Shake the Shackles
Slumberland
7"






 Glad to see these guys getting back to the studio some more. After 2008's Alight of the Night, I'd predicted great things from this Brooklyn group. When they fell off the map for the past year, I'd sort of lost hope of hearing their depressive jangle again. The hooks on the below track play out as simply and smoothly as those from their best songs. And I found moments in "Shake the Shackles" where Brad Hargett's voice hits a more honest, earnest note than I've heard from their recorded material in the past. The B side is a little tamer, but as a whole this 7" is still fun to flip. Expect to see their sophomore (but they feel so old already) release out on Slumberland in early 2011. 

Crystal Stilts :: Shake the Shackles

Reviews :: Armchair Telepathy :: Weekend

Weekend
Sports
Slumberland







I've really been in the mood for screeching guitars lately. And these guys bring it in a Jesus and Mary Chain sort of way (not exactly, though, to their credit). They make me want to go into work tomorrow and just bat my pencil all day. Maybe let them all roll off onto the floor one by one until my office is hip-deep with writing tools and nobody can get the door open to bother me. What a sweet, thorny hell that would be. Just like these songs.  

//Sidenote: I'm really liking the way the Slumberland roster is shaping up lately. Over the summer it kind of felt like they were falling behind Mexican Summer, Woodsist, and others.//

Anyway, if you see it here, that means I'm buying it. It's the buy of the week, godammit. This is a great debut album. Get yourself one. And maybe instead of the pencil thing, I'll just gurgle my words all day until somebody slaps me.

Weekend :: Coma Summer
Weekend :: End Times

Video :: Remote Viewing :: Frankie Rose

"Candy"

Frankie Rose and the Outs

S/T
Slumberland

Here's the recent video from the Frankie Rose project, which features ex-members of nearly every other girl garage group out there plus Crystal Stilts. For some reason I can get behind this band more easily than Best Coast. Only, I keep waiting for her to rip out the chainsaw and go to town. If you get bored watching people act bored to be in this music video, then just try to stick with this one long enough to get to the satisfying Carrie-style pig blood sequence. You got me why it looks like it tastes good. Hell, I'd say it's about time to try this trick at home kids. Find a girl you hate and ridicule her publicly. That's the message here.

News :: Upcoming Releases :: November

Artist :: Album :: Label :: Format

11/9

Soft Moon :: TBD :: Captured Tracks :: LP

Tyvek :: Nothing Fits :: In the Red :: LP

Weekend :: Sports :: Slumberland :: LP

Hank IV :: III :: Siltbreeze :: LP

Les Sins (Toro y Moi) :: Lina :: Carpark :: 12"
Gary War :: Police Water EP :: Sacred Bones :: 12"

11/16

Dum Dum Girls :: Bhang Bhang, I'm A Burnout :: Slumberland :: 7"

Japandroids :: Heavenward Grand Prix :: Polyvinyl :: LP
No Joy :: Ghost Blonde :: Mexican Summer :: LP

11/22
Girls :: Broken Dreams Club :: Matador :: 7"

11/23

Royal Baths :: TBD :: Hozac :: 7"

Reading Rainbow :: Prism Eyes :: Hozac :: LP

Girls Names / Brilliant Colors :: I Lose / You Win :: Slumberland :: 7"

11/30
Sore Eros :: Know Touching :: SHDWPLY Records :: LP

first Tuesday of every month (except for this one)