BIG
UPS – Two Parts Together (Exploding in Sound Records)
Brooklyn boys Big Ups gave me some serious whiplash with
their latest album; it wasn’t at all a bad thing though.
With huge raging highs and ultra-tight lows, Two Parts
Together feels like exactly that. Huge dynamic shifts
can be messy, but these guys know exactly what they are
doing, and execute it with incredible precision. Joe Galarraga
delivers furious, tearing vocals, but balances the aggression
with melancholic, stoically spoken lows that add to the
powerful dynamic swings felt throughout the album. Amar
Lal brings soft singing licks, and enormous, jagged riffs
with his guitar, while Brendan Finn crashes in all the right
places on the drums. Tie it all together with Carlos Salguero
on the bass, piling on a heaviness that makes you feel the
weight in Galarraga’s words. Aggressive and earnest,
Big Ups sound like they’re working through some stuff
in their third release, but it’s an emotional display
that you’ll want to experience.
ELEANOR
FRIEDBERGER – Rebound (Frenchkiss Records)
Rebound is an album that took a few spins to
really click. On the first listen, I was fairly unenthused
by the soft, dreamy indie vibes. But given some time to
really palate Eleanor Friedberger’s fourth solo release,
I found a hidden trove of catchy vocal hooks and intriguing
sounds that I glossed over initially. Spacy synth permeates
every track, paired with Friedberger’s ethereal vocals
creates a very smooth and soft listening experience, that
jolts you periodically with unorthodox melodies and the
occasional upbeat groove to snap you back from the dream-like
atmosphere of the album. Friedberger creates a hypnotic,
sometimes haunting sound that really shines through the
small things. For me, it was all in the details with this
album, finding more to appreciate each time around. Some
albums truly rip, but Rebound is a soft-spoken treasure
that still knows how to slip in a bouncy, ear-catching hook
with finesse.
DIGITAL
CRIMINALS – Hell Yeah (www.digitalcriminals.co.uk)
Digital Criminals are the first band I’ve ever heard
from Wales, and I’d say they made a hell of an impression.
It’s not often a band caters to my love for both crushing
riffs and grooves that leave you powerless but to dance, but
Digital Criminals deliver exactly that in a tight four-song
EP appropriately titled Hell Yeah. I was admittedly put off
by the heavy stadium rock feel, but by the end of the title
track I was fully ready to belt out the chorus to every song.
It’s not a reinvention of the wheel, but this EP sounds
like unapologetically having the best time of your life. Emily
Bates brings anthemic power to every track with her huge vocals,
while Dan Fry delivers a barrage of earthshattering guitar
riffs that ease off just enough to allow some room to breathe.
There is just enough pop in this rock to make it irresistibly
catchy and accessible, but it maintains an authenticity that
is so often lost in production of this level. End to end,
this EP will make you want to dance, bang your head, and holler
out a great big hell fuckin’ yeah, so buckle in and
have some fun.
The
LLC - Television Music (store.cdbaby.com/cd/thellc13)
I had never seen the Chris Gethard Show, but I can say
I’m a big fan after hearing their house band, the
LLC. The band recently released an album, titled Television
Music, collecting the songs they have written for the show,
and it made me feel as though this band is one of the reasons
cable TV is still surviving. Listening through the album
just made me want to go outside and ride my bike in the
sun with no particular destination in mind. It’s already
the soundtrack to my summer, and it’s still spring.
Their Bandcamp bills them as “the greatest house band
in public access history”, and I full heartedly agree
with that endorsement. Television Music hits you with endlessly
catchy vocal hooks, courtesy of Hallie Bulleit, laid over
amazingly fun, bouncy garage-pop. Bulleit’s voice
delivers a sugar rush directly to your ears with a perfect
blend of lighthearted and earnest lyrics that are just too
much fun to listen to. From the breakneck punk rock charge
of Swimming, to the synth-infused garage-pop punch of Hey!,
this album takes you on a ride that I just can’t get
enough of.
JerseyBeat.com
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covering punk, alternative, ska, techno and garage
music, focusing on New Jersey and the Tri-State
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