London’s O.Children might be like nothing you have ever heard or seen before. Their frontman Tobi towers at 6 foot 8, but what stands out most is his booming Adams Family Lurch-esque vocals. O.Children’s heavy sound can be categorized as a post-punkish, psychedelic shoegaze that will make your insides feel like they’re being grinded to pieces inside out. You’ll hear serious nods to the likes of Bauhaus, Sisters Of Mercy, Joy Division and of course Nick Cave (who wrote the song the band took as their name). I’ve been listening to their demo CD for the past year and wonder how a little clean studio time will effect their sound. I hope not much.

Their self-titled debut full length ‘O.Children’ will be available digitally on July 12th on iTunes and physical copies here.

Preview the full-length album here. Video for O.Children’s Ruins below.

This isn’t music for the faint of heart, this is music for, as Nghia so eloquently puts it, “scaring the rodents away from your apartment” (if you’re so lucky enough to have any scurrying about). The City of Lafayette, Indiana, home to Purdue University and birthplace of Axl Rose (no shit!?) has a paranoia echoing through its streets – sending even the robust forms of life dwelling beneath them running for the hills fields. In the vein of The Cramps, The Fall, Suicide, and The Birthday Party, Lafayette’s Television Ghost tests the boundaries of rhythmic noise. Tense, manic vocals, aggressive drums, and the menacing attack of two guitars sends a distressing, eerie chill running down my spine. “The Nihilist” and “Babel” are corrosive numbers sparked with anxiety and saturated with Wire-like riffs that twist, turn, and swirl into the dark and ominous underworld of post-punk. Watch those critters scurry from the second you drop the needle on the band’s self-titled LP, as the lingering sine-wave of “XXXX-XXX” pulls them into a vortex only to be spit out and steamrolled by the violent shifting tempos of “No Doz.” If any brave souls are left, the fiery reverb and spooky vibrations of “Circus” should send them packing. By that point however, your neighbor might have shit his or her pants, opening up a whole other can of worms.

The Television Ghost LP is out now on Ohio imprint die Stasi.

[MP3]: Television Ghost  ”Babel”
Televison Ghost LP, die Stasi; 2008

Tix available now / Doors @ 8pm / flyer, mp3s & more below

In part with:

There’s something to be said about the consistentency of interesting artwork from a band. Although it’s not as important as the band’s music or live show, it’s key to create a visual image aside from the music for listeners to latch onto. Some bands manage to do this incredibly well, take Peter Saville and Factory Records for example, his designs weren’t that complex, but fit the music he created them for perfectly. One of my favorite designs of his is the cover for the 12″ Single of New Order’s “Ceremony” (Fac. 33). It’s a simple design, just a blue line on white background and black lettering, but for some reason I’m drawn to it and it represents the stark sound of the song.

Occasionally you’re immediately attracted to a band from their imagery, because these days, it’s likely one of the first things that you’re going to see and I guess that’s what lead me to write this post. It can also go the other way around; I can mention a few albums I picked up based on cover art alone and haven’t played since. But for Crystal Stilts everything clicked from the start. Even before I listened to a single note of Crystal Stilts songs, read a description or review, I was already drawn to them from their artwork. Their somewhat dark and moody art nouveau inspired work was a visual gateway to the band’s stripped-down post-punk sound. The one-two punch of solid songwriting and interesting artwork made me an instant fan of the Brooklyn quintet, now we’ll have to see about that live show.

Crystal Stilts play FRICTION on June 29th with Philly’s Tickley Feather and Seattle’s PWRFL Power at Cake Shop.

[MP3]: Crystal Stilts  ”Crippled Croon”
Crystal Stilts, eMusic Select; 2008

Like the seven blonde adventuresome heroines from which they borrow their moniker, Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls have moxie. The all female, Henry Darger-inspired trio packs abrasive power and infectious harmonies that recall groups like The Raincoats and B-52’s. The lo-fi single, “Tell the World (Woodsist Records),” unites reverby vocal harmonies with buzzing garage riffs and a hurry-up rhythm. Floating above the trudging punk beat and thick bassline, the infectious group-sung vocal harmonies provide welcoming warmth in an otherwise dissonant atmosphere. Vivian Girls manage to straddle the line between catchy and abrasive and do it without compromising either side, making their debut self-titled LP (early May on Mauled by Tigers) one worth anticipating.

Vivian Girls kick off an extensive US spring tour starting May 12th. Until then, the trio has five local shows scheduled in New York, including one this Wednesday, April 30th, at Lit Lounge. The group’s self-recorded 7” “Tell the World” single will also be available in May via Woodsist Records in limited edition (500 copies only) black vinyl. Full tour dates, songs, and more at MySpace.

[MP3]: Vivian Girls  ”Tell the World”
Vivian Girls, Mauled by Tigers; May 2008

Shoegaze will always remain one of my favorite genres of music, even if I get away from it from time to time, it’s something that I always come back to. Granted, shoegaze and dreampop saw their heyday in the early nineties, but today many acts continue to reinvent and push the envelope with the genre. I was reading an interview with Soundpool (one of the bands featured in this post) about the relation among shoegaze, electronica, and indie-pop becoming more familiar in Japan. One of the group’s members stated that there has been “a significant change in the global shoegaze scene with bands from many different cultures and backgrounds are collaborating and inspiring each other and exploring the possibilities of this creative genre which has brought so many different types of musicians together.”

This post aims to focus on some of my favorite new shoegaze acts that define the previous statement and for the most part features bands putting out material in 2008.

RESPLANDOR
Pleamar, AE; 2008
[MP3]: “Downfall”
Members of Mahogany initially tipped me off to the Peruvian trio, Resplandor, and since I’ve been a big fan of the group’s output. Their early recordings initially reminded me of Raphael Toral, but tracks from their forthcoming full-length Pleamar sound more akin to Just for a Day era Slowdive. Two words: sonic morphine.

AUBURN LULL
Begin Civil Twilight, Darla; 2008
[MP3]: “Coasts”
Michigan/Pennsylvania five-piece Auburn Lull craft dreamy, haunting, and ethereal dream pop. “Imagine The Moody Blues produced by Eno, if Slowdive originally wrote and recorded Surrealistic Pillow, or perhaps Seefeel on a good sedative/hypnotic [Darla].” Ulrich Schnauss mixed a track on added some treatment to two others. Begin Civil Twilight hits the street on April 8th.

FLEETING JOYS
Secret Garden Vol.1, Invada; 2008
[MP3]: “Good Kind Of Tomorrow”
Sacramento’s Fleeting Joys craft shoegaze in the vein of Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine with an aural assault of shivering dissonant guitars, low-end baselines, atmospheric keyboards, layers of squalls, heavy drums, and buried androdynous vocals. Lush melancholia for the shoegazer soul.

SOUNDPOOL
Dichotomies & Dreamland, Aloft; 2008
[MP3]: “The Divides of March”
I’ve had New York’s Soundpool (pictured) on my radar for some time now and was stoked about the release of their second record, Dichotomies & Dreamland earlier this month – an album I’ve been playing pretty heavily recently. Danceable Joy Division/New Order-inspired basslines and guitars lie beneath saturated swaths noise and synth arrangements that are fronted with sugary female vocals. Soundpool plays Pianos in New York on March 22nd and a day later in Philadelphia at The Khyber. Dichotomies & Dreamland is out now on Aloft.

PORTS OF CALL
Like Thieves…, Self-Released; 2008
[MP3]: “Washout”
I couldn’t write this post without giving Philadelphia some love, so enter Ports of Call as another shoegaze act that you should get familiar with this year. The Philly quintet blends psychedelic with atmospheric in the most beautiful of ways, painting haunting soundscapes which are highlighted by the interplay of innocent boy/girl vocals that are almost drowned out by the noise. Ports of Call play Club Midway in New York on April 23rd and Johnny Brenda’s in Philly on April 30th. Like Thieves is out now and can be ordered from the band.

It’s no secret that Joy Division is one of my serious crushes and over the past few years I’ve collected a bunch of covers done by all sorts of different bands since the early 80s.

The ten tracks below represent some of my favorite covers, with my pick of the lot being the hazy laid-back Galaxie 500 rendering of “Ceremony.” I actually prefer the song to the Joy Division and New Order versions, it’s slowed down but still retains the elegiac feeling of the original. Another highlight is Skog’s (a previous incarnation of Kings of Convenience) folky-acoustic take on “The Eternal.” Also, note that Starchildren were a Smashing Pumpkins side-project.

Joy Division Central has a listing of all the Joy Division songs performed by other groups, be sure to check it out, the website itself is a great resource for Joy Division enthusiasts. Also, today in Joy Division history, March 13th, the band played live at Band On The Wall in Manchester (1979).

[MP3]: Galaxie 500  ”Ceremony”
On Fire, Rough Trade; 1989
[MP3]: Skog  ”The Eternal”
Balance, Ego Development; 1997
[MP3]: LCD Soundsystem  ”No Love Lost”
All My Friends, EMI; 2007
[MP3]: Starchildren  ”Isolation”
A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division, Virgin; 1995
[MP3]: Squarepusher  ”Love Will Tear Us Apart”
Do You Know Squarepusher, Warp; 2002
[MP3]: Nine Inch Nails  ”Dead Souls”
The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Atlantic/Wea; 1994
[MP3]: New Order  ”Atmosphere (Live)”
Peel Tribute – Oct. 12, 2005 – Royal Festival Hall, London
[MP3]: Low  ”Transmission”
A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division, Virgin; 1995
[MP3]: Ola Podrida  ”Atmosphere”
The Signal Soundtrack, Lakeshore; 2008
[MP3]: Tortoise  ”As You Said”
A Means to an End: The Music of Joy Division, Virgin; 1995

The last time we checked in with Violens, the group had just played their first live show and made available an unmastered version of their psychedelic pop gem “Violent Sensation Descends.” The New York-based five-piece consisting of keyboardist Iddo Arad, bassist Ben Brantley, Jorge Elbrecht on vocals/lead guitar, Jay Israelson, and drummer Kris King has just dropped the mastered edition of the song and are kicking off a tour supporting Montreal’s Handsome Furs. The band also has a couple of new tracks up on their MySpace page including the ringing and melodic “Spectator and Pupil” along with “Circles Intertwine.” The Handsome Furs/Violens tour hits Philadelphia on April 4th at North Star Bar and New York on April 6th. Full dates below.

Here’s what we had to say about “Violent Sensation Descends”

“Violent Sensation Descends” begins with a dark, almost haunting psychedelic swirl before breaking into warm, jangly, sunny psych-pop. Warm harmonies and delectable melodies are book-ended by another delve into dark psych whirl. It’s like being tossed around in an ocean of dark waves before they spit you out onto a sunny beach. By the time you stand up to dust the sand off of yourself and let your eyes adjust to the bright sun (and begin to enjoy it), the waves reach out and drag you back into the swirling eddies and crashing waves.

[MP3]: Violens  ”Violent Sensation Descends”
Single, Static Recital; 2008

Violens Tour Dates supporting Handsome Furs
3/27/08 PS 14 – Miami, FL
3/28/08 Respectable Street – West Palm Beach, FL
3/29/08 Cafe Eleven – St Augustine, FL
3/30/08 The Social – Orlando, FL
3/31/08 Common Grounds – Gainesville, FL
4/1/08 Village Tavern – Mt Pleasant, SC
4/2/08 Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
4/3/08 Satellite Ballroom – Charlottesville, VA
4/4/08 North Star Bar – Philadelphia, PA
4/6/08 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY

LTM has announced the release of the first ever “Best Of” compilation from Section 25. The comp is titled Dirty Disco (1978-2008) and set to be released on March 31st. The cult group that was initially mentored by Joy Division went on to release four albums on the Factory Records imprint between 1980 and 1986. The albums received production from Factory alums like Martin Hannett and Bernard Sumner, along with Ian Curtis/Rob Gretton produced singles.

Much like labelmates the Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, and New Order, Section 25 started as a post-punk group in the late 70s but by the mid 80s the group’s sound had become primarily electronic-based new wave, primed for the dance club explosion in the late 80s.

Taking their name from a provision of the Mental Health Act, Section 25 was formed by brothers Larry and Vincent Cassidy in Blackpool, Lancashire in 1978 and by the time they made their live debut they had added guitarist Paul Wiggin. The Ian Curtis and Rob Gretton produced debut single “Girls Don’t Count” was released via Factory in July 1980. The single also included the Curtins/Gretton produced songs “Knew Noise” and “Up to You.” The Martin Hannett produced debut full-length, Always Now, followed in 1981, much known for its packaging as its music. The LP was beautifully housed in a bright yellow heavy cover with stylish black type unfettered by punctuation and word spacing. Lifting the flap from the tabbed slot yielded swirling colorful marbled paper with printed with yellow boxes containing the band’s name and tracklisting.

After a few line-up changes in 1984, the group’s sound moved in a more electronic-dance direction as heard on the single “Looking From A Hilltop” that featured new additions Angela Flowers and Jenny Ross on vocals and keyboards. The single broke as a hit in the U.S. club scene along with reworked versions “Restructure” and “Megamix,” later appearing on the group’s third LP, From The Hip. The Bernard Sumner produced From The Hip was also the band’s first album that received an American release via Factory U.S. in 1984. After a North American tour in 1985, the band split in 1986, leaving then husband and wife Larry Cassidy and Jenny Ross to finish the fourth album, Love and Hate, which was eventually released in 1988.

The band saw their entire catalog re-released by LTM in the 90s and like a lot of other post-punk acts, the band reunited in 2001 and began work on new material. Although it’s not the original line-up, they put out a record titled Post-Primitiv last year, but I haven’t heard it yet. The comp, Dirty Disco celebrates 30 years of Section 25, featuring eight of the band’s album tracks and the singles “Knew Noise,” “Dirty Disco,” “Haunted,” “Beating Heart,” “Looking From A Hilltop,” “Crazy Wistdom,” and “Bad News Week.” Keep an eye out for it in March.

The band has an extensive bio as does LTM along with their entire back catalog.

[MP3]: Section 25  ”Looking From A Hilltop”
From The Hip, Factory Records; 1984

A friend of mine mentioned to me yesterday that he had just watched “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” over the weekend. I personally haven’t seen the 2005 documentary, but it’s something that needs to be added to my Netflix queue after hearing him talk about it. One of the things that he took from the film (aside from Johnston’s manic-depressive genius) was not about Johnston specifically, but actually in relation to Kurt Cobain. He went on to say that through Cobain, he had discovered a variety of music that he might not have ever heard if it wasn’t for the Nirvana frontman. Bands including The Meat Puppets, The Vaselines, Lead Belly, and many others he owes Cobain for his discovery.

If you haven’t seen the documentary or heard anyone else talk about it, you might be wondering how this all relates. During Nirvana’s height in the early 90s, Kurt Cobain continuously wore a T-shirt advertising Johnston’s homemade cassette, Hi, How Are You?, which eventually led to a record company executive visiting Johnston in the mental hospital and trying to sign him to a record deal. My friend didn’t necessarily discover Johnston through Cobain, but you get the point. Not only did Cobain have great taste in music, he also used his celebrity status to champion the bands he loved and thought deserved more attention.

Cobain was also a big fan of post-punk outfit, The Raincoats, dropping their name in the liner notes of Incesticide and later urging DGC to reissue The Raincoats three studio albums (The Raincoats, Odyshape, and Moving) in 1993 and 1994. While the band was still together and recording from 1978 until their split in 1984, they had teetered on mere obscurity, gaining a cult following in their native UK and a small following over here in the States. After the reissues and name dropping by Cobain, the band reunited in 1994 and toured the UK with Nirvana which was followed by a solo U.S. tour and later released the reunion album Looking In The Shadows in 1996.

Like The Slits and Kleenex, the all-female Raincoats formed in the wake of The Sex Pistols and Clash madness. Their scratchy, jittery, and unconventionally melodic self-titled debut was groundbreaking. “Their eccentric sound has lost none of its unique appeal and power. With lyrics that intelligently critique consumerism and patriarchy, The Raincoats opened a door and created new possibilities in punk (Alan McGee for The Guardian).” Although they were short-lived, the band was highly influential on the post-punk scene and following generations proving that it wasn’t just a boys’ game.

The original lineup of the Raincoats consisted of Gina Birch on bass, Ana Da Silva on guitar, Vicky Aspinall on second guitar/violin, and Palmolive (Paloma Romero) formerly of The Slits on drums. After The Raincoats Palmolive left the band and was replaced by drummer Ingrid Weiss. The four-piece went onto record two more solid albums that included Odyshape in 1981, and 1984’s Moving prior to splitting up.

Check out “Fairytale In The Supermarket” from their debut and another favorite from that record, their cover of The Kinks “Lola” below.

[MP3]: The Raincoats  ”Fairytale In The Supermarket”
The Raincoats, Rough Trade; 1979
[MP3]: The Raincoats  ”Lola (Kinks cover)”
The Raincoats, Rough Trade; 1979