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I have been touting the genius of Pet Ghost Project since the inception of this music soapbox. I love Justin Stivers like a brother, and am getting to know his bandmates Justin Gonzalez and Jake More a bit better every day. I consider myself lucky to know them and even luckier at how much faith they placed in myself and Jenn months ago.
What makes Pet Ghost Project so special? A lot, actually. What you get from them is a stunningly honest messages weaved throughout layers of sound that draw on everything from classic jazz, to surf rock, to indie pop. There's a line in what you would call "experimental noise" and "music," and Pet Ghost Project knows exactly where that line is. They push it as far as it can get without ever crossing the boundary. Everything, no matter how crashing and pounding and intense it gets, remains harmonic and melodious. They know when to push, when to pull, when to break. They let you go for a moment or two, then come right back at you with songs that go from thought-provoking to heart-wrenching, but never give you a cushion to land safely on.
I can say with all honesty, that nearly everyone who has sat down and put in a CD from Pet Ghost Project has come away completely transfixed. They create music that is unique and truly special. And we are so proud that Justin had the faith in our passion to to sign on and allow us to promote his creations. We're watching him finally catch on. We watch him get excited by every review, and every bit of deserved praise. And we know it's only a matter of a bit of time before he won't be able to keep up with it all. We've got so much in the hopper for Pet Ghost Project, so look for some big announcements coming soon. Until then, Justin, Justin and Jake were kind enough to put together a smashing cover of Pavement's "Box Elder" to promote the showcase this Saturday at Cameo. Grab it below!
Listen: Box Elder (Pavement Cover)
Listen: I Throw Away Pennies, from "The Great Satisfactory"
Listen: Violent Dreams, from "Cheer Up ~ It's Raining"
Listen: The Consequence of Thinking, from "Idiot Brain, Genius Heart"
Listen: They Built a City in My Country Mind, from "The Wordless Conversation"
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On Another Note
When you listen to The Rest's "Everyone All At Once," you immediately know you are listening to something very special. It's such a complete and enchanting album, with such a smart, luscious sound, you can't help but be drawn in, and you can't help but lose yourself in it. Let me assure you, nothing is lost in their live performances. I was one of the people lucky enough to catch them on their first trip to New York for an NYC Taper showcase, and after seeing them, I immediately began plotting to get them back to New York, for my sake, theirs, and everyone who had not gotten to see them the first time. So to me, I could not be more thrilled to have them play on Saturday at Cameo. And when you walk away from their performance, you will be asking yourself, "How have I not heard these guys (and gal) before?"
Their 2009 release will more certainly be in my year-end's best, as it will in many others. The reviews of their album are more than likely only eclipsed by The Antlers' "Hospice." So it's not just me sitting here touting them, it's everyone who has heard them. That's how well it's constructed. Listening to it from cover to cover is like watching "Fantasia," without the visuals, and they aren't needed. The music creates them for you.
Adam was my first interview (which seems like ages ago.) And since then, I've watched them rocket to be the best sound coming from Canada (yes, I said 'best.') They bring something to the table that ebbs, flows, works you into a frenzy, relaxes you, charms you, challenges you, digs at you, and ultimately leaves you wanting more. And more. Adam Bentley, Anna Jarvis, Blake Bowma, Dwayne Brydon, Jordan Mitchell, Matty Buzanko, and Steve Jones are a family. They function as one, and when you watch them, you see them feed off each others' energy. And there's a lot of that. They bring it when they have to in a fury, they are subdued when they should be.
It's our extreme pleasure to bring The Rest back to New York for our showcase this Saturday at Cameo. The 150-ish people there when they play are going to be witnessing something incredible.
Listen: Walk On Water (Auspicious Beginnings)Listen: With Every Heartbeat (Robyn Cover)
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Photos used with permission: ©2009, Sara Collaton (Official Site)
So many times when I sit down to listen to music, I look at the titles of everything before I even pop in the cd or press play on iTunes. Such was the case with Boston's 'The Hush Now,' and their track listing of songs tickled my emotional buttons before I heard a single note. Then I listened.
What is wonderful about The Hush Now is that their songs ring true to their titles, and what you get is an almost storybook weaving of tales from the tender to the forlorn sung in the alluring voice of Noel Kelly. They aren't always songs to make you feel good, but they always make you feel. And that, to me, is the best mark I can give. I liken The Hush Now to how I felt when listening to "Cerulean" by the Ocean Blue, that same evocation of emotion. There's a crispness that lulls the listener into a trance, and transports them to a more innocent time, a different place; one that was simpler, less grays, more black and white.
Combing through the endless praise of The Hush Now, you'll see the word "dripping." A lot. There's reason for that. The music is the foundation to The Hush Now, and 
off that foundation, the crooned words drip off, leaving a rippling puddle that reverberates with every song. This is what indie pop is supposed to be: a collection of music and lyrics that are relative to everyone who has gone through life, had a heart broken, been torn apart and put back together.
Now set to release their second LP in January 2010 (and believe me, it's a gem,) "The Hush Now" are growing their fan base with their signature sound. It’s dream-pop elevated, a brand of music pulled from the past and modernized with their own hook that soothes the soul and teases the heart. The Hush Now most definitely have carved their path in the ears of many, and 'Hoping and Waiting' is already winning over fans and critics alike. We're thrilled to have The Hush Now come down to play on September 26.
Listen: Hoping and Waiting
Listen: Bedtime Stories
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Download the Debut LP FREE!
Chris Clarke certainly knows a good thing when he hears it, and hearing Meadow Eliz sing for the first time was no exception. The story of these two came to be "Swimming in Speakers" is an adorable tale of happenstance and persistence, and could be a blog entry all it's own.
Over the past few months, I've gotten to know Chris quite a bit after falling quite hard for Swimming in Speakers' music. What catches you off-guard about them, is the underlining innocence beneath their extraordinary talent. If you listen to their EP, you'd never know that most of the tracks were captured in just a couple takes, which speaks volumes about a) how well they work together and b) how talented they are. From the undeniably catchy "Serve them Well" and "In Knowing," to the moody and insightful of "Near My Ear" and "Evergreen," these two have created a sound that is accessible to everyone.
Chris is an incredible multi-instrumentalist and uses Meadow's voice (we'll get into that in a moment) as the lead, often layered, never compromised. He knows exactly how to complement it, when to push other sounds, when to hold back. There's a rich, but delicate aspect to what they create, and I haven't quite figured out how they've achieved that. There's so much depth that it makes your head, well, swim. The effects he adds create a mood, but never take away from the focus of the songs. He and Meadow push each other and are musical siblings.
Meadow's darling voice, at one listen, is a drug. It turning the listener into putty as she bends, lifts, stabs, and caresses with her voice all so effortlessly. To compare her to Harriet Wheeler or Caroline Crawley is not a stretch in the least, and she might be better than both. She has that certain quality that separates her, a tonality that sets her apart from the many talented sirens out there. And, I'm told, she plays a hell of a guitar.
Both Chris and Meadow have a theater background. Both have a very distinct personality, even from each other. But they work frighteningly well together, and I hold great hope for a good career from them. Even more so, I cannot wait to see what they do live.
Listen: Swimming in Speakers - In Knowing
Swimming in Speakers on MySpace
As any music geek will tell you, the tradition of music from grand old Scotland is invariably strong with names like Simple Minds, Teenage Fanclub, Trashcan Sinatras, Travis, and Belle and Sebastian (I could do this for hours,) who paved the way for the recent onslaught of acts like Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and The Twilight Sad; all croon as the soul of Scotland, each in their own way, but all tied together in some mystical way.
There is now, however, a new voice and sound (and considering my love for the company they are in, that is saying a lot) that may just out-do everyone, a seven-piece act out of Edinburgh called Broken Records.
I was first introduced to Broken Records late last year via Matt at 'Song by Toad', and to say that the few mastered tracks and demos I listened to were a tease is putting it very lightly. I almost would’ve rather not heard it at all, than to hear just a smidgeon. That’s how wonderful it was. Thankfully, we now have a full-length LP (which I’ve had on repeat for at least 4 straight hours) aptly entitled “Until the Earth Begins to Part.”
These seven artists have composed some of the most moving, lush, and dare I say, glorious, music I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a collection of songs that anyone who has had a sonic brush with them has been waiting for, since their self-titled EP. And let me revise: “Until the Earth Begins to Part,” is more than just a collection of songs, it’s versed poetry put to music, each track a passage of angst, apathy, distress, and resolve.
Each time, it feels as though Jamie Sutherland is singing to only you, each time the instrumental melodies live in perfect symbiotic harmony with his voice. From delicate strings and keys, to pounding percussion and blaring horns, Broken Records is an indie music symphony, the next evolution of Beruit or DeVotchKa. You will inevitably read comparisons to Arcade Fire as every band who has more than 3-5 pieces will get; put those aside. There are indeed similar elements, but Broken Records is more impassioned, more spiritual, more ethereal, and from the first alluring 1:40 of “Nearly Home” to the last crashing minute of “Slow Parade,” the listener will be nearly paralyzed in a sonic dream-state. As the music world begins to catch on to “Until the Earth Begins to Part,” it would not surprise me if the seas began to part for these gentlemen as well.
Listen: Nearly Home
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Purchase "Until the Earth Begins to Part" from AmieStreet.com
Pet Ghost Project CD Release Party
Where: Fontana's
When: Friday, May 29, 2009 at 7:00pm
It's a pain-staking, birthing process to write, record, rehearse, produce and distribute an EP or an LP. To do one of each simultaneously is, at the very least, a daunting task. To have each be breathtaking, and breathtakingly different from one another, is, well, I'm not sure a word has been thought of for it. (Maybe by the end of this post, I'll have come up with one.)
But that's exactly what Justin Stivers has accomplished. My affinity for Justin and his Pet Ghost Project is no secret, as a musician, composer, and friend. Since the release of "Cheer Up ~ It's Raining" in the latter part of 2008, Justin has been quietly but furiously working away, going about his business of playing (with live ghosties Justin Gonzalez and Jake More,) composing, and crafting music that coerces the listener through new sonic boundaries, coming out the other side eyes a bit wider, ears a bit shell-shocked. His latest two efforts are, dare I say, his most adventurous and best yet. They are stunning movements each, "Idiot Brain, Genius Heart" an exploration into Justin's darker, more chaotic side, and "The Wordless Conversation" a 7-track instrumental LP where Stivers flexes his musical muscles, unraveling every reverberating fiber of his being.
So with that, I'm not sure there is anyone out there who deserves a party more than Justin and his crew. And they won't be alone. They'll have the support of friends of quiet Loudly and Dinosaur Feathers, two fantastic acts that round out a bill that promises to be a spectacular show. See you at Fontana's on Friday! (Oh, the best word I could come up with is "momentous.")
Listen: Pet Ghost Project - Death in a Pixel (from the forthcoming 'The Wordless Conversation')
Listen: Pet Ghost Project - Wires from the Ceiling (from the forthcoming 'Idiot Brain, Genius Heart')
Special Guests:
Listen: quiet Loudly - Over the Balcony
Listen: Dinosaur Feathers - History Lessons
Purchase Pet Ghost Project from CDBaby
Pet Ghost Project's Official Site
Pet Ghost Project on MySpace
Last week I was tapped to write a review of The Veils new LP, "Sun Gangs." It was a most pleasant surprise. This was my review.
Is the mark of a great album one that moves you from song to song, or one that freezes you in place, making you want for it over and over. This was my first thought as I put on “Sun Gangs,” the new LP from The Veils. This is because the lead track, “Sit Down by the Fire,” completely sucked me into an album that I never expected from Finn Andrews. And I was compelled to replay the song at least three times before forcing myself to move on to the rest of the album. I have always liked The Veils, but from afar. Their music has always seemed somewhat inaccessible to me. That is, until now.
What Finn Andrews has done with “Sun Gangs” is invite you into his life. He shares with you his deepest passions and darkest moments through rich composition of keys, strings and percussion. It will take you on a ride from the forlorn (Scarecrow), to the reflective (The House She Lived In,) to the disruptive (Killed by the Boom.) The album runs the gamut of human emotion in 10 songs. There is no mood you can be in where a song from Sun Gangs will not fit. It will reach into your gut and tinker with your heart and soul and mind. In short, it’s an accomplishment. With “Sun Gangs,” Finn will make you feel, not simply on the surface, but deep within.
So, is the mark of a good album one that carries you for a journey on its back, or freezes you in place. In the case of The Veils “Sun Gangs,” it doesn’t matter. The album accomplishes both. And extraordinarily well.
Begin Again - Sun Gangs
Three Sisters - Sun Gangs
Under the Folding Branches - Nux Vomica
Vicious Traditions - The Runaway Found
Visit friend Music is Art for a smashing interview with Finn
The Veils on MySpace
Purchase "Sun Gangs"
About a month ago, I was tapped to write a review of Peter Silberman's Antler's new album "Hospice." It was one of those times when an alum comes into your life at just the right moment. A month later, the album touches my soul deeper with every listen. 
In 2006, Peter Silberman, the soul of the Antlers, moved to Manhattan. And disappeared.
For a year and a half, he stayed in his apartment, shutting himself away from friends, family, and life. Then, in 2007, he re-emerged, 21 years-old, free but broken. He wanted to explain his absence to those who cared about him through song. It would take that would take another year and a half to complete. A year and a half worth the wait.
The intention was an explanation, but ultimately, it transcended into a personal memoir, no less than allowing the listener to peer into the mind of a tortured soul, full of dysfunction and isolation, and a reminder never to lose oneself again. It’s a seamless tale of one man conquering his own demons, then bravely putting them out there for everyone to see. Nothing short of courageous, the lyrics alone will put this album in most listeners top five for the year. Then add the composition; rich, lush, moody, ambient; none of these words fall far short in describing the range this ballet for your ears accomplishes. There isn’t a single word or a single emotion that can describe it. These aren’t pop singles, this is an orchestrated masterpiece to be listened to as a single movement, each song documenting a moment in time, over a period of time.
Peter Silberman does it better than Ian Curtis, better than Will Sheff, better than Pete Townsend. What he has accomplished with ‘Hospice’ is not just music, it’s something that holds the hand of every one of your senses. The reason for the album title is easy to see after one listen. It’s a journey, and a refuge. For those of us you have been down the road he traveled, it will be relative and poignant. For those of you who haven’t, it will be insight. For anyone who appreciates music, it will be an experience. 
Antlers - Sylvia (Hospice)Antlers - Shiva (Hospice)Antlers - Cold War (Cold War)Antlers - Uprooted (Uprooted)
Download "Hospice"Antlers on Myspace
*All music used with permission by Peter Silberman and Antlers.
I have been touting the genius of Pet Ghost Project since the inception of this music soapbox. I love Justin Stivers like a brother, and am getting to know his bandmates Justin Gonzalez and Jake More a bit better every day. I consider myself lucky to know them and even luckier at how much faith they placed in myself and Jenn months ago. 
I can say with all honesty, that nearly everyone who has sat down and put in a CD from Pet Ghost Project has come away completely transfixed. They create music that is unique and truly special. And we are so proud that Justin had the faith in our passion to to sign on and allow us to promote his creations. We're watching him finally catch on. We watch him get excited by every review, and every bit of deserved praise. And we know it's only a matter of a bit of time before he won't be able to keep up with it all. We've got so much in the hopper for Pet Ghost Project, so look for some big announcements coming soon. Until then, Justin, Justin and Jake were kind enough to put together a smashing cover of Pavement's "Box Elder" to promote the showcase this Saturday at Cameo. Grab it below! 
Listen: Box Elder (Pavement Cover) 
