Listen: Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Jackson"

There are plenty of reasons to get excited about Staten Island rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars triumphant return. It's been three years since sophomore effort Lenses Alien was loosed upon us and well, it's about time, no? On "Jackson", the first single and album opener of their upcoming third record LOSE, Joseph D'Agostino makes rather quick work of reintroducing fans old and new to his nuanced delivery. Always striking the right balance between his brainy brand of songwriting and pitch perfect vulnerability, that's certainly at work here on "Jackson". D'Agostino's vocals are at the forefront of the brewing tumult, agile and serpentine while the track simmers and stews. "Jackson" is notably restrained and D'Agostino's vocals are truly the highlight, far more mobile than many of the bands parts.

That's not to say that the rest of the foursome or even D'Agostino's own guitar work aren't pulling their weight rather his vocals function not unlike their own instrument - separate and elevated from the din, reveling in their own intensity that often occurs before everything else follows suite. That's not an entirely new development but it's certainly of note as the instrumental achieves an introspective openness. "Jackson" surges forward with an melancholy air but it's far from a mopey affair - not quite full on balls to the wall rebelliousness but far from tame.

"Jackson" shows that Cymbals Eat Guitars still have the goods - providing interesting narrative choices with rock 'n roll grit. "Jackson" raises the emotional stakes without diminishing any of the band's well-earned badassery. A surefire sign of good things to come.



Cymbals Eat Guitars third album LOSE is out August 26th on Barsuk Records.

Listen: Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Hawk Highway"

Are Brooklyn indie rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars making another record already? If so, certainly no one told me. Last year they released the pretty spectacular Lenses Alien and as if we didn't need about a year or so to process it, Cymbals Eat Guitars are offering up a brand new track by the name of "Hawk Highway".

The new track is certainly one of the most catchy and accessible CEG songs I've heard, recalling "...And the Hazy Sea" sans experimental fuzz or a faster moving "Wavelengths" and yet it doesn't compromise any of the songwriting chops Joseph D'Agostino's displayed thus far or the band's ability to rock. D'Agostino's still spewing out absolute poetry in the form of lyrics but it all fits while the band jams around him and then surges forward. Wordy vocals have a way of getting in the way sometimes but not here, they flow and so there's no eye-raising moments of forced poetics here. Instead there's light head-bobbing maybe foot-taps and perhaps a little bit of air guitar. Don't worry, I won't judge.

Hear the fantastic new single "Hawk Highway" from Cymbals Eat Guitars:

 Cymbals Eat Guitars - Hawk Highway by The Line Of Best Fit

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lenses Alien (2011)

It’s clear from first glance and listen that Cymbals Eat Guitars follow up to 2009’s Why There Are Mountain is different. Sure it’s the same band and the lead tracks are similarly lengthy but whereas the debut was filled with musically meandering moments, Lenses Alien has a rapid-fire take no prisoners vibe. Joseph D’Agostino punk-y vocals bring to life the novel-esque verbosity into eloquent, sincere turns of phrase. Album opener “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name)” with its mammoth 8 minutes serves as the mediator between Why There Are Mountains CEG and Lenses Alien CEG. It’s sprawlingly grandiose but far more direct and gritty than any song on the debut (even its parallel “…And the Hazy Sea”).

Many of Lenses Alien’s strongest tracks are those that we have been introduced to before like “Plainclothes”, “Another Tunguska”, “Definite Darkness”, and “Wavelengths”. That’s not to say that any of the never been released songs aren’t good. In fact “Gary Condit” is an early favorite of mine. It’s that they’ve had the longest time to gestate, for the band to premiere them, get feedback, and change or present in different context. As an album, Lenses Aliens is far stronger than Cymbals’ debut. The band is tighter, fused together from years of playing together and touring. There’s only one moment on the whole album that I feel the band fumbles in any regard: “Shore Lines”. Though it’s full of some rather delightful musical moments (vocal harmonies, numerous tempo switch ups, the lyrics come off a bit contrived. It’s almost too poetic, actually. Fragmented and convoluted, even after multiple listens the song’s point manages to elude me.

On Lenses Alien, Cymbals Eat Guitars are concise and rightfully so. This album sees the band tapping more into the potential they were practically oozing on Mountains. Everything is much more mature: the playing more intense, the songwriting more descriptive and rich. Here’s hoping there’s more to come from Cymbals Eat Guitars if they continue to make music this good.

You can stream the whole album at Spin here.

Cymbals Eat Guitars offer up "Definite Darkness" and pre-order package

Almost a year ago, Cymbals Eat Guitars introduced new songs "Definite Darkness" and "Wavelengths" to the world live via BBC and now with their new album's release imminent, we get to hear one of these in all it's studio-infused glory. I'm not ashamed to admit that when it first came out, "Definite Darkness" wasn't my favorite of the new tracks and yet with it's new updated sound, that's changed almost instantly. It's got the certain level of aggression that fans of the band have come to love and yet, balances that out with smooth, sensual, balladic moments.

You can listen to the song via it's premiere on Pitchfork here.

Cymbals Eat Guitars offer new track off upcoming album

Little more than a month ago Staten Island quartet Cymbals Eat Guitars announced details for their sophomore album Lenses Alien and now fans can get a preview of their new album with the first track off the new album "Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name).

Also, the band has moved up the release date of the new album from September 13th to August 30th in the US while the Europe release is still September 12th.

Make sure you see them on their upcoming Fall tour (dates here).

Cymbals Eat Guitars tour to support new album

Hot on the heels of their album release news, Staten Island rockers Cymbals Eat Guitars have announced a US Fall tour with Hooray for Earth and/or Beiges as support.

9/20 Brighton Music Hall (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - Boston, Massachusetts
9/21 Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Beiges) - Brooklyn, New York
9/22 The Space (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - Hamden, Connecticut
9/24 Black Cat (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - Washington, D.C.
9/26 Local 506 (with Beiges) - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
9/27 The Earl (with Beiges) - Atlanta, Georgia
9/29 One Eyed Jacks (with Beiges) - New Orleans, Louisiana
9/30 Fitzgerald's (with Beiges) - Houston, Texas
10/1 Emos (with Beiges) - Austin, Texas
10/2 Dan's Silverleaf (with Beiges) - Denton, Texas
10/4 Hotel Congress (with Beiges) - Tuscon, Arizona
10/5 Casbah (with Beiges) - San Diego, California
10/6 Alex's Bar (with Beiges) - Long Beach, California
10/7 The Echo (with Beiges) - Los Angeles, California
10/8 Bottom of the Hill (with Beiges) - San Francisco, California
10/10 Mississippi Studios (with Beiges) - Portland, Oregon
10/11 Crocodile (with Beiges) - Seattle, Washington
10/13 Neurolux (with Beiges) - Boise, Idaho
10/14 Kilby (with Beiges) - Salt Lake City, Utah
10/15 Hi-Dive (with Beiges) - Denver, Colorado
10/17 Slowdown Jr. (with Beiges) - Omaha, Nebraska
10/19 7th Street (with Beiges) - Minneapolis, Minnesota
10/20 High Noon (with Beiges) - Madison, Wisconsin
10/21 Lincoln Hall (with Beiges) - Chicago, Illinois
10/23 Beachland Tavern (with Beiges) - Cleveland, Ohio
10/27 Bowery Ballroom (with Hooray for Earth and Beiges) - New York, New York

Cymbals Eat Guitars' sophomore album Lenses Alien is out on September 13th on Barsuk Records.

Cymbals Eat Guitars announce new album

After hinting at it for what seems like ages but might only really be a couple months, New York City band Cymbals Eat Guitars have announced the follow up to 2009's Why There Are Mountains. The new album, titled Lenses Alien, will be released September 13th in the US on Barsuk Records.

There's no tracklist yet but several new songs they premiered live are likely to be on Lenses Alien like "Plainclothes", "Definite Darkness", "Tunguska", and "Wavelengths". To celebrate, here's a video of Cymbals Eat Guitars playing "Plainclothes" live:

Cymbals Eat Guitars premiere two new tracks

Apparently Cymbals Eat Guitars are a band that like to play a new song or two during their live shows. I say "apparently" because I've never actually been to one of their live shows, so I base this off the band's tweets and video content. During a live set at BBC Radio 6 the band played two new songs "Definite Darkness" and "Wavelengths". The two tracks are in a similar style to the punk-y jangle rock of their debut Why There Are Mountains while at the same time different. The songs definitely have a maturity to them. "Definite Darkness" is the weaker of the two new tracks but is not without its merit. It switches from soft rock ballad to something more jagged quite a few times in a similar ocean wave like manner of "And The Hazy Sea" with the occasionally strained vocals giving the song a interesting sense of turbulence. "Wavelengths" has this meandering sense of being that reminds me of the few Pavement songs I've listened to. The track uses the similar juxtaposition of soft and more piercing sounds together but the way it does it, seemed stronger than "Definite Darkness". The rougher part comes right at the climax of the song to give you this feeling of "Ahhh" after things become smoother. If this is what to expect off Cymbals Eat Guitars' next record, sign me up.

You can listen to/download the two new tracks here.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains (2009)

Staten Island indie rock quartet Cymbals Eat Guitars is a music critic's dream come true; not only defying labels like genre but so ruggedly individual in their overall approach that you'd have a tough time thinking of bands to compare them to. The band's debut album Why There Are Mountains is a hodgepodge of sounds and musical ideas achieved at a positively epic level. Six minute lead track "And the Hazy Sea" is an exercise in organized chaos beginning with a loud dizzying cluster of sounds before erupting into anthemic punky shout vocals. The track shifts dynamics to an almost startlingly unexpected degree connected by the vocals and a listless drifting feeling remiscient of being adrift at sea. The album's lead track brings you more places aurally than most artists do in the span of a whole record.
"Some Trees (Merritt Moon)" follows in a similar manner to the first track but in a much more controlled and less grandiose manner. "Indiana" and "Cold Spring" continue the album, stripping away some but not all of the fuzziness and intensity and adding extra instruments like strings to the core guitars, drums, and keyboard. "Share" sees the return of all the fuzziness in its full glory accompanying floating melancholic vocals and horns. Seven minutes long, the song slowly unfolds for the duration before reaching a groovy pop rocky climax.
"Wind Phoenix" sees the return of the horn section and serves as the album's most widely accessible and poppy track but that in no way takes away from the song's legitimacy or its role in the album's sojourn through wilds of nature and emotion.
Album-ender "Like Blood Does" grounds everything you just heard by starting anew, stripping down to the bare essentials of guitar and vocals, slowly building on the remains eventually incorporating every instrument and gaining more and more momentum until a wall of sound restarts all of the energy and the track drifts out.

Cymbals Eat Guitars may be their name but no one instrument outshines the other, instead working together to create a captivating unifed work of art that just might make this album and Cymbals Eat Guitars your new and most-listened-to favorites.

Give the album a listen and begin what sure to be a lengthy love affair here: