All Around Sound Is Turning Seven! - Day 1: Genders

This year this blog All Around Sound will enter it's seventh year of operation. I say this every year but looking back I never would've anticipated the blog running this long at it's inception. It's insane to think that we're still here in our little corner of the internet especially when so many of the other blogs we've featured here in the past have gone by the wayside. Nevertheless we're still trucking and we will be for quite sometime. We're offering up another year of our birthday mixtape spectacular. 

Every music writer longs for that one band that they knew before anyone else. One of my absolute favorite bands that I essentially got to see form before my very eyes (albeit from across the country) is Portland's Genders. Stumbling upon their previous band Youth with it's heavy beach rock vibes and watching the transformation into psychedelic experimental rock that's pretty definitive of their current sound has been a treat. Genders have grown into a fairly mighty band so it only made sense to reach out to them to help us celebrate another year of being around especially since we've written many a love letter to their continued growth. 

Genders' Stephen Leisy is up with the first mix of week inspired by the band's touring:

Hey Dante,
Here's a mix. Not too much theme or backstory, but all the songs remind me in some way of time spent on the road or just hanging with my bandmates. Most of all the bands on this list (with two exceptions) are bands we've played with, been inspired by, and sung along in the van to. Happy Birthday All Around Sound! 

Thanks to Stephen and Genders for contributing and being in an awesome band worth covering. Stick around for other contributions throughout the week. 

Listen: Genders: "Life Is But A Dream"

Following Maggie Morris and Stephen Leisy since their days as members of Portland foursome Youth has been a wonderful journey of sorts. Though Youth was shortlived, their output - a double A side and their June EP was enough to make enough of an impression that listening to their new band Genders was a given. While it was a bit of a wait after the announcement of the band until those not able to catch them around Portland could see them, Morris and Leisy have made the wait worth it - releasing a series of  placeholders before finally releasing their debut full length Something To Get You By at the tail end of 2013.

"Life Is But A Dream", the first single from Genders' upcoming Phone Home EP shows that they're not that kind of band that's content to stay in place. Whereas Something To Get You By reveled in a sort of garage psych hinterland, "Life Is But A Dream" pulls from the band's dreamier, more atmospheric moments and chases that lead to a refreshing new sound. Morris and Leisy pair their guitar with omnichord and synths, respectively while Katherine Paul's insistent drumming translates rather well outside of the fuzz of their previous efforts. Considering the more laidback surfer rock vibe of Youth and Something To Get You By's "Golden State", Morris and Leisy are no strangers to a less hectic vocal delivery but "Life Is But A Dream" pairs the casual delivery with the blistering, intricate guitar work of their debut. It's a noteworthy blend, one that highlights the band's versatility as well as their ability to take what worked previously show that it works surprisingly well in new context. The result is a slice of dreampop that's not entirely content to go down smooth; As Morris and Leisy's guitar work occasionally providing jagged edges that elevate the track above mere delicate pop confection.



Genders' new single "Life Is But A Dream" is out and available for download this Friday with their Phone Home EP out later this year.

Genders - Get Lost (2013)

Portland indie rock quartet Genders' journey began long before their first demos emerged back in April of 2012. Back when half of its members were in the tragically short-lived Youth and its summery jangle rock. In fact, several of Genders first tracks recalled those beach rock jams in "Show Me" and even EP/Get Lost track "Golden State". However, as the foursome offered up more and more tunes saw the light of day, it was clear there was more to the band than sunny surf-friendly melodies and as the band incorportated darker textures and developed the art of the longform jam, the development of a full length of unique and worthwhile tracks became not only an inevitability but also cause of anticipation. 

On "Something to Get You By", their full length's heavy album opener, Genders pull absolutely no punches. Sure to be most people's introduction to Genders, it starts right out the gate featuring the full band in a display of shoegaze-y fuzz before the portentous stormclouds disperse to reveal Maggie Morris as the guide for the tumultuous journey. Her vocals are light but seem incapable of drowning in the sea of haze as the band weave a complex web of intense jams around her. 

While not everyone is likely to have followed Genders from the start (both its own and its past-life as Youth), it is precisely this that enables the band to function so effectively. Their guitarists' (Stephen Leisy and Maggie Morris) familiarity aids in the intricacy of their impressive clustered jangle. Most of Get Lost's tracks feature the band's instrumental prowess and for a band that was less tight-knit, less precise, less practiced, and less engaged it would be sure to be their downfall - creating an album that not only seemed overly long but dragging and painfully so. This isn't the case with Genders on Get Lost - who even revisit previously released tracks to give them whole new context. "Twin Peaks" is a whole new beast, less oppressive but with a far more ethereal edge as Morris' vocals are given a ghoulish glow due to its altered production. Her shouts of "don't want to see, don't want to hear, you love me" ring out like warnings with higher stakes than discomfort. They're even able to fit a purely instrumental track on the album in "How Long Can I Wait?" that's interesting in its own right and not just as a bridge between the brighter and darker-tinged album cuts. 

A vocal supporter of Genders from the start, it's amazing to see the band's transformation. Get Lost plays like an true rock album from a group of talented performers. Ones that don't need a crazy amount of studio time to get it right. Get Lost's greatest achievement is in it's duality - part shredfest with an emotional resonant core. Its tracks are definitely jams but mindfully so - the band's talents are fully on display without the need for any excessive spotlighting and the cohesiveness not only of the tracks themselves but the album itself is an impressive feat. It's a worthwhile placeholder for what's sure to be an utterly incredible live experience. Here's hoping it's not too long before Genders get to make tours a regular part of their lives. It's certainly a must for a band this good at what they do. 

You can stream/download Genders' full length debut Get Lost:

Listen: Genders - "Something To Get You By"

Here's a bit of good news: Portland rock quartet Genders have emerged triumphant from a bit of studio action with Cheshire grins happy to announce the completion of their debut full length Get Lost. They're about to run off on a North American tour with Built to Spill but not before they dropped the first single for the upcoming full length, the appropriately titled "Something To Get You By".

If there was any doubt in your mind that Genders wasn't a rock band through and through, "Something To Get You By" is your answer. Swimming in a sea of shoegaze-y fuzz, looming dark textures that'll drain the summer tan right off of you; replacing it with an autumnal chill. While it remains to be seen if the other tracks Gender released either from the EP or this year's tour 7" will make it's way onto Get Lost, "Something To Get You By" is the dark cousin of many of those cuts - forsaking sunny summery jangle for a staggering intensity in a similar vein to "Oakland" and "Twin Peaks" but with a far more oppressive loom.



Genders' debut full length album Get Lost is out December 8th.

Listen: Genders - "Show Me"/"Oakland"

                                                     (photo by Shannon Wolf)
                   
It's a rather exciting time for Portland foursome Genders. Since its three core members departed former band Youth last year, they've had a delightfully surprising amount of forward momentum; releasing an EP a few months ago, playing Treefort Music Festival, and following that shortly after with a two song 7". Yes, it's a pretty good time to be Genders.

On "Show Me", the first of the foursome's new tunes, the bright summery bounce of both "Golden State" and "Sugarcoat" as well as their Youth days (the June EP in particular) returns. It's a pretty sweet poppy confection that floats along on beach rock waves and traverses toned down psychedelic paths. Maggie Morris' vocals are cool and calm as she continues to come into her own as a consummate frontwoman; all charm and pleasant coo. Unlike the sunkissed beach pop of "Show Me", its b-side "Oakland" dwells in those more darkly textured and darker themed lands of "Twin Peaks". It doesn't contain the same level of intensity or urgency as "Twin Peaks" but "Oakland" carries a similar mysterious air, a polar opposite to the a-side but a rather excellent pairing.

Genders - EP (2012)

When the news broke that Portland quartet Youth were breaking up, my heart was broken. They had just released a pretty great EP and had already released one of my favorite songs ("Want You to Know") and suddenly that would be no more. However there was a bit of good news with the band, instead of one band Youth would be splitting into two: Maggie Morris, Stephen Leisy went on to form Genders drafting Katherine Paul and Matthew Hall  into the fold and Elec Morin would be setting out solo.

Considering the rather slow pacing of Youth's releases, I'm pretty impressed with the fact that Genders managed to put out an EP this year. The band formed in April and in this short 3 song EP have already managed to completely eclipse the potential and promise of their former band. Maggie's taken the helm and proves to be an excellent frontwoman. The EP may only be a small taste of the band at play (unless you're lucky enough to live on the northwest coast where you can catch the occasional live set) but it shows a versatility untapped in their previous incarnation. Sure there's the summer beach-rock that colored Youth's best songs and made June so fun but there's more than that at work here. From the very Givers-eque introduction of "Golden State" to the dark electro-pop lean of "Twin Peaks" (which sounds astonishingly similar to The Pass' "Without Warning")

The EP are three very different on Genders' psychedelic beachy pop rock an yet none of them seem at all out of place. Showing off varying skills without displacing any of the established others. Each are jams in their own way, from sort of back-beat heavy pop influence to straight-forward Bay area rock, each is handled in just the right way to make you love it. Who would've thought that a change in artistic direction was all Genders needed to kick it into high gear. While the lazy day summer rock of Youth was certainly pleasant and full of charm, the blistering tempi and tight-knit precision  are definite winners. On their EP, Genders show us all why they're worthy of sticking around. Capitalizing on their likes and what they learned in Youth and expanding it to reach a level of musicianship I was wholly unexpecting. Here's hoping there's more to come from Genders because anything else would be an utter crime.

Get a listen to their three-song EP and fall in love with Genders.

Pitstop: Dull Edges

Despite the veritable onslaught of artful arrangement-heavy music with its nice clean melodies, pristine harmonies, and all around evocative qualities, I'm also a fan of rock grit. It's what draws me to the live shows of ARMS, Conveyor, and Sondre Lerche or why I was so head over heels for Writer when I first saw them. Because despite how clean-cut they might sound on their studio recordings, their live sets are filled with wild, free-flying guitar pyrotechnics and raw, uncontrived roars. That appreciation of the noisy, the imperfect, is exactly what drew me to Brooklyn garage rock trio Dull Edges.

Starting last year as a two piece with guitarist/vocalist Patrick Lane and bassist R Smith before drafting Ben Kaplan on drums, the rather newly minted trio already has a strong release under its belt in Half Shattered. The 5 song EP  is a set of purring rip-roaring guitar rock at its finest. While tracks like "Washed Out" and "Screens" are cacophonous, while "Big T", "Space Jam", "Holed" are righteously slow-burning psychedelic jams in the vein of Secret Mountains sans powerhouse vocals or Youth without the sunny beach vibes.  

Half Shattered, in all of its tragic shortness, reveals a rather versatile band well-versed in its influences and strong in its delivery. There's no hiccups as the EP transitions from its rocky clatter to its more down tempo airy plod, rather it's smooth and still manages to maintain the forward momentum of the more fast-paced predecessors. Dull Edges can be noisy when they want to be and when they are it's deliberate, not the fault of a band that's terribly out of leagues or remarkably out of practice. But the Brooklyn rockers also clean up quite nicely as evidenced in the second more drone-inspired half of Half Shattered.  

Dull Edges is releasing "Screens" and "Big T" on a 7" next month so stay tuned for that. Until then, you can listen to Half Shattered on Bandcamp:

Youth - June EP (2012)

One of my favorite up-and-comers, Youth, is back. Earlier this year the Portland-based quartet made good on their promise of an EP and the results are exactly as good as you might think. Coming off the double A-side they released last year, June continues in their summery jams in the best way. The group has refined their playing and added a bunch of new tricks to their arsenal like the elevated vocals duties of Maggie Morris on "September" and "Into the Bay".

Lead track "Beach Haven" plays very much like a summer anthem or beginning of the season soundtrack track, filled with a surfery vibe and loads of jangly instrumental breaks and harmonized shout vocals and Elec Morin's laidback drawl.

Several of the tracks that have been floating around the internet make their way onto June. Like "9/11" which now goes by "September" and "The Earthquake" from their Live in Santa Barbara lo-fi recording. June is an assortment of rock jams that are as fun as they are enjoyable - they're serious in the cases of tracks like "September" and  "Into the Bay" but all still crackle with a joyful energy of a band that really enjoys what they're doing.

You can hear some of June on Youth's Bandcamp.

Wild Ones - "It's Real"

Remember Wild Ones? Sure you do. The spunky Portland indie-pop quintet just finished a west coast tour with Surfer Blood and have toured with hometown buddies Youth and Typhoon as part of their appropriately named BFF tour. Well the fivesome are prepping their full length debut and if new track "It's Real" is anything to go off of, it's going to an assortment of summery jams - my favorite kind.

Pitstop: Wild Ones

One of the good things about following a good band is that you're introduced to a bunch of other good bands by proxy. Just like I found Youth through Portland folk outfit Typhoon, I was able to discover synth-pop quintet Wild Ones through the promotion of Typhoon's BFF Fall Tour.

Formed in 2009 as a duo, Danielle Sullivan and Thomas Himes assembled a cast of talented musicians to round out their band and bring their bedroom recordings to life. As a result, the band has released their You're A Winner EP earlier this year filled with vibrant, upbeat synth-pop with moony but infectious toe-tapping melodies. Thankfully there's more to come as the band work on a full length album for release next year.

Get a taste of Wild Ones with the EP tracks as well as new track "Need It All" on their Souncloud here.
Need It All by WILD_ONES

Youth releases first double A side

You might remember Youth, the Portland band that plays a delightful mix of sunshine-y rock music and summery beach pop. During their intro piece (which you can read here), I mentioned that they would be releasing a set of double A sides available for free download. And now it's official. As of today (bandmember Maggie Morris' birthday)the band released "Everything"/"Comes and Goes" which those who downloaders of their free live in Santa Barbara album would've heard in a rougher edit.

Give the tunes a listen and if you like them, you're in luck, you can download them for free at Youth's Bandcamp.

Pitstop: Youth

It's always great when a band you like turns you on other bands. In this instance it was previously featured Portland band Typhoon that led to me finding Youth. Youth is a Portland band in its early stages but they've definitely got massive amounts of potential (just give surefire favorite "Want You To Know" a listen). Youth began early last year as a collaboration between guitarist/vocalist Elec Morin and drummer Stephen Leisy before Maggie Morris joined later contributing vocals and guitar and enlisting friends Grant Hall and more recently Sam Schick on bass. The band themselves describe their music as "a mix of our day to day feeling, we write generally upbeat melodies and sing about whatever is going through our heads at the time" and "writing songs that we want to hear but haven't heard yet" which is a pretty apt description. Their songs are summery and upbeat jangle rock with occasional splashes of beach pop goodness. You might be tempted to compare them to surf rock bands like Avi Buffalo, Surfer Blood, or The Drums but don't. It'd be easy to compare the high vocals in "Just Like You Said" to Avi Zahner-Isenberg's but you'd be doing yourself a disservice. Instead of pigeonholing the young band, simply listen and enjoy, you'll be glad you did.

Here's hoping there's more to come from the budding rockers. They just released a free live album of a Santa Barbara concert that you can download here and have plans to release several double A side singles for free online so stay tuned for that.

You can hear some of their tunes at their Facebook, MySpace, and Bandcamp.