Listen/Watch: Lucius - "Born Again Teen"

Since Lucius re-emerged from a creative hibernation of sorts around the time of the release of their self-titled EP (give or take the couple months they had been winning crowds over with their less folk-inspired sound), they've managed to channel the spirit of old school rock & roll and girl pop glam in a way that was less about being derivative and more about honoring their influences and own musical tastes than mere imitation. It was a sound that galvanized some of the group's catchiest tracks atop of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's powerhouse laser-precise vocals even as Lucius grew into their current five person setup. While the road to their break out full length Wildewoman seemed like a sort of endurance test, Lucius have, along with trading their digs from Brooklyn to LA, taken years work of hard work refining their sound to heart with the development of their new record Good Grief.

"Born Again Teen" is all wide-eyed exuberance - recalling the vibrant sounds and colors of the 1950s without exactly placing itself purely in that era. "It's a feeling like a born again teen/got a heartbeat like we're only sixteen", the ladies croon before there's a blast of shout vocals that jump-start the track's lilting verse/boisterous chorus combo. Laessig and Wolfe's vocals lead the dance - circling casually before taking the lead and rising to climactic highs. "Can somebody help me, please?/I don't think it's just me, I'm dying" embodies the melodrama of lovesickness and yet the band who all enter in harmonies aren't coquettish about it. It's real, it's sincere. There's nothing cute about this feeling and appropriately after reaching such a dramatic climax, the only response is a swing back to their introduction as if it (and it does) explain it all.



Good Grief isn't out until next March but "Born Again Teen" shows that Lucius aren't pulling any punches with their pop domination. "Born Again Teen" is Lucius at their catchiest but also their most self-aware, balancing teenage drama with the knowledge that they're mature enough to know better. It's going to be a long wait until March but "Born Again Teen" posits that it just might be worth the wait.

Lucius' upcoming album Good Grief is out March 11th. Preorder in available now and features a bunch of cool options like the making of documentary Days in One Place, and limited edition translucent 12" vinyl.

Listen: Pearl and the Beard - "You"

                                                   (photo by Shervin Lainez)

Well this has been a long time coming - since being introduced to Pearl and the Beard (after an irrationally long time of putting them off) in the summer of  2013 at The Wild Honey Pie's Welcome Campers, I've been fiending for the new Pearl and the Beard record. Fans of theirs had the opportunity to pre-order the record  - titled Beast, and were given the gift of a stream/download while the band got all their ducks in a row with all the particulars of the new record. But for me, that wasn't good enough. Pearl and the Beard, from the moment their music crackled on my skin like static electricity, were a sharing band.  "Have you heard of 'Pearl and the Beard?" I would ask my similar musically inclined friends, casual acquaintances, strangers I had just met at parties. It was getting ridiculous but such is the strength of their new songs and I wanted everyone to hear them.

"You", the first taste of Beast, is a perfect introduction to the band for the uninitiated and a lovely roaring return for those fans waiting, patiently, for the band's follow up to 2011's Killing Your Darlings. It's a bliss-inducing burst of pop filled to the brim with insistent fervor. "Can you hear me? Got a megaphone on my forever beating heart/Come on get it through your skull that I want you and all of your flaws" - Jocelyn Mackenzie roars right out the gate. "You" may invoke the feelings of all-consuming love but Mackenzie establishes first and foremost that it's a love that true; not that sort of easy infatuation where you're completely blind to the hidden depths of a person. The love in "You" in bold but understanding and Pearl and the Beard ride that wave pretty agilely keeping up with the sheer insistence of the zealous lyrics with rapid pacing and grand swelling choruses. "You" is the perfect preview of Beast because it's bound to stay in your ears until the trio see fit to let their next track free and luckily for both them and us - it's a damn good to keep us company.

Listen: ARMS - "Comfort"

Ending on a definite somber note on their excellent sophomore record Summer Skills, Brooklyn indie rockers ARMS have return almost two years later with the incendiary "Comfort". Where Summer Skills crackled and surged with urgency and drama, "Comfort" feels far more ambulant; where Summer Skills sweltered and scorched, "Comfort" rolls forward with the all the intensity of a refreshing spring breeze. That's not to say "Comfort" doesn't rock, it most certainly does but ARMS reinvigorated return strives to be less cinematic and far more scenic this time around. Todd Goldstein contents himself with exploring guitar tones underneath the track's billowing, caressed melodies and the result is a balance of experimental texture play with a softer edge.

"Comfort" is ARMS' declaration of independence from themselves, content to be far less cerebral and enjoy its sumptuous traverses a little more than previously allowed. It's not a terribly revolutionary bit of reinvention with many an ARMS trademark still in use but it's a breath of fresh of air deeply felt from its members able to find the comfort their track laudably condemns. Welcome back ARMS, we've certainly missed you.



ARMS 2nd EP, the appropriately titled EP2 will be out September 10th on Paper Garden Records.

All Around Sound-Off No. 4: ARMS

A little known fact is that in addition to giving the All Around Sound-Off its name, Todd Goldstein better known as the frontman of Brooklyn indie rockers ARMS was actually the first interview I ever did right around the release of the band's sophomore record Summer Skills. The interview was lost forever into the ether and while it's been essentially a long-standing inside joke between Todd and I that we would replace it with another, the news that ARMS would soon be recording/releasing a new EP seemed like probable cause to reach out to Todd Goldstein again to see if he would finally be game for another chat. Thankfully he was and we met outside of Pianos after one of their sets earlier this year to continue a conversation that had started nearly two years prior.


Dante (All Around Sound): I'm really excited about your new EP...like SO much. What can we expect from it?
Todd Goldstein: Well, we recorded it ourselves which was a not new but a return to that from working on a big studio album. That was in part because of resources and in part because I really missed the feeling. The home recorded stuff just sounds a lot closer to what I'm hearing in my head and I have more control over it and part of that control is giving up control to like shittily recorded tracks and first takes and just kind of leaving it as it is and just letting the magic of it, if it is in fact magic, be there. It's five tracks and it was most of what I wrote in the last year after Summer Skills. I don't know, it's just kind of in terms of - I was thinking this, because you know I'm an ex music writer and all that stuff, in terms of adjectives: If Summer Skills was - someone described it as sinewy once which I really liked. It's sort of moody and sinewy  then this new EP is sort of careening and expressive. It's really high energy and it's really rough around the edges and it's a lot more fun than anything.

Sweet. I've heard some of the songs live so is it kind of a similar thing to that or did you make any changes to the songs when you brought them in to record?

TG: No, it's similar to that but you know, there's more layering and atmosphere and all that. It's just a lot more fun - they're fun songs that I had fun writing and I have fun playing them.

Hah. I wouldn't have used that adjective to describe you guys ever. I mean, you know... 

*Laughter*

When we talked before, long long ago, you mentioned that Summer Skills actually got its initial inspiration from Kids Aflame. Was there any pre-established inspiration that you drew for this one? 

TG: No. Which was sort of the scary and interesting part of doing the EP. I felt like I kind of exhausted this huge creative well with Summer Skills. I basically poured every little piece of whatever I had into it and I started with pretty much a blank slate writing afterwards which is something I hadn't really done before. I think that's in part why it's kind of taken awhile to get the motor revved again. We're in to writing another full length right now because I've kind of got the groove going but the inspiration for making these was that I just needed to find a new way to write that wasn't based on concept and let the concept become what it was going to be. Just writing some songs was the thinking. I've been happy to find since finishing the songs and hearing them together that they're definitely a piece and there's definitely some throughlines and all that stuff but the inspiration was really just writing more about myself.

For this EP was there more of a conscious effort to return to writing or did the songs just kind of come to you naturally? 

TG: It was like a real conscious effort. I really had to push it. Songwriting doesn't come easily to me like ever and with these five they really had to be ...I had to sort of force myself to write this stuff because I was like 'I need to make more stuff. I need to get past that record'. I needed to find a new voice after I had done that. That was sort of the way Kids Aflame worked and I was thinking of that kind of relationship where the songs themselves are very tightly constructed and very carefully put together but the performances are very loose and kind of tossed off, you know, in a good way. In the good attitude.

Last year you resurrected a bunch of Kids Aflame songs that you hadn't really played in awhile. Going back to those was there any kind of new revelations that you got from going back to these old songs that you wrote? 

TG: Yeah. There was an attitude I had when I was writing those that I had gotten really far away from and that i really wanted to get back to. I don't think we're a band that's been around long enough that the idea of returning to your roots is like a last ditch effort at anything, it was just kind of trying to recalibrate where I was at and just think about things differently. I really like those old songs because they're really direct and they're all kind of trying a different thing and there's a sense of innocent exploration that I had going on at that time that I couldn't get back to completely but tried to think of things that way like 'What if I wrote a song like this?' and not try to fit it in to anything larger or make it mean anything larger. It's just like a self-contained little world and that was kind of something that I learned from them - that I could go back to those songs and playing them realized I wrote some songs that I really love from that time. I don't write song like that anymore but I totally still could if I want to.

I kind of already kind of the answer to this question but who are some of your favorite songwriters? Do you feel like any particular songwriter really influenced your writing?

TG: I feel like I've gotten to this point where I don't even listen to songwriters anymore. I listen to mostly ambient music, jazz, electronic, and minimalist classical stuff and that's sort of where I hang out most of the time. I mean, you know, if I listen to my stuff there's Mark Kozelek in there; Neil Young and maybe a little bit of Elvis Costello and a little bit of Elliot Smith. Ted Leo? I don't know, I listen to all sorts of stuff. When I'm writing songs I'm just writing songs I know to write. What are your guesses?

I mean I knew about Kozelek. I know you have like moodier songwriting likes and whatnot. So for this round was there any change in what you were listening to versus what you were listening to before that you felt defintely impacted what you were doing?

TG: I think I stopped listening to indie rock. That's actually a pretty big thing. I mean, I listen to it still because it's like happening and I like to keep up on things but I stopped kind of strong identifying with it for whatever that's worth. What I play is definitely indie rock, there's no question but I just kind of stopped. On one hand I stopped really giving a shit about indie rock aside from what my friends are doing which I think is cool and picking and choosing here and there but while I stopped caring about it I think I wanted the stuff I was making to sound a little more like it. I was like 'Fuck it.' I made an art-pop album that was maybe a bit impenetrable tone-wise to some people and I kind of want to make stuff that people listen to and I want my stuff to make sense with the stuff that other people are doing so people have a door in. So I switched up the approach a little bit to make it a little more like the stuff I listened to when I was growing up. Just like 90s indie rock; Pedro the Lion and Pavement, Built to Spill and stuff like that. I can say that's like a big influence.

For Summer Skills you said some of the influence came from really intense movies like Brick. Was there any particular mindset you tried to get into when trying to write these songs that you attached to? 

TG: Yeah. I feel like this is a little bit more influenced by some books. I'm trying to concentrate a little more on smaller moments and intimate details. I read this book by Lorrie Moore called Birds of America. Every story is really beautiful and kinda sad and about very real people but it's just like so perfectly observed and I kind of wanted to do something that was more impressionistic and intimate. It was less about the widescreen mood and concept.

So it was about two or three years ago when you recorded your other EP, was there any particular way you went about it this time on this new EP? 

TG: No. More mics, better mics. We got someone to mix this album. We worked on all the tracks ourselves and got this guy Jason Finkel to do the mixing.

I know him. 

TG: You know him? Of course! Through the blog world. He's a really awesome guy and we totally get along and he just gets how to make all this stuff kind of work together. It sounds fucking great - it'll be done by the end of next week. We recorded it the same but I think the years of difference just in terms of how our views have changed and our sensitivities and stuff and the fact that we got someone to really put it together is going to make a huge difference.

 Much thanks to Todd Goldstein for sitting down with me (again) to discuss what's one of my most anticipated released. The new EP, aptly titled EP2 will be released September 10th on Paper Garden Records.      

Listen: Lucius - "Until We Get There"

Since my discovery of Brooklyn indie pop quintet Lucius at last year's Deli B.E.A.F, I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of new music from them, more opportunities to hear Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's bold, brassy vocals and the bands distinctive brand of 60s leaning power pop. We've gotten peaks of course in the form of their tragically short self-titled four song EP released last spring as well as through the Christmas themed session for The Wild Honey Pie and their songs showing up remarkably in all matter of TV shows but this fall, we're finally getting a full length. Thank our lucky stars.

"Until We Get There", our first look at the band's upcoming studio album also marks their signing to Mom + Pop Records which boasts a pretty eclectic and exciting roster. But what can I say, I'm really just all a buzz with excitement that we're finally getting a Lucius full length. "Until We Get There" follows is a stream of rather journey-inspired tracks (the first being "Two Of Us On The Run"). It's the kind of track that wouldn't be out of place soundtracking a tour documentary or a roadtrip. It's actually a decidedly new look at Lucius.
While their self-titled EP covered a wide range of tonal shifts, we never quite got a track like "Until We Get There" which combines the subdued vocals stylings of "Don't Just Sit There" with the galvanizing energy of "Genevieve".  It also functions as a far more interactive band experience, for the first time in their recorded out you truly hear Lucius as a quintet and less like a vehicle for the impressive vocal chops of its two ladies.

I'm going to counting the days until their full length makes it way into the world but until then, "Until We Get There" will be perfect company.

Listen: Telekinesis - "Ghosts and Creatures"

Stop the presses, hold on to your loved ones for dear life, and get ready to squeal in utter joy and delight. Singer/songwriter/drummer Michael Benjamin Lerner aka Telekinesis is releasing a new album. And letting the squealing commence. If you've followed him on Twitter this wouldn't exactly come as a shock to you as he's spent more time forwarding on updates of an album in the works but it's still rather great news. Especially because we get to hear it. Also details are with it. No nebulous "soon". Telekinesis' new album Domarion will be out April 2nd on Merge and that is cause for celebration. What's more, our preview of the album is pretty choice. There's definitely some extra production at play but all's fair in love, war, and pop right? I'm excited for more powerpop from Seattle's most loveable hipster.

One of my favorite things about Telekinesis is each record manages to sound different without actually trying all that hard to make it so. Or not obviously anyway. "Ghosts and Creatures" benefits from the extra touch of producer and Spoon drummer Jim Eno and relies more on fuzzy synth textures than anything else. Lerner's percussion prevails sure but it pulses underneath all sorts of arcing synth sounds and they crackle and fizz around Lerner's ever-emotive vocals.



Telekinesis' third studio album Domarion is out April 2nd on Merge Records.

Watch: ARMS - "Heat & Hot Water"

I have a bit of a confession to make: Since my inaugural listen to ARMS, I've often imagined what a music video for their songs would look like. They're songs are so narrative-driven and yet so notably cinematic that you're sort of led to imagine their scenarios anyway. I had dreams taking place in the Summer Skills universe even. The song were that evocative. So when ARMS announce the filming of their first ever music video, I considered it to be my own dreams coming true. The fact that the director was Andrew Droz Palermo, who did that amazing yet odd White Rabbits video for "Heavy Metal" (among others) made me sure the project would be in good hands.

"Heat & Hot Water" is without question one of my favorite ARMS songs and probably one of the hardest to put to film if we're being totally honest. Unlike "Emily Sue, Cont'd" which would probably have been the easiest, the video ignores the obvious settings that Todd Goldstein's narrative suggests. The tracks itself about the ruin of a couple after a series of supernatural-tinged misadventures, there's heavy referencing to a beast that the couple uses against each other. How would ARMS and Palermo put that to tape? The answer is to not.

Instead of "Heat & Hot Water", the video focuses on a couple that switches from romantic contentment to boredom pretty much at the drop of the hat. When they're together they smile, they have fun, they laugh and then there's sudden a look. An unquestionable gaze appears on the face of the female lead (played by Brooke Underwood) that suggests they're on the outs. She will be left alone and sudden her smile will disappear and her whole mood changes. Then there's the pesky specter of a man played by Todd Goldstein himself that keeps appearing to her. Goldstein has alluded to possible characterization as the Devil but I saw it more as a lingering sense of doubt. Appearing only to the female usually when she is alone to think and right before the video ends when the couple starts to have a serious talk.

The video is subtler than I would've expected, relying more on the talent of the actors (most notably the aforementioned Underwood) to drive the music video's plot than anything else. And it's a gamble that works pretty well. Hopefully the first of a series of Summer Skills related stories, this first video does a remarkably good job of establishing the characters and conflict in a stunningly minimalistic way. Who says you have to spend thousands of dollars to make a good music video? Not. ARMS. Not Andrew Droz Palermo.

Watch ARMS debut music video for "Heat & Hot Water":


(via IFC)

Listen: Telekinesis - "Clock Strikes Midnight"

While bands/artists and blogs are foisting their Christmas-themed songs upon us earlier an earlier this year, it's easier to forget that Halloween is a thing. A big thing. Sure, trick-or-treating isn't really a thing for adults but we get Halloween parties. And not just any Halloween parties; Halloween parties for days. The whole weekend leading up to it and perhaps even the weekend after are fair game for a party.

And while there's a ton of spooky themed tracks, Michael Benjamin Lerner aka Telekinesis offers up his own creation to the theme mix. It's a short but oh so sweet track very much in line with his power-pop stylings and it's a great addition to your Halloween party playlist. Especially if you want people to throw caution to the wind and get their boogie on.

Give Telekinesis' "Clock Strikes Midnight" a listen and download it if you like it (Don't worry, you will):

ARMS - "Summer Skills (Bump in the Night Version"

Well hey, it's certainly has been awhile since we've heard from Brooklyn rock pop outfit and keepers of my heart, ARMS. Though they've haven't really gone anywhere (brief month-long hiatus notwithstanding), they've been playing their fair share of shows as well as working on some new ones and they've emerged triumphant with a cool little addition to their set of available tunes. Remember Summer Skills? Sure you do. The group's tragically overlooked sophomore album garnered exceptional praise (from me mostly) and nabbed the coveted spot as my absolute favorite album of 2011. Quite a feat considering the massive amount of dynamite albums that came out last year.

Well their latest single "Summer Skills (Bump in the Night Version)" is a far more upbeat and rocking version of the album's title track. If you seen the band live any time within the last year or so, you've most likely heard it but this is the first time you can get your mitts on the moving, grooving alternate version. And I strongly suggest you do. I mean curators of cool I Guess I'm Floating just premiered the track and they most certainly know what's up. Do it.







(via I Guess I'm Floating)

Watch: Parlovr - "Holding On To Something"

Yesterday, Montreal indie-pop trio Parlovr premiered their spanking new video for their latest album Kook Soul's best track "Holding On To Something" over at Noisey. And it's kind of just what you'd expect from the quirky threesome. Well, in so far in that the video is weird and fun and has very little if nothing at all to do with songs lyrics or anything like that. The plot of the video is essentially that of a movie told not at its actual start but not wholly in reverse either. The movie sort of takes cues from silent movie era films in that there are panels between acts that tell you the story as its about to unfold.

After a very audible "Action!" that signals the video's start, the screen pans from a piano playing Alex to a confused looking Jeremy and Louis mouths the words to "Holding On To Something", all appears as normal as you're going to get with the trio before things spiral out of control and quasi-hilarity ensues. Jeremy develops a random ailment, Alex attempts to help, and Louis just sings. There's also a pretty nonsensical scene of Alex's hair blowing in the wind as he caresses an iguana.  And everything happens in slow motion. And that's pretty much all you get.

Watch Parlovr's video for "Holding On To Something":

Parlovr - Kook Soul (2012)

Since my discovery of them at We Listen For You's spectacular CMJ showcase to the release of their first new single, Parlovr have been very well within my sights. While their single "You Only Want It 'Cause You're Lonely" was certainly catchy enough to merit my paying attention, it was "Holding On To Something" which the band released as a sort of SXSW teaser that really won me over and had me practically salivating for their new album.

Kook Soul, the Montreal trio's sophomore record and their first under label contract with Dine Alone Records, is certainly not a departure from their rough-and-tumble ragged-edge rock pop but it's more than just the same old song and dance. A series of love songs, the real twist is that they're all filled with a sort of steely but not grim-faced violence that arises from keen self-awareness. No posturing or victim-playing here - the Quebec rabble-rousers offer up an astonishingly indelible set of songs that properly balances truth with pop. Opener "Do You Remember?" and "Just Marriage" have all the balls-to-the-wall energy of their self-titled debut but it's when the glorious strains of "Holding On To Something" where you truly become aware of the band's growth. Tight-knit pieces that feed off each other ravenously, "Holding On To Something" is about a perfect a pop song as the group's ever made: capturing their penchant for anthemic shout-vocals with intensely memorable melodies. "Now That You're Gone" continues with their delightful streak of dancey ear-catching pop tunes with just the barest hint of a retro-rock vibe giving the subtlest hint at a by-gone-era to keep things interesting.

"Married On A Sunday" is where the album trades in its momentum for a bit of a different track - starting with a bit of sing-talk before the track picks up and all the parts come properly together. It's a track you may not like on first or even second listen but which is poised to win you over on album listen after album listen. "You Only Want It 'Cause You're Lonely" also functions as a bit of a cool-down, slowly building up before it's big rock moments (which really aren't that big in comparison to the album's others).

"Bad Faith" functions as the album's sole ballad and to call it that is a bit of a misnomer perhaps - it's a slower more emotion-fueled song yes but it retains that trio's enthusiastic touch that keeps it from slowing things down too much.

Considering the amount of intense busy moments on Kook Soul, you have to regard the thing as a success. Is it perfect? No. But that's not really Parlovr's style anyway. Kook Soul is bold, brash, virtually unapologetic set of colorful pop songs. Some songs are better than others but none are completely unnecessary.  A charming album that gains whole new meaning when you realize it's essentially the thing that kept the band from breaking up. And considering it's dual composition - songwriters Alex Cooper and Louis Jackson essentially wrote their own songs by themselves and they remain relatively untouched by anyone but drummer Jeremy MacCuish- it's a wonder that the thing works as fluidly as it does. At no point can you tell "This is Alex's, now this is Louis'". Each of the songs all fit together in Parlovr's messy way. A solid follow up  all things considered. Here's hoping there will be more to come from the rather young Montreal threesome.

Get a taste of the album with arguable the best song on it, "Holding On To Something":



You can listen to Parlovr's Kook Soul on Spotify.

Watch: AU - "OJ"

Holy unexpected visual treat, Batman! If you were think of a song worthy of the video treatment from Portland duo AU's recent release Both Lights what song would you pick? "Epic"? "Get Alive"? "Solid Gold"? Well, none of those were the choice of frequent collaborator Takafumi Tsuhiya. He's taken his colorful visual style and paired it up with "OJ" the dance-y less-extreme track of Both Lights. And not a bad choice considering the album is virtually stacked with great songs equally all deserving of a video.

If you've seen the video for "Ida Walked Away" you might have some idea of what to expect for the "OJ" video by Takafumi and yet, it's still quite the visual spectacle. Capitalizing on it's dance-y nature, the video features a dance in a sea of potential epileptic seizure inducing colors ranging on full on explosive bursts to subtler changes and brief respites being offered during the track's percussive breaks. It's a video you're sure not to forget as it's scorches it way into your very retinas.

Elle s'appelle - The Amazing World o' Stuff (2012)

Nostalgia can be a very dangerous thing. Whether it's keeping you trapped in the "glory days" of something or causes you to careless lash out at something because it challenges the idea that time and idealization have had a hand in making. Since British powerpop trio Elle s'appelle broke up  almost four years ago a not so secret part of me had hoped they would reform or at least put out the album they had been working on before they broke up. As its members went on to form new bands in new places - it seemed unlikely that I would get my wish. And then former bandleader Andy Donovan announced that Elle s'appelle's debut album would be released through his record label Rekordmeister Music this year. Color me intrigued, impressed, and excited.

Yesterday saw the release of Elle s'appelle's The Amazing World o' Stuff which turns out is less of a return to the Elle s'appelle of yesteryear and more of Donovan's own take on the band's sound and songs. He worked for years on creating new songs and updating old ones and enlisting the help of friends before deciding to release the album. Fans of Elle s'appelle might find such a thing a hard pill to swallow and yet, if you can get past the fact that the album isn't the work of Andy, Lucy, and Owen of old, with their unique keyboard, bass, drum fueled hyperactive pop, and just Andy Donovan (and others) you might find something worth listening to.

Even realizing how dangerous nostalgia could be in my enjoyment of the album there was one hurtle I had a tough time crossing. Namely Lucy Blakeley. Who's strong vocals seemed to fit puzzle-piece perfect with Donovan's. The lack of Lucy wasn't the problem however (though it would've been nice to have her) but rather that the female vocalist Donovan found to replace her is rather meek in her delivery. At least when compared to Blakeley. Considering my years and years of obsessive listening to the old demos on Myspace, it's going to take more than a handful listens for me to fully come to terms with Lucy's absence. That little caveat aside, it's rather nice to hear the old songs in a new context or just hear them again at all (since they're no longer available on Myspace). Andy Donovan's new tracks fit alongside the older ones pretty well, portraying the same high energy that made me fall in love with the band when I heard "Reasons Your Reasons Your Reasons Your"  featured on Eardrums Music's Summer-themed compilation. In fact, there's very little slow down in the album - it maintains the pretty much sky-high levels of energy from start to finish (there's a hint of a slowdown in "She Of Little Faith" but blink and you might miss it).

And yet despite the fact that The Amazing World o' Stuff is most likely to more greatly enjoyed by newcomers to Elle s'appelle's music, the album is still quite an enjoyable listen for everyone. Donovan's ability to write similar-sounding tunes is rather impressive and no doubt a testament to his songwriting talents. Nostalgic or not, The Amazing World o' Stuff is a fun album that contains a brand of nonstop powerpop that I wish was more prevalent. It may not be ushering in a newly formed Elle s'appelle into the world but it's a great piece of music to own.

The album is available for streaming and pay-what-you-want download at Rekordmeister's Bandcamp:
   

ARMS - "Three Mile Island" live video

I don't need much of a reason to post about ARMS but every once in awhile a reason helps. A week ago, the Brooklyn quartet of my dreams celebrated the release of their sophomore album Summer Skills with a record release party at Glasslands Gallery. I was there and it was awesome. But just in case you weren't or want to take a trip down memory lane, Big Ugly Yellow Couch (who was also there) posted some goodies from the celebration. So meander over there when you're good and ready. Or you can watch this video of ARMS playing "Three Mile Island" right here. That works too.

ARMS - "Three Mile Island" (live at Glasslands) from Big Ugly Yellow Couch on Vimeo.

And if for some reason you haven't picked up a copy of ARMS' new album Summer Skills, do so. Like right now. On Amazon, iTunes, or Spotify. Or preview some tracks at their Bandcamp.

ARMS - Summer Skills (2011)

This year there has been no more greatly anticipated album for me than ARMS’ Summer Skills. I was inadvertently introduced to ARMS via “Emily Sue, Pt. II” on online clothing website ASOS and immediately set up to know more about them. That was in February when their free five song EP had already been out for about a year and there was talk of the album being released in May. I can’t tell you how many repeat listens to this short EP occurred within the period of February and May but it could only be described as a certifiably unhealthy amount. Each milestone like my first ARMS concert, the release date announcement, the album trailer, first single, etc. has only added to the intense anticipation I had for the album.

Summer Skills makes good on the almost year-long promise of greatness. The concept – a sci-fi supernatural break up album was creative gold; innovative and if handled with the proper amount of care a feat of surefire genius. There was never any doubt. Beginning with energetic “Emily Sue, Cont’d”, you can’t help but marvel at ARMS talent for creating the odd, eerie mood that is so essential to the album's effectiveness. It’s your first introduction to their precise, cohesive style and features some rather grizzly visuals presented with throwaway concern and an eyebrow-raising sense of elation. It sets the stage for the emotional double-guessing positively bursting from each song.

Summer Skills is a rich, layered album with a permeating sense of mystique that gives the album much of its momentum; it’s deeply visceral but also an intensely intelligent endeavor. The songwriting is unbelievably nuanced filled with terrific shifts in emotions and a mind-blowing array of great musical moments on both a grand and minor scale (the return of the riff from “Emily Sue, Cont’d” in “Curtains“ was unexpected and deeply pleasing). The work of a talented group of musicians with an artist’s keen eye for details and a novel writer’s set of literary chops, ARMS blends diverse textures with such style and finesse they’re practically incomparable. There’s no struggling for words or identity here. Summer Skills shows a band fully at ease with their sound and unafraid to take risks. I don’t normally rate albums but ARMS' Summer Skills might very well be the greatest album of the year. For me at least. And it should be for you because the thing’s a freaking gem.

Make sure and grab ARMS Summer Skills, out today, here.

Telekinesis - "Country Lane" video

Every band does it. At least once during a band's life they will make a video of a live performance or showcasing their tour if they make a video at all. But that inevitability aside, Telekinesis' new video for "Country Lane" puts all those other videos to shame. Beginning as a sort of scrapbook, Polaroids of the bands travels become videos of the band playing, traveling, and just having a good time. It's fun and a new take on the tour video that every band seems to do. It's short, sweet, and accompanied by a great song that I had almost forgotten about.

New track from Yes Lord Sugar

Almost a week ago, Liverpool powerpop quartet Yes Lord Sugar revealed a brand new song. The new song "This Good Life" starts out slow and balladic before launching into an intense happy jaunt. It's nice to see the young band showing off their versatility early.

Yes Lord Sugar - This Good Life by YesLordSugar

Givers - Meantime" video

Earlier today, Louisiana pop outfit Givers released a brand new video for their track "Meantime" off recently release debut album In Light.

I'll be honest with you. I have no idea what the plot is for this video. One minute the band is entering an abandoned house in true Scooby-Doo fashion, then they revert to their childhood forms with blanket forts and the like, followed by a crazy confetti-laden house party with the band as the musical guests. That's it. Sure there's random colorful silhouette visuals and enough flashing lights to send you into an epileptic seizure but really that's it. And yet I liked it enough to watch it again. Maybe it was just for the opportunity to hear the song again in new context or just the group's infectious energy but I strangely enjoyed the almost plot-less video.

Watch the video for "Meantime":

Pitstop: Yes Lord Sugar

Three years ago, one of my favorite up and coming bands British powerpop trio Elle s'appelle called it quits. Liverpool quartet goFaster>> just recently ceased also. While this was initially tragic news now fans of the bands have reason to celebrate: Yes Lord Sugar. The new band is made up of 3/4th goFaster>> (Rich Collingwood, James Murphy, and Ian Felmingham)and Lucy Blakely of Elle s'appelle. The outcome isn't just a mash-up of the bands styles but rather merges both bands strengths like Lucy's sugary sweet but resoundingly clear vocals and Rich, James, and Ian's driving, air-tight playing. There's also delightful vocal harmonies and a feel-good danceability that warrants an almost excessive amount of replays.

If this is the result, maybe it's not such a bad thing two of my favorite bands broke up? Here's hoping there's more to come from the new Liverpool foursome Yes Lord Sugar. Get a taste of Yes Lord Sugar with two of their demo tracks "Wasted Minds" and "That Look In His Eyes".

Yes Lord Sugar - Wasted Minds by All Around Sound Blog

Yes Lord Sugar - That Look in his Eyes by All Around Sound Blog

GIVERS release debut music video

Hot off the heels of the release of their debut album, In Light, Louisiana's GIVERS have released their first ever official music video for bouncy, fun "Up Up Up". The video is rather simple, featuring the band performing in between rather artistic shots of the city, and the band members walking around said artistically shot city. And then things get a little weird. After stumbling upon a key, gravity all of a sudden gets turned off and delightful chaos ensues. Check out the video for "Up Up Up":