Indie Shuffle » Holly Wang

The Clientele – Minotaur

Holly Wang — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:16:52 +0000

Click image to download full album

Sounds like: Galaxie 500, Pipas, Trembling Blue Stars, The Zombies

What's so good?

As a combination of new and unreleased tracks, one would expect some disjointedness, but the eight tracks on Minotaur work seamlessly together – a bit retrospective, a bit new. Labeled as a “mini-album,” it is almost as satisfying as a full-length. Many times, an EP can leave me feeling a bit incomplete, so I think The Clientele’s album was just the right length for a smaller release. Although Minotaur isn’t a leap forward and doesn’t push any boundaries, it does a wonderful job at subtly exploring the sound from their debut album to the present.

Minotaur is reminiscent of all the things I’ve grown to know and love about The Clientele. It’s melodic, sometimes eerie, lyrical, and a bit mysterious.

One track that stands out is “The Green Man,” which is a spoken word track towards the end of the album. It was written by Alasdair MacLean and posted on his blog in 2008. His breathy vocals, the indistinct sounds in the background, the ghostly imagery — all create a feeling that sticks with you. It’s one of MacLean’s shining moments, where he really puts his literary talents on show, and you are able to see that he’s not just a musician but a seasoned writer.

To accompany this mini-album, The Clientele is doing a short West Coast tour, starting in Seattle and ending in San Diego. So if you are wanting to hear more from this talented band, head out to one of their incredible live shows.

Elsewhere on the web:

myspace | myspace.com/theclienteleofficial

School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire

Holly Wang — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:18:27 +0000

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Sounds like: Asobi Seksu, On!Air!Library!, The Depreciation Guild, Memoryhouse

"School of Seven Bells - Windstorm"

What's so good?

School of Seven Bells’s first album, Alpinisms, is known for its dreamy drone and noise elements. While that is carried over in their sophomore album, Disconnect From Desire is brighter and more accessible.

To be honest, the first time I heard it I was a bit turned off. When I first listened to Alpinisms, it stayed on heavy rotation for a while. This wasn’t the case with Disconnect From Desire, and I immediately attributed it to a sophomore slump. But after further listens, I’ve realized that the band’s second album is pulling from more influences than the first.

“Heart is Strange” is tinged with sounds of 80s synthpop and “ILU” is reminiscent of a ballad. This album is definitely more “pop” — it’s happier, the lyrics (in line with their first release) are also somewhat repetitive and melodic. If you are looking for something along the lines of their darker, moodier debut album, I’d check out the song “Babelonia,” which fits right in between the two albums. It is melodic with an Eastern influence, but also has the pop quality that is prominent in this release.

The second album has definitely shown growth as the band has taken their shoegaze/dream-pop music and fused it with a more polished pop sound without losing the fuzzy distorted noise splashed between the vocals. Using more traditional pop structures in their music, they’re able to open their work to fans who are drawn to anything they can dance or sing along to.

However, I wouldn’t count on them being too pop in their live shows. When I’ve seen them, they’ve been able to conjure up a huge noise wall, with beautiful melodic vocals (think of a throwback to My Bloody Valentine). I’m excited to see where this band goes next, as their last track on the album, “The Wait” (aptly named after the song “Bye Bye Bye”) is a melodic etherial ballad that could mean a totally new direction on their third album.

Elsewhere on the web:

myspace | myspace.com/schoolofsevenbells

Teengirl Fantasy – T G I F

Holly Wang — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:04:00 +0000

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Sounds like: Neon Indian, High Places

What’s so good?
I stumbled upon this band accidentally when browsing Flickr videos. Someone had used a song of theirs as a soundtrack and that was immediately what caught my attention. I proceded to Google them and listen to every song on their Myspace right away. What I love about Teengirl Fantasy’s music is that it is ambient but it doesn’t make me fall asleep. There is an upbeat quality about it, and their low-fi recordings don’t sound half bad, almost intentional. And although this isn’t the most typical mainstream indie-pop, it’s an easy listen.

“Teengirl Fantasy” make dream music. with a beat. on the surface, their song “love don’t live here anymore” is a remix of the much-covered 1978 hit. But it doesn’t just put new drums behind what we already know. The revamp references its source with barely-there samples that seem to be fighting against interference. Because “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” is one of those songs that everyone knows, even if they don’t know why or where they first heard it. “Teengirl Fantasy” know this, too, and their glazed compositions explore such unconscious nostalgia with eyes half-open (arguably more impressive, their live sets have been known to get brooklyn indie rock kids moving with some semblance of rhythm) – pitchfork

elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/teengirlfantasy
the sky report review | theskyreport.blogspot.com
weekly tape deck review| weeklytapedeck.com
pukekos has some cool vinyl pictures | pukekos.org

download:
teengirl fantasy – portofino.mp3