Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: baltimore, best of 2008, ecstatic sunshine, ponytail
I figure that since we’re a bit more than halfway through 2008 and there have been a TON of great albums released so far, we’re long overdue for a recap. First though, I’ll lay down a few rules.
1. No leaks. Even if they are scheduled for later on in the year, I don’t think it’s fair to slap a number on them yet. Changes still can occur between the leak and street dates. Besides that, I’ll get to write about more albums overall.
2. No Re-Releases. Who wants to read about old stuff?
3. Even though today is technically more than halfway through the year, everything released up to last Tuesday counts.
ecstatic sunshine- WAY
The path that Ecstatic Sunshine has taken is certainly a unique one. Starting off as a minimalist artsy surf-rock duo, the band released Freckle Wars in their native Baltimore to complement many of the other art-rock groups coming out of that region. We heard dueling guitars squash riff upon riff into each of the 12 compact songs on the disc. The result was an enjoyable listen, something that, while extremely catchy, you could listen to over and over and seemingly discover something new each time. That continues to be the appeal of Ecstatic Sunshine in 2008. After their transitional EP Living, their latest album has seemingly made a 180 degree turn in direction.
Off the bat, the track number is a bit deceiving. Only 3 songs? This must be another EP right?
Well it’s not. With each track ranging from 7 to 12 plus minutes long, we have a full album’s worth of material, even if the movements aren’t exactly separated from one another. And instead of quick and dirty guitar jamz, we have heavily effected-guitars, blissfully droning away. This now-3-piece-collective has taken the soul of Ecstatic Sunshine’s previous works and embedded this love of melodies that are equally uplifting and wild into a tangled nest of amplifier static and processed loops.
So check out these dudes from Baltimore. Dustin Wong founded the band with his pal Matt Papich back in 2004, and while he has since traveled on to focus full time on another group of Baltimore natives, Ponytail (who are soon to be the focus of another Best of 2008).
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: abe vigoda, ecstatic sunshine, fuck buttons, gang gang dance, no age, no pain in pop, south street seaport, telepathe, tv on the radio
I’ve been mulling over posting about Telepathe (pronounced “TEL-EP-ATH-EE”) for a few days. I first heard of them once the lineup was announced for the past Friday’s free show at South Street Seaport, featuring Telepathe and Abe Vigoda opening for No Age. I tried looking up their music online, but it was extremely difficult to find much of their work, with the exception of their 2006 EP, Farewell Forest. After listening to it, I couldn’t exactly say I was impressed. Airy-drone that combines ritualistic beats with repeating hooks and loops is not exactly a new style of music, and unless you can write interesting and engaging songs, it is far too easy to slip into a description the realm of boring. While true drone fans may disagree with my assessment, what I can say is that bands like the current lineup of Ecstatic Sunshine have seemingly mastered the act of balancing repeating noises and sound loops while preventing the songs from becoming monotonous.
Anyway, I had low expectations going into the gig, and unfortunately I cannot say my mind was exactly changed after seeing them live. Telepathe certainly had the look, being avant-garde artists and musicians from Brooklyn, and the ladies could have easily modeled for whatever is the favorite alternative-fashion magazine nowadays, stealing the front cover from the likes of Agyness Deyn and her counterparts. But their live show was just not that interesting. Most of what they performed was off of a laptop, and the one real instrument that was used, a guitar, was completely inaudible. While that may have been due to the lack of a decent sound system (or the fact that all the bands sounded terrible outdoors), it caused all the attention to be focused on the girls, and there is only so long that you can listen to spoken word and repeating lyrics.
So after all of that, why am I bothering posting about Telepathe? Well, it mostly has to do with the song I’ve linked on the bottom of the post, Chrome’s On It. Right now, you can hear the song on a 7″ single out on No Pain In Pop. Everything I that I complained about with the music on Farewell Forest has seemingly been revised. This track continuously surges forward during the length of the song, slowly building a thick and hazy atmosphere that is enhanced by floating vocal harmonies. And while around 3 sentences of lyrics are used, lead singer Busy Gangnes keeps things interesting with the sweet melodies. Instantly, Telepathe’s sound become pure pop, a direction they are far more equipt to head in. Rather than trying to match up to the dense tones of bands like Gang Gang Dance or Fuck Buttons, Telepathe have embraced the melodies and create the environments around those.
Keep a lookout for their full length debut, Dance Mother, produced by David Sitek of TV on the Radio. If this song is indicative of the direction Telepathe is heading, you can count me amongst the interested.
