Tonyplunkett
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South Ambulance make a C86-Creation Records-inspired pop racket that does for reverb what Blue Oyster Cult did for the cowbell. Every aspect of the song is completely drenched in it, from the body-rocking drums of the intro to the chiming guitars and fey vocals that sit on top of each other like 12 people in a VW bug. I would also point out it's ridiculous catchiness, but that might be besides the point.
Sounds Like: Love Is All, The Stone Roses
South Ambulance - Davy Crockett
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Albuquerque's Brett and Rennie Sparks are indeed family, and have been for two decades, an accomplishment that inspires and pervades their new record, the aptly titled Honey Moon. It is at turns lush and prickly, and this track highlights the former, showcasing the close harmonies and classic country sound that they've been able to perfect with all of that quality time together.
Sounds Like: Deer Tick, A.A. Bondy, The Felice Brothers
The Handsome Family - When You Whispered
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The alarms being sounded by Victoria, BC's Immaculate Machine are of the Morricone-esque, new-wave pop variety, a genre that richly deserves greater exploration. The song lopes along over it's marshal beat and flamenco guitars, punctuated by fuzz and din, and feels terrifically live and terrifically alive, as if it might leap off the player at any point and perform an interpretative dance. I think I hear some whistling in there as well, but maybe that's my mind playing tricks on me.
Sounds Like: The Organ, The New Pornographers, Destroyer
Immaculate Machine - Sound The Alarms
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Although there's something a wee bit Manson Family-esque about gigantic sound conglomerates like San Francisco's Still Flyin', I'm fairly certain they don't have anything sinister in mind. The agenda seems to focus on finding a way for 15-20 people to sing and play together without turning into Rusted Root, and these guys do an admirable job, mixing in a few horns and keeping things remarkably tight for their size. As long as they maintain the ultra-positive vibes and avoid knives and harder drugs, I'm on board.
Sounds Like: Architecture in Helsinki, The Polyphonic Spree
Still Flyin' - The Hott Chord Is Struck
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One look at the photo tells you everything you need to know: these guys are extremely young and extremely psyched. "Tall Shadows" is two minutes of sloppy Portland audio exhilaration that revels in the possibilities of stopping, starting, banging and bopping. There's fun, and then there's F-U-N.
Sounds Like: Matt and Kim, Mika Miko, No Age
White Fang - Tall Shadow
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Very few songs can manage to feel simultaneously baroque and buoyant, but this number from Touch and Go's The Uglysuit manages to strike that difficult balance. Guitars, piano and xylophone encourage one another long without overwhelming the delicate vocal line, capturing the effervescent vibes of all the "Sounds Like" bands before Hollywood and car commercials choked all the fun out of them.
Sounds Like: Wilco, The Shins, The Flaming Lips
The Uglysuit - ...And We Became Sunshine
Previously:
The Uglysuit - Chicago
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Poison Arrows has a new record coming out on File 13 Records and this track exemplifies the post-industrial clang of the whole affair. Space abounds, whether in between instruments, notes or words, and the fuzz/haze/fog that coats everything keeps the distance palpable. The Arrows are making future music informed by the past in the present, and its up to us to tune in.
Sounds Like: Mogwai, ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Shellac
Poison Arrows - Total Beverage
Previously:
Poison Arrows - Casual Wave
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These guys seem much too young to cram this much boy/girl group-3-part-harmony-wall-of-sound-phil-spector-reloading madness into one song, but I guess that's the way they raise them in Memphis these days. Whether or not they've lived it, they've heard it, and ultimately that's half the battle. If you can't score the movie playing in your head to this song, consider getting a new movie.
Sounds Like: The Beach Boys, The Ronettes
The Magic Kids - Hey Boy
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