I know it's been a LONG time, but this is another entry in my "Pleasantly Surprised" catagory. I happened to fall upon this band on a sampler disc of unknown origin a long time ago. I had downloaded the disc, burned it on a disc and deleted the files. Why? Because sometimes I do stupid things. What made it worse, I neglected to write the track listing down, and none of the artists. So, for years, I had NO IDEA who the hell this was. I had the one track by them, Understanding Orange, although I didn't know that's what the name was, and I didn't know their name, either....
SO, after listening to it for probably two years off and on, I finally snapped. I picked out snips and pieces of the lyrics of the song and googled them. Fortunately, the lyrics popped up, and I discovered BM Linx and Understanding Orange.
The next task was finding their album. I'll tell you, no one anywhere had posted it. So, this was actually the first digital download I ever purchased with my hard-earned. BM Linx, I'll tell you guys right now, it was worth it. Totally.
Their sound is very retro. I don't know if I'd classify it as 80s. Musically, they sound something like the Pumpkins, but tighter. And the drums remind me a lot of Duran's Roger Taylor. The guitar and bass sound very reminiscent of New Order or the Cure. And I can't place the vocals.....
Every song is a tight little ditty. No mush, no ballads. Just toe-tapping, head-bobbing, finger-snapping garage rock. The pop hooks are everywhere. And lyrically, they are very teenage. I can't tell if they're trying to make fun of teen angst and pop culture, but it comes across like that to me.
Although classified as an EP, it has more tracks than some albums. And, a bunch of mixes as well. I hated the original cover, so I remade it with a blank tape. It captures that 80s feel, and riding in your car with a tape deck, windows down, summertime late Friday night, rolling through the parking lot of several dozen parked cars full of teens out socializing - flirting, passing numbers, laughing and smoking cigarettes. And you and your buddies slow it down, and turn it up.....
Showing posts with label 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2006. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
BM Linx - The Portable Genius - 2006
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
High Violets - To Where You Are - 2006
You would think (I would think) that I would have a problem with a Post Punk band coming from the United States. I mean, all my life I've considered Post Punk to be a European if not strictly British movement. When I think Post Punk, I think New Order, Echo & the Bunny Men, Cure, Smiths, Psychedelic Furs and Siouxsie. Not a local band from Portland, Oregon. But, here I am posting a release that I feel is comparable to all of them.
If you are a fan of Cocteau Twins, Lush, Curve or the Sundays, then you are definitely going to find something of interest here. The first time I heard it, I instantly fell in love with them. Fortunately, I didn't know they were from Oregon, or I may have passed them by. Not that I have something against American bands, just that my tastes are a tad European. When I think American music, I think Hard Rock, R&B, Rap, Country and teeny-bopper Pop shit. Anything considered "alternative" by American artists is usually full of unjustified angst, which I find to be disgusting considering most of them should move out of their parents basements and get a job.
I keep slipping back onto that soapbox, sorry.
The entire album is full of great music that sounds very "early-90s", but with a modern twist. The vocals are heavenly, and the guitar-playing would impress Robin Guthrie. The melodies are full of pop hooks, and you'll find yourself humming along by the third playing. Very catchy.
I included the remixes from the tracks that were on the album, which they had released on a disc in 2007. They didn't release any singles, so there's no b-sides. But, the mixes make up for it. It's great stuff, you should like it if you like Harriet, Toni or Ms Fraser.
Unfortunately, they've only released two albums since then, and I didn't find them to be very interesting. But, they did have an EP called 44 Down from 2002 that was pretty good. You may check that one out as well....
If you are a fan of Cocteau Twins, Lush, Curve or the Sundays, then you are definitely going to find something of interest here. The first time I heard it, I instantly fell in love with them. Fortunately, I didn't know they were from Oregon, or I may have passed them by. Not that I have something against American bands, just that my tastes are a tad European. When I think American music, I think Hard Rock, R&B, Rap, Country and teeny-bopper Pop shit. Anything considered "alternative" by American artists is usually full of unjustified angst, which I find to be disgusting considering most of them should move out of their parents basements and get a job.
I keep slipping back onto that soapbox, sorry.
The entire album is full of great music that sounds very "early-90s", but with a modern twist. The vocals are heavenly, and the guitar-playing would impress Robin Guthrie. The melodies are full of pop hooks, and you'll find yourself humming along by the third playing. Very catchy.
I included the remixes from the tracks that were on the album, which they had released on a disc in 2007. They didn't release any singles, so there's no b-sides. But, the mixes make up for it. It's great stuff, you should like it if you like Harriet, Toni or Ms Fraser.
Unfortunately, they've only released two albums since then, and I didn't find them to be very interesting. But, they did have an EP called 44 Down from 2002 that was pretty good. You may check that one out as well....
Thursday, June 2, 2016
TV Eyes - TV Eyes - 2006
A further entry in my "pleasantly surprised" series, I got this one on a whim, because of the nifty cover. (I used the original front cover for this front cover. I only remade the back cover) Listening to it for the first time took a while, but when I finally got around to it, I wondered why it took so long.
The songs are definitely 80s influenced, yet with a modern Indie edge, and that trendy Mark Ronson sound. Every track has a catchy chorus, and they all seem upbeat and fun. So, if you're in the mood for doom and gloom, don't listen to this one yet. The remixes are just as good as the originals, and the one b-side, She Gets Around, actually is a stand out track. Best song on the album, however is She's A Study. It reminds me of some other song, but I can't put my finger on it...
Cool thing is, this is a Jason Faulkner concept band. Jason Faulkner was in the band Jellyfish back in the early 90s. He's writing and performing tracks that I feel put him on par with any teenage rock star out there. It's hot, it's relevant, and very fresh. Hell, the guy's almost 50! Its too late for you to be sounding like your 22! He proves that wrong.
The only bad thing about this album is that it was only available in Japan. He's from California. He makes an album, and only sells it in Japan. WHAT? Can anyone explain why that is a good idea? I can't see him making more money on it in Japan than in the USA. Even so, his fan base over there has got to be miniscule.
Whatever. You just have to pay through the nose for it on Amazon, but at least you got it.
The songs are definitely 80s influenced, yet with a modern Indie edge, and that trendy Mark Ronson sound. Every track has a catchy chorus, and they all seem upbeat and fun. So, if you're in the mood for doom and gloom, don't listen to this one yet. The remixes are just as good as the originals, and the one b-side, She Gets Around, actually is a stand out track. Best song on the album, however is She's A Study. It reminds me of some other song, but I can't put my finger on it...
Cool thing is, this is a Jason Faulkner concept band. Jason Faulkner was in the band Jellyfish back in the early 90s. He's writing and performing tracks that I feel put him on par with any teenage rock star out there. It's hot, it's relevant, and very fresh. Hell, the guy's almost 50! Its too late for you to be sounding like your 22! He proves that wrong.
The only bad thing about this album is that it was only available in Japan. He's from California. He makes an album, and only sells it in Japan. WHAT? Can anyone explain why that is a good idea? I can't see him making more money on it in Japan than in the USA. Even so, his fan base over there has got to be miniscule.
Whatever. You just have to pay through the nose for it on Amazon, but at least you got it.
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