No Age - "Eraser" 7"

No Age – “Eraser” 7”

Sub Pop, 2008

Acquired: Love Garden, New, 2008

Price: $4

I can’t think of another band from the back half of the 00s who had more fun just tearing shit up for the hell of it. No Age take great pleasure in deconstructing punk, fusing it with noise rock, blending the results, and somehow churning out tracks that are occasionally infectious. Not all of their songs are as catchy and just balls-out ass-kicking as “Eraser,” but with a song this good who needs other songs? The album from which this track was culled—2008’s Nouns—is a fine record but every other song rotates around this one. The build-up and release is pure noisy bliss. Covers of songs by Nate Denver’s Neck, The Urinals, and the Nerves populate the b-side. It was the No Age cover of the Nerves’ “When You Find Out” that led me to seek out their magnificent and tragically brief self-titled four-song EP from 1976, which I promptly played on repeat and on KJHK for months. It’s funny, because No Age’s cover of “When You Find Out” isn’t a cover at all; it’s an instrumental sound collage. Which is heartbreaking because you just know No Age would have tore that song up.

"Eraser" - Still one of my favorite music videos ever!

Gut Feeling: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Days of Abandon

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon

Slumberland, 2014

There were a couple golden weeks in 2009 where the Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s eponymous debut was my favorite thing in the world. And then reality set in and I realized that the reason I loved the album so much was because it reminded me of bands I already loved. I recognized that the band did little to differentiate themselves from their obvious influences and though enjoyable, the music was hollow. Same goes for the group’s sophomore effort, Belong, which added a beefier sonics but ultimately ended up sounding like Smashing Pumpkins half the time (and with Silversun Pickups having cornered the market on bands that sound like Smashing Pumpkins, it was an easy pass). The music is TOTALLY FINE. It’s really nice. I just can’t get past how this band manages to stay so obnoxiously derivative.

Still, despite the pains in my heart, I bit at Days of Abandon. Naturally, it’s the same old shit and I might as well be listening to the Field Mice or Adorable or any of the dreamy mope-pop greats from the late 80s/early 90s. It wouldn’t be totally hopeless if the songwriting was strong or personal, or if singer Kip Berman relied on anything but bland platitudes in his lyrics, but nope. There’s nothing here to set the Pains apart. Worst of all, in the band’s eternal sideways growth they’ve let the shoegaze elements bloat their songs into oblivion. The first three minutes of “Beautiful You” are some of the record’s strongest, but then the song doubles itself and calls attention to the repetition.

It’s all very good and nice, but for a band that wears its heart in its name, their music is all form and no substance. No heart. No soul. Just pretty ethereal guitars, sensitive Sarah Records vocals, and a bunch of songs that sound like they would rather be in England 30 years ago than live in the present. It’s a shame, because it’s a gross waste of talent. I keep coming back to the Pains of Being Pure at Heart because I know these guys have the skill to make a great record but they just can’t figure out how to mature and move past their influences to make something of their own.

"Simple and Sure" 

The New Pornographers - High Art, Local News

The New Pornographers – “High Art, Local News”

Matador, 2005

Acquired: Love Garden, New, 2005

Price: Free

I think the greatest compliment I can pay to the New Pornographers is to say that they produce great b-sides. The best b-sides, really. I can’t think of another band who has released more single-quality tracks on castaway promotional singles, compilations, and iTunes exclusive downloads. “Graceland,” “Speed of Luxury,” Toronto cover “Your Daddy Don’t Know,” and “High Art, Local News” are absolute monster jams worthy of mass radio airplay. Granted, it’s not that surprising or special considering that the New Pornographers make albums that are loaded front to back with monster jams. Still, I got this one-sided 7” for free with my purchase of Twin Cinema and it straight up kicks ass. The New Porns’ grip on modern power-pop may have slipped over their last couple of albums, but Twin Cinema was one of the catchiest, most rockin’, most fundamentally enjoyable records of the mid-00s and this b-side so craves to be on the album’s tracklist proper. There just wasn’t room, I suppose, and that’s fine because there’s a certain thrill that comes with discovering that some castaway b-side is actually something mammoth. Actually, it’s like digging up a wooly mammoth while doing some routine gardening. “Wow, I was enjoying this but HOLY SHIT A MAMMOTH!” Thrilling. Scintillating. And now I’m going to have this rollicking song lodged in my head all day.

"High Art Local News"

Modern Baseball - Sports

Modern Baseball – Sports

Run For Cover, 2012

Acquired: Half Price Books, Used, 2014

Price: $5

I professed my love for Philly’s Modern Baseball earlier this year in a review of their terrific sophomore LP You’re Gonna Miss it All. The group’s pop-punk meets twinkle-daddy emo revival meets wry/relatable anthems in the vein of Los Campesinos! dynamic easily won me over. Before listening to that album, though, I listened to Sports. The group’s debut is a bit more raw (not that much, really) but the groundwork of falling in love with girls who only want to stare at their iPhones and the blend of humor and unsaccharine emotional heft was promising. Then again, I have a thing for reedy vocals and big emotional declarations so maybe I’m biased. While the band didn’t evolve too much between albums, Sports is definitely more on the twinkly emo spectrum and it doesn’t serve them quite as well as the high energy blast of You’re Gonna Miss it All. Either way this is a band I’m excited to watch grow because as much as I enjoy their first two records, I know they’re absolutely capable of knocking me on my ass an album or two from now.

"Tears Over Beers"

My Morning Jacket - "Off the Record" 7"

My Morning Jacket – “Off the Record” 7”

ATO, 2006

Acquired: Half Price Books, Used, 2013

Price: $1.50 

I dabbled in My Morning Jacket’s early discography but never got around to their fourth album, Z, thanks to the weird DRM that came with the album. Coupled with the bad reviews, I didn’t even bother (Note: According to Wikipedia, Z actually got very postive reviews so I don’t know what was going on back in 2006 and I flat out shunned this album). A couple years later my friend and fellow DJ Nick Dormer played “Off the Record” for me and I changed my tune. I don’t think I ever got around to listening to Z in its entirety, but the groove of that track and the hook in the chorus got to me real good. It was such a 180 from the atmospheric alt-country/folk I was used to from Jim James & co. There’s almost a reggae vibe to the track despite upstroked guitars being the only vaguely reggae-ish trait. The song is just fucking smooth as hell. The b-side “How Could I Know” sounds a lot more like the My Morning Jacket I know. It’s gorgeous and an excellent pairing with the more adventurous single on the A-side. My Morning Jacket is one of those bands I keep meaning to get into. I have all their albums on the hard drive and I know for a fact that I really like their album It Still Moves and their sound in general, and yet for some reason, I don’t bother. Which is weird, because this stuff is basically what I would call “Bearded Dad Rock.”

"Off the Record"

"How Could I Know"

Mount Analog featuring Karl Blau - "That's How I Got to Memphis" 7"

Mount Analog Featuring Karl Blau – “That’s How I Got to Memphis” 7”

K Records, 2008

Acquired: KJHK Music Staff, New, 2008

Price: $0

Mount Analog is the guise famed Portland producer Tucker Martine operates under, and for this 7” he wrangled fellow northwesterners Karl Blau and Laura Veirs for an absolutely fantastic cover of Bobby Bare’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis.” I’m a fan of all three aforementioned musicians. Martine is one of the best producers in the game (I recently raved about his collaborative work on Richard Buckner’s latest Surrounded) and Blau and Veirs are a couple of my favorite songwriters from way back (Blau’s BeneathWaves and Veirs’ Year of Meteors are near and dear to the old ticker). Did I mention this track is just wonderful? It’s breezy and laid back and it’s the perfect soundtrack for a front porch on an early summer afternoon with a cold beer. Blau’s off-kilter croon is just the best. The b-side is a moody, experimental-leaning tune “inspired by Jobim’s “A Felicidade.” It’s fine, but there’s really no reason to listen to it when you can just listen to “That’s How I Got to Memphis” a hundred times on repeat.

"That's How I Got to Memphis"

That's How I Got to Memphis from Karl Blau on Myspace.

Morrissey - "You Have Killed Me" 7"

Morrissey – “You Have Killed Me” 7”

Attack, 2006

Kief’s Downtown Music, New, 2007

Price: $1

“You Have Killed Me,” the first single from Morrissey’s 2006 album Ringleader of the Tormentors was one of my top 10 favorite tracks of that year. I played it to death. I haven’t heard it in 8 years, but listening to it now, holy shit, I must have listened to this song 100 times. The production sounds weaker than I remember. I remember it sounding much more majestic, but it’s still wonderfully hyper-dramatic and has these big, swooping strings that make Morrissey’s personal life sound like the only personal life that really matters. On the flip side, “Good Looking Man About Town” is a legitimate b-side and a quality one at that. It sounds like the Smiths! I mean, the guitar player is obviously trying to riff on Johnny Marr and doesn’t hold a  candle, but Morrissey’s voice is seemingly ageless. Also, the cover image of Moz lounging on railroad tracks is absolutely perfect.

"You Have Killed Me"

"Good Looking Man About Town"

The Moon Seven Times - "My Medicine" 7"

The Moon Seven Times – “My Medicine” 7”

Parasol, 1992

Acquired: Love Garden Shotgun Room, Used, 2008

Price: $.25

Whilst combing the erstwhile Alt-Rock 7” section of the Love Garden Shotgun Room, one of the record labels that immediately sent a record to my keeper pile was Parasol. Parasol covered all angles of the indie-pop spectrum and released records by bands that were great but never quite made it as big as they should have (Wolfie, Strawberry Story, The Like Young) in addition to releasing a hundred plus records from random bands no one has ever heard of. Which is great, because they’re often the sort of bands who contributed one magnificent track to the world and then faded into oblivion. Champaign, Illinois’ The Moon Seven Times weren’t necessarily one of those bands, but the three dream pop tracks on this 7” are more than serviceable.  Lynn Canfield’s vocals lend an unfortunate 90s-ness to the whole affair, but just a little bit. All is forgiven, though, since overall these three tracks are quite pleasant. The whole “ethereal dream pop” angle tends to produce a lot of boring music and requires a bit more effort than your average alt-rock since if the songwriting isn’t up to snuff or the music isn’t ornately beautiful enough you run the risk of putting the audience to sleep (which was mostly rectified by bands amping up the reverb and distortion and calling it shoegaze). That said, the Moon Seven Times are snoozy, but have just enough gumption to keep me from falling out of my chair.

"My Medicine"

Modesty Blaise - "Christina Terrace" 7"

Modesty Blaise – “Christina Terrace” 7”

Spirit of ’86, 1994

Acquired: Love Garden Shotgun Room, Used, 2008

Price: $.25

 

“Christina Terrace” is a strange sort of track. Despite being produced by a British band at the height of the Britpop explosion, Modesty Blaise sound more like a band from Flying Nun Records in the 80s. There are some wonky synths, some lighthearted ooh-la-la-la backing vocals that feel like they were tacked on with actual thumbtacks, and some guitar solos that sound like they were recorded off of an answering machine. It’s a wonderful little track that sounds like it could completely dissolve any second. B-side “Nothing Sacred” slows things down to a crawl but retains the backing vocals and simple guitar solos and actually provides a nice contrast. “The Greatest Rock ‘N’ Roll Band in the World” is a hilarious send-up to rock and roll majesty that sounds like a Kinks track and boasts such witty one-liners as “I saw them in town/so they can’t be that great” and “When will you learn/ You’ve gotta dress in black/ You’ve gotta play your guitar when it’s behind your back.”

"Christina Terrace" 

Mirah - "Cold Cold Water" 7"

Mirah – “Cold Cold Water” 7”

K Records, 2002

Acquired: Love Garden, Used, 2010

Price: $3

 

The sweetness in Mirah’s voice has always made her lush indie-pop all the more compelling. On “Cold Cold Water,” the lead-off and stand-out track from her second album Advisory Committee, she makes you fall in love and then immediately breaks your heart. Phil Elverum lends his trademark atmospheric production as he did for a number of K Records bands during a sweet spot in the 00s. The gorgeous sonics do the world building around Mirah’s aching break-up songs. The b-side on this 7” is a sadly ho-hum, demo-sounding version of “Cold Cold Water” that pales in comparison to the studio cut.

"Cold Cold Water"