It’s finally starting to feel like fall and you know what that means…HALLOWEEN! But even though costumes, candy and parties are important, what is most important is Radio 1190’s Halloweek! Next Monday through Friday we will be playing very spooky tunes picked by staff and listeners as well as giving away vinyl, t-shirts and concert tickets! Tune in all week for your chance to win and keep your eyes on radio1190.org and our Facebook for updates!
Dublin based group Girl Band started by releasing their brand of noisy, cathartic post-punk on their Bandcamp, but after signing to Rough Trade, the group has released their debut album Holding Hands with Jamie. Most of the tracks, like the single “Paul”, start opaque and formless with bursts of noise and heart-pounding drums only to slowly grow into a giant burst of fury and aggression. The vocals of Dara Kiely are sloppy and improvisational, in which he yells almost incoherent mantras that sound almost like the loud yells of a drunk Irishman. In the middle of the track “Paul” and rising and falling wall of noise takes over the track that is so powerful that could make some listeners uncomfortable. Though all this noise is quite daunting, tracks such as “Texting and Alien”, contains a sliver of melody to please the listener for a moment, only to be bombarded by sheets on noise to suffocate the listener. Most notably, the percussion is primal and pounding but strays away from overusing the cymbals and opts to utilize strange industrial instruments to further the effect. The tracks, to the untrained ear, may seem similar over the course of the album, but after multiple listens each track is strange and noisy in it’s own way. Holding Hands with Jamie is one of the most interesting noise rock albums of the year and, without a doubt, will be making some year end lists.
When Carrboro, North Carolina-based record label Paradise of Bachelors first started, the first record they put out was a Nashville band called The Promised Land Sound. Come 2015, now that the label has a few successful releases under their belt, the Promised Land Sound has released their second record For Use & Delight. Much like their debut the group channels the stomping hippie country of Neil Young and CCR but with the stoned out, freewheeling vibes of Crosby, Stills and Nash. The group is tight but play in a way tat sounds natural and effortless. The album teeter totters from full-on country-tinged rock n’ roll jams to mellow and rollicking showing off how dynamic the group can get. Even though the group sports intense guitar riffs and groovy rhythms, their sound is very warm and familiar akin to The Band. But where the group really shines is the mellower, freeform psych-folk crooners such as “Northern Country Scene”. Promised Land Sound encapsulates all that American music truly is. Though their music may not convert an Americana-hating individual on to the genre, it has a little bit for every lover of American music.
Aptly named American-born, Toronto-based art-pop outfit U.S. Girls has been making music since 2007 but in 2015 their breakout album Half Free has put them in the public eye. Though they play pop music, their sound is dark, smoky and sexy. Much like a French Noir film, grand pianos, bongos and lush strings back up the theatrical and breathy vocals. Though this combination may sound like Lana Del Ray with a darker edge, U.S. Girls, with their dabbling in electronic experimentation, sound more akin to John Maus or even Ariel Pink with more confidence. Lead single “Window Shades”, with its utilization of vibraphone and keys sounds close to a theme song for an espionage movie. Sadly, though its strength is sounding incredibly
mysterious, it also suffers in sounding too hazy and hard to define. The instrumentation is gorgeous but sadly isn’t as captivating as it was meant to be.
James Calvet