toOOOoons

Haven't done reviews in a while, the summer months tend to be slow for new releases, all the sudden they've stacked up on me though...

transplants - Haunted Cities: A punk rock supergroup(?) consisting of Tim Armstrong (Rancid, Op Ivy), Travis Barker (Blink 182, Boxcar Racer, Meet the Barkers), and some other guy, plus guest spots from currently irrelevant lyricists, sen dog, b real, and the boo-ya tribe. The best song (which is really good) from this random mix of tunes is the single, 'Gangsters and Thugs', with the super cathcy chorus, "some of my friends sell records, some of my friends sell drugs".

clap your hands say yeah - s/t: Talking Heads meets Hidden Cameras. Pretty cool stuff from this band that has never played a show outside of new york.

limbeck - Let Me Come Home: This might have been popular in 1993, so much so that they might have secured an opening spot on a Gin Blossoms tour. It couldn't be less important or remotely redeeming in 2005.

envelopes - Demon: This is what I'd hoped all the hype surrounding the Fiery Furnaces would have yielded.

sing sing - Sing Sing & I: Second release from Emma Anderson's (of Lush noteriety) new outfit. Far too poppy, comes off sounding like an underdeveloped Cardigans or St. Etienne record. 'Sweetness and Light' this surely is not.

solex + M.A.E - In The Fishtank Vol. 13: Take two bands, stick them in a studio and see what happens. The Fishtank series is a great concept that has produced more hits than misses. Unfortunately Solex (essentially one dutch record shop owner) peeked with her first release, and M.A.E. don't seem to help much here.

bedrock - Layered Sounds 2: Disc one is surprisingly (or maybe not, I haven't been following the label's recent releases too closely) leftfield/downtempo fair which is a refreshing treat, while disc 2 has your more typical Bedrock style floor fillers.

nick warren - GU 28 Shanghai: You pretty much know what to expect from the Global Underground series. This is more of the same ultra prog.

skopic - s/t: Decent downtempo beats rife with melodies reminiscent of film noir-ish soundtracks.

pick of the week:
portable folk band - Introduces the Royal Postal Bazaar: Refreshingly good indie rock recorded in a cold basement somewhere in Pennsylvania during the winter months. You can d/l their whole album with their blessing, if you clicky.



-brrrr, neph-