The Vandelles - EP

The Vandelles have been all over the blogosphere and with very good reason. An EP has to be pretty dang good for me to talk about it here and The Vandelles "EP" is just that. They have a completely unique shoegaze meets surf rock sound with 100% more pulp thrown into the cocktail. The ringing distortion should be cranked up to 11, while the dreary harmonies will make you want to don some cool cool shades for the rest of the day. It's a type of music that just makes the average geek want to be James Dean. I can't even fully explain why that is, but just listen to some of the songs on their myspace. Dead Wave, (which actually isn't on their myspace, now that I think of it) for example, opens with a chord progression similar to Open Up Your Door by 60's garage rockers Richard and the Young Lions. That means that it has definite Nuggets-era feel to it, while the vocals are more steeped in Jim Reid territory. The mini-album opens with Fever Of The Beat, which not only has a cool title, but an even cooler bass line. Swell To Heaven is their signature song, and it hits you with a definite Ramones riff that has been best described as Link Wray meets My Bloody Valentine. The EP is short, (as EP's generally are) but that won't stop you from listening to it a solid 5 times in a row. It really is that good.

Download: Swell To Heaven mp3 / Lovely Weather mp3
Myspace: The Vandelles
Purchase: EP at Safranin Sound
Video: Lovely Weather live at Club Midway in NYC on youtube.

The Fratellis - Costello Music

I have to admit that when I first heard of an album called “Costello Music” by a band called The Fratellis, I thought that it was an album’s worth of Elvis Costello covers. Nothing could be further from the truth, because there is nothing even remotely prolific about this album which, of course, could not be stated about Mr. Costello’s catalogue. The album is a lot of fun, and it’s quite catchy, but overall it’s a little bit forgettable. It travels a territory very similar to the one that Jet had traveled a few years ago, to great success. A lot of the riffs you’ve heard before, but that’s not to say that there aren’t a few standouts. The lead-off single, “Flathead” has a slightly rockabilly rhythm section, and the songs’ hooks are definitely catching. I actually really like the song “Whistle For The Choir,” which is probably the lowest key song on the album but it has a terrific melody and takes me back to the early days of brit-pop. “For The Girl” is another happy-go-lucky kind of 60’s style rock song with lots and lots of handclaps and “la-la-la’s!” It’s also a lot of fun. The CD has sold really well in the U.K. and it will likely do the same here, but for me, I don’t think it’s an album that I’ll be pulling out on a regular basis. It probably translates very well to the live stage, and the individual songs will likely sound better when listening to my music on shuffle, where it’ll be interspersed between other songs by other artists.

Listen to their music on myspace and purchase the CD at their online shop.

The Marble Index - Same Schools (Post)

One of the things that I would like to start doing regularly in the new year is a regular weekly video post. This week I'm featuring a band that is quite special to me personally. I remember just a few years ago when I was living in Burlington, I used to frequent the coolest CD store in town, Screaming Mimi's. One day, while admiring the CD's that I was about to purchase that day, the dude behind the counter told me that I should check out the band that he is currently drumming with. They were, of course, The Marble Index. I went to see them that weekend and although that show was low on attendance, the band's performance was ridiculously high on energy. For a moment, I thought I was seeing The Who in 1965!! Lead vocalist Brad Germain's on-stage presence was electrifying to say the least. Since then, they have received quite a bit of radio airplay, and an impressive level of success. I really like the video for "Same Schools," partially because it's a very cool concept and also because much of the action seems to take place just up the street from where I live. Here is one more quick little anecdote: I remember hearing The Pixies playing over the speakers at the aforementioned CD store. Drummer Adam Knickle and I were talking about how cool it would be if The Pixies ever got back together. He said that this was a concert he would not be missing. About a year later, not only did The Pixies get back together, but who opened for them on several Canadian dates...The Marble Index. How rock' n roll is that?

If the video does not appear above, you can see it here.

Visit The Marble Index myspace page.

"Same Schools" is taken from the CD "Watch Your Candles, Watch Your Knives." You can purchase it here.

Also, make sure you check out their video for "We Can Make It" from their last CD. It's a reworking of the Kevin Bacon dance thing in Footloose. Hillarious and impressive.