"I walk in sequence, the city runs in ruins..."

Reviews of The Marches, Tiny Magnetic Pets & The Novaks

Today I'll focus on a few albums that have been sitting in my 'to listen to' pile of CD's a little bit longer than I would have preferred, but once again, I'm gonna go with the 'better late than never' qualifier, if you don't mind.

The Marches - 4AM Is The New Midnight

The debut album by this massive member Los Angeles band was released in November 2008 and I'll have to admit that it's taken me a little while to figure it out. It's totally weird and unfocused, but interestingly enough, not completely alienating. As a matter of fact, the more that I've listened to it, the more that I've figured out that it's the amalgamation of styles that lends the release it's charm. They describe themselves as a unique mix of electro, Motown, classical and indie dance. Schizophrenic for sure, but the songs segue from one to another with a surprising consistency that the album works better than you'd think that it should. Part of the reason for this is that, while it's true that not every song works entirely; at 15 songs and 30 minutes no one song overstays it's welcome and it's that brevity that enables the album to flow. It's those atmospheric and sharp bursts of energy that allow the album to sound conceptual, even if it's not a concept album per se. Some of the highlights are the soulful Bad Touch which boasts a funky bass line and a powerful horn section. The electrolite pop of Wish You Were Here is a lot of fun and reminds me a bit of a more syrupy version of Elastica. Need Me Back and Don't Love With Your Eyes are sultry little numbers that have a bit of a 30's feel. And there are even a couple of great instrumentals on the album: my favourite being the dub grooves of Ghost Of a Chance.

4AM Is The New Midnight is a complex album that may beg a few repeat listenings to fully appreciate, but the payoff is certainly worth the effort.

Myspace: The Marches
Download: Need Me Back mp3


Tiny Magnetic Pets - Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets

The two members of Dublin's Tiny Magnetic Pets come from a pretty impressive set of associates that works as an explanatory background to their authentic sound. Paula Gilmer (vocals, synthesizer) gained experience playing the live stage with The Prodigy, while Sean Quinn (synthesizers, mellotron, guitar) was once signed to Brian Eno/Roxy Music's label EG Records. Being surrounded by such mastery in the fields of electro has certainly made an impression on the dynamic duo, since their debut album, ironically entitled Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets, is a classic opus that blends styles of Krautrock, electronica and new wave pop music to create an enjoyable mix that was impressively put together without the use of computers or expansive studio wizardry. The conscious decision to limit themselves to the use of only 70's studio technology has allowed them to hone a sound that is pristine, yet still shadowed in unparalleled naturalness. The sounds of classic electro prog are evident in the album opener Templehof, which has Brian Eno's influence written all over it. But the synth heavy pop stylings of artists like Gary Numan, Trans-X and even modern day torch carriers like Goldfrapp and Air permeate throughout the album's more straightforward cuts like I Wasn't Here and Cosmodrome in a charming and accessible way. If dancefloor numbers like Boom Boom Boom and Control Me were played at 'da club', they might even successfully cause me to get into the groove (no small feat), while a slower song like A Faraway Sea is nothing short of hypnotic.

Return Of The Tiny Magnetic Pets may be a couple of songs longer than I would have preferred, and the mind does start to wander in a couple of spots, but overall the album is a promising debut that borrows heavily from the past, but presents it in a way that avoids a feeling of blatant nostalgic ripoff and just gives us an enjoyable mix of the old and new.

Myspace: Tiny Magnetic Pets

The Novaks - Things Fall Apart

Seeing The Novaks perform at Lee's Palace back in March did not prepare me properly for the really cool burst of rock 'n roll that blasted through my headphones upon listening to their latest release. It's not that the show was bad by any means, but it was a little bit too typical to make any lasting impression on me. Things Fall Apart certainly isn't anything that I haven't heard before, but it successfully fills my 70's classic rock desire without actually being the same classic rock songs that I've heard a billion times before. It's that freshness in production and quality that prevents the album from sounding overly cliché which is what makes it an all around enjoyable listen. Nick Davis' voice has a slight Tom Petty-ish drawl that works well with the crunchy guitars and pounding drums that accompany it. The songs on the album only really fall in two categories: There's the heavy hitting rockers with 'tude like Why Wonder?, the handclappy Leave Me Alone and the bordering on hair metal vibe of Destroyer. The other style showcased on the album is the simple straightforward power pop that is showcased on songs like There Goes The Night, the 90's Canadian alt-rock of Rain Rain Rain and Cold and Lonely, where they sound so much like the aforementioned Petty that if I had heard it outside the context of the album, I might actually be convinced that it is him.

The Novaks' Things Fall Apart is not the type of album that I'm likely to pull out on a regular basis, but I doubt that I'll ever truly outgrow my desire for a straightforward rock song, and when that's the case, I could certainly find a worse place to go than this Newfoundland three piece.

Myspace: The Novaks

CMF Day 2: The Novaks, The Waking Eyes, Matt Mays and El Torpedo

As is usually the case, I was not able to get out on Thursday night until after 10 or so, and I decided that I was just going to plop myself down at Lee's Palace and check out the lineup there.

I arrived there as Newfoundland's The Novaks were partway through their set. They played some pretty straight forward rock 'n roll that seems to be influenced by riff heavy rock like The Rolling Stones, while incorporating a mid 70's garage sound reminiscent of Teenage Head and the like. Their sound more likely would have better suited a smaller bar-like venue such as The Horseshoe, but they were very accomplished musicians who blasted their bluesy rockabilly vibe quite well. They played mostly original material, presumably from their debut album, and I did enjoy their set closing cover of Eddie Cochran's Somethin' Else.

Photos: My pictures of The Novaks @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Myspace: The Novaks

The Waking Eyes are a band that has been on my radar a lot in recent months, and this is mostly due to the incredible buzz that continues to surround them. Their performance did not disappoint. I loved the variety that could be heard throughout their music, and the fact that they refused to simply settle into one traditional style. Being only mildly familiar with their songs, it was incredibly exciting to watch a band that balked at predictability, and kept their artsy sound evolving throughout their set. Although all of the guys are obviously excellent musicians, it was the intensity of Joey Penner's bass playing that really impressed me the most. Almost all of the members however had their chance to shine, switching up their instruments regularly and all taking turns in presenting their own throat tearing vocals. A major highlight (besides the minor tribute to Heinz ketchup the culminated in Heinz t-shirts being tossed into the crowd) was the audience singalong that accompanied Wolves At The Door, a truly great song. It's going to be exciting to see them again in April when they open for The Weakerthans and The Constantines at The Phoenix.

Photos: My pictures of The Waking Eyes @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Myspace: The Waking Eyes.

Much like Sloan the night before, Matt Mays and El Torpedo are one of those acts that have been rocking out for years and are way past the point where they need to impress. Although his hard rockin', alt-country tinged East Coast sound is great on record, the live stage is really where Matt Mays shines the brightest. The band opened with two songs from their latest release Terminal Romance, namely Building A Boat and Tall Trees, both of which ensured us all that this was to be a performance of grand rocking proportions! Matt's got a pretty sweet White Falcon Gretsch, and he wailed on that thing several times throughout the night. The setlist featured a good number of songs from the latest release but was by no means limited to those tracks, as he even played songs from his solo album. The main set ended with his biggest hit Cocaine Cowgirl which really brought the house down. For the encore he did an amazing cover of The Stones' Wild Horses, which was followed by On The Hood from their self-titled album. For that song he invited the members of all of the opening bands onto the stage, which resulted in an onstage party that was only surpassed by the wild one that was taking place in the audience.

Photos: My pictures of Matt Mays and El Torpedo @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Myspace: Matt Mays and El Torpedo