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Earl Greyhound: Soft Targets
Earl Greyhound
Soft Targets
2006 | Some
Earl Greyhound’s “S.O.S.” has been circling around the internet helping to tag the band as the “next big thing” in rock, at least in New York. The three-piece unwillingly earn comparisons to Wolfmother, which is pretty ridiculous, but I get it. EG are way catchier and skilled in the “rock” sense because they truly “rock.” They also write songs that are more refined, detailed, and powerful without sounding transparent. Making music like this is not an easy task, but this power-trio give the genre a burst of flavor that I haven’t heard in a long time.
Earl Greyhound is a stunning band to listen to, and you can almost picture them going off at your venue of choice as you careen through each sugar-coated track. The single “S.O.S.” is a banger for sure. But after you get through the entire album you’ll realize that songs like the T. Rex infused “All Better Now” and the Led Zeppelin stomp of “Like a Doggy” are just as precise like those classic bands were. “Monkey” has too many great riffs to keep track of as bassist Kamara Thomas and drummer Big Ricc Sheridan, his arms look like canons in the press photo, shame just about every rhythm section from coast to coast.
The band also demonstrates depth and restraint in their guitar attack and multi-filled drumming on “Good.” The passionate Kamara Thomas belts out some dynamite backing vocals adding a more soulful touch to the song. She also takes the helm on the charging “Back and Forth” commanding sweet melodies of her own. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Whyte continues to melt your speakers with epic riffs and a sound that is equally heavy and crystal clear. The guy just can’t help himself.
I wish I would have picked up on this album back when it was released in August. It would have been nice to see them get more recognition for this effort compared to the loads of indie-rock that dominates the inter-press. Whether or not Soft Targets will stand the test of time compared to this year’s highlights is a debatable, but I’m all in on these guys.
Wed Dec 14 2005 · Posted in Reviews on littleradio.com
Sonic Youth: The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities
Sonic Youth
The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities
2006 | Geffen
This is quite possibly Sonic Youth’s last release on Geffen. If it signifies anything it’s that the band has been experiencing a re-birth since 2003’s outstanding “Sonic Nurse” and this year’s equally impressive “Rather Ripped.”
“The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities” is perfect for fans who want to hear what happens in the Sonic Youth lab while the band is building a song or just fucking around in the studio. The explorations in tonality and use of the guitar as a tool still sound exciting, like the band could play on for years with or without a label.
It begins with The 10 minute opener “Fire Engine Dream” and sounds like a group of kids who stumbled upon a batch of alternately tuned guitars and a few screwdrivers. The “melodies” actually work and transition into a dentist room experience of feedback, this is how I initially remember hearing Sonic Youth for the first time. “Fauxhemians” is jazzy and loose thanks to Kim Gordon’s pulsating bass line that dynamically shifts and always sounds restless. Kim ushers in the next bluegrass tinted ballad singing repetitions of “razorblade, razorblade…” over a bluesy slide guitar and brushed drumming. Their experimental guitar collages are just as refreshing to listen to during the first batch of songs as they were when I was a teenager.
“Blink”, “Campfire” and “Loop Cat” are the more ambient chill-out pieces using loops and tiny specks of guitar harmonics to create a passive mood. The sounds and metallic picking still resonates the work of Sonic Youth, only they’re just not as impressive compared to the more assaulting outtakes from Sonic Nurse. The art-rock resurfaces on “Kim’s Chords”. It’s basically a great song that needs a vocalist and is as structured and beautiful as most of their work from this year’s Rather Ripped.
The eruption and harness of noise is discovered again on “Beautiful Plateau.” Steve Shelly rides the toms and hi-hat while Lee and Thurston interweave guitar melodies and random chord progressions reminding me more of more playful and ambitious Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, probably my favorite track on the disc. The CD ends with the epic “The Diamond Sea”, all 25 minutes of it!!!, only there is an alternate ending.
The best stuff on here is definitely pulled from the Sonic Nurse sessions (“Fire Engine Dream”, “Kim’s Chords,” and “Beautiful Plateau”). And if Geffen does decide to let Sonic Youth go I still see the band churning out great albums. This CD demonstrates that the band is still excited to make music with each other and share the leftovers. This is a band who respects each other’s work and musicianship and obviously does exactly what they want, when they want to regardless of their label situation.
Mon Dec 5 2005 · Posted in Reviews on littleradio.com
Eskimohunter: Musical Snowglobe Machine
Eskimohunter: Musical Snowglobe Machine
(So Sweet, 2005)
Eskimohunter is Jason 71 from Los Angeles, CA. After completing an impressive residency in March at The Fold this year they’ve finally resurfaced with an EP that encompasses everything you wanted to hear from those gigs. What’s up with the numero for a last name? You’ll have to ask him yourself. Before you do that please buy this CD. It’s a fresh and modern take on the ground-breaking, noise-pop bands of the late eighties and early nineties only less washy and more dynamic. Sugary, noise-pop guitars are all over the place, but they don’t overwhelm the songs. They add beautiful touches of melody in equal parts to the Beach Boys influenced vocals, measured drumming, and sampled keyboards
“Walking Tour of Space 90013” is the triumphant, heavy-hitter of this six-song EP. It starts off with a pulsating, siren-like sample followed up by a blistering Medicine-era guitar hook. The rest of the song takes off the way Verve used to with loose drumming and melodic guitar strokes. “Speed and other Forces of Nature” and “Surfing at 32 F” are more bouncy and fun. They take off into space and still manage to retain that futuristic feel and positivity which is found on every track
What I love most about Eskimohunter is that you hear all the instruments and the building blocks of each song instead of the typical noisy, shoegaze guitar wash that can sometimes destroy a song. I just think it makes a band, and their music, more attainable and musical. The reason My Bloody Valentine made such astounding records is because they believed in songwriting and vocals first. And the layering was added to enhance that structure not cover it up. I mean let's be honest. If a band is going to be influenced by that genre it’s best to approach it by building a song that invites you in instead instead of creating a wall of sound that shuts you out. Eskimohunter write songs that are always uplifting, celebratory, and optimistic sounding in the way great pop songs should be.