Nobody Move
February 6th, 2024
I’m back, and this time I’ve been working through new music instead of exclusively circling back on older albums and genres. You’re still going to get a good amount of some older gems in here though, don’t worry. I’ve got a lot of reviews that range from music I love to some down-the-middle reviews of new records. The next few months are gonna be pretty wild for me so if you don’t hear from me again in a minute that’s why. As always, please reach out on the hellsite if you’d like or better yet join the Rosy Overdrive Discord server where I can be found now and again.
As always, the full-length post is available on the web should email clients cut you off before the end.
Wisconsin Anger Team - Archie
Genre: Punk, indie-rock
Came across this on the Faster & Louder blog yesterday and have spun it a few times already. Wisconsin Anger Team sit firmly in the indie-punk genre and have a lot of elements to their sound that spread out into territories like pop-punk, alt-rock, indie-rock and more. They have a bit of that gritty, 80s alternative sound to them that has brought them comparisons to stuff like Hüsker Dü but remain fast and poppy enough to have been compared to Green Day as well. But then they will bash out a fast garage-y one and make you think a bit of The Marked Men. In that way they remind be a little of Doe St, another band that play poppy punk but who also aren't just "pop-punk."
They're a bit hard to nail down in that regard, but every song is tuneful and boppy and really hits the spot. Potential year-ender for me, since this is the kind of stuff I return to again and again.
Donato Dozzy - Magda
Genre: Electronic, experimental, ambient
Very soothing ambient techno or spaced out electronic or whatever you want to call it. It's long-form, droney electronic with just enough variation to remain interesting but not so much that it doesn't function as background music. I found this very nice all around and will likely return to it throughout the year so that's a compliment for sure.
gyrofield - A Faint Glow of Bravery
Genre: Drum and bass, electronic
I enjoyed this a lot but most when it leans all the way in on the classic drum and bass sound. There's a lot of nice atmospherics and some of these songs even sound more like straight up IDM than they do drum and bass (though I guess that's why it's sub-genre tagged as minimal drum and bass). It's really good stuff though. Maybe because my tastes often skew towards jungle-y type beats I wanted more of that vibe here... but you get it in moments so it satisfies anyway.
Liquid Mike - Paul Bunyan’s Sling Shot
Genre: Indie-rock, power-pop
Really my main complaint about Liquid Mike's S/T from last year was how short it was. I didn't end up listening to it a ton throughout the year just because it was so blink and you'll miss it. I know this isn't that much longer at 25 minutes but it does feel more like an "album" album. More of Liquid Mike's great mix of indie/punk/pop-punk/power-pop/etc. with a bit of vintage underground indie jangle to it. If you liked their previous stuff you will likely continue to like this... and I do!
Cheekface - It's Sorted
Genre: Indie-rock, alternative, power-pop
Not a whole lot has changed: Cheekface will still very much not be for you if you've hated their albums so far, Amanda Tannen continues to be the band's MVP, secret weapon and key to unlocking what makes their songs work if you aren't grated by Greg Katz's lyrics and delivery.
I continue to maintain that the best Cheekface album is the one you make of all the best songs from their now four full length albums. This is about as strong as any of their other albums, so it will satisfy existing fans and not change any minds otherwise.
I happen to like them, so hey, more good Cheekface songs, nice.
Cosmic Joke - Cosmic Joke
Genre: Punk rock
Exactly what an album released by people standing by a storage locker wearing Bad Religion and Ramones shirts would sound like. California style 90s punk rock with a bit of hardcore punk edge to it. Doesn't exactly sound dangerous or anything but it's fast and loud plus melodic enough to stick a bit. Even at 15 minutes it's a bit repetitive but like a lot of this stuff it'll hit the spot when you're in the mood.
Rejoice - All of Heaven's Luck
Genre: Blackened hardcore, metallic hardcore
Solid stuff and I like that they don't always default to "faster/louder" when they want to get really heavy. This has some good varied moments throughout and a solid amount of groove in the foundation. You can definitely hear the punk elements and metallic hardcore riffs in here. Not something that bowled me over but a nice way to spend 17 minutes.
Birthmark - Birth of Omni
Genre: Pop, indie-rock, alternative, post-rock, emo etc.
I've always been partial to Nate Kinsella's (Joan of Arc, American Football, Love of Everything, Make Believe) Birthmark project. I'd count Antibodies as a true hidden gem of the 2010s and 2015's How You Look When You're Falling Down is great too. Birth of Omni definitely sounds like an album that was created over the course of a 9-year break, as it stretches messily into a number of directions - ASMR/found-sound or baby voice sampling, glitchy neo-soul, kaleidoscopic pop and more. I'm not so sure about the soul-ish/"fonk" influence on songs like "Baby Woncha Come on Home" (ugh "woncha") and "Boyfriend" to be honest.
The rest of the record is pleasant but not up to the standards of their previous two records to be perfectly honest. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who wasn't already a fan of Birthmark as it feels like it's for existing fans only.
Dry Socket - Sorry for Your Loss
Genre: Punk rock, hardcore
Rock solid hardcore punk that reminds me a bit of stuff like Power Alone or Faim. Would definitely be interested in seeing what this band could pull off on an album longer than 15 minutes and to hear if they expand upon their sound. This is just right down the middle for me and since I already like a bunch of bands that sound very similar it doesn't totally rise above the pack. Not bad at all, though.
Wagging - My Own Private Rodeo
Genre: Indie-pop, alternative, indie-rock
Very agreeable Melberg-esque indie-pop. Think The Softies, Go Sailor, etc. Breezy songs with nice melodies. I could see this growing on me over the course of the year but for me so far it’s just a nice background album.
Alkaline Trio - Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs
Genre: Pop-punk
A perfectly cromulent attempt at a "back to basics" record from Alkaline Trio. If your idea of "basics" is the Crimson / Good Mourning era, that is. I often feel like the minority when I look at their discography because most people seem to like Good Mourning and consider it one of their last good records but I could never vibe with it. In fact I have more time for Agony & Irony which at least commits to being a big dumb radio rock album with huge hooks.
This feels like they're trying to split the difference between those albums - they're not really going back to their "punk" roots but they're also not ditching the streamlined, slick sound either. It works just fine. This is smooth and goes down easy and you won't be left with too many hooks rattling around in your brain, but it doesn't leave a sour taste either, which is more than I can say for pretty much anything they've done between 2008 and 2018 which all felt very forgettable at best.
Be Safe - Unwell
Genre: Indie-rock, slowcore
Sounds like a numero-core mix of Karate and American Football. When their sound leans to the former end of the spectrum I can get down with this but I think the twinkly emo influence of the latter has never been totally my cup of tea so when it goes all-in on the mid-tempo mathy droney stuff my interest level drops. I prefer the precise interlocking guitars when they lean on the jazzy, grey-day indie-rock end of the spectrum and when they are injected with some energy versus the sad-sack, looking at your shoes side of the equation.
This is perfectly well executed and will probably be super effective for a lot of people but I think it's just not what I was in the mood for these days. Like, if I want the best version of this kinda thing I can literally just go listen to any Karate album.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971)
Genre: Fusion jazz, jazz-rock
Sick jazz fusion with acid-soaked 70s rock texture. This is the kind of fusion that is just a bunch of amazing musicians soloing their ass off for the whole album (plus one of those floaty doaty acoustic-y songs plopped in the middle). The guitar tone on this album is so dope, and Billy Cobham is a fucking helluva drummer. I've heard some of their solo releases but will have to dive deeper into the albums they've performed on because there must be some lesser known gems in there. "You Know, You Know" sounds like a damn Tortoise song or some shit. Way ahead of its time.
Bangers - Bird (2015)
Genre: Punk rock, orgcore
Gruff flannel-clad beer-soaked indie-punk. You know what this kind of stuff sounds like, and this is a well executed album of it. Maybe won't stick around in my memory but I enjoyed it while it was on and would certainly say it's above-average for the genre.
Bike Tuff - Kamea (2016)
Genre: Punk-rock, orgcore, skate punk
Almost sounds like the answer to "what if Cap'n Jazz were a skate punk / orgcore band?" in moments. They end up sitting a bit more comfortably into the org/gruff punk genre than that would make you think but there's a youthful, say everything all at once vibe that made me think of Cap'n Jazz - particularly on opener "Ride Alone." "Spit the Spirit" is a pretty major tune as well, and reminds me of stuff like Hold Tight!.
They're mostly successful at layering in their emo influences into their skate/pop/punk etc. brew... though in some moments when they slow it down, it's a bit much and makes the album feel a little long in the tooth (which it's not! it's only 33 minutes.)
If it wasn't for some of this dragging on, and a few songs sounding a bit more uninspired/samey than others, it'd be a higher score for sure. Definitely some key tracks on here for people always scrounging for more stuff like this though.
Sandpit - On Second Thought (1998)
Genre: Indie-rock, slowcore, alt rock
Big moody slowcore indebted indie-rock with enough hooks to make sure that this doesn't completely slide by on vibes alone. Songs like "Along the Moors" have enough melodic guitar riffs and vocal melodies to rise above the usual moody plucking and sighed singing that the genre can rest upon entirely. I'm often in the mood for what I call "Grey Day Indie Rock" and this fits that description perfectly.
Hearing a lot of Mark Robinson on this in moments, at least vocally. Definitely some Air Miami / Flin Flon / Unrest influences bubbling around on these tracks to my ears. I think what rises this above most of the stuff I usually hear in the genre is their commitment to melody - there's also a good dollop of Something About Airplanes-era Death Cab for Cutie or early Built to Spill in here too.
Underneath the expected slowcore element and textures of their sound is just a really nice guitar rock album.
The Burdocks - Airplane Tracks (2004)
Genre: Indie-rock, indie-pop
Before they went on to form the Canadian indie-rock group Dog Day, Seth Smith and Nancy Urich played in Burdocks. Like most "bands before the band" this features elements of what would go on to define Dog Day's sound - jagged guitar rock, vocal interplay, indie-pop melodies and jangle ("Pop Cult") - but it also reveals a bit more of where they were coming from in terms of influences with a bit more of an emo/math-rock texture to the album with left-turns away from their melodies and some further focus on instrumental complexities ("Icicle Knife").
It's a good mix and there's definitely a bit of earlier Built to Spill influence going on in here that I really connected with. Maybe not a classic Canadian hidden gem but worth looking into even if you're not familiar with Dog Day's work.
Dog Day - Night Group (2007)
Genre: Indie-rock, indie-pop
Dog Day's Night Group has always stood in my mind as one of the key Canadian indie-rock releases of the 2000s. This is another example of an album where its weaknesses are actually what make it more interesting; they do sound like a band fighting for a direction (sometimes within the same songs.)
I guess to describe this in general terms I'd say it's a mix of Canadian indie rock (Thrush Hermit, The Super Friendz etc.) and indie pop with a bunch of other various genre elements (post-punk bass, plucky synth-lines, etc.) thrown on top. Even that doesn't really get there though.
Often times it all ends up coalescing perfectly like on "Oh Dead Life", one of the best indie-rock singles of the 2000s for my money. And other times, it ends up making songs that tumble and twist into unexpected places, whether that ends up layering in vaguely dark 80s vibes onto a straight forward indie-pop song or tracks feeling like they are made up of bits and pieces of ideas smashed together and forced to work alongside one another.
It's not a surprise that the band paired down to its two main forces (Nancy and Seth) for the remainder of their career after the even darker textures of their also-fantastic follow-up, Concentration.
Flop - & the Fall of the Mopsqueezer! (1992)
Genre: Punk, power-pop, pop-punk
I came to Flop a few years back after voraciously trying to find more music that involved Kurt Bloch of Fastbacks (who produced a bunch of Flop's albums and also worked with Sicko who are another one of my obsessions.)
I have a lot of time for Flop, who are a bit of an underrated entry in the Seattle scene and played a kind of post-grunge alt-rock that flirted with pop-punk and power-pop melodies.
Unfortunately, Flop needed an editor. Both this album and Whenever You're Ready have some terrific songs but are just unfortunately too long or paced poorly. This album clocks in at under 40 minutes thankfully, but the back-half really drags and their explorations into vaguely psych-rock stuff like on "Morton the Venereologist" just doesn't play to their strengths.
All three of their records have a ton of great work for people who like big crunchy 90s power-pop riffs but this is another band where their best work is maybe the playlist of all their albums' highlights. Still, like I said, I have a lot of time for them so I can't judge too harshly and I'm always kind of rooting for their albums when I revisit them.
70s Fusion Grooves
Speaking of fusion, here’s some jazz fusion for your afternoon if you need more.
80s Dance Party For Non-Dancers
One of my personal favourites that I haven’t shared in a hot minute. Sometimes danceable, angular or weird art-rock, post-punk etc. from the eighties or thereabouts that you COULD dance too, but would rather sit in a corner and enjoy instead.
That’s it, that’s all. Be excellent to one other.