Posted 5:39 PM by mike m
nov/dec 2001

Anthony Rochester Music for Listening and Relaxation Dogprint

On his Dogprint debut, Anthony Rochester crafts the kind of lo-fi electro bedroom pop that every kid with a 4-track recorder and a taste for Stereolab would love to call his own. Rochester, who bears an interesting resemblance to Wes Anderson, layers his spacey lounge pop with bombastic and confident beats reminiscent of 70's AM radio while managing to keep things intimate and warm for the sensetive circles. The lyrics are sometimes sketchy, (on "Ham," Rochester meerly repeats the title for two minutes behind a swirling synth arrangement) but that's already expected and forgiven by those familiar with this type of downtempo experimantation, and even so Rochester's low but brittle voice sounds right on cue. Rochester himself adds nice bits of rebirth, violin, trumpet and electric piano to the traditional guitar and bass set up. The result is a beautiful, catchy batch of hummable songs that can stand as the soundtrack to a lazy Sunday morning.
Smells like: Stereolab, Air, Her Space Holiday
Download & Listen Anthony Rochester Introductory Music from Epitonic
-mike m

Les Petits Sous The John Hughes Project Self Released

Les Petits Sous are all about endearing guitar propelled pop. The six charming, melodic tunes from the NYC trio's self released (shame on you record labels) debut feature boy girl harmonies, whimsical lyrics about unrequited love, adolescence and late night telephone conversations. The key elements for punky teenage pop are all there, and the songs never get cloying thanks to twin sisters Alley and Claudia's sun tinged vocal calls and responses and some hyper catchy melodys. Every track has a fresh first take energy, and it makes the record sound like a dreamy, fuzzed-out love letter to wide eyed head boppers who fondly reminisce about the past.
Smells Like: Versus, Velocity Girl, Sleater-Kinney
Download & Listen Les Petits Sous Junior High
-mike m

Dealership TV Highway to the Stars Keiki

This self taught trio create some of the most melodic, cuddly and interesting three minute songs I've heard in a long time. More than just verse, chorus, verse, Dealership work in strong time and tone changes into almost every song. One of the best examples is "I Start to Explode." The track begins with a forceful drum cadence, makes room for Chris Groves light, liquidy vocals and morphes into a crunchy guitar driven rocker. On first listen, you'll swear you've heard these songs before, not because their unoriginal, but because they're so catchy. The disk if full of the kind of teenage anthems, crush lyrics and dreamy nostalgia that suit indie pop so well. Their influences aren't hard to figure out, but that's alright. Dealership does pop almost as well as The Monkeys. That's saying a lot and you know it.
Smells Like: Superchunk, The Apples in Stereo, Papas Fritas
Downlad and Listen Dealership TV Heat from Epitonic
-mike m

Mink Lungs The Better Button Arena Rock

The Mink Lungs' new album is a disorienting and needed reminder that experimantation in pop music is still alive and well. The Brooklyn based band is compromised of veteran musical mad scientist who refuse to conform to one signature style. They play honest lullaby's with overdubbed vocal harmonies, jangly acoustic numbers, mod show stoppers with gospel influenced choruses, tinny lo-fi basement songs, space pop and bouncy noise rockers. The hints of sonic phsychedelia and an alien-like vocal dialect floating through each song unify the disk's inspired genre skipping. "The Better Button" is full of brilliantly inventive and original musical ideas and stories told from a wandering, but still personal prospective.
Smells Like: Flaming Lips, Pixies, Zappa
Download and Listen: The Mink Lungs Think of Me from Arena Rock