popwreckoning

Boston-based indie rock trio Static of the Gods have put together the beautiful Peluche EP, three rhythm-heavy songs rich in melody, sweet vocals provided by front woman Jen Johnson and ambient, reverb drenched guitar riffs. California native Johnson was pursuing a degree in classical voice in Boston when she met drummer Mike Latulippe. They later happened upon baritone guitar player and bassist Ben Voskeritchian and Static of the Gods was formed.

Peluche is a follow-up to 2007′s full-length Cycles Follow Signs. The EP showcases the growth of Static of the Gods that comes with the experience of extensive touring and continuous writing. The EP, whose artwork was created by Latulippe, highlights a rich and ambient sound with big drums, progressive rock riffs, and unique and beautiful vocals. Peluche is hugely melodic, beautifully smooth and absolutely impressive. Watch the title track’s video created by The Curiosity Group:

The band’s paramount sound on the record is only championed by their live show. Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the trio play at Philadelphia’s The Fire. The show was running about an hour late, but every note that flowed forth from the stage proved that it was worth the wait. What the audience assumed was just going to be a quick sound check turned into a bass drum heavy first song featuring Johnson’s beautiful vocals, similar to those of Nicole Barille of mr. Gnome.

The audience immediately ended their conversations and listened in awe to Static of the Gods before snapping out of a trance and moving to the front of the stage. Gorgeously distorted guitar chords echoed from the stage as Johnson sang and Latulippe pounded away on the drum kit driving each song. The intimacy of the Fire is what makes it great, but Static of the Gods’ dynamic sound belongs in a larger venue like Johnny Brenda’s or even the Trocadero.

Johnson told the crowd that they’d been writing new songs while on a national tour in April and were playing them for the first time in front of the Philadelphia audience last night. “You really are the very first people to hear this song,” she said of “Meteor Flights,” a low and ambient shoegaze tune. The next song, “Ghosts,” was also new and saw Latulippe going crazy on the drums while Voskeritchian remained professionally as he skillfully played the baritone guitar. For the band’s last set, he picked up the bass guitar creating a heavy bass line while Johnson utilitzed the keyboard to her left. The entire set was ambient, beautiful and tightly played and I was simply beyond impressed.

As Static of the Gods wrapped up the set, unfortunately shortened due to time constraints, a man in the crowd headed towards the band’s merch table and I heard him say, “I think I wanna go buy 10 CDs.” If that doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does.

Definitely check out Static of the Gods and make sure to see them live the next time they’re playing near you — you won’t be sorry.

Tracklisting:
01. Peluche
02. Tarnished Cities
03. Jaguar Song

Set List: Intro Song, Peluche, Push Pull, Meteor Flights, Ghosts, Jaguar Song, 326

Tour Dates:
Jun 7 – The Middle East Upstairs (18+)/Cambridge, MA
w/ Pela, The Motion Sick, Shawn Fogel

Static of the Gods: website | myspace | watch “Peluche”

The Montreal ambient indie rock band Plajia knows how to make beautiful and amazing music. It’s hard to believe that it only takes three men to create such an intense and intricate wall of sound using more than twice as many instruments as band members. Plajia mastermind, Patrick Pleau, not only plays the guitar, piano, keyboards, harmonica, glockenspiel, and percussion and lends his vocals, he also arranged and co-produced the band’s new album Beautiful Explosion, as well as co-designed the gorgeous album art.

Beautiful Explosion couldn’t be more aptly titled, as it is nothing short of a explosion of beautiful noise. Piano and drum hooks harmonize beautifully with melodic guitar riffs and smooth vocals that betrays influences like Radiohead and Muse. The record begins with twinkling percussion and a beautiful piano part on “Dummy” before becoming fast and driving with a shredding guitar solo.

If the first track grabs your attention, the second which demands it. “God Waiting In Line” offers a jaunty and plucky guitar riff, creating an undeniably catchy song. Catchy is the name of the game on Beautiful Explosion as the first single and title track hooks the listener with its poppy energy and ever-increasing tempo. The upbeat nature gives way to a beautiful melancholy on “Crazy Lovely Happiness.” A low piano riff begins the song and Pleau wails lyrics in a dull aching sort of way. He pounds on the keys as he repeatedly convinces himself “I will stay in love,” emphasis on “will.”

The piano intro on “A Love Song For Everyone” is reminiscent of Lightspeed Champion and opens into sweeping drums and twinkling percussion with a smooth melody. “Meet Me In Hong Kong” switches up Beautiful Explosion‘s tone by bringing in a space age-y synth part and a funky harmony between the piano and guitar with pounding staccato riffs while maintaining the smooth melodic quality found throughout the rest of the album. My only complaint with the album is one word used in “Meet Me On Hong Kong.” Pleau sings, “Nobody told her that he was a freaking liar,” and the use “freaking,” while family-friendly, is slightly juvenile and detracts from the anger of the line. That other F word would have been far more appropriate.

Beautiful Explosion ends with “The Other Life of Squared Pixels,” a very different song from the rest of the CD. A funky riffs picks up with synth-y keys creating a sound that’s part surf rock, part “Secret Agent Man.” Pleau sings with stressed yet whispered vocals over pounding music with a gritty rock edge. Tambourine comes in to drive the song over a steady beat before a melodic bridge with a warped synth part takes over. Twinkling classic rock keys and a classic rock guitar riffs pick up before the guitar becomes warped and spastic. While the rest of the album is nothing short of beautiful, “The Other Life of Squared Pixels” is an exciting change of pace and a perfect finish.

You can pick up a copy of Plajia’s gorgeous Beautiful Explosion now on Orange Music.

Tracklisting:
01. Dummy
02. God’s Waiting In Line
03. Sleeping
04. Beautiful Explosion
05. Crazy Lovely Happiness
06. A Love Song For Everyone
07. Meet Me In Hong Kong
08. Beating the Charms
09. This House
10. Is That The End
11. The Other Life of Squared Pixels

Plajia: website | myspace
Orange Music: website

K Records will be releasing the debut album, a three-song EP, by Desolation Wilderness, titled Until Forever, for their International Pop Underground series.

Desolation Wildness is the moniker for Nicolaas Zwart, which he began recording under in 2005. Zwart creates a unique and beautiful instrumental sound using a vibraphone, tape delay, clarinet, glockenspiel, electric guitar and a synthesizer. Each song is hauntingly beautiful in its instrumentation, that flow into one another, featuring vibrato melodies, sparkling and muted glockenspiel, and smooth and low guitar riffs.

Until Forever is gorgeous in its melancholy and should be listened to alone on a warm and breezy summer night, laying in the grass starring at the stars, with only crickets providing backing vocals. You’ll be sure to solve the mysteries of the universe and discover the meaning of life.

Desolation Wilderness is touring the west coast extensively (dates below) and will continue to do so nationally (check back for dates) through 2008.

Tour Dates:
May 16 – ABC House Olympia, Washington
May 24 – Microfest!! Olympia, Washington
Jun 06 – Dearborn House/Gallery Seattle, Washington
Jul 10 – Le Voyeur Olympia, Washington
Aug 21 – TBA! Seattle, WA
Aug 22 – TBA! Olympia, WA
Aug 23 – TBA! Portland, OR
Aug 24 – TBA! Arcata, CA
Aug 25 – TBA! Sacramento, CA
Aug 26 – TBA! Reno, NV
Aug 27 – Cozmic Placerville, California
Aug 28 – TBA! Oakland, CA
Aug 29 – TBA! San Francisco, CA
Aug 30 – Pehrspace Los Angeles, CA
Aug 31 – TBA! Los Angeles, CA
Sep 01 – TBA! Lancaster, CA
Sep 03 – Experimental Cafe Oxnard, CA
Sep 04 – TBA! Santa Rosa, CA
Sep 05 – TBA! Oakland, CA
Sep 06 – TBA! Portland, OR
Sep 07 – TBA! Olympia, WA

Desolation Wilderness: website | myspace
K Records: website | myspace

Cleveland, Ohio duo mr. Gnome has a highly unique sound that brings to mind a blend of the best possible aspects of Denali, Death From Above 1979, Nicole Reynolds and Miss Pussycat. The band’s debut full-length CD, Deliver This Creature, is 10 tracks of catchy hard rock, but it’s also so much more than that. The first time I listened to Deliver This Creature, I knew I’d found a new favorite band.

Singer/guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer/pianist Sam Meister, who also provides backing vocals, have created a magnificent album that is sure to please. Deliver This Creature, featuring an almost decidedly creepy album cover (left), kicks off with “Pirates,” a track featuring a haunting guitar melody and showcases the sweet and soft aspect of Barille’s vocals. One of my favorite things about this disc is the many different vocal stylings Barille implements, making each track unique and beautiful.

“Rabbit,” the album’s second track, shows off the different styles of music mr. Gnome excels in playing. Melodic guitar riffs harmonize with Barille’s beautiful vocals transform into loud, distorted riffs, which later mellow out, yet retain their drive all in the span of 5 minutes and 41 seconds. The album’s title track begins with the soft, eerie chanting of “Tie my hands / Where are you taking me?” over hand claps provided by Mark Meister. A hard bass line begins and shredding guitar riffs explode into a fast-paced frenzy just before Barille’s powerful voice bursts through, reminding me of Maura Davis in her Denali days.

“The Machine” offers a marching drum beat with rapid-paced riffs and Joanna Newsom-esque vocals before “Night of the Crickets” slows the pace a bit with Meister’s melodic keys behind sweet, breathy vocals and warped riffs. Chaos ensues with “I’m Alright,” in which Barille almost pounds on her guitar while frantically screaming, “Hold me down / You know I’ll fight / Just keep me down with all your might” before the dynamic shifts and the vocals mellow out into Barille’s sweeter side. The mellow end of “I’m Alright” provides the perfect transition for the airy and ambient “Silhouette.”

“Thief,” track 8, is hard and driving, offering passionate and almost stressed vocals as Meister pounds on the drums harder, faster, and more intense than any other song on Deliver This Creature while Barille, again, shreds on her guitar. “After The Sun” is another song with changing dynamics. It begins with strange screams over heavy drums and cymbal crashes followed by loud yipping before transitioning into soft “oohs,” than reverting to its original shredding riffs and yipping. Deliver This Creature ends on a softer note while introducing Eric Weiden on trumpet and piano.

Deliver This Creature is absolutely one of my favorite releases of 2008 and is sure to snag a spot in the top 3 come “Best of 2008″ list time. The disc drops May 6th, but mr. Gnome will be celebrating a bit early with their CD release party on April 25th at Beachland Tavern in Cleveland (more tour dates below). Do yourself a favor and pick up Deliver This Creature when in lands. I’ve been listening almost non-stop since I got my hands on it. My only complaint? No scheduled shows in Philadelphia. I guess Cleveland really does rock.

Tour Dates:
Apr 25 – The Beachland Tavern/Cleveland, Ohio (CD RELEASE PARTY)
May 02 – Union Hall/Brooklyn, New York
May 03 – The Knitting Factory/New York, New York
May 04 – PA’s Lounge/Boston, Massachusetts
May 10 – The Springwater/Nashville, Tennessee
May 12 – Smith’s Olde Bar/Atlanta, Georgia
May 13 – Tasty World/Athens, Georgia
May 14 – The Nick/Birmingham, Alabama
May 15 – The Circle Bar/New Orleans, Louisiana
May 16 – Rudyard’s British Pub/Houston, Texas
May 17 – Club Dada/Dallas, Texas
May 18 – The Beauty Bar/Austin, Texas
May 20 – Mojo’s/Columbia, Missouri
May 21 – The Record Bar/Kansas City, Missouri
May 22 – The Waiting Room/Omaha, Nebraska
May 23 – The Annex/Madison, Wisconsin
May 26 – 3 Kings/Denver, Colorado
May 27 - The Urban Lounge/Salt Lake City, Utah
May 28 – Neurolux/Boise, Idaho
May 29 – The Towne Lounge/Portland, Oregon
May 30 – Sunset Tavern/Seattle, Washington
May 31 – Le Voyeur/Olympia, Washington
Jun 03 – The Stork Club/Oakland, California
Jun 04 – Beauty Bar/San Diego, California
Jun 06 – The Knitting Factory/Los Angeles, California
Jun 07 – Plush/Tucson, Arizona
Jun 09 – Atomic Cantina/Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jun 10 – OKC Info Shop/Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jun 14 – Ronnie’s/Chicago, Illinois

mr. Gnome: website | myspace
El Marko Records: website | myspace

Jessica mentioned it in her review, but we cannot get enough of A Fine Frenzy covering “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab For Cutie. Check out the video from A Fine Frenzy’s show at The Parish Room in Austin, Tx. It’s gorgeous!

A Fine Frenzy: website | myspace | show review