by: J.D. Swerzenski
Alright everybody, how about this, we all take a brief pause from the Frank Ocean/Tame Impala/Fiona Apple-gushing that is best of 2012 list time, and do, well, another list. But this time around, we keep it in town, and extend a necessary salute some of the hometown heroes that knocked it out of the park this year with some stellar new releases. And my, my were their plenty for 2012.
Before we get into it, one bit of shameless self-promotion: all these bands will be featured during the Friday 10-Midnight hour as part of an endlessly special all-local edition of The Slant. So, like, listen. Here, I'll even give you the link.
Also, support these guys: go to their shows, buy their t-shirts, that sort of thing.
Bunch of dudes who aren't old enough to buy beer buy some guitars, bond over a love of Nuggets-era garage rock, and start cranking killer material out one 2 minute jam at a time. That's about all you need to know.
Since the dissolution of Blowing Trees following their fantastic 2009 effort Wolf Waltz and the Big Nothing Now (don't fret, they're performing together again), lead singer Chris Maddin worked as a journeyman of sorts, holding down a weekly residency at the Broadway 50/50 (highlighted his album project with drummer Chuck Kerr) and playing with Education and Loose Eel Ball. The Tiago Splitters is his long-overdue solo effort, and by my count, Maddin's first completely solo release to date. A far cry from the massive sounding Wolf Waltz, it's a relatively stripped down, straight-forward collection that effectively showcases his gift for earworms and deceptively clever songwriting. Plus no one in town has pipes like Maddin, as his howls on "Farewell Thee Analog" and "Dandelions and the Colombia" can attest.
Mission Complete isn't a new project; in fact it's been several years since singer/guitarist Ryan Teter (center) activated the project. But 2012 was go time for Mission Complete, with the trio storming around town playing gigs at a relentless pace. Those performances were breakneck, furious shows of pop-punk intensity, often highlighted by mustachioed drummer Rudy Villarreal exhibiting his innate talent for finding some ceiling fixture to swing from mid-show. With Emotionally Strong Enough to Be Your Man, the three-piece ably captures that live lightning in a bottle, their Warped Tour shout-along punk (of the Ted Leo variety mind you) honed for maximum impact on instant anthems "Metroplex" and "Keep It To Yourself."
To call WLAM frontman John Dailey (2nd from left) something of a music savant is likely the biggest understatement of this list: dude's got more gear than most Guitar Centers and a deeper understanding of Pet Sounds that Brian Wilson. That obsessive devotion to his craft is all too apparent in WLAM's self-titled debut, a meticulously arranged 9-song collection that bursts with about a hundred ideas at once, all while recalling (though never robbing) the sounds of the Beach Boys, the Byrds and maybe a little of the rougher side of the Neil Young catalog. Kudos as well to producer Jaime Radar (Morris Orchids), who no doubt slaved over the mix with Dailey to make sure every three-part harmony, dueling guitar interlude, and mid-song freak out was captured to a T.
Given their extensive outreach efforts through Local 782, the several US tours they've logged, and the their implausibly impressive promotional presence (seriously, you seen their website?), you'd be forgiven for forgetting that it's been over four years since the Pistola boys have released a full-length LP. The wait is over friends, and the resulting Animal Prisms is more than sure to preserve the trio's reputation as SA's most beloved local indie band this side of Buttercup. Though the sound is firmly rooted in the spacy, early-Muse inflected post-rock of their early material, the band finds ways to branch out beyond their tried-and-true style with wholly exciting results.
And Tune in for the conclusion of the list manana, with the Top 5 revealed!
Alright everybody, how about this, we all take a brief pause from the Frank Ocean/Tame Impala/Fiona Apple-gushing that is best of 2012 list time, and do, well, another list. But this time around, we keep it in town, and extend a necessary salute some of the hometown heroes that knocked it out of the park this year with some stellar new releases. And my, my were their plenty for 2012.
Before we get into it, one bit of shameless self-promotion: all these bands will be featured during the Friday 10-Midnight hour as part of an endlessly special all-local edition of The Slant. So, like, listen. Here, I'll even give you the link.
Also, support these guys: go to their shows, buy their t-shirts, that sort of thing.
10. The Rich Hands - The Rich Hands EP
Bunch of dudes who aren't old enough to buy beer buy some guitars, bond over a love of Nuggets-era garage rock, and start cranking killer material out one 2 minute jam at a time. That's about all you need to know.
9. Chris Maddin - The Tiago Splitters
Since the dissolution of Blowing Trees following their fantastic 2009 effort Wolf Waltz and the Big Nothing Now (don't fret, they're performing together again), lead singer Chris Maddin worked as a journeyman of sorts, holding down a weekly residency at the Broadway 50/50 (highlighted his album project with drummer Chuck Kerr) and playing with Education and Loose Eel Ball. The Tiago Splitters is his long-overdue solo effort, and by my count, Maddin's first completely solo release to date. A far cry from the massive sounding Wolf Waltz, it's a relatively stripped down, straight-forward collection that effectively showcases his gift for earworms and deceptively clever songwriting. Plus no one in town has pipes like Maddin, as his howls on "Farewell Thee Analog" and "Dandelions and the Colombia" can attest.
8. Mission Complete - Emotionally Strong Enough to Be Your Man
Mission Complete isn't a new project; in fact it's been several years since singer/guitarist Ryan Teter (center) activated the project. But 2012 was go time for Mission Complete, with the trio storming around town playing gigs at a relentless pace. Those performances were breakneck, furious shows of pop-punk intensity, often highlighted by mustachioed drummer Rudy Villarreal exhibiting his innate talent for finding some ceiling fixture to swing from mid-show. With Emotionally Strong Enough to Be Your Man, the three-piece ably captures that live lightning in a bottle, their Warped Tour shout-along punk (of the Ted Leo variety mind you) honed for maximum impact on instant anthems "Metroplex" and "Keep It To Yourself."
7. We Leave At Midnight - We Leave At Midnight
To call WLAM frontman John Dailey (2nd from left) something of a music savant is likely the biggest understatement of this list: dude's got more gear than most Guitar Centers and a deeper understanding of Pet Sounds that Brian Wilson. That obsessive devotion to his craft is all too apparent in WLAM's self-titled debut, a meticulously arranged 9-song collection that bursts with about a hundred ideas at once, all while recalling (though never robbing) the sounds of the Beach Boys, the Byrds and maybe a little of the rougher side of the Neil Young catalog. Kudos as well to producer Jaime Radar (Morris Orchids), who no doubt slaved over the mix with Dailey to make sure every three-part harmony, dueling guitar interlude, and mid-song freak out was captured to a T.
6. Pop Pistol - Animal Prisms
Given their extensive outreach efforts through Local 782, the several US tours they've logged, and the their implausibly impressive promotional presence (seriously, you seen their website?), you'd be forgiven for forgetting that it's been over four years since the Pistola boys have released a full-length LP. The wait is over friends, and the resulting Animal Prisms is more than sure to preserve the trio's reputation as SA's most beloved local indie band this side of Buttercup. Though the sound is firmly rooted in the spacy, early-Muse inflected post-rock of their early material, the band finds ways to branch out beyond their tried-and-true style with wholly exciting results.
And Tune in for the conclusion of the list manana, with the Top 5 revealed!
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