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Slacks, Aereogramme, and To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie…

Slacks - TerrestrialI'm giving the hard shit a rest today, so first up is the latest release from Slacks: "Terrestrial", which is out on Translation Loss Records. Having been a fan of Slacks' debut, I had been meaning to check out this follow-up for awhile once I finally got the chance. And I thought this was a full-length, but at seven tracks in about 27 minutes, it really plays more like an EP to me. So now, I'm not gonna lie, about 90% of what I listen to is metal and hardcore/punk, so for me to dig a band like Slacks as much as I do is sort of weird—except for the fact that if music is truly good, I'll generally enjoy it. So even though I fucking hate almost anything even remotely connected to country music and all that shit, there's something about the laidback yet emotive bluesy rock and countrified acoustic guitar/banjo runs that Slacks often delivers that just works. The bulk of these tracks are actually instrumental (two different vocalists contribute to the two full-on compositions), but it's still a really powerful listen for me, and it's more consistent than their debut as well. It's actually really odd in that the songs always carry a somber undercurrent, and yet still often make you smile!? In a way that's totally fucked up, but I have to say, this band is fucking criminally underrated, and I really think there are a lot of people out there, just like me, who would totally love this shit if it crossed their path... even when it doesn't necessarily make sense to love it! But then again, it's simply good music, so how can you deny it?

I really respect this band a lot. They're doing something far different from what most of the audiences to which they're linked are accustomed, and they're doing so brilliantly. Do yourself a favor and give this track a shot, you'll probably be pretty damn surprised.

Slacks "The Man Who Couldn't Rage"

This one comes very much recommended, so definitely pick it up if you're into it. And look into their debut as well:

CD Baby
Translation Loss Records

Aereogramme - SeclusionI heard a few tracks from the Scottish outfit Aereogramme on the D3s|nt3gradô mp3 blog last year and had been meaning to buy a couple of their older albums, though in typical fashion it kept slipping my mind. So when "Seclusion", their latest release on Sonic Unyon, showed up I was psyched to finally get to hear more from these cats. Once again this disc seems to be being treated as a full-length, but at six tracks and 32 minutes it's barely scraping by, and I tend to expect closer to a minimum of 40—45 minutes of material from bands of this nature to constitute an actual full-length. No matter, though, as this is good stuff.

Of course, when I initially popped this one in I was horrified to be greeted by hipster sounding keyboards and a weirdly upbeat little run that had me wondering if I was confusing Aereogramme with another band, but thankfully they put the synths to rest quickly and the remainder of the material herein is far stronger and a bit moodier as well. Not that their older material was over the top "heavy" or anything, but this time around there are lots of lush layers of swirling guitar riffs and soft singing with smatterings of keyboards or various electronic accents—limiting the occasional forays into heavier territory to rare excursions that generally refrain from exploding into full blown distortion. You can tell they're big on dynamics and creating a real journey within three- to five-minute compositions (though one mammoth track herein does top 10 minutes), and there are some extremely moving little melodies here, so the band's writing and the way they pay such close attention to details really pays off. I really like the simple looking design of the packaging as well... somehow everything fits together nicely to make for a concise little release that leaves you wanting a bit more.

Aereogramme "Dreams and Bridges"

Unfortunately this one won't actually be out until April, so you can't buy it yet (and for this reason advance promotion is annoying as shit, in my opinion), so if you dig this just keep 'em in mind for another month-and-a-half... at which time the CD should be fairly well distributed in stores and whatnot, I'd imagine.

To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie - Retire EarlyAnd finally, another relatively short one that I've been sitting on for way too long (which is apparently just what I do) is the six-track, 30-minute "Retire Early" EP from To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie. This is the first proper CD release for the duo, who were originally located here in Richmond, VA before moving to Minnesota, having released a couple of CD-R's and a great split 7" prior. Musically I'm not even sure where to place these two anymore, which certainly isn't a bad thing. My initial exposures to their work were geared more towards a form of experimental noise, and while that ambience and experimentation has definitely remained a major factor over the years, this material is more structured and musical—though not something that plays out like a traditional "band" or anything (and the songs routinely run more than five or six minutes). There's just a little more reliance on vocals and beats within the faintly glitchy textures and billowy waves of melodic hums, and though numerous instruments are employed there's often so much manipulation going on that the minimalism sort of takes hold and creates an almost hypnotically relaxing atmosphere that comes across as more simplistic than it probably is. This is easily the group's most consistent release to date, and leaves me wondering where they'll go from here.

To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie "I—20"

Since this one's self-released it's not around at many distros, so I'd order it direct from the band for $8ppd if you're enjoying the sounds. You can also get it at Floodlight Distribution, but I'm not sure why they've priced it at $10 since it's billed as an EP (which comes in a stripped down matte digipack that matches the minimalism of the music, by the way). So either email the artists for ordering information or pick it up online and help them move some copies:

@ Floodlight Distribution

Comments

  1. that aereogramme song is killer, I’m definately going to pick that up some time soon

    2.22.2006 | By wes

  2. by all means buy the earlier aereogramme discs!! they are absolutely amazing. been trying to turn people on to this band for years. seclusion has actually been out for a year or so and i find it to be the least enjoyable of them all (although i do find it quite good). you can get it on import if you are that desperate. they had a distro deal in the US with matador but got dropped when matador sold. glad to see they finally have a new US outlet. they’ve made a few runs around the states playing teeny tiny shows that barely anybody went to (at least way down here in the south), and i seem to remember them touring quite a bit with isis last year through europe. so they definitley have that kinda vibe if you are into that shit. i don’t know, i just think they kill. but it seems whoever i play them for just says, “ehhh”. oh well. quality choice for posting.

    2.22.2006 | By apt13.com

  3. I wholeheartedly agree with every word that apt13.com says.  The earlier discs have some really crushing heavy moments that almost bring to mind something like Neurosis… and then go back to more of the “prettier” (for lack of a better word) parts…. but they make it work in a fashion that I haven’t seen/heard much elsewhere.  They are both AMAZING records… especially the 2nd CD.  Saw them at Emo’s in Austin touring for that record, and was absolutely blown away.  I too spread the word of Aereogramme to anyone who will listen.  I ordered “Seclusion” from the UK label that put it out immediately upon it’s release, and honestly… i was pretty disappointed… but it’s really grown on me now.  Supposedly, they have a new record already in the bag and are just waiting to release it, which should happen sometime in the upcoming months…  Now, if they would only do another US tour…

    2.22.2006 | By Everything Went Black

  4. Whoa, I had no idea it had been out for a year already elsewhere.  I love how labels that license stuff neglect to mention that kind of thing and pretend that releases are brand spankin’ new… oh well!  Thanks for the tips!

    2.23.2006 | By Andrew Aversionline

  5. damn, that aereogramme track is fuckin’ awesome! for some reason i always thought they sounded like mogwai or something and never bothered to check them out. i’ll have to get this, this is just… awesome. thanks.

    2.24.2006 | By chris

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