Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Kitty Little / Scientific Maps split on Peterwalkee Records



Pulled another one from the stack of Peterwalkee Records out of Buffalo today, this one is a split between Kitty Little and Scientific Maps who both claim Albany as locations in their bios, and both offer up a couple of songs each at 33 on this long playing EP

The A-Side from Kitty Little starts out with "Milk Shakes", this is pure pop rock, crunchy guitars, really clean recording, chorus sounding vocals. A gleaming, squeaky clean shine on the whole thing. Emerging from a huge distorted riff, the dual vocals from Matto and Jessie are delivered in that insanely energetic way, a frantic kind of yell, and the three piece is already feeling a few times bigger. There's a big drum/percussion break that leads back into that energy that's born out of a lot of live shows and I think they have captured their punch and anthemic punk performance in the studio. "Never Stay" starts to even get into Promise Ring territory for me here, maybe it's the chord progression along with the muted crunch of a downstroke riff. Beating the hell out of equipment and taking a page from the post-rock book of speed along with an inherent instinct for a catchy chord, it's the kind of thing born out of backyards and bars instead of bedrooms in the middle of the night. It's all out there, on the sleeves, to rock.
Scientific Maps on the B-Side starts out with "Oh, You'd Like to Think So" and these guys for me straddle a weird folk/'50s pop line that bands like the Decembrists do....maybe thanks to this horn section along side the high note jangle, or the folksong sounding melody. It's a mashup of genre's, but in the way that something like Elvis Costello is a mix of era's...you've got a classic pop on the jukebox sound alongside a kind of neo-folk structure, if that makes any sense. It's deceptively on the surface something like a bubblegum pop, but then on "The Demon's Bite", the trumpet takes over on this early melody, and there's a thin layer of fuzz on the vocal that places it into something more folk contemporary. When the guitar distortion and the horn get together mirroring their melodies it's pretty interesting how close that sound can get all under a sort of funk groove, that bassline and layers of bopping brass melody...a mystery of influence that is indeed done in the same indie pop spirit as Kitty Little.

On clear green vinyl with download card from Peterwalkee Records who says:
KITTY LITTLE/SCIENTIFIC MAPS SPLIT 7":Two different favors of tasty pop rock deliciousness on this split 7"! Kitty Little brings you more of that Superchunk inspired indie rock you have come to expect! More of their patented male/female vocals, snappy melodies, and gritty guitar action! Scientific Maps delivers up some seriously infectious British invasion style pop rock that any Kinks fan would love! Their songs are so memorable you will be singing them in your sleep! Each band has two songs on their side of the vinyl. Each record comes with a digital download code and both bands have contributed a bonus track exclusive to the download only! Limited to 300 copes first pressing!$5.00 plus shipping.

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