Dirty Mittens on Magic Marker Records

If I know Magic Marker Records this is going to be the indiest of indie pop and Dirty Mittens is right in line with their curated vision.
That name, Dirty Mittens could really go either way... literal and really cute or more abstractly dirty sounding noise. Something about those two words...

The confusion could have continued on the The A-Side, with "Row", it's from a dudes point of view, (I'm a gentleman) and then delivered in a high, breaking, female falsetto. I almost questioned if this isn't an indie Jimmy Scott situation, until I saw their promo stuff...and it's not a cover either according to the liner notes. I guess they just want to keep you guessing. What were they digging around in to get those mittens dirty? What's the point of expectations if you can't mess with them? The same goes for her range of vocals, coming in high and fluttery or touching on low growl. It borders on twee and brooding at the same time with a weird accent there...I could be convinced they're from Montreal and not the even indier Portland. But Portland would foster this...I know it's probably like Brooklyn in a lot of ways, minus the snow, and snobby competitive scene sometimes. I hope they have a long career of writing this Drums style super pop....bringing a little bit of Too Pure to Portland. It really makes perfect sense...and so does Magic Marker for the same reason.
Is Portland already overrun with jerks who read it was the #1 city in Time magazine? I hope not...cherish your days Portland...and if they're nurturing bands like this then it still must be alright.
What keeps Dirty Mittens from being too precious (I guess there can be such a thing) is the chances she's taking with her vocals...allowing for the imperfections of a take where the vibratto turns angry, but don't get me wrong, I'm going on about it, but it's very very subtle...we're not talking Bobcat Goldthwaite or anything.

A backing horn section melody makes this feel huge at points, you've got this intimate vocal over the rest of the instrumentation in full production mode. Bells chime in behind an acoustic guitar and it's going to be sunny...not the beach fuzzy reverb sun, but a inland wooded day, even if this track is about rowing to the place you call home. It's probably a landlocked pond where days like that are unusual and you try to make the most of it. Those other jerks can go to the beach every single day. It's just another day in a series of nice days... one running into the next. You see why you'd want to kill yourself. Count me out.

The B-Side, "This here year" has a '50s inspired pop bassline, at least to me I'm picturing the sock hop, and Shannon and the Clams are headlining. She's got a similar voice as well...you can hear the ability, but then she's holding back a little....like the sunny days ...so you appreciate it. There's a pretty epic lifelong narrative unfolding on this one...small towns, the boredom...all the way into old age. But they manage to hide this sentiment under the catchy pop chorus. THIS HERE YEAR. You have to dig a little deeper to catch them actually holding a grudge.

It's just a classic indie single; two sides of crafted pop and they are dancing very very seriously.

This pure pepto pink vinyl is housed in a heavy cardstock sleeve, so think they printed the name and tracks on the spine...nice touch.... available from the fine fellows at Magic Marker Records.

Get a preview this from their bandcamp page.

For Ex-Lovers Only on Magic Marker Records

3 tracks today from For Ex-Lovers Only on Magic Marker Records. Ex-Lovers are based in Orlando, FL and I could see this being a part of the sunny 3 coast fuzz movement that's really been flourishing the past couple of years. This blown out sound fits into a part of that Best Coast, Frankie and the Outs, Big Troubles scene that might be a case for this kind of pop emerging from the outer edges of North America.

Coffin is a great A-Side to introduce these guys. Real gritty fuzz guitar and flat percussion, reminding me of The Yips raw rehearsal space sound. Layered on top is healthy amount of distortion, a real nod to JAMC but with a somewhat cheery outlook that keeps changing. The pattern they settle into has distinct parts but they're really pushing the arrangement to keep it interesting...it stays catchy and uptempo while still being a little mysterious.
The B-Side, "Lover's Heart" has a fast kick drum rhythm that vinyl makes great use of reproducing in all it's deep bass glory, a couple of nicely mic'd acoustics duplicate the bass sounds for the tin can vocals. They go for contrast between a shimmery chorus guitar melody and building cymbal crashes. I can't help but think it takes a lot to leave a track like this perfectly at this 7" length. God knows all of these could have been longer, but then it's always better to come away just getting into it than it going on too long. An indie pop sort of Minutemen. This is the song, leave it, it's perfect.

"Scraps" (Mono) is an example of the next to nothing instrumentation approach they take to write their brand of a K-Rec, Sarah pop song...acoustic guitar and tambourine with fistfulls of harmony. It doesn't ever go over the edge and get too cutesy, they just have these punky toy xylophone inspired brief songs of sincerity.

White vinyl, minimal monochromatic sleeve that reminds me of a Pains of Being Pure at Heart single, available for cheap (4.50) with digital download from Magic Marker Records.

Gold-Bears on Magic Marker Records

Magic Marker Records have a couple of new releases including this single from Gold-Bears out of Atlanta, GA of all places. Magic Marker is based in my dream city, Portland, and I'm afraid by the time I get to actually stay there for a while, a lot of people will have also already also discovered how great you are. That's a good thing...I guess I'm just a little jealous...and then to hear this being pressed? This only pushes me one step closer.

"Tally" on the A-side is working in that golden age of indie rock, of crystal clear layered vocals on top of jangle to screaming distortion guitar. The melodies carry all these tracks, and there just isn't room for anything that hasn't been well thought out and meticulously combined into punky power pop perfection. There isn't a moment that doesn't belong, a repeated section that's necessary. The punk part is the single-minded focus on the main melody and transferring some of that frenzied energy and the power pop side is keeping up with sharp bursts of jagged chords.

But the best track from Gold-Bears is coming on the B-Side, (of course). I have to admire the sheer speed of the twee leanings of "Jezzer". These frantic high register vocals, almost reminding me of Ben Gibbard or John Darnielle in some kind of fit. I don't know if they realize, even with a seven inch, they still have a couple of minutes left. It's the perfect archetype indie pop song, packed with numerous hooks, overwhelming insane catchiness and is over way too soon. They better hold on to the drummer who can execute these fills and rhythms with this kind of technical speed, like Dog Day's Lydia, it explodes with exuberant, bouncy pop. The sort of song 7"'s are made for, a perfect tiny package highlighting that gem of a song and allows for easy repeat.

The last track, HK Song takes advantage of it's rest of the side with slow melodic acoustic guitar and a hint of analog synth. What ties all of these together is that real lyric writers sense of conveying a very personal situations without being forced. That's the trick to this kind of punchy indie, how do you get specific without alienating and still being relevant in a few months...they stay universal and unique at the same time thanks to great vocals that sound conversational and effortless. It's the fine line of not being too clever for clever's sake...and there's none of that here...they're completely sincere and I'm looking forward to hearing what they might do with a full length situation.

The monochrome pink sleeve, which is a photo of a street in Japan maybe? The text on a bus is throwing me. This 3 song, white vinyl release is available from Magic Marker Records, who just celebrated their 10th anniversary....yikes.