Andrew Cedermark / Family Portrait split on Underwater Peoples Records

Underwater Peoples alerted me to their latest split single from Andrew Cedermark and Family Portrait, both of which I've heard nothing from before, so a single is always the best place to start. These two are completely matched in downright soothing classic catchyness.

A1: Andrew Cedermark - Untruth

A2: Anderw Cedermark - Hard Livin'

B1: Family Portrait - Super Cool

B2: Family Portrait- Mega Secrets

The track I heard from Andrew's side was 'Hard Livin'', which starts out with a lone bass kick drum against rim shot sticks, add a little acoustic under a full sounding chorus electric finger picking and it's got a sort of country sound without getting too sentimental. And that's as far as that comparison goes, it's rock made out of the simpler things, the overlooked elements of a band working together, playing off each others sounds.
All the way from the clicking rhythm into a epic crawl eventual climax that takes you by surprise a couple of times. The layers of vocals are understated, a little distant...working behind the instrumentation building layers against the picking melody punctuated by increasingly distorted accompaniment. It's sad and overpowering... fading out to an ungrounded guitar hum giving away the room sound. Andrew is putting the live cards on the table...this is built in a real space, with the pain and suffering that takes. I have to say I don't know Titus Andronicus, but I'm going to be looking into them, as it seems I've got another Tim Cohen situation on my hands.

The Family Portrait track 'Mega Secrets' has that overblown warm dirty sound that's sounds fed through tiny muffled broken speakers from a station just out of reach. They take a great repeated melody and just let it ride through the amps, it's tinny, jangly guitar, nearly screeching with treble, with that Real Estate momentum. The big difference here is lead Evan who restrains himself in a moody deep moan for most of the track so when he lets loose towards the end with
'I can't do anything right...' the vocals peaking in the red, it really gets you.

I don't want to round peg Underwater Peoples sound into that Real Estate square hole, but I can't get past it. It's that classic melodic rock I keep appreciating. Real Estate really has grown on me...the layers of effects on guitars, the slow grind...I know it doesn't sound like anything new, and that's why it's harder describing it? There is something really interesting about this sound coming from NJ, and U.P. are capturing it...the Woodsist/Captured Tracks of NJ. Go get it from Underwater Peoples.

Today, We're announcing the release of a split record from Andrew Cedermark (Born in beautiful Glen Rock, NJ/Formerly of Titus Andronicus) and Family Portrait (Frontman Evan Brody hails from Ridgewood, NJ). Despite all the tracks being painstakingly recorded, we might as well have just taped one of our house parties. Nine times out of ten, this split was the bill. - Underwater Peoples

GreatDividing - self released single

Andrew contacted me from GreatDividing a little while back, he's released a couple of singles with friends on their Australia based label, so unfortunately it's going to be pretty hard to actually get a hold of these other than mail order directly from down under, but the internet brought us together with some digital files for this review. Email him at the bottom of the post to work out shipping/postage with Andrew.

There's 2 singles here, around 15 minutes of completely different experiments. I also came across mention of The Great Dividing Range of Australia, and I liked the name before, but now it's taking on a different connotation. It's a huge huge expanse of mountains instead of a chasm, maybe it's the same, but a wall and a hole are two very different obstacles. For instance, I'm not going down the hole, forget it, but I'll climb over that thing if I have to.
I'm intrigued to hear what's being created on the other side of the world, it's still pretty crazy to think about musical styles reproducing themselves. I was watching this TED thing the other day from Susan Blackwell about ideas being kinds of viruses and the best ones reproducing themselves, I think music is a great example of this kind of natural idea selection, here I am as far away as possible from Andrew, but I get the references, I can speak his musical language. Insane.



arob/soottyb [greatdividing011] 7"

Cicada Gtr + birds has a rising sound that I'm going to assume is a cicada sample? Then again there's an electronic slant to this I think...if this is created by synth then that's pretty genius. It sounds almost to regular, to constant not to have been. There's an underlying drone chord/notes that remains constant through the entire piece where the birds and cicada sounds work around. There's one loud close bird sound that, if it's not electronic, then that's a pretty crazy natural sound. (Turns out it's a field recording - ed) But that's probably the point. It's that moment when the curtain rises and the orchestra is tuning up. It's a little chaotic

'They sent me into space today' is a slow muddy little dub-ish number. All kinds of tempo shifted drum hits, with ring-toned samples of some dialogue, or that's the lyrics possibly, really buried and effected to the breaking point. It's hypnotically monotonous. Sparse space synth emerges here and there, a real throwback sound, like a 70's slow motion dance party in quicksand.
GreatDividing says:

dd011 arob/soottyb b/w arob split 7"

edition of 100 hand printed black on white paper sleeves & rubber stamped labels

they sent me into space today

5 years in the making ! The basic track 'downer march' was recorded by arob in 2004 he added another track sometime in 2005 . 2006 he gave it to Soottyb on cd . In 2007 he handed it back to arob as 'they sent men into space today' . It was 're-mixed' in 2008 ... & finally in 2009 after a particularly fraught space mission here is 'they sent me into space today' .

cicadas birds + gtr

This is a field recording done at a fellow exiles house in the country combined with a home recording done in a bedroom in the city . Simple as that ... plays well on either 45 or 33 rpm ..



Exiles from clowntown 7"

The A-Side 'Fast One' starts playing with a scales up and down bassline with background tremolo guitar, this is a groovy kind of blues inspired track, that has a nice live raw sloppy feel to it, at the end it starts to breakdown a little and get more experimental when the bass goes repetitive as well, just booming drone, it's a welcome departure from the scales that start to feel like he's in another band, practicing. But somewhere in the middle and end again is where I start to really pay attention and have to start over to hear when this starts to deliberately fall apart. The bass goes one note and the guitar breaks out

'Something somewhere', this sounds like that rehearsal space jam where some interesting performance was hit on, the way he's playing the strings with this repetitive twang, kind of slint-ish. There's a weird effect on the guitar or it's one of those amps.
The vocals are room mic recorded and I like that feeling, it's kind of like an afterthought, or unconscious monologue happening. I'm thinking of a Sea and Cake groove Los Llamarada's or something. Andrew has graciously allowed me to post a copy of it, you can download/listen to that here.

Greatdividing says:

dd012 exiles from clowntown 7" 33 rpm

edition of 100 in hole punched white paper sleeves & rubber stamped labels

Not too sure what to say about the exiles ... 3 friends who grew up in the same town , all moved away & have been living [mainly] far apart . Once in a while they end up in the same location & sooner or later eventually / inevitably someone suggests playing some music together . Sometimes they are organized enough to record it . The two tracks on this 7" were recorded live & spontaneous using a single microphone & a mac in january 2009 . These two tracks were later edited down from one two hour long take no over dubs no mixing no bullshit .There was much swapping of instruments & the two tracks on this 7" have completely different 'line ups' with the gtr player on 'fast one' playing drums on 'something ... ' & so on & so forth . It's possible some more of this session may be released at some point.

Andrew does say also to shoot him an email and he can work on getting you the music, which is the most important thing after all:
greatdividing (at) gmail.com

Cat Power / Guv'ner split on ?

It's friday so it's time for an MP3 of some sort.
I got a request in the message boards for this split from Cat Power and Guv'ner, each covering each other. It's long out of print, so I don't have a problem posting it. I mean if it's available, get it from the label, if it's an unobtainable ebay fetish piece, then make it available.

So if I've talked about it, and it's long gone, then chances are I'll post it. Leave requests on the boards.

Here it is Cat Power/Guv'ner split.
On the A-Side of the label it says:
Clear the Room recorded at East Side NYC by Andy Hong + Jim Sorenson September 13, 1996
Great Expectations recorded at rare book room, nyc by nic-olas vernhes September 5, 1996

Enjoy. zipped 7mb

Ducktails - Julian Lynch split on underwater peoples

This just in from underwater peoples...new split singles between Ducktails and Julian Lynch who fits alongside the tropical musings of Ducktails. Atmospheric lounge themed orchestration with oboe, or something woodwind...he's making an appearance at Market hotel on August 1st, so I'm going to go see this in person hopefully.
Definitely ordered from Underwater Peoples.

Coming Soon

--Track List--
A1: Ducktails - Parasailing
B1: Julian Lynch - Topi
B2: Julian Lynch - Garden 2

Including DVD with music videos created and directed by Richard Law.
Pre-Order - $7

Tiger Bones and France has the Bomb on ShitSandwich records

It has been a while since the Sandwich has come out with one of their singles...I think the last one was Nanox, so I'm glad to see their still in the game here with this split from Tiger Bones. The track on this single isn't on the myspace but the track 'Folder' is heavy on the echo vocals...that crappy far away on a PA sound behind wobbly waving in and out rhythm guitar and what sounds like some kind of piano banging away. They have another track on their own site here.
France has the bomb came to me by way of the Hozac club...or maybe their 3 pack? I forget.... the green cover one....they all came together.
Open Wound is their track, which is on their myspace...lots more distortion echo vocals, lots of yelling really blowing it out. Their mix is harsher, treble up ...cymbals, higher melodies twanging...these two guitars are working in that separate but equal way. They ride between garage record it now and studio indie rock.

From an email from the ShitSandwich a few days ago:
Long Time No Shit
It's been a while since you've heard from us, luckily our newest release is a twofer. Side A features Chicago's own Tiger Bones (formerly known as Gay Baby [yes, really]) with low-budg, hazy and dazzling howls, not to be taken seriously. Side B's got France Has The Bomb, featuring members of pretty much every band that ever graced Minneapolis garages (well at least in the last few years...no Replacements, Husker Du or Prince). Dudes from Sweet Jap, White+Outs, Birthday Suits, Soviettes, the list goes on and on. Each band does their own twist on the lo-fi thing, from the dirgy, driving jam of Tiger Bones' "Walk Right" to the catchy, but brooding France Has the Bomb cut "Open Wound." 100 on white colored vinyl for mailorder only - LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. You know the drill. Orders of two will be filled with one white, one black. Ok, awesome. Order it. Wheee.

Happy 4th of July! I'm going to see if fireworks and records mix.

Parts and Labor / Big A Little a split 7"

I really just randomly picked this up at Eat records a while back and haven't gotten around to it until a few nights ago. I've been seeing parts and labor are playing around, and have released a full length, and then Aa (Big A, little a), have been on my list to go see also. Weird. Anyway the parts and labor side is a a lot of frantic drumming, bordering on spinning out of control, then there are a lot of low, low electronic bursts which are so alien, my cats look over at the record player in fear. The best part is that it ends in an endless loop, which I swear keeps changing every time. But I love the little piece of fuzz/tempest shooting sound it plays over and over.
The Aa side is a backwards underground cavern exploration. A little more electronic, this sounds very black dice, destroy the sound, to create something new. Then turns into full on kraftwerk/field recording...then throw in some freestyle? It's enjoyable, I just don't know if I like it yet to fully get behind it. I could hear it pumping out of a warehouse. This side also ends awesomely in a keyboard loop. It's $6 from applecore records, which is affiliated with brooklyn beats I think.

Parts and Labor / Big A Little a split 7" (Cardboard Rec.) Two local Brooklyn bands with strong underground followings join to make a dope little 7". Parts and Labor do a power electronics Husker Du thang with good songwriting and plenty of noise. These guys rule! Big A Little a do more of a tribal Boredoms thing with plenty of spacey effects and big drums. Both sides are loud and clear for DJing and on green vinyl.

Highly recommended.

Xiu Xiu / W-S Burn split 7"

Xiu Xiu / W-S Burn split 7"

Xiu xiu is really in a category by himself, it amazes me the things he successfully gets away with
musically, lyrically. He's like a sufjan stevens...he dominates that style, always creates something interesting, so every unreleased track on 7" is worth tracking down. There are numerous split 7"'s I've seen with Devendra, etc.
Just great, along with Connor Oberst, he's the only one trying on political themes in his music, and it makes it all the more emotional. 'Support our troops OH!' just kills me good and bad every time I hear it.
I don't know W-S Burn, but go check out their myspace these sound like live recordings, loud, even for laptop speakers, that piercing projecting loud.
It makes sense paired with xiu xiu. Anyone that has xiu xiu and deerhoof as a top myspace friend means business.
Get it from W-S Burn's myspace, look for the address in their blog, or from Stickfigure...it's only $4, and these will go fast.

Xiu Xiu and W-S Burn combine for a beautiful split 7” recording. Xiu Xiu gives fans a brand new exclusive track “mean, childish and boring” while W-S Burn woo listeners with the beautiful “above the fray”. Mastered by Carl Saff. The cover artwork is absolutely gorgeous as well.

From W-S Burn: We are extremely pleased to announce that we currently have about 50 copies of a brand new split 7" record that has just been released on Stickfigure Records out of Atlanta, GA. One side features a new Xiu Xiu song entitled, "Mean, Childish, and Boring" that is not available anywhere else. The other side features the W-S Burn song, "Above the Fray", from the 'Birdsong in Stereo' album that was self-released in cdr format in 2006. Enormous thanks to Gavin at Stickfigure for initiating it. Luscious thanks to Jamie for writing a completely new song for the split. Contact us if you are interested in buying. Bye. xxxooo...

bronze / kazuamsumaki split 7”

Bronze 'superior sleeping techniques' (mp3) 'who shot who in the what now' / Kazuamsumaki
'Space planning is the key to a good world design' (mp3) 'What they need to recognize is that he already considered them stupid', and 'Dancing about architecture'.

Happy 500th post...I should have known there were a lot of 7"'s out there...but it's never-ending. I think I have basically talked only about new one's I've seen and rarely go back to reminisce about old 90's 7" from sebadoh or smog, like I thought originally I would. Maybe I'll have to start a new blog.
Anyway, I still haven't gotten that will oldham/silver jews split that made me so crazy I was forced to do something about it.
3 or 4 book shelves later and I'm no closer to getting that one, but I think I caught a few before they were gone, and hopwefully helped someone else to find something awesome along the way.

I read a review of this single and they compared Bronze to Don Cab so of course I'm trying to track down a copy, from belgium. Instrumental music really does it for me these days, rocking out metal or intricate jazzish, doesn't matter.

*bronze / kazuamsumaki split 7” (mashnote) – BELGIUM IMPORT – “mashnote - to be honest I expected some screamo schnick - don't know why ... BUT what I got is an awesome split 7" of two belgium bands that play awesome chicago kinda instrumental stuff. BRONZE remind me on some older THRILL JOCKEY stuff ? I mean this spezial chicago edge. Laid back and full of swing and sexy melodies that get driven by awesome basslines. KAZUAMSUMAKI are similar maybe w/ more POP. This awesome swedish band LOG CABIN came to my mind at first. It’s great - I think both bands are really beautiful and manage it somehow that I don’t get bored ... I was really surprised in a positive way. THANX. Great debut and I could think about an Full Length for both bands would be awesome!” - Robert Adagio830

It's also available from stickfigure....or direct from overseas.