Dana Jewell on Underwater Peoples

Underwater peoples has been steadily putting out great singles since the Real Estate releases from way back when, and then the Ducktails full lengths and I've been into the Big Troubles 7"'s , so when I saw this single from Dana Jewell I had to go check him out.

Dana had a track included on UP's compilation, and the only thing I could find was this one track on avissart's blog, "Come on Baby". It's a dense track with a mess of instrumentation, his layers of vocals rising, repeating 'way-oh' with lots of echo, a sort of hypnotic sunny psyche, something like Panda Bear, or folky Ducktails. A real homemade sound and broken out of the bedroom thanks to layers of vocals, handclaps, cowbell, the sound of a song evolving on it's own, once this groove starts it completely takes over, and Dana's along for the ride in the middle of a mellow party happening out in the backyard. A tropical party, with those hawaiian hats Alex Bleeker wears. Maybe an umbrella in a drink.

Chocolate Bobka has some video of Dana at the Market Hotel just him fingerpicking on an electric about his family, and it's an entirely different sound, the confessional singer songwriter, who isn't putting on a persona. He's got some songs he'd like you to hear. Not sure then what's going to end up on this EP, but with that solid songwriting foundation and skill combined with the homemade layers of psyche, it's going to be a good one.

Dana Jewell - Wants 7" (UPS008)
A1: Wants
A2: Girls
B1: Girls Pt. 2
B2: My T-Train Girl
PREORDER - FEBRUARY 22 RELEASE
Dana Jewell Wants 7": Wants is a collection of songs written and performed by one of our most introspective and romantic of friends. Dana's love of beautiful women and deep thought shines through on each hand wrought track. His vinyl solo-debut is guaranteed to get you feelin'. Dana is also the proud father of Wild Animal Kingdom Records.

Preorder it from Underwater Peoples Records.

Julian Lynch on Underwater Peoples Records

I first was exposed to Julian on a split he did with Ducktails Matt Mondanile for Underwater Peoples. The tracks on that single, if I remember correctly, were similar to Matt's working style, layers of loops, a little dark, hypnotic. I separate their work from the typical ambient field recording because it tends not to have any kind of electronics involved on the recording itself...it's only used to manipulate all kinds of weird source material, but not in a DJ way...I guess this is sort of a neo-folk method of sound appropriation? Like 'Entroducing' for the Woodsist set.

This single gets more songwriter-y. I'm hearing Grandaddy a little bit, maybe it's the keyboard sound on 'Droplet on a Hot Stone'. It has a sort of warm tone, probably mic'd an amp after the fact. That's a great idea, it's that kind of thing that keeps this interesting, the sounds all have layers of patina from process driven recording. There's all kind of textures going on here...I still can't get over that while recording devices have gotten cheaper and smaller and digital, the final released sounds from bands across the spectrum of stuff I've been into lately appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
Just like Sebadoh reintroducing home recording to the indie world, reacting against commercial music, maybe this is a reaction against the technology itself as it becomes less and less personal, people start circuit bending or buying 7"'s...to regain a little of the humanity in the recording process.
'Nen Vole' could almost be a Real Estate lost track...Julian finds a strummed guitar groove and sticks with this very classic melody, sort of a waltz, back and forth, up and down...waves rolling in on the Jersey Shore...Oh God, not that TV show, a different part of the Jersey Shore....there's a dock somewhere on an inlet in Jersey, there's cattails and dragonflies, there's a few waves just hardly rolling in, disturbing the mirror of water...it's that sort of Jersey. The garage next door is open, Julian is rehearsing with himself on every instrument, and recorded a couple of tracks for Underwater Peoples....go get it.

Underwater Peoples says:

Julian Lynch is from Ridgewood, New Jersey. The songs featured on this 7” single were originally created for the 2008 album, Born2Run. The recordings contain both acoustic and electric guitar, a drum kit, a keyboard and Julian’s voice. Everything was recorded on a TASCAM Portastudio 424. While the initial taping began in Julian’s family basement (birthplace of the Alex Bleeker and The Freaks debut), the brunt of the work took place in an empty apartment in Madison, Wisconsin. In a new town with no furniture, Julian recorded the album.

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

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

Real estate on underwater peoples records

If you've heard Ducktails, Matt Mondanile's solo project then you'll want to jump on this.
That Ducktails single has really grown on me, I can't exactly explain to someone why I like it, it won't blow you away the first time you hear it, but it works it's way in there and I keep putting it on. It's something I'll keep close to the record player and play while I'm figuring out what to play.
Real Estate is Matthew Mondanile III, Martin Courtney IV, Etienne Pierre Duguay & Bleeker.
One track from this single, Suburban Beverage is on their myspace. From this brief listen I think in the way that Ducktails uses a lot of etherial samples and loops, this is the same tropical vibe, but played live, drums, guitar etc. In a nicely room sounding jam, but isn't meandering. It never becomes tedius, which is usually my complaint...I know where it's going.

This is a pretty epic track building up with a kind of slow vibe I'm hoping fake blues is the b-side that track is killer, the tom drum rhythm with echoed high treble guitar melodies, It has a great room sound, like will oldham in Viva last blues, full of space between drum hits, the vocals match the shimmer of the electric guitar, it's very intellectual beach boys, what I always wanted from them lyrically, some smarts.
There's a haze covering everything, a little whatever-gaze...but combined with country slide ....

I sound like I'm describing something alt-country, but I'm just not getting that feeling here, it's more like Rex or Bedhead. Not the extreme of slowcore, but melancholic and deliberate.
I'm loving everything I'm hearing...every one of these tracks keeps me interested.

They are playing the Cakeshop this weekend, and I'm going to see this live...

From Underwater People's records:
Hey Everybody,
So, assuming all goes to plan, the official release date for the Real Estate 7" is February 1, 2009. The 7" costs $7.00 plus shipping, is pressed on wholesome white vinyl, and will include a free CD insert with all the songs. Pre-orders can be made by emailing us at underwaterpeoples@gmail.com, please put the subject of the email as PRE-ORDER and we will get back to you ASAP to confirm.