Like any breakup, distance is a necessary component to recovery.  And Ultra High Frequency is no exception.  Last time Radio Exile dropped in on the boys was just over a year ago during their mid-summer show at Pianos on New York’s Lower East Side [link].  Months later, the Los Angeles quartet dissolved, its members splitting between the two coasts.

Born from this very demise, Morning Fuzz [Myspace] finds guitarist Frank Fussa and bassist Chris Johanidesz back in their native New York after the year-long west coast residency.  Armed with a penchant for thick distortion and tight grooves, the Brooklyn trio, rounded out by drummer Billy Rymer, offers a familiar, yet refreshing brand of melodic rock.  Their three-song EP was self-released this past summer, and further showcases the band’s overall talent in crafting memorable tunes.  It’s the perfect dose.

The troupe will head back into the studio at the end of the month, and expects to have another EP in the beginning of the new year.

Music and videos after the jump.

[Crashing Less Than Jake at the Crazy Donkey]

["Four Flies Away" at Brooklyn's Trash Bar]

“Go Out” [mp3]

Three Mexicans and an Irishman together comprise the Simplifires [Official Site, Myspace].  Spawned just south of the border, the energetic foursome – Shine (guitar), Rodrigo (bajo), Alex (drums), daveO (vox) – is a retro-rock outfit with a pallet of influences ranging from New Wave to post-punk.  Their auspicious debut, Why People Make Countries, was released this past summer to modest acclaim in the Mexican press.  And rightly so.  The record hits the ground running with the title track, and rocks through with highlights like “Newoldsong,” “Last Night’s Party,” and “Her Brightest Face.”

Thanks to the media buzz and high profile exposure opening for Ratatat, the troupe is starting to turn more heads stateside.  Well, at least in New York City, where the band scored a month-long Monday residency at Pianos [link] beginning November 3rd.

“Newoldsong” [mp3]
“Yourself Only” (Bongly Remix) [mp3]

Relatively new to the indie scene, striking chanteuse Lizzy Grant [Official Site, Myspace] possesses an unrelenting charm that will no doubt melt the masses.  Her brand of music is at once delectable, blending the best elements of jazz, folk, and rock.  And her vocal delivery effectively channels the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Holiday, with a slight twist of Flunk.  It only takes one listen to become hooked to the cool, calculated confidence and quirky lyrical quips.  Indeed, Grant enchantingly whisper-sings of encounters at Coney Island and Diamond David Lee Roth.

Now with a CMJ showcase under her belt, Grant is ever-closer to wider recognition.   Her performance at the Living Room [link] last Friday (10/24) was solid, and audience response to the material was resoundingly positive.  Set standouts included a jazzed-up version of “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Gramma (Sparkler Trailer Heaven).”

Grant is currently in the studio with producer David Kahne (Sublime, Regina Spektor), recording her debut long player. In the meantime, satiate your appetite with her three-song EP, entitled Kill Kill, which is now available on iTunes.  Go forth and listen, then drool.

[Show as slideshow]

Howdy friends, welcome to your weekly dose of rare videos, awesome music and “unique” insight that I call Outloud. In case you are new to the column or simply haven’t dropped by in a while, the last couple of “go-rounds” have been all about great punk and proto-punk singles. In the last month, we have covered a lot of exciting bands and heard some fantastic music. This week we are going to feature a selection of songs so great and important that we will break the rules and cover the whole EP.

What music could be this important you ask? Easy. The Buzzcocks‘ Spiral Scratch.

This piece of music created a scene, put a city on the map and gave teenagers an important call to arms. Music wouldn’t be the same without it and the same goes for you. If you have yet to listen to it there is no better time than right now.

Before there was Joy Division, before there was a Factory Records and long before the “Madchester” scene of the 90s, there were two young lads Peter McNeish and Howard Trafford. The pair met while attending Bolton Polytechnic; McNeish saw an ad on a cork board at the university center calling for musicians interested in electronic music, Brian Eno and hard rock. They bonded over their disappointment at the state of music, the city in which they lived (Manchester) and the fact that there was nothing to do. One day while hanging out the boys read about the first performance of a group called The Sex Pistols in the NME. Figuring that this band was new, cool and most importantly exciting they ventured into London to check them out.

Here they ran head long into London’s punk rock scene. In it McNeish and Trafford found all they were looking for fun, freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas. They were so impressed with the scene and The Sex Pistols that they invited the band to play a gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester and the pair changed their names; Peter McNeish became Peter Shelley and Howard Trafford became Howard Devoto. They founded the Buzzcocks to open the Pistols show. You might be wondering why I am telling you all this. To put it simply the show that would take place would forever change rock and roll history.

The only people that attended this shambolic gig (the Buzzcocks didn’t end up playing due to “not being ready) where the artistic, weird and lunatic fringes of Manchester. These people in attendance were people would later go on to start Joy Division, New Order, Simply Red, The Buzzcocks, Factory Records and The Hacienda, just to name a few. This was the first time that many of them had seen actual punk rock before. Many of them were fans of The Ramones and The Stooges but being locked away in a nowhere town you never got to see them. This show also acted as a gathering spot for kids that thought they were alone in their music tastes.

I could go into even more detail and try to paint the image for you but why bother when someone has already done the work for me. The film 24 Hour Party People, which is about the rise and fall of Factory Records, has a scene where they document this legendary gig and give you a taste of what it might have been like.

*Viewer’s note: The show doesn’t start until a minute in. The narration begins at around the two minute mark.

The Buzzcocks emerged from the show as heroes. After they rounded out their line up with bassist Steve Diggle and drummer John Maher the band began to play shows. They played with many of the era’s biggest bands: The Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Subway Sect, The Clash, The Vibrators to name a few. More importantly than all that they played in active role in supporting music in their own city, their debut Spiral Scratch was exciting not only for the music within but by the very fact it existed. The band pressed their own records, did their own cover art, handled distribution and played shows all without the help of a major label. This helped inspire countless indie bands and labels to go out there and do it themselves nearly a decade before Ian MacKaye and company would give similar advice.

The only footage of the band that exists in this original line up is a silent clip of them opening up for The Sex Pistols at the second Lesser Free Trade Hall Show. Luckily, someone has dubbed in the great track “Breakdown” over the clip. So sit back and enjoy.

Just as the band was beginning to hit their stride Devoto decided to leave the band. The reasons vary but more often than not he says that punk rock was becoming just another over bloated scene. He later went on to start the controversial Magazine. After that group split in 1981, Devoto ended up making music sporadically and devoted a lot of time to a job working in a photo archive. His words in the classic song “Boredom” proved to be oddly prophetic:

“I’ve taken this extravagant journey
So it seems to me
To arrive from nowhere
And to go straight back there”

Why don’t you give a listen and sing along at home:

“Boredom” [mp3]

The rest of the Buzzcocks continued on (with new bassist Steve Garvey and Diggle switching to lead guitar) and released three fantastic LPs before they split up. Although they released many fantastic singles “Orgasm Addict”, “What Do I Get?”, “Ever Fallen In Love”, “Harmony In My Head” and many others, this EP is loved and prized just as much as their better known material.

I hope you enjoyed the rant this week and that I can bank on seeing you next Friday. Have a great weekend.

Lately, we’ve been listening to a lot of really great press kits, so thanks to everyone who has been sending them in. God only knows how much I love to check out “undiscovered” music. The only thing that I happen to like more: cookies. True story.

Over the last week or so, I have found that I can’t seem to stop listening to Southern California act, Local Natives [Official Site, Myspace] and trying to discover every little piece of info about the band. They’re pretty boss and seeing the already strong press they’ve received from the likes of Rock Insider and OC Weekly, it was only a matter of time before the rest o’ the U.S. started taking notice as well.

Now, if only we can get them over to the East Coast from some dates, I will surely be in the crowd, checking them out.

Fresh from the studio, one of Southern California’s most promising unsigned acts are ready to bring their three part harmonies and percussion-driven indie rock to the masses with their upcoming full-length debut, Gorilla Manor, which is one bitching name for an album.

Learn more about Local Natives “beyond the threshold”

“Airplane” [mp3]

“For six months the band, formerly known as Cavil at Rest, bunkered down in a two-bedroom house in Orange, CA. In time, songs were written, rewritten, and then recorded as their first full-length album with the help of producer Raymond Richards (Parson Redheads, The Weather Underground, The Monolators). The debut album earned the title of Gorilla Manor as homage to their humble abode and will likely be released in early 2009. Now armed with new music, a debut album and an energetic live show that must be seen and heard first hand, Local Natives are positioning themselves as the neighborhood’s next success.

Local Natives have been compared to Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, and Broken Social Scene, but what makes this band stand apart is a the sense of united celebration amongst the group and the audiences they play for. From three singers sharing harmonies and lead vocals, extra percussion from friends and fans, and band mates switching positions and instruments, a Local Natives show unfolds more like a tribal pow-wow.

The core of the group is beautiful, dynamic, and infectious thanks to what each individual brings to the table.”

Tour Dates
Friday, Oct 10th: Los Angeles, CA- The Troubadour
Saturday, Oct 18th: Costa Mesa, CA- La Cave
Saturday, Nov 8th: Santa Monica, CA- Kutting House (Make a Wish Foundation benefit)
Friday, November 14: Santa Barbara, CA- Biko House
Saturday, November 15: San Luis Obisbo, CA- Urban Outfitters
Sunday, November 16: San Francisco, CA- Rasputin Records
Monday, November 17: Santa Cruz, CA- The Crepe Place
Tuesday, Nov 18th: Silverlake, CA- The Silverlake Lounge

Blackout Beach [Official Site] is the solo nom de guerre of Carey Mercer (from Frog Eyes and Swan Lake), and Skin of Evil is his second full-length, and it tells the story of “Donna” and each of her lovers (past & present) say their peace in song. Composed, played and recorded entirely by Mercer alone, these songs revel in the dark side of the heady proto-punk Cleveland axis (e.g. Peter Laughner, David Thomas) with a minimal, textural & almost Suicide-ish sense of pop form and the experimental nature of recent Scott Walker works.

Come check out the new tune and some album info “after the jump”

“Cloud of Evil” [mp3]
“Claxxon’s Lament” [mp3]

“What began as a project called ‘Bertrand Russell and the Country Club’ soon evolved into Blackout Beach. Whatever the psuedonym, Carey Mercer’s solo creations dwell in a land all their own. Mercer began his solo project soon after the demise of his brilliant first band, Blue Pine, in 2001. Mercer would also form Frog Eyes around this time, recruiting roommate and keyboard whiz Spencer Krug, Blue Pine bandmate Mike Rak and his wife Melanie Campbell to help realize his swirling, frenzied compositions. Though just as dense, intense and literate as his Frog Eyes work, Mercer’s Blackout Beach recordings reveal another side of the artist (and the artist’s psyche).

Light Flows the Putrid Dawn, issued in June 2004 on Soft Abuse, features some of Mercer’s most complex and darkly delivered material to date. The atmosphere slowly builds and swells while Mercer delivers his unmistakable growling rants, seemily from beneath a thick fog. The songs collapse soon after they coalesce. Further listening to Light Flows the Putrid Dawn reveals layer upon layer of intricacies; a cohesive thematic experience akin to Scott Walker’s recent work.

Unreleased songs from the sessions that yielded Light Flows the Putrid Dawn would finally see the light of day in 2006, in the form of a limited lathe cut single on Soft Abuse. One of the songs, “Claxxon’s Lament”, is amongst Carey Mercer’s best-known compositions, despite the fact that Mercer never properly issued the song himself. Wolf Parade covered” Claxxon’s Lament” for a Believer Magazine compilation, and Mercer performed the song with Carolyn Mark on her duet-laden album from 2005 on Mint Records, Just Married.

In 2008, following a series of stops & starts, Mercer created Skin of Evil, his second Blackout Beach full length. Composed, played and recorded entirely by Mercer alone, the album contains a story arc based loosely upon the classic Greek notion of the ideal woman.”

Tracklisting
01. Cloud of Evil
02. Biloxi, In a Grove, Cleans Out His Eyes
03. William, the Crowd, It’s William
04. The Roman
05. Woe to the Minds of Soft Men
06. The Whistle
07. Nineteen, One God, One Dull Star
08. Three Men Drown in the River
09. Sophia, Donna, I Was Down the River Waiting
10. Astoria, Menthol Lite, Hilltop, Wave of Evil, 1982

Street date: Dec. 02, 2008

One of the hottest bands of 2006 recently performed on maniaTV’s All Access. The crew snagged a really great live Stage 5 performance from indie darlings DeVotchKa [Official Site, Myspace], who completely blow the roof off the place with “The Clockwise Witness”. Most people who only think of them as “the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack people” have missed out on the full breadth of their talent. They are completely amazing live.

Check out the video (and some mp3s) “after the jump”

All Access: DeVotchKa’s ‘The Clockwise Witness’ (Live On Stage 5): All Access: EP 11

“The Clockwise Witness” [mp3]
“The Clockwise Witness” (The Field Remix) [mp3]

Though Santa Cruz, California’s LittleBear [Official Site, Myspace] may give the impression of a full band, it is actually the work of one Nick Principe. His latest offering is an EP, Army of Trees, that seemlessly spans noise-rock while presenting what appears to be nature’s musical hiking companion. No lie: I could see myself alone in the woods hiking to this, and I don’t hike anymore (I am allergic to EVERYTHING!).

What makes me the most proud is that Principe spend the summer in seclusion in upstate New York (I will have to find out where exactly) and he recorded LittleBear’s debut. This brief, yet full introduction finds Principe playing nearly every instrument at his disposal, simultaneously creating the illusion of an ensemble while evoking the feeling of complete isolation.

Upon finishing the record, Principe packed his studio and his belongings into a car and drove across the country, taking the northern route and finally landing in sunny Santa Cruz. In a new town on a new coast, Principe begins work on LittleBear’s debut LP.

Check out some mp3s “after the jump”

“Smaller Trees” [mp3]
“A Song For the Jungle” [mp3]

Tracklist:
1) The Beaverkill
2) Down the Waterfall
3) A Song For the Jungle
4) Smaller Trees

Matt & Kim are completely punk-rock (and apparently don’t know it!) and they just want to have fun.

Come see what all the fuss is about “after the jump”

At the Show host Brendon hangs out at The Echoplex’s “F Yeah Fest” with indie rock duo Matt and Kim, who play their hit song, “Cut Down”.

“Matt and Kim have developed a fast-paced cocktail of kick and snare mixed with anthemic, synth-driven choruses. Since coming together as a band in 2004, their feverish enthusiasm and blinding live sets have won them critical acclaim and devoted fans - a perfect fit for the Green Label Sound lineup.”

Check out their new single below and download it for free from Green Label. I would re-post it here, but their legal mumbo-jumbo frightened me too much.

“Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare” [mp3]

Best part about this video: Matt Mays drives a Delorean. Yeah, the Back to the Future car plays a major part in this video and, for the record, I want to add the beginning of “Building A Boat” sounds like something an alt-rock Jan Hammer thought up. This guy has a keen sense of humor and I think I am the only critic noticing.

Check out the video and more goodies “after the jump”

“Tall Trees” [mp3]
“Building A Boat” [mp3]

Tour Dates:

10/1 - Cambridge (Boston), MA @ Middle East Upstairs
10/2 - Vienna, VA @ Jammin’ Java
10/3 - New York, NY @ Piano’s
10/7 - Philadelphia, PA @ M Room
10/9 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
10/10 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
10/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue & 7th Street Entry

Matt Mays & El Torpedo consists of Matt Mays (guitar, vocals), Jay Smith (guitar, vocals), Andy Patil (bass, vocals), and Tim Jim Baker (drums). Since forming in 2003 to perform shows in support of May’s self-titled JUNO nominated debut, the band has toured Canada countless times as well as performed numerous dates in the US and the UK.

MM&ET return to form with Terminal Romance, the brilliant follow up to 2005’s breakthrough self-titled debut. Terminal Romance was recorded in England with producer Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy) and mixed in Vancouver with Mike Fraser (AC/DC) with a few sessions home in Halifax thrown in along the way. The album’s first single “Tall Trees” is already Top 20 at Canadian Rock Radio.

Terminal Romance will be released in the United States on September 30. Matt Mays & El Torpedo will tour incessantly in support of it for the remainder of 2008 and beyond.