Spencer McGillicutty - "Games" cd  (no label)
Posted on February 5th.
This Spencer McGillicutty fellow is not a fellow, but rather a large collection of musicians from Minneapolis. The core of the group is two boys and two girls, with the music fleshed out by over a dozen friends on a variety of instruments, including all flavors of percussion, brass and woodwinds. Their sound is firmly rooted in the sunny and swinging '60s, with influences coming from a range of the era's best girl groups, beat groups and songwriters (think Bacharach, Walker or Diamond). The lead vocals are mostly female (with two different lead singers), but everyone sings a ton of backups, including a fair share of bas, das and even some shooby-doo-wops! My only problem with the record is that a few of the songs sound just a bit too radio friendly, from the AM Gold-ready "Telephone Signals" to "Lock Myself Away" which might as well be an Olivia Newton-John or Anne Murray ballad. But with jaunty tracks like "Claire Carnaby", "Secret Best Friend" and "Hide And Seek", I'm more than willing to overlook a couple duds...   MTQ=8/11

Watercolor Paintings - "Open Your Mouth" cd  (Destructo-Charo)
Posted on February 2nd.
I have so many fond memories of this band from a fun weekend last summer (that could've been a fun two months, had I actually been able to join Iji on tour), but this album will have to do until I see them again. They've got a number of releases out, on 7"s and cassettes, but this debut cd of theirs is their best work to date. A few of the songs on here have been previously released in various forms, but these recordings capture the band at their best. Clocking in at just over 17 minutes, these ten brief songs are both super-sweet and heartbreaking ("Indiana" still gets me every time), with a fragile instrumentation of harp and ukulele backing Rebecca's dulcet voice (as well as her brother Josh's occasional backing vocals). A common complaint about this band is their tendency towards somewhat childishness in the lyrics (sometimes approaching Kimya Dawson levels), but apart from "Snail" (a song sympathizing with their demise by strollers or salt), that component seems to be kept to a minimum here. This is a gentle record that soothes me any time.   MTQ=10/10

Free Loan Investments - "The Last Dance" 7"  (Magic Marker)
Posted on January 24th.
I've gotta say - it's not too often that labels release a 7" with brand new songs from a band that broke up years ago (not counting the semi-lucrative reissue niche some labels have going on), and I seriously admire Magic Marker for getting these previously unheard FLI tunes out in the open! In case you don't remember them, or just missed 'em the first time around, the band is something of a supergroup (comprised of members from small, yet absolutely super groups, such as Nixon and the Shermans) from Stockholm who played short and catchy punky pop songs in the vein of Talulah Gosh, Vacaciones and the Besties, and released records on Shelflife and WIAIWYA. They even got to play a few dates in the US before they split in 2003! These songs were the last the band recorded, and fit in perfectly with the rest of the band's output. Make sure to pay attention to the accompanying download code, though (I personally usually ignore them), as it contains a bonus track that didn't fit on the single!   MTQ=4/4

[V/A] - "Home And Abroad Songs Vol. 1" cd  (Twee Fort)
Posted on January 21st.
Here's the first release on this new label from Connecticut whose goal is to help out bands from their home state, but like the comp's title suggests, this collection also includes songs from outside of their borders, with even a couple international groups. Many of these songs have actually been released elsewhere on albums and singles, but I was still introduced to a number of good new bands, such as Panda And Child, Submarine Spaceship and the Bynars. Other highlights came from Chariots Of Tuna (who I have been LOVING as of late), the Transmittens (one of the few exclusive tracks, and a real winner at that!), a song from the forthcoming Cavemen Go record (which just might be my favorite track of theirs yet) and the seemingly ubiquitous "Really Really Weird" by the Simple Carnival (this is the third comp I've gotten that it's appeared on!). A fine collection of songs, and a good start for the label!   MTQ=11/15

The Seldon Plan - "Lost And Found And Lost" cd  (Beechfields)
Posted on January 17th.
This is the third record from this group from Baltimore, and the flagship band for the Beechfields label (or at the very least, my favorite on the roster). Their albums have always been rich with melody, and this one is certainly no exception, but I also find it a bit more subdued and softer than their previous one, "Making Circles". The rough edges that record showed at times have all been polished down to a much friendlier tone this time around. Whereas the Weakerthans (albeit a somewhat softer version) or Sunday's Best might've been a decent reference point for the band then, now I'd use Saturnine, Citified or maybe even the softer moments on the last few Teenage Fanclub records (check out their frequent use of vocal harmonies!). Simply put, the keyword for this record is 'understated'. You may not exactly be bowled over when listening to this, but there's no way you won't at least be charmed by its simple beauty.   MTQ=11/12

Cheap Red - "Cheap Red" dbl cd  (555)
Posted on January 11th.
Of course, I like this record - it's the debut (and only?) release from yet another band starring one of my friends/musical heroes, Stewart Anderson of Boyracer, and his wife, Jen! For this project, they're joined by Akina & Arland from Kanda of Portland. Musically, it's not really like either band, though you could certainly draw comparisons in particular songs. Instead, I'd say this record sounds closer to some of the Australian projects that Stew is often associated with, such as Huon and the Cannanes. The arrangements are fairly basic and the sound is sparse in parts, even in the peppier songs. The mood of the record is also lighter and more fun, as evidenced in the lyrics, their choice of covers (including the Vaselines' "The Day I Was A Horse" and the Maggots' "Let's Get Tammy Wynette") and the minute of silly studio banter that closes off the album. But you'll also find quieter songs, such as "Red Shoulders" and "Unlucky In Love", that feature Jen's soft voice and Akina's violin more prominently. Now, I should probably mention that there's a bonus disc of remixes of various album tracks by 13 artists (including Kid606, Jason Sweeney, DJ Downfall, and the like), but I'm mentioning this only in passing, as I generally find remixes useless fodder and these are no exception. But they're on their own disc, and the album is sold at a single cd price, so you can ignore that 'bonus' disc and not feel the least bit short-changed.   MTQ=11/14

Tacocat - "Shame Spiral" lp  (Don't Stop Believin')
Posted on January 7th.
This might actually be my new favorite riot-grrrl record (American-style, that is; this is hardly related to the UK flavor of riot-grrrl). Tacocat hails from Seattle, and take all the right cues from their Olympian ancestors Bikini Kill, Heavens To Betsy and Bratmobile, but leaving out the politics, rage and, well, brattishness attributed to those bands. Without those elements, we're left with an incredibly fun and playful 24½ minutes of punky pop. Their songs range a variety of serious to silly topics from marshmallow Peeps and enjoying their room in the basement to Anna Nicole Smith and the movie Waterworld. You'll of course find their take on standard topics, like the uncomfortableness of gynecological exams, fear of toxic shock syndrome and the nightmare of UTIs (the faint-hearted might want to steer clear of this one, though I think the song's pretty funny), though my favorite "grrrl-themed" tune is "Leotard", which explains how to keep the guys on first base by wearing a leotard. But the band generally keeps things lighthearted; even when pretending to be angry, you can tell they're smiling about it all along. Oh, and if possible, try to pick up the lp version of this, which includes a full lyric sheet, poster and band-themed tarot cards!   MTQ=11/13

Animal Dads - "Horrible Night To Have A Curse" cd  (no label)
Posted on January 3rd.
Luckily, I'd already heard this band and knew that I liked them, otherwise their truly awful wrestler cut-out-themed sleeve really would've steered me away! But despite having one of the worst covers I've seen in quite some time, the record itself is quite good - barely missing my top ten LPs of 2009 list by one slot. This is the band's first release, and though they hail from South Korea, you'd never know it from listening to them. Their sound fits nicely along with the solid indie rock of Superchunk, Urusei Yatsura and the first Seafood album, with hints of a scaled-back (mid-period) ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. They're usually loud - but not overpoweringly so - and always melodic, with stand-out tracks including "Operator, Operators", "Around" and the first three songs on the album, which could bowl over any fan of good indie rock.   MTQ=9/9

Land Of Ill Earthquakes - "Heartbreak Bombadier" cd  (no label)
Posted on January 3rd.
This is the band's third or fourth release (depending on whether or not you count their limited tour cd-r), and it's their best work to date! Though it contains one song from each of the three afore-mentioned discs (same recordings, even), the songs sound much better and flow more consistently than on their prior releases, where the fidelity could vary wildly. Their earlier recordings suggested a somewhat fanatical devotion to the Aislers Set, and though you can still hear elements of Amy Linton running through these songs, the band I'm reminded most of now is the Besties ("Don't Pose For The Picture", "Off To The Races" and the title track all could've appeared on that band's final album without sounding one bit out of place). Both bands share the same dual-female lead vocal style, as well as the way they arrange the songs, with more focus on the keyboards than guitar, and almost including an upbeat and catchy-as-hell chorus! The band self-released this disc, but for those who'd like a cassette version, you can pick one up on the Bridgetown label.   MTQ=8/8

Magic Bullets - "Lives For Romance EP" lp  (no label)
Posted on January 3rd.
The first time I heard this band was via their debut album on Words On Music last year, and I just didn't really like them. I loved the music, but the vocals just kind of grated on me - even after a couple listens. I can't decide if my feelings about the band have changed because this self-released EP is that much more enjoyable than the album or if their stellar set (and generally friendly demeanor) at last year's Popfest in San Francisco shattered any negative feelings I ever had about them. Either way, I am definitely pro-Magic Bullets at this point! Their style is that jangly guitar pop perfected by countless bands in the '80s, and though it would be easy to compare this group to the Smiths after listening to a song like "Not Just A Long Face", I'd say they delve deeper into territory mined by lesser-known bands, like 1000 Violins and Remember Fun. I hear they're at work on a new record, and I look forward to hearing it!   MTQ=4/4