Archives for the month of: May, 2015

SPELLS

Mastering SPELLS “At Sea​/​Land Locked” on Snappy Little Numbers Records.

Taken from I Buy Way Too Many Records:

“I was pleased to open up a package from Snappy Little Numbers containing a couple of their new releases.  Readers may recognize that label from the stellar Hooper record that came out a couple of years ago or the equally great Friends Of Cesar Romero 7” they released last year.  It’s a label putting out some killer records and Spells fit in with the group nicely.
I’m not sure exactly how to describe Spells without raising your expectations too high.  They have a party rock style that in places sound like a more garage-y Rocket From The Crypt.  Now, don’t let the RFTC comparison set you up expecting Spells to be the best band in the world, that’s the domain of Rocket exclusively.  Spells do share the same penchant for crafting songs with something of an attitude to them.  I haven’t seen them play live, but I definitely get the impression that they probably know how to work a crowd.
Loud guitars, catchy hooks, driving drums; all of the ingredients I like in a band are there.  Spells are really tight and show a ton of promise for a group with just a handful of singles under their belt so far.  I’ll be keeping my eye on them and absolutely encourage Snappy Little Numbers to keep sending hits like this my way.”

Buy it here!

SPELLS

Mastering SPELLS “At Sea​/​Land Locked” on Snappy Little Numbers Records.

Taken from I Buy Way Too Many Records:

“I was pleased to open up a package from Snappy Little Numbers containing a couple of their new releases.  Readers may recognize that label from the stellar Hooper record that came out a couple of years ago or the equally great Friends Of Cesar Romero 7” they released last year.  It’s a label putting out some killer records and Spells fit in with the group nicely.
I’m not sure exactly how to describe Spells without raising your expectations too high.  They have a party rock style that in places sound like a more garage-y Rocket From The Crypt.  Now, don’t let the RFTC comparison set you up expecting Spells to be the best band in the world, that’s the domain of Rocket exclusively.  Spells do share the same penchant for crafting songs with something of an attitude to them.  I haven’t seen them play live, but I definitely get the impression that they probably know how to work a crowd.
Loud guitars, catchy hooks, driving drums; all of the ingredients I like in a band are there.  Spells are really tight and show a ton of promise for a group with just a handful of singles under their belt so far.  I’ll be keeping my eye on them and absolutely encourage Snappy Little Numbers to keep sending hits like this my way.”

Buy it here!

LA Drugz

Mastering L.A. Drugz “All Burned Down”.

Taken from Faster and Louder:

“I love it when a band surprises me in an entirely delightful way. L.A. Drugz first burst upon the scene with the Outside Place EP – a stone cold power pop gem and my favorite overall release of 2013. Having waited over a year for a follow-up, I would have been completely happy with “more of the same”. But “All Burned Down” is something quite different – and a clear example of a band fully coming into its own sound. L.A. Drugz are a band informed not just by particular influences (’60s garage and pop, late ’70s/early ’80s punk) but also by the rich musical history of Los Angeles. This is an L.A. band through and through, and I think that really comes across on this amazing new single.

“All Burned Down” is a new high point for L.A. Drugz – a stunning re-imagination of late ’60s pop chock full of poignant lyrics and angular, modern guitars. Big, beefy bass lines work in tandem with highly creative guitar work, and that chorus is nothing short of majestic. Of course the hooks are plentiful, and I have to recommend this track to all fans of Justin Maurer’s previous bands. But this is far from a Clorox Girls sound-alike. I can think of no other band right now that’s making music that sounds quite like this. 

On the flip, “Runnin'” is something new from L.A. Drugz: fast and furious punk rock. It’s exciting to hear these guys put the pedal to the metal and just freaking rock out! Yet even playing with this kind of speed and urgency, the band doesn’t forget about quality songwriting. The chorus is impossibly catchy, and this is a classic case of a song that’s got way more going on musically than you might first realize. Just because a song is short doesn’t mean it wasn’t brilliantly constructed.

Having recently added Andrew Zappin (guitar) and Sharif Dumani (bass) to its lineup, L.A. Drugz may sound a little different on its next record. But as “All Burned Down” demonstrates, different can be good! I was so stoked to hear new music from this band. And now that the new single is finally here, I can’t imagine it being more perfect.”

LA Drugz

Mastering L.A. Drugz “All Burned Down”.

Taken from Faster and Louder:

“I love it when a band surprises me in an entirely delightful way. L.A. Drugz first burst upon the scene with the Outside Place EP – a stone cold power pop gem and my favorite overall release of 2013. Having waited over a year for a follow-up, I would have been completely happy with “more of the same”. But “All Burned Down” is something quite different – and a clear example of a band fully coming into its own sound. L.A. Drugz are a band informed not just by particular influences (’60s garage and pop, late ’70s/early ’80s punk) but also by the rich musical history of Los Angeles. This is an L.A. band through and through, and I think that really comes across on this amazing new single.

“All Burned Down” is a new high point for L.A. Drugz – a stunning re-imagination of late ’60s pop chock full of poignant lyrics and angular, modern guitars. Big, beefy bass lines work in tandem with highly creative guitar work, and that chorus is nothing short of majestic. Of course the hooks are plentiful, and I have to recommend this track to all fans of Justin Maurer’s previous bands. But this is far from a Clorox Girls sound-alike. I can think of no other band right now that’s making music that sounds quite like this. 

On the flip, “Runnin'” is something new from L.A. Drugz: fast and furious punk rock. It’s exciting to hear these guys put the pedal to the metal and just freaking rock out! Yet even playing with this kind of speed and urgency, the band doesn’t forget about quality songwriting. The chorus is impossibly catchy, and this is a classic case of a song that’s got way more going on musically than you might first realize. Just because a song is short doesn’t mean it wasn’t brilliantly constructed.

Having recently added Andrew Zappin (guitar) and Sharif Dumani (bass) to its lineup, L.A. Drugz may sound a little different on its next record. But as “All Burned Down” demonstrates, different can be good! I was so stoked to hear new music from this band. And now that the new single is finally here, I can’t imagine it being more perfect.”

Dry Heaves

Mastering Dry Heaves “Monotony” on Neat Neat Neat Records.

“Latest single from Sheffield’s Dry Heaves. This 7″ was pressed in secret by the guitarist as a surprise to his bandmates, great! If you haven’t heard this band before, think of a combination of Career Suicide and Regulations. Catchy as hell. Members of Obstruct, Skiplickers and Detergents.”

Dry Heaves

Mastering Dry Heaves “Monotony” on Neat Neat Neat Records.

“Latest single from Sheffield’s Dry Heaves. This 7″ was pressed in secret by the guitarist as a surprise to his bandmates, great! If you haven’t heard this band before, think of a combination of Career Suicide and Regulations. Catchy as hell. Members of Obstruct, Skiplickers and Detergents.”