Knights of the Round School Table

Got flung an email by School Knights last night. Never heard of em. Hail from Colorado, around abouts the same area as Weed Diamond who are clogging up the veins of blogland right now (and here - see post tomorrow...) Was a bit tired though, so watched some Michael Douglas/Demi Moore trysting in that 90s 'classic' Disclosure and went to bed...

Woke up this morning. Listened to Quest For Fire. Liked it a little more. Reread email. Had some butter on toast. Drank some cordial. Put towels and shit in washing machine. Answered some emails. Posted some job applications. Watched some Robot Chicken. Reread School Knights post. Went over to the FMLY post about em. Interest piques a little. Listen to some tracks. Like a lot. Compare opening riff of 'Prom Queen' to Fang Island in its innate sense of flippant fun and popcorn rock with 8-bit sensibilities. Listen to 'Bullies' and reminded of Japandroids if they weren't steering away from their high school dreamscapes and nightmares, and had dipped Post-Nothing into a deep frier, making their distorted noise doubly crispy. Post about them. Fin...

Well not quite. School Knights (not to be confused with Knight School, the Brooklyn band I posted about back in the early months of the year - 'Meathead Hurricane' is still a nice indie pop rock track - check out Make A Mess Records for their shit...) are bringing out an EP, Rush SK, through Bridgetown Records soon - which is also a pretty sweet label, check it out, they feature Cloud Nothings too. Oh, and Michael from School Knights is also in Weed Diamond. The circle is complete.

School Knights - Bullies
Schooli Knights - Prom Queen
School Knights - Recess

Absence Makes The Shadows Longer

Grass Widow are another great band being championed by Upset The Rhythm. See them at Old Blue Last 30th September, where they'll be supported by Dalston masked art punksters Trash Kit. But before you do, pay time to actually delve into Grass Widow (brilliant name by the way, definitions here) and their sound. Through their self-titled EP (through Captured Tracks) and LP (Make A Mess Records), Grass Widow cut a gloriously and heaven-sent swathe through the glut of dream beach pop et al bands by firstly daring to have high production values, and secondly to have genuinely infectious pop hooks and psychedelic whimsy amid their sunny dispositions. This will be further augmented when they release Past Time, which sees them climb the recording ladder another rung by signing to Kill Rock Stars. These San Fransicans could be up to something - combining the hip sensibilities that are all the rage, but steeping it all in the psych leanings that I know and love. And they fucking love the Kinks! That's all I really need to fall into love with a Grass Widow...

Grass Widow - Shadow

Babies got back

I have a massive, massive crush on Cassie Ramone.

Whilst Im relatively new to the love of all things Vivian Girls, I have found myself short of breath even at the mention of their lead singer's name. She embodies all that I love about the 'rock chick', for wont of a better term. And she is nerdy too - see her rendition of Undone - The Sweater Song she pumps out with Titus Andronicus (in a previous post) I could wax lyrical, ad nauseum, but Ill stop there.Woods is a band that I have liked for a while though, and the latest At Echo Lake is all its cracked up to be.

So when Ramone and Woods' bassist Kevin Morby decided to get together, I was very excited.

They have released a few bits and pieces over the past 12 months, and this track is pretty indicative of what they do. A bliss bomb of fuzzy pop sunlight, Meet Me In The City (put out via Make A Mess Records) embodies the Brooklyn lo fi sound with a massive dollop of "happy happy joy joy" zany mentality. Its a blast, and well worth the time, Ramone-crush or no. Sure, its no Vivian Girls or Woods - but it certainly deserves its place on music's mortal coil.

The Babies are also touring the US with previous Sonic Masala postees White Fence, a band I warm to more and more each listen.

Enjoy!

The Babies - Meet Me In The City

Garnering a medieval education

Knight School are a 3 piece outta Brooklyn that wowed a few punters last year with their LP The Poor and Needy Need To Party a 24 minute scuzzed out bliss bomb. Kevin Alvir's vocals remind me of the Warlocks, but there is nothing psychedelic about this - its short, punchy, and sunny as shit. They have some more material coming our way in the form of 12" LP Revenger (out on Make A Mess Records), and "Meathead Hurricane" is just a lil taste. Another band to watch out for at the end of year lists methinks...

Knight School - Meathead Hurricane

A Not So White Picket Fence

White Fence is dirty. Murky. Muddy. Totally immersed in the lo-fi movement. A hell of a lot of fun, of course. And all the concoction of one man - Tim Presley. He's just released his debut 12" through Make A Mess Recordings. It intrigues me - as I mentioned, White Fence is a lot of fun - but Im not sure if it is necessarily any good, particularly in the context of what precedes it - so many bands are already doing this. Anyway, check it out yourself.

White Fence - Destroy Everything