Passion Pit- Manners

Now when you think of the Boston music scene, what exactly comes to mind? I mean honestly I’ve no idea with the exception of the obvious, Boston and Dropkick Murphys. And this could all be the product of my own ignorance of the Boston area, but regardless we’ve come across a group that we really didn’t see coming out of there. Passion Pit. A band hailing out of Cambridge which formed a few years ago in late 2007 is this crazy little electro pop rock band which just blew me away. Two keyboards, a synth, bass player and drummer (Michael Angelakos, Ian Hultquist, Ayad Al Adlhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer in the order above) make up the band. Kind of a weird mix of last names one would have to think. Together make pretty much the warmest and happiest electo sound you’ve ever heard to date. And isn’t that the point of a good electro-pop song anyways? Coming out of the gate with their EP, “Chunk of Change,” the band slowly but surely started to earn their merit in the musical community. Sleepyhead, one of the first singles to come out, was noticed and used in a Canadian PSP ad of all things, then featured on a variety of other media outlets such as MTV’s “What the Flip?” campaign, Pitchfork’s top 40 music videos of 2008 and then the BBC’s Sounds of 2009. And let me tell you, from what I’ve seen and heard, the Brits love them. Released through indie label, Frenchkiss Records, (harboring such artists as The Hold Steady, Les Savy Fac, Sean Na Na, The Dodos and others) “Manners,” the band’s first full length album, has steadily been growing in popularity since its debut in May 2009. Gaining attention to the point where the band now tours and opens for such acts as Death Cab for Cutie, Girl Talk, and DJD2 and are currently touring independently through the UK, Canada and have been booked for such festivals as Lollapalooza, Leeds and Redding festivals. The album is fantastic and takes you on a warm fuzzy cloud of noise where you find something new about the tracks after each listen. The single from the album, “The Reeling,” is accompanied by a creative music video and is worth the watch. All in all it will be hard not to miss this group as they grow and grow, especially when your favorite local bar DJ gets a hold of them. Perfect for the indie hipster scene, but that’s not always a bad thing. Keep listening and hopefully they’ll come round our fair city. Review by: Will Overbaugh

Stellastarr*- Civilized

It’s been about 4 years since the boys and girl of the New York based band, Stellastarr*, came out with a new album, but yeah, it was worth the wait. ‘Civilized,’ the title for the latest from the band, shows us that four years can do a lot with a band. If you compare to their previous release, ‘Harmonies for the Haunted’, you can feel and tell how the band has matured and settled into something of a new sound for them. It’s really is hard to put your finger on what sound that is, something forged out of choice and maybe slight physical challenges with lead Shawn Christensen, who was coping with throat problems making it necessary to change up his manner of singing. No more the long bellowing melodic sounds like something out of The Cure, The Editors, The Bravery, or any other slew of British mod-alt rock sounding groups. Although that isn’t totally gone, it’s less, and it shows in a good way, feeling like everyone involved had to find their own voice as well. Just comparing the singles, Sweet Troubled Soul from ‘Harmonies for the Haunted’, and Graffiti Eyes from ‘Civilized,’ there is a dramatic difference in style, a more cut up, poppy, dare I say….with the times sound? It’s…happy yet serious, melodic yet chaotic. But Graffiti Eyes is something of a standout within the album, which truly is an ecliptic mix of old sounds from their previous work with newer, louder, twangy, nue-aged riffs, electo dance like beats and of course a dash of straight up rock. Overall it’s a fast, catchy, driven up and down ride of an album. Something that, despite any problems the group might have had to overcome, must of had fun making and we’re sure will be fantastic live. I mean honestly, any band with a song called “zombie prom,” just has to be fun. Plus we get to hear more of Amanda’s ominous eerie yet strangely soothing voice. It’s literally one of those albums that the kids won’t know what to do with, bob their heads while standing about, or dance dance go crazy too. I feel the band can’t loose with this new direction. Its serious fun and also an accomplishment, having produced the album entirely on their own under their own record label, Bloated Wife Records (we’ll be sure to ask how that name came to be). The band is currently on tour and will be rolling through San Diego on July 30th at the one and only, Casbah. And we’ll be sure to be there as well. Otherwise, check the album out, this is a band you won’t be disappointed with and deserves a listen. Check them out at www.stellastarr.com and of course the myspace at www.myspace.com/stellastarr, where you can check out some of the latest tracks including the single “Graffiti Eyes.” Review by: Will Overbaugh

of Holiday Shores- “Columbus’d the Whim,”

The opening lines of Holiday Shore’s new album, “Columbus’d the Whim,” bring to mind a poor man’s Chris Martin with a tinge of King’s of Leon’s Caleb; soulful yet down to earth and bluesy. Talahasse natives Holiday Shores have created an album that is extremely listenable and jubilant. The first song, Reruns, is a standout track that starts inauspiciously then delves into clangy, quick drums, ukulele & tambourine and then trails off (as do many of the tracks) into slurred and seemingly heartfelt lyrics. From there, “Phones Don’t Fued” picks things up with a 50’s surfer style peppy beat and walking bass-line. The vocals sounds like they were recorded in a far-off, sun lit garage by the beach, while the drummer plugs away along with the discordant guitar licks. The lyrics are unintelligible at times, but the energy, pathos and overall creativity more than make up for this obscurity The creativity only spirals on from there, with “Dens” starting off with chords from an organ layered under another peppy drumbeat. The trippy, far off vocals combine with the instruments to evoke a sense of being on a trip to an outer space church. The album delves further into an update, bluesy beat with “Edge of our Lives,” a tune which you can’t help but bob your head and tap your feet to. Definitely an album that gets better with each listen, Columbus’d the Whim sounds like someone put Modest Mouse, the Pixies & Kings of Leon in a blender and then handed the results over to a bunch of surfer kids from North Florida. In a good way. This is the band’s debut LP and definitely deserves a good listen. You can check out more at their myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/holidayshoresmusic, featuring current tour dates as well. The album, “Columbus’d the Whim,” drops on August 4th on Twosyllable Records and currently have a new video out for their single, “Phones Don’t Feud,” which you can check out on the label website, http://twosyllablerecords.com. Review by: Vivien Treacy