The Zombies Apocalypse

We're not typically in the habit of reviewing 45-year-old albums here--especially not ones as well-known and widely heralded as The Zombies' Odessey & Oracle--but it really is the perfect record with which to wipe clean the slate and start the year anew. Amongst the densely-layered harmonies this is a record that runs the full gamut of human emotion from elated, to in-love, heart-broken, creeped out, etc. but with a uniquely hopeful slant throughout it all.

Despite the fact there's not a single rose left for Emily's grave she manages to keep her pride somehow. And of the myriad of prison songs out there "Care of Cell 44" is the only one we can think of that's written from such a joyous angle. No matter what the emotion the lyrics remain optimistic, for instance "Maybe After He's Gone" when hope is held out for a lover's return instead of mourning their departure.

Maybe it is unrealistic or naive to think that just because the page is flipped on one's yoga cats of the month calendar that it means everything will be better suddenly. After all, what makes the 1st so different from the 31st? What will change from Saturday to Sunday? If nothing else perhaps simply our own perspectives, one of the few things left we all do have control over. And just maybe this will be our year, lord knows it's taken a long time to come.

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Thou Shalt Always Kill Christmas

Another Christmas gone and with it another bit of happy sentiment and good cheer the holiday used to bring. Commercialism and mass consumerism have always been around, sure, but somehow despite the economy's downward spiral they both continue to grow. Sadly a big part of those participating in the holiday's true spirit are the same misguided bunch complaining about lines at WalMart with just as much passion as they do when bitching about how everyone is trying to take the word Christ out of Christmas. Pretty sure Jesus was about as anti-materialism and pro-charity as they come, or as one of my friend's put it, "Happy Birthday Jesus, I hope you like crap."

While I'm glad to report that my immediate family have just wrapped up our second annual Thriftmas where we are required to either make homemade gifts or hit up a thrift store, which not only helps us avoid the stress of holiday shopping, come up with more meaningful gifts for one another, and focus more on each other's company rather than whatever brand of white elephant or Chinese Xmas we previously might have subscribed to, I am still slightly disappointed that nobody took me up on my offer to donate money to my charity of choice in my name rather than piling me with a handful of Old Navy gift cards I'll be hard-pressed to use. You know, with that whole what would Jesus do and all?

Not that Christmas is the number one thing that's wrong with this country or anything, it's just an annual reminder of each year we seem to be more fucked as a society than last. It makes songs like Dan Le Sac's "Thou Shalt Always Kill" feel even more poignant on a day like this. It is amusing to me how many more people will be shocked by the line "The Beatles were just a band" than a line like "Thou shalt always kill." Above all, though, remember thou shalt always think for yourselves --regardless what day the calendar says it is.

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SubEx's Favorite Local Songs of 2011

In the second and final installment of our end-of-year link bait extravaganza we list our favorite local songs from the past 12 months. Again, we aren't purporting these to be "the best" songs, just our personal faves. We heart these, you may too.

Soviet - Kids In My Backyard (MP3)
Sealion - Steampunk Jetpack (MP3)
Mind Spiders - No Romance (MP3)
Fergus and Geronimo - Wanna Know What I Would Do? (Stream)
St Vincent - Cheerleader (MP3) (via)
RTB+Last Joke - No Time Lover (Stream)
Luke Wade & No Civilians - Strangest Angels (Ft Worth Weekly Comp Version)
LehtMoJoe (feat. Max Brown) - UnCaged (MP3)
Darstar - The Mayor (Stream)
Nighty Nite - Dimes in Their Dimples (MP3)
The Vliets - Elephant (MP3)
Fishboy - Aspen2k (Stream)
Old Snack - Dial “M” For Snack (Stream)

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SubEx's Favorite Albums of 2011

Maybe four years of contributing to the massive onslaught of year-end 'best albums' lists has made us a little jaded, but we almost didn't compile a list at all this year. Who cares really what albums we thought were best this year? Probably just us. And doesn't it come off just a tad pretentious to think that just because we have a regular outlet to share our music-related opinions that it makes us somehow more knowledgeable in the area or make our voices any more credible?

But sites do need content and, admittedly, this time of year it does get a bit challenging to fill the gap with bands tapering off their touring and release schedules.

And who doesn't love link-bait?

With these things in mind we opted to simply list our favorite albums of 2011 without making any claims about them being "the best" ones or "the top" ones or anything like that, as well as knowing full well a lot of people will think they just plain suck. Oh well, we like what we like and we've never apologized for that, nor will we. So here they are, the albums we personally enjoyed most in 2011.

Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
MP3: All Die Young (via)


Fergus and Geronimo - Unlearn
MP3: Powerful Lovin'


Mine Spiders - s/t
MP3: No Romance


Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - Teenage and Torture
MP3: Venus Shaver


Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
MP3: White Limo (via)


Death Grips - Exmilitary Mixtape
MP3: Guillotine


SEALiON - Keep the Camera Rolling
MP3: Steampunk Jetpack


St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
MP3: Surgeon (via)


Unknown Mortal Orchestra - s/t
MP3: Ffunny Ffrends


Tom Waits - Bad As Me
MP3: Bad As Me (via)


Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Mirror Traffic
MP3: Senator (via)


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R. Stevie Moore and Those Who Followed

Lo-fi home recording legend R. Stevie Moore, of the ever persistent 400 albums lore, who recently made a stop at Hailey's on his first ever U.S. tour, and who was just confirmed to be a part of 2012's NX35 er 35 Conferette er 35 Denton lineup is also set to release yet another album early next year. The series of cover tracks as part of his singles collection R. Stevie Moore and Those Who Followed via Orlando's Glowmobile Recording Company. The collection will include covers of Miami-based sound wizard Dino Felipe and psych-haze group Telethon among others.

Check out Stevie's cover of "No Escape From Loving You" off of Sean Moore's sophomore solo album Tone Poems in Low Fidelity which he recorded in response to Sean's cover of his own "I've Begun to Fall In Love" from the illustrious Phonography record.

MP3: R. Stevie Moore - No Escape From Loving You (Sean Moore cover)
MP3: Sean Moore - I've Begun to Fall In Love (R. Stevie Moore cover)

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Searchin' For Shakes: Swedish Beat 1965-1968

Continuing on our kick as of late delving into '60s garage/Mercybeat/beat/punk bands from typically non-English speaking countries, we've started to branch out from the Group Sound bands from Japan towards the more deliberate and calculated pre-punk fuzz rock from places like Holland and Sweden where, admittedly, their grasp of the English language was generally more firm than those of their Asian brethren. As such their offerings aren't nearly as plagued with the sometimes low-comedy of a GS band like Swing West massacring the pronunciations in a song like Arthur Brown's "Fire". Below is a download to Searchin' For Shakes, which like the GS: I Love You Comp we recently posted is a good, surface-level, crash course in the fuzzed out pre-punk the Swedes were cooking up during that era. Also for those interested in what was going on in other parts of the world during this movement, here's a pretty good article from AllMusic that provides some excellent jumping-off points.

Download: Searchin' For Shakes: Swedish Beat 1965-1968

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The Eversons // The Eversons E.P.

A few months ago Wolfe wrote a post about New Zealand rockers No Aloha and their '90s throwback sound. As it turns out No Aloha songwriter Chris Young also splits time writing songs for The Eversons who put out an EP of their own back in April. It is self-described as Modern Lovers meets The Beach Boys meets Pavement. Check out it out here (via Lil' Chief Records), where it can also be had for a name-your-price download.



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GS: I Love You

As we mentioned last week we've been listening to a lot of Group Sound bands lately, those Japanese rock groups heavily influenced by the first few Beatles albums. The above video is for a song called "のバン のバン のバン" by a group called スパイダース --or "Van Van Van" by The Spy Dozen, but it is a lot harder to find any info on them when using English characters. Either way, here are some links to a couple of GS band comps that we found (7 CDs total). The highlight so far has probably been the cover of Arthur Russell's fire by Swing West, but there are loads of worthwhile originals too.

Download: GS I Love You
Download: GS Cult Box (6 CDs)

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Mon Julien Album Release at Granada Theater

Dubbed the "DFW super group" by Alex Barba at Granada Theater, Mon Julien will soon release their self-titled debut LP in January. Former Black Tie Dynasty members Cory Watson and Brian McCorquodale joined forces with album guests Blake McWhorter (bassist, ex-Black Tie Dynasty), mixed by Mckenzie Smith (Midlake) and produced by Mark Pirro (Tripping Daisy, the Polyphonic Spree).

Although a new band, it is hard to separate Cory Watson's distinguishable voice from his former New Wave band. It isn't a bad thing for folks that enjoyed Black Tie Dynasty, but those looking for something different aren't going to find it here. The eleven track album includes "Armchairs" and "Roll the Dice," a pair of mid-tempo easy listening rock ballads.

Mon Julien will release their album at the Granada Theater along with Fort Worth's Burning Hotels, Dallas quintet Air Review, and Menkena as part of a show presented by The Local Edge on January 14.

Listen: Mon Julien - Darkest Hour (hat tip)

-Laura Sliva

TONIGHT: RTB+Last Joke, A.M. Ramblers, Brenna Manzare & The Proper Husbands at Dada

I know we've been bugging everybody pretty incessantly on the Facebooks, Twitters, and of course, right here on this blog, but one last reminder about our show tonight at Dada couldn't hurt, right? Last Joke's latest 12" vinyl is undoubtedly one of our most satisfying purchases of the year (yes we do actually pay real live dollars for great music still), A.M. Ramblers' harmonies are so penetrating I'm thankful I get to see them again tomorrow night at Andy's as well. One can never have too much of that. But most of all this final reminder is one last plea to show up early to witness the live Dallas debut of Brenna Manzare and The Proper Husbands who are one of the more special new bands I've heard in some time, and certainly not something that should be missed.

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