The Shaky Hands – self titled

I am so glad this band meets the hype. More often than not, bands have friends in high places, get the hype going, people realize they aren’t good, and fade away. Mediocrity doesn’t fool everyone. The Shaky Hands are actually a damn good band. Believe it.

The Shaky Hand’s self titled debut record came out on April 10^th through the Holocene Music label. The album’s opener “Whales sing” actually does sound like whales singing. Go figure. I was expecting some sort of Panda Bear type record based on that, and made my way to the next track. “The Sleepiness” is just straight up guitar rock. The vocals are reminiscent of the Joggers, along with the open-shut high hat drum beat, but it progresses to a louder chorus which brings things up a notch.

At times the record sounds a bit folky but doesn’t lose that rock thump. “Sunshine” is a song that will probably be the soundtrack to those few and far between sunny days in the Portland springtime. “Clapping song” is a great mix of somber trumpet, shakers, and well, clapping. In my opinion, this is the highlight of the album. There are so many singable melodies occurring at the same time as the drums keep you bobbing your head. I really like the way the record was engineered also. It seems warm, but still has a bright sharpness to it… or something.

Overall, I think this is an album that will stick around for a while. It may only be April, but I imagine I will be taking this record to Sauvie Island in the summer time and making fun of the dudes in speedboats listening to Evanescence. Sadly enough, as every innovative band knows, someone will rip it off soon. But judging by the musicianship and creativeness of this record the Shaky Hands will be one step ahead.

The Shaky Hands links
Homepage
Myspace

Small Sails – Similar Anniversaries

It may be old news to some, but to others this is an introduction to the Portland, Oregon band Small Sails. The band has been playing around town for quite a while with their unique blend of acoustic and electronic instruments, as well as a great live show with visuals. But anyone fortunate enough to see them live never got the chance to bring some music home from the show. The album “Similar Anniversaries” came out over a month ago on local label Other Electricities but the album’s release seems kind of low key. But that may just mean I am not quite “with it”.

The album’s opener is the hard to pronounce “Somnambulist”, which reminds me of the african rhythm stuff the Police were doing towards the end of their march. The clever acoustic guitar lines mix nicely with a drawn out synth horn of some type. It has that pulse that makes you at the very least nod your head.

“Aftershocks and Afterthoughts” follows a similar instrumentation and is the only song on the album I’ve heard before due to its stint on their Myspace page. At times it sounds straight out of the disco or something with the sing-a-long synth horn and high pitched “hi-ho, hi-ho” vocal melody.

Another highlight of the album is the track “Corners” which is dripping in layers of synth instruments and a nice xylophone melody. I especially like the seamless mixture of acoustic and electronic percussion. Other notable tracks are the Postal Service-y “Earthbound with Parents”, and “No Spirit Animal”.

The album as a whole seems sparse and open, kind of like driving through the desert at night (as if that metaphor had never been used before, but it is fitting). I especially like how the creative timbres of the instruments chosen recur throughout the album, so even if you wander you always have something familiar to get you back on track. It sounds great loud so you can hear each well written and planned out layer of music, as well as when you want a record to put on to relax but not fall asleep.

Small Sails Links
Small Sails Homepage
Small Sails Myspace

Deadeye – Web review

Writing reviews for bands based on their Myspace music is quite difficult. The artwork and packaging of a CD/Vinyl can give the listener an idea of who they are and their intentions. On the other hand, it doesn’t matter all that much. A band’s Myspace page can almost replace the album (without the good feeling of actually holding the music.) So, I introduce the Portland, Oregon band Deadeye.

I had heard of these guys around town hitting up the usual punk rock circuit of the Tonic Lounge and Satyricon, and I think my old band might have played with these dudes… but never had the opportunity to listen to them.

Comprised of members from all over the country and ages (their old singer was a 50 year old Scott), these guys definitely get some blood flowing in a more scaled back, faster idea of Fugazi meets throwback punk. At times the singer sounds a bit like the singer from the Strokes, but that might be due to the production of the vocals.

The songs on their page all sound like they were recorded in a basement with a four-track, but I think that it works very well. I am so sick of hearing loud rock bands with over-compressed guitars and Bonham drums. One track in particular, “Off the Rail” has a great intro bassline and wicked loud guitar lines. The first track on their page titled “Reminder” lacks a serious melodic line, which I am always a sucker for, but the effects-processed vocals fill out the song to make it stand apart from the other songs.

I’ve always been a fan of bands that sound raw with lots of energy, and occasionally miss a note here and there. I think it brings a lot of personality to the music. Although Deadeye isn’t breaking any sort of boundaries with their music, I find it very addictive and I bet their live show details the energy on the tracks.

Deadeye Links
Deadeye Myspace