Video: Matthew E. White “Will You Love Me”
I’ve been sick this week, which doesn’t lend itself to writing. It’s tough to make sense of an album when every other song is spent draining your nasal cavities. Anyway, I was fumbling around on YouTube earlier today to see if there was a video for Matthew E. White‘s “Hot Toddies” as I’ve been ingesting the homespun cure-all each evening with the hope that it would work its magic. While no such video for “Hot Toddies” exists, White did drop one for “Will You Love Me” via Pitchfork.tv today. For more on White’s debut LP, Big Inner, check out my review from last month.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Album Review: Sleeping Bag ‘Women of Your Life’
For someone with a natural ability to write straightforward rock songs, Dave Segedy is lacking in confidence. Or, more accurately, he’s lacking in certainty. If you were to waltz into Segedy’s Bloomington home this morning to inform him that he his, in fact, not the lead singer of a band called Sleeping Bag, nor is the band releasing their sophomore LP on Joyful Noise Recordings, the news would likely be met with less an indignant denial and more a calm, “I knew it.”
As a songwriter, Segedy is keenly aware that the facts from which we assimilate our notion of reality are generally up for debate, if not altogether false. The Women of Your Life serve as the lone source of truth or reality in Segedy’s world. The intense white in the corner of their eyes. The heartache of being “rolled over” by the now immortal Allison Cole. If we say farewell to the opposite sex as Segedy commands in the album’s title track, we’re essentially abandoning the only tangible objects available and life becomes a suspicious house of mirrors.
Musically, Sleeping Bag picks up where they left off on last year’s self-titled debut. The band continues to pay homage to the founding fathers of slacker rock. Evan Pearson’s assessment of the band’s sound as “Pavement on Xanax” remains as accurate a description as any. However, Sleeping Bag proves less sedated on Women of Your Life. It’s more dynamic than the debut and offers up a broader breadth of emotion.
Sleeping Bag offers up restrained power pop sensibilities on “Nightmare.” On follow-up “Saturday Night” listeners are reminded that this band began as a drum project when the guitar and bass provide less of a melody than a danceable confluence of polyrhythms. Sleeping Bag has proven they can churn out more than their signature: the beautiful bummer, although this album certainly has its fair share (see: “Still Life”).
Fortunately for listeners, Sleeping Bag is a real band. Women of Your Life is a real record. At least, I think so. I’ll know for sure when my pre-order arrives. Order your copy today from Joyful Noise. Listen to “Saturday Night” below.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track: Guards “Coming True”
Band anthems. Some people love them, others despise the popular ones and stick to discussions on the b-sides. Me – I’m a fan. I’m not nearly that indulgent of my own critiques (well…maybe not entirely) to say a song isn’t good just because it’s one of the reasons there are fans buying tickets to see them. Hell, even some bands that wrote the song to begin with go against them. MGMT…cough cough. But whatever your reasons may be, there is no denying that these anthems represent the best part of the live experience – that moment of transcendent bliss nudged along with a few hoppy beers that culminates with the loud wail of sound and fun.
Cold Cave’s “Underworld USA.” Japandroids’ “The House That Heaven Built.” Tanlines’ “All of Me.” Twin Shadow’s “Beg For The Night.” These are just a few of the memorable ones for me, live or in studio, from this past year. And with just about a month left, I’ve got one more to add to the list. The Richie Follin-led Guards just dropped their latest single entitled “Coming True” from their forthcoming LP In Guards We Trust (out 2-5-13 via Black Bell) and it is a no nonsense foot-kicking-open-the-door hit. Featuring a wailing chorus, Richie hits all the right notes here as he let’s know all about “a girl like you”. Listen in below.
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Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 