Video: Jookabox “Don’t Go Phantom”
I have this Friday tradition. Early evening, as each week draws to a close, I often find myself reaching for a single record to kick off the weekend – Jookabox’s Dead Zone Boys. The A-side of this 2009 Asthmatic Kitty release is as strong as any material of the last few years. Replete with floor-rattling bass lines, propulsive, jangly guitars and a whitewash of of synth, Dead Zone Boys is an energetic romp of a record.
Unfortunately, Jookabox was calling it quits right around the time that this blog was gaining its footing. Their farewell show at the now defunct Earth House Collective remains one of my all-time favorite Indianapolis music moments. At the time, Jookabox served as the unspoken leader of our local underground music scene. Since the band’s break-up, no single outfit has taken the reins in the same fashion. I’m not even sure exactly what I mean by that. All I know is that our city’s sound has felt more fractured since their departure.
Jookabox alumni can still be heard on a regular basis, in some capacity, in and around Indy. Frontman David “Moose” Adamson’s solo project DMA has grown to encompass a full rhythm section that includes former bandmate Patrick Okerson on drums. Former keyboardist Lisa Berlin has offered up memorable moments with her new performance art project Hen as well, but I’ll be damned if I don’t dearly miss the original article. Below, you’ll find a video for the Jookabox single “Don’t Go Phantom.”
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track: Learner Dancer “Forever Today (tripped and chewed)”
Indianapolis psychedelic rock outfit Learner Dancer‘s style is typically drenched in the type of black grease propagated by genre heavyweights like The Black Angels. Yesterday, the band shined a light on the mellower side of their psychedelic sensibilities in the form of a new single entitled “Forever Today.” The “tripped and chewed” in the song’s title is a reference to the “chopped and screwed,” sedated stylings that came to define mid-90s Houston hip hop scene, particularly DJ Screw. Almost entirely instrumental, “Forever Today” finds Learner Dancer neck deep in an aqueous experimentalism that appears designed to wipe the listener’s mind of any preoccupation – a clean slate. It’s a refreshing palate cleanser that seems to ebb and flow with all the subtlety of Lake Michigan on the calmest of days. “Forever Today” works in stark contrast to the more aggressive songs of the band’s collaborative cassette with fellow Indy/indie rockers Crys from earlier this year.
Connect with Learner Dancer via Facebook
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track: Buckley Ward “Two Strands”
We appreciate the rough-hewn abrasiveness of an obscure rock song as much as the next blog, but we also have a tender spot for the craftsmanship required to churn out a pristine pop tune. Melbourne’s Buckley Ward falls into the latter category on their latest single “Two Strands.” The understated bounce of the rhythm guitar and immaculate harmonies found on “Two Strands” have a familiarity that will feel as if you’ve been toting this track around in your back pocket for months. Its is the most recent single from the band’s sophomore LP So Pretend, released back in April. Listen to the song below.
Connect with Buckley Ward via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 