Fresh Track: The Kemps “Summer of Sam”
Local purveyors of fuzz and general good feelings, The Kemps, dropped a trio of new tracks this week via Soundcloud. The songs are still in the early stages of production. The vocals could be brought a little more to the forefront for my taste, but the band is off to a solid start. The rough takes provide listeners with an accurate portrayal of The Kemps’ live performance: high energy, heavy distortion and reverb, and enough attitude to constitute a significant kick in the pants.
Below, you will find a stream and download for the song “Summer of Sam.” Here, we find The Kemps in traditional garage rock mode, with a rollicking back beat that touches on surf pop without plunging full-on into the waves. The “Ooohs” that serve as the backdrop to the chorus are irresistible. The Kemps ran into some lousy luck last month when a break-in at Trevor Wathen’s Hex Haus Recording Studio resulted in the loss of the band’s forthcoming album. The three songs released this week are the first look at the band’s attempt to rebuild their album from scratch.
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Upcoming Live Shows:
April 10: The Bishop Bar – Bloomington, IN
April 14: Indy’s Jukebox – Indianapolis, IN
April 21: GloryHole RSD Showcase – Indianapolis, IN
April 28: Kalamazoo College – Kalamazoo, MI
Written by Rob Peoni
Video: Youth Lagoon “Cannons” (Live at Radio Radio)
Last night, when the rest of the country was busy watching the insufferable John Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats cruise to their eighth national championship, a few lucky Indianapolis residents filled Radio Radio to hear Youth Lagoon and Porcelain Raft. The concert was one of the spring’s finest. I was particularly impressed with the sound quality of Porcelain Raft’s set – no small feat for an artist who relies heavily on vocal and synth loops, reinforcing my belief that Radio Radio offers the best acoustic experience that Indy has to offer.
Boise, Idaho native Trevor Powers followed up by treating the crowd to a set that delivered upon the raw emotion and energetic restraint of his debut LP, The Year of Hibernation. Fortunately for any absent fans, Indianapolis video guru Daniel Arthur was on hand to document. Below you will find Arthur’s video of “Cannons”, a personal favorite and a version that raised the temperature of the jam-packed venue. Enjoy.
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Written by Rob Peoni
The Coasts to Cover Disney’s Robin Hood Soundtrack
For children of the 1990s, there is one item that nearly every last person can relate to. It is not Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It’s not snap bracelets, pogs, or Ghostbusters. It’s not even Nickelodeon or Nerf guns. No, the item that each and every kid around my age had while growing up was a shelf full of Disney VHS tapes. Those colorful, oversize, plastic videos were often the only guarantee our parents had in the battle to keep us entertained. Everyone had their favorite.
One tape that I watched so frequently that it nearly melted in my parents’ VCR, was Disney’s 1973 classic cartoon version of Robin Hood. This is why I leapt for joy upon my discovery that Thought on Tracks favorites The Coasts will be releasing an album covering the entirety of the Robin Hood soundtrack. In a few weeks, the album will be sent to anyone who purchased a digital download of the band’s self-titled, debut album from their Bandcamp page. The album is currently available for $5, a pittance considering the strength of the release.
Today, the band offered fans the initial track from the Robin Hood release. Below, you can stream The Coasts take on “Love.” The original was sung by Nancy Adams. It was written by Disney songwriting stalwarts Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns. Enjoy, and stay tuned to Thought on Tracks for more from this release. I know I won’t be able to refrain from posting The Coasts version of Roger Miller’s “Not in Nottingham,” whenever it arrives.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 