Fresh Track: Twerps “Work it Out”
Australia’s Twerps fantastic self-titled debut from late 2011 remains one of the most underrated works of the past few years. After touring all summer with fellow guitar-centric indie rockers Real Estate, the band made a quick trip back to the studio with the results hitting your local record store’s shelves later this month on November 19th. The 7” release features A-side “Work It Out” along with B-siders “He’s In Stock” and “Recall”. Those summer days spent lounging around with the kings of the jangly guitar, Real Estate, seem to have rubbed off even more on the Aussies as “Work It Out” is a poppy, guitar-driven treat. While the lyrics aren’t exactly based on the happiest of subject matters, the drum beat and guitar are more than enough good vibes for an afternoon cruise. You can check it out below along with “He’s In Stock”. If you like what you hear, you can pre-order your copy via Passport Label today.
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Written by Greg Dahman
Fresh Track: Sleeping Bag “Walk Home”
Women of Your Life, the sophomore album from Bloomington, IN’s Sleeping Bag is one of my most anticipated releases of the latter half of 2012. The band offered one of the best debut records of last year in its self-titled LP on Joyful Noise Recordings. Built around the sedated delivery of lead singer Dave Segedy, Sleeping Bag crafted these beautiful, angst-ridden bummers that proved impossible to dislodge from the brain. The lethargic vocals coupled with the effortless simplicity of the music gave the album an air of satire, as if Segedy was gently mocking the indie rock genre his band fit so neatly within. The flip-side was that Sleeping Bag ran the risk of becoming one-dimensional.
I’m pleased to say that, upon initial inspection, Women of Your Life puts to rest any early concerns. Sleeping Bag offers a wider range of emotion and displays a willingness to venture beyond its comfort zone without abandoning the foundation that brought them this far. On no track is this more apparent than the hypnotic, existential crisis of “Saturday Night.” It’s a foot-stomper that finds the band exploring more complex rhythms than anything from the debut. Above it all, Segedy poses a series of absurdist rhetorical questions in a way that is completely abstract from the music’s danceable nature. Unfortunately, that track is no longer available for streaming. So, listen to it when you buy the record.
Joyful Noise is releasing 300 copies of Women of Your Life on mint green vinyl, packaged in hand-screened jackets. Pre-order your copy from Sleeping Bag’s Bandcamp page. The record drops on November 27. However, pre-orders feature an immediate digital download. Listen to lead single “Walk Home” and check out the track listing to Women of Your Life below.
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Track List:
1. Women of Your LIfe
2. Soda You
3. Soccer Ball
4. Allison Cole
5. In the Pocket
6. Nightmare
7. Saturday Night
8. Coco
9. Still LIfe
10. Walk Home
Written by Rob Peoni
Video: She Does Is Magic “Slit His Throat”
Back in early September, we featured a review of She Does is Magic’s debut LP My Height in Heels. Yesterday, the band released a video for one of the album’s four instrumental tracks. The video for “Slit His Throat” features a brawny Prison Bro with a blond coif that we can safely assume is the source of a bit of jealousy from his fellow inmates. Upon returning to his cell, Prison Bro discovers a new boombox. After a brief inspection, the knob is turned and in a moment of pure ecstasy – Prison Bro jams. He jams so hard. But Prison Bro should have realized the dangers that can arise while in the midst of a two step. Prison Bro should have looked past the blank stares from the inmates outside his cell. In the end, Prison Bro got played by his own carelessness and the temptation of a good tune.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 