Album Stream: mr. Gnome ‘Madness in Miniature’
While the White Stripes are no longer active, the boy + girl two-piece formula still lives on in Cleveland’s mr. Gnome. They bring a sense of distorted, psychedelic mystery to their sound. A rugged, unpolished rhythm seems consistent in all of their work, but the persistent uncertainty looms as I listen to their latest release on El Marko Records, Madness in Miniature. Listen:
Singer/guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer Sam Meister produce mood swings that, at times, make me feel like I am stuck in the mind of Donnie Darko. Even their album artwork mimics a character that might have been responsible for the take over of Darko’s mind. While the Stripes gave all of their fans a sedative when they announced their retirement this year, bands like mr. Gnome continue to provide wild delusions for supporters of this formula.
Watch mr. Gnome play “Vampires” at Fountain Square’s Radio Radio. Thank you to our friends at MonkeyEatsMonkey for shooting this video.
Connect with mr. Gnome via Twitter | Facebook | Bandcamp.
Written by Brett McGrath
Video: The Drums – Sleepover Show
Any devout follower of this blog, of which there are at least two (my mother and Brett’s) has probably noticed our affinity for The Drums. I’ve been hooked on these guys since catching their show at Lollapalooza this summer. Their stellar live performance was reinforced by an equally stellar studio album, Portamento, released in September. Read our review for more on the release.
The Drums recently recorded a Sleepover Show. This Boston project records three acoustic videos from bands passing through the New England hub. The Drums have a relatively dense sound and I had a tough time imagining a stripped down version of it. However, the results speak for themselves. Watch “Best Friend” from their debut, self-titled LP below. See the rest of their Sleepover Show HERE.
Connect with The Drums via Facebook & Twitter.
Written by Rob Peoni
Band to Watch: Tumbleweed Wanderers
I recently came across Oakland, CA’s Tumbleweed Wanderers at the urging of a friend. The band formed in March and has quickly developed a loyal following in the Bay area. They released the first single, “Take it Back,” from their debut, self-titled EP back in September. The track is a genre-blending blast of a song that features an addictive recurring guitar riff, gratuitous horn and harp lines and pitch perfect harmonies that meld together into one helluva promising start. Listen here:
The remainder of the Tumbleweed Wanderers EP is due out sometime this week. The good folks at S*ALT recently recorded the quartet’s cover of The Tallest Man on Earth’s “I Won’t Be Found.” The band does justice to the track by my favorite Swedish singer-songwriter. Watch below:
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 