Thursday, July 19, 2007

I Dream of Electric Sheep



I have been listening to the EP "It takes Guts to Deceive Eloquently" by Lismore...a lot. Lismore comprised of Penelope and Stephen hail from Jersey City, NJ- a burgeoning scene on the edge of NYC. This EP is a nice introduction to the band. The EP starts off dreamy with the song "Seven Cycles." Penelope's ethereal voice is reminiscent of Julee Cruise (the songstress that gave Twin Peaks that haunting sound). Truly, her voice shines through on each song and is complimented by fuzzy electronic sounds and edgy guitar bits.

Remember that scene in the film "Brazil," where Sam Lowry has imagined that he has escaped the cruelty of his dystopian society to a pastoral setting? This EP takes you to that place of bliss, particularly on the song "Far Off and Away." The simplicity of the keyboards on this song really resonate in your brain and hook you even further. But, just when you think all these songs are mesmerizing you into a state of relaxation- the song "Cherry Bomb" comes along and blows you away with its glitchy, punky drum beats. You have now snapped out of your trance with its sexy beat and you want to dance.

I also recommend going to their website and checking out some of their songs in their listening station. They really rock out the edgy guitars and driving drumbeat on the song "Predicament." I am hoping they come to North Carolina soon, because I imagine that their energy live would be awesome.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

In the Days Before Microchips



The Raleigh, NC band Roger Roger has a sound that transports you back to a time of conversion fans and lo-fi stereo. If you are old enough and had one of those record players with built in stereo speakers, then you know what I am talking about. When pushed to their limit, the music squeaked out of those speakers all warm and fuzzy. The sound was distorted and muffled but you did not care because you were listening to rock n' roll.

Their strongest song is "Made for Love," and is muffled and distorted in such a good way that you cannot help but love the lo-fidelity aspect. After many listens, it occurred to me that I love it so much because it reminds me of the now defunct- Dirty Little Heaters. If you know me, then you know they had a special place in my heart. Although Roger Ron doesn't have the powerhouse vocals of Reese Gibbs, and they only have percussion no drummer. Frankly, they need a power drummer like Mel Thomas. Roger Roger would then rock so hard, your face would melt.

Musically, Roger Roger is a good band. I would need to hear more songs and know more about them to have a fuller sense of where they are going as a band. As it stands now, Roger Roger has the potential to capture the attention of music-goers and get a solid following.