CMJ » Alex Eriksen

National @ Beacon Theater: December 15, 2011

Alex Eriksen — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:32:42 +0000

National - Photo by Alex Eriksen

The National played the Beacon Theater all this week, and last night the band hit its stride. Frontman Matt Berninger, who bears a striking resemblance to actor Kevin Kline in person, was very comfortable in the space. He swapped jokes in between songs and let loose sometimes explosive energy during them. The band’s amble from backstage to front was streamed live onto a huge movie screen; with cameras set up all around the stage, there’d be live footage all night.

Berninger’s classic baritone warmed up with “Thirsty” off of Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers. As the lights went up you could see he wouldn’t be as lonely as some of his songs would make him out to be. The National performed with up to eight additional musicians. There was a string quartet and a horn section flanking the band on either side. Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak guest appeared on guitar for a few songs. It wasn’t so crowded though; guitarist Bryce Dessner found enough room to go center stage and take his axe down on one knee before the front row. He’d repeat that action a few times over the night and got so close you could reach out and touch him. The band was showcasing its latest efforts, playing seven of 11 tracks off of the critically acclaimed High Violet.

If all you’d heard from the National was “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” which was making the rounds on a lot of “best of” lists this time last year, you might take the band as sort of low key. Berninger’s voice is indeed well suited for NyQuil ads, yet he’s able to ramp up the decibels and deliver a full-on scream. The band did “Abel” off of Alligator, and Berninger gave his cords a pretty brutal trashing. “My mind’s not right!” he shrieked over and over in the chorus. Behind him a clip from Night Of The Living Dead played in a loop while bursts of blood red exploded all over the screen. It was either during that song or a throat-lacerating take of “Mr. November” that Berninger spiked the microphone like a touchdown pass into the stage. The National is anything but tame.

Closing with four encores, the band played a new song called “I Need My Girl,” an acoustic heart-string puller about a rough world closing in. “Exile Vilify,” which the band recorded for a video game, Portal 2, had a simulated snow storm on screen. The set wound down with two more tracks from High Violet, “Terrible Love” and “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks,” which the band and guests did all acoustic. As the show ended, those in the front row all stuck their hands out to Berninger for a shake. He obliged, and as he bent down a woman reached up and dug both hands into his beard.

Photos by Alex Eriksen.

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Kids And Explosions (Toronto, Canada)

Alex Eriksen — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:06:44 +0000

Mash-up is an ill-fitting term. I always imagine a squashed tomato. The art of making it and performing it is really more akin to sculpture. To do it takes a near omniscient understanding of music, a track collection to rival the Library Of Congress and a set of well-trained ears. Josh Raskin of Kids And Explosions has all three. But the Canadian artist is not in the business of building dance-floor atom bombs. He’ll hardly count himself among the freshman class of either the Girl Talk or 2 Many Djs school of thought. Raskin goes more the route of independent studies, spending time, mostly alone, deconstructing songs and arranging the standout hooks, beats and lyrics that blend best to him.

Raskin is a Toronto native. His musical beginnings are rooted in DJing, which he’s been doing for longer than he can remember. “I was always torn between making weird beats with computers and writing sad guitar songs,” explains Raskin, “until a few years ago when I realized I could kinda do everything at the same time.” His choice samples are typically from sad songs, the acoustic plucking on Iron And Wine’s rendition of “Such Great Heights” for instance. The rap verse, such a versatile and ear-fondling remix device, gets like treatment. Selections include Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” which Raskin cuts up to the point Em’s underdog anthem is near unrecognizable. The result heightens the themes of confusion and frustration in the original. Raskin is at his best on “There Is A Burning Ball Of Fire In Outer Space” where he blends the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Suicidal Thoughts” with Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.” “The best thing about making music is discovering two things that are amazing on their own but combine to make something entirely new, either musically or conceptually,” says Raskin.

Most of the songs on his album, Shit Computer, came together in a “complex series of accidents.” The process begins by voraciously consuming music. “I can listen to an album on loop for months,” says Raskin, only stopping whenever he’s recording. He searches out connections in the songs he loves, most of which you’ll recognize, and goes to work blending them. A song contains three or four recognizable elements but with Raskin’s distinct signature left on them. He uses most a kind of stutter effect to switch up timing on notes or meaning on lyrics.

Raskin is an Oscar nominee and an Emmy winner but not for his music. He’s part of a trio that made “I Met The Walrus,” an animated short derived from a taped interview with John Lennon in 1969. A 14-year-old Jerry Levitan snuck into the Beatle’s hotel room in Toronto, reel-to-reel recorder in hand, to interview him. When Levitan grew up he came across some of Raskin’s student work as an animator and a filmmaker and pitched a project to him. Levitan had a full-length documentary in mind, but Raskin favored doing it as an animated short. With the tape, an illustrator and a designer, Raskin locked himself into a studio and cranked out the project. Aside from the Emmy win and the Oscar nod, Raskin and co. netted for themselves near two and a half million views on YouTube.

His next undertaking is a tour, beginning in February. He’s also working on a music video for his song “Swear Words.” “It’s like Guitar Hero but horrible,” says Raskin. A second album is in the works to be released soon. “Soon” is relative to how fast or slow Raskin pieces together his next collage.

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My Morning Jacket @ MSG: December 14, 2011

Alex Eriksen — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:49:04 +0000

My Morning Jacket - Photo by Alex Eriksen

My Morning Jacket made one final stop last night at Madison Square Garden before a holiday rest. As part of the Circuital tour, MMJ played for nearly three hours with as much energy as if the band were just embarking on a fresh tour. Frontman Jim James came out on stage wearing some manner of sound processor around his neck, looking a little like Darth Vader. He’d don his signature black cape toward the end of the show, again looking very Vader-ish. The band launched into “Victory Dance” off of last spring’s Circuital, James spinning modern prophesies to an electric organ riff. Following up with the Circuital title track and “It Beats 4 U,” MMJ got things off to a great start.

With a setlist 24 songs long, MMJ had plenty of room to move around its catalog. “I’m Amazed” from Evil Urges evoked sing-along vibes among the crowd. There were some guests on stage too, with flutist Brian Jackson, collaborator with the famed Gil Scott Heron, helping out on a few songs. MMJ invited on a horn section for a few tracks, giving the show a kind of late-era Elvis vibe of a big rockin’ band. MMJ bandied about between Southern rock shakedowns, James’s balladeer numbers, as well as a little playful experimentation. At one point James fiddled around with that processor he’d been wearing Flavor Flav style. He let loose a burst of synth sounds from the strange machine, and the huge display hanging above the band flashed and changed seemingly by his direction.

Just when you thought the show was ending, it would keep going. And going. The six-minute “Mahgeetah” rocked and swayed with all manner of Southern swagger. Every crescendo wound you down just to rev you back up again. James took these moments to show off a little fancy footwork, doing some high knees and leg-thrusting kicks in time to the music. For a big guy he’s pretty limber. With every power chord blasted there was a risk of a boot inadvertently flying off into the audience. “Take a look at yourselves!” James shouted to the crowd between songs. “Look how beautiful you are!” Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. James, not that you needed it last night.

Photos by Alex Eriksen.

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Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Reports The Weather. No, Really.

Alex Eriksen — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:52:00 +0000

There’s a little video of a weather forecast on Chicago’s WGNTV website, and we’re scoping out this low-pressure system when suddenly, out of no where, in walks Jeff Tweedy. The Wilco frontman gets the weather reins forced into his hands by chief meteorologist Tom Skilling. Tweedy is a little out of his depth here but gives reporting the weather a shot. “Uh, it looks pretty good,” Tweedy says. “I don’t know, things could be worse?” So, coat today then, Jeff? Tweedy and Skilling trade quips about hair before Tweedy makes his exit. Not sure what he’s doing at a local TV station, but Tweedy is an Illinois native, so his being there is not totally out of the ordinary. The appearance does raise the question of what a music-oriented weather report might look like. We picture Skrillex dropping basslines as well as tornado warnings.

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Ty Segall – Singles 2007-2010

Alex Eriksen — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:31 +0000

It’s rare you get the feeling of being in the studio with an artist while she or he works out the kinks, but that’s what you find on Ty Segall’s singles collection. But these tracks, compiled over three years at Goner, are more than mere blueprints; they give access not only to Segall under development but also an intrinsic part of his musical character. The 25 songs, clocking in under an hour, paint a picture of a frenetic, hard-charging kid throwing everything he’s got at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Segall’s fuzzed-out Fender blares and blasts right from the get go. “Where We Go” opens up a door to Segall’s world, one where ’60s garage, surf and psychedelia never died out. Singles is presented to us in true lo-fi form, jagged edges and all. Count-offs, false-starts and studio chatter preserve the adolescence of the tracks. Segall’s vocals are also characteristically brash here. They’re loud with plenty of wails and howls, like he’s dying just to be heard. This can devolve at times into pure mayhem. “Booksmarts” starts out innocently enough, all surf tones, crashing drums and delay/reverb vocals. With 30 seconds to go the song implodes into a mess of tape squeal, fractious drums and guitar notes spilled all over the place. With a strong corollary to his most recent single, “Spiders,” we can tell Segall hasn’t lost his love or appreciation for just noise.

Tracing Segall’s musical roots is not difficult on Singles. The oddball humor of the Kinks-era “Fuzzy Cat” is a love letter to the British Invasion. The swirling electric organ on “…And then Judy Walked In” recalls a fraternity of ’60s groups making liberal use of it, bands like the Castaways, the Kingsmen and ? And The Mysterians. The standout here is “Skin,” appearing only here and on a Daytrotter
session from last year. That organ appears again but coupled with Segall’s natural gift for punk timing and energy. There’s a cover of David Bowie’s “Suffragette City” that Segall did with Mikal Cronin that really ought to be on here, given the record’s spirit to mix one measure tribute with two measures fierce creativity.

There’s plenty to enjoy in this collection of garage rock broadsides. There are yet unheard tracks as well as rougher cuts of what are by now standards for Segall. Glimpses too of his process prove enticing for those who are interested. Segall’s take on the ’60s “Hey everybody, I’ve got a new dance” song, “The Drag,” has a beat supplied by drum machine. Is the version that ultimately appeared better? No doubt. But it’s a worthwhile look at Segall’s development and process. Singles is a loud, fractious ride but one that casts a light on Segall’s own art and the art of those he admires.

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Xray Eyeballs’ Sophomore Release Coming February

Alex Eriksen — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:00:53 +0000

Xray Eyeballs - Photo by Veronica Ibarra

The Xray Eyeballs will be serving a second helping of guitar clang and dark melodies this coming February on Kanine. The band’s sophomore release, Splendor Squalor, arrives February 28 and with a new lineup too. Sarah Baldwin from the Girls At Dawn and Fergus And Geronimo will be on drums. Liz Lohse of Heaven and Runaway Suns will add her guitar and synth to the mix.

“Die Little Love,” one of two new tracks found on the band’s website, is a bouncy new-wave take high on garage aggression; full of bouncy guitar clatter and a soft underbelly of synth. It’s danceable, yet with enough grit to satisfy punk sensibilities. The other track, “Gotham Low Lives,” is five minutes of tom and tambourine slow-stomp with Interpol guitar lines. More tracks from the new release can be found on the band’s SoundCloud, including “Scorpio”:

Scorpio by xrayeyeballs

The album’s mission statement appears to be New York sleaze. “Low-lifes, night-walkers, pill-riders and other sordid characters” are promised to us in the press release. We’ll leave you with a video of the new lineup doing a song called “Deja Vu” off of a 7″ the band put out on Hardly Art. Walking Dead fan film or PSA on public intoxication? Hard to tell.

Tracklist For Splendor Squalor:
01. Four
02. Die Little Love (Menthol 100′s Version)
03. X
04. Blue
05. Syrup
06. Gator
07. Pill Riders
08. Cold Bones (Golden Triangle cover)
09. Scorpio
10. Gotham Low Lifes
11. Summer Daze

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Vote For Intel Superstars 2011 Competition

Alex Eriksen — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:57:16 +0000

Intel, along with music software maker Cakewalk, invites you to weigh in on who should get up to $10,000 in a best in song contest. The competition, also sponsored by Orange Amplifier, Gibson Guitars and Blue Microphones, is divided into six categories: Rock, Pop, Country, Singer-Songwriter, Urban and Latin. Users can boost their favorites into the top 10 and get them on the list for judging by a team of pros, mostly record execs, who will pick the winners. All the action is going down on OurStage.com, the social media platform for up-and-comers. The first place winners in each category get a prize pack while top dog will get those 10,000 bones to put toward souping-up the tour van, buying new gear or paying for time in the studio. You can browse the selections here. Sorting through, it is kind of like Hot Or Not meets Pandora. Voting ends December 15 at 11:59 p.m.

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Dearloves, Dax Riggs @ Mercury Lounge: December 10, 2011

Alex Eriksen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:18:28 +0000

Dax Riggs - Photo by Alex Eriksen

Drunk Santas were tromping up and down Second Avenue outside of Mercury Lounge Saturday night. Santacon, the big pub crawl and Santa dress-up fest, kicked off earlier that day and unleashed onto the streets an army of thirsty Saint Nicks. Those waiting in line for the Mercury Lounge late show were treated to a procession of beer-stained red suits stumbling by.

Inside, Brooklyn foursome the Dearloves was warming up the crowd and feeling pretty festive itself. Bassist Jess Ledbetter sported a red satin dress to match her flowing red hair. She even donned a Santa hat thrown on stage mid-show. Frontman Michael Pawlowicz put on a bright red leather jacket (eliciting cries of “Thriller!” from the crowd) to play a song called “Red Leather Fucker.” The Brooklyn newcomers first got together in 2010 to play gutter-pop. But the Dearloves can play it both ways, dirty or clean. Pawlowicz likes to bend the tremolo arm on his Fender Mustang early and often, giving the songs a ringing quality.

Dax Riggs hit the stage for a performance more seasonally suited for Halloween than Christmas. With a sunburst Epiphone Casino, he rooted himself to one part of the stage like a living statue. He belted out songs from his 2010 album, Say Goodnight To The World, opening with “I Hear Satan.” His wounded voice turned Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel” classic rocker into a funeral dirge.

Riggs, despite seeming like he had actually crawled from the grave like his lyrics suggest, did show some energy. On the slow-burning, crowd-pleasing “Let Me Be Your Cigarette,” he showed some animation rather than re-animation. Top marks to Mr. Riggs for his wigged-out New Orleans psycho-blues. It’s deeply satisfying in a bad-vibes sort of way, but his live show would benefit much from a little on-stage energy.

Photos by Alex Eriksen.

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War On Drugs @ Bowery Ballroom: December 11, 2011

Alex Eriksen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:23:19 +0000

War On Drugs - Photo by Alex Eriksen

War On Drugs plays with the National tonight at the Beacon Theater, but WOD had no trouble selling out a show of its own at Bowery Ballroom last night. The foursome played tracks from Slave Ambient for a sold-out crowd as part of a brief East Coast tour that ends December 17 in Philadelphia. At the Bowery stop, the band toasted the birth of a friend’s first-born, passing the new dad a bottle of Maker’s Mark from the stage for a sip. Father appreciation continued as frontman Adam Granduciel played a song for his dad, who was in the crowd. He thanked him for the guitar he was playing, one his dad bought for him at age 13. There was tribute too to musical forefathers as the band slipped into a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Touch Of Grey.” “We’ve been working on this one for a while, since the early ’80s,” quipped Granduciel, playing it off like a fresh track.

Photos by Alex Eriksen.

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Girl Walk//All Day Premiere @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple

Alex Eriksen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:43 +0000

John Doyle - Photo by Alex Eriksen

The line outside of the Brooklyn Masonic Temple to see Girl Walk//All Day, the epic movie/music video set to Girl Talk‘s All Day, was stretched all the way around the corner by 9 p.m. Fortunately, the spacious auditorium accommodated everyone. On stage was Mister Saturday Night, spinning some select dance standards as well as some of the original songs used in Girl Talk’s mash-ups. Tie-dyed colors splayed across the big screen courtesy of Joshua Light Show. You could get your picture taken with crazy props, bat the balloons floating above the crowd and buy yourself a replica of one of the iconic windbreakers worn by the movie’s rebellious ballerina, Anne Marsen.

Director Jacob Krupnick took the stage for a few minutes before showtime. “This is the most surreal moment of my life,” he told the crowd. “It feels like every friend I’ve ever had is in this room.” Krupnick made the movie for Wild Combination, a creative production company, with the help of a Kickstarter fund for the film. Before the movie, Krupnick showed a short film he had done for a fashion company. The short, Moves, features a four-way split on the screen with amateur dancers shaking their groove thangs. Following that was a live performance by John Doyle, who plays “The Creep” in Girl Walk//All Day. His performance was called “Wings” and was more ballet than pop-n-lock. Doyle pulled strips from his arms and legs to reveal neon tassels like Macho Man Randy Savage used to have on his jackets. He spun around to Daft Punk’s “Voyager,” sending the tassels flying.

Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler said a few words once Doyle pirouetted off stage. “This is the part where we tell you to turn your cell phones off and not talk during the movie,” said Strickler, “but no, were not going to do that. We want you all to dance.” From the dance floor to the mezzanine, people were moving. I’ve never seen so many guys doing the “Single Ladies” dance. We won’t give away any spoilers, but suffice it to say the rest of the movie is as awesome as what’s come out so far. There is an upcoming screening at the Gutter in Williamsburg on December 15, but space is limited to only 100 people. Check out the Girl Walk//All Day website for details.

Photos by Alex Eriksen.

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Fierce Creatures (Fresno, CA)

Alex Eriksen — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:42:20 +0000

The seven members of Fierce Creatures make songs as coordinated as NFL strategists’ plays. There are hairpin verses leading to flat-out choral straights. Choppy distorted guitars can give way to acoustic strumming as naturally as picking up one guitar and putting the other down. It’s uncompromising and unbridled pop from a tight-knit group of musicians.

This indie orchestra was culled from Fresno locals beginning over a decade ago. In the early 2000s bassist Nathaniel Stiers met guitarist and vocalist Mathr DeLeón through a friend. Fliers they put up looking for a drummer were taken down by Tomas Galvan to eliminate competition. He auditioned for and got a spot in the band. Things continued in like fashion: DeLeón knew guitarist Joel Melton, Melton knew singer Amanda Valdez, and Mike Adame on keys and guitarist/mandolin Jon Rulloda rounded out the lineup. Despite the size it never felt crowded. “We try to be as democratic as possible, so we tend to have regular meetings and vote on things like directions for albums, producers, career decisions, things like that,” says Stiers.

After a lengthy tour of many misadventures—some of which you can see in the tour diary posted below—the band went into a recording studio on Mission and Fifth in San Francisco. The band’s sound and taste don’t come so much from artists per se. The FC approach is about production, with names like Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and Brian Eno serving as inspiration. The result is a five-track EP called I Mostri Feroci.

The EP is something like the Beach Boys meets MGMT. There’s a spiraling, palm-muted guitar line on “Phantom Athletes” that slips into a Roy Orbison twang with uncanny ease. The opener, “Satan Is A Vampire,” is a total rush, with all of the band members whoa-oh-oh-oh-ing at the top of their lungs. DeLeón’s vocals tow a shrill line while Valdez’s are universally smooth. Combined they form a good vocal palate for the lyrics. The pair mostly sings about mountains and sunsets and detached, dreamy stuff while the instrumentation steals the show. Glockenspiels, mandolins, tambourines and maracas make up a lively texture. The meat is a wall of drums and a masterful effort on guitars, though keys add some electric shimmer to tracks like “Harpooning.”

The band will be busy this new year, appearing again at SXSW, recording a full-length album, some videos, as well as trying to get a limited edition B-sides album pressed to vinyl.

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Meet Trailer Trash Tracys In Tripped-Out Video

Alex Eriksen — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:00:35 +0000

They say you never get a second chance at first impressions. Trailer Trash Tracys needs only one. By way of introduction the band has a video from its debut album, Ester, due to arrive February 7 via Domino. As a visual/sound experience, “You Wish You Were Red” is a kaleidoscope, full of shifting, blooming colors. Drum machine thumps and a three-note bass riff serve as grounding as singer Susanne Aztoria’s vocals try and pull you out into space. The song’s strength is in daydream-inducing hooks like Aztoria’s ghostly voice or guitarist Jimmy Lee’s jangly, sharp, sparse guitar chords.

Not much is known about this London foursome. At a glance these guys are as ethereal as the music they play. Spiraling tracks like “Engelhardt’s Arizona” form part of a luscious, dark soundscape. You can get a taste of that track here. As the sun sets sooner and nights get longer, these nocturnal tours will be right at home on any playlist for a deep, dark night. The band is currently wrapping up a tour of Europe, and once the record hits American shores, we’ll get another video. Stay tuned.

Tracklist For Ester:
01. Rolling – Kiss The Universe
02. You Wish You Were Red
03. Dies In 55
04. Engelhardt’s Arizona
05. Los Angered
06. Starlatine
07. Candy Girl
08. Strangling Good Guys
09. Black Circle
10. Turkish Heights

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Aria Award Dominator Gotye Heads To North America

Alex Eriksen — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:54:51 +0000

Gotye, aka Wally De Backer, has announced he’ll tour North America, making stops in New York, L.A. and Chicago starting in February. The Australian singer is planning to export abroad his massive success at home. He recently swept the Aria Awards, the Aussie version of the Grammys, to win Best Male Artist and Single Of The Year. That single, “Somebody That I Used To Know,” has already had more than 20 million hits on YouTube, and his new record, Making Mirrors, has dominated the Australian music charts since its debut. The album will reach American ears January 31, and the tour will begin in L.A. February 2. The review copy of Making Mirrors floating around the CMJ office is only fueling our predictions of a big American splash for Mr. De Backer in the New Year. His first two shows are already sold out, so we’re not alone in anticipating Gotye’s landing in the States.

Eyes Wide Open by Gotye

Tour Dates For Gotye:
02/02 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey (SOLD OUT)
02/06 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
03/22 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
03/23 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
03/27 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
03/29 – Boston, MA – Paradise
03/30 – Montreal, QB – Corona Theatre
03/31 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
04/03 – Chicago, IL – Park West
04/04 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre
04/06 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre
04/08 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
04/10 – Seattle, WA – Neptune
04/11 – Portland, OR – (venue TBA)
04/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent

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Underworld Named Music Director For 2012 Olympics

Alex Eriksen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:59:25 +0000

The club anthem pathfinders of Underworld have been named music directors for the 2012 Olympics. Rick Smith and Karl Hyde, the two behind legendary tracks like “Born Slippy,” will be part of a dream-team of English artists crafting the Opening Ceremony. Leading them as creative director will be Danny Boyle, director of smash films like Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later and 127 Hours. In a press release, the award-winning director calls Underworld the “final piece of the jigsaw for the team of leading British creatives who will deliver the ceremonies.”

The team-up is a natural choice given Boyle’s history with Underworld. “Born Slippy” was featured on the soundtrack to Boyle’s film Trainspotting. That sparked a 15-year
relationship with Underworld contributing music to several of Boyle’s movies. Their most recent collaboration was on a National Theatre production of Frankenstein. July 27, 2012, is the date we’ll likely see more glow sticks than usual at an Olympic opener, but it is Underworld at the sonic helm after all.

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Pterodactyl – Spills Out

Alex Eriksen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:29 +0000

In the video for the song “School Glue,” Pterodactyl recreates that scene from Superman where Superman’s dad traps the bad guys in a weird space-mirror. Spills Out, the band’s third album, holds the tracks in much the same way. These are songs bristling with dark energy, unconstrained and galloping. But as the band pushes at the boundaries you can feel the strain at the edges. You couldn’t have a better title than Spills Out because at every turn and every track the album is pushing up the RPMs to the point the engine begins to whine, smoke and threaten to explode.

The last two records were signs a tectonic shift was coming. The band’s sound-searching debut gave way to meditation on the sophomore Worldwild with pagan drums and chants about waterfalls. On Spills Out Pterodactyl is crafting that same deeply satisfying melodic work only with a fueled bent to make plutonium-powered pop. This is at its best in tracks like “The Hole Night.” Easily the most restrained
of the bunch, the early Beatles crooning gives the track a multi-part vocal harmony that bounces nicely off of the crash and roll of drums. The monolithic guitar fuzz and ambient keys lend a constant sense of space as well as motion.

Where you begin to feel the album strain is in a track like “Thorn.” It shapes up like a death-metal intro, all swells and dark drones, but the build lasts a whole minute before breaking. The middle of the song pounds you relentlessly with guitar crashes. It’s like Thor’s hammer gone to town on your head. The six hours it took for singer Jesse Hodges to record the chorale to the song marks a significant investment on the track making the cut. Experimenting with walls of sound makes you walk a fine line, and Pterodactyl here winds up on the wrong side.

Comparison to Parts And Labor when discussing Pterodactyl cannot be avoided; P&L drummer Dan Friel even contributed to Spills Out in some way according to Pterodactyl’s one sheet on the album. Contemporaries they may be, but Pterodactyl is reaching for a bigger, more consuming sound. It’s no doubt risky but not without windfalls for the better part of Spills Out.

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