Xander Harris – Urban Gothic 6.1

               First things first, I think the name is excellent. Anyone who uses a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” character as a band name at least has a good sense of humor. It makes sense too once you consider the dark kind of music contained on “Urban Gothic”. Not Not Fun Records released this album, and it makes sense considering the heavy synth nature of the album.

                Urban Gothic is dark, but in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. The way a lot of horror movies include humor at strange moments to lighten the mood. Xander Harris has the good fortunate of opening for some particular favorites of mine, Shit and Shine being one, Expo 70 being another. But while those bands are pretty readily established, Xander appears to be a work in process.

                Some of the songs on here are fairly decent but nothing really comes out at me. Longer tracks such as “Tanned Skin Dress” and “The House” fare well. The shorter tracks come across less distinctly. Most of the album tries for an electro-industrial vibe, and some of the songs do meet that requirement. Electro-industrial can be somewhat tricky, as the wrong mix can result in it sounding a bit cheesy. Unfortunately a few of the songs fall victim to sounding not kitsch, but just plain generic. 

                There is enough here to give me hope about future Xander Harris outings. For every song that doesn’t exactly meet its mark “When the Hammer starts to Swing” there is one that does “End Credits”. It is a bit of a mixed bag of quality, but next time around Xander will have a better feel for what works and what doesn’t.

Maria Minerva – Tallinn at Dawn 8.4

                  Maria Minerva’s sonic universe is a hard thing to describe. I might say she’s a more lo-fi Estonian version of Nite Jewel to give you some idea. That definition is somewhat limiting, as Maria has moved to London. Perhaps her work will herald in a re-evaluation of 80s/early 90s electronic music and its lovable cheesiness.  

                “Tallinn at Dawn” is a short and enjoyable album. Each song has its own personality while contributing to the general atmosphere of the album. A haze is spread thick over the tunes, as if the sound is coming from far away. Her voice has a sweet fragility which sounds sincere and half asleep.  Even the melodies get confused. 

                None of the songs outstay their welcome. Loops are distorted, lose their way, and don’t bother coming back. Sometimes the sounds flirt with the idea of stopping completely as it descends into audio muck. “10 Little Rock Chix Listening to Neu!” starts up and nearly loses its energy. Actually, this makes the song more enjoyable, as the unpredictability and general disarray of the song brings her close to hypnagogic pop’s ideal. 

                Songs become felt both on a hummable, traditional pop sense and a dreamier, more emotional sense.  They differ from the rather straightforward “Hop Hop Gone in Spring” to the sample-laden “Sad Serenade (Bedroom Rock N’ Roll)”. On the latter track, there’s a noticeable 90s influence two-thirds of the way into the song. It is a nice flair to an already solid enough song. 

                A blurring comes along in the other songs where it references multiple sounds at once. “Unchain my Heart” is probably the best example of this approach. Other songs constantly bleed in and out of the mix, like she recorded multiple songs onto the same tape. Then she proceeds to sing along with the other song as it shifts back to the original song. 

                Not Not Fun did a great job putting out this cassette. Give this album a few listens as its many charms require a few listens. It is well-done sonic oddity. She’s collaborating with another favorite of mine (LA Vampires) so thankfully we’ll have more by her this year.

Peaking Lights – 936 5.6

               Peaking Lights really had everything I look for in a release: retro sounds, low fidelity, and a supposedly hypnotic repetition. Upon listening, I grew increasingly disappointed with this album. Despite possessing all those qualities, it failed to make any lasting impact on me.

                I see where their influences come from: early, drugged-out Pocahaunted or a milder Sun Araw. But their arrangements lack the more forceful impact of either of those bands. Somehow there’s just a weakness with those flat vocals. Only the bass seems to really drive these songs, otherwise nothing else appears to be holding them together. The drums are virtually non-existent, and the melodies surprisingly forgettable. 

                Not Not Fun released this which shocked me. Usually they tend to put out better quality musicians. All the tracks go on for far too long considering the dearth of creative ideas. Repeating the same mantra works only if there appear to be meaningful tweaks or if the song is structured properly. 

                Despite the weakness, I’d say it does have a good song which raises above all the rest. “Tiger Eye (Laid Back)” achieves what they appear to be aiming for in the rest of the songs. Vocals here are again flat, but they work well with the strong arrangements. Consider it like an extended Nite Jewel song. Other than this exceptional track, it is relatively uneventful.

LA Vampires featuring Matrix Metals – So Unreal 8.1

Having already been exposed to Matrix Metals and LA Vampires collaboration with Zola Jesus this year, I didn’t have high expectations. Both of those recordings left me feeling a little left out in the cold. Amanda Brown was responsible for Pocahaunted (a band close to my heart) and the man behind Matrix Metals created a favorite Outer Limits Recordings, so I felt I owed them another chance. They proved my hope was not misplaced. 

                These two play off each other quite nicely. Matrix provides the narco background, and Amanda’s voice expands into nothing with her carefully honed hipness. Each one goes on far longer than you’d expect, but somehow the length of the tracks adds to what’s going on. Upon repeated listens, bizarre goings on between the loops becomes apparent. 

                “Make Me Over” serves as the single for the group. If you can’t get through this haze, then call it a day. Most of the album follows in the same vein of drugged out lo-fi. But the real winner on here (for me at least) is “How Would I Know”, where rhetorical questions are halfheartedly asked as pieces of sound float on by. The song gets stuck in your head and will never leave. It sounds like a pop song heard while asleep, just perfectly dreamy and almost graspable.

                In case you wondered whether or not they were dedicated to the 80s, or if you needed more evidence, there’s the song “Berlin Baby”. Your confirmation has arrived, the cheesy drum hits and Germany-coolness worship is complete. Things end with the vaguely upbeat “So Unreal”.

                Not Not Fun Records did a great thing with releasing this. Listening to this, I hope they decide to do it again.