RADIATOR REVIEWS: Walking Ghosts - Walking Ghosts 7"

This post marks our glorious return to posting album reviews and a renewed push sharing new musical content. It has been a busy, yet restful year, and it's great to be back so let's get right to it.

Northampton indie rockers Walking Ghosts recent Debut 7" Single Is a notable development on the US indie and punk spectrums.

The opening track "Not Today" is clearly born out of traditional blues and 50's rock and roll, and in a visual sense, Film Noir, but it can neither be accurately described as belonging to either genre or film style.

The 7", which acts primarily as a sampler of a future LP, seems infused with an element of Kraut, a deceptively understated undertow of bass, drums, and organ. The consistently uptempo rhythms rollick along, rarely grabbing attention from wizard-fingered lead singer/guitarist Grant Wicks.

The track feels equally comfortable at a beach party as it is in a dingy basement. It feels lo-fi, incorporating an edge of surfer-wave-type punk, dirty like basement rock a la Ty Segall in spirit, but it also manages at times a clean and sophisticated sound similar to The White Stripes or Rolling Stones. Geographically speaking, Walking Ghosts' sound draw a bridge between Nashville and Brooklyn.

The bonus track, "Memories, Mistakes, and Loose ends" further cements the groups  overall sound. At times more stye than substance, but never for lacking substance, only excess in style. 8.3

reviewed by Mohamed El-Darwish RADIATOR COLLECTIVE 2012

RADIATOR REVIEWS: The Free Mansons - Their Satanic Majesties Third Request

The third installment in Their Satanic Majesties trilogy, is more an homage to the Brian Jonestown Massacre "Thank God For Mental Illness" as opposed to a continuation of the beatles-rippin' sixties-trippin side of the Rolling Stones (who ironically sounded their best when they essentially copied the Beatles). Thick globby synth lines glue down the opening track, which has a pop-friendly hook. "Doom Cloud" is more classic Free Manson's sounding, kraut-influenced with hints of 60's folk-rock as well as the fat, big-muff bass lines of 90's era seattle grunge. "Blue Neptune", in all its glory, is the track in which the dynamic paradigm is set.. beginning slow and quiet while building up to a massive, roof-raising, fist-bumping ode to the king himself, crashing slowly like the tide and rocking headfirst into "Heat of this Gun".

"I feel the heat of this gun. I love love love love you my love, i'd kill just about anyone for you"_("Heat Of This Gun", Track 4)

The Free Mansons are not afraid to say it, whatever it may be. This track was born out of an idea we had as a band that we could use a "band gun" to rob other bands of their gear while on tour (albiet a great idea, we never did follow through on that one).

One thing i really like about this album is the shameless lack of filler or "non-songs". "Green Queen" contains a simple and yet profoundly snare-free drum set as well as a most curiously distorted and replayable anti-solo on guitar. "Soft Soft Sea" continues the aquatic theme via grunge guitar, big muff base and apoxy glue synth lines. "Golden Hair" breaks up this consistent theme as Franc Lopes channels Anton Newcombe and Skip Spense, while "Ten Swords Of Light" appears to draw inspiration from the mystical stylings of Athen's own Elf Power. Third Request treads in witch house territory, as well as experimental and avant-folk. Capped off by a re-invention of scribbler's "Clouds Like Knives". Listening to this album I feel like I should be reading up on some Aleister Crowley or drinking beer in the heat. The Free Mansons rarely dissapoint, it's no surprise that they continue to innovate the DIY in subtle ways whilst flying under-the-radar. 7.8

The Free Mansons - Golden Hair

The Free Mansons - Ten Swords Of Light

reviewed by Mohamed El-Darwish RADIATOR COLLECTIVE 2012

Chief Thundercloud Discogs.

Chief Thunderclouds Discography is now ready to stream/download in its entirety on the chiefcamp with lyrics, which are very helpful if you wish to know the words often delivered in a soaring falsetto making the words meld together into a beautiful unintellegible and intervenous shot of Drugs on Mount Olympus.

MAin Character - Far Away

Main Character's first music video is a refreshingly skeletal melody, with a spare and true drum loops, the video was produced by Aidonidis himself and involves tearing up an old basketball.

Micro Organs set to play Sled ISland

Micro Organs are in fact playing in SLED ISLAND Calgary June 20-23

"Climb inside a dead carcass and prepare for the apocalypse, because Halifax’s Micro Organs are going to raze the earth with their crunchy punk psychedelia. Jenny Gillespie and Mathieu Blanchard slash-and-burn across grungy, war-torn numbers and minimalistic experiments that drop them out of this world. “I’m sleeping off eternity,” haunts Gillespie, but you get the feeling she can’t wait to wake up."

— SLED ISLAND 2012

check out the whole lineup, they got some Steve Malkmus, Tim Hecker, The Antlers, Archers of Loaf, Prince Rama. But look out for Micro Organs to steal the show.

RADIATOR REVIEWS: Main Character - Universe(s)

Universe(s) starts off with some mixed feelings. Double Delay guitar fades into a loud overbearing cry from lead singer Joe Aidonidis, "Come on over, Let's see those hands". It seems like a reference to obscurity. Like a completely random statement taken out of context from ordinary life. It makes me imagine a little kid being asked by their mom to show their hands after washing them with soap. Universe(s) folk-centric approach seems in line with this idea. The singer appears to be dealing with chaos in his life, trying to make sense of the many conflicting emotions. Eventually finding relief in the piano drop in "Florence". "Life's always staring at you, stare back" says Aidonidis on "the (great) heart". The universes he is referring to are most likely are the ones within. "Nightmare of the Wales" which i assume is actually about Welsh nightmares, breaks up the more accessible pop in which Main Character displays the inner cacophony. "I touched the river" is more of light swing in to a more pleasant state. Manic depressive or emotionally well-rounded, it all depends on how you look at it. I feel a little mixed about this album as well. It has some shaky spots, some pitchy vocals, some programmed drums take too much attention in the overall mix on How do you sleep. However, I also think this album has something that many people will relate to. The idea that our own lives, while important to us, are cyclical and fairly innocuous. It will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea. For one thing Indie-folk/pop/rock is becoming increasingly common. That is to say, many will feel that they heard these ideas already. Another thing is that it noticeably lacks the aesthetic of "cool". That filter many put on their albums straining the flaws and putting on a mask. What it does have is something that reminds me of Italian-Neorealism. I guess you could call it "unfiltered" 7.2

Main Character - The (Great) Heart

reviewed by Mohamed El-Darwish RADIATOR COLLECTIVE 2012

Radiator Reviews: Ipomoea - Species

Ipomoea (/ˌɪpɵˈmiːə/) is a fuzzfolk duo consisting of the consistently legendary drummer/singer/guitarist Thom "moon" Lopes as well as obvious J Mascis fan and lead guitarist Mike "Mick" Williams. Both former full time members of Dandy Zander, a band which recently tore through massachussetts venues and, seemingly had enough, went into hibernation. On Species, Thom Lopes takes a look back at his own body of work, giving a fresh new interpretation to several previously recorded songs such as the tormented dirge "Eastern Stars" being re-realized as audible space exploration. "Figure Ate", once completely acoustic (much like eastern stars) gets ipo-ized as well. The album has a very consistent and interesting sound. The drums sound small and far away, the bass is non existent and the mids are full and alive with plenty of rhythmic delay patterns and enough reverb to nuke a whale (sorry, couldn't think of a good metaphor). Its a very light and crispy sort of record, the clear benefit being that it is not tiresome to listen to, yet retains the intensity of a live show.

At times the inspiration feels specific, like an influential character ("Many Mansions"), a location ("Haymarket") or a past experience ("Ought Damn"). At other times the feeling is abstract, something so mundane it is overlooked, such as a cat running out of a house ("Cat Whisker"). "One minute you're running down the street with your dog, the next minute you're lifting off the ground," describes Lopes, he continues "Songs are fleeting. Flowers are like that, too. What causes a daisy to push through the cracks of a sidewalk? I don't know." I don't know either. But we might as well examine it. There is no limit to what the universe can teach us both inward and outwards, it just keeps going. Process and context aside, Species stands comfortably on two legs of songwriting and compositional merit, as for worlds shifting in to new worlds, ill let you decide. 8.9

Ipoa Moea - Many Mansions

reviewed by Mohamed El-Darwish RADIATOR COLLECTIVE 2012

Smooth Lenny - Moonbeach Girl

Smooth Lenny's birthday was last sunday, happy late 70th-ish birthday Lenny! what a gift it is that your still with us.

A new compilation from the legend himself (67-70) will be featured on this blog very soon.

Phillip R. Tarr - Someone Hurt Me So Bad

Check out the first song off Mess Folk frontman Phillip R. Tarr's new album "Philip Tarr Sings The Blues 2"

"this song is dedicated to all the people who have suffered rape or sexual assault in their lives. stay strong!"_Phillip R. Tarr

Cheif Thundercloud to play OBEY Covention V

OBEY is known as one of the world's best 3-day, underground music showcases. All the performers will most likely be a compelling experience, but this year its got a bunch of familiar faces in the line up. If you're in Halifax between May 31st - June 2nd, make sure to check out Chief Thundercloud's set. As well as Shearing Pinx, Transfixed, Heather Rappard, Jerry Granelli, Catbag and Weird Canada. If you're not in town and are a fan of DIY and adjective-punk then try to make it out, because it doesn't really get much better than this. All events will take place at Halifax's premiere artist run spaces—The Khyber Centre for the Arts, The Bus Stop Theatre, 1313, and Lost & Found. check the links below to all the performing bands below, and purchase your festival pass here.

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ERIC COPELAND • BLOODSHOT BILL • GARY WAR • BILL ORCUTT • THE PINK NOISE
JERRY GRANELLI • SHEARING PINX FEEL ALRIGHT • THE SOUPCANS
TORSO • J FM • YOU'LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN • RANDOM CUTS
• HUSBAND & KNIFE • TRANSFIXED • CATBAG • HEATHER RAPPARD
GUILT • CHIEF THUNDERCLOUD • CROSSS • JAY CROCKER • WOLFCOW • MONOMYTH
STRONG BOSS • OLD & WEIRD • SPACEANDTIME & FRANKIE • ROBERT DRISDELLE
JAMES GAUVREAU • JACQUELINE LACHANCE
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Ot Damn! - Dinosaur

Ot Damn! released a single album "Lazerands" and then faded into the past, but behind the scenes they had recording several additional songs for a split record that i believe went unreleased. Here are a couple tracks from this split.

Ot Damn! - Dinosaur

Ot Damn! - Lay In The Floor Bed

Smooth Lenny - Sugar Sweets, Lenny Go Home

Here's a couple tracks off Smooth Lenny's "Black Cherry". Poor Lenny... they stuffed him full o' ice cream. If your wondering how to get these tracks onto your hard drive for free, just right click the link and "save link as". you can do this on other music blogs as well. go forth and fill your iPods.

Smooth Lenny - Sugar Sweets

Smooth Lenny - Lenny Go Home

Washboard Deluxe

Our friends at Washboard Deluxe just lauched a blog dedicated to whatever the fuck they feel like, which at the moment appears to be humorous doodles. check it out at Washboarddeluxe.com and leave many comments or your crops won't grow.

Ipomoea loves Mark Sheehan

"We love Mark Sheehan. We would play any show he booked. Even Rick Santorum's Family Values Festival"

_Thom Lopes, Ipomoea
via the Valley Advocate

Radiator Reviews: Thickly Painted Walls - Napkin III

Im totally biased. For some reason when I hear an album that makes me immediately consider turning down the volume I have to feel like its holding a giant middle finger right in the nose of popular culture. Such is the feeling with TPW's Napkin III. This random glob of sound sound sounds like rock and roll to me. Its nostalgic in the way it brings me back to only a few short years ago when all i wanted to do with my music was to have fun and offend people. I've said this before about scribbler, but Thickly painted walls is the kind of thing that will make all the wrong people run to cover their ears, while leaving all the right people left listening closely for what comes next. And lo-fi will always have a special place in my heart. Not to say the production doesn't pay keen attention to detail. Its a production that you wouldn't hardly notice as it is refreshingly ingenuitive (listen to the track "Video"). Odd loops, broken samples, crazy stereo traveling, jumping from disjuncted idea to idea. Canadian musicians like Thickly Painted's Stephen Fredrick Walz have a knack for re-inventing instruments whose traditional roles have been etched into the very nature of their usage by the sheer force of time. I guess another way to explain it would be "perfectly-out-of-tune". Just wait until the intro of "Sweater superficial and Unnofficial" makes you shit your pants. although "sweater" is also the first track that leaves a little more to be desired in terms of melody. I love the completely random pirate radio breaks that are sprinkled throughout with some traditional noise tracks ("Nosie") mixed in.

I first heard of Thickly painted walls through the track Metal as well as their many distinctively confusing videos and sounds. I didn't really know how to feel about them at the time. Which is probably why I enjoy this album so much right now, I had no idea that this band, which I believed to be primarily a noise band, was capable of such charmingly organic tunes as "pulling out my hair". I guess the last thing I would ask about this album is "does it have replayability?" to which the short answer is yes. The long answer is that this album can make you feel any range of dissastifaction or enjoyment. You don't have to be deep to enjoy it, but I feel this album has more appeal to people who particularly love sounds in general as opposed to merely music. 7.3



reviewed by Mohamed El-Darwish RADIATOR COLLECTIVE 2012

Entire Scribbler Discography

People of Earth, it is time to go Nuts! Scribbler has released it's entire discography for streaming on Bandcamp. Not to mention PRUSSIA and BACKITUS have been re-MASTERED!!! Not to mention scribbler has a not-so new line-up that includes original drummer Franc Lopes and Bassist Amy V working on a new record at the echo chamber in halifax, but probably not rushing it seeing as they just released a massive catalog. Yeah I'd say it's pretty good day for Earth. Make sure you check out Backitus. Everything is available for download and streaming.