A Note from the Turtle Shell: Eagles, Growlers, and Felonious Kissers

Thought I'd take a minute in the wake of the latest craziness in the news (what is this one about? Who said what? Did someone get fired? Insulted? Deported? You don't know -- that's how much fun we're having!) to drop a few discoveries on you.  I've been living like a hermit lately in a desperate attempt to avoid engaging with the dumbfuckery outside my door, and to pass the time I've been hunting for new tunes as my music, as with most else around me, has been annoying me.  I've been going back to simpler times, re-listening to a bunch of old bands I was obsessed with in my youth -- the Smiths, the Replacements, Radiohead and Elliott B-sides, I've even channeled my inner Dude and been rocking deep cuts of CCR -- in an effort to recapture a little glow.  I've also dug around on some modern bands and these three have given a glimmer of hope, so wanted to share.

First up is the side project of Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen, Department of Eagles, which I stumbled on as I was looking for any indication that band might be coming back soon (and it sounds like they might -- they thankfully dropped a new single a few days ago...) The albums are somewhat hit or miss, but the one that resonated best was the odds and sods Archive: 2003-2006, which sounds like a lost Grizzly outing on several of the tracks. (Which makes sense since Rossen joined the band around that time, the voice and sound showcased here snapping perfectly in with that outfit's aesthetic.)  Rossen's voice remains a beauty, at turns ethereal, weary, and warm, and it's the constant across the album's better tracks -- the stately "Deadly Disclosure" and "Grand Army Plaza," or the taut "Brightest Minds" and "Flip."  "While We're Young" is a cut above the rest, sounding like a Veckatimest castaway -- swirling vocals, shuffling drums, bright guitars.  It's a great listen -- check it out here:



Next up is the fourth album from California's The Growlers, City Club, which was produced by Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas.  You can feel his influence throughout as his obsession (and almost every band's these days, it seems) with the 80s continues unabated, as gauzy guitar and synth swirls round out the band's normal surfer vibe.  It works pretty well, despite how it sounds on paper -- frontman Brooks Nielsen still sounds like he's singing with a mouth full of seawater, but the hooks and melodies are strong enough to surpass any murky vocals/lyrics. The title track and "Night Ride" sound like late night lounge act fare, while others sound like homages to their influences, be they the Police ("Dope on a Rope"), the Strokes ("Too Many Times"), or 60s surf bands from their hometown ("The Daisy Chain," "World Unglued"). It's a little disjointed and long by the end, but works well in bits.  I particularly like the second track, "I'll Be Around," with its loafing bass, call and response vocals, and plinky guitar riffs -- check it out here:



Last up is the debut from Kissing Is A Crime, who I discovered in the midst of a bourbon-fueled late night buying binge and gave a listen based on the name.  And I'm glad I did -- despite some clunky lyrics/songs ("Noise at Night," "You Would Never Understand") there's some really good tunes on here.  Waffling between shimmery 80s style indie ("Permanent Damages," "Sheila's Gone," "Crown Royal") and more poppier fare ("You Make Me Shatter," "Someone Who Needs No One"), frontman Matt Molnar and Co show some really nice guitar work in the songs.  Bright melodies, meandering riffs, and echoey vocals all swirl together to create a nice retro feel.  Lead track "Nervous Conditions" gets things off on the right foot, building the aforementioned elements to satisfying release in the choruses before tearing it down and doing it over again.  It's a solid track on a decent debut -- worth keeping an eye on these guys going forward.  Check it:



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We'll close with a freebie, the infectious protest song "I Give You Power" by Arcade Fire, which has soul matron Mavis Staples thrown in for good measure.  It's a winning mixture -- from the ominous murk of the intro, with its bleeps and bloops bubbling out of the growling bass and frontman Win Butler saying "I gave you power" over and over, the song takes off nearly a minute in and doesn't look back.  Mavis serves as Butler's echo, singing lines back at him with increasing venom, and by the song's end she's practically growling at him -- "I gave you power, but now I say, I gave you power, I can take it away," with her hissed "WATCH ME"s serving as a convincing threat come the conclusion.  Hearing Arcade Fire dropped a protest song made me cringe initially, thanks to their customary pretentiousness of late, but maybe this is just the right antidote for the times we're living in -- pretentious alt-rockers taking swings at pretentious Presidents. It's like Mar-a-lago trust fund brats getting into a tiff over whose Bentley is more luxurious -- only they speak the same language, so only their words have the power to cut.  If that's the case, then bring it on -- we need a whole lot more where this is coming from...