Heave Media

Your Listening Pleasure

We give you some songs - you listen to them

The Weakerthans - Sun In An Empty Room [mp3] The Winnipeg-based indie/folk/alt-country/punk band returns with their 4th album Reunion Tour, which continues in the same, mostly mellow vein as their previous release, Reconstruction Site. "Sun In An Empty Room" is the most immediately catchy track on the album. It starts off with some mellow, country/folk tinged guitar noodling, with the snare beating on the 1 and 3, as John K. Samson's distinctive half-sung/half-spoken high-pitched vocals guide the song through a tale of moving out of an apartment, while the melody perfectly captures the nostalgia and the somber memories left behind.

Samson reminds us why he is one of the best lyricists in music today, vividly painting a portrait of a move, but it's not until the chorus when he implies something deeper than the surface - "take this moment to decide/ if we meant it, if we tried, or felt around for far too much/ from things that accidentally touched" - the lyrics alternating with "sun in an empty room" sung in the background by the rest of the band. Overall, this song will delight old Weakerthans fans, as well as those who are unfamiliar with their work who don't mind having a pinch of introspection with their rock music.

Reunion Tour comes out on September 23rd on Anti- Records.

Animal Collective - Peacebone [mp3] Animal Collective is probably the only band whose name accurately describes their sound - rapturous chaotic hissing and screaming of god-only-knows what effect pedals and drugs. Props should be given to these guys for being one of the few bands around doing something remotely original, while still remaining listenable and enjoyable to the causal music fan.

The only way I can think of to really describe this song is that it sounds like a cacophony of a jungle sounds reinterpreted through guitar amps and keyboard squeals, all to a 3/4 time signature. For the life of me, I can't figure out what a "Peacebone" is supposed to be, but I think that's beside the point.

The stand-alone "Peacebone" single is out, while the upcoming full-length, Strawberry Jam, will come out September 10th on Domino Records.

Pinback - From Nothing To Nowhere [mp3] San Diego-based Pinback's new single, "From Nothing To Nowhere" is a dynamic, almost mathy-sounding song, reminiscent of Fugazi or Drive Like Jehu, except with a softer feel, due in part to the dual upbeat vocals of the band's core members, Rob Crow and Zach Smith. With the continual chanting of "Ray-Vision" and the alternating between singing together and overlapping, "From Nothing To Nowhere" maintains a pop sensibility, amidst the unconventional melodies and bass lines.

Pinback's latest album, Autumn of the Seraphs, will be released on Touch and Go on September 11th.

Posted by Jason Prechtel on Aug 27, 2007 @ 12:00 am