At this point, pop punk is old enough that nostalgic feelings have manifested in many 90′s children who are currently making music. Being There combines Blink 182 style guitar hooks and instrumentation with twee poppy vocals in a manner that despite being unforeseen, meshes seamlessly. I don’t know much about this British group beyond the fact that their Bandcamp features two of the most fitting early summer tunes I’ve encountered this month. “Tomorrow” is the kind of song that is most appropriately described as being the kind of song that one can’t help but tap his or her foot along with. Interestingly, the guitar tone screams Yuck, and while not being original, it’s more appetizing and pleasant in this setting. Being There has a lot of potential, especially with the ever growing 90′s revival scene.

Tomorrow – Being There

Night Runner is one of the strangest song I’ve ever encountered but it still remains many elements of a traditional pop song.The Tom Waits style vocals over instrumentation that is reminiscent of everything about Ariel Pink that an extension of the work of R. Stevie Moore makes for a chilling ambiance. The guitar feels like it’s out of an early 90′s infomercial and the synth-bass line that’s introduced with the first chorus is cinematic at the least. The song feels short, but appropriately so.

Night Runner- Honeydrum

THANK YOU to the 100 plus of you that came out and helped us raise over 350 dollars! Also, of course, thank you to Steppe People, Dream Boys, Wide Streets and Moses Campbell for warming all of our hearts.

Much Love,

Islander

We’re very excited to let you all know that on December 7th, Stuck On An Island is putting on a benefit for Hurricane Sandy. Moses Campbell, Wide Streets, Dream Boys, and Steppe People will be playing. Kyle Mabson will be DJing. It’ll be at pehrspace (325 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90026), starting at 9:00 pm. It will be a lot of fun. See you all there!

The story of Forever Amber’s The Love Cycle is as charmingly curious as the album itself. The only thing people seem to agree on about the production of the album is that a British six-piece recorded it in 1966 and that only ninety-nine copies were pressed. Apparently, the limited release was the product of a tax scam, but again, the details are fuzzy. The album itself is all over the place, featuring a handful of lead singers and following a disjointed narrative about a couple falling in love, but a few of songs are very impressive. “Bits of Your Life, Bits of My Life” is one of the most delightful tracks I’ve encountered in a while. The simple, snare only, drum part provides the backbone for an even simpler vocal melody that is closely escorted by an organ and light guitar. The vocals stand somewhere between Colin Blunstone and Richie Furay, but without the preachy qualities that they occasionally present. What makes the song so powerful is how much you trust the lyrically understated love the song discusses. The song fits all of the longing joy of admiration into an almost perfect two and a half minute package.

Bits of Your Life, Bits of My Life – Forever Amber

Over the past decade, bands like the Black Lips, Nobunny and The Fresh & Onlys have open the floodgates for a number of psychedelic garage groups. A number of really groups, most notably FIDLAR (check out our interview with them HERE), have proven that the sloppier and more ambient and clustered, the better. Twin Steps, an Oakland four piece, takes this to a heightened level. Their usage of crinkled samples, disjointed harmonies, intertwining guitar parts and minimalist atmosphere provides a loose air perfectly embodies this sloppy rapture. Where they differ from the rest of this scene is in their song writing. While most groups took aesthetic cues from Phil Spector, Twin Steps seem deeply influenced by the descending soul-ridden melodies that were typical of songs he produced. The opener of “Serial Parade,” released this past April, Wave of My Emotion, is their strongest piece. The opening guitar line sets a danceable tempo, and the swung drums set a mellow tone. It’s a fun song by a band that seems to be pushing a genre that was on the verge of becoming hackneyed and lifeless in an exciting new direction.

Wave of My Emotion – Twin Steps

On first listening, “Don’t Touch Me” is fundamentally reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney. From its snaking yet rhythmic guitars, to the vocals that are somehow both tribal and vulnerable without seeming insincere, it feels like something off of Dig Me Out. But DQU, short for Dairy Queen Empire, predate Sleater-Kinney by eight years and this song predates them by a few months. The song’s intro is surprisingly reminiscent, in a backwards way, of bands like Beach Fossils and Real Estate, but as the song builds and subsequently gets more aggressive, it develops a sort of unrestrained quality that doesn’t feel at all short of being meticulously planned out.

Don’t Touch Me – DQE

Red Drapes are an english group that are interesting. After looking at their myspace, it is clear that they are doing everything in their power to get their name out there, and they might be worth taking notice of. Reflection is one of the most produced tracks that The Islander has come across recently. It isn’t a negative quality, but something about that facet of the song required some getting over on my part. Once I got past that, the song turned into something totally enjoyable. The vocals are very sturdy, and stand up to the reverb filled baking jam very well. The Islander can’t help but be reminded of Interpol, but again this isn’t a bad thing at all. Red Drapes have a very fun sound, and hopefully more will be seen of them.

Reflection – Red Drapes

Jack Cooper is slowly becoming a name worth knowing. He runs Suffering Jukebox (a record label), and plays in one of the most inspired and interesting bands currently around; Mazes. Both Former Bullies and Milk Maid are signed to Suffering Jukebox, and the fact that the label focuses on regional Manchester bands is charming in a throwback kind of way. As a vocalist, Jack Cooper has a style that is kind of like if Steve Mariott and Roger McGuinn had a child. Their newest track, “Go-Betweens” starts out as an almost jangly garage-pop tune. The verse is really easy on the ears, and listening to it is an extremely pleasant experience. For some reason I can’t help but smile when I hear it. This is contrasted by the song’s second part, which is louder. While I personally don’t enjoy this part as much, it compliments the softer verse by highlighting how calming it is. Overall, “Go-Betweens” is like a good snack. It’s hard to explain why it’s so good, but once you are eating it, it’s hard to stop (Wheat Thins).

Go-Betweens – Mazes

I’m turning into is an example of when simple, unassuming parts come together to become something noteworthy. “I’m going” a love song, but it isn’t convoluted in the slightest. The simplicity of the guitar tone accents the subtleties of the part. The energy in the pre-chorus builds to a fuller sounding chorus. The guitar solo is un-obnoxious and fits in the song perfectly and the vocals sit naturally on top the instrumentation. Their E.P, theep, is palatable all the way through, and the earnest nature of I’m turning into is refreshing and exciting.

I’m going – I’m turning into