Need to Know: 1000 Robota

Most days you roll out of bed not expecting anything out of the ordinary. Most days you're right. This is not that day.

I was doing a bit of routine Myspace wankery -- clicking and reading and listening to friends of friends of friends' profiles. And I happened upon a band profile whose music shot electrodes through my headphones, down my aural passages and into the pit of my heart.

Hamburg post-punkers 1000 Robota are to blame. They mix sharp melodies and staccatoed percussion with intense German vocals for a truly enthralling sound. I have no idea what they're singing about, yet every song is curiously hypnotic.

Somewhat shockingly, the band is helmed by 17 year olds Jonas Hinnerkort and Sebastian Muxfeldt, and 18 year old Anton Speilmann. That the trio has already carved a sound so particular, and plays it with such confidence, surely foreshadows great things to come.

They've just released a five-track EP, Hamburg Brennt, on Tapete Records. The title track is as catchy as it is manic, speeding furiously for two minutes before coming to an abrupt halt. "Sachen Erleben" is another gem, especially intriguing for its complex arrangement and dark bass line.

The end track is a cover of "Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt," originally by early 80s German avant-rock/post-punk/dadaist rock band Palais Schaumburg. It is basically a contemporary take on the song, minus the details (no trumpet!) that make the original so damn cool. Still, it's a decent track, and I always get the warm fuzzies when bands pay tribute to their ancient influences.

Highly recommended.


Hamburg brennt - 1000 Robota


For fans of: Palais Schaumburg, Electricity in Our Homes, Nelson, Wire, Gang of Four.

www.myspace.com/1000robota

An Evening of Confectioned Revelry with teletextile

Mmm. I love cake. I love the Cake Shop. The brilliance of bringing together pastries, old vinyl and hard liquor is quite on par with the invention of motion pictures and the Internet. Well, almost.

On Saturday night, the Cake Shop added chamber rock group teletextile to their list of goodies. The band's characteristic lush arrangements and Pamela Martinez's indulgent vocals proved to be a smart addition to the line-up.

To get to the dungeon-dark basement of the Cake Shop, one must descend a steep, concrete stairwell. Inside, the room thumps to a grittier vibe than the cheery pastry and music shop above it. The spare room is dotted haphazardly with seating against one side of the wall and a bar on its opposite. The only lighting comes from the glowing red of the bar with its transmogrified, faux fireplace log sconces, and on the stage, where dozens of white Christmas lights illuminate the band from above, casting weird shadows.

As if playing on those shadows, teletextile opens their set with a hypnotic hum of synths before launching into "Ampm Two." The song is long familiar to me now, but the band plays it enthusiastically -- hungrily, almost, and the deep reverb of bass and drums pulses inside me and I'm hooked. Martinez's live vocals are as crisp and soul-shaking as her production vocals; a too-rare occurance in today's era of studio polish so thick even bad vocals can be transfigured into mediocrity.

"Heartquaker" and "Girl" followed suit, with the version of the former being especially energized and spectacular. Changing it up on the fly, teletextile then banged out a cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence." Despite Martinez's claims that she didn't know the keyboard part, nothing seemed out of place musically, and it was a fun way to lighten the atmosphere. Still, it lacked the intense spark of their original stuff, and I would have preferred to hear another original in its place.

The next song more than made up for it, however. "Gesso" was a delightful surprise, as I had not heard it before. Lyrically rich and intriguing, it is probably their most pop-oriented, radio-friendly song. This was the highlight of the show for me, because I wasn't expecting it and because the melody is just so damn enchanting.

As shows at the Cake Shop are apt to be, this was a short one. "Distant Places" closed the set as the sixth and final song. Its steady climb to an eventual eruption of lyrics and sound was a perfect closer to a well-rounded set.

On the whole, none of the songs were black spots, but the Depeche Mode cover was a disappointment simply because I almost always prefer to hear original works before covers. I do realize, however, most people like an upbeat atmosphere during shows -- and the crowd seemed to enjoy it, after all.

teletextile are working on two new songs after a creative explosion ripped through their practice session the other day. They were so new, Martinez said, that they weren't ready for debut Saturday night. Perhaps they will be ready for their next New York show on March 19, at Brooklyn's Trash Bar. Fingers crossed . . .

Sample MP3s:

- Gesso
- Ampm Two



www.myspace.com/teletextile

Need to Know: Teletextile

Playing Saturday, March 8th @ the Cake Shop! 8pm Sharp!

This Brooklyn quartet plays lush chamber rock and uses lead singer Pamela Martinez's unique vocals and penchant for clever arrangements to create a sound both timeless and totally different than anything you've heard. The band's minimalist-to-indulgent musical arrangements provide the perfect playground for Martinez's vocals to regale emotion, whether climbing to an epic peak or snaking softly through layers of piano, violin, guitar, beats, harps and accordians.

Teletextile self-released their debut album, Care Package, in 2006, garnering comparisons to Sigur Ros and Bjork -- a reviewer from the Boston Phoenix even went so far as to call Martinez "the American Bjork." If forced to compare them to their musical contemporaries, elements of Final Fantasy, Eluvium, Dresden Dolls and, yes, Bjork, are apparent. Still, the end result is much more than an amalgamation of borrowed parts:

Perhaps their best song, "AMPM 2" is a brilliant track that will probably go unnoticed by a large percentage of the population because of its complexity. The vocal arrangement is complicated and can be difficult to grasp initially. At the same time, this is what makes the song so intriguing. The elegantly swaying melody, layered with repeating noises and clicks, sewn together loosely with sharp bursts of violin, neither overwhelms the vocals, nor loses its relevance alongside the complex vocal arrangement. It provides instead the perfect background for a reflective soliloquy, which is ultimately the vibe "AMPM 2" harnesses; this song would not be out of place in a new Broadway show.

"Safer in a Down One" is like an ode to Eluvium with its gentle build up of piano over a steady hum of strings and white noise. It fades into "Safer in a Down Two," keeping the same mood musically, but adding Martinez's fervent vocals for an arresting three minutes of song.

At the moment, Teletextile is working on new material for a follow-up and touring like mad. This Saturday night, in fact, they're playing the Cake Shop on the Lower East Side, alongside indie-pop veteran School of Language (David Brewis of the now-defunct Field Music). I'll be there to do a live review, so stop by and check them out if Teletextile sounds like something you'd dig.

If you haven't been to the Cake Shop yet, I can't recommend it highly enough. Part pastry cafe, part music shop, part live music venue with a fully-stocked bar. It caters mostly to local indie rock bands, and is open until the wee hours of the morning. Jesus. What else could you need on a weekend?


***

www.teletextile.com

www.myspace.com/teletextile


"AMPM 2" video:

Hatcham Social's "So So Happy Making"

I thought the peak of tweedom had been reached when I heard "Penelope (Under My Hat)." Then I listened to "So So Happy Making," and my ears bled tulips and I felt compelled to hug everyone I met and call them "sweetness." Fortunately, I was able to counteract that moment of deviance and settle back into my normal mindset by listening to Magazine's "Permafrost" immediately afterwards.

Not that "So So Happy Making" is a bad song. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jangly guitars, sparkling melodies and strategically-used xylophones make this great fun to listen to. Possible twee side-effects are effectively diminished by the single's b-side, "Berlin," a bass-driven song with enough attitude to blacken even the most colorful of flowers.

Hatcham Social are officially hugely important in music's current state of affairs. Expectancy compounds with each release the band offers, and so far their irrepressible pop sensibilities and intelligent lyrics have yet to disappoint. Their b-sides are better than most band's bread and butter songs. Enjoy their steady climb toward a full-length release, there may not be another like it for a long time.

***

Purchase the "So So Happy Making" single with "Berlin" b-side from Loog Records.

Watch the video:



www.hatchamsocial.co.uk

www.myspace.com/hatchamsocial

Mystery Jets Woo With "Young Love"

Mystery Jets have released the video of their upcoming single, "Young Love," specifically to coincide with Valentine's Day. The track, featuring guest vocals from folk rocker Laura Marling, is the first official single for the Jets' sophomore album Twenty One, due out this spring (end of April, perhaps?)

"Young Love" will be released on CD/7" on March 5th. Pre-ordering the value bundle will net you all three formats (CD, two different vinyls), plus the gatefold vinyl will be autographed by the band. All for £4. That's a steal, folks. I just got mine, in fact . . .


Tracklistings:

CD - Young Love/Uber Liebe Geld (Flakes Dictaphone Demo)

7" Gatefold - Young Love/Metal Soul

7" Standard - Young Love (Shoes Remix)/Girl Shaped Gun


I'll have a proper review for the single closer to the release date. In the meantime, enjoy the visually-intriguing video:

www.mysteryjets.com

www.myspace.com/mysteryjets

iLiKETRAiNS I do I do I do . . .

"We Go Hunting," the latest single from iLiKETRAiNS' brilliant album Elegies to Lessons Learnt, is the most musically upbeat and pop-ish track from that record. But this, of course, is a bit like saying Linda Kasabian was the happiest and most well-adjusted member of the Manson Family since she only drove the getaway car and didn't really mean to kill anyone. (Side note: She didn't technically kill anyone, just watched.)

Despite a somewhat airier sound than the other tracks, the opening lyric on "We Go Hunting" sets the tone: "I curse the day I ever set foot in this god-forsaken town." And the rest of the song goes on to talk about Samuel Parris, a Puritan minister during the Salem Witch Trials (and morally-incongruent father and uncle to two of the child accusers).

iLiKETRAiNS don't make the mistake Parris did with simplistic, black and white thinking, however. "We Go Hunting" is an empathetic portrayal: a father truly worried about his daughter resorting to the only method he thinks will save her. Conquer the demons before they conquer you.

All of this translates into a taut yet thunderous and haunting song. More than that, however, "We Go Hunting," like so many of iLiKETRAiNS' songs, highlights the tenuous relationship between fear and morality, between authenticity and cardboard selves. Man versus His Own Nature is perhaps the most critical conflict of all, for what could a man hope to accomplish when he himself is mis-aligned? But then it is probably more complex than that . . .

View a timeline and read more about the people and events in iLiKETRAiNS' songs here.

www.myspace.com/iliketrains

www.iliketrains.co.uk

**Edit to post: Silly me, I just now have found out this single release has been pushed back to April 21, to coincide with the band's European tour. Alas. I shall leave this up and repost around that time.

Deerhunter Side Projects (Free Downloads!)

The front-men of Atlantan super-indie bands Deerhunter and the Black Lips have formed a new project together called Ghetto Cross. Bradford Cox (Deerhunter) and Cole Alexander (Black Lips) had talked about collaborating before, and decided to put the idea into production last month.

Ghetto Cross' first release will be the single "Dog Years," on 7" by England's Drug Racer Records. Cox wants to complete recording before Atlas Sound's upcoming tour (more on that below), which begins Feb. 16th. A rough version of "Dog Years" was recorded two weeks ago on Jan. 26th. Listen to it here.

Meanwhile, Bradford Cox's solo project, Atlas Sound, gears up for its debut album's release on February 19th. The album, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, features 14 songs which, according to Cox, don't quite fit into Deerhunter's sound. Want to preview that sound for yourself? No need to wait for the album, Cox has posted the Orange Ohms Glow EP on Deerhunter's blog for free downloading.

Recorded just a few days ago from Feb. 2nd - 5th, the EP contains none of the songs From the upcoming album. Stand-out tracks include "Activation" and "Coriander," which Cox says is an "attempt at making a Casino Versus Japan song." While it doesn't sound like Casino Versus Japan, it is an excellent Atlas Sound song. The final song of the album is an interesting take on "Valley of the Saroos," originally by Joe Meek and the Blue Men. Atlas Sound trades in the glassy starkness of the original for a richly warm sound that feels more spaghetti western than it does sci-fi.

www.myspace.com/bradfordcox

http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com/