This Weeks Short Bursts :: Memory Drawings, Krill

Memory Drawings is the new project from erstwhile Hood/The Declining Winter multi-instrumentalist, Richard Adams. Our loyal readers may recall us proclaiming our love for all things Hood on several occasions, most notable in out Closing Out The Decade segment back in 09" where we gushed about the powers of the bands high water mark, Cold House. So any time we catch wind of activity from one of Hoods founding members we perk up and listen. Aided by Lanterns violinist, Sarah Kemp, Dulcimer player Joel Hanson, and Rachael's Keyboardist, Rachael Grimes. The band debut long player, Music For Another Loss is a mostly instrumental affair, save for the second disc that features vocal contributions from Yvonne Bruner. The album features a strident mix of fireside folk with dark, seductive melancholy and powerful melodies. You can order Music For Another Loss via Norman Records.

Somerville's rising garage pop trio Krill will celebrate the release of their debut set, Alam No Hris tonight at The Bulgar Shack in Allston. Consisting of bassist/vocalist Jonah Furman, guitarist Aaron Ratoff, and drummer Luke Pyenson, Krill have delivered our current listening obsession over 13 tracks of intelligent and staggering jangle pop complete with Furman's warble that to our ears recalls a young Black Francis. Recorded in the basements of Sommerville, Krill have offered up the album as a free download over at their Bandcamp dojo. For more information on the CD Release check the FB event page.

Introducing: Peter Buzzelle & Soul Clinic Bible School

Founding member of the Pacific Northwest's Frequency dB, and Boston's formidable popsmith Peter Buzzelle delivered his sophomore set, Museum Of back in January, so it's criminal that it took us this long to get around to writing about it. Better late than never, I suppose. Museum Of is full of Buzzelle's astute and catchy as hell power pop, and at times it reminds us of the finest moments in the aforementioned genre such as The Posies' Frosting On The Beater, Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend, and Big Star's landmark #1 Record, while creating something engaging, original, and completely addicting. Peter recorded Museum Of at End Of The World Studios in Los Angeles with former Bostonian and Helicopter Helicopter/ Hello Dragon fronter Chris Zerby and at home in Jamaica Plain. The album's centerpiece, Nothing Can Break Me is damn near perfect, filled with heartbreak, defiance, and hope with a chorus that soars and sticks with you long after it's reached 3:38 running time. It's O.K. to play twice in fact we recommend you do so.


Peter Buzzelle and Soul Clinic Bible School will play Radio on Friday May 25th with Varsity Drag, BirdsMakeBirds, and Black Forests Of Opium.

Reviewed :: Robert Pollard - Mouseman Cloud

We've been inactive for far too long and although life keeps coming at us at 100 miles per hour, so it would seem. We recently returned to The Ash Gray Proclamation HQ to restart the engines, our first order of business was to write about an album that's been between our ears over the past several weeks. On the heels of Guided By Voices' Lets Go Eat The Factory which marked the recorded return of GBV's classic line up and album we wrote about here. It should surprise absolutely no one that Factory had been out for a mere 2 weeks before Robert Pollard announced that he would release the 17 track solo LP, Mouseman Cloud in the spring. Well, spring sprung and Pollard delivered the new set of inspired pop stomps and off kilter prog rock. The album kicks off with Obvious #1, a sparkling exercise and jangle pop, only giving way to one of the sets strongest tracks, Picnic Drums, complete with a reprise chorus, "come back, do you hear the wild oak crack", guaranteed to be stuck on your brain for at least 3 days. The prog tinged Mothers Milk and Magnets adds some depth to the set, with chugging guitars and interesting instrumentation courtesy of producer and frequent collaborator Todd Tobias. The albums strongest moments come along when Pollard is playing to his formidable strengths of writing engaging and inspired three minute pop songs which he seems to be able to do in his sleep. Like on Kid Marine's (1999) The Big Make-Over or Waved Out's (1998) People Are Leaving, Science Magazine manages to encompass melancholy, wit, and charm with a timeless and catchy as hell effect. Mouseman Cloud is destined to be glossed over due to the next GBV album coming down the pike, but discerning fans should spend time with the album eclectic and varied song cycle.
 

Plan Accordingly :: Future Carnivores Record Release Show | Tonight

Tonight we're thrilled to point you to another installment of Tiger Mountain at The Cambridge Elks Lodge in Central Square where you will find Boston's rising electronic pop outfit, Future Carnivores celebrating the release of their wholly wonderful, self titled debut LP. As if that wasn't enough to get you off the coach this formative bill also includes Travels, Velah, and Poor Everybody. Be there.

Short Bursts :: Mission Of Burma, Japandroids, & Sigur Rós

At long last, Boston's post punk legends, Mission Of Burma have new home for which to deliver their long awaited and completed 5th LP. On July 9th Burma will issue Unsound on London based Fire Records (Guided By Voices, Cardinal, Giant Sand). Dust Devil which you can hear below, is the first new track from the band since 2009's terrific, The Sound The Speed The Light and we think you'll agree it's well worth the three year wait, stunning live shows not withstanding.

Mission Of Burma have announced a few dates in advance of the album's release that will have them playing 3 shows in "The Show Me State".

04-04 St. Louis, MO - Firebird
04-05 Columbia, MO - Mojo's
04-06 Kansas City, MO - Middle of the Map Festival
05-18 Sevilla, Spain - Territorios Sevilla 2012

Vancouver's menacing noise duo, Japandroids are set to return with their follow up to 2009's smashing debut, Post-Nothing. On June 5th Japandroids will drop Celebration Rock via Polyvinyl Records as well as the advance single, The House That Heaven Built b/w Jack The Ripper (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds cover)on May 15th. Both releases can currently be pre-order at Polyvinyl. As per the norm Japandroids will tour extensively in support of their new set, which finds them returning to our city on June 26th for a show at Brighton Music Hall. Check the snarling A side to the bands new single, The House That Heaven Built where they proceed to deliver one of their finest tracks to date laced with endearing pop hooks.

Earlier this week Icelandic glacial pop merchants, Sigur Rós officially ended their indefinite hiatus with the announcement that they will release of their 6th LP, Valtari this spring, which in Icelandic means, Steamroller. Fronter Jonsi Birggison recently described his bands new album as "an avalanche in slow motion". The new electronic leaning album will be released on May 29th by XL and was produced by Birgisson and his partner and collaborator Alex Somers. Sigur Rós recentkly issued the album first single and video, Ekki Múkk. It's nearly eight minutes of ethereal beauty that reminds us of why we were drawn to Sigur Rós to begin with.

Valtari Track Listing:
01. Ég Anda
02. Ekki Múkk
03. Varúð
04. Rembihnútur
05. Dauðalogn
06. Varðeldur
07. Valtari
08. Fjögur Pianó

[Video] Ekki Múkk

Short Bursts :: A Classic Education

With last fall's Call It Blazing, Italy's jangle pop darlings, A Classic Education delivered a dreamy and wistful opus. The band captured our attention with their early singles and expertly filmed videos, but Call It Blazing finds A Classic Education on a new plain where they rub elbows and trade chords with Galaxie 500, Go-Betweens, and The Velvet Underground. The band just played a handful of shows at SXSW and according to our Austin , TX sources, they absolutely killed. A Classic Education have joined forces with Cloud Nothings for some dates that will bring them to The Brighton Music on March 25th with Boston's Dirty Dishes.

Check the swoon worthy video for Forever Boy below.

New Sounds Now :: Slowdim - Money

We thought long and hard about when we be able to return to these pages and get back to the business of The Ash Gray Proclamation. We won't bore you with the details of our unexpected hiatus, suffice to say the February was a fucked up month. [Ed..]

We're exceedingly pleased to be back and we couldn't find a better excuse to get back to work than the one that our friends and Boston pop stalwarts, Slowdim provided with the arrival of their new single. Last Friday the band celebrated the release of Money at The Pill/Great Scott. The track will be featured on the bands debut long player which they plan on recording over the next few months, with a late 2012 release date. The track continues the bands tradition of releasing lyrically rich and introspective pop songs, courtesy of the pen of fronter, Paul Sentz. The track is benefited by infectious guitar lines and a fetching back up vocal from Karina DeCosta.