Reviewed :: Guillermo Sexo - Dark Spring

Growing up in the suburbs of Boston and having an older brother who thankfully had a keen interest in making sure I was educated on the happenings of the Boston music scene, left a big impression in my formidable years. Seminal records from bands such as The Neighborhoods, Gang Green, and The Outlets just to name a few, were etched into my brain and those albums and this scene remain important to me. So, it's thrilling to find it in it's current thriving state, arguably like never before with a rich and expansive collection of musicians in several different splinter scenes once again making important music. From Allston to Brighton to Somerville there is an extensive amount of talented bands who have solidified Boston as one of the most important music city's of the moment, perhaps none more so than Cambridge's Guillermo Sexo.

Over the better part of a decade Guillermo Sexo have issued an impressive collection of material that expertly marries, psych, shoegaze and dream pop. For those paying attention, those releases found the band successfully pushing their sound to new and exciting places and on their Midriff Records  debut full length, Dark Spring the quartet of Reuben Bettsak, Noell Dorsey, Elliot Anderson, and Ryan Connolly continue that tradition while expanding their sonic palate with elements of British folk and cacophonous noise rock, which may explain why Dark Spring captivating listen from start to finish. One of the strengths of this album is Guillermo Sexo's ability to exhibits both subtlety and restraint a midst some of the bands more complex and raucous material. The LP opens with All Whispers, a moody guitar pop track that features Noell Dorsey delivering a strong brooding vocal while the rest of the band provides whirling guitar fuzz and throbbing rhythms. The way Reuben Bettsak and Dorsey's vocals combine and harmonize throughout the album only adds to this records varied and captivating tapestry, this is showcased on my current obsession of this LP, the discordant and explosive Carried A Golden Heart. If the lo-fi Brit Folk of Moonlight Sparrows is the curve ball of the record , then maybe I can finally hit a curve, this track wouldn't sound out off place next to anything on GBV's Alien Lanes and that's a high compliment in around here. The truth of the matter is that on any given day I could write this review and have no problem highlight three or four other songs, which speaks to the quality of this album, I believe that's because Dark Spring is an impeccable rock record that requires your attention and Guillermo Sexo is a band poised on something substantial and this record proves that in spades.

Tonight Guillermo Sexo will celebrate the release of Dark Spring at The Middle East along with Marconi (last show), Boggie Boy Metal Mouth, and Doze. Check the FB event page for the deets.

Radio Session:: A Live Performance & Conversation with Slowdim

Last week Slowdim's Paul Sentz and Ana Karina DaCosta joined us on 95.9 FM WATD's The Alternative with Chris Atwood for a couple local craft brews and to discuss all things Slowdim as well as our Summer Fades show. Paul and Karina treated us to three songs off of their exemplary self titled debut LP, which included a compelling reworking of Wishing Well for the Mandolin. The band is in the early stages of planning the release of an EP and will be playing a couple of Boston area shows at the end of the month.

8/30/2013
Slowdim Live In Studio Performance
95.9 FM WATD's The Alternative
+Up Stream
+Wishing Well
+Birds

Tonight: The Ash Gray Proclamation Proudly Present Summer Fades

Tonight we welcome the approaching autumn equinox with Summer Fades, A Free Boston Music Showcase in the heart of downtown Plymouth to celebrate those warm days in the surf, late afternoon cookouts and look onward to crisp leaf covered mornings with cornstalks propped up in the front yard, but most of all with Summer Fades we celebrate the fertile Boston Music scene in the shadows of the Mayflower II.

The night will kick of with a Sneak Preview of Dark Spring the highly anticipated and forthcoming album from Boston's dream psych outfit, Guillermo Sexo. The LP will be released by Midriff Records on September 24th, but tonight we get to play you all 11 tracks for you and we are expecting a visit from a member or two from Guillermo Sexo to stop in for this special album screening. From there you can anticipate Live sets from three of Boston's best and brightest, including the muscular indie pop of Slowdim, the intelligent noise pop of Eldridge Rodriguez, and the euphoric psych drone blues of The New Highway Hymnal. Summer Fades is a free event and sponsored by Cisco Brewers of Nantucket. So grab the car keys, a friend or two, a fall favorite, perhaps Galaxie 500 or Yo La Tengo and point that vehicle to Plymouth, skip The Plantation and go straight to The New World Tavern at 56 Main Street in Historic Plymouth, as we watch and listen as Summer Fades.