Reviewed :: Ovlov - am

When I was introduced to Connecticut's fuzz pop concern, Ovlov a couple of summers ago it only took about 30 seconds into The Valley, the lead track of their terrific debut EP, WASGTC?, before I was hooked. A rare eureka moment that causes you to play the shit out a bands every recorded moment, tell your friends, and pseudo friends and really anyone who will listen of the existence of a band that must be heard. Earlier this month The Hartlett Brothers, Steve (guitar/vocals), Theo (drums), and Jon (bass), issued am, there hotly anticipated and completely satisfying debut full length via Exploding In Sound Records.

The LP kicks of with a combination of crashing guitar fuzz and sweet dual vocals courtesy of Steve Hartlett and Sadie Dupuis, that track is just one of four songs to feature vocals from the Speedy Ortiz fronter, the album also features three member of Grass Is Green, with GIG's Michael John Thomas III getting credited with the albums production. Throughout am the trio discharges an impressive collection of taught and distortion drenched pop song while making use of some 1990's indie touchstones such as Dinosaur Jr., and Blonde Redhead,  but as they exhibit on one of the albums standouts, Moth Rock Ovlov manage to create something unique and exciting yet instantly gratifying and familiar, a little like chatting with that old friend that introduced you to Silkworm in college. On tracks like Blue Baby and Where's My Dini? the trio display an penchant for delivering strong melodies and subtle hooks, albeit those ripe melodies and hooks are covered in multiple layers of dense fuzz, but that only lends to the albums varied and addictive landscape.

All and all, Ovlov manage to exceed expectations they set with WASGTC? and the Not The Same Without single, simply by displaying their strength for crafting material that is as precise as it is cathartic, not to mention an LP filled with 10 high caliber tracks all while burying the needles into the red.

This Weeks Short Burts :: Robert Pollard's Teenage Guitar, Ovlov, + Future Carnivores

Hot on the heels of the recently issued and might I add exceptional, English Little League from Guided By Voices and just a week after the announcement of the impending Robert Pollard solo release, Honey Locust Honkey Town comes Teenage Guitar a Pollard solo project that features appearances from GBV's Greg Demos and Joe Patterson. Teenage Guitar's Force Fields At Home features 18 tracks recorded at Pollards home studio using a historic mid-90s Tascam 488 cassette recorder. He wrote the lyrics while the music was composed spontaneously while the tape ran. According to the press release we can expect, "Experiments in spontaneity and lo-fi witchiness and wizardry, exploring multiple moods and styles". Teenage Guitar and Honey Locust Honkey Town will both be released on July 9th. Atlantic Cod finds Pollard in his natural habitat, recording a fuzzed up pop gem in the confines of his home. Teenage Guitar welcome to  my wheel house.
Teenage Guitar - Atlantic Cod via Stereogum

I seem to have developed a small problem in that I can't seem to stop playing the new Ovlov track, Blue Baby that the band recently posted to their bandcamp. It's not so much a problem than it is an obsession and one I probably won't be able to shake anytime soon. That track finds the brothers Hartlett delivering on the promise on their grunge infused 2011 EP, WASGATC? Blue Baby starts with a slow building chord progression before the Connecticut trio blast headlong into discordant guitar fuzz, head pounding rhythms, and subtle yet engaging hooks throughout the bands sprawling and flat out stunning new single. Ovlov will release their debut long player, am on July 2nd via Exploding In Sound Records, in the meantime they're currently in the middle of a tour of the northeast with Boston's Grass Is Green, not to be missed.


On Tuesday June 4th 6th Boston pop deconstructing sextet, Future Carnivores will release Come Inside the bands second full length and if the tracks they've been sharing over on their Soundcloud page are the slightest indication Future Carnivores have have just kicked the sophomore slump squarely in the teeth. With tracks like Blame Time and The Drugs She Fed You Last Night the song writing duo of Ruben Bettstak (Guillermo Sexo) and Bo Barringer (MEandJoanCollins) continue to expertly marry post-rock/post punk and shoegaze while pushing the bands sounds to new and captivating directions. Future Carnivores will celebrate the release of Come Inside on Thursday June 6th with a Record Release show at T.T.'s.

This Weeks Short Bursts :: Ovlov, Ringo Deathstarr, & Mass Solo Revolt

New Haven's noise pop heroes are coming! Ovlov are coming!
O.K., O.K., I'll calm down for a minute, but not for long, because ever since hearing the bands 2011 superlative EP, What's So Great About The City?, we've been waiting for a chance to hear these infectious and sleezy pop songs in a Live setting. Of course, we've had a few chances over the past year but we foolishly squandered those, but now it looks like (pardon the cliche) the planets are aligning in our favor. Recently, Chris Villon of our beloved Young Adults, reached out to Ovlov after one of the bands scheduled to perform with YA at Gay Gardens this Saturday was forced to drop off the bill. For more info on that show check out the FB event page. Ovlov will also return to Boston on January 28th for a show at O'Briens, before heading into the studio to record new material in February.


Austin, TX shoegaze titans, Ringo Deathstarr have donated a cover of Bad Brains', Sailing On to help raise funds for the family of Esme Barrera. Barrera an early fan of Ringo Deathstarr and an ardent supporter of Autin's vibrant music community was found murdered in her home on New Years Day. The band is asking it's fans to donate $1.00 to assist the Barrera family in the wake of this senseless tragedy.

Please go to: forouresmeb.blogspot.com to make a dontation. You will receive a high quality MP3 download of the new track.

Sailin' On by ElliottFrazier

When not running an ice cream shop in East Tawas, Michigan, Martin Brummeler writes and records fuzzy and melodic pop songs under the moniker Mass Solo Revolt. Recently Brummeler decided to jettison the full length record route and release his hook heavy, post-punk tracks at various states of completion to the interweb. Mass Solo Revolt are in cahoots with the excellent N.C. anti-label, No More Fake Labels, so we're hopeful that we may see a full length follow up to Bummelers 2009 set, Bend In Time at some point in the not too distant future. But for now, we're thrilled to have a new track from MSR. If It's Not Love, is a fatalist lo-fi anthem, that we're happy to pass along to your head holes.