LOCAL PRODUCE: Wry Climate-Radio Tower Pulse EP

New York's Wry Climate is the musical vessel of Brunswick, ME native Dan Nelson.  Serving up a complex blend of hypnagogic shoegaze and noisy nostalgic jangle, Wry Climate makes music that both embraces and transcends its environment.  

What makes them even more interesting is that, despite many a blogger attempting to pigeonhole them into a genre and draw comparisons to other bands, they produce a sound that is uniquely their own. Sure, you might hear a swirling guitar riff reminiscent of Lotus Plaza, and the personal fables may evoke the same heartstring tug as your favorite Real Estate song, but by the time you draw a sonic parallel, the music has drifted off into a different daydream.  

Wry Climate, keeping glowing sheds safe since 2k10

As it progresses, this EP feels an Alice-esque rabbit chase through the mind of someone who simply doesn't want to be found.  The cryptic lyrics tell stories in a hazy way that feels instantly relatable yet frustratingly unattainable, like a drunken fever dream.

Keeping true to his conservatory background, the intricacy of Nelson's compositions rarely leave you enough time to appreciate the beauty of any one particular movement; the songs flow like the Androscoggin River, continuously in motion like Nelson himself. Yet it is this aesthetic that makes Radio Tower Pulse such a rewarding listen: the music is astoundingly multifaceted and presents enough avenues of exploration and interpretation to keep you intrigued with each re-listen.


You don't need a blog to tell you how great this album is, the music handles that fine on its own. Moral of the story? Close your eyes, calm your mind and let it ride.

Check out the band's Tumblr and listen to/download the entire Radio Tower Pulse on Bandcamp 

CMJ Thursday: Dingo Pop and Indie Rock from the Sounds Australia Showcase

The Sounds Australia showcase at CMJ's College Day was an Aussie-tastic taste of up and coming musical goodness, starting off with a personal favorite of mine from Down Under, Ball Park Music.  These guys (and gal) play some radio friendly guitar pop full of vibrant harmonies and non-abrasive instrumentation, at least until they take a solo, which is when you hear a bit of J. Mascis and Stephen Malkmus popping out of their guitar pickups, something that is a welcome compliment to the wavy mix of happiness and frustration throughout the tone of their songs.

The next band ended up being by surprise favorite of this showcase, Brisbane's Sheppard.  They opened with their single Let Me Down Easy, a song that carries even more weight in the live performance.  Beginning with some saccharine sweet (in the most positive way) acapella harmonies before strolling into some handclappy, jangle pop vibes.  Their other selction, Halfway to Hell was stuck in my head for the rest of the day, a significant departure from the lighthearted feel of the first number, and really showcased (natch) the diversity in the band's sound.  Although, it has to be said that their main streamline is unashamedly hooky pop songs ready for dancing. They struck me as a significantly less weird Dirty Projectors live, in an alternate universe where Dave Longstreth grew up in Australia and listened to FM radio and didn't take himself so seriously, instead of drawing weird dudes with baby peens on his album covers and shrieking all the time. 

Amber Coffman: Indie BB Crush 5Ever

 [While this opinion may be due in part (or totally) to the fact that there are two color haired alt baguette QT's holding down some swoony harmonies,  it also is a good excuse to put up a picture of Amber Coffman, before I deny ever comparing the two groups and put this to rest forever, since they really sound absolutely nothing like Dirty Projectors #FooledYa]

[Also, I feel it necessary to say that Dirty Projectors are a huge favorite of mine and I <3 Longstreth and all of his weird culty vibes to the most #XTREME of levels. .]

My one complaint about this entire showcase was that, due to time constraints, the bands were limited to 2-3 songs each which was a bummer, but also left me hungry for more material (fortunately, the Sounds Australia team were wise enough to give out lots of free downloads of the showcase soundtrack, yet another reason why they're better than America.)  Singer-Songwriter (which is amongst my least favorite descriptor/pigeonhole for an artist, but since this is CMJ related and CMJ is essentially an industry dog and pony show, I thought it appropriate) Courtney Barnett was another highlight of the showcase, but since she is scheduled to play approximately 134,277,218 more CMJ shows, we'll get to her chillness later.

A/Live Show: Bill Callahan @ Webster Hall

Bill Callahan fka Smog is obviously a favorite of this blog, so seeing him live was nothing short of spectacular.  That being said, those who check out Callahan on tour expecting obscure selections from the Smog catalog will be sorely disappointed.  Billy Boy stuck mostly to new material from his majestic new record Dream River, but threw in a few selections from his past few albums and ended on two Smog songs (more on that later, Tater. Also, sidebar: he is a damn good looking gent in person…but I once again digress…)

Webster Hall was full to the brim, crowded as I have ever seen it, which really speaks to Callahan’s underground following; even though he is currently riding high on a Best New Music from Pitchfork, he has always had a strong, dedicated fanbase that supports him.  The presence of this man is astounding, almost unsettling: he looms over the crowd with one leg up on the monitor, barely moving, but still holding a firm control over the audience.  His signature baritone reverberated off the walls and straight to chest, and by the end of the first song the crowd was smitten.  When Bill Callahan sings, he doesn’t just repeat his own lyrics, he clings to the sounds as they pour out of his mouth, allowing each syllable to resonate before he sets them free.  Watching him perform is almost a struggle, as he refuses to let you merely listen: he forces you to experience.

Photo Courtesy of Bowery Presents

You would think with an artist who plays the kind of slow, dreamy, occasionally abrasive brand of folk that Callahan does would make for a docile crowd, but it couldn’t have been more the opposite.  Whenever a fan broke away from the spell of the music, they would whoop and shout, and every song ended in thunderous applause.  Eventually, after hearing his name be shouted so many times he quipped: “You don’t have to use my name, I know who you’re talking to.”  He then broke into another swirling tune before he came back on the mic to clear the air in classic Callahan form: “I was just kidding, you can use my name, it gets lonely out here on tour,” which brought forth a flurry of “Bill! Bill! Bill!” Yet just to solidify his reputation as a dry, quick wit he smirked and replied: “Ok, I’m not lonely anymore.  That should do for the next couple nights.”

What struck me as the most fascinating about Bill Callahan’s live show is something that doesn’t always translate back to the albums; the songs unfold, like brilliant tapestries of sonic emotion.  Callahan’s band is tight as well, but not overbearing, allowing what begins as a simple chord progression to ebb and flow into a sprawling landscape.  Callahan is famous for using natural imagery, (favoring horses, rivers and things of that sort) but this is an aesthetic that translates seamlessly into his songs; they progress organically, flowing very much like the rivers he sings of, with mountains becoming valleys only to ascend again before diving back to the water.

Callahan closed with the Smog the fans had been waiting for, but it was his performance of Rock Bottom Riser that was by far the most impressive.  Callahan’s earlier work as Smog is often wrought with discomfort, struggle and desperation, something that is frequently mistaken for insecurity.  But that “insecurity” was completely absent from this version of his fan favorite: Callahan’s voice bellowed with a newfound bravado, one acquired in the years after A River Ain’t Too Much to Love, one that finally puts him in his rightful place amongst the most prolific, talented and unique songwriters today.