Sunday, July 27th, 2008
Sunday Cleaning – Volume 96
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The Ruby Suns / Sea Lion (Sub Pop)
It’s a long way from Auckland, New Zealand to Brooklyn, USA – possibly as long a way as is geographically possible – but listening to the second album from Kiwis The Ruby Suns, it’s difficult not to draw lines from them to New York’s Grizzly Bear. They share a similar aesthetic of landscapes where the reverb hangs like thick veils of fog and drifty, dreamy pop that’s in no hurry to get anywhere. Though fronted by an American ex-pat, the Ruby Suns have a distinctive South Pacific vibe to them, from exotic percussion instruments to the point of some songs being sung in Maori. Like a lava lamp, the mood and style shifts from playful pop to mysterious folk to just plain strange without crossing the line into inaccessible or inscrutable. It’s just a good trip. The Ruby Suns are at the Mod Club on August 2 with Tilly & The Wall. MP3: The Ruby Suns – “Tane Mahuta” |
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Cinderpop / A Lesson In Science (Popoganda)
Vancouver’s Cinderpop practically comes with a “File under: power pop” label tattooed on their foreheads, but to assume that pigeonhole tells the whole story is to do them a tremendous disservice. Within their third album’s compact 13 songs, they draw from almost fifty years of rock music – though paying particular attention to the best aspects of ’70s songcraft – and do it masterfully. It’s ground that’s been well-covered, but when it’s done as well as this, you may as well be hearing it for the first time. Melodically gorgeous, it’s reminiscent of The Posies less the ’90s grunge-era production and with a higher synth quotient. Quite possibly the reigning title-holder of “best thing I’ve picked off my shelf at random and put into my CD player”. Recommended if you like: music. MP3: Cinderpop – “Blonder” |
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7/28/08 1:06 am
Cinderpop do indeed have some great stuff. Reminiscent of everything from Nilsson to Prefab Sprout to TFC. And I swear I can hear bagpipes in Blonder.