With Mountaintops, Mates Of State continue a love affair with vintage keyboard sounds and pounding percussion, using interlaced vocals and hooky songwriting to create another heartfelt set of effortlessly catchy songs. Apart from the underwhelming covers album Crushes, the duo—married couple Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel—have been on a roll for a while now. A new set of 10 original tracks, Mountaintops continues that with propulsive songs like “Maracas” and delicate ballads like “Desire.” Mates Of State relies on only a few elements—though Mountaintops brings in a few more sounds than usual—but Gardner and Hammel know ...
- 9/13/2011
- avclub.com
If the success of everyone from Mates Of State to Tennis is an indication, couples making syrupy indie-pop will always hold a special appeal. Seattle’s Seapony proves why. The title of the band’s alluring debut, Go With Me—along with the music itself—reflects an innocent, idealized romance. The couple in question, singer Jen Weidl and guitarist Danny Rowland, likely have their differences in real life, but they choose not to inflict them on their songs. Granted, there’s an undertone of heartsickness and uncertainty to “I Really Do,” a lullaby full of fluttery strums and gentle twang ...
- 5/31/2011
- avclub.com
Mates Of State has subtitled its new album, Crushes, as a “covers mix-tape,” which sounds about right. It’s more an act of fannish devotion paying tribute to some favorite songs than a proper album itself. That’s true of most covers albums, of course, but Crushes doesn’t feel like the work of a band bringing its A-game—or even one interested in sounding entirely like itself. The album-opening Girls cover “Laura,” for instance, leans more on scratches than the band’s signature sound. Later, there’s a version of Tom Waits’ “Long Way Home,” a soundtrack gem unearthed ...
- 6/14/2010
- avclub.com
Black Kids plan to release a limited-edition 10" on Record Store Day on April 18. The American indie pop band from Jacksonville, Florida will include original demos from their 2007 Ep 'Wizard of Ahhhs' on it.
'Wizard of Ahhhs' was only available digitally up till now. It was released to critical acclaim in 2007 and was followed by the Partie Traumatic album, which debuted at #5 on the U.K. Albums Chart in July 2008.
The 10" disc will go on sale in independent records stores across the U.S. on April 18. Meanwhile, the five-piece band is currently on tour in North America with married duo Mates Of State, reports NME.
The gigs continue April 7 in Boston, Ma. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day 2008 at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008, and Record Store Day is now celebrated the second Saturday every April.
'Wizard of Ahhhs' was only available digitally up till now. It was released to critical acclaim in 2007 and was followed by the Partie Traumatic album, which debuted at #5 on the U.K. Albums Chart in July 2008.
The 10" disc will go on sale in independent records stores across the U.S. on April 18. Meanwhile, the five-piece band is currently on tour in North America with married duo Mates Of State, reports NME.
The gigs continue April 7 in Boston, Ma. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day 2008 at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008, and Record Store Day is now celebrated the second Saturday every April.
- 4/8/2009
- icelebz.com
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