Summer Cannibals - Make You Better (EP)

You know those moments when you first hear or see a new band and feel like you're baring witness to something special, something that has the potential to be defining in a way that you crave as a fan, something you think might be important? This was one of those moments.

While in Portland a few weeks back, I (literally) stumbled upon a small bar hosting a showcase of local bands called the Big Ass Boombox. I arrived late in the dingy, cramped space and unfortunately missed all of the earlier bands but I did arrive just in time to catch a set by a band called Summer Cannibals. I was taken with the band's raw energy, penchant for hooks, raunchy guitars and cutting lyrics.

I liked what I heard so much so that I decided to buy the band's EP, Make You Better, on a format I can't even playback. Fortunately the tape came with a download card which I promptly used. Make You Better captures a lot of what I liked about the band when I saw them live. It's been a few weeks since I first gave a listen to Make You Better and it remains in heavy rotation here at the home office.

I think Summer Cannibals is a band worth checking out and paying attention to. Have a listen and judge for yourself: summercannibals.com.

Interiors by Glasser

I've been waiting almost three years for today: the new album by Glasser is finally out.

I was first introduced to Glasser by a girl I knew who was in a dance troupe that performed with (in front of?) Cameron Mesirow and her band at a show in Costa Mesa a number of years ago. I don't remember much about that night, but I do remember being completely captivated by Glasser's sound. From that moment on, I was hooked.

Interiors is the follow up Ring, 2010's debut long player from the electro-pop songwriter. If you were as obsessed with that album as I was, there's a lot you'll recognize tucked within Interiors's lush production, but that's part of the charm. You can begin to pick up on certain cues, motifs that pop up on both albums, all indicative of an artist's taste and natural predilections.

There's a lot going on here.  In fact, listening to Interiors is almost like watching a delicate balancing act; just when you think it'll all come crashing down somehow Mesirow manages to pull off one amazing feat after another.

Interiors isn't so much experimental as it is playful. I never got the impression that the music is fumbling about searching for a melody; all of the songs are thoughtful, hypnotic compositions that don't necessarily feel written so much as they were designed, not unlike a piece of architecture. Maybe that's the point, maybe I'm reading too much into the album's title and cuts with names like "Window I," "Landscape," "Shape" and "Design" (I'm sticking with the former).

In any case, Interiors is out and worthy of your time. Give it a listen.

Interiors - Glasser