Quiet Color

by kevin diamond

Is there such a thing as perfection in art, life, or work? Is work for work’s sake a noble goal? Or art for art’s? How about pleasure? Why do we push ourselves to accomplish the things that we feel are important, and why are those important things different from person to person? Wouldn’t it be easier if we all lived like ants, maintaining a common goal and sense of purpose? Or would we loose out on the rainbow-like spectrum of human emotion?

When you get a blister, do you pop it? Or do you let it grow and grow, and then slowly shrink into nothing? I think how you answer that question tells you more about yourself than most people would imagine.

Artist: Dinosaur Feathers Song: History Lesson

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Dinosaur Feathers‘ new single is catchy and smart. Drum machine snaps and ethereal backing vocals. The melody is one that sounds like it’s been written for years. It may go on just 30 seconds too long, but it’s hard to hold that against them.

Artist: The Intelligence Song: Thank You God For Fixing The Tape Machine

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“Thank you god for fixing the tape machine,” from The Intelligence‘ new album Fake Surfers, is a surf rock meets post punk alien beach party. “I don’t like looking at trash” lead singer Lars Finberg sneers. “Everything is just trash.” If this song is trash, than it’s a pile of Styrofoam packing peanuts blowing around in a thunderstorm.

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Artist: Vibes Song: night court

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This is the second Vibes tune I’ve put on the Hype  Filter. Their songs always seem to big for the speakers, clipping basslines and distorted guitars, warbled drums and all the mess you can handle. The group is comprised of members of Pocahaunted and Sun Araw, dronier affairs than this lo fi garage sound.

Artist: Gary War Song: Bounce Four

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Gary War songs always seem to start with sonic sweeps, bloops and bleeps, like a close encounter of the third kind. His songwriting is simple and classic, like a Coca Cola in a glass bottle.

Artist: Blank Dogs Song: Blue Lights

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Blank Dogs channel their inner Brian Eno on this one. Dissonant synthy riffs and a plodding drumbeat keep things moving under the lead singers Eno-esque delivery.

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Artist: Kilgore Trout Is Dead Song: Leave Me Alone

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Kilgore Trout is Dead is a pop-minded indie rock solo artist armed with a ukulele and a familiarity with the Beach Boys/Van Dyke Parks catalog. This song comes at you strong with a Grizzly Bear vibe. It ebbs ands flows like a tide, with parts coming in and out. The delicious instrumentation, string outro et al, is the icing on the cake.

Artist: BLK JKS Song: Mystery

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BLK JKS come from Johannsburg, South Africa, so the African rhythms that permiate their catalog are legitamate expressions of their culture, and not just another Paul Simon inspired indie band move. This song has a ferocity that is endearing and frightening at the same time.

Artist: Sisters Song: Glue

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Sisters remind me a great deal of pow wow! with their simple chord changes and flirty synth lines. But they seem to have a little more angst and anger below their twee tendencies.

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Artist: Talbot Tagora Song: Internet Fixture

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Talbot Tagora are energetic and spastic, with punk rhythyms and snowplow guitar riffs. They’re on the Hardly Art label, a subsidiary of Sub Pop named after a Thermals tune. Remind me a bit of DD/MM/YYYY or Volcano! And there’s only three of them, which is impressive when you consider the racket they’re making.

Artist: Grooms Song: Dreamsucker

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Grooms start this song off with a plucked bass line octave bounce, and starts layering on quirky and whimsical musical ideas like the cast of Ace of Cakes layers, well, cakes Grooms used to be Muggabears, and now they’re not. They play the Northside festival in June.
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