The Callas - Could You?

There is A LOT to love about the new album from The Callas, a band whose previous record Am I Vertical? made my best of list in 2013. Returning to produce is Bad Seeds/Grinderman member Jim Sclavunos on a record that totally threw me for a loop at first listen. Not that there's not some sonic threads that pull Half Kiss Half Pain and Am I Vertical? together, but this is definitely not a case of a band sticking with a producer and adhering to a 'sound' that they created together. Half Kiss Half Pain still has those gloriously jagged garage rock leanings, but they're tempered with a nuance and sophistication that gives the record an incredible sense of dynamism.

I get the impression from juxtaposing these two most recent records (I am completely unfamiliar with the four previous LPs the band has - going to remedy that real soon) that The Callas are very much about moving forward, in the way that a band like, say Liars is also. Which is going to be a very good thing for those of us that follow their career.

So if you dig this, you know, buy Half Kiss Half Pain and follow their career.

Liars - Brats Official Video

How did I miss the video to my favorite track off 2012's WIXIW? These guys have always treated the video component to their music super experimentally and it's made them unlike any other band I know. Go back and watch their video for 2010's Scissors off the Sisterworld album, or this years Mess on a Mission. If this intrigues you and you've never seen it, the album that got me into Liars was Drum's Not Dead; not only is it a fantastic record that is 100% peerless, but there are three video versions of the album that come with the disc and every one of them employs groundbreaking and surrealistic takes on the band's music that completely enhance the experience of the music.

Liars - Darkslide

Humor me. Put on some decent headphones and listen to this track, then tell me how you feel with a comment.

Liars "MESS" Out Today

New Liars record MESS was released today. The band is streaming it live on youtube for any who want to hear it before buying, however if you're familiar with Liars you know its grand before it even hits your ear. I cannot wait for the video from this record!

Liars "Mess" Album Trailer

Color me bad? Yo, color me good. Good with the info that the new album from Liars, titled "Mess" is out on my birthday! (well, in England, a day later on our side of the pond, but still...). Learn more on the band's website HERE.

And you know, everything this band does visually is just as interesting to me as what they do sonically and that's really saying something because, A) I don't find that many bands visually interesting and, B) Liars are very interesting sonically.

And one last thing, interesting how much the cover image for Mess looks like the cover of Chuck Palahniuk's novel Rant.

NEW LIARS!!!

This band just gets better and better every freakin' year!!!

Props to Mr. Brown for sending this to me, I knew another album was coming our way but had lost track.

Liars - A Ring on Every Finger

In preparing for that forthcoming new Liars record I dug out the band's previous records and while punching around on the ol' youtubes found that they had released a music video for A Ring On Every Finger that I was completely unaware of. Liars videos are always an event, and this is no exception.

Teasers for forthcoming new album by Liars

There are a lot of bands I follow. I mean A Lot. Few keep me guessing from record to record as much as Liars do. WIXIW was one of my favorite albums of 2012. What's more it was one of the more interesting albums I heard that year, not just because of it's sonic nature, but because of how it related to the rest of the band's ever-changing MO. I was thrilled to read about the forthcoming new record, evidently due out in March next year on Mute. Read the details here on Exclaim!

NEW LIARS!!! FOR FREE

Go here - you enter your email and the country you live in and they'll give you two, count 'em two new Liars tracks!!! This is the video to one of them. New Liars is always good.

Liars - "WIXIW"

New Liars video!! Rejoice!

Liars - Scissors

In reviewing my favorite albums of the year, this came back up. Such a FANTASTIC music video (I say that a lot on this blog, but not a lot in general).