Lists & Things: Sights (12/28), Lettercamp--Remix-able

This was a year I'd gotten away from album reviews and deeper into interviews, essays, more narrative pieces... A year of reflection can mean, bluntly, that you weren't really allowing that much to seep in; you were too busy looking back, looking out, or trying to sum something up - I had to take the last week to do some intense listening/reviewing... it was fun but hectic.

I don't wanna say I have "favorites" this year, ... But a collection of local albums that I kept spinning / streaming / burning...there's no way I could bring order to this list

GLOSSIES - Phantom Films - (particularly: "On The Rebound")

The Juliets - Perfect Season...
Prussia - Poor English - ("What Am I Gonna Tell Your Mom?" probably got spun the most, but also--"St. Elmo's Fire Pt. II")

Zoos of Berlin - Pallaster Chant EP - (particularly: "Tamarind")

The Blueflowers - In Line With The Broken Hearted

Passalacqua - Zebehazy Summer - (particularly: "High Anxiety" (with Ben Miles))-- but also -"Sirens"




The Witches - single - "Stoned Cold The Grave"



The Questions - recently put up the entierity of their new album Chasing The Light -



--Where was I?
 
Looking forward to more material (maybe some kind of proper LP?) from Phantom Cats...
So far, you can only find demos... But I'd recommend: "Pulsations" - stream it here...
 
Phantom Cats seems to lead me into Phantasmagoria - who have a new LP coming out sometime in early 2012 - but for now, I'd recommend: "Take It To The Moon" (Interview here).
 
let's keep this stream of conscious going...tally tally tally  - shout-out-shout-out-shout-out...
 
Bad Indians! ...they played this song in the scuffed and smoky ambiance of Kelly's in Hamtramck and it's been a favorite ever since...



And then there's Crappy Future - dashing and dynamic and dorky and welcomingoly doused with dazzling pedal effects...



Oh, but, then, swinging back over to Ypsilanti's scene for a minute...
 
Jehovah's Witness Protection Program had this jam called "Humans" that you should listen to - it finds the poignancy in punk.
 
Doc Waffles sang about Socks - but so much more
 
Doc Illingsworth sang about Bread - but, again, so much more...
 
WarrenPeace sang about fair trade coffee and Ben Miles sang about assurance of musical purpose, the  meaningful work of songwriting...and performing.

Duende! sang about Barefoot Bandit(s)...from their Florence to the Mad Man LP

The Sugarcoats apparently were streaming this (via Cass) since late last December...but I didn't find it until May- so I'm counting it-- dig!


Ben Christensen (of Just Boyz) sang about Dracula's Castle (via his Bones project)

Then, of course, there's Legendary Creatures, who gave this song (a favorite from 2010) a proper mixing and mastering...


Legendary Creatures shares a member with Robin Goodfellow - who released "A Week of Wonders," as well as sharing that same player from the Computer Perfection ensemble... who jammed out a spacey "Thirteen Minute Theme"

But then there were the young guns:
Gold Tapes had a bevy of releases, including stuff from Kommie Kilpatrick and Deadbeat Beat. (I think, up next, for GT, is something with Duane).

Duane (The Teenage Weirdo), in the meantime, put something out with Beehive Recording Company.

But also... HandGrenades.... Citizen Smile... Jesse & The Gnome...

Johnny Ill Band fercryin-out-loud

There was House Phone:


And the Ashleys, of course...

of course of course... Pink Lightning drank fancy and Cold Men Young set off a time bomb.

Ryan Allen grew extra arms... ...and John Nelson went solo.

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti stalwart folk-troubadours Timothy Monger and Chris Bathgate both had stellar releases this year...
...............
And I know I'm missing at least 14 other bands and maybe 17 other songs... and at least two or three other genres...

--
If you're still reading at this point? Might I direct your attention to more songs on the Internet:
Detroit's prominent electro-pop/dazzled-dance-rock quintet Lettercamp have a new single up:

"Oh Well" will be on their forthcoming full-length album (early 2012) -via Sweden-based label Substream (with whom they recently signed, --apparently their style/sound, coupled with a recent White Stripes cover has effectively caught the tastes/attention of the Euro-scenes, albeit, here, comparably, as well)...

Other recent news for this luminous, synth-n-bass-heavy band is the addition of renowned  keyboardist Zach Shipps (of Electric 6) -
This track's already got a formidable amount of remixes offered on this EP, but you can take a spin on it as well - Sony Creative is offering a "remix contest" - via their site (http://www.acidplanet.com/.)...

--
Also in the news: The Sights are turning 12... (and celebrating at the end of the 12th month, at the end of the 12th year of this century... (12/28) at the Magic Stick in Detroit).

"Twelve in the Bar," a collection of rarities, gets released next week via Fountain Records. The group, helmed by Eddie Baranek, might be given that respectable title of "institution," a staple, a veteran, something like that... indeed ,the bluesy/garage-rock institution of the Sights has seen many players come and go, some staying longer and others sometimes just spending a few nights.

As many of those former mates that could be reached and were available will be joining Baranek on stage, that night - on a bill that also features The Wrong Numbers and the Sin Bads...

Take a listen:


Another thing that just popped into my head... (since I mentioned the Electric 6, ^ above...) that band is joining fellow tour-heavy gang Child Bite, to perform a handful of year-ending shows - you can see them 12/23 at St. Andrews (--after that, it's all-through Ontario CA).


And that note reminds me of one of my favorite memories of 2011:

Interviewing Child Bite through the production stages of their latest EP - which involved a St. Patrick's Day Parade complete with a gang of Star Wars characters...

That same weekend - I interviewed a dozen bands (and about 19 musicians) at once...over waffles. That was great.
~
 
 
 
 
 
 
That's about all for now...
There was also this from Johnny Headband...

Johnny Headband - Over There from Johnny Headband on Vimeo.


Okay, that's it... that's it! that's all I can handle for now - more year-reviewing thoughts may yet pop up...
for now...
 
Happy Holidaze...
...now, where was I?