Leveret - Action At A Distance

Leveret - Action At A Distance (2015)

What once was a bedroom project for a young Mainer has once again evolved into something extraordinary. With the first official show down and Action At A Distance recordings finally at my ears I never thought I would be trading my Leveret dancing shoes in for Leveret neckbraces, but with the new jam-heavy initiative apparent on this new record, things are really starting to heat up!

Action At A Distance is a 10 track mix bag of electronic and sensual pop/rock party music. With the addition of Penn and Cormac on this release, experimentation is a bit more prominent than the last album, Infinity which was played out like Jesse Gertz's early works of a one-man electronic act's swan song. Now with the full-band in full-force, there are a lot more to be done and heard. The electronic and seductive feel is still there as always but there are a lot of new sounds that I have never heard from Leveret before thanks to four more hands holding more guitars and effects. There are also a lot more influences that shine through that previously could not be accomplished by Jesse alone.

With the addition of a full band listeners' are always bound to come across things they wish sounded a bit more stripped down or less polished. With Action At A Distance though, the use of rock and roll instrumentation as opposed to the keyboard and bass of the past makes these songs feel a lot fuller. A recommendation I always gave Leveret was to play louder! Now with the extensive use of electric guitar I think they have found just the right volume for their party-pleasing jams.

The album does a really good job of displaying the talents of all its musicians. With "Grandfathers Axe" we hear more of what Cormac can bring to the table (and pedal board) not just by his use of the guitar but also with his vocals - something previously never showcased before other than for backing vocals during live performances. Cormac can bust out some very sleek and seductive vocals that are perfect for the more intimate moments of the Leveret experience. At A Distance also does a great job of showcasing Jesse Gertz's vocals on "Oscillator" and and the electronic epic closer "Ghost". Jesse's vocals are clear yet laid-back, something I think Jesse has improved incredibly on and I think his vocal performances here are some of his best yet.

The only negative comment I have with At A Distance is also one of the best things about the album and that's that there is too much going on. During Leveret's record release show at the Space Gallery in Portland I was hearing a lot of comparisons being thrown around as to what the new album sounds like; I heard Party music, I heard electronic, I heard indie pop, I even heard Queens of the Stone Age-core. While there's nothing wrong with comparisons or sounding like all sorts of different things, I think that by delivering so many different sounds track after track, listeners are left really not knowing exactly what it is the band is going for.

Then again, all the sounds Leveret are delivering here on At A Distance are really well done and at least are not anything generic. It probably doesn't help matters much either now that there is also another band going by Leveret that play folk music from the UK... but this right here is the only Leveret worth figuring out!


Highlights: "Oscillator", "Unclothing", "Swallow", "Little Drum Song", and "Ghost"



Now check it out for yourself!

Official Site
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Honorly Mentions

As I begin to make my year-end lists (a favorite pass-time of mine), I always end up finding a lot of cool stuff that I either forgot about throughout the year or just completely missed my chance to post them. So, instead of just forgetting about them again, I call them honorly mentions (a play on yearly and honorable I guess) and share 'em like this:

Pink Richard - Volume 1 (2014)

Pink Richard is the side project of Jesse Gertz of the Portland electronic (now three-piece) band, Leveret. It's not too much of a stray away from the indie pop gems on Infinity released in 2012, but these stripped down acoustic visions are definitely a separate entity. A little folky, a little poppy, a little singer songwriter-y - a little Pink Richard.

There's a neat drum solo somewhere in there, too:



P.S. If you buy this (very snazzy looking) tape you get 7 separate mp3's rather than the streamable one track deal above.

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Rosetta - Flies to Flame (2014)

After hearing Rosetta's 2013 release, The Anaesthete, I thought we would be getting a lot more hardcore and even less atmosphere on their next effort. Then Rosetta released Flies to Flame  last month and my predictions were all off. No, they didn't go full post rock or anything, but they brought back the atmospheric undertones that was the hooked that fished me in several years ago. Plus, this release still has the intensity that The Anaesthete was bursting at the seams with, but it's spread out again and takes its time getting there. It's vintage Rosetta.

 I'm not saying I didn't like The Anaesthete, it was one of my top albums of last year for sure, but it's almost non-canon Rosetta once you start to listen to this EP.





It's all apples and oranges in the end, and it's all good.

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Bearmace - Aim Low (2014)

Bearmace are a noisy almost violent punk rock band from Montreal. The lo-fi recordings of Aim Low, released at the very beginning of 2014, really echoes the recordings of early hardcore and powerviolence. Don't let Bearmace's retro approach fool you though, this is apparently meant to be played on vinyl.






Maybe I'm just out of touch, but this sure sounds like something I would find on cassette in my friend's cooler-older-brother's room when I was 13. Too bad that scenario never existed...

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Thou - Heathen (2014)

Thou play thick doomed-out metal that demands attention. Heathen is no different. Not only is this 10 track banger a major pain on my neck, it also demands me to sit down and listen to it over and over again or else I have not listened correctly. With that being said, I think Thou's Heathen has incredible listening mileage and will be an album I try to listen to a lot in 2015. It's certainly not a one listen and it's in the bag kind of album, especially not with an incredibly brutal 14 minute opener begging to be familiarized. This kicks my ass the more and more I listen to it.

  \m/ A punch in the face never felt so good \m/

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Monday XCVIII

It's Monday again in America.

Zefs Chasing Cara - Ultra Gown (2013)

Ultra Gown is Zefs Chasing Cara's latest release. It's a little more on the electronic side of math rock but it's noodly nevertheless. I can't say I'm a big fan of Zefs' stuff with the vocals, so this is easily my favorite release by these guys.


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Idiot Genes - Lousy (2013)

If I haven't already said that Boston is on fire right now in the music department, I'M SAYING IT RIGHT NOW; BOSTON IS ON FIRE IN ALL CAPS. I love you Maine, but man am I jonesing to see some Boston music right now. Anyways, Idiot Genes play some of that good ol' garage punk rock that kids have and will always be craving. Gotta have it.




Thought the album artwork would be pretty appropriate for Presidents' Day.

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Jerkagram - Let's Talk About Us (2014)

Jerkagram, a band I threw up here during Monday's very first weeks, have a new album of experimental instrumental and almost modern-day non-German krautrock music. There's also some singing in it, too. Check it out:



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Bonus:

Handful of Romance - a funny film by Sean Martin

My friend, Sean Martin, known by many as "John Coffee", is a freelance film guy. He's been making films of all sorts since I've known him and I've known him for pretty long. His most recent project (that I know of at least) is called Handful of Romance, a humorous sock puppet induced short that took second place at the 'Local Love Muscle Film Festival' this weekend at the Space Gallery in Portland. If you like sock puppets, bros being bros, making out, or just some good old fashion awkward humor, I think you'll get a real kick out of this video. Apparently if there's enough views it will be on the front page of Funny or Die, the website you can currently view the video at, which is pretty cool stuff!

Link: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3848e600a0/handful-of-romance

On a music related note, Handful of Romance was scored by another buddy of mine, no stranger to this blog either, Jesse Gertz of Leveret.

Watch, listen, and enjoy!

Leveret Debut Show!

Oh you didn't hear?

Leveret, formerly Glass Fingers/formerly Jesse Gertz/formerly tiny baby rabbits, are/is playing his/their first show this weekend at the Space Gallery in Portland, Maine. I say 'they' as Leveret could just be Jesse Gertz and his table of musical and visual paraphernalia, or it could be a full band experience. Or, it could be neither!? That's the great Leveret mystery...

Maybe the real performer for Leveret is actually Gertzatron 8000, a robot the government created to produce those wonderfully spiritual bloops and bleeps that you can expect from most any Jesse Gertz project.

Leveret - Infinity (2013)

 

But have no fear, good reader: The Gertzatron, while sounding more or less like a government war machine, was not programmed to destroy - that was what the Gertzatron 3013 was for - this Gertzatron was specially designed with the soul intention to party it up with you all night long! And even in the day if you are still up for it, because, well, he will be.

So yeah, robots, electronic music, partying with your clothes (optional) on, and good times for all will be had at this years' Leveret debut show *plus* Infinity CD release party! Oh right, there will be CD's of Infinity on sale. Infinity of them.

Okay, there won't be an infinity number of CD's for sale; Gertz learned his lesson with those last million Glass Fingers CD's he made. But there will be plenty to go around! You can even listen to it on Leveret with three V's bandcamp right now! Check it out and get that body ready:


Sensual seduction at its finest.

It's gonna be gr8t.

Leveret's Facebook Page
The Show's Facebook Page
Official Leveret Site 
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Wolfgasm

Wolfgasm - Wolfgasm (2012)

While I never gave too much thought about anything by the short-lived Wolfgasm project of mid-late 2010 ever seeing the light of day, I had always hoped to at least post something about them since it was made of some of my closest friends and comrades. I guess I should have known better though, since this band was lead by local legend and runner of his own music archive, meaning he has probably kept every song he has ever recorded with every band he has ever been in, Jesse Gertz (known 'round these parts of town as the Total Babe of Babies, Glass Fingers). And while some members of this now super defunct indie rock slam jam are either MIA, not with us anymore, (the late Martin Smith, whose music has also been archived and saved by Gertz and released posthumously after his death with little extra goodies and what-have-you) or mad... There is still the song that featured them all, and that would be the first and only completely 'Wolfgasmic' song, "Courting". It's not for nothing that this one song exists it's just that sometimes somethings just don't work out quite like the way you want it to. For the rest of this four song teaser, it is mostly just the Jesse Gertz indie rock show, not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not the full band of goof balls and degenerates that sported the good name of Wolfgasm.

Fun fact: I stepped in to the studio (Gertz's basement) and sat done behind the kit for one of the last (to my understanding) Wolfgasm practices. Ever.

The artwork by the way is by the world famous artist, Sean Terrence Best. Check him out and like him on the facebooks!

Similar acts/sounds: Glass Fingers, Jesse Gertz, Martin Smith, Twisted Truth, Saint Monday, Airplane Robert, Pecan Sandies, The Modest Proposal, The Fuse, Airway Robbery, Eyes Like Fire, Wulfgasm, Sugar Ray, Grunt, Captain Hollow, Tony Smokes and the Ladykillers, Sawtopsy, If and It, Dead Man's Clothes, Unexpected92, CJ the Kid, The Hot Dogs, Metal Feathers, Chingy, Sisqo, ODB, and none of the above.

PS: Borelli is mad.

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R.I.P. Martin Smith

Earlier this week I learned that the world was missing a really great character. Martin Smith was not just a close friend but also a major influence in my life. His ability and goal to be completely different than everybody else will always stick in my mind as one of the greatest features he (and anyone) could ever have. There will never be another guy like Martin and it is a shame everyone did not know him. He was something of mythes.

In honor of my lost friend, I would like to post some music that he either showed me, liked, or that we both had in common. I'll also post some extra stuffz and some stuff that reminds me of Martin as time goes by. 

Ratatat - 9 Beats

I remember one summer riding around with Martin in his beat up silver Volvo be got from is grandmother. He was one of my first friends I ever knew who could drive and that alone blew me away. At this point he loved to drive around to Ratatat's 9 beats; an unofficial release that included 9 instrumental tracks that were used on their remix albums of famous hip hop and rap stars' songs. The tracks are really bumping and totally get you going! Martin's Volvo's speakers never really worked so for a little bit he would use a dinky portable speaker to project his favorite beats. But none of that bothered me. 

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 Pogo - Wonderland (2007)

It made sense that Martin got me in to tons of fun electronic, dancey and beaty music. Martin loved to dance (not like dance but like dance dance) and have a good time with his friends. My friends and I sometimes throw flash "dance parties"in each other's dirty little basements. It's just what we do. A lot of these dance parties have either been put on or featured a whole lotta really cool tracks found by Martin Smith himself. Martin introduced me to many electronic type bands back in the day, like Ratatat, Kraftwerk, Justice, Caribou, and even Pogo. 

Pogo is pretty famous for his special crafting of "Alice" a song using only chords, sound effects and vocal samples from the cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland. Pogo has also played around with more Alice in Wonderland in Wonderland, Disney's Up, Dexter, Harry Potter and many other films and bits of pop culture. Under all the glitch and bloops & woops, it actually sounds really chill and almost trip-hop like. I still remember the first time martin played this to me... Afterwards, I think I may have listened to it a hundred times that week.

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Jamie T - Kings & Queens (2009)

Martin ripped this album for me a little after its release and I really enjoyed it.  I drifted away from this album and Jamie T for a bit but came back to listening to him after hearing his first album, Panic Prevention again. Jamie T definitely appeals to many people and could absolutely have a larger success here in the states some day. Nowadays I just like listening to the sadder songs on this one. 

Martin was always a giving person. Cliché, I know but he was! He would gave me a lot of weird things sometimes from a container of teeth to a little pink Jesus ring to a bunch of condoms after pretending to be a college and winning a big box of 500 prophylactics. But most of all, he would try to give himself to everyone of his friends including me! He would always try to entertain me every time we were together. Even when I was having a wonderful time just hanging around in his company, he still felt I was not having enough fun and would try his hardest to change that and thus, make my day. 

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Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (2010)

One of Martin's favorites.

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Pussy - Sings the Hits (2011)

Matin and Friends (Dx2, Will Horseman and Thee Jesse Gertz) singing the hits with meows. It's music for the kitties in all of us. The hits include: Ring of Meow, Pokemeow Theme, Pur the Magic Dragon, Just a Feline and The National Anthem among many others!

Martin will always be remembered for his cat art, pink CATS hat and all the other cat type creations and placements.

Some of Martin's finest works:

Empty Suit by Martin Smith

Martin Smith's House of Spaghetti House

RIP

Thee Jesse Gertz

Jesse Gertz. What you've never heard of him. That's weird. Well, let's just say he's a legend among men. Born and raised in a world where computers made music out of people. He was soon casted out and sent to a small town in Maine for terms unknown. Now in his 19 years of human age he has made a lot of music! Currently, Gertz is performing under the name Glass Fingers. The name change is proof that this young gentleman is always moving ahead and little by little changing things up and sharping his talent. Gertz is a pretty good friend of mine (I dunno if he'd say the same for me but hey, worth the try) and I have listened to his music grow for the past 4ish years. He has a way with electronic music and electronic music has a way with him. His style is comparable to that of another local act known as Computer at Sea (which will be posted sooner or late along with dozens of sweet local acts which will definitely become a big part of this blog), where electronic gadgets are the motors of their musical operation. Jesse Gertz also incorporates some sweet bass and killer keyboard to the mix. Once in a while he will sing and if you ever get a chance to see him live, he has often spooked audiences by his emotionally aggressive delivery of shouting his lyrics, so much so that he begins to shake uncontrollably. Jesse Gertz is most definitely making the music of the future and boy is it always a joyous experience to hear what he'll come up with next. Here are some of his more recent works:

Jesse Gertz AKA Glass Fingers - Album (2010)

Features a spot on cover of Ra Ra Riot's "Can You Tell?" as well as his own take on Computer at Sea's "Sullen Lamp lighters". There is also a really top notch Remix of King Charles's "Love Lust" and a few tracks that were originally planned to be in a EP/short film full of 8bit tracks called Trashbaugh (which was supposed to have me play the bad guy.)

My favorite track has to be Paper Boat (mega fun to hear live)

Glass Fingers - Stranger Ep (2011)

This is a nice little EP that features two remixes of local bands, Huak and The Milkman's Union. It also has a pretty trippy rerub of The Microphones' "Where Lies My Tarp?", Stranger, which he's been playing in his live sets and a never before heard song called "Lose Your Mind" plus its demo.

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official Page

Stay tuned for more Glass Fingers and more local acts from the pine tree state known as Maine.