austin
nyc
sf
line
charts
 line
Archive
 line
Open Blog
 line
Studios
 line
Submit
 line
Gear Giveaway
 
top artists
scene blog
   
specials

TOP 20 electronic
TOP 20 hip hop
TOP 20 indie pop
indie pop, mellow core
TOP 20 indie
avant indie,
post rock, post punk
indie rock, noise rock
TOP 20 metal
TOP 20 psych
psych rock, shoegaze
TOP 20 alt rock
alt rock, power pop,
emo
garage, punk, glam + other revivals
TOP 20 rootsy
alt folk, alt soul
songwriters

Shambles -- Shambles EP

I’ll always have a soft spot for pop-punk. Ever since I first heard Enema of the State, I’ve been drawn to the fast-paced—at times whiny, I’ll admit—sounds of that particular style. So, for me, Shambles' latest release, Shambles EP, is a great record. It holds true to the standards of pop-punk with airtight guitar work and catchy—and at times emotional—lyrics.

I thought the band handled the vocals well throughout this record. The band utilizes gang vocals more often than they use a solo vocalist, which I thought really added depth to the songs. The end of the fourth track, “ATL…DTF?,” is a perfect example of the group vocals. The band uses several different harmonies during the last two times through the chorus, which I thought was quite impressive.

Shambles will be playing a gig at Great Scott in Allston on Wednesday, April 25, so if you’re in the area be sure to head on over and check them out. You can also check their bandcamp site for a free download of the Shambles EP and information on how to get free merch, swag, or whatever you prefer to call it.--Daniel McMahon

  
February 2012
Friendly People
Friendly People EP
mp3

Friendly People’s debut, self-titled 3-song EP gives a concise taste of a promising young Cambridge, MA-based band. Their jangly indie pop is peppered with hints of Americana, roots rock and folk with vocals that owe a debt to Neil Young. The EP’s clear highlight is its opening track—their namesake song—“Friendly People”. It’s a tremendous, positive track buoyed by a horn section in the bridge which lends a mariachi feel. “A Lot of Work To Do” brings out Harvest-era Neil Young, starting as a plaintive acoustic ditty which builds slowly into a passionate electric number. Closing track, “Branches”, follows the same acoustic-to-electric path. As the song builds, it introduces tribal rhythms that are reminiscent of 80s indie-punk legends, the Volcano Suns. Friendly People are scheduled to record their debut full-length in March. If the Friendly People EP is indicative of what we can expect from this young group’s next batch of tunes it will be a record to keep an eye on later in 2012.--George Dow
 
delicious-audio