(Editors note: I’ve probably written this exact same sentence once or twice before. It’s hard not to repeat yourself after almost 3 years of once-a-day posts so forgive me if you’ve heard it before.)
I’m only truly excited to receive releases in the mail from a small handful of labels (even given the fact that I get them all for free). I won’t list them here in case I piss anyone off, but I will say that the small indie label Jackpine Social Club is tops on that list. The reasons for this are probably twofold: 1. the label only releases a couple of records a year and 2. despite the eclectic nature of the label their records simply gel with my tastes. Moonbreath from the Northern Californian band Jackpot is the latest from Jackpine.
Moonbreath is actually double cd. When you buy the disc there are two parts. Part one plays in your stereo, while part two is only accessible through your computer and specifically only thru iTunes. There’s no one song that is representative of the whole record and there’s also no obvious song that will get the bloggers all in a twitter. But “Tongue Tied”, with it’s hippie groove, cheesy organ and what sounds like a recorder solo, will do just fine. The dude at Amazon sums it up best when he says:
“This Sacramento four-piece, which treads roots-rock and experimental pop a la Grandaddy or Chuck Prophet, is best known for its ripping live sets and audience of faithful followers. This outing is co-produced by Tape Op magazine founder John Bacciagalupi, and his influence is noted in the odd and wistful instrumentation that defies any sort of “Americana” tag.”
Buy the new record from Not Lame here or Amazon here.
P.S. Jackpot’s brothers in arms, Built Like Alsaka, have uploaded a new demo to their MySpace page and since I was worshipping at the BLA shrine for the last couple of years or so I wanted to share with you this new song from the band. These two bands have more in common than just the state they reside in. They seem to share the same aesthetic, and that is the sound of rural psychedelia meeting urban sprawl (that’s the sound of Mercury Rev and the Radar Brothers btw). Both bands are appearing July 11th at the Fat Cat in Modesto, California and that should be one hell of a show.
Break Of Day (Demo)