The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Simple and Sure"

It's been a while since we last heard from Brooklyn's jangle-pop band The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The dreamy-shoegaze group last delivered with 2011's Belong and now they're set to follow it up with Days of Abandon, out on April 22. Today, they shared the new track "Simple and Sure" which is a sunny pop song more in-line with 90s era college-rock instead of the fuzz induced guitars you may have been expecting. Either way, it seems like a great spring time jam!

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart played Webster Hall

Hot off the release of their great sophomore album, Belong, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart wrapped up their tour with a show in their hometown of New York City. Hitting the stage precisely at 9:00, the Pains ripped through "Belong" and a heavy blend of old and new songs. While the first three songs started off a little slow, the band gained momentum as the night progressed. Despite being plagued by a terrible sound system, TPOBPAH were still able to achieve the heavy feedback and distorted guitar sounds that would have made them a perfect fit on any Creation or Rough Trade box set. The striking alternative guitar sounds of new tracks "Strange" "The Body" and "My Terrible Friend", were met with great energy from the band and early dream-pop style numbers "Stay Alive" and "This Love is Fucking Right" maintained the perfect balance of styles that make this band great. Despite an incredibly short set (the band finished the encore at 9:58) the band really seemed to be enjoying themselves amongst their hometown friends. Kip Berman kicked off the encore with a solo electric rendition of the first song the band ever wrote before they whipped through two more songs and ended the night with their self titled song and chanted away "we will never die / we will never die" stating that this band has just shown up on the scene and will be around for a while.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong

Brooklyn dream-poppers The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will release the physical version of their excellent sophomore album Belong this coming Tuesday. However, if you head over to the band's site you can stream the entire album now. The record, which was produced by Flood and mixed by the legendary Alan Moulder, takes on the heaviness that one would expect from the guy who mixed Loveless and continues the band's blend of the Cure's dreamy 80s sound with early era Smashing Pumpkins alternative guitar drones. The album seems to be the logical step forward from the band's self-titled debut as they still supply powerful harmonies and choruses with the addition of noisier shoegaze guitar strokes. They played single "Heart in Your Heartbreak" on Letterman last week, which can be viewed above (via Pitchfork) , and the new album is available to stream below.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Played Other Music (Part of Record Store Day)

Aside from my birthday, Record Store Day may be my most looked forward to day of the year. It celebrates everything I love (bands, vinyl, performances) and packs it all into one awesome day. For the third year in a row independent record stores have celebrated this event with super limited releases, re-issues, and other awesome merchandise from genre crossing artists and labels. This year I picked up a Neil Young 7", a MC5 7", and a re-issue of the epic Modest Mouse classic The Moon and Antarctica on double 180 gram vinyl. To top the day off I headed back to NYC hot spot Other Music to catch an intimate performance of The Drums and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. These aren't the types of shows I attend to see amazing performances, but merely to be a part of such a unique experience. The reconfigured store was jam packed with fans as the two bands ripped through their respective sets. TPOBPAH were my main draw for the evening as I have missed seeing them in the past and couldn't resist a FREE chance to see them up close. They rocked through lush, keyboard heavy, dream-pop that cracked the tiny speakers in the shop when the jangly guitar recalled 80s feelings of the Smiths and Jesus and Mary Chain. Favorites such as "Teenager in Love" and "This Love Is Fucking Right" were accompanied by new tunes that challenged the awesomeness of their previous numbers. In between songs the band mentioned their love for the store and the whole record day experience showing just how much this day can really bring together a community of people.

Albums of 2009

One of my favorite parts of the end of the year are all of the year end lists posted by various blogs, magazines, and other websites. I think it's one of the best ways to catch up on notable releases throughout the year and reconsider some music I brushed off after one listen. So here are the ten albums I enjoyed the most in 2009.

01. Grizzly Bear | Veckatimest
It is hard to say that Veckatimest was a refreshing hit when it was released in the spring since two of the singles had already been receiving heavy blog play for almost a year. However this album packed a subtle punch that proved it's strength after repeated listens. Taking the ambient and orchestrated sounds of Yellow House, the four piece expanded their well crafted tunes into perfect pop snippets blended with clever arrangements of striking guitar and topsy-turvey percussion.


02. Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavillion
There has been apparent love for this album since it leaked at the end of 2008 and it has all been warranted. Animal Collective have been some of the hardest working musicians of the decade and MPP has been a sort of culmination record most bands dream of making. They take their strong ability to mix together folk/jam/noise efforts into pop appeal for the masses in what is their most accessible album to date.



03. Dirty Projectors | Bitte Orca
No one has timing like this band. Nothing on this album happens in the way that you would expect and that is probably the reason why one can listen to it over and over and never hear the same thing twice. The swaying vocals and off kilter guitar jams are pure art rock and the vocal work is nothing shy of a Mariah Carey R&B hit. The fact that this band can make those two things fit together is pretty impressive.



04. The xx | xx
On paper (or computer screen) nothing about this record sounds exciting. It is hollow, quiet, simple, yet oh so powerful. These London teens recall overcast 80's British post-punk and add in some dub-step for one of the most daringly plain yet understated records of the year. It seems that this record should satisfy after one listen since it is so bleak, yet the ability to draw back repeat listens is nothing short of genius.

05. Phoenix | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
For almost a decade, Phoenix has written jubilant indie-pop smashes that have always held them just at the cusp of fame. This time around, their savvy synths launched them to stardom. "1901" and "Lisztomania" were two of the biggest pop songs of the year and the best 1-2 punch to kick off an album in recent memory. They have the rock sensibility of the Strokes and a John Hughes synth-pop power that stretches just enough past the indie scale that made these guys the biggest sensation of the year.



06. Fever Ray | Fever Ray
When the Knife released Silent Shout in 2006 the album was sighted as icy, synth driven electronica. Well that album was the avalanche and Fever Ray is the tundra. These slow driven, pulsating sounds are the calm after the storm, but are just as harsh and dense as anything that has come before it.





07. Japandroids | Post-Nothing
This Vancouver duo takes you front and center in the garage and power through eight songs of pure teen angst that combines harsh fuzzed out guitars with simple hooks and melodies. Never have two youngsters given so much grief towards aging past 25 and so much hope to live life to the fullest all at the same time. What could be better than getting to France to french kiss some French girls? Not much, but listen to this album until the flight leaves.

08. Girls | Album

Christopher Owens, the main man behind garage-surf-pop band Girls, is just as unsure about his future as you and me. The only catch, his band is rising to fame for their acclaimed songwriting not only in terms of melody, but lyricism as well. Their tunes breeze by yet their disheveled lives catch-up to them and songs begin to contort into rocking bliss. Is Owens ready to step up as the next promising artist of his generation? Probably not, but he'll take a stab at in anyway.

09. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Take one part Belle and Sebastian, one part The Smiths, and one part My Bloody Valentine and you will have yourself one whole The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. These dream-pop songs have the freshness of 2009 with the nostalgia of 1989. The hooks are monstrous and the jangly shoegaze guitar bleed in with the vocals creating this haze of beautiful pop melody.



10. Lightning Bolt | Earthly Delights
Never have two people ever sounded as loud as Lightning Bolt. The obnoxiously loud bass drones of Brian Gibson are matched by the ballistically brilliant Brian Chippendale in one of the most aggressive attacks on a drum kit (and attacks on music) I have ever heard. This album is certainly not for everyone and might be the hardest to approach on this list, but for those willing to take the journey, Lightning Bolt can certainly take your ears to places they have never been before.