Oh, technology. It appears you have crept up and surprised me yet again. Because of you, a lot of my favourite bands never even have to break up anymore! Take Jones Street Station for example. After recording two great records in Brooklyn, their members decided to scatter around these United States and take up residence in cities ranging from Chicago to Boston. But is this any reason to break up? No way.Thanks to filesharing sites like dropbox and Evernote, the band has not only decided to make a long-distance writing relationship work, but have made up their minds to actually increase their output.
They now have a new mission: to release a song a week for the next year. That’s right. 52 tracks in so many weeks, and they’re hoping to take all the proceeds this hype generates, and donate them to 12 different charities. An ambitious project, that's for sure… I’ll be watching/listening/downloading throughout the year to see what happens. Keep your browser pointed to their site to find out more and listen as the band starts releasing material. Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
"Uptempo" and "Pop" are by themselves two concepts that - in the business of being an indie band - can take you quite far; but if on top of that you add to the equation also comparisons to The Smiths, then the hype can get out of control. Brooklyn's Drowners have more than one similarity with Morrisey's act, and although they will surely feel belittled by such comparison, they should not, because no artists really managed to be The Smiths' worthy musical heir yet (like, for example, XTC were for The Beatles, Robin Hitchcock for Syd Barrett, and The Strokes for Lou Reed - uhm, maybe...).
The band's 3 songs debut EP features the remarkable single "Between Us Girls" (streaming below) which immediately throws us back to the days of "Meat is Murder," with the electric guitar alternating between jangly parts and arpeggios, and Welsh frontman Matt Hitt singing semi-melancholically about some girls' hair length - rather than about how big they are... The edge is slightly punkier, while the songwriting reveals an almost clinical concision (the song clocks in just under 2 minutes, with the first chorus coming in after 26" - A&R allergic to intros will dig that).
The second song, "You've Got it All Wrong," beats a similar musical path, tackling the infinite well of inspiration that (for Brits) is life at the pub, with the difference of a slower bridge, which acts as a breather for the final chorus. Final track "A Shell Across the Tongue" is the punkier of the bunch, but also the one with the least memorable melody.
This is obviously a band with enormous songwriting potential. If they'll manage to write songs as good as these and integrate their influences in a more mature and personal sound, the world can be theirs. - PDG
