The Vandelles: s/t EP (Safranin Sound)
release: October 16, 2007
style: "Kill Surf City"
similar: Jesus and Mary Chain, Raveonettes, A Place to Bury Strangers, Singapore Sling
[rating: **1/2] Not to be confused with the Vandals, the Vandelles are two girls and two boys from NYC. While the girl vocals are underused, the boy vocals seem forcefully low and whispery in the mix, very calculated along with everything else, which is a complete rip from Jesus and Mary Chain's Beach Boys surf meets distortion drenched feedback rock n roll. But as it turns out, Vandelles, you're lucky, cause i'm a sucker for this sh*t and you'll get air time on my radio show. Still, it's quite mild as far as noise-rock goes, lacking stand-out melody and harmony of the Raveonttes and dangerousness of JAMC. Maybe the Vandelles will take it to the next level like the Raveonettes did with Chain Gang of Love. The hidden squal at the end is a killer backwards track that twists noise-pop like a tornado. -Kenyon
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Condor Moments: ...And Though We're Told We've Got it All, the All We've Got is Freezing Cold... (What Delicate recordings)
release: October 2, 2007
style: confusion
rating: **
Condor Moments are a lounge version of Frank Zappa. In this version the band goes from [insert genre] to [insert genre] within an individual song. A few segments take a baby step towards serious symphonic songwriting until Condor Moments move on to something else. And about that song title "Liquorice Fish Dish." You're killing me, guys. -Kenyon