Whatever Brains

Whatever Brains

Rapper's Delight II 7"

Funny/Not Funny Records, 2010

www.myspace.com/whateverbrains

http://www.funnynotfunnyrecords.com/

So, admittedly, I'm fairly behind the curve on this one. As I searched for great music from all over the country, I slept on what was slowly festering in my own backyard. I'm ashamed to admit that for a long time I thought Whatever Brains was a f**king reggae band. I don't know why, it was just an assumption. Perhaps it had something to do with the peace frog logo. I don't know. I thought they were like a Toots and the Maytals cover band or something. Lame. Whoops. But what I do know now after doing myself the favor of actually giving these fellas a proper listen is that I haven't been as excited about a local band since Superchunk. I'll keep this short. Whatever Brains f**king slay. Their songs are more infectious than that guy with the cough at work in the cubicle next to yours. It's actually ridiculous. I know these guys are kind of billed as punk or whatever, but I honestly think they're more in the tradition of the indie guitar rock of the 90's but with the snotiness of 70's brit punk. Whether they like it or not, they write some extremely catchy s**t. Everyone in the Triangle area and beyond would be well advised to follow these guys. They're for real, and I have a new favorite local band. Cheers boys, we are here to do your bidding.

Superchunk

Superchunk
Leaves in the Gutter EP
Merge, 2009
http://www.superchunk.com/
http://www.mergerecords.com/

My first encounter with indie rock came when I was in the 8th grade. I was at the local used CD store and took a chance on an album by a band named Superchunk called "Incidental Music: 1991-1995". Sometimes taking chances is bad and it doesn't pay off. Like NBA players putting out hip hop records (Shaq, Ron Artest). Or choosing a career as a killer whale "trainer" at Sea World. They didn't earn that name by being friendly. However, on that day back in 1995, the chance that I took with my hardly-earned money paid off in spades, and I would love to thank the scrub who probably traded that CD for a Veruca Salt record.
To me, Superchunk along with Pavement are the quintessential indie rock bands. Superchunk is by far the best and most important band to ever come out of North Carolina and I don't foresee anyone taking that title from them anytime soon. If you disagree, feel free to email your argument and/or opinion to me at blahblahblah@noisenoisenoise.com. I will only view submissions that follow official MLA guidelines. And please, include proper citation.

This EP features a few new songs as well as "Misfits & Mistakes". All the songs are fantastic, but I can take or leave the acoustic version of "Learned to Surf." I guess it's cool to hear what a song sounds like without everything that makes it great... Leaves in the Gutter also shows that this band has only become better with age. Therefore, I am now replacing the metaphorical "wine" with "Superchunk". For example: "Wine is like Superchunk. It only gets better with age." Or even: "Johnny Depp is very much unlike Superchunk. His choice in roles as of late has transformed him into an unlikeable, living cartoon. He's kind of like Judge Doom in the 1988 cinematic masterpiece Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and I can't believe this is the same guy who made What's Eating Gilbert Grape and The Libertine." Responses to that one can be forwarded to the same email address listed above.
But getting back on topic. Leaves in the Gutter reminds me of the Superchunk that I discovered and immediately loved when I was young, and they've managed to stay more than merely relevant. As far as EP's go, this is totally worth your money and proves again why Superchunk is such an important and influential band.

Pick up Superchunk's new album Majesty Shredding on 9/14.

Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies

Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies

EP II

Colorwheel, 2009

www.myspace.com/violetvectorandthelovelylovelies

http://www.colorwheelrecords.com/

Remember years ago when the music critics were saying that Chapel Hill could be the next Seattle? Yeah, that was funny. I don't think that we could even touch Athens or Denver at this point and we're light years behind Austin, Portland and Brooklyn. Not to say that we don't have great bands or anything, we have a few. But I feel like we're kind of the underachievers. There's no lack of talent here in the Triangle, it just doesn't make it out. It's like another infamous geographical triangle. Music just can't escape it.

VV (as I will call them from now on because their name is way too long) was a good band. I usually loathe any kind of 60's throwback music, but this is more 60's pop-inspired, so it's okay.

It's sugary and sweet and some of the songs sound like they could play in Saturday morning cartoons. You know, the one's from the seventies, like Josie and the Pussycats or Jabberjaw (any band who's drummer is a Great White Shark is gonna shred). What I'm trying to say, in a positive way and failing at, is that this doesn't sound like a whole lot of other stuff coming from our area right now, which is a very good thing. I remember hearing "Grass Is Growing" on our local college radio station last year and thinking, "Hmm. That's pretty good." That doesn't happen very often.

They had their own sound and they stuck to it. There are too many indie bands these days that sound alike. Hell, there are too many indie bands in general. Anyone with a computer and a microphone can call themselves a band. But that's an article for a later time.

I wouldn't say that this is my type of music, but I think that VV were what Chapel Hill needed. Their sound immediately separated them from the legions of other bands out there sucking up and down Franklin Street. They came with originality that brought some cred back to Tobacco Road. I would have liked to have seen this band evolve more, because I heard their unreleased material was actually their best. But oh well.