MPLS LTD, scratchin' us right where we itch
» This week's assortment of sonics comes to us by way of the awesome MPLS LTD imprint run by Christian Fritz out of its namesake (twin) city. The label's got an extensive (10+ year) history of melding the city's diverse range of sounds with like-minded groups from around the globe, and their latest batch of singles have their roots in 70s psych, 80s alternative and 90s shoegaze, albeit with a post-millennial slant that's darkly addictive. Check out the good work they're doing with the label, and don't forget, if you enjoy what you read here, be sure to head over to their site and pick up some of these tasty treats (get some Mac & Dennis) for yourself.
MPLS LTD keeps it scuzz.
Our initial blast-off comes from co-ed sextet First Communion Afterparty and their Skyline, Starlight
EP. Maybe it's the gossamer female vocal leads that make us instantly
think of Slowdive and Lush, but the thickness and sustain of the band's
roaring shoegaze attack is also reminiscent of the former's
all-time-classic Souvlaki. The two tracks that comprise the
A-Side - "Time Between" and "Featherhead" - are shorter, more pop-addled
numbers, with gilded choruses and the kind of multi-tracked roar that
Kevin Shields obsessed endlessly over when making Loveless.
The eponymous flipside is its own kaleidoscopic journey through the
looking glass, as wave after wave of tremelo'd guitar and analog synth
eradicate the landscape, leaving purple-hued daisies all over the place
and a feedback-laden spectral trail. Perhaps you could accuse them of
being a bit too Warlocks-y in places, but then again, you could accuse
the Warlocks of being a bit too BJM-y, who you could, well, you get the
idea. While their sound certainly is directly influenced by the past,
TFCA definitely seem to have a handle on where they're going with their
post-psych sounds.