Record Review: Sun Araw - Off Duty

Sun Araw is the electronic solo project of Cameron Stallones, guitarist of the Long Beach, California band Magic Lantern. His new release, Off Duty, is the follow up EP to Sun Araw’s 2010 full length album On Patrol. Off Duty is an EP by name only, stretching over 45 minutes throughout its epic 5 tracks.

The album opens with “Last Chants,” a psychedelic journey through Sun Araw’s strange soundscapes. The song is filled with tribal drumming, distant echo-affected vocals, and a plethora of ambient noise and laser sounding synthesizers. The next song, “Midnight Locker,” is a dark, tempoless meandering of noise. Bouncing keyboards and percussive pounding (you can’t quite call it drumming) guide the song while a background guitar reminiscent of early Pink Floyd floats over the top. “Deep Temple,” the next track, carries on with the tribal and spiritual theme, as tape-hiss filled guitars play over delayed synthesizers and tropical drums. Over its 11 minute span, the track is simultaneously reminiscent of Indian music, reggae, and dubstep, somehow.

The album takes a darker turn with the fourth track, “In the Trees.” The song is a 9 minute, horrifyingly strange psychedelic jam. Stallones trades his echo pedal he used so religiously on the earlier tracks for a distortion pedal; twisted guitars play over a repetitive bass line while distorted vocals shout out from the foreground. The closing track of the album, “Canopy,” picks up where “In the Trees” left off. With another looped bassline, the song meanders over a reggae like groove, conjuring images of a
fantasy beach from some psychedelic nightmare.

Off Duty is a highly enjoyable EP, filled with echo drenched guitars and ambient synthesizers recorded with intentionally lo-fi methods. The EP creates a soundscape of some strange primal meditation, a spiritual reflection of sorts. However, Sun Araw’s drone-influenced, noise tracks are certainly not for all listeners. But for fans of more experimental music, Sun Araw will be very enjoyable experience. And it certainly is an experience.

-Will McCall

If you like Sun Araw and other Woodsist Records projects, tune in to Left of the Dial on Monday-Friday from 4-6 p.m.

Things got a little 'Foxy' at the Paradise Rock Club on Commonwealth Ave on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

The rock band Foxy Shazam shared the stage with opening act Hollerado and co-headliner Free Energy, but stole the show with their mix of stage antics, a huge sound, and an overall fun atmosphere that rocked the Paradise.

With chants of "Foxy! Foxy! Foxy!" overwhelming the small venue, the six man band took the stage, and created an incredible tone that made the crowd jump and scream back the lyrics to their songs.

Mainly consisting of songs from their first major label release and newest album Foxy Shazam released back in April, the band ran around the stage, and quickly took control of the venue from the first grand note that they played. Mustachioed lead singer Eric Sean Nally jumped on horn player Alex Nauth's shoulders, while keyboardist Sky jumped on top of his keyboard during songs, banged on the keys with his feet, and reached out to touch the heads of the front row of the audience. All of them genuinely looked like they were having just as much fun as the crowd was.

But the real entertainment was centered around singer Nally. Jumping around stage with an eye patch over the eye that he injured during a previous performance, he channeled the late James Brown. He did tricks with the microphone stand, and hit high notes that seem impossible to reach. But, the antics didn't end there. During the set, Nally grabbed one of the drummer's large crash cymbals, put it on his head, and had the drummer beat away on it, not missing one beat.

At one point during the middle of a song, Nally proceeded to light three cigarettes, smoke them simultaneously during the latter half of the song, and then, at the very end, proceeded to eat all three lit cigarettes. Commenting later on stage, the only thing he had to say was: "Yuck. Disgusting."

But all the fun just didn?t happen during the songs. Nally's off the wall non-sequitors and long stories while the crew was "fixing the rock and roll" that seemed to have no real ending, kept the crowd entertained. At the end of "Unstoppable," the flamboyant lead singer proceeded to tell a story about how each of the band members received $965,000 for signing on to a major label deal with Warner Media Group. "I spent it all on FIREWORKS!" the lead singer declared with enthusiasm, prompting applause from the mainly student-filled audience. Then immediately segueing into the next song ?Bye Bye Symphony,? Nally declared "This next song is about being broke!"

Before the show, I was able to sit down with bassist Daisy, and horn player Alex and discuss their band, as well as their sound on their newest album. The interview gave me insight into their influences, their favorite bands, life on the road, and the ?day the music cried.? Check it all out below, with a clip of the show from the Paradise as well).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OOsOPWXzt4 - Interview Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz2Ot1EpR9M&feature=related - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=726_H-WEMyg - "Unstoppable" + Story

December 8th @ the Great Scott

WTBU's LEFT OF THE DIAL is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Boston Counter Cultural Compass, a monthly newsletter that posts information about local, DIY, lo-fi, experimental and folk shows happening in and around the Boston area. For more information on the Counter Cultural Compass, please check out the website here.

Come hang out on December 8th! The fee to get in is a $5-10 donation.

30 Days of Dead

The Grateful Dead’s “30 Day’s of Dead began this month, with a free downloadable Dead track every day throughout the month of November. Organized by Dead.net, the 30 days are great for avid Dead-heads, or for new fans curious why the group has received high accolades, including being listen on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, and winning a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Check out the link below to get a free, never before released download each day in November. Then, get ready to partake in all things Deadhead. Suggestion number one: Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia Ice Cream, and my personal favorite Dead song: Casey Jones.

http://www.dead.net/30days?cmpid=cr/dn/miller

NY metal band EXEMPTION on BU in the Morning today, 10 am

Hey, do you like metal? Exemption are a sweet metal band from New York. They are on tour celebrating the release of a new record, Public Cemetery. The NY Deli magazine said this about their new record:

The songs are a kaleidoscope of musical styles: thick stoner metal mudslides slam head on into psychedelic landscapes; antehemic pop hooks give way to fiery surf-rock riffs, and crusty blues jams become violent exercises in aggressive funk. The first track “Hyperspiral” is a perfect example of this, moving seamlessly from Mastodon & Torche-esque riffage to euphoric melodies and hooks reminiscent of Rubber Soul.

Following their show Monday night at the Midway in JP, Exemption will be on BU in the Morning today to discuss their new record. Stream it here on their Bandcamp and tune in at 10am!

Senses Fail interview

Whoa! Here's an interview "You Had Me at Nerd" did with Senses Fail. Cool!

Interview with Senses Fail by wtbusa

WTBU Weekly Charts

Last week's charts! Check em out:


1    MANNERS    Look Into Look Unto    Whitehaus Family Record
2    MICHAEL JORDYN AND GREG    Demos   
3    TOOTH ACHE    Skin [7-Inch]   
4    SMALL BLACK     New Chain    Jagjaguwar
5    SCREAMING FEMALES    Castle Talk    Self-Released
6    GLASSER    Ring    True Panther Sounds
7    DEFIANCE, OHIO    Midwestern Minutes    No Idea
8    MALE BONDING    Nothing Hurts    Sub Pop
9    NEEDY VISIONS    Needy Visions    Bodies Of Water
10    HERBCRAFT    Discovers The Bitter Water Of Agartha   
11    CHEEKY    What The Heck?    Freedom School
12    EARTHQUAKE PARTY    Dishes [EP]   
13    SHELLSHAG    Rumors In Disguise    Don Giovanni
14    WAVVES    King Of The Beach    Fat Possum
15    THERMALS    Personal Life    Kill Rock Stars
16    CLOUD NOTHINGS    Leave You Forever [EP]    True Panther Sounds
17    LIGHT POLLUTION    Apparitions    Car Park
18    PUJOL    Black Rabbit [7-Inch]    Third Man
19    BIG EYES    Big Eyes [EP]   
20    AVEY TARE    Down There    Paw Tracks
21    SWEET BULBS    Cybergaze    Self-Released
22    CHEAP TIME     Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations)    In The Red
23    WILD NOTHING    Gemini    Captured Tracks
24    DEERHUNTER    Halcyon Digest    4AD
25    DOM    Sun Bronzed Greek Gods    Burning Mill
26    MARNIE STERN    Marnie Stern (2010)    Kill Rock Stars
27    NO AGE    Everything In Between    Sub Pop
28    ZOLA JESUS    Stridulum    SACRED BONES
29    DEMON'S CLAWS    The Defrosting Of...    In The Red
30    FORGETTERS    Forgetters    Self-Released