crustcake: Crustcake Picks

Crustcake Picks New Music

by crustcake gerf (NYC)

First off, a little disclaimer/explanation. Regular readers will have noticed that here in crustcake land music that leans towards the heavy end of the spectrum is our bread and butter. We generally leave most of that 'indie rock' stuff to the 'experts' over at Pitchfork and Stereogum (and the hundreds upon hundreds of other indie blogs out there), but from time to time a band will stand out in the crowd and draw our attention away from our beloved blast beats, riffs, and growls, if only temporarily. So, for all you metalheads that are wary of that sort of thing, we'll try to be as clear as possible, but rest assured that we only post non-metal stuff here that we really like and that we really think is worth your time.

With that out of the way, on to our new music picks for this week. Priority numero uno is Torche's Meanderthal, a 13 track thunder-pop (translation: heavy guitars, catchy songs) masterpiece. Meanderthal is a different animal from Torche's previous recorded output-- it's more focused and song-oriented. Their signature bombstring is absent from all but the final, title track and the album doesn't have the same concentration of heavy moments of In Return, but the band's intentions are clear and their evolution is apparent. Torche is really in a class of their own.

Shoegaze duo Nadja's latest LP, Desire In Uneasiness, is out tomorrow on Crucial Blast. No audio treats from this one available yet that we know of-- we'll be hearing it for the first time tomorrow like everyone else. And we expect greatness.

Japanese melodic hardcore heroes Envy have a DVD out tomorrow, Transfovista.

Transfovista is the first long-form video documenting the long and winding history of Envy's sound and vision. Presented here are seventeen of the band's most notable live performances, spanning a dozen years and countless pieces of murdered equipment. Beautifully edited from a variety of sources culled from hundreds of live shows, Transfovista is a perfect documentation of where the band started, where they've been, and where they are now. From tiny basements to massive outdoor stages and back, this is how the first fifteen went for a band that is becoming more legendary with every passing moment.

For these last two, I'm gonna have a go at beatmaster's 'two word' game. Fleet Foxes = heavenly harmonies; Man Man = weird circus. Two words really ain't enough though, so head to each band's MySpace for your own sonic sample: Fleet Foxes' MySpace; Man Man's MySpace.

Download: Fleet Foxes - "Sun Giant" ~~[MP3]~~

Man Man - Feathers and Engrish Bwudd (live):