Kleerup, "Kleerup" (Astralwerks)
Hyped on: Ruined by MTV; 20 Watts; HardCandy
MySpace
Who: Andreas Kleerup’s name may sound like a cheap Proactiv knockoff, but it’s become quite the calling card overseas, where “With Every Heartbeat,” his hit collaboration with fellow Swedish electro-popper Robyn, paved the way for this self-titled debut. The album features that aforementioned Robyn track, along with guest turns by blogger fave Lykke Li, Marit Bergman and Neneh Cherry’s kid sister, Titiyo.
What: For the most part, Kleerup sticks to the shiny, happy end of the synth-pop spectrum, making him a little frothier and more ‘80s-tinged than fellow Scandinavian electro-geeks like Röyksopp and the Knife. Instrumental “Tower of Trellick” burbles along like the end-credit music to a cyborg rom-com, while “On My Own Again,” one of several cuts on which the winsome-voiced Kleerup sings, cheerfully cribs its hook from “Video Killed the Radio Star.” The album’s best song is its darkest: “Until We Bleed,” featuring a riveting, restrained Lykke Li vocal. And its purest pop moment belongs, surprisingly, not to Robyn, but to a Robyn sound-alike named Linda Sundblad, who injects just the right amount of soul into the very Human League-ish “History.”
Made for: Swedish electro-pop obsessives. Robyn fans who need a fix until she (finally!) releases some new material. Sneaking into your next ‘80s mix to see if anyone notices.
X-Factor: Kleerup produced a track called “Lay Me Down” for Cyndi Lauper’s last album—but Lauper, reportedly, wouldn’t let him include it on this set. So he put his own vocal on the same track and called it “Thank You for Nothing.” Oh, snap! – AH
Thee Oh Sees, "Help" (In the Red)
Hyped on: Music Snobbery; Sound on the Sound; Music Snitch
MySpace
Who: If there was ever a guy enlisted to proselytize the slippery Noise Pop movement, San Francisco’s John Dwyer would most certainly be up for the job. For years he’s been kicking around in the SF garage rock scene, fronting bands Coachwhips and Pink & Brown. But with Thee Oh Sees (sometimes called the Ohsees, Orange County Sound or the OCS solo project), Dwyer’s reached full bloom, striking the exact intersection of noisy, gooey garage rock and power-pop. This convergence makes us quite happy. There’s harmony. There’s stomp. There’s distorted, jammy, extended guitar sections. With Woodstock’s 40th around the corner, there’s nothing we would rather be listening to at this moment.
What: Like with the White Stripes’ early albums, the intricate guitar work on “Help” sounds fresh and effortless. On two-minute long “I Can’t Get No,” Dwyer sings in lockstep with his female foil, Brigid Dawson—who effectively softens the frontman, to great results. This is most apparent on “Go Meet the Seed,” the album’s most accessible, unintelligible and beautiful number—a crisp blend of echo pedal psychedelics, ba-ba-ba-woo-woo-woo’s and goofy wordplay. “Ruby Go Home” and “Meat Step Lively” sound like they were recorded in caves; damp caves with pockets of magical fungus growing in the corners.
Made for: Fans of the Besnard Lakes and more so the Black Lips, influenced by older bands 13th Floor Elevators and the Byrds.
X-Factor: During a recent wild set at NYC’s Siren Fest, fans were given the complete John Dwyer show: gyrations, pedal stomps, ripped shirts. – MR
The Smith Westerns, "The Smith Westerns" (Hozac)
Hyped on: Said the Gramophone; Forest Gospel; Gorilla vs. Bear
MySpace
Who: A Windy City quartet of just-out-of-high-school friends, the Smith Westerns have parlayed their retro-loving ways into a steadily increasing garage-rock status (they’ve opened for the likes of Jay Reatard and Alex White) and a recently released, self-titled debut LP.
What: The Smith Westerns utilize a classic combination: youthful approach married to timeless retro style. (Hey, it worked for Amy Winehouse!) Not that they sound like that crazy British bird—the Smith Westerns obviously love ‘60s garage rock and the early phases of lo-fi glam rock, and let that affection show openly on numbers like “Girl in Love” and “The Glam Goddess.” It’s sorta like the Black Lips and T. Rex filtered through a teenage basement band practice—in a good way. For a typical taste, track down “Give Me Some Time,” or seek out “The Boys R Fine” to hear them switch it up and go psych-acoustic for a minute or three. It’s all noisy and satisfying.
Made for: Teenagers who like a ‘60s garage sound but hate the smell of old vinyl records. Converse-wearers of all ages. Indie record store overhead soundtracks. All-ages shows heavy on covert beer drinking.
X-Factor: The Smith Westerns frequently draw comparisons to that increasingly prominent garage rock weirdo known as Nobunny; they’ve actually served stints as his backing band. – KND
