There are some weeks when I look at The Daily Graboid and just want to roll back into bed because of the staggering amount of releases. It’s overwhelming; and though it’s easy to just jump to the more recognizable releases, there are always gonna be a few hidden gems to be had, which is why I always do this thing every week.
For myself, the latest release from Doves gets the top billing and it’s a wonderful album. I’ve listened to it several times and found myself going from listening to Kingdom of Rust followed immediately by The Last Broadcast. I can’t help but compare the two, and while I can’t say this tops the brilliance of that 2002 record, it certainly stands up on its own.
Other releases I would definitely recommend include Bat For Lashes’ Two Suns, The Thermals’ Now We Can See, The Veils’ Sun Gangs, Gliss’ Devotion Implosion, and The Coathangers’ Scramble.
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Bob Mould,
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone,
Chain and the Gang,
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Hammer No More The Fingers,
I Was A King,
Lady Sovereign,
Mexican Institute of Sound,
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The Coathangers,
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The Thermals,
The Veils,
Youth Group
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So, who here likes Pavement? Yeah? Really? No way! You and about a gazillion other people, a large fraction of whom have put out records in the past two decades. Hell, occasionally one of those half gazillion bands even do a half decent job of recreating/paying homage to that lo-fi rock brilliance from time to time. Durham, NC’s Hammer No More the Fingers is one of those bands.
Instrumentally, Hammer No More the Fingers don’t deviate too far from the signature sound on their self-titled release. The bass is nice and prominent and the riffs are achingly familiar and just raucous enough. The vocals however, sound just slightly more polished, and at times recalling some early Weezer, like on poppier tune “Black Harmony.” Most importantly, unlike some bands that trip over all the Pavement in their sound (including some bands that my friends have been in…sorry, guys), Hammer No More the Fingers remind me why I continually listened to Slanted & Enchanted in college. It’s a very fine line between appreciating homage and wanting to bang my head against a wall while screaming, “Be original!” Hammer No More the Fingers recognize this and have songs that are cleverly written enough to stay on the impressive side of that line. Granted, I’m not the most hardline Pavement fan out there, so perhaps you disagree, but they still have my kudos. Well done, guys.
MP3: Hammer No More The Fingers :: “Black Harmony”
MP3: Hammer No More the Fingers :: “Vodka Grasshopper”
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Hammer No More The Fingers
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