Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me – The Intelligence

Lars Finberg, creator of The Intelligence, is another one of those creative types that continue to make great fresh sounding records. He has been involved with various other bands such as the A Frames and The Oh Sees  but The Intelligence has always been the  main outlet for this mad scientist of sardonic pop garage rock.

I’m fairly new to the Intelligence, having only heard them last year with their previous release Males and was thoroughly impressed. I was lucky enough to see Lars playing as one of the two  drummers in Thee Oh Sees early this year which gave me a new perspective of this intriguing gentleman.

Having researched some background on the band, I found that The Intelligence was formed in 1999 and Lars plays most of the instruments on their records, writing most of the songs himself. There are some great articles by Finberg about his experiences touring and working terrible jobs, presenting you with impression of a down to earth and witty guy who you would like to have a conversation with over a few beers.

Now, Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me. Where do I start? Each Intelligence album seems to have its own persona, making each release something to look forward to without the trepidation that comes with a lot of artists that have been around for years who progressively get worse or fall into a centripetal like trap, always going back to the core of where they began and never straying from their own beaten path.

Finberg’s voice was described to me by a friend as a “cool normal guy voice” which I thought was very apt. Lyrically Finberg is amazing, using cynical witticisms to create catchy pop garage gold. The guitar sound has twang, reverb, warm distortion and some nice delay effects which I adore (pretends to be an Italian chef, kissing his finger tips then miming the release of a dove).

The riffs and chord changes are so clever yet simple they make you want to weep, keeping the idiosyncratic Intelligence sound.   Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me is a wave of sound that brings you from a tempest to a secluded island where you are shown the error of your machiavellian ways and eventually sent homeward with clear weather, thinking you are glad that bands like the Intelligence exist.
Check out some of Lars Finberg’s anecdotes about touring and crappy jobs here:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-intelligence-toured-america-and-this-is-what-we-saw/Content?oid=5958786

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/how-i-survived-not-making-any-money-in-the-music-industry/Content?oid=13017971

Give your ears some lovin’ with one of the great new tracks.

Slaughterhouse – Ty Segall Band

Slaughterhouse sounds like Ty Segall Band are fighting their way back to Coney Island.

Ty Segall has had a prolific music career so far and if this record is anything to go by, the steam is far from puttering out in his engine.

The usual suspects, drummer Emily Rose Epstein (Ty Segall), bassist Mikal Cronin (Mikal Cronin, Ty Segall, Party Fowl, Moonhearts, Ty Segall and White Fence, Okie Dokie, Epsilons)  and guitarist Charlie Moonheart (Moonhearts, Okie Dokie, Ty Segall and White Fence, Epsilons),collaborators with  Ty’s earlier ventures, have been brought together to create Ty Segall Band and what a band it is!

The first thing I noticed when I put the record on and listened to the first few tracks is the control Ty has developed. Like Heracles wrestling Cerberus with his bare hands and bringing the beast back to King Eurystheus, the band unleashes some raw power and chaos on this album, bringing it back when you thought they had lost control and leaving you with a look of  “Did they just do that?”

The crafting of these new songs is nothing short of brilliant. Synchronised guitar riffs like Thin Lizzy minus the cheese, Sabbath balls out fuzz rock that gets to the point, vocals ranging from crazed desperation to poppy garage and nicely placed oooooh oooooh oooooh’s, there is little if anything to not like about this album. The band works so well together and you can almost hear the smiles that would be on their faces.

Like most of Ty’s previous releases, there are some cracker covers on Slaughterhouse. Bo Diddley and The Fabs are paid homage to with a vehement fervour usually unassociated with  Diddy Wah Diddy and The Bag I’m In. One of his own songs from Ty’s one man band days, Mary,  is given brand new life with the band, giving you the impression this is what he wanted it to sound like.

Great album art and released on two 10″s vinyls,  this is one of the best records I’ve heard all year.

“You know that new sound you’ve been looking for? Well, listen to this!”