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In Review: Crocodiles – Summer Of Hate

Davidblake — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:31:11 +0000

To appreciate a work of art it must exist in a realm of superiority to those attempting to understand it. This can imply pretension, however, how can something truly be art if it is that which we fully comprehend right off the bat? Crocodiles’ debut album Summer of Hate exists in that realm, even if accidentally. Anyone remotely interested in its release had a couple avenues for analyzing how it may come to sound. As it turns out, any of those avenues would have been ill advised.

Summer of Hate is characterized by a distinct sense of distance and delirium, neither of which is implied by the album title, or the preceding Neon Jesus EP. While playing host to these characteristics, the album somehow also depicts a sort of aspiration to the anthemic. Even someone who has followed the careers of singer Brandon Welchez and guitarist (Sir) Charles Rowland couldn’t have seen Summer of Hate coming. The Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower are most remembered for their snobby affectations and madcap live shows (read: piss waterfalls and even kissing yours truly!), while The Prayers found the two embracing their beach boys influence. Neither of these qualities, which served to define their previous work, are present on Summer of Hate.

While live they still appear sneering and nonchalant, one need look no further than album stand out ‘I Wanna Kill’ to be convinced they’ve spun a full 180. A song over four minutes would have been considered sin in past projects, especially with a guitar riff and vocal style that evokes Jesus & Mary Chain’s ‘The Hardest Walk’ and My Bloody Valentine’s ‘The Things I Miss’. What this particular track illustrates is an appreciation for those epic bands of the past (and sorta present), as well as an appreciation of the anthemic. The sing-along chorus to ‘I Wanna Kill’ may be the catchiest, most confusing moment put to record in 2009. It will literally have you shouting out murderous intentions.

Summer of Hate’s longest track comes in at just over seven minutes, and serves as the perfect example for this duo’s new sound. Never before have these two experts of explosive songs let sound build as they do on the first two minutes of album ender ‘Young Drugs’. Here we see a new found sense of restraint that was everything but absent in their previous work. Songs like ‘Young Drugs’, ‘Sleeping With the Lord’ and ‘Here Comes the Sky’ feature similar flushed out instrumentation which forces the vocal track to exist somewhere deep within the song. These distant vocals exist throughout the album and serve to mirror the subject matter of songs like ‘Refuse Angels’ in which Brandon Welchez repeats the letters “r-e-f-u-s-e” in tune with the beat.

Fans of their more abrasive past lives need not be weary of Summer of Hate. Songs like the aforementioned ‘Refuse Angels’ and the amazing ‘Flash of Light’ are certainly nods to where they’ve come from. And, those who’s been turned onto Crocodiles due to a certain other duo’s recommendation should certainly take note of the title track ‘Summer of Hate’ (If that isn’t Dean Spunt on drums then Crocodiles have some serious explaining to do). No matter what they try their hand on in Summer of Hate, they succeed. Be it atmospheric introductions which build to create distanced vocals, or even call and response up-tempo tracks which use feedback as sonic assault; Crocodiles have crafted something unmatched by their contemporaries. No Age must be pretty confident, because I picture Crocodiles giving them a run for their money when Summer of Hate hits stores April 28th.

Grab the album at Insound and don’t miss them play the paradoxical opening set to The Faint & Ladytron’s show here at the Roseland Theater May 1st. For a more intimate experience, see them again June 4th at Doug Fir opening for Holy Fuck. Something tells me this band won’t be openers for long.

Posted By David Hutchinson

hot new tracks

Sasha — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:00:26 +0000

I just found these four mp3’s in my mailbox. They are all steaming fresh and rather epic, electro seems to be getting even more spastic and polished as genres meld. I am a huge fan of Lazertag but find that not even they can save The Faint’s new album, though this is the most valiant attempt yet.

Listen for yourself.

Trash Yourself- Forget It
John Bourke – Hoes Get Down and Shake It (Rye Rye vs Surkin) this track is bananas!
Crystal Method – Double Down Under (LAZRtag Remix)
The Faint- Get Seduced (Lazertag Remix)

Posted By Sasha

Easy for everyone to like.

Sasha — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:24:14 +0000

I have heard stories of the Faint selling ten thousand dollars of merch in a few hours at shows in California. I have seen the effects of this band on popular culture, on the style of thousands of kids in between hipsters and skaters. This was the one that made it, the successful crossover that music companies dream about. You can dance and be a rocker! You can listen to Saddle Creek and turn on the strobe light! Four years later the mania has died down but is about to be rekindled as the Faint release an album on their own label.

The new album? More chunky, less smooth. More rocky, less catchy. New ground, artistic ground, a little less maniac but with the trademark sound remaining, deep dried out vocals sung over broken glass synth. It should be huge.

The Faint- Machine in the Ghost
The Faint- Mirror Error

Buy it when it drops on August Fifth.

Posted By Sasha

New Faint Track Released

Sasha — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:00:47 +0000

One of the most successful dance bands of all time and an easy culprit for making electronic and rock crossover in a big way, The Faint are about to drop their fifth album (seventh if you count the first two, but no one does). It is going to sell/download like wildfire and a whole new generation is about to embrace dancing between skateboarding sessions and trips to the mall to get black hair dye. It also should be catchy as hell.

The Faint- The Geeks Were Right

Posted By Sasha