MP3: “I’m Not Afraid Of A Fight”

This Friday a trip to Corktown won’t exactly make up for your inability to drop everything and take a road trip to Chicago to see My Bloody Valentine, but it’ll still give you a chance to exercise your shoegaze demons. Lansing’s Fields Of Industry make fuzzed out dream music that would fit perfectly on a mixtape with The Velvet Underground and Galaxy 500. Frontman Joshua Barton, when asked to expound on the notion of “the shoegaze label” said, “The shoegaze movement means a lot to me personally because it was that whole scene that pulled me out of listening exclusively to the Ramones (not that that wasn’t fun). I’ve never considered us a shoegaze band, but I think we’ve taken cues from shoegazers and many others who have tried to make something “beautiful” out of rock and roll.” Check out their tune “I’m Not Afraid Of A Fight” from Two Dogs, A Television which they released earlier this year and watch the charming video for “Point Of Contention.” Then go see them Friday — they’re playing with Detroit’s Indian Guides and Modernlull, along with Slow/Dynamite from Brooklyn. A guaranteed dreamy evening. — Laura Witkowski

Video for “Point Of Contention”

This song reminds me of summer 2000 when at least three of my friends had younger sisters who were fucking guys from the Suicide Machines. Oh, and it also reminds me that this band was friggin’ roids and we should reunite them for our next festival. You down? Tell Royce every time you attend a show at the Stick to make it happen. And also tell him to turn that shit down; Jimmy Fallon’s ears are still ringing from the Go! Team show.

– Harry Caul

Chad VanGaalen, Soft Airplane (Sup Pop, 2008)

MP3: “Willow Tree”

Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen is one of those prolific artists who crosses mediums and creates for the sake of creating. Whether it’s painting, doing animation, or writing and recording as a one-man indie music machine, chances are he’s working on something at any given moment. Soft Airplane, his third full length, is an array of styles and ideas that range from haunting folkie acoustic numbers like the opener “Willow Tree” to catchy guitar driven songs like, “Bare Feet On Wet Griptape” with some Casio pseudo-dance stuff like “TMNT Mask.” His music is reminiscent of Wayne Coyne if he wrote like a paranoid recluse and Joseph Arthur if he wasn’t such a pretentious dick. Despite the variation, the whole of Soft Airplane is a solid success. VanGaalen also did all the artwork for the album and, in the liner notes, gives a nod to “the financial support of the government of Canada,” a country that apparently has a music fund to help out native musical talent. Soft Airplane is evidence of governmental appropriations well spent. — Laura Witkowski

Bonus: The weird-as-fuck animated video for “Molten Light”

Sleeper, “What Do I Do Now?” (1996, Arista)

Quite possibly one of the most underrated Brit-pop bands around in the 1990s, Sleeper had a glimmer of a chance at stardom during the highly-covered “Battle of Brit-pop” between Oasis and Blur. Louise Wener, the sugary sweet, impeccably pop-savvy front woman and the gang (referred to jokingly as the “Sleeperblokes”) snuck into the top 10 of the UK singles chart twice in 1996, while everyone else was too busy slamming each other in the press. Unfortunately, Sleeper broke up in 1998, leaving us with only three albums to obsess over, and a greatest hits album in 2007. Lucky for us, videos of some of their power pop gems are still floating around the Internetz — including “What Do I Do Now,” a synthy nugget of modern rock that is like the perfect amalgam of Pulp’s glammy sneer and Elastica’s jangly femme-pop. — Elle Sawa

Before “Power Pop Day” is officially over, we thought it might be cool to point you in the direction of some new kids on the block, who not only swipe moves and give nods to the power pop greats of yesteryear, but are also paving the road to the genre’s bright future. Also, we know that p-pop kind of gets a bad rap, mostly for being a little bit lame, and a lot bit cheesy. What we tried to bring you here are people doing something a little different with the formula than just ripping off the Knack and putting a Rickenbacker guitar on the cover of their album.

So with that said, here’s some links, YouTube clips, and (more…)

XYZ Affair “Evening Life” (Self Released, 2008)

Yeah, it’s not as cool as the Nickelodeon-star-studded vid for “All My Friends” (featuring an angry Marc Summers and very grunge looking Budnick from “Salute Your Shorts”). And yeah, it’s a bit on the OK Go side, with all it’s synchronized dancing and shit. But, still, XYZ Affair’s new clip for “Evening Life” wins because it provides us with tight, choreographed nods to Motown greats like the Temptations, while pop ‘n locking lead singer Alex Feder sings about Minor Threat ruining his Saturdays, doing his best Timberlake impression along the way. And if you can dance better than Boyz II Men while sounding like a weird combination of Sufjan Stevens, Jellyfish, and some random, nameless emo band, well then their follow up video to the minor masterpiece “All My Friends” is surely worth a look. — Ryan Allen

Juliana Hatfield, “This Lonely Love” (Ye Old Records, 2008)

Hello, and welcome to the Juliana Hatfield Workout Program! Need to lose a few pounds, but not into those unflattering “workout” clothes? Still want to listen to your favorite tunes, but are totally over that whole iPod Shuffle craze? Enjoy long walks on the beach? Well, have we got the workout program for you! All you have to do is slip into some stylish clothing, grab your portable CD player — or hey, even a boombox will do! — and just head out! It’s preferred if you have somebody video taping you the whole time, and if you can get Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs to sing while you’re on your power walk, you’ll be as thin and sleek as Ms. Hatfield in no time! — Ryan Allen

The Subjects, “Goldenshire Boogie” (Pretty Activity Records, 2008)

The story of how Brooklyn Pavement-devotees the Subjects met is kind of cute. Back in 2004, rockers Dave Sheinkopf and Joe Smith were teaching in a Manhattan high school, when they were introduced to students and fellow musicians Jimmy Carbonettie and Matt Iwanusa, and thought, “Hey, let’s start a band and call ourselves the Subjects.” Some might think this idea is weird, but hey, it beats the kind of shit Mary Kay Letourneau was up to back in day. Anyway, in the video for their newest slacker jam “Goldenshire Boogie,” the Subjects depict just another lazy day, rocking out in the junkyard. They also go to bat for “the blue shirt,” as all four members are decked out in one. Which is cool, because we’re getting sick of all this black anyway. — Ryan Allen

Zach Hill, Astrological Straits (Ipecac, 2008)

MP3: “Dark Art”

Question: How many drummers does it take to create an album that sounds like the work of Neil Peart and Mike Patton’s impossibly conceived love child if said child was kidnapped and raised in the basement of a reclusive Ornette Coleman fanatic? Answer: One. His name is Zach Hill. Best known for his work with Hella, along with a heaping handful of star-studded projects over the years, Astrological Straits marks his first venture into front man territory. Oh, and what exhausting and fascinating territory it is. Hill’s drumming is so frenetic (seriously, watch this) that it leaves few gaps to fill. Even so, every space and pause is filled with sound ––strangely gratifying and gloriously relentless sound. The second disc is a one-take 33 minute free jazz explosion titled “Necromancer,” and features Hill and Brooklyn pianist Marco Benevento with creepy vocal narration by Marnie Stern. Although sonically the piece takes things down a notch, it could’ve alternately been titled, “I’m Sorry, Was That First Disc Not Totally Fucking Out There Enough For You?” The amazing thing? The whole project somehow works. Astrological Straits is a sonic assault, but such a bizarre and creative attack that the “how did these get here?” bruises and scrapes you’ll find on your body the next day will not illicit alarm. You’ll probably find yourself doing what that little football-playing girl in that old Quilted Northern toilet paper commercial did: padding your ass and jumping back in for another round. — Laura Witkowski

Bonus!: The video for “Dark Art,” featuring a jogging Norwegian death metal dude.