It’s another Friday and I’m still overdosing from that Thursday Throwback. Damn it if Tom Price wasn’t the fucking man most of these kids today will never know. But somehow we all need to move on, and what better way than with a beer in hand early in the morning right before the weekend? It seems all of my friends are IPA connoisseurs, including our print editor but that’s never been my thing. A 40 Oz. from the local bodega was my thing back in the day before my taste buds took over. Nowadays I’ll creep on Uncommon Nasa‘s Twitter page to see he might have posted anything interesting since he’s another beer enthusiast. It makes listening to and writing about new albums…interesting.
I’ve just about been bursting through my britches to write about Dion Lunadon (A Place To Bury Strangers / The D4)  and his self-titled release (Agitated Records) because it’s one of those albums that’s needed in a world of modern pop and contrived “indie rock.” The New Zealander rocks with an unabashed fervor that nonstop. The musician has been performing and recording albums since the mid 90s and this is his solo debut. It was recorded in a 3-month period in the bowels of Brooklyn and it harks back to an era when, well, people just didn’t give a fuck and played that greasy rock. I’m thinking L.E.S (JSBX, Boss Hog) and Detroit fuckery (Demolition Doll Rods, Dirtbombs), and it has nothing to do with style or mimicking. Lunadon is derivative but only unto himself. He rips through some of his songs like, “Reduction Agent” with nothing fancy but hooks and catchy rhythms. His vocals, while somewhat distorted and sounding as if they’re filtered through varying effects makes me want to sing along, even if I can’t understand what the fuck he’s saying. But it’s ok though, I don’t need to understand what he’s saying, just feel it. And oh how I feel it. I white-knuckle it while driving when I listen to “Fire” as I hit those desert streets in 106 degree weather. The keyboard notes are fantastic in the simplicity alone. Fire bitches! I can go on and on all day, like with the frenetic “Move,” which doesn’t let up from beginning to end. That rhythm over distorted/disjointed guitars just works. With his self-titled debut here, Dion Lunadon has shown himself to be a worthy adversary to music listeners. I’m sitting here wondering if they’re up for the challenge.

Also out today the new E.P. release Pillow Talk by the band Pine (No Sleep Records.) I’m not sure I’m ready to listen to the twee-emo pop of Ottawa, Canada’s Pine but considering it’s only an E.P.’s worth of material, why not? It’s one of those moments when I was glad I took a chance because I probably needed a change of pace. Turns out that Pine isn’t so much the twee-pop I thought they were. Certainly the opening track “Dolya” starts with airy guitars that glide through with 80s shoegaze abandon but then singer Darlene Deschamps’ commanding vocals enter, along with the rest of the band. The song has Pine showing they have chops. And then some. The song? It’s extremely well written with turns at every corner. If it doesn’t keep your attention I suggest you seek professional medical help, the drum pattern alone should suffice for repeated listening. When you add the rest of the band, it’s just magic. The band is just as powerful in more subdued states. “(Un)rest,” while slower, has some dynamic shifts as does “Jilt,” but it’s the beauty of “Blue Jacket” that has me entranced. Or maybe it’s just where the strings came in that had me hypnotized. Either way, it’s quite refreshing. With Pillow Talk it’s obvious that Pine has a lot to offer. We’ll just have to wait and see what other tricks they attempt to pull out of their sleeves.

Dion Lunadon – Facebook // Twitter // Instagram
Pine – Facebook // Twitter // Instagram