Sometimes the best and brightest comes from the most unlikeliest of places. Only by happenstance did we at Cannibal Cheerleader stumble upon Costa Rica’s The Great Wilderness but we quickly came to realize that the searing, flashing power and heartfelt, engaging musicality put them in a position to be among our favorites of the year. To listen to the Great Wilderness is to be welcomed into their rich, haunting, illusive, and fiery dreamworld. And with the release of 2010’s second EP Tiny Monsters, this femme-foursome has achieved our top artist of 2010 award, operating on a level so far and away from everyone else that it’s like discovering guitar-rock all over again with a simple spin of their dual-releases. Hearing the Great Wilderness is akin to joining alongside these women in their jangly, haunting journey of indie-rock artistry; it feels as if every song is ingrained within the listener’s brain with each piercing riff, pedal-stomped wail, or shimmering production. These ladies write the soundtracks to our subconscious.
If there’s a word to describe Tiny Monsters it’s snarling. Snarling not in the sense of some bombastic sprawling wonderwork like their first EP or tight and economical like a speedy punk record, but frothy and mean, all growling and surrounding like a pack of wolves, calculating and direct but nonetheless ravenous and fierce. The guitar-lines are piercing and wiry, articulate and sharp before careening into a flurry of pummeling riffs and splashing intensity. At times jangly and haunting, with a vivid dreamlike quality, Tiny Monsters sounds like a band nonetheless singular in method and direction, cascading tracks sliding effortlessly into one another, echoing from a stereo into the night. Standout tracks include the pummeling “Nicholas Cage” and crushing, lonely, and ultimately unforgettable “When In June”. A testament to art and originality in an era of musical clones and well-worn sounds, Tiny Monsters can only be described as a gift, a cool drink of water in a parched musical landscape, captured from an unlikely locale and sailing through space to land in our Austin, Texas soundscape.
The Great Wilderness – “Nicholas Cage”
If there’s a word to describe Afterimages of Glowing Visions it’s swirling. If Tiny Wilderness is taut and piercing like a pack of wolves AoGV is a cloud of smoke burning across the sky, massive and billowing, churning with lightning and crashing with thunder. The smoky sense of each track, wafting and bursting into each other like some burgeoning flame instantly sucks in the listener, intent to sift through and examine each explosive layer in the wall of fiery sound. Propelled by the sultry and thoughtful growl of Paola Rogue, the group wails and sears through equal parts strikingly riotous cataclysms of sound and intelligent, well-wrought moments of smoldering fury. Sure to draw comparisons to the Joy Formidable in their shattering delivery, the Great Wilderness distinguish with their tear-jerking propensity for emotion in the form of carnage, as each song is belted with such fervor as to seem after each track the instruments will be dashed to the floor with reckless abandon and the musicians will drift away, blood-soaked and grinning, never to return. Combine this record with Tiny Monsters and you have a singular, masterful discography at work from one of the most little-known and genuinely unappreciated bands on the planet.
Henry Rollins once said, “Will you do it when it’s not fun anymore?” referencing scores of artists who create music for something other than the sheer joy of creation, for the sake of art, whether that be for the money, the fame, the fun, or what have you. The Great Wilderness craft art and make music from nothing but their sheer will to create. Living in a third-world country where government-assistance for burgeoning artists is virtually non-existent these ladies have struggled and forged what combines to be the best release of 2010 by far. From hardship springs creativity, from creativity will undoubtedly spring success for the Great Wilderness. Expecting big things from this group in 2011 but even if they were never to release another piece of music again they’ve left us with the Afterimages of Glowing Visions/Tiny Monsters combo that will surely be appreciated for years to come. Happy 2011 gang!
The Great Wilderness – “Kiddy Plane”
As the semester begins anew Cannibal Cheerleader will be once again going on hiatus. We had to come out of hiding for a bit to pledge our support to some of 2010’s best artists (kudos again to Giant Drag, the Mynabirds, Holly Miranda, Now Now, and especially the Great Wilderness for great years!). Look out for the new Cannibal Cheerleader zine coming out this Spring! Details forthcoming, talk to everyone soon, keep the faith, and as always, stay hungry.
What is it to rebuild as an artist? What mechanisms have to be in place to build oneself back up? More pointedly, what constitutes artistic failure to the extent an artist has to rebuild? In the case of Now Now, formerly Now Now, Every Children, the band members over the past few years have found themselves at the business end of a music industry beating; bad record deals, bad touring experiences, and bad blood abound. In the artistic landscape of rock music too often is one’s work judged on the basis of units shifted, success in dollar form, shamefully so in the case of NNEC whose album Cars still stands the test of time as a fantastically intricate and woefully underrated indie record. Whatever the reason, the members of NNEC were stuck, forced to start from scratch, to lower their bucket into the same well that produced their previous works and hope they found water even in the driest of times.
Beginning with the track “Rebuild” it becomes starkly clear that Neighbors has awoken something deep and radiant inside these young musicians. Perhaps pushed forward by some dark frustration or inspired by a ‘nothing left to lose’ attitude Now Now have crafted their finest, most cohesive work to date, a staggering glimpse into inner turmoil and haunting despair conveyed by means of sharp, jangly indie rock and crooning, searing vocals care of Cacie Dalager. In five tracks (one of which is instrumental) the trio manages to convey all the artistic fervor that some musicians fail to convey in an entire discography. Having dropped the ‘Every Children’ moniker from their namesake, Now Now have indeed in every way grown into a new artistic persona that both rewards the listener upon repeat listens and presents a fresh new image of young rock and roll. With feelings so tight and crisp conveyed so well we can only hope that this group continues to churn out great records like this one. One of the best releases of 2011 by far.
Now Now – “Giants”
Holly Miranda is a singular talent and to not celebrate this remarkable album would be a notorious crime. The Magician’s Private Library combines Miranda’s individual songwriting prowess and shimmering guitarwork with brilliantly layered production-work care of TV on the Radio’s David Sitek. While the combination may seem initially odd, especially so considering Miranda’s work with the blues and stomp-rock group the Jealous Girlfriends, but the singer’s sultry growl belies a tender lyrical catalog, hushed and particular with nuance and character. When churned through the syrupy Sitek hopper Miranda’s haunting tracks take on a whole new life, flitting across the speakers like ghostly apparitions, bouncing off the many effects pedals like weightless spirits. Truly a remarkable record that combines a blues rock motif with a many-layered production for a truly one of a kind product. Easily one of our favorites of the year.
Holly Miranda – “Ex-Factor”
The Mynabirds seemingly burst onto the scene this year with their dancehall-cum-chamber pop record What We Lose In The Fire, We Gain In The Flood, but frontwoman Laura Burhenn, formerly of the woefully underrated act Georgie James, has been at the rock game for quite some time now. Thus it’s no surprise to understand how quickly the singer-songwriter got back into her dancing shoes after the demise of her former group, and it’s in her new western folk rock group that she seems more sure-footed than ever. Equal parts a subtle, syrupy, choir-tune folk record and a boot-stomping, Nashville barn-burner, What We Lose… fills the gap that normally a Cat Power or Neko Case release would occupy. However, 2010 that space belonged exclusively to the Mynabirds and who knows, maybe after a few more records they’re be right up there with the big boys as well.
The Mynabirds – “All I Want Is Truth (For Christmas)”
This week Cannibal Cheerleader is going to be highlighting our favorite releases of 2010 with an emphasis on artists we haven’t seen on many (or sometimes any) of the major music blogs’ lists. While these bands may not have the hype, resources, cash, or fanbase of Kanye or the Arcade Fire, they have all crafted music of an equivalent mastery in their own right and without a big budget. We begin with one of our favorite acts from the beginning of 2010, Giant Drag.
Like steel-toed boot thudding down into an ankle-high puddle of blood, the Swan Song EP splashes and thunders with a joyous clamor that was well worth the five-year wait between releases from this blasting LA-based duo. Frontwoman Annie Hardy’s lilting voice belies a raucous fury and each of this release’s four tracks flies off the speaker cones when her shriek peaks or a riff careens spinning off the frets. Even when not belting away her haunting croons, Hardy’s pedal-stomping, masterful guitarwork takes the form of a snarling Doberman lending a growling edge to even the sweetest of lyrics. These are love songs with teeth, crunchy breakup tracks with gore and guts abound. The whole EP is over as quickly as it begins, a maelstrom of layered guitars and a walk along the razor’s edge between heartfelt and eat-your-heart-out. Even the closer, the acoustic “Heart Carl” burns like forgetten Zippo, unfettered by the wind and batting back the darkness of some squalid, awesome, rocking night club. We can’t wait for this group’s new album, hopefully out in 2011!
Giant Drag – “Stuff To Live For”