Band Spotlight: Magnolia Nelson's Self-Inflicted Cruel Advice

(Photo courtesy of Morgan Williams)

I first heard Magnolia Nelson last August, when they released "Sixteen Holes," the first song on this album, as a single. Immediately drawn to the familiar and comforting dream-pop sound that the band had, I eagerly awaited seeing their live performance. Fortunately, I was able to see them perform twice over the following months, and each time, I saw the band reinvent itself. 

The first live performance was at a college art space and, as the set progressed, the music became an increasingly enveloping wall of fuzz and the musicians flailed with a Sonic Youth-esque reckless abandon. It was less nervous and calculated than the single had led me to believe, even without a live drummer. The band appropriately covered "You Made Me Realise", performed well, and I was comfortable acknowledging them as a reputable upcoming shoegaze band.



The second live performance was in a small basement, as part of a mixed-bill show occurring in the midst of a terrible snowstorm. Here, I saw the band strip away the noisy, immense wall of sound and show that they are delicate. Performing as an acoustic duo, this second set clearly highlighted Kyle Coen's pained but talented vocal abilities; once again, my impression of Magnolia Nelson had changed.

True to form, the band's first proper release surprised me again. In short, Self-Inflicted Cruel Advice is charming. Released on Immolation Records, these five songs continue to reshape what the band is capable of. Rather than creating a harsh wall of noise, Self-Inflicted Cruel Advice drapes a blanket over the listener, tucking them in and allowing them to melt into their surroundings. Shoegaze bands have a remarkable tendency to surprise and immerse listeners by experimenting with the different layers and textures within a song; this album's production, noticeably more lo-fi than the single, gives the band precise control over this. The overall feel is soft and delicate, with the fuzz of the instruments more washed-out than abrasive, but even minor adjustments to the tone of a guitar, such as the middle of "Bone From Wire" or the lead in "In Spurts", can completely change the feel of a section. Although I do personally prefer the huge, brain-ripping noise promised by bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Self-Inflicted Cruel Advice is still powerful in how gentle and intimate it is, establishing itself as a promising debut from one of the more interesting new bands in New England.

EDIT: Unfortunately, I just learned that they actually broke up, leaving this album as their first and likely last venture as a band. For shame, but c'est la vie.



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Stream/Download Self-Inflicted Cruel Advice (Bandcamp)
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Show Update

Facebook event can be found here. Roosevelt recently remixed and remastered their newest album so be sure to give it a listen below. 

Band Spotlight: The Brave Little Abacus

Although many people are quick to dismiss New Hampshire as a state that lacks a music scene or one that lacks notable bands, I've found that there are many excellent bands that are oft forgotten about. Unfortunately, the majority of these bands have come and gone, under-appreciated during their existence, yet their absence deeply missed by those who remember them. In an effort to provide some more exposure for these "local legends," per se, I've decided to offer some posts showcasing their music and history, providing a brief spotlight on bands that I think were/are quintessential to the punk music scene here in New Hampshire.

Based on the mutual love that Mike and I have for them, it seems only natural for The Brave Little Abacus to be the first band that is covered.

(Photograph by Richard Gin)

TBLA is a band that was active from about 2008 (I may be incorrect about this) until 2012.

Equal parts off-putting and enticing, TBLA played a strange form of emo that blended everything from chiptune and video game samples to frantic instrumentation and sloppy, carefree vocals. Their frontman, Adam Demirjian, often left listeners divided; while some people are fans of his off-key and whimsical delivery, others (myself included, upon first listen) found it to be too strange for casual listening. This is a band that exploded with energy and was truly ahead of their time; I don't think there will ever be another band that can recreate the sound that this band was capable of.

Thankfully, largely due to the limitlessly connectivity of the internet, I've seen a surge of interest in this band in recent years. As the modern emo community expands to a larger audience and to younger listeners, I've seen more and more people post about this band, upset that they're finished. It's reassuring to see that excellent bands such as this one can live on thanks to the digital realm.

Their final release, Okumay, saw the band leaving on a high note and is the only item in their discography to be pressed as vinyl; Quote/Unquote Records, which is purely donation-based, deserves all the attention they can get for making this physical release a reality.

Here is a video of their final show at the Vic Geary Center. Thankfully, for those of us not fortunate enough to have been present, the video is of excellent quality, both in terms of audio and visuals.

Bands like this one are rare. They don't exist too often and they need to be appreciated while they're around. Adam says something very important in the above video, about fifteen minutes in:

"This show basically had what I think was everyone in this band's dream line-up...it's not that it had, you know, your favorite band of all time, or the greatest five rock bands in terms of guitar technique and nuance, I mean, the Heartbreakers didn't come...but it had every band that we've played with that, over our four-and-a-half/four-and-three-quarters of a year long career, paid attention to us completely outside of the internet, completely outside of the occasional acquaintanceship at a show. What it was was an attention to detail in a friendship that you usually only find in the intimacy in a one-on-one relationship. You can all rent American Hardcore or read Instrument or, you know, read some book by some member of some old DIY band where they talk about community, but you have no idea what it is until you've actually experienced bands calling you on the phone, telling you what they thought of your record, asking you to come over and listen to it with them, and having an actual musical relationship...These are bands we played with because, afterwards, we'd have the most intoxicatingly beautiful conversations that we've had with anyone in our lives…"

Wow.

DISCOGRAPHY:

Demo? (2008) | Download

Split with Matt Aspinwall | Bandcamp (Free Download)

Masked Dancers: concern in so many things you forget where you are | Download

just got back from the discomfort -- we're alright | Download

Okumay | Download | Purchase 7" Vinyl | Quote/Unquote Records

OTHER LINK(S):

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In other news, there is a show happening in Manchester, NH at the New Hampshire Institute of Art on November 30th; it's free so there's even more incentive to attend. I'll be there with some of the posters that I mentioned earlier in the week. This is a poster for the event, created by Tyler Soucy (who is also hosting the show):

Old Gray plays music that could most easily be classified as post-hardcore, blending elements of post-rock, hardcore, and "indie" rock (excuse my bastardization of genre classification).

Roosevelt is a band that plays rock music very similar to what you'd expect from bands on labels such as Count Your Lucky Stars, Topshelf Records, etc. Fans are likely familiar: off-kilter vocals, group chants, guitar work that is smooth and features a lot of legato hammer-ons and pulls-offs; standard fare among bands of this ilk. I had the chance to see them open for a show with Calculator and some other bands this past summer and they performed well.

Magnolia Nelson is the band that I'm personally most excited to see here. Part of the recent resurgence of dream-pop bands bursting out of the New England (Massachusetts in particular) music scene, Magnolia Nelson features all the staples of the genre - programmed drums, reverb-drenched vocals, fuzz-driven guitars - and does it well. I'm curious how accurately their recorded sound will translate to a live setting.