E.D. Sedgwick ‘We Wear White’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #10

Released November 2012

The musical trajectory that is E.D. Sedgwick is a nice little ride.  In the beginning, 1999 to be exact, the act was dubbed Edie Sedgwick and featured constant mainstay Justin Moyer along with collaborator Ryan Hicks doing jazzy post-punk tunes about celebrities.  Some time went by and Mr. Moyer picked back up solo in 2004 with more songs about celebrities in a sparse-dancey-electronic fashion.  In 2011 Justin picked up a band, stopped singing about celebrities and started adding more rock elements back into the fold.  That brings us to ‘We Wear White’, the latest effort from the newly spelled E.D. Sedgwick, courtesy of the always-interesting Dischord Records.  The album features Moyer (who goes by E.D. Sedgwick btw) on guitar/vox, JosaFeen Wells on vox, Kristina Buddenhagen on bass/vox and Jess Matthews on drums.  ‘We Wear White’ is a fantastic album of art and aesthetic.  Angular and soulful, the band perfectly executes a unique sound that is as full of attitude as it is memorable hooks.  Tight rhythms, call-and-response vocals, clever lyrics and jagged guitar propel the album from start to finish.  Everything that E.D. Sedgwick hinted it could be over the years has now come to fruition.  If you’re looking for something fresh and creative, look no further than ‘We Wear White’.

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Retisonic ‘Robots Fucking’ LP – Brand Spankin’ #04

Released March 2012

Retisonic rose from the ashes of post-hardcore luminaries Bluetip in the early 00’s.  After a few musically strong releases it seemed they fizzled away with hardly a peep by 2005.  Well, the dudes decided to resurface this year and give us ‘Robots Fucking’ and I’m sure glad they did.  It's not quite brand spankin' new, but close enough.  Released by Germany’s Arctic Rodeo Recordings, Dischord Records is carrying it stateside.  This album is a full realization of the lean post-punk sound the band strived towards during their more active period.  Angular guitars, crisp drums, tight bass and soaring vocal melodies make this the bands best work.  I’d say it’s a shame this didn’t come out 10 years ago when this sound was more popular, but really it’s like a breath of fresh air in 2012.  The art/packaging is of course classic Jason Farrell.  The jacket and transparent green vinyl come in a mylar-type embossed sleeve sealed by a Retisonic sticker.  Bad freakin’ ass.   ‘Robots Fucking’ is a cerebral album made by a few folks banging and strumming on real instruments.  You know, like in the 90’s.  Thanks for the stunning reminder of how it’s done fellas.

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