hell froze
this doesn't happen often folks. I'm about to speak well of an indie rock record.
Ambulance LTD - Yoga means union
I saw Ambulance open for the Killers at Irving Plaza the other week, and they stole the whole damn show for me. in their press kit some idiot mistakenly touts them as post/dance-punk all-stars (paraphrasing, but it was something like that), but all of what that conjures up in your head musically Ambulance is not exactly. what they are is refreshing, upbeat, and fun enough to enjoy amidst a sea of sad-bastard-weepy-sweater-boy indie blorch. their music ain't post/dance/anything punk, but more accurately blends classic and pop rock themes with an infusion of blues and their own touch that stands alone from my limited collection of rock references.
the track Yoga means union, despite its hippy-esque name, is a 4 and a half minute lyricless journey continually builds on itself to leave you with a monster of a song by the time it ends. it's fairly similar to some of the instrumental tracks by the Secret Machines I've heard, and reminds me of a distilled version of the 45-minute set they played at the July 4th show 2003. anyhow. it's a tremendous song.
but wait! they don't stop there! Anecdote shows off the softer touch present on most of the LP (Yoga is the only balls-out thrasher), with the almost alt-country sound and playful builds into the utterly charming chorus. if that's too soft for you, try Heavy Lifting, which treads the line between the two. harder on the rock, but soft enough to keep the cat from waking up.
all in all, I haven't had this much fun listening to an indie rock record in, shit, a while. see them live (hopefully some of you caught them at CMJ shows, they were around) if you have the chance - it's great beer-drinkin' & toe tappin' music. and of course, [buy their LP]. thanks to Than for the promo copy.