Never been to Venice
So, despite the fact that Punxsutawney Phil says there will be six more weeks of winter (I feel like he's probably wrong this year), the days are already starting to feel a little less like winter because it isn't getting dark quite as early - there's nothing like leaving work in the dark to make you feel like a real working stiff, but the fact that it is has been noticeably less-so this week feel like a step in the right direction.
Anyway, here's a slice of great indie rock stuff from the Athens, Georgia five-piece Venice Is Sinking. It feels appropriate for the time when the season is starting to turn: sweet, jangley indie pop, with violins and a great male + female vocal on it. It reminds me, in the best of ways, of Yo La Tengo's amazing And then nothing turned itself inside-out, as well as MBV and Jesus & Mary Chain - well, not so much on this song, but some of their other tracks their EP and upcoming full-length, titled Sorry About The Flowers (which should see a release this May on the Savanna-based One Percent Press), use more distortion and layering to great effect.
OPP also released the split EP that this Venice track comes from, back in mid-December. You can pick up the EP direct from the label - the EP is split with another Georgia band called What We Do Is Secret, who have an interesting take on indie rock, with a bit more noise and sludge to their sound than VIS, and are worth checking out. Stay tuned to the Venice website for info on the album, and be sure to check their tour-dates page - they've got a couple of shows scheduled for later this spring (March + April) in Macon and Atlanta, Georgia. Also check out the cool video for their song "Pulaski Heights" - its good stuff, with a delicate twang and some nice fuzz to it.
Don't forget about the PLUG Awards tonight - hope to see you there!