Captured Tracks - DIIV and Wild Nothing

While I'm always happy to see some of my old favorite bands like Redd Kross and the dBs release new music, I do listen to music from new bands as well. A couple things on my shopping list include new records from Brooklyn's Captured Tracks label. Captured Tracks is a relatively new label, but they've managed to release a lot music in a short time and also establish a relatively consistent aesthetic.

DIIV (formerly Dive) released their first LP Oshen in June. I'm still waiting to score my own copy as it keeps selling out at my local indie record shop. DIIV have concocted a compelling sound that combines the neo-dream-pop aesthetic that Captured Tracks specializes in with a pronounced Krautrock groove. The Krautrock influence is not as prominent on "How Long Have You Known?" (see video below) as on some of the other album tracks.

The video shows DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith tossing a bunch of different objects, including a bit of an In Utero cassette tape (the band named themselves after a Nirvana song), bits of a light bulb, part of an American flag and the liquid from a lava lamp into a blender, then creating a pill from the results which he swallows. It's as good a metaphor as any for the band's sound.



I mentioned Wild Nothing in one of my previous posts. Their new album Nocturne was released earlier this week (although I am still waiting for it to show up at one of my local record shops). Captured Tracks has released a second track from the album, "Paradise," on youtube. This track strongly reminds me of Colour Of Spring era Talk Talk (a good thing, in my opinion).



Some (not me) might complain that there is a certain sameness to the sound of Captured Tracks artists, and anyone old enough to remember the 80s could surely play an extended "name that influence" game. So what? The music sounds fresh and tuneful to me even if it does evoke a slight sense of déjà vu.

Wild Nothing - Shadow

Wild Nothing is indie-bedroom maestro Jack Tatum's fresh take on the classic dream pop formula. His debut album, Gemini, was released on the Captured Tracks label in 2010 and was one of my favorite records of the past few years. On songs like "Live In Dreams" and "Summer Holiday" Tatum wrapped his heartbreakingly melancholy melodies in a comforting blanket of distortion that brought to mind classic shoegazer, noise pop and post-punk sounds without sounding self-consciously retro or overly derivative.

Wild Nothing's second album, nocturne, will be released by Captured Tracks on August 28th. Captured Tracks has made a preview track, "Shadow," available on youtube. From the sounds of it Tatum has chosen to refine (rather than redefine) the Wild Nothing sound for his sophomore album, and in my opinion it's a good choice. I'm looking forward to hearing the whole thing.

The Kids Are Alright: Neo-Shoegaze Edition

No doubt I'm late to the party, but I've been enjoying the work of some of the neo-shoegazer bands that have cropped up lately. I haven't looked at my feet so often since the heyday of My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Lush in the early 90s. Fortunately, I'm still able to see my feet, although I need glasses to properly focus on them these days.

Wild Nothing - "Summer Holiday" from the album Gemini.


Beach Fossils - "Adversity" from the EP What A Pleasure.


Real Estate - "Exactly Nothing" b-side of "Easy" 7" single.