New review of NO VERTIGO

Cavedoll "No Vertigo"

Record Label: Kitefishing Records
Genre: Indie
Band Link: http://www.cavedoll.com
Buy on Amazon.com

Cavedoll are an amazing story. They're this band I haven't heard until now, and not only have they blown me away by this album, but check this out: They release music NONSTOP. They've so far released 10 albums in 2008, and a search on Amazon brings up over a dozen different releases, the oldest from 2007. Even Frank Zappa wasn't this prolific, and half his output was random studio noodling.

I've only heard this album so far, but it's a gem. Some of the album is a poppy blend of Casio-fueled dance-punk and fuzzy psych-rock; some more is shoegazer indie, but upbeat. Think Blur meets Bloc Party. But there is a current of off-kilter garagy quirkiness throughout their music, reminding me a little of Starlight Mints. On top of all that, the singer has a New Romantic voice and there are occasionally ethereal female vox, adding some ribbons of velevety 80s soft-goth.

With a band this prolific, I expect their albums might veer in different directions, and I've heard they've put out some purely electronica CDs, some acoustic folk stuff, etc. But on the strength of "No Vertigo", I am completely intrigued and going to seek out more. This is a solid, interesting, textual indie-pop album that has impressed me the way Blur, Dandy Warhols, and Brian Jamestown Massacre have impressed others.

RATING & SUMMARY:

Notable Tracks: Decoder, The Shadow, Leaking Out The Nose, Full Of Awe, Even When I Hate You
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewer: Adam Coozer

New track from BEAM UP

The Gleaning

Fresh new dubstep track from Brian May, aka BEAM UP, straight out of Australia. Brian's a top quality producer involved with a wide range of musical projects and can be found at: myspace.com/smackumyongaku. Check him out!

-Camden

Cavedoll Interview

There will be a feature/interview on Cavedoll on YouRockRadio.com this week. Check it out at http://www.yourockradio.com if you are interested.

New Band: The Last Seen

DON'T SAY


The Last Seen... from Denver, CO. In your face, intelligent, rock with dare I say it... a bit of Billy Idol swagger. Maybe, maybe not, but I definitely like the attitude on this track. The drummer is just tearing your face off on the verses, but manages to change it up beautifully on the chorus to a sweet dance beat. The vocals have a lovely edge-y, desperate quality to them that I really enjoy. Overall, really well produced and rockin'.

RIYL: The Killers, The Bravery, The Rapture, Drive Like Jehu.


[ Side-note: wanna play with these guys in Denver ; )

New Band: The Luxury

SEVEN STORIES

SEVEN STORIES (MC Hangover Remix)

The Luxury... from Boston, MA. Check out their rockin' single Seven Stories and the equally hot remix by MC Hangover.

The Luxury combine solid song-writing, excellent production, and catchy, thought-provoking lyrics with a bit of brit-pop attitude. They remind me slightly of postal service/ death cab for cutie meets 90's Brit-rock ala Verve, Stone Roses, and the Charlatans maybe? At the end of the day they're probably more upbeat and rocking than all of those bands though.

The Remix is hot too...

Cavedoll on NPR.org

Cavedoll on NPR.org 'Second Stage'

NPR.org, May 8, 2008 - Cavedoll is prolific, almost to the point of absurdity. The neo-new wave group from Salt Lake City, UT has released 13 albums in the past year, with a total of ten albums due out in 2008. At the root of it all is the hyper-active imagination of frontman, producer and multi-instrumentalist Camden Chamberlain. For Cavedoll's latest release, No Vertigo, Chamberlain and the rest of his band serve up a hip-shaking burst of feel-good energy, inspired by '80s synth pop, electronica and punk.

The album opens with the infectious and explosive "Decoder," with a driving synth bass groove and Chamberlain's crooning voice singing, "you know you want it!"

"'Decoder' was inspired by the big, dancey mash of music I was listening to at the time, spanning several decades," says Chamberlain. "The lyrics and music are meant to reflect the over-sexed mindset of someone who is caught up in the speed and chaos of modern city life."

No Vertigo takes a slightly darker, Cure-like tone on songs like "Cut in Half" and "Soma E Coup," while tracks like "The Past That Was" and "Now Is Our Time" are quieter and more introspective. But the urge to dance is still there.

"In my teens and early 20s I immersed myself in such a wide array of styles from avant-garde jazz to middle eastern folk to hardcore to emo to IDM," says Chamberlain. "When browsing the Cavedoll catalogue you'll hear all of those influences reflected in some form or another."

Among the Cavedoll albums due out this year is what Chamberlain calls a "strictly electronic album of covers of mostly '90s alternative songs," from artists like Janes Addiction, Sonic Youth and Tori Amos.

Camden's wife, Vanessa Angulo Chamberlain, shares lead-vocal duties in Cavedoll, and co-produces the music. For live performances they're joined by Janet Marie Chotia on bass, Allison Martin on keys, and Ryan Petersen on drums.

New review of NO VERTIGO in Beyond Race Magazine

“Cavedoll's new album No Vertigo – one of ten albums released this year by the band – is a brilliant melding of different genres that represents the band perfectly. Depending on who's singing lead – Camden Chamberlain or his wife Vanessa – the sound can sway anywhere between an electro-B-52's or an indie-pop Bowie. The songs are up-beat and danceable most of the time but tend to have a dark, Cure-like undertone as well. Camden's dark croon is similar to the distinct drone of Interpol's Paul Banks. Juxtaposed with Vanessa's feminine presence, the dual vocals add another layer to the songs.

Standout track "Taste Like a Hurricane" is the cream of the dance-pop crop, with Vanessa's sugary vocals and an up-beat chorus over simple yet effective synth beats. The influences are evident but don't mistake them for a tribute band. Cavedoll are definitely innovative enough to stand their ground.”
-Janine Rizak, Beyond Race Magazine