SMC: Sandra Black - Sandra Black
trappedinmyradio
Posts: 1,189
First, let me say that I had a hard time selecting a record to put up. I was going to go with Great Lake Swimmers' self-titled record, but thought it too much like the Jose Gonzalez record. I also thought about the Steven Burns' Songs for Dustmites record, but thought it had already been a selection. If anyone is interested in either of those albums then just let me know and I can put those up. Everyone here seems to have a much wider pallet than I do, so I figured I would try out something that was most likely not on your radar.
I have selected a band from the area where I go to school. The band is Sandra Black. It's just, sort of, rock n roll. The singer's voice might turn some people off, but I like it. The first album, the self-titled disk is far more dynamic and better than the second album. I wanted to go ahead and upload both so you can compare the two and witness the progression of the band with losing a few band members. From the first album to the second they lost their lead and rhythm guitarist (the rhythm guy is a friend of mine) and the sound just seems to have gone to the basement. Though I like both albums, the second on is lacking in punch.
I'm bad at characterizing music. To me, this is just rock n roll.
from http://www.leftofthedial.com
Sandra Black is not a woman. It's a band - a five piece rock and roll band from Morgantown, WV that has just released its debut self-titled release. Formed almost 10 years ago by Billy Zwiener, bassist Jason Henry and drummer Bryan Newruck, Sandra Black's early home recordings created a buzz in town. After the departure of Newruck in 97, Zwienr elnisted his younger brother Dan who was only 16 at the time to hold down the drumming duties for the group. The group shared a common musical vision and a mutual admiration for the indie-rock groundbreakers of their time (My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Ride, Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, and the Pixies, to name a few). Guitarists Rob Wrhle and Corey Bicanich joined later, and Zwiener began to play keyboard.
For more, see here http://www.sandrablack.com/reviews.htm
This is a band I really like. You can mention comparisons because I am at a loss, specifically. I hope you enjoy the selections.
-dominic-
I have selected a band from the area where I go to school. The band is Sandra Black. It's just, sort of, rock n roll. The singer's voice might turn some people off, but I like it. The first album, the self-titled disk is far more dynamic and better than the second album. I wanted to go ahead and upload both so you can compare the two and witness the progression of the band with losing a few band members. From the first album to the second they lost their lead and rhythm guitarist (the rhythm guy is a friend of mine) and the sound just seems to have gone to the basement. Though I like both albums, the second on is lacking in punch.
I'm bad at characterizing music. To me, this is just rock n roll.
from http://www.leftofthedial.com
Sandra Black is not a woman. It's a band - a five piece rock and roll band from Morgantown, WV that has just released its debut self-titled release. Formed almost 10 years ago by Billy Zwiener, bassist Jason Henry and drummer Bryan Newruck, Sandra Black's early home recordings created a buzz in town. After the departure of Newruck in 97, Zwienr elnisted his younger brother Dan who was only 16 at the time to hold down the drumming duties for the group. The group shared a common musical vision and a mutual admiration for the indie-rock groundbreakers of their time (My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Ride, Guided By Voices, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, and the Pixies, to name a few). Guitarists Rob Wrhle and Corey Bicanich joined later, and Zwiener began to play keyboard.
For more, see here http://www.sandrablack.com/reviews.htm
This is a band I really like. You can mention comparisons because I am at a loss, specifically. I hope you enjoy the selections.
-dominic-
I'll dig a tunnel
from my window to yours
from my window to yours
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from my window to yours
the YSI servers are too busy at the moment but i'll grab it later... i'm still not through with the last pick though...
Some days you wake up and sit on a park bench next to an eighty year old Russian architect, and some days you don't. I think this is my new life philosophy.
http://epplehausradio.blogspot.com/
pearl jam @ the astoria, london, 20/04/06
I will give these proper listens for sure.
-The crazy guy with the Ramones t-shirt.
Mexico C. 12/10/05.
"There is a rose that I want to live for
although, God knows, I may not have met her"
-J. Strummer
"And you'll never know just how dark this screen could be"
I find the first CD (Sandra Black) a mix between early 90's britpop, a small dose of gritty bar band era Stones, and a Corigan like Gish vocal delivery. The production of this CD and the 40oz in particular very are well recorded. a nice clean production. not too glossy, slight edge to them.
40oz, sounds nothing like their debut. I found myself enjoying it a tad more than the first. A bit more mature I guess (makes sense eh?) Track 7 is incredible. Incredible. Amazing really this is the same band. I wonder if there was a personel change or something? *edit* I guess I should have read your thread again.................
I don't find anything groundbreaking about either however they are very good listens. The length of their songs is perfect, a slight in your face and on to another. I like their rockers a little more than their slower tunes.
I can now say I have heard a band from West Virginia?. If this was my local band, I would be there in a heartbeat.
good stuff. thank you.
Edit: nevermind, I found them.
Sandra Black
1. Got Mykicks
2. Pushin It
3. Track 3
4. Bloom
5. Star City
6. Nyabinghi Dance Hall
7. Tongue Tied
8. Good Lord
9. Snare Drum Sound
10. 83 Wagon
11. Change of Atmosphere
12. Betty Rides Shotgun
The 40 Ounce Confession
1. love
2. the bells
3. 40 Ounce Confession
4. downer hill
5. edison
6. the fifth
7. evil
8. am rock
9. +1
10. eighteen
i know that they all love spoon.
from my window to yours
well, every time they play aroud here, i go see them. the last time i saw them...my two friends and i were drinking PBR and Carling Black Label all night. sandra black came on last and just sort of went to it. they mixed it up, but it was still a move your feet and swing your hair show.
the song lengths are good...i thought they might be extended some in concert, but i think the new guitarist is feeling his way into the situation at this point.
i have to apologize about the tracklisting. i know that it's annoying. thankfully, we have someone who is quite diligent (thanks a ton AS) and found them.
just a bit of dumb trivia fodder - track 6 on disk 1 (nyabinghi dance hall) is titled as such after best concert club here in morgantown. before it was called that it was called the underground railroad, and now, today, it's called 123 pleasant street because, well, that's the address of the building. if i ever get in there early enough to take pictures, i will, because it's a really cool little niche. the crowds there, the bands, and the staff are what make living in morgantown tolerable.
from my window to yours
i get the gist of it...don't find it again.
from my window to yours
trappedinmyradio, I will for sure download this sucka tomorrow and listen and comment soon after.
"Lo√e, you know the word
...YOU invented it!" ~ E√
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...::STONE--YOU--OWN!::...
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hey, take your time...do it now...i'm bipolar. i spun the second disk lastnight on my way home from the lake - it's not that long - and, there are some great sounds in there. anyway. okay. oh no.
from my window to yours
Three seconds into 'Got My Kicks' my worries were put to rest.
This is good stuff. Not all of it is great, but none of it is bad. These guys clearly have potential that makes me wonder if they were in a city where the music scene is more recognized and covered how successful they might be.
One thing that I really like about these two albums is that no song really sounds the same as another. There are elements in each song that distinguish it from any other song on the record. This is hard for even established bands to do. I've got to give them credit for mixing it up, and for doing so with, I assume, a relatively limited selection of instruments and recording options.
And I don't think the singer's voice is annoying at all. I think it fits quite well with the music they are making and adds another dimension that distinguishes the band from other artists.
Nyabinghi Dance Hall is probably my choice for favorite song of the bunch. It's just plain badass. I found myself basically headbobbin' in my car when this song came on. The bridge section in the middle allows for some improv- I'm curious if they stretch it out a bit at their shows or not. Bottom line is I love this song.
Other songs I dig- Got My Kicks, Track 3, Change of Atmosphere, Betty Rides Shotgun, The Bells, The 40 Ounce Confession, Evil, and Eighteen. I'll be damned if that little four-note organ ditty on Eighteen isn't catchy as hell. In fact, there were a few of these songs I found myself humming or thinking about when I wasn't listening to the album. That, my friends, is a true sign I like what I've heard.
I agree with the review from leftofthedial that cites their influences- you can definitely hear some of them in these songs. Most notable to me was the Pixies influence on Betty Rides Shotgun- you can hear Nimrod's Son/Where Is My Mind? in that one.
There are a couple songs that seem to be more filler than anything, but nothing that I would say is terrible or bad. And, really, that's about the worst I can say about these two albums. There are songs on here I'm going to be putting on mix discs for other people. I'll be listening to this a lot, I think. Definitely my favorite SMC selection since I joined. Mad props.
Speaking of SMC selections, apparently I'm up next. I haven't decided what I want to upload yet, and seeing as there aren't many comments on this one, and some people haven't even listened to it yet, I might wait a few more days before doing that.
oh, i find his voice far from annoying. i love it. other people that have heard the records or heard them live don't usually agree though. it was just warning. i know that not everyone is like me. shit, i think one of the best records ever is meat puppets II - that is great stuff...but everyone that i know is apt to HATE his voice.
glad you like it.
from my window to yours
This 2nd. album is tighter, better produced as well, with good balance in all the elements -there was too many fuzzed and/or distorted guitars a la 90's indie in the first one-, here you have your upbeat tunes, your soothing tunes and everything in between. The first track builds a beautiful crescendo, love the insanity in track 9, and for the whole way in which they develop, track 3 or 4 could be my favorites. I don't know, but I especially liked the drummer here, I mean, he's not like the greates drummer you've ever heard, but to me the groove he puts in his rythms is essential for the other things happening around it.
Yeah, this is good, I mean I think there are some weak moments on both albums, but nothing that would make me skip a song. It'd be interesting to see how these guys can make it in the future.
And I just can't help closing my comment saying what my favorite line from the band was: "smoking marihuana 'till it's coming out your ears". Yeah, that's a beautiful image...
Now, I have something to tell you about the poster raffle, go to next post:
-The crazy guy with the Ramones t-shirt.
Mexico C. 12/10/05.
"There is a rose that I want to live for
although, God knows, I may not have met her"
-J. Strummer
"And you'll never know just how dark this screen could be"
Now, it's great having 10 persons because that will make everything a lot easier. I plan to do this: next weekend I'll write down the names of each one of you and put them in a bowl, then in an other bowl, I'll put papers each with a number from 1 to 10, I'll be taking out a name and then a number to asign to that person, you'll have to trust me on this and on monday I'll be telling you in this thread, or the new one we could have, which number is everyone.
Then we wait until next weekend, when Mexican lottery should give the winner of the week, and the last digit of the winning number will determine who is the winner here. For example, if the winning number in the lottery is 45067, then the winner in the SMC will be whover gets number 7. If the last digit is "0", the winner would be the number 10. Understood?
When I do my post on Monday, I'll give you a link to the Mexican lottery site and the exact date we should pay attention to for the SMC raffle.
Well, hope this was clear for everyone, if you have any doubt, please ask.
Best luck to all.
Cheers.
-The crazy guy with the Ramones t-shirt.
Mexico C. 12/10/05.
"There is a rose that I want to live for
although, God knows, I may not have met her"
-J. Strummer
"And you'll never know just how dark this screen could be"
my favorite lyric is "i only weigh 135 pounds...but skinny guys rock best"
from my window to yours