The Gentleman Callers, Monads Release New Music

Jangly garage-rockers the Gentleman Callers recently posted eight new songs on its Circuit page. (Link here.) For those who aren't a member of the Circuit (and you should be!), here are the songs, which are culled from the band's still-physically-unreleased second album, working title With Time Comes a Change:

(PLAYER AFTER THE JUMP, AS THE MUSIC STARTS BY ITSELF.)

That's some good stuff; recommended if you like the Beatles, Patti Smith, the Stones and others of that ilk

As for the status of the band: Keys player Seth Porter reports that "the Gentleman Callers are not dead, but are certainly in a coma." But those who miss 'em should check out the Blind Eyes, Porter's new project with fellow 'Callers Matt Picker and Kevin Schneider. Much more influenced by Elvis Costello and the Jam, if not power-pop in general, the trio has already garnered favorable reviews for its live show (so much so that multiple people have informed me the band is right up my alley). You'll have to wait until the 75's CD release show (February 23 at Lemmons) to see 'em next, though.

As for the Monads? Well, that quartet is releasing its next album, Ornery, on March 28. See the video below for more information. I caught the quartet live last week at Off Broadway (with the always-dependable Bad Folk; seriously, is there a more underrated, solid band in town? The best wind-swept, lonesome-road Americana band in the city), and was super impressed.

The four members of the quartet stand in a unified front lin on stage, which underscores their unorthdox instrumentation: upright bass, banjo, electric fiddle and guitar (with the occasional accordion and mandolin thrown in for good measure). But the energy and sheer abandon the band brought to its tunes was mesmerizing and completely punk-rock; it was like a bluegrass version of gypsy-punks Gogol Bordello, or Against Me! without the political posturing. I'm looking forward to hearing the CD.

-- Annie Zaleski

Find more music like this on THE CIRCUIT by LO-FI SAINT LOUIS