Ganglians, A Classic Education

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Ganglians

"Ganglians, according to an interview, was not named in reference to ganglion, a type of cyst that forms on or around the wrist; it was, instead, the best portmanteau possible from combining "gang" with "aliens." If that revelation makes the band seem less mysterious, a spin through the Sacramento psychedelic trio's new record should complicate matters. Produced by fellow West Coast noisemaker and occasional Dirty Projectors collaborator Robby Moncrieff, Still Living deals in brash dynamics, uneven instrumentation and unusual aural dualities.

Take, for example, "Jungle," which sounds like an otherworldly collaboration between Thee Oh Sees and Fleet Foxes. It's about as jarring as one would expect, with a bulging guitar chord bookending the verses and filling the space left open by the easy percussion. Though perhaps less so than other tracks on the album, the song conveys the breezy warmth of surf-pop from the 1960s, an era in which feathery choral arrangements were still popular with the kids. Those arrangements appear in full during "Jungle," floating over the shimmying melody and providing a little relief from the abrasiveness that dominates elsewhere." --NPR

A Classic Education

Italy's most interesting band finds inspiration in an unlikely place and crafts a timeless masterpiece. While Call It Blazing is A Classic Education's first proper LP, it is instantly recognizable as part of the great tradition of early rock and roll – an album full of stories, character and time.

The band wrote the record in their hometown of Bologna, Italy, soaking in the vintage photography of Danny Lyon, Diane Arbus, Wlliam Gedney and Mario Giacomelli – fever dreams of bikers, roads and dirt, the Chicago Outlaws, and the leather-clad city kids of long-gone yesterdays. The juxtaposition of these grainy images and Bologna's medieval streets and red-tiled roofs created Call It Blazing – a thoroughly modern take on forgotten-era pop music that marries dreamy guitars, shimmering sixties melodies, jangly post-punk and early stage rock'n'roll anthems, all with an unmistakable European pop sensibility. These are 12 songs that explore a sense of mischief, disenchantment, escapism and desire to not comply to any given set of rules or laws – ideas that are as modern as they are timeless. A Classic Education combine the muscle of Loaded-era VU with the sincerity of Roy Orbison and the chiming guitars of the Go-Betweens, Johnny Marr and The Verlaines to create a sound that is compelling and truly unlike anyone else.

Canadian-born Jonathan Clancy and the gang of Luca Mazzieri, Paul Pieretto, Giulia Mazza and Federico Oppi decided to come to the US to record Call It Blazing in Brooklyn, NY at Rear House with Jarvis Tavienere (Woods, Vivian Girls, Real Estate, Widowspeak, Ganglians) at the helm. Tavienere and the band crafted the album's unique sound by using a classic method: tracking all the musicians together in an old kitchen with a wooden floor and sending the results to analog tape, later adding layers of organ, theremin and violin. Closing song Night Owl was recorded in Philadelphia during Weathervane's acclaimed Shaking Through sessions by Brian McTear and Jon Low.

Call It Blazing is the band's full-length debut, coming on the heels of a string of acclaimed EPs and singles that have brought A Classic Education around the world numerous times to play with like-minded bands Wolf Parade, Real Estate, Crystal Stilts, The Fresh & Onlys, British Sea Power and Arcade Fire and important festivals such as Primavera Sound, SXSW, Indietracks and CMJ.

One critic remarked "they look like European punks from an early Pedro Almodovar film and sound like a mix of Galaxie 500, The Shins and a hint of 50s rock n roll. Good stuff."

French Cassettes

French Cassettes are a four-piece indie pop band whose recent release, Summer Darling, is not only easy on the ears but also serves as a clear statement of their upbeat intentions. In the few years that French Cassettes have been together, they have made a significant impact on both the local and national scene. With their roots in Ripon, California, a small central valley town, and currently based in San Francisco, French Cassettes have won numerous area music awards and competitions including the famed Hayward Battle of the Bands.

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