Michael Mannheimer
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
WHAT’S UP, INDIE ROCK? About 10 years ago, before the age of free MP3s and the instant-hype gratification of the blogosphere, I picked up a copy of the Matador Records compilation What’s Up, Matador? on super-discount at one of the huge music shops that went the way of the dinosaur earlier this decade (either Tower or the Wherehouse—interchangeable franchises in my mind). I bought it for the unreleased Pavement track, but kept it in the collection because of all the new discoveries: early Spoon, Superchunk and Chavez. I mention this because a few tunes off Chores' 2007 EP Life Is Hard sound so much like the slowly chugging and chiming indie rock that characterized What's Up, Matador?—check the slightly funky, driving guitars of “Ghost” and tell me if you can’t spot some influences. It’s too bad the Portland band hasn’t appeared on any What’s Up, Stumptown? comps—Shaky Hands fans would probably have a new crush.