January | 2014 | TRAINWRECK'D SOCIETY

Electric Needle Room: It’s Getting Personal [Album]

January 4, 2014 by rontrembathiii 3 Comments

Electric Needle Room is a band that has been on my radar for about as long as I have been writing about music. In most recent years, you may recognize the band’s name from some features we have done on the Presidents of the United States of America volumes that one half of the group, Sir Matt Beat, has been releasing under the moniker that I thoroughly enjoy and find just as catchy and lovely as they are informative and enlightening.

But, Electric Needle Room is indeed two folks. Brothers actually. Matt and Steven Beat to be even more precise. And for many years now, these two have been delighting audiences with the most indie popish, indie pop songs you will ever hear. And on their latest effort It’s Getting Personal (technically ENR’s 7th album), they bring more of the brilliance I have held to be self-evident. As you could imagine from a band featuring a guy who wrote a song about every president in history (even Millard Fillmore for chrissakes), the storytelling is absolutely amazing. Simple pop tunes about real life, all in realm of bands like They Might Be Giants or Barenaked Ladies. There are songs about Twitter, Facebook, dancing like no one is watching, simply surviving, and so much more. Yes, It’s Getting Personal is another brilliant display of the finest indie pop group with a brilliant grace of storytelling to come out of Kansas since, well, probably ever. I seriously could never get enough of these two. Their songs are without a doubt create some of the most fun listening experiences I have ever had.

And if their music wasn’t intriguing enough, some of their promotional practices are intriguing as well. For example, they are currently running an Indiegogo Campaign to help spread the joyous words of Electric Needle Room across the glove via college radio. If you know anything about myself or my work, you know that I absolutely adore college radio and community radio stations. They are seriously the only dials worth tuning in to. I also love helping out bands get the word about the beauty they create, all the while getting some cool swag for doing so! Seriously, for just a $5 donation to this campaign, you will be e-mailed a compact disc version of It’s Getting Personal as well as a sticker which claims that “Electric Needle Room is the 1,536th Best Band in the World”. And for $20, they will even throw in a t-shirt. And if you are Mr. or Mrs. Moneybags, for a chump change of $100, you can get all of this as well as a song written by Matt Beat, about whatever the hell you want! This is an opportunity that is not to be missed.

But, if you are just a common listener, and not looking to become a part of a college radio campaign that could change history, that is fine. I guess. You can listen to and even download for FREE your own copy of It’s Getting Personal. The very least you could do is check out these beautiful songs written with a zeal and zest for life and the art of telling stories about who fun and/or disparaging it can be. Head on over to their Bandcamp page to do so.

Filed under Music

Trainwreck’d Society’s Top 40 Songs of 2013 [Exclusive]

January 1, 2014 by rontrembathiii 3 Comments

Feliz Ano Nuevo everybody, and greetings from Spain! It’s long been the 1st for us over here, but for the rest of you just waking up from your up to late hangovers, and heavy thoughts of how impossible those new year resolutions you swore you were going to keep last night, I have a treat (or at least a fine distraction to check out before you “head to the gym”) for all of you! Let us begin!

I have never been one for “singles”. I love songs! I grew to loving music in the mid to late 1990’s when the “one hit wonder”‘s were rampant. Things are different now, just as they were different in the decades that precluded my time of Dog’s Eye View, Eagle Eye Cherry, or Soul Asylum listening times. I understood, and still understand, the reason for “singles”, in an entirely promotional sense, and I imagine the concept is still alive today. But in this age of being able to download exactly what you want, and discarding the rest, we no longer rely on clever marketing of single tracks as much as we rely on the sound a musician or band creates altogether. Yes, this is debatable, and I may be wrong, but no one can stop me from thinking this at this precise second, not even myself. What is even more strenuous on the soul is the immense amount of music that is at your fingertips these days. There is just so much to listen to, it’s pretty intimidating.

Maybe that is why I have never done a list of my favorite songs for a year here at Trainwreck’d Society. Like most of you out there, my “favorite song” probably changes quicker than the seasons of each year, so it seems ridiculous to try to make a list. But, this might as well be a season for change. So, I thought I would try something new, and create a list of we here at Trainwreck’d Society considered to be the best songs of 2013. In all reality, many of these songs most likely appear on albums that will very likely appear on our Top 37 1/2 Albums of 2013 list coming soon. But in this situation, we get to pay respect to some truly talented artists that may not end up in the year-end album list, but were still very amazing. Of course, on the other side of the spectrum, our favorite albums may not have a track that makes it on this list. Everything is subjective anyway, right? And if I ever stopped pussy footing around and make a year-end list longer than 37 albums, all of these artist might make the list. I guess I can’t break that all things Kevin Smith addicted attitude I have had for almost twenty years.

So with that being said, I am excited to present to you, Trainwreck’d Society’s Top 40 Songs of 2013!

Note: Artist and Song Titles that are highlighted will provide a link to any previous posts on our site featuring said artist. Enjoy!