The Bowery Presents

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Ponytail: official website; myspace; A four-piece multi-style rock act that drew comparisons to Deerhoof and Ecstatic Sunshine, Ponytail released its first slab of infectious sugar fueled two guitar trad punk (Kamehameha on Creative Capitalism) in January of 2007. The Baltimore, Maryland quartet featured drummer Jeremy Hyman, guitarist Ken Seeno, other guitarist (and Ecstatic Sunshine member) Dustin Wong, all fronted by the vast array of sounds that was vocalist Molly Siegel. Winning critical praise for their hyper noisy live show that evoked elements of heavy duty riffage, yells, growls, art-rock, surf rock, ska, and Indian war chants, the outfit of youngsters appeared at the South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas in the early part of 2008. Their second album, Ice Cream Spiritual, was due out in June of 2008 on We Are Free records.
--by Chris True

Real Estate: myspace; Real Estate waft in on vibes of hazy summers past. The New Jersey quartet of Martin Courtney IV, Matthew Mondanile III, Etienne Pierre Duguay and Alex Bleeker cut the sleeves short and the pop smooth to shade you from the midday heat. Every song works its way to that part of your consciousness that reveled in the fleeting waves of freedom that eked in once classes broke and the sun lingered a little longer over suburban roofs. And with three quarters of the band holding down Garden State roots its no surprise that a bit of Jersey indie-pop heritage sneaks its way into their sound, lifting the most sun streaked moments from The Feelies and Yo La Tengo and filtering them through the kaleidoscope of memories aimless drives through parched neighborhood streets.

Martin Courtney's songwriting has a way of wrapping up the immediacy of youth with the ennui of age for the perfect shade of bittersweet bliss, mind you though, much heavier on the sweet than the bitter. Add to this Mondanile's (Ducktails/ Predator Vision) shimmering guitar strains full of equal parts sea foam and beer foam, pepper in the boardwalk clatter of Duguay's drums Bleeker's staccato low end and the perfect afternoon is just a lawn chair and boom box away.

Think About Life: official website; myspace; Think About Life have been causing panic on Montreal dance floors since just a little before they were personally invited by Wolf Parade (Sub Pop) to be their support act during last year’s North American autumn tour. Montreal’s best-kept secret is now coming out… on record.

“Think About Life builds a bridge from swiriling chaos to kindly pop, but the bridge is a shaky beast that tends to collapse into the sea and capsize any onlooking vessel. Shows can meltdown to oblivion or soar to ecstacy or implode after one song with police intervention. The sounds range from manic to troubled to tender to silly, exploding every emotion at once into a thousand pieces at the bottom of a canyon. TAL reassembles this raw material into a worldview rooted in thunder-storms, roller-coasters, clowns, sea-beasts, romance, fireworks, massive sphinxes, basketball championships, chivalric knighthoods, snowmen, children, videos, hamlets, sunglasses, and YOU.”

Think About Life is the lovechild of Graham Van Pelt, a multi-instrumentalist, recording studio proprietor and co-director of Montreal’s adored all-ages alternative space, the Friendship Cove. The band’s primary vocal organ is Martin Cesar, the genius of the Donkey Heart quartet that squinty, pimply West Montreal kids swear by as “the little band that could…” Matt Shane is the name of the band’s drum machine.

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