Giant Robot 68.3 - Even more music reviews

More music… All of these releases below are new except for the Bats and Mice single, which gets a pass because it's on vinyl. Clear vinyl, even. I'm no audiophile, but I still prefer records and would rather even rather listen to CDs on my stereo while sitting in a nice chair than MP3s in front of the computer. It's a hassle but it's also a ritual and it sounds better. Or at least it feels better. Listen to Rollins. He says so, too.

Bats and Mice – Back in Bat
The title of this 7″ single might make you think that the old singer died and a new one was taking the mic. Not so. Sleepytime Trio's David NeSmith and Ben Davis are still in front with Totimoshi's Jonathan Fuller behind the drumkit once again, which should stoke most followers. On the A-side, “You Leave” and “Bricks for Eyes” mix what sound like The Cure and Three Mile Pilot influences into their taught-but-not-uptight brand of post-hardcore. Nice. Guess which part of the quiet-loud-quiet dynamic each band fits into? The Chapel Hill/Baltimore band's excellent B-side changes things up with a slower, deeper, and somewhat dubbier sound that recalls later Soulside. No “Loser Drugs” are necessary to get sucked in. [Lovitt Records]