Reoccurring Dreams Presents: "Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats" (13 Big Ones)

My buddy Adam Lempel hit me up on ~~Facebook~~ last week, asking if I'd be down to write up a Witzard review on his new band, Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats' upcoming Reoccurring Dreams/Friends Records debut. The answer was obviously, "FUCK YEAH!" I met Adam and his fellow bandmate, Brendan Sullivan (WEEKENDS) backstage in the make-shift green room [church pews] @ a Surfer Blood show in South Philly (2011). Needless to say, following a few texts and emails, I had an advance copy of "Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats" safely nestled in my Inbox. After a few listens, I gotta admit, it's a pretty far departure from WEEKENDS' feedback-drenched brand of improvised Noise-Rock, but The Heartbeats managed to compile an almost INSTANTLY catchy Folk/Pop Rock record!.. mildly reminiscent of The Beatles, Beach Boys, Fiona Apple, Weezer, Simon & Garfunkel, Pixies. "It was recorded by Chris Freeland who also recorded Wye Oak and Lower Dens," Lempel explained in an email. "I have a bunch of friends helping out: Amanda Glasser (Silent Whys) singing on a couple songs, Tiffany Black and Kate Barutha (Softcat) singing back-up, and Kate is even playing cello on a couple songs." While Adam Lempel single-handedly recorded all the guitar/drum tracks, he's recruited Matt Lampart and Russell Imwold to play drums as part of The Heartbeats' 6-piece live band.

Adam Lempel & The Heartbeats' record is gonna be released on CD-R/digital [mp3] on Lempel's home-grown Baltimore-based imprint, Reoccurring Dreams this upcoming Valentine's Day and probably on cassette through Friends Records around March 8th. He's been slowly but surely leaking the album's 13 tracks to Soundcloud over the past few weeks and I've decided to showcase a few of my personal favourites, for the purposes of this review. "You Belong with Me" was also the lead-off track on The Heartbeats' similarly titled Bandcamp EP, which was unleashed @ the top of January 2012. It kinda reminds me of that cheese-tastic Beach Boys/Doo-Wop girl group, complete with layered harmonies, Pop-laden guitar licks, and a re-telling of long lost Summertime love.

Adam Lempel himself simply described "Echo" as the first track written for a since abandoned split cassette with Sara Autrey (Which Magic); A rough idea, initially proposed to house mirrored songs on the same topics, delivered from both female and male perspective(s). "Echo" is a beautiful song that features Amanda Glasser and Adam Lempel, who doesn't even come in til nearly the second 1/2, trading off breathy verses. I eventually ended up picking "B-Train" as my third track selection because it sticks out in my mind, dude in part to that simple repetitive guitar riff... there's actually 2 guitar licks back-to-back, I think (one right after "I can't wait til the B-Train comes," too). If you listen closely, there's a lot going on here: beachy vibes, dueling guitars, crashing cymbals, 2-part harmonies, distorted hand claps, etc. WEEKENDS, one of Adam Lempel's other bands are planning to release their third album [New Humans] later this year, but until then, definitely check out The Heartbeats. It's a great sun-soaked listen you won't regret, trust me!

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel

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