The blog definitely did not change names. The blog was definitely not called "A Wet Goldfish" and is now called "Tom Posts Music Here". That did not happen. There is definitely not a new rule of posting a YouTube link so readers can check out the music before downloading it. That is not new, it has always been the case. I totally had this all figured out from the very start. If you need links, still email me at awetgoldfish@gmail.com, but other than that, same shit, new name.
This wouldn't be an indie blog without a post jerking off over Nathan Williams. Mastermind of San Diego-based surf rock and pop-punk band Wavves, Williams has been a real success story in the indie rock blog scene of the late aughts and early '10s.
Beginning in 2008, Wavves (named after Williams' fear of the ocean) took bedroom pop and rock and fused it with a California surf rock and punk vibe. This caught the attention of a few burgeoning websites hitting their stride such as Pitchfork, and the combination of surf rock revival and internet attention thrust Wavves into a sudden spotlight. After a few missteps (including insulting an entire crowd at Primavera Sound, being pelted with bottles onstage, and admitting an alcohol addiction), Wavves truly hit their musical apex in 2010.
Before delving into this album, I should note that Wavves' output post-2010 is definitely worthwhile. Albums following "King of the Beach" are great in their own right, with "Afraid of Heights" incorporating more elements of late 90s indie rock and "V" moving towards an impeccably tight, pop and pop-punk focus. But thinking back to 2010, Wavves seemed to be stuck; drummer Zach Hill (of Hella and Death Grips fame) had left the group and Williams was seemingly adrift, and "King of the Beach" was the completely unexpected and important step forward.
"King of the Beach" finds Wavves ditching the gritty, lo-fi recording style found on the self-titled in favor of a bright, loud, sun-bleached recording from Dennis Herring, a great producer behind Modest Mouse and Counting Crows records. The album is really well-played. The guitar lines are fuzzed out and distorted but have a great clarity to them. The synth lines are subtle and textured. And the rhythm section is fantastic, made up of Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes, Jay Reatard's old rhythm section before his untimely death. The genius in this album lies in its willingness to bend genre rules to fuse Adolescents-style punk with old-school surf rock while incorporating some great lyrics and excellent, singular production.
There are so many great moments on this album. The background vocals on "Idiot" against the hard-as-hell drum and guitar lines is a particularly weird and badass moment. "Post Acid" is a lighthearted and incredibly catchy single, managing to incorporate shout-along choruses with sharp, angular guitar riffs. "Green Eyes" is more somber in vocal delivery while the instrumentation, full of bells, electronic claps, and delay keep the song from being brooding. The last track, "Baby Say Goodbye", has one of the most memorable and fantastic melodies on the entire album before melting into a fuzzed-out, delay-ridden and beautiful cacophony by the end.
I found this album my freshman year of high school and I loved the hell out of it, and every time I listen to it I find something I missed; it keeps me coming back.
Great surf rock and pop punk album. Songs and download links below:
Try it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFuIEnMTiYg ("Post Acid" music video)
And: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsLvljKISz8 ("Super Soaker")
http://tinyurl.com/zucss3s (MEGA)
http://tinyurl.com/h4vq6zd (FileFactory)
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