autumn is a terrific season

i love new york, but it's no place to enjoy autumn, which is a major bummer, because it's my favorite season, and a terrific one, and this rambling introduction is brought to you by these are powers, because it was their terrific seasons that prompted me into writing this post.

i've been working on staten island lately, and my call went very late tonight, so i didn't get home until nearly 4 am. i napped on the ferry (sleeping through half of begin to hope), but didn't want to sleep through a 1 train, so i started thinking about all the shit i need to review. i've got the black angels show from wednesday, the mount eerie show from thursday, i've been preparing my full all hour cymbals review - suffice to say, it was enough to keep me awake. and as i sketched out some ideas for the yeasayer post, "no need to worry" on repeat on my headphones, i gradually woke up. so by the time i get home at 4, i know i'm gonna a little too mentally jazzed to collapse into bed. so what did i find on my desk? terrific seasons, you guessed it!

you will remember these are powers as the thermals' opener at warsaw last week - i really enjoyed their frenetic sound, which i've since learned is referred to as "ghost punk." honestly, it sounds better than "neo-psychedelic sludge rock," which is how i heard the black angels described the other day, though i'm at a total loss as to what it means. anyway, i got in contact with the band, who offered to send me a review copy of terrific seasons, an offer i readily accepted, despite my claim that it was "probably not something i could stand in my headphones for more than 90 seconds." also, who doesn't love packages?

though not unexpected, it was amazing to find the album when i did. i'm going on 24 hours without sleep, and finding a package cheered me up (and woke me up). intrigued by their cover art and best label name ever (more on that in a moment), i popped the cd in and waited. my expectations of them were already shaped by their live show (and the video of "you come with nothing" that i took), and what i expected to come out of the speakers didn't, not in the slightest.

aside: interestingly/disappointingly, the label that these are powers claims to have released terrific seasons on could possibly not exist. in two places, the inside cover and the cd itself, these are powers credit the album to pre teens of the himalayas (i am not lying. i couldn't make up something that good.). click the link. okay, you get the problem? what if pre teens of the himalayas doesnt' exist? these are powers, i hope you're not fucking with me. the back cover of the album credits hoss records, as does their myspace (and hoss records themselves), so you lead me to conclude you are fucking with me. no joke, i did a doubletake and laughed out loud, in my empty house at 4.30 am. i hope pre teens of the himalayas are real.

after that aside, i know you all have one question: what the fuck is ghost punk? (sorry for all the cursing. i'm getting cranky from lack of sleep, but goshdarnit, i'm finishing this post!) i still have no idea what ghost punk is. but here are some names that will give you a frame of reference:
at the drive-in (lots!)
sleater-kinney
fugazi
old school sonic youth
since these are powers' bassist used to play with liars, maybe they sound like liars? i never got into them, so i don't know...
anyway, tons of great stuff.

so, i'm really tired now, and you'll have to entertain yourself with these two mp3s below. these are powers play death by audio in two weeks with clipd beaks. there's a bitching poster on their myspace.

these are powers - "you come with nothing" & "shells for a dead chief"