We are Insound’s Band of the Week!
There are a lot of qualities of Tyler Jon Tyler’s debut LP that remind me of college radio. Rebecca Flores’ vocals can’t help but waft up memories of Sleater-Kinney, but the music underneath her howl has more jangle and shamble than they usually copped to. The band seems fit to name check The Vaselines and Raincoats which works on some level but maybe only if they were mashed together with some more bombastic punk tendencies like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich of fierce jangle-pop destruction.
No matter what touchstones you want to pull out of your pocket, the band’s self-titled debut is a whole lot of fun and an ardent about face to some of the garage-y tendencies coming out of Chicago of late. Clean edged but deceptively sharp, it’s the kind of album that shows up on most overlooked lists years down the line. I’d say get in on this now. (Andy French)
Cactus Mouth gave us a delightful review, and you can stream “Scotland Yard”:
Don’t let the name fool you, Tyler Jon Tyler is not a dude, it’s actually a three-piece from Chicago. On the strength of their spunky female vocals, the band pulls of the 1980’s indie pop sound much better than many other bands trying to recapture the decade’s magic. The best part is that it all seems so effortless for them. The jangly guitars and the simple melody-driven pop songs are as sweet as honey dripping from your headphones. If you’re a fan of groups such as Black Tambourine, The Vaselines, or The Pastels then I HIGHLY recommend that you check out Tyler Jon Tyler.
Their self-titled debut album is out on Slow Fizz records now. If you like what you hear, do yourself (and the band) a favor and order yourself a copy. Oh, and swing by their website for more info.
WUSB is giving us some airplay, and you can also stream “How’s About Now?”:
When I first heard about Chicago’s Tyler Jon Tyler, they had just released a 7” for what was probably one of the best tracks of the year. Now they’re back with an awesome full length of sugary bubblegum garage pop. “How’s About Now” is a shorter, faster track than anything else on the album, driven by a sweet bass line and closing with Flores’ awesome vocals shouting “I Can’t Go Home”. It rules.
Quarterwhipped put “Separate Issue” on their killer THE AFTERGLOW #30 mixtape:
Far more upbeat than i’m usually known for posting, but it’s just so infectious and fun. Those rolling drums and that sing-along chorus is just embedded in my skull for the foreseeable future . I love it.
Stark Online called us Jangle Pop with a Purpose:
Everybody jangles these days. It’s just the coolest thing. You can’t go anywhere without some reverby guitar gently massaging your eardrums, in that safe, pleasant, afraid-to-take chances type of way. But hey, after Real Estate “broke out” who can blame them? So I initially scoffed when I came across Tyler Jon Tyler the other day on AZ. But, after spending some time with their tunes, I find them charming, well-written, and without all of the usual pretentious trimmings, such as hollow and distorted vocals meant to hide out-of-key singing (Twin Sister) and poorly played guitars (The Beets).
While this post seems to be out to condemn the lo-fi genre, which we’ve certainly been vocal about our disdain for in the past, it’s less about that, and more about how surprised we are to be enjoying Tyler Jon Tyler’s self-titled debut so much. We don’t mean that to sound cheap either. There is a youthful passion here and a clear joy for playing that cuts through all the noise and hype of the lo fi world and strips the music down to its core elements of solid songwriting and quality execution. There is a larger purpose behind these songs that seems to be more about the actual music, than where that music fits into the blog spectrum at large. It’s refreshing.
Berkeley Place gave us a delightful review too!
At first blush, Tyler Jon Tyler sounds like more of that retro garage pop that many, many folks have doing so well for the past handful of years, which is a little bit of a turnoff: It’s simple music already–is it really so special that so many bands have to try their hand at it? But the answer is yes, because that’s not what Tyler Jon Tyler are actually doing.
TJT’s rock is tight, to be sure, and minimalist and poppy, but it owes as much to Blondie as it does to Strawberry Alarm Clock, and as much to The Cure and the Pretenders as to the Standells or Ramones. The drumming (by Tom “Daily Void” Cassling) leads you though Rebecca Flores’ terrifically urgent vocals and guitar work, and crisp songwriting keeps the pace moving quick. Oh, and if the bass is as heavy and steady as a drumbeat, it’s because it’s played by the drummer from The Ponys ,Nathan Jerde.
By the time the album goes silent after just 26 minutes, you’ve lost yourself in it. Highly recommended.
Do you want more? Check out recent radio play, top tens, photos, and our favorite tunes over on our Tumblr or add us on Twitter: @tylerjontyler!
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