It is surprising to hear Railcars stripped down, without the terrifying noise and Aria Jalali’s Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) like shrieks. Said Sister covers a different side of Jalali’s basement noise pop outfit, featuring two early tracks each with a different female vocalist.

“B’s Skeleton” is a chill, near electro-psychedelic track with a laid-back cool drum beat and highly melodic, haunting keys. And it’s fronted by equally ethereal vocals. Not at all what you’d expect from a band that gave us Cathedral With No Eyes.

On the B-side track “Saints Are Waiting”, we hear a little of the Railcars we know today, if only in the percussive style. The song is still entirely withdrawn from the noise subgenre Railcars now fits, but the emphasis on drums is all too familiar.

Both songs on Said Sister are a unique brand of experimental noise pop that aren’t all that noisy, and it makes for some very interesting and original stuff. Furthermore, the single’s exclusivity should not be ignored — Gold Robot Records pressed a mere 250 of these gems!

Grab one before it’s gone!

Download: “Saints Are Waiting” by Railcars

Gold Robot Records [7" Single, 2011]

1. B’s Skeleton
2. Saints Are Waiting

If you’ve been following FensePost for a while, you may have heard of Railcars. We premiered a song off their EP Cathedral With No Eyes back when it was just a demo, and we had great things to say about their debut 7″ single Cities Vs. Submarines as well. So yeah, we’ve been a fan of these guys for some time. Railcars is an experimental noise pop outfit from San Francisco fronted by Aria Jalali, and we’re now giving them more love by giving away a copy of last year’s Cathedral EP.

At present is a second item of note. Frontman Aia Jalali is handing out (by way of a Banned Books Muxtape) a free download remix album, where (I believe) Jalali gives his experimental noise treatment to the likes of No Age, Xiu Xiu, and Lucky Dragons to name a few. Word on the street is that you’ll be able to pick up the remix EP from Aria’s site as well. The EP isn’t out yet, but it will be soon.

Cathedral With No Eyes (out now on Stumparumper) blends the lo-fi freak-out noise of the terse moments Jamie Stewart occasionally dispels upon audiences with grating harmonies and catchy melodies.

Giveaway Specifics
So here’s what you have to do… pick one (or more) of the following by Wednesday, May 5 and we’ll choose a winner:
1. Listen to the songs and give your two cents in a comment!
2. Tweet this on Twitter (don’t forget to mention @fensepost, and follow us while you’re at it)!
3. Like us on Facebook and leave a little note about a recent post or something.

Here’s the excellent title track off Cathedral With No Eyes. Beware: you’ll need to crank up the volume because it’s best ingested that way. Still, there’s potential that it will make your ears bleed while putting a move to your feet.

Download: “Cathedral With No Eyes” by Railcars

Jeans Wilder remixed “Castles” by Railcars, one of the top tracks from Cathedral With No Eyes. Check it below:

Download: “Castles (Jeans Wilder’s Day Off Remix)” by Railcars

And here’s a pretty amazing remix Jalali gave to Seamonster’s “Oh Appalacia”, which was released on one of our favorite singles from the year so far.

Download: “Oh Appalacia (Railcars Remix)” by Seamonster

Not surprisingly, this list is filled with EPs by quite a few bands you know and quite a few you probably don’t. Of the ones you don’t know, many are likely from Washington; a quick count leaves me with five bands, or 1/4 of this list. Many of these bands I consider among the most promising artists to surface in 2009. All are worth checking out, and you’ll want to keep an eye on them as we head into 2010.

I titled the above image of my cousin Danny “Over It: 2009″, which is a pretty good summation of the year. It’s been a rough one all around thanks to a shoddy economy, a poor real estate market, and rampant unemployment. But looking back, 2009 was jam-packed with great tunes. And I bought a house, which has been pretty sweet. So, when it comes down to it, 2009 wasn’t half bad.

Here it is, my top 20 EPs of 2009.

* * * * *

20. The Age Of Anxiety by Virgin Islands

The newest of the EPs on this list is The Age Of Anxiety by Virgin Islands. Following the path of Mike Jaworski’s prior group The Cops, this Seattle band is one to keep an eye on in 2010. They are sure to quickly become a local favorite. Also, this release is a limited print one on 12-inches of vinyl, so snatch it up before it’s too late!

Virgin Islands: The Age Of Anxiety [mp3]

* * * * *

19. Eering, Creaky EP by The Smile Brigade

With Eering, Creaky EP, Seattle’s The Smile Brigade began to redefine their folk-y sound with pop sensibilities and clever lyrical twists. As they have yet to give us a full LP, The Smile Brigade remains a powerful underground force waiting to be heard beyond the borders of the Pacific Northwest.

The Smile Brigade: Smile And Smile [mp3]

* * * * *

18. Cathedral With No Eyes EP by Railcars

In the vein of Jamie Stewart’s Xiu Xiu, San Francisco’s Railcars is experimental noise pop at its most eccentric and ferocious. Cathedral With No Eyes is the band’s second EP and it finds them solidifying their now signature freak-out noise-pop sound.

Railcars: Castles [mp3]

* * * * *

17. Blood Bank EP by Bon Iver

Bon Iver continues Justin Vernon’s pleasantly falsetto folk-pop. A brief four songs, Blood Bank (in my opinion) surpasses For Emma, Forever Ago as the group’s strongest work yet. This EP is a must-have for any collection.

Bon Iver: Blood Bank [mp3]

* * * * *

16. Early Morning Risers EP by Dinosaur Feathers

Unique harmonies often in falsetto with a front-man that sounds like an early Rivers Cuomo and backed by an electro-freak-folk sound not entirely unlike a mellow Animal Collective, Dinosaur Feathers are easily one of today’s most promising new acts.

Dinosaur Feathers: Cold Arabella [mp3]

* * * * *

15. Tiny Dots by Yarn Owl

Yarn Owl continues to impress with Tiny Dots, featuring an early favorite “Yarn Blues” and introducing some new ones like “This Old Yarn” and “Without You”. 2010 promises more great things from this Pullman-based band; an EP dubbed Stay Warm. If you missed it, we featured an exclusive track from that forthcoming EP and it’s pretty damn good. To demonstrate this band’s greatness, this cassette release of (I believe) 300 recently sold out.

Yarn Owl: Yarn Blues [mp3]

* * * * *

14. Higher Than The Stars EP by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart released one of my favorite albums of the year, so it only makes sense that their follow-up EP also be worthy of high praise. “Higher Than The Stars” lacked some of the fuzzy greatness of their self-titled LP, but that title track is just as sweet and sensual as “Young Adult Friction” or “Come Saturday”.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: Higher Than The Stars [mp3]

* * * * *

13. Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP by Deerhunter

As usual, Deerhunter delivers. Five songs of immense impacting delight. This album picks up where Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. left off, or joins in just before it starts (I cannot decide which is more appropriate). Noise is the new pop and noise pop, for Deerhunter, reigns supreme.

Deerhunter: Rainwater Cassette Exchange [mp3]

* * * * *

12. Exquisite Corpse EP by Warpaint

These three ladies know how to create a good tune. “Stars” is my favorite shoegaze-y track from 2009, and “Billie Holiday” is close behind. The video for “Stars” is one of my favorites of the year and, with sole exception to “Beetles”, this EP is flawless. Anticipate great things in 2010 from Warpaint.

Warpaint: Elephants [mp3]

* * * * *

11. Phantogram EP by Phantogram

Phantogram’s debut EP hits all the right notes. After being discovered this year, the group was signed to Barsuk. Keep an eye out for Phantogram’s debut EP, Eyelid Movies early next year. Think Ratatat (they hail from the same small New York town) with lyrics.

Phantogram: When I’m Small [mp3]

* * * * *

10. OKAY by Venice Is Sinking

This extended single includes the two of the most appreciated tracks off Venice Is Sinking’s AZAR. “OKAY” is one of my favorite tracks of 2009, and they revisit it and “Ryan’s Song” in the Henslee Sessions. Along with the album version of the title track, the band rounds out the EP with “Compass” and “Give Up”, both covers of the band OKAY.

Venice Is Sinking: Okay [mp3]

* * * * *

9. Dear Furies by Virgin Of The Birds

It had been a few years since Virgin Of The Birds gave us Mixed Choir, but 2009 saw them putting out two EPs. Both are outstanding, but Dear Furies took the cake for me. Jon Rooney’s tracks “Spanish Accusations”, “Baby Let Me Trace You” and “Magic & Sincere” were what did it, though Every Rival has some great tunes as well (“I Loved John” and “Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant”).

Virgin Of The Birds: Spanish Accusations [mp3]

* * * * *

8. Fall Be Kind EP by Animal Collective

Fall Be Kind finds Animal Collective again becoming more accessible to a wider audience. Without the dissonance and grating shrieks of their early work, Animal Collective has tamed and matured, but still carries a ferocious bite.

Animal Collective: What Would I Want? Sky [Stream]

* * * * *

7. Life Of Leisure EP by Washed Out

A single session of songs as a band, and that may just be all we get from Washed Out due to settling down. The primary man behind this quite mesmerizing group set out to make music a bit different from what he had before, and the result was one of the year’s best EPs.

Washed Out: Feel It All Around [mp3]

* * * * *

6. Survival Strategies In A Modern World EP by Liechtenstein

There was a void in music after the demise of the short-lived Vancouver, BC group The Organ; that being a Smiths/Morrissey influenced indie pop girl group. Liechtenstein fills that gap (kinda) and includes lead vocals as deep as those of Katie Sketch. Liechtenstein’s music isn’t nearly as pointed as that by The Organ, but it’s just as good (if not better).

Liechtenstein: Roses In The Park [mp3]

* * * * *

5. EP by Air Waves

They may be from New York, but Air Waves has that sunny California sound. Their acoustic pop made waves (heh) this year and it’s easy to hear why – these songs are pure and fun and easy to love. “Keys” is a quick favorite, but given time you’ll find a special place in your heart for every song on this EP.

Air Waves: Keys [mp3]

* * * * *

4. Hollow Home EP by Bagheera

Listening to Hollow Home, I’m reminded of Grizzly Bear. But where it took Grizzly Bear three albums to really make an impact on me (outside a track here and there), Bagheera does it with a single four-song EP. This is an absolute must-hear.

Bagheera: Skeleton Leaf [mp3]

* * * * *

3. Unfaithful by Charles Leo Gebhardt IV

Like me, this dude sports a big red mustache. Charles Leo Gebhardt IV is, along with The Banyans, Seattle’s best underground artist. Unfaithful proves it with powerful tracks like “Look Out, Look In”, the title track, and “Lake Serene”. Hopefully 2010 will see Gebhardt giving us his debut LP, because I for one cannot wait to hear more.

Charles Leo Gebhardt IV: Unfaithful [mp3]

* * * * *

2. Heatwave EP by Total Babe

What a great new band! Total Babe gets my vote as one of the most promising bands of the year. These kids are young and filled with promise. For their seemingly super young age, their musical abilities and lyrical crafts are par none. Every song on this EP gets an A+++.

Total Babe: Bearbones [mp3]

* * * * *

1. We Swim You Jump EP by We Swim You Jump

This is an easy pick for EP of the year – We Swim You Jump has dominated my playlist since I discovered the band many months ago. There’s not much more to say about this band that I haven’t already. I’ll reiterate: perfect pitches, passionate harmonies, and some of the most mellow yet moving pop you’ll hear from 2009.

We Swim You Jump: Sharks [mp3]

San Francisco garage-noise-pop outfit Railcars dropped their new record yesterday, a mystical collective of ferocious bouts of electro noise dubbed Cathedral With No Eyes. You may remember Railcards from our debut/premiere of “Passion Of St. Edmund (Rebirth)”, or maybe even our premature review of Cathedral With No Eyes from a month and a half ago. Frontman Aria Jalali takes noise and throws it through a lollipop dreamboat; its almost unbelievably upbeat pop nature is something that simply must be heard.

And it can. Railcars is in the middle of an extensive fall tour. Check the tunes and the dates below, but first a tad bit more about the album. You can pick it up on glorious vinyl from Stumparumper. Or, if you’re the digital sort, you can grab it in that format from Gold Robot.

Railcars: Cathedral With No Eyes [mp3]

Railcars: Passion Of Saint Edmund (Rebirth) [mp3]

RAILCARS ON TOUR IN THE NORTHWEST

11/10: The Shed in Vancouver, BC
11/11: Logan’s in Victoria, BC
11/12: Dreamstation64 in Seattle, WA w/ Universal Studios Florida
11/13: Le Voyeur in Olympia, WA
11/14: The Artistry in Portland, OR
11/17: North Bay Art/Film Collective in Santa Rosa, CA
11/18: Fungarden in Sacramento, CA
11/19: Thee Parkside in San Francisco, CA
11/20: Flux 53 Gallery in Oakland, CA
11/23: Synchronicity Space in Los Angeles, CA
11/24: Acrobatics Everyday in Irvine, CA

Fingerprints are an interesting thing. They’re a hard thing to lose, and even harder to identify without the proper know-how. In a way, they’re symbolic of the influences that inspire musicians, and Railcars is no different. Their latest, Cathedral With No Eyes has the undeniable fingerprints of Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart in both the eccentric noise instrumentation and the vocal shouts.

A while back I posted an exclusive off this album, an unmastered version of “Passion of St. Edmumd (Rebirth)”. It’s easy to hear the progress the mastering brought forth — it’s still highly saturated with heavy static and occasional indecipherable vocals and notes alike. But there’s a clean quality to the overproduced static that’s as infectious as the swine flu. And hit track “Castles” is no different; in fact, it may even be more so.

Cathedral With No Eyes is a rarity — it’s an album that would be ideal from start to finish in a live setting. In a way, this is an EP, chiming in at just under 20 minutes. On the other hand, it’s a glorified single with three feature tracks: “Castles”, “Passion Of St. Edmunds (Rebirth)” and the title track, “Cathedral With No Eyes”. The rest is highly sophisticated noise filler, songs that act as brilliant transitions without which this album would not be whole.

Railcars chooses an unlikely format for an album ripe with religion; St. Edmund is mostly known (based on a limited amount of research) as a martyr through the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. But, as religion goes, it’s certainly not for everyone and neither is Cathedral With No Eyes. But for those who can tolerate — or better yet enjoy — noise pop, it’s an absolute masterpiece.

Railcars: Castles [mp3]

Stumparumper Records / Gold Robot Records [CDEP, 2009]

1. Life Of St. Edmund (Ponds)
2. Castles
3. Passion Of St. Edmund (Rebirth)
4. Passion Of St. Edmund (Miracles)
5. Cathedral With No Eyes
6. Martyrdom Of St. Edmund (End)

Railcars is Aria Jalali and his music is heavily influences by that of Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu. Stewart, in fact, mixed Jalali’s debut single, Cities Vs. Submarines, a fact we noted in the FensePost feature of Railcars. Railcars’ latest release appears to continue in a similar vein with noise-ridden instrumentation and wild, piercing yelps.

Even as unmastered versions, “Passion Of St. Edmund (Rebirth)” and “Castles” show true progression for Railcars and Jalali. The songs are seemingly more cohesive and filled with additional hooks then were found on Cities Vs. Submarines. Moreover, these would be great songs to experience no matter what the setting — through headphones or in a live venue. Not that the prior release wasn’t, mind you, as there was plenty of greatness there as well.

Both these tracks will appear on Railcars’ upcoming release Cathedral With No Eyes. And we here at FensePost are pretty excited to have the exclusive debut of “Passion Of St. Edmund (Rebirth)”. Keep an eye on this guy; Aria Jalali is sure to continue making waves as Cathedral approaches its release date…

Railcars: Passion Of St. Edmund [mp3]

Railcars: Castles [mp3]

I love stumbling across great acts by mistake. Recently, elsewhere, I posted a brief rant on the Joy Division film about Ian Curtis called Control. In the post, I noted that my true introduction to Joy Division’s music stemmed from a cover of “Celebration” Xiu Xiu included on Chapel Of The Chimes. Well, when I saw a post by Railcars titled Xiu Xiu fans rejoice… I had to check them out.

The post noted that Railcars’ upcoming album was recorded and produced by Xiu Xiu front-man Jamie Stewart… recorded, in fact, in Stewart’s kitchen. And, upon listening to a few songs by the band, it was obvious he had his hand in the recordings. The vocals are filled with static-filled fuzz and the instrumentation blends various dark electronic elements in with lo-fi guitars and percussion.

“Bohemia Is Without Sea” opens with distortion rampant guitars, and the vocal pattern is actually quite reminiscent to that of Joy Division’s “Ceremony”. In some ways the lo-fi qualities that make Railcars’ music distinct are what make artists like Times New Viking shine—Railcars definitely create catchy tunes with indistinct lyrics spurted out in memorably moody vocal hooks.

“Saints Are Waiting At My Door” follows suit but concludes with a key-heavy instrumental rant. “Concrete Buildings”, too, matches the aforementioned tunes with indecipherable lyrics; while the loud-soft nature of Stewart’s music isn’t necessarily present, you can hear traces of his influence in front man Aria Jalali’s scream-ish vocals.

“There Is Ice; It Is Blue” concludes the songs from Railcars EP, Cities Vs. Submarines, available around August as a 7” on Gold Robot Records. While, according to Jalali, a few still need some minor mastering work done, they sound terrific. I for one am looking forward to checking the album out.

This review was originally published July 3, 2008 on the old version of FensePost. Cities Vs. Submarines has since been released and is available for purchase here.

Railcars: There Is Ice; It is Blue [mp3]