For fans of The Thermals’ early stuff and Unnatural Helpers, fellow Pacific Northwesters Virgin Islands are sure to appease. The band recently debuted a video for “No Doctor” off their debut LP. It features singer/guitarist Michael Jaworski (The Cops) on a gurney rolling through the streets of Seattle. In it he screams Don’t call the doctor / Don’t call an ambulance, which fits the song nicely. Ironically, then, he was injured in the last shot of the film and the lyrics became moot as he took a trip to the ER.

Check out the video below and grab the song while you’re at it!

Download: “No Doctor” by Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands “No Doctor” official video from The Control Group on Vimeo.

In the fall of 2009, Seattle punk band Virgin Islands gave us their debut EP after only a short time of existence. That EP, despite only containing four tracks, demonstrated the type of skill and songwriting prowess one could expect from a seasoned band with years under their belt. So it’s with great anticipation that we receive “No Doctor”, a track off Virgin Islands’ new album Ernie Chambers Vs. God.

And sure enough, we’re instantly treated with those same heavy guitar riffs laid out in a catchy melody and rough punk vocals. It’s loud and the lyrics will stick with you. It has plenty of that Pacific Northwest punk sound, heard in artists like Thermals (well, maybe early Thermals) and The Cops (the two share members) and The Intelligence and The Lights. Yes, “No Doctor” competes easily with songs from all of these local veteran bands.

Ernie Chambers Vs. God comes out May 10 via The Control Group.

Download: “No Doctor” by Virgin Islands

To be honest, I haven’t spent much time with Figurines’ previous work. Though I’ve been told a few times I would really enjoy it. So when I saw a note in my inbox that they’ve got a new one on the way and that this here video had been released, I figured it was time I dig in and check them out. And whoever told me I would enjoy this band was spot on — “Hanging From Above” is a phenomenal song!

The video for “Hanging From Above” is also quite great. It’s the life you want — fashionable, superb old cars, a European beach house, and attractive friends to bide the time. The song is angular and interesting, highly catchy and easy to dig. I can see other fellow Denmark bands pulling influence from these guys; acts like Mew and Oh No Ono.

As noted before, Figurines has a new LP on the way. It will be released via The Control Group

Download: “New Colors” by Figurines

Figurines “Hanging From Above” from The Control Group on Vimeo.

Here’s a name we (or, at least, I) haven’t heard in a while: Nouela Johnston. The former front-woman of Mon Frere gives us her self-titled solo debut under the moniker People Eating People this week and it includes the joyous pop romp “All The Hospitals”. The track finds People Eating People dishing out precocious percussion, hints of bouncy jazz piano, and vocals slightly reminiscent of something between Regina Spektor, and… err… a better version Regina Spektor. And yeah, there’s probably hints of Annie Clark (St. Vincent) in there as well; after all Clark is known for throwing in elements of jazz, and “All The Hospitals” definitely has that. It’s entirely upbeat, something you wouldn’t expect from a song whose lyrics include All the hospitals are closed tonight, but it works and does so quite well.

People Eating People is out now on The Control Group.

People Eating People: All The Hospitals [mp3]

El Perro Del Mar‘s video for “Change Of Heart” is an easy contender for video of the year, and it takes only a few seconds to come to that conclusion. Filmed in a single take, the video features two men who look to be contenders for Rocky Horror Picture Show 2010: Rocky Cloned. The acrobatics they perform are pretty astounding, and would be so whether they were scantily clad and covered in gold paint or not.

“Change Of Heart” is off El Perro Del Mar’s latest LP, Love Is Not Pop. With its angular guitars and an electronic drum box, this album isn’t like the others – it may take some growing on you before it finds that truly special place in your heart. But, then again, isn’t love like that too?

Love Is Not Pop is out now on The Control Group.

El Perro Del Mar: Change Of Heart [mp3]

El Perro Del Mar “Change Of Heart” from The Control Group on Vimeo.

Sarah Assbring’s albums under the guise El Perro Del Mar have always been pretty great, from the repetitive one-word-titled tracks off her self-titled LP to the slightly more orchestrated ones off From The Valley To The Stars. But, they often seemed almost too minimal. Well El Perro Del Mar is back with a new LP, Love Is Not Pop, and the first single off it is “Change Of Heart”, a song that defies Assbring’s minimal days and orchestrated days combined for something a bit more electric.

This is the style I always wanted to hear from Sarah. It’s got that smooth bass line, excellent and precisely placed guitar riffs, percussive beats with a little added production, and atmospheric keys that fill any remaining gaps. If “Change Of Heart” is any hint at a new direction for El Perro Del Mar, Love Is Not Pop will easily be her best yet.

Love Is Not Pop will be released by The Control Group on October 20.

El Perro Del Mar: Change Of Heart [mp3]

There are times where you just need some good ol’ fashioned classic rock. But the classics can sometimes get a bit stale — after all, they’ve been sitting gathering dust or wear for decades. I guess that’s the attraction of a band like The Lonely H; their music has the gritty rock sound of the 70s south, but it’s fresh in that it’s new.

Tracks like opener “Right Down To Me” feature a soulful vocal wail while the guitars ache of southern bluesy rock. Others, such as “White Horse Tears” add a few extra vocalists to the swagger. But where this sound shines through most may be the full-on blues rock that is “Diggin’ A Hole”.

Often the fan of ancient pop, it isn’t often I’ll talk up the heavier side of that era; but here it is, a band that pushes away the lighter side for something with a punch, a jab, and a little extra heart.

The Lonely H: Diggin’ A Hole [mp3]

The Control Group [CD, 2009]

1. Right Down To Me
2. Cold Blues
3. White Horse Tears
4. Going Out West
5. Singer
6. Diggin’ A Hole
7. Take Care
8. Phoenix
9. Other Side Of The Water
10. Girl From Jersey
11. The River
12. Strike A Chord