The Mantles are less scuzzy
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San Francisco's The Mantles new 7" artwork is far from a bad design. We wish more bands were photographed inside a brandy sifter.
Maybe that's not a sifter. It looks more like a limited edition Christmas ale glass. We forget the brewery that sported this look, but it made you feel classy in bar of pint-carrying patrons. So, let's attempt to find a correlation between specialty glassware and The Mantles.
San Francisco has veterans' rights to the psychedelic sound. But, who's going to stand out and be the brandy sifter in a room of pints? The Mantles could have it. Whether it's reactionary or just their aesthetic, The Mantles are not hiding in the lo-fi. In recent months, San Francisco seems to be at the forefront of churning out authentic pyschedelia without the blown out scuzz that can weigh a record down. Dare we say San Francisco is making it acceptable to be poppy again? (Too far?)
"Bad Design" and "Rachel" are leftovers from the hi-fi recording sessions with Greg Ashley for the self-titled Siltbreeze debut. The 7" is out on Slumberland, which seems like a far more suitable home for The Mantles, as the sleepy pop sensibilites are akin to Bay's answer to Flying Nun.
Buy the "Bad Design" 7" here.
Posted on October 26, 2009. More on: the mantles, flying nun, slumberland, san francisco, psychedelia, lo-fi, siltbreeze
I think it's a 7-er not a 12-er.
— Ryan on October 26, 2009