The Big Sleep rouses from their slumber with Nature Experiments

Brooklyn indie rockers The Big Sleep haven't been able to catch a break. They gained attention early in their career for a pair of sludgy post-rock albums, but without the godlike climaxes usually associated with bands from the genre.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the type of attention they were looking for. Both albums  took a major critical walloping, so it's no surprise that virtually no one noticed the release of the trio's latest record, Nature Experiments. This is a real shame, because Nature Experiments is easily one of the most pleasant surprises so far of 2012.

For the first time, they've had the foresight to knock off the post rock nonsense. The Big Sleep specialize in dark, aggressive, moody, and moving hard rock. Have no doubts, The Big Sleep sounds best when they are at their loudest. "Four Wishes," the album's undisputed standout track, is a clinic on simple but effective heavy rock riffs. Combined with the frenetic drum rolls and the clashing of the cymbals, this is the perfect soundtrack to get your head lashing back and forth.

But they aren't your average hard rock band, or even really a hard rock band at all. Guitarist Danny Barria majors in detached aggro post punk rhythms -- the sort championed by Cloud Nothings on their excellent Attack on Memory album earlier this year -- while also capturing the sonic dreariness of Radiohead circa Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief. "Ladders" possesses a driving sense of unease, and looks at the world with the same type of youthful, wide eyed curiosity that Sonic Youth evoked on their seminal single "Teenage Riot."

The other key similarity the share with Sonic Youth is their male/female vocal tandem, who, like SY, are also pretty pedestrian. Due to the strength of the rest of the music, it's fairly forgivable. Bassist/keyboardist Sonya Balchandani has the type of voice that takes a few listens to appreciate. However, tracks like "Ace" reveals she also has a hypnotic and honey-like quality. Her voice flows forth over the crushing din of Danny Barria's guitar work in the song's hook laden delectable chorus.

They get experimental on "Valentine." The song opens with what sounds like the twinkling of windchimes. The effect is actually created by Barria scraping his pick against the guitar strings where they connect with the bridge of the guitar, creating a high pitched plinking sound. This effect is then looped and repeated on tape playback throughout the duration of the song. It came across as a clever effect when he did it on a live stage, and it still sounds great in the recorded version.

Balchandani handles the bulk of the vocal duties, but occasionally she turns the mic over to axeman Barria. He is less effective, as his voice is much more of a coarse and ungainly shout. His most effective vocal track is "Meet Your Maker," where his exuberant rallying cry is delivered like a punch to the gut.

"Ghosts in Bodies" features an instrumental track that hearkens back to the band's post rock days, while "Wood in the Water" is the album's only major misstep. The spacey keyboard and monotone vocals sound like a lost and forgotten relic from the early 80s, or perhaps a trip taken from too much bad acid.

Most of the lyrics touch on themes of perseverance. The otherwise unimpressive "#1" sees Barria reflecting on some type of failure, and his resolution to work things out by the end of the song. Meanwhile, "Wood on the Water" concentrates on seeing the positive aspects of people, and using this to build ourselves into something more.

It all wraps up with closer "1001," a quiet piece featuring only keyboard and Balchandani's voice. Its subdued and melancholy melody provides a nice contrast to the rest of the record.

Naturally, they don't measure up with some of the legendary bands that have been mentioned here. A few uneven tracks hold this back from being a five star effort. However, Nature Experiments successfully blends together crunching riffs with post rock influences while managing to be melodic and hypnotic.

There aren't many indie bands who inhabit the heavier end of the spectrum, and it's nice to hear some legitimately well written riffs in the same context with sounds that are much more melodic, thoughtful, and pensive. Nature Experiments reveals that The Big Sleep have not yet evolved into dynamos, but at least they have found their path.

Score: 84/100

Cleveland rockers Cloud Nothings conjure a storm at The End

Cloud Nothings mastermind Dylan Baldi had
a few things to get off his chest.

Rock music is meant to be raw, dirty and real. When played the way it's supposed to, it will put you in the type of frenzy to eviscerate everything in your living room. And Tuesday night at The End, the Cloud Nothings proved you don't have to limit yourself to three chords to do it.

The indie punk rockers from Cleveland never lacked for energy as they tore through the eight tracks on their latest LP, Attack on Memory. The album has won acclaim thanks to Dylan Baldi's icy take on indie rock, but the live show brings out a much richer, heavier and deeper sound. Simply put, this is big boy, balls to the wall, perspiration soaked hard rock that grabs your throat and never lets go.

The set kicked off with the excellent "Stay Useless," a leering and cynical piece musing on the futility of life. The band is going nuts, and the moshing is already kicking into high gear. Unfortunately, there were some technical issues.

Baldi's microphone decided to go on strike after the first verse of "Fall In." So we were treated to a mostly instrumental version of the song. After that they jammed out for a little bit and then went into the instrumental "Separation" while the techie was (presumably) working out the bugs.

The highlight of the night was "Wasted Days," which presents an oppressive aggro-rock attitude that eventually gives way to an extended post-punk instrumental jam section. If you enjoyed this song on the record you'll love it even more live, as the intensity the Cloud Nothings brings is truly off the charts.  The drum work is nuts. Jayson Gerycz goes berserk on his kit, as he maintains a blistering beat on the snare while hitting the hi-hat, crash cymbal, and floor tom with his off hand without breaking rhythm.

Anna Fox Rochinski brings 60s shoegaze to life with passionate harmonies.

Other highlights included the bouncing, brooding "Cut You," and the dizzying snare and hi-hat beat on "Our Plans." The eerily atmospheric "No Future, No Past" served as the set closer, which turned into an energetic crowd shoutalong on the final chorus.

Beforehand though, there was a varied patchwork of opening bands.

Quilt kicked off the evening, opening with a bit of 60s inspired surf rock with some trippy keyboards and an emphasis on vocal harmonies. The keyboard is the standout element for me; once Anna Fox Rochinsk ditches it for the guitar, they began to lose their distinctive edge.

TJ Duke brings Cloud Nothings'  propulsive rhythms to life.

Playing directly before Cloud Nothings was A Classic Education. Singer Jonathan Clancy possessed great stage presence, but his band specialized in the light, breezy type of indie rock I've heard far too many times.

My favorite opening band was The Big Sleep,
a Brooklyn trio best known for their post-rock work. We didn't see much of that from them, however, as they instead opted to unleash a hard edged, driving rock sound.

It was sometimes dark and moody, sometimes avant-garde, but always in your face and aggressive. Sonya Balchandani's hypnotic vocals inject an air of mystery into the music, and "Four Wishes" contains as good 
of a riff as I've heard played in this building. 

If you like your music delivered with a steely edge, Cloud Nothings and The Big Sleep were money. If you prefer sounds that gently wash over you, Quilt and A Classic Education likely brought a smile to your face. No matter your preference, there was no way to lose on this night.

The Big Sleep's quick wristed axeman Danny Barria crafts dark melodies.