Weekly: All Over the Board

I've got another confusing mess of music updates for all you guys (and girls, don't mean to be sexist).
Bang! Bang! sounds like a really crazy band, right? The name implies vigor and power and lots of energy ... maybe some dance mixed in. And for the most part, that's the sort of music Bang! Bang! plays: dancey, slightly funky punk-inspired tunes. But the bizarre thing about them is that they somehow like, hold back a lot of their energy, it seems. It's almost like the singer whispers her songs, and then they just turn the volume way up on the mixer. I dunno ... sort of weird production in that regard. Listen to Days Are #'d and Creepwalking.
And funny that I mention whisperers because the Candy Bars totally whisper their songs. But I like them, too ... I feel like I could hum along to all their songs, and yeah -- maybe I am. They offset their light lyrics and singing with heavier psychedelic guitars. Interesting mix. Listen to Violets and Enough to Choke a Cold Air.
And if you want some good ol' folky rock & roll, then listen to a bit of Woody Whatever's stuff. The guys' music is real chill, as it ought to be, considering that they've somehow managed to record 15 albums in the past four or five years. Listen to Yesterday I Threw A Hand Grenade, With a Gun, and Sin City, all from their latest album Time ≠ Money, although there are probably like, five more records to come this year.
For some reason I associate the music of Monkey Swallows the Universe with that of a solo singer-songwriter. I don't know how a band of five makes such sparse music, but they do. They sound a bit like PJ Harvey, but a bit more orchestral and not as rough at the edges. Check out Sheffield Shanty and Jimmy Down the Well from their record The Bright Carvings.
Aw man, Wizardzz is a weird band ... they're a Lightening Bolt side project, and they definitely sound like Lightening Bolt in that spazzy prog-rock sort of way. But they're also different than Lightening Bolt ... sounds to me like this record is supposed to be the soundtrack to some game of Dungeons and Dragons ... a sort of spacier sound than the one associated with Lightening Bolt. Listen to Whispers From Wallface.
And lastly: Cities. Man are these guys cool. Angst ridden goth rock, with a twist of post-rock. They've definitely got this sort of trudging along feel -- even on their faster songs -- but they somehow maintain a pretty high energy level. Very cool ... listen to A Theme and Cancer.
That's it. Go home.