Aural Pleasure, The Eighth Day of Xmas

On the eighth day of Xmas my AP gave to me ... eight kids born a-screaming. Born a-screaming they had fire in their eyes. Like wild demons, Lord it came as no surprise. Okay I know the frontman of this band doesn't actually have eight kids, at least I hope for his sake that he doesn't, but that's a hell of a homage to his children wouldn't you say? Yep, today's album is the one and only:

Wilderness - The Features

Another college favorite today, I remember seeing The Features back when they'd play free concerts around campus, or sometimes on campus. They were one of my favorite local groups at the time and their live shows kicked ass. They had this following of cultish fans that had choreographed clapping parts for all of their songs, no kidding. Their shows were a lot of fun. So as you might imagine I have quite a soft spot for them. For those not in the know The Features are a retro funkadelic sort of rock band, so imagine something like The Strokes but more psychedelic, dabbling more in funk and with a whole lot more energy. That last part might just come from my memories of their shows when they rocked the house down. Yes I'm biased.


God was I happy they released a new album this year, I'm giddy that they're still around and rocking out. It's strange to be in a place now where no one has heard of them, but it also makes it fun to blast their music in my car, since I imagine the random passerby wondering "Wow, who is that fantastic band I've never heard before?" Yeah I have a lame imagination, I know. Anyway, I guess I had always assumed they had begun to disappear like many local bands do (Even with their previous release Some Kind of Salvation, which didn't grab me as much as I had hoped). An easy fear to have since I'm in a place that has no knowledge of them. Wilderness though, well this album is a nice surprise, and gives me hope that they aren't disappearing.

Wilderness is also great because it seems to have the same raucous energy their first album has, but also showcases them as a growing, maturing, and ever experimenting group of musicians. Take for instance the homage to having children, as mentioned in the intro, "Kids," not a topic rock bands usually focus on, but it makes for a unique look at being a father. Or take the wonderful 50's ballad styling of "Fats Domino." And then for good measure have a listen to the groovy one-two of "How It Starts," and "Rambo," which show off a lot of what makes The Features the retro band I love the most. Now you may not have my bias or history with these cats, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't overlook this great album, plus that picture of them is fucking classic.