Back to Basics

Mean Jeans - Are You Serious?

2012-02-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

Oh, hey. Sorry I've been gone. I've been thinking about putting something up here for a while, honest, but a whole lot of issues were making me second-guess this whole thing. Also the fact that since posting about Shoppers it's all I listen to, so I couldn't really think about other music. Sorry.

Anyway, I want to put up info about some cool people who write music (Laura Stevenson, Kate Ferencz, Butterscotch Stanley), but I know them well enough that I'm not sure if they'd think I was being a dick for putting their music up available for free? So I'm backing off? If you guys read this let me know if I can? Either way, people reading, you know, google those names to hear some other tunes.

But I don't know Mean Jeans. They are from Portland. I went to Portland once! Stayed at a dude's place through Couchsurfing, and he was ambassador of Couchsurfing in Portland, which is like a thing, it means you are really into Couchsurfing, so while I was there other people crashed, too -- this awesome Australian dude who recognized my Lucksmiths shirt, this girl who had been a counselor at an anarchist summer camp in Albany, some other Couchsurfing ambassadors who were in the middle of traveling. We went to a strip club and everything. And I even went to Stumptown Comics Fest and made an ass out of myself in front of Pete Bagge! Hell of a town.

The Portland aspect of these guys, though, it's an afterthought, because Mean Jeans don't sound Portlandish. They sound too fun. I mean, Portland was fun, but there was this sincere idealism underneath everything. And these guys don't sound like idealists. They sound like some fun dudes who shoot off fireworks in basements.

If you like Marked Men this is basically another Marked Men band but a little funnier and wackier, enough to detach themselves from the Reservoir Dog punk genre I invented on this site. Check it out.

DL

PS Do you guys like noise? Grind? Fucked up stuff? I've been getting more into that type of music. I know most of this stuff is poppy and fun, but sometimes I just like to Get Dark. You know? Do you?

SHOPPERS - SILVER YEAR

2011-10-24T16:43:00.004-04:00

I never really got how someone who likes rock and roll can dislike girls in rock and roll. I mean, I always thought of rock and roll as the ultimate medium of expression for people who are pissed off about bullshit, and who trudges through more bullshit than a lady? Bratz dolls, Barbie dolls, tanning guns, super-model Tyra Banks hosting a show that's supposed to be "empowering" but is in fact a super-model on television telling you how to wear make-up, constant fashion change-ups encouraging you to buy more clothes, Sex and the fucking City. Jesus, man. Have you ever seen Sex and the City? Here's the way the dialogue works on that show:

Girl 1: I make a statement.
Girl 2: I comment on the statement in a way that all too perfectly typifies my character
Girl 3: I comment on the statement in a way that all too perfectly typifies my character
Girl 4: I comment on the statement in a way that all too perfectly typifies my character

(Repeat ad nauseum until one of them wants to get married/pregnant)

So every time I hear about a new band with any sort of female inclusion, I get pumped, simply for the fact that they have so much more to work with than some dude does ("I have anxiety" "Why doesn't this girl like me" "All my problems are self-inflicted"). And shit, man. Shoppers delivers. The guitars provide a steel wool blanket of noise and the vocals are high pitched pissed off. The lyrics can teeter on some Xiu Xiu shit, but the music is much more approachable, you can play this at a party and not scare away a bunch of your friends.

The dudes over at the record label website describe this band as "queer noise punk," but I can assure you that you don't need to be queer to like this band. I've had the record on at work all day and I cannot get enough. Link goes to aforementioned record label's site, where you can download the album for free.

DL

Mina - Studio Uno '66

2011-09-24T14:34:00.003-04:00

Hey you crumbums. You know I know nothing about music, right? Glacier can attest. A few weeks ago we were in a kitchen listening to the band Orange Juice, and he said "Orange Juice is so good," and I said, "Yeah, it's great," because I thought he was talking about the delicious beverage. I don't know anything about Pink Floyd except that that Dark Side of the Moon record kind of pisses me off and I heard a Syd Barrett song I liked a lot once but I never followed up on it. I only got into Black Flag after college, and by "into" I mean I listen to that album with "Rise Above" on it like once every three months. I listen to Rainer Maria more than I listen to Black Flag, for God's sake. And The Stooges? Without knowing anything, I proclaim "FUCK The Stooges."

I just wanted to go out of the way to say that so that next time someone talks to me and references some artist or song or dude they assume I know about and I just blank out for a little, like I look like I'm about to pass out when you say it, don't worry, it just means I have no idea what the fuck you are talking about. It's not a strike against you, better not be a strike against me, and it might just be a good cue to take a big drink of whatever drink you have in front of you. I like my music like the way I like my coffee: un-canonized and thoroughly clusterfucked.

Anyway! Mina! What a specimen. Through my limited research of this lady she appears to be Italy's Madonna, except she's been around since the Sixties, and she has a much better voice. This is the only record of hers I have, and I only got it after years of listening to "Se Telefonando" on youtube and not being able to find the record online for free. No song on this record gets close to that one song, but it's a nice 60s variety-hour record you can play at anytime for anyone. I got the album off iTunes so I have no idea if this download link will work, but if it doesn't, I'd say this record is worth the brief humiliating act of having iTunes' penis in your mouth.

Mangia.

The Sidekicks - Weight of Air

2011-08-31T18:02:00.006-04:00

A band with all the right stuff to carry the next generation's "awesome powerpop band" title. These guys do all the same things as Piebald, and you gotta be grateful for that, especially when "innovational" these days can mean hardcore/screamo bands using autotune. The first sentence of this review says it all. The second was me trying to come up with more filler. The third sentence was me trying to wrap things up. The fourth was when I realized I dug myself into a hole.

That Dog. - Totally Crushed Out!

2011-08-18T10:54:00.002-04:00

What is the etiquette on blogging about records that have already been blogged about by other blogs. Someone should write a "Gentleman's Guide to Music Blogs," though I'm not sure how many of the people blogging about music are actually gentlemen. I imagine most of them as overweight men married with children who still wear Those Glasses even though they don't really complement fat-old-man face as well as skinny young college kid face.

But enough about our miserable futures. This is a great 90s girl group cut in the same vein as Juliana Hatfield or Elastica. There's a classy smattering of strings throughout the record (opener "Ms. Wrong," "She Doesn't Know How"), two sad acoustic songs that sound like Rivers Cuomo could've sung em and plopped em onto Pinkerton, and a bunch of rocking songs in between.

Hey, is it cicada season? What the fuck.

DL

Brain Tumors - Tape

2011-08-08T16:35:00.002-04:00

There. Check out that image. If I'm reading it correctly, it's telling you that pouring beer on a brain tumor fixes it. How can you not want to take that logic home and snuggle it till you jizz in your pajama pants.

Idunno. Good punk hardcore stuff from Minnesoda. Guitars are crunchy and gnarly. Sort of reminds me of The Dicks, a band you are sort of obligated to like even if you don't care for the tunes.

Anyway, it's a fast listen. Give it a whirl.

DL

The Bright Lights - Bright Lights

2011-06-15T13:42:00.002-04:00

The Bright Lights are friends with punk lo fi noise indie pop brats Boyracer, and you can sort of tell it immediately. Fast catchy guitars, off-putting morose lyrics (the first song's refrain is If it wasn't for you/I probably would've killed myself), and lotsa feedback. I can't find a photo of the record online so instead that's a fucked up illustration by Alain Le Saux (courtesy of drtenge.com).

DL

Double Dagger - Masks EP

2011-06-03T00:08:00.007-04:00

I really like this band. They do the same stuff as bands like Coachwhips, Lightning Bolt, Le Shok, Wives, except without all the obnoxiousness. With Double Dagger, there isn't that extraneous effort, their music isn't clamoring for the spotlight. They keep it cool, daddy-o. Nice rock songs about boring people and wanting to fuck your best friend without wearing fucking jock straps on their heads and saying ridiculous things just to "blow people's minds." That being said, you might prefer the other four bands if you're still in college and think superfluous use of ethnic slurs is the most insane shit in the world. It's a coming of age thing.

DL

Ballboy - A Guide for the Daylight Hours

2011-05-19T21:27:00.002-04:00

Why are Scottish bands so good at humor? This record keeps you on your toes, you're never entirely sure whether you're in on the joke or you're laughing at a man's heartfelt musings, though song titles like "I Wonder if You're Drunk Enough to Sleep with Me Tonight" can help give some direction.

This is a weird one to talk about. "Europewide Search for Love" might be the only completely heartfelt song on here, and it's a really really pretty listen, "Sex Is Boring" and "Avant Garde Music" are about making fun of people who think knowing a lot about useless shit carries any clout in the real world (You've read more books than I could ever read/and you've seen more films than I could ever see/so why is it that you don't know any more than me?), "Meet Me at the Shooting Range" sounds like the guy's making fun of the acoustic ballad he's performing.

Yeah. Do yourself a favor and download this and listen to it a few times. It's a good conversation starter, like how to spell Mohmar Gadhafi's name, or a coffee table book about dongs.

DL

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded

2011-05-17T13:55:00.002-04:00

Don't let the lame album cover fool you. Australian punk rock band. Includes a song about kissin' cousins. Aussie Aussie Aussie.

DL

Le Mans - Saudade

2011-05-14T03:53:00.005-04:00

Pretty music by a Spanish band. What else do you want me to say? Get off my back.

Great listening while in bed falling asleep next to a sex partner, and when I say sex partner, I don't mean the one you pay money for, I mean the one you see in all those rom-coms, like Garden State, or Juno.

Seriously though.

DL

Let Me Crazy - Contraflow

2011-05-12T00:38:00.000-04:00

Huntington, New York (thanks, Chris!) rock and roll band writes an incredible record about time spent in New Orleans and how it sucks to live in a hurricane. Has that blue-collar punk rock vibe. Good God/Bad God transitioning into the next track, Birdbath, is the way all midpoints of records should sound. Like, if this was on vinyl, it'd be like Birdbath ends, Side A ends, you go, "Fuck," and the silent period where you flip the record over is your own little intermission, let's you get excited about what's going to happen next.

DL

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

2011-05-10T21:49:00.003-04:00

I am having a difficult time trying to describe this album without sounding cheesy, but I can't. This shit is fucking beautiful. Johnny Hartman has a smooth and strong bass voice that keeps the normally I'm-on-fucking-heroin-I-just-played-thirty-different-notes-in-a-millisecond John Coltrane a lot mellower, more appreciative of the standards he's sharing with such a good conventional voice.

All the songs are jazz ballads in the sense that they capture a mood that not many other music genres can. And if you don't want to try the whole record, at least listen to Lush Life, and introduce yourself to the song you should listen to after a long night of drinking and you're feeling sad in a good way.

By the way, if anyone out there plays jazz and is reading this, I am willing to concede that I have no idea what the fuck I am talking about so long as it helps you keep your cool.

DL

ampersand.

2011-05-08T12:49:00.003-04:00

Great 22-minute record of, yeah, this I'd call indie pop. Guitars are nice and jangly, songs sound a lot like a sad dude in flannel with a sweatshirt tied around his torso. Spent a good couple of months listening to "Picture Perfect" over and over. Sorry for keeping this under wraps for such a long time.

DL

The Dentists - Dressed

2011-05-06T23:16:00.002-04:00

One more before I go hit on lesbians.

Big collection of music by early 90s British band. Indie pop? I hear it and I think of Polaris, the Pete and Pete band, but with a little more of a 60s edge, a little more stuck in the past.

Funny story, looked them up on Wikipedia to find this disclaimer:

This band is unrelated to the short-lived Nazi punk band of the same name.

So if you're gonna reference The Dentists in casual conversation, might be safe to add "You know, the ones that weren't Nazis."

DL

Teengenerate - Get Action!

2011-05-06T22:38:00.003-04:00

Or maybe you prefer your Reservoir Dog punk a little more pimply and Japanese. Features a Queers cover and other shit. Apparently this is big on the blogosphere, but fuck it, I found this guy on Soulseek years ago, so technically I was first.

Also did not know they were Japanese until right now.

DL

Marked Men - S/T

2011-05-06T22:27:00.002-04:00

Hey, I hear you like playing air guitar in a standing/crouching position with one leg bent up into your belly like you were deflecting blows and the other leg on the ground but the knee bent in a hoppy jaunty manner. Also you like having your mouth open while you play so you sort of look like Mick Jagger. Classic Chuck Berry pose.

You know who I think you'd like? The Marked Men. You know, they got the punk sensibilities but there's a little chic behind that. I mean, you see that album cover, right? Reservoir Dog punk. After the show we'll hang out with the Make-Up or something.

DL

Bomb the Music Industry! - To Leave or Die on Long Island

2011-05-05T13:23:00.004-04:00

Few years ago (more like one decade, fuck) dude freaked about music and started writing full rock albums backed only by Garage Band. Since then dude put together a real band, tours extensively, invites fans to bring their own instruments and play onstage, bring their own tee shirts and get a free band logo stenciled on them.

Get ready for crazy tempos, crazy instrumentation (video game synths? glockenspiels? drum machines?), lyrics about drinking being poor and depressed, and soundbites from Spongebob Squarepants. To quote dude in question, "I do it 'cause I like it and I like it because you don't."

DL

Go to donation-based label www.quoteunquoterecords.com for more of this.

Ava Luna - Services EP

2011-05-02T19:29:00.002-04:00

Ava Luna is this Brooklyn band who does the Jamie Lidell thing except with a full band and the lead singer has a Germs tattoo. The Jamie Lidell thing is funky and soulful with a little bit of an electronic tint to it. Trust me, I have seen both of them, and I mean this all in the best way possible.

By the way I'm new here.

DL

Kleenex Girl Wonder - Ponyoak

2011-04-06T11:58:00.004-04:00

Kleenex Girl Wonder is this guy named Graham Smith. In the late nineties he put out a lo-fi pop record of home recordings called "Ponyoak." The album is 25 songs with 5 extra bonus tracks. It has that early Guided by Voices short song brilliance, and Smith has a solid ear for melodic hooks. And sure, with 30 songs there are bound to be some stinkers ("Anne Marie" is wretched) but the amount of good to great songs is almost astounding.

I'd recommend listening a few times to let the weird ones sink in, and if you're on the fence at all listen to "Now I Got A Feeling" to jump right in. That song has numerous bridges, a late-song key change, and little to no repetition at all in the verses and choruses. Basically, a really catchy song that takes an absurd amount of listens to get tiresome. The songwriting reminds me of Capstan Shafts, and Pollard, and if you like either I'd suggest giving "Ponyoak" a listen.

DL

caUSE Co-MOTION! - It's Time

2011-02-24T20:33:00.001-05:00

Short songs. They sound like they were recorded on shit instruments in basements. But this is one of those records where the songs themselves are the selling point. Pop melodies, catchy guitar work, great drumming. After a few listens all the songs sound like hits.

DL

Young Adults - Black Hole

2011-02-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

Boston band Young Adults' first full length. Thick guitars, pounding drums, and shouted choruses. I think it's appropriate to post this after that Orange Juice album because Black Hole has a song called "Rip It Up" and just like the former bands' biggest hit there are lyrics saying "rip it up" and "start again," which can't be a coincidence.

This is so goddamn good. If you like Mission of Burma you'll get behind this modern post-punk.

DL

Orange Juice - BBC Sessions

2011-01-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some cool BBC (John Peel included) cuts of a bunch of Orange Juice's best songs. The guitar and base are very crisp and yet Edwyn Collins' affected voice still overrides everything. Good melodies all around. They get listed as post-punk but this is really just pop music. It's all pop.

Also includes an interview. Check it out.

DL

The Mice - Unreleased Album (Canterbury Bells)

2010-11-29T14:26:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to track down the full version of this non-album for a while but I can't find it anywhere so I've just decided to post what I have. Included here are 10 cuts for the "Scooter" follow-up that never happened. I particularly like Nearly a Mile Away, Resurrection Day, Run Away, and Something Pushed. I'm not too into Music Here, which is pretty unremarkable in every way, or Phone in my Car, which is about the ridiculous notion of having a phone in your car because "you have so much to say." Bill Fox clearly didn't make any money investing in cell phone companies.

The ten cuts are supposedly accompanied by live songs, and other rarities. The live set has some classic rock covers that I didn't care too much about but there were also some mystery moments. I have managed to track down the Mice's first single (also included here with a track number of 21 so we have 10 unaccounted for songs at least) "Can You Walk on the Water Baby?," and while it pales next to their other releases it is interesting to see their entire progression as a band.

If you have a lead on the full record drop a comment. Otherwise enjoy this rare ass shit.

DL

Teenage Cool Kids - Queer Salutations

2010-11-10T10:54:00.001-05:00

Power-pop punk. I've been listening to this album heavy since the summer. Great hooks and the lyrics are actually funny. "Awkward Type of Girl" rips on indie girls who wear vintage dresses. "Write Back Soon" talks about "white girl dreads" and $500 fixed gear bikes. I didn't really listen to the lyrics the first dozen times, and you don't need to because the songs work on their own. "Self Abuse" is an awesome fucking song, and as with the rest of the album - this shit is fun.

DL

Rooftop Vigilantes - Carrot Atlas

2010-11-01T16:44:00.001-04:00

Okay, so Guided By Voices came through Detroit last weekend so I can stop boring you with all those EPs and shit. I've got a bunch of good stuff that I've wanted to post for a while so I'll try to get them all out before Christmas.

First up is Rooftop Vigilantes from Lawrence, KS. These dudes came through Detroit a few weeks ago and played at the CAID. They play this great combination of 50's keyboard pop, raw punk and accents of screamed choruses. They also clearly don't take themselves very seriously as noted by the track titles (ex. "Oscar want 7," "Brad Shanks Tells A Joke," where Brad Shanks from Blood on the Wall tells a nonsensical thirty second joke, and "Charley No Want Girlfriend"). Hasn't left my speakers since I got it.

DL

They tore it up when they were here, video below:

Demons and Painkillers

2010-10-16T20:12:00.000-04:00

This is one of the discs of the Hardcore UFOs box. It consists of rare bonus tracks and country exclusives. There are alternate shiny versions of "Game of Pricks" and "Unleashed!" and a few off of Mag Earwig, including the superb "Choking Tara (creamy version)." There are also some rock solid classics like "Dodging Invisible Rays" and "The Ascended Master's Grogshop," the former being a Tobin Sprout song and the latter lasting all of thirty beautiful seconds. A long, great collection of loose ends that in typical GBV fashion has stand-outs that rank with the best.

DL

Robert Pollard - Not in my Airforce

2010-09-29T22:12:00.000-04:00

It says Robert Pollard but it might as well be another GBV fan-club release. This early boy is filled with short weird songs but somehow insanely good songs like "Quicksilver" and "Beauty Flat" snuck in. Pollard's golden period has some secret releases. This is one of them.

DL

Guided By Voices - King Shit and the Golden Boys

2010-09-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

A collection of outtakes. There are some solid gems here. Nothing so good that you can't believe it isn't on Bee Thousand or anything like that, but some winners nonetheless. You should probably just delete "Tricycle Looper" from the start though, that song bugs the shit out of me. "Indian Was An Angel," "We've Got Airplanes," "Crutch Came Slinking" and "Scissors" are all classics. If you like the scrappiness of GBV, here is a another fix.

The title comes from the line in "Don't Stop Now," which is also included here in an early version.

DL

Guided By Voices - Tonic and Twisted Chasers

2010-09-07T13:50:00.001-04:00

This "fanclub-only" release is every bit as good as a full fledged album. The songs are a little odd, and pretty lo-fi, so they might require a couple more listens than normal, but there are some solid tracks here. "Key Losers" is great, "Dayton Ohio 19-something and Five" is solid, and shows up later as a live version on the "Selective Service" EP. My favorite tracks of this collection are the three that start with "At the Farm." That one, "Unbaited Vicar of Scorched Earth" and "Optional Bases Opposed" are so goddamned good. Download this shit and listen to em.

DL

Guided By Voices - Hold On Hope

2010-08-31T13:56:00.000-04:00

This little man is pretty overlooked. No one thinks of "Do The Collapse" B-sides as anything worth listening to, but I have always thought of these oddball songs as true GBV and the Ocasek approved collection on the album as an imitation. "Underground Initiations" would have made an excellent fit on "Isolation Drills" and "Fly Into Ashes" is a solid song too. Don't overlook this EP like so many have. It's good.

DL

Guided By Voices - Static Airplane Jive

2010-08-26T14:15:00.000-04:00

Another GBV EP. Another from the golden era. This one has the brilliant short jam "Hey Aardvark," and the slow burn of "Damn Good Mr. Jam." The latter's finale of "everything for free" might be recognizable from the clip in "Back to Saturn X Radio Report" off of "Propellor."

A good, short EP. It doesn't hold together as well as "Fast Japanese Spin Cycle," but it still has a bunch of solid tracks. Totally worth getting.

DL

Guided By Voices - Fast Japanese Spin Cycle

2010-08-23T14:20:00.000-04:00

I'm seeing Guided by Voices on October 30th when they come to Detroit. I am so completely excited I'll be posting a bunch of odd loose ends (that are still brilliant) in preparation.

"Fast Japanese Spin Cycle" is an 8 song EP that has alternate versions of Marchers in Orange from "Vampire on Titus" and Over the Neptune from "Propellor" (here called Kissing to the Crying Cooks), as well as a solid classic in My Impression Now and a short gem in Indian Fables. Listen to this boy all the way through. Like a mini-"Alien Lanes."

Guided By Voices - Sunfish Holy Breakfast

2010-08-16T14:40:00.003-04:00

There's some food upon the table boys.

This is an EP from the Under the Bushes sessions. In typical form for golden period GBV releases the variety is great, and while the standout classics are minimal, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. "Stabbing a Star" is an old outtake and probably the weakest member here. "If We Wait," is a stunner, and "Cocksoldiers and their Postwar Stubble" (how did he name a song this good a name that terrible?) is uhh...better than it's name.

DLLLLLL

Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts

2010-07-28T13:47:00.002-04:00

The first video (linked below) for "Years Not Long," the opening track off of Male Bondings debut Nothing Hurts features a pretty wild twist. The entire video has jocks playing football and then arm wrestling, until the last third of the video where a giant man-on-man make-out party erupts. It is pretty hilarious and encapsulates the I-don't-give-a-fuck mentality of the band. What's the first thing we should do when we get a record deal, and have money to shoot a music video? GIANT BRO MAKE-OUT SESH!

Nothing Hurts kind of reminds me of the pop sensibilities of Harlem and the energy of caUSE co-MOTION. They tear through a bunch of hits rather quickly.

DL

Tobin Sprout - Moonflower Plastic

2010-07-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

I imagine it would be hard to stand out if you're in a band with Robert Pollard. I mean, no one gives a fuck about Mitch Mitchell, or the millions of other members that have come and gone throughout the years, except for Tobin Sprout.

His two to three songs per album from GBV's golden age are standouts on albums full of standouts.

Moonflower Plastic is his first post-Guided By Voices album, and it is also his best record. Listen to "Beast of Souls" and "All Used Up." These are classic songs. I can't even imagine how awesome Do the Collapse would have been with a couple of these nuggets.

DL

The State Lottery - When the Night Comes

2010-06-30T14:10:00.000-04:00

1/4 from Detroit, and 3/4 from various other places, The State Lottery's latest album "When The Night Comes" is real good. It has a Titus Andronicus vibe (basically early Springsteen) and the yelped choruses and varied instrumentation make it a fun listen. It is bright, and urgent.

But really, you'll love the choruses.

DL

p.s. They are on tour right now. You should check them out. They are predictably great live.

Hanoi Janes - Year of Panic

2010-06-16T15:50:00.001-04:00

German lo-fi guys - Hanoi Janes. It has almost twee instrumentation but the vocals are blown out, Jay Reatard style yelps. It turns out to be a great combination. They do enough different things to keep the record interesting, and their ear for a seemingly endless stretch of catchy melodies doesn't hurt one bit.
A one hundred dollar bill.

DL

The Mice - For Almost Ever Scooter

2010-05-18T17:32:00.001-04:00

Please download this album. "The Mice" are a power pop punk band from 80s Ohio. This album is a collection of their first EP and first LP. Then they broke up.

Start at "Little Rage," (the first song on the full length) and play it on repeat. This album has blown my mind. It is exactly what I want to hear. It has a solid closer, and gets better and better on each listen.

10/10

DL

Bill Fox - Shelter From the Smoke

2010-05-12T15:10:00.003-04:00

Bill Fox is one of the guys featured on the "I Stayed Up All Night Listening to Records" album I posted a couple weeks ago. His "Shelter From the Smoke" is real good.

A bunch of lo-fi solo gems. Similar to Tobin Sprout's GBV stuff. Give "Lonesome Pine" a listen. You will like it.

Pet Shop Boys - Singles

2010-05-01T16:49:00.003-04:00

Keeping the 80s electronic spirit alive I present the singles collection for the first decade of The Pet Shop Boys. Maybe you'll get a kick out of how "West End Girls" sounds like "Jizz In My Pants," but there is no denying that "Suburbia" is a rock solid classic. Then you'll get all over "What Have I Done to Deserve This" and "Always on My Mind" and others. This hit-machine duo sure knew how to call em. It can't be all lo-fi all the time. This is summer music.

Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's

2010-04-29T13:08:00.002-04:00

The final shot in Wong Kar-Wai's "Fallen Angels" has two of the leads riding in a tunnel under the city of Hong Kong. The girl (played by Michelle Reis) is narrating that the two of them haven't had a connection but how she is currently enjoying the "lovely warmth," to the tune of The Flying Pickets' "Only You." Great closing moment. Always makes me want to instantly re-watch the movie. The song is excellent and only recently did I hear that it is a cover of 1980s synth-pop legends "Yazoo."

Not only that but there are singles on this record that you are guaranteed to have heard before even if you have never heard of "Yazoo." Classic, poppy, synth dance songs, and a monster-solid slow jam - "Only You." Soooo worth it. While you're at it see "Fallen Angels." Great fucking movie.

V/A - I Stayed Up All Night Listening to Records

2010-04-19T13:10:00.003-04:00

A collection of lo-fi gems. Bill Fox's "Electrocution," Tobin Sprout's "Cryptic Shapes," Jenny Mae's "Drapes," and so many others are classic classic songs. This isn't rowdy low fidelity. It mostly falls on the indie folk side of things, but the tape hiss and awkward production lend bucketfulls of charm. Yeah, some of the tracks are bullshit (I can't stand the opener) but there are more than enough solid gold numbers to require a DL. Highly recommended if only to pad your Bob Pollard complete collection (and good luck with that by the way).

Skip the first 45 or so second of this to get to the goods.

Alex Chilton and Teenage Fanclub Live in Glasgow 1996

2010-03-29T01:28:00.002-04:00

R.I.P. Alex Chilton.

Somehow Teenage Fanclub and Alex Chilton did a gig together. It opens with "September Gurls" so that's reason enough to download. I basically melted into a gross puddle when Teenage Fanclub started to do the harmonies on the chorus.

I was in Korea the day Alex Chilton died and by pure coincidence sang "The Letter" at a Karaoke bar. If I had a hand full of glitter I'd throw that shit on a bonfire.

What a weird, great man. If you haven't checked em out grab "Like Flies on Sherbert" and The Gories' "I Know You Fine But How You Doin?" (which Chilton produced) and of course everything Big Star ever did/////

Alien Father - Sunday at the Speedway

2010-02-10T21:26:00.008-05:00

The members of New Jersey’s “avant-garage” threesome Alien Father have been noodling away since they were in high school and the first few years of their partnership produced some exceptional tracks. But it’s hard to argue that they hit their stride with the Summer ’08 release of Knives with Journalism. The excellent 10-track album was anchored by their classic synth/bass garage pop sound, while ranging the spectrum from up-tempo video game-esque keyboard sprees to dark, proggy epics.

If you’re like me and you have had Knives on constant rotation while waiting anxiously to see what these guys will do next, then rejoice: their follow-up, Sunday at the Speedway, has been released for free download by Ourselves Collective (with a suggested donation of course!).

Sunday at the Speedway finds the band covering diverse territory as before, but they have used the album’s rather genius production to truly create a signature sound. With the songs steeped in a Spector-like wall of sound and tied together with entertaining transitions of dialogue and feedback, it’s an effect that allows a dance song (“Chinga Tu Madre”), an evil metal anthem (“Hellbound Homo”) and a fuzzy, punky pop gem (“He’s a Fader”) to all exist on the same album and still sound like they were recorded by the same band. The songwriting is as good if not better than that on Knives, and the production really adds to it.

This is not to say that the band does not cross into new songwriting territory on this album. There are several slower songs, almost ballads (“Incest People,” “Cloudsong”) that, while gentler than their normal fare, still manage to sound sinister and awesome. What’s more, the musicianship has been beefed up a few notches—the keyboards sound more intricate, the drums sound tighter, the guitars wail and shred to epic levels, and the bass is deeper and more resonating than ever.

Long story short – Sunday at the Speedway continues the upward trajectory that Knives set in motion and treads some new ground while it’s at it. Highly recommended if you like DIY music and your tastes fall anywhere on the spectrum from punk to metal to indie rock. This album will end and you will instantly want to start it again.

Recommended trax: It’s only 26 and a half minutes long! Listen to them all!

Click here to download Sunday at the Speedway from Ourselves Collective, and check out the other awesome bands when you're there!

The Strokes - 2nd Impressions of Earth

2010-02-09T15:14:00.008-05:00

The Strokes' Third album "First Impressions of Earth" was definitely their worst. It was 20 minutes longer than their previous two records and felt self indulgent, with intros and extended instrumental segments throughout. Little did most people know, myself included, that it's a pretty good record buried underneath a mound of rough edges.

For some reason the longest songs on the record are also the weakest. I trimmed those the most significantly, weighed bridges and outros against the flow of the album and edited it down as if it were a mixtape. So what we're left with is a Strokes album that runs 32 minutes instead of 52 minutes with the best parts kept and the worst parts in such a different context that they feel fresh. "2nd Impressions of Earth" is exactly as the name sounds. It might be my favorite Strokes record now.

This is an album re-cut for the thousands of people that skipped the original.

DL

Dave Davies - The Album That Never Was

2010-02-03T13:39:00.002-05:00

Last week I posted a thing on Beach House and was asked to take it down by Blogger. They even asked me to take it down again after it was already down. So I'm back tracking. Here is an unreleased album that I am guessing no one is going to give a shit about it being for free online.

It's a collection Dave Davies songs. He is the guitarist and occasional singer for "The Kinks" and a damn good song writer. This collection is worth a download for "Mindless Child of Motherhood" alone. It is one of my favorite songs of all time. "This Man He Weeps Tonight," is also really solid as are a bunch of the others.
For the completionists out there I must apologize that "Death of a Clown" is missing on this comp, but isn't too hard to track down. For the rest of you, get on it. It's very good.

Dl

Animal Collective - Fall B Kind

2009-12-16T11:32:00.003-05:00

Panda Bear's House: (The giant mansion pictured above)

An adobe set for your girls huh? Those extravagant big-spenders from Animal Collective have released an EP to follow up that other one they did with the face-melting cover. Here they put their money where their mouths are and clear the first legal sample from a Grateful Dead song. Rest in peace Jerry. It's a good thing they took a break from 5 course meals long enough to lay down some new trax.

When they were in Detroit last summer they totally showed up at Ronin, an upscale sushi place and they weren't even wearing cologne. It was all classical music playing and then when they walked in the record went screech and everyone turned and looked at these rich hippie guys in the doorway. Classic AC.

DL

Tune-Yards - Bird Brains

2009-11-29T03:29:00.004-05:00

This girl with an amazing range, and unique sound opened for funnyman Dave Longstreth and his Dirty Projector's on their most recent tour. Their name was Tune-Yards (though everywhere you see it spelled it has random capitol letters throughout the name).

This album has bursts of genius, and bursts of reggae. Burn. The real standout is "Hatari" which makes a download worth it by itself. When the songs come together as they do infrequently on "Bird Brains" they are real good. Reeeaaal goood.
So even though the album overstays it's welcome, it is worth it for the good parts. A rarity.

DL

Dirtbombs - Ultraglide in Black

2009-11-16T15:43:00.003-05:00

Miraculously Detroit's war horse has the wisdom of age and none of the back/hip problems that come with it. The 5 members of the Dirtbombs play as tight, and no-bullshit a show as can be played. 8 songs into their last set at Detroit's Majestic Cafe the only stage banter was "could someone please pass me a towel." No pause for tuning, no set-list double checks, scarcely even a pause between songs. Once the set ended the drummers played on, while the band took their equipment and set up for another entire set playing on a wood plank stage above the alleys in the adjoining bowling complex.

They have immediacy, and professionalism, but they also wear a large amount of hats. The chameleon cliche is pretty appropriate (as is the amount of hats cliche above). "Ultraglide in Black," is most clearly a soul record, hammered in by the inclusion of hits from Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, yet, it sounds like pure garage. Since it is inconsequential and music classification is annoying, let's leave it at "a good album." If you like the Detroit sound (done better) or that Gories album I posted a little while ago, most definitely check this out.

DL

Joanna Newsom - And The Ys Street Band

2009-11-02T11:44:00.004-05:00

Newsom took a break from pruning her booty to record a teeny, boss-joke EP. Listen to the round, booty pound of "Colleen" and the old-ass, new-shape posterity of the other two. Nowhere has Newsom sounded like she has a bigger butt. All that harp playing must have taken it's toll.

DL

Constantines - Shine A Light

2009-10-23T16:49:00.002-04:00

For anyone who likes their modern indie-rock with an overflowing spoonful of balls. Constantines are well regarded, but it seems that a large amount of people haven't invested the time to follow up. Which is too bad. They do so many things well, and Shine A Light is a great showcase. Based on the opener you'd think these guys would be all about tearing shit up, but instant left-turn title-track #2 is a palette cleanser for a solid mix of execution. Check it out. They tour all the time, and play a great show too.

DL

Tropicalia ou Panis et Circenis

2009-10-17T12:57:00.004-04:00

A tropicalia record called Tropicalia. This album is a combined effort from all the heavy hitters, such as Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze, and others. They are all on the cover, hanging out, holding random shit. Recommended tracks include the half-title track by Os Mutantes, and Caetano Veloso's Baby. It is crazy to think that most of these people were exiled from Brazil because of what they represent, and played. If you like Brazilian pop, you'll like this, and if you've never heard any, this is probably the best starting place.

DL

Ourselves - Oneonta EP

2009-10-12T16:41:00.003-04:00

Latest release from "A Passing Feeling" front man is a six song EP, under the "Ourselves" name. The sound ranges from clean to lo-fi across the six but all retain the same anthemic immediacy. This was released last week on ourselvescollective.com (check that site out for future free releases from solid bands).
Listen to the timeless melody of "nineties," and the energy of "knees" and "tuned," and the rawness of "revised," and oh hell, just listen to the whole thing. If you like The Thermals, and Guided By Voices, and anything good, check this out. Highly highly recommended.

DL

Georgie James - Places

2009-10-08T12:17:00.002-04:00

After Q and Not U split the drummer formed this band, Georgie James, named to sound like a crooner from long ago. The definitely not-crooner sounding album is more "pure pop for now people," even though sometimes it sounds like Billy Joel influenced pop, and by influenced I mean sounds exactly like "Piano man" (sorry "Long Week"). Regardless, some of the melodies here are pretty good. "Need Your Needs," and "More Lights," might be the best. Check this out if you like "The New Pornographers."

DL

Lou Barlow and Others - Elliott Smith ATP Tribute

2009-10-07T14:38:00.003-04:00

Lou Barlow and a bunch of others including the Minders played a special tribute set at All Tomorrow's Parties 2003 in honor of Elliott Smith who had recently passed away. It is a short set but pretty cool to hear the quiet-voiced Smith songs being belted out by the deep confidence of Barlow. "Happiness" is a particularly good one.

DL

Chantal Goya - Masculin Feminin

2009-10-02T10:28:00.002-04:00

Music from the film "Masculin Feminin," all sung by actress and real-life French pop star Chantal Goya. The six short songs contained on the album reek of the 60s but all are delivered in a semi-confident whirl that is endearing if not infectious. The shyness all over "D'Abord Dis-Moi Ton Nom" and the cash-register and fills on "Si Tu Gagnes au Flipper" make this baby-album worth revisiting.

DL

Death - For the Whole World to See

2009-09-29T15:01:00.002-04:00

A trio of black Detroit brothers recorded 7 songs in the early seventies of rock/soul/prog/proto-punk and then moved to Vermont and changed scenes. Thankfully now they are getting some due and are even touring again. I caught them in Chicago on Saturday for a wild set. The crowd went ballz-out crazy for the punk stuff and swayed side to side for the peace-n-love reggae shit. One soul song started with a shout-out to Marvin Gaye and the first few lines were a cover of his "God is Love." The variety was intesreting but I can say that the Death songs that were played were everyone's favorites. These old-ass men can still play the shit out of these songs.
Also interesting is that the rock influence from the original album, guitarist David, died in 2000 of lung cancer which almost assuredly ended all hopes of a live show reunion. They put a life size black and white poster of David on stage with them. Dave decked out in a white karate gi, afro, his hands on a black guitar balanced on the ground. Death playin acting as a proper memorial.
Also, also interesting is that the 7 songs they recorded so long ago are real good. While the live show had clear divisions between their post-Death soul and reggae material, the album effortlessly jumps genres and is never jarring. I can hear the "Yes" influence in the proggy "As the World Turns," and the early punk trappings of "Freakin Out."

This is the type of album that music blogs were created for.

DL

Tyvek - Fast Metabolism

2009-09-28T16:05:00.003-04:00

I have seen Tyvek play a billion times around Detroit. They are fucking awesome. Just look at the poster above from their latest record release show! It's incredible. The album they released a few years ago, "Fast Metabolism" contains some punchy, catchy, lo-fi/lo-maintenance, punk. This album rips some shit apart. Play "Give it up," "Frustration Rock," and "Mary Ellen Claims," on repeat and try to get "Honda" out of your head. I'll post the latest one some time. Check em out live if you get the chance.

DL

Screaming Females - Power Move

2009-09-26T23:01:00.012-04:00

Some of my friends saw Screaming Females play in a basement in their hometown of New Brunswick, NJ this spring. I couldn’t make it and really regret it, not only because this band rocks, but also because with each write-up in Rolling Stone and performance on MTV, the likelihood of seeing them in a basement again rapidly dwindles. But if their increasing popularity means that something not totally shitty is piercing the mainstream music consciousness, I guess I can’t complain too much.

Screaming Females is a bit of a misnomer—there is only one female in the band, and she doesn’t scream that much. Still, this isn’t one of those bands that has gotten attention simply for having a girl at the forefront. This is no obnoxious boot-wearing, tambourine thigh-tapping waif. You may as well forget about lead singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster’s gender; the point is that she can shred, sing and songwrite with the best of them.

Power Move, the band’s third album, channels the 60s with the occasional sunny surf-rock lick; the 70s with crunchy Sabbath metal riffs; the 80s with Paternoster’s Siouxsie-esque death yowl; and the 90s with plenty of fuzzed-out Pumpkins-y guitars. Tied together with lots of glorious feedback and dime-a-dozen shredding guitar solos, all of these elements combine to create a distinct sound without becoming a derivative reference-fest. My only complaint is that by starting the album with the strongest track, there is nowhere for it to go but downhill. That’s not to say that the rest of the album is disappointing—there are several strong moments, like the epic, echo-y anthem “Adult Army”—but opener “Bell” has the best of it all: a concise, catchy, rocking nugget of pure punk goodness. The album is worth a listen for that track alone.

Recommended trax: Bell, Lights Out, Adult Army

http://www.screamingfemales.com/

DL

Joanna Newsom - YS

2009-09-22T13:32:00.003-04:00

Everyone's favorite big booty harp player Joanna Newsom shattered all expectations with this 5 song epic LP. Or EP according to Rolling Stone's 2 star review. "Hey I should really listen to this Ys record, but instead I think I'll write another Led Zeppelin retrospective." Not only the is album structurally daring but the arrangements within are as well. Van Dyke Parks (who also arranged one of my very favorite songs, Phil Oche's "The Crucifixion") deserves much of the credit as do Steve Albini and Jim O'Rourke, the other two members of the Ys dream team. It's about time for a follow up.

DL

Ennio Morricone - Mondo Morricone Revisited

2009-09-19T15:55:00.006-04:00

Taking a breather from pop/rock/lo-fi, here is a collection of odds and ends from Italian film score master Ennio Morricone. In my film review of "What have you done to Solange?" last week I mentioned that I would post the soundtrack album where you can find the gorgeous theme song. That and many many other catchy, interesting, and often weird and dated songs are contained within. Basically, Ennio Morricone is a huge badass. Not only did he score giant influential films, but he also did slasher pics, and on occasion, pop songs. Check out the video below to see what I mean.

DL

Euros Childs - The Miracle Inn

2009-09-16T16:27:00.003-04:00

Euros Childs (ex-frontman of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci) self-released a new album last week but because it is off the walls crazy (there is a section where he sings "do you like mayonaise? I like mayonaise. La la la mayonaise.) I am choosing to post this one instead. Things start off extremely well with "Over You" a bouncy sweet pop song. The album similarly bounces along, straight through the wtf moments of "Horse Riding" and "Ali Day" and into the melancholy set. The real star of the show here is 7th track, "The Miracle Inn," a sprawling multiple part mini-opera epic. If you like Gorky's this is by far the best solo album from the group.

DL

The Gories - I Know You Fine, But How You Doin'?

2009-09-14T16:12:00.002-04:00

The Gories' album "I Know You Fine, But How You Doin'?" is a collection of singles and album cuts that was produced by Alex Chilton. The sound of Eighties Detroit was thrown into a bucket and recorded. Listen to the taken-for-granted-confidence of "Nitroglicerin," and "View From Here." Imagine if Love's Arthur Lee fronted a punk band. Garage rock from Detroit's ex-reigning kings.

DL

Destroyer - Hey Streethawk! Double Feature

2009-09-13T15:32:00.002-04:00

This B-movie title screen should have been the album cover to Destroyer's best album, Streethawk: A Seduction. As it stands, the current one is pretty boring and features decidedly less wheely-ing. As an album though, it is really solid. Every song is good, which is much rarer than it should be. Pop songs with unique song structures, melodies and arrangements. He has never been this good again. If you haven't heard it, or any Destroyer, then now is the time. A fucking basic.

DL

Here is Destroyer's Bay of Pigs EP that came out not too long ago. Same Destroyer ingredients with ambient electronics and disco thrown in. Still sounds like everything Dan Bejar has every written, which is a good thing. The description may sound off putting to some but this EP is not likely to alienate any fans. Oh, I forgot to mention that the first song is 12 minutes long. The ole boy still has some tricks up his sleeve. More artists should be this adventurous.

DL

Lilys - Eccsame the Photon Band

2009-09-10T12:36:00.002-04:00

A very 90s sounding shoegaze pop record from Lilys. A few of the songs have extended minimalist sound collage style passages, which get a little tedious, especially a seemingly endless passage of silence to end the record. Nitpicking aside the other 90% of the album is a dream-pop shoegazey classic. "The Hermit Crab" in particular is a pleasure. Sure the buildups take a while to build, but once they do it's hard to say they aren't worth it.

DL

The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead

2009-09-08T15:19:00.002-04:00

Scotland's Twilight Sad have released a new album that sounds pretty similar to their last. Singer James Graham belts out his lyrics with a strong Scottish accent while Sonic Youth guitars fuzz and feed in the background. It's honestly a nice sound, I just kind of wish they had evolved somewhat. Still a great record. If you've never heard them before this will sound amazing, if you have then it will just be another album.

DL

Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

2009-09-07T12:11:00.003-04:00

"The Monkeys have made their mature album." Yeah, those critics can shut the fuck up. It's like when Supergrass made "Road to Rouen," and everyone was like, "what happened to the young whippersnappers who made 'caught by the fuzz?'" They made a sweet album. Same goes here. Yeah the sound is more restrained, but that doesn't mean these guys are ready for the final chapter of "A Clockwork Orange." Basically

DL

Rebels Eat Apples - Caged Heat EP

2009-09-06T14:55:00.003-04:00

New York's Rebels Eat Apples' debut EP. Lo-fi anthems wrapped in muck and mire. A solid 5 song set that clocks in at under 11 minutes. High energy sing along pop songs. Highly Recommended.

DL

Caetano Veloso -S/T

2009-09-05T10:29:00.004-04:00

Normally I don't post album covers with the reviews. I had to here. Caetano Veloso's self titled second album looks like one of those carnival boards with a hole for heads. So that everyone can capture their favorite memories of a topless babe petting a dragon. And apparently we have Phillips to thanks for the illustration. Thanks Phillips.
Album-wise we have a proto-tropicalia record filled with bravado. Veloso seemingly smirks throughout the entire thing which makes the set have a breezy effortlessness. If you like 60s Brazilian music this is as fine a record as I've heard from the era.

DL

Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band

2009-09-04T16:21:00.003-04:00

Hey, Sorry about the lack of updates. I will try to put up a new post at least once every two days for the next month. You know, get the sauce rolling.

This album sounds like what I wished "Muswell Hillbillies" by the Kinks sounded like. A sort of country, classic pop record with interesting vocals, arrangements and instrumentation. Filled with great pop hooks and parasitic melodies. I haven't checked or anything but I bet Rolling Stone is popping huge boners all over "The Ruminant Band" right about now. If they aren't then Spin certainly is. Probably a good thing.
A well written Album from start to finish.

DL

Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

2009-07-28T15:04:00.002-04:00

A new buzz band. It went from, "I don't see what all the fuss is about," to "okay, I kinda like it," to "yeah, is good." And in typical buzz band fashion next month I'll say, "those guys, they suck." Clap Your Hands Say Yeah all over again. But for now the songs are undeniably infectious, and immediate.
They even have the requisite indie girl who plays tambourine and sings back-ups on a couple of songs. And their drummer is awesome (but he shows off too much). Sounds like I'm complaining but give it a listen and let it grow.

DL

Like Flies on Sherbert - Alex Chilton

2009-06-25T10:56:00.004-04:00

A diamond. Alex Chilton went insane and recorded this taboo sort of record where people sing off key, guitars are out of tune and the drums are fuzzy as shit. He starts early on a few tracks and the drums finish late on a couple, and other mistakes abound that only add to the charm.
It's like I went over to Alex Chilton's house when he wasn't home and found a box of tapes under his bed. Even though there are write-ups about this record all over the internet I still feel like its a secret. A warm, lo-fi epic that drank too much.
Listen to the title track and the first five seconds to "My Rival" to get right in.

DL

Circulatory System - Signal Morning

2009-06-01T14:32:00.005-04:00

They sure took their sweet ass time. 2001 was the year the previous album was released. What were they doing in all that time? Clearly they were endlessly recording catchy melodies and layers upon layers of instrumentation. So much so that this album almost explodes at the seams with so much going in and out constantly. Almost being the key word. There is a fine line between overload and ecstasy and Signal Morning is the poster child for garbled perfection.
From listen to listen each song sounded completely different to me. Was the drum intro what hooked me the first time, or was is the chanted chorus? There is a lot going on, and enough good ideas to fill 5 albums, but something this dense yet easily listenable doesn't come along very often at all. The sweet, chaotic pop record of 2009.

DL

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

2009-05-22T16:28:00.007-04:00

I really should have posted this weeks ago but I wanted the hyperbole I was sure to spout to wear off a little more. Well its been almost a month and I feel the same way. Best album of the year.
I pretty much listen to this on repeat. The song structures, melodies and vocals are so interesting and catchy in equal doses that it almost seems unfair. Other bands wish they had an entire album with as many good ideas as one song here, most notably "Useful Chamber." Listen to the vocals, both male and dual female, and prepare for your brain to melt. It's that good. Do yourself a favor and DL that sheeeeit.

DL

Butt Babies - The Lowest Depths

2009-05-02T12:25:00.002-04:00

22 lo-fi tracks in under 34 minutes. A random mess of genres and sounds played entirely by two people, featuring a Sleeping Beauty record in slow motion, and one song of public domain lyrics. A record for the kids, but with enough variety for Mom to listen too.
check out the entire website : www.buttbabiesband.com which has the album,
or just download it directly below.

DL

Blitzen Trapper - Field Rexx

2009-01-04T13:45:00.003-05:00

A minor classic. Anyone who has seen Blitzen Trapper live, or has followed their trail of genre pillage will attest to the power of the band. They can do many sounds, and many sounds well. Here is their second album. Not as schitzophrenic as Wild Mt. Nation or the more recent Sub Pop release, Furr, but hints at the variety to come. The two song set of "40 Stripes" and "Asleep for Days" holds the whole thing together, and various nuggets throughout sustain multiple listens.

DL

Monograph - Lorelei

2008-12-23T06:56:00.004-05:00

Hey music fans....Guided by Voices and Teenage Fanclub, well, they fucked. And a baby was borne. It's called Monograph. They are not from Sweden. No matter, power pop in its purest form. The only problem is that there aren't any other LPs. At least we have this. A joy, and a breeze, to listen to the whole way through.

DL

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - How I Long to Feel That Summer

2008-12-09T18:35:00.002-05:00

A basic. Since Gorky's Zygotic Mynci broke up they probably won't make another album. That's fine for most because they haven't heard them before. It's also fine for most of their fans too because both singers still write and tour and because of the positively stellar albums they left behind. This is one of those bands that upon first listen I thought "why have I never heard this before?" This album is a good place to start. Let the pop gems get stuck in your head and then unwittingly let Euros Childes break your heart with his voice.

DL

El Guincho - Alegranza

2008-12-01T15:02:00.004-05:00

I have always thought of this album as a good headphones record. Its just got a bunch of layers, and sounds going on at the same time. It's also got the percussive repetition of recent animal collective albums, which is entrancing. My brother asked me what would be something new that he could listen to on the Paris Metro. This is it.

It's also poppy as shit.

DL

The National- Alligator

2008-11-11T09:35:00.002-05:00

DL

An album I've been enjoying recently.

Titus Andronicus- The Airing of Grievances

2008-11-11T09:28:00.003-05:00

DL

An album I've really come to like a lot. I actually don't know much about them except that they're from NJ and the lead singer's voice reminds me a bit of Connor Oberst's.

Recommended Tracks: "My Time Outside The Womb", "Arms Against Atrophy", "Titus Andronicus"

*Glacier's note: This album for me is the next in a line of sing-along classics. Its in the same vein as At the Drive In, Meneguar, Audio Karate, and anything else you can pump your fist to and spill beer everywhere. Highly recommended.

Alien Father- Knives With Journalism Repost

2008-11-04T19:49:00.003-05:00

DL

In honor of Alien Father's 75orless release

"Originally released in May 2008 on Brother and Brother Records, Knives With Journalism was recorded by Alex Seiz in a barn in New Jersey. Knives with Journalism is the second record by noise-shambolic-satanic-sludgecore, pop-gloom-shoegaze, psych-garage three-piece Alien Father. Ten tracks of brooding keyboards, zambonian synths, hyperdelic guitars, and drums. Also features vocals. Recorded in quasi-monorific HI-FI on computers. Guest starring a dad, features no hidden tracks.

myspace.com/alienfather"

Pavement- Terror Twilight

2008-11-04T18:46:00.003-05:00

DL

Duh.

Phil Ochs- Pleasures of the Harbor

2008-11-04T18:21:00.003-05:00

DL

A really great album from Phil Ochs post protest singer career. "The Crucifixion" is an amazing song.

"I just can't keep up with Phil. And he's getting better and better and better."- Bob Dylan

*Glacier's Note: One of my favorite albums of all time. I was amazed when I first heard it because its from 1967 by a folk singer and there is absolutely no guitar on the entire album. Also, as Panda says, the Crucifixion is an amazing song. It was produced by Joseph Bird of the United States of America, and features mind-bending orchestration. The lyrics are also stunning. There is internal rhyme, alliteration, and consonance in nearly every line, and the subject matter is historical, political and pretty. Check out the album if only for the closing track. But the rest is good too.

Daniel Johnston- Songs of Pain

2008-11-04T18:09:00.003-05:00

DL

Sorry for the little photo. And also the infrequent posting...

Anyway I'm a fan of D. Johnston, but not all of his work. Actually I enjoy him most at his lo-fi and lo-craziness level. So it's strange I JUST started listening to "Songs of Pain" which is essentially the Daniel Johnston I'd always been looking for. It's essentially his first work he ever put out, and I think it's becoming my favorite.

Recommended Tracks: Grievances, Joy Without Pleasure, Never Relaxed, Pot Head, Living Life

Brainiac- Hissing Prigs in Static Couture & Bonsai Superstar

2008-10-24T17:35:00.002-04:00

Bonsai Superstar DL

Hissing Prigs In Static Couture DL

Hiii I'm sorry for never posting. But to make it up to you I posted 2 Brainiac albums. And I'l recommend you a song off each "Fucking With the Altimiter" off Bonsai, and "Pussyfootin'" off Hissing.

Enjoy!

Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbols

2008-10-19T22:50:00.002-04:00

Yeasayer, one of the ugliest bands ever. They make up for it with beautiful harmonies and gorgeous arrangements. They did a video session for La Blogotheque's Take Away Show which is well worth seeing. They sing in a paris metro car, with a guy tapping his keys on a beer bottle for percussion. Then in the second video they play on an old piano and have a crowd of people shout a complicated verse that they are reading off of a piece of paper.
Here is a link for that, trust me its awesome: http://www.blogotheque.net/Yeasayer,3966

DL

A Passing Feeling - Might Not Sleep at all THis Year

2008-10-11T14:13:00.000-04:00

DL

Anthemic, sing along choruses about drinking. Not coincidentally, great to sing along to while drinking.

Stiff Little Fingers- Inflammable Material

2008-09-25T11:14:00.002-04:00

DL

*Request*

Remember that scene in High Fidelity where tha guy is talking to that girl about music?

Jeff Mangum- Live at Jittery Joe's

2008-09-25T10:08:00.002-04:00

DL

*Request*

Jeff Mangum is the frontman of Neutral Milk Hotel. This album is basically him live in a pretty crowded room it sounds like, anyway he plays mostly songs from "On Avery Island" and "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" but there are other tracks too including a cover of "I love how you love me" and one of my favorite NMH's songs "Engine".

Heatmiser- Mic City Sons

2008-09-25T09:52:00.002-04:00

DL

*Request*

Elliott Smith has been my absolute favorite artist for about 6 years, my musical tastes have changed but my dedication to Elliott has never wavered. In 2003 when he passed away I (like many others) was devastated. I would replay all his albums over and over again for weeks, an started to listen to various bootlegged shows and demo tracks. After it felt like I exhausted everything Elliott, I remembered Heatmiser.

Heatmiser was a grunge-ish(?) band he formed with Neil Gust in the early 90s. This is a basic album for any Elliott Smith fan, but I hate to break it to you that Elliott doesn't do most of the singing on this record. Don't let that discourage you though "Plainclothes Man" is a very distinctivly Smith track as well as "Not Half Right".

The Replacements- Tim

2008-09-25T09:39:00.003-04:00

DL

*Request*

"Tim" was released after the The Replacements' breakthrough album "Let It Be", I actually personally prefer to "Let It Be" a bit more actually. But this album is definitely a basic, and kicks off great with "Hold My Life".

Slint- Tweez

2008-09-25T09:32:00.002-04:00

DL

*Request*

Blah, I'm too lazy to write a review right now. Just download the album.

The Feelies- Crazy Rhythms

2008-09-23T09:50:00.005-04:00

DL

*Request*

This is definitely a basic, I probably should have posted it sooner. I found it last year and I instantly like it. It's a solid album from start to finish (well maybe with the except of "Everybody's Got Something To Hide".

Violent Femmes - S/T

2008-09-21T17:29:00.003-04:00

DL

This album has been a bit of a secret favorite for awhile now. I used to hate Gordon Gano's voice, but I guess that changed. I often find myself scrolling down to this album on my iPod when I just want to listen to a full album I enjoy. I've always considered this album for some reason, probably because of "Blister In the Sun" who knows.

Recommended Tracks: "Blister In the Sun" (duh), "Kiss Off", "Please Do Not Go", "Good Feeling"

Boyracer - Happenstance

2008-09-20T11:53:00.004-04:00

Oh shit, Boyracer. Twee music that isn't annoying. Its fuzzy, quick bursts of indie pop. Listen to "On bleached grass," "I was the drummer in altered dreams" "Where to place your trust,"and "I thought even more of you when you told me you wanted me dead." I was going through the tracks and pretty much wanted to put every song on the recommended list.
Back to basics - a classic.

DL

The Bats- Daddy's HIghway

2008-09-17T07:51:00.003-04:00

DL

First off, I'd like to apologize by going MIA on posting, I just arrived in the Netherlands and was getting settled.

Alright, so I don't know if it's because of the success of Flight of the Conchords or not, but recently there have been more buzz around New Zealand bands (mostly past ones) like The Clean, The Verlaines, and The Chills. "Daddy's HIghway" is from 1987 and it does sound like it was made 20 years ago, but not in a dated way.

Top Tracks: "Treason", "Tragedy", "North by North", "Calm Before the Storm"

Capstan Shafts - Consumption Violets

2008-09-14T15:59:00.002-04:00

Dean Wells is the singer/song writer/entire band. He writes most songs under 2 minutes and writes a ton of them. After a few listens these songs will grow on you and one song perfectly leads up to another. He gets compared to Robert Pollard because of his prolific songwriting and lo-fi sound. And because they both write catchy songs that they seem to throw away. Check this out if you like catchy, lo-fi, short songs that are classics and sound like uncovered gems.

DL

Land of Talk- Some Are Lakes

2008-09-11T01:12:00.002-04:00

DL

Land of Talk is a Canadian band, who released and ep "Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss" last year. I saw them open for Menomena. I haven't listened to anything off this album except the title track, but that's very good and I expect this album to be as well.