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

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).

DL

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

Alex Chilton and Teenage Fanclub Live in Glasgow 1996

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/////

DL

Alien Father - Sunday at the Speedway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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