Stone Tools - Stoned To Death

Stone Tools - Stoned To Death (2015)

The Time has come for another great local release... the time has come to get STONED!

Stone Tools are a barbaric thrashlords from the southern caves of Maine. The music that is played on Stone Tool's debut album is the kind of music summoned by riff gods using lightning bolts and ancient stone-based instruments. Don't believe me? Take a listen to Stoned To Death right now:



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Afraid - Sinister Vibes

Afraid - Sinister Vibes (2015)

Portland's residential dark synth wavers are also back with another super original album that is appropriately named Sinister Vibes. Once described as electronic music from inside a deep dark well, Afraid have climbed their way out onto land and right into your backyard. They aren't just huddled behind the bushes either, they are right out in the open ready to strike you with their soulful ax. Don't bother calling the cops or running away... Afraid's Sinister Vibes will be both heard and felt.

Sinister Vibes is out now on a very hip (from the sound of it) label, Crash Symbol. I would definitely recommend grabbing the tape from those guys and going to see them before they get too hip and move across the state or something. For Portland folks they are playing tonight at Poland Street and tomorrow they are playing in Bangor at COESPACE on Columbia Street. Get Afraid!


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Mouth Washington - Don't Mean

Mouth Washington - Don't Mean (2015)

It's been some time since we last heard from the Hansen brothers and company, but Mouth Washington of Portland, Maine are not only still slamming on guitars and hacking on dusty drum kits, they are probably at their best right now with the release or their new album, Don't Mean.

Mouth Washington's blistering garage rock meets punk storytelling has matured since breaking out on the scene, but in no way has this maturing caused them to lose any of that baby-fat which made them who they are. Nope, Mouth Washington are still messy, still rough around the edges, and, most importantly, still shouting for your attention! So listen:



Damn, it seems just like yesterday I was seeing these guys play at the Apohadion Theater on my birthday in 2010.

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Monday 106

Monday is back babe-y.

Babe - Bangs (2015)

Babe were an exciting mix of styles and ideas that liked to play shows. Now they don't play shows. Get your girlcore on and listen to what they were all about with this three song sampler about the pains of falling in love, dark and stormies, and being a big ol' nymphomaniac.


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Yo Sbraito - Abbiamo Tutti Perso (2014)

Yo Sbraito are not from around here.. they are, from the name and title of this 6 song release may suggest, from Italy. Ancona, Italy to be exact. They play some pretty tight old(er) school sounding screamo reminiscent of NFT's favorite screamo bands - Daitro, raein, Sed Non Satiata, etc.


Props to these guys and Italy for keeping this whole real screamo thing alive, seriously.

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ONSLO - ONSLO (2014)

If Weezer decided to be Tera Melos they might end up sounding like ONSLO from Bolton, Mass. Power pop meets math rock? Maybe if they came to Portland I would be able to figure it out (hint, hint).

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Safari Al - Restless (2014)

Call it art rap... call it conscious rap... whatever it may be don't call it boring. Also referred to as S.Al, Safari Al rapped his way out of Wisconsin and now is trying to make it big in Los Angeles. Keep an eye and, of course, some ears out for S. Al if you are  a fan of Milo, Busdriver, Open Mike Eagle, Atmosphere, and this whole self-awareness rap game.



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Falls of Rauros - Believe in No Coming Shore

Falls of Rauros - Believe in No Coming Shore (2014)

Not all black metal has to be restricted to bedroom recordings and isolated woods.

Believe in No Coming Shores by the Northeast gods of metal, Falls of Rauros has been a long time coming. Recorded between 2012 and 2013, these 10 tracks make a brutal black metal ice storm of an album that, like Butcher Boy's Rhubarb single, has been crafted from hours and hours of practice and ear-shattering shows. If you like both powerful and woods-inspired atmospheric metal, this is not an album to sleep on.

Listening to Falls of Rauros online is not the same as listening to them up close and personal. I'm not saying these recordings aren't amazing, because they truly are, I'm saying that this is music meant to be lived - meant to be witnessed. Yes, I bet Believe in No Coming Shores sounds even more amazing on vinyl and you should definitely pick it up if you ever see it in your local record store (wink, wink), but to get the full experience of Falls of Rauros is to actually see these guys perform. I'm not an expert at anything really, but I have gone to quite a few shows in my short time here on earth and I have never heard a band play my ears off the way Falls do. These dudes know how to play loud and passionate walls upon walls of metal, trust me.

P.S. The shredding in Spectral Eye will make any big guy in a leather jacket weep - NFT guarantee.



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CUT THE SHIT VOL 3

Various Maine Artists - Cut the Shit Vol. 3(2014)

This is volume three of Mike Cunnane's super cool and completely DIY recordings of Maine bands. Some of these bands I got to see tear it up (musicly speaking, of course) at Portland music fests and special outings this summer i.e. Hopeless Losers, Babe, and TG9; some I have known for some time i.e. if and it, Mr. NEET, Great Western Plains, SS Cretins, and others i.e. Phallus Uber Alles, The English Muffins, and Fadeaway Jumpers are bands I'm listening to for the first time via this rad comp.

All the bands, as always, are completely different, so don't skip a beat if you wanna find something new to listen to. Bands like TG9 (members of Perfect Hair and An Anderson) and SS Cretins (psych throwbackers and good friends of mine) should especially be bands you'll be seeing/hearing again on this site so don't sleep on those folks.

Enough yapping from me... just check this out:


Be sure to check out the other volumes as well if you like what you hear ;)

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AWAAS - It's Great Dying.

Awaas - It's Great Dying. (2014)

From the ashes of local legends, Conifer and Ocean came a new experiment to enter the dark dimensions of the musical subconscious. The year was 2011, and new bands from Maine were popping up left and right, including aformentioned louder-than-hell brigade, Awaas. Now it's 2014, and Awaas, like any cool local band should, are calling it quits.

Almost two Sundays ago, Awaas took there music, set it on fire, and rode off into the sunset, (almost) literally. Awaas's final performance was a viking funeral through Casco Bay. While there may or may not have actually been fire aboard the Casablanca booze cruise, from the sound of things it was quite the burial at sea. As a fan of both music and boating, that is probably the most badass way to go out.

Along with the Casablanca Cruise being the final show for Awaas in Portland, it was also the birth of their cleverly titled new album, It's Great Dying. Whether or not the 'waas team knew they would be releasing the damn thing on their death bed, It's Great Dying is certainly their swan song.

Riddled with the instrument of choice circa 1983, the synthesizer, Awaas goes completely in direction not yet heard on It's Great Dying. It seems a bit risky at first, mixing their minimal approach heard on the 2011 self-titled EP with a much more prominent gothic to industrial pop feel. Still, even with the fond interest in the synth, Awaas retained that heaviness that I remember quite well last time I saw them (opening for Thee Silver Mt. Zion in Portland).

It's Great Dying is not like a lot of music being released these days. Coming from Awaas, this is no surprise to me. Awaas is not music you can easily define other than throwing out a few meaningless phrases like krautrock, electro, industrial, or drone with names like Swans, Lungfish, Bauhaus, and The Birthday Party. At the end of the day, Awaas is just Awaas - as cheesy as that may sound - you can't put a finger on something that doesn't have any guidelines or rules other being completely DIY and has the need for really loud synth.

Highlights: "A Simple Horror",  "Big Fun", "Tiny Monsters", "Magnetic P.I.", "Cauterize", and the rest of the album.


Also, feel free to read more about Awaas and their final show via Post Mortem, here.

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Never Relaxed

Never Relaxed - Demo (2014)

Never Relaxed are some Portland dudes playing music and getting mad about some stuff.

This is a demo I was really looking forward to listening to for some time now, and have been for the past few months. It's the debut for the four-man hardcore punk outfit out of Portland and it's certainly true to the growing hardcore scene in Maine.

The unique vocals of lead-yeller, Zech is fueled by new and old school hardcore acts from Bad Brains to Bane to Portland's Cruel Hand. Then there's the other guys who, in such a serious genre, are never taking themselves too seriously. Mix it all together and you have a very fresh hardcore band that fits not just in legion halls and VFW posts but also in punk houses and underground jam spots.

Check it out:



Recorded by Leveret's Jesse Gertz.

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Monday LXXXXI

M(u)NDAY(sic).

14 Foot 1 - Two (2012)

Just some solid math rock about farm animals, Foo Fighters, and the number 15. A follow-up to their debut, Christ Grenades from all the way back in 2007.



Really surprised I missed this release until now.

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Greef - Greef (2013)

Greef is Pete from Portland, ME's favorite folk nightmare, Butcher Boy. Greef is also the name of this analog exploitation of fuzzy lo-fi. The best way to describe it really is to say it's less like a musical experience and more like a listening experience...


...Like finding a cassette on the side of the road that still works even with its tape ripped out.

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Heccra - The Last Weekend of Summer EP (2012)

Heccra ain't your average mom and pop screamo band. It ain't your average emo-because-Buzzfeed-told-me-it-was band either. Never would I have thought of calling a genre of music "mutilated" until I first heard Heccra's distorted and all-out exploded post-hardcore music, but that's what I would call Heccra.

None of what I just wrote right there might make any sense. If it did... you listened to The Last Weekend of Summer. If not... listen to The Last Weekend of Summer.



I PISSED OFF A GHOST...

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Monday LXXXX

Getting there.

Atalanta - Tainted (2013)

Very passionate and soul-gripping screamo. From the streets of Chicago and beyond.



Almost a little sludgy even.

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Future Death - Future Death (2013)

Future Death is my answer to a new Zach Hill project minus Zach Hill. With spastic drums, blazing guitar riffs and  distorted female vocals, Future Death are mashing all sorts of sounds together and making it work. It's awesome!



For fans of Hella, Marnie Stern, Lightning Bolt, Caddywhompus, or Tera Melos.

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CUSS - Heavenly (2013)

Incredible new release from Jesus Lizard-like Portland, Maine noise rock outfit, CUSS. Heavenly is a bit more refined than their previous releases recording-wise as well as musically-wise now that they have An Anderson guitarist, Dan Smith on beautiful Slint guitar duty to add a little melody to the madness. Since I'm a better listener than a writer I would definitely recommend checking out the review of Heavenly in the Portland Press Herald with some kind words and an appropriate star rating (pronounced stah ratin', of course) for a local news paper judging a "noise rock" band. Just check it out.


Also, CUSS are playing a show real soon at Matthew's in Portland, but Alex their singer won't be there. They're still going to be playing but ask that if anyone wants to sing their songs step up and sing along with them.

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Carl Sagan Presents: The Body in the Kelp

The Body in the Kelp - The Body in the Kelp (2013)

The Body in the Kelp were born in 48 hours. These songs, they were born in 48 hours. Everything about this album, 48 hours.

Well sort of. The Body in the Kelp is a band made up of four musicians who, before participating in the 5th annual Portland Space Gallery 48 Hour Music Festival, had never played music together. See, the 48 Hour Music Festival is simple, you put a bunch of musicians together randomly and make them come up with a 20 minute set and a band name in 48 hours. Then they play said songs for a sold out crowd at the Space Gallery. The Body in the Kelp and this EP are just that; the 20 minute set the four musicians came up within 48 hours and played at the show. It's a bit more polished and re-recorded now, but the premise its still there: this is 48 hour music.

This EP opens with an amazing sample choice of Bert and I, a Maine humor classic, and then an ambient bassline leads in to rhythm guitars and drums before the vocals pierce through. From there we get more samples including a Martin Luther King speech along with more riffs, sliding guitar, doomy textures, and dirty rock 'n' roll vocals. Need I say more?



48 hours this stuff was thought up. Four amazingly original songs. Wickedly good stuff. Get it.

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Monday LXXXIX

Take a break from all that sports watching and give some of this art thing a try, it's Monday!

Youth Funeral - Symptom of Time (2013)

New Hardcore Post Hampshire.



Features members of the late hardcore ensemble, HOST. Really good hardcore/punk/screamo music with very important influences and Slint-like ballads.

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George Costanza - Summer of George demos (2012)

It might not be summer and it might not be 2012, but it's always time for some twinkly George Costanza rock.



This is about the only time I would even consider calling something mememo.

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Various Artists - Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT Vol. 2 (2013)

Here it is! The second volume of Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT is complete and ready for our ears.


Featuring: An Anderson, Wood Burning Cats, Buddusky, Bath Salts, Conjjjecture, Older Men, Boyfriends, Haru Bangs, Purse, AFRAID, and Leveret (can be heard in the final snippit, "[OUTERLUDE]").

Read more about this project here or here or here.

Monday LXXXVIII

Sorry about last week...

Ted Nguyent - Pizza & Regret (2011)

Yummy punk rock pizza punk.



From some place. Probably Philadelphia.

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Ice Hockey - the way it is now (2013)

Screamy punk rock hockey rock. Seriously good stuff.



Not sure if you got the memo, but hockey is cool again.

I'm serious!

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AFRAID - PINK LIFE (2013)

Ghosty electronic scaredy-cat wave.


From Portland, Maine.

AFRAID has expended and now includes: Ryan Cutler (To The Barricades!), Jared Fairfield, Matthew Lajoie (Cursillistas, Herbcraft), and James Marcel along with the ghost himself, Jakob Battick.

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Monday LXXXIV

Moondate.

Glocca Morra/Summer Vacation - Split 7" (2013)

Good stuff from both bands right here. If you don't know either of these guys yet please do yourself a favor and get acquainted. For your health!

Seriously..

Last.fm (Glocca Morra)

Last.fm (Summer Vacation)

Wood Burning Cat - Karate Trophies (2013)

Wood Burning Cat are a three-man power pop band. I guess that means they are Weezer, right?

Whatever it is, it's pretty fun and even includes some upbeat keyboard action. 

Karate Trophies was recorded via Mike Cunnane's Cut The Shit mobile recording studio. 

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Milo - Milo Takes Baths (2012)

Milo AKA Rory Ferreria takes Baths AKA Will Wiesenfeld instrumentals and puts obscure references on top of them.

Hopefully if I talk about him enough I can get a Nostalgia For Tomorrow pop some day. 

Really digging the last track, "The Mumblings of Mr. Wav". I had never heard Baths "Seaside Town" before this and nearly jumped out of my seat when I first heard those Kiki's Delivery Service samples. I'm a real softy for Hayao Miyazaki flicks...

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CUT THE SHIT!

There's a substantial lack of local stuff in here right now. So, here's this:

Various artists - Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT! Vol. 1 (2013)

CUT THE SHIT! is a "quasi record label" directed by Mike Cunnane. It also serves as the basis for a one day DIY project where 10 bands came together and recorded a track with Mike. According to the bandcamp, it was one hell of a day...

It would only be fitting that 10 bands hanging out for the day trying to record something new would turn into a mishmash of collaborations and gang vocals. That's exactly what we get with CUT THE SHIT! and it makes for a perfect batch of organic local-ness. 

The bands that gave it their all for this project include: Foam Castles, Duey Meadows, Video Nasties, Leaves Leaves, Mouth Washington, CUSS, Fur, Metal Feathers, GIMME GOLDAR, and AWAAS in that order. There's also a bonus track by Fireland featuring lots of folks from the bands above. Check it out:

Also, be on the lookout for Volume 2 coming this fall.

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Monday XXXXXXXIII

RIP Margie

Gimme Goldar - Dizzep (2013)

Had me at Goldar.

Some noisy music spasms by Portland folk. Recorded on location at 131 Washington Ave.

Spoiler alert: they don't sound like Goldar...



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Safe - Safe EP (2010)

Safe is Chris "CF" Edley. Edley plays very elegant lo-fi-ish pop music recorded in secret basements for secret basements.



Safe will be playing with groovestep Portland acts, Glass Fingers, Altered Gee, and Conjjjecture at the Darkmouth Castle on the 19th (house on Dartmouth Street in Portland. Just follow the noise).

Rumor has it that this will be Glass Fingers' last performance as Glass Fingers. I don't know what this means but most likely will lead to more surprises ahead.

Last.fm


Moon Bandits - Action Changes Thinking (2013)

Moon Bandits are another, but less aggressive sounding, anarcho-punk outfit with acoustic instruments hailing from the west coast. If you enjoy or attended the Blackbird Raum (the anarcho-punk band I introduced last week) show last Friday night at The Oak + The Ax and had yourself a real doozy of a time, I highly recommend giving Moon Bandits a listen.

Or, if you are in town Wednesday night, you can just go check them out at Dobra Tea (that tea place above Bullmoose/Video Port on Middle Street) for yourself!



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Monday XXXXXXIX

Spring Breakout Edition.

Welkin Dusk - Born Into a Dying World (2011)

Furious blackened crust/trash metal from Chicago.



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Trust Fall - My Thoughts Exactly (2012)

Twinkly/nood emo with a dark side...

They think they are kvlt.



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Nasty Negligee - Level 3 (2012)

Trashy garage rock 'n' roll conducted by Portland's Sterling Black.



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