Monday XXXXVIII

Oh yeah, for sure.

Dikembe - Broad Shoulders (2012)

New Dikembe is not to be eff'd with. Just really good and honest stuff!

Seriously, dude.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

LEANN GRIMES - I'm Not Too Skinny (2012)

LEANN GRIMES A.K.A. Shane Conerty is back with an all new stack of indie rock jams that have been chopped up and turned into something super catchy and actually fun to listen to again. And while I wasn't all that excited when I saw what was on the cutting room floor for original tracks, I was once again impressed by the way they have been re-arranged in bumpy, sample-happy GRIMES fashion! Notable acts like Beirut, Man Man, St. Vincent, and Destroyer all get the treatment along with many other bands I don't normally listen to or have heard of yet, which is really Conerty's whole point of this project; to get people interested in these bands and support them. I on the other hand, would rather just support him. Keep doing what you're doing, Shane Conerty!

Last.fm

Speedy Ortiz - Sports EP (2012)

Some more new(ish) stuff.

Sports!

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Why? - Sod in the Seeds EP (2012)

Oh, and speaking of new.... Yoni & the gang have a new EP out called, Sod in the Seeds. It's free here but probably only for a limited time so grab it while it's still there! If you like earlier Why? stuff and not so much the last record, Eskimo Snow, I really think you should check it out! Quick! GOOOOOOOO!

Last.fm

Monday XXI

Monday's all grown up! Go drink the weekend away! Stay safe Monday!

The Act of Estimating as Worthless - Among These Splintered Minds//Leaden Thoughts Sing Softly (2012)

The Act of Estimating as Worth are a really splendid indie folk band from New York. The duel vocals of Zoe and Matt are very cute in a Good Luck sort of way and remind me of some kind of Kimya Dawson project like Moldy Peaches or Antsy Pantsy but with a frontman like Bill Callahan or David Berman. It's much more relaxed than Dawson overall though and, while songs like "My Left Thumb" and "Nickels and Dimes" are very cute, there is still a bit of a "hey this is just a song and I want to sing it without trying to 'awwww' you" type of attitude. If that makes any sense.. 

I guess cute wasn't a good adjective.

Among These Splintered Minds//Leaden Thoughts Sing Softly is due out on Cassette February 24th. You can get if for free at their bandcamp, however, if you do not have a cassette player or walkman anymore. You should probably get one of those if you want to be cool though...

Last.fm
Bandcamp

La Quiete - La fin non è la fin (2004)

Think Italian Daitro or Raein's drummer's other band. Very screamo. Very real. Very emotional. Very Italian.

Last.fm

Why? - Elephant Eyelash (2005)

I guess I'll diversify this Monday post a little more with one of my all time favorite bands, Why? Why? Why not?!

The indie rock band with a little pep in their step's classic, Elephant Eyelash from the year 2005 is right up there with Alopecia (for me at least and probably many others). The thing I love about Why? is that I can hear a track from them I haven't yet, went to hear again a minute later and then let it become my new favorite. Elephant Eyelash is a prime example of this. Where it lacks in standout tracks that Alopecia had like "Vowels Pt. 2" and "The Hollows", Elephant Eyelash lets you enjoy tracks like "Gemini (Birthday Song)" and "Fall Saddles" that while aren't super over produced become really lovable growers. Once you listen to the album you will want to go back and listen to it again. The standout track in Elephant Eyelash would have to go to "Rubber Traits". The dark horse; "Act Five". "Act Five" might be my favorite Why? track that'll probably never get the respect it will deserve. Especially with superb lyrics like "All the people who taught me card tricks are dying/I've been trying/To steal my grandfather's handsome from old photographs". That line gets me every time.

Damn, I actually had to listen to that song two times in a row right after mentioning it! So good.

Last.fm

And since the New York Giants won that fantastic puppy bowl last night... Here's their other release:

Giants - They, The Undeserved (2007)

Very similar to Old Stories but with a little more glock.

"Withered Life: Communal Rhythm", "Under the New Sun" and "Steps In Static Progression" definitely have to be standout tracks on this one. Listen to them all though!

Last.fm

Great job.

WHY?

Why? - Alopecia (2008)

Why? Why not. Goooood stuff. You do not have to be a hip hop/rap fan to enjoy this Anticon band. (Though, I think that even if you are not a huge fan of hip hop/rap but partly due to the rap that is spilling out of MTV and that ghetto friend of your's radio, I suggest you give Anticon records bands a chance. They get a bit obscure at times but are totally fun to listen to and really bring a little spunk and texture to their beats as well as their vocals.) Why? is something else to me. It's not really rap but more like a poet approaching a piece of work in a boxing match and that piece of work is also a big bear and it's a cage match. That poet is lead singer Yoni Wolf. Yoni is kind of like a rapper too but a rapper who didn't want a rap star sound. Instead, he uses mallet percussion (which is sick and played my his bro, Josiah Wolf) to bring a more indie feel that swiftly moves along with his poetry. And boy does that nasally talk like indie singing over bells and bass make for a beautiful thing. The sound of Why? is super original and refreshing every time I listen to them. Fun fact: Alopecia is the loss of hair. Oh yeah and Pitchfork can suck a bag of dicks.

Last.fm
Anticon Records
Billy the Kid did what he did and he died

Bon(er)us:

Why? - Almost Live From Eli's Live Room (2008)

I'm always a big believer in hearing bands perform live. I'm also a big believer in hearing the way a song sounds in a different way, whether it's a demo, live, from a session, remixed, mashed up, acoustic, electric, etc. Almost live was the first thing I bought from Why? and it was purely because I couldn't decide which album to start with and this featured 23 songs from either Alopecia, Elephant Eyelash, or the EP, Sanddollars! I quickly learned that these weren't the polished sounds I had previously heard, they were much more. Much rawer. And even though it's not really live because they practiced before hand and recorded it like a session, hanse the "Almost Live" part, it's still a totally solid look at their songs. Twenty three of them, all in a different environment. I sometimes run into this album online with a comment that says it's great for longtime fans but I always recommend it too any fan. Past, present or future.  Oh yeah and I almost forgot! I bought this album at Walt Disney World in the Virgin Records store at Downtown Disney which is super silly but I don't care because it's a limited edition tour live album.  There's also another "Almost Live" album out there that features earlier works my Why? called Almost Live From Anna's Cabin.

even though I haven't seen you in years
yours is a funeral I'd fly to from anywhere