NFT's Got You Covered - Kythibong Records

Various Artists - Décennie : Couverture (2012)

Kythibong is a French record label that has been promoting and releasing music by many experimental, freak dance beat, and math rock bands over the years. In 2012 they celebrated their 10th anniversary with this 17 track cover album, Décennie : Couverture (translated to Decade Coverage).

The album is filled with French and American (31knots) bands associated with Kythibong Records that are all covering one another's songs. For instance, Pneu cover Marvin's "Copainscabana" while FORDAMAGE cover Pneu's "No I'm Not" and so on. A few of the covers like the ones just mentioned as well as "Intelligent Horses" by Papier Tigre (covered by Marvin) are songs that were previously released on a joint record release split from Kythibong, Africantape, Effervescence, and Head Records called Hasta La Fiesta (also available for free here).

Other bands involved include: Belone Quartet , Room 204, Papaye, Piano Chat, Choochooshoeshoot, Argument, Chausse Trappe, Electric Electric, Gratuit, Le Ton Mite, Mansfield.TYA, and Sieur et Dame.


Official site
Bandcamp

PS stay tuned for a post about that new Pneu album coming soon!

Goblin - Suspiria

Goblin - Suspiria OST (1977)

It's the spookiest time of the year again, so listen to spooky music!

Goblin were an electronic prog rock band from Italy. Originally known as Cherry Five, the band was commissioned by director and spook-master, Dario Argento to help finish compose the music for his 1975 horror masterpiece, Profondo Rosso AKA Deep Red. With the goal of creating such a beautifully goosebumped-out soundtrack, the band needed a much cooler and darker name, apparently, so they trashed the Genesis-inspired Cherry Five name and were re-born as Goblin. After Profondo Rosso, the band were then assigned to compose all of Argento's next film, a sort of ballet of horror, Suspiria!

Suspiria is both suspenseful and beautiful - a combination of traits that also appears in the soundtrack by Goblin. I'm not going to spoil the movie for you if you haven't seen it; I'm just going to say you will be in for quite a treat this Halloween season if you do see it! It's a classic and don't let the whole ballet thing fool you. A good movie can make anything watchable (plus there's really not much ballet anyways).

Here's a taste of Goblin's "Suspiria" if you haven't already familiarized yourself with this incredible track (or the rest of the soundtrack):

Get spooked!

Last.fm

Leveret Debut Show!

Oh you didn't hear?

Leveret, formerly Glass Fingers/formerly Jesse Gertz/formerly tiny baby rabbits, are/is playing his/their first show this weekend at the Space Gallery in Portland, Maine. I say 'they' as Leveret could just be Jesse Gertz and his table of musical and visual paraphernalia, or it could be a full band experience. Or, it could be neither!? That's the great Leveret mystery...

Maybe the real performer for Leveret is actually Gertzatron 8000, a robot the government created to produce those wonderfully spiritual bloops and bleeps that you can expect from most any Jesse Gertz project.

Leveret - Infinity (2013)

 

But have no fear, good reader: The Gertzatron, while sounding more or less like a government war machine, was not programmed to destroy - that was what the Gertzatron 3013 was for - this Gertzatron was specially designed with the soul intention to party it up with you all night long! And even in the day if you are still up for it, because, well, he will be.

So yeah, robots, electronic music, partying with your clothes (optional) on, and good times for all will be had at this years' Leveret debut show *plus* Infinity CD release party! Oh right, there will be CD's of Infinity on sale. Infinity of them.

Okay, there won't be an infinity number of CD's for sale; Gertz learned his lesson with those last million Glass Fingers CD's he made. But there will be plenty to go around! You can even listen to it on Leveret with three V's bandcamp right now! Check it out and get that body ready:


Sensual seduction at its finest.

It's gonna be gr8t.

Leveret's Facebook Page
The Show's Facebook Page
Official Leveret Site 
Last.fm

Monday XXXXXXII - Interesting Albums of 2012

Here are some sweet/interesting/underrated releases of 2012:

Wife - Stoic EP (2012)

The thing that makes this seemingly dragcore/snoozetronic (words I made up of course) release by some band called WIFE actually really awesome is that this is a side project by James Kelly of Altar of Plagues - one of those atmospheric black metal bands that normal people can get into. What makes that better than if Kelly was some bump of the street who was mistakenly picked up as a rising indie rock star that both Pitchfork and MTV adore? Maybe the fact that Kelly genuinely has an interest in electronic music. I'm not just saying that because that's what his Last.fm says either; I can hear it in Wife and his debut EP, 'Stoic'. I can tell that this young musician is experimenting with electronic music the way people have been for a few years now - with dark bass and slow but lingering beeps and blips - the thing that Kelly is doing differently however, is simple really; He's doing it right.

Highlights: all of it; it's only five songs. "Bodies" is my current favorite though:

Last.fm

Sneeze - I'm Going To Kill Myself (2012)

Really the only reason I've been holding on to this release until now is the title. Maybe it's a reference to The Royal Tenenbaums or some sort of dark joke, but I'm not too into it. What's inside, 'I'm Going To Kill Myself' however is a different story. It's filled with some pretty interesting grunge-y type punk rock stuff that was hiding from the 90's and just now ready for proper listening. 

I'm not going to say they sound like Nirvana even though I wrote they were "grunge-y" because there really isn't such a thing in this day and age. I will say this though, if Kurt Cobain was still alive this would probably make his AOTY list. 

It's definitely an album I had to come back to a lot this year. It's a mega grower.

Highlights: "Canker", "Park Her Road", and "Red Bullgirls"

Sneeze are from Allston. Mass.

Last.fm

Old Gray - Everything I Let Go & The Things I Refuse To (2012)

There's not too much I have to say about Old Gray's new release, 'Everything I Let Go & The Things I Refuse To' other than the fact that if it was released earlier in the year I would have been all over it.

Old Gray say they have moved past their old sound of midwest emo as well as past problems, past memories, and from past regrets. For better or for worse, this is their new sound.

The highlight of this album definitely has to be the last track, entitled "Six Years". It features a sample from the pilot episode of one an all time favorite show of mine, Freaks and Geeks. It's also really really sad. Yes really two really's.



Last.fm

Diamond Rugs - Diamond Rugs (2012)

Initially hearing that Dead Confederate's Hardy Morris was going to team up with John McCauley of Deer Tick, I was pretty much all ears. I had no idea that along with members of Black Lip, Los Lobos, and Six Finger Satellite, Diamond Rugs was actually going to be one of the silliest indie rock supergroups ever conceived. Don't let that word "silly" confuse you though, this is still a pretty awesome listen once you get past the fact that these seemingly serious bands like Dead Confederate and Deer Tick are now playing songs about boobs and beer.

I'm not complaining.

The origin of Diamond Rugs was a way for John McCauley to play with one of his favorite bands, Los Lobos. After gathering up all sorts of musicians along the way, Diamond Rugs actually started to look not too shabby and with every member contributing their own songs and ideas - it really isn't too shabby.

All in all, you can tell these musicians came together and just had some fun. It's a nice treat to hear all sorts of different sounds coming together and with the same goal in mind. That goal being boobs and beer of course.

Highlights: "Gimme a Beer", "Country Mile", "Blue Mountains", and "Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant"

NSFW "Blue Mountains" music video:

Soundcloud stream:



Last.fm

Monday XXVI

Spring forward, kids.

It's monday again.

Pteradon - ¡Viva! (2011)

Pteradon play and sing some manly voiced punk rock. They can easily be compared to bands in similar vein like Iron Chic, Kudrow, Joyce Manor, and Spraynard among others along those lines. I'm really digging the pack and a half of Kools a day vox and the "sloppy and gruff" sounds that follow it.

Pteradon is the "sister band" of Shinobu, another cool band that everyone should look into, myself included.

Last.fm

Change Leopard - Gaiden (2010)

Every Change Leopard (one man band?) release has been a little different in sound so far from what I've gathered. Gaiden is no exception as "gaiden" actually means something like a body of work as a side story; "somewhat outside the canon". It's japanese and is usually seen most commonly with "Ninja" in from of it.  Gaiden is the result of being stuck inside the house with a drum kit for 4 months. Their is no mention of why the artist was stuck in the house but it obviously caused a different feel and style. Where previous pieces seemed to focus on minimalist electronic not-quite-danceable dance tempo music, Gaiden shows us a more live-drum shoegazed and spaced out upbeat side of things. Maybe I just really like the name of the project itself, Change Leopard, as it is a reference to the Japanese version of Spiderman by Toei, but maybe there's something in this whole variety/gaiden/departure of work business that I really dig!

Toei's Spider-man series was essentially a very early Power Rangers AKA Super Sentai. Leopardon was Spider-man's giant robot (zord, if you will) that transformed when he yelled, "Change Leopardon!"

Definite check out tracks on Gaiden would have to be tracks 1 and 5; "Red Afternoon" and "Airport at Dawn".

Last.fm

Laces Out - Where I Grew Up (2010)

Some more punk for y'all! This time in the form of three white kids from my neck of the woods, Portland, Maine. I do not know a lot about these folks personally or have had the chance to see them play but I do know that they sound pretty legit... rough and DIY... just the way it should be.

I'm not sure if these guys are still kicking around anymore or playing any shows anytime soon but I would surely get off my lazy butt and go see 'em. They don't look like they smell that bad either...

Jake Reiger AKA guitar/vocals also has himself a little bit of solo stuff floating around on Bandcamp and such.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

unouomedude - Marsh (2010)

Sometimes you just have to be the mood for certain things... especially when it comes to music and especially when it comes to me. Sometimes I don't like things that get hyped because they are dull and boring and sometimes I don't like things just on the fact that it's not that time for them yet. With things like dream pop, lo-fi, chillwave, dreamwave and whatever else will come next, I often find them a little dull and boring. I like things that will get me moving or (if that's not the case) get me to stop moving and chill out. If something is "hyped" and can do both for me, well, then we have a good find. Sometimes that certain hyped item can also go right through me just on the simple conditions that it is not what I'm looking for right now; not the right mood.

With unouomedude, I could sit here and wish it was more bumping and the vox were more chanted, but on a beautiful day like today were I just want summer to come so I can lay on the beach and watch the waves roll in, I totally get it.

I'm in that mood.

Also: Usually I would rag on a band with a name like unouomedude (pronounced you know you owe me dude), and don't get me wrong, this is a pretty hip band name for a band, but I will let it slide... It's comparison to Wavves and how it is the black Wavves is a whole 'nother story.

Also Also: unouomedude has a cover of The Adventures of Pete & Pete Theme! It's nothing like Tera Melo's cover but boy oh boy I still can not resist a Pete & Pete cover!

Last.fm

You can't be a sell out if you just admit you are selling out... just look at Reel Big Fish Time Rush.

Computer at Sea

Computer at Sea is Galen Richmond from the piney state of Maine. He bends circuits, plays bloops and bleeps on video game consols and beats up on old electrical instruments in an attempt to give his audience a nice homebrood example of electronic pop music. It's a perfect soundtrack for both robots and humans alike.

Computer at Sea - Palace of the Lightbulbs (2011)

The whole thing reminds me of robots dancing around in a sludgy pool of computer acid, slightly miss programed and slowly short circuiting. Richmond truly has a knack for this electronic stuff and it shows.

I've had the great fortune of seeing this gentlemen play a few times. One time at a robot dance party(!) and another with Dan Deacon (an electronic geek in his own right). Every time I see him with his table flooded with gadgets, gadgets of which I have never seen before and certainly don't have any idea how they work or what sound they make, I feel like I am eight years old again... Back when I used to take little nic-nacs from around the house to create a little sculpture that didn't do anything or have any purpose (kind of like this analogy). It was fun and sounded good to me. Just like Computer at Sea.

Computer at Sea also plays a sweet cover of "Be True To Your School" by the Beach Boys which is sweet!

Last.fm
Myspace
Be True To Your School