NFT Presents: Splits

I was pretty shocked the other day (monday) when I realized that I had not perviously posted any splits. So, for the past four days I've been thinking of some of my favorite and most listened to splits I know and would like to share... thanks to this unexpected free time I have acquired today! I hope you enjoy them too!

Andrew Jackson Jihad & The Gunshy - Split EP

My favorite Andrew Jackson Jihad split. Features the Tom Waits of folk punk, The Gunshy and song title references to one another's work like Andrew Jackson Jihad's "There's No War in This Love", which is a clever word switch of The Gunshy's Album title There's No Love in This War, and The Gunshy's "Only Sean Can Judge Me" which is a reference to AJJ's album, Only God Can Judge Me just switching God with Sean (the voice behind the Andrew Jackson jihad, Sean Bonnette).

The best part about this split is the fact that there is some collaborating (even if it is not obvious) rather then just two or more bands sending each other their music and slapping both names onto the album cover.


The Reptilian/Lautrec/Boy Problems/Osceola - 4 Way Split

(not the artwork)

I originally listened to this 4 Way mostly for The Reptilian but then I was immensely impressed with Boy Problems and there use of Superbad on "I Swallowed a Bug". Some really decent math rock influenced screamo right here!

Lautrec is kinda cut/copy and Osceola is a little noisier and messier than the rest of the pack but they all scream-o.

The Reptilian are also in another 4 way split with Annabel, Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate), and Joie De Vivre as well as a split with Jowls (ex-members of Victor! Fix the Sun) coming out October 20th but streamable on their Bandcamp. Oh boy, today's Oct. 20th actually! What a coincidence!


Touché Amoré/La Dispute - Searching For A Pulse/The Worth Of The World (Split)

This is a very sick Split! Touché Amoré! La Dispute! And like the AJJ/The Gunshy split I posted previously, these two mega stars in the heavy music business not only share their music, they team up in some of my all time favorite TA and LD tracks. I think that the Jordan's signature sound (that is all to often compared with other bands that don't really sound that much like La Dispute) and Jeremy of TA's super effective emotional yelling is a perfect blend! The best example would be "I'll Deserve Just That" by Touché Amoré.

La Dispute also has a pretty splendid split with Koji (who I think really tops LD on that release) and Touché also has a split with Make Do and Mend which I have yet to hear.

toe//Collections of Colonies of Bees - Split (2009)

Comes with live performances of Flocks (I & III) by Collections of Colonies of Bees and a nice little easter egg of a song by toe called The Faber which is a cover of a Pele song. C of C of Bees is a side project of Pele! To me, that's mndfckingblwn!

1994!/Spires -Split

More math infused screamo! Half of Spires is Big Kids by the way.

Jesu & Battle of Mice - Split (2008)

I'm not a Jesu fan. I'm not going to try to jump around that, it's true. I don't enjoy the vox and honestly wish it was just instrumental. Battle of Mice however were always a band I enjoyed, especially the Julie Christmas factor (not to mention the Red Sparowes factor)! Lemme tell ya, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! RIP Battle of Mice.

Oh yeah and "The Bishop" is one of the best tracks by Battle of Mice if not thee best and this is where you find it!

P.s. the day I see the song "Yellow and Black" by BoM mashed up with Wiz's Black and Yellow will be the day I retire from music. Maybe...

Unless it sounds good...

Hella & Dilute - Live Split

Yes it's live, but it's HELLA playing live! So good! Also it's early Hella playing purely Hold Your Horse Is tracks! What more can I ask for... other then actually seeing them live.

Then there's Dilute's live songs and it's all good. Alphabet, Apple, Balloon Song. It's like listening to that epic show you had been waiting in interaction for weeks, having to change your pants every time you thought about it and then on the night of, you are on your way to the venue when all of a sudden... BOOM! You get hit by a flaming freight train that has ran off its tracks! After all that you wake up in a hospital bed somewhere and start sweating profusely. You realize you are not at that show. You figure that your life no longer has any value and that the IV stuck into your arm could make a fine noose - but then your best bud comes running in to the room to explain that he just went to the greatest concert of his life and recorded the whole thing! At that moment you realize that the only point in life is to listen to that recording of a show you never got to experience but dear god you know you would of if you could of!!! This live EP is kind of like that.... kind of.

Well that's all for today, I gotta split.