Captain Hollow

Captain Hollow - Captain Hollow EP (2011)

Captain Hollow are a gang of kids from Bangor, Maine who have crafted their own little brand of "emotionally charged music" that is both rewarding and fun to listen to, especially live, and more than once. This home brewed concoction of early emo, post hardcore, and indie rock influenced music really makes these guys a very stand-out act in Maine and even New England as a whole. No good deeds should go unnoticed and these guys and their good deed of taking risks and playing some very unique and sometimes hit-and-miss noisy/melodic music will forever be on notice here for us to acknowledge. 

Captain Hollow, a project that initially started in 2009, has had a few changes in their line-up since the original recording of this EP. Most of all who have appeared to be apart of CH at one time or another have also been associated with Orono, Maine bands like Good Kids Sprouting Horns, In Houses In Trees, Mt. Moon, and/or 1800s Sea Monsters. Jakob Battick, the designer of the artwork above, joined the band sometime after the release of this EP and has been a very instrumental player in the bands creative movement towards whats to come next for these guys and has also been quite vocal about kicking back and just playing in the background after a few years of respected solo and frontman duties. 

All in all, these gentlemen are young and free. Living the American dream if you will. They play music that they like and the kids like. They should be playing it every night on a different old person's lawn until the cops catch 'em and give them free donuts. These guys and their new wave music deserves free donuts. Free donuts for life. 

Similar acts/sounds: Good Kids Sprouting Horns, Mt. Moon, Jakob Battick & Friends, In House In Trees, 1800s Sea Monsters, Joseph Merrick, Horse Feathers, Braveshark, Red Medicine, To The Barricades and....

Bonus: A few months back, I was in Goodwill just looking at their records when I discovered a little gem called Danny Kaye For Children. I didn't buy it but I remembered it looked awfully familiar...

Ehhh?

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Last.fm

Monday XXXXI

No Apologies.

I forgot I had a real job last week.

I'm back this week though.

Mörse - S/T (2012)

French punk/hardcore that's all crusty and French. On tour with Loma Prieta right now!

Last.fm (not much there for this "Mörse")
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Deathspell Omega - Drought (2012)

French black metal since 1998.

While I'm not necessarily in the black metal mood, I have been in an ongoing metal and all around heavy music mood for quite some time now and Deathspell Omega has both of those things going for it. Plus, DO don't just blast beat for 20 minutes on end and I really appreciate that. Thanks guys, keep making interesting-to-listen-to black metal.

Oh, and that album artwork is spectacular! C'est tres magnifique!

Last.fm

father figure - 死の手 (2012)

Despite the Japanese album title, meaning 'Hand of Death', Father Figure are Americans from Texas with members from American rock bands innards and Two Knights. If you have ever heard the likes of Two Knight (posted months ago here), this is like the more screamo side of them. That is in part, due to the innards (posted way back) membership if you've ever heard them. So yeah, this absolutely sounds like innards + Two Knights all chopped up and thrown in a DIY mash-up/blender machine. Solid stuff.

This release, released a mere two months after their first demo, is a quickie. No song reaches the 3 minute mark, and I'm okay with that. It also has some samples from Knocked Up. I'm okay with that too.

I think I might like their first demo better but that shouldn't stop you (or me for that matter) from listening in to this release. Iz all good in the hood.

Last.fm

Monday XXXX

XXMONDAYXX

Jowls - Cursed (2012)

With guitar and drum duty by ex-members of Victor! Fix the Sun and bass by an ex-member of cloud mouth, Jowls already had the makings of one hell of a band, but damn, I got to say they really surprised me with this one... in a good way, of course. This new release entitled, 'Cursed' may just take the cake as my favorite screamo album of the year and possibly fill in for the loss of a new Victor! Fix the Sun record. Definitely something I'm going to be listening to a lot!

Last.fm

Goose Hunt - throw it at your dads house (2012)

This fun little electronic indie pop outfit from Montreal is going to be rolling into Maine in July and I felt I should share it. "Check it out" is my favorite track so far and is actually what you should do with it.

I don't know much more about the band per se but the show will be at Genos on the 26th.

Last.fm

Shakey Graves - Roll the Bones (not 1987)

Shakey Graves is Texan native, Alejandro Rose-Garcia. When he's not wearing cowboy hats, he's wearing goat heads. 'Roll the Bones' is filled with some dirty back road folk jams and even a surprise cover of The Boss's "I'm on Fire" (well, I guess it's not that much of a surprise since it's called, "I'm On Fire" but I really thought it was going to be an original or something). This album could have either been released this year or 1987. It probably wasn't released in 1987 though.

Some perfect American music for this coming Fourth of July, if you ask me.

Last.fm

Happy Father's Day!

My dad is the coolest dad in dad school.

Dads - Brush Your Teeth Again ;) (2011)

These guys put the "dads" in twinkly daddies. Just some messy sounding emo/punk caused by two instruments from New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Get into it.

Last.fm (free stuff)

My dad's spending his father's day cleaning out the shed.

Bonus:

Friday Steamin'

Just some stuff you can stream and listen tooooooo... I don't know. Stuff and stuff.

Kite Party - Baseball Season (2011)

I happened to hear about Kite Party from the Algernon Cadwallader show that took place near me a couple of weeks ago. They weren't there but I did find out later that they play a nice little blend of indie rock and pop punk that can't really be slumped into one of those categories and ignored. So regardless of what it is, what it isn't, is not enjoyable music. That's a double negative. Listen.

Favorite track: "Arizona"

Last.fm

Pneu - Pince Monseigneur (2008)

Really good and powerful math rock from France. If you like 'Highway to Health', their 2011 release, this is right up there with it.

Laasst.fm

The Guru - Native Sun (2011)

I'm really trying to think of something to write about these guys other then, modestmousecore. 

Still really really fun stuff. 

These guys are also the creators of Seagreen Records, who, you may or may nor remember, released that sweet Valentine's Day comp last Valentine's Day. 

Favorite Track: also "Arizona" (Though, they do have a song called, "Pirate's Cove" which is a name of a mini golf course I just went to yesterday...)

(...I total destroyed it...)

Last.fm

if and it - Sparkly Gold (2012)

Portland's own indie/fuzzy/folk/jam band have a new album out called "Sparkly Gold". because, well... it's shiny and new.

if and it (pretty sure they like to keep it lowercase) have the distinct honor as the last thing I listened to in 2011 and the first thing I listened to 2012. Yeah, that happened, and it was all thanks to the New Year's Eve party that Local Sprouts (a local restaurant and work place for many nice cats) put on. It was a very nice thing of them to do and a very lovely night to watch not only 2011 kick the bucket but also if and it, a native singer-songwriter named Christopher, and Glass Fingers. As the clock struck the big ol' 12 o'clock hour and the ball dropped in New York, if and it was playing their last note. Luckily for you though, this was not their very last note ever together as a band and will be playing more in the future, persuadably for this new album as well. They've got themselves a fancy-dancy CD release party for 'Sparkly Gold' the 20th of July at the Dirigimus warehouse in Portland and everyone is invited. You should go, maybe.

PS: if you would like to read a real review for 'Sparkly Gold', I'd highly suggest you check out The Portland Press Herald's (That's right! The Portland Fucking Press Herald!) review, here.

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Have a nice weekend!

Monday XXXIX

Ahhh, here it goes...

Faust vs. Dälek - Debre Respect, Alder (2004)

In 2004, the hip hop act with a dark side, Dälek teamed up with the German krautrock lords, Faust to create one of the most mind-bending hip hop albums of all time, Debre Respect, Alder. With both bands/acts taking great influence from electronic noise production and dark experimentation, Debre Respect, Alder makes for one hell of a listening experience. Not to mention that with most songs exceeding the 6 minute mark with long passages of disembodied beats and rhythms, this is not your everyday radio friendly hip hop. Nope. Not quite trip hop and not quite death rap... this is some krautrock induced, dark ambient inspired, hip hop right here. Give it a try!

Faust vs. Dälek's Last.fm
Faust's Last.fm
Dälek's Last.fm

Japandi - Decorative Duck (2010)

Progressively instrumental 'math rock' from San Diego featuring the all members of Mister Valentine (I believe) except The Unbreakable Brian Warren who went on to extra in the movie, Jarhead.

Reminds me of early Battles stuff but a little lighter on the instruments with some post rock tendencies thrown in there.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Heavy Breathing - Dogbreath (2012)

A brand new one from the P-town noise punk outfit, Heavy Breathing. Features Travis from Butcher Boy among other cool things. I have yet to see them play their songs together but from what I've heard from this release, it sure sounds like something that's worth doing.

Last.fm

Houston We Have A Problem - Shipwreck

Houston We Have A Problem - Shipwreck (2006)

Houston We Have A Problem was the first ("real") "screamo" band I ever encountered and even though I would begin listening to this 2006 release, 'Shipwreck' mostly for the edgy post rock crescendos and texture it featured, I would eventually, over time, come back to it for the way that they blended the vocals and screaming into such an emotional atmosphere. Sometimes screaming is just another instrument, sometimes it's a cry for help. Houston We Have A Problem successfully used both to their advantage. And by successfully, I mean pretty freakin' well. 

Apart from manipulating the post rock to screamo, slow to choatic approach like that of City of Caterpillar and/or Men of Trees, Houston We Have A Problem (especially on 'Shipwreck') used extensive samples (obviously a big interest of mine) that open the songs up like story books and accent their instrumental work that overlaps the words. And as the album name as well as the song titles "Poseidon, Angered", "Titanic, The First Victim", "Calm Seas Become the Squall", or "Valdez, Drunk Driving is Punishable on Water Also" suggest, this is a maritime themed (and maybe conceptive) release. That may not be as cool to you as it is to me but I live for this kind of stuff. It's in my blood.  The conversations and words that were sampled in this album, self-released by the way, don't seem like they are sea themed as the rest of the album tends to lead you on about, but are actually mostly from a movie called, 'The Legend of 1900' that not only deals with life at sea but also the music of the time after World War II. I have yet to see this film but from what I know about it, it sounds right up my alley. 

Also, one of the coolest parts about the screaming that goes on in this album is that it isn't just one guy screaming his brains out non-stop, but the whole band, and with the whole band on vocal duties, it makes for quite the listen. Most notably due to all the different shrills and yelps that each member of this four piece brought to this recording... a recording that surely has some of the most original yelling I have ever heard, hands down. 

Houston We Have A Problem has since broken up, but not without releasing three self produced albums (The Sky Did Not Crack and the Stars Did Not Fall, Punk is Dead, and Shipwreck). After calling it quits, some members went on to form Who Goes There? and the others went on to form Perfect Future. If you're liking what you are hearing from HWHAP, I definitely suggest you go check those bands out as well. There's not a lot of ways to listen to them but hey, this is 2012, kid... you'll figure it out. 

Similar acts/sounds: City of Caterpillar, Gospel, Circle Takes the Square, Envy, Who Goes There?, Perfect Future, Men As Trees/Locktender, I Create, The Caution Children, We Were Skeletons, Lizards Have Personalities, and other bands not named Houston We Have A Problem. 

"Take a piano. Keys begin, keys end. You know there are 88 of them. Nobody can tell you any different. They are not infinite. You are infinite...

And on those keys, the music that you can make... is infinite. I like that. That I can live by..."

Myspace
Last.fm (it's all there! And free!)

Splits II

Here's some splits.

Johnny Hobo And The Freight Trains + MANTITS - Love Songs For The Apocalypse (2005)

Features Pat the Bunny and his gang, their best rendition of DIY Orgasm, a bunch of political songs about war, freedom, and elections, The New Mexico song, and a fairly unknown acoustic folk musician who went by MANTITS at the time.

The track, "kicking your shins" by MANTITS is a pretty messed up but with a meaning behind it  kind of tune and is definitely another highlight from this DIY folk the police, punk the cops split of a better time.

Actually now that I think of it, most of MANTITS' songs are all very much sarcastic pokes at the government and depict some pretty gruesome realist thoughts. Just listen and you'll get the picture.

Johnny Hobo's Last.fm
MANTITS' Last.fm

Throats + Maths - Split (2008)

All around bitter hardcore in this one. The first time I heard this I had to stop after the Maths side because it packed so much of a punch. It's one of those albums that just doesn't quit and why should it?

Throats leaves no room to breathe on their side (while Maths actually has a song just for that called "Breathe As If It Were a Story"). Just constant hardcore through and through on these guys's part. No melodies, no apologies.

If you want a good example of two highly driven and way past just sounding pissed off bands from the UK...

You are (figuratively) looking at 'em.

Maths' Bandcamp
Throats' Bandcamp

Maths' Last.fm
Throats' Last.fm

Pg.99 and City of Caterpillar - Document #9: A Split Personality (2001)

This split has the honor of being right after the legendary Document #8 tape.

Get lost in it.

City of Caterpillar's Last.fm
Pg.99's Last.fm

Deer Leap and The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - Are Here to Help You Split (2011)

One of the best splits of last year. Maybe.

Deer Leap's Bandcamp
TWiaBP&IaNLAtD's Bandcamp

Deer Leap's Last.fm
TWiaBP&IaNLAtD's Last.fm


Daitro / Sed Non Satiata - Split (2008)

Rumor has it Daitro is back from hiatus.

As the Maths/Throats Split was a good example of some of the best emotionally heavy bands from The United Kingdom, this split is probably the most honest example of the two best French screamo bands ever. Jamais!

Still not satisfied?

Sed Non Saita's Bandcamp

Daitro's Last.fm
Sed Non Satiata's Last.fm


Chalk Talk / Sirs - BVVVVVVV (2011)

This one probably deserves its very own post, but hey! Here at NFT, we save the best for last!

While I can't speak too much on behalf of the Sirs side of things (not that that's a bad thing. It's still jammin'), I can say that the two tracks by Chalk Talk are nothing we haven't heard before and trust me, we've all heard the Beach Boys summer jingle, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" before. But this split features a different version of "Misquamicut Has Bigger Waves Though", the song that got me hooked on these guys a year or so ago. And for that Beach Boys track that they have now made their own, which you may have already heard from the Biff Swenson cover compilation, 'Cover Up' that I addressed a few months back, it clearly shows that these Western Mass boys are no where close to California. Capisce?

I hope you are ready for all the cool new stuff coming out by both of these solid bands this summer! This is exciting!

Chalk Talk's Bandcamp
Sirs' Bandcamp

Chalk Talk's Last.fm
Sirs' Last.fm

Monday XXXVIII

It's Monday already?

Fashanu - Cassette Tapette (2011)

I've really been in a pop punk trip lately and there doesn't seem to be any signs of it slowing down anytime soon. Especially not when I keep finding not too shabby bands like Fashanu, who sound like their from Europe or something but are really from Durham City. The one in North Carolina, I'm guessing.

Last.fm

SPOOK HOUSES - The Home EP (2011)

I remembered hearing about SPOOK HOUSES a short time ago when I was listening to some Weird Korea stuff. SPOOK HOUSES and Weird Korea have a split together and it's really pretty good, I'd say. The SPOOK HOUSES side is essentially just this EP, 'The Home' and contains 5 sweet indie rock jams that would make any mother proud of their part-time rock star son. It wasn't until recently that I actually started to listen to SPOOK HOUSES independently due in part by the discovery of SIRS' Full-length LP tour this summer and SPOOK HOUSES as their touring partners. Soon after finding out SIRS has a new LP coming out and aren't coming anywhere closer than Boston to me, I also discovered that SPOOK HOUSES is also going to be releasing an LP of their very own in July and looks to be very promising just from the one song they have up for it right now. But that is neither here nor there, what is here is this awesome EP and these guys sounding great and how I probably wouldn't be seeing them this summer with SIRS.

Last.fm

But I will be seeing...


CUSS - CUSS Demo (2011)

Cuss. A noise/punk rock band from Portland, Maine. I had not heard of them until today when I saw the bill for Red Medicine's last-show-ever show this friday also starring the Bangor, Maine teen sweetheart rock act, Captain Hollow. It's going to be a sad day for local music for sure and hope Dan Smith and the rest of the gang the best and a fond farewell as Red Med.

As for Cuss though, I have yet to see them perform, and from what I've heard so far from this demo, I gotta say, I'm definitely going to be checking their set out this friday. Bring da motherfathering ruckus.

Eyeball this sweet poster by Jakob from Captain Hollow, while you're at it...

Last.fm

Ed Gein - It's a Shame...

Ed Gein - It's a Shame Your Family Can Be Torn Apart by Something as Simple as a Pack of Wild Dogs (2003)

Ed Gein is an everythingheavyandnoisycore band from Syracuse, New York. Their name comes from the American murderer and body snatcher who inspired the likes of Hollywood slayer stars Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill (Wiki). He was the kind of guy who would invite someone over for dinner and keep them a little too late, someone he may have picked up from a local graveyard or an innocent hardware store owner. Someone good enough for his personal trophy collection and bone and skin collection. So yeah, he was a pretty fucked up guy, perfect for such a gruesome sounding band.

Over and under all the noise and hybrid grind stuff in 'It's a Shame...' are samples from the 2001 cult classic, Donnie Darko. I'll admit it, I'm a big fan.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately but all this finals/graduation/Berserk stuff is getting in my way...

I'll be relentlessly posting goodies for you all summer, I promise!

Bandcamp
Last.fm