Monday LXXXXIV Best of 2013 part 1

Just some stuff that's not Yeezus, Reflektor, or Sunbather.

Mylets - Recton (2013)

Mylets is a one-man math rock excursion by Henry Kohen. Using the power of loop pedals and a super catchy vocal arsenal, Mylets is a simple meets complex listening experience. A must for any fan of Tera Melos, Girlfriends, Boyfrndz, Monster Machismo, or Adebisi Shank.

Favorite track: "Hungover Tehran"


Last.fm

Listener - Time is a Machine (2013)

I was surprised to see that Time is a Machine did not receive much attention after the large praise that Wooden Heart got a few years back. Still, Time is a Machine is not far behind where Wooden Heart left off and will certainly hold up in time for when people really start listening again.

Favorite track: "Eyes to the ground for change"


Last.fm

The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - Whenever, If Ever (2013)

2013 was definitely The World is...'s biggest year to date. From the raise of the shitty "mememo" terms to someone behind Buzzfeed figuring out there's still a genre called emo and it doesn't suck, The World is... seemed to be the front runners of a cool new thing. They have a really long ridiculous name and just as ridiculous lineup, why wouldn't they be the stars of the next "emo revival" generation? Hell, maybe next year The World is... will be on SNL!

Whenever, If Ever really is a solid album though whether you wanna believe the hype or not.

Favorite Track: "Fightboat"



Serengeti - Kenny Dennis LP (2013)

Serengeti's alter ego, Kenny Dennis returned this year with a bang when the Chicago native dropped his LP on the world.  K.D.'s repetitive and sometimes incoherent rap style puts me in a hypnotic trance that makes me want to watch old NBA games and play Sonic on my aunt's Sega Genesis.

Favorite track: "Directions"

Along with Kenny Dennis's LP, Serengeti also released Saal, C.A.B. (a follow-up to C.A.R.), a single featuring a b-side about "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and his Yoome project's (along with Renee Louise Carafice and Tony Trimm) June album.

Last.fm

Russian Circles - Memorial (2013)

Russian Circles just being Russian Circles. The groovy post metal lords even throw in a little number featuring vocal duties by Chelsea Wolfe which resembles a True Widow track that never was.

Favorite track: "Memorial (Ft. Chelsea Wolfe)" and "Lebaron" (for the more traditional RC experience)



Last.fm

Honorable mentions/already talked about:

Foxing - An Albatross
Toasted Plastic - June Highs
A Great Big Pile of Leaves - You're Always On My Mind
Phantom Glue - A War of Light Cones
One Hundred Year Ocean - Where Were You While We Were Getting High?
Rosetta - Anaesthete
The Reptilian - Low Health
Leveret - Infinity

So... what's left?

NFT's 69 + 31 Favorite Songs of 2013!

Despite what my lack of posting may show, I actually listening to a lot of new music this year. So much so that a 69 list just ain't gonna cut it anymore and I'm going to have to whip out the 69 + 31 (that's 100!) list as I countdown all my favorite tracks this year. The list is in order best I could do, but towards the end it was more via what did I listen to the most kind of rating scale.

100. Bubble Butt - Major Lazer
99. The Rind - Aye Nako
98. Separations - Diarrhea Planet
97. Nosebleeds - Best Friends
96. Love and Death - Raein
95. 95 Til Infinity - Joey Bada$$
94. Sum Of All Parts - Crash of Rhinos
93. Havoc in the Forum - TTNG
92. Murmurer - Why?
91. You Can’t Be My Girl - Darwin Deez
90. King Shiv - Man Man
89. Lonely - Danny Brown
88. BATH SALTS - Future Death
87. Our Song - Radiator Hospital
86. Moving Parts - Boyfrndz
85. Bathroom Laughter - Pissed Jeans
84. Dakota - Tiny Moving Parts
83. Gravity, Metaphorically - Touche Amore
82. Yay Yay - Schoolboy Q
81. Dead Nostalgia - Junior Astronomers
80. In Black Roses - AFRAID
79. Watch You Suffer - Weekend Nachos
78. Vs. Jimmy - The Devil and a Penny
76. Dogfood - Sleeping Bag & Rozwell Kid
75. OK Corral - T. Hardy Morris
74. Bruane Brenn - Kvelertak
73. Reading Youtube Comments - Drug Church
72. He’s An Anteater, - Duck. Little Brother, Duck!
71. Sergue - The Explorations
70. Abandon - Baptists
69. Stardate/The Return - Deltron 3030
68. Spaghet - Two Hand Fools
67. I Have the Wine - Sate. Nite Duets
66. Back to School - A Great Big Pile of Leaves
65. Feeders - CUSS
64. everything around me - Trace Mountains
63. Pro Wrestling - Billy Woods
62. Proximity Anxiety - Pyres
61. Lindsey - Little Big League
60. La Resolve - Jel
59. Absurdities & Echoes - Wreck & Reference
58. Orchard - Windhand
57. PLEASANCE (WDGAF) - Kool & Kass
56. Bukowski - Moose Blood
55. HIDING - Pianos Become The Teeth
54. Awkward - FIDLAR
53. Bit by a Dead Bee pt. 1 - Foxing
52. When You Are Close, I Am Gone - My Fictions, The Saddest Landscape
51. Vacations - Dead Confederate
50. Nightshade (Mandragora II) - Botanist
49. Language Juice - Sun Club
48. Don’t Drive Angry - Iron Chic
47. Parking Lot - Kal Marks
46. Fog of Apathy - Vattnet Viskar
45. You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it's your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat - Death Grips
44. No Below - Speedy Ortiz
43. Hospital Town - One Hundred Year Ocean
42. Sweet Chin Music (The Fisher King’s Theme) - Milo
41. Creeper - True Widow
40. Washy - Nai Harvest
39. Fall - Leveret
38. Eyes To The Ground For Change - Listener
37. Pepsi/Coke Suicide - Elvis Depressedly
36. Glasgow - Øjne
35. Bow in the Dust - Phantom Glue
36. Throats & Tongues Alone - The Body In The Kelp
35. Hangout Tehran - Mylets
34. Because The Night - Screaming Females & Garbage
33. In The Middle of the Night Someone Tore Off the Ceiling and Sucked Me into the Sky... - Giraffes?Girafffes!
32. Getting Sodas - The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die
31. Blood In My Veins - Defeater
30. Greater Thinking - Toasted Plastic
29. Directions - Serengeti
28. Haunches - Sannhet
27. Black Dog - Spook Houses
26. Tropic Lame - Tera Melos
25. Blurry - Captain Hollow
24. Deny the Absolute - Pelican
23. You Don’t Turn Down - Marnie Stern
22. Bald History Month - Fat History Month
21. Keif Puck - The Reptilian
20. Watered Down - Swearin’
19. Trial One - LVL UP
18. Phobophobic - Conjjjecture
17. Boobies - Pachangacha
16. Impostor - Sirs
15. Grenville Pt. II - Dungeon Kids
14. Memorial (Feat. Chelsea Wolfe) - Russian Circles
13. Brass - Native
12. Promise - Adventures
11. Big Things Do Remarkable - And So I Watch You From Afar
10. Prayers (demo version) - Pill Friends
9. Visions - Saintseneca
8. Parts Mountain - An Anderson
7. Library (7'' version) - Julia Brown
6. You Are The Apple - Lady Lamb The Beekeeper
5. Paper Thin - RVIVR
4. Unbecoming - RAGANA
3. I’m Your Dad And You’re My Dad - Two Knights
2. VI (Worm Feeds God // God Fears Youth) - Code Orange Kids
1. Twin Size Mattress - The Front Bottoms

NFT's Interesting Albums of 2013

Some things sound the same... these aren't those things.

Clipping - Midcity (2013)

Clipping is hip-hop laced in harsh noise featuring members from True Neutral Crew. I thought I would like Midcity a lot more than a I did; not because I don't like the noise/anti-beats - that's actually what kept me listening - I just can't get passed the stereotypical rap lyrics. Still, it's a very interesting listen:

Last.fm

Hill/Cameron/Weiss - Drumgasm (2013)

Simply put, Drumgasm  is a 39 minute drum solo by Janet Weiss (Quasi, Wild Flag, Sleater-Kinney), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), and Zach Hall (a thousand other things). It's not an album for everyone, especially for anyone who doesn't like drumming, but it certainly deserves a spot on my most interesting albums of 2013 list. Drumgasm is also now a nice treat for myself since Zach Hill is so busy with Death Grips that he is not appearing in all sorts of supergroups and experimental tag team projects that he used to. Plus, this album is only drumming... so, we the listeners get to hear Hill's gloriously spastic drumming in full color.

Matt Cameron and Janet Weiss are great drummers in their own right, but let's be honest: if Zach Hill wasn't on this drum expose, there probably wouldn't be much to talk about.

Last.fm

Jungbluth - Part Ache (2013)

Politically fueled by the ghost of German communist and antifascist, Karl Jungbluth, this post-hiatus Alpinist side project is a crusty hardcore battle cry. I'm not a big follower of politics by any sense but I have noticed how powerful of a tool it can be when it comes to making art and music... and noise. 

All proceeds to Part Ache go to Anarchist Black Cross: Belarus - a group that supports anarchists and antiauthoritorian people (and other words I remember hearing in Amnesty club) that are imprisoned for their political beliefs and public activities.  

Last.fm

Kal Marks - Life Is Murder (2013)

Boston freak indie rock fueled by the ghost of Karl Marx.

Seriously though, Kal Marks is a classic last minute find from the always impressive record label, Exploding in Sound. No time like the present to get addicted to this stuff:



Did I mention the vocals are hauntingly freaky?

Last.fm

Botanist - IV: Mandragora (2013)

Probably my most interesting find this year has to be Botanist.

Botanist is plant-inspired black metal using only drums and a dulcimer. It's a one person effort by a man named Otrebor who plays this green metal of sorts from the perspective of The Botanist. The Botanist's mission in life is to return Earth back to its natural form before humanity moved in and destroyed everything. At first it sounds like a guy with an electrical voice box banging on metal and a marching snare drum, but it gets enjoyable in a weird way once you listen to it a few more times.

It's definitely something.

Last.fm

Calculator - This Will Come to Pass

Calculator - This Will Come to Pass (2013)

Calculator should not be new to this site. Unfortunately, as I look back in the archives to no other post of Calculator other than a mention, this is the first time I've posted anything by this band. It's a shame really because these guys are pretty sweet and deserve some recognition. Well shame no more, here's some Calculator!

This Will Come to Pass is Calculator's 2013 release packed with some great post hardcore and emo that flows very nicely and in a not so overwhelming manor. Calculator vocal duty also relies more on shouting than it does screaming, which is why I wouldn't necessarily write these guys off as typical 'screamo'. Nevertheless this is some cool material, especially from the instrumental stand point of things.

Highlights: "Gasping, But Somehow Still Alive", "Becoming / Whisperings in Sleep", "Permanent State of Daylight", "Reverie", and "Last Breath".


Similar acts/sounds: Ten Thousand Leagues, tongue, Innards, Jowls, Beau Navire, The Reptilian, Caust, William Bonney, and other stuff, I guess.

Last.fm

Monday LXXXXIII

Busted eardrums will thank you.

Special Explosion - Special Explosion (2013)

Special Explosion are the newest members of the Topshelf Records family. This release is a combination of  pretty much all the material that Special Explosion have released in the past all rolled up into one great little record debut of sorts.



Nice indie rock/pop punk.

Last.fm

Cara Neir - Portals to a Better, Dead World (2013)

Want to bring a little darkness to your holidays? How about some crusty two-piece blackened metal?

Cara Neir's got you covered.


I was pretty surprised to see these guys make Spin's 20 Best Metal Albums as well as Stereogum's however many albums they want to put below Sunbather metal list this year. Hell, Cara Neir even made it onto a College Humor list and labeled as "...great for everyone who would prefer to be dead". I would not go as far as to say that this album would make you want to off yourself, but Portals to a Better, Dead World would definitely make it into my favorite metal things list this year if I had one (even though I wouldn't consider them straight-up metal).

Last.fm

Captain Hollow - Mares Got Strangled (2013)

From what it seems, Mares Got Strangled might be Captain Hollow's "final transmission for a while". As someone who has been following this Bangor/Portland band for a bit now, I'm surprised they haven't broken up yet. Then again, I probably say that every time they return to make one last album.



Mares Got Strangled is without question Captain Hollow's most experimental release. If you get passed the fact that this album is not serious at all, you can really start to enjoy its all-over-the-place-ness.

I also really appreciate the Pooty Tang reference (track 5). The world needs more Pooty Tang references.

Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered... In Pizza with Macaulay Culkin as The Velvet Underground of Pizza

The Pizza Underground - The Pizza Underground Demo (2013)

This particular demo has been getting a lot of attention online, and for good reason. This is the best news we've heard about Macaulay Culkin in ages and just as good news for pizza, though I feel pizza had a pretty good 2013 - I mean, not Yeezy good - but pretty fair. So, what is it? It's Macaulay Culkin and his band playing some Velvet Underground songs a la pizza... It's The Pizza Underground!

The demo consists of one song that is made up of a few Velvet Underground-turned-pizza tunes such as, "All the Pizza Parties" ("All Tomorrow's Parties"), "I'm Waiting for Delivery Man" ("I'm Waiting for My Man"), the late Lou Reed's "Take a Bite on the Wild Side" ("Take a Walk on the Wild Side), and my personal favorite, "Cheese Days" (Nico's "These Days").


So cheesy. So delicious. Grab it and go!

Bandcamp
Facebook

Monday LXXXXII

New Keith forgets to hit the "publish" button edition.

Shizune - Shizune. (2013)

Through the discovery of the Italian screamo band, Øjne I was directed to another Italian band with a passion for post-hardcore type music. This is Shizune from Lonigo, Vicenza.



Think Touche Amore, but Italian.

Last.fm

Paul Newman and the Ride Home - (sic) (2013)

When someone thinks about ukuleles, they probably either think about fat guys singing about rainbows, Spongebob, or Tiny Tim (the one with the ukulele). I, on the other hand, am haunted by the thoughts of summer camps and horrible Youtube videos. Luckily, Paul Newman and the Ride Home are neither summer camps nor really bad Youtube videos. They do however have a ukulele... but I guess it can stay.

But really, Paul Newman and the Ride Home are a pop punk band from Baltimore that just so happen to also have a ukulele. It's an interesting listen, no doubt. Give it a try:



Last.fm

The Saddest Landscape - Exit Wounded (2013)

On a more serious note, Northeastern shouters, The Saddest Landscape got in a pretty rough accident while on tour last week. Apparently the tires on their van exploded causing them to crash. Luckily, no one was too injured in the accident but their van is totaled and the tour is pretty much ruined.

The Saddest Landscape play some really cool screamo/early emo-inspired music that I've been enjoying for sometime now. If you don't know these guys, I would ask that you give them a listen and support them. Their newest release, Exit Wounded is a 5 track EP filled with uncontrollable emotion and incredible instrumentation. I'm going to leave a link to sample the album but I highly recommend that if you like what you hear to support these guys. And by support I mean give them your money.


Be sure to also check out their little split with My Fictions which includes an incredible 13 plus minute emotional masterpiece of sorts (more on that later though).

Topshelf Records
Last.fm

Duck. Little Brother, Duck? - No Spitting On Cats During Plague Time

Duck. Little Brother, Duck! - No Spitting On Cats During Plague Time (2013)

Since it's almost that time of the year again (you know, the end of it), it's probably a good time to write about some cool stuff that was released this year that I may not have already or was holding off on. So, here I go.

Portland, Oregon's Duck. Little Brother, Duck! are one of those bands you never know just what they sound like. I mean they have bits of math rock and noodling but they also have a wild array of duel vocals that could almost pass as skramz. You can't just call them math rock and at the same time you can't just call them post hardcore. Duck. Little Brother, Duck! might actually be their own hybrid of punk rock and math rock music that no other bands have yet to sound like. At least, not the way D.LB,D! sound like.

It's this unique mixer of awesome things all at one time that gives me both enjoyment and a challenge to listen to D.LB,D?. The challenge being that I must listen to their music on repeat for hours so I can really soak it all in and make certain that I don't miss anything along the way.

This year, Duck. Little Brother, Duck! sneaked a 7" out into the world in the summer while I was away. The 7incher is called, No Spitting On Cats During Plague Time and features two solid tracks about anteaters and deep sea fish respectively. The tracks are nothing short of what D.LB,D! are all about and pretty much an extension of where they left off with their wild and all over the place 2012 release, Don't Take Our Filth Away. My only gripe with No Spitting On Cats is the fact that it's only two songs and leaves me wanted more, and then I spend the next hour afterwards listening to their other albums (instead of writing my paper for school). I guess I really have no one to blame other than myself for that last bit.


Similar sounds/acts: Girlfriends, Toasted Plastic, Sirs, 1994!, Kidcrash, Natives, My Dad, X-Ray Press, The Reptilian, The Waldos, and a few others that are close.

Official site
Friends For Life Records
Last.fm

NFT's November Mix

Not sure what happened to November. More posts and music coming soon, though.

Lots of pop punk/power pop stuff in this one.

Enjoy!

Øjne

Øjne -  Undici/Dodici (2013)

Something about being from Europe always makes screamo sound that much more enjoyable. Øjne in particular are from the wonderfully non-English speaking country of Italy. Milan, Italy to be exact. I'm not sure if that makes the music even better as well, but it's definitely cool.

Øjne's sound here on Undici/Dodici is very reminiscent of early real screamo and other great screamo acts from Europe like Daitro and Sed Non Satiata, Raein, and La Quiete. That being said, those are some wicked bands to sound like if you are going to sound like anything relatively emotional and hardcore. These guys had me at Italian screamo. Seriously, that's all I really even need to say at this point.

Highlights: The whole shabang, but I'm digging the opener, "Glasgow" the most right now.


PS: Through my extensive research via Google translator, apparently "Øjne" means "eyes" in Danish. So, there's also that.

Bandcamp
Last.fm