From signing a lease on a house to signing up for classes for my senior year of college, this week was a crazy venture in the art of growing up. Luckily, Soda Bomb's Wanna Jam? was also released this week and right when I needed a bit of a throwback. While I've only been listening to this young (but still probably older than me) four-piece from New York for a year or two, their sound is very much a sound I was looking for when I was still in high school. That's not a knock on them or anything... Wanna Jam? just really brings me back.
Soda Bomb's bumping angsty punk sound done right will definitely be on heavy rotation as I continue to grow the fuck up.
Similar acts/sounds: Mumblr, Chalk Talk, FIDLAR, Free Throw, By Surprise, Sirs, and Soda Bomb.
PS "Nobody Likes My Band" and "Damn, Dude" are less-fuzzy reworks from Soda Bomb's 2012 EP, Hooligan.
New Jersey math punkers, Toasted Plastic are back and have four new tracks for you to listen to. TP/ST is very much an extension of where 2013's June Highs left off, which I have no complaints about as June Highs was one of the coolest releases I heard last year. Don't take my hype-induced blabber for it though, listen to this yourself and see what you think. TP first-timer or not. Do it.
Had to take a week off for finals but I'm back. Here's April's mix featuring pizza, 420, parting with Bill Murray, skateboarding, piss, and lots of 90's goodies. That stuff is still cool, right?
I Guess This Is Growing Up is only part 1 of a 3-part project dedicated to bands covering the most pop punk bands of ever, Blink 182. The project includes some familiar names like Slingshot Dakota, Invalids, and Dads as well as some unfamiliar names in Tir Asleen, Lions, and We'll Die Smiling. Wanna know the covers?
Well here they are: "Man Overboard", "Lemming", "Wendy Clear", "Adam's Song", "Stay Together For The Kids", and "Dammit".
Wanna know who covers which? Here's one:
Who will be on the next one? Will all the covers be Blink 182 songs? Will someone cover my favorite Blink 182 song? Will Spraynard have a song?
AFRAID has expended and now includes: Ryan Cutler (To The Barricades!), Jared Fairfield, Matthew Lajoie (Cursillistas, Herbcraft), and James Marcel along with the ghost himself, Jakob Battick.
Radiator Hospital play quirky lo-fi indie pop for the young people... whether you're young or you're not. It's the kind of music that you listen to and remember that not everything needs to be taken seriously or make sense.
Soft Skills (always thought they were called "Soft Skulls") are an emo/math rock band from Portland, Oregon.
Very reminiscent of early emo bands mixed with the driving instrumentation of another Portland band, Duck. Little Brother, Duck! But I guess that shouldn't be such a surprise considering Kyle and Phil from DLBD! are also keeping time in this band. So yeah, that's pretty sweet as well.
These guys should not be confused with the Indiana band of the same name.
Stomping noise rock one minute, emo punk the next. Sacramento's own, So Stressed and their indecisiveness for what kind of music to make might actually be their greatest strong point. Whatever they play next, it will probably be loud, noisy, and totally new.
Attracted To Open Mouth is one of the freshest and most interesting albums I've come across in some time. Every song takes you on its own little journey through unknown landscapes and bizarre realms without ever explaining itself or bringing you back to where you started; it's a wonderful mess.
Milo AKA Rory Ferreria takes Baths AKA Will Wiesenfeld instrumentals and puts obscure references on top of them.
Hopefully if I talk about him enough I can get a Nostalgia For Tomorrow pop some day.
Really digging the last track, "The Mumblings of Mr. Wav". I had never heard Baths "Seaside Town" before this and nearly jumped out of my seat when I first heard those Kiki's Delivery Service samples. I'm a real softy for Hayao Miyazaki flicks...
Bummer is also a band from Cananananada. Montreal, though.
I actually heard about these guys through one of my favorite bands (I got to see them this weekend for the first time!), Chalk Talk. They had just played with Bummer up north and brought a few couples of Kids on the Run in 45'' form with them to the show. I kick myself for not picking up a copy but promised I would check these Canadian punkers out. So here I am, checking them out. And so should you.
Milo is not from Canada. He (Rory Ferreira) is actually from all over... starting off in a land called Saco, Maine. Milo now lives in Wisconsin, I believe, but that's not going to stop me from mentioning his roots in a very familiar town.
Milo is also not punk rock... Milo is that hip-hop stuff. Good and smart hip-hop stuff, too. Hip-hop that is often filled with references of another familiar thing to me - pro wrestling. An easy example of wrestling from this new mixtape, a follow-up to his past two EPs (things that happen at day and things that happen at night), is the distorted sample of Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig giving a promo to the champion at the time, the Ultimate Warrior. The sample opens up the 5th track, entitled, "ba al chiliagon swords" featuring YC the Cynic and is a top-notch number.
Other samples and guests of miscellaneous sorts include: America and their hit songs, "A Horse with No Name" and "I Need You", a speech about dogs and the language of dogs which I don't recognized, Nocando, the highly underappreciated and always impressive Busdriver, and a pig load more of samples he probably didn't get permission to use.
The BIG Comp is a 75-musician compilation that was put together by the caring folks at PropertyOfZack, Big Footprints, and Lame-O Records earlier this month. This album was initially created to help get the word out and donate to The Natural Conservancy - a non-profit organization helping to reforest the world - but from today until April 22, all proceeds to The BIG Comp will go to the Red Cross to benefit those injured in the events that took place yesterday during the Boston Marathon.
Yes, tragedy has struck America once more this week. That just means we have to help and support those in need and to comfort the families that have either lost a love one - or in need of prier for those recovering.
Plus, did I mention this compilation comes with 75 songs by 75 different musicians?
Brave Bird, yes the Ready or Not Brave Bird from way back in 2010, are still alive and well (and on tour even). This is their first full-lengther, Maybe You, No One Else Worth Is out now on Count Your Lucky Stars.
If you didn't like their EP, Ready or Not (posted way way way back in the day) I would still give these guys a listen. Chances are that you didn't like the vox, I know I know, but the vocals are a little more sustainable now that things are polished up. If you loved Ready or Not on the other hand, I highly suggest you get this album! Even if you don't like the other songs, they still have a few from their fateful 2010 release. If you really liked the song, "See You Next Year" though, you are shit out of luck; that song didn't make it. Sorry. There is "I'll See You at the Ring of Fire" however, which is the closer and also acoustic just like "See You Next Year".
If you do decide to give these guys a chance, I highly recommend getting yourself a nice big cookie and a tall glass of milk... Because if you ever needed an excuse to binge on cookies and milk alone in your room, this album is the perfect reason.
YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! After about a month (maybe more) of teasing us with the "Criteria" stream, By Surprise finally released their two other gems (about wearing crowns and being tall) that make up this new 7incher.
YEAH, it's only three songs... but come on, at least this means By Surprise have new music and aren't dead like Spraynard or Algernon Cadwallader are now. Which is a shame.
ALSO, for all you magical cable box watchers out there, I believe I heard that "Criteria" is a listenable song on Music Choice University - a new Music Choice Channel for hip stuff apparently.
I picked up Duck. Little Brother, Duck!'s 2012 release, 'Don't Take Our Filth Away' this summer when they returned to "the other" Portland after tearing the roof down (almost literally - mind you) a year before. And while their set was cut short by a police scare in the basement of Poland Street, these guys still got a chance to play some of their new (to us at least) numbers and return to one of the places DLBD! actually wrote about and featured in one of their tracks from this release. I wish I could tell you which song that was that references Poland Street and the incident with the shit pipes breaking and leaking dirty punk water everywhere, but I can not.
I know it's in there though.
Highlights: "Everybody Loves Screamo", "OMGMT", "I'm Just happy To Be Around So Many Docks", and "Calvin Young"
Topshelf records put out so many good records by so many good bands this year. So much good.
The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now (2012)
The Tallest Meng On Earth is no stranger to this blog, neither is what he's playing here on his release from last year, 'There's No Leaving Now'. What I mean by that is this is just classic TTMOE doing what he does and has been doing for some time now. But is it? Is this just another generic Swedish Bob Dylan release about running away?
To me, following Kristian Matsson's work for a few years now, this is just the next chapter for him in the Tallest Man On Earth storybook. It started off just him and his guitar basically and now he's off using moving-drums with brushes and piano. Matsson is exploring the possibilities best he can without losing that signature sound of his and without that natural/organic feel. Is it a slow progression? Very much so, but I can't complain really - It's another TTMOE album and another one I can listen to beginning to end over and over again.
Is it for everyone? Nah. Is it a good TTMOE to start with? Nah. Is it his best? Nah. Am I asking to many questions like this? I think you get the picture.
Highlights: "Revelation Blues", "1904", "Wind and Walls", and "On Every Page"
Spook Houses' debut LP, 'Trying' really impressed me right from the start. I mean immediately after posting this release on MONDAY XXXXXI I felt I should have given these guys their own post and more of an actual review. I'm not too good at doing either I suppose so I kept listening to Spook Houses and their powerful debut album more and more until it really clicked and I knew this was a top contender for AOTY. So yeah, that's why this album is back.
Plus singing saws still rule!
Highlights: "Bad Sound", "Old Folks", "Family Plan", and "Search For"
Serengeti is the first member of this list to be a new find for me in 2012. While a member of one of my favorite collectives, Anticon, I think I just found this Chicago alt-rap native by accident one day. Long story short, I was spinning his Shaq inspired track, "Shazam" from his Kenny Dennis alter ego EP also from last year on a mixtape I made for my c.a.r., and I had to hear more of this guys stuff. Luckily for me he had plenty of solo and collab material in his catalog Three of which from 2012: 'Kenny Dennis EP', 'C.A.R.', and his collaboration with Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux as s / s / s who also released their album 'Beak & Claw'.
Clearly Serengeti was on top of his game this year, something that really deserves some kind of recognition.
C.A.R. was his last release of the year and produced by Jel & Odd Nosdam as I've mentioned before. It also features Yoni Wolf of another one of my favorite acts, Why? on Geti's track, "Geti Life". Yoni also co-produced Geti's solo album in 2011 with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone's Owen Ashworth (who is also from Advance Base who have collaborated with Serengeti on a single called, 'Be A Man').
Highlights: "Greyhound", "Amnesia", "Geti Life (with Yoni Wolf)", "Peekaboo", and "Go Dancin"
P.S. That movie that Shaq was in where he as a genie was called "Kazaam". I think Serengeti is aware of this though since he has the superhero "Shazam" on the cover of the Keny Dennis EP, and is probably just a reference to the fact that people forget what that Shaq movie was called and commonly refer to it as "Shazam" because it really doesn't matter what it was called anyway. I could be totally wrong though...
Dope Body recently released a Split with Child Bite (who also released a new album this year) that features songs from 'Twenty Pound Brick' along with a new album entitled, 'Natural History' on the Drag City label. I have yet to listen to 'Natural History' at this time... mostly because I just found out about it today on Last.fm.
Glocca Morra play some noisy punk rock music. It's the kind of punk rock I like to call, 'bro punk'. Why? I really don't know anymore. It's damn good whatever it is and so is the album entitled, 'Just Married'. According to my sources, AKA kids on the internet, Glocca Morra also have a new EP coming out any day now!
Current favorite track: "Broken Cigarettes" (track 7)
There's a lot of new albums coming out right now. Lots of good ones at least, and by folks we have had a chance to hear a little, to a lot of, in the past. This one by SPOOK HOUSES, who I've posted previously regarding their 'Home' EP last year, is another flawless new release that has popped up recently. It's called, 'Trying' or 'The "Trying" LP' and is their first full-lengther. It starts right where their EP left off, a nice blend of indie rock mixed with the droll-y vox like that of Dad Rocks!, Attic Abasement, Coma Cinema, and Bill Callahan.
I'm a big fan of drowsy, almost monotone, voices. Singing good nowadays is overrated and belongs far away from my ear canal regions. The thing that really puts SPOOK HOUSES above the rest for bands that use this lackadaisical vocal style is that they also back it up with really good instrumentation. Maybe I'm just being bias though because they have a singing saw on the very first track. But come on... singing saws do rule! If you don't agree, you should just go away...
PS: I'm sorry to SPOOK HOUSES for wasting so many free downloads... I currently live on a ship and it doesn't have the best internet connection.
The Sirs self title has been out for a little while now but I just got around to giving it a good listen for myself. I'm not sure if I like it as much as their first EP, 'Vas Deferens' (just got what they means), but it seems like it'll grow on me after a few more listens. Definitely try it out for yourself if you haven't already. It won't hurt. I swear.
Solos is the new project of Spencer Seim of Hella/The Advantage/sBACH and Aaron Ross - that guy who sang for Hella for a while there. That being said, Solos is a lot like what would happen if There's No 666 in Outer Space-era Hella would have been like if there was no Zach Hill. I'm not saying that the drummer Solos has is not a good drummer... they're just not, well... Zach Hill. So, if you were a fan of Hella when they focused on putting Aaron Ross in the spotlight, you're really going to like Solos! If you found 'There's No 666 in Outer Space' to be Hella's weakest album, I would still say that you should give this project a listen, especially since Solos aren't Hella and clearly don't want to be.
Solos' bandcamp describes their sound to be a cross between Led Zeppelin and MGMT. "As ridiculous as this may sound".
Vultures of Cult have a kind of shitty name. The fact that they play really nasty stoner metal out of Vermont is not as shitty. The fact that these bros probably ripped shit up in Portland last weekend with KYOTY is not shitty at all. The fact that I couldn't go to the show... is pretty effin' shitty.
If you purchase the digital downloads for 'Fathoms' on their bandcamp, you receive a bonus track entitled, "Running From the Eye".
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.
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.
Clarissa Explains It All was an early 90's hit TV series on Nickelodeon starring Melissa Joan Hart (probably better known by the kids now a days as Sabrina, The Teenage Witch) as the sassy Clarissa Darling, who yes, explains it all. Every fucking thing. Along with Clarissa, is Sam Anders, a young man who sneaks in to her room late at night with his trusty ladder, a dastardly tool into a woman's heart as well as her panties and the parents never once catch him with it or in the act. Sam is everything I have ever wanted to be. Clarissa is everything I have ever wanted. What is there more to like? The show lasted for 5 whole seasons - which in kids show numbers is really only like 65 episodes.
Clarissa Explains It All was/is also the name of a band from San Francisco that sound just like they were from the goofy time historians cleverly named the 90's due to it occurring just after the 80's. Though these gentlemen did not release the small amount of work they had recorded in the time before the 2000's, it definitely seems like these guys took some notes from the 90's emo/indie rock scene at their rock 'n' roll high school. Others though could argue that they may have skipped all their classes there and just made up something totally new and completely out there all on their own. They didn't even attend the part of the class were the teacher taught you how to make up cool bands, maybe like 'word followed by numbers' or 'color + cool word', so they just stole one from a 90's Nick flick that they watched like once at their cousin's house after his bar mitzvah or something. You're guess is as good as mine.
Anyways, here's the band Clarissa Explains It All and their first demo... also known as the Jonathan Lipnicki demo... and their extended play (yeah, that's what that stands for), IDK 3D EP
If there's one thing for sure, it's that these guys sound a lot like Rainbow Tornado (posted them yesterday). That's no coincidence however, seeing as they both feature the vocal stylings of Ray. I don't think I really have any way of explaining what his vox sound like and neither could Clarissa for that matter.
Clarissa Explains It All - IDK 3D EP (2010)
I'd have to say that the demo stuff is my favorite. Especially with the random lyrics and catchy as all get out repeated lines that Chalk Talk is big on and totally sweet. Their EP still has a lot of moving parts and all that but lacks the memorabilia that the demo has. Every song asks a very important question like "who put the drugs in my drink/do I owe you money or was that for free?" or "what pet should I get?" or "why would you eat sunflower seeds?". There's even songs about being kidnappers and being thrifty. Everyday problems since the 90's for sure.
Whether these guys are still playing together is a mystery to me. It would be awesome if they were though!
Similar acts/sounds: Rainbow Tornado, Oh My God Elephant, Chalk Talk, Adam & Naive, Palmkite, Footnotes, Mane Horse, tussin, Hawkward, Girlfriends, Pachangacha, Kickball, and... look it how cool all those bands are.... damn...
.jpg)
