Pneu - Destination Qualité

Pneu - Destination Qualité (2015)

New Pneu!

Destination Qualité is the newest trip from the premiere French math rockers, Pneu. Still just two dudes, Pneu take on math rock in 2015 with high-octane energy and unmerciful noise. The result not only makes you dizzy but also pumps you up all at once. If you have not checked out Pneu yet and are a fan of math rock, you must listen to this right now! It's differently the bands most polished but still intriguing release to date.

The 8th track "Hinges" features guest vocals provided by Peter Simonelli of the California Post-punk band, Enablers.


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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"

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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.

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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...)

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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 XXXII

That's life. 

Pneu - Highway to Health (2011)

Pneu are a french math rock two-piecer from Framce. Along with the math rock business, these guys also have got some gnarly  hardcore, or post hardcore I guess it would be, tendencies going on. The energy and heavy/fast-passed intensity is certainly a treat for me. Recently, I've felt like all the math rock acts that I've been finding have just been going through the motions so to speak; they really haven't struck me with any significance interest or emotional trigger to a point were I'm not just like, 'eh screw this, I'll go listen to some Don Cab instead'. Pneu on the other hand have not only woken me up from a run-of-the-mill math rock coma but opened my eyes (and ears) to something new and refreshing. It also helps that they add that little kick to their music whether it be a hardcore influence of just a bit more of noise than those other bands I've ran into lately, but either way, it definitely keeps me interested and coming back for more listens. 

Highway to Health is Pneu's latest effort. It's really pretty neat. Pneu also has an album called Pince Monseigneur which is also really really pretty neat but I haven't gotten a hold of it yet. They also have a split with Nervous Kids which was released in 2010. It all sounds great!

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Weird Korea - No Art // No Trade (2010)

Lo-fi indie rock. Guess you could also call it "garage punk" or something hip like that, I don't know. Just something I've been listening to on again/off again since last year or so. My favorite track has to be "Youth Cult". It's definitely the anchor track of No Art // No Trade but that doesn't stop me from telling you to listen to it all. 

I also just noticed that this album was recorded by Cameron Wisch and Weird Korea. Cameron Wisch is a one man math rock project as well as the drummer for Zona Mexicana and before that was in Ra Ra Riot, The Medics, and Le Rug. His stuff is really good as well and can be checked out on the internet somewhere. 

Last.fm (that mediafire link doesn't work anymore... trust me.)

Dikembe - Chicago Bowls (1969)

Dikembe are an "indiemo" band as it's called these days. I don't know if I like that term very much but it is emo and it is 'indie' and those two words do make a cute little word together, so why not, it's better than emocore. Anyways, Dikembe are the decedents of another indie emo band, Wavelets and consist of a drummer, a singer/guitarer, a basser, and a pianoer. They're from Florida.

To be honest, I liked this album even before I heard the full band kick in after the intro. See, this band hit a soft spot with me by not only using sampled dialogue from Freaks and Geeks but also ones by Nick (Jason Segal's character) and about his drumset. Not only do I have a boyish crush on/for Freaks and Geeks, I've been known to resemble the young man Segal character by quite a few who have also witnessed this superb pre-Superbad Judd Apatow production. Ladies ;) . Samples of Nick can be heard in the very beginning on the first track, "Scottie Spliffen" and at the very end on the last track, "Tony Kukush". So, even if I ended up hating this album, I would still have to listen to it from beginning to end just to hear the samples. Smart thinking, Dikembe. Smart thinking. 

Despite finding this on 4/20, I didn't catch the drug puns in the track names until the day after. I did feel like the most clever hip cat on the internet when I remembered I posted "Scottie Spliffen" on my Facebook that day, though. 

Dikembe's full-length album 'Broad Shoulders' is due out for release sometime this year. 

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Vestiges - The Descent Of Man (2010)**

Vestiges are a bag of heavy and dark goodies. Like the left-over Easter candy you just found behind your night stand or the Scottie Spliffen you forgot about from last friday night. What I'm trying to say, is that Vestiges and their album 'The Descent Of Man' is full of awesome things all jam-packed in to one album and, well, I guess forgotten about until now. The awesome things? Oh you know, just a dash of descending post-rock/screamo guitars made of steam and grit here, a dash of black metal vocals and hardcore approaches there, and a kicking and stomping crusty d-beat after-taste everywhere. Still don't understand? Guess you'll just have to take a listen for yourself. 

The Descent Of Man itself is an album that deals with the complicated relationship between man and nature. It's pretty epic and should fill everyone's needs whether they are a metal fan or a hardcore fan. 

"There will be horrifying consequences for what we have done."

Stay tuned for more Vestiges posts in the future. *Hint* Because of The Cranberries cover they have *Hint*

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**Mediafire link starts DLing immediately. Watch out!