NFT's Got You Covered 2018

2018 has been a rollercoaster if rollercoasters had more trials and tribulations than thrills and excitement. I had high hopes of bringing Nostalgia For Tomorrow circa 2010 back to reality, but again the rollercoaster of life had an open seat for me in the front row. Despite all that, I won't apologize. Instead, I'll write about some things that make me happy. So, here is a list of my favorite cover songs from the year 2018. For listening and enjoyment purposes only.

Always Crush Me - Wreck and Reference



Wreck and Reference take Guided By Voices' lo-fi recording and all its roughness, amplify it by 100, and project it into twisted industrial metal. The monotonous guitar strumming is traded in with synths and slacker vocals become panic-induced yelling. "Always Crush Me" is the perfect little cover for a perfect little song in Guided By Voices' giant-ass catalog.


Agony - Beach Fossils

Yung Lean's under the influence love song from last year gets an upbeat treatment thanks to New York rockers, Beach Fossils. "Agony" is an ice cold number about tripping balls that seems indulgent at first, but give it a few listens and you will discover a haunting song that boarders on claustrophobic. With Beach Fossils' addition of light guitar and a steady bass, the walls seem to move even closer in on you. BF's version might be a bit more upbeat than the original, but it's far from the most rock n' roll rendition of a Sadboy-type song; that award goes to a similarly named band, Beach Goons, who covered Spooky Black's "Without U" back in 2015.


I Started a Joke - Marissa Nadler



A number of songs from Marissa Nadler's second cover album could have been posted here. There's one of my favorite Leonard Cohen tracks ("Avalanche"), a heartbreaking Daniel Johnston track ("True Love Will Find You in the End"), and a somber Danzig deep-cut ("Blood and Tears"). I have to give the spotlight to Nadler's rendition of "I Started a Joke" by Bee Gees though, since the original turned 50 years old this year. Plus, it's really good.


Bark at the Moon - Integrity



Integrity haven't slowed down a bit since releasing their barn burner, Howling, For the Nightmare Shall Consume last year. This year, the metal/hardcore crossover vets released a split with American black metal outfit, Krieg, and for Halloween released a cover of an Ozzy Osbourne classic. Despite the essential choice, Integrity's deliver is anything but tongue-in-cheek. Yes, it's still clearly an Ozzy track, but Integrity's signature sound breaths new life into the old beast. Take a listen above and go off the rails of the crazy... err, bark at the moon.


The Book of Love - bedbug



A few years back, a work friend invited me to his wedding and mentioned that the wedding song would be "The Book of Love". He asked me if I had ever heard of the song in hopes that I would guess The Monotones' song by the same name. Instead, I did my best Magnetic Fields impression without drawing too much attention to myself. He was impressed but also a little confused. I never ended up attending the wedding, but I did learn that "The Book of Love" is a very popular wedding song. The twist, of course, is "The Book of Love" by The Magnetic Fields on the album, 69 Love Songs was later covered by the more-known-by-co-workers, Peter Gabriel. Flash forward to this past Halloween, I'm attending one of the 8 Halloween cover shows the Boston-area had to offer, and bedbug was performing as the Scrubs Soundtrack, a medley of songs from the hit show. One of the songs bedbug played happened to be "The Book of Love", which appears in the season 8 finale a la the Peter Gabriel version. I joked about whether bedbug covered The Magnetic Fields version or Peter Gabriel to myself. Flash forward to a few days ago, when a 69 Love Songs tribute album was released by Living Statue Records. There, waiting for me among the 69 songs, was bedbug's "The Book of Love". This recorded version might be missing the Scrubs samples that were weaved into the rest of bedbugs' Halloween set, but it's still really awesome to see my pointless anecdote about "The Book of Love" grow each year.


By My Side - Ben Walsh



Ben Walsh of Tigers Jaw's cover on Don't Stop Now II: A Collection of Covers is a perfect example of a gateway song to the original. Without clicking on Ben's cover, I would have never given much of a thought to the new Porches album. Now "By My Side" is among one of my favorite songs of 2018. As for the compilation itself, if you got the cash I highly recommend grabbing all 33 covers which benefits RAICES (Refugees and Immigrants Center for Education & Legal Services). RAICES seems like a great place to throw your money at; throw your money at anything and everything that is not a giant fear-mongering wall.


Havana - Superorganism

Superorganism's intoxicating rendition of "Havana" feels like it manifested via a long night of partying at a local karaoke bar. Something that could not have been duplicated at the karaoke bar, however, is their candy-coated production that has been ever-so-carefully melted into digital goodness for the ears. There might not be as much going on as there is in every other facet of Superorganism's recordings, performances, and wild Spotify music videos, there's still no mistaking the dedication to their commitment to ultra quirkiness.


I Wanna Be Adored - King Woman



A major appeal to the Stone Roses' hit number, "I Wanna Be Adored" is the misheard chorus which I always sing as "I Wanna Be A Door", while others mishear it as "I Wanna be a Dog" or, similarly, "I Wanna be Your Dog". King Woman's version adds a new layer to the already misunderstood lyrics by draping the song in doom-y drone atmosphere. "I Wanna Be Adored" seems unrecognizable at first, until Kristina Esfandiari AKA Miserable's wispy vocals come in. Eventually the song picks up and echoes the aforementioned line that sounds especially like "I Wanna Be A Door" until coming to an untimely end. It might not go down as smooth as the original, but give it a few listens and let it grow on you like a small rash or black mold.


Infinity Guitars - Sunflower Bean

What better way to celebrate a record label's 10 year anniversary than taking a swing at a song that is surprisingly almost 10 years old. Sunflower Bean manage to shed some of the over-amplified guitar work without losing any of the energy that rarely is heard from Sleigh Bells these days. The result almost sounds like "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers, but maybe that's just me wanting something to sound like "Pepper" by Butthole Surfers. Either way, I highly recommend playing this cover full-blast in a beat-up 90's Volvo just as the original was meant to be played.


Moon River - Frank Ocean

Despite being a day late, Frank Ocean's "Moon River" is this years' Valentine cover song. Channelling his inner Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffanys, Ocean delivers a poignant rendition of a timeless classic only the way he could. "Moon River" is just a reminder how incredible Frank Ocean is even if this wasn't his best take.


People / Halfsleeper - CJ Boyds



CJ Boyds has been traveling all over the country for 10 years playing with all sorts of wonderful talent. Boyds' cover album in honor of 10 years on the road might not be the biggest, but it's definitely the most ambitious cover album on this list. Not only are Boyds' covers carefully picked to reflect the bands and musicians he has shared stages and spaces with, all the covers are by musicians he has played with covering all 50 states plus Washington, DC and an unknown bonus track for US territories. Along with that, Boyds recorded each song in the respected state as to which the song is associated with. Currently, only "People / Halfsleeper" is available for listening, but judging by this drone-y Dilute meets Chelsea Wolfe combo-cover recorded in California, Boyds ode to the US is going to be mighty impressive.


Pontiac 87 - Preoccupations



A few bands seem to loose some steam when they change their name. Preoccupations, formerly Viet Cong, however are keeping the hype train going. This year they released an album called New Material (Which might be there new name next year) and a split with top-tier post-punkers of the '10s, Protomartyr. Preoccupations prove they are here to stay with their spaced-out rendition of "Pontiac 87". The cover might not be the most challenging, especially since both bands are so similar, but maybe not appropriating someone else is a good thing for Preoccupations right now.


Same Drugs - Free Throw



With a band tackling Chance the Rapper's "Same Drugs", one might think that Free Throw are putting a special spin on a hometown favorite. However, Free Throw are not a Chicago emo band. Hell, they're not even an East Coast emo band. Free Throw from Nashville, Tennessee already take on the task of being a long shot, a surprisingly not "southern" emo band. Free Throw aren't defined by where they reside, but rather by how moving their music can be. It's a surprise to most, and a cover of Chance seems like the biggest surprise Free Throw could have come up with, yet here we are. "Same Drugs" comes as a surprise at the end of Missing Pieces, a small compilation of re-imagined songs from their 2017 album, Bear Your Mind.


Playlist w/bonus covers:

Soda Bomb - Wanna Jam?

Soda Bomb - Wanna Jam? (2015)

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.

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Bushido Dragons

Bushido Dragons - Bushido Dragons (1999)

Before Paul Baribeau was touring the underground punk rock scene with his simple yet additive acoustic music, the Grand Ledge, Michigan native played in a little band called Bushido Dragons. Bushido Dragons played a popular type of music for the locals at Grand Ledge High at the time... that type of music being surf rock.

The Bushido Dragons may have grown tired of playing surf rock, but the outcome of high schoolers recording their own DIY surf music turned into a super cool lo-fi sound that could have easily caught on today in this "everything is a throwback" society. Bushido Dragons' first self-titled record was by far the best example of this lo-fi surf rock style, while their follow-up release, Grand Haven, is much more of full-band version of Paul Baribeau's solo career. Grand Haven is no doubt a prequel to Baribeau's Grand Ledge released in '07. Hell, Grand Haven even includes the original version of "Blue Eyes" later on Baribeau's first self-titled release.

Check out all of the music Bushido Dragons ever recorded including their surf opera self-title at CometKaze.com. If you are a Paul Baribeau fan or just wanna hear some rare lo-fi music, you can dig deeper down into the Baribeau rabbit-hole with his even earlier band, Birthday Cakes also available on the site. If that's too rough for you, the recordings I mean, maybe stick with the live recordings of Bushido Dragons which include very early versions of Paul Baribeau singing Bruce Springsteen tracks.

Paul Baribeau's tumblr
CometKaze.com
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Trace Mountains - Buttery Sprouts

Trace Mountains - Buttery Sprouts (2014)

Trace Mountains is one of a few side projects going from the folks in Spook Houses. Buttery Sprouts is a mix of previously unheard songs and three that I have previously talked about on here; "Salty/Sweet", "Everything Around Me", and Bey's "Halo". Bey as in Beyonce, of course.

Riddled with the monotone sadness that one may come to except from a Spook Houses project, Trace Mountains is an exploration of simple, yet melancholy, bedroom music. Buttery Sprouts features drum machines, singing saw, songs about Silver Jews, mix-masterer Mike Ditrio, and Elaiza Santos of Crying.

Check it out:



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Friday Streamin'

Here's some stuff you should buy with the government's money... and by government money, I mean your money.

Solids - Blame Confusion (2014)

Solids from Montreal, Canada are just two dudes playing fuzzy music. It's a cross between emo fuzz and grungy garage rock fuzz. Like the kind of fuzz that you'd find being crafted in the basement at your local punk house. It's not too complicated to understand or get into either, it's just guitar and drums, a guy singing stuff you don't understand but you know it's in English, and it makes you wish you had a beer in your hand.


Poor-one-out-for-your-lost-homies rock.

Last.fm

Krill - Steve Hears Pile in Malden and Bursts into Tears (2014)

Krill is a band that actually did come to my local punk house. I didn't know it at the time, but once and a while these cool Boston bands I always rave about come up and play. Anyways though, if you like Modest Mouse, oddball vocals, or just some fun indie rock, Krill is a band you should check out.


The title to this EP, to the best of my knowledge, is a nod to another great Boston local band, Pile. Those guys also have a really cool 7incher you listen to on their Bandcamp.

Last.fm

Piglet - Early Songs (2013)

In  2005, a little band called Piglet released one of the greatest math rock gems of all-time, entitled, Lava Land. The album is a must-have if you are a fan of math rock with only gripe about it: we never got to hear more by them due to their break up. But here we are in 2014, where not only do we now have the live EP that has circled around the internet on Bandcamp, but we also have this little gem featuring 4 previously unreleased tracks.


With the likelihood of this band never getting back together, this is definitely the next best thing.

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NFT's Got You Cover? Hank Williams... The Old One!

Various Artists - Hank Williams Compilation (2013)

From the folks who brought us the Top 40 Compilation comes another look into reconstructing a persons work into simple acoustic lo-fi tracks. This is the Hank Williams Compilation, a collection of - yep, you guessed it - Hank Williams cover songs.

I recently wrote an essay about a certain cover album (which I will not name) that really got me looking at covers in the sense that what people do to a song will ultimately never be as authentic as the original and that the songs usually miss the point of what the original stands for all together. Granted some things should not be covered for the sake of art like church hymns or sea songs, I think taking someone's work like Hank Williams's and re-imagining it, added a little of yourself to it, and giving it away for free is not a bad thing at all. That is, unless you throw a bunch of club noises into it (I'm looking at you, Pill Friends).

Anyways, these covers are just for fun; that's really what covering music should be about anyway.

Artists/bands doing their best Hank Williams impressions (sorta) include: Pill Friends, Radiator Hospital, Free Cake For Every Creature, Teen Suicide, Told Slant, Florist, Lizard Kisses, Fog Lake, and Totally Ruined.


Birdtapes.com
Last.fm (Birdtapes)

Monday XCVII (NSFW)

To put some life back into this blog, I've decided to not only make this post this week, but one for every day this week. Godspeed.

Dungeon Kids - Jzanthypus and Friends (2014)

A little something-something from the indie pop dudes in the Baltimore area. This 3 song EP of sorts features two B-sides along with Dung Kid's single, "Grenville, Pt. 1" from their first release, Oh How it Hurts; a song that easily made my top 10 songs list last year.



Wet your whistle.

Last.fm

Big Ups - Wake Up (2011)

If you haven't already heard about these guys, you are hearing them right now. Literally, listen to these guys right now!

Big Ups from New York are blowing up with their new album, Eighteen Hours of Static and for good reason (listen). Before they were killing it with a Fugazi meets Melvins post punk sound, they were baby punk rockers in a big city. Some people might just wanna skip to their new stuff and call it good, but I like their old stuff, too. I don't know, maybe you'll like it as well.


SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Where's My Friends - Where's My Friends (2014)

Where's My Friends are a Portland, Maine brewed instrumental three piece featuring members of the late math rock band, The Waldos, and the always impressive, Butcher Boy. While Where's My Friends are not as heavy as The Waldos stuff (not that The Waldos were off the walls), it's still moving, a bit free flowing, but moving nevertheless.




Poland Street dreams.

Fackbook.com

Monday XCV

Learned how Roman Numerals work again. Personally, I prefer all the X's.

Delos / Yusuke - Split (2013)

This is a sweet screamo/hardcore/emo violence split I've been holding on to featuring Delos from Bremen, Germany and Yusuke from Illinois, Untied States. Very scream-y, very messy.

Yusuke's side:


Delos's side:

It appears that both bands are either really into Louise Cyphre (Yusuke) or used to be Louise Cyphre (Delos).

Last.fm (Yusuke)
Last.fm (Delos)

Princess Reason - Princess Reason (2013)

Princess Reason is a lo-fi indie pop group from Echo Park, California. They sound like stuff you should play on cassette while you are in your room alone and not acting tough listening to tough people music. It's a real treat really. Fans of Coma Cinema, Spook Houses, Julia Brown, Pill Friends, and quite lo-fi will definitely get a kick out of this stuff if they aren't already.


Last.fm

Soda Bomb - The Future is Gonna Suck (2013)

Before 2013 ended, all I knew about Soda Bomb was that they have a cover of the King of the Hill theme song. Now it's 2014 and I still don't know much about these guys other than I went the whole year without checking to see if they had released anything new.. and they did. Good thing Broken World Media let me know, seeing as they released these guys mid-2013 release, The Future is Gonna Suck last October.


Soda Bomb play fuzzy garage punk rock. Bring back the Attitude Era thumbs up if you agree.

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!

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Monday LXXXXI

M(u)NDAY(sic).

14 Foot 1 - Two (2012)

Just some solid math rock about farm animals, Foo Fighters, and the number 15. A follow-up to their debut, Christ Grenades from all the way back in 2007.



Really surprised I missed this release until now.

Last.fm

Greef - Greef (2013)

Greef is Pete from Portland, ME's favorite folk nightmare, Butcher Boy. Greef is also the name of this analog exploitation of fuzzy lo-fi. The best way to describe it really is to say it's less like a musical experience and more like a listening experience...


...Like finding a cassette on the side of the road that still works even with its tape ripped out.

Last.fm

Heccra - The Last Weekend of Summer EP (2012)

Heccra ain't your average mom and pop screamo band. It ain't your average emo-because-Buzzfeed-told-me-it-was band either. Never would I have thought of calling a genre of music "mutilated" until I first heard Heccra's distorted and all-out exploded post-hardcore music, but that's what I would call Heccra.

None of what I just wrote right there might make any sense. If it did... you listened to The Last Weekend of Summer. If not... listen to The Last Weekend of Summer.



I PISSED OFF A GHOST...

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Double Feature: Sun Club & Dungeon Kids

Two bands that totally know how to have a good time from Baltimore.

Sun Club - Beauty Meat/Language Juice 7" (2013)

Sun Club are a hell of a lot of a fun. They noodle, they groove, they make noise, they ooh and ahh and, most importantly, they have a damn good time doing it. I've seen these guys twice now (just in this year) and I have to say that Sun Club are easily becoming one of my favorite bands to see live and hang out with. I actually had a sweet little post written about just these guys that I wrote a few months back (when I say them play at a show with Chalk Talk this summer), but that post got deleted somehow and I never got to share it. I guess it's alrighy though since that post was about their self-title, which they have since taken down off their bandcamp. Anyways, here's some Sun Club:




This 2 song 7-incher is just a taste of what Sun Club are all about. To get the full Sun Club experience, you have got to see them play right in front of you. Their music will make your legs quiver and your pelvis move in certain ways that you never thought imaginable; only in the best ways, of course.

After being super impressed by Sun Club when I saw them for the first time this summer, which was my first show as well as first day back from being on a tugboat for 60 days, I definitely had to see them again. Luckily, I didn't have to wait very long as they made their way back up to my neck of the woods to play a show at the University of Maine last weekend.

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Dungeon Kids - Oh How it Hurts (2013)

When Sun Club returned to Maine last week, they didn't come alone. This time out, Sun Club brought with them their friends from Baltimore, collectively named, Dungeon Kids. While I hadn't heard anything from Dungeon Kids until I saw them play, I knew they were gonna be impressive. They're friends with Sun Club, how could they not? Well, lo and behold, Dungeon Kids took to the floor of my friend's dorm lounge and played a solid set of garage rock meets indie pop-y goodness.


Even with the fact that Dungeon Kids are a new band that really just started to play shows with the current lineup they have now, this is still some great material. I hope to hear more from these guys along with more good music from Sun Club in the future. Hopefully I'll be around to see them again this summer when both bands make their return to Maine as well!

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Monday LXXXIX

Take a break from all that sports watching and give some of this art thing a try, it's Monday!

Youth Funeral - Symptom of Time (2013)

New Hardcore Post Hampshire.



Features members of the late hardcore ensemble, HOST. Really good hardcore/punk/screamo music with very important influences and Slint-like ballads.

Last.fm

George Costanza - Summer of George demos (2012)

It might not be summer and it might not be 2012, but it's always time for some twinkly George Costanza rock.



This is about the only time I would even consider calling something mememo.

Last.fm

Various Artists - Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT Vol. 2 (2013)

Here it is! The second volume of Portland DIY: CUT THE SHIT is complete and ready for our ears.


Featuring: An Anderson, Wood Burning Cats, Buddusky, Bath Salts, Conjjjecture, Older Men, Boyfriends, Haru Bangs, Purse, AFRAID, and Leveret (can be heard in the final snippit, "[OUTERLUDE]").

Read more about this project here or here or here.

Monday LXXXV

Mondeep. 

Radiator Hospital - Something Wild (2013)

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.

This is their summer release, Something Wild.



Last.fm

Soft Skills - A Future to Remember (2013)

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.

Last.fm

So Stressed - Attracted To Open Mouths (2012)

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.

The only problem is it leaves you wanting more...


Definitely check this out. Trust me.

Last.fm

Monday LXXXIII

Music or lose it.

Langosta - Super Nature EP (2013)

Langosta is a hell of a lot of fun math rock 'n' roll band from Connecticut. Super Nature is the name of this EP and also the name the band formerly called themselves. Super Nature is the name originally used by Salt-N-Pepa as well.


Last.fm

Fearless Leader - Half Dead EP (2013)

Fearless Leader is a Seattle based math rock meets post hardcore band that mixes twinkly technical-sounding instrumentation with intricate shouting/spoken word. The result is a mess.


A fearless mess.

Last.fm

The Sarcastic Dharma Society - Live At Laughing Horse (2013)

The Sarcastic Dharma Society AKA Mat Vuksinich is back with new music and he's not alone!

I'm really glad to see and hear that this band is back and wish them the very best of luck. Mat has a very interesting voice and it's really cool to hear what he can do with a band behind him. I'm not gonna gush but damn this is some of my favorite indie music.


You can also watch the video of Mat and his now four piece band play their five song set from the Laughing Horse in Portland, Oregon, here.

Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered: Pop Goes Lo-fi

Various Artists - Top 40 Compilation (2013)

Ever wondered what it would sound like if your guilty pleasure artists from the radio lost all their money, became humble, rerecorded their music using a tin can and some string, and gave it away for free? Me either... but hey! Birdtapes has us covered. They get 13 up-and-coming lo-fi legends to play those songs you love to hate and hate to love... but you listen to them. You do! Don't lie.

The 13 lo-fi/acoustic/indie rock bands that Birdtapes assembled for this special compilation include: WHATEVER, DAD, Pill Friends, Trace Mountains, Julia Brown, R.L. Kelly, and Starry Cat - just to name a few... But wait! there's more...

The hits they covered? You name it! Rude Boy, Paper Planes, Halo, Teenage Dream, even my favorite guilty pleasure of last year (Video Games) and my guilty pleasure of this year (I Love It). I'm not ashamed...

Check it out:



I don't care.

Official Birdtapes Page
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Last.fm (Birdtapes)

Monday LXXIX

Another fortnightly Monday post. A couple days late.

Sic Bacchus - Sic Bacchus (2013)

Sic Bacchus are a gritty superhero reboot.

This is their self-titled 3-song 7incher.



Last.fm

Vacation - Do Shit AKA The Do Shit Disc (2010)

Vacation are a pop punk band with a bit of a lo-fi/garage rock feel to them. They'll be playing a sweet punk rock house show somewhere in Portland, Maine real soon. Tell your cops friends!

DL The Do Shit Disc for free over at the always mega-cool internet website, If You Make It Dot Com.

Last.fm

Mr. NEET/Conjjjecture - Day of Caring Split (2013)

This split features two of Portland's own experimenting with electronics and drum machines, Mr. NEET and Conjjjecture. The two respective bands have a song to share on the split, including a new recording of "Only Rabbits", and one collaborative among friends and former band mates. The recordings were done by Mike Cunnane at Cut the Shit Recordings and featured everyone from the Portland post-whatever rock legends, Huak.



Also be on the lookout for Conjjjectures new album, Living For Dead Labor. 

Facebook (Mr. NEET)
Facebook (Conjjjecture)

NFT Classic: Fiasco

Fiasco - Native Canadians (2008)

Fiasco were a young and noisy math punk-like three-piece that recently called it quits without my knowledge.

In honor of my rediscovery of this gem that I found on Myspace five years ago, I decided to do some research on Fiasco. Turns out these guys had a little bit more of cult following in New York than I had previously known. Maybe it had to do with the fact that one of the members of Fiasco was the offspring of Steve Buscemi...

Lucian Buscemi.

The one in the middle.

Similar sounds/acts: Steve Buscemi, Hella, Tera Melos, Good Citizens, Lightning Bolt, The Homosexuals, Fugazi, Minor Threat, and other math rock but not bands.

Bonus:

Fiasco - God Loves Fiasco (2007)

Rough hardcore punk gems.



Bandcamp
Last.fm

Silver Jews - American Water

Silver Jews - American Water (1998)

Silver Jews were an explorational early 90s to late 2000s indie rock group that thrived mostly on the creative songwriting juices of David Berman. The original line-up of Silver Jews consisted of Berman and Pavement's Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich - who left after their debut full-length, Starlite Walker but returned for their 2005 album, Tanglewood Numbers.

To many, American Water is the essential Silver Jews album. It encompasses the perfect amount of somber Berman singing with the right amount of story-telling and the right amount of Stephen Malkmus.

Highlights: "Random Rules", "People", "Honky If Your Lonely", "Blue Arrangement", "Smith & Jones Forever"

While this album will never be the Silver Jews album that got me into Berman's stuff, that would be their last album from 2008, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea, it does feature my favorite Silver Jews song: "Smith & Jones Forever". "Smith & Jones Forever" was the last song that the Silver Jews ever played live - a fact I hope never changes if they ever decide to go on a reunion tour and play something else:

Similar acts/sounds: Pavement, Smog, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Rites of Spring, Bonny "Prince" Billy, Songs: Ohia, Miighty Flashlight, The Modern Lovers, Calvin Johnson, Guided By Voices, and other 90's indie rock music.

David Berman's Blog
Drag City
Last.fm

Monday LXXVI

La Luna - La Luna (2013)

La Luna are a female fronted hardcore band from Calgary with a burst of violence and despair in every bite.

La Luna are also the band formerly known as Brain Fever, one of the first bands that I ever posted on a Monday post. This self titled album is actually a remixed and remastered version of said band's release from 2012.

Now they have the same name as an Indonesian easy-listening retro pop band.



Last.fm

Snail Party - Toppled Propane Glory (2013)

Snail Party is the full band of Mogli and friends from Halifax. They play all those really fun folk instruments like banjos and saws...



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1994! - FUCK IT (2013)

1994!'s new album, FUCK IT is the nosiest noise post hardcore and math rock clusterfest ever to be recorded on an iPhone using a shitty microphone.

Despite being recorded on shit equipment in such low quality as it is, their bandcamp recommends that you not listen to the album using your crappy Macbook speakers...



Bandcamp
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Monday LXXV

Still Monday somewhere...

Iron Chic - Spooky Action (2013)

Spooky Action is Iron Chic's (Long Island, NY pop punk) new 7incher for their European tour this year. It features three tracks including a Butthole Surfers cover that also contains a sample of "Suicide is Painless" - the theme to M.A.S.H.

The Butthole Surfers cover is "Goofy Concern".



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Elvis Depressedly - Holo Pleasures (2013)

Fuzzy lo-fi from Matt Cothran (who is also Coma Cinema). This is his new album, Holo Pleasures under the  Elvis Depressedly name.



Fans of Coma Cinema, monotone singing, lo-fi recordings, short songs, Teen Suicide/Julia Brown, and cigars will most definitely hate Elvis Depressedly.

Also, be on the look out for Coma Cinema's new album rumored to be released in May.

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Mark Daniels - Emotional Chi: A Tribute to Life Without Buildings (2011)

Emotional Chi is a remix album using only songs from Life Without Buildings' super underrated album, Any Other City (2001).

Mark Daniels puts a nice spin on the already catchy song styles of Sue Tompkins, a musician I happened to find at the height of my Scottish accent addiction a had a few years back. So catchy!




These remixes are sure to put at least a little pep in your step today.

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