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...

Last.fm
Bandcamp

Monday LXXIV

I learned how Roman numerals work today.

Cape Farewell - Now That We've Redrawn Our Maps, The Trees Don't Seem So Close Together (2012)

Angsty emo from Maniasses, Virginia touching on important topics and lifestyles such as Hayao Miyazaki films and the Mothman.



Last.fm

Mallory - Strange Homes (2010)

Mallory are a folk punk band from Amherst, Ma. Strange Homes, their release from 2010, features a lot of goodies including an Animal Collective folk punk cover and a nod to Mogli in the opening of "The Tide".



This album is definitely quenching by folk punk thirst I've been having for the past couple of weeks.

Also, according to their Bandcamp, Mallory may also be reuniting this summer to record a new album.

Last.fm

Mylets - Colossal Grin (2011)

Mylets is a one man math rock-ish act with lots of looping and nice little twinkles. That one man is named, Henry Kohen. Kohen recently signed with Sargent House, one of the top math rock labels, and will most likely be the next big thing in the math rock game anytime now.



Kohen, along with getting himself signed to a snazzy record label, will also be releasing a new album soon. No tracks have been recorded yet, but Kohen has played brand new songs via a Glassroom Session that may be included on the album. One of the songs he performs is "Ampersand" which is also a great example of how this guy makes his music all by himself only using a guitar, a drum machine, loop peddles, and a microphone. Check it out!

Last.fm

Monday XXXXXXVII

That Monday where the pope quit.

Dore Mear Beon - Dore Mear Beon EP (2012)

Here's some Canadian math rock for ya. Apparently it's that sort of one man (Andrew Sagriff) math rock stuff which always makes me wonder if it's naturally done or with the help of fancy technically and newfangled computer magic. However it's created though, it still sounds great and right up my alley.

Track 2 features a sample from Richard Linklater's philosophical talky film, Waking Life. You know, that kind of talky film where you feel really smart afterwards and totally better than anyone else who hasn't seen it before.


Last.fm

Tawny Peaks - Tawny Peaks (2012)

I'm a bit surprised I haven't shared these guys before seeing how long I've been holding on to this self-title and such.

Recently, I rediscovered these guys on Spotify no less and have been getting to know their music a lot more than before. So here they are now!

Tawny Peaks play twinkly, sometimes acoustic - sometimes electric, sometimes male vocals - sometimes female vocals - sometimes both, emotional  music out of New Jersey.



Last.fm


Real Kind - Hard Red Winter (sketches) (2012)

Real Kind is the warm and fuzzy-feel moniker of Marissa Owens from Portland, Maine when she plays warm and fuzzy music.

A good friend of mine suggested I give Real Kind and her album Hard Red Winter a try - I did and it was a perfect accompaniment to my loner weekend stuck in Northern Maine thanks to that little snow storm we had. Ironically however, a folk show that I was invited to in Portland this weekend that was canceled due to Nemo, included... that's right... Marissa Owens!



This version of Hard Red Winter is just a "sketch" of what the real thing will sound like when it is officially released this April. Or maybe this is just an April Fools Day joke because this album is already perfect the way it is.

Whatever happens though, you'll be sure to hear about it right here on NFT.

Facebook

NFT's Got You Covered - RSO tackles Flippers' Generic Album!

RSO - Generic (2013)

Filthy blues crust, RSO takes on Flipper's punk rock essential, Album - Generic Flipper or just Generic.

I had the interesting pleasure of seeing RSO play a show in a dirty warehouse behind the train station about a half a year back and was very surprised to find that "RSO" was just one guy who stands on a platform, wails on his guitar, shouts bloody none sense, and stomps all the while wearing a tuxedo. I'm not sure if this is always RSO or the rest of the band just couldn't find the warehouse's coordinates but I thoroughly enjoyed his performance none the less... my girlfriend on the other hand, not so much.

Truthfully, this guy in the tuxedo and the uncontrollable erg to play blues and stomp as hard as he can is actually Ryan Owens, formerly of New Jersey but now residing in good ol' Maine.

RSO (I'm guessing those are his initials?)'s money rendition of Generic also comes with a double take of "Living For The Depression" and a few live renditions as well.



My only question now: where is "Sex Bomb"?

Official site
Dirigimus Cooperative
Facebook
Last.fm

Bonus:

Correspondences - Christmas // Devil Town (2012)

Correspondences of Portland, Maine released this 7 1/2" at their farewell show back in November... Without me knowing, of course.

It's got two tracks, an original number called, "Christmas (Baby, Please Don't Go)" and "Devil Town" - a doom rendition of Daniel Johnston's haunting a capella about the struggles of living in a devil town with vampires as friends that you didn't know were vampires.




So yeah, it's pretty great!

I'm guessing this album is labeled Lee as in the drummer, Lee King. I'm almost positive it's all Correspondences, though.

Anyways, enjoy!

Facebook
Last.fm

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (2011)

Car Seat Headrest is Will Toledo. He makes fuzzy lo-fi music of which most of the vocal recordings were done in his car... hence the name. This album entitled 'Twin Fantasy', has a very interested story behind it much like Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum's 2009 release, 'Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head'. Unfortunately, like the Jordaan Mason album I've mentioned above, I can not remember the story or if it's true. If you like Jordaan Mason though, you may also like this guy.

Similar acts/sounds: Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum, The Sarcastic Dharma Society, Foot Ox, Coma Cinema, Midnight Ghost, Alligator Indian, Long Walks On The Beach, Camp Island, The Whiting Brothers, and, and, and, and.


Keep smoking.

We love you.

Last.fm

Post Rock Zelda

The Legend of Zelda in post rock form. Nuff said.

Cory Johnson - The Legend of Zelda (2012)

Related article: Screamo Zelda.

Demos
Last.fm

Charles Manson - LIE

Charles Manson was a tragically misunderstood outsider musician who not only revolutionized stoner music but the indie rock beard.

Manson started his music career while surfing around in Los Angeles where he met Dennis Wilson, the drummer for The Beach Boys, who was riding a dolphin at the time. Soon after their first meeting, Manson and Wilson started up a local stankcore band with Johnny The Bull Stambolli and Asher Roth. The band, known as the Healter Skelters, went on a small tour with Set Your Goals, Four Year Strong and Lostprophets. Well together, the band only released a single called, "I am the Devil, and the Devil always has a bold head" and a split with Three Six Mafia before Manson left the group to pursue a solo career. The others went on to form the super inflectional 90's metal rap horrorcore band, Stuck Mojo.

After leaving the band and Los Angeles all together, Charles Manson moved in to a cabin in Alaska isolated from the rest of the world to record his first album. It wasn't until four years later that people would notice his amazingly stunning and subtle indie rock bliss. Why was he finally figured? Why did it take so long? Some say it was his astonishing one song collaboration with Kanye West, others say it was the great reception he received from indie god websites such as pitchpork,  NPR, Gorilla Vs. Bear, Last.fm, AOL.com, and MTV Music.com (now known as MTV Hive because they forgot that "Music" was already in their name).

Whether it had to do with the phantastic praise Manson was receiving on the internet or his astonishing Kids Choice Awards performance in 1969, Manson was blowing up just like I thought he would.  Everybody knew this men was killing it on the mic. Just a straight up killer musician.

To date, Lie: The Love and Terror Cult is one of his best selling albums with other 300 copies sold worldwide and in China. It was once reissued on Awareness Records, a record company that donates money to those victims of crimes. The cover art is Manson on the cover of LIE magazine, a boy band magazine sold to overly devoted fan girls.

Charles Manson - Lie: The Love and Terror Cult (1970)

The album itself is about society as a whole and what we can do to stop The Lorax from coming.

Manson's music has been covered and sampled by many musicians such as GG Allin, The Lemonheads, The Beach Boys, Front Line Assembly, Marilyn Manson, Devendra Banhart, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Guns N Roses, and Clay Aiken.

Similar sounds/acts: GG Allin, Tiny Tim, Jeff Mangum, Radiohead, Memoryhouse, Kraftwerk, Fozzy, ODB, and Phil Spector.

Despite popular legend, Charles Manson did not addition for a role in The Monkees. He was in the Philippines at this time helping children to read and write science.

Unofficial site
Facebook
Last.fm

Paul Baribeau Part 3

I couldn't resist talking more about Paul Baribeau and the show on Monday. So here's the rest of Paul's work that I have (or know).

Yikes Baribeau (2005)

I meant to ask Paul about "Yikes Baribeau" but the more and more I think about it now, the weirder and ruder it would have been if I just went up to him and started asking him about his work rather then saying how cool it was that he was here and such.

At first I thought Yikes Baribeau was a collaboration of Paul and the San Francisco noise rock band Yikes. While this is a full band and much punkier Paul Baribeau, it doesn't seem to actually have anything to do with "Yikes". Turns out that this is actually pre-Paul Baribeau Paul Baribeau before he stuck with an acoustic guitar and really opening up for all of us.

Yikes Baribeau does feature the precursors to the tracks "I Miss That Band", "Brown Brown Brown", "Strawberry", and "When You Go Back To College". They are the same tracks we have all become familiar with and grown to love but with electricity and a more punk'd up approach. I'm not sure who the other musicians are in the band or the ladies voice on a few of the tracks is. If anyone knows, lemme know too.

Demo Tape (2009)

Demo Tape was just an unreleased Paul tape that washed up on the internets in 2009 and featured mostly tracks that went on to be in Unbearable. The only track not on Unbearable is "Sand Dollar" and the track "Through the Wall" is just "The Wall".

Paul actually played most of these songs on the Demo Tape for the show monday night, which was awesome even if not as many people knew them as much as "Brown Brown Brown" or "Ten Things" . That's nothing new though...

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that once in a while on this demo there is a narrator type male voice that comes in during some of the tracks like "Sand Dollar". Maybe it was just on "Sand Dollar"... I can't remember.

Splits:

Ghost Mice/Paul Baribeau (2005)

I don't have the artwork but I do know the tracks for the Ghost Mice/Paul Baribeau Tour CD-R split. It features Paul Baribeau covering Ghost Mice and Ghost Mice covering Paul Baribeau. For the Ghost Mice side we hear Chris Clavin and the gang's renditions of  "Tablecloth", "Boys Like Me", and "Never Get to Know". On the other side, we hear Paul's renditions of "The Good Life", "Dead Flowers and Dirt", and "Ghost Mice Says" (also 'released' on 25).

The covers are pretty sick, obviously. Even Ghost Mice's cover of "Never Get to Know", a track that can really only be sung by Paul and Paul alone (like he wanted at the show), is still really fun to listen to even if it doesn't capture the emotion that Paul puts behind it.

Maybe I'll re-post this one sometime in the future with a further review for NFT's Got You Covered! Until then though, you can get fully acquainted with it by checking it out above!

Your Heart Breaks/Paul Baribeau Split (2009)

Features "Torrey Pines" by Your Heart Breaks w/Kimya Dawson whose track "Tire Swing" cleverly featured and gave a shot out to Pauly B.

Paul Baribeau's 7" split with Your Heart Breaks comes with some bonus tracks by YHB if you buy it from them. I don't have a linky for the tracks but you can grab the 7incher at YHB's store for a DIY punk price of 5 bucks, here. Paul's side of this split includes a different version of "The Rolling Clouds" (says it's "The Rolling Hills" on that site but I've only heard it as "clouds") from Unbearable.

Last.fm
Official site
Part 1
Part 2

This might be all the Paul Baribeau extra goodies that I can think of at the moment but there is surely more out there. Hopefully this wont' be the last time we see Paul on this blog or in person!

The Tallest Man On Earth part 2

Nothing says springtime like Kristian Matsson AKA The Tallest Man on Earth's beautiful folk work. As I was getting lunch at a nice little local place yesterday, I noticed that they were playing some TTMOE and I couldn't help but sing along to myself. I knew I was going to post this soon and felt that I must not be the only person who thinks it's almost that time of the season again. Not just The Tallest Man on Earth season either...

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt (2010)

After hearing all of Matsson's wonderfully folky stuff sometime in 2010, I rushed out to get this new album at the time just to hear what he had for us next. I was a little hesitant, as all listeners should, about what he could have done to try to top Shallow Grave or his S/T and if it was something totally different for better or worse. Well, after my first couple listens I definitely didn't hear anything that wasn't classic TTMOE raw folk delivery, but did it stand out above the rest? That's hard to say. I had a feeling that this was even more polished and less raw than Shallow Grave but it also had a lot to hold on to, from my favorite Bob Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather" references ("King of Spain" *example down below*), a standout title track, and something we had yet to hear... a piano ballad. "Kids on the Run" is the name of the piano ballad closer and it reeks of Ben Folds Five (especially his 90s abortion hit, "Brick"). That sounds like a bad thing, oops. I still think that the track is priceless and something different from Matsson that we hadn't heard before (at least recording wise). Any who, I think The Wild Hunt is still one of my favorites, maybe just because I like to play it a lot and was the first TTMOE I actually bought or maybe just because it is.

The Tallest Man on Earth - Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird (2010)

The Tallest Man on Earth's 2010 follow-up EP, Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird is probably the most unfamiliar release for me. Not because I think it's anything less of what TTMOE is capable of or nothing new, it's just that I choose to only listen to this only once and a while so it always stays new to me. Maybe when he releases a new full length I'll outplay the shit out of this Extended Play but for now, I'll play it like it was his last.

Official site
Myspace
Last.fm

Part 1

Elsewhere but still The Tallest Man on Earth Relation:

Check out Kristian Matsson covering "Dancing in the Moonlight" with a full band on a Swedish show called "Pa Sparet". It must be some kind of game show because everyone looks really serious rather than super excited that this is happening right now. I think overall it looks really funny with Matsson dancing around with just a sweater and pants on while all these dressed up musicians behind him play a spot on interpretation of the original track. This is definitely not the kind of cover that we see from Matsson as it is not a stripped down version of the original; just him and his guitar and that voice. I still love it because this is not a King Harvest "Dancing in the Moonlight" cover but a "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)" Thin Lizzy cover... and boy do I love Thin Lizzy! Plus it's cool to see what Matsson can do with a tune by another legendary voice, Phil Lynott.

Enjoy!

Monday 10X

Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday.

shoe - Orphans EP (2009)

Shoe is Sean Gibat. He's from Morgantown, West Virginia. He plays laid back musix. This is his short little EP, Orphans.

The way he sings reminds me a lot of Microphones/Mount Eerie with a more pop/electronic influence.  I'd check out the track "The Clock" for a good example of this. It doesn't necessarily sound like Phil though.

Last.fm

Kim Janssen - The Truth is, I am Always Responsible (2009)

I dare you to listen to this album and not be even a little sad. Do it. You won't.

Kim Janssen comes to us from indie band, The Black Atlantic, hailing from The Netherlands. His soft Dutch voice is very light and wispy yet it still has the ability to catch your attention (something not all singer-songwriters can do these days... at least for me). You may disagree.

This guy sure knows how to put a damper on things.

Last.fm

The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die - Formlessness (2010)

Don't let the name fool ya, this is legit shit.

Emotional indie rock with little bits of happiness here and there.

They are from Connecticut. This is their first EP.

Let's travel up the the floorboards.

Let's sing to the curtains.

 Last.fm

Lizards Have Personalities - In All Honesty (2010)

It took me awhile to give these guys a proper listen.

Intense angsty skramz for the little punk in you. Stick it to the man, man!

Last.fm

Black Bear - The Cinnamon Phase

Sam Beebe plays some catchy electronic pop music that is both gushy and geeky. With the moniker of Black Bear, Sam has the ability to distract you with his romantic beats while ripping your heart out with his claws. Musically metaphorical claws that is. Black Bear is fun and can easily be used to impress the ladies... At least, I like to think.

Black Bear - The Cinnamon Phase (2006)

The lyrics are quirky, the instruments are electric and the feelings you feel afterwards will be uncomfortably giddy.

If you are a fan of music that reminds you of ex girlfriends, whistling, songs about birds flocking each other, spoken word, your mother, being awkward, not liking Bright Eyes, music that makes you think of the seventh grade, one man electro projects or lists of things you like... You might like Black Bear's The Cinnamon Phase.

I could be totally wrong though.

Last.fm
Myspace
Sam Beebe also got himself a Live at Last.fm session 
And if he wants he'll nap and dream his black bear dreams

Monday VI

It's music. Here's some Monday.

King Guava - King Guava (2010)

Mathy/twinkly emo with a banjo and grass. Vox remind me of Native/The Exploration/Victor! Fix the Sun.

Definitely an interesting blend.

Last.fm

Looshin / Connor Hattersley - Strong Soul High Split EP (2011)

For the life of me I can not remember where I found this. It's just been a tab on my computer all week.

Oh well. I've been listening to Strong Soul High a lot and it sounds really nice and sad to me. Every song kind of has a different style and could branch off into its own thing. The first track is a nice acoustic guitar piece, the second track starts out like an Adam Gnade song, the third track is a bone chilling atmospheric ambient jam, the fourth track sounds a lot like Hardy Morris of Dead Confederate (and the face on Deerhunter's record, Microcastles), the fifth track is a mega somber acoustic instrumental piece and the sixth song is a nice little demo perfect for any indie folk fan.

I'm guessing the first half is Looshin (a young musician from York) and the second is Connor Hattersley, (also a solo musician, not sure if he's also young or from York) but it isn't very clear.

Last.fm (both cats)

Thunderstorms - The Last Level EP (2011)

One man instrumental twinkly emo/punk from Ottawa. It's instrumental because he can't sing (not that should matter with a genre like "twinkle daddie"). I find it enjoyable known the less.

Last two tracks are super fun.

The Self Titled EP is also pretty well done but I don't think it has as much kick as this first release. I'm going to keep listening though and see if that opinion changes.

Last.fm

Autolatry - The Hill (2010)

Here's some more blackened death metal that tells of brutal tales of New England's illustrious history. A little more straight forward than fellow Connecticut heavy band Katahdin.

I'm not a huge death or black metal fan but if I was craving either, I would go for anything that represents New England and its illustrious history!

Props to Karl Chamberlain (vocals) for informing of this!

Last.fm 

Palmkite - Palmkite Demo (2009)

More twinkle for your toes.

Oh I know you. You're the kind of girl who'd love to be the kind of girl who fell in love with the thrill of uncertainty.


Last.fm

Girlfriends

Girlfriends is just Jerry Joiner from the other Portland... Portalnd, Oregon. Jerry makes sweet ass dancy punk music using loops and being a super chill guy. The multipal shouting vox coming from all directions is pure gold. All in all, It's really super fun and easy to get into!

Just got dumped? Let Jerry's music be your new Girlfriend!

Girlfriends - Girlfriends (2009)

and

Girlfriends -  Girlfriends (Reverse) (2009)

The reversed album is a nice little treat of songs from the blue album chopped up, reversed, and/or played around with a little more. Not all songs have had this sweet treatment and that's the only negative thing I can say about it.

I got to see Girlfriends play this past summer which was a real nice surprise. When I walked in to see Jerry perform, I thought I had walked onto the set of Arrested Development shooting their new episodes with George Michael on drums. I was convenced Michael Cera was helping Jerry out on drums during the tour. Later on after the show my friends all scolded me for thinking the drummer was just Michael Cera with a Beau Navire shirt on. Hey, that little awkward man child played bass with Mister Heavenly (Nick Diamonds of Unicorns/Islands fame + Honus Honus of Man Man) on their tour, so I figured maybe he somehow found his way to Jerry Joiner and read the drummer from the band Kickball's book on how to play DIY drums. It could have happened....

Cera also played hurdy gurdy on a Weezer song (according to the internets).

But seriously, the Girlfriends show was awesome! Jerry was backed up by a couple of friends and musicians during his set and while it wasn't all Jerry, it was still a pretty good attempt. Jerry can't play everything at the same time live. It would be amazingly frightful if he did though!

Jerry Joiner is a really chill guy and anything he does should be listened to. Plus, it's also really good.

Last.fm
Jerry Joiner's official page

Oh yeah, and this...

Computer at Sea

Computer at Sea is Galen Richmond from the piney state of Maine. He bends circuits, plays bloops and bleeps on video game consols and beats up on old electrical instruments in an attempt to give his audience a nice homebrood example of electronic pop music. It's a perfect soundtrack for both robots and humans alike.

Computer at Sea - Palace of the Lightbulbs (2011)

The whole thing reminds me of robots dancing around in a sludgy pool of computer acid, slightly miss programed and slowly short circuiting. Richmond truly has a knack for this electronic stuff and it shows.

I've had the great fortune of seeing this gentlemen play a few times. One time at a robot dance party(!) and another with Dan Deacon (an electronic geek in his own right). Every time I see him with his table flooded with gadgets, gadgets of which I have never seen before and certainly don't have any idea how they work or what sound they make, I feel like I am eight years old again... Back when I used to take little nic-nacs from around the house to create a little sculpture that didn't do anything or have any purpose (kind of like this analogy). It was fun and sounded good to me. Just like Computer at Sea.

Computer at Sea also plays a sweet cover of "Be True To Your School" by the Beach Boys which is sweet!

Last.fm
Myspace
Be True To Your School

Thee Jesse Gertz

Jesse Gertz. What you've never heard of him. That's weird. Well, let's just say he's a legend among men. Born and raised in a world where computers made music out of people. He was soon casted out and sent to a small town in Maine for terms unknown. Now in his 19 years of human age he has made a lot of music! Currently, Gertz is performing under the name Glass Fingers. The name change is proof that this young gentleman is always moving ahead and little by little changing things up and sharping his talent. Gertz is a pretty good friend of mine (I dunno if he'd say the same for me but hey, worth the try) and I have listened to his music grow for the past 4ish years. He has a way with electronic music and electronic music has a way with him. His style is comparable to that of another local act known as Computer at Sea (which will be posted sooner or late along with dozens of sweet local acts which will definitely become a big part of this blog), where electronic gadgets are the motors of their musical operation. Jesse Gertz also incorporates some sweet bass and killer keyboard to the mix. Once in a while he will sing and if you ever get a chance to see him live, he has often spooked audiences by his emotionally aggressive delivery of shouting his lyrics, so much so that he begins to shake uncontrollably. Jesse Gertz is most definitely making the music of the future and boy is it always a joyous experience to hear what he'll come up with next. Here are some of his more recent works:

Jesse Gertz AKA Glass Fingers - Album (2010)

Features a spot on cover of Ra Ra Riot's "Can You Tell?" as well as his own take on Computer at Sea's "Sullen Lamp lighters". There is also a really top notch Remix of King Charles's "Love Lust" and a few tracks that were originally planned to be in a EP/short film full of 8bit tracks called Trashbaugh (which was supposed to have me play the bad guy.)

My favorite track has to be Paper Boat (mega fun to hear live)

Glass Fingers - Stranger Ep (2011)

This is a nice little EP that features two remixes of local bands, Huak and The Milkman's Union. It also has a pretty trippy rerub of The Microphones' "Where Lies My Tarp?", Stranger, which he's been playing in his live sets and a never before heard song called "Lose Your Mind" plus its demo.

Last.fm

official Page

Stay tuned for more Glass Fingers and more local acts from the pine tree state known as Maine.