Locktender - Rodin

Locktender - Rodin (2014)

The screamo meets post rock meets art outfit from Cleveland are back with a new album out called Rodin. Like Locktender's previous release, Kafka, this is somewhat of a concept album - this time about the works of Auguste Rodin, a French sculptor best known for "The Thinker, "The Age of Bronze", "The Burghers of Calais", and probably that nude sculpture from the art museum that made you feel weird things when you were a kid.

So, what do songs about sculptures sound like? Well, in a way, they sound like the history behind these large scale figures. For instance, the opening track, "The Burghers of Calais" depicts the scene of six persons of the town of Calais, France stepping up to King Edward III with nooses around their necks to be sacrificed so the rest of the town could live. The track is a lengthy one that echoes the Hundred Year's War in a way. "The Thinker" as a song is filled with a feeling of sorrow and pain delivered by always powerful Locktender vocals.

The second track is about Rodin's most famous piece, The Thinker. The Thinker is a sculpture of a man, well, thinking. He's seated with his chin resting on his arm as if deep in thought. The Thinker was originally apart of the Gates of Hell, a detailed group piece that was based on Dante's Inferno. Locktender take this piece and turn it into a gripping emotional hardcore track that deals with "a modern world built on a tired titans back".


Who knew sculptures could sound so cool?

Locktender are a band that do not settle with one genre and call it a day. Their work is always different depending on the subject material. Take a listen to the third track about the "Eternal Springtime" sculpture and you will see how much range these folks have. Locktender aren't just another band playing loud music, they do their homework (lame, right), but in the end it comes off so much more like an experience than just one sided music. One sided music not about sculptures.


Official Site
Bandcamp
Last.fm

Dakota/Dakota

Dakota/Dakota - Shoot In The Dark + (2010)

Believe it or not before there was Russian Circles, there was this band. At first listen one would think these guys would be a Don Caballero project, especially from looking at the obscure song titles, but as it turns out this was the math rock band that Mike Sullivan and Colin DeKuiper of RC were in before taking on a somewhat different and much more metal whack at instrumental music. This is Dakota/Dakota.

Before disbanding in 2004, Dakota/Dakota had released their debut album, Shoot In The Dark out into the underground music world. The album is very reminiscent of Caballero, Piglet, Cinemechanica, and Volta Do Mar music of the early 00's, but without ever sounding too much like a clone of any of those bands in particular. From what it seems, Dakota/Dakota were just playing around with instruments and making them do some pretty off-tempo and cool sounding nonsense and eventually one day someone said, "the hell with this, let's stop fucking with the melody". Thus, Russian Circles was born. I can't say I blame them if any bit of this is true or if I'm completely off, but these folks from Chicago (not Dakota) could produce quite a melody before turning the corner and going off in the opposite direction again.

Along with Shoot In The Dark, Dakota/Dakota released a 7" of the first song on SITD with two b-sides, some loose tracks from a Redline Distribution Sampler in '04, and a split with Riddle in Steel (which was the band Dave Turncrantz drummed for before Russina Circles). All of the material that Dakota/Dakota have since been put on this album, Shoot In The Dark + and even includes a never before released D/D track.


Last.fm

K.C. Milian

K.C. Milian - Discography (2012)

In honor of the first day of spring, albeit rainy spring, I present to you a band that will be sure to keep you going through these rainy day before the real sunshine takes over and we have summer for a month.

This is, or was, K.C. Milian, a short-lived Italian screamo/post rock that mostly falls under the instrumental side of things, although there are a couple songs in their catalog that include vocals, but are really only used to complement the music. Speaking of their catalog, this is all of it; this album features everything, I'm pretty sure, that K.C. Milian ever released.


This band reminds me so much of the bands that I first got into when I started to read blogs and listen to music online. I think that even if you aren't a fan of screamo/emo but are a fan of things like American Football, twinkly stuff, and early math rock noodling, one can easily find comfort in K.C. Milian's material. Maybe K.C. Milian will even get someone to seek out other "screamo" bands in the same vein as this. Maybe not and that's fine; just as long as this stuff is getting listens, I'm happy.

The album includes music from their Season // Repeat EP, their self-titled EP, "A Cusak movie" from their split with another Italian band, La Quiete, and three previously unreleased numbers.

Similar acts/sounds: La Quiete, The Khayembii Communique, American Football, Ghosts and Vodka, I Would Set Myself on Fire For You, Saeita, Rumah Sakit, Men As Trees, and just K.C. Milian.

Last.fm

Don Caballero - World Class Listening Problem

NFT looks back at things from before its time: the year 2006.

Don Caballero - World Class Listening Problem (2006)

It's no American Don, but Don Caballero's 2006 release, World Class Listening Problem is still a listening experience that apologizes to no one. Five years removed from American Don and only one member of the original lineup left (Mr. Don Cab himself, Damon Che), World Class Listening Problem was bound to be different.

One of the biggest differences about World Class Listening Problem was that it was released by Relapse records, a predominately metal record label. Despite the new label, Don Cab did not turn into mathcore, but they did however get heavier than ever before; not heavy to a point of it sounding too progressive or cheesy, but heavy to point where it is a bit more riff-y than just twinkly guitars over incredible drumming. There's nothing wrong with being 'twinkly', I love me some twinkle daddy music, but it's cool to hear what something would sound like with a little more beef to it. That's what's different about World Class Listening Problem: it is beefy.

Once you bulk up your music though, you do lose a little flexibility. I think that's what makes this release a little less of an essential. Without that lightness to it that early Don Cab albums have, WCLP seems to be stuck in the mud almost instead of just flowing naturally. Of course, this minor flaw that's more about taste than anything else could also be due in part by the lack of guitarist Ian Williams, who was off doing his thing in Battles by this time.

Still, World Class Listening Problem is something different, and that's what I like about it. You get to hear a deeper side of Don Caballero and you can still enjoy it. As my Personal Development teacher would say: it's a win/win situation.

Highlights: "Mmmmm Acting, I Love Me Some Good Acting", "I Agree.....No!.....I Disagree", Railroad Cancellation" (Featured on Sons of Anarchy apparently), and "Savage Composition".


Similar acts/sounds: Battles, Bellini, Stress & Storm, Pneu, Dysrhythmia, Piglet, Hella, Giraffes? Giraffes!, Tera Melos, and other straight-up instrumental "math rock" bands.

Relapse Records
Bandcamp
Last.fm

NFT Classic: A Tribute to Tigers

By the End of Tonight - A Tribute to Tigers (2005)

By the End of Tonight were a somewhat short lived math rock/post rock/instrumental band from Texas. BTEOT were also one of the first "Math Rock" bands I discovered after finding Zach Hill's first solo-album, Astrological Straits in a skateboarding magazine almost five years ago and had to find more music like it and fast. That being said, I always felt that these guys had a closer resemblance to the untouchable instrumental music of Hella than most other math rock-like bands I would eventually discover for the next few years. Maybe it's the metal influence or maybe it has to do with the furious approach, but either way, this is probably the only band that has ever come close to capturing the sound-plus-energy that I first heard from Zach Hill/Hella. But the best part is: By The End of Tonight still had their own unique and original sound. They were just what I was craving for.

A Tribute to Tigers is BTEOT's second release after their initiation debut full-length, ...In a Letter to the Sandbox. Both were recorded live and are almost completely instrumental except for some random yelling and a few written lyrics in "Stop, Drop, and Roll Does Not Work...". A Tribute to Tigers also features by favorite BTEOT track, "Setting Sail in April". Check it out:

Similar acts/sounds: Hella, Tera Melos, Piglet, Volta Do Mar, Sleeping People, Dysrhythmia, Pneu, Lightning Bolt, etc...

Bandcamp
Last.fm

NFT's Got You Covered with the Cover of the Year

There was a few good covers to choose from this year but this one definitely stands out as numero uno...

That means number one.

Deafheaven - Punk Rock/Cody (Mogwai cover) (2012)

This intense cover of two songs originally by Mogwai from their album, 'Come On Die Young' comes from Deafheaven's 12'' split with Bosse-de-Nage. While the "Punk Rock" (the intro), and "Cody" are two different tracks on Mogwai's 2006 release, Deafheaven has combined them into one big post black post metal post rock track.

Deafheaven also mix things up with their choice of a spoken word sample for "Punk Rock". While Mogwai's original featured Iggy Pop discussing punk rock no less, Deafheaven's rendition features the words of William Faulkner (talking about fear I'm guessing) followed by some atmospheric black metal piano!

Take a listen:

Be sure to also check out Bosse-de-Nage's side of the split as well.

...and Mogwai's tracks "Punk Rock" and "Cody" if you haven't heard them before:

Both Deafheaven and Bosse-de-Nage are from the "Bay Area" (San Francisco, California). They both play a unique blend of black metal without being from Norway or looking the part. Some like to call that hipster black metal.

I could care less what they wear or where they're from...

The Flenser records
Official site
Last.fm

3rd Day of NFT Christmas

Day 3.

Music:

I LIKE TRAINS - The Christmas Tree Ship (2008) (re-released 2012)

I LIKE TRAINS (formerly iLiKETRiANS) re-released their 2008 instrumental concept album entitled, 'The Christmas Tree Ships' after the tragic November 23, 1912 sinking of the Rouse Simmons, a schooner that was nicknamed the Christmas Tree Ship since it carried Christmas trees. 

This time though, I LIKE TRAINS has decided to make it one continues stream of music rather than 5 different tracks. Usually I'm not a big fan of tracks from albums becoming one long piece for my convenience, but this is really much better as one entity. Plus, it's post rock. Post rock tracks are supposed to be long and contain all sorts of parts or "scenes" to give them that orchestral story-telling feel.

The Christmas Tree Ship's "scenes" include, the opening title track about the Rouse Simmons itself, the next three about the other ships that sank that night: "South Shore", "Two Brothers" and "Three Sisters", and the last track, "Friday, Everybody Goodbye" which is dedicated to the opening line of a message in a bottle thrown overboard by the captain. 

Also, if historic ship-sinkings and everyone dying doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, I LIKE TRAINS also have their rendition of "Last Christmas" which is still available here.

Official page

Bandcamp

Last.fm

The Littlest Viking

The Littlest Viking (also spelled without the "the" capitalized, I guess) are a two piece math rock/progressive/instrumental/occasional-random-vocals/seemingly-clever-song-title act from San Pedro, California. These are their two albums:

Labor & Lust (2009)

Favorite track: "The McRib is Back!?!"




The Littlest Viking (2012)

Recorded by Jay Pellici of Dilute/Natural Dreamers/31Knots fame!

Favorite track: "The Little Brony"


There's also a song about Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure Time in there too..

Similar acts/sounds: Shapes Like Dinosaurs, Pretend, Enemies, Tenebre, Adebisi Shank, LITE, Pneu, Time Columns, The Bulletproof Tiger, Dilute, and... you get the picture...

Bandcamp
Mountain Man Records' bandcamp
Their cover of "Narcolepsy" (Third Eye Blind)
Official page
Last.fm

Monday XXXXXIV

It's getting a bit nippy out there...

TotorRo - Home Alone EP (2012)

TotorRo are post rock/metal act out of Rennes , France. These gents (or should I say, hommes) are on the same label as KYOTY and AmanRa, if that says anything. Which it should since those aforementioned cats are crazy good, too. The label is Tokyo Jupiter Records, of which I've hopefully mentioned before to y'all.

'Home Alone' is the name of this new EP here and is just a taste of what's to come via their upcoming album.



Tokyo Jupiter Records
Last.fm

Brightside - Seconds Matter (2012)

Brightside of Pittsburgh play a wonderful array of emotionally fun-filled indie rock and punk-y music. The band itself is comprised of ex-members of Code Orange Kid and The Edukators. And that's 'bout all we need to know.

Oh, and their bandcamp page hurts my eyes.



Last.fm


if and it - Grrr Boo Hiss (2012)

Local dreary folk warlords, if and it have been releasing so much music this year that I can hardly keep track of it all. It probably doesn't help matters that I heard about as much if and it I wanted to listen to for a whole year, last New Year's Eve, but that's beside the point. 'Grr Boo Hiss' is their newest work to be released this year following Bleeding Moon (released last summer) and Sparkly Gold (released in May) and honestly, I don't think I would have given it the time of day - until, say, next year - but the fact that it was recorded in a cabin somewhere in New Hampshire during hurricane Sandy, well.... how I couldn't not give it a proper listen? That would be un-American of me or something.

Cheers to these guys for daring the elements for the love of rock 'n' roll last week. Wish I could say the same for the HMS Bounty...



Facebook
Last.fm

6 Degrees

Nothing says "take that storm" like some dark and cloudy post metal.

Of course, by "take that" I mean "fuck you".

6 Degrees - I & II (2012)

6 Degrees, hailing from the great Mother Russia, provide a beautifully gray scene of post rock/metal and sludge that is sometimes dabbed with peoples' voices concerned about global warming. Like I said, perfect storm music. Errrr, minus the perfect storm part. 

These two albums (I &II) only hold three tracks each. From "Fifth Degree" to "Sixth Degree". Most tracks are over 7 minutes (lots of 10 minuters) like any post metal piece should be, but I suggest listening to them as one big long track if you have the time.

In all seriousness though about this storm, even though I wasn't hit with anything more than a bit of zealous wind, other places like New Jersey took Sandy head-on and unfortunately, some parts are pretty much underwater. As metal as that might sound even without the mention of the sharks, that brutally stinks. Just something to keep in mind when you are whining about how wimpy this storm was and how hype-happy the media got. Storms suck whether they are the biggest in years or not.

Last.fm

HOST / KYOTY - Split

I meant to post this a little earlier, but the times got ahead of me. Anyhow, here is both sides of the Host/KYOTY split starting with KYOTY.

KYOTY's side

Man oh man, if you haven't read any of my previous rants about KYOTY yet, you best start doing so now! KYOTY (Keep Your Opinions To Yourself) are a post metal juggernaut from New Hampshire. They play some of the heaviest and just flat-out intense shows around (if you live in the New England area)! Wall after wall of sound and shear man-power, right here.

This split only has one track by KYOTY but it is one of their best; and one of their newest. No matter how loud you play this song, it will never capture the sound and intensity of hearing and witnessing it live.

The track is called, "Taking the Red Blood for Granted... Oh, How We Walk On Green Grass".

To further prove KYOTY's awesomeness, these guys played a show last month at Castle in the Clouds in New Hampshire. I'm not sure how the show went, but they played in the courtyard of a castle on top of a mountain during a car show! If that's not metal as fucking metal itself... then I don't know what is.

Facebook
Bandcamp
Official site
Last.fm

Host's side

Host is also from New Hampshire. They also play some dark and intense music, but in the form of hardcore. I have yet to see Host play their music in front of my face, but I'm guessing it would be pretty hardcore.

Host bring 3 tracks to this split. They are titled, I, II, and III on Hydrogen Man Records's bandcamp, but are listed as "I Tarry", "Keep Your Opinions To Yourself", and "On Drowning", on their bandcamp.

They're pretty hardcore.

Facebook
Bandcamp
Official site
Last.fm

P.S. KYOTY will be playing at Genos in Portland, Maine this weekend. I'll be home from school and in the Portland area, but unfortunately am not 21 yet... Shit happens. Go to this if you are 21+. You lucky bastards. I mean it! DO IT!

NORD

Nord - Nord (2012)

Nord was a short-lived screamo/post hardcore act out of Chambéry, France. If you are a fan of other French screamo bands such as Daitro, Sed Non Satiata, Le pré où je suis mort, or Aussitôt Mort, you'll most likely enjoy the six songs that these gents put out.

Though this album was just released, they called it quits sometime last year.

All props go to My Endless Minute for this one.

Bandcamp
Last.fm (nothing about them)

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

Pelican Post Motel

Just thought I'd mention that I'm not dead and also mention how interesting the new Pelican album is.

The new Pelican album is pretty interesting. There. I said it.

Pelican - Ataraxia/Taraxis (2012)

But seriously, this new EP by the Windy City post metal militia, Pelican, is equally a new experience for them as it is for us. With the album's conception in multiply different studios and times as well as new sounds in the body of their work like laid back instrumentation and even acoustic guitar (not a first, however*), Pelican created a fresh little album for us while experimenting with new ways of working and making music for themselves. For that I thank them. Post metal, post rock or instrumental music can be a very daunting thing at times - especially today when there is a thousand different ( and I use that word loosely) bands that can play a heavy riff over and over again without a singer anywhere insight - so, yeah, it's always nice to hear something new and interesting from such a band that could just pull out days and days of sludgy, walls of sound, metal. There's nothing wrong with that but it's even better that they challenged themselves to try new things (that totally don't suck) and progress. The use off acoustic instruments and taking a step back from the heaviness may have been done in previous works of theirs before but it is still very interesting to hear it as a much more focused element than just a slight interlude of album break. The boys in Pelican are definitely doing nothing but good as a band right now and I look forward to hearing what they have for us next. 

*Other acoustic oriented Pelican tracks I can of right now would be, "Wind With Hands" from City of Echoes (2007), the untitled track from Fire In Our throats Will Beckon the Thaw (2005), and the untitled track from Australasia (2003) which is one of my favorite Pelican tracks as well as one of my favorite songs featuring the majestic singing saw. All these tracks are really damn good and probably the reason I find this EP more interesting the must of Pelican's last album.

PS: This mug will hopefully be posting a MONDAY XXXXX soon and it will be read as XXXXX x2 or something stupid like that as I missed it this week and owe it to myself and all of the internet world to get it out there and with much more as it's the big five-o and such. I had sort of the ability to squeeze a Monday post out this Monday but honestly I don't have a lot of material right now and it wouldn't feel right. Sometimes squeezing and not feeling right just means you are doing it wrong...

Also, this blog is a whole year old. Yeah! so much for a big post, whatever. Next year will have to do. here's to being a year old! OOH-RAH!

PSS: Pelican Post Motel is a motel in Bradenton Beach, Florida. It's rated 2 stars on Kayak.com.

Official site
Bandcamp (Track 3, "Lathe Biosas" is free)
Last.fm

Monday XXXXVII

It's a Christmas miracle!


Adult Braces - Demo (2012)

Adult Braces is Pat Graham from the Blink 182 for white people pop punk outfit, Spraynard. Adult Braces is also essentially Spray (that's short for Spraynard) all stripped down and personal-like, which is super cool as I've become quite a fan of Graham's band lately and hearing this 'acoustic spin on things' is really nice. There's also a shout out to The Adventures of Pete & Pete in the second track, "Younger Games" which is really really nice (out of context, of course - listen and you'll know what I mean).

Last.fm

innards/two knights - Split (2011)

Usually I like to save any good splits I find, which is not often enough these days, and place them in a big split post were they can sit next to a bunch of other splits and look pretty. Well, to be honest, I have this terrible feeling that I'm going to leave this one out. So I've decided to put it here instead as it is on my mind and won't go unnoticed.

These two bands, despite sharing the same record, are quite different I might add. While innards take on  the screamo and noise sound of things, Two Knights tackle the twinkly, obscure vocals side, and damn do they do a good job of it. Two Knights are just one of those bands that make sounding absolutely annoying and inaudible, well... super audible and catchy as shit. A very nice example of a two different tastes yet totally works kind of split we have right here.

It looks like this split might also be called, 'No Scum Allowed' from what I make out on the album art right there, but I'm not sure. Just thought I'd point that out... Not to insult your intelligence or eyesight or anything.

Last.fm (innards)
Last.fm (Two Knights)

And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs (2011)

I can't remember if I just put this album off by the Irish experimental post rock/math rockers, And So I Watch You From Afar last year or slept on it, and yes, I literally mean I slept through it. Not because it is boring or anything, it is far from it, it is just that most post rock albums I put on, I put on right as I'm going to bed. If I had slept through the album rather than listening to it a year later, I pretty much screwed myself over. The Irish know how to make some pretty interesting and technical instrumental music (e.g. Enemies, Adebisi Shank, Wiltz) and native's ASIWYFA gave it their all last year to prove they are one of the top players. The results came in and they ended up  creating a very exciting, original sounding record that is much more math rock than it is sleeper post rock. So yeah, don't sleep on this album.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

Monday XXXXVI

Ayeyeye!

Wheelchair Sports Camp - Where We Live EP (2012)

Wheelchair Sports Camp is a disabled, but held down by no one, female rapper from Denver. I had a chance to see her perform the other night at a hip-hop show (+ drag show but that's a story for another time) that truly blew me away! Accompanied by live sax and drum work from the "renegade marching band", What Cheer? Brigade, Wheelchair Sports Camp relentlessly spit deep rhymes, only coming for air to thank everyone for showing up on time and that she was from Denver. I was really impressed by her rapping ability and how her flow with the electronic beats and live instruments blended together.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair, she seems very free with the music she is making! I hope to see her and 'Wheelchair Sports Camp' get the recognition they deserve. Listen up!

Last.fm


3nd - World Tour (2009)

 Really superb math rock from Japan. Like a lot of other Japanese math groups but a little more energetic sounding at times like Pneu or early Tera Melos but also have a very sharp post rock side to them as well. The speed is what I enjoy most, hands down.

Last.fm

Rob Sonic - Sabotage Gigante (2007)

Saw this at a local record store the other day for 2 bucks and remembered how much I liked it after hearing some of Sonic's stuff on the Tony Hawk games (where I got most of my hip-hop taste from truthfully. Looking back on the games though, the hip-hop featured in the series was actually pretty high class stuff!). My rediscovery of this album only strengthens my current hip-hop mood I'm in and is hopefully appropriate for you guys too!

Stand out tracks include, "Smoke If You Got 'um" featuring Aesop Rock, "Spy Hunter" featuring Busdriver, and "Mother Of All Bombs" which can be heard in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland!

Last.fm

Sorry for the links. Things got worse this week as my keyboard tricked me into letting me use all caps but signed me out of my Google accounts. I can't seem to get back in even though I have copy pasta'd my password into the password box multiple times... My keyboard is now back to symbols only and I'm doing this on my smart phone of choice that kind of rhymes with fuckyouimnotgoingtoworkPhone.

Monday XXXXV

Laptop died. Laptop lived. Keyboard dead.

The End Of The Ocean - In Excelsis (MMXII)

Just some nice instrumental post rock out of Columbus, Ohio. Tracks one and three are top pops.

THE CD CAN BE PLAYED ON A TURNTABLE!
Last.fm

Babytown Frolics - Reminds You Of Drugs You've Heard Of (MMXI)

Twinkly math rock about whales, science, drugs, and keeping it real. They're from New Haven, I believe.

Last.fm

Daitro - Des cendres, je me consumme (MMIII)

An oldie by one of the best in the "screamo" business. These french lads are the reason I listen to some of the things I do now. Do yourself a favor and listen to these guys if you don't already now! For your health!

Last.fm

It's been a week since I spilled my iced tea on my laptop keyboard causing it to short circuit and go into a momentary laptop coma. The laptop finally came to the next day but the keyboard itself thinks it is in alt/Option mode... which means without this being typed out in google translator, everything looks like this: Òˆ´ ˇÓˆÍ ÂŘ˝¯ ˆˇ ‰´ÅÒÒÁ ‰´ÅÒÒÁ ͨÇÍ Å˜Î ˆÍ ∏ˆÍ͈˜˝ ´ ‰ˆ˝Óˇ ØÏÏ


I hope to have everything back in order this week, especially with August coming up and this blog's 1 year anniversary. Until I fully figure out all the bugs and kinks though, please excuse the appearance of my latest posts. I also hope to edit last week's Monday post back into its correct form that I had originally planned it to be in. Please and thank you ~ New Keith

Houston We Have A Problem - Shipwreck

Houston We Have A Problem - Shipwreck (2006)

Houston We Have A Problem was the first ("real") "screamo" band I ever encountered and even though I would begin listening to this 2006 release, 'Shipwreck' mostly for the edgy post rock crescendos and texture it featured, I would eventually, over time, come back to it for the way that they blended the vocals and screaming into such an emotional atmosphere. Sometimes screaming is just another instrument, sometimes it's a cry for help. Houston We Have A Problem successfully used both to their advantage. And by successfully, I mean pretty freakin' well. 

Apart from manipulating the post rock to screamo, slow to choatic approach like that of City of Caterpillar and/or Men of Trees, Houston We Have A Problem (especially on 'Shipwreck') used extensive samples (obviously a big interest of mine) that open the songs up like story books and accent their instrumental work that overlaps the words. And as the album name as well as the song titles "Poseidon, Angered", "Titanic, The First Victim", "Calm Seas Become the Squall", or "Valdez, Drunk Driving is Punishable on Water Also" suggest, this is a maritime themed (and maybe conceptive) release. That may not be as cool to you as it is to me but I live for this kind of stuff. It's in my blood.  The conversations and words that were sampled in this album, self-released by the way, don't seem like they are sea themed as the rest of the album tends to lead you on about, but are actually mostly from a movie called, 'The Legend of 1900' that not only deals with life at sea but also the music of the time after World War II. I have yet to see this film but from what I know about it, it sounds right up my alley. 

Also, one of the coolest parts about the screaming that goes on in this album is that it isn't just one guy screaming his brains out non-stop, but the whole band, and with the whole band on vocal duties, it makes for quite the listen. Most notably due to all the different shrills and yelps that each member of this four piece brought to this recording... a recording that surely has some of the most original yelling I have ever heard, hands down. 

Houston We Have A Problem has since broken up, but not without releasing three self produced albums (The Sky Did Not Crack and the Stars Did Not Fall, Punk is Dead, and Shipwreck). After calling it quits, some members went on to form Who Goes There? and the others went on to form Perfect Future. If you're liking what you are hearing from HWHAP, I definitely suggest you go check those bands out as well. There's not a lot of ways to listen to them but hey, this is 2012, kid... you'll figure it out. 

Similar acts/sounds: City of Caterpillar, Gospel, Circle Takes the Square, Envy, Who Goes There?, Perfect Future, Men As Trees/Locktender, I Create, The Caution Children, We Were Skeletons, Lizards Have Personalities, and other bands not named Houston We Have A Problem. 

"Take a piano. Keys begin, keys end. You know there are 88 of them. Nobody can tell you any different. They are not infinite. You are infinite...

And on those keys, the music that you can make... is infinite. I like that. That I can live by..."

Myspace
Last.fm (it's all there! And free!)

There Will Be Fireworks

There Will Be Fireworks - There Will Be Fireworks (2009)

Since I mentioned this album in my last post, I figured I'd post it now for your enjoyment and your ears. Plus, it really does go hand and hand with 'Travels In Constants 13' by Appendix Out, in my opinion.

There Will Be Fireworks is an indie/post rock/shoegaze-y band from Glasgow. Their self-title debut was self-released in 2009 and features a whole bunch or scottish accents, spoken word by Kevin Macneil*, orchestral instrumentation and fanfare, emotional and angsty autumn/spring feels, and yes, even fireworks.

Maybe.

With all the twists and turns of this album like that of changing seasons, you can absolutely tell this album took a year to record. Take it for what it is and ignore the name. Or the haters. Or love the name. Or love the haters.

*The three spoken word bits are performed by:

Kevin Macneil, who lent his voice for the first track, "Columbian Fireworks". The narration was written and recorded exclusively for the band.

and

Marshall Craigmyle, the bands soundman, on the track, "A Kind of Furnace". He was reading a passage from the Ian McEwan book, Enduring Love.

and

Lastly, Edward R. Murrow quickly appears on the end of "Says Aye". Murrow is sampled from a 50's US Government informercial about nuclear warfare.

I sound like I know a lot about this album but I really just read this play-by-play article I found on Scotsman.com. Check it out after or before listening if you want, depending on if you like ruining surprises or not.

Similar acts/sounds: We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Twilight Sad, Frightened Rabbit, Idlewild, My Latest Novel, Arab Strap, The Appleseed Cast, Moving Mountains and more post rock with words/scottish accent bands.

Bandcamp
Official site
Last.fm

Friday Streaming!

The past couple of weeks I've been holding on to some  really splendid finds that are too interesting to just ignore. To counter this and to post some stuff with no DLs, here's another friday streaming. On free friday no less...

On good friday no less.

Mental Architects - Celebrations (2012)

Celebrations by Mental Architects is a post rock/math rock album that is simple but complex. It's nothing new by a long shot but still everything you would expect and want from such an album. Joseph Andreoli, the guitarist for Giraffes? Giraffes! plays on "When Sound Turns You Into A Person He Becomes One Of Us, a track that is currently free on their Bandcamp. Giraffes? Giraffes! actually posted this on their F-book page so that's how I found it. If they are touring together or anything like that, they should come on up here to Maine sometime. ;)

Last.fm 

AWAAS - AWAAS EP (2012)

AWAAS (or Awaas) are a group made up of the now defunct Conifer and Ocean which I guess you could argue makes them a mini-super-group from Portland, Maine (since they come from two of the most important local bands in Maine's music history). I saw these gentleman back in december and asked them if they had any plans for releasing material. They informed me that they were sooner or later going to release a demo with the track "Burial Ground" on it. I also asked them which members were from Conifer and which were from Ocean but I now I forget. Anyways, this is the demo they told me about and it's pretty chill. You can really tell just from the first track that 'AWAAS' is more on the direction of the members past exist as Confier than it is the heavy and doom and groom metal onslaught of Ocean. The band does more to receptively pound a jamming riff or groove into your brain than cast you into the ring of hell where there's a lot of pitting. I also more recently saw another band made up of ex-members of Ocean and learned first heard that not only were these guys still raising hell but are still getting the tough kids excited as well. I'm totally not 100% behind AWAAS's vocal choices but it definitely makes more sense on this s/t EP then it did at the show when the lead singer was "sicker than a dog". 

Enjoy this three song demo/EP and be sure to check in from time to time for anything else AWAAS related if you like what you hear. 

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If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest (2012)

If These Trees Could Talk have a new album out called Red Forest. It will probably be somewhere on here again on a best of the year end list or something but I'll just leave it here for now so I don't forget and don't have to wait until then. 

Red Forest is by no means a departure from any of the other releases ITTCT has dropped, but like I've said before, if I want to listen to some post rock then I would turn to these guys... which I can now do even harder since there's a third album to choose from. By turning to ITTCT, I'm also getting the chance to a none run-of-the-mill post rock band but a band that plays post rock with depth, musically sound structures and fun-ass spiraling and storytelling guitar. I will also say that the track "They Speak With Knives" has to be my new favorite track for it's clever drum work that to me sounds a bit like Russian Circles' kind of stuff . I just wish it was "They WOULD Speak With Knives". That's what the trees would say. 

Bad joke, I know.

It was also really cool to find this new release the day after my KYOTY/Boston adventure. It was a very post-whatever morning afternoon that day.

Science of Silence Records 

Last.fm

Lastly,

Time Columns - Mana (2012)

This is another (but slightly different) post rock/math rock band that has just released their debut full-length for the world to hear. And by the world, I mean: who ever is willing to listen. This is Time Columns' debut album, Mana and it is pretty neat. 

I'd say as a rule, if any album starts out with the sounds of an ocean or a beach, I'm probably going to like it. Since this whole blog is really just a vehicle for me to express the things I love and obsesses over, and I'm not even talking about the music here, I think it is safe to say that Time Columns easily hit a soft spot for me when they decided to mix math rock (and all that other stuff) with the ocean. I wish the whole album had that sample of the beach that is in the opening track! I would eat that shit up like it was bread. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to talk about how cool and experimentally this album gets after getting over the 11 minute snoozer that is track 2 but first I have to make my love for such things very clear with all of you. You know, since this is the read New Keith getting excited about things that don't even really have anything to do with music show. 

Anyways, that's enough of that. Mana starts with that unexpected beach math rock opener, turns a corner to a more straight forward post rock look at things, turns around again and throws a curve ball at you with a acoustic sounding loopy jam with a few "dings", follows that up with something we hadn't heard before from Times Columns which is them singing and it works out great and sounds acceptable especially since it's still full of lots twists and turns, and then ends with a nice little oriental math rock jingle (if I'm aloud to say that) with gongs and plucked strings that slowly builds into nothing... this is until... We hear the beach again!! But this time only for a few seconds until a acoustic guitar comes in and a group of people show up to the party you weren't invited to! Who are these people and why are they inaudibly talking over that beautiful sound of waves crashing into the shore while crickets chirp the night away?! This is Mana.

Oh well, it still sounds good to me and to be honest, the album does end with the water coming in and all the people going home. 

Mana is definitely an all over the place kind of album. I wouldn't say that is really a bad thing, it's much more entertaining than a constant up and down post rock album and much much more entertaining than a down and out post rock album. I'd ask that people go check this album out and study it for themselves, it's got a lot of good in it. These guys might seem like cheaters for using all this looping and live instrument sampling, but this is 2012... look at what we can do with all that technology now. Look!

Mana is out now and can be found on their Bandcamp for 500 doll hairs. 

I'm also very interested to know what Mana is about...

Bandcamp 

Last.fm