Attic Abasement - Dancing is Depressing

Mike Rheinheimer from Attic Abasement is the kind of guy that does not give a fuck. he would not give even a fuck if Jesus himself came back. That is, according to the songs he sings and how he goes about singing them. With a dry, seemingly unemotional and often vulgar dialect, Mike gives Attic Abasement a little bit of a sarcastic edginess that he delivers right to your ears. Is he bitter? Is he upset? I don't think so...

Attic Abasement - Dancing is Depressing (2010)

Is Attic Abasement just a vehicle for Mike to express how bummed he is? maybe, but I just think that the dry and lackadaisicalness in his delivery is just how he sings and an influence on straight-forward, alright here we go, I'm going to sing this, kind of style made famous by guys like David Berman (Silver Jews) or Bill Callahan (Smog). Again, I'm only making this judgement according to how he sings and that he actually plays a cover of "Self Ignition" by Silver Jews. Anyway you slice it though, I have always liked it since day one!

Other notable bits would have to be the simple but laid back sprinkles of guitar and drums that accompany Mike's unique vox. And that he throws in seemingly awkward lines such as "I... can't think with my dick", "lady, I'm sorry but you married a dick", "I'm sorry about your dick" any other line using "dick" and are actually sung at such a "I don't give a fuck" attitude that they don't sound awkward at all and actually stick like glue. The constant use of lines are also super catchy. Catchy!?! That's right, did I mention this music is also super catchy? It's super catchy.

Here's his 2010 release, Dancing is Depressing. All the tracks pretty much follow the same style with some just a little more acoustic. The standout tracks have to go to "Australia" and "A Werewolf"(*example below*).

Similar sounds/acts: Silver Jews, A Wonderful, Hello Shark, Dad Rocks!, Smog, Kimya Dawson, Coma Cinema (at times) and some more maybe... We'll find 'em!

Official site
Bandcamp
Last.fm (all tracks from Dancing is Depressing are free under "tracks")

Why wouldn't you make friends with me?

Monday XXVI

Spring forward, kids.

It's monday again.

Pteradon - ¡Viva! (2011)

Pteradon play and sing some manly voiced punk rock. They can easily be compared to bands in similar vein like Iron Chic, Kudrow, Joyce Manor, and Spraynard among others along those lines. I'm really digging the pack and a half of Kools a day vox and the "sloppy and gruff" sounds that follow it.

Pteradon is the "sister band" of Shinobu, another cool band that everyone should look into, myself included.

Last.fm

Change Leopard - Gaiden (2010)

Every Change Leopard (one man band?) release has been a little different in sound so far from what I've gathered. Gaiden is no exception as "gaiden" actually means something like a body of work as a side story; "somewhat outside the canon". It's japanese and is usually seen most commonly with "Ninja" in from of it.  Gaiden is the result of being stuck inside the house with a drum kit for 4 months. Their is no mention of why the artist was stuck in the house but it obviously caused a different feel and style. Where previous pieces seemed to focus on minimalist electronic not-quite-danceable dance tempo music, Gaiden shows us a more live-drum shoegazed and spaced out upbeat side of things. Maybe I just really like the name of the project itself, Change Leopard, as it is a reference to the Japanese version of Spiderman by Toei, but maybe there's something in this whole variety/gaiden/departure of work business that I really dig!

Toei's Spider-man series was essentially a very early Power Rangers AKA Super Sentai. Leopardon was Spider-man's giant robot (zord, if you will) that transformed when he yelled, "Change Leopardon!"

Definite check out tracks on Gaiden would have to be tracks 1 and 5; "Red Afternoon" and "Airport at Dawn".

Last.fm

Laces Out - Where I Grew Up (2010)

Some more punk for y'all! This time in the form of three white kids from my neck of the woods, Portland, Maine. I do not know a lot about these folks personally or have had the chance to see them play but I do know that they sound pretty legit... rough and DIY... just the way it should be.

I'm not sure if these guys are still kicking around anymore or playing any shows anytime soon but I would surely get off my lazy butt and go see 'em. They don't look like they smell that bad either...

Jake Reiger AKA guitar/vocals also has himself a little bit of solo stuff floating around on Bandcamp and such.

Bandcamp
Last.fm

unouomedude - Marsh (2010)

Sometimes you just have to be the mood for certain things... especially when it comes to music and especially when it comes to me. Sometimes I don't like things that get hyped because they are dull and boring and sometimes I don't like things just on the fact that it's not that time for them yet. With things like dream pop, lo-fi, chillwave, dreamwave and whatever else will come next, I often find them a little dull and boring. I like things that will get me moving or (if that's not the case) get me to stop moving and chill out. If something is "hyped" and can do both for me, well, then we have a good find. Sometimes that certain hyped item can also go right through me just on the simple conditions that it is not what I'm looking for right now; not the right mood.

With unouomedude, I could sit here and wish it was more bumping and the vox were more chanted, but on a beautiful day like today were I just want summer to come so I can lay on the beach and watch the waves roll in, I totally get it.

I'm in that mood.

Also: Usually I would rag on a band with a name like unouomedude (pronounced you know you owe me dude), and don't get me wrong, this is a pretty hip band name for a band, but I will let it slide... It's comparison to Wavves and how it is the black Wavves is a whole 'nother story.

Also Also: unouomedude has a cover of The Adventures of Pete & Pete Theme! It's nothing like Tera Melo's cover but boy oh boy I still can not resist a Pete & Pete cover!

Last.fm

You can't be a sell out if you just admit you are selling out... just look at Reel Big Fish Time Rush.

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!

Pachangacha + That Time of the Season?

It seems like it was just one week ago that my town was getting pounded in the face by that white stuff that we have all grown to love. Fast forward this week though, and we see people in short shorts and flip-flops. I must have slept on the weather report that announced it was going to be summer yesterday because it seemed as though a bit of blue skies and sunny weather caused everybody to remember how cool it is to not wear pants and heavy snow jackets. I think they also may have forgotten that there's that little teaser season before winter we get here in Maine called spring, a very muddy and rainy season that seems to last a second but feels like winter's mean but cool big brother. I'm not going to lie that yesterday wasn't a record high for March 8th, it was (I read it in The Portland Daily Sun)! And it was a whole 60 degrees too, oh my! But anyways, if you are that kind of person who automatically jumps in to summer mode when you see a warm day ahead these days, this post, and others on the horizon, are totally for you!

Pachangacha - Berserkabunga (2011) 

Pachangacha sport a very clever punk sound that deals with many things such as not living in California, being in college, being a dweeb (a word I use quite often ever since this release), frats, and other things that we all have to deal with. Pachangacha themselves are made of members of another clever punk band,  Chalk Talk as well as some other dudes.

The album has a very summery feel to it, maybe because I listened to it a lot before and during summer last year and probably again this year, but a summer feel to it no less. It'll get you right in the mood to start thinking about the beach and riding bikes. Just turn this bad boy up and pretend you are in your swimming pool eating ice cream while watching the snow melt... or you could actually put swim trunks on and go outside and do it for real. To each their own.

These guys are "Kind of like if Weezer kept playing music from their Blue Album, up'ed the punx, and didn't suck now" (Last.fm)

Last.fm
Bandcamp
Tumblr

NFT's Got You Covered! In a Way!

After a week on hiatus, NFT's Got You Covered is back in action.

This week I have something to share for all that one could contest and say is not a cover album. Not because it doesn't have any covers in it, but that there are songs by certain bands being played my certain individuals in or associated with the group. I would have to disagree however though due to the fact that that means they are not playing as that certain band and actually with their fellow friends (in this case) to bring you a new look at the songs they may or may not have made known to cats. The example I'm trying to get at is Ryan Woods playing The Reason by Defiance, Ohio with his friends Toby Foster and Theo Hilton. Ryan Wood is in Defiance, Ohio but he's not playing it with Defiance, Ohio, he's playing it with Theo and Toby. Just like Grace Slick singing "White Rabbit" with The Great Society vs. Grace Slick singing "White Rabbit" (except maybe if Marty Balin sang it). It is another way of looking at some good music by good people (I'm hoping) with some friends than the usual ones they are on stage with every night. The three I listed above came out with an album together while touring with each other and such. Here it is:

Theo Hilton, Toby Foster, and Ryan Woods - Theo Hilton, Toby Foster, and Ryan Woods (2010)

AKA Three cool dudes from Defiance, Ohio (Theo and Ryan), Nana Grizol (Theo) and Toby Foster, playing some of their hits in acoustic form and some new ones.

For the covers, we have "Old Dead Tree" by Defiance, Ohio sung by Theo who is usually the drummer, "Gave On" by Nana Grizol sung by Theo, "The Reason" by Ryan originally from his band Defiance, Ohio, "Attraction" by Toby Foster and sung by him, and "Cynicism" by Nana Grizol sung by Toby. "Cynicism" is my all time favorite Nana Grizol song and has to be up there as one of my favorite songs of all time. With that being said, I think that the cover is spot on... almost too spot on though and to me it just sounds like the same song but this time with Toby singing it. There is nothing wrong with that, I know a few more Cynicism covers that I have to fill in that emptiness inside me that needs to be filled with Cynicism renditions by other people who like Cynicism. Ruth is such a wonderful album and I always forget it!

The originals are also really cool and exactly what you would expect from these guys. Be sure to check out the originals and their respected bands after you finish this bad boy off. You will not be disappointed. I was disappointed once. It was the day I didn't go to that Nana Grizol show. You know why kids? Because I'm an idiot, that's why!

There's not much else I can say about this gem other then stressing how cool it is that they did this and that they play some fun and simple music.

Plus it's free.

Last.fm
Last.fm (Defiance, Ohio)
Last.fm (Nana Grizol)
Last.fm (Toby Foster)

Monday XXV

More ramblings and four bands that have nothing in common; it's Monday!

Klessa - Aloha Demons (2009) 

At first I was having a little trouble with this find. What bothered me most was the constant use of percussion and other effects that are always going on in this release by New Paltz band of friends and their friends, Klessa. I felt it was a bit too clunky and much too noisy for such a project. A few more listens to Aloha Demons though and I started to enjoy the "everyone just grab an instrument and play on it" kind of friends jamming and having a good time vibe (kind of like the band Typhoon). To that degree, I started to become a little jealous that my experiences with getting a big group of pals together to jam out were not as good as what this sounds - if that makes any sense - and from there I really started to enjoy this big group of music makers. maybe it's just the fact that they have a singing saw (or at least it sounds like they do) or maybe it's how they have a clarinet, an instrument that I've seen in a lot of band's lately, but have not heard it played the way it is here. Either way it is a perfect sounding album for NFT and the Monday post, so here it is. 

Last.fm (only tag is "unreasonable")

If You Make It ("Layers")

Cathedraal - Voix Blanches (2012)

Cathedraal is a french band that likes to experiment. Experiment with what you ask? Oh, you know.. cool stuff. I like to think that these guys are what it would have sounded like if Daitro started making more songs like Part IV. With that being said, I think I am more glad that Cathedraal are not Daitro because then I'd be mad as hell they stopped being heavy and went with a more contained sound. Voix Blanches still sounds great and does have its moments of chaos. 

Sometimes it also sounds like a french Mike Patton project or My Own Private Alaska (you may agree to disagree). 

You can telecharger it for free! That means free DL!

Bandcamp

Last.fm

I keep finding myself trying to write about the negatives of these goodies I have picked up along the way. I apologize if my comments are a bit on the hurtful side, I just wanna be a good blogger and there's no better way to do that then to bury things you don't like and praise the stuff you think other people should. But seriously, I'm working on being a little less negative and sassy and a little more positive and witty. 

Wale - Mixtape About Nothing (2008)

Here's something that made me chuckle. I forgot about this album and how I was totally going to post it! 

This is a mixtape by D.C. rapper Wale called Mixtape About Nothing, a heavily influenced and sampled Seinfeld release. Wale has seen every episode of Seinfeld and is here to prove it with his first Seinfeld inspired mixtape with a sequel in 2010 appropriately called More About Nothing. Wale is supposedly a very successful rapper now and probably doesn't watch as much white boy sitcoms as he used to. I could be wrong though. 

The album features J Dilla beats, production by Best Kept Secret (oops! I told!), The Roots on a song called "The Roots Song Wale is On", The Budos Band, Lil Wayne on a song called "The Cliche Lil Wayne Feature (It's the Remix Baby!)", Bun B, Pusha T, Tre, Tawiah, and even Julia Louis-Dreyus AKA "Elaine" herself! Seriously, she is... 

...and so is Kramer saying the N word. Yep, and it's not Nostalgia. 

The beats tend to sound a little goofy and bumpin' all at the same time which makes Wales raps sound a little sillier than you'd think. Unfortunately, I don't think this is for everyone and even if it has Seinfeld written all over it (not literally), I don't think all Seinfeld fans would enjoy this hip-hop epic. If you are like me though, you will understand that there is only two ways to listen to hip-hop... ironically or not at all. Just kidding Aesop. 

PS I chuckled because of an inside joke about Seinfeld, you wouldn't understand.

10.Deep

Last.fm

Mai, Mai - Mai, Mai (2011)

Mai, Mai is a "chamber and popular music" based project by a local Portland, Maine (I believe) mulit-instrumentalist, Sean Morin. I found out about this gentleman from a show he played at a few weeks back. He wasn't playing as "Mai, Mai" but was actually in a band made up of other local musicians who came together just two days before the show. They had never played with each other before and had only 48 hours to come up with a 25 minute set along with four other frankenstein-y bands just like them that night. The event is the 48 Hour Music Festival and it is in its fourth year. I meant to mention it before but I figured if you were cool you would have already heard and went. 

Sean Morin was in a band with my home boy, Jesse Gertz AKA Glass Fingers, along with the bassist from grrl punk outifit,  The Outfits and the drummer of Sunset Hearts among other things. I'll post the full set for all of you who are not cool or had to stay home and feed your cat rather then hike up to Maine to witness the awesomeness or awkwardness (I don't know the difference) that was Clitt Romney (down below). Oh yeah... that was their band name for the night and are rumored to actually be going into the studio and record some stuff some day. 

For Sean's own music, it is a worth wild look at what this guy actually plays for music. I thought the whole, "I play the keyboard" thing was a joke. Guess not! Ch-check it!

I would mention the rest of the bands who played but I don't want to leave anyone out of get their names/information/instrument/band wrong. I have a habit of that. 

They are Clitt Romney and they are here to get you off!

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Friday Streaming + more!

Sorry for my laziness this week but I was pretty lazy and did not want to be not lazy. I must also apologize for the absence of NFT's Got You Covered this week and hope to have one hot and ready for all y'all next week. If all goes well, that is.

A lot of my laziness came about due to the sweet day off from a snow day! And while I was all set to surprise you all with a link to one of the greatest Nickelodeon movies of all time (Drum roll, please), Snow Day (2000)! A perfect movie to watch on such an accession that this year in Maine where I reside, seemed like was never going to happen (Believe it or not). I remembered that for one, YOUTUBE does not like seeing copyrighted material on their site with such unprecedented awesomeness as Snow Day and Megavideo, well, is associated with SOPA's bitch, Megaupload. I'm not really a big fan of torrenting movies either and would rather complain about how much the MAN is bringing us down and keeping us from doing things we are going to do even though they do not want us doing them. Why? Because they are corrupt and we are broke ass individuals who, even if we had the money, definitely would not be giving it to them. So, that's why I didn't post a Snow Day post... Something no one was even looking forward to anyways because I did not even advertise it but rather hinted at an upcoming surprise on the first snow day of this winter season for my school district here in Southern Maine in a post way back when.

I still feel all bad inside of my tummy for lack of postage this week, maybe it is just that odd looking quesadilla I had for lunch today (was it full of chicken? Or was that steak?), but I'd like to believe it is guilt I'm feeling and to make up for all this and what have you, I present: Friday Streaming...

Every week I look for some of the best stuff that I can find for the Monday post (stuff I've already found usually gets its own post or is an exception/showcase or don't have to much to say about it). Usually at the end of the week, say friday, all I have left from or for the Monday post(s) are either things to be posted on Monday, things that are too much like other stuff already posted that week, or cool gems that I do not have DL links to and don't necessarily even want to find possession of... I just like listening to them and then put 'em away ("streaming" is what they call it in the blog business). All of which is what I've got for you today.

Check 'em out:

Grass is Green - Ronson (2012)

Nitty gritty post punker noise makers from Mass, Grass is Green just released a new one for us the other day, yesterday actually! (Woah, NFT's on top of things for once... almost!) It's got all that splintering guitar work that we've heard from these guys from Yeddo and Chibimoon but this one seems to also have a bit of a more listener friendly sound that goes along with it as well. I don't mind it though and even if it lacks the angular down play of Chibimoon and the stoner math rock approach of Yeddo, Ronson still carries its weight and features a lot of variety. Variety examples would be the noisy Pavement jams like "Life of Mike", classic GiG loud basement tracks like "Three Little Chickens"and "Riff Sibling", super melodic tracks with baritone guitar like "Ruffleball", funky mclusky sounding stuff like "Jesse's Fashion Show" and "Downward Bound" and even some dance punk revival with the track name like "Dance Punk Revival School For Kids". This release could easily become by favorite of theres...

Only time will tell.

Soundcloud ("Riff Sibling" is currently free)
Last.fm

Our Daily Fix - elephant. (2012)

This is a little something something I stumbled across after seeing that Cattle Drums had posted it on their Facebook. Cattle Drums being one of those bands I found out after the fact that had come to Portland and could have possible had seen them (something that happens a bit too much in my life), I figured I check these guys out even if Cattle Drums are just shamelessly promoting their friends or something. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Our Daily Fix can be described as math rock with a saxophone. Now when I heard the word saxophone I thought of two things, 1. They sound like that band A Troop of Echoes who always advertise themselves on other math rock bands' Last.fm accounts with the question, what would (name of math rock band of your choosing here) sound like with a saxophone? it might sound like this: http://atroopofechoes.bandcamp.com/ or 2. a math rock band that used to play ska but now play math rock but kept their saxophone player.

The combination was a little something like A Troop of Echoes who I just advertised despite making fun of them for shameless advertisement (dammit!) and a band that may have also been a ska band at one time... but I think these guys are really in it for the math rock. While the beginning of the first track suggests that they might blare there horns and start skanking all over the place, that does not happen. What actually happens is the music stays very unpredictable, never breaking out into a ugly off-beat frenzy and instead takes a turn for a fusion sound almost. Eventually vox are introduced and we even get to hear the sax playing in unison with the guitars. It all sounds good to me.

Last.fm

Julie Christmas - The Bad Wife (2010)

Julie Christmas is that emotional sounding lady in those songs by Made Out Of Babies, Battle of Mice, and Spylacopa. And I love it. This is Christmas's first debut album, The Bad Wife, and just as the artwork displays, this release is a delectable treat. As a buddy of mine once said when this first came out, "it's like Made Out Of babies except not as technical... but come on, it's Julie Christmas!" I'm not sure if Christmas is your thing but if you don't know, check her out! Oh yeah, check her out...

I always forget about her solo release and I just recently revisited it from beginning to end this week. I really don't want to forget it again next Christmas, so I'll just post it know. Here it is.

People other than Julie Christmas in this solo release include production by Andrew Scheinder (who's worked with Cave In, Unsane and The Blue Men Group if you can believe that), music written by fellow band mates from MOOB and Spylacopa, Mel Lederman of Victory at Sea and helping hands from Joe Tomino of Dub Trio, Oddity and Tony Maimone (who has also helped Pere Ubu and Tom Waits).

Last.fm

Have a nice weekend.