Monday XCIX

Monday is back.

Lovechild - In Heaven, Everything is Fine. (2014)

Some straight-up no filter hardcore punk rock from Boston, Mass. Some of the coolest sounding hardcore I have ever laid my ears on. I'm really digging this stuff especially the track, "Perfectionist (Perfectionism)" as it features a sample of  J. Robert Oppenheimer on the first atomic bomb where he quotes a line from the Hindu Scripture, Bhagavad Gita: "Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds". Even if the other parts of the song weren't top notch, I would still listen to it just for that sample. Luckily, Lovechild is top notch.


Lovechild includes members of Cerce and Debaser.

Last.fm

Father Figure - Jumping Off a Building (2013)

Sometimes there's releases I miss and than there's some that I really miss. This is one of those releases that I completely miss for a whole year of its existence. Well, it's here now and sounds just like what I remember Father Figure sounding like: emotional, messy, screechy, and down-right depressing.


Father Figure grows on you if you let it, like a cold that you really don't want to deal with right now but it makes you sound so much cooler now that you have it.

Innards meets Two Knights (and their side project Flesh Born).

Last.fm


Bearcubbin'! - Get Your Heavies Out (2011)

Bearcubbin'! are a loop happy math rock band from Portland, Oregon. This album in particular bares (or show I say bears?) a slight resembling sound to that of post hardcore band, These Arms are Snakes. This is no coincidence as this album, Get Your Heavies Out was the bands' effort at making a something sound like bands such as These Arms are Snakes and Young Widow. 

Bearcubbin' also have a new album called Girls With Fun Haircuts out now! I'll probably be writing up something for that album once I get a good chance to. From what I have heard so far, everyone should check it out!

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

FYLTD

FYLTD - FYLTD VOL. 1 (2014)

Here's some local goodies from the Bangor, Maine collective, FYLTD.

The collective features many familiar names of the electronic, DIY, instrumental hip-hop, and sample music scene here in Maine including AFRAID, Jared Fairfield, Altered Gee, and the post-something rocker's Captain Hollow. Other acts and musicians in FYLTD and on this compilation such as Swerly Bird (Lanny Winchester), Life Circle, and eebbtiddee are acts rooted in the electronic Bangor scene that are just waiting to be discovered. This is FYLTD's first compilation and is curated as a way for Bangor natives, former members of 1800s Sea Monster and their friends to share their art/music together.


If you would like to read more about what FYLTD is all about I suggestion checking out Culture Shock's write-up of the group and their first compilation over on the Bangor Daily News's blog site. If that's not good enough for you, you could go to the show that members of FYLTD are putting on next week to celebrate Vol. 1's release and get the scoop on FYLTD first hand. The show is at The Bangor Opera House starting at 7 probably (maybe) and everyone gets a physical copy of the compilation (maybe).

Facebook
Bandcamp

Friday Streamin'

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

Solids - Blame Confusion (2014)

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


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

Last.fm

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

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


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

Last.fm

Piglet - Early Songs (2013)

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


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

Click this
Last.fm

NFT's February Mix

This mix is mostly about wrestling, hoverboards, the return of Shamrock shakes, and the Lego Movie.

Enjoy!

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

Monday XCVIII

It's Monday again in America.

Zefs Chasing Cara - Ultra Gown (2013)

Ultra Gown is Zefs Chasing Cara's latest release. It's a little more on the electronic side of math rock but it's noodly nevertheless. I can't say I'm a big fan of Zefs' stuff with the vocals, so this is easily my favorite release by these guys.


Bandcamp
Last.fm

Idiot Genes - Lousy (2013)

If I haven't already said that Boston is on fire right now in the music department, I'M SAYING IT RIGHT NOW; BOSTON IS ON FIRE IN ALL CAPS. I love you Maine, but man am I jonesing to see some Boston music right now. Anyways, Idiot Genes play some of that good ol' garage punk rock that kids have and will always be craving. Gotta have it.




Thought the album artwork would be pretty appropriate for Presidents' Day.

Last.fm

Jerkagram - Let's Talk About Us (2014)

Jerkagram, a band I threw up here during Monday's very first weeks, have a new album of experimental instrumental and almost modern-day non-German krautrock music. There's also some singing in it, too. Check it out:



Last.fm

Bonus:

Handful of Romance - a funny film by Sean Martin

My friend, Sean Martin, known by many as "John Coffee", is a freelance film guy. He's been making films of all sorts since I've known him and I've known him for pretty long. His most recent project (that I know of at least) is called Handful of Romance, a humorous sock puppet induced short that took second place at the 'Local Love Muscle Film Festival' this weekend at the Space Gallery in Portland. If you like sock puppets, bros being bros, making out, or just some good old fashion awkward humor, I think you'll get a real kick out of this video. Apparently if there's enough views it will be on the front page of Funny or Die, the website you can currently view the video at, which is pretty cool stuff!

Link: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3848e600a0/handful-of-romance

On a music related note, Handful of Romance was scored by another buddy of mine, no stranger to this blog either, Jesse Gertz of Leveret.

Watch, listen, and enjoy!