Friday, March 31, 2006
LaSalle is a band from central Michigan that plays melodic angular post-punk. They consist of the husband/wife duo of Mike & Katy Reed and long time friend and drummer Dan Jaquint (both Mike and Dan were in Small Brown Bike). The music of LaSalle is steeped in punk rock tradition but brings an indie-rock sense of style and aesthetic.
Mike and Katy's male/female vocal pairings add a playful and mature element to many of the tunes while the subtle (yet powerful) flourishes of pedal steel guitar are just perfect. Sometimes more upbeat and intense and othertimes showing their softer side, LaSalle is definately a band with enormous potential that you should keep you eyes and ears on. I just love the change at about 2:30 into "Oasis..." That is good stuff.
LaSalle's debut full-length
Expedition Songs is out now on
Thick Records. RIYL: Small Brown Bike, Mates of State, Casket Lottery, Jejune, Karate
MP3 |
LaSalle - Oasis In The Sun Expedition SongsMP3 |
LaSalle - Don't Call Expedition Songs
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Okay. This post would have been up yesterday, but my wife, my daughter, and I have all been sick. Us adults are recovering quickly from the stomach flu, but the baby is still quite under the weather. She's not a happy camper so neither are we.
So everyone loves
Wolf Parade, right? Their most recent album
Apologies To The Queen Mary even landed at the #16 spot on my best of 2005 list.
Well, Spencer Krug from Montreal's Wolf Parade has another project called
Sunset Rubdown which has been getting a lot of pub in the blogs lately, and with good reason. The music is adventurous and highly varied from song to song. It is a collison of goregeous cacophony. Less "rock" than Wolf Parade, but fantastic nonetheless.
Their EP is out now on
Global Symphonic while their new full-length
Shut Up I Am Dreaming will be out May 2nd on
Absolutely Kosher.
MP3 |
Sunset Rubdown - Three Colours EPMP3 |
Sunset Rubdown - Stadiums And Shrines II Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Monday, March 27, 2006
While Charles Barkley was known to many as "the round mound of rebound," this Barkley is something altogether different.
Gnarls Barkley is a unique collaboration between rapper (and Goodie Mob member) Cee-Lo Green and DJ/producer extrordinaire Danger Mouse (who recently produced the Gorillaz album
Demon Days. The above picture of them dressed as Napoleon & Pedro is hilarious. You can view it uncropped on their
myspace page.
While the first single "Crazy" is set for release on April 10, it has been floating around the internet for months now. The accompanying album entitled
St. Elsewhere will hit stores on May 2 in the US. Needless to say many people (myself included) are very excited. You can also hear Gnarls' take on the Violent Femmes classic "Gone Daddy Gone." You can catch this dynamic duo this summer at both
Coachella and
Lollapalooza.
MP3 |
Gnarls Barkley - Crazy St. ElsewhereMP3 |
Gnarls Barkley - Gone Daddy Gone St. Elsewhere
Saturday, March 25, 2006
It's Saturday evening and the baby and I are just relaxing at home watching basketball, reading some books, and listening to music.
Amy is out
working, so tonight its just the two of us. Hailey (and Daddy) decided that she wanted to listen to some Wilco rarities while she watched "Big Baby" Davis jiggle around the basketball court as LSU upset Texas.
So we listened to a bunch of tunes. Some Jack Johnson (from the Curious George soundtrack), some Elizabeth Mitchell, but mostly Jeff Tweedy and
Wilco stuff. There is nothing like a baby shrieking, laughing, and making what we call Indian sounds along to the music. Below is a partial playlist from our evening.
MP3 |
Wilco - Hummingbird (Alternate) The Wilco BookMP3 |
Wilco - Blasting Fonda Outtasite (Outta Mind) CDSMP3 |
Wilco - Not For The Season Yankee Hotel Foxtrot DemosMP3 |
Wilco - Student Loan Stereo Shot In The Arm CDSMP3 |
Wilco - She's A Jar (Alternate) Summerteeth DemosMP3 |
Wilco - I Am Trying To Break Your Heart (Alternate) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Demos
Friday, March 24, 2006
Exactly two days ago I got a little package in my mailbox from
Devious Planet and inside was the latest album from
Dirty Little Secret. They are a (sorta) new-wave indie power-pop band outta Los Angeles that came together in 2002. I posted a little bit about them way back
when. I am still surprised (however) that neither their website nor anywhere else mentions anything about their members' (most notably singer/guitarist Louis Castle and bassist James Bairian) previous bands. Both Louis and James played in the great ska-punk band The Hippos during the late 90's. My old band played numerous shows with The Hippos and we got to know them pretty well, but it has been years since I've been in touch with them. Either way, that really has nothing to do with the music of DLS.
The music of Dirty Little Secret is poppy new-wavey post-pop with angular guitars, snappy drums, darkly bouncing basslines, all of which aredrenched in synths. Like many of the bands from this seemingly overpopulated genre, DLS makes music you can move your feet and dance to, but theirs is darker and decidedly much less British. Their new CD
Cabin Fever was just self-released and you can buy it
here. RIYL: Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, etc...
MP3 |
Dirty Little Secret - 33 & 32 Cabin FeverMP3 |
Dirty Little Secret - Guns Guns Guns Cabin Fever
Thursday, March 23, 2006
I only recently discovered the downtempo music of Brighton, England's Simon Green (aka
Bonobo). He infuses organic atmospheric tones with catchy little melodies and ties them together with thumping beats. Equal parts chilled-out hip-hop, weighty jazz, broken beats, Latin, funk, and soul, his most recent full-length
Dial M For Monkey is a great multi-layered and mezmerizing album. Because Green played all the instruments and did all the sampling and sequencing for the album, there is a cohesiveness that is often missing from instrumental hip-hop and electronic releases. Put on a fire, pour a glass of wine, put this on the stereo, and just relax.
Dial M For Monkey was released in 2003 by the
Ninja Tune label, while they released his
Live Sessions EP just last year.
MP3 |
Bonobo - Wayward Bob Dial M For MonkeyMP3 |
Bonobo - Nothing Owed Dial M For Monkey
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
I got an email a week or two ago urging me to check out this Brooklyn trio called
Parts & Labor. So I did and I'm now eagerly waiting for the release of their new album
Stay Afraid which comes out April, 11th on
Jagjaguwar.
P&L dish out great indie-punk tracks and smother them with copious amounts of distortion and shrieking feeback noise. The addition of vocal melodies to once-instrumental band has added a pop dimension to their gloriously dirty wall of noise.
"Malfunctioning electronics howl in agony, drums rupture like fireworks, battle cries are belted through a monolithic layer of distorted bass and guitar. P&L revel in day-glo noise, charred drones, punk velocity and phoenix-like hooks."While all the Husker Du/Bob Mould comparisons hold up and the band does indeed often make a Boredoms-like racket, I keep coming back to a reference point of Rogue Wave. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it is the vocal melodies or maybe the lo-fi production, but whatever. You make the call.
MP3 |
Parts & Labor - New Buildings Stay AfraidMP3 |
Parts & Labor - Drastic Measures Stay Afraid
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
So everyone knows that the new
Built To Spill album
You In Reverse is officially due out on April 11th but leaked copies have been circulating around the internet for a few months. There is (however) a catch.
Houston based rapper
Mike Jones (also on Warner Bros.) appears roughly every 45 seconds on each of the tracks shouting his catch phrase, "Who is Mike Jones?" This is perhaps the best copy protection I've ever seen actually work. Mike Jones' shouts are just way too annoying to dissuade people from actually buying the album. Very strange indeed and if anyone can tell me if this is of Warner Bros. doing or any of the details behind this, I'd love to know.
All that aside,
You In Reverse is a very solid album. Trademark Doug Martsch tunes with melodies that bob and weave between the swirling guitars. While not as strong as my favorite BTS album
There's Nothing Wrong With Love, perhaps all this new one needs is time and an absence of Mike Jones.
MP3 |
Built To Spill - Conventional Wisdom You In Reverse (Advance)MP3 |
Built To Spill - The Wait You In Reverse (Advance)
Monday, March 20, 2006
No Empathy began as a glam/thrash/metal band sometime in 1988, but soon after releasing their first album decided to adopt a more straightforward punk rock sound. Their second album was released on Roadkill records in 1989, with their other three full-length albums all being released by singer Marc Ruvolo's
Johann's Face Records and a handful of 7" singles on labels like Beer City Records and Broken Rekids.
I saw No Empathy a live a few times with the most memorable performace being from the original Big Show in Elgin, IL at which Oblivion, Bollweevils, Slapstick, Boris The Sprinkler, Zoinks!, and a whole bunch of other bands also took the stage. They played classic Chicago punk rock that never forgot to have a sense of humor.
Since they called it quits in the late 90's, members of No Empathy have kept busy running recording studios, record labels, and playing in bands such as
The Traitors.
MP3 |
No Empathy - Ben Weasel Don't Like It They Want WhateverMP3 |
No Empathy - Oi Across America They Want WhateverMP3 |
No Empathy - Consolation Prize The Same Mistakes Endlessly RepeatedMP3 |
No Empathy - Heard That Song Split With Zoinks!MP3 |
No Empathy - Shot In The Head Split With Zoinks!MP3 |
No Empathy - Daddy's Got A Problem Good Luck Makes Me Nervous
I've only got a minute so I'll make it quick. I'd like to thank the
Hype Machine for somehow doubling my daily hits yesterday (a Sunday no less). I don't know what I did for them to direct an enormous amount of traffic my way, but they did. Thanks!
Today's music is coming as soon as EZ Archive decides to cooperate.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
The latest offering from former At The Drive-In and current Mars Volta guitarist
Omar Rodriguez is a self-titled effort that is an exciting adventure into prog-jazz that only he could lead.
"Recorded in Amsterdam last June, these songs are an extension of the Omar Rodriguez Quintet side project, and along for the ride are various musicians on horns, keys, and percussion, including several ATDI and Mars Volta cohorts. The results are extended, improv-style jams that mix wailing guitar solos, spasmodic drumming, and computer and tape effects with more traditional jazz elements. - Pitchfork The music is great. Sonically adventurous and something this is (undeniably) of Rodriguez's making. Maybe a little something like the crazy jazz-funk of
Bitches Brew.
MP3 |
Omar Rodriguez - Regenbogen Stelen Van Prostituees ST
So Friday night the
wife and I went downtown (sans baby) to meet up with my sister, her boyfriend, and a few
old friends. We ended up drinking the likes of Bell's Amber, Three Floyd's Pride & Joy, and even some Fat Tire at a pretty chill little spot called the
Hungry Brain (near Belmont & Western).
Anyhow, one of those old friends (Andy) is currently playing drums for a band called
Rager (that I have yet to hear but have heard great things about). He also used to be the drummer for the legendary
xHIKEx.
xHIKEx was a genre-defying mess of a band that called themselves "Innovators of free-form progressive hardcore" and said that they were "whisky-drinking meat-eating vegan straightedge." During their too-brief existence (roughly 1999-2001), they opened for bands who were fixtures on MTV and played in in front of a packed room while the headliners would play for 12 people and walk off stage utterly frustrated. xHIKEx is legendary. They were abusive and obnoxious but people loved them. Musically speaking, xHIKEx didn't really have any songs, but rather concocted 35 second long improvised blasts of noise and screaming that was oftentimes closer to preformance-art than anything musical. They were destructive and chaotic and could (maybe) be compared to the likes of Assuck, Spazz, or maybe a garbage disposal. My
brother played guitar for xHIKEx as well.
The songs below are from their one and only recording,
Big Ups To Straight Edge which was a cassette-only release of which only 50-100 copies were ever made. They recorded approximately 20 songs while under the influence of one-and-a-half gallons of Old Crow Whiskey and too many Old Styles to count and. The end result can only be described as brilliant. Only two songs, "...Pinkeye" and "C. Everett Koop" were intentionally written (by the band) and performed more than once. I personally highly recommend their cover of Journey's "Anyway You Want It." If you can get past the 1st chorus you'll be handsomely rewarded.
MP3 |
xHIKEx - Bad MetalMP3 |
xHIKEx - Olympia Beer & Turkey SammichesMP3 |
xHIKEx - BreakfastMP3 |
xHIKEx - Breakin' Hearts & Breakin' NecksMP3 |
xHIKEx - C. Everett KoopMP3 |
xHIKEx - Anyway You Want ItMP3 |
xHIKEx - ForcefieldMP3 |
xHIKEx - We Should Play Something HardcoreMP3 |
xHIKEx - I See Dead PeepsMP3 |
xHIKEx - The House Of The Rising SonMP3 |
xHIKEx - Hope I Don't Get Kurt's PinkeyeMP3 |
xHIKEx - Clown JamMP3 |
xHIKEx - So Happy TogetherMP3 |
xHIKEx - Hut Hut xHIKExMP3 |
xHIKEx - I Just Learned How To Tie A Tie And I'm 22MP3 |
xHIKEx - AdrianMP3 |
xHIKEx - A Messy Attempt At Making Sense Of HippiesMP3 |
xHIKEx - JackalackinMP3 |
xHIKEx - Choose Your FutureMP3 |
xHIKEx - Elian
Saturday, March 18, 2006
I'm out. Done. Losses yesterday by Iowa, Michigan State, and Kansas killed my bracket. The fact that Washington beat Illinois today just added insult to injury. Only Kansas' first round loss to Bradley provides any consolation at all.
Did anyone even see Dee Brown on the basketball court this afternoon? He contributed virtually nothing in the Illini's loss to Washington today. I honestly don't know how much the Illini will miss him next season. Augustine (on the other hand) will be missed. During the last few years he has really developed into a great player. He has size and quickness, he can shoot decently from outside, and he will only get better as time goes on. NBA anyone?
Friday, March 17, 2006
Minneapolis'
Plastic Constellations bring forth the rock and don't try to hide it. Blending the sounds of Les Savy Fav, At The Drive-In, and adding a little hip-hop panache, the band has the technical prowess to make you forget you are too cool to dance.
"As the dawn of the 21st century came along, prog had been applied to various forms of punk and metal-minded bands such as Neurosis blew minds away with their sludgy jazz metal musings, and the short lived, but highly influential, At the Drive-In paved the road for the Mars Volta to wig us all out with their jazzy, sometimes Krautrock-ish, snotty punk frenzy. Now I would like to direct your attention to Minnesota's The Plastic Constellations who, in a nutshell, are like a beer-guzzling, spastic Coheed and Cambria with more cojones." - Treble ZineThe music is the heavy for indie-rock, and crecendos into infectiously catchy super huge choruses.
"Fusing the technicality and urgency of Burning Airlines with the free-spirited unpredictibailty of Modest Mouse, Crusades walks a delicate balance with the grace of an Olympic gymnsnast. The wobbly, angular melodies, splintered percussive accents, casual-yet-concise dynamics and toasty sonic ambience are all purposefully designed and neatly integrated here." - Alternative PressThe latest album from Plastic Constellations,
Crusades, is out now on
Frenchkiss Records.
MP3 |
Plastic Constellations - Phoenix And The Faultline CrusadesMP3 |
Plastic Constellations - Belly Of The Beast Crusades
Thursday, March 16, 2006
I know that you've seen all this before, but here is the scoop on the three big outdoor music festivals in Chicago this summer (all in one place for your viewing convenience). Hopefully the
wife and I will be attending a few of these since they are practically in our backyard.
Intonation Music FestJune 24 & 25, Union Park, Chicago
The lineup so far: The Streets, The Stills, Lady Soverign, Boredoms, Jose Gonzalez, Chromeo, Bloc Party, Panthers, Jon Brion, and many more acts TBA.
Pitchfork Music FestivalJuly 29 & 30, Union Park, Chicago
The lineup so far: Silver Jews, Aesop Rock, Man Man, Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Tapes 'n Tapes, Mission of Burma, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Mountain Goats, The National, Jens Lenkman, Hot Machines, plus 24 more bands TBA.
LollapaloozaAugust 4-6, Grant Park, Chicago
The lineup so far: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Manu Chao, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, The Raconteurs, The Flaming Lips, Ween, Queens of the Stone Age, The Shins, Common, Matisyahu, Ryan Adams, Umphrey's McGee, Sonic Youth, Thievery Corporation, Sleater-Kinney, Nickel Creek, Blues Traveler, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Iron & Wine, Poi Dog Pondering, The Secret Machines, Eels, Panic! At the Disco, The Disco Biscuits, She Wants Revenge, The Dresden Dolls, Reverend Horton Heat, The Smoking Popes, Andrew Bird, Gnarls Barkley, Stars Cursive, Blackalicious, Editors, Lyrics Born, Lady Sovereign, Hard-Fi, Calexico, Nada Surf, Feist, Aqualung, The Frames, The Hold Steady, The Go! Team, Mates of State, Pepper, Particle, The Redwalls, Mute Math, Wolfmother, Sparta, The Subways, Of Montreal, Blue October, Jeremy Enigk, Living Things, Sound Team, The M's, Hot Chip, The Benevento-Russo Duo, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, Deadboy & The Elephantmen, Sybris, Anathallo, The Burden Brothers, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Manishevitz, Husky Rescue, The Towers of London, Ohmega Watts, Boy Kill Boy, Jim Noir, The Standard, Be Your Own Pet, Elvis Perkins, Trevor Hall, Midlake and more TBA.
That should keep me busy.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
In case you can't read the above bracket (and I'm pretty sure you can't) it is my "fantasy" bracket. I have Illinois picked to win it all even though I think that in reality they will probably lose to UConn. What you got? My
wife is even ready to TiVo all the games for me. Isn't that sweet?
My two big upset picks are Montana over Nevada and SIU over West Virginia. Let's get our dancing shoes on!
I like TV. I like radio. So what could be better than a little
TV On The Radio? How about a couple tracks from the new TVOTR album entitled
Return To Cookie Mountain that is scheduled for release this June on Interscope?
For those unfamiliar with the band, their fantastic 2004 album
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (released on
Touch & Go) garnered much critical acclaim and won the 2004 Shortlist Prize. I know Jacob really likes it too. Their unique musical stylings blend elements of blues, jazz, post-punk, gospel, hip-hop, and noisy indie rock with soulful vocals and powerfully biting lyrics. Kinda like Marvin Gaye meets Fugazi (bad, I know). After hearing what I have thus far, I can't wait to hear the rest of the album.
MP3 |
TV On The Radio - Playhouses Return To Cookie MountainMP3 |
TV On The Radio - Snakes And Martyrs Return To Cookie Mountain
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
I recently had an interesting conversation with my father about our favorite college basketball team, the
Fighting Illini from the University of Illinois. I (like most other Illini fans) am a huge
Bruce Weber fan. He is a hell of coach and did win just about every coach of the year award he could last year in leading Illinois to the national title game. Bruce is the real deal. The genuine article. He tells the truth almost to a fault. I am afraid (however) that the magic won't last.
As I said earlier, he is a great coach. Before coming to Illinois he led the
Southern Illinois University Salukis (a saluki is an Egyptian racing dog) deep into the NCAA tournament. He can mold average players into a tournament team. He is that good. He hasn't yet proven that he can recruit, and if he can't, Illinois will end up being merely average.
Before Bruce Weber came to Illinois, there was
Bill Self. When Bill Self left for
Kansas becuase Roy Williams went to North Carolina, Illinois found their man in Bruce Weber. Let me ask a question. Why (for the love of god) didn't they interview current Ohio State coach
Thad Matta? He was fresh off a elite-eight appearance with Xavier and is a hometown boy from Hoopeston, IL (barely 50 miles from the U of I campus). Matta was runner-up for Mr. Basketball in Illinois as a high school player. He could have been to Illinois (almost) what Steve Alford will be to Indiana if he leaves Iowa. Just look what Matta has done in only two years at Ohio State.
Back to Bill Self and Kansas. Bill Self will lose close games becuase he is not a great tactician. He isn't good with the x's and o's, but he can flat out recruit talent. Kansas' star freshmen
Julian Wright and
Brandon Rush were both considering Kansas and Illinois and both (ultimately) chose KU. Bill Self also recruited every major contributor to Illinois' successful 2005 tournament run. The last of those recruits (Dee Brown and James Augustine) will be gone next year. I'm not sure Bruce Weber has enough. He couldn't even get
Jon Scheyer (the best high school junior in the state of Illinois during 2004-2005) to come to Illinois even when Weber's brother was Scheyer's high school coach. Should I be worried?
Anyhow, this makes me ask the following question: is recruiting ability more important that actual coaching ability in today's college basketball landscape?
Monday, March 13, 2006
Last weekend my
wife and I saw the movie
"Broken Flowers" (which starred Bill Murray). The movie was a bit disappointing after the first 20 minutes, but the soundtrack is fantastic. It features some music from Cincinnati, Ohio's
The Greenhornes (among others). If you are unfamiliar with their music, you should pick up a copy of their career-spanning collection
Sewed Soles that was issued last year by V2.
The band has toured with the White Stripes and their
East Grand Blues EP (released in the summer of 2005) was produced by Brendan Benson, so it should not be surprising that the band's rhythm section are teamed up with those two songwriters as part of
The Raconteurs.
Anyhow, The Greenhornes are rock band that has been heavily influenced by bands of the 60's British Invasion. The Kinks, Rolling Stones, The Byrds, etc... If you like those bands you'll most certinaly dig this one.
MP3 |
The Greenhornes - There Is An End (ft. Holly Golightly) Sewed SolesMP3 |
The Greenhornes - Can't Stand It (Alternate Version) Sewed Soles
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Like many of you out there this is one of my favorite times of the year and because of that there will most certainly be many non-music related posts in the coming weeks. The
brackets are out and tournament time is here and I couldn't be happier (except see below). Only moments after the selection show, here are a few of my observations:
Illinois (my team) got screwed at a #4 seed, but they can beat Air Force and Washington with ease. Michigan State is as tough a #6 seed as there is in the tourney, and they will make the final 8. As much as I hate the Kansas Jayhawks, they are (in my opinion) the team to beat out of Oakland. And where the heck is Missouri State? How do you have an RPI of 21 and get left out of the tournament in favor of teams like Air Force? And what is Tennessee doing as a #2 seed? C'mon.
If you are a blogger and want in on the action head over to
Analog Giant and submit your bracket.
Oh yeah, Jay Bilas is right on when he says that Michigan and Cincinnati both got jobbed. I'm not a fan of either of those teams, but the tournament would be better with them in.
"Born To Lose" is a classic country song about hard luck and lost love. The song was written by East Texas songwriter
Ted Daffan in 1942 and it has been recorded by legends like
Johnny Cash and
Ray Charles as well as punks like
The Bouncing Souls. The song is timeless and has such a mournful anthemic quality about it that (by my ears) makes it one of the best.
Born to lose, I've lived my life in vain
Every dream has only brought me pain
All my life, I've always been so blue
Born to lose and now I'm losing you
Born to lose, it seems so hard to bear
When I wake and find that you're not there
You're grown tired, and now you say we're through
Born to lose, and now I'm losing you
Born to lose, my ever hope is gone
It's so hard to face an empty dawn
You were all the happiness I knew
Born to lose, and now I'm losing youMP3 |
Johnny Cash - Born To Lose The Complete Sun RecordingsMP3 |
Ray Charles - Born To Lose Modern Sounds In Country & WesternMP3 |
The Bouncing Souls - Born To Lose Maniacal Laughter
Friday, March 10, 2006
Simply stated,
Los Crudos was a great political hardcore band from Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood that dominated the hardcore scene in the early 1990's. All four members were Latino and (thus) the vast majority of their ultra-political lyrics were sung in Spanish. They subscribed to punk rock's DIY ethic and even stared their own label (
Lengua Armada Discos). They ranted and raved (in Spanish of course) about cultural and socio-economic hardships that we all face.
The music was fast, loud, and agressive straight-ahead hardcore punk. During their six year existence, the band toured extensively throughout the US, as well as Central and South America, Europe, and Japan.
In 2004, Los Crudos' singer Martin Sorrondeguy released a
documentary film entitled
Beyond The Screams: A U.S. Latino Hardcore Punk Documentary, which focused on the Latino punk scene. Sorrondeguy is currently playing the hardcore band
Limp Wrist.
MP3 |
Los Crudos - Crudo Soy DiscographyMP3 |
Los Crudos - Desde Afuera DiscographyMP3 |
Los Crudos - Se Ven En Tu Cara DiscographyMP3 |
Los Crudos - That's Right We're That Spic Band Discography
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
See the above photo. She is just like heaven to me.
MP3 |
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry Boys Don't CryMP3 |
The Cure - Just Like Heaven Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss MeMP3 |
The Cure - Pictures Of You Disintegration
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
I've been busy, so this post is coming a little late this eveing. I (however) haven't been too busy to become enthralled with the new Man Man album. The music of
Man Man is both odd and awesome. It is absurd but also compelling. There are obvious musical nods to Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart but mainly it is frontman Honus Honus's gravelly vocals backed by some of the most diverse instrumentation I've ever heard put together on one record. From freakish carnival tunes to something that resembles messy hardcore punk that somehow manages to reference traditional Russian music, Dixieland, surf music, and even zydeco, it is all over the map.
Six Demon Bag is like acid for your ears. What might (as a concept) sound highly annoying ends up being something you are unable to turn off.
The latest album from Man Man,
Six Demon Bag was just released on
Ace Fu Records and is definately worth checking out.
MP3 |
Man Man - Engwish Bwudd Six Demon BagMP3 |
Man Man - Van Helsing Boombox Six Demon Bag
Monday, March 06, 2006
George Hunter of the Chicago trio
Catfish Haven is dead-right when he proclaims, "We're Catfish Haven and this is what we do!" on the opening track of their EP
Please Come Back. His raspy wail and the no-frills brand of Southern rock are scorching and this EP has been playing for days. Stripped of almost everything frivolous or completely necessary, this is bare-bones bluesy soul music. Howling about love and booze might sound like its been done before, but this band is rowdy enough (but also friendly enough) to be your perfect drinking partner.
Despite being from the sprawling metropolis of Chicago, Catfish Haven takes most of its influences from much futher south. The band was named after the trailer park Hunter grew up in and their sound has been compared to Kings of Leon or My Morning Jacket, but somehow that comparison seems a bit narrow. Maybe it is their raucous energy, but I don't think it would be a stretch to metion them in the same breath as southern country-punks like Lucero or Against Me!
Please Come Back is out now on the
Secretly Canadian label. Pass the Maker's Mark, turn your stereo up as loud as it will go, and play "Please Come Back" (below). It don't get no better than this.
MP3 |
Catfish Haven - Please Come Back Please Come BackMP3 |
Catfish Haven - The Love I'm Saving Please Come Back
Sunday, March 05, 2006
I've seen a lot of recent posts concerning Winnipeg, Canada's finest export
The Weakerthans and I'm not really sure why. That said, I've been a fan of Weakerthans frontman (singer/songwriter John K. Samson) since his days in political-hardcore-punk band
Propagandhi. His literate, softly-spoken, and smart poetic lyrics never really fit in that band, but it is what I have come to love about The Weakerthans. As one of my favourite songwriters, Samson blends punk, folk, and alt-country and wraps it around little snapshots of humanity. Samson's lyrics are both personal and political and offer something almost everyone can relate to.
He told HARP magazine,
"I write in the only way I know how to write, which is through metaphor. I can’t process or really explain a subject just by speaking directly. I have to find some other entrance to an idea in order to talk about it."John K. Samson (in addition to his musical pursuits) is a founding member of
Arbeiter Ring Publishing as well as also contributing music to Clive Holden's
Trains Of Winnipeg multimedia project. Samson's music (in Propagandhi and The Weakerthans) has been released on
G7 Welcoming Committee as well as
Fat Wreck Chords and
Epitaph.
For those who are only familiar with the Weakerthans, check out the rest of this stuff from a truly great songwriter.
**NOTE** The two songs from the CBC Radio 3 Sessions aren't playing correcty on the page, but I'm working to fix that. The songs (however) are correct when downloaded or played with an external MP3 player.MP3 |
Propagandhi - Gifts Less Talk, More RockMP3 |
Propagandhi - Anchorless Less Talk, More RockMP3 |
The Weakerthans - Anchorless FallowMP3 |
The Weakerthans - Plea From A Cat Named Virtue Reconstruction SiteMP3 |
John K. Samson - One Great City CBC Radio 3 SessionsMP3 |
John K. Samson - Utilities CBC Radio 3 SessionsMP3 |
John K. Samson - Farwell Faded Memories Small Acts, Little Pictures
Saturday, March 04, 2006
The Bad Plus is an unconventional (and somewhat controversial in jazz circles) midwestern jazz trio. Comprised of drums-bass-piano they form their own jazz version of a rock power trio. They confound listeners with rock-ish song structures that serve as a framework for their adventurous and rhythmic post-60's free jazz sound. The Bad Plus has even been referred to as "the loudest jazz band on the planet." They have covered the likes of Nirvana, Bjork, The Pixies, Black Sabbath, Aphex Twin and more. While totally modern in scope, it is sometimes hard to realize that there is nothing but piano, bass, and drums driving the music into the future.
While jazz purists might be turned off, the latest album from The Bad Plus
Suspicious Activity is certainly worth a listen for any music fan. It is out now on Columbia Records and can be purchased
here.
MP3 |
The Bad Plus - Anthem For The Earnest Suspicious ActivityMP3 |
The Bad Plus - The Empire Strikes Backwards Suspicious Activity
Friday, March 03, 2006
Hopefully everyone has checked out
Aquarium Drunkard lately and snagged all the Ryan Adams rarities he's posted lately. Unfortunately he removed
Suicide Handbook and
48 Hours, but you can still get the awesome XM Radio
Loft Sessions. Highly recommended.
And although it's not a blog,
Radio Indie Pop has the new Mogwai album
Mr. Beast streaming for all to sample. They also have an all Ramones stream that will always get you going.
My man K over at
Analog Giant called me out for not bringing enough hip-hop sounds to the Southside even though I've recently posted stuff by
Blueprint,
Q-Unit, and
The Streets. I admittedly don't know a lot about hip-hip except what sounds good to these jaded old ears. Anyhow, last week I was introduced to a song (which is evidently massively popular) that caught my attention and (subsequently) wouldn't get outta my head. So K, the group is
D4L, and (since I tend to overdo everything) below are about a million versions of the song, so go on and shake that laffy taffy. Hopefully it's enough to purge this song from my skull.
MP3 |
D4L - Laffy Taffy (Album Version)MP3 |
D4L - Laffy Taffy (Wassup To All Da Hoes Remix)MP3 |
D4L - Laffy Taffy (DJ Smalls Remix Ft. Busta Rhymes)MP3 |
D4L - Laffy Taffy (Acapella Version)MP3 |
D4L - Laffy Taffy (Lethal Weapon 69 Remix)MP3 |
D4L - Laffy Taffy (Funkymix 91)
Thursday, March 02, 2006
What can I tell you about
Apocalypse Hoboken that you don't already know? Probably quite a bit. They existed in one form or another from 1987 until 2004 or so. I'm not really sure about the end date but that isn't of any great importance. What is important here is the music.
Apocalypse Hoboken has released at least 5 albums and a bunch of vinyl only stuff on labels like
Johann's Face, Rocco,
Fueled By Ramen, and even
Kung Fu Records and is (in my mind at least) one of the most important bands in Chicago punk-rock history. They were a little bit snotty punk, a little bit glam, but 100% rock and roll. Their sound is indescribable but f@#&ing awesome and showcases Todd's huge vocal range.
I saw them live over a dozen times (I'm sure) including a memorable New Year's Eve show in which they almost burned down the Fireside Bowl. The songs below are all from between 1994 and 1998 and everything except for "Hazelnut" is out of print. Members of Hoboken are currently playing in bands such as
Mexican Cheerleader and
Storybook Funeral. Just listen to the f@#&ing music.
MP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Pop Sensibilities Daterape NationMP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Blockhead Jerk LessonsMP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Jerk Lessons Easy Instructions For Complex MachineryMP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Dean Is A Punk Easy Instructions For Complex MachineryMP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Somebody's New News Now's Not A Good TimeMP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - The Family Strong Now's Not A Good TimeMP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Box Of Pills Led Zeppelin III 7"MP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Speaking In A Menthol Way Led Zeppelin III 7"MP3 |
Apocalypse Hoboken - Hazelnut House Of The rising Son Of A Bitch
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Voltage is a noisemaking duo comprised of Chicagoans Erik Schwartz and Todd Bailey. Their particular brand of instrumental noise rock mayhem is often compared to that of Hella but I'd have a hard time putting exactly what they do into words. Avant-garde but structured.
"Bailey plays a vacuum-tube based synthesizer of his own design which is controlled by a modified guitar, and occasionally appears with a touch and breath sensitive analog synth, an interactive jewelry-controlled sequencer or a Commodore 64 computer. On the other end, you will find Schwartz playing a drum kit of his own concoction, consisting of a Frankenstein assortment of marching and rock drums, a glockenspiel, battery operated motors, microphones, and more recently, a laptop configured for live sampling." "Considering how difficult it can be to distinguish a good sounding noise band, it's much easier to assess the coolness of their gear. While Voltage's technocratic wizardry puts them at the head of the class, their spazz-jazz is sure to win the hearts of high school AV club dorks and Don Caballero freaks alike." - CMJTheir latest album
Building The Bass Castle, Vol. 1 is out now on
Flameshovel Records. Seriously, it seems like everything that label has released lately is great (Bound Stems, Voltage, Maritime, etc...)
MP3 |
Voltage - Track 4 Building The Bass Castle Vol. 1MP3 |
Voltage - Track 2 Building The Bass Castle Vol. 1
Man In Gray is a Brooklyn quintet that (according to their press kit),
"Plays noisy, whip-smart indie rock with one pretty guitar, one ferocious guitar, one punk bass, and one jackhammer drummer. Screams and whispers from Tina rise above the mayhem like a lightning rod, drawing it all together. With songs about shock, awe, and why February 14th is dumb, Man in Gray turns familiar post-punk sources into something entirely new. Even as they play heart-racingly hard and fast, they never sacrifice precision or the pretty parts. Their live show is a wake-up call for the bored, the jaded, the tired, the arms-folded mopers. It’s an enthusiastic soundtrack to mayhem, careening from sharp pop harmonies to violent, sweaty rock. A little dancey, a little trashy, yet somehow always classy.I also love that they say their favorite drink is
more scotch. Ha!
A little bit Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Pixies, and The Clash all rolled up into a great little indie-punk blast of fun. Below are two demos from their upcoming full-length due out this spring as well as a great track from their EP on
Serious Business Records. Heck, you can watch their video for the song "Thirty-six"
here.
MP3 |
Man In Gray - Commodity 1 Previously UnreleasedMP3 |
Man In Gray - Commodity 2 Previously UnreleasedMP3 |
Man In Gray - Incommunicado No Day/No Night EP
