new ear porn for you.

Baroness, one of my most beloved bands, just came out with a new record a few weeks ago. I'm halfway through the first listen and I am happy to report that I feel like I have just gotten ear-fucked, in both good and bad ways.

things are definitely different on this album. the mind-blowing guitar wizardry is still there, as is the signature heavy baroness sound, but everything sounds much more slick and polished, with lots of extra tricks and fanciness from the production. many of the songs are also much shorter. one thing that does bother me are the occasional changes they've made to john dyer baizley's previously gravelly, unbelievably sexy vocals: now they are smoothed out and reverbed and layered with even more backup vocals to an almost comical degree. it just seems to detract rather than support.

here's "The Sweetest Curse," which, so far, is one of my favorites on the album. it sounds very familiar, extremely similar to the straightforward hardcore sound of their first EPs, but with some new and strange tidbits.




Baroness - Blue Record [2009]

myspace.com/yourbaroness
last.fm/baroness

Seabear, toybear

I come bearing gifts: it's a fucking double-post! I recently downloaded Sin Fang Bous's 2008 album "Clangour," and as you may or may not know, Sin Fang Bous is actually the solo project of one Sindri Sigfússon, more commonly known as Seabear. are you confused? good. confusion makes you vulnerable.

so here is Seabear's first self-released EP, Singing Arc, which is a work of folky, beautiful, delicate, lo-fi confessional poetry. the instrumentation is perfect: acoustic guitars shrouded in softness and reverb, toy pianos, real pianos, melodicas, xylophones, flutes, and handclaps. Sindri's vocals are beautifully understated, both haunting and heartwarming, which fits the EP's musical transitions from world-weary sighs to child-like chirps.

and as a bonus, here's Sindri's solo "pop" album, Clangour, under the name Sin Fang Bous. the similarities to Seabear are obvious, and that indulgent weirdness carries over perfectly. Clangour features bolder, more multi-layered vocals, adorable electronic glitches, and indeed, much more of a focus on delivering memorable, enjoyable pop-type mini-adventures rather than the melancholic bedroom gems found on Singing Arc.

anyway, now on to the videos! there were no songs from Singing Arc to be found on youtube, so I'll substitute one from Seabear's lovely 2007 album The Ghost That Carried Us Away, which I also recommend. it's a perfect midway point between the quiet sadness of Singing Arc and the more flamboyant Sin Fang Bous project.




Seabear - Singing Arc EP [2004]



Sin Fang Bous - Clangour [2008]

edit: I realized post-uploading that the Clangour.zip file is actually mislabeled as Clamour. sorry. :(

seabearia.com
myspace.com/seabear
morrmusic.com/sin fang bous
myspace.com/sinfangbous

Moving Mountains

here's another post about a band I recently fell in love with before their album's first song was even over: Moving Mountains.

Moving Mountains is a bunch of young gentlemen from New York. they make dense, atmospheric math/post-rock with a remarkably passionate singer. their songs are tight and polished at times, while still making unexpected, beautiful twists and taking their time to develop. they remind me of Cursive, The Appleseed Cast, and The American Dollar, with a touch of old-school emo.

if you're wondering how I found these guys (which I'm sure you're not), I was reading an online magazine that had an interview with them, and these dudes really like the Velvet Teen. like, they mentioned them two separate times in one interview. I figured anyone who likes the Velvet Teen has to be pretty awesome. and I was fucking right. suck it, haters.

anyway, the opening song of the record is a mere 2 and a half minutes long, full of melancholy piano and softly sweeping guitars, until halfway through it suddenly blossoms into lush noise and screams, and it is seriously utterly perfect. proof:




Moving Mountains - Pneuma [2007]

movingmountainsmusic.com
myspace.com/movingmountainsmusic

A Hawk & A Hacksaw

I need to be totally honest with you guys here: I don't even know what this whole album sounds like. I have not even listened to it in its entirety. what I have done for the past four days is listen to the first two songs on repeat. based on how much I love these songs, I decided I was going to upload the album. I am assuming that it is all equally as awesome as those first two songs, but I wouldn't actually know, since I haven't actually heard it.

either way, from what I can tell, A Hawk and a Hacksaw generally consists of a dude from Neutral Milk Hotel and a girl with a violin. they make music like Beirut but without vocals, like Hala Strana but not nearly as depressing, and Black Ox Orkestar but more accessible. it's basically fucking awesome gypsy folk with lots of tambourines and accordions and violin.

like I said, I downloaded this album last week and I still haven't made it past the first two songs because I love them so much. I think that is a pretty glowing endorsement.

here is one of those two songs, called "The Moon Under Water," and some dude's comically bad fan video that was edited with a pirated copy of iMovie or something.




A Hawk and a Hacksaw - Darkness at Noon [2005]

ahawkandahacksaw.co.uk
myspace.com/ahawkandahacksaw

visual audio sensory theater

I've been revisiting my grade school years these last few days, listening to one of the first albums I ever really loved - VAST's unbelievable first album, "Visual Audio Sensory Theater." I was around 11 when I first heard this band on the radio and immediately bought the album and fell in love. VAST was darker and weirder and more beautiful than anything I had ever heard. plus, none of my friends had heard of them, and even in 5th grade I knew that made me cool.

I don't really know how to describe VAST's sound. wikipedia says silly things like "ambient electro-rock." I think their first album is really close to indescribable; it is heavy and bombastic, and other times it is subtle and slow (although the subtle and slow songs can be so melodramatic sometimes it's almost comical). the most remarkable element of their first album is the beautiful swells of the orchestra, and the constant sampling of choral chants. almost every single song has some sort of chanting neatly woven into the melody, from benedictine monks or bulgarian choirs.

this album has stood the test of time for me - since first listen 11 years ago, it hasn't lost any of its power or its beauty, even though now I'm older and all "indie hip" or whatever, I am a little embarrassed at how overwrought and pretentious it sometimes tries to be. the lyrics are occasionally pretty cringe-worthy. plus, every other album VAST has released has been the equivalent of goth-rock barf. but god dammit, this is a fucking stellar album, I still love it, and I don't care how uncool it makes me now.

finally, here is the hilariously awful video for the song "Touched," which has been used in just about every single TV show ever, and is still a totally fucking awesome song.




VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater [1998]

realvast.com

I'm not dead

I haven't forgotten this blog, I just haven't had anything to post. my boyfriend just moved back home so I've been spending more time doing naked things than uploading albums.

on that note, here's an album I uploaded quite a while ago and never posted: Micachu's Jewellery. it's an awesome record of almost incomprehensible, nearly schizophrenic, absolutely flawless pop music created by Mica Levi. by the time you start to understand the idea of one of Levi's songs, it changes entirely, or it's over - only to have you furiously mash the repeat button so you can listen to the song again for the hundredth time. these songs are made up of noisy beats, ukuleles, accordions, samples of things like vacuums and videogames, and charming lyrics (although Levi's accent is so thick it's almost unintelligible to my uncultured american ears).




Micachu - Jewellery [2009]

edit: link removed upon request. email me if you are interested in getting this album.

myspace.com/micayomusic

Achilles

Achilles are a mathy post-hardcore band from New York. back when I was a little hardcore scene tartlet in high school, after I finished listening to shit like Job For A Cowboy and Death Before Dishonor, I got into more math and sludge type stuff, and Achilles were a favorite of mine for quite a while (along with Engineer, another NY band who did a fantastic split with Achilles).

Achilles have drawn comparisons to Botch, Coalesce, Isis, Breather Resist, Neurosis, and old school Every Time I Die - pretty much all the bands that everyone references when they talk about innovative, quality hardcore/metal. on this album, their first full-length, The Dark Horse, the vocals are clear and strong, somewhere between singing and screaming. the guitars are heavy but concise and the songwriting is compelling and intelligent. the album itself is less than a half-hour long but it leaves a lasting impact almost immediately.

I couldn't find any songs of theirs that you could listen to anywhere on the internet (except their myspace which only has tracks from their much less impressive second album), so you'll just have to trust me on this one.


Achilles - The Dark Horse [2005]
download it!

myspace.com/achilles

Hala Strana

my brain isn't really working today but I want to post this album. so I'm going to just quote last.fm's description of Hala Strana.

"Hala Strana is a summation of Steven R. Smith’s interest in the traditional folk musics of Central and Eastern Europe. By incorporating the melodies, scales, and instrumentation of the village music from areas such as Croatia, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland, Steven has pushed his music into yet another new territory. This is not ethnological preservation, but a starting point.... Hala Strana has abstracted these melodies and turned them into something uniquely their own.

Like his previous solo work, Hala Strana’s richly layered sounds are carefully placed but have a spontaneous feel. Instruments like gourd guitar, clay flowerpots, glockenspiel, violin and even bottles find their way into the mix."

in Hala Strana's self-titled 2003 debut album, I hear apse, the decemberists, godspeed you! black emperor, explosions in the sky, and tons of other sounds that are entirely unique and beautiful.

here is the song "Stouthrief," set to some random film's opening credits apparently:




Hala Strana - Hala Strana [2003]
download it

worstward.com
myspace.com/pogonishte
last.fm/music/Hala+Strana

James Blackshaw - The Glass Bead Game

okay seriously you guys, this album is amazing. it is so beautiful that it actually makes me a little retarded.

so... from what I can gather, James Blackshaw is a London-based finger-picking 12-string guitar prodigy in his mid-20s who creates long-form experimental music. (shit, that's a lot of hyphenated words for one person.) this guy is amazing, both in terms of skill and creativity. he follows in the footsteps of more well-known artists like John Fahey, Leo Kottke, Robbie Basho, and Peter Walker (fun trivia fact: Blackshaw actually appeared on a recent Peter Walker tribute compilation). what separates Blackshaw from a lot of the stifling sameness of the folk-raga "revival" is that he takes the groundwork that's been laid for him and makes it uniquely his own.

on Blackshaw's earlier records, it was just him, his formidable finger-picking skills and a delay pedal; now on The Glass Bead Game, his most recent album, he adds way more depth and atmosphere with vocals, piano, strings, some wind instruments, and even a harmonium, apparently. the overall effect is almost intoxicating in its strange, lush, languid beauty.

here's a video of him playing a shortened, sparser version of the gorgeous album opener, "Cross."




James Blackshaw - The Glass Bead Game [2009]
download it

myspace.com/jamesblackshaw

Isis - Wavering Radiant

I uploaded Isis's brand new album, Wavering Radiant, for a friend of mine and I figured I'd post it since it's pretty good. and anyway, aside from genuinely enjoying their music, I'm obligated by unwritten law to love them because they're from Boston, my beloved hometown.

Isis started out making loud, sludgy, doom metal-esque music. some of their more recent albums had more post-rock and prog elements, and now I guess they're, um, post-metal? I read that word in a review of this album and as lame as it is, I guess it sort of fits. their closest musical cousins are Neurosis, Pelican, and Mastodon.

despite their nontraditional song structures (none of the songs on this album are less than 7 minutes long, and I'm not sure any of them have recognizable choruses) Isis has always had melodies in mind when making music and often would throw in some surprisingly delicate elements, though on Wavering Radiant, that delicacy is overshadowed by an overall feeling of melancholy. that same atmospheric, bombastic sound is there, but fleshed out even further until it's almost overwhelming. the vocals veer between a gravelly scream and surprisingly lovely singing. overall, the album feels more polished and accessible, not as much of a challenge as their previous albums, but still thoroughly captivating and even kind of beautiful.

here's the first track off the album, "Hall of the Dead":




Isis - Wavering Radiant [2009]
download it

myspace.com/sgnl05
isistheband.com

a smorgasbord!

I'm heading off into the wilderness for a few weeks, I'll be back at the end of may. until then, here are a few albums for your enjoyment. I should technically be leaving for the airport right now, so I'm going to keep it simple and quick.

Bonobo's "Animal Magic" is one of the best chillout albums ever. it's quirky and catchy and really charming, with really amazing sampling and beautiful instrumentation, in addition to really good beats. it's one of those records that gets repeated plays over a long period of time and never stops being good. a little bit Books-esque. the light-hearted track "Terrapin" is a favorite.

Bonobo - Animal Magic
download it

Casino Versus Japan make dream-pop/electronica masterpieces, a bit like Plaid (in their more docile moments), or Boards of Canada. sleepy, strange, a little alien, and overall rather lovely.

Casino Versus Japan - Whole Numbers Play the Basics
download it

The Dodos are a two-man band made up a guy who taught himself to finger-pick beautiful folky melodies or dirty bluesy riffs, and his sidekick, a drummer who creates wonderfully complicated percussion and wears tambourines for shoes. I cannot say enough amazing things about this band - I adore them. they are like a more honest, pared-down version of Plants & Animals but also way better and holy crap seriously just download it. it's so good. I mean it.

The Dodos - Visiter
download it

and now, I depart. farewell, internets. until next time.

it's not like anyone reads this anyway

this is an entirely self-serving post, brought to you by my frenzied excitement for the potential new Velvet Teen album. a few days ago they played their first show in a year (at an arcade no less, in a room painted with balloons and cupcakes and "Happy Birthday" streamers) with Judah Nagler in top form and Josh Staples dutifully at his side once more. Josh's presence is notable because after the release of Cum Laude! in 2006, he left the Velvet Teen to focus on his own band with his wife, the fantastic New Trust. however, he recently rejoined, and this show marked his triumphant return. this was also TVT's first show as a four-piece rather than a trio. I know, it's all so new and exciting.

TVT debuted some new songs during that set, one of which was particularly awesome and badass and makes me fart sparkles. some internet nerd captured all of this gloriousness on video and uploaded it to youtube, which means now it's time for me to share it with you. this video prominently features terrible lighting, poor audio, and Judah & Josh yelling whoa-oh! at each other. fantastic.



and as a bonus, here is an awesome clip of the New Trust performing at the same show, but with pretty acoustic guitars and annoying mic feedback. also Josh's beard? impeccable.



myspace.com/thevelvetteen
myspace.com/thenewtrust

Tune-Yards

the wonders of last.fm's radio stations recently introduced me to this band called Tune-Yards. well, I guess technically it's actually written tUnE-YaRdS, but due to my many years spent in AIM chat rooms back in the day, I made a solemn vow to destroy anyone who employs alternating capitalization, so I will henceforth simply refer to this band as Tune-Yards. the project consists almost entirely of one girl named Merrill Garbus (yes, I think that really is her name), Garbus' wonderfully androgynous yelps, a ukulele, some pots and pans for percussion, and a hand-held voice recorder. the sound is similar to Micachu or The Russian Futurists; it's energetic, off-kilter experimental pop music, with repetitive melodies that worm their way into your brain in the best and most excruciating way. this shit is seriously enjoyable.

I apologize for the boring video - it's just audio - but it's also the most bizarrely catchy song on the album so whatever. love it.

"


Tune-Yards - Bird-Brains
download it

myspace.com/tuneyards
tuneyards.com

nude floorpunching is a hobby of mine

for a change of pace, I'm going to post some music that doesn't include whispery vocals or softly-plucked acoustic guitars!

Leathermouth plays pretty straightforward, polished melodic hardcore with old school punk rock influences and a bit of sludge thrown in, along with your typical lyrics about disenfranchisement and murder or some boring mall goth shit, I don't really know, I don't care about the words because they're probably stupid. these guys aren't exactly innovative or masterful, but they recreate traditions fairly well, and the end product is really enjoyable floorpunching-in-your-underwear music if nothing else. recommended if you like Gallows, newer Blood Brothers material, or My Chemical Romance (Frank Iero, MCR guitarist, is Leathermouth's vocalist).




Leathermouth - XO
download it

leathermouth.com

DM Stith

DM Stith makes creepy, delicate, almost ethereal modern folk music. it's very intimate in some ways and alienating in others: Stith's murmured vocals are almost claustrophobic in their closeness, and then every so often he will break away into echoing falsetto harmonies that change the feeling of the song entirely, or maybe he'll add dissonant chords or bizarre instrumentation. he often layers and repeats these same harmonies to add unnerving depth. his lyrics are poetic and cryptic, sometimes completely unintelligible. his music bears a similarity to Bowerbirds or David Thomas Broughton (I almost compared him to Sufjan Stevens, since they are similar, but I think at this point there's not a single band on this blog that I have not compared to Sufjan Stevens). Stith takes folk and makes it weird, but essentially, he is creating pretty, albeit not always accessible, pop songs.

this album took me a few listens to get into, but it's ultimately pretty rewarding. this is one of those records I like to listen to loudly in the dark and just bask in the lovely strangeness.




DM Stith - Heavy Ghost
download it

dmstith.com
myspace.com/dmstith

more canadians!

The Acorn are more folk-pop goodness from the shores of that mysterious land, Canada. they are similar to the folky, quirky awesomeness of fellow Canadians Plants and Animals, though The Acorn leans towards the quieter, simpler side of things. although The Acorn's music isn't simple, per se, but it is straightforward in its beauty and sweetness. each of the songs are a little story wrapped in lovely sound, eclectic instrumentation, and topped off with singer Rolf Klausener's soothing vocals.

my favorite track on the album is definitely the Sufjan Stevens-esque opener, "Hold Your Breath." however, I just discovered that they've also released a wonderfully cheesy video for the adorable song "Crooked Legs," which I also thoroughly enjoy:




The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain
download it

theacorn.ca
myspace.com/theacorn

this is what my high school depression sounds like

I have already posted about the amazing Songs: Ohia here before, but his body of work is so retardedly large that it would be a disservice to just post one.

so here is one of my favorite albums of all time, Ghost Tropic. this sounds unlike any other Songs: Ohia release I have ever heard - it is dense, with a wide array of instrumentation beyond just Jason Molina's familiar guitar; it is also weirdly beautiful and incredibly sad. the songs build like a slow burn, but they burn strong and subtly. overall, the record is almost like a concept album, I guess - Molina has added bird sounds to some of the songs, and in fact two of the tracks (both titled "Ghost Tropic") are instrumental, set to creepy/beautiful tropic birdsong. it's as if you are lying silently in some tent in the rainforest at night, lending to the feeling of profound loneliness that this album has.

there are certain albums that you need to be in a specific mood, or a specific place, in a specific setting to listen to them. Ghost Tropic is one of those albums - it must be "experienced" as much as listened to. when you are feeling overwhelmed by life, turn off the lights, get rid of any distractions, put on this album, and just wallow in it - you have to listen to the whole thing. of course, doing that will make you feel way shittier, but I think it's worth it to appreciate the strength and emotion of this record.

fuck, even the album cover is depressing. just look at it.


Songs: Ohia - Ghost Tropic
download it

songsohia.com
myspace.com/magnoliaelectricco

and you know the germans make good stuff.

Hauschka (whose real name is Volker Bertelmann) is a German composer who makes minimalist instrumental music, chiefly using a piano. he employs some other instrumentation as well - traditional choices such as strings and horns, as well as some surprising and interesting choices that sound like vibrating drinking glasses, rattling spoons, tapping sticks, distorted electronic blips, and some other adorably weird shit that I can't identify.

Hauschka's music reminds me of Yann Tiersen - they sound similar and they both have the same ability to convey emotion through remarkably simple and beautiful music. however, Hauschka is way less smarmy, and doesn't use cheesy accordions (which is a good or a bad thing, depending on your opinion of accordions).


Hauschka - Ferndorf
download it

myspace.com/hauschka
hauschka-net.de

furthermore, best band name ever

Fuck Buttons are one of those bands that has been kind of over-hyped, or at least I hear a lot about them from people who have really stupid music taste. so I avoided them until recently when I heard them on last.fm and their repetitive, creepy sound put me in some weirded-out trance.

last.fm describes them as experimental, noise, drone, electronic, and... uh... post-rock, apparently. their almost tribal percussion and high-pitched, fuzzed-out yelping vocals reminds me of Apse. I generally disregard any music with the adjective "noise" attached to it, as in my experience it tends to just be pointless and grating, these guys manage to make their strange, thick noise into something enjoyable, interesting and even sort of relaxing. I highly, highly recommend the usage of headphones for this album.


Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
download it

fuckbuttons.co.uk
myspace.com/fuckbuttons

I am too dumb to think of a title for this post

Bruce Peninsula are yet another Canadian band who have captured my heart in a surprisingly short amount of time. I really don't know much about them or even quite how to explain them since I only started listening to their album A Mountain Is a Mouth last night, so this post will be blessedly short.

they are a collective of somewhere around 11 people, with lots of communal vocals and harmonies, hand claps, tambourines, foot-stomping, and incredible energy. they are often described as "folk" or "gospel" (which is extra endearing since I think many of the members are not religious, they simply love the music). the main vocalist, Neil Haverty, has a voice like a young Tom Waits; it's an absolutely perfect complement and contrast to the smooth, light voices of the other members of the collective.

here's a video of them performing their excellent song "Steam Roller." much of the energy you see in the video is exactly how it is on record, which is pretty fantastic. also, how can you go wrong with so much hand-clapping? I fucking love bands that use handclaps as an instrument.




Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is a Mouth
download it!
buy it!

www.bruce-peninsula.com
myspace.com/brucepeninsula

unstoppable party machine

Josh Staples is some sort of musical mastermind. I think he has been involved in every single band to come out of california in the last 10 years in some way. but most notably, he used to play bass and sing backup vocals for The Velvet Teen, but after the release of Cum Laude! in 2006, he left the band to work full-time on his own project, called The New Trust. and now rumor has it that he has recently rejoined The Velvet Teen on bass duty, which means that he is now in two awesomely awesome bands, full time.

regardless, the New Trust can theoretically best be described as indie-punk-emo-awesome. their first album, Dark is the Path Which Lies Before Us, is faster, louder, happier, and much catchier. it recalls old school emo such as Knapsack, or maybe Fall Out Boy's older material, in its earnestness, undeniably catchy melodies, and borderline ridiculous lyrics. Josh Staples' shouted plaintive, reedy vocals wouldn't sound out of place on an early Promise Ring album either. my favorite song off this one is "Wake Up, It's the Nineties." (you will see why when you hear the lyrics.)

their second album, Get Vulnerable, while similar, is somewhat of a different creature. I haven't listened to it enough yet to get a feel for it entirely, but from what I can tell, it's darker. bleaker. more bombastic. more atmospheric. Josh's vocals have dropped like an octave lower; there are fewer choruses shouted in harmony; the guitars are harsher. this album sounds like a band that has grown up and taken their bitterness with them. so far, I love it. my favorite song on this album is "Fast Asleep in Her Arms."

here's a video for the song "All Things Are Moving Towards Their End" from the New Trust's first EP. it is, dare I say it, awesome.




The New Trust - Dark is the Path Which Lies Before Us (2006)
download it!
buy it!


The New Trust - Get Vulnerable (2008)
download it!
buy it!

thenewtrust.com
myspace.com/thenewtrust

more depressosaurus music

I actually do have a playlist on my ipod called "depressosaurus music" and it has 317 songs in it, which should really tell you something about how much I love to be depressed. also, this entire album - Hymns for a Dark Horse by Bowerbirds - is on that playlist, which should also tell you something about what kind of music it is (and how much I love it).

Bowerbirds aren't immediately depressing. in fact, some of their songs are undeniably folk pop-ish. but if you give the album a few listens and let it all sink in, especially the bleakly cryptic lyrics, you will probably cry yourself to sleep every night like I do too. aside from that, Bowerbirds are sort of what you'd imagine a european folk band would sound like if it was made up of some slightly melancholic american college graduate indie kids (which is basically exactly what it is).

the first comparisons that come to mind are the Decemberists and Beirut; they are similar in their sometimes exorbitant folk gypsy sound and lyrical literary verbosity. there's a lot of accordion and fiddle usage, which can be both comical and heartbreaking. their earnestly mournful acoustic recalls the Dodos, Neutral Milk Hotel or Sufjan Stevens (I know, I compare every band I post to Sufjan Stevens... that's probably because I spent 3 years listening to nothing but Sufjan so now my brain is forever warped).

my favorite song on this album is the opener "Hooves," which is probably the most depressing one, and also the most beautiful in its starkness. like I said, I love being depressed.


Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse
download it!
buy it!

myspace.com/bowerbirds
bowerbirds.org

fuck I love canadians!

Plants and Animals sound a bit like the Polyphonic Spree crossed with Sufjan Stevens and fellow Canadian indie folk band The Acorn (whom I love and will probably be posting about later). I don't really know quite how to describe their sound except as folk-esque: obvious folk influences with some charming '60s pop vocal harmonies, a few remarkably danceable bass lines, and twinkling (yes, twinkling) guitars. maybe "indie folk pop rock cuteness that really isn't cute but more badass in a really cute way" describes them better? I am not really sure yet.

my personal favorite song on this album is the adorably beautiful ode to youth "New Kind of Love" - it starts out with quietly whispered vocals and acoustic guitars, and then builds layers until it morphs into a bona fide rock-out, with a wailing chorus and some surprisingly fierce drumming for a folk record.


Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
download it!
buy it!

myspace.com/plantsandanimals
plantsandanimals.ca

The Velvet Teen - Elysium

so if you know me at all, you are probably well aware that I love the velvet teen. this is just a fact that cannot be ignored, because I will not fucking shut up about it, ever. so it's really not a surprise that I am posting yet another one of their records and then uncontrollably fangirling about it for 3 hours.

Elysium is the Velvet Teen's second album. aside from being a beautiful record that ~*~changed my life~*~ and deserves lavish praise, it has a distinguishing factor: not wanting to pigeonholed as another standard boring indie rock band from california, the band members decided to eschew guitars entirely (well, except bass guitars). instead they use piano, synths, layered vocals and an entire string section. I suppose this album could be referred to as "baroque," but my preferred adjective for it is "delicious."

many of the songs are quietly melancholy and then they slowly build to a violin-drenched climax, with judah nagler's gorgeous soaring vocals at the forefront, telling cryptic stories about failed love and frustration. the remarkable exception to this is the 13-minute epic "chimaera obscurant," which changes tack halfway through and works itself into a contained frenzy, with poetically acidic lyrics of political disenfranchisement.

the version of Elysium I have for download here includes the song "no one gets the best of me," which was available only on the vinyl release of Elysium and doesn't quite fit with the rest of the record. it's much noisier and more indicative of the electronic-infused direction the band takes on Cum Laude!, their subsequent album. it's also totally awesome.

in conclusion: DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM MOTHERFUCKERS YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.


The Velvet Teen - Elysium
download it
buy it

thevelvetteen.com
myspace.com/thevelvetteen

Apse - Eras

Apse is an experimental post-rock band from around my hometown in cape cod, massachusetts. this fact is partly why I am intrigued by them; I spent a lot of time growing up in a tiny little yuppie town on the tourist-choked beaches of cape cod and it was the most soul-crushingly uninspired, bland place I've ever been. and yet somehow these guys manage to make weird, depressing, beautiful music that reminds you more of creepy voodoo rituals than the narrow streets of a quaint, quiet beach town.

on this EP, called Eras, there's a lot of complex percussion, liberal usage of reverb and distortion, and wailing vocals that alternate between unnerving and lovely. and you know how every post-rock band sounds exactly like explosions in the sky? yeah, well, not so much with these dudes. Apse's music isn't slow or boring, nor is it ever just noise for the sake of noise. they invoke the bizarre melancholy genius of radiohead, the delicacy of sigur rós, and the brutality of early nine inch nails. (yes, I know, that is a completely bizarre list.)

here's a video of my favorite song from Eras, which strangely enough sounds absolutely nothing like any of the other tracks so it really doesn't give you a good idea of what to expect, but it's a good song so I don't care.




Apse - Eras
download it
buy it

apsemusic.com
myspace.com/apse

hello again children

alright, I feel like I should put a disclaimer here: I actually don't know what the fuck I am talking about for the entirety of this post since I know absolute dick about metal, but whatever!

so! Baroness are a couple of southern dudes who wear flannel and death metal T-shirts and don't shave. I think their singer is a lumberjack, actually. they fall under a couple of different genres (depending on who you ask) but two of the obvious ones are sludge and stoner metal. their first full length, The Red Album, features a lot of familiar elements, heavy chugging guitars (and some legitimately non-cheesy dual guitar solos) and breakdowns, but they keep it innovative and interesting with unexpected additions. there's even a beautiful southern-tinged acoustic song in the middle of the album for no discernible reason.

these guys also have some boner-worthy technical proficiency, and the singer's screams and guttural growls are absurdly sexy. The Red Album is just a fucking great record, worthy of a few listens even if metal isn't a genre you have any real interest in.

I also uploaded Baroness' first two short EPs, creatively titled First and Second respectively. these EPs are more typical hardcore-ish stuff but they still manage to be interesting and enjoyable, plus, again, the singer's voice... seriously, it's some panty dynamite type shit.


Baroness - The Red Album
download it!
buy it!


Baroness - First & Second (EPs)
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buy it!

myspace.com/yourbaroness
yourbaroness.com

youtube poast?!

this song has been stuck in my head all day. the band is Itch, and the song is "Tables Turned." someone said these guys are what emo was before "emo" became a dirty word, and that seems to be pretty accurate. they remind me of Braid, or old school Cursive. plus, they made this video in their basement with some monkey masks. that's pretty fucking charming if you ask me.



you can listen to Itch's album on last.fm here.

myspace.com/itch

enslave the elderly.

The Americas is the side project of the Velvet Teen's obscenely awesome drummer, Casey Deitz. it's pretty much just Deitz and some other kid making noisy enjoyable math rock goodness. these guys have a lot of energy - they are known for their crazy live shows - and while it doesn't totally translate to record on this EP, it certainly comes close, particularly on the track "Siam Brass Knuckles."

in my opinion, Statuette doesn't showcase Deitz's drumming skills quite as much as it should, but then again, what the fuck do I know? regardless, I hypothesize that this will make you dance around your bedroom in your underwear.

furthermore, best cover art ever.


The Americas - Statuette
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myspace.com/theamericas

alright, so fuck sleep.

what the hell is there to even say about Songs: Ohia? I'll try to keep it succinct, but I'm pretty sure I will fail horribly.

first, if you've never heard Songs: Ohia, what the fuck is wrong with you? also, if you like really delicate, slow, and absurdly sad sort-of-folkish music with beautiful lyrics then you will enjoy this. think Will Oldham/Palace Music, Sufjan Stevens or Low.

so... here is Pyramid Electric Co., an EP released alongside the LP Magnolia Electric Co. in 2004. while Magnolia Electric Co. marked a huge departure from the classic bare Songs: Ohia sound, Pyramid Electric Co. is more of the same quiet, mournful music that Jason Molina does so well. I don't know how this guy hasn't swallowed several handfuls of sleeping pills already, because holy shit, seriously, I don't think I've ever seen him write a song that wasn't completely mind-numbingly depressing.

this EP is really nothing shocking or new, it's a rehashing of what Molina does best, but goddammit if he doesn't do it better than anyone else I've ever seen. these songs take a while to build - the title track is just shy of 9 minutes - and at first listen it feels a bit like they don't quite deliver, although if you have heard any other Songs: Ohia album that's sort of par for the course. there aren't really any clearly defined choruses. each song features nothing but Molina's somber voice and a guitar (or a piano, as in "Red Comet Dust," my favorite track). his voice and cryptic lyrics are really the focal point; he delivers some fairly resonant lines about loneliness (a favorite subject of his) along with his usual bizarre and lovely imagery ("perfume and cigarette smoke in her wild hair / she smells a little like a train / hauling lilacs through the rain").

also, the happy gang of retards over at Pitchfork gave this album a pretty crappy review, which means it has to be good.


Songs: Ohia - Pyramid Electric Co.
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buy it!

songsohia.com

I can't help myself

okay so I had to post another album because I've been listening to this one a lot over the last few days. here is Vessels' White Fields and Open Devices.

Vessels are a bunch of dudes with drum machines and reverb pedals. they're also british, because the british are just fucking better than everyone at making pretty music. this band is post-rock without being boring - in fact, I actually caught myself doing an adrenaline-fueled fist pump while listening to this album. seriously. they also manage to be serious while still being awesomely weird - the dreamy/brutal "Happy Accident" uses a Bob Ross sample with a layer of electronic distortion over it, making his soothing voice into something creepy and robotic. fucking awesome.

if you need some comparisons, the easiest and most obvious one is 65daysofstatic, who also took post-rock to another level with their penchant for electronics and abrupt time changes (unsurprisingly, 65dos are also british. what the fuck america, step up your game). Vessels builds walls of beautiful sound, layering heavy guitars with delicate feedback, much like Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Explosions in the Sky.

in short, Vessels flawlessly mixes post-rock beauty with math rock brutality and electronic flourishes to make an interesting (and accessible) debut album.


Vessels - White Fields and Open Devices
download it!
buy it!

vesselsband.com
myspace.com/vesselsband

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE.

the first post on a new blog is uniformly retarded, no matter what. so, in keeping with that trend, I'm christening my lovely new music blog with possibly my favorite album, Cum Laude!, from my current favorite band, the Velvet Teen.

this band has had a vise-grip on my heart for about 8 months now, but I still can't quite figure out how to categorize or explain them to the uninitiated listener. the Velvet Teen has reinvented themselves and their sound with each new album (literally - currently the only original member of the band is the singer, but it's okay because he's goddamn adorable).

a couple of phrases that come to mind for Cum Laude! are raw synth fuckery, flawless pop hooks, and a drummer that completely fucking slays. there are mild indie pop gems ("False Profits," "Bloom") sandwiched in between brain-exploding synth-drenched freakouts ("333," "Tokyoto") and topped off with a truly beautiful indie rock anthem, complete with soaring chorus ("Gyzmkid"). I really can't say enough good things about this album.


The Velvet Teen - Cum Laude!
download it
buy it

thevelvetteen.com
myspace.com/thevelvetteen