So Proud!

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride (2008)

It's no secret that The Mountain Goats are not only one of my favorite bands, but one of the best bands making music these days. Led by John Darnielle, the prolific, nasally singer-songwriter of the band, the Goats write albums that sweep across huge arid Texas plains, in volatile homes owned by warring lovers, and just about anything else.

Heretic Pride, however, is entirely non-linear. As a matter of fact, the songs don't connect at all. They're all just songs. Beautiful songs. Folky in their meanings and intentions (songs about kung fu movies, love, horror story writers, serial killers, desperation, etc), full on rock in their delivery (awww yeah), these songs are just fantastic. One of their best albums, one of my favorites from the past few years.

Here's a song to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:



Recommended Tracks: Sax Rohmer #1, Heretic Pride, Lovecraft In Brooklyn, Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
Genres: Rock, Indie, Folk
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?dyl3x3qmezm

Wow, Okay, Let's Take This Easy Now...

Hey, so it's been a long time... I apologize.

I will be updating this more often starting... Now. I promise. At least for the next month or so, I'll be putting an album up every few days.

I'm going to open up this list with my top albums of 2009! I'll be putting (most) of these up! Woo!

15. Analog Moog - Endless Air
14. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
13. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
12. Brand New - Daisy
11. Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra - Take Off!
10. Double Dagger - More
9. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
8. Bomb The Music Industry! - Scrambles
7. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Can't Maintain
6. Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen
5. Pianos Become The Teeth - Old Pride
4. St. Vincent - Actor
3. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing
2. Future Of The Left - Travels With Myself And Another
1. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns





And we will kick off this newfound inspiration to blog with my #4 album, St. Vincent's Actor (2009)!


Annie Clark (featured on the album cover), the guitarist, lyricist, composer, and sweet-voiced mad scientist behind St. Vincent, had me so intrigued when I first listened to her new album, Actor. It was a mixture of beautiful woodwinds fluttering, haunting lyrics with dark, dark (dark) overtones, and ugly, gnarly guitar solos. Badass, right? I really recommend checking out this album: she has toured with Sufjan Stevens and was once a member of The Polyphonic Spree.

Her album was first composed on garageband (extra credit from me!), then redone using real people. Basically, it's indie pop mixed with old Disney songs making up a sprawling beautiful lake, but underneath, in the murky depths, there lie guitars that have been awoken and they swell up and out like monsters before falling back into their cold, muddy lakebeds.

Okay, sorry. Here, just listen, okay?



Pretty awesome, right?

Recommended Tracks: Actor Out Of Work, Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood, Marrow
Genres: Indie
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?rmzjzzqxzvw

A Little Something Most Of You Are Already Aware Of

Tonight, I do not have an album for you. Most of you are already aware of this link, as I've been posting it practically everywhere I can, but I just love showing this off to you people.

My band and I recorded our first song last week and I'm posting it here for you guys to check out. I'd really appreciate it if this could be used as a feedback center, but I understand that most of you don't really like posting comments on things, so whatever. If you find time, let me know what you think, because I'd really appreciate it.

Either way, I've got to recommend watching the Flowers visualizer with this because it is SO badass.

Anyways, here it is!

Fireworks For Luna - It's Happening (2009)



http://www.fireworksforluna.bandcamp.com

Downloads available on the site. Again, gimme a little feedback! There should be a second song up soon, but until then, I'd just like to know what everyone thinks about what we're doing.

GUEST POAST: Heatmiser's Mic City Sons

Alec has been very patient. He sent me this review aboouuutttt 2 months ago and I forgot to put it up. So here it is, in all of its awesome pseudo-depressing-but-with-some-real-joy-and-a-great-album-cover glory! Sorry it's so late, everybody, but I hope you enjoy it just the same <3

Heatmiser - Mic City Sons (1996)



Heatmiser was sort of a congregation of big Indie names. While I won't detail each member and their credits, you may recognize Elliot Smith as the main vocalist. And while you may recognize his hand in a few of the songs, this is definitely not an Elliot Smith cd with another band name tagged to it. Lyrics depicting sorrow and helplessness span throughout the album, yet some are accompanied by songs with a catchy guitar, very creative writing for all of instruments, and in some songs, you may just forget there's anything else behind the vocals. Musically there's hardly any lyrical connection from song to song, yet it flows very, very well. Mic City Sons was the third and final CD by this "supergroup," and really stood out from the first two because you could tell the members were finally starting to click as an actual band, mixing their individual creative styles in such a way that produced a great, coherent album. It would have been nice to see them continue on, however most, if not all, of the members enjoyed some success individually. In my opinion, however, this transcends any of their solo songs and is really a masterful piece to sum up a few different approaches to a moody, emotional, soft indie-style album.

Recommended Tracks: Plainclothes Man
Genres: Indie, Rock
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?jzyhgtezyaz

Ugly Is Beautiful

I've waited so long to put this album up! It's one of the best I've ever heard and it's seriously fucking awesome! So check it out!!


Cursive - The Ugly Organ (2003)

Cursive's music sounds like it was soaked in some kind of developing fluid; like they recorded the music on tape, brought it into a darkroom and produced it into photographs. Every song sounds like it was drenched in every single color of red and black until the photo came out looking like the negative.

Tim Kasher's vocals are full of fire and intensity; his songs about his messy divorce mimic his every emotion: the guitars squeal through a punk-like-but-mostly-indie emo record, the cellos... Oh the cellos are beautiful, and the rhythms start and stop through every heartbeat. Every song makes up a part of this album, definitely one of my oldest favorites, definitely one of the bands that got me into the entire indie genre. Listening to the album from front to back gives me such a tremendous feeling; the last song's gradual rise and fall is absolutely stunning, when matched with the other songs.

Recommended songs: Red-Handed Sleight Of Hand, Art Is Hard, The Recluse, A Gentleman Caller
Genres: Indie, Emo, Punk
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?2nmmtm3imok

Okay, We're Back Online!

I lost the ability to access this account for a while, but now I'm back and with a very quick review for a very good cd. It's a classic, so get it while the gettin's good! Brand New's newest album, Daisy, leaked, but I won't be putting it up here until after it's already out. Sorry guys, I'm not running a leak website, and I think bands really hate it when their albums are out before the publish date, so I'm going to try and do them as many services as I can.



Brand New - Deja Entendu (2003)

So, apparently not everyone has this cd... Also, some people think that Brand New is kind of lame or something? Dudes, get with the program. This cd is so excellent on so many levels; it's a catchy record with thoughtful, interesting lyrics, and, yeah, spot on musicianship from the New York quartet, led by lead vocalist and guitarist, Jesse Lacy.

The record is, uh, yeah, technically a seminal "emo" work... but, it's NOT like My Chemical Romance or any of that nonsense... It's much more like Cursive or Jets To Brazil; fun, interesting music with lyrics that have a lot of thought put into them. Kind of closer to indie or punk, I would say.

Here's a sample track to give you an idea of what they're like, but I can't recommend this album higher, it's a great piece of music and I find myself listening to it pretty frequently these days. Enjoy you guys!



Recommended Tracks: Sic Transit Gloria... (Glory Fades), Guernica, The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
Genres: Indie, Punk, Emo
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?zzdminmr2yd

A Stunning Return To Form!

Sorry about that break, guys! Jeez, it's been a while. Let's get right into it, shall we? This is a good one, you guys.

The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas (2002)



John Darnielle recorded fourteen songs that take place in the arid searing landscapes of Western Texas using just an acoustic guitar and a boombox. This is the final album he made on a boombox before switching over to the polished studio sound. The music itself is, quite simply, a kind of modern folk. John's nasally voice is so full of raw power and emotion, and the buzzing of the recording equipment in the background mix well with the acoustic guitars.

The album twines, intertwines, and unwinds at the ends through the seven characters and the two houses. Good luck trying to figure out who is who, much of it is cryptically (and purposefully) attributable to any of the characters that pop in and out of the album, but in all honesty, it's not a problem. Every character that appears is so beautifully rendered and voiced that it doesn't make any difference who is singing. Every song makes me feel so tender and raw, listening to this album just makes me want to hail Satan forever.

Recommended Tracks: The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton, Color In Your Cheeks, The Mess Inside, Absolute Lithops Effect
Genre: Folk, Indie
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?k2zmnnymizn

Because We Need This, Oh, So Bad

This is a crisis, you guys. I feel bad putting this full album up, as these guys are just barely getting started and are in need of some honest lovin'. If you download this cd and like it, I recommend seeing them live if they happen to be in your area or even buying it from Saddle Creek when it comes out (tomorrow). So yeah, this cd has been my latest obsession, I've been listening to it nonstop for the past few weeks. Just realy great.


The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns (2009)

The Rural Alberta Advantage came up from the depths of a terrible homesickness. Singer/songwriter Nils Edenloff moved from his hometown in wilds of Alberta to the crushing, crowded cityscape of Toronto. In an apartment, he penned love songs for his hometown; songs about the icy north in Canada, love, lost love, bridges, and anything else that reminded him of home.

His voice bleats like John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, the drums flail about in syncopations that resemble the genre of Drum And Bass, and the lyrics hit closer to home than you'd like to believe. Each song lives and breathes and leads into the next; the album goes from quiet introspection to noisy punk rock whenever necessary. Overall, this album is great for anyone who liked The Weakerthans, Ted Leo, Cursive, or The Mountain Goats, but I'd say check it out regardless, because it's just a cool cd.

Let's try this: here's a sample video!



Recommended Tracks: Don't Haunt This Place, The Dethbridge In Lethbridge, Luciana
Genres: Indie, Folk
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?nyzkym2jzim

The Weakerthans Make Me Weakintheknees

So that Mountain Goats cd down there is really just so so so good. You guys should pick it up. It's got hardly any downloads yet and it really bums me out.

Also, you may have noticed a decline in postings (you probably didn't), and that's because, well, I don't want to run out of albums. This blog will only be active 3-4 days a week now, instead of 5. Sorry. Onto the album!!

A lot of people downloaded that other Weakerthans album (But I Can't Remember The Sound), so I figured I would put another one of their albums up for everyone. Again, you guys, this is my all time favorite band. They're just fantastic.



The Weakerthans - Left And Leaving (2000)

This is the album that changed everything for me; I remember it very well, when I finally decided to listen to it (I had been listening to Reunion Tour on repeat and figured it was time to put something new in). I was in the car, riding from some town in Pennsylvania back home, and put the headphones in. By the title track, I was completely unable to contain myself anymore. Their lyrics were always spot on, their music was always fun and enjoyable, and the mixture of the punk ethic with the indie sound comes out as beautiful as I would hope. This is more than just a collection of songs.

Between the fast pop-punk of Watermark, to the practically spoken-word Without Mythologies, even leaving room for some country twang in My Favorite Chords (probably one of the best songs ever written), The Weakerthans always do it exactly right. Literally every single track on here is emotionally charged, perfectly worded, and musically coherent to the song. One moment that really stuck out for me is the chorus of Aside ("Leaning on this broken fence, between past and present tense") and how it related to the album title. Just genius and just beautiful. The album ends with "neon lights and slinking purple skies," and [left and] leaves you with a need to put it on repeat. Honestly, this is just a fantastic album and I couldn't recommend it higher. They're seriously my favorite band for a reason, and I guarantee that, eventually, I'll have all of their albums up, and you should get them all!

Recommended tracks: Aside, Watermark, This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open, Left And Leaving, Exiles Among You, My Favorite Chords (okay, yeah, I know. They're seriously all awesome)
Genres: Indie, Punk, Folk, Rock
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?ymymjq5q14t

To Love Or Die In Tallahassee

When people ask how you can get into a band like The Mountain Goats, it's not too difficult to come up with a quick answer. John Darnielle has written and recorded over 500 songs, some recorded on a primitive boombox in one take, just so he wouldn't forget how to play it. However, in 2002, after the beautiful All Hail West Texas (to be uploaded later), some genius decided to give Mr. Darnielle and his Mountain Goats a record deal on 4ad, and this is the stunningly good album that came out, this is the album I recommend first.


The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (2002)

If you were to ask someone about the Mountain Goats, they'd probably say "he writes a lot of songs about traveling and a lot of songs about a couple that is married but hates each other and wants to kill each other." The cd Tallahassee is entirely about that couple. Every song seems to outline bitter hatred that exists between them, but the explanations are out of, well, love. Darnielle doesn't mourn this couple's hatred, instead, he celebrates them; he created them so that they couldn't help but beat up on each other, get drunk, beat up on each other more, have make up sex, and then hate each other. It's their way of loving each other, it's the way they live.

What makes this album so great is the fact that life literally flows from each song. Between the scathingly powerful "No Children," the beautifully soft-spoken "International Small Arms Traffic Blues," and the cathartic power of "See America Right," Tallahassee is one of the most beautiful and enjoyable records I've ever heard and is the cd that got me into The Mountain Goats altogether. Honestly, if you can, reading the lyrics alongside the record gives a nearly literary value to the cd; it plays out like a book and it is just awesome. Again, this is easily one of the best bands making music today and one of the best records I have ever heard.

Recommended Tracks: No Children, See America Right, International Small Arms Traffic Blues, Have To Explode, Oceanographer's Choice
Genres: Indie, Rock, Folk
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?jayzmtvcyod

True Colors

I downloaded this cd on a whim a few months ago, knowing only two songs by the band. Every time I hear it, I just get a huge smile on my face. They sound like three dudes in a recording studio, having a lot of fun as they wrote and recorded some fantastic songs.

Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow & Blue (2008)

Luke Lalonde, Mitch Derosier, and Steven Hamelin are a power trio in the most fun way. Yeah, they play guitar, bass, and drums, respectively, with Lalonde taking on lead vocals, but they also incorporate pianos, accordians, and more backing vocals than necessary. The music is catchy and nearly dancy, but very minimalist, relying more on syncopated and truncated rhythms and virtuosic playing than wall-of-sound production. The instruments, when played in headphones, nearly sound like they're spaced apart by the producer, and that's part of the charm; it makes what I declare a Sonic Sandwich: The drums and bass are spaced far to the sides, the guitar is right in the middle, leaving the area in between for vocals. Okay, you guys don't care.

So the songs bounce around; the drums are tom and cymbal heavy, the basslines walk up and down the fretboard, and the guitar is jangly as a set of car keys in a blender. The voices yell and stomp and croon beautifully with backing vocals often taking on a call-and-response form or simply harmonizing with Lalonde's playful vocals. Overall, this album is just a lot of fun and it's what I want to listen to over the summer just to have a good time.

Recommended Tracks: Barnacle Goose, Hummingbird, Hedonistic Me, Kurt Vonnegut
Genres: Indie, Folk, Pop, Rock
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?yutyyz5mjnn

The Band That Broke Punk's Heart

Little introduction: It's taking a lot of strength not to put the Jets To Brazil cd up for a second time; seriously, if you don't already have it, it's so worth it to get it now. I've been listening to it nonstop since I put it up last week.

Anyways!

So, I saw this band a few months ago with fellow Hallelujah-blogger, Brooks, and his younger brother, Andy. Andy was also at the Ted Leo show that I wrote about last week and he asked me to upload this album. I don't normally do requests, but this one was submitted in person, so I'll make an exception... Also, I had already uploaded it because I knew I was gonna put it up.



Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster... (2008)

Los Campesinos are an eight piece indie-pop/punk band; their name is Spanish for The Peasants or The Famers; however, they are from Wales and do not have any songs in Spanish... Instead, their music is a sort of indie-pop that kind zig-zags between the borders of punk and total insanity. Every song sounds like it might fall apart and descend into total madness at any given point, but at the same time, each song also sounds like it could be played on some shitty top 100 radio station if the ridiculously distorted guitars, glockenspiels, or manic speed were removed. Basically, they're a punk band whose songs are so unfairly catchy and enjoyable to listen to, that you can't help but enjoy it.

The band released two FULL cds in 2008; "Hold On" being my favorite, "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed" is also pretty good, but this one is my favorite. The guitar lines are intricately woven between violins, glockenspiels, synthesizers, gang vocals, and, of course, the hilariously off-kilter lyrics sung through Gareth's registerless voice. His excited shouts are pulled back by Aleksandra's quiet, tuneful backing vocals. The song titles are so funny, and the lyrics match perfectly; they're just great songwriters and the songs are always perfectly put together.

Altogether, this album is easily one of the best from 2008 and is so much fun to listen to. If you ever get a chance to see them live, I recommend checking them out. They're a great time and I love this album so much. Check out the recommended tracks to get an idea of what the song-titles are like. Just great.

Recommended Tracks: Death To Los Campesinos!, Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s), This Is How You Spell "Hahaha, We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics," You! Me! Dancing!
Genres: Indie-Pop, Punk, Rock, Experimental
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?zloeeugczdz

Concert Review Pt. 2 - Dem Pharmacists

So after Titus left the stage, there was a brief intermission before Mr. Leo himself walked out. He walked up to the microphone and thanked the crowd (" 'Anks!") before immediately kicking into "Little Dawn," one of the best songs on Shake The Sheets (available below). For those who don't already listen to him, Ted Leo is kind of an ex-punk-but-still-kind-of-punk guitarist who sings in a fairly high register. By the end of the first or second song, he already broke a string on his guitar and got out the secondary one... an identical instrument (beautiful Gibson 335, absolutely fantastic sound).

Seeing him and the Pharmacists play live is, quite literally, like having your face rocked off. They play smart, energetic punk that has about as much in common with The Clash as it does with Thin Lizzy and Okkervil River. It's nearly an amalgamation of the energy of punk, the epic power of classic rock, and the literate, forceful intelligence of indie rock.

Their set consisted of all the classics that I assume they play at every show; "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone," "Shake The Sheets," and, of course, "Me And Mia." Every song was played passionately and the entire band seemed to be having just as much fun as the crowd. They rocked through a lot of new songs, as well. Leo noted after one song that it was the "first time we've ever played that one in front of anyone else." To balance out the really new songs, they also went through some oldies, like, "Timorous Me" from 2001's The Tyranny Of Distance.

The best part of the set, I would say, was the finale. While playing the last song of the night, Ted broke another string on his secondary guitar and decided to just give up with playing the instrument. He did straight vocals for the remainder of the song, and during the "guitar solo," he decided that he was finished with the guitar entirely. He grabbed the headstock, ripped it the rest of the way off, and began slamming the body against the stage. By the time it was destroyed enough, he thanked the crowd and left. The encore, suffice it to say, was performed on a different guitar, and was just as energetic and exciting as the beginning; they finished the whole set on "Shake The Sheets," one of the best songs from the album of the same title (uploaded below!). They really know how to put on a show, and I highly recommend stopping by, even if you've never really seen them before.

Ryan and I both left with chunks of Ted Leo's wrecked guitar and were so feeling the whole set (even though we didn't recognize a lot of the songs from his latest release).



And now the album!


Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - Shake The Sheets (2004)

Seriously, this is, like, punk's older brother. It's fiery, it's danceable, it's got provocative lyrics that make you think. It's just a good time, and I can not recommend it anymore than I do now! So GET IT!!

Recommended Tracks: Me And Mia, The Angels' Share, Little Dawn, Shake The Sheets
Genres: Indie, Punk, Rock
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?tnznzmyhoki

Wednesday Special! Longwinded concert review!

On Sunday, my friend Ryan and I drove up to The Ottobar to see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists play with Titus Andronicus. This is the review of the opener from that show along with the Titus Andronicus album! Tomorrow, I'll review Ted himself and put up my favorite Pharmacists album!

Titus Andronicus At The Ottobar (Pitchfork style, I guess, because none of this review really makes sense)

live picture from their myspace, to give you an idea of what they were lookin' like

Sunday morning, I woke up at 1 in the afternoon and saw a few texts from Ryan sitting, unread on my phone. "Yo dude, bonarroo is a no go, still up for ted leo tonight?" from 10 that morning. "Dude are you up?" from noon. Sweet. I talk to Ryan and we plan out the trip; I buy the tickets and we're good to go. At about 7:45, we're on the road, with Hearts Of Oak blasting as we roll up I-95. Conversation turns to beach plans, summer vacation, and how likely we are to do some Mardi Gras business next year (Ryan goes to Tulane, down in New Orleans).

We arrive at the Ottobar around 8:30, in time to catch the last song from Sleeper Agent. Dude looks like he's having a heart attack on stage. I give him props for that. There's about 15 people in there and one of them is Andy, Guest-Reviewer Brooks' brother. So Ryan and I talk to Andy for a while before moving up for Titus Andronicus' set. I had seen Titus twice before this show, so I knew what I was getting into, Andy had seen them a couple times as well. Ryan, however, had no idea what was slowly lurching onto the stage.

Lead singer Patrick Stickles has a beard that encompasses his face, he's wearing sweatpants, and a Ponytail t-shirt. "This is, like, our fifth time playing The Ottobar this year. We just can't keep ourselves away," he quietly speaks into the microphone before pulling out a harmonica and going directly into "Joset Of Nazareth's Blues." Yeah, dude. Then he starts yelling nearly incoherently through the song while playing guitar. It sounds just like the record! They blaze through almost all of the "hits" from their debut, The Airing Of Grievances (there's really only, like, nine songs on the cd, so playing through all of the songs except for the two slow ones is pretty much like playing the hits), including "The Enemy Is Everywhere," which I've never heard a recorded version of, but I've seen them play it every time I've seen them. They also play a new song as well as a Cock Sparrer cover. I think every single mic stand on stage fell over at least twice during the set because of their, as Ryan put it, "epileptic spazzes" while playing. So fucking awesome.

Ryan pokes me and asks how the drummer manages to do what seems to be a fairly simple sounding beat, but makes it so ridiculously intricate, playing 16th notes back and forth on different drumheads and cymbals for what must be sport. The rhythm section for Titus Andronicus... which I guess is pretty much the entire band, is so tight and spot on. They sound like they should be sloppy, they look like they should be sloppy, but everything is perfectly in time and everything has more energy than most bands today. Again, awesome.

They end on the first track of the record, probably my favorite song from the whole thing, "Fear And Loathing In Mahwah, NJ." Stickles lightly strums the guitar, singing as clearly as he has for the entire night (odd, since on the record, the first half of the song is utterly incoherent), before stopping and stepping away from the microphone. The entire band looks up and after what seems like 10 full seconds, each member chimes in: "FUCK YOU." Suddenly the song is in double time, there are tapping guitar solos, and they play through until all of the effects are on all of the guitars and then they leave the stage with just echoes permeating through the amplifiers.

Ryan looks at me and I'm afraid of what he's going to say, because this is not his type of music. "They were actually really good, you gotta hit me up with this cd!" Here you go, homeboy.

Titus Andronicus - The Airing Of Grievances (2009)
(yes, it's named after Festivus)

Titus Andronicus is... well, I guess they're a punk band. But... I mean, not really. They're just cool. I definitely recommend checking them out if you like music that sounds like it's on fire... if that makes sense. It does to me.

Recommended Tracks: Fear And Loathing In Mahwah NJ, Arms Against Atrophy, Titus Andronicus
Genres: Punk, Indie, Rock
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?1ozmzfnt4zb

We Don't Need No Bodies, We're Here For The Souls!

The Mae Shi play... um. Indie-pop. But... it's kind of angry. And kind of has a lot of weird sounds. Like beeps and bloops. I guess I'll let this video speak for itself. If you like this cover of a Miley Cyrus song, chances are you'll like the album.





Onto the real review!

The Mae Shi - HLLLYH (2008)

When I first heard about The Mae Shi, they were associated with John Zorn (grindcore/jazz saxophonist, psychopath); they worked with him at his ridiculous "music improvisation games," which means that they can pretty much play ridiculously awful music that is supposed to be excellent because it's so complex and mind-bending that it's therefore good.

However, they play a sort of indie pop punk that is at times serious, but is mostly just playful. With songtitles like "Pwnd" and "7xx7," this album about the apocalyptic sort of takes on a more cheerful tone about the wrath of god. Overall, it's just fun to listen to: they have chops to spare, but they choose to hold themselves back just to keep the music enjoyable. You can tell they're powerful just by how intricately woven every song is, despite being quite simple, pop-wise. Between the vocal arrangements that sound like a full chorus (despite being sung by what must be a single dude), the synthesizers that were picked up out of the 80s, and that amazing guitar tone that sounds like it was formulated in a garage, The Mae Shi are one of the most fun bands I've ever listened to and deserve to be in your collection if you like having fun or listening to fun music.

Genres: Indie, Punk, Pop, Post-Punk
Recommended Tracks: Lamb And The Lion, Pwnd, Boys In The Attic, Run To Your Grave,
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?ymmhtzfugmi

No, Seriously.

I am having a ceremony tomorrow for how awesome I am. So I'm too busy to write a review, so here's a quick little something for you.

The Clash - London Calling (1980)

Fuck you, if you don't have this album already, then fucking GET IT. Like, NOW. I don't care what kind of music you listen to, whether or not you've written off this band, or any of that stuff. You NEED this album in your collection because all of your favorite modern bands exist solely because of this album.

Honestly, it's probably one of the best cds ever made and don't be embarrassed if you don't already own every collector's edition of it or whatever, but definitely check it out because it's seriously seriously great even by today's standards.

Recommended tracks: Rudie Can't Fail, Spanish Bombs, Wrong 'Em Boyo
Genres: Rock, Punk, Ska, Reggae, Folk, Indie, Awesomeawesome
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?zmwxyzkzga2

Final Thursday EPs (For Now)

Okay, I don't have nearly enough good EPs to keep this up, so they'll just be sprinkled intermittently whenever I can't think of what to put up. Awesome! Let's finish off that Mountain Goats kick and I'll round it out with ex-folk-punk band Rosa! Acoustic EP Day!! Woo!

The Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice - Moon Colony Bloodbath (2009)

The humorous title of this most recent Mountain Goats release hints at murder and space travel, but hardly delivers on either. Instead, you get a story that builds over the course of the album. John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats and Vanderslice trade vocal duties and create a very cohesive, warm, yet dark album. The music is almost entirely just acoustic guitars and voices, with each frontman performing a half of the album. The final song, when the bloodbath on the moon happens is the absolutely fantastic. The build up to it is stunning. Definitely a must-hear for anyone interested in either band.

Genres: Folk, Indie
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?m1jy2zidqmz


Rosa - I Mississippi You (2005)

This one isn't an EP, but it's only about 26 MB, despite having 12 songs, so it's tiny, but it's so very, very good. Not very many people have heard of Rosa, and the ones that have either listen to them all the time or are searching for them on the internet to this day. They sound like four kids who are just writing songs about whatever they care about. Passionate, playful, and rocking, these lo-fi, acoustic songs sound like they were recorded in a garage that, while being planted down in Tennessee, it dreams about houses in California. Listening to Rosa makes me feel like running away from home, hopping on a train to anywhere, and never looking back. The music sounds like if a couple punks decided they wanted to play folk-country, and that is so awesome with me.

Genres: Folk, Punk, Country
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?dkmzyzicnkz

Most Of The Killers Never Get Famous, Then It's Hard On Everyone

After graduating from NYU with a degree in English Lit and Creative Writing, Blake Schwarzenbach played with a seminal punk/emo band called Jawbreaker before ending the whole thing to start an indie/emo band called Jets To Brazil. Their first album is one of my favorites evereverever and I'm so excited to have it up here!


Jets To Brazil - Orange Rhyming Dictionary (1998)

Orange Rhyming Dictionary is so much more than a collection of songs, especially for a first album from a new band. Every song seems to be directly tied to the next one, despite having no actual cohesive reasons to feel that way. Each one seems to outline a lonely life in California, starting with an exhilarating drive down Pasadena in 1968 and ending with an introspective train ride away from a girlfriend or wife.

I could literally write for hours about this band and this cd, but I'll let the music speak for itself. Schwarzenbach's voice and songwriting feel just so perfect -- like he had all of these ideas and just let them come out exactly as he had them in his head. The music comes out as some kind of mixture between the poppy punk of his old band, Jawbreaker, and the exciting and intricate music and rhythms of the up and coming indie rock scene. Absolutely stunning.

Recommended Tracks: Crown Of The Valley, Starry Configurations, Chinatown, Sweet Avenue
Genres: Indie, Punk, Emo
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?z5jjyjztjmy
Recommended if you liked: The Weakerthans, Cursive, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

Guest Post: Amanda fucking Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Thanks for this awesome review of a seriously fantastic album, Dia! You guys should DEFINITELY get this if you liked Nick Cave, Tom Waits, or music in general; this piano virtuoso and extraordinary vocalist, Amanda Palmer is exactly what they would be like if they were female and slightly less ridiculous in some ways while being even more ridiculous in plenty others. Ampersand, the third track on this cd is probably one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life.

Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (2008)

The Dresden Dolls may have split up, but Amanda Palmer’s ingenious creativity is still ever-present in her first solo album. Desperate for a new beginning, Palmer and co-producer Ben Folds put their musical mindsand their gifted piano skills to good use. The result – a powerful demonstration of music and composition at its finest. No two tracks sound alike, and yet Palmer's stories and her magnificently eerie voice bring the album together with astonishing perfection.

The album opens with the powerful chords of ‘Astronaut’, a catchy and yet stimulating song that immediately grabs your attention at full force. Throughout the album, the tracks continue to alternate between intense and heartfelt, tied together by Palmer's storytelling and piano virtuosity. Songs cover an unorthodox range of topics, such as mental instability and abortion. ‘Guitar Hero’, my favorite on the entire album, is about soldiers at war playing video games when not on the battlefield.

I wouldn't change anything about this album -- If you have yet to experience the sheer power and compassion that this woman brings into music, a single listen to this album is all you need for that genuine Amanda ‘Fucking’ Palmer experience.

For deeper insight into this album, I recommend watching the music videos she made for each song on the album, each one is artistic and captivating in their own way, and each one carries the words of the song even further.

Recommended tracks: Astronaut, Runs In The Family, Had to Drive, Guitar Hero, The Point of it All
Genres: Rock, Indie, Experimental, Pop
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?fy2mzw5g4m2

Thursday EPs: The Mountain Goats!

The Mountain Goats are fantastically prolific; ever since taking on the moniker in 1991, John Darnielle has recorded and released well over 500 songs. It's difficult to know where to start with a back-catalog of that size. So, instead of posting his full LPs (there'll be a time for that), here are a few EPs from 2008. Next week, I'll do a few other Mountain Goats EPs (believe me, I have plenty).


The Mountain Goats - Satanic Messiah EP (2008)

This cd, despite having an evil looking cover, contains no electric guitars at all. Instead, it's almost entirely piano; an instrument that rarely takes center-stage in Mountain Goats songs. Its music is smooth and calm; two songs are about death metal bands, one is about a religious revolution, and the final song is about an Ethiopian riot over high taxes. This cd is probably the most tender of all of the Mountain Goat releases and it certainly has some of the best songwriting I've ever heard.

Recommended Track: Gojam Province 1968
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?dtmgllmgejm




The Mountain Goats & Kaki King - Black Pear Tree EP (2008)


I saw this combo together on the The Last Best Night Of Your Life Tour in November and it was simply stunning. Kaki King is a very talented guitarist and a great singer, and when she works with the songwriting genius of John Darnielle, you get King's complex style with Darnielle's complex literature in one place. Between half-serious songs like the title track (Blossoms black and sweet as Texas crude) and serious ones like Bring Our Curses Home, you get the full spectrum of what The Mountain Goats are capable of.

Recommended Track: Thank You, Mario, But Our Princess Is In Another Castle
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)?jqy2xmwdmmi

Genres for both: Indie, Folk

There you have it! Two Mountain Goats EPs for Thursday, two more for next Thursday! See you tomorrow, dudes.