Animal Collective: Feels

After posting their new EP the other day, i was struggling to think which AC album was my favorite. Really, AC are one of those bands that don't have a "defining album". Honestly though... i keep on coming back to Feels. I can't explain why. But for some reason I can play this album all the way through enjoying every second. When i first heard this when it came out, I didn't think it was as crazy as their other releases (which i thought was a bad thing). But now i think that's why it has stood the test of time more than their other releases.. at least for me.  You can make an argument for any of their albums being their best.... but I wanted to pick just one LP for this post and right now I'm in love with this one, okay? Now you get in on the love and we can have a three-way. Bom chicka wah wah. *WINK* Seriously though, something spiritual happens when I listen to Animal Collective with headphones in the dark. You should try it to. I'll meet you on the astral plane of musical zen and we can high five. Sweet.

Feels

Pit Er Pat: Pyramids

I can't, in all good conscious, take credit for this. I was introduced to this band by my man Shilz. Props to him for knowing some awesome relatively unknown music. I am but a follower. I bow to his greatness. OKAY!? We all find out about bands some way. Unless you just go to a record store close your eyes and randomly hope you pick a gem. I happen to find out about good music by searching a lot of blogs just like this one, and when i find someone who likes a lot of the same stuff as me, I see what he or she has that I don't.... that and i read a lot of record reviews and buy a TON of CDs.  But that's how I found these guys. And now YOU know about these guys through me. (Transference you magical sonofa bitch!) I can only describe Pit Er Pat's music as a somewhat darker more haunting earlier version of Blonde Redhead. At least that's how it sounds to me. Either way, it's a great find for anyone who doesn't already know the sweetness of Pit Er Pats dark ambient jazzy sound. 

 

Pyramids

Deerhunter x 2

WOW... there certainly has been a lot of drama around Bradford Cox these days. The guy basically left his mediafire account open to the public on one of his websites and let loose all these unreleased albums and songs. Yikes... Oh and then he flipped out, threatened to not finish one of the projects that was leaked, and put out his email address for people to send him money for his hard work gone to waste. Yikes again. I feel for the guy, I do... especially cause mediafire didn't warn anyone they were upgrading, which basically unlocked all of his files. He then recanted a few days later, refunded peoples money and said he would finish his project "Logos" I think it was called. This is what's disturbing to me... musicians shouldn't be "blogging" about shit. Just about every musician that does makes me change my view of them entirely. Like, I remember reading on the Stars blog about their new album and how it got a 7.4 on pitchfork (which really isn't a bad review to be honest) and the lead singer Torquil was going OFF about how critics should die, how sad it is that people judge people who create.. blah blah... he basically sounded like a little baby. This is the danger of doing this type of thing. You say ridiculous shit, and then people (despite your brilliant art) can't look past what a D-Bag you've been and give up on you as a human. Music is a catagory where I actually don't want to know TOO much about the artist. I want the art to speak for itself. The guitarist from Deerhunter quit because of similar feelings. He said that the band "was receiving (and creating) too much press that had nothing to do with any new music being created". This was in reference to the band's blog. He goes on to say "I don't want to be overexposed. I don't want the world to know what our excrement looks like or what we are selling on eBay or whether we got robbed". Word. The fear for me, as it should be for Deerhunter, is that all this drama is overshadowing what are amazingly good albums. So shut your face holes and open your ear holes. Microcastle is his new album, and Weird Era Cont. is one of the new ones causing all this crazy. 

Because these albums haven't been "released" yet there is no artwork. DERRRRRR. So instead here is a picture of Deerhunter chillin against bricks

Microcastle

Weird Era Cont.

Animal Collective: Water Curses EP

Hey all.  This is the new EP from one of my favorite bands Animal Collective. ROCK IT TO YOUR FACE! (that's all i got for this one)

Water Curses

The Breeders

Remember The Pixies?? Un-freakin-believable. One of the best bands ever. I saw them live at their reunion tour at UMASS, where both a few of The Pixies and I went... only they dropped out and became icons for a generation and I graduated and am writing blogs... don't listen to your parents. I had to wear a helmet to the show because THEY BLEW MY FUCKING MIND. Well if you can't have The Pixies... and Frank Black's solo stuff sounds NOTHING like The Pixies... the next best thing is The Breeders. Kim Deal apparently is a fucking awesome song writer and Frank Black is a control freak and wouldn't let her write more Pixies songs (BAD MOVE DUDE) so after Surfer Rosa, Deal started her own band. In retrospect, Deal was probably just as good, if not a better song writer than Black.  I love everything they've done ... besides "Title TK" which, despite being recorded by the amazing Steve Albini, kinda sucked. "Pod" had a nice grungey sound... and was one of Kurt Kobain's favorite albums. The drummer from Slint added a nice touch to their overall dynamic. Their cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is worth the money for the album alone. "Last Splash" although a bit more polished sounding at first glance, ended up being their most cohesive effort in my opinion. I'm not posting "TK" cause it's just not worth your time, trust me.... so on to their new album "Mountain Battles". It pretty much sounds like a entirely different band... probably because it is... and Deal has MOSTLY abandoned her grunge rock roots for a more minimalistic folksy sound. It doesn't pack the punch that their first two albums did. However, it's an interesting and NEEDED transition for a band that has conquered their post punk genre more than a decade and a half ago. 

Pod

Last Splash

Mountain Battles

Built to Spill: You In Reverse

Download numbers show you guys like The Microphones, Weezer, and Built to Spill. Awesome. Also saw that somebody linked my blog in some music message board about Sparklehorse. Also awesome. Do that more and I will reward you with pleasure of the musical variety. It's kind of like sexual pleasure only without some chick going "Blah blah blah" afterwards. Oh and there's no "release"....most of the time. Hey, I don't know what kind of freaky shit you're in to so I don't wanna rule anything out. After all, I write this blog in the nude. Don't judge me and I won't judge you. Annnnnnnyyyyyways.... back to BTS. This is their most recent effort. It's good... but not the best thing they've done and I think they know it. Doug Martsch, after the release of this album, said something along the lines of "BTS has the potential to make an amazing album, better than anything I've ever done before. But it won't be this next album." or something along those lines. I kind of laughed at the idea of not making the best album you can EVERY time you make an album... but what they hell at least he is being honest. Guess we'll just have to wait two more albums for their masterpiece... that is if he doesn't change the band around again. This album they did on their own without producer Phil Ek... which was a bold choice giving them a rougher sound. Honestly this album would've been amazing if they just trimmed the fat a little bit. The songs that carried on with guitar jams for 3 minutes weren't really my bag... but to each his own... it's still pretty darn good regardless. 

You In Reverse

Weezer: The Blue Album Deluxe Edition

K-lassic! In a time where grunge music was the cool thing to do, these guys come along and make a nerdy power pop masterpiece. Everyone should own two Weezer albums. THIS ONE and PINKERTON. The rest are optioinal. ESPECIALLY "Make Believe". God that was a terrible album. Erase that mess from your mind and enjoy this re-release of the eponymous debut with a bonus disc of unreleased goodies and b-sides galore. Whoooopie! (p.s. the 2nd disc is over 100mb so it's in two parts)

The Blue Album

Bonus Disc Part 1       Part 2

Sparklehorse

Mark Linkous. What can you say about his guy? Well, if you don't know he almost killed himself on some crazy drug binge where he passed out on his legs for fourteen hours. When he was lifted up the potassium release made his heart stop for a few minutes. THEN the surgeries he had afterwards almost claimed both of his legs and left him in a wheelchair for half a year. JESUS. That will make a dude go sober real quick... or need another drink.. one or the other. Apparently almost dying and then suffering for a year or so makes you write awesome music. Maybe I should try that.... hmmmmm... no. However, you can tell that he was deeply affected by this horrendous experience (no shit eh?) through his sad and fatalistic lyrics. Wanting to be reborn as an beautiful and ignorant idiot, exploding astrological bodies, flaming horses... good god this guy's lyrics are amazing as they are depressing. Most of the time the music is fairly simple (and when it's not that's when he's at his best)... but really Linkous is a poet stuck in a musicians body. Every song of his begs to not only be heard but really LISTENED to. So, pay attention... he has something devastatingly beautiful to tell you. 

Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

Good Morning Spider

It's a Wonderful Life

Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain

P.S.  These are all his LPs. My personal favorites (if you care) are Good Morning Spider and It's a Wonderful Life. 

MGMT

I know, I know... I'm like the last person in the world to post this. Guess what... I'm posting it anyway. But I knew about these guys before any of you so that makes me cooler i think. My friend went to college with these guys so I knew them before they even had a record label. So the coolness scale goes like this: MGMT ----> my friend ----> me------> the rest of you losers. My friend also tells me that one of the guys is kind of a dick. I don't wanna say which one...mostly cause i don't remember and because I'm sure he reads this blog and will get all mad if I call him out. That's right buddy... MGMT isn't that good. Also if your band name "The Management" is copyrighted already, PICK SOMETHING ELSE. Don't cut out all the vowels and N's.. seriously... we still call you "Management". Also, it's really hard to pronounce MGMT. mmmmmmuuuuhhhhgeeeeeeemmmteeeh. Does that sound right? Not to me.

Oracular Spectacular

The Microphones: The Glow Part 2

Phil Elvrum (or Elverum, I forget which he prefers) is the man behind the band The Microphones/Mount Eerie. On top of being an all around cool dude, he is also an amazing musician/producer. He basically stopped making "albums" after his live album and now makes what i consider themed recorded musical experiments which he releases himself under his own label. It's a pity that you can't go into a record store and buy any of his new stuff. But I think he is content with controlling the whole process himself. Everything I've bought from his website has your address hand written with a hand written thank you from Phil himself. If that weren't enough he has some of the most incredible artwork both in quality and size with each of his albums... oh and every cd you order also comes with a record as well. Granted the downside is that he releases stuff that is just not as focused or is just like "oh here, we recorded some stuff when we were doing something wierd, check it". Some of it is hit or miss. But honestly as much as I like almost everything this guy has done, I'm kind of wishing he would hunker down, get a real label (or just get organized... look at his website... seriously) and make another "album". But i doubt he will cause I'm sure he enjoys his freedom way too much. This album was my favorite thing for a while...and guess what!? K records (Phil's label for this album) wanted to reissue this CD this year with something special, so Phil offered up an extra 20 tracks on a bonus disc that were recorded around the same time as this. WOOOOHOOO. Honestly though, the album itself doesn't need help, it's pretty much amazing on it's own. Chigity check it.




The Glow Pt. 2 Bonus Disc

DJ Shadow x 2

Hey! Remember about two posts down when I was talking about electronic music and how some of favs were from DJ Shadow? Well, here are two awesome albums. This man is genius. Too bad he has finally crapped out recently. But let's pretend his last album never happened and enjoy these gems instead. Last post for tonight. Don't NOT (double negative... take THAT grammar!) check out DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing" and Dosh's "Wolves and Wishes"... cause gosh darnit, they are good... and you would be missing out on some ear candy.

 

Endtroducing...

The Private Press

Andrew Bird: The Mysterious Production of Eggs

I thought it was appropriate, since I was already talking about him, to do an Andrew Bird post. This is his best work in my opinion. He was also pretty damn good live. He's got a crazy spinning record player thingy that I've never seen before. Here's a pic. Its that thing behind him on the left.

  

I don't know if it actually does anything other than look crazy as fuck, but really what else can you ask of a spinning old timey record player thing. Either way, the whole band was great, especially Dosh. (see my boner over his new album below) 

The Mysterious Production of Eggs

Dosh: Wolves and Wishes

This guy is the drummer/multi-instrumentalist for Andrew Bird. I just saw Bird and Wilco live last night. Pretty awesome show I must say, even though Wilco's last album made me barf. Anything that can be described as "dad rock" I pretty much want no part of. But the pinnacle of the evening was Bird for me specifically cause Dosh is his drummer, and he kills on drums. Case and point, THIS ALBUM. Wow... i mean WOW... (that's right I've just been wowed) This is probably the coolest instrumental/electronic album to along in a while. Next to maybe one of DJ Shadow's earlier albums, Wolves and Wishes has become a new favorite of mine in the genre.

Wolves and Wishes

  

Iron & Wine

Mmmmm... those dulcet tones. It couldn't be anyone other than Samuel Beam. I do have to say that this man sure knows how to sing. His breathy vocals, and Southern folk style give him a genuine feel all his own. I was watching the season finale of House and "Passing Afternoon" came on at the end of the show (you know, someone is dying, sad things are happening - cue music) and it just added so much emotion... I almost got a little teary eyed. Then i remembered i was watching HOUSE, and also i wasn't gay. So back to reality I came. But it did remind of the sweet sounds of Iron & Wine... which i hadn't listen to in some time. I'm not the biggest fan of everything he's done, but there are at LEAST a few gems on any album he's recorded. Here are his 3 LP's and one of his best EPs "In the Reins" with Calexico. Enjoy.





Shepherd's Dog Part One Part Two








The Creek Drank the Cradle








Our Endless Numbered Days








In the Reins

Built to Spill: Perfect From Now On

I couldn't help but notice more than like 2 people downloaded Keep It Like A Secret, which is like a record or something i think. So here, for your listening pleasure, is MORE Built to Spill. Don't all give me sex at once. Especially because i don't have time for that shit... and you're probably relatively ugly. But that's okay cause were all equal in the eyes of music. Cause music can't see your ugly face. Thank God for that. No no no, you're beautiful I'm sure. Specifically because you're at my blog... you sexy beast *WINK*... okay. This album is what MOST people consider Built to Spill's classic. And i say to those people "You are the suck" but then i forgive them because it's still Built to Spill and every record is good. You really can't go wrong. I've had several love affairs with EVERY BTS album... so I'm sure you could make an argument for any one being the best. If you people want more, i'll post EVERYTHING they've done. But someone has to tell me otherwise I'm just gonna blabber on about shit for EVERY album.. slowly but surely... cause I have nothing better to do.

Perfect From Now On

Beck

Awwwwwww shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. It's Beck. He's back and he's apparently given up rap for this album, Modern Guilt. This CD sounds a little more alt. country/indie rockish than most of his stuff. I've only listen to this through twice so i haven't really come to a conclusion on whether or not it's just okay, good, or great. I know at the very least it's okay, but to be honest it didn't really wow me, which Beck usually does when he's at his best. Some people gave it rave reviews so, I'll have to listen a few more times before i really judge. I dunno... let me know what you think. I'm tired and out of wit... so yeah... yadda yadda yadda... download it stupids.



Modern Guilt

Sigur Ros

Sigur Ros (Victory Rose for us english folk) have been one of my favorite bands for years. I'm actually not even that much of a fan of the whole Post Rock scene. But Sigur Ros just does it so damn well. These guys can seriously make an 8 minute song an emotional experience. I'm pretty sure they will never top their ( ) album. Which is a shame because they do have the potential. This album, titled Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (translation: "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly") does do one really good thing. That is, start to show us what Sigur Ros would be like if they took their sound in a different direction. The suprise opener is by far my favorite just because it reminds me more of animal collective than post rock. Unfortunately they do fall back into their redundant style of insanely long build-ups and orchestral explosions. I mean, it's good. They've just done it before. Many times. And better. So when they do sound different it makes me hopeful that they will change their direction. I know most people hate pitchfork but they ended their article on this album perfectly: "How do you say "less is more" in Hopelandic? I worry we'll never know. " HAHA... oh... i wish i could be that witty... maybe for the right price. Until then, "it's good" will have to suffice. HEY! That rhymes! CHA CHING!

Meo Suo í Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust

Dear Everybody

I really appreciate everyone's support and words of wisdom. I was kinda half joking at the fact no one has come to my blog. It was a long ass day at work and while i do love writing and posting stuff, i do want others to check it out. Otherwise, whats the point really? I'm not looking for internet fame or for everyone to praise me.... I really just wanted SOMEONE to download SOMETHING. Sharing is caring right? Either way i didn't wanna come off like a whiny little d-bag. Cause really i was joking. This thing is pretty much brand new and I do hope with time more people come, but honestly the responses from everyone are making me feel better. *sniffle* You really do care. *sniffle* Word up to my homies, Andrew over at 413some (funniest guy i know) and Shilz over at goldenhymn (this dude's got the best taste in music on the net) for their words of wisdom and mock sympathy. You are bros in a sea of hoes. Peace

Built to Spill: Keep it Like a Secret

Trying to pick a favorite BTS record is like trying to pick a favorite sex position. While you might have a favorite one day, the next day you prefer the other one. But really, it's ALL GOOD CAUSE YOU'RE GETTING LAID. And with BTS you're getting laid in your ears. Does that make sense? Anyway, this album is probably my second favorite next to "There's Nothing Wrong With Love". Once i get my computer fixed, i'll upload that (for now I'm just posting what i have on mediafire already). However, this album basically made me a BTS convert. It's their catchiest and popiest album to date, but by God is it good. Everyone one in the world should have this record in their arsonal, regardless of musical taste. In fact i'm gonna go have me some ear sex with this thing right now. Only what position?





Keep It Like A Secret

Brendan Canning

More tunes from my heroes at Broken Social Scene. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if all the people from BSS got together and said, "Hey, lets all stop writing like 500 hundred songs a day all with different bands and focus on ONE thing." Probably would be one of the coolest things in the next decade. Oh well, at least with one person at the helm at a time, it sounds a little more coherent. Not AS good as Kevin Drew, in my opinion, but better than most of the stuff coming out this year. Brendan was saying that there was an "unmastered" copy floating around the internet that he was unhappy about... well i think this is that copy. Sorry buddy. Didn't mean to rape your art in the butt. I'd be interested to hear if there is actually that much of a difference but until then here is this copy for free!




Something for All of Us

Portishead

Hey, guess what!? It's Portishead's third album, THIRD. Genius title. I figured all the razzmatazz surrounding the leak of this album has died down, so I can safely post it. All the people who wanted to buy it (like me) already have. So here it is for your listening pleasure. It doesn't sound like anything else they've done really. It's a completely new direction. A dark one too. I kind of miss the hip hop style elements, but I'm glad they've decided to not jump back into their old formula of success. Looking forward to the next release, maybe before the next decade this time. 

Third

Dear nobody

Apparently I'm just posting shit for my own good, cause NO ONE READS this blog. Either way, i realized i was uploading albums as text only files. WTF man! Anyway problem is solved... although no one has tried to download anything so... yeah... great. SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO MEEEEEEEEEEEE! hahaha.... anyway. More goodies to come!

Subtle

These are the guys that also have done some work with The Notwist under the band name 13 & God. This is Subtle's new album. Hopefully they won't rape me for posting it. I've been seeing a lot of people getting asked to take this down. This is also a band that deserves your money, so if you like it, go buy the darn thing. In fact their whole catalogue is pretty amazing. It's kinda hip hop, but kinda not. A little bit ambient, experimental, indie... I don't know how to describe it... other than TOTALLY ILL. As for the title, front man Doseone had this to say: "Since the first apes used a blade of grass as a tool on a comb of ants. The human mind started to make room for free time. And the arm became the only exit for the mind, in this world, as the mind developed. So you have war through the arm, and you have the various arts, all coming out through the arm. So as this develops, the free mind starts to expand, and nervousness enters the world, and fear of galactic proportions." Word. Do yourself a favor and check it, son.




Exiting Arm

Built to Spill: Live

Dude. I was talking about Built to Spill the other day with this kid at my local crack house aka coffee shop... and I realized how long it's been since I've listened to these guys. I went through a period of a few months where I literally only listened to BTS on repeat. I was gonna post everything they've ever done, but then why else would you come back to me? I can't give it away like some cheap whore. Well, at least not with music. Instead, this post is their LIVE album. As far as live albums go, this is a pretty awesome one. Not all the songs are my favorite, like the 20 minute cover of Cortez the Killer, or the equally long Broken Chairs (my least favorite song by BTS)... so what makes it so great, you ask? Well, Virginia Reel Around the Fountain, by Doug Martschs' previous band The Halo Benders, and equally cool cover of Singing Sores Make Perfect Swords, by Love as Laughter, are both rare and incredibly awesome... worth the time of downloading alone. Plus Stop the Show live is always a treat. The best thing about this is that for this set of live recordings, they had their (then) amazing producer Phil Ek come along and make sure the levels were correct. Clearly a good decision. P.S. File is large and in charge, so there's two parts people.




BTS Live: Part one Part two