Saturday, July 31, 2010

Growing - Color Wheel





THIS POST WILL NOT BE FOR ALL! But if you are open minded to music and sound, this record will blow your mind. Hailing from Olympia, Washington and now based in NY, these dudes transcend the concept of a noise band. This record is made entirely on guitar and bass, although you'll be quite hard pressed to pick out any guitar or bass sounds. These guys use nothing but analog effects (MAYBE a few digital, but don't think so...) to create soundscapes that will take you to another planet. If you have ever had any sort of heavy psychedelic experience, you will understand every second of this record. If you've never done drugs in your life, this band sounds the way drugs make you feel. They have several records, all a little different, but this one is definitely one of the best. Again, I warn any "mainstreamers" that this may not be your thing, but if you get this record and listen to it from start to finish (sober OR duped to the gills), you'll come out with an expanded point of view on life and your own existence. PLEASE at least give this record a shot. It certainly changed the way I think about music.

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Black Eyed Snakes for your blues!


This record is quite an unexpected gem. Featuring Alan Sparhawk, singer and guitarist for Low (one of my favorite bands), this is a pretty big leap from Low's slow, minimalist shoegazey style. Black Eyed Snakes play foot-stompin', leg-kickin juke joint blues, the likes of which you'd never expect from Duluth, Minnesota. Recorded nice and lo-fi, this album easily joins the ranks of Howling Wolf and RL Burnside in keeping true to the roots of blues music. This ain't your daddy's noodly frat-boy blues, so if you got any sense at all, you'll snag this immediately. And yes. His shirt says "I -heart- consensual sex." Lawl.

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(And if you haven't listened to Low, stay tuned, as I'll probably post an absurd amount of their music very very soon.)

Friday, July 30, 2010

The Peabodys - Are Chick Repellant



Catchy as fuck pop punk from Pennsylvania. The first of many releases for the band. While there's nothing too groundbreaking here, these songs just seem to get under your skin. Chock full of great hooks and catchy choruses. I dare you to download this and not be singing the songs for the rest of the day. I FUCKING DARE YOU!

GET IT!

Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender


If you haven't heard Joanna Newsom yet, you best-tah make it so, right now. Her voice may take some getting used to, but her songwriting is absolutely phenomenal. Composing mostly on harp, and sometimes various keyed instruments, her music is what I've described many times as 'chord architecture'. With moods ranging from ecstatic and bubbly to slow and melancholy, there is something for everyone on this record. Please do yourself a favor and give this a shot.

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Graveyard


This is the debut from Sweden's Graveyard, and it grabs me by the nuts every time I put it on. Old school style bluesy stoner rock in the vein of bands such as Blue Cheer, Witchcraft, Pentagram, and Sabbath. If you like rock music at all, you should get this record. I just can't seem to jam this enough. Download this now, you sumbitches!

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Gospel and ASG/Black Tusk Split

So just to get a post on this here sumbitch, I'm gonna give you guys 2 of my favorite records lately. I always feel lame trying to describe music, so descriptions will usually lack unless I'm feeling particularly verbose on a given day. Today ain't that day. Get 'em and love em.







Gospel, from Brooklyn I believe, is a band that sort of defies any attempt at explanation. But here is a list of words that could be used in such an attempt: surrealist drug-dazed mathy hardcore prog rock jamology. Fans of Pg. 99, Envy, and City of Caterpillar take heed!

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Here we have two great bands, Black Tusk (Savannah, GA) and ASG (Wilmington, NC).  Black Tusk has a great sound, quite similar to Kylesa, who also happens to be from Savannah. Their tracks are great on this split, but the ASG tracks far outweigh them in my opinion, so they are who I'll rant about. ASG plays their own unique brand of stoner rock, and all 4 of their tracks on the split show a slightly different side of the band. If I had to make comparisons, I'd say they are similar to Queens of The Stone Age, The Sword, and CKY... but whatever. Just get this and jam the ASG tracks as loud as you can get 'em!

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