Tuesday, July 31, 2007

classic song of the moment

I just watched a very informative biography of Led Zeppelin on The Biography Channel... and now I am listening to Zeppelin and feel like sharing a couple of my favourite Zeppelin songs with you... enjoy!

Your Time Is Gonna Come from Led Zeppelin, 1969 [super-wicked-cool song]
Over The Hills And Far Away from Houses Of The Holy, 1973 [super-wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

met a girl on a plane to canada

Good Shoes is offering a non-album track entitled "It's Impossible" for free here!!!!! You can also download it below.

It's Impossible
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my legs hit the hurdle

It is 2:30 a.m., I am ecstatic and cannot sleep because I got my hands on the new M.I.A. album Kala about an hour ago! I have listened to the album once now and I’m listening to it again as I write this post. Compare to Arular, the new record is a lot more experimental. M.I.A. explores with infinite sounds to create some very unique and remarkable rhythms. I guess that’s all I can say about Kala for now as I haven’t really had a chance to examine the record deeply. Nevertheless, I can say that Kala sounds great and some of the more notable tracks for me include "Bird Flu", "Boyz", "$20", "Down River", "XR2", and my favourite at the moment, "Paper Planes".

Bird Flu [wicked-cool song]
Down River [super-wicked-cool song]
XR2 [wicked-cool song]
Paper Planes [super-wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Kala comes out on August 8th in Japan, 20th in the U.K., and 21st in North America; you can pre-order it here

Monday, July 30, 2007

your folks told me you should be left alone on a mountain top

Pitchfork has posted Architecture in Helsinki North American fall tour dates:

10-10 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
10-11 New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
10-12 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
10-13 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
10-16 Chicago, IL - Metro
10-18 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
10-19 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe
10-24 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
10-26 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
10-27 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
10-29 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
10-30 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
11-01 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
11-02 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
11-05 West Hollywood, CA - Troubadour
11-10 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
11-13 Denton, TX - Hailey's
11-14 Austin, TX - Emo's
11-15 New Orleans, LA - The Republic
11-16 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder


Red Turned White [super-wicked-cool song]
Debbie [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Places Like This comes out on August 21st, you can pre-order it here

keep your voices down it's leaking out

It has been a pretty slow and disappointing year for hardcore music. Other than Gallows’ Orchestra Of Wolves (kind of cheating here since the album actually came out last year in the UK... but it wasn’t released till this year in North America), I don’t think I can really recommend any other hardcore album this year. So to be fair, I have to say that the first great hardcore album of 2007 is The Big Dirty, brought to you by Every Time I Die. The fellows from Buffalo, New York are back with another fine record full of heavy, metal-style riffs and lots and lots of melodic screaming! The Big Dirty was one of the 07’ releases that I was excited about and there is really no surprise that it lives up to my expectations as Every Time I Die never disappoint! The Big Dirty is for anyone who was/is a fan of the legendary GlassJaw, or to the newer hardcorers, The Big Dirty is for fans of This Is Hell and Cancer Bats.

No Son Of Mine
Leatherneck [wicked-cool song]
A Gentleman's Sport
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

The Big Dirty comes out on September 4th, you can pre-order it here

i will paint with knives and guns to ensure that my art is incorrect

The disbanding of Larrikin Love has been one of the most heartbreaking news of the year so far; however, I am delighted to inform everyone that Edward Larrikin has a new project. Its name is The Pan I Am and you can hear three songs on his MySpace profile.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

and every occasion i will be ready for the funeral

Band of Horses will be stampeding to a city near you for their own headlining tour this August, be sure to check them out!

Saturday, August 4: Picador, Iowa City IA
Monday, August 6: Diesel Club Lounge, Pittsburgh PA
Tuesday, August 7: 930 Club, Washington DC
Thursday, August 9: Higher Ground, South Burlington VT
Friday, August 10: La Sala Rosa (Montreal), Montreal Canada
Saturday, August 11: Lees Palace, Toronto ON
Sunday, August 12: Tralf Music Hall, Buffalo NY
Monday, August 13: Magic Stick, Detroit MI


The Snow Fall (Demo) aka "The First Song"
Billion Day Funeral (Live) [wicked-cool song]
(Biding Time Is A) Boat Row (Live) [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Everything All The Time here

Saturday, July 28, 2007

it's ok to run we expect you back

Peter and the Wolf's Canadian tour has started:

i smoke myself to sleep and blame postmodern things I can't relate

My favourite album of last year, Dog Problems by The Format is finally out on vinyl. You can purchase the baby from the band's merch store!!! You can also pre-order an upcoming DVD entitled Live @ The Mayan.

Friday, July 27, 2007

be ready to dance all night long!

The Go! Team have answered any skeptics who doubted their abilities to create something as imaginative as Thunder, Lightning, Strike. The band is back with a brand new record entitled Proof of Youth; the record features the oh so loveable Go! Team sound: cheerleaders-istic chants mix with electrifying kung-fu fighting energy! Proof of Youth begins on a powerful note with the triumphant girl-power-rap-off in "Grip Like A Vice" and the courageous "Doing It Right" to follow. Meanwhile, the 70s' funk/disco sounding "Titanic Vandalism" and "The Wrath Of Marcie" could easily end up in a Tarantino film one day. The surprise/highlight of Proof of Youth has to be Chuck D’s guest spot on "Flashlight Fight". Well actually, to be honest, it is not really surprising that the two forces joined together. It is no doubt that The Go! Team is hugely influenced by 80s' hip-hop, so it is only fitting to invite the legendary Chuck D to rap on one of their songs. In the end, all I have to say is: Public Enemy + The Go! Team = perfection! The new record features a brilliant balance of different musical elements, perhaps even more so than Thunder, Lightning, Strike. The bottom line is, there is only one word to describe Proof of Youth: FUN!!!

Grip Like A Vice [wicked-cool song]
Titanic Vandalism
Universal Speech [wicked-cool song]
Flashlight Fight [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Proof of Youth comes out on September 10 in the UK and the 11th in North America, you can pre-order it here

i see you now on the outskirts of town

Much like Spoon, The Thrills have successfully in creating ultra-enjoyable pop songs and records. Spoon have already proofed that this year with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga; likewise, The Thrills have done the same with Teenager. From Conor Deasy’s delightfully melodic and sometimes "awkward-ish" vocal style to the nostalgically sounding music, The Thrills’ third and latest is another rather catchy and refreshing power pop trip. In my opinion, The Thrills is one of the most underrated bands in music today... Teenager is another outstanding record by the boys from Dublin, Ireland.

The Midnight Choir
Nothing Changes Round Here [wicked-cool song]
No More Empty Words
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Teenager here

Thursday, July 26, 2007

new bat for lashes

You can hear a brand new Bat For Lashes song entitled "Circle Song" on Bat's MySpace profile page.

out this week

Emily Haines: What Is Free to a Good Home? [EP]
Emily’s new EP features five b-sides off of Knives Don’t Have Your Back as well as a remix of "Mostly Waving".

Telethon
Sprig [wicked-cool song]

buy What Is Free to a Good Home? [EP] here


Tegan and Sara: The Con
I predict that Tegan and Sara will gain many new fans with The Con.

Are You Ten Years Ago
Like O, Like H

buy The Con here


Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Is Is [EP]
Is Is is the perfect balance between YYYs’ two albums; it features the same commanding and raging qualities of Fever To Tell as well as the more mature and more controlled style of Show Your Bones.

Kiss Kiss [wicked-cool song]

buy Is Is [EP] here


John Vanderslice: Emerald City

Numbered Lithograph

buy Emerald City here

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

oh dinosaur egg, when will you hatch? ...cause i got a million people coming on friday, and they expect to see a dinosaur not an egg

Sorry for not updating this blog for the past few days... but the nerd in me took over and I could not stop playing video games and reading the new Harry Potter book!

Anyways, as many of you can see from my previous post, I went to see the lovely St. Vincent on Friday night. Her set was ace: Annie Clark is a sick guitarist and the band managed to produce surprisingly rich layers of music in such a small and ancient venue. Before the St. Vincent set, a wonderful lady named Scout Niblett opened. It is not very often that I am exceptionally impressed with the opener(s); however, by the end, I did not want Scout Niblett to leave the stage. Her style is extremely refreshing and somewhat innovative. Most of the songs she preformed were very vocally driven, with minimal instrumentations. Her vocal is usually backed by a melodic guitar rhythm, but occasionally, she would surprise the audience with loud hard rock/blues rock guitar riffs. I think there are only a handful of Scout Niblett/St. Vincent dates left, so if you live in one of the remaining cities, please go check out these two extremely talented artists!!

Remaining St. Vincent with Scout Niblett dates:
07-24 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
07-25 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
07-26 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
07-27 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
07-28 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue


from Kidnapped by Neptune, 2005:
Hot to Death [wicked-cool song]
Lullaby for Scout in 10 Years [wicked-cool song]
Good to Me [wicked-cool song]

from Just Do It/Dinosaur Egg, 2007:
Dinosaur Egg [wicked-cool song]

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Kidnapped by Neptune here
buy Just Do It/Dinosaur Egg here

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Friday, July 20, 2007

lord give me grace and dancing feet, and the power to impress

So far this year, Bloc Party has released three fantastic singles from their sophomore album, A Weekend in the City. It is kind of a custom for artists/bands to release a couple of b-sides or remixes along with their singles. Bloc Party kind of took that to a new level! They have offered their fans at least an album (or two) worth of b-sides and remixes in various formats from the three singles. The majority of these non-album tracks are great; in fact, tracks such as "England", "Version 2.0", "Cain Said to Abel", and "Rhododendron" should have been included in A Weekend in the City. I am sure there will be more to come in the future, but for now, be sure to check out Bloc Party’s impressive list of the b-sides and remixes from A Weekend in the City below.


From The Prayer Singles:
We Were Lovers
The Prayer (Phones Metal Jackin' Remix)
England [wicked-cool song]
Version 2.0 [wicked-cool song]
The Prayer (Para One Remix)
The Prayer (Break + Silent Witness Remix)
The Prayer (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix) [wicked-cool song]
The Prayer (Hadouken! Remix) [super-wicked-cool song]

buy The Prayer Singles here


From I Still Remember Singles:
Selfish Son
I Still Remember (Music Box and Tears Remix) [wicked-cool song]
Atonement
Cain Said to Abel [wicked-cool song]

buy I Still Remember Singles here


From Hunting for Witches Singles
Cavaliers and Roundheads
Uniform (James Rutledge remix) [wicked-cool song]
Rhododendrons [wicked-cool song]
Secrets
Hunting for Witches (Crystal Castles Remix)

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Hunting for Witches Singles here

Thursday, July 19, 2007

wonderful!

The following message was posted on Patrick Wolf's MySpace blog last night:

Album Four

Octopus
Anenome
Sanctuary
Where I see
Oyster shell
Away from world
And jewelry

Im going to dive

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

generals have fought for spies like you

The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse is a very gloomy second album by the Montreal based band, The Besnard Lakes. The album deals with themes of loneliness, anxiety, and deception. In "For Agent 13", the lonely narrator desperately seeks the return of an ex-lover. Likewise, both "Because Tonight" and "Rides the Rails" are about the protagonist leaving the narrator; the former commits suicide while the latter runs away to an undisclosed location. Indeed, the lines: "...Because tonight, When everyone's gone home, You'll grab the knife, To satisfy your dark needs..." in "Because Tonight" are some of the most troubling and depressing lyrics of the year. The music on The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse fits the lyrics perfectly: the instrumentations are arranged in a way that projects a haunting quality. On the other hand, a sense of power is displayed throughout the record. In various points, this characteristic is symbolized by the many layers of sounds, the ascending volume, and the drowning of vocals by the heavy melodies. The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse is a musically in-depth record; and it should take any person just one listen to realize that it is a brilliantly crafted work of art!!

For Agent 13 [wicked-cool song]
And You Lied To Me
Because Tonight [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse here

Monday, July 16, 2007

i wanna run away, i wanna bring you too

I have never been a fan of Liars (the band... and people who tell lies). I tried to listen to their previous albums, They Were Wrong, So We Drowned and Drum’s Not Dead when they first released, but I was not very trilled by them. If memory serves me right, I thought the albums were too disjointed and they lack a sense of direction. Nevertheless, for the past week, I have been listening to their upcoming self-titled record (out on August 28), and I must say, I am kind of in love with it at the moment. The album is driven by a slight avant-garde undertone; Liars applied multi-layers of experimental instrumentations in a bundle of the songs. For instance, "Leather Prowler" composes of heavily distorted basslines, bizarre sounding piano rhythms, and echoing vocal while a noisy rhythmatic background and again, echoing vocal is the foundation of "Pure Unevil". I might be crazy to think this: but the vocals on some of the tracks like "Plaster Casts of Everything" and "Sailing to Byzantium" sound very similar to the vocal style of Klaxons! Liars is an album that features a vast level of sophistication. It explores with a range of musical ideas from interplaying with multiple genres to experimenting with sound effects. Yet, the album as a whole does not feel scattered as the songs interlock with one another, creating a very cohesive sounding record.

Plaster Casts of Everything [wicked-cool song]
Leather Prowler [wicked-cool song]
Freak Out [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Liars comes out on August 28, you can pre-order it here

Friday, July 13, 2007

oh baby my snake is a shark tonight

Last year’s critically-acclaimed album Show Your Bones, saw the departure of the angry and aggressive Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Show Your Bones was certainly more toned down and a more mature album than their pervious record, Fever To Tell. On July 24, fans of Fever To Tell will be trilled for the release of a new YYYs EP entitled Is Is. The EP features some of the commanding and raging qualities of Fever To Tell (you can especially hear that in Karen O’s vocal in "Rockers To Swallow", "Kiss Kiss", and "IsIs"); even so, like Show Your Bones, the music of Is Is is more controlled and more mature. Overall, Is Is projects a great balance between Fever To Tell and Show Your Bones, and I think that most YYYs fans will agree with me when I say that the songs from Is Is are some of the best recordings the bands has ever done.

Rockers To Swallow [wicked-cool song]
IsIs [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Is Is comes out on July 24, you can pre-order it here

Thursday, July 12, 2007

won't you pick me up at the park right now

OMG: The Gossip covered "Are You That Somebody?" by the late Aaliyah on the Listen Up! Single.

The Gossip: Are You That Somebody? (Aaliyah cover) [wicked-cool song]

If you are not familiar with The Gossip, I suggest you give Standing In The Way Of Control a listen. It is truly an amazing album. Beth Ditto’s vocal range is absolutely unbelievable: she sounds commanding in the lyrically powerful track, "Standing In The Way Of Control" while singing gracefully in "Coal To Diamonds and Dark Lines". So, please do yourself a favour and add Standing In The Way Of Control to your record collection!!!

Standing In The Way Of Control [super-wicked-cool song]
Coal To Diamonds [wicked-cool song]
Listen Up! [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy the Listen Up! Single here
buy Standing In The Way Of Control here

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

henry rollins "provoked" spoken word tour

Fri. 9/14 - Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theatre
Sat. 9/15 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Sun. 9/16 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
Tue. 9/18 - Dallas, TX - Lakewood Theatre
Wed. 9/19 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
Thu. 9/20 - Houston, TX - Meridian
Fri. 9/21 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
Sun. 9/23 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
Mon. 9/24 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay PAC
Tue. 9/25 - West Palm Beach, FL -The Theatre
Wed. 9/26- West Palm Beach, FL - The Theatre
Thu. 9/27 - Atlanta, GA - Roxy Theatre
Fri. 9/28 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
Sat. 9/29 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place
Sun. 9/30 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
Mon. 10/1 - Washington, DC - Birchmere
Tue. 10/2 - Washington, DC - Birchmere
Thu. 10/4 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
Fri. 10/5 - Albany, NY - Hart Theatre
Sat. 10/6 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre
Sun. 10/7 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
Tue. 10/9 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
Wed. 10/10 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
Thu. 10/11 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Fri. 10/12 - Toronto, ON - Convocation Hall
Sat. 10/13 - Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theatre
Mon. 10/15 - Minneapolis, MN -1st Ave
Tue. 10/16 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
Wed. 10/17 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre
Fri. 10/19 - Chicago, IL - The Vic
Sat. 10/20 - St. Louis, MO - Pagaent
Sun. 10/21 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall*
Tue. 10/23 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
Wed. 10/24 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
Fri. 10/26 - Bellingham, WA - Nitelite
Sat. 10/27 - Spokane, WA - Big Easy
Sun. 10/28 - Calgary, AB - Jack Singer
Mon. 10/29 - Edmonton, AB - Winspear
Tue. 10/30 - Vancouver, BC - Centre for the Arts
Wed. 10/31 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
Thu. 11/1 -Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
Fri. 11/2 - Reno, NV - Stoney's
Sat. 11/3 - Chico, CA - Senator Theatre
Sun. 11/4 - Sacramento, CA - The Crest Theatre
Mon. 11/5 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Rio Theatre
Tue. 11/6 - San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre
Wed. 11/7 - Columbia, MO - University of Missouri / Jesse Auditorium
Thu. 11/8 - San Diego, CA - 4th & B
Fri. 11/9 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Bl

don't jog during thunderstorms

ipods and thunderstorms don't mix

watery (drowning is just another word for being buried under water

It is almost for certain that Scribble Mural Comic Journal by A Sunny Day In Glasgow is hugely influenced by My Bloody Valentine. Likewise, their take on noise pop is also very similar to Asobi Seksu, another My Bloody Valentine influenced group. So, it is fair to say that Scribble Mural Comic Journal is a noise pop record; however, what makes the album stand out is the band’s incorporation of electrico pop as well as their experimental approaches with multiple layers of sound. Scribble Mural Comic Journal is the kind of album that you can lose yourself in as most of the songs create a fantastical dream-like, surreal environment.

No. 6 Von Karman Street
Ghost in the Graveyard
C'mon
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Scribble Mural Comic Journal here

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

take your place around an open fire

Andrew Bird has just announced a bunch of new shows:

Sep 10 - Knoxville, TN - The Bijou Theater – on sale now!
Sep 11 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel – on sale now!
Sep 12 - Durham, NC - The Carolina Theatre – on sale now!
Sep 13 - Atlanta, GA - The Variety Playhouse – on sale now!
Sep 15 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival – on sale now!
Sep 17 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada – on sale now!
Sep 18 - Louisville, KY - WL Lyons Brown Theatre – JUST ANNOUNCED, presale tickets
here
Sep 19 - Bloomington, IN - Buskirk Chumley Theater – JUST ANNOUNCED
Sep 20 - Madison, WI - Wisconsin Union Theater – on sale now!
Sep 21 - Urbana, IL - 2007 Pygmalion Music Festival at Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center
Sep 22 - Iowa City, IA - The Englert Theatre – JUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here
Sep 24 - Buffalo, NY - Asbury Hall at The Church – JUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here
Sep 25 - Toronto, ONT - The Opera HouseJUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here
Sep 26 - Montreal, QUE - La Tulipe – JUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here
Sep 28 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground – JUST ANNOUNCED
Sep 29 - Baltimore, MD – Sonar – JUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here
Sep 30 - Richmond, VA - Toad’s Place Richmond – JUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here
Oct 2 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall – JUST ANNOUNCED presale tickets
here

Imitosis
Plasticities
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Armchair Apocrypha here

out this week

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Yet another ultra indie pop masterpiece by Spoon! Spoon perfectly executed ten ultimate indie pop rock tracks, making Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga the most solid effort by the band to date.

You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb [wicked-cool song]
The Underdog [wicked-cool song]

read my review of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga here
buy Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga here



St. Vincent: Marry Me

I cannot seem to get enough of Marry Me, St. Vincent is indeed one of the best new artists of the year.

Your Lips Are Red [wicked-cool song]
Marry Me [wicked-cool song]

read my review of Marry Me here
buy Marry Me here



Against Me!: New Wave

New Wave features the classic Against Me! sound: loud energetic punk rock music with brutally honest and in-your-face lyrics; it is possibly the best punk record of the year!

New Wave [wicked-cool song]
Americans Abroad [wicked-cool song]

read my review of New Wave here
buy New Wave here

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Monday, July 09, 2007

if something in the deli aisle makes you cry

The Blow July 8, 2007 @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (Khaela Maricich is the best dance in the world!)

cover song of the moment

Black Flag released their first ever 7" EP, Nervous Breakdown, back in 1978. The EP is not the same Black Flag that most of the general public know; it was a pre-Rollins released... in other words, the entire EP featured Black Flag’s original vocalist, Keith Morris. Since the title track, "Nervous Breakdown", is my favourite Black Flag song, I have always been very interested to hear other band’s cover of it. So far, I have heard Rise Against, Gallows, and Ryan Adams’ version of the track. Although both Rise Against and Gallows’s covers are great, they are rather safe. On the other hand, Ryan Adams’ take of "Nervous Breakdown" is practically unique. He definitely put his own style to it as Adams transformed the hardcore punk anthem into a solo electric blues sensation!

Rise Against: Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag cover)
Gallows: Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag cover)
Ryan Adams: Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag cover)
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Saturday, July 07, 2007

i wanted to smile like a glistening shot of a kiss that's as sharp as a knife

Jonathan Meiburg is a natural lyricist. Okkervil River’s new record, The Stage Names is an excellent example of Meiburg’s talented song-writing abilities. From start to finish, The Stage Names is packed with engaging narratives. In the second verse of the first track, "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe", Meiburg brilliantly utilizes film techniques to help assemble his lyrics. Meiburg ends the album with one of the saddest songs of the year. In my opinion, "John Allyn Smith Sails" is a song about a man who committed suicide, but after he died, he realized that he might have made a mistake and thus, desperately trying to "go back home". It is so fascinating how Meiburg uses plain simple ideas to build some brilliant and unique metaphors. All the songs are carefully thought-out as every track on The Stage Names sounds wonderfully passionate and full of genuine emotions.

Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe [wicked-cool song]
Savannah Smiles [wicked-cool song]
John Allyn Smith Sails [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

The Stage Names comes out on August 7, you can pre-order it here

Thursday, July 05, 2007

figuring out you and me is like doing a love autopsy

This is for Millie, who introduced me to such an amazing movie.

Hugh Grant: Love Autopsy [wicked-cool song]
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no mother ever dreams that her daughters gonna grow up to be a junkie

Against Me! is one of the most consistent bands in the past decade. From their innovative debut full-length, Reinventing Axl Rose back in 2002 to their outstanding last record, Searching For A Former Clarity... oh, and not to mention all the in-betweens EPs, Singles, and a live album, Against Me! has over and over again spoiled their fans with top quality music. On July 10, the band will release a brand new record called New Wave. Once again, fans of the band, as well as punk music lovers from around the world will be treated with another incredible record. Possibly the best punk album of the year so far, New Wave features the classic Against Me! sound: loud energetic punk rock music with brutally honest and in-your-face lyrics. Without a doubt, the standout song will most likely be "Borne On The FM Waves" as it features Tegan Quin from the band Tegan And Sara... seriously, only Against Me! can make a relationship song sounds so political! Other highlights include "Americans Abroad", a song about commercialization... or more precisely, the problem of Americanization in none-US countries. Further, an Against Me! album would not be completed without songs like "Up The Cuts" and "Piss And Vinegar", which are both the band’s commentary on the music industry today. With New Wave, Against Me! has grown even further away from Reinventing Axl Rose, they continue to explore with new sounds; even so, the new record is unquestionably thought-provoking, it still carries many classic Against Me! characteristics, and that should keep old fans overjoyed for a long long time!

Up The Cuts [wicked-cool song]
White People For Peace [wicked-cool song]
Borne On The FM Waves (feat. Tegan Quin) [wicked-cool song]
Americans Abroad [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

New Wave outs out on July 10, you can pre-order it here

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

chromatic clouds surround

I am a huge fan of both classical and ambient music, and if you are too, you would definitely enjoy Slow Six’s brand new album, Nor'easter. So, how do I describe Slow Six? Well... first, throw in pieces by the virtuoso violinist Niccolò Paganini or string arrangements by Final Fantasy; mix them with Arvo Pärt’s Alina or the work of Feist’s personal producer, Gonzales; and lastly, blend them all with the atmospheric characteristics of Air and Eluvium. What makes Nor'easter such a stunning album is the timing of the instruments. The points where the instruments enter and depart during the songs produce complex layers to the record. So, as I have hinted at the beginning, if you are a fan of classical and ambient, you must hear Nor'easter!

The Pulse Of This Skyline With Lightning Like Nerves [wicked-cool song]
Echolalic Transitions [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

http://www.slowsix.com/
http://www.myspace.com/slowsix
buy Nor'easter here

thank you, come again!

Not really music related, but this is just amazing... A Kwik-E-Mart promoting The Simpsons Movie!!!!!!!!!

Go here for more photos!