the ex-cowboy corner

So I was walking through town earlier and my iPod was on shuffle and Baby Birch came on and out of nowhere my pace immediately slowed down till I was practically stopping in my tracks, stunned by 'this is the song for baby birch', practically breathless, until some guy, unable to move out of my way in time, smashed into my back and all was embarassment. At least he knocked the breath out of me. That's how devestatingly, embarassingly good this record is. Marry me, Miss Newsom.

JOANNA NEWSOM - HAVE ONE ON ME
ughghghhhhhhhhhh
9.2/10

sgt. - perception of casualty

2010-02-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

probably the best use of violins ever used in post rock ever. and from japan! tracks 2 4 and 5 are insane, better than most everything on stylus fantasticus.

SGT. - PERCEPTION OF CASUALTY
post rock / but no seriously its good
8.5/10

password: welcometothequietpage

fang island

2010-02-28T06:12:00.000-08:00

you: omg srsly guys shut the fuck up its really not that great.
us: SORRY WHAT WAS THAT WE COULDN'T HEAR YOU OVER ALL THIS PARTYING.

FANG ISLAND - FANG ISLAND
loud louder loudest
8/10

listen to this

2010-02-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Buddy Peace - #07 by mattwolfe45

THEN GET THIS ALBUM

don't like these two albums?

2010-02-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

then get the fuck off my blog. and yes yes, moon and antarctica is a quality album but these two are better.

MODEST MOUSE - LONESOME CROWDED WEST

awesome awesome and moresome
10/10

MODEST MOUSE - THIS IS TOO SHORT A DRIVE FOR AN ALBUM THIS FUCKING GOOD
can't i be this suffocated by frustration every day?
10/10

grizzly who?

2010-02-19T05:22:00.000-08:00

so i fell in love with grizzly bear last year when veckatimest was released, but the love dissolved pretty soon after. the morning benders, though, seem to have released an album which has a lot more lasting power. it just seems, to quote a wise swede, to have an 'effortlessly cool vibe', it doesn't worry so much about gorgeous instrumentation and sheen and sophistication. its about the music, man. i guess time will tell, but all i know is this is my favoutire record of the decade so far. or, to put it more eloquently, hossanah.

THE MORNING BENDERS - BIG ECHO
cotton-ball retro good-times grizzly indie
8.4/10

good mood

2010-02-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

cos of this. i put off getting this for so long and i'm pissed i did cos it missed the sputnik staff end-of-year list, but ugh, so good. discussdiscussdiscussdiscussdiscussdiscouraaaggeeee! don't not get it.

PHOENIX - WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX
awesome dancetastic happyhappy indie
8.9/10

good thing i know cpr

2010-02-16T06:29:00.002-08:00

so let's see how far this epileptic blog gets before it goes to the disco, has another seizure, and shits itself all over the dance floor. do the mash potato!

YUKI MURATA - FILMS

music you would put your life to if your name was takuya and you were drawn by asians // classical piano \\ 7.3/10 (all links seem to be taken down :/)

AIDAN BAKER - SCALPEL
are you sitting comfortably? good. you won't be for much longer. // drone-folk/ambient \\ 8.5/10

HARLEM - HIPPIES
clangy lo-fi surf garage rock that has no hidden agendas. gets a bit boring and stagnates at times but some catchy, care-free, lets-hang-at-the-clam-and-enjoy-no-responsiblity tunes here // surf-garage \\ 6.5/10

breathe blog!

2010-02-13T13:38:00.001-08:00

breaatthhhheeeee!

Good Things

2009-09-11T03:43:00.000-07:00

CHECK THIS SHIT OUT

fun. - Aim & Ignite /////////// indie pop/pop rock

Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs //////// indie/it's fucking yo la tengo

BATS - Red In Tooth & Claw //////// post-hardcore/indie/science

Benn Jordan - Louisiana Morning //////// folk/instrumental/ambient

The Bloody Beetroots - Romborama //////// dance/dance/bleeding toes techno
(part 2)

Brand New - Daisy ///////// well i think it's pretty good

Japandroids - Post-Nothing ///////// fucking/amazing/fuck

The Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead ////////// indie rock/scawtlund

Volcano Choir - Unmap ////////// bon iver/collections of collonies of birds/indie

failed blog has failed

whoops

2009-07-18T04:48:00.000-07:00

So much for reviving the blog. Anyway.

Re-whore : Buddy Peace - Wolf Diesel Mountain

Was listening to this yesterday and was once again blown away by the meticulous attention to detail and excellent, fresh beats. The way in which Buddy chooses his moments to drop the perfect sample, or jumble a Heartbeats chorus to compliment Vomitspit, or throw in a hand clap or record scratch or gunshot, or shine the spotlight on Sufjan only to roll it on to Bahamadia, and the way in which he makes it all work... well, judge for yourself. Essential listening.

download

Tumbleweed

2009-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

For some reason, not quite sure why, my desire to check out and review new music has dramatically dwindled lately (that includes updating this blog, sowiii). Possibly due to shitty home internet forever cutting off my downloads. Possibly due to a lack of motivation thanks to my increasingly boring unemployed life. Applying for a full-time job at McDonalds gives you an indication of how desperate I am right now. Anyway, still been spinning the old stuff (read: good shit), so go ahead and stick your fingers into these delicious musical pies.

The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving

My Favourite Chords is basically one of the best songs ever. It's such an enormous thing to walk and to listen. Pretty much.

download

TV On The Radio - Dear Science,

Dear Science, thank you for TV On The Radio. Yours faithfully, Richard Dawkins.

download

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full

Paid in full? I just want to get paid.

download

Hopefully the updates will be a bit more regular from now on but no promises. I have a busy schedule of fridge-raiding and staring blankly at the wall to honour.

Ghost - Freedom of Thought

2009-06-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Label: Breakin Bread
Genre: Trip-Hop/Hip-Hop
Release Date: June 2009
Rating: 5.8/10

Trip-Hop has always been a cool genre. It's the sort of thing that no-one's embaressed to blast out the car window. Even when pulled up next to a Mitsubushi Evo in a rusting baby Kia, the beats refuse to cease. Ghost's second LP is no different. With Freedom of Thought, it's clear that Ghost has closely studied the works of RJD2, DJ Shadow and Nujabes and has tried to implement the prime aspects of each into his album. Which he does, to an extent. The cymbals crash, the guest rappers spit, the breakbeats drive it home. It's a trendy sounding record. But, after one run through, it's all pretty... boring. Stale; charmless; tiresome. If Ghost does achieve something with this album, besides a couple rocking road trips, its evidential proof that you just can't copy charisma. Save a few enjoyable tracks, this is one trip-hop record which can go wait in the car.

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Christopher Tignor - Last Thought At Night

2009-06-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

Label: Western Vinyl /Genre: NeoClassical
Release Date: April 09 / - - Rating: 6.2/10

pretty pretty pretty moving moving moving

TRY / - / BUY

Worriedaboutsatan - Arrivals

2009-05-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Label: Gizeh Records
Genre: Electronica/Ambient
Release Date: May 2009
Rating: 7.1/10

"Arrivals turns out to be both an electro-ambient kiss on the forehead and a shot to the veins of haunting minimal techno. It has the ability to calm and to stimulate, to take you away and bring you back within a single moment of sublime deft. Ultimately, though, it strengthens Worriedaboutsatan’s position as one of electronica’s most promising acts."

Worriedaboutsatan - Evil Dogs (Radio Edit)

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I

2009-05-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Label: Noble ///////// Genre: Electronica
Release Date: Sept 07 / - - Rating: 9.1/10

If you still haven't heard this you are quite simply a douchebag. Get this now and there's a chance you can still redeem yourself. Shockingly incredible stuff.

TRY / - / BUY

Magic Arm - Make Lists Do Something

2009-05-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Label: Switchflicker // Genre: Folktronica
Release Date: May 09 / - - Rating: 6.2/10

Chirpy indie-folk with a laptop twist and no vendettas. Nothing special; one for the beach party.

TRY / - / BUY

Dakota Suite - The Night Just Keeps Coming In

2009-05-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Label: Navigators Yard
Genre: Modern Classical
Release Date: March 2009
Rating: 8.4/10

I kept coming back to Dakota Suite's gorgeous The End of Trying right up 'til about the time The Night Just Keeps Coming In was released. More of a remake than a remix, The Night Just Keeps Coming In sees a number of neo-classical's heavyweights taking to the ring to help turn a beautiful record into a breathtaking one. Like Boomkat? Love this.

*RIYL: Peter Broderick, Dead Center, Machinefabriek, The Boats*

Peter Broderick - This Failing Sea (Dakota Suite Remix)

TRY / - / BUY

Nuggies - Native American Idiot

2009-05-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

Label: Gorilla Ointment / Genre: Post-Music
Release Date: May 09 / - - Rating: ???/10

Crush things, then put them up your nose. Quite.

TRY / - / BUY

eLZhi - The Preface

2009-05-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Label: Fat Beats /////// Genre: Hip-Hop
Release Date: Aug 08 / - - Rating: 8.0/10

Elzhi's better than you. He's better than you.

TRY / - / BUY

music

2009-05-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

i don't like to blog personal stuff. especially really personal stuff. so i won't. let's just say that this is some music which is getting me through a very difficult period. something i haven't yet had to deal with before. on the plus side, i gave in my last essay of the year today. goodbye freshers! shame i can't be celebrating, but these problems are miniscule in the grand scheme of yada yada. yet you (i) can't help but feel selfishly dissapointed. anyway..

my kappa roots - the house of st. colme burnt down
bon iver - for emma, forever ago
burial - untrue
kurt vile - god is saying this to you
the archivist - the keeper of the library (link on request)
richard youngs - sapphie
3epkano - at land
the fun years - baby, its cold inside
worriedaboutsatan - arrivals (link on request)
the microphones - the glow pt. 2
mogwai - happy songs for happy people
dakota suite - the end of trying

and countless others. it times like this i don't know what i'd do if i wasn't a music fan. don't take anything for granted.

Fresh Legs

2009-05-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

If you like Fight Like Apes, even a smidge, then check out Fresh Legs. A cute, little-but-loud vocalist spitting out PMS powered indie pop is exactly what fans of the Irish band should be after. I heard them open for Fight Like Apes back in February and it was fantastic - chirpy, testosterone-laced guitars, infectiously cute but punchy vocals, sing-a-long drunken, dance-o-matic choruses - impressive and enjoyable stuff that left me determined to get them at least a little exposure. So here I am doing my bit. They tour like the devil's on their tail so no time for even an EP yet (I asked, it will be sputink'd as soon as they record it), but they do have quite a few tracks on their last.fm and myspace - specifically check out Chess, House, Samwise and Castle. All unpolished, but gems nevertheless. And they're from the South of England - big up the Dorset massif.

LAST.FM MYSPACE
(trying to figure out how to work the music player - broken at the moment but I'll get it running soon)

LITE - Phantasia

2009-05-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

Label: Transduction ///// Genre: Math Rock
Release Date: May 08 / - - Rating: 7.5/10

*RIYL: more japanese math rock!, mickey mouse*

TRY / - / BUY

Toe - New Sentimentality

2009-05-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

Label: 3cd ////// Genre: Math/Post Rock
Release Date: Dec 06 / - - Rating: 7.4/10

*RIYL: gorgeous sparse drumming, original instrumental rock (it does exist), Pele, DMST*

TRY / - / BUY
pass: R=(2GM)/(c^2)

Scraps of Tape - This Is A Copy Is This A Copy

2009-05-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

Label: Tendervision
Genre: Post Rock
Release Date: February 2007
Rating: 7.8/10

"The record itself constantly manages to keep the drama alive, twisting and turning and weaving it's way through transcendent, heated affairs of noise and peace, joy and depression while still creating a sanctum of sonic bliss for the listener. The chugging riffs that open up the record on “Death as it Should Be” cause a strange, almost apocalyptic atmosphere, sort of, but not quite like that on GYBE!'s “The Dead Flag Blues (Intro)”. It's a surprisingly comfortable but heavy listen that mirrors the post-metal sound of bands like Isis. Despite it's melancholy introduction 'This is a Copy' gives it's second track “Hands In Air” a much more upbeat, easy listen. This joyous little melody acts almost like a decoy, keeping your attention swayed towards the pleasant, before the crushingly depressing “Pickpockets Vow”, a quiet, bleak track laden with somber, caliginous vocals which violently changes the mood of the album." (gross old review)

*RIYL: Do Make Say Think, SJ5, Grails, unpolished gems*

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY
(pw: pleaseblowmymind.blogspot.com)

Grammatics - Grammatics

2009-05-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Label: Dance to the Radio // Genre: Indie
Release Date: March 09 / - - Rating: 6.8/10

*RIYL: Mute Math, Aerogramme, pretty quirky (cellos!) but pretty standard stuff*

TRY / - / BUY

Bersarin Quartett - Bersarin Quartett

2009-05-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Label: Lidar // Genre: Ambient/Electronic
Release Date: Feb 08 / - - Rating: 7.9/10

*RIYL: Four Tet, Jacaszek, space in spades*

TRY / - / BUY

The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave

2009-04-24T03:52:00.000-07:00

Label: Mexican Summer
Genre: Folk
Release Date: March 2008
Rating: 7.9/10

"Matsson's guitar playing is awe-inspiring. While none of the songs on Shallow Grave would be particularly hard for any reasonably talented guitar player to replicate, his ability to complement his words with his guitar is amazing. The storytelling ability he shows is perhaps the album's greatest strength. "The Gardener," which in my opinion is the best song of 2008, is Matsson's most energetic musical performance - it wouldn't be surprising if he breaks a few strings every now and then while performing the last thirty seconds. His chordal work in the song is great, as he plays around with the higher strings while keeping the root notes the same. The fingerpicking in "The Sparrow and the Medicine" sees Matsson at his most skillful and creative, and "This Wind" shows Matsson's penchant for the strategic placing of minor chords within songs that are otherwise cheerful. The penultimate chorus lyric is sang twice, the first time with an uncertain minor chord and the second time with a triumphant major chord, an example of two completely different moods within a few seconds of each other. Matsson's guitar playing combined with his vocal delivery make him one of music's best bards." (Channing Freeman)

*RIYL: Bob Dylan, Dob Bolyn, Obb Lydan, toothpicks*

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Okay - Huggable Dust

2009-04-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

Label: Absolutely Kosher Genre: Indie/Twee
Release Date: May 08 / - -- Rating: 6.2/10

*RIYL: Say Hi (To Your Mom), Dilute, kittens, impressing your girlfriend*

TRY / - / BUY

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Angles

2009-04-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

Label: Sunday Best // Genre: Hip-Hop/Indie
Release Date: May 08 / - - Rating: 6.1/10

*RIYL: Jamie T, Example, Sway, that song 'Thou Shalt Always Kill', in fact just that song*

TRY / - / BUY

Japandroids - Post-Nothing

2009-04-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Label: Unfamiliar Genre: Noise/Garage Rock
Release Date: April 09 / - - Rating: 8.3/10

*RIYL: No Age, sunshine girls, Lovvers, Times New Viking, bedroom rocking, post-teenage angst anthems, maximising the minimal (1 drumset, 1 guitar, 2 vocalists, lots of noise)*

TRY / - / BUY

Film School - alwaysnever

2009-04-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Label: Amazing Grease / Genre: Shoegaze
Release Date: 2003 / - -- Rating: 7.9/10

*RIYL: Slowdive, 90's Yo La Tengo, stealing from Slays for Days, Blind Mr. Jones, chilling on empty*

TRY / - / BUY

William Fitzsimmons - Until When We Are Ghosts

2009-04-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Label: Self-Released
Genre: Folk/Singer-Songwriter
Release Date: March 2006
Rating: 8.5/10

If you hadn't already guessed, there has been a theme to today's albums. The theme: they all make me as teary-eyed as a twelve-year-old Zac Efron fan contemplating the night sky from the back seat of her parents' Daewoo with Truly, Madly, Deeply blurting from her discount headphones. Snapped up from the lovely, well-informed and brutally fashionable people at Slays for Days, I haven't come across an album which has struck me quite so heavily since Anywhere I Lay My Head. Just kidding. Until When We Are Ghosts takes the themes of longing, sorrow, regret, nostalgia, turmoil and loss and runs miles away with them, nurturing them with quivering, seen-it-all vocals and heavy-hearted finger-plucked strings. Yet, through the cracks of a bleak and heavy canvas, rays of hope shine through, lighting up the picture and making it so much more stunning. Highly recommended. Truly slays for days.

*RIYL: John Mayer's vocals (but not so gay), My Kappa Roots, remembering, Mark Kozelek, ridiculously awesome beards*

TRY / - / BUY

Ólafur Arnalds - Variations Of Static

2009-04-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Label: Erased Tapes / Genre: NeoClassical
Release Date: May 08 / - - Rating: 7.1/10

*RIYL: Max Richter, Sylvain Chauveau, poignancy, Peter Broderick, gutting hearts, Nico Mulhy, robots with the capability to to feel love*

TRY / - / BUY

Burial - Untrue

2009-04-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Label: Hyperdub /////// Genre: Dubstep
Release Date: Nov 07 / - - Rating: 8.9/10

*RIYL: Boxcutter, Benga, shivers down the spine, Distance, anonymousness (well, intended), the blur of street lights in night-walks*

TRY / - / BUY

Loose Lips Sink Ships - Puptent

2009-04-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Label: Science is Fantastic
Genre: Post/Math Rock
Release Date: September 2008
Rating: 7.3/10

Let me first say that the RYM rating for this album is very harsh. There may only be 5 ratings, but don't let the 1.90 put you off from trying this one out. Sure, it lacks genuine originality, but there is an enthusiasm and skill (and, unfortunately, pretentiousness) in the guys' playing that cannot be overlooked. It shows promise. Post rock is a stagnant, increasingly lifeless genre (is that the sound of a broken record I hear?), so the fact that I still like to pull out Puptent every now and again is a testament to the band's will to change that convention. The record itself is fun - there is a decent level of songwriting on show where different styles and sounds continually bob and weave throughout the songs, always keeping the listener on their toes. They also have a good handle on the classic post rock climax, creating powerful, albeit not-so-original crescendos to top their songs off. Sometimes the songs lack direction with the continuous shimmying in and out of phases, and for some reason they put in three stupid, pretentious interludes. But on the whole this is a record which deserves attention, and it would be unfair for this fresh-faced, enthusiastic band to slip through the cracks of a new post rock scene thanks to retards that managed to find their way on to RYM. Check it out, it is nay bad at all. (This little analysis was pretty shit to be honest, so check my review for a better one.)

*RIYL: By The End Of Tonight, Piglet, doodling in notebooks, Wood and Wires, hatin' on RYM, seeing Dean Koontz piss his pants (check their myspace (buy link))*

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Lights Out Asia - Garmonia

2009-04-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Label: Sun Sea Sky / Genre: Post Rock
Release Date: 2003 / - - Rating: 7.8/10

*RIYL: The American Dollar, Hammock, night-time drives, Ef, a post rock band with a vocalist who is actually beneficial to the group's sound, originality which forces crap recs*

TRY / - / BUY

Flies Are Spies From Hell - Mountain Language

2009-04-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Label: Self-Released /.Genre: Post Rock
Release Date: 2007 / - - Rating: 7.0/10

*RIYL: Beast, Please Be Still, pg.lost, Parhelia (don't tell Altmer), piano heavy post rock, band names so badass you buff up two inches just namedropping them*

TRY / - / BUY

The Fun Years - Baby, It's Cold Inside

2009-03-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Label: Barge
Genre: Electrocoustic/Drone
Release Date: July 2008
Rating: 9.1/10

Baby, It's Cold Inside is one of those albums. One of those albums which just gets better and better with every listen. One of those albums which transports you to a strange place. A beautifully devastating, devastatingly beautiful place. Then, as the new releases you need to hear pile up, you leave it for a little while. The days of neglection turn to weeks and you eventually forget it exists.

Skip forward: a rainy Sunday afternoon. You shuffle through your record selection trying to find a sound that will suit the peculiarly precise mood. Baby, It's Cold Inside catches your eye. A nostalgic smile comes across your face as you slide it out from between it's two neighbouring album sleeves. Perfect. You hit play, put on your headphones, and lie back watching the silent rain beat against the windows. Within seconds you've melted through your couch and slipped back into that world again, paralysis consuming. You haven't been there in so long you're actually relived it still exists. And you think to yourself... why did I ever leave?

My favourite ambient/drone record of 2008, and a huge contender for overall number one.

*RIYL: Philip Jeck, GAS, snap, crackle and pop, Tim Hecker, Stars of the Lid, not being here, the fear of self-disintergration*

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Mountains - Choral

2009-03-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

Label: Thrill Jockey /.Genre: Ambient/Drone
Release Date: Feb 09 / - - Rating: 8.0/10

*RIYL: Fennesz, The Fun Years, soul-cleansing, Growing, blurring the line between organic and electric*

TRY / - / BUY

Kashiwa Daisuke - 5 Dec.

2009-03-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

Label: Noble
Genre: Electronica/Glitch
Release Date: February 2009
Rating: 6.9/10

Daisuke has taken a few steps in a new direction with this record, searching for new sounds to add to his already impressive arsenal and, in many ways, he’s been successful. But on the other hand, 5 Dec. shows him making a sacrifice, venturing too far into the darkness in the pursuit of too many different noises and, without his original shining brilliance to light the path, getting lost along the way. There’s no denying that 5 Dec. is exhilarating, intriguing, interesting, at times even mesmerising. But the endless captivation, the rapturously hypnotizing consummation of Program Music I has all but vanished with 5 Dec., the strive for accessibility throwing it to the sky to be carried away by the wind like a choir’s chorus echoing across an empty chasm. Kashiwa Daisuke will have learned a lot from his latest exerts. Here’s hoping he can turn that experience into genuine electronic ingenuity with his next effort. Luckily for him, there’s no-one more suited to the task.

*RIYL: Worlds End Girlfriend, choirs with your blast beats, 65daysofstatic, a bipolar Yasushi Yoshida, holes in the head created by glitches and filled in with strings*

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Future of the Left - Last Night I Saved Her From Vampires

2009-03-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Label: 4AD -// Genre: Rock/Punk: Live Rec
Release Date: Feb 09 / -// - Rating: 7.8/10

*RIYL: Mclusky, angle grinders, Jarcrew, ass-clenchingly funny banter, nonsensical lyrics, The Drones, Tool fans getting rinsed by the Welsh*

TRY / - / BUY

Kurt Vile - God is Saying This to You

2009-03-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Label: Mexican Summer /... Genre: Folk
Release Date: March 09 / - - Rating: 7.7/10

*RIYL: Mark Kozelek, melting drone folk, Grouper with vox, the intimacy of bedroom admissions, Gary War, sincerity*

TRY / - / BUY

Giraffes? Giraffes! - More Skin With Milk-Mouth

2009-03-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Label: Loves in Heat
Genre: Math Rock
Release Date: December 2007
Rating: 8.2/10

If you like your guitars fast and twiddly and your drums loud and smashy, but are still partial to a bit of actual songwriting, then Giraffes? Giraffes! may just become your new favourite math rock band. Consisting simply of two ambidextrinstrumentalist (fuck off dictionary) old friends Ken and Joe, the duo spat out five mathematically awe-inducing and aurally boner-inducing tracks of not-so-simple drum/guitar tomfoolery in the December of 2007 and, unlike many of the math rock bands that are vomited out of the blogosphere, are still receiving fairly regular rotation in my CD player. That's saying a big something for a band blossoming from this sterile genre. Each track offers something fresh and exciting instead of recycling the same old wadawidiwada riff so the listener is thankfully always kept on their tippy-toes. It can also be a great record just to chill too aswell. Also, let it be known that the breakdown in 'Catholic Girls' was one of the greatest things to happen to 2007.

*RIYL: Tera Melos, Piglet, paintball guns, Don Caballero, mathematical equations*

READ / - / TRY / - / BUY

Seagull - Goodbye Weather

2009-03-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Label: Two Bright Lakes /. Genre: Indie/Folk
Release Date: Dec 08 / - / -- Rating: 7.1/10

*RIYL: Dark Captain Light Captain, Neutral Milk Hotel, Seabear, :('s*

TRY / - / BUY

Soundtrack to the Flu: Part II

2009-03-16T17:18:00.000-07:00

Despite my protests, the razorblades continued to play broken-glass frisbee in my throat.

TRACKLISTING: is a lot of effort for something that probably won't come out right anyway.
Compilawesome contains: Worriedaboutsatan, Dela, Buddy Peace, Yasushi Yoshida, Fleet Foxes, Frightened Rabbit, The Samuel Jackson Five, Intrusion, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Minus The Bear, Dakota Suite, Fink, Toe, Talkdemonic, Balmorhea, Sleepingdog, Gregor Samsa, American Football, The Decemberists, Tenebre, My Bloody Valentine, The Weakerthans, Grizzly Bear and Blue Sky Black Death... Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD

Soundtrack to the Flu: Part I

2009-03-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

So this week I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of being courteously bricked in the testiclé by the flu. Luckily, the flu bug very rarely visits the Hotel de Wolfe, but when he does he makes sure to make the most out of his stay. Right now the little shit's cheerfully wheeling a 24 litre suitcase stuffed with toxins, chemicals and disposable cameras down my large intestine, ready to ride the wave when the twelve nail bombs he planted in my stomach go boom boom.

This is a selection of the tracks I've been spinning to help get me through the sweaty, sleepless nights and wouldn't-it-be-easier-if-I-just-cryogenically-froze-myself days. Well, these songs and numerous overdoses of Lemsip and sleeping pills. What's here is mostly what you'd expect. Cosy, casual indie. Wistful, warming folk. Serene, sedative instrumentals. Airy, anaesthetizing ambience. Even a bit of soul-soothing hip-hop in part II. If you expect to find anything even close to metal, punk or um-tsh-um-tsh house here then you've clearly never experienced a ringbinder headache before. This two part compilation is so comfy you'll probably end up forging an ass-groove in it. Enjoy, you healthy smug fucks.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Peter Broderick - A Song for Cranes (Music For on Paper Wings)
2. The Dodos - Winter (Visiter)
3. Feist and Ben Gibbard - Train Song (Dark Was The Night)
4. Mountains - Map Table (Choral)
5. Stars of the Lid - Humectez La Mouture (And Their Refinement of the Decline)
6. The Microphones - I'll Not Contain You (The Glow Pt. 2)
7. shh... this is a library - Is This a Crush? (shh... this is a library)
8. Hammock - The House Where We Grew Up (Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo)
9. Wixel - On My Way to the Moon (Somewhere Between The Sun and The Moon)
10. Lights Out Asia - KnockKnock (Garmonia)
11. This Town Needs Guns - If I Sit Still (Split w/ Cats and Cats and Cats)
12. husband&wife - Haven't Got a Friend (Dark Dark Woods)
13. Seabear - Seashell (The Ghost That Carried Us Away)
14. Pedro The Lion - Promise (It's Hard to Find a Friend)
15. Akira Kosemura - Sky (Tiny Musical)
16. Psapp - Tricycle (The Only Thing I Ever Wanted)
17. Pele - A Scuttled Bender in a Watery Closet (Elephant)
18. The Six Parts Seven - Everything Wrong is Right Again (Casually Smashed to Pieces)
19. Justin Vernon - The Whippgrass (Justin Vernon)
20. Bon Iver - Beach Baby (Blood Bank)
21. Saltillo - 002 F#m (Ganglion)
22. My Kappa Roots - Fleeting Like Etain (The House of St. Colme Burnt Down)
23. Elliott Smith - Angeles (Either/Or)
24. Shugo Tokumaru - Hidamari (Exit)
25. The Manchester Orchestra - I Can Feel Your Pain (I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child)
26. Sharks Keep Moving - Jet's Jets (Sharks Keep Moving)
probably won't come out in this order at all but I don't care, I have razorblades shitting glass-grenades in my throat

DOWNLOAD (new link)

Stay tuned for Part II (the better half) - coming tomorrow... sometime

Kid Down - And The Noble Art of Irony

2009-03-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Label: Burning Heart
Genre: Pop Punk
Release Date: March 2007
Rating: 8.0/10

Nasal, high pitched vocals? Check. Cavity-inducing hooks? Check. Laughably terrible lyrics? Check. This is perfect pop punk, pure and simple. And from Sweden! Everyone thinks it's so easy to create the perfect pop punk album these days, but it is actually a rare thing to behold. This is probably the best pure pop punk album I've heard in the last few years and it's simply because it gets every cliche so goddamn right. Catchy as syphillis and armed with an odd control over your limbs, And The Noble Art of Irony is one guilty pleasure that you need to experience. Start working on your little sister excuses, metalheads. Oh yeah, and Pretty Teeth is probably the best pop punk song of the millenium.

*RIYL: Fireworks, cavities, being caught singing in public, Boys Like Girls, Fall Out Boy*

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The Six Parts Seven - Casually Smashed to Pieces

2009-03-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Label: Suicide Squeeze /. Genre: Post Rock
Release Date: Jan 07 / - / -- Rating: 8.1/10

*RIYL: El Ten Eleven, post rock that says fuck you to climaxes, The Mercury Program, Pele, the scenic route*

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Hammock - Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo

2009-03-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Label: Darla /.// Genre: Ambient/Post Rock
Release Date: Nov 06 / - / -- Rating: 7.9/10

*RIYL: Saxon Shore, Eluvium, strong winds on empty beaches, Helios*

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(pw: goldkette.blogspot.com)

Mogwai - Come On Die Young

2009-03-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Label: Chemikal Underground
Genre: Post Rock
Release Date: April 1999
Rating: 8.7/10

"I'll tell you about punk rock: punk rock is a word used by dilettantes and, uh... and, uh... heartless manipulators, about music... that takes up the energies, and the bodies, and the hearts and the souls and the time and the minds, of young men, who give what they have to it, and give everything they have to it. And it's a... it's a term that's based on contempt; it's a term that's based on fashion, style, elitism, satanism, and, everything that's rotten about rock 'n' roll.'I don't know Johnny Rotten... but I'm sure, I'm sure he puts as much blood and sweat into what he does as Sigmund Freud did. You see, what, what sounds to you like a big load of trashy old noise... is in fact... the brilliant music of a genius... myself. And that music is so powerful, that it's quite beyond my control. And, ah... when I'm in the grips of it, I don't feel pleasure and I don't feel pain, either physically or emotionally. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Have you ever, have you ever felt like that? When you just, when you just, you couldn't feel anything, and you didn't want to either. You know, like that? Do you understand what I'm saying, sir?"

*RIYL: Iggy Pop interviews, A Silver Mount Zion, Slint, the gathering volume of footsteps behind you, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the ex-cowboy corner*

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Modest Mouse - This is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing to Think About

2009-03-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

Label: Up Records /////./ Genre: Indie Rock
Release Date: April 96 / - / -- Rating: 8.9/10

*RIYL: Built to Spill, Pavement, pessimism, Ugly Casanova, long drives with nothing to think about*

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Nujabes - Metaphorical Music

2009-03-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Label: Dimid //////// Genre: Hip Hop/Jazz
Release Date: Aug 03 / - / -- Rating: 8.5/10

*RIYL: Samurai Champloo, CYNE, RJD2, Dela, the thought of Haruki Murakami becoming a hip-hop producer *

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Various Artists - Dark Was The Night

2009-03-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

Label: 4AD
Genre: Indie Rock
Release Date: February 2009
Rating: 8.4/10

The Decemberists, Grizzly Bear, Feist, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Beirut, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Gibbard, Yo La Tengo, Andrew Bird, José González, The New Pornographers, Cat Power, Iron & Wine, My Morning Jacket, and the National all walk into a bar.

Bartender says 'Sorry, we're closing.'

So they quietly and respectfully leave the establishment.

*RIYL: indie smogasbords, good causes*

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husband&wife - Dark Dark Woods

2009-03-07T12:15:00.001-08:00

Label: Crossroads of America / Genre: Indie
Release Date: Feb 09 / - / -- Rating: 7.6/10

*RIYL: Manchester Orchestra after a Rilo Kiley and The Album Leaf binge, waterproof pillows*

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Intrusion - The Seduction of Silence

2009-03-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

Label: Echospace / ----- Genre: Techno/Dub
Release Date: Jan 09 / - / - Rating: 7.1/10

*RIYL: Ben Klock with a bad case of Gas, Beat Pharmacy underwater*

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Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

2009-02-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

Label: Self Released
Genre: Indie/Acoustic/Folk
Release Date: July 2007
Rating: 9.0/10

"There’s not much that can be said about Bon Iver’s full-length debut that hasn’t already been said. Every critic and his fruit fly has more or less passed some sort of comment, however brief, on just about every conceivable aspect of For Emma, Forever Ago. Yet not a single one could ever even begin to tell you anything about just what the weight of emotion that Justin Vernon’s minimalist acoustic masterpiece carries with it. For Emma is simply too… personal. It’s the sort of intimacy that carves its own meaning in the deepest confines of the heart, skipping with bounds and strides across ears and into the chest with piercing clarity. It’s never hurt more than this but, sometimes, it’s the pain that reminds us that we’re all really alive in the first place." (words from Alex Silveri)

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Justin Vernon - Hazletons

2009-02-26T07:40:00.000-08:00

Label: Self Released / ---- Genre: Acoustic
Release Date: 2006 / - / - Rating: 7.0/10

TRY / - / UNAVAILABLE

Justin Vernon - Self Titled

2009-02-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

Label: Self Released / -/ -Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Release Date: 2005 / - / - Rating: 6.0/10

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Beware of Safety - dogs

2009-02-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

Label: Mylene Sheath
Genre: Post Rock
Release Date: December 2008
Rating: 8.3/10

Phwwoooar. That was my first impression after hearing 'Nu Metal', the first track from BoS' first full length dogs. Stop playing in the sandbox with pg.lost and start accepting sweets from those bearded strangers in blacked out cars staring you down with their heavy rock music. Trust me, you'll have a lot more fun. dogs manages to succeed where It's Not Me, It's You! failed because 1. the heavy sections contain addictive, varied, and downright sledge-hammer-to-the-balls riffs and inventive instrumentation instead of wall-of-sound guitar smooshing and 2. the melodic, quieter sections actually do something, and don't make you want to tear your ears out with boredom. Beware of Safety made a warning mark on the post rock scene last year with debut EP Is It Curtains but this ten track beauty stakes a serious claim for the position of post rock's new top dog. I'd start taking them seriously.

*RIYL: Daturah, facial hair conventions, Pelican, johnnytwentythree, post raw raw rawk*

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Minus The Bear - This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic

2009-02-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

Label: Suicide Squeeze / -/ -Genre: Indie
Release Date: Sept 01 / - / - Rating: 8.2/10

*RIYL: Bear vs. Shark, Meet Me At Stl Louis, spelling the word mellow with three w's, The Appleseed Cast, a James Bond lifestyle but without the angry Russians*

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The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

2009-02-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Label: SideOneDummy/ - /Genre: Punk Rock
Release Date: Aug 08 / - / Rating: 7.8/10

*RIYL: Bruce Springsteen waltzing with Against Me!, bar fights, The Lawrence Arms, those crooked smiles that come with reminiscence*

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The Samuel Jackson Five - Goodbye Melody Mountain

2009-02-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

Label: Honest Abe
Genre: Post Rock/Progressive Jazz
Release Date: November 2008
Rating: 8.7/10

Although the album title may indicate otherwise, the SJ5's third effort sees the band experimenting with some brilliantly unorthodox melodies while still maintaining that jazzy, proggy post rock sound they've become known for, and ending up with dazzling results. This is the best post rock album of 2008 because it dares to venture several steps forward while still having the strength and discipline to not leave its original brilliance behind. Instead, it carries the past on its shoulders for all to see. Also, it helps that closer 'How to Evade Your Obsessive Shadow is, like, insanely good.

*RIYL: Jaga Jazzist, You.May.Die.In.The.Desert, five teenage motown stars on a plane full of poisonous snakes*

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Wixel - Somewhere Between The Sun and The Moon

2009-02-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Label: Debonair / -/ -Genre: Electrocoustic
Release Date: Nov 08 / - / - Rating: 8.0/10

*RIYL: The Fun Years, anything Elverum (minus the voice), curing insomnia, The Album Leaf, warm rain*

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American Football - S/T

2009-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

Label: Polyvinyl / - / - / Genre: Emo/Indie
Release Date: Sept 99 / - / Rating: 7.6/10

*RIYL: Ghosts and Vodka, Kinsella Kinsella Kinsella, growing pains, Pele, nostalgia

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Natsumen – NEVER WEAR OUT yOUR SUMMER XXX!!!

2009-02-16T04:29:00.000-08:00

Label: Topmen Uma Records
Genre: Post Rock/Noise/Jazz-Rock
Release Date: January 2006
Rating: 8.4/10

An eight peice jazz/noise rock band from Japan that love X's, !'s, a dangerous amount of improv and a whole lotta summer. Recipe for disaster? You'd think so, but no. One listen through this six track, 45 minute live recording and you'll be on your knees begging for more. From the breakneck, frantic drumming which consumes 'Newsummerboy' to the epic, improvisational jazzy wonders of 'Pills to Kill Ma August' to the ridiculously infectious, anthemic rockings of Natsu No Mujina', it is obvious that Natsumen have got the heat, fun and insanity of summer down to a tee. Powerful but entertaining, schizophrenic but cohesive, capricious but focused, this is truly original music to change your opinion about how much fun you can have with an instrumental band.

*RIYL: Holy Fuck, water balloon fights, Te' with horns and a smile*

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Lovvers - Think

2009-02-16T04:13:00.000-08:00

Label: Wichita / - / - Genre: Punk/Garage
Release Date: Oct 08 / - / - Rating: 8.1/10

*RIYL: The Ramones, Flipper, pissing off Nickleback fans, The Replacements, smashing things with dance moves*

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Land of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss

2009-02-16T03:52:00.001-08:00

Label: Rebel Group / - / - Genre: Indie Rock
Release Date: May 06 / - / - Rating: 6.9/10

*RIYL: Broken Social Scene, pretty lady voices, Arcade Fire, Fight Like Apes, canadian bacon*

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The Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha

2009-02-14T04:39:00.000-08:00

Label: Militia Group
Genre: Post Rock/Emo
Release Date: February 2009
Rating: 8.0/10

The Appleseed Cast have come a long way since their debut album 'The End of Ring Wars' way back in '98, but it has been a development which has followed a very much linear path. It was first noticed in 'Low Level' Owl where the band could be seen stretching to reach an itch they couldn't quite yet scratch, an itch we now know as the post rock prickle, and it has followed them right up to their lateset album. Sagarmatha sees that itch fully scratched out. A lack of vocals is a noticeable absence from most of the songs, instead opting for the post rock tendencies of subtle, repeated guitar riffs, intricate, organized drumming and swathes of keyboards, xylophones et al. For this instrumental addict, it is a welcoming transformation. They have been subtly mastering the tricks of the trade and are now delivering them to us with flair and finesse. The chief negative which I have to assign Sagarmatha is it's lack of real punch. Few of the songs are memorable and, with the heart well and truly wiped off the sleeve, it's much harder to get all involved with the songs. They're immersive, but not affecting. They're so close to reaching the pinnacle of what they've been trying to achieve that right now all that's needed is to nail the flag into the peak. But here's hoping they can descend just a little for their next effort, drop below the clouds, so we can see the heart and soul of The Appleseed Cast again while still being able to appreciate how far they've come.

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Fake Problems - It's Great to Be Alive

2009-02-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

Label: Sideonedummy Records
Genre: Indie/Punk/Folk
Release Date: February 2009
Rating: 7.2/10

Ever wondered what would happen if Against Me!, Modest Mouse and a Big Band quartet were trapped on a plane hurtling towards a fiery death and there was only one set of parachutes? Well, I can't say who'd be the ones left in freefall, but I'm sure the fight scene would sound a little like It's Great To Be Alive. And it sure is. Chris Farren's scratchy, hoarse vocals (perhaps at time a little too reminiscent of Tom Gabel), peirce holes in a frequently changing backdrop of stabbing guitar riffs, propulsive drumming and jubilant horns. Each track sees a new take on their unique (to an extent) sound of disco folk-punk, and for the first half of the album this is definitely a plus. Anthemic ska, catchy, chorus-heavy folk pop and gritty, guileless punk take turns to carry new sets of sarcastic, memorable lyrics (for the most part) and do so with an admirable spring in their step. But as the second half trudges on it seems like the band run out of ideas slightly and their nods towards Against Me! and The Hold Steady become perhaps a little too vehement. There are a few highlights in the second half though - check out 'Tabernacle Song' and 'Heart BPM', aswell as the first half's 'Level with the Devil' and 'The Dream Team'. Although the band seem to lack that killer edge right now, an 'X-Factor', so to speak, if they can muster the effort to be a little more inventive, dynamic and focused next time around they could have a really awesome record on their hands. Album streaming now on their myspace.

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Worriedaboutsatan - EP02

2009-02-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Label: Self Released
Genre: Electronica/Post Rock/Ambient
Release Date: December 2007
Rating: 8.9/10

"we play electronic music with heart and soul"

"A breath of fresh air" is a phrase which is used all too cheaply nowadays. I swear the other day I actually saw the line being used to advertise weed killer. Don't ask me how. Worriedaboutsatan, however, are one of the few that are deserving of the increasingly-undervalued tag. Despite succumbing to the mysterious modern allure of shunning spaces between the words in their title (what's with that?), everything about this band is refreshing, exciting and wonderfully original. Yes, this is a blend of electronica and post rock. No, it sounds nothing like 65daysofstatic. I'm tempted to say this is better, but the two styles are so different it would be meaningless to compare. While 65dos are more on the post-rock end, pitching powerful riffs against random glitches, WAS are at the opposite end of the spectrum, using the occasional shimmering post rock guitar to accentuate and compliment tranquil yet compelling ambience. Worriedaboutsatan load their cannon with skitzy glitches, bottomless reverb, and some minimal but powerful percussion, then throw in some immersive vocals for good measure. Once the fuse is lit, they clamber into this cannon, guitars in hand, and wait for the bang. Although most of the record is spent watching the fuse go down, that's the beauty. It's a serene, consumative, at times exhilirating thing to behold. When it does though... well, you'll have to hear for yourself. Listen to 'The Last Song (First Song Remix)', around 2:38, and you'll hear this explosion first hand. One of my favourite moments of music in 2008. Awesome, highly recommended stuff, especially if you need to chill right now. Watch out for the band's debut full length 'Arrivals' when it lands this year.

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mewithoutYou - [A→B] Life

2009-02-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Label: Tooth & Nail
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Release Date: June 2002
Rating: 9.1/10

"Put music to our troubles"

Post-hardcore favourites mewithoutYou, at only three albums in, have certainly made a name for themselves as one of the few Christian rockers it's cool to namedrop. And to celebrate the release of their new album, apparently titled 'It’s all crazy! It’s all false! It’s all a dream! It’s alright', which should be just over the horizon, I've been obsessively spinning their debut, and, in my opinion, best album [A→B] Life over and over again. Aaron Weiss' half-spoken, half-sung vocals are something to be heard. Consistantly emotive and brimming with passion, his lyrics are overflowing with religious and relative conflict and really bring home the message that it's not easy being a cohort of Christ. The guitarwork is raw beyond description and the drumming is brilliantly inventive and dynamic. Highly recommended for people who are even vaguely interested in post-hardcore, Sunday school or really awesome art-work.

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Japancakes - Loveless

2009-02-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Label: Darla Records
Genre: Post Rock/Shoegaze/Americana
Release Date: November 2007
Rating: 8.3/10

Just the idea of covering My Bloody Valentine's 1991 classic would have probably caused many elitists to drop their shoegazing monacles in scorn. So for this gutsy Georgia six-piece to go ahead and cover each and every track must have had the entire elitosphere running around like headless chickens. But no fear, Japancakes have done the impossible. They have created a tribute album which not only compliments and accentuates the original but also sounds damn good all on its own. Clinging solely onto the original melodies of MBV's Loveless, Japancakes incorporate a wholly different sound, consisting of cellos, pianos and pedal stell guitars, to unravel a piece of work which looks more than beautiful when laid out flat against its forebearer. For those who still haven't heard the original, a slap on the wrist for you, but I say get this first. It will make you appreciate the first more, while still not detracting from the tribute. Get involved, son.

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The Graduate - Anhedonia

2009-01-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

Label: ICON Mes
Genre: Pop Rock/Indie
Release Date: April 2007
Rating: 6.3/10

ATTN: All bands. STOP SLUMPING ALL OVER YOUR SOPHOMORE. YOU'RE MAKING IT ANGRY.

Good pop rock album, but could and should have been so much better. 'Nuff said.

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Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks

2009-01-30T09:51:00.001-08:00

Label: 130701
Genre: Modern Classical/Ambient
Release Date: February 2004
Rating: 8.8/10

"The inner world can only be experienced, not described" - (Franz Kafka - The Blue Octavo Notebooks)

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Sleepingdog - Polar Life

2009-01-29T12:03:00.001-08:00

Label: Gizeh Records
Genre: Indie Folk/Female Singer/Songwriter
Release Date: November 2008
Rating: 8.0/10

Chantal Acda, female half and vocalist for ambient folk duo Sleepingdog, just has one of those voices. You know the ones, the type of voice you could listen to for hours on end, the type of voice that staples a permanent smile to your face. Being of Dutch origin there is a slight but cute tinge of accent which decorates her delivery, yet the sincerity she performs with never dwindles. Luckily, the music is very pretty too. Composed primarily of pianos and ambience by Adam Wiltzie (member of ambient gods Stars of the Lid (so you know you're in safe hands)), the melodies created are fragile and soft, perfectly complimenting Acda's special voice. Think if Laura Marling teamed up with Sleepingdog's labelmates Glissando. If you're feeling a little bummed out right now, or just simply want something to chill to, give this one a shot.

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Buddy Peace - Wolf Diesel Mountain

2009-01-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

Label: 2600 Recordings
Genre: Hip-Hop/Mix-Tape/Turntablism
Release Date: May 2008
Rating: 9.2/10

As a celebration of a new blog you lucky people are getting a double-whammy of ridiculously good albums, receiving both my albums of the year for the past two years. My favourite release of 2008, Wolf Diesel Mountain sees Buddy Peace perfecting his immensely enjoyable style seen on the 'A Friendly Game of Chess' and 'A Crew Called Self' mixes. Laying a foundation of expressive, emotive beats as his stage, he calls on both the stars and secrets of the indie and hip hop worlds to act as the cast in his feature-length production, and the chemistry between some of the actors is nothing short of incredible. Who woulda thunk MF Doom would be so at home slumped on the IKEA sofa of Jose Gonzalez's living room? Wolf Diesel Mountain may not be as loud or boisterous as the year's most popular mix, but my god does it wipe the floor with Girl Talk's face in terms of sincerity, longeivity and genuine personality.

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My Kappa Roots - The House of St. Colme Burnt Down

2009-01-28T09:31:00.000-08:00

Label: Drifting Falling
Genre: Acoustic/Indie
Release Date: 2007
Rating: 9.7/10

What better way to birth this blog than to have it conceived by one of my favourite albums of all time. Achingly personal and deeply poignant, young Scotsman Pablo Clark is a natural master of his craft. His debut album, affectionately crafted in the detatched and isolated village of Fife, is walking, talking proof that you don't have to scream your lungs out to be heard from even the most desolate, distant corners of the world. Simply essential, endlessly recommended.

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