- Six days into 2009 and now you already can have the album of the year. I got the leak of the new Animal Collective record almost 2 weeks ago and it hasn't left the cd player in my car since. Fans of almost any kind of music can get into this album, it is seriously incredible. I could almost see My Girls turning into the next Paper Planes and getting a lot of radio play, now that would be weird. Download this right now.
- This is the tour tape from Woods' recent West Coast tour. This is hands down my favorite release of the year, it is perfect from start to finish. You will not be able to get these songs out of your head. The cover of Grahm Nash's "Military Madness" is spot on, I remember seeing them play it live a couple of months ago and was blown away then and I can't stop listening to it now that I have the recorded version.
- "On Martin Rev's 1996 solo album, See Me Ridin', the co-founder of the legendary electro-rock band Suicide steps out on his own, and offers 16 tracks of minimalist bubblegum power pop. But don't worry longtime Suicide fans, drum machines, Rev's trademark synthesizers, and his half-sung/spoken vocals are the basis for each song, while Suicide's hypnotizing repetition is used to great effect as well."
- Originally released in 1978, Black Devil's "Disco Club" is an extremely rare disco release. The record is credited to Joachim Sherylee and Junior Claristidge. It was made manually in a recording studio in the suburbs of Paris using synths and occasional tape loops and a drummer, without the aid of MIDI or computers. Disco Club was unearthed by Rephlex Records and rereleased in 2004. Many doubted the authenticity of the record, due to its futuristic sound. DOWNLOAD THIS NOW!
- Frank Navetta was one of the founding members of the band The Descendents. He founded the band with with Tony Lombardo and Bill Stevenson in 1979. I just found out that he passed away on Friday. His bandmates made the announcement,
"We're very sorry to announce that founding member of The DESCENDENTS, and close friend Frank Navetta passed away on October 31, 2008 after becoming ill over the course of a few days. This is obviously a huge loss for the DESCENDENTS family. His contribution to the band, and to music in general can not be overstated. Frank will be truly missed. We will share information about memorial services when we find out."
The Descendents are one of my favorite bands of all time, I will be jamming to Milo Goes to College all week, download it below. R.I.P. Frank Navetta.
- Eric Copeland spends most of his time as a member of Black Dice. This is his first solo record it is just as interesting as the full outfit, but more minimal. He achieves the sounds on this record in the same way as he does with Black Dice; samples, loops, and lots of effects. I have been obsessed with this record lately and highly recommend it. Buy it over at Paw Tracks.
"Having recorded five albums as limited edition CD-Rs, Fischbeck now divides his time between touring and posting music on his interactive website. The ongoing Hawks and Sparrows (2003– ), originally released as CD-Rs individually packaged with “the first flowers of spring,” has evolved into a free-download project. Its eighteen tracks are based on field recordings taken at four antiwar gatherings from which he removed all language-based rhetoric, leaving processed samples of “pauses, whistles and yells, drums, sirens, helicopters, electric hums, boom boxes” and more. The unexpectedly musical results range from meditational, harmonic loops of sound to crackling distortion that recalls music played through blown speakers." - The Whitney Museum of Art
- This is a 5 minute documentary of Luke Fishbeck(Lucky Dragons) describing his project "Make A Baby", quite an interesting watch. "Make A Baby is the generic term for an ongoing series of experiments into the possibilities of using skin contact between performers as a means of transmitting and controlling data and creating a positive social environment."
- More From The Mountain features one of James Jackson Toth's final transmissions under the Wooden Wand moniker. Side A has been a live favorite for some time, while Side B's "Guru Femmes" is a home recording of a long-retired tune entirely exclusive to this release. - Woodsist
- Leafes is a band from Sweden that is almost impossible to get a hold of in America. I've been trying to track down more of their stuff for so long. I managed to get the songs from the tape that they put out on Release The Bats!, but couldn't find anything else until I came upon this a few months ago. In The Mountains Belly is an ep that was only released in Sweden but is available for download from the label. This is just a really great folk album, it's been in constant rotation and I think most people will enjoy it. Check them out on myspace. I don't think they will be making it to the states anytime soon so heres a live video:
- This album is so much fun to listen to, I've been putting it on everyday when I wake up, gets the day started right. El Guincho is basically the Spanish version of Panda Bear. His musical style relies heavily on the use of sampling and incorporates elements of Afrobeat, Dub, Tropicália and Rock and Roll. This is the kind of album I feel like anybody can get into. Highly recommended!
- Crystal Stilts is a band from Brooklyn that originally formed as two piece in 2003. They eventually added more members including the bass player from Ninjas and the drummer from Vivian Girls. Their sound could be compared to a dreamier Velvet Underground or The Jesus and the Mary Chain, even fans of Interpol will be pleased. The record compiles their 12" ep and the Shatterd Shine 7". I can't stop listening to this, Woodsist have done it again, releasing another gem of a record. Can't wait to hear more from this band.
- This is my favorite of Pocahaunted's releases so far, 2008 has been a great year for this duo. After releasing a ton of stuff and it going quickly out of print they released their first full length album, Peyote Road on Woodsist and the dub influenced Island Diamonds on Arbor. The group has begun to fully realize their sound and keep getting better with each new thing they release, even though they seem to put something out every week. Unfortunately I missed them when they toured the East Coast earlier this summer, but that won't happen again.
- Upon returning home to Iceland from a world tour, Sigur Ros played some free, unanounced shows in small towns throughout the country. They enlisted director Dean DeBlois to film each of these special performances. The result of this experiment is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen captured to film. This is not just a concert documentary, DeBlois uses the landscape of Iceland to his advantage, capturing unbelievable shots of the isolated beautiful country and interspersing them with shots from each show. As the film goes on the places where each show takes place get more and more incredible. An abandoned fish factory, a protest camp in a beatiful valley, and a tiny cafe packed with families are just some of the amazing settings for these one off shows. If your not already a fan of Sigur Ros' music this is a perfect way to get aquainted. Anyone with an interest in music, film, or photography needs to see this film, it is simply breathtaking.
