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No Division is our friends band from here in Jacksonville. New this year, they have already played plenty of shows in Jacksonville. These songs are hot off the presses, so give them a listen to support our friends.
Staring Daggers are an awesome local Jacksonville hardcore band. James and Quinn are also in Gypsy Spit who we've also posted on here. But these dudes are writing some fucking awesome stuff. I really wish they'd do more with this band but you can't always get what you want can you?
Originally what started out as a Atlanta based hardcore band quickly transformed into (in my opinion) an amazing and very underrated post-rock/metal band. For the longest time in my apartment sat an entire box of distro cd's that my roommate and I would sell at shows for his friends label in Atlanta. Little did I know what actually lay in that box. Until one day I decided to take a listen to these cd's we'd been trying to sell. Irreversible's Age EP was one of these cd's. I had absolutely no idea what I was in store for. Immediately after listening to Age I thought to myself, "What the fuck have I been missing out on?!" Age, till this day, still gives me goosebumps listening to it. A year later they released their full length Sins. Their most recent release Light is more along the "experimental" lines. Don't get me wrong the whole concept behind Light is quite amazing just not my cup of tea.
I wrote this band off when they first came on the scene. I wrote them off as riding the coat tails of the current wave of all the pseudo Hot Water Music-esque bands invading hardcore, because let's face it...there are a lot of shitty bands. I still feel like about their older stuff but this new EP/record is really good. If you liked their old stuff I'm sure you will still like it, and if you didn't like their stuff before, give this a few spins.
The third track, "Ghostal," has the guy from La Dispute in it, and it's awesome.
I'm just going to say it, if you don't have this album there might be something wrong with you. If I hit a nerve, listen to it and then you will understand. This is perfect background, conversation, relaxing, hang out, romantic, anything you want music.
Johnny Flynn (singer/ songwriter/ poet/ actor) and The Sussex Wit are a nu-folk band from London, England. Johnny's traditionally influenced songs have an old charm about them. There's just something settling about an English farm-raised school boy with a heavy accent, playing a mandolin in a sweaty damp bar. A Larum has been one of my favorites, specifically the track "Brown Trout Blues", and with the leak of "Been Listening", I'm still impressed. Despite the bad reviews this album is no rip off of Noah and the Whale and definitely not a Mumford and Sons copy. For fans of The Tallest Man on Earth, Laura Marling, and Jeremy Warmsley.
In my high school days (1999-2003), Vagrant Records were the kings of Emo. Other labels like Deep Elm, Asian Man and Jade Tree were also big around the same time, but none could touch Vagrant. Vagrant was pumping out classics by The Get Up Kids, Saves The Day, Face to Face, Reggie and The Full Effect, Dashboard Confessional and many many more. It was one timeless record after another.
Beginning in the Emo hotbed of Lawrence, Kansas, The Anniversary's "Designing a Nervous Breakdown" came out at the same time as all the records stated above, and for some reason beyond me, it kind of got lost in the shuffle. I think this is sadly one of the most overlooked and most underrated records released from that time period. It's chock full Moog keyboards, clique (at the time) boy/girl harmonies, cheesy love lyrics and that feeling of Autumn that all good records had back then. Since my sophomore year I have popped this in my car every October, and it's like my car is a Delorean, going back in time. If you don't have it, please get it now. It's timeless and it's still just as good as it was the first time I heard it.
Just don't listen to anything the band released after this. It's all garbage. They are no longer a band. Members of the band went on to form mediocre alt-rock band The Only Children (also garbage).
Lion Cub sent this in to us and we couldn't be more honored. This is great music, but I will admit I had some trouble really describing this, but not in a bad way. This is some totally original stuff here. It reminds me a lot of early 2000's emo that I so fondly remember from high school. Be sure to check out this preview and support this band and every Top Shelf Records band out there!
"Real Ghosts/Pretend Ghosts" was sent in by the band and features angst-ish vocals similar to Tigers Jaw combined with the hazzy lo-fi sounds of recent bands such as Beach Fossils and Real Estate.
First things first. I think I'm stealing this post from Jeff. I know he wanted to post it, but he has been extremely busy with school. This leads me to my next point. A lot of people have been into Mark McGuire for a while now, like Jeff, and I suppose he is getting pretty big now. I'm one of the people who have just gotten into him with his new record "Living With Yourself." He has an expansive catalog and a cult like following, so if I offend anyone by posting just the new record, I apologize.
I think "Living With Yourself" is a record that I have either always wanted to make myself (I don't play any instruments) or have always wanted someone else to make. Records don't get much more personal than this one. Whether it's the collage of childhood photos, the song titles that hint to family inside stories/jokes, or the prelude/postlude songs with actual audio from home video recordings from McGuire's youth, you can tell this record is an autobiographical novel without words. It's a home movie without footage. It's a homage to McGuire's childhood, and my childhood is something I cherish ever so much. I think that's why I appreciate this record so immensely.
I realize that this post is now long and I have yet to talk about the music at all, and again, I apologize. Just know this record is perfect, guitar heavy with lots of loops that borderline a new age sound (in a good way), lack of drums until the last track, very drone-y and very intimate. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go back to downloading McGuire's back catalog, while you should be downloading this masterpiece.
Sun City Girls have always been known for their eccentricities. Their catalog is so vast and diverse, mixing genres and redefining experimental music with each new release. In 2007, their drummer died after a long battle with lung cancer and the group decided that they would not release any more albums. However, the remaining members finished up their last LP over the past three years, finally releasing Funeral Mariachi in 2010. The album itself is a wonderful record that ranges from entrancing rhythmic drum patterns to hauntingly beautiful piano and guitar parts. It's a proper send off to a band, weird enough to be commercially ignored yet artistic enough to garner a dedicated fan base for twenty eight years. This band will be missed, however this record should not be.
Lack is no longer with us, and I think that is a grave thing. Although quite popular in their native country of Denmark as well as all over Europe, I feel America never got to truly experience this band. As I said on Anchorless's post, members of Lack have gone on to form that band.
Take the guitarists and vocalists of Q and Not U, mix them with the drummer and bassist of Torche, speed the music up a little bit and you have Lack. They blend screamo and post rock together in a nice pop package. The guitars are angular and bouncy like fellow Dannish rockers Marivn's Revolt but the drumming and bass is very heavy and crunchy.
Do not sleep on this any longer, it's truly a unique listening experience. "Saturate Every Atom" will always been in my top 10 favorite records.
What if Majority Rule and These Arms are Snakes got together and made a record? You would Gemany's Anything But Yours. After pumping out records since 2003, playing sparse shows over a four year span and breaking up for three years (2007-2010), they finally release this gem of a record. This is a record that would fit right in on Hydra Head Records or even Dischord; chaotic, but still melodic guitar tones with peaceful and screamed vocals. This is a breath of fresh air.
I really like this record, but it's a style of heavy music that I've never been too keen on. They play a style of metal that strays not too far from Botch and early Dillinger Escape Plan with some heavy sludge parts thrown in. It's a solid heavy record that everyone should check out. I'm listening to it for the firs time as I type and will be jamming to this record for months to come.
Obstacles is a very intricate instrumental math rock band who also hails from Copenhagen. Their music is similar to Don Caballero, but they amplify their sounds with a plethora of pedals much like From Monument to Masses (just without all the sound clips). Copenhagen is killing it right now.
Ever wonder what it would sound like if The Replacements, The Cure and The Shins combined into one Danish music group and produce a record? Yeah me either, but this is what it would sound like.
Anchorless is a poppy indie band from Copenhagen and feature members of Lack and The Fashion. The guitars are very angular and bouncy and the drums are rather dance-y. While it sounds like all the bands I named together it still does have a very European sound.
Plus, the song Ceramics sounds it should be a Smiths song, and that's always awesome.
I hope only a few people are late on this band. While reading The Temptest, the song "Fall Down and Never Get Back up Again" came to mind and I felt like sharing. La Dispute songs are chocked full of lyrical genius and spoken word. I'm sure most of you know that; if not, listen yourself.
France is just where it's at right now. Today I bring you Plebeian Grandstand. Chaotic hardcore played exactly how it should be. The first footage I saw of this band was of them playing a show in the middle of an alley covered in fake blood and Ink and Dagger type face paint. That sealed the deal for me.
Seam I believe is a VERY underrated "slow-core" band. Hailing from Illinois, this is their 1995 release on Touch and Go Records. For fans of Jawbreaker, Codeine, and Idaho. Decide for yourself.
My favorite quiet, beautiful, classical background and sleep music. I know not everyone is a fan of classical instrumentals, but I think it's worth the time.
Now, for something more quiet. Thomas Meluch goes by the name Benoit Pioulard and I'm not particularly sure why, but one thing I'm sure of is he creates beautiful music. Although born in Michigan, Meluch now resides in Portland, Oregon, and composes a soundscape of lo-fi, ambient field recordings and quietly strummed, quiet, droning songs.
What? He lives in Portland and creates quiet ambient music? Sound familiar? His music is not much different than local Portland ambient droning music mistress Liz Harris, better known as Grouper. The one main difference between Grouper and Benoit Pioulard is Pioulard's orchestrations manage to sound hopeful while keeping quiet and minimalist whereas Grouper's are more sad and crushingly depressing.
Either way this is a beautiful record and you should let it sing your to sleep tonight.
I promised myself I was done posting heavy stuff for a while, but then this came along. This band is heavy, they are stoner friendly, but they are putting a signature sound on it at the same time. I Pilot Daemon bring their unique sound from Toulouse, France. While their music is loud and resonates reverberation in your ears even after you have turned the record off, they still maintain to put a "post hardcore" even borderline "screamo" feel to it. It's almost as if These Arms Are Snakes put out a super heavy record. Do not sleep on this one.
Basically if you like up beat math rock, screaming and sing a longs, Grown Ups, 1994!, Cap'n Jazz, Street Smart Cyclist, etc, please listen to this. Thanks to the band for sending this awesome record our way, watch out for their 7 inch with Chalk Talk!
Let's be honest on two points right here and now: 1) New Jersey/Long Island is the best place for punk rock right now and has been for the better half of the last decade and 2) between bands like New Found Glory/The Wonder Years and Make Do and Mend/Hostage Calm a lot of really shitty "punk" rock gets written off as good punk rock.
The Measure is the band that has put out a thousand 7 inches but no legitimate full lengths until now and it was well worth the wait. A lot of people compare this band to The Ergs! and bands of the like, but I personally view this band as New Jersey's answer to The Lawrence Arms. It's fast, it's snotty, and it's got catchy dual vocals (male and female!). If you could combine your favorite punk rock record from the late 90's and combine it with a modern punk rock record you have "Notes."
The Measure have pumped out not only another great poppy punk rock record from the greater New York City area, but they have pumped out one of the best punk rock records this year. If you are going to The Fest this month, do not miss this band.
During a break from homework, I took the time to listen to one of the best new bands of the year, hands down. This is 45 minutes of well recorded, well written, well produced and effortful music for FREE. Several genres combined at the perfect times, stoner, black metal, hardcore, and tidbits of drone. The instrumentals are slow and heavy in all the right places. Besides the craftsmanship, the concept is solid. I don't want to butcher anyone's thoughts, so read their "about" section and think about ordering a record when they release.
So, I think Paul is good live but I have never been able to get into his recorded material until this record came out. I feel that he took this one more seriously.
If you don't know Paul's music he plays fast, quirky songs that are sometimes funny and sometimes sad but always personal. His new record still features those songs but just on a more serious tone. You feel like you are listening to one of your friends 4-track recordings, still, but just like your friend has matured a lot. Good stuff right here.
What do you get when you combine members of indie giants The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan? You get the wonderful and fun Maritime from Milwaulkee. I absolutely love this band, yet somehow manage to always forget about them until October and November roll around.
To describe their sound you would need to listen to both The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan simultaneously in the same room. Their songs feature the same pop sensibilities that made us all fall in love with The Promise Ring but with the intricate guitar lines and drum patterns that made early Dismemberment Plan so good, but all wrapped up into a package of a band that obviously sounds more grown up.
If you liked either The Promise Ring or The Dismemberment Plan or just like general indie pop music check out this great, great band, but just don't forget about them often like I do.
Hailing from Chicago and featuring members of both The Copyrights and Off With Their Heads comes the fast, the loud, and the rowdy Dear Landlord.
With a mixture of current "Gainesville" styled punk rock mixed in with traces of Screeching Weasel. This was one of my favorite records last year and in anticipation of The Fest in a few weeks I have been jamming it again. If you don't have this record get it now, but if you haven't SEEN this band go do it soon because they are one of the best live bands out there right now. Enjoy.
Jeff Tweedy is the front man of the great, marvelous and forever hardworking Wilco and former member of Uncle Tupelo. If you aren't aware of his work you are either living under a rock or are just not a fan of that style of music. Wilco's entire discography (with, in my opinion, the exception of "A Ghost is Born") is flawless and and lays a perfect blueprint of the perfect American Folk/Rock band.
Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest is an audio rip from a DVD of one of Tweedy's rare solo tours(It's very good quality). Wilco tours extensively and when they aren't touring they are hold up in Chicago cranking out other classic records, and have families and what not, so a tour for solo Jeff Tweedy is difficult, and rare.
This is getting too long, so just know this is just Jeff Tweedy playing from six different venues. This is 24 songs of honest, pure, heartfelt music that is better sung by just Jeff Tweedy, without Wilco.....yeah, I said it.
posted on Thursday, October 7, 2010 @ 10:45 PM | back to the top.
Hey Everyone
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If you don't listen to Jay Electronica, you need to. He has never released an actual album and his long time mate Erykah Badu questions whether or not he ever will release a physical record, but he has released two absolutely mind bending mix tapes and has dropped other singles throughout time. You gotta be "different" and creative to live with Erykah Badu.
Act I is some of the most original and creatively beautiful music I have heard; gorgeous, non-linear samples and odd clips and excerpts from movies, speeches, etc. Since Act I his music has become more solidified, but still holds that special something. There are more beats and more song structure, but it's still some of the most creative stuff you will ever hear.
Foxhole is an instrumental band based out of the same town as my psuedo-Alma Mater Bowling Green, Kentucky (I didn't graduate) and Nashville, Tennessee. Throughout it's career (2002 - present) it has had somewhat of a revolving door of members, and throughout said career I have had the privilege of befriending a few members of the band, and they are some of the most honest, genuine hardworking musicians around.
Foxhole's sound doesn't stray too far from that of Saxon Shore, Unwed Sailor and Anathallo (musically); loud sweeping guitar loops, heavy drumming, the occasional brass section and rising crescendos. "We the Wintering Tree" is their only LP to date (two self released EPS and one label released EP)and I had honestly forgotten about it until recently. I had been going through old CDs and found theirs, reconnected and found out they are about to finally release a new record...seven years later. Be sure to keep an eye on them because the record will not disappoint.
After posting about that Appleseed Cast I felt like posting this as well. Old Canes is an emo all-star group of sorts featuring Chris Crisci (Appleseed Cast), Nathan Richardson (The Casket Lottery) and Jordan Geiger (The Minus Story).
If the Appleseed Cast were to make a folk inspired record it would sound like this. It still creates the orchestrated imagination of TAC but is full of new instruments. Old Canes is currently on tour on the East Coast so check them out if at all possible. I've yet to see them live but I imagine they put on a great show.
One of my all time favorite bands, especially in the current changing seasons. The Appleseed Cast are one of the pioneers of the Kansas emo/indie movement in the late 90's and early 2000's, and are still making music today. TAC has four full length albums prior to this one and two since along with multiple EP's, side projects and all together new full time bands (Old Canes).
It's been long argued what the best Appleseed Cast album is, and by posting this I'm not necessarily saying that this is it. "Two Conversations" is something special, though. It was their first "break through" record and in my opinion is the easiest to listen to. "Low Level Owl 1 & 2" is arguably their best material but there are some very unlistenable songs on those albums whereas I can listen to "Two Conversations" all the way through without skipping.
You judge for yourself. Also check out singer Chris Crisci's other band Old Canes. You will not be disappointed.
Friends is another band from the area (Fernandina Beach) and have just released this stellar EP. Solid recording for fans of Maps & Atlases and Tera Melos. Please enjoy!
As I said in my most recent post, Louisville has always and always will be one of my favorite music scenes and here is a living testament as to why. First and foremost this mixtape was curated by none other than Ryan Patterson of a long list of previous Louisville Hardcore bands but more recently the front man of Coliseum.
This mixtape features seminal alternative and heavy music acts such as Second Story Man, Breather Resist, The Endtables, Lords, Shipping News, Guilt, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Endpoint and more recently Mountain Asleep. My only complaint is there is no Enkindals, By The Grace of God or The National Acrobat. Enjoy a masterly made mix tape by one of the best figures in the current hardcore/alternative music scenes.
Upbeat melodic hardcore/ pop punk from Phoenix, AZ. I personally never got into pop punk (all that Wonder Years/ Transit/ Man Overboard stuff), but if you are into that, this is for you. The vocals tend to lean more toward a hardcore style. Thanks to the band for sending it over.
