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Braveyoung - "We Are Lonely Animals" (2011)
This is the new LP from North Carolina's Braveyoung that everyone should be excited about but no one is talking about it. The last recorded material we got from these moody, instrumental sludge rockers was 2009's two song EP "Bloom" (which can also be found on this blog). With the two songs from "Bloom" running just under twenty minutes, I was at first shocked to see that on this new LP that all songs were under ten minutes with the exception of one.
While listening to this for the first time, it unmistakably sounds like a new Braveyoung record, but still feels new, different and refreshing. This album has stripped away a lot of the overly sludgy moods and filled the void with slow, sweeping and building songs that don't stray too far from Mogwai. The recording quality is much better this time around. On "Bloom", during the ambient, almost silent parts, the listener could hear a slight hissing that really disturbed the experience. That hissing is gone, and this record is golden.
This album isn't meant to be listened to in parts, or to skip around on. Put it on and let it play and don't touch it. From the slow, methodical piano chords on the opening track all the way to the sporadic, drawn out and fuzzed out guitar tones of the albums closer, this record will take you on a journey, a beautiful voyage of self-awakening, or you just might think it's awesome record. Either way, don't miss it.
-Kyle Labels: Braveyoung
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow The Green Grass
Hey y'all. My name is Josh. Kyle and Emily have been kind enough to take me into the Heavy Boots family and let me make some posts. I'd like to start out with a band that I've enjoyed for a long, long time and a little snippet I wrote for a friend that I was trying to introduce them to. I hope any of you that haven't heard this enjoy, and I hope that if you have heard it that you pull it out and roll the windows down. - This is one of those records I had to grow into. I found it sitting curiously on the shelf at Oz Music (great Tuscaloosa, Ala record store) one afternoon and was intrigued by the cover art and band name. I asked the clerk if he had ever heard it. He had, and described it as a kind of folksy, "Alt. Country" record. I bought it without having heard it. Knowing that "the all knowing record store dude" recommended it, I didn't need any further convincing. When I popped it in my car CD player, I got a big surprise. My ideas of this "Alt. Country" stuff centered around harder edged bands like Uncle Tupelo and Lucero. What I found was more of a classic 60s pop record with a country twang. I hadn't yet discovered The Byrds, or Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers (that would come much later), so I had no real touchstones for this album. Thinking that it might not be my thing, I let it collect dust in my room for several weeks, maybe even into the months. Finally, I gave it another chance. From the opening chords of "Blue" I had the feeling that I had heard this song in a movie (still can't figure out if I ever really have). What was weirder was that the song made me feel like I was IN a movie. From there, I found the perfect pop bliss of "Miss Willams' Guitar", the gut-wrenching "Two Hearts", the bar band bravado of "Real Light" and the bittersweet, tight woven harmonies of "Bad Time". I couldn't understand why I hadn't loved this record from the start, but there it was blasting out of my speakers as I cruised down McFarland Blvd in the Spring of what I believe was 2005. Since then I've never doubted this as one of my favorite albums.
This album is also being re-released as a two disc "Legacy Edition", so be on the lookout for that. I'm sure it will be packed with tons of b-sides and extras. Labels: The Jayhawks
Clint Maul - discography
I thought, personally, I was getting away from this kind of music. It just hadn't been doing it for me lately, and then my oldest and best friend notified me that Clint Maul had made his entire discography donation based on a bandcamp and now I'm all about him again.
Maul is based out of Richmond, Virginia and his style of rock/country is somewhere in the middle of a three way bourbon and slide guitar soaked triangle with the three endpoints being The Replacements, Lucero, and The Glossary. His rocking out songs sound like they have been taken off the college radio waves in which The Replacements rode like titans and his slower, twangier songs sound almost as if they are reverberating off of the Appalachians and break your heart.
It's still a complete and udder mystery how Clint is STILL flying under the radar. Pick up all this music and donate him all you can. You won't be disappointed.
-Kyle Labels: Clint Maul
End of a Year Self Defense Family - The Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Emanuela Orlandi
Three new songs from End of a Year's new 7", I haven't had much time to listen to this more than once, but it definitely got me excited. The first song turned me off, the last one was on point though. The recording/rip of this is pretty bad quality. Give it a listen, I just bought it. Thanks for the link, Toxicbreed.
-Em Labels: End of a Year
Have A Nice Life
Another absolutely incredible and heartbreaking shoegaze band from Connecticut that can lift your spirits in one song and in mere seconds break them down and crush your soul (not in a metal way). I without a doubt slept on this band for entirely too long, seeing that I just got into them in the past month or so.
They tend to feature reverb soaked, lo-fi, droney sounds but can vary between their instrumental ballads and their songs with lyrics. While both drone with long, thick notes, the songs with actual lyrics behold an uplifting, hopeful sound almost like a positive Grouper with more instrumentation but their instrumental songs are slow, dark and cutting in an absolutely beautiful way.
Please, if you are like me and haven't checked out this band, please do so this very second. Put down that burrito and get it right now.
-Kyle Labels: Have A Nice Life
Bullets in Madison - Discography
This is one of my new favorite bands and I'm furious at myself for not hearing about them up until now. Bullets in Madison, from Chicago, create their own approach to the shoegaze genre by orchestrating cinematic indie rock that throws flashes of several different bands in the listeners face, and while this calls for a familiar feeling, it remains refreshing, new, vibrant and beautiful.
I posted a mediafire link to the album "We Became Your Family When You Died" (along with their entire discoraphy from bandcamp) because if you read this and just pick up one record, please let it be that one, it being the one that introduced me to this band. On said record, they mesh together the ambient sound of Sigur Ros, the lo-fi upbeat tunes of The Appleseed Cast and even at times sound like a Radiohead record that should have came out between "Ok Computer" and "Kid A."
Please, I beg of you, if you haven't listened to this band, please do so now. You will not be disappointed.
-Kyle Labels: Bullets in Madison
Pattern is Movement - All Together (2008)
I'm really, really late on this one, but I don't care. Just in the past couple of months I have gotten into this one time full band now just duo hailing from The City of Brotherly Love. I am fully aware that most people that read this blog already know of this band, but for those of you who don't, Pattern Is Movement create their own brand of rhythmic math rock that wouldn't be out of place on Dischord Records.
When I say math rock I don't mean noodley, by any means. This is more of a complex sound that's can't really be compared to anyone else. Angelic voices, various instruments and relentless drumming make this a truly unique, one of a kind record that begs you to turn on, lay on your bed, close your eyes and revel in the imagery that will flash behind your closed eyes.
-Kyle Labels: Pattern is Movement
Warren Ellis & Nick Cave - White Lunar (2009)
We all know who Warren Ellis (member of Grinderman, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and The Dirty Three) and Nick Cave are. Separately they are two rocking Aussies, together they craft some of the most beautiful film scores you have ever heard. This is a dual disc album, pitting together their minimalist, dark yet beautiful scores for films like The Assassination of Jesse James, The Proposition, The Road and a couple of others.
I'm a fan of music scores/soundtracks and this collection ranks at the top, but that's expected from such outstanding films from such outstanding songwriters. All the music has a dark, abandonment feel to it, and it couldn't fit these cold, grey movies any better. I will also say, if you haven't seen The Assassination of Jesse James, The Proposition or The Road you should. They are all three in my top 10 fav movies of all time. Enjoy.
-Kyle Labels: Warren Ellis and Nick Cave
Damp Hay - Middlewestern
Talk about a band with a schmorgasboard of influences, Damp Hay is that. I listened to this EP a handful times before posting it and what I heard was a little bit of Modest Mouse, a little dash of heavy blues brothers The Black Keys and even a little screamo sentiments all mixed in with somewhat of a 90's lo-fi feel. All in all this was a surprise. Not because I expected it to be awful, but because I had never heard of this band before they sent it over to us. So, thanks to Damp Hay and Ian over at Cassette Deck Records. Support them both. Labels: Damp Hay
Suns - Three Songs
Suns is the original project from Will (guitar) of Midi and the Modern Dace. This is some great great stuff here. I don't know what I was expecting going into listening to this, but this wasn't it...in a good way. This sounds, straight up, like The Promise Ring. So if you are a fan of that era of emo/indie then grab this. It's so so good.
Shows:
Thursday, January 27th at the Cookie Jar in Hew Haven, CT
Friday, February 18th at Heirloom Arts Theatre w/Snowing and Sleep Bellum Sono Feb. 19 - Heirloom Arts Theatre (Danbury) w/ Snowing, Midi and the Modern Dance Labels: Suns
Lion Cub - EP
Download | Wordpress
I will just be repeating myself mostly with this post, but alas the gang from Lion Cub has sent us their new EP to share with you all. We are happy about the relationship we have made with them, and even happier about this EP. It's more of that early 2000's emo/indie sound that we have all come to love. The music isn't too different from Michigan's Annabel, but it still has a very original sound that is somewhat hard to describe. This is driving with the windows down while tapping your none driving foot music.
Thanks again to Lion Cub. Labels: Lion Cub
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But you Will (2011)
Download | Website
No one's really been up to posting lately, it's a bummer. I'm pretty sure Kyle and I are the only ones who check this anymore. Life is demanding, so I leave you with this.
-Em Labels: Mogwai
Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans - The Falcon Lake Incident (2010)
Look, our list of submissions in our email is ever growing and while I'm in the mood to share, I'm not in the mood to write, so here it goes.
If you've never heard of Jim Bryson, shame on you. If you've never heard of The Weakerthans then to hell with you. Jim Bryson is a Canadian singer songwriter with a flare for folky upbeat tunes and on his new record he enlisted some help from his buddy John K. Samson and The Weakerthans. At times it sounds like a Weakerthans record and at times it sounds like a Jim Bryson record and all the time it sounds like an incredible record. Download it and on the next sunny day crank it up.
-Kyle Labels: Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans
Strangers Now - Dementia
FFO MLIW, Verse, & American Nightmare. Sent in by the band. Labels: Strangers Now
Punishment Due- Demo
Labels: Punishment Due
Drummers - Self Titled (2011?)
I just found out about this band tonight because Kevin from Top Shelf Records posted a link to the following video on the 'Ol Facebook. They are awesome, angular screamo with a big pop influence. I have heard that same aren't too fond of the vocals, but they are awesome, in my opinion (which doesn't go very far these days). Check out this video and download this self released album right now, you don't regret it.
-Kyle
Drummers - "Planes" from Bobby Landry on Vimeo.Labels: Drummers
Undercity
Hello again, everyone. As I stated before the holidays, we are moving towards a more "web-based community" type deal here at Heavy Boots. We started with the simple desire to share music with you all, and that was wonderful for a while, but now we want more. We want to give you more. We will still provide music, but in the upcoming months we will be adding a laundry list of content to this website. I do not want to get ahead of myself and tell you what we are adding, just in case we can't provide all we want, but just know, if it all works out...it will be great.
One thing we are going to do is start sharing things besides music. Whether it be art, videos, writings we want to share things we are impressed with and I just watched a video tonight that literally blew me away. I will leave the summary and all of that up to you, but basically this is self proclaimed "Guerilla Historian and Urban Explorer" Steve Duncan going through closed subway stations, century old tunnels and climbing bridges in New York City, all without permission or permits. Needless to say, if you have 30 minutes free PLEASE watch this:
UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.
-KyleLabels: Blog Talk
Lance McLaughlin - Eudaimonia (2011)
This is the 2nd of some of my old buddies new material:
This is Lance McLaughlin. Lance and I have been in a band together, gone to many many shows together, played many video games together and experienced too much or not enough car mosh. His only flaw is his unconditional love for the Auburn Tigers, but nonetheless, Lance loves Chuck Ragan/Hot Water Music, The Misfits and honest and true southern folk music and with this debut, home recorded EP his love for all these things really shines through. If you like Chuck Ragan, Ben Nichols, Tim Barry or Chris Wollard then you will be a fan of this.
-KyleLabels: Lance McLaughlin
Little Viking - Howling At The Earth (2010)
Today I'm posting material from two of my oldest friends and their perspective outlets. This is the first:
Little Viking is out of the land of country music, Nashville, Tennessee. Their sound can only be described as a lost album of Weezer's that came out between the Blue Record and Pinkerton, infused with the popular lo-fi beachwave sound that we all love so much. Download this cassette for free and be sure to not eat a Big Mac one day so you can buy it for $3. Mikey Owen will approve.
-Kyle Labels: Little Viking
Video - Castevet
The last few days have been busy and we have 5 submissions in the process of posting, BUT we also have good news! We have new cameras as of Christmas and it's forming into something great. I'm very excited for what our contributors, Derek-Jon Flagge (the man responsible for the video above), and some friends have in store. When more is settled we'll give you the low down. Hope everyone is having a swell new years.
-Em Labels: Blog Talk, Castevet, Videos
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