Blogging Nothing Out Of Something

A New Beginning

2010-07-12T00:45:00.001-08:00

It's kind of obvious that this blog died. I appologize. Shit happens. Anyways, I started a new blog. It's called "Bankrupt On Selling." I do realize that I used another Modest Mouse song as a blog title. It was not intentional but I think I'm just going to make it a trend that every blog I have will be named after a Modest Mouse song. Here's the url: http://leavinthelivin.blogspot.com

Thanks for the good times and PEACE!

Fuck The Police

2010-01-21T20:27:00.002-09:00

If anyone was wondering why my final "Best of 2009" post was published, then taken down, then published again, then taken down AGAIN, it's because the all powerful web sheriff filed complaints with blogger both times. Sure, the first time I said "fuck you" and left the links but apparently these assholes have nothing better to do than to check my blog. I'm pretty angry about it. I mean, I could be posting entire albums and discographies like other sites do but I don't. I post rarities and b-sides. I posted my favorite songs of the year, to support the artists and help spread the word. I only posted one song from each album. One FUCKING song. The web sheriff can go fuck himself, and then maybe file complaints against/bother people who are actually doing something wrong.

Rant Over.

Best Of 2009- Top Albums 5-1

2009-12-29T19:39:00.009-09:00

Alright this is it. Thanks for sticking with me. Am I completely predictable? Probably. But I am who I am and I like what I like. What were your top albums of 2009?

5. O Pioneers!!!- Neon Creeps
"My Life As A Morrissey Song"
I'm going to start this off by stating the obvious: O Pioneers!!! fucking rule. They're like Chuck Ragan fronting an old school Against Me! with lyrics that are simple, repetitive (but not too much so), and relatable. Neon Creeps just saw OP!!! getting better, with a bigger sound but without losing what made their debut, Black Mambas, great; raw energy.

4. Set Your Goals- This Will Be The Death Of Us
"Gaia Bleeds (Make Way For Man)" (Link Removed)
Set Your Goals completely outdid themselves on this record, something I didn't think was possible after the amazingly pirate themed Mutiny!. This album has so much emotion and honesty in it, especially one of my favorites "The Fallen". Death of Us also has one of their most badass and brutal songs, "Gaia Bleeds".

3. Regina Spektor- Far
"Eet" (Link Removed)
I'm a sucker for anything with piano and I'm an even bigger sucker for Regina Spektor's voice, so this album was pretty big for me this year. Her lyrics are so honest and the stories she tells are so weird, it's hard not to be drawn in. I was a little let down by Begin To Hope because there was less piano but Far has completely restored my faith in her.

2. Bomb the Music Industry!- Scrambles
"(Shut) Up the Punx!!!"
This should come as no surprise to anyone. I love Jeff Rosenstock and all of the music he makes. Scrables is BtMI!'s best album yet. The lyrics are as good as ever and the music is still completely badass. There are curve balls around every corner, whether they're random samples, songs heavy with piano, or the brutal "Gang of Four Meets the Stooges (But Boring)".

1. Manchester Orchestra- Mean Everything To Nothing
"Mean Everything To Nothing" (Link Removed)
This album didn't leave my car stereo for about four straight months after it first came out. It's so raw and southern, I can't help but rock out to it. Andy Hull's voice is so much better in Mean Everything and his lyrics cut deep. The sound on this album is huge and I really couldn't say enough good things about it.

Best Of 2009- Top Albums 10-6

2009-12-29T19:30:00.000-09:00

And we're back. It's best we keep moving. I envisioned this "best of" post being a lot shorter and taking up a whole lot less space. My apologies.

10. Weatherbox- The Cosmic Drama
"Two Satchels Of Light"
Weatherbox's American Art is one of my favorite albums of all time. I know it's kind of early and weird to say that, but I always come back to it. Always. And it's still as good of an album as it was when I first heard it. The Cosmic Drama was definitely a grower, but once I let it grow on me I love it. Every song is good. It may not be as good as American Art but I'm okay with that.

9. Dear Landlord- Dream Homes
"High Fives"
This album is so much fun to sing along to. It's catchy pop-punk with lyrics about things that matter. But seriously, how hard is it not to sing along to "Three To The Beach" turned up all the way in the car? "We're not that hopeless, we're not as fucked as you think. In short lived moments we can do anything."

8. Portugal. The Man- The Satanic Satanist
"The Sun"
The Satanic Satanist is by far P.tM's most accessible release to date, which isn't a bad thing by any means. In fact for those who are just finding the band, it might be a good place to start. Every song is catchy in its own way and the musicianship is great as expected, but the keyboard and guitar sounds are especially good (sorry drum and bass, your album was Church Mouth).

7. Kevin Devine- Brother's Blood
"Brother's Blood"
Kevin Devine is a story teller and a talented one at that. On Brother's Blood his stories and characters are better and more complex than his previous albums and they really engage the listener. The music itself may be a little bit of an Elliott Smith rip off, but it makes for a damn good album, full of raw emotion and energy.

6. Fake Problems- It's Great To Be Alive
"Heart BPM"
To be completely honest, I had no idea if this band was a joke listening to this album, until I got to the last song "Heart BPM". It's so ridiculously huge sounding with all the horns, gang vocals, and even more ridiculous (but at the same time completely badass) lyrics. It's a good kind of ridiculous, though. The album is super catchy and "Heart BPM" is easily one of my favorite songs of the year.

The Swellers- End Of Discussion

2009-12-28T20:40:00.000-09:00

I was pretty surprised the first time I heard The Swellers' self-released first album End Of Discussion. I had listened to My Everest periodically since it was released but never enough to want to dig into their back catalogue. Now fast forward to this fall, when their latest (and greatest) album, Ups and Downsizing was released. I was and still am very impressed with the new album which lead me to search and listen to their other releases, and THAT leads us to my confusion over End Of Discussion (There has to be a better way to describe that, I apologise). Anyways, End Of Discussion is a straight forward skate-punk record with clear influences from NOFX, Bad Religion, Lagwagon etc. It puzzling because I can barely hear any of that in their later releases that are pop punk. Maybe I'm not listening close enough. End Of Discussion is a great album nonetheless, especially "His Name is Robert Paulson" their completely badass ska song.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Immunity
2. Anything
3. His Name is Robert Paulson
4. Sightless
5. I Wanna Be in the Mob
6. Sunshine
7. Zombie Pirates From Outer Space
8. Erased
9. Losing my Girl
10. Get the Process Changed

Best Of 2009- Top Albums 15-11

2009-12-28T20:03:00.004-09:00

I've been debating whether or not to do a "best of" post, mainly because so many people do them this time of year, this would just be white noise. That and Rolling Stone has once again failed me in their end of year issue, this time end of decade (anytime I have to see U2 mentioned more than 15 times in a magazine I involuntarily vomit. It's not my fault, blame "Vertigo" and every other post '80s song they've released.) Back to things that are relevant, I tried the best I could to make a list of my favorite albums of the year and the tracks that accompany them are the songs that I listened to the most from that album. Let's do this.

15. Moneen- The World I Want to Leave Behind
"The Glass House"
This album is incredibly catchy. It's no Red Tree, but amazing in its own right. A lot of people have been skeptical about this album, but it still has insane musicianship and meaningful lyrics, the two things Moneen is known for. It has some of Moneen's softest songs and it has some of their most brutal. "The Glass House" is the six minute epic closer to the album and it is both.

14. P.O.S.- Never Better
"Low Light Low Life"
P.O.S. really stepped up his game on this album. The things that come out of his mouth are brilliant and insane and he manages to make it all flow together. It blows my mind. Plus Jason Shevchuk from None More Black does badass guest vocals on "Terrorish" and he samples Fugazi's "Five Corporations." What other rapper does that successfully?

13. Person L- The Positives
"Untitled"
To be completely truthful I didn't like the last Person L record at first listen, so I brushed it aside and hoped for a Starting Line reunion. But this album totally changed my opinion of the band. It's post-punk with some experimentation and a touch of soul. The Positives is one of those records for me that I have to listen to from start to finish and it calms me down/ puts me in a good mood. Sorry for doubting you Kenneth.

12. Frank Turner- Poetry Of The Deed
"Live Fast Die Old"
As obsessed as I am with Frank Turner, this is unfortunately the right ranking. Last year Love Ire & Song was number 2 for me (but going against the '59 Sound isn't fair), so it's hard not to feel a little disappointment. Still, the album is great, especially the first four songs. His lyrics are as good as ever on Poetry, which is part of the reason this record still rules.

11. Polar Bear Club- Chasing Hamburg
"Boxes"
I absolutely loved both the Redder the Better and Sometimes Things Just Disappear and at first listen I didn't think Hamburg was at all up to standards with PBC's earlier releases. At second listen, I started humming along but still wasn't convinced. Third listen completely changed my mind. I have no idea how. This album is amazing, don't ask me if I like it better than Disappear though, that's just mean.

Elliott Smith- Figure 8 Demos

2009-12-27T21:59:00.001-09:00

Figure 8 is probably my favorite Elliott Smith album (though XO and From A Basement On The Hill aren't far behind). I know any "true" fan is supposed to claim his self titled album and Either/Or as their favorites but I've never been able to handle an entire album of soft singing and acoustic guitar, no matter how amazing the lyrics are. So apparently I'm a poser, deal with it. His later albums have incredible instrumentation to go along with his already incredible lyrics, I don't understand how that's a bad thing. Anyways, Figure 8 is a great indie album that shouldn't be overlooked (or shouldn't have been overlooked). These demos are really good quality live studio versions of some of the songs that appeared on Figure 8. Several of the songs didn't make the cut for the album, so that is reason enough to download them.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Brand New Game
2. In The Lost & Found (Instrumental)
3. No Life (Amplified)
4. Pretty Mary K
5. Stained Glass Eyes
6. Stupidity Tries
7. Tiny Time Machine

Kudrow- Lando

2009-12-23T23:27:00.001-09:00

A while ago I posted the stream of this album because, as a rule, I post anything that relates to Jeff Rosenstock. Since I posted the stream, Lando has been added to the Quote Unquote Records website and therefore, is now up for free download legitimately. After spending a good two months or so listening to the album, It hasn't gotten old. Kudrow sounds like a 90's indie/punk bands (think Superchunk, The Get Up Kids, Archers of Loaf etc.). It's hard to compare Kudrow to BtMI! because BtMI! is one of my favorite bands, but the two have definite similarities and differences. Kudrow has the same intensity and energy that BtMI! has but without all of the excess craziness of the loops/synths/whatever Jeff feels like. So in that aspect, I might prefer Kudrow. Don't hold me to that though, this is only a four song ep and I don't think I could ever get tired of the horns and weird shit that makes BtMI! unique. You can still order the ep on vinyl here, so get on that. I already got mine and it looks/sounds great.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Commutilation!
2. Blink-182 Reunion
3. Favreau
4. Brooklyn Pool

Tokyo Police Club- The Interface Session

2009-12-23T23:15:00.000-09:00

I have a soft spot for Dave Monks' voice. I don't know what it is but every time I hear him sing, it makes me smile, which is one of the reason why I love Tokyo Police Club so much. The other reasons having to do with the pure indie bliss that fills every one of their songs and their interesting/quirky lyrics. The Interface Sessions are the completely stripped down approach to three songs from Elephant Shell and one from A Lesson In Crime. It's just Monks and an acoustic guitar. And boy, does it sound good. This is a must for any fan of TPC and for any fan of indie-pop.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Tessellate
2. The Harrowing Adventures Of
3. The Nature of the Experiment
4. Centennial

The Please & Thank Yous- Thank Yous...

2009-12-23T22:56:00.000-09:00

The please & thank yous are a punk band from Chicago. Their sound is a mix of the noodling bass lines of early Alkaline Trio (think "Nose Over Tail" and "Clavicle"), the honest lyrics and raw vocals of the Promise Ring, the catchiness and energy of the Ergs!, and the badass drumming of Lifetime. They remind me of Dear Landlord a lot, which I consider to be a great thing. Thank Yous... is a compilation of various demos and live tracks that the band has recorded from 2007-2009. All of the eleven tracks on the compilation are worth the listen, though the acoustic tracks do seem a little awkward and lose the album a little steam, it's not enough to take away from the rest of the songs. tpaty have an album coming out early next year, so watch out for that, and I'll try and keep you updated.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Peas & Cheese
2. Excuse Me
3. Ligeia
4. Modern Goth
5. Lifetime!
6. Political Science
7. The Lonesome Crowded Midwest
8. The O'Really Factor
9. Speaking Of The Devil
10. Hey, USA
11. You're Right

Minus the Bear- Highly Refined Pirates Demos

2009-11-22T21:02:00.002-09:00

The first time I listened to MTB's Highly Refined Pirates I was in a post-hardcore/screamo phase (curse you underoath & silverstein) that many in my life feared would never end. Luckily Pirates is completely badass and I took to it right away. I owe a lot to this band, as well as this album, not only for knocking the screamo out of me but for opening up an entire genre to me that I otherwise would most likely have ignored. These demos are simply amazing. The quality is good and it just sounds like the band is jamming live. The only problem that I have with them is that I could only find four of the 14 songs on Pirates (that parts mainly my fault, so sorry). These demos are well worth the download and several listens. Also, Minus the Bear's new album is supposed to come out in early 2010 so keep an eye out for that and I'll keep you posted on that.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Spritz!!! Spritz!!!
2. Absinthe Party At The Bear House
3. Women We Haven't Met Yet
4. I Lost All My Money At The Cock Fights

The Riot Before- Fists... Out of Sockets

2009-11-22T18:14:00.001-09:00

Fists... Out of Sockets is the recent acoustic album from Richmond, Virginia's folkpunk/orgcore band the Riot Before. The album features seven songs from their amazing debut album, Fists Buried In Pockets, rerecorded acoustically with strings, horns, and all of the gang vocals one could hope for. I can't say enough good things about this band or this album. They mannaged to put as much, if not more energy and emotion into this acoustic release than they did the original album. And that's saying something, because the original album was pretty fuckin great. The only complaint that I have is that they didn't include their incredible "We Are Wild Stallions" on the acoustic album. This album is highly recommended for any fan of early Against Me!, The Gaslight Anthem, Fake Problems or just music in general. Please, don't miss out on this band.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Fist Buried in Pockets
2. Threat Level Midnight
3. 5 to 9
4. I Have My Books
5. Words Written Over Coffee
6. You Can't Sexy Dance To Punk Rock
7. Capillaries

Piebald- Geek Of The Week

2009-11-22T18:12:00.000-09:00

Piebald's We Are The Only Friends We Have is one of my favorite indie/punk albums of all time. With that being said, Piebald started off as a much harder, more raw band than their later works show and this ep is the proof. Geek of the Week is a mixture of driving hardcore, clever lyrics, and chaotic/deep screams. The quality of the ep is the only bad thing about it because, as far as I know, it was the band's first official demo. The ep itself is solid and all of the songs are well worth the listen, if you are looking for a heavier Piebald sound with better quality recording, definitely check out When Life Gives You Lemons. It's easily my second favorite Piebald record. This band was a favorite of mine and lets all hope there's a reunion tour in their distant future.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Protagonist
2. Watch Her Flow
3. Time Lost
4. Pretty Face

The Ataris- The Boys of Summer EP

2009-11-21T17:45:00.000-09:00

I have mixed feelings about the Ataris. I'll always have a soft spot for End Is Forever because it was the sound track to many of my summers growing up. It, along with JEW's Bleed American, served as a gateway into the punk music scene. So Long, Astoria, the album this single came from, was the Ataris most successful album, but also a weak album as a whole. Don't get me wrong, there are amazing songs but there are also shit songs, and when they released their next album Welcome To the Night I had lost all interest (see: ska phase). But to get to the point, The Boys of Summer ep has their incredible cover that takes the name of the ep, as well as an acoustic version of "In This Diary", some solid live tracks, and a b-side. It's a good quick listen, that highlights a solid album.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. The Boys Of Summer
2. Takeoffs And Landings (Live)
3. Unopened Letter To The World (Live)
4. A Beautiful Mistake
5. In This Diary (Acoustic)

The Silent Years- The Silent Years

2009-10-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Silent Years are a quirky indie band from Detroit. This is their debut album and it's full of dynamic, creative indie-pop. Think the tempo changes of Arcade Fire and the instrumentation of Pavement. The singer's voice bothered me a lot when I first started to listen to them because he over does it sometimes but I got over it. I do prefer this band when they're loud and rockin ("This Town") because the slower songs tend to drag ("Devil Got My Woman"). They released an ep earlier this year called Let Go that is their best batch of songs yet (seriously, "Taking Drugs At An Amusement Park" is so catchy). This band definitely grows on you and is well worth checking out.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. No Secrets
2. Someone To Keep Us Warm
3. This Town
4. Aisleways
5. Someday
6. Lidocaine
7. No More Magic
8. Devil Got My Woman
9. Take The Money Out
10. Sharks
11. The Devil Wears Sunshine
12. Lost At Sea

The Best Flyer For A Show In Recent Memory:

2009-10-15T11:35:00.002-08:00

Kudrow's (Jeff from Bomb the Music Industry!) debut ep:

Random Songs

2009-10-08T20:13:00.004-08:00

Gonna keep this short because honestly I got nothing right now. SORRY. More (and hopefully better) posts to come. These are just a bunch of recent random songs that are either bonus tracks or demos.

Weatherbox- "Saving the World One Pizza At A Time"

Ted Leo- "Last Days"

Set Your Goals- "The Lost Boys (Featuring Jordan Pundik)"

Fake Problems- "Heartless"

Save the Vinyl: Video

2009-10-08T20:10:00.001-08:00

Save The Vinyl Alert #1 from Vinyl Vlog on Vimeo.

Just reposting this to spread the word. I love listening to vinyl and you should too!

Shining Through- Man vs. Wild

2009-10-03T22:23:00.002-08:00

I was searching a few months back for bands that sounded similar to Weatherbox (and weren't old school Say Anything) and was pleasantly surprised by San Diego's Shining Through. Their sound is along the lines of Weatherbox, Criteria, and Piebald but with more hooks and a lot more pot. Shining Through definitely shares it's main sound with Weatherbox: the stoner-rock with winding guitars and meaningful lyrics that are lost in metaphors. Where the two differ is that Shining Through is more straight forward about their sound, which gives them a catchier sound and Weatherbox experiments more and takes more chances with their sound. Shining Through's Man vs Wild ep is a little addicting, especially to a Weatherbox lover like myself. The band released another ep called Shapeshifter that is up for free on Absolutepunk.net but I decided to post this one because it's my favorite out of the two.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Man Vs. Wild
2. Axed
3. The Smoke and The Sounds
4. When it Wasn't Fun
5. So We Say
6. I'm Okay
7. Hanging On A

mewithoutYou- I Never Said That I Was Brave

2009-09-21T15:47:00.002-08:00

I Never Said That I Was Brave is the second release from the Philadelphia based experimental indie rock band mewithoutYou. The five song ep shows the band sounding incredibly raw and hard compared to their later releases. The music is more aggressive and singer Aaron Weiss screams, instead of his usual singing/speaking methods. Three of the songs on the ep were rerecorded and for later albums (two for [A to B] Life and one for Catch for Us the Foxes). To be completely honest, I prefer their later albums much more to this one (especially [A to B] Life). That's not to say this one isn't good, because it is, but it just doesn't compare to any of their full lengths. It's pretty interesting to see how far this band has progressed from album to album and it all started here. Their latest album It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright is amazing and highly recommended.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. I Never Said That I Was Brave
2. Flamethrower
3. Dying is Strange and Hard
4. We Know Who Our Enemies Are
5. Four Word Letter

Less Than Jake- Better Class of Losers

2009-09-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

I feel like when I started this blog I was posting a lot of ska and for one reason or another I don't anymore, so this is for all of those fellow ska fans (way to stick with it). Anyways, Better Class of Losers is a Less Than Jake ep released on cassette in the very early days of the band (I couldn't find a date but 1994-ish). Also, some of the songs on the ep were rerecorded for the band's debut, the beloved Pezcore. The quality of the recording is pretty good considering it's a old cassette recording. The songs on the ep are amazing, old-school Less Than Jake. They're upbeat, aggressive, catchy, and most importantly have horn sections (I'm glaring at you In With the Out Crowd). Classic. Seriously. I used to listen to Losing Streak and Pezcore every day. I love this band and you should too.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Liquor Store
2. Shotgun
3. Big
4. 24 Hours In Paramus
5. Down In the Mission
6. St. James Hotel

Paramore- Tour Preview Pack

2009-09-19T14:51:00.004-08:00

I get why people don't like Paramore. Too poppy, too simple, and, yeah, some of their songs sound the same. But whatever, the way I see it is this: I'd much rather listen to a Paramore song than a Nickelback song (or Papa Roach or Hinder etc.). And while I do loath the song "Decode," pretty much all of their songs are incredibly catchy, with huge choruses, and lyrics people can relate to. Not to mention their drummer is a fucking monster (seriously, listen to "Let the Flames Begin" or "For A Pessimist.."). Basically I can see why other people don't like them, but it's hard for me not to. This is the "tour preview pack" for Paramore's upcoming tour with the Swellers and Paper Route. It only features one song from each band, which is a bummer but for all those art lovers, there's printable tour posters and all that jazz, as well as random coupons (one of them says $5 off fan club membership but I wasn't aware being in a fan club cost money... kind of a rip off). Anyway Paramore's track is the acoustic version of "Ignorance," the first singe off their new album and it sound pretty good. I was super excited when I heard the Swellers because they don't suck but they're recently signed to Fueled By Ramon (a label that probably hasn't signed a good band since they signed Paramore in, what, 2005?). They are a pop-punk band but not the nauseatingly over produced kind that we're used to. It's a little strange to see Paper Route on this bill but whatever, they're good.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Paramore- "Ignorance (acoustic)"
2. The Swellers- "Fire Away"
3. Paper Route- "Gutter"

Portugal the Man- "Do You" Video

2009-09-18T18:57:00.003-08:00

This video is weird, but I like it. Plus "Do You" is probably my favorite song off of The Satanic Satanist.

Andrew Jackson Jihad- Holey Man, Holy War + Issue Problems

2009-09-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Holey Man, Holy War is AJJ's first demo and all of its four songs were rerecorded for the band's next two demos, as well as their first full length Candy Cigarettes and Cap Guns. For a demo, the recordings sound pretty good, just more raw. It should also be noted that "Lady Killer" is one of my favorite AJJ songs. Issue Problems has several songs that were rerecorded for the amazing People That Can Eat People Are The Luckiest... as well as one or two from AJJ's split with Ghost Mice. These songs are great folk-punk with interesting/weird/witty lyrics and if you haven't gotten into this band yet, you're missing out. Their new album Can't Maintain just came out and it's awesome. Seriously, I know I say that about a lot of bands/artists but AJJ's new album is their best yet.

Myspace
Holey Man, Holy War:
1. My Father Didn't Love Me
2. Lady Killer
3. The Cigarette Song
4. Who Would Jesus Fuck Up

Issue Problems:
1. Brave As A Noun
2. Survival
3. Murderer
4. People
5. Randy's House
6. Power Plant

The Taxpayers- A Rhythm In the Cages

2009-09-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

I was wondering around the Quote-Unquote Records website as I do and stumbled upon this gem. Apparently it was a part of their "Maximum Summer" deal where they posted a new album every week until labor day for free (obviously). Sure, not all of the albums were new but they were to QUQ and they're free so I'll let it slide. Anyways, The Taxpayers are a punk/folk band from Portland, Oregon and honestly when I first listened to this record I wasn't a huge fan. HOWEVER, after giving a second chance, I am thoroughly impressed. This band makes so much noise it's ridiculous and despite that they are still catchy (maybe not in the pop-punk sense that people are used to *cough*Fall Out Boy*cough*, but really who wants that anyways?). The Taxpayers do Latterman-Esq punk rock and Against Me!-Esq ballads. Their charm is in their imperfections. The bad quality recording, the singer's scratchy voice, and some sloppy playing; if the band didn't have any of that, there would be less keeping them from sounding like every other punk band, which they aren't. I especially like the band's lyrics. There's something about how simple they are that makes them great. I'm also a sucker for any song with lyrics that tell a story, and many of their do. I would highly recommend this band to anyone.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Never Getting Warm
2. White Walls
3. This Building Is Falling Down
4. Dig Too Deep
5. No Lodging For The Mad
6. Needle's Eye
7. Militaristic Kitchen
8. Cuyuahoga Canal
9. Stealing Apples From The Man
10. Bike Cops
11. Montana
12. There Is Trouble

Brother Ali- "Us" + "Tight Rope"

2009-09-18T15:50:00.003-08:00

Brother Ali's The Undisputed Truth is probably my favorite rap record of all time (though Atmosphere's God Loves Ugly is up there too). His new record, US, comes out on Tuesday but has already leaked. No, I'm not giving you the link to the album find it yourself or be a good person and buy it. Instead here are the links to two tracks on the album, one of which Rhymesayers has up for free, and the other one I upped. As far as the album goes I'm a little disappointed. It's definitely not as aggressive and The Undisputed Truth was but maybe it will grow on me. The tracks themselves are solid and the lyrics are great as usual. The album has a sort of retro, 1920s feel to it which is different but in a good way. I don't know, I'm still undecided.

Myspace

"Us"
"Tight Rope"

Portugal. the Man- Autumn Tour 2009 EP

2009-09-14T13:26:00.005-08:00

This is the free sampler that PtM just posted on their website to celebrate their current tour with Drug Rug, Hockey, and Robert Francis (AND one incredibly random but equally awesome date with the Get Up Kids). The ep features two songs from each of the four bands, with the exception of Robert Francis who only has one song. The two songs by PtM are off of their latest album, The Satanic Satanist, and are some of my favorites on the record ("Do You" and "People Say"). I'd never heard of Hockey before this sampler but they sound pretty good. Sort of like a dancier, punkier version of the Strokes (that description didn't really do them justice but they're pretty good, trust me). Robert Francis is an indie/folk/singer-songwriter that has a retro feel to his music. Drug Rug has the most in common with PtM musically out of all of these bands/artists. They're sound is a more chill version of The Satanic Satanist with a lot more pot and lo-fi thrown into the mix.

Link
Track Listing:
1. Too Fake- Hockey
2. Wanna Be Black- Hockey
3. Do You- Portugal. The Man
4. People Say- Portugal. The Man
5. Nightfall- Robert Francis
6. Coffee In The Morning- Drug Rug
7. Never Tell- Drug Rug

Three Summers Strong- We Will Get There + If You Change...

2009-09-04T16:23:00.005-08:00

Three Summers Strong is a kick-ass punk rock band from the UK who I've just recently discovered. Their songs are upbeat, with catchy anthemic choruses, and lyrics that are relatable and that are about things that matter (Think Latterman, The Riot Before, O Pioneers!!!, and The Gaslight Anthem (Sink or Swim era)). The band's demo, We Will Get There, is a collection of four acoustic songs, two of which were rerecorded for the band's ep, If You Change The Way You Look At Things, The Things You Look At Change. One of my favorite songs by the band (I know it may be a bit premature to say things like that but whatever, I do what I want) is also on WWGT, the Gaslight Anthem/Hot Water Music Esq "Let's Get This Song Airplay!" Three Summers Strong's most recent release is the aforementioned If You Change The Way... and it's a five song, full band recording. The ep is filled with uptempo punk rock that sounds like it's straight out of Gainesville. Highly recommended.

Myspace
We Will Get There (Demo):
1. We Don't Need No Introduction!
2. I Will Write
3. Let's Get This Song Airplay!
4. Sink Or Swim

If You Change The Way...:
1. Lovers, Sinners, Saints
2. Lock and Key
3. I Will Write
4. A Life Worth Waiting For?
5. Sink Or Swim

Paul Baribeau- Demo

2009-09-02T20:16:00.002-08:00

Paul Baribeau writes thoughtful, raw, clever, and honest folk songs. Simple as that. His music always puts me in a good mood, even if I'm having the shittiest day I can listen to one of his albums and feel completely relieved of all my worries. I honestly don't know a lot about where this demo came from or when it was made, so sorry about that. The songs on the demo are simple, acoustic and incredibly catchy (classic Baribeau). If you like this, definitely pick up his debut self titled album as well as Grande Ledge (I prefer the self titled but both are amazing).

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. If I Knew
2. Through the Wall
3. How Could That Be True
4. The Mall
5. Eight Letters
6. Sand Dollar

Gallows- Demo (2005) + more

2009-09-02T19:11:00.002-08:00

Frank Carter from Gallows is one of the most badass front men in punk music today. Not only does he tear it up on stage, publicly mock "bands" like Brokencyde and Jeffree Starr but he's also a tatoo artist. He also could be one of the most badass gingers ever (I mean look at that). But enough about Frank, more about Gallows. For those who don't know, Gallows is a hardore/punk band from the UK whose debut album Orchestra of Wolves, is one of my favorite hardcore albums is a long time. This demo is from 2005 and is incredibly raw (yes, more raw than their studio albums). Unlike most demos, it's also listenable. Three of the five songs on the demo were rerecorded for Wolves and the other two are solid listens. I also uploaded a separate file of some b-sides from the Wolves era that are all pretty damn good.

Demo Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Just Because You Sleep Next To Me
2. Abandon Ship
3. Will Someone Shoot That Fucking Snake
4. Swarm Over Death
5. The Ballad Of...

Wolves B-Sides + more:
1. If Credit's What Matters I'll Take Credit (Hot Snakes Cover)
2. Staring At The Rude Bois (Featuring Lethal Bizzle) (The Ruts Cover)
3. Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag Cover)
4. Black Heart Queen
5. Sick Of Feeling Sick
6. Wrathchild (Iron Maiden Cover)

Polar Bear Club- "Ten Minutes" Video

2009-08-29T20:11:00.002-08:00

I love this band. And I love the Get Up Kids. This video of PBC covering TGUK just makes sense. Both bands are on tour right now and Polar Bear Club has a new album coming out in mid-September. I suggest you get on all of that.

The Mountain Goats- The Hound Chronicles

2009-08-29T17:18:00.002-08:00

This is the second full length release from North Carolina's indie/folk/lo-fi band the Mountain Goats. The Hound Chronicles is comprised of all acoustic songs because when the album was recorded, 1992, singer-songwriter John Darnielle was the only member of the band (The Mountain Goats are still considered John's band even though they know have consistent members other than John). The actually album was only available on cassette (and is long out of print) so the sound quality of the mp3s are pretty mediocre. As for the songs themselves, they are what you would expect from Darnielle (amazing lyrics), though the Mountain Goats' later efforts are stronger. If you've never listened to this band before, start now, you have a lot of catching up to do.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. The Garden Song
2. Going to Wisconsin
3. Spilling Toward Alpha
4. Alpha Negative
5. Torch Song
6. Be Quiet
7. The Cow Song
8. (Untitled)
9. Going to Chino
10. Standard Bitter Love Song #4
11. Going to Mexico
12. Lab Rat Blues
13. Going to Kansas
14. The Water Song
15. Going to Spain
16. Keep It on Your Mind (Hank Williams cover)

Brand New- Live At Southside Festival

2009-08-26T17:04:00.003-08:00

Jesse Lacey may be the most annoying front man of the indie/punk/altrock/whatever music scene. Don't get me wrong, because I love Brand New's music to death, but there's something about the way he carries himself that makes me want to dropkick his perfectly gelled head off a cliff. The other attributing factor to this "problem" I have with him is the way he performs live. He's so whiny and squeaky one minute and the next he sings perfectly in tune. I know it's supposed to add to the performance because it's him being emotional, but it just ends up pissing me off. With that being said this is one of the better Brand New bootlegs, especially since it was recorded through the soundboard. If you're a Brand New fan then you should definitely check this out because the band only has a handful of legit bootlegs. Also they play a few songs from their new album that sound pretty good. I know this was circulating in a bunch of different (shitty) formats, for the one I just upped all of the songs are separated and there's no password, so there should be no problems.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. You Won't Know
2. Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
3. Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
4. The Shower Scene
5. Sowing Season
6. The Archer's Bows Are Broken
7. Millstone
8. Bought A Bride
9. Jaws Theme Swimming
10. Jesus
11. Gasoline
12. Degausser

Beans On Toast- Bedroom Sessions

2009-08-14T13:12:00.003-08:00

I couldn't find any good pictures of Beans On Toast (aka Jay Kay) for this post and it was pissing me off. Not only does he not have legit pictures on the Internet (come on even I have some of those(but really)) but the only official releases that he has are on various, random compilations. Come On! Get me a full length or even just an ep, I want to hear that shit on vinyl. All of my complaining aside, Beans On Toast is a great artist that writes simple, clever, optimistic, and upbeat songs about whatever and whoever he feels like writing a song about. Most of his songs are politically charged with a humorous spin but he does slip some songs about love in there as well. To be honest he reminds me a lot of Billy Bragg (something he knows and takes pride in) and Frank Turner. Anyways this is one of the few recordings that he has so I figured I'd post it. Beans On Toast also does a whole lot of touring, mostly in the UK and usually opening for badass bands (the last flyer I saw was of the Frank Turner/Fake Problems/Beans On Toast tour) so get on that.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. you look alot fitter on your myspace picture
2. wave goodbye to EMI
3. kate moss's birthday party
4. i fancy laura marling
5. the last romantic fools.
6. fuck the smoking ban
7. the big goodbye
8. today is the tomorrow that we thought about yesterday
9. i shot Tupac Shakur and all i got was this lousy t-shirt
10. no fit girls in NYC
11. thanks for fucking up the world for us
12. the country's gone to shit
13. the media circus
14. you fat bastard
15. health & safety
16. m.d.m.amazing
17. hippy crack
18. fancy dress frisbee
19. eggs benadict
20. can't buy me love
21. binge drinking
22. steven nolan and the chinese army
23. 9,450,000
24. braintree

The Wild- The Wild EP

2009-08-07T23:07:00.002-08:00

I found this ep while paroosing around the Quote Unquote Records website and was pleasantly surprised. The Wild, based in Atlanta, sound like a more chill version of Defiance, Ohio but instead of violins, The Wild sprinkles harmonica on their tracks to make things interesting. Most of their songs are to a similar vein of This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb's Front Seat Solidarity and have politically/ socially based lyrics. Definitely good stuff. The Wild are currently touring random dates around the country so check that out, and if you like the ep you can donate money to the band, buy a physical copy of the ep, or be the reason the band has to stop making music because you didn't contribute.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. They Too Will Know
2. The City That Never Sleeps
3. We Will Drive These Warlords Out
4. We Shall Overcome
5. Oh, Alex

Bomb the Music Industry- "Wednesday Night Drinkball" Video

2009-08-07T22:36:00.004-08:00

I love this band. Scrambles is amazing. Buy it on vinyl.

Bomb the Music Industry- Wednesday Night Drinkball

Latterman- Demo

2009-08-07T19:09:00.003-08:00

Latterman is one of those bands that was great from the start and this demo is the proof. They write fast, upbeat punk songs with anthem-like choruses and political lyrics that get the point across without being preachy. All three of the songs on the demo were later re-recorded for the band's sophomore full length No Matter Where We Go which is also highly recommended. There is an earlier demo/ep from the band called None Of These Songs Are About Girls but since Jay over at "With Hope in Our Hearts" already posted it along with some other Latterman goodies I figured it'd be silly for me to re-post the ep. Latterman broke up in 2007 but one of the new bands that some of the guys formed, Bridge and Tunnel, is really worth checking out.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Doom! Doom! Doom!
2. My Bedroom Is Like For Artists
3. This Project is Stagnant

Weatherbox- An Introduction to The Cosmic Drama

2009-08-06T13:44:00.002-08:00

I'm not really sure if it's completely legit for me to post this, but Altpress.com was giving it away for free so to me that's fair game (plus I can never resist anything Weatherbox related). All five songs that are in this ep-sort-of-thing are from Weatherbox's new album The Cosmic Drama, which comes out in September, and all of them are amazing. Complex musical arrangements, time changes around every corner, and thoughtful, creative lyrics make for an amazing group of songs. It also makes the wait for the entire album even harder. The vinyl pre-order went up on VC about a week ago so you should definitely check that out, especially since the record is only being released on vinyl and in digital formats (and on the 200 cassettes of the un-mastered version). This album is one of my most anticipated of the year and the Intro is proof that it won't disappoint.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. That Mann
2. Ask My Flashlight
3. Don't Say Nice Things
4. YouTube the Clouds (Anything That Flies)
5. No Hands (Anything That Moves)

Jets To Brazil- Orange Rhyming Dictionary Demos + Bootleg

2009-08-03T11:35:00.003-08:00

Blake Schwarzenbach is one of the greatest songwriters of our generation. There, I said it. His lyrics are the perfect balance of raw, clever, and emotional. If listening to the song "Accident Prone" doesn't produce some kind of emotion out of you (whether it be tears, anger, or more tears), you don't have a heart. Plain and simple. These demos from Blake's post Jawbreaker band, Jets to Brazil, are a win for any Schwarzenbach fan. They show the epic musical arrangements of JtB with the closest thing to Blake's raspy vocals JtB ever got (no gloss, just raw). There are only six songs included in the demo but there is also a dynamite live radio set of 12 songs that makes up for it. The live set was taken from a Japanese radio broadcast in 2001 and has songs from all three Jets to Brazil albums. Schwarzenbach is or was in a new band (they may or may not have broken up. information is sketchy on this band) called the Thorns of Life. They apparently recorded an album in early 2009 but no details have been released on when or if it will be released.

Link
Website
Track Listing Demo:
1. Chinatown
2. King Medicine
3. Lemon Yellow Black
4. Morning New Disease
5. Resistance Is Futile
6. Rose

Track Listing Live Radio Set:
1. Intro
2. You're the One I Want
3. Morning New Disease
4. You're Having the Time Of My Life
5. Lemon Yellow Black
6. Air Traffic Control
7. One Summer Last Fall
8. In the Summer's When You Really Know
9. Orange Rhyming Dictionary
10. Chinatown
11. Sea Anemone
12. William Tell Override

Good Old War- Pure Volume Sessions

2009-08-01T18:52:00.003-08:00

Fuck I slacked last month. Sorry. [Insert excuse here]. Anyways a while back I posted a great ep by a great band, Days Away, and said that since the band broke up I would post some stuff from the guys' new band(s). This is me actually following through. Good Old War are a pop band, an indie/folk pop band, but a pop band nonetheless. Think the Shins with more Simon and Garfunkel-Esq harmonies or Fleet Foxes minus the coma. All this makes one of the catchiest, happiest sounds heard in a long time while still maintaining a sense of creativity unlike most pop artists around today. It's a definite throwback to pop in the '60s and '70s. The Pure Volume Session itself lacks a little because it is only an acoustic guitar and three dudes singing but the practically perfect harmonies between the three of them make up for that fact. Basically if you're not sure if you want to buy the album (you should by the way because it's amazing) this session serves as a sort of introduction. Plus if you buy the album you get the track with Anthony Green's guest vocals.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Coney Island
2. I'm Not For You
3. Tell Me
4. We've Come A Long Way
5. Window

Frank Turner- Live At Pike's Garage + 'The Road'

2009-07-23T20:40:00.004-08:00

I'm madly in love with Frank Turner. It's no secret. His music is so relatable, catchy, intense, emotional etc.(I could go on forever). This specific recording is a bootleg of a small show he did in Beverly and it is well worth taking a listen. Not only does he play an amazing set of songs (though the set list was incredibly short) but he also plays a song from his highly anticipated new album Poetry of the Deed ("Dan's Song"). During some of the songs you can hear one of the audience member's toddler singing along with Frank but never over him (it's also one of the cutest things ever). I also added in his new single at the bottom called "the Road" which is amazing as usual. His new album comes out in September so get ready for that because it will be completely and utterly bad ass.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Nashville Tennessee
2. Dan's Song
3. Long Live The Queen
4. Photosynthesis
5. Thunder Road
6. Ballad Of Me And My Friends

Frank Turner- The Road

Cobra Skulls- Eat Your Babies

2009-07-23T20:22:00.002-08:00

This is the first release from Reno punk/rockabilly band Cobra Skulls and it's a hard one to pin down. First off it's a solid ep of fast-paced punk rock with a little twang mixed in. But compared to CS' full lengths, the ep lacks the spark and uniqueness that Sitting Army and American Rubicon thrive on. The band have matured greatly, both musically and lyrically, since this debut ep and at times it's a little hard to believe it's the same band. If you haven't checked out Sitting Army and American Rubicon, do so immediately because they're both great punk rock records. And if you're a hardcore Cobra Skulls fan, you'll definitely want to download this ep.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Cobra Skulls Broadcasting Co.
2. Cobra Cougar
3. Cobra Skulls Revolution
4. Donnie Rumsfelt My Cobra Skull Ass
5. That There's Cobra Country!
6. Cobra Skulls Lockdown
7. Stick It To The Cobra

Shook Ones- Demo (2004)

2009-07-11T22:42:00.003-08:00

This is the demo from Washington melodic hardcore band Shook Ones. With one listen to this demo, it's clear that this band was destined for greatness. Brutal verses, melodic choruses, and tempo changes around every corner make Shook Ones' demo (and their other work) fun to listen to. The quality of the recording is excellent for a demo, so no worries there. All four songs on the demo are great and definitely worth the listen, especially if you're a fan of melodic hardcore like Kid Dynamite and Paint It Black (and Shook Ones). The band just released a new album called The Unquoteable A.M.H. and even though some people are talking shit because it sounds "more poppy," the bottom line is that it's good fucking music so go buy it.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Jersey Beach Pail
2. Panic -Attack- On The Terraces
3. Wishin Roulette
4. Attitude Is The Agent

Atmosphere- Leak At Will

2009-07-11T21:32:00.002-08:00

Of the select hip-hop artist that I listen to, Atmosphere is definitely in my top three (my other favorites are Aesop Rock and Brother Ali). God Loves Ugly and the Lucy Ford eps are two of the greatest, most personal,emotional, and aggressive rap records of my generation. That being said, Slug and Ant have continued to progress their music away from their roots while still keeping old fans happy. This ep that Rhymesayers is giving away for free, is more to the vein of their most recent full length, When Life Gives You Lemons..., with Slug creating damaged characters with drug problems, relationship problems, social issues etc. Ant's beats are great, as usual, using random samples, upbeat tempos, and great bass lines. If you like this album, then you'll definitely like When Life Gives You.., and should definitely look into their older stuff.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. C'mon
2. They Always Know
3. The Ropes
4. White Noise
5. Feel Good Hit of the Summer Part 2
6. Mother's Day
7. Millie Fell Off the Fire Escape

Kevin Devine- The '07 Tour EP

2009-07-10T23:30:00.003-08:00

This ep was only sold on his 2007 tour with Brand New and Manchester Orchestra (dear god what a line up). The seven song ep is compiled of mostly covers (five out of the 7 songs are covers) but with that said every single one of the covers is amazing. My personal favorites are the Elliot Smith cover ("Whatever (Some Folk Song in C)") and the Neutral Milk Hotel cover ("Holland, 1945"). Along with the covers there is a different version of the song "Wolf's Mouth" from his album Make the Clocks Move that is equally as good as the album version if not better. There is also an acoustic version of the song "You'll Only End Up Joining Them" from Put Your Ghost to Rest that is good but not as good as the album. I have always been a little bit undecided on how I feel about Kevin Devine's music and it's because I can't really get into his slow acoustic stuff but I absolutely love any of his music that is upbeat. I highly recommend you get his latest album Brothers Blood, though, because it is a masterpiece. Seriously I can't get enough of the title track.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Wolf's Mouth (2007 Tour EP version)
2. Whatever (Some Folk Song in C) (Elliot Smith cover)
3. Joey (Concrete Blonde cover)
4. Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover)
5. The Longer I Lay Here (Pedro The Lion cover)
6. Holland, 1945 (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
7. You'll Only End Up Joining Them (Acoustic)

The Gaslight Anthem- Biz Acoustic Sessions

2009-07-10T22:56:00.003-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately but I'm coming back with a vengeance (I promise). Hiroki over at bsidesrus was kind enough to up this Gaslight Anthem acoustic session (one of many that they have done since the release of their amazing The '59 Sound). The session is just Brian and his guitar playing two songs off of The '59 Sound along with a cover. The two album tracks are great as usual (although I do prefer the Alternative Press acoustic sessions to this one). The real gem here is the cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," a song that has been covered many-a-time (Shrek soundtrack anyone?) but Brian still manages make it fresh and play it delicately, and with plenty of emotion. The Gaslight Anthem have covered quite a few songs from Kelly Clarkson to Bruce Springsteen but this one just moved to the top of my favorite list of their covers (my number one favorite being their cover of the Replacements' "Left of the Dial"). One day I'll share all of my Gaslight rarities but for now this will have to hold you over.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Great Expectations
2. The '59 Sound
3. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen Cover)

Alexisonfire- The Math Sheet Demo

2009-06-26T23:40:00.003-08:00

This three song demo from Ontario post-hardcore band Alexisonfire contains the first two songs the band wrote together (the first and third track). With that said it's pretty clear, even from an early demo, that this band is incredibly intense and versatile. The Math Sheet Demo ranges from bouncy hardcore-punk to progressive rock to screamo back to post-hardcore. Both tracks one and three (in my opinion) could benefit from being trimmed in length (both around 5 minutes) but the length of the tracks overall doesn't take away from them. The best song here is track two because it has a good amount of energy and neat tempo changes everywhere. If you're a fan of the band definitely check this out and Alexisonfire just released their new album, Old Crows/Young Cardinals, so check that out as well because it's pretty damn good.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. The Philosophical Significance of Shooting My Sister in the Face: An Essay By James Secord
2. Counterparts and Number Them
3. Little Girls Pointing and Laughing

Nirvana- In Utero (original Steve Albini mixes)

2009-06-26T20:25:00.002-08:00

Someone recently posted this on the VC boards (danthemjfan23) and it's awesome. It's Nirvana's In Utero the way that producer Steve Albini intended it sound before it was changed. Here's the info:

"In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American grunge band Nirvana, released September 21, 1993 on DGC Records. Nirvana intended the record to diverge significantly from the polished production of its previous album, Nevermind (1991). To capture a more abrasive and natural sound, the group hired producer Steve Albini to record In Utero during a two-week period in February 1993 at Pachyderm Studio. The music was recorded quickly with few studio embellishments, and the song lyrics and album packaging incorporated medical imagery that conveyed frontman Kurt Cobain's outlook on his publicized personal life and his band's newfound fame.
Soon after recording was completed, rumors circulated in the press that DGC might not release the album in its original state, as the record label felt that the result was not commercially viable. Although Nirvana publicly denied the statements, the group was not fully satisfied with the sound Albini had captured. Albini declined to alter the album further, and ultimately the band hired Scott Litt to make minor changes to the album's sound and remix the singles "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies""

It's well worth the download and a really interesting listen to hear different versions of the songs that most of us know so well.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Serve The Servants
2. Scentless Apprentice
3. Heart-Shaped Box
4. Rape Me
5. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
6. Dumb
7. Very Ape
8. Milk It
9. Pennyroyal Tea
10. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
11. Tourette's
12. All Apologies

Weatherbox- New Unmastered Songs

2009-06-21T16:42:00.003-08:00

These are the new, unmastered tracks that Brian posted up on the Weatherbox myspace a few days ago (and someone on last.fm so kindly ripped). First off, both tracks sound absolutely amazing. "Two Satchels of Light" is a choppy, catchy and upbeat song with amazing drumming and lyrics. "That M.A.N.N." is an acoustic number that takes a little bit to get going but once it does and Brian's lyrics kick in, it's clear this song is a classic. By listening to both of these tracks it's easy to assume that the Cosmic Drama is going to be one of the best albums of the year. And that's just listening to the unmastered tracks. The Cosmic Drama comes out on August 4th on vinyl and digital (no cds).

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. That M.A.N.N.
2. Two Satchels of Light

As Tall As Lions- Blood and Aphorisms

2009-06-19T14:46:00.002-08:00

Blood and Aphorisms was As Tall As Lions' first ep, released in 2002 and for a first release, it's pretty damn good. Musically, Blood isn't all that different from their later releases besides more fine tuning and creating bigger, more lustrous melodies. Some might also find singer Dan Nigro's voice on the ep to be almost winy at times but not enough to ruin the song. Several of the songs on this ep were re-recorded for their debut full length Lafcadio. If you're a fan of bands like Days Away and The Dear Hunter you'll definitely like As Tall As Lions' full lengths, both Lafcadio and their self titled album. They have a new album coming out August 18.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Break Blossom
2. Dancing In The Rearview
3. And The Wick Burnt Black
4. A Fighting Word
5. If I'm Not Out Burning
6. Goodnite, Noises Everywhere

Jawbreaker "Kiss the Bottle" Covers

2009-06-18T23:12:00.004-08:00

A few good people over on Last.fm brought to my attention the cover Jawbreaker cover of "Kiss the Bottle" that Lucero did and have been doing for some time. Now, personally I have always had a problem with the recorded version of the song that Jawbreaker did and eventually ended up on their Etc. compilation. Don't get me wrong, here because it's probably one of the most powerful Jawbreaker songs in my opinion, I just don't think the recorded version shows that. Now is when the Lucero cover comes in. Spinning the song with a little country twang and slowing it down Lucero instills all of the anger and sorrow and self pity that are in the lyrics of the song. Although I still believe that the live versions of Jawbreaker preforming the song also achieve this (to a greater extent) the cover is still nothing short of amazing. I also found a few other "Kiss the Bottle" covers one by the Foo Fighters and one by Sparta but neither of them compare to the Lucero version.

Lucero- Kiss the Bottle
Foo Fighters- Kiss the Bottle
Sparta- Kiss the Bottle

Gatsby's American Dream- In the Land of Lost Monsters EP

2009-06-17T11:01:00.003-08:00

The In the Land of Lost Monsters ep was Gatsby's American Dream's third release and the most controversial of their albums among fans. The album songs that are much more conventional than what the band usually wrote because of pressure from being told by record labels that no one would sign them because their songs didn't have choruses. The band later released the ep digitally on the Snakes and Suits website with four remixed tracks. Overall it's a solid, catchy ep but when compared to their later work it doesn't really compare. The remixed tracks are great additions to the ep, especially "The Dragon of Pendor". Gatsby's American Dream took an unofficial hiatus in 2007 and since then the band members have started various side projects (Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Search/Rescue, Wild Orchid Children etc). I highly recommend checking out the self titled debut from Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground. They sort of remind me of Portugal. the Man which is great.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. I Smell an Agenda
2. Red, Red, Blue
3. The Badlands
4. Yes, This Is About You (Remix)
5. A Conversation with the Devil (Remix)
6. The Dragon of Pendor (Remix)
7. You Stole My Story (Remix)

The Gaslight Anthem- Film Noir on the Interface

2009-06-16T16:09:00.002-08:00

This video is so worth watching for the ending, it's amazing.

Muse- Newton Abbot Demo

2009-06-16T14:28:00.003-08:00

This is the second demo from English progressive rock band Muse. The demo was recorded between November 1996 and January 1997 and is great quality. As far as the music is concerned, the tracks, much like a lot of other early Muse, can be easily compared to Radiohead. That being said, they're definitely a much louder, harder Radiohead but still, it's pretty hard not to make the comparison. Many of the songs on this demo we later released as b-sides to Muse's debut album Showbiz (only the song "Sober" made the actual album). These are good songs by a great band and by listening to this it's a little hard to believe they would go on to create increasingly inventive and unique music with such a massive sound. Muse's fifth full length album is set to be released on September 14th and from what I've heard it's going to be another epic.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Falling with the Crowd
2. Agitated
3. Coma
4. Balloonatic
5. Forameus
6. Boredom
7. Crazy Days
8. Sober
9. Jimmy Kane
10. Rain
11. Ashamed

Rival Schools- The Lost Album

2009-06-16T13:30:00.002-08:00

The short lived New York post-hardcore band Rival Schools only officially released one full length album and one split ep in their four year career as a hardcore super group (they had members of Quicksand, CIV, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today etc). The band was expected to release a second album (this one right here) in early 2003 but never did because guitarist Ian Love left the band to form another short lived super group, Cardia. All drama aside, the album is amazing. They create a huge sound of crashing guitars, melodic vocals, and pounding drums almost never lets up. There is also a great cover of the Buzzcocks' song "I Don't Know" included on the album. Rival Schools reunited in April of 2008 for some UK festivals and as of January 2009 are in the studio recording a new album.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Just A Second
2. The Perspective Reach
3. I Don't Know
4. Your Answer
5. See What You Got
6. Looking
7. Don't Change
8. Shared Information
9. Surrending Positions
10. Seems So Real
11. Get Out Of This Place

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly- New Demos

2009-06-16T12:13:00.002-08:00

The UK's "folktronica" band Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly posted some new demos on their myspace page recently. Of the demos so far "The Uprising" is my favorite. Sam's voice sounds amazing and the music is beautiful. "Tinsletown" is a simple, stripped down acoustic song with good lyrics (though they're not my favorite of his). The demos may or may not be showing up on GCWCF's third full length that the band said tentatively was going to be called Together There Is Hope. For those who have never heard of GCWCF, they're really the one-man-band of Sam Duckworth who sings socially conscious lyrics, plays acoustic guitar, and then adds electronic beats and other such layers to the songs.

Myspace

GCWCF- The Uprising
GCWCF- Tinsletown

Jimmy Eat World- Clarity Demos

2009-06-15T16:48:00.002-08:00

Arguably one of the most influential albums of the last 90's and early 00's, Jimmy Eat World's Clarity mixed emotional lyrics with elements of punk, pop, soft ballads as well as small doses of electronics to set them apart from the stereotypical emo bands. For me, it's a perfect album as it is. I can listen to it from start to finish and never get board, which is more than I can say about other albums (*cough* Chase This Light *cough*). Clarity was a great album for me because it was the time in their career that both Jim and Tom sang lead vocals and I feel like their efforts since without Tom's vocals are missing a spark that this album has. The demos for this album are incredible. Every song sounds the way it should; raw and filled with emotion. Several things should be noted that are differences from the actual studio album. One main difference is in the lyrics of the songs (most notably in "Your New Aesthetic"). Another is the length of "Goodbye Sky Harbor" (the demo is 5 minutes and the studio version is 16 minutes). Also there is an unnamed track that, to my knowledge, has never be rerecorded although it's a pretty good song. Jimmy Eat World recently finished their Clarity X10 tour in celebration of the album's 10th year anniversary and they have a recording of one the dates of the tour for sale on their website (it's completely worth it, you get the entire album plus "No Sensitivity" and "What I Would Say To You Now").

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Instrumental
2. Blister
3. A Sunday
4. Clarity
5. Secret Crush
6. What I Would Say To You Now
7. Your New Aesthetic
8. For Me This Is Heaven / Roller Queen
9. Believe In What You Want
10. Christmas Card
11. Untitled
12. Lucky Denver Mint
13. Goodbye Sky Harbor

Say Anything- the EPs

2009-06-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

Say Anything's 2004 album ...Is A Real Boy was, hands down, my favorite album that year and is still a great listen. But their last album In Defense of the Genre, I felt like while it was cool that the double discs told a story, a good number of the songs could have been cut. It was much less punk rock than IARB and all of the electronic effects that were added just made the album seem disposable. Anyways, these are the Say Anything eps all of which are great. My personal favorite is the Menorah/Mejora ep from 2002 even though it's a little sloppy in some parts. The For Sale ep is my next favorite. It has three songs from ...Is A Real Boy and two previously unreleased tracks that are excellent (I took out two tracks that were the same as the album versions and left a demo version for you). Junior Varsity is good although it does sound like their ripping off Saves the Day in most of the songs (that said, I'd still probably listen to it before the IDOTG). Say Anything are releasing their fourth full length album late this summer and it supposedly is musically different from any of their previous works.

Myspace

Menorah/Mejora:
1. A Walk Through Hell
2. You Help Them
3. Try to Remember, Forget
4. By Tonight
5. Baseball, but Better
6. Transylvanian
7. I Want to Know Your Plans

For Sale...:
1. Belt
2. We Will Erase All Life On Earth But Us
3. Slumming It With Johnny

Junior Varsity:
1. The Last Great Punk Rock Song
2. Dreaming of Manhattan
3. She Got Away
4. High School Low

Modest Mouse- The Moon and Antarctica Demos

2009-06-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

I just realized recently that I haven't posted any MM rarities, which makes me look like a total dumbass because this blog is a word play on one of their albums. After I pulled my palm from my forehead I dug these babies out. First off, M&A is probably my favorite Modest Mouse album as a whole (though some of my favorite songs are on Lonesome Crowded West). Most of these demos are pretty similar to the versions that showed up on the album, especially the vocals. There are also two unreleased tracks on the demo that are well worth the listen ("Roof of My Mouth" (which is featured at the end of "A Different City" on the album) and "Willful Suspension"). There is also one track missing (thought to be either "Stars Are Projectors" or "Calculus Man"). But other than that they're an awesome listen, especially the raw and completely badass version of "A Different City". Modest Mouse is about to release a new EP in August.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Third Planet
2. Gravity Rides Everything
3. Life Like Weeds
4. You're The Good Things
5. Dark Center Of The Universe
6. Perfect Disguise
7. What People Are Made Of
8. -missing-
9. Paper Thin Walls
10. Lives
11. Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
12. Roof Of My Mouth
13. A Different City
14. The Cold Part
15. Alone Down There
16. Willful Suspension

Straylight Run- Demos

2009-06-13T23:40:00.000-08:00

Straylight Run have gotten a lot of shit over the past couple of years because of former Taking Back Sunday singer/guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper supposedly turned into piano ballad loving pussies. And while Straylight Run may be tamer than the in-your-face pop-punk that was Taking Back Sunday, the only reason they got such a bad rep. is because their biggest song ("Existentialism on Prom Night") was in fact a slow, beautiful, piano ballad. Their music can be loud and heavy (think old school Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine) which is where this demo comes in. Sure it has their "hit" song on it but songs like "The Tension and the Terror" and "It's Everybody's Fault But Mine" prove they can hold their own as a rock band (just listen to the pounding ending of "Mistakes We Knew.." if you need more convincing). They just let out a new ep called About Time and it's one of my favorite releases of theirs to date.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. It’s Everybody’s Fault But Mine
2. Existentialism on Prom Night
3. A Slow Descent
4. It’s For The Best
5. Mistakes We Knew We Were Making
6. The Tension and the Terror
Bonus!:
7. Costello
8. Play Crack the Sky (Brand New cover with Jesse Lacey)

Every Time I Die- Demo (1999)

2009-06-13T22:36:00.000-08:00

This is southern rock/metalcore band Every Time I Die's 1999 demo tape. Much like the rest of their music, the demo is incredibly brutal even with the mediocre quality of the demo (can't hear Keith and his lyrics very well, some of the guitar parts are a little sloppy). The demo is, fittingly, more along the lines of Last Night In Town and Hot Damn! than their newer stuff. Almost any Every Time I Die is good stuff and this demo is no different. It gives you a look back at where the band came from. Their new album is supposed to be released this winter and I'm excited to see where they'll go next.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Nobody Moves Nobody Gets Hurt
2. Prom Song
3. To Die For
4. Your Touch Versus Death

Set Your Goals-

2009-06-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm torn with how I feel about the new Set Your Goals music that has made its way onto the Internet. Before I get into this let me just say that I really do love the music that Set Your Goals makes. They are one of the few genuine bands in their genre (a genre that, for the most part, I detest). This is why when they posted the demo for the new song "the Fallen" a few months ago I got super excited for the new album. The song has their tag-team vocals, a simple and melodic guitar line, and relatable lyrics that are made even more effective by the emotion they sing them with. "the Fallen" gave me high hopes for the new album but with the new single they just released ("This will be the death.."), I don't know what to think. The single, to me, is boring and while it does get better after a few listens, it doesn't have the same spark as Mutiny or Reset. I guess I'll have to wait for this to be settled July 21.

Myspace

Set Your Goals- The Fallen
Set Your Goals- This Will Be The Death Of Us

And here's something old school:

The Pharmaceutical Bandits- Those Damn Bandits

2009-06-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Those Damn Bandits was the debut album of California ska band the Pharmaceutical Bandits (now known as Rx Bandits). This album had the Bandits starting out their careers as a part of the third wave ska revival. With punk rock tempos, interesting brass instrumentals, and creative lyrics, Those Damn Bandits is everything a ska album should be. Although the band left this sound behind for a more progressive sound, the Bandits are still kicking ass. Their new album comes out this July, so get stoked!

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Teen Idol
2. I Will Live
3. Milk
4. Innocence
5. S.A.M.
6. Maybe
7. Valentine's Day
8. Too Tone
9. More
10. Band-Aid
11. I Don't Care
12. ?!?

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists- "Where Was My Brain?" (Demo)

2009-06-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

This gem was just added to the Ted Leo website and I figured I'd pass it on. Apparently it's the demo of a newer song from 2008. The song is completely badass. It's short, sweet and gets to the point. It reminds me of old school punk rock; fast verses and catchy choruses. Plus Leo adds some shredding on top of that to make it classic TL/Rx.

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists- "Where Was My Brain?"(Demo)
Website

Here's a decent video of the song:

Sundowner- Demo

2009-06-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

I figured I'd stick with the theme of front men going solo and post some Sundowner. For those who don't know Sundowner is Chris from The Lawrence Arms. This is his demo from before he recorded Four One Five Two. The songs are really upbeat, the vocals are good, the lyrics are compelling, and nothing is lost just because there is only acoustic guitar and vocals. What more could you ask for?

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. The Sea Of Lights
2. Traffic Haze
3. War Is Noise
4. Your Self Portrait

Chuck Ragan- The Blueprint Sessions

2009-06-05T19:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, been pretty busy with finals. Anyways, this is a group of four seven inches Chuck recorded in 2006. The sessions used to be available on iTunes but for some reason were taken off. Also a good number of the songs from the sessions made it onto Chuck's debut solo full length Feast or Famine. Now, back to the music. The sessions do a great job of capturing the raw emotion of Ragan's songs. All of them are simple stripped-down, acoustic with the occasional harmonica solo strategically placed. I think I may still prefer Rumbleseat to his solo work, but they're pretty close.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. The Boat
2. For Broken Ears
3. It's What You Will
4. Symmetry
5. Valentine
6. Do What You Do
7. Do You Pray
8. Congratulations Joe
9. The Grove
10. Above The Flames
11. Open Up And Wail
12. Sound Of A Gun (Panthro UK United 13)
13. Trenchfoot (Leatherface)
14. Done And Done
15. Hearts Of Stone
16. Hold My Bed (Chuck Ragan/Austin Lucas)

Moneen- Hold That Sound (Stream)

2009-06-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hold That Sound is a collection of b-sides from Moneen's highly anticipated (especially by me) new album. The good people at vinyl collective have just put up the pre-orders for the album along with this stream. VC has already ran out of the clear color (theres 100 clear, 200 black, and 200 white) but you can still get that color if you're willing to buy the bundle over at my merch table (it includes all three colors for $35). The ep is well worth the listen, it's classic Moneen.

A Wilhelm Scream- Diver 7"

2009-05-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

This is a 2006 ep from Massachusetts punk band A Wilhelm Scream. There are only two songs on the seven inch (one of them only being 40 seconds long) but it is completely worth it. Both of the songs are outtakes from the bands third album Mute Print which means a catchier, more listener-friendly than later albums. Other than that this seven inch is classic AWS: tempo changes, vocal harmonies and badass skate-punk.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Diver
2. They Like Their Turtlenecks Ribbed

The Arrogant Sons of Bitches- Dealing With Having the Stage Presence of a Mid-1980s Emo Band

2009-05-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

This is a live bootleg of an Arrogant Sons of Bitches show. It's a pretty good quality bootleg as far as quality goes and it really does a good job capturing how much fun it is to be at an ASOB show. They play a good balance from their three albums ("So Lets Go Nowhere" and "Fuck You" are especially badass live). I think I mentioned this before, but Three Cheers For Disappointment is up for free on Quote Unquote Records' website. I'd take advantage of that because it's an amazing ska album.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Everything But the Pizza
2. Where's My Sleeve?
3. Radio Single
4. Royale Fuck Deluxe
5. So Let's Go Nowhere
6. The Pez Song
7. Fuck You
8. JT Kills Time In the Worst Way
9. Go Ska!
10. The Guy From Subway
11. ...And the Flame Dies Down Again
12. Built to Fail Motherfucker

Mischief Brew

2009-05-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

just... yes.

Mischief Brew- Thanks Bastards

Bear vs. Shark- 1653

2009-05-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

This is the self-released debut from Michigan post-hardcore band Bear vs. Shark. A good majority of this ep ended up redone on their debut album Right Now, You're In the Best Hands.. (I count five of the eight on this ep). As a whole the ep is excellent and it is a little disappointing they didn't re release it because all of the songs are truly great. The musical arrangements are complex but not difficult to listen to, the vocals/lyrics are both raw and thoughtful, and most important it's fun. This band broke up way too early in their career and if you haven't heard their two full lengths, do so immediately because they will blow your mind.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Campfire
2. United Tribes Of Pangea
3. Kylie
4. California Hotseat
5. Michigan
6. Remember This Assignment
7. Bloodgiver
8. Ma Jolie

The Early November- An Excellent Attempt at Next to Youism

2009-05-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

I've always liked the Early November. I know they're supposedly "just another emo punk band" but they have a certain charm to them that so many bands of the same genre today lack. And they have good lyrics (also something other bands of this genre lack). An Excellent Attempt at Next to Youism is an 11 song full length released before the band signed to Drive Thru Records. A few of the songs from this record were redone for their first ep For All Of This. The cd quality is great and you like this album, you should pick up their other two full lengths and two eps. You should also check out singer Ace Enders' new album. I haven't had a chance to check it out but I'm hearing good things about it.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Every Night's Another Story
2. For the Road
3. All We Ever Needed
4. Come Back
5. Just Enough
6. Pretty Pretty
7. Make Believe
8. Nothing
9. Ashala Rock
10. Open Eyes
11. Sunday Drive

Portugal the Man- The Pines 7"

2009-05-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

This is a two song 7 inch from Portugal. the Man, release almost immediately after their debut album, Waiter: You Vultures! , was released. The songs on the 7 inch are a mix between the style they played on Church Mouth and the one they did on W:YV! (but leaning towards the latter). Both songs are great PtM songs and are well worth the download.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. The Pines
2. The Devil

Motion City Soundtrack- Kids For America

2009-05-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is the debut EP from synth/pop-punkers Motion City Soundtrack. Kids For America features early versions of two songs from MCS's first full length I AM the Movie ("Cambridge" and "1000 Paper Cranes"). I really like this EP a lot more than their latest album (I could never really get into it). I think it's because the EP has so much less gloss and is so much more raw than Even If It Kills Me. Oh well, maybe I'm just mad because they left behind their Get Up Kids influenced sound and just went for straight up pop. If you don't have I Am the Movie or Commit This To Memory (who doesn't?) you should get a copy of each and even a copy of the new album. If you ever have a chance to see this band live, do it because they're awesome. Seriously.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Cambridge
2. Bomb Pops
3. Intersection
4. Sunday Warning
5. 4th of December
6. 1000 Paper Cranes

Kevin Devine, Jesse Lacey, & Andy Hull- Live At Looney Tunes

2009-05-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

So I was going through my old hard-drive and found this gem from a year or so ago. Whose ever idea it was to get these three front men to play together is a fucking genious because the product is fantastic. There is a pretty good balance of songs from each of the artists (5 Kevin Devine songs, 3 Manchester Orchestra songs, and 2 Brand New Songs) as well as 2 covers. There are a lot of bootlegs of Jesse Lacey playing with Kevin Devine but if you only download one of them make it this one. The Manchester Orchestra songs are amazing (Andy Hull in general is amazing).

Link
Kevin Devine Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Brooklyn Boy
2. Jesus Christ
3. Wolves At Night
4. Just Stay
5. Play Crack the Sky
6. I Can Fell Your Pain
7. Tomorrow's Just Too Late
8. Holland 1945 (Neutral Milk Hotel)
9. Where Have You Been
10. Where Have You Been Harmonies
11. Say It Ain't So (Weezer)
12. Cotton Crush
13. It's Only Your Life

The Ergs!- Acoustic LP

2009-05-10T20:02:00.001-08:00

Some more Ergs! comin' at ya. This album has acoustic versions of some of the Ergs! classics ("A Very Special Song For A.." "Saturday Night Crap-O-Rama"). In addition it has as few covers. Although I prefer the regular versions of these tracks, the acoustics are good none the less. This is definitely a must have for any Ergs fan.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. A Very Special Song For A Very Special Young Lady Part 2
2. Warm + Sharp
3. Time With You
4. Saturday Night Crap-O-Rama
5. Ergs Songs Played Similarly
6. It's Never Going To Be The Same Again
7. Trains & Boats & Planes
8. Running, Jumping, Standing Still
9. I'll Call You When You Think Of Me
10. Everything Falls Apart & More
11. Computer Love
12. Ramones Medley

The Ergs!- It's A Celebration, Bitches!

2009-05-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

This is a compilation of rare tracks from the Jersey punk band, the Ergs! It features a few covers, the blue ep (that I don't think was ever officially released), the Cotton Pickin Minute 7 inch, and a whole lot of fast-paced punk rock (ya know, the kind where the songs last less than a minute). Overall it's a great listen and if you like this you should definitely check out their other stuff because it's amazing (Jerseys Best Prancers, dorkrockcorkrod). I was really bummed when they broke up and we can only hope for a reunion tour!

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Things I Could Never Find A Way To Say
2. Under The Influence Of Minutemen (Dork Rock Changed Our Lives)
3. Enough Is Not Enough (Joe Jackson)
4. Johnny Rzeznik Needs His Ass Kicked
5. Sneak Attack
6. Society Hill
7. Love Is Nice
8. Joe Doesn't Like Cell Phones
9. I Shot the Devil's Son
10. Million Perfect Dub
11. Country Skronk
12. Warm + Sharp
13. Out On the Interstate
14. Blue
15. Blew (Nirvana)
16. Steven A Hinckley Has The Following Items A) Devo Energy Dome B) Devo Radiation Suit C) Devo New..
17. What The Hell Was She Thinking? (Egghead)

Jawbox- Demo

2009-05-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

This is the 1990 demo from the Washington D.C. post-hardcore/indie rock band Jawbox. The demo is excellent (both the songs and the quality). Though the release as a whole may not be as strong as their full lengths, almost all of the songs are good. Some of the songs on the demo also show up on their fist full length Grippe but are significantly different ("Tools and Chrome," "Bullet Park," "Consolation," "Paint Out the Light" etc). I can't begin to explain how much of an impact this band has had on my life. Every one of their albums, splits, and singles are worth listening to on repeat.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Tools and Chrome
2. Bullet Park
3. Beneath the Wheel
4. Footbinder
5. Consolation
6. Paint Out the Light
7. Motherlode
8. Something Must Break

Polar Bear Club- Demo

2009-05-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

This is the 2005 demo from the Rochester post-hardcore band Polar Bear Club. The quality of the demo is really good compared to most demos you'll hear, old or new. The songs on the demo aren't as melodic as STJD and TRTB but the songs are great none the less. PBC is an amazing melodic-hardcore band and if you haven't heard their debut full length Sometimes Things Just Disappear you're missing out.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. To the Engravers
2. Let My Dry Eyes Play
3. Overflow
4. Adam O
5. Instrumental

Bomb the Music Industry!- Others! Others!

2009-05-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

Yay! another excuse to post BtMI! This is a rarities comp of random covers, demos, and songs that didn't make it on any of the records. It includes BtMI!'s side of their split with Rick Johnson Rock and Roll Machine and a few tracks from other comps and 7 inches they've done. Some of these songs have been floating around on the internet for some time now, but this album takes away the hassle of trying to find them. I think Scrambles, their latest album, is going to be made more available on vinyl, with the blue vinyl collective exclusive selling out pretty quickly so go buy it!

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. This Gracless Planet(We Versus the Shark Cover)
2. Tell My Boss, "I Hate You"
3. This Year For Presidents' Day, I'm Giving Up on Rock and Roll
4. 4 Inches! (Rick Johnson Rock and Roll Machine Cover)
5. Come On, This Shit is Getting RIDICULOUS.
6. If Assholes Got Awards, I'd Have a Trophy Case(Infamous Jake and the Pinstripe Mafia Cover)
7. All Alone in My Big Empty Apartment (Demo)
8. This is a Singalong (Original Version)
9. The Soul Crushing Northeast
10. D13 4 YR G0V3RNM3NT(Anti-Flag Megamix)
11. Little Brother(Andrew Jackson Jihad Cover)
12. Pog (Demo)
13. Gold Soundz (Pavement Cover)

O Pioneers!!!- O Pioneers!!! 7"

2009-04-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

On this fairly recent (released in 2008) 7 inch Houston's O Pioneers!!! blend elements of both early Hot Water Music and early Against Me! without losing their originality, something that is hard to come by these days. I'll be honest, after several listens to the 3 songs on this 7 inch, I still have no clue what the fuck the singer is saying. For me it just makes the songs more raw and emotional and unique. I'd take a guy yelling out of tune over someone singing through an auto-tune every time. Also if you haven't picked up OP!!!'s latest album Neon Creeps, you need to because it is one of the best to come out this year (it's up on Quote Unquote Records' website for free download).

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Ben Says We're Gonna Make It
2. Now We Have Real Problems
3. The Adventures Of John Lock

Tegan and Sara- Under Feet Like Ours

2009-04-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Under Feet Like Ours is the independently released first album from the indie-folk group Tegan and Sara. The album sports the more folk (maybe even folk-punk?) side of the duo that was present in most of their early releases (well.. everything except The Con). I'm a little divided on how I feel about this album. Some of the songs are completely amazing and some of my favorites by the band but a few songs on the album just get boring. The good songs on the album though, are T&S classics and shouldn't be missed. Some of the songs on this album are also on This Business of Art but are all pretty different versions.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Divided
2. Our Trees
3. Come On
4. Freedom
5. Proud
6. More for Me
7. Hype
8. Clever Meals
9. This Is Everything
10. Heavy
11. Welcome Home
12. Superstar
13. Bye!

Neutral Milk Hotel- Invent Yourself A Shortcake

2009-04-25T21:54:00.000-08:00

This is a self-recorded demo tape by the lo-fi/indie/folk band Neutral Milk Hotel. Because it's a demo and was originally recorded on cassette, the sound quality isn't that great. Despite this you should definitely take a listen, if not for NMH being an amazing band then for the sheer insanity that goes on in the recording. Some of the songs are melodic, while others just seem like organized chaos. "Synthetic Flying Machine" is a very early version of the song "The King of Carrot Flowers Part 3" from NMH's classic In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. I love Neutral Milk Hotel and this album is a good look their early days as a band.

Link
Band Website
Track Listing:
1. Digestion Machine
2. Calypso Part One
3. My Dreamgirl Don't Exist
4. Calypso Part Two
5. Chocolate Coffin
6. Sinking Ship
7. Random Noise
8. Jaw Harp
9. A&E Melody
10. Prank Call
11. More Noise
12. Synthetic Flying Machine
13. Charlotte
14. Love You on a Tuesday
15. Spooky Sounds
16. Preacherman

Jimmy Eat World- Jimmy Eat World [1994]

2009-04-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is the debut album from the amazing alt-punk/indie band Jimmy Eat World. I'm a huge fan of the the old school JEW when Tom still sang lead, so this album seriously kicks ass in my book (Tom sings lead on all but one song, "Usery"). Jimmy Eat World is more straight forward punk rock than their newer, poppier releases. A few of the songs sound the same, mainly because of similar guitar riffs and effects but overall the album is really worth the listen.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Chachi
2. Patches
3. Amphibious
4. Splat Out of Luck
5. House Arrest
6. Usery
7. Wednesday
8. Crooked
9. Reason 346
10. Scientific
11. Cars

If you haven't gotten Clarity Live yet, do so immediately. Clarity is one of my favorite albums of all time and hearing played from start to finish live is incredible. The only thing better is to have actually been at one of the Clarity x10 Tour shows.

Days Away- LSDEP

2009-04-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

LSDEP was the second official release by the progressive rock/indie band Days Away. This ep was what made me start listening to the band and it's still my favorite of their releases. That's not to say that their full length Mapping An Invisible World isn't good, because it's amazing. I just prefer the earlier versions because there's less gloss and production in the way of the music. If you're a newcomer to Days Away, by all means start with the full length, both albums have their strengths and weaknesses. Also it should be noted that all of the songs on the LSDEP appear on Invisible World, just different versions. This is one of my favorite albums in a long time and you should definitely check it out.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Stay the Same
2. God and Mars
3. Fight
4. Ideals
5. It Happens
6. T. Klines Decline

A few of the members of Days Away are now in the band Good Old War who are a great band as well as Anthony Green's band for his solo project. Go check both Good Old War and Anthony Green's solo stuff(Circa too) out!

Circa Survive- This Changes Everything EP

2009-04-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

This is the first unofficial release from experimental/progressive rock/indie band Circa Survive. It's a three song ep (really only two songs), two different demo versions of the song "Handshakes At Sunrise" and a longer, and maybe even better, version of the song "Juturna" which showed up on the album Juturna as "The Great Golden Baby." The songs are definitely worth the listen, the two versions of "Handshakes At Sunrise" are different from the one on the Inuit Sessions Ep.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Handshakes At Sunrise (Demo)
2. Handshakes At Sunrise (Second Demo)
3. Juturna ("the Great Golden Baby" Demo)

Portugal the Man- Demos

2009-04-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

These are some demos from the Waiter: You Vultures! album era of Portugal the Man. I've professed my love for this band many times on this blog and this is where all of the magic began. I'm pretty sure half of the songs on here have a drum machine playing and half have the real deal, which gives the songs even more of a r&b/soul vibe. Some of the vocals are pretty rough, but that's to be expected in a demo. Most of the songs that show up on Waiter have different tempos or different lyrics which makes it worth the listen.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. Clips Comprehend (Demo)
2. Showing Teeth (Demo)
3. Waiter (Demo)
4. How The Leopard Got Its Spots (Demo)
5. Pelican (Demo)
6. Monster (Alternate Version)
7. Bad, Bad Levi Brown (Demo)

PtM are releasing a new album July 21, called the Satanic Satanist. It will be amazing.

Manchester Orchestra- 5 Stories

2009-04-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

I figured in honor of Manchester Orchestra's new album coming out today (it is amazing if you haven't heard it) I would post some old stuff. 5 Stories is the an ep released when singer Andy Hull was calling Manchester Orchestra a solo project. That being said, most of the ep is acoustic and has a sort of Decemberists feel to it. It's definitely not up to par with their other releases, but there are a few good songs here ("Marked Unknown", "Goodbye to the Liars"). If you're a die-hard Manchester Orchestra fan or just a fan of simple acoustic, charming songs, this is definitely for you.

Link
Myspace
Track Listing:
1. The Girl With Broken Wings
2. I Am A Book, Torn
3. Marked Unknown
4. Ladida
5. Goodbye to the Liars

You can get their new album here. I would highly recommend it. Mean Everything To Nothing is my top album of the year so far.

Bomb the Music Industry- Vinyl

2009-04-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

Pre-Order for Bomb the Music Industry's amazing fourth album Scrambles started yesterday over on vinylcollective.com. So far the record is exclusively at vc on clear blue vinyl. It's limited to 300 so you should get it while it's there.

Weatherbox- Demos

2009-04-16T17:20:00.000-08:00

These have been in their myspace player for a while but I figured since the new album, The Cosmic Drama, is supposed to come out this April (but I'm not sure how likely that is since no date has been set). I was a hug fan of the band's first album, American Art, and if you haven't picked it up yet, you need to. One of the tracks below is of singer, Brian, doing an acoustic cover of Animal Collective's "Fireworks" (it includes him getting booed with comments like "get a job, even though the cover isn't that bad). The second song is the demo of a song from the Cosmic Drama called "Don't Say Nice Things" which sounds very promising.

Myspace

Fireworks-Weatherbox
Don't Say Nice Things-Weatherbox

Suburban Home- Spring/Summer Sampler

2009-04-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

Since I still don't have my computer back I figured I'd post the Suburban Home Spring/Summer sampler. All of the bands on the sampler are worth checking out especially Drag the River, Yesterday's Ring, Joey Cape, and Ninja Gun. You can download the songs individually or all of them together here.

Track Listing:
1. Drag The River “I Remeber Now”
2. Drag The River “A Way With Women”
3. Yesterday’s Ring “Punx Not Dead…It’s Just Sleeping”
4. Jon Snodgrass “Remember My Name”
5. Jon Snodgrass “Song For Jake Nichols To Sing”
6. Mike Hale “Lives Like Mine”
7. Austin Lucas “Somebody Love You”
8. Austin Lucas “Precious Little Heart”
9. In The Red “Unlaced”
10. In The Red “Jet Breaker”
11. Stereotyperider “Twon Song”
12. Stereotyperider “Not Sayin It”
13. Two Cow Garage “Bastards and Bridesmaids”
14. Useless I.D. “Killing a Ghost”
15. Ninja Gun “Eight Miles Out”
16. Joey Cape “The Ramones are Dead”
17. Tim Barry “Tacoma”
18. Josh Small “Say Hello”
19. The Takers “Curse of a Drunk”
20. Jr. Juggernaut “Another Two Weeks”
21. Ghost Buffalo “Gold Disease”
22. Chad Price “Because It’s My Heart (Live)”
23. Chad Price “Hybrid Moments (Misfits Cover, Live)”
24. Two Cow Garage “Oh Darling (Beatles Cover, Live)”
25. Drag The River “Can’t Hardly Wait (Replacements Cover, Live)

Sorry...

2009-04-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been lacking in posts lately. My computer caught a virus and I had to bring it in to get it fixed (lame!). Until I get it back I have to use my friends computer so you'll have to go without some mp3s for a little longer. Until then here's some awesome videos:

Gaslight Anthem-Left of the Dial (the Replacements)

The Riot Before- We Are Wild Stallions

The Riot Before - "We Are Wild Stallions!" from Dave O'Dell on Vimeo.

I'll See You In Hell When We Die...

2009-03-31T20:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of a song off of Andrew Jackson Jihad's new(ish) ep Operation Stackola. The ep has a bunch of older, unreleased, AJJ songs as well as some pretty bad ass covers (David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust"). Overall it's a great listen, though not as good as People or the Ghost Mice split. Also Mike from Asian Man Records mentioned in his blog update that AJJ were planning to record their next full length soon, which is incredibly exciting seeing as People came out two years ago. Expect great things in the future from this band.

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Sense, Sensibility
by ifyoumakeit

Andrew Jackson Jihad- Sense & Sensibility
Andrew Jackson Jihad- Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie)

Bayside- Long Stories Short

2009-03-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

This is the debut ep from the New York alt-punk band Bayside. Because it's their debut and it was released before the band's lineup was stable (singer Anthony Raneri is the only member who played on the ep that appears on other Bayside releases) their sound is different than the Bayside that we're used to. The most noticable difference is the absence of guitarist Jack O'Shea and his bad ass shredding. Nonetheless the ep is still worth checking, Raneri's lyrics are great as usual and it's straight-up mid-90's style punk rock. If you haven't picked up their newest disc Shudder, do so immediately because it is increadible.

Link
Myspace
Genre: Alt-Punk
Similar Artists: Alkaline Trio, Smoking Popes, The Get Up Kids
Key Tracks: "Advanced Letter Goodbye", "Days of My Life", "Downtime"
Track Listing:
1. Advanced Letter Goodbye
2. Foot Impressions
3. Days of My Life
4. Red Head vs. The Pretty Red Bracelette
5. Downtime
6. Ask For It

Bad Religion- Demos

2009-03-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

These are some Bad Religion demos that I found thanks to the web (I love google). The quality of the demos ranges from song to song but generally they're pretty good. If you're trying to decide if it's worth the download, it definitely is if not for the acoustic and unplugged demos but just to hear the songs without the gloss of production that some of the albums have.

Link
Myspace
Genre: Punk-Rock
Similar Artists: Pennywise, NOFX, Lagwagon
Key Tracks: "Generator", "Heaven Is Falling", "Infected", "Marked", "Suffer (acoustic)"

Track Listing:
1. Atomic Garden (demo)
2. Billy (demo)
3. Change Of Ideas and Anxiety (4-track demo)
4. Do What You Want (acoustic demo)
5. Fertile Crescent (demo)
6. Generator (demo)
7. Heaven Is Falling (demo)
8. Hooray For Me (demo)
9. Incomplete (demo)
10. Infected (demo)
11. Marked (demo)
12. No Control (4-track demo)
13. Pessimistic Lines (4-track demo)
14. Stranger Than Fiction (demo)
15. Suffer (acoustic demo)
16. Suffer (unplugged)
17. You (demo)
18. 21st Century Digital Boy (demo)
19. 1000 More Fools (acoustic demo)

The Fad- Number 5/ Quit Your Band And Join The Fad

2009-03-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

The Fad is a punk-ska band (with a hint of hardcore thrown in there) from Long Island. The band take peices from all their influences and manage to make it work. The high energy punk songs mixed with the dancy sing-along chorus ska songs make it hard to hard to stop listening. The lyrics on the older of the two eps, Number 5, are more directly political than the newer songs. Quit Your Band's production is a lot smoother and cleaner than Number 5.

Link
Myspace
Genre: Ska-Punk
Similar Artists: Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Public Access, The Flaming Tsunamis
Key Tracks: "Bright Lights", "Vinyl Paradise", "Nostalgia", "Make Room"
Track Listing: Number 5
1. Behind Closed Doors
2. The Blame Game
3. Don't Choke
4. Nostalgia
5. P.M.R.C.
6. The End
7. Starry-Eyed
8. Make Room

Quit Your Band and Join The Fad
1. Vinyl Paradise
2. Bright Lights
3. You're Only As Good As Your Drummer

The Gaslight Anthem- Bootleg

2009-03-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

This was the CD release show for The '59 Sound and they pretty much killed it. The set list is amazing (playing all of those songs that they "don't play live"). If you ever get the chance, SEE THIS BAND LIVE. I absolutely love Sink or Swim and The '59 Sound and I'm excited to see what they do in the future. There's a bunch of more gaslight bootlegs here and there's a live 10" coming out in the middle of April. So get on that!

Link Part 1, Link Part 2
Myspace
Genre: Punk-Rock
Similar Artists: The Draft, Against Me!, Lucero
Track Listing:
1. Great Expectations
2. Wooderson
3. Casanova, Baby!
4. Old White Lincoln
5. We Came To Dance
6. Miles Davis and The Cool
7. The '59 Sound
8. The Patient Ferris Wheel
9. Angry Johnny and The Radio
10. High Lonesome
11. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
12. Meet Me By The River's Edge
13. Here's Lookin' At You, Kid
14. Senor and The Queen
15. 1930
16. Boomboxes and Dictionaries
17. Drive
18. The Navasink Banks
19. The Backseat
(encore)
20. I Coulda Been A Contender
21. Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts
22. I'da Called You Woody, Joe
23. Say I Won't (Recognize)

The Arrogant Sons of Bitches- Built to Fail

2009-03-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is the first album from ASOB and it's definitely their most raw. For those who don't know ASOB was Jeff from Bomb the Music Industry!'s old band(if you were wondering BtMI! is better but I still love ASOB). They're more along the lines of a ska-core band than a straight up ska or punk band. Built to Fail is not as good as ASOB's later releases but in terms of raw emotion and energy BtF is definitely strong. Jeff just put Three Cheers for Disappointment up for free here (get it. it's amazing!).

Link
Genre: Ska-Core
Similar Artists: Bomb the Music Industry!,
Key Tracks: "Abnormality", "I Hate Punk Rock", "Where's My Sleeve", "The Guy From Subway", "That's What Friends Are For"
Track Listing:
1. I Like Green Day
2. Abnormality
3. I Hate Punk Rock
4. The Song That the Girl Sings
5. I Pissed In Your Mountain Dew
6. 2445
7. The Pez Song
8. Where's My Sleeve
9. Smelly
10. Spitpile
11. The Guy From Subway
12. That's What Friends Are For

Ben Folds Five- The Unauthorized Post-Mortem of Reinhold Messner

2009-03-03T21:03:00.000-09:00

I don't really know a whole lot about this album (probably more of a compilation). A few of the tracks are off of the bonus cd of Ben Folds' Rockin the Suburbs and a few of them are leftover songs from Ben Folds Five. The tracks are either live recordings or studio b-sides. Not the best songs by Ben or the Five but definitly worth the listen.

Link
Myspace
Genre: Piano Rock
Similar Artists: Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, Fear of Pop
Key Tracks: "The Secret Life...", "Honey Don't", "Protection", "One Down"
Track Listing:
1. The Secret Life of Morgan Davis
2. Honey Don't
3. Protection
4. Dog
5. Tell Me What I Did
6. Amelia Bright
7. Prince Charming
8. Lonely
9. One Down
10. Wandering
11. Rocky
12. Half Asleep
13. Silver Street

Portugal the Man

2009-02-27T22:34:00.000-09:00

I can't say enough good things about this band. I'm going to keep this short but make sure you pick up their album Censored Colors along with all the rest of their albums because they're amazing. They have a new album coming out this spring that you should definitely check out.

Website
Genre: Experimental/ Indie
Similar Artists: Minus the Bear, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, The Dear Hunter

And I (Acoustic)- Portugal. the Man
Church Mouth (Acoustic)- Portugal. the Man
Colors (Acoustic)- Portugal. the Man
Created- Portugal. the Man