it was just the drug for me: 05.10

28.5.10

Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing

This is the new band from the Hockey Night dudes, and they fucking slay. Free Energy play glam rock & power-pop that basically sounds like Hockey Night mixed with Weezer and Diamond Nights and the results are so satisfying. Mr. LCD Soundsystem himself James Murphy produced this bad boy, played synths, percussion and bass on it and released it on his DFA label earlier this month. This album is so fucking great that you need to stop what you are doing and listen to these jams right now.

26.5.10

The Crust Brothers - Marquee Mark

The Crust Brothers are Stephen Malkmus and the band Silkworm. This is the bands only recording, and it's a live show from 1997. The Crust Brothers play only covers, seven of which are songs from Bob Dylan and The Band's Basement Tapes album. They also put their spin on songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Malkmus even sings lead on the Silkworm song "Never Met A Man I Didn't Like". The sound quality is top-notch and their renditions are all stellar with great guitar work from Malkmus and Andy Cohen.

Silkworm - Firewater

This was the bands first album for Matador Records and first as a three-piece after Joel Phelps was forced out of the band. Steve Albini recorded this beast of an album and it sounds absolutely huge. Guitarist Andy Cohen drops some fucking killer solos on this thing, and his guitar work overall is pretty incredible. Tim Midgett's bass throbs and pulses and drummer Michael Dahlquist has just the right amount of flash, fury and restraint. If you like Pavement and Superchunk but wish they sounded a bit more like the Minutemen then jam this.

Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun

I'm really only posting this because I'm totally obsessed with the song "Sick Of Myself" off this thing. The album as a whole is really good, full of rocking power-pop, but that song is just so fucking good. A poppy yet melancholic little three chord song with a chorus and melody that still raises the hair on the back of my neck. On top of that Television's Richard Lloyd plays incendiary lead guitar work throughout the entire song, jamming some fucking rad solos. I don't know about anyone else but I remember seeing the video for "Sick Of Myself" like everyday on Much Music and never knew until recently that Francis Ford Coppola's son Roman directed it.

The Move - The Very Best Of...

This band had a string of hits in the UK during the tail end of the 60's, but failed to make a splash in North America. Over here they are more famous for counting future Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne (who I'll always know as the least famous guy in The Traveling Wilburys) as a one-time member. This group continued to evolve throughout their existence, changing up their style a number of times (from basic R&B inspired rock to psychedelic to orchestral pop to heavy rock stompers) and they did it all very well. Any fan of the Kinks and the Who can find something to appreciate here.

Tight Bro's From Way Back When - Lend You A Hand

Jarred Warren's balls-to-the-wall classic rock band. You may know Jarred from his work fronting the bands Karp and Big Business, as well as being the current bassist for the Melvins. Tight Bro's play rock music that mixes the raw energy of the Stooges and MC5's with the guitar licks of AC/DC.

Bikeride - Morning Macumba

Bikeride play indie rock inspired by the music of Brian Wilson and the baroque pop of the mid 60's. These songs are all super catchy, witty and fun. Main-man Tony Carbone really knew how to write great lyrics and super catchy melodies (that will definitely be stuck in your head for days). Sadly, Tony died from cancer a few years ago. This album is seriously fucking great, so don't sleep on this, grab it right now.

Attack In Black - Northern Towns EP

This 7" was released in 2006 and limited to 500 copies. These three songs were recorded in the living room of the Romano family and are all acoustic. Dan and Ian's dad even plays harmonica on this thing.

21.5.10

Trial By Fire - Ringing In The Dawn

Trial By Fire were a punk band signed to Jade Tree records in the early 2000's, and just like then label-mates in Strike Anywhere, they married politically charged lyrics with furious hardcore-influenced riffing. Their sound is both hard charging and melodic and any fan of Avail, Dillinger Four and Good Riddance should find something to like here. Drummer Mike Sneeringer now plays in The Loved Ones and guitarist Colin Barth riffs-the-fuck-out in Cloak/Dagger.

20.5.10

Bad Religion - 1988-92

Bad Religion - Suffer

Bad Religion - No Control

Bad Religion - Against The Grain

Bad Religion - Generator

This is my personal favourite era of the band and I considered these four albums to not only be their best, but also to be perfect slabs of west coast melodic hardcore. They put out great music before and after, no doubt about that, I just happen to like these four more than any others in their vast catalog. Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin are truly one of the best songwriting duos in not just punk rock, but music, period. After Suffer was released every band tried to sound like Bad Religion, most in vain, and their influence can still be felt today.

19.5.10

Haymarket Riot - Endless Bummer

Their newest album released just last year on Divot Records. I stand by my earlier comparison of HWM, Fugazi and At The Drive-In, but this time around throw in the jagged guitars and pounding drum and bass of Jawbox. Great guitar work and musicianship on display here.

Eric's Trip - Purple Blue

The bands third and final LP for Sub Pop Records. After this Rick White devoted most of his time to Elevator (or Elevator To Hell as they were known at the time) and Julie Doiron devoted her time to squeezing out children. More of the same awesomeness from these Halifax cats.

18.5.10

Grandaddy

Grandaddy - A Pretty Mess By This One Band EP

Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway

Grandaddy - The Broken Down Comforter Collection

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

Grandaddy - Concrete Dunes

Grandaddy - Sumday

Grandaddy - Artist's Choice: Below The Radio Compilation

Grandaddy - Excerpts From The Diary Of Todd Zilla EP

Grandaddy - Just Like The Fambly Cat

Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, The Commuter

When amateur skateboarder Jason Lytle injured his ACL and was unable to skate he used his down-time to form/lead/create the atmospheric pop band Grandaddy in his bedroom. Their sound is a mix of the brash indie rock of Pavement, the electronic experimentation of Radiohead, the symphonic pop of the Flaming Lips and the melancholy of Sparklehorse. Jason Lytle wrote all the lyrics/music, produced all the albums and sometimes played all the instruments as well, although the full-lengths are all the work of a full band. The Comforter Collection and Concrete Dunes are rarities collections that contain mostly the same songs (both also have the Pretty Mess EP on them) and Below The Radio is a mix-compilation put together by leader Jason Lytle of some of his favourite tunes. Jason's solo album is really great and I'm very thankful he has continued to make music after the break up of Grandaddy. Don't sleep on these albums, they're some of the best things released during the oughts.

Blue Album: Deluxe Edition

Weezer - Blue

Weezer - Blue Deluxe Edition (Bonus Disc)

This is the deluxe edition that was released a few years back. Ten perfect pop songs played by a bunch of nerds. Everyone should already know this album and love it. The real gem here is the bonus disc that came with it subtitled Dusty Gems And Raw Nuggets. All the b-sides from the era (including "Suzanne", "Jamie" and "Mykel And Carli") as well as the demo that brought them to the attention of Geffen Records and a couple pre-production tracks that never made it onto the Blue Album. Now if they would only hurry up and release that Pinkerton Deluxe Edition.

17.5.10

BOAT - Setting The Paces

Super catchy, smart and funny indie-pop from some dudes who really loved 90's rock (mainly Weezer's Blue album and Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain). Leader David Crane was once a Chicago school-teacher, but he burned out and moved to Seattle where he started this band as a bedroom project. Fourteen highly infectious pop tunes.

The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics

Seattle proto-punk band from the early 60's who were obsessed with Little Richard. These guys were a direct influence on The Stooges and MC5 and they played punk before there was even a name for it. Kurt Cobain has stated that the drum sound on this album is the best he's ever heard (and it was recorded with only one microphone).

16.5.10

Haymarket Riot - Bloodshot Eyes

Angular punk/hardcore band from Chicago, IL. Bloodshot Eyes was released on Thick Records in 2001 and it is their debut LP. This album reminds me of Fugazi, At The Drive-In and Hot Water Music, which is some pretty rad company to be in.

14.5.10

Cold Cave - Love Comes Close

Fairly decent debut LP from Wes (or Wesley as calls himself now) Eisold's new band. Wes used to be the front man for the hardcore bands American Nightmare/Give Up The Ghost and Some Girls. Cold Cave take the lyrical approach of Morrisey and the melodies of New Order and cloak them in a thick blanket of despair. Cold Cave's music was mainly created using synths because Wes was only born with one hand and is unable to play stringed instruments. If you like Depeche Mode, Joy Division and sadness this is for you.

The Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire

The second album from these dudes, and the last with the classic original line-up. A little bit mellower than Inner Mounting Flame, but not too much. All the crazy riffs, soloing and time signatures are still here. John McLaughlin may be the only dude who can still look cool playing a double guitar:

Nah, scratch that, nobody looks cool playing one of those things, not even Rick Neilson from Cheap Trick:

Helms Alee - Night Terror

If you liked the Harkonen albums I posted even a little bit, you should be all over this. This is Ben Verellen's new band with two chicks and they are absolutely killer. Heavy, loud and melodic rock that any fan of Torche, These Arms Are Snakes and The Melvins should totally dig. These jams are really catchy and even though Ben just shouts the lyrics you'll still be humming the melodies for days. I can't believe that I haven't posted this yet, as it is truly one of the best things I've heard in the last few years.

MELVINS - The Bride Screamed Murder

Melvins - The Bride Screamed Murder

This is their third album since adding Big Business to the rhythm section. It's a lot weirder than (A) Senile Animal and Nude With Boots, but in a good way. More chanting, more singing, more sludge equals more radness.

11.5.10

Woods

Woods - How To Survive + In The Woods

Woods - At Rear House

Woods - Family Creeps

Woods - Songs Of Shame

Woods - At Echo Lake

Lo-fi Psych/folk indie pop band from Brooklyn. Woods features 3/4 of the band Meneguar and was started as a side-project to that band but has since become their main project. The boys also collectively run the Woodsist Records label (and have released albums from Real Estate, Kurt Vile, Wavves, and Vivian Girls). The first three albums were mainly created as a duo and contain weirdly poppy folk numbers. The two most recent albums, Songs Of Shame and At Echo Lake, are very much the work of a full band and contain some of the best psychedelic pop music around. Great guitar work and harmonies, kind of like Pavement mixed with the Byrds. Great stuff.

The Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame

Five musicians at the top of their game playing incredibly technical instrumental jazz/rock. Leader and guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin had previously played with Miles Davis on three of his albums, including the landmark Bitches Brew album. The musicianship present here is seriously unreal. This album was a huge influence on The Mars Volta, but unlike The Mars Volta the Mahavishnu Orchestra is talented. Drummer Bill Cobham even won the prestigious drum competition "The Great Beat-Off".

Look Mexico

Look Mexico - So Byzantine EP

Look Mexico - The Crucial EP

Look Mexico - This Is Animal Music

Look Mexico - The Crucial Collection

Look Mexico - Gasp Asp EP

Nobody asked for it, but here is everything else by the band Look Mexico. This band has definitely improved from album to album. They are like the American This Town Needs Guns (or is This Town Needs Guns the British Look Mexico?). Math-y indie rock with great hooks.

Eric's Trip - Forever Again

The sophomore album from this beloved Canadian quartet. More wispy, fuzzy, dreamy, short and beautiful songs. If you liked Love Tara, then you'll be all over this. The melodies on this album are amazing and shine through even when they are being buried under a wash of fuzz, tape-hiss and noise. Listen to this with headphones on.

Grateful Dead - American Beauty

This is my favourite Dead album. I used to work with an aging hippie (he was a pretty rad dude with a thick white beard, Che Guevara tattoo and an amazing record collection) and he turned me on to this and Workingman's Dead. This is basically a country and folk record with splashes of rock and roll, plus Jerry Garcia just wails on the acoustic and pedal steel guitar, leaving the electric guitar to Bob Weir. Every track on American Beauty is stellar and it is truly an American classic. This is the Rhino re-issue with great bonus live recordings of American Beauty tracks from the months before and after it's November 1970 release date. An added plus was that the album was prominently featured in the series finale of Freaks And Geeks, one of the best TV shows of all time.

Zwan - Mary Star Of The Sea

Billy Corgan's post-Smashing Pumpkins supergroup. Besides Billy, Zwan counted among it's ranks David Pajo of Slint and Matt Sweeney of Chavez on guitar, Paz Lenchantin of A Perfect Circle on bass and Jimmy Chamberlain on drums. This was recorded by Billy in Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago and was mixed by Alan Moulder. Guitar-heavy rock that any fan of the Smashing Pumpkins can get behind, it is definitely better that the last couple Pumpkins albums. When Zwan played SNL and a couple other late-night shows they looked to be having a real good time on stage together, which made it seem all the more odd when Billy broke the band up a few months after this album was released. Billy later claimed that it was because some of the members were having too much fun on tour, but in reality it was because Billy is an insufferable prick.