Kid Kilowatt - Guitar Method

Kid Kilowatt - Guitar Method

One of my favourite Stephen Brodsky side-projects. With Kid Kilowatt Stephen (along with members of Piebald and Converge) crafts angular post-hardcore. Stephen's main goal was to create a band that sounded worlds away from what Cave In was doing at the time while at the same time paying tribute to his favourite band Giants Chair, and he succeeded in doing both. Guitar method was released as a joint effort by Second Nature and Hydrahead Records in 2004.

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Japandroids - No Singles

Japandroids - No Singles

This is the bands two out-of-print EP's (All Lies and Lullaby Death Jams, both self-released prior to Post-Nothing) compiled onto one album. Expect more of the same catchy and fun fuzz-soaked bangers.

Sunbears

Sunbears - Dream Happy Dreams

This record is so happy at times that it literally makes me want to puke, but you will never be in a bad mood when listening to it. I saw this two piece (just drums and a pianist/singer) open for Mates of State last summer, and was really impressed. They can definitely pull off their happy/pukey songs live. They're from Florida. Jacksonville, not Gainesville.

Creep Division

Creep Division - Self Titled

Probably one of the best super groups that has ever existed. Listen and love it. I don't need to say anything more.

Sun Kil Moon

Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway

Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities

Sun Kil Moon - April

You may have heard of Mark Kozelek and his other band, Red House Painters. If the two were in a tug of war, I'd have to side with Sun Kil Moon, personal preference. All three of these records are great. Two originals and a collection of Modest Mouse covers (Tiny Cities). Kozelek's vocal style is so laid back it contrasts his guitar playing really well, which is usually pretty intricate especially when on an acoustic. You can also see Kozelek act up a storm in movies such as Almost Famous and Shop Girl. In Shop Girl, the band he plays in is actually playing Sun Kil Moon songs from Ghosts of the Great Highway. True story.

Errors - Come Down With Me

Errors - Come Down With Me

The new album on Rock Action Records from these Glaswegian post-(electro)rockers. If you like Lymbyc Systym, but wished they were dancier and sounded a bit more like Battles then you'll be all over this. Great instrumental rock, with synths, electronics, tight drumming and noodley guitar lines. While my friend Matt was living in Scotland he highly recommended that I check these dudes out, and they did not disappoint. This is one of the best albums I've heard this year.

Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile - Constant Hitmaker

Kurt Vile - God Is Saying This To You

Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy

Prolific singer/songwriter (and great guitarist) from Philadelphia, PA who has already released three full length albums in just two short years. His first real album, Constant Hitmaker (Woodsist Records), has a nice lo-fi recording quality complete with echo-y vocals, fuzzed out guitars and plenty of tape-hiss, all the hallmarks of a great bedroom recording. On the new one, Childish Prodigy (Matador Records), Kurt is backed by a real band (The Violaters) and it is his most polished release yet. Kurt's voice sounds like a young Lou Reed here, and musically it isn't too far from a modern spin on the great 70's singer/songwriters ala Springsteen and Petty, plus this dude has the best name in rock.

The War On Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

The War On Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues

Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile crafting indie rock that sounds like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and Bob Dylan amalgamated into one entity. Kurt Vile already has a fairly prolific output as a solo performer, but here in The War On Drugs he is more of a sideman to Granduciel (who provides most of the vocals).

Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus - The Airing Of Grievances

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

New Jersey youngsters playing wordy post-punk. These guys sounds like The Constantines covering Fugazi with Conor Oberst singing (Desaparecidos Conor, not Bright Eyes Conor). Their new album, The Monitor is getting tons of buzz right now, and rightfully so the album is fucking awesome. The songs are so epic you barely notice that they hover around the 6 minute mark, they just flow so well. The album is steeped in Civil War imagery (and named after the Navy's first iron warship) and heavy on the booze references, not unlike The Hold Steady or The Pogues. Great stuff.

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Indie pop band out of Silverlake, CA that takes the three-part harmonies of Fleet Foxes, mixes it with the afro-pop of Vampire Weekend and funnels it throught the percussive-pop of The Arcade Fire. This album was released in Europe last November and only just saw a stateside release last month.

Harlem

Harlem - Free Drugs

Harlem - Hippies

I don't know why but I've been on a real psych-rock jag as of late, I've mostly been jamming the Nuggets box-set. This Austin, Tx three-piece wouldn't sound out of place on a nuggets comp, they play great 60's style garage/psych/proto-punk that absolutely rages. If you dig the Black Lips then get into Harlem.

White Williams - Smoke

White Williams - Smoke

These songs were all written and recorded by Joe Williams (aka White) on his laptop in various apartments in Cleveland, San Francisco and New York. Synth-pop with great hooks. The video for "New Violence" directed by Pinky (Derrick Beckles of TV Carnage fame) is totally rad and definitely worth your time to search Youtube for. Yes that is a tranny on the cover (look at those fucking hands!).

Rocket From The Crypt

Rocket From The Crypt - Group Sounds

Rocket From The Crypt - Live From Camp X-Ray

These are the two studio full-lengths that the band released on Vagrant Records before calling it quits. After Atom Willard quit the band John Wurster from Superchunk was asked to record the bulk of the drums on Group Sounds. RFTC eventually found a permanent replacement for the drum position in former pro skateboarder Mario Rubalcaba (aka Ruby Mars). Both of these albums are pretty rad.

Turbonegro - Retox

Turbonegro - Retox

This is the band's most recent album. I had the pleasure of seeing them live when they toured behind this album and they fucking killed it: By the end of the night my face hurt from smiling and my shoulder hurt from excessive fist pumping. Hilarious songs about hair-loss, chubby dudes and the rock-n-roll lifestyle.

Wild Light - Adult Nights

Wild Light - Adult Nights

This was released about a year ago on Star Time Intl. Records (version 2.0). Vocalist/guitarist Jordan Alexander was the prep-school roommate of The Arcade Fire's Win Butler. The bands first real tour was supporting The Arcade Fire across Europe (must be nice). These guys sound just the The Stills' more recent output, like a lot.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday - S/T

Happy Birthday is the new band fronted by Kyle Thomas (aka King Tuff). He still writes all the tunes, only this time he has a real band behind him. These songs are all ultra catchy, super poppy fuzz-soaked bangers with great melodies that will have you humming along all day long. Sub-Pop Records signed these guys after they had only played a handful of shows. If you liked King Tuff then you'll love this.

Turbonegro - Party Animals

Turbonegro - Party Animals

The best rock and roll band around. This may not be regarded as the bands greatest album, but it's definitely one of my favourites. Every track is a banger. Euro Boy fucking solos all over this entire album and Hank Von Helvete's lyrics are some of the best I've ever heard. This CD came with a bonus 12 minute Hank Von Helvete exercise DVD that is totally rad. It's friday night, if you're going out to rage let this be your party soundtrack.

King Tuff

King Tuff - Mindblow CDR

King Tuff - Was Dead

King Tuff is Kyle Thomas (vocalist/guitarist for WITCH). Kyle recorded this himself in his parents basement in Battleboro, Vermont and the dudes plays everything on these recordings. This is 50% Nuggets style psych-rock, 50% T-Rex and 50% Undertones style punk (thats right 150% of total rad-ness). These are just super fun and catchy jams.

Castevet - The Echo & The Light

Castevet - The Echo & The Light

New six song EP by these Chicago boys. This was supposed to have been released earlier this year but after numerous delays the band decided to leave their former label and take this EP with them. If you were a fan of their album Summer Fences (one of my favourites from 2009) expect a few surprises here in the form of shorter and louder songs. If you've never heard of these guys, Castevet play 90's style midwestern emo with gruff beard-punk vocals, like American Football mixed with Small Brown Bike.

Give

Give - S/T

I finally found this online (thanks Toxicbreed's Funhouse). 7 song EP recorded by Don Zientara at his Inner Ear Studio in Washington D.C. Give play revolution summer influenced hardcore that reminds me of Bullet LaVolta, early Rollins Band and Embrace. I can also hear a little bit of Lion Of Judah in their sound, but maybe thats just me. At any rate this is one of the best new bands that I've heard in a while and it is definitely worth your time to check these dudes out.