Metz - Negative Space/Automat

Metz - Negative Space/Automat

Metz finally has a new 7' out. It was put up for free download on the We Are Busy Bodies website, you can check it out here for more info. As always, I've only ever used one word to describe this band: pummeling. Maybe "relentless" would work too? Whatever...Enjoy.

Mose Giganticus - Gift Horse

Mose Giganticus - Gift Horse

Mose Giganticus is mainly the work of one man, Matt Garfield, who provides vocals, synths, keyboards, programming and drumming. The project started as a synth-punk band, but with this new release on Relapse Records, Mose Giganticus sound like Baroness, Genghis Tron and 80's Rush mixed together. This album straight-up fucking slays, it is both incredibly heavy and epic (The theme of the album is Christian mythology, and is based around a conversation between Jehovah and Lucifer).

Kruger

Kruger - Built For Speed

Kruger - Cattle Truck

Kruger - Redemption Through Looseness

Kruger - For Death, Glory, And The End Of The World

Swiss metal band that is heavy as fuck. They take their influence from three main sources; technical hardcore, atmospheric metal, and noise rock. You can hear elements of Refused, Breach, Knut, Isis, Neurosis and even Helmet in their sound. As a band they are also huge fans of Old Man Gloom's album Christmas, which makes them pretty rad dudes in my book. Their new album, For Death, Glory, And The End Of The World, was mixed by Kurt Ballou and it is one of the best metal albums I've heard in a long time. I came late to the Kruger party and am only now realizing how gnarly they are. Grab this shit right now, it'll totally knock your dick in the dirt.

Paw - Dragline

Paw - Dragline

In the wake of Nirvana's success, like so many other bands of the early 90's, Paw signed to a major label and were touted as the next big thing (I think Spin magazine ran a huge feature on the band before they even had a record out). Of course success alluded them, but Dragline remains a solid slab of beefy alt-rock that any fan of Seaweed, Sponge and Soundgarden should dig. The first single off this album, "Jessie", was about a dog; That may have hindered their chances at superstardom, we'll never know for sure. What we do know is that this album truly is a "lost classic" that deserves to be heard by a much larger audience.

Weed Diamond - Carry On + Sweater Kids

Weed Diamond - Carry On + Sweater Kids

Carry On is the latest release from this Denver Colorado five piece, and it is the bands best stuff to date. The four tracks on Carry On are pure lo-fi/shoegaze pop-nuggets. Tacked on to the end of this release is the band's out-of-print-cassette-only album Sweater Kids. If you like the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Wild Nothing or Woods, then check these dudes out.

Garry Shandling

This man is fucking brilliant. This interview made me laugh very, very hard. Yes the interview is old, but who cares, its not like Garry Shandling is all over the place these days. That being said there is a great piece on him in the comedy issue of GQ that is currently on news stands right now so I suggest you pick it up.

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Grids - White Walls

Grids - White Walls

Grids are a North Carolina three piece who play sludgy and noisy hardcore. To me they sound like the perfect middle ground between Young Widows and Pissed Jeans. White Walls is only their second release (not including their demo) and its six songs are totally fucking rad. Do yourself a favour and give these guys a spin.

Les Savy Fav - Root For Ruin

Les Savy Fav - Root For Ruin

This is their new one, and every track totally fucking slays. The band says they were influenced by the early 90's sounds of Britpop and Chapel Hill, like Superchunk, Archer Of Loaf and Blur all mixed together (filtered through their signature dance-punk meets fugazi sound, natch), and they aren't that far off the mark. I've always been moderately interested in this band, and have dug a lot of their prior outings, but I've really been enjoying the shit out of this new one. One of the years best for damn sure.

Superchunk

Superchunk - Tossing Seeds (Singles 89-91)

Superchunk - Here's Where The Strings Come In

Superchunk - Indoor Living

Superchunk - Come Pick Me Up

Superchunk - Here's To Shutting Up

Superchunk - Cup Of Sand: Disc 1

Superchunk - Cup Of Sand: Disc 2

Superchunk - Leaves In The Gutter EP

I've already posted a bunch of this bands albums, but here is everything else (minus a shit load of EP's, whose tracks are on the two singles collections here) from one of the greatest punk/alt/indie bands of all time. Everything this band has released has been totally rad, but if pressed to pick my fav of the bunch it would be Here's Where The Strings Come In, which has some of my favourite songs by the band (especially the track"Detroit Has A Skyline). Tossing Seeds and Cup Of Sand are the aforementioned singles collections and they are also essential. Today, the Onion's AVClub posted a rad video of the band covering The Cure song "In Between Days", so here is that as well.

Superchunk covers The Cure

Naked on the Vague - Heaps of Nothing

Droney psych. No wave. On stillbreeze/sacred bones. Picture yourself at a concert in the 70's and Hunter s. Thompson asks if you want anymore acid except you can't move to acknowledge him so he walks away. That's what Naked on the Vague sounds like.

Download

Ty Segall

Ty Segall - S/T

Ty Segall - Lemons

Ty Segall - Melted

This one-man-band dude writes ultra catchy and simply garage rock stompers that manage to be both noisy and tuneful. Everything this dude has recorded is totally rad. His new album, Melted, is a near-perfect slab of fuzzed-out 60's style psychedelic garage rock and it is one of the year's best releases. Anyone who digs the Nuggets compilations would be wise to check out this man's music.

Best Coast - Crazy For You

Best Coast - Crazy For You

This is the bands debut full-length release (on Mexican Summer Records) after putting out a slew of singles and EPs for multiple labels over the last year and a half. Best Coast are vocalist Bethany Cosentino and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno who together craft breezy lo-fi 60's style garage/surf rock that is soaked in reverb, melody and melancholy. This album is getting tons of buzz right now, which is cool and all, but the band already peaked back in March when Bill fucking Murray turned up for their South By Southwest gig, and we all know that it just doesn't get any better than that.

Jacuzzi Boys - No Seasons

Jacuzzi Boys - No Seasons

Miami, FL indie garage rock band. Rad Nuggets-style ragers that any dude hip to The Black Lips, Woven Bones and Harlem should totally dig. I first heard of these dudes from Buddyhead who called them "the only cool thing about Florida", truer words have never been spoken.

CLOUDS

Clouds - Legendary Demo

Clouds - We Are Above You

Clouds - We Are Above You Bonus LP

Clouds - New Bombs.mp3

Clouds was the brainchild of Adam McGrath (Cave In) and Jim Carroll (Hope Con, Suicide File and The A-Team). They play sludgy psych-punk with a heavy rock edge that is both melodic and punishing. After releasing their demo and the full length on Hydra Head Records the band has since called it quits, which is a shame because they seriously fucking slay. The song "New Bombs" is from a 4-song 12" that was supposed to have been released on Hydra Head (and may still), it is one of the best songs in the bands cannon and shows how truly amazing this band could be. The demo was recorded by Steve Brodsky in their practice space and everything else was put to tape by Kurt Ballou in his God City Studios.

Handsome Boy Modeling School - So...How's Your Girl?

Handsome Boy Modeling School - So...How's Your Girl?

Handsome Boy Modeling School was the collaboration between two of hip-hop's most influential producers, Dan The Automator and Prince Paul. Guests abound on this thing, most noteworthy though is Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. The real reason I'm posting this is that it makes reference to, takes its name from and samples one of the greatest television shows of all time: Get A Life starring Chris Elliott as a 30 year old paper boy.

Knut - Wonder

Knut - Wonder

This is the new album from Knut that was five years in the making. If you felt that their last one, Terraformer, was a bit of a departure for them then this is their return to form. Punishing hate-filled hardcore with dissonant riffs and pounding beats. This fucker is heavy.

Jaill - That's How We Burn

Jaill - That's How We Burn

The new one from Jaill, and their first for Sub Pop Records. I posted their previous effort, There's No Sky (Oh My My) here, which was one of my favourites from last year. Everything about this album is big; Bigger sound, bigger label, bigger choruses, bigger riffs. Great little garage-rock songs with soaring melodies, walking bass-lines and pounding drums. One of the better albums to come out on Sub Pop this year.

Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

Abe Vigoda emerged from the same L.A. scene that produced the bands No Age and Health (Skeleton was even released on Dean Spunt from No Age's PPM label). Abe Vigoda's sound has been described as arty, noisy and tropical punk music. If you like No Age, Tanlines and Male Bonding then check out this 2008 release.

Neon Neon - Stainless Style

Neon Neon - Stainless Style

Neon Neon is producer Boom Bip and Super Furry Animals' frontman Gruff Rhys. Stainless Style is a concept album about the life of automaker John De Lorean (maker on the DMC-12, the time machine in Back To The Future). The first half of the album is super catchy 80's style synth-pop, the second half is dark synth-pop (with many guest appearances from hip-hop artists including Fat Lip, Yo Majesty and members of Spank Rock). Every song brings something special to the plate, and the album as a whole is totally fucking rad.

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Tame Impala - Innerspeaker

Australian psych-rock band that is creating some serious buzz. Frontman Kevin Parker's voice reminds me of John Lennon in a big way. Musically these guys create dreamy, fuzzy and melodic psychedelic rock that sounds like Peppers-era Beatles mixed with Brian Jonestown Massacre. This beast was recorded by the band in a ramshackle beach-front studio and mixed by frequent Flaming Lips collaborator Dave Fridmann. This band makes me want to eat shrooms again.