7.3.10

ASG












I read an interview a couple years ago with Rwake vocalist C.T. about his southern metal documentary (Slow Southern Steel) and he talked this band up huge so I knew I had to hear them, and they fucking slay. ASG plays a mixture of punk rock, stoner rock, hard rock and southern boogie metal. Their two most recent full-length records (Feeling Good and Win Us Over) were produced by Matt Hyde and he makes everything sound absolutely huge, especially the guitars. Win Us Over is basically a perfect record, so catchy and so heavy. If you're into Torche, Kyuss, and Queens Of The Stone Age then get into ASG.

5.3.10

Sharks Keep Moving



Sharks Keep Moving - Self Titled





These albums can be found elsewhere in the Internet, but I wanted to post them here because if you don't know Sharks Keep Moving, you should. It's Jake Snyder from Minus the Bear playing guitar and singing whenever there are vocals, and the vocals can be sparse. Also members of Kill Sadie, Pretty Girls Make Graves and more. The self titled record was recorded live-off-the-floor by Matt Bayles (formerly of Minus the Bear) and sounds amazing. I first heard the song "Third Instrumental" back in 2000 in a skateboard video; 411 issue 50. Where is was credited as "Open Bay". Thanks for introducing me to many great bands 411.

3.3.10

Fang Island








Fang Island play super intense/rad/catchy/mathy instrumental rock. The new self titled album just came out on Sargent House Records (Russian Circles, Tera Melos, This Town Needs Guns) and it totally slays. For the first time they've added vocal parts to more than just one song-per-release and its totally killer (still mostly just woah-ohs and chanted vocals though). If you dig Wildcatting, The Fucking Champs and AWK then you'll eat this up. I was a fan of the band before, but this new release is fucking next-level awesome, especially the guitars. They are both more melodic and intricate. Some of the dueling guitar parts remind my of Thin Lizzy in a big way.

2.3.10

The Forms - Icarus




Debut album (EP? It's only 18 minutes long) produced by Steve Albini from this Brooklyn indie band. This thing is a lot rawer than the follow-up self titled album (posted here). I love this band and wish that I had heard of them a lot sooner. These guys have recorded a new EP that singer Alex Tween says is their strongest material yet and I can't wait to hear it.

The Futureheads








These Brits fucking rule. The debut self-titled album is one of the best albums of the last 10 years. The band kind of lost me with the sophomore album News And Tributes, thats not to say is sucks, it just wasn't as good as the debut. The band returned to form on This Is Not The World which was easily in my top ten of 2008. The Futureheads take the punk sounds of The Buzzcocks and The Jam and mixes it with the frantic energy of Gang Of Four and the vocal harmonies of XTC.

VHS Or Beta








Dance rock band originally from Louisville, Kentucky. I saw these guys when they opened for the Secret Machines in Detroit and they blew me away. The debut Le Funk is instrumental and sounds like Daft Punk songs played with live instruments, so if you dig French disco you'll love it. On Night On Fire the band sound like Duran Duran with The Cure's Robert Smith singing. On Bring On The Comets the band stops trying to write epic dance jams, and instead writes concise and catchy pop numbers. It reminds me of late 80's XTC mixed with early 90's Depeche Mode(when they went alternative and started using guitars).

Foreign Born








Great indie rock band out of Los Angeles. Mix Slowdive and Interpol with Echo And The Bunnymen and you've got Foreign Born. Each release has been handled by a different label: Star Time Intl., Dim Mak, and Secretly Canadian. These guys write big indie rock anthems that only a sociopath couldn't love.

28.2.10

The Hold Steady - A Positive Rage




Live album released last April. It was recorded at the tail end of the Boys And Girls In America touring cycle, so it's heavy on songs from that album. There is a rad version of the Stay Positive outtake/bonus track "Ask Her For Adderall" on here as well, and key tracks from Almost Killed Me and Separation Sunday.


As an added bonus here is The Hold Steady's version of the Bruce Springsteen track "Atlantic City" off his Nebraska album. The song was recorded for the War Child Presents: Hereos comp that was released last year.

27.2.10

Good Vibrations Box Set













What can I say here. A nice little 5 disc set from my all-time favourite band. This box set was released in 1993 and chronicles 30 years of the Beach Boys' music. It's all here, everything from the 1963 "Surfin" demo all the way up to 1988's #1 smash hit "Kokomo". Disc 2 contains a bunch of previously unreleased Smile tracks that really illustrate the genius of Brian Wilson. Sure Brian became a drug-crazed maniac, but only after his cousin Mike Love totally crushed his ego by derailing the Smile sessions in 1967. Mike Love robbed the world of one of it's greatest songwriters and voices, and for that he can never be forgiven. Fuck Mike Love.

26.2.10

Sweet Apple - Do You Remember?




This is just one song (from the forthcoming album titled Love & Desperation due April 20th from Tee Pee Records), but man is it ever fucking awesome. It's all I've been listening to this week. John Petrovik (vocals/guitar) and Tim Parnin (guitar) both from Cobra Verde along with Dave Sweetapple (bass) from Witch and J. Mascis (vocals/guitar/drums) playing tight fucking power-pop. If this song is any indication, then this is going to be one of the year's best albums. I can't wait for this album to be released.

25.2.10

In Cold Blood



































Back in the day Victory Style 2 & 3 were pretty much the bible to me and my friends. This is a golden nugget of Clevo hardcore that i was first introduced to on Victory Style 3. You know after hearing "Hell On Earth" again I think I'm going to have to side with Cleveland over New York.

24.2.10

Thin Lizzy
















The best band to ever come out of Dublin, Ireland (fuck U2). The only black man the Irish people love more than Phil Lynott is Jesus Christ. Phil was the fucking man and he wrote some of the 70's most killer jams. The twin guitar assault of Brian Robertson and Phil Gorham (that would become the bands calling card) was in place by 1975's Fighting LP, and the following year the band released their magnum opus Jailbreak. Fuck is that album ever good. The guitar lines are fucking incredible, Phil's bass playing is next-level and drummer Brian Downey holds it all together with his hard-hitting style (and just the right amount of flash). Jailbreak is the perfect slab of 70's hard rock that was often imitated but never duplicated, even by Thin Lizzy. Thats not to say that the albums following Jailbreak sucked, they just struggled in the vast shadow of the album. That said every album (before and after Jailbreak) has it's moment of greatness.

This is by no means a complete discography of the band. They had a couple albums before and after that are worth checking out. Presented here is my favourite era of the band, from 1973 to 1979. From when they started getting good (Vagabonds), to when they started to drop off (after the Live And Dangerous LP).

23.2.10

Leatherface - The Stormy Petrel




If you're at all familiar with Leatherface you'll already know that they are one one the best and most influential punk rock bands. Ever. They've been together since 1988 and have released 8 full lengths, a number of 7"s, and several side projects. This being their newest release (it came out today), I'm still not sure how I feel about this album. It contains one song ("Isn't Life Just Sweet") that was recorded as an instrumental for, I believe, the BYOB Hot Water Music split, but was never included on the actual record.

Knapsack








Dark, dynamic and catchy indie rock. These guys released three amazing albums on Alias Records (home to Archers Of Loaf). Sergie Loobkoff from Samiam joined the band after the release of the Day Three Of My New Life album. After Knapsack called it quits frontman Blair Shehan started The Jealous Sound. I've heard that Blair has become a shut-in in recent years, essentially going bat-shit crazy. I guess that would explain why there hasn't been any activity in the Jealous Sound camp for quite some time. Regardless, these three albums are all classic mid 90's emo/indie that should be heard and loved by everyone.

Solea








Garret Klahn from Texas Is The Reason and Sergie Loobkoff from Samiam/Knapsack (with Scott McPherson from Sense Field on drums) creating huge-sounding guitar rock. I saw these guys opening up for The Exit/Murder By Death in Hamtramck, Michigan before the S/T was released and they were fucking flawless. They sound like what you'd expect them to: Anthemic indie rock with the energy of punk and hooks for fucking days. These guys wrote some seriously catchy jams.

22.2.10

Seam










Indie band formed in 1991 by former Bitch Magnet frontman Sooyoung Park (along with Lexi Mitchell also of Bitch Magnet). The first incarnation of the band had Superchunk leader Mac McCaughan on drums. Over the course of their existence Seam was plagued by line-up changes and internal friction which lead to the their early demise. Seam utilized the quiet/loud formula of the Pixies and mixed it with revolution-summer era D.C. bands. If you dig The Promise Ring, Rites Of Spring and Superchunk then check these guys out, you won't be disappointed.

21.2.10

The Afghan Whigs
















The Afghan Whigs were one of the first non-Seattle bands signed to Sub-Pop Records (after they self-released their debut Big Top Halloween). Frontman Greg Dulli not only has one of the best voices in rock and roll, he is also one of the best lyricists. The bands sound almost defies categorization, they mix post-punk with grunge and soul to create a totally original and unique sound. After the Congregation album the band signed to Elektra Records and released their most popular album Gentlemen, which contained the hit "Debonair". After Gentlemen the band moved into darker and slower territory before breaking up in 2001. They reformed in 2006 to record two new songs for the best-of Unbreakable. During their existence they recorded a number of covers (most of them being classic soul songs from the 60's), my favourite being their version of The Clash's "Lost In The Supermarket".