Sleeping Bag

Bandcamp

From Bloomington, Indiana, Sleeping Bag presents a 1990s alternative rock sound reminiscent of acts like The Pixies, Built To Spill and Weezer. Dave Segedy, who is the main songwriter, takes drums and vocal duties live, while David Woodruff and Lewis Rogers fill in on guitar and bass. Their sound relies on tight, catchy, and simplistic melodies paired with Segedy's fun, relatable lyrics delivered in a soft and reserved manner. Sleeping Bag is set to play alongside the likes of Ty Segall, Beach Fossils, and The War on Drugs during this year's WIUX Culture Shock, an annual free festival of sorts that happens in the spring. Culture Shock is put on by WIUX, the college radio station here at Indiana University. Click the bandcamp link above for streams of a few tracks that will eventually be made available through a full length. I also encourage you to try to catch any of the number of shows they have been playing lately.

last.fm

Beach Fossils

SELF-TITLED FULL LENGTH

Click here for track 8, "Window View," if it's corrupted in the link above.

This is almost too good to be true -- at long last, the full-length debut of a band that I think about name-dropping roughly every three posts to describe another band has arrived. The album I haven't been able to stop anticipating since the first notes of "Daydream" licked my ears like a tide coming in and a foam seems to rise right out of where the sand meets the water and then you squint up and see orange and purple smudges just above the horizon and you remember sorbet Push-Up Pops with the Flintstones on the package and then you remember light refracting and how comforting the science behind sunsets is.

Wait, where was I? Oh yeah. One of the most deservedly buzzed-about bands last year, whose only other release to date is a 7" and whose hazy surf-pop gems have been slowly trickling one-by-one out of rifts between HTML codes since last summer, finally has something more substantial for hungry listeners to prematurely nibble on -- or swallow whole. This thing doesn't even have a release date, official artwork or a tracklisting yet (EDIT: nevermind, I numbered the tracks and posted a new link), but that doesn't matter -- like any other album this good, the music speaks for itself.

Thanks to the angels at Late For School for somehow getting their hands on this.

Myspace // Last.fm
Buy it!

Gauntlet Hair

(link contains all three songs from their myspace)

I'm too in love not to post this. If you haven't heard this band via GvB or P4K yet, you're in for a surprise. Listen to the track "I Was Thinking..." via everyone's fav bilingual blog or on their myspace (link below). When I posted it on my tumblr earlier, I described it as "a snowball made of sunlight and wrapped in glass, floating in a hall of reverb. It probably also has a Cadbury Creme center, for all I know."

The story so far is that they apparently played Todd P's MtyMx festival and blew a lot of people away. They sound like a cross between Japandroids and Band Of Horses. No one knows much about them, except they're two dudes from Colorado and they're apparently writing their debut right now.

Myspace // Last.fm

Melt Day

This is that split between Glass Buds (a.k.a. Pawlic) and Orchard Thief. It's as awesome as you could have imagined. Glass Buds' side calls to mind an ambient bizarro version of Kickball, and Orchard Thief's contribution is like Beach Fossils and Atlas Sound in a slow-motion light cycle race. The whole thing is streaming on their respective myspaces.

Orchard Thief :: Myspace // Last.fm
Glass Buds :: Myspace // Last.fm

Here We Go Magic - Tunnelvision (Live)

Soooo I didn't expect myself to want to post this so soon, but wow! I came across it while thinking about making a "Best Live Acts of 2009" post, and just couldn't contain myself. This song live is as epic as the fact that they are performing in front of a huge boat. No, it is more epic. Imagine they are performing on the boat, and it is a Viking boat on its way to discovering Iceland, and then they encounter a portal into another dimension, or something. I don't understand how this video only has three-hundred-something views.



If their new songs are any indication (they played maybe four*, I think, when I saw them two months ago), and if they release an album in 2010, I can't imagine a world in which they do not become huge.

*Sadly, there is no Youtube evidence of this. Total bummer.

P.S. I almost forgot -- Noisevox also has several other videos from this show up on Youtube and they are all Olivia-Wilde-goddamn-beautiful. Check them out.

Vacations

I WAS BIKINI / BUT RAIN AFRAID

I was originally going to post this for the amazing non sequitur album title. Then I was going to post this because it features Bobby Burg of my favorite Joan Of Arc Family band, The Love Of Everything. It also features two members of the somewhat Joan of Arc related band Chin Up Chin Up that broke up some time ago and whom I admit I never was totally into (awkward sentence structure ftw). Then I was going to post it because I started listening and was all like, holy smokes, this is actually really good. And then I remembered, damn, last time I posted something from Record Label it was taken down by Mediafire.

And then something amazing happened. I visited their Myspace and made the incredible discovery that they are offering the album on a pay-what-you-want basis. Fate has been kind to us today, folks.

Oh yeah, and if you're wondering what it sounds like -- kind of a cross between the aforementioned bands and then some Ukulele.

Surfer Blood

Astro Coast
Pre-Order
These guys are super fun indie/surf rock from Florida. Saw them play with a bunch of hardcore bands, which was odd, but they were well received. I encourage you guys to get this album when it is re-released in January on Kanine. This is their self-produced cut.

(S)up(?)date, Upd(So very l)ate, Upd(new m)ate(s).

Pretty sure I speak for the entire "Stratosphering Team" (lolz) when I say that college is a really, really busy time. Sorry dudes. I'm trying, though! (See, aren't I posting right now? That must count for something.) I think about you every day. It's just that my phone has been on the fritz, and, oh my god, the other night, I was literally just about to call you, and then I remembered there was this paper I had to write, and... well, I just want you to know, I'm here for you, no matter what. I still love you baby... wait, this is Amanda, right? Oops. Aaaaawwwwkkward.

Anyway, I keep returning to this goddamn place (which somehow manages to continue attracting more "followers"! Thanks dudes!) because I'm noticing that there aren't really many blogs that are still consistent in their coverage of "semi-mainstream" (but still "edgy", or "hip") indie leaks as well as upcoming bands with like five listeners on last.fm. Not saying there aren't any blogs like that, but they're way harder to find than they were about a year ago. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places? (Then again, there's also the matter of blogs getting shut down -- because, you know, posting free music, without permission, and all that...)

Oh, right. This post isn't just about me. It's about you, Amanda dear readers! Without feather adew, Here are some links I've had for a while, but nary the time to post them - UNTIL TODAY.

Actually, right before I get started, I just want to mention that this post (and, erm, the font change) was partially if not entirely inspired by BUTTER x FACE, a blog I found on some other blog's blogroll (can't remember which one! bummer), that has apparently been mentioned on Pitchfork (pretty legit), and also has been linking to Stratosphering for who knows how long without asking for anything in return. In any case, I spent my entire morning downloading shit from there, and so far all of it is killer. I might post some of it here eventually. I basically figured I owed them a new post for reppin' us, so here it is, you know? Those ladies probably have all this shit already, though -- that's how cool they are. And, ladies: If you're reading this, I'm single.



Desolation Wilderness - New Universe - (Myspace/BUY HERE) - You're probably anticipating a full-length album from Real Estate as much as I am. That's forthcoming, right? Anyway, this should tide you over - reminds me of them, mixed with somewhat of a "nu-gaze" (that's a trendy new genre, right?) influence, but mostly this is just high-quality dreamy indie. I'm listening to this album right now, and all I can think about is this time last year, when I was still in community college, going on field trips to the beach with my Oceanography class. And walking all the way up the staircase to the top of the lighthouse behind this one girl with a really great butt. That was a good day.



Gold Panda - (Myspace / BUY HERE) - this link contains both Before and Miyamae EP. No Quitter's Raga, though. Sounds like scratchy samples and sweet heavy beats. According to last.fm, very similar to...



Teengirl Fantasy - CD-R - (Myspace) - I won't lie, I actually discovered both Teengirl Fantasy and Gold Panda through their respective "Rising" features on Pitchfork. Sue me, dude. In contrast with the GP's chill lo-fi nature, TgF is way busier, and almost more immediately party-able - which isn't to say it is more accessible. Maybe I sound like I'm trying too hard to describe this, so I'm going to stop now. Note: That's probably not the real cover art.



Hey!Tonal - Hey!Tonal - (Myspace / BUY HERE) - Pretty ridiculous collab. Cut-and-paste drums from Kevin Shea, who I am familiar with through his work with Storm and Stress. The guitar sounds were devised by Dave Davidson, of Maps & Atlases, and Theo Katsounis, who has played with Joan of Arc. They were also cut-and-pasted, as well as overdubbed, and the result is almost disorienting in its complexity. Kinda lends the recording an IDM-esque quality. I'm tempted to say the album veers toward the noisy side of math-rock, but there are nice twinkly parts as well. Most of the noise actually comes from Kevin Shea. I heard he has, like, five arms. Underhyped.



Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport - (Myspace / BUY HERE) - Overhyped? Probably. IDC, man - it's still totally killer. Like a noisy version of the Field, or Bromst but without vocals. Or possibly the only similarity between the three is that they all employ repetition to an effect that is no less than mind-altering. If you're getting GP and TgF, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't get this.

9/17 Megapost

Sure, I'm late with some of these, but aren't they all good records? And doesn't that goodness last beyond the "discovery" stage? I'd like to think so.

I tried to make this a noise/electronic post, but Bibio offered me an opportunity to transition into a few links I've been meaning to post for a while. Enjoy.

Eric Copeland - Alien In A Garbage Dump - Full length! Not the vinyl-only EP that was released last year. This album is that EP and the recently released companion EP, Al Anon (also vinyl-only). Pretty amazing. Buy the CD from Paw Tracks, or the Al Anon twelve-inch from Catsup Plate (only 500 copies pressed!).

High Wolf - Animal Totem - Killer cassette released last year (?) on Not Not Fun Records. Tropical loop noise.

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue - Folk and IDM? In the best way possible, this dude on Warp Records marries the two. I don't know why I'm suddenly name-dropping all these record labels.

Ganglians - Monster Head Room - Part of that whole "lo-fi" thing, but ultimately, the songwriting here makes you forget it was likely recorded in someone's basement. Kinda like Beach Boys, Fleet Foxes, Woods. Buy the CD from Woodsist.

Hermit Thrushes - Slight Fountain - Maybe I'm off my rocker here, but this band reminds me of, like, if maybe Cough-era Black Eyes (I've spent about 10 minutes trying to find a better band for this analogy, but nothing else works) was really tired, so they turned off the distortion and invited Phil Elverum over to sing a little, and then all of them realized that Joan of Arc was pretty good. Buy the CD here.

Segue

More to come? Depends on campus upload times.

Stag Hare - Black Medicine Music - dream psych jungle.
Volcano Choir - Unmap - i'm not a fan of Bon Iver. this, however, is sweet. <--(dead link)
Wet Hair - Glass Fountain - gurgle organ synth with drum and wild vox.
White Denim - Fits - summer funk. sleepy blues.
Why? - Eskimo Snow - more orchestral and melodic than prior ventures. my favorite why? album.
Circulatory System - Signal Morning - fuzzy psych-pop perfection.
Lightning Bolt - Earthly Delights - frantic drums, pummel bass, meganoise, melt your face.
Atlas Sound - Logos - you know.
Bygones - by- - Zach Hill + Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) = Techthrashmathlove.
Cold Cave - Love Comes Close - dark synth electro from Wes Eisold.

Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist (2009)

Comes out July 21st. Pretty good stuff. I like Censored Colors a bit more, though, I think.

Download
Buy it!

ULTRAPOST2

Okay, I guess it's been long enough, and boy (or girl), have I got some tunes for you. I hate to present them like this, but really, I don't. Enjoy the noise.

Magic Markers - Balf Quarry (192 kbps [VBR])
Myspace
A few of the tracks here are like nothing they've ever done before, in such a good way. And yeah, this is probably their best release so far.

Nodzzz - Nodzzz (320 kbps)
Myspace
Quick, summery noise-pop. This is how No Age would have sounded in the 80's. Totally recommended, obviously.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains (256 kbps)
Myspace
Half of these dudes are my age, and they already got "best new music" from Pitchfork. Here I am sitting on my ass blogging about it. This is some pretty transcendental indie-rock. Kind of sounds like Arcade Fire and Titus Andronicus, but that really does it no justice.

Magic People - You Are The Magic People (256 kbps [VBR])
Myspace
Kind of a spoken-word, mewithoutYou-style vocal, but there's no guitar involved, only analog synth and awesome distorted bass. I got addicted to this album while playing Donkey Kong Country 2.

Inverness - Forest Fortress (128 kbps)
Myspace (includes sendspace link to 320 kbps version)
Kind of a spacey, underwater Deerhunter/Atlas Sound feel. But more expansive, in a post-rock way, in that it'll make you almost forget about the impending apocalypse by predicting something entirely more painless. Plus, they're from Brazil. How exotic is that? Makes you want to jump into the South Atlantic and find out how deep they went to record this.

Pocahaunted - Passage (128 kbps)
Myspace
Another sweet, swirling set of tribal slow jams from the best of them. If anyone has a better quality version, help me out!

Snowing - Fuck Your Emotional Bullshit (320 kbps)
Myspace
Killer five-song EP from ex-members of Street Smart Cyclist and Boy Problems. If you don't remember them, think about Cap'n Jazz, Algernon Cadwallader, Braid, etc. I also get a shout out on one of the tracks: "I did some funny things with my best friend Patrick." John, I'm honored. Really.

Kickball - ABCDEFGHIJKickball (192 kbps)
Myspace
I've seriously been meaning to post this for over a year, no joke. It's kind of like minimalistic post-punk, with a vaguely Bobby Burg-esque vocal. Erm, yeah. They're friends with Paul Baribeau, if that helps you. Did I mention it might also change your life?

I was gonna post the new Dirty Projectors album, Bitte Orca, as well. But since they're on Domino now, I guess the links for it have been taken down just about everywhere. If I were to post it, though, I'd have to be pretty clever about it.

The Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice - Moon Colony Bloodbath (2009)

This is an EP released on a tour The Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice recently completed together. Vanderslice is a pretty boring, if not really awful artist, but I was impressed with these songs when I saw them live and excited to see them finally find their way to the internet.

Download, 192kbps

Skeletons

Due to the fact that this band has been graced with a major label, I cannot give you the entire album. However, I can give you a link to stream a reallllllly great song from it!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons

It's the first one.

Deerhunter Live @ Noise Pop 2009

This is pretty recent, posted on Youtube a little more than a week ago. Maybe you've seen it already anyway. Four new songs are in here. Pretty good audio quality, even if the video is somewhat lacking. Go to the Youtube page for the rest of the setlist.

The Appleseed Cast

Myspace
Buy!

Hermit Thrushes - Benaki (2008)

As promised. This band really knows how to treat its fans; not only did I get this full-length and their 7" split with Br'er (totally recommended, by the way) for only ten bucks, but they threw in a solo disc recorded by Andrew Keller, singer/guitarist, as well. Not to mention a hand-written note, letting me know about their next full-length (to be released before summer!), and a nice little sticker with their logo on it. Oh, also, did I mention how fucking neat this album is? Yeah. It's pretty neat. Trust me.

Myspace/Buy It!
Download (320kbps)

The War On Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues (2008)

Myspace
Download
Buy it!

Dianogah x2

Preview on Myspace
Buy buy!

Hey this band is pretty good they got two dudes that play bass so it's got a nice jazzy post-rock feel like old Tortoise ya dig???

Millions of Brazilians (2002)

qhnnl (2008)

Deerhunter - On Platts Eyott Island (2008)

This recent and limited cassette release was recorded on September 15. It was meant as a tribute to John Peel, or something. Like, all the studio equipment was old, and stuff. Six of the seven tracks are reworked versions of existing Deerhunter songs, including Spring Hall Convert, Backspace Century, and four from Microcastle.

Stream the whole thing HERE.
DOWNLOAD