Pissed Jeans - Your Life Is Worth Pissed Jeans (2010)

YOUR LIFE IS WORTH PISSED JEANS

Finally, something new from a band that has consistently delivered solid recordings since their forming. They claim that this release is in no way connected with any recording of a new full-length. However, I am going to disregard that and hope for something before the year is through. These two songs are fairly solid. "The L Word" is my favorite of the two. If you are unfamiliar with this band, think of My War-era Black Flag, but apathetic and middle-aged.

Sub Pop

DAUGHTERS

DAUGHTERS

Myspace // Last.fm
BUY IT!

I'm baffled -- a band whose last effort was my favorite album the year I graduated high school releasing an album four years later that still manages to fracture my skull with a jackhammer? Color me brain-damaged. (On second thought, I am still in college...)

If you loved Hell Songs, you'll love this record. Pummels just as hard and convulses just as violently. A few BPM are lost, but what you may miss in speed is definitely made up for in density. I'm bummed that they've broken up just as this is being released, but Daughters has never been a stable band, in personality or in composition -- they were more the talented and proficient do-whatever-the-fuck-we-want type. So maybe it's fitting for them to end before they lose that edge. Pretty sure Daughters will be remembered as one of those bands that was the best contemporary they had in a genre with few decent contemporaries to be had. Cheers, pricks.

Farms/Panda Teeth

Farms/Panda Teeth Split

Download it from Farms' website if the link above doesn't work.
While you're there, get their first EP, it's killer as well.

Farms: Myspace // Last.fm
Panda Teeth: Myspace // Last.fm

A split where neither band overshadows the other is hard to come by. This album fits the bill, due in part to the consistent atmosphere and energy over the course of the four songs that both bands contribute. Vacation Dad's main band, Farms, sounds like Animal Collective's live show circa Feels, but with some math-rock elements thrown in (I'm hesitant to attribute a phrase like "Battles-esque precision", but the influence is definitely there). Panda Teeth is in a noisy electronic realm of tribal rhythms and epic 8-bit synths. Kinda sounds like Street Horrrsing or Broken Ear Record. I'm pretty sure both bands are coming out with new full-lengths this year (check out their myspaces for tracks that'll be on them). If this split is an indication, they won't have any trouble getting your attention.

Drive Like Jehu

Drive Like Jehu were from San Diego. They were the first attempt that John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt! and Hot Snakes) took at making music. I prefer Drive Like Jehu to his other more notable projects. I love the sound they have. It's sludgy, almost akin to Melvins, but has a math-rock and post-hardcore feel to it, too. Some of their riffs almost remind me of Dinosaur Jr. as well. Check them out.


Drive Like Jehu (1991)



Yank Crime (1994)

Smelly Magic

The 2nd Combing

BUY IT! -- Cassette or CDr, seven and eight dollars respectively. Either way, it comes with a free 11x17 poster. Really, you can't go wrong when a free poster is involved.

"Smelly Magic is a trio. Matt Wenzel (dj wisconsin, the good old fashioned sinners), Jared Meyer (painted snake, rad vibes, m. pyres), and Matthew Sage (m. pyres, tables & chairs) take an expansive journey behind a 1/4" 8track tape machine. Focused around two large movements, this record was recorded, dubbed, overdubbed and finished in the month of September. With a sound and fidelity stretching far beyond their first recording -- "the Prim Encounter" -- Smelly Magic reaches into the pockets of noise, jazz, krautrock, postrock, ambient and tribal music to find a good hairy nugget of soul for you to suck on."

Perfect for people who miss Raccoo-oo-oon and Jackie-O Motherfucker but also like their noisy psych-rock to have a little fun.


The Prim Encounter

TV Ghost

Cold Fish

Got this because they're opening for Lightning Bolt and Black Dice on Oct 30 (pretty sweet show! I'll be there). I'm glad I did, because they're awesome. I've never listened to The Birthday Party, but this is what I would expect them to sound like if they were way inspired by Arab on Radar.

Here's a video directed by the amazing EyeBodega.
It's got boobs and creepy old black-and-white film clips!



Myspace //// Buy it!

Ari Ari - There's A New Sheriff In Town (2005)

Let me take you to the past. This is a past where I, at age 15, had no idea what noise rock was. I was attending my first local show. I was dressed in my best punk rock attire and ready to mosh to anything that sounded fast. I was dismayed when I saw this band take the stage. They all looked like anything but intense. Their singer was a frail looking girl, their guitarist had a pompadour-esque haircut and was wearing a dress shirt, and their bassist was non-existent but replaced by a keyboard. "BLASPHEMY!" was all I was thinking in my naive punk-rock filled head. However, as soon as their first static-ridden crunchy notes began pouring from the amplifier aided by the shrill cut-out screams of their attractive vocalist, I jumped out of my seat and became a fan of noise rock. I didn't know it at the time, of course. I had no idea exactly what to call the band I was listening to, all I knew is I loved it. I picked up a free sampler from their booth after the show which contained one of their songs, a song that has remained on my hard drive since that night. I have constantly searched for the EP that song came off of and have never been able to find it. Today, I finally found it for sale as a digital download. So, I purchased it, and now I want nothing more than to share this band with you. The old members are all still in bands, I guess. I haven't heard anything by them, though. Enjoy!

Download

MAY-GAPOST

Foreword: This was all written approximately six weeks ago. Thus the month pun title. I'm pretty sure I never posted it because I thought I'd get around to writing descriptions for the rest of the albums. Obviously I didn't -- until now (somewhat). Anyway, I'm leaving in the "jokes" at the beginning because I am convinced that I am "so goddamn funny".

Get it? I'd hope so, idiot. [/dwightschrute]

So yeah, second post in a row like this. Might become the standard, as far as I'm concerned. Are you concerned? Don't be. There is nothing to be concerned about. Except SWINE FLU, AMIRITE? [/topical]

This week (not to imply that I will be doing this every week) I've got nine super-hip Rock 'n' Roll albums from various corners of the world! But really, they're probably all American. Which is probably for the best!! [/xenophobe]

Japandroids - Post-Nothing - (Myspace)
All I have to say is,

Wet Hair - Dream - (Myspace)
Two dudes who formerly participated in the epic psych forest adventure band, Raccoo-oo-oon. They obviously currently reside in a bathroom, their heads in the sink, passed out and probably hallucinating. GET IT??

Little Kingdoms - The Willow EP - (Myspace)
American Football-y, Kinsella-esque. Young dudes. F'in Rad is a funky track. The rest is great too. I can't remember, but I might have put a "bonus" song in the zip.

Pterodactyl - Worldwild - (Myspace)
When I first started listening to this I came up with the following catchy descriptor: "Animal Collective meets Drive Like Jehu". I still haven't come up with anything better.

Real Estate - Atlantic City Expressway Tour CD-R - (Myspace)
Cool, lo-fi midtempo island indie jams. Guy from Ducktails is on guitar. Sweet driving tunage.

Pocahaunted - Live @ Ms. Bea's (SXSW) - (Myspace)
Quality's as good as your average Pocahaunted recording, but nothing else here is "average" Pocahaunted -- for one thing, there's way more jam than drone. This three-song set of brand new stuff is total groove central. Groove Central, I say!

Duck Duck Goose - Noise, Noise, and More Noise - (Myspace)
Every so often, a band really innovates the shit out of their genre -- nowadays, for a hardcore band, this means they have just enough imagination to make the music actually interesting. If you're like me, and you wish not all bands in the hardcore scene sounded awful and boring, go for this.

El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Cryptomnesia - (Myspace)
This album was recorded right after Mars Volta's Amputechture, and it's the most solid material Omar has released since Deloused. Don't get me wrong, I'm always a fan, but many of his solo albums are rife with filler. Maybe Zach Hill's labyrinthine drumming helped flesh this one out a bit. That's right, I said Zach Hill. Didn't you know? Get this now.

By The End of Tonight/Tera Melos - Complex Full of Phantoms (2007)

Inspired by Patrick's post. Two great bands together for one great split.

EDIT: Had to use Megaupload as Mediafire was being lame. I will try again on mediafire in a few days or something.

Download (240 kbps [VBR])
Buy

Tera Melos - Drugs to the Dear Youth

Hey dudes, STREAM/DOWNLOAD/BUY one of my favorite albums ever, recently remixed and remastered. How sweet is that vinyl? Hella sweet. Even sweeter in person. Enjoy.

Myspace

HELLA

Hold Your Horse Is (2002) 320kbps


The Devil Isn't Red (2004) V0(VBR)


Chirpin' Hard/Church Gone Wild (2005) V0(VBR)


There's No 666 in Outer Space 192kpbs

All of Hella's full lengths. If you follow this blog at all I probably shouldn't need to tell you anything about this band.

Preview on Myspace
Buy the albums.

Marnie Stern

In Advance of the Broken Arm (2007) V0(VBR), .mp3, mediafire


This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That(2008) .mp3, mediafire

ETA: KRS is really good at killing my links.

I'm not sure what to say about this woman except that she's an incredibly talented guitarist and the new album is intense. Zach Hill worked with her on the album and if you liked his solo album, you'll like her work as well. She's touring with Gang Gang Dance - go see her if she's coming to your town.

Preview on Myspace
Buy them and see tour dates

An Albatross - The Family Album (2008)

Like Daughters and The Locust, these guys were formerly associated with the "grindcore" scene. And, just as both of those bands' recent albums had shattered the constraints of that rarely accurate label by making songs over a minute or two long, so have An Albatross. This is more than the genre-bending you've come to expect from them, with the help of a bit more compositional breathing room, which mostly means that there's more to enjoy.

Preview on Myspace
DOWNLOAD
Buy it!

Deerhoof - Offend Maggie (2008)

I hate the cover art, but I'm impressed with the album itself. And sooo happy to hear more Japanese in the lyrics!

Kill Rock Stars keeps zapping my link. I'm not uploading it anymore, sorry. Try google.
Preorder it!

Deerhoof

The Return of the Wood M'Lady (1995) 192kbps


Dirt Pirate Creed (1996) 192kbps


The Man, The King, The Girl (1997) 192kbps


Holdypaws (1999) 192kbps


Koalamagic (2000) 320kbps


My Pal Foot Foot (2000) Single 256kbps


Halfbird (2001) 256kbps


Reveille (2002) 320kbps


Apple O' (2003) 320kbps


Milk Man (2004) V0(VBR)


Green Cosmos (2005) EP V0(VBR)


The Runners Four (2005) 320kbps


+81 (2006) EP V0(VBR)


Friend Opportunity (2007) 320kbps

Preview on Myspace (see tourdates also)
BUY THE ALBUMS.

Bands that you probably don't know

Here are four short releases that I've recently enjoyed.

Boy Problems - Summer Demo
This band is friends with Algernon Cadwallader. They are similar and also different. It is very good. Buy it for four dollars on their myspace.
Preview on Myspace
Try it

Automine - Padington Band 7"
This band is Avey Tare, Geologist, and Deakin (of Animal Collective) with Brendan Fowler (of BARR) and some other dude. This is three songs they recorded in 1995, presumably while they were in high school. It is very good. People on the Collected Animals board say it sounds like Pavement. There is another band I'm thinking of but I can't remember what it is.
Try it

Science Vs. Witchcraft - It's Not Necrophilia If You're Dead Too
I found out about this band through a livejournal community called Swing_Maths. HERE is the original post. It is very good. They are noisy like a slow Arab On Radar but they are melodic in a way that reminds me of The Muggabears and another band I'm thinking of but I can't remember what it is. If you buy the EP for six dollars, you also get a ridiculous text adventure game for free.
Preview on Myspace
Try it

Sleep Bellum Sonno - 2008 Demo
This band is a band that I know personally because they are from Long Island. One time they had alcohol at a house and I drank some of it. They are a lot better live but these five songs are still worth listening to. They remind me of On The Might Of Princes but also another band I'm thinking of but I can't remember what it is.
Preview on Myspace
Try it

My America Is Watching Tigers Die - Stone Age (2008)

In the vein of early Botch and Refused, or Fear Before circa Art Damage. That's really all I need to say, unless you want me to use some keyword like "angular" or "dissonant". There are no gimmicks here, just dirt and energy.

Preview on Myspace
DOWNLOAD
Buy it!

BONUS- This 7" record they did in 2007.
30,000 LBS

AIDS Wolf - Cities Of Glass (2008)

This sounds like their other stuff except a bit evil. Here's a post from their blog with pictures of the artwork for the LP, it's really gnarly.

Preview on Myspace
[Download link removed at the request of band member.]
BUY IT!
(comes with free poster and pin!)

Zach Hill - Astrological Straits (2008)

Zach Hill plays drums and occupies an infinity existence plane
He has done these thing in band called Hella and other

Preview on Myspace
Try it -
Buy it!

Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual (2008)

Like if Ecstatic Sunshine was a full band, except ridiculous, and then got really ridiculous. Dustin Wong was actually in both bands, but left Ecstatic Sunshine to focus on Ponytail full-time. Singer Molly Siegel probably doesn't know how to speak English, or if she does, she just chooses to sing using nonsensical syllables and every odd sound that her mouth can make. This is an amazing thing.

Preview on Myspace
Try it
Buy it!