lotte kestner - china mountain

lotte kestner is the solo project of trespassers william’s singer-songwriter anna-lynne williams. this is a pretty delicate record, and i definitely have to be in the right mood to listen to it - when in the right mood though, what a record! the first song is one of the saddest things ever, and it kinda sets the tone for the rest of an album. try mashing together joanna newsom and will oldham or something, and you might be close to what this sounds like. its pretty sparse; mostly just her voice and guitar (with the odd melodica and quiet woodwind instrument), but her voice is so sublime that she could get away with it completely a cappella. do not expect any urgency here. this is very gentle. very slow. like creaking floorboards. some heartache. some optimism. a bit like floating. it is a grower, and something you need to give attention. away you go...somewhere on your little shimmering boat.... cccrrrssshhhhbbbuuuuuhhh (the sound of waves, ya know? ya know!). “fainted twice / once like butterflies / and once like ice.” lovely.

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funeral diner - yeah, you remember that

you will not find me posting much screamo. in fact, this will probably be it. mainly because screamo is dead - europe killed it - my interest slowly waning as somewhere, some french dude is jaming repetitive octaves for seven minutes. even bands like funeral diner test my patience sometimes... i can remember always struggling to sit through the underdark. but. but but but. this song (yeah i know, just uploading one song. so what) from the welcome the plague year 7" split is probably the best modern 'screamo' song (in my opinion etc...blah). its got the totally INTENSE pummeling crunching all out kick in the balls attack mode riffage; the breakdown; the quiet sobbing ("...as if bleeding was even enough for you!"); and the off the chart epic punch in face ending that makes you want to cave your own face in. this is repetitive without being boring. inspirational without being tacky. relentless in its complete attack on the senses (and emotion) but without taking the listener for granted.

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(i think its oop - prove me wrong and buy it somewhere)

ethel meserve - the milton abandonment

"Ethel Meserve was the name of a store on Allen Street in downtown State College, PA run by a woman of the same name. She ran the store for several decades selling various knick-knacks, home furnishings, lamps, candles etc. In the early to mid-90's, shortly after the band formed, she stopped running it herself when she became too old to manage her business. The store finally closed in the late 90's while the lady was close to a 100 years old, and the band itself found its end in 1998. Ethel Meserve = name of store = name of woman = name of band."

i remember i bought this cd pretty blindly from tree records (one of the best labels ever?). GOOD CHOICE. this band have done a handful of 7"s (yadin's hair is probably my favourite thing they've done), appeared on some comps too (post marked stamps), but this is kinda 'the' release. lincoln, hoover, boys life, drive like jehu, slint, native nod, june of 44, fugazi, 90s emo. - if you like this, get this. in fact, yeah, if i had to compare this record to another it would be departures and landfalls by boys life. it has the same tone/feeling. some quiet\loud moments. those total punch the air THIS FEELS GOOD moments too. the whole record starts and end with some cello. neat, huh. unfortunately tree records went bust a while ago. ken was getting rid of stock cheaply through the webstore for a while and then ebay, but now i have no idea where you'd pick this up. pretty essential though.

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also, if anyone has rips of the 7"s please let me know. thanks!

a day in black and white - notes

so i've been superbad at uploading lately, very sorry! hopefully i'll get a decent amount of stuff done over the holidays. anyway, a day in black and white were (indefinite hiatus) a D.C rock band. skramz kids went crazy for their first record ('cowboys...'), so this one kinda panned because it was so different and didn't have gutty screaming, big build ups, and OCTAVE guitar. this kinda sucked because this record is much better. its more mature, the recording is absolutely spot ON, and there is a certain (D.C) groove that has been missing from modern hardcore/emo. this sounds like it was released by dischord..., even if it was put out by level plane. i think that's what put a lot of people off this record when it came out. it sounds more like fugazi or q and not u (even sonic youth) than city of caterpillar. produced by kurt ballou it has some of the best sounding drums i've heard. damn! and ok, i have to admit there are a one or two duff tracks on this. sometimes it kicks into some pretty predictable and lazy patterns, but by keeping this record short (30 minutes) you don't get bored. so one or two duff tracks yes, but jeezzzo there are some seriously seriously SERIOUSLY max-out-woah songs on this that will get you so pumped. a literal tale, lame duck, a good turn (!!!), roland's right (bass is so tight on this one. so is the ending). MAN! these guys know how to write a song. so yeah, get this record. it sucks they kinda faded away without much credit for notes cos this slays like a major.

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buy cd/lp ($6/$8!!)
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noumenon - discography

noumenon is a mathy, fun band from chicago, il. unlike a lot of math bands from chicago, these guys are still around and playing shows. if you're into bands such as native or piglet or anything along those lines, check em out.

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harrison bergeron - dead bergeron

harrison bergeron is a hardcore band from pennsylvania. they were around in 2005-2006 and made this one demo, "dead bergeron", it has 6 songs on it, and they're not in the best of quality, but this band rules so hard, i just wouldn't recommend trying to blast this out of shitty car speakers, cause you probably won't hear anything. "darkness washed over the dude" is one of the best things i've heard. anyway, the members of this went on to be in street smart cyclist, storm the bastille, get to the chopper and boy problems. they toured on the east coast with make me in 2006, and probably should have been a band longer. i would recommend listening to all of the bands that came from them though.

listen to it

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orwell - discography

well, orwell was a band from chicago, il in the 90s. to be more specific, april '95 - may '96. members included bob nanna, sean o'brien, demetrio maguigad, and billy smith. aka members of braid, friction, gainer, hubcap, the city on film, the sky corvair, traitors, etcetc. they didn't play a whole lot of shows, and they only have 9 songs, only three of which were actually released. "angular momentum" was on the "direction" compilation and "4242" was on another compilation called "emo shcmeemo" which you might be able to find on ebay if you really try. and "bandsaw architecture" which was on the "ground rule double" compilation. these guys rule and this is a must have if you're into braid or friction or whathaveyou. sometimes the stars hit me like racecars.....

listen to them

try it out

and then buy it! (if you can find it..)

february stars union - adults are threatening creatures

there isn't a lot that i can find on this band other than the fact that they were from illinois and were around in the 90s. also i really dig the female/male vocalist thing.

i actually found out about them from mitch's blog but i'm re-upping it because it's pretty awesome and i really want more people to hear this. more bands should sound like this.

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kickball - abcdefghijkickball

this album rules, this group rules. they're full of energy, and their music couldn't prove this more. they're from portland, washington and still love playing in basements. taking an excerpt from a review from a portland newspaper: "The trio creates its own energy with frantic, schizophrenic disco beats that drive adventurous basslines and start-stop buzzsaw guitar?the whole mess of which can juggernaut from sexy, bleeding-heart dance funk into soaring, ecstatic Arcade Fire-style choruses before your oft-shaking ass can tell the difference." yeah. enough said?

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listen to it/buy it

the love of everything - ghosts and friends

the love of everything is definitely one of my favorite bands, and this has to be one of my favorite albums of 2009. filled with bobby burg's (from joan of arc etc) off-key singing and looped guitar strummings, this album is perfect for everything. "safety first" is one of the best tracks on here, as well as "i love all you guys slow" (which is also on the split with mount eerie, i highly recommend getting this split asap, even though i think it's out of print now). so if you want to listen to a record which i can promise you has plenty of chimes, bleeps and bloops, then this album is pretty perfect.

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buy (ps, i think this has the split with mount eerie back in stock!)

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park ave - when jamie went to london... we broke up

this very short lived project of kids from omaha, nebraska still seems to have a pretty big fanbase. this is mostly because conor oberst was in this band, as well as the drummer from the faint and two girls who later went on to play in tilly and the wall. but also, this album is actually really adorable. this band actually broke up because jamie went to london (hence the title of this album). but before this happened they released a split 7" with the wrens on saddle creek records and then this record, which went out of print shortly after released, but conor oberst re-released this album on his own label in '06. this is really good to listen to when you're in the mood to listen to some really cute indie pop songs with spaceship noises and off-key singing. fun fact: none of the girls in the band knew how to play their instruments prior to being in this band. but this is still a cute album, nonetheless.

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the firebird band - the setting sun and its satellites

sorry again for the lack of posts. lindsay and i are crackin' down at school and haven't had a lot of time to update this. priorities, y'know? however, this blog is not dead, not gone forever, shall live on!

okayokayokay, the firebird band. where should i begin? well, they're from chicago. reason enough to listen to them, right? greatestcityonearthblahblah. also, it's chris broach... you know... braid... his brother was also in the band, and they were originally called the firebird "suite" but after braid broke up this turned into a full-time sort of deal. these songs are absolutely gorgeous. "gift" is probably one of the best songs i have ever heard, just reminds me of christmas so much, and it's a great song for playing on those chilly mornings. nothing not dance party is a little more upbeat. "they caught you dreamin', they caught you sleepin' again." also, "the way to go sound on sound" might be a favorite off of this album. "three months in chicago keeps you pretty....." maybe this band is just a chicago thing, but check it out.

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apologies for the lack of music. both of us are pretty heavy under with work. i don't know about delia, but i am completing my dissertation for my final year at university as well as getting prepared for january exams. expect a lot more music over christmas when we're too lazy to work though!

tree hopping - a hospital

tree hopping is another one of those fun bands from florida (like previously mentioned forest clay and totally nebular, so i'm imagining if you like both of those, you will probably like this as well). i can't really think of any other words to describe this album as anything other than "so dang cute". it's got some strings. it's got some sticks. it's got some other fun noises thrown in there and it makes you want to lay on your floor all day as the sun shines through your window hitting your face just the right way. the myspace has all of the albums to download, but here's this one anyway, just 'cause. most of these songs are 1 to 2 minutes long, but it's perfect anyway. personally my favorite song is "k hospital" but i can't think of a song you would skip on this record. take a long drive, hug a kitten, clean your room! this album will make you dance in your chair.

overall: fun/10

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take a listen, download the rest of the albums

pretend - bones in the soil, rust in the oil

this album is up there with my favorite albums of 2009, so far. if you're into the whole twinkly-guitar sound, you should definitely check this out. when i listen to them i can't stop thinking about american football (or maybe penpal, marquette, etc) for some reason. they have that soft sound, but their songs still seem powerful and emotional, not to mention long, but still not boring. Those Luminous Noises Are God is probably one of the best songs i've heard in a while. especially around 2:03, oh my gooooodness, and then the vocals kick in and the little chimes and it makes me want to melt. rumor has it they cover "honestly" by american football, and i would be so stoked to get my hands on a recording of that, or make it out to california to see it. i guess this is the only release they put out so far, but i could only imagine they're going to put out even radder things in the future.

overall: 9/10

buy this!!!

listen to it

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cheval de frise - sans titre

a french math rock duo with an amped-up acoustic guitar and drummer. listen to these key signatures go nuts.

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the union ares (ex-kolya)

so i've only really got a hold of these tracks. kolya are one of my favourite bands. i remember when i first heard the LP i was kinda giddy. it was like hearing native nod for the first time (if you haven't heard kolya or native nod, i guess its kinda 'rhythmic' 90s emo). pretty gnarly. i think the 7"'s might even be better but whatever. they split up shortly after the release of their self-titled album and faded away pretty fast. this band, the union ares, is guitarist todd giles and bassist craig schechter. Apparently todd also playing in a bluegrass band called poverty line old time band, but i really have no idea. anyway - i picked up these tracks from andy sncl somewhere i can't remember. its 4 tracks. 2 recorded and 2 apparently live tracks from the fallout shelter (quality is pretty good). its worth downloading for the first track alone really. the bit at 3:11 is soooo good.

there appears to be pretty much no information about this band anywhere on the net.

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tar...feathers - make way for the ocean floor to fall to the surface

tar…feathers are from stockholm sweden. initially just marcus nyke but now made up of 3 or 4 members, live and on record. they play INDIE ROCK that’s not a million miles away from early modest mouse or wolf parade mixed with xiu xiu. lots of scratchy and stabby clean guitar coupled with funny yelping vocals. neato! this album sounds awkward. but a good awkward. like it was made by the kid that was never that popular in school but totally dug all the rad stuff like poetry and looking at the stars. he probably never had a girlfriend, instead opting for classic literature and painting. i dunno, its ACE either way, and he manages to pull out melodies like nobodies business - i wanna know where he keeps them! there are a couple of mediocre tracks (tada comes to mind), but on the whole this is very good. you may take a while to get used to the vocals. perhaps an acquired taste, yes. but if was it even there? and forever is quite some time don't getcha jiving then i just don't know what to think of you anymore.

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listen
buy (europe)
buy (usa)

peter broderick - home

oh boy oh boy! this is an album for a chilly autumn day if there ever was one. although peter broderick started off in more neo-classical circles with his totally rad album float, this record is much closer to albums by bon iver or sam amidon (all three records were released in 2008. much of the praise went to bon iver - completely bypassing the two better records). quite like bon iver, peter broderick likes to layer his vocals. and what what lovely vocals! although mainly centered around him and his guitar; harmonium, glockenspiel, organ, vibraphone, banjo and a cello all make an appearance along the way. if that sounds a lot, it isn't. there's something very subtle about the whole record. its not bombarded with over production or unnecessary percussion. its a quiet album, but oh so glorious! the final track, games, is one of my favourites. the hum of what i assume to be a sort of pump organ is complete bliss. like someone pouring a mixture of what could only be described as 'cosy' all over you. the reverb almost swallowing you up whole. yummy. REALLY RECOMMENDED.

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listen
buy (uk)
buy (usa)

the candyland carcrash - self titled 7"

the candyland carcrash were a short lived 90's emo band from virginia beach. this is their two track 7" which you will never find anymore. oopmo. but yeah, its pretty good emo/hardcore. if you dig bands like owltian mia and republic of freedom fighters you should give this a shot. also - the more recent uk band jupiter lander. sorry, i don't really know what else to say about this band! i listened to the first song from this so much over summer, and is probably one of my favourite emo songs. its got the noisy/messy start...then the slow slow slooowww and unbelievably sad middle middle bit where you cry into a pillow, and then the really angry bit at the end. dig it, yeahh.

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we all have hooks for hands - the pretender

with 9 members, this is such a large and fun band that i simply cannot get enough of right now. all they want to do is play happy indie pop tunes and clap at all the best possible parts in their songs. these jams are loaded with twinkly noises, a few keyboards, a few horns added in here and there, a violin and dueling drummers. expect this album to be full of tunes you just want to sing along to all day, because i can't see anyone getting this out of their head. the "i'm so glad to be alive" vibe you get off of this band is so infectious. the first song that hooked me right away off of this album was "elvis "mf" christ", but after giving this album a few more listens (a lot more listens), all of these songs are very well written with great hooks and melodies. not to mention loads of "bah bah bah"s and "la la la"s. this is complete "roll those windows down and blast this while you still can, before it gets cold". until then, i don't plan on taking this cd out of my car. 

overall: 9/10

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rainer maria - look now look again

sorry, i've been terrible at updating this lately. trying to change that though. chances are you already have this album if you're reading this, but they are probably one of my favorites when it comes to the whole 90's emo thing. i first bought this album out of impulse. i was in a small record store in dekalb a few years ago and recognized the cover as being a polyvinyl band, etc etc. before then, i have never heard this band, or really heard much of them, but boy am i glad i bought this record. it starts off as being a slower album with "rise", just a guitar part with caithlin de marrais singing, the drums kicking in after a while. but the album picks up with "planetary". my personal favorite song on the album has to be "breakfast of champions" followed by "i'm melting!". as a whole, this album is absolutely fantastic. by far the best release they put out. 

overall: 10/10, hands down

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birthmark - the layer

been really bad on uploading recently. moving / starting university again etc..., no time! anyway. i meant to upload this album a while ago but forgot. then i spun the record last night and was like yeah! so most people probably have this but just in case. its nate kinsella blah blah. this is a pretty understated and charming album. there are chimes, cellos, xylophones, drum samples, flutes etc..., but also what you'd expect from a 'kinsella' record. but don't take that in the wrong way - it does not sound like joa or make believe. it probably has more in common with something like (although not a kinsella) bobby burg's love of everything than the former. it is very much a solo record. even though the array of instruments is vast, everything is still clearly the work of nate. it is more complex and interesting than owen (but not necessarily better - i'm covering all bases as not to start an arguement). but while owen can overload on the 'pretty', nate works it with much more restraint and poise. it is also a grower. while flightless bird will no doubt have you simultaneously toe tapping and reaching for the repeat button, others may take more work - but are just as rewarding. suffering from being what could be argued as quite an introvert album it probably hasn't had the 'success' it deserves. you should buy it via the information below.

"North American residents.
No more LPs for sale in the US.
Use Paypal to send $12.00 to birthmarkthelayer@gmail.com
Please be sure to include your address.
If you live in Canada or Mexico, kindly add $1.00 to your order to cover extra shipping costs"

buy (europe and everywhere else)
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this mess is mine - sign the drafts ep

i absolutely can not get enough of this album right now. chances are this is probably one of the cutest things you will ever hear. it's a solo project of this guy, lars, from germany, he mixes a lot of soft guitar strums with some soft strings here and there. really great stuff if you're riding on a lot of trains or walking around in the fall. you should listen to this album and drive through the woods or sit in a coffee shop alone or with your friends or whatever and hear these folky, pretty much acoustic tunes. the lyrics are really cute and the ending song is this piano instrumental, which is really lovely. this is a gorgeous album, i definitely recommend it, especially for this time of year when the leaves are changing and you can still roll down the windows in your car. but maybe turn the heat on juuuust a little. 

overall: 8/10

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the player piano - the player piano

couldn't find a decent photo. the player piano were a band from salt lake city, utah. imagine pele or tristeza mixed with christie front drive or mineral. even some american football and boys life too. this is classic twinklemo. not like those ever so popular tambourine waving guitar tapping youth of today. thinking on it, if you're a fan of empire empire you should get this as they are quite similar. anyway. this record came out in 1997 and sounds like it. while almost straying to an all instrumental album there are SOME vocals. they are often hushed and in the background, only to sometimes rise out of some emotional depth and thrive on the twinkle. and when they do, oh boy! they remind me of mineral endserenading era. while vocals don't make this record...my favourite two tracks happen to have them. mayday has the climax of the rousing chant like "cleveland....cleveland...are you there?!" which gets louder and louder. from whisper to desperate plea! oh yes! ahem. so this record is for autumn. it is, as andy sncl would describe, autumo. it will make you want to find a cute boyfriend/girlfriend to watch the leaves turn with; only to break up with them straight away just so you can languish in your own self loathing. it is the soundtrack for both these instances without being corny or sentimental. oh, cleveland.

listen
download
buy (japan reissue with two extra tracks)

the ladies - they mean us

this is rob crow from pinback on geetar and zach hill from hella (etc...) on drums. this is pretty much pinback meets hella; simple as that. hopefully you know both bands. if not, well, pinback are one of the most solid yet slow burner indie rock bands. everyone and no one simultaneously seem to listen to them. you should pick up blue screen life if you haven't already. hella are mental MAFF RAWK with crazy insane drumming. ok, well, imagine them combined? kinda? well, thats the ladies. and they manage it pretty well. there is a decent balance between solid pop riffs and almost weird avant-whatever. the 1 minute ten seconds track empathy on a stick is a pretty good example of this. the song non-threatening, too, could be a pinback track if isn't wasn't for the animal-from-the-muppets like drumming. its pretty neat.

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woods - at rear house

this band kinda started as a meneguar side project thing, but has grown now into something that is just as big if not now bigger. their new stuff seems pretty cool in the hipster psychedelia folk arena (especially with the whole woodist/fuck it tapes thing), but i'm not too keen on it. this album though, yeah yeah! this is proper lo-fi folk SLASH pop. there is so much tape hiss oozing out of it that it sounds like it was recorded in a cabin in the mountains...on someones phone. they combine sing-along pop songs with field recordings/noise (which can be a bit frustrating at times) to create a pretty eccentric BUT accessible album. at times delicate, and others noisy and unpredictable. but never boring! a lovely record that will make you want to go outdoors on a school trip or something.

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victor villarreal - alive

i'm sure we're all familiar with him from cap'n jazz, ghosts and vodka, owls, noyes... shall i go on? after being out of the music loop for awhile, he's come back with a new album (and rumors that ghosts and vodka may be making some sort of return in the near future? we can only hope). no doubt, he is a fantastic guitar player. the vocals aren't awesome, but it's bearable, and i give him a whole lot of credit for singing. "you are worth it" has to be my favorite track. this album is really heart felt, and while listening to it, you can really tell that these songs mean a whole lot to him. 

overall: 6.5/10

download it

purchase it

totally nebular - boat boat

this is the same dude from forest clay as well as some other guys. they make fluttery electronic music with bells and chimes and beeps and soft noise in the background, a few twang-y guitar riffs thrown in there. they finally put this cd out this summer, and it couldn't have been better. this is a great "life rules, all i want to do is bike ride, explore and dance around" album. expect some "woo!"s in all of the best places possible. 

overall: not as good as forest clay, in my opinion

myspace

download it

purchase it off of myspace

julie doiron - will you still love me e.p

oh julie. so sticking up that mount eerie album made me want to dig out my julie doiron cds; this is the first, and my favourite, that i bought. pretty much just guitar, some vibes, bass, and voice. i wouldn't recommend listening to this as a pick-me-up, or to get a party started, but julie writes some tremendously pretty songs. maybe it's because we're getting into september now, but all i want to listen too is what i can only describe as 'autumn music'. this is a great example. this is the days getting shorter. putting away the hammock. realising you're gonna need to start clearing leaves. gathering nuts and seeds etc..., ya know? this album is very peaceful. so peaceful you'll forget what you're doing, how many times you've listened, and probably who you're listening too, as well. but that doesn't matter when something is this pretty. will you still love me in decemeber? is absolutely crushing and will increase your sad level by 10 fold.
overall: too pretty.

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pele - teaching the history of teaching geography

this is probably one of my favorite albums of all time. pele got together in 1997 and released this as their debut record. this is one of their more "tropical" sounding albums they put out before they broke up in '04. loaded with lots of bleeps and blips, this is one of those "driving around on a nice day with your windows down" kind of albums. lots of good things come out of milwaukee, and this is definitely one of those things. 

overall: 10/10

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purchase it (it's out of print right now, though)

mount eerie - lost wisdom

mount eerie is one of my favourite things. one common arguement (i guess?) is which is better; mount eerie or the microphones. i've never really bothered with this because i see them at two completely different entities. both signal different times in elv(e)rum's life. i think mount eerie is definitely more sad. often just one man and an acoustic guitar, it sounds...more lonely, i guess. this was one of two albums released under mount eerie in 2008, and is my preferred. what makes this record so special is the addition of julie doiron (of eric's trip). i remember hearing (and falling in love with) her 3 or 4 years ago when i picked up her solo will you still love me? e.p from the wonderful tree records. the combination of her and phil's singing in sublime! especially on voices in headphones and with my hands out. i read another blog somewhere in which they described this album as, "...sad, but wooden cabin sad. It’s the christmas melancholy, when you know the last fire is burning and after that you’ll freeze to death.", which is a pretty perfect description. a lovely lovely record that seems to almost slow time down. good for train journeys when the sun just stars to set.
overall: i don't know. i can't do marks outta 10 anymore.

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auto!automatic!! - another round won't get us down

this is absolutely one of the most fun bands i have heard in a while. this cd is jam packed with some fingertapping goodness. it's a great album for times where you feel like bobbin' yr head and closing your eyes or tapping your feet. just some whole-hearted fun jams. there was a point over the winter where this album didn't leave my car.

overall: 9.5/10

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purchace it

vaccine - demo

nothing much to say about this apart from its one of mr killingsworth's (orchid) new projects. straight edge powerviolence/hardcore. demo tape is OOP, but has been repressed on 7" by clean plate. rock out and shake your finger at an unusually fast rate now.
overall: XxX/XxX

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rafael anton irisarri - 7"

rafael is the main guy behind the sight below, a more well know moniker that produces some totally gorgeous ambient work with subtle 4/4 beats. kinda like stars of the lid of deaf centre mixed with the field. if that makes sense to anyone. anyway, this is his more recent project under his own name and is just as lovely; more so, even. this ep was released as a 7" through chicago label immune at the start of the year (and has already gone OOP i believe. boomkat have got the odd load of copies back in here and there though). i always find music like this hard to describe because it always gets me in knots. i end up finding it hard to breath. this is something that lands in category of neo classical etc, but don't let that put you off (it shouldn't anyway). these two tracks were made for rainy days and late nights. winter time when the sun sets early and the light kinda darts through the trees, ya know?. its like nostalgia wrapped up into about 12 minutes. absolutely sublime.
overall: 10/10

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buy (if it comes back in stock!)
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carta marina - time moves west

i never really thought anything too good would come out of batavia, illinois, a small town so close to mine. but when i went to see the appleseed cast earlier this year, boy was i mistaken when i saw these guys open. kind of a little math rock-esque with a few chimes or twinkly guitar parts here and there.  

overall: 7/10

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bexar bexar - haralambos

oh my goodness. all i think that i can say is this is an album for one of those days where all you feel like doing is laying in bed and being engulfed in pure beauty. really, just... get this. 

overall: 9/10

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download it

purchase it

forest clay - vernal pools

this dude, eddie roqueta, from florida has finally decided to put this out, and it's pretty fantastic. a bit on the experimental/electronic side, with fun lyrics and great beats.  it's got the twinkly noises of animal collective as well as a few soft numbers can that literally put you in a trance. this album is definitely a favorite of '09 so far.

overall: 8.5/10

myspace

download it

contact him to purchace it.

so lindsay and delia made a blog!

we'll post music and fun stuff on here! albums, reviews, ratings, y'know, cool things! keep those ears open, this is going to be quite the variety!