superchunk - here's where the strings come in

this band. i don't even know where to begin. these past few posts, i've just decided to post all of my favorite albums ever and even if they're not "rare" or "indie" or whatever, they're all the best things i've ever heard. anyway, THIS is one of my favorite albums of all time. top five this time. up there with something to write home about by the get up kids and most owen albums. this might be number three.

ANYWAY. this band started in north carolina in like, 1989. let me just tell you. i saw them thursday. definitely one of the best concerts i've ever been to (up there with the get up kids, yet again). mac ripped SO HARD. there was so much poging in the crowd i couldn't even take it. ever heard of merge records? yeah, they started that. rules, right? this band i guess never had a huge "hit" per se, but they were pretty popular. maybe their hit was "hyper enough" which is the first track on this album. every song on this album is great though. check out their videos, super 90s, even david cross appeared in one.

they didn't play shows for years and years, but they started playing festivals over the summer, and they just released a new album "majesty shredding" a few weeks ago, which is really good. they're doing their first tour in forever, and it was like they never stopped not touring. i feel like they would be just as good if i saw them 15 years ago at their prime.

anyway, let me introduce you to yr new favorite record.

love it

surfer blood - astrocoast

this is definitely my favorite album of 2010 so far. every song is a total jam, their hooks rule and the reverb kills me every time. seems like they're just a bunch of fun dudes from florida. they put out "swim" in 2009 and it got a lot of praise from pitchfork etc (#37/100 on the best songs of 2009), though honestly it might be one of my least favorite songs on the album. i'm partial to "take it easy" cause the the little guitar riffs in that song are so catchy. also "twin peaks" is a great song, mostly because of the first 5 seconds of the song. also, the last song on the album "catholic pagans" is such a jam for riding your bike or enjoying the sunshine. needless to say, this is a total summer album. when ross showed me this band i couldn't stop playing this album for a few months. he describes them as "the singer of animal collective playing with pavement covering beach boys songs" and i'd have to say that's a great description of their song. surf rock 2010.

listen to it

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

myspace

buy it

download it

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

myspace

download it

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

myspace

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.