Posted by Hugh on Apr 15 2009 to Rock
Pushboxer is a band out of Oxford that agrees on me with their influences: The National and Interpol. I’d even throw an extra one in, The Cure, if only because Pushboxer’s new single, Pictures, reminds me so much of them. If you’re into the gloomier side of rock music, these guys should be right up your alley. In otherwise unrelated news, keep an eye peeled for my best of ’08 picks, which are more encompassing than the version Ant did a while back. Stay tuned!
Downloads
From Pictures
Pictures – (MP3, 4.1 MB)
Water – (MP3, 3.4 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Mar 30 2009 to Indie
You weren’t expecting me to write another post so soon, were you, curious visitor? Hah! As luck would have it, I’ve made the mistake of telling a few bands that I’d write about their music. The Happy Hollows aren’t one of these, but that’s OK. They are basically a somewhat crazy indie-rock band from Los Angeles, with a crazy lady for a singer. I recently noticed yesterday that nary a band with a male singer has been posted on this site since December, so I also figured I’d keep the streak going strong. Anyway, I’m quite certain you indie-rock hipsters out there will love their song Lieutenant, and while Tambourine isn’t as noisy or crazy, it’s still damned good. And if you like what you hear, you can grab the rest of the EP from their website for free if you sign up to their mailing list. I think it’s pretty well worth it!
And it has come to my attention that the guy who provides our hosting, well, it’s his birthday. So happy 21st birthday kol, may there be much whiskey and many wenches in your immediate future.
Downloads
From Imaginary EP
Lieutenant – (MP3, 4.6 MB)
Tambourine – (MP3, 3.7 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Dec 9 2008 to Classic
So we’ve had this “classic” tag for ages, and have only used it once… until now! Oooh, exciting. I’ll try to give it some more regular use, and goodness knows there are enough classics to cover to last us several lifetimes. Harry Nilsson was an American musician who has not received the level of adulation that he deserved. Despite being the writer and original performer of One, everyone assumes it’s a Three Dog Night song as it’s the song that made them famous. To that, I say harumph! Since I’m posting Without You as well, I will head off all the proclamations of hypocrisy by saying… I know it’s a cover! It was originally done by Badfinger! His song Good Old Desk is perhaps the best example to show how different Mr. Nilsson is from other songwriters (unless writing a song about their good old desk is a common theme). He is something of an oddball in that regard, but his songwriting abilities are top-notch, and that should be enough for all of us.
It’s worth mentioning that I uploaded these songs with YouSendIt, which means the links expire in one week, which means grab ‘em while you can.
Downloads
From Nilsson Schmilsson
Without You – (MP3, 4.7 MB)
From Aerial Ballet
One – (MP3, 4.1 MB)
Good Old Desk – (MP3, 3.6 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Oct 31 2008 to Punk
I figured it would be the height of rudeness to not throw some music at people who are probably bored out of their minds waiting for a Halloween party tonight (myself included), so here is some to whet your proverbial whistle. Tiger Army is a band that, before today, I haven’t listened to in years, and so it’s very refreshing to listen to them again after all that time. They’re a psychobilly band, though having not delved into that genre in even the shallowest sense of the term, it’s easier to classify them as being a punk band, albeit without the socially-conscious lyrics that punk bands are supposed to have. Regardless, the pair of songs I’ve posted are from my favorite of their albums, Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise, and I hope you enjoy them, as they will probably be all you get out of this blog for the next few days. Happy Halloween!
Downloads
From Tiger Army III: Ghost Tigers Rise
Santa Carla Twilight – (MP3, 6.5 MB)
Ghost Tigers Rise – (MP3, 3 MB)
Posted by Doug on Jun 24 2008 to Alternative
I thought I had already made a post about this band, to which I was quite ready to link within this very post. Turns out, my slackerness is even greater than I thought, as that post was basically in my ‘todo’ queue, and did not technically even exist. Nevertheless, this CD came out in the interim, so here we go.
Someone described this band as “world-punk”, and I can’t really disagree, though the concept of “world” music seems to bring to mind bamboo flutes and whale songs – not exactly the most thrilling fare, generally. This record is a collaboration with Tamir Muskat, so it’s got a crazy Middle Eastern bent to it, which seems immediately reminiscent of Balkan Beat Box. They’ve never shied away from unconventional rhythms and instruments, leaving surprises on each disc, but on The Golden Hour, it feels like even more of a reinvention.
This isn’t particularly surprising, given how frontman Tod A recently “took a protracted leave of absence from an idiot-run America, the cut-throat music business, and the Western world in general,” visiting Thailand, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia. His odyssey was certainly productive, and I hope they continue in their current direction.
From The Golden Hour
Borneo – (MP3, 5.0 MB)
Hey Clown – (MP3, 5.0 MB)
Electric City – (MP3, 6.5 MB)
Already Gone – (MP3, 5.6 MB)
From Ponzi Scheme
So Long, Superman – (MP3, 3.5 MB)
Another Perfect Catastrophe – (MP3, 4.0 MB)
From Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology – (MP3, 3.9 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Jun 24 2008 to Acoustic
The first thing I ever heard about New Zealand’s Liam Finn was that he was trying to be the happy version of Elliott Smith. Whenever someone is compared to Mr. Smith, I feel an obligation to check out their music, though it’s always matched by my expectation that it won’t be up to par. However, in Mr. Finn’s case, there is actually some merit to these comparisons. If his voice was more similar to Smith’s, it probably wouldn’t be too hard to pass off the song Second Chance as an obscure Smith b-side. But regardless of comparisons, this is a pretty strong showing for a debut album. With songs like Second Chance, Energy Spent, and Music Moves My Feet, he is certainly one of the more talented songwriters I’ve come across this year.
From I’ll Be Lightning
Second Chance – (MP3, 3.4 MB)
Remember When – (MP3, 2.8 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Jun 23 2008 to Pop
The band I have for you tonight is one that e-mailed me way back in February, Admiral Twin. Four months later is as good a time as any to write something about them, I think. They’re a great power-pop band out of Oklahoma, which surprises me as much as it does you. They have a few albums under their belts, and while I haven’t heard any of them, it is likely one of the reasons why their music seems so comfortable. They don’t sound like they’re trying too hard, and they’re not playing random music and hoping for the best. Instead, they’re fully in control of their musical destiny and it shines through in their music.
From The Center Of The Universe
In My Veins – (MP3, 3.1 MB)
Renegade Planet – (MP3, 3.5 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Jun 17 2008 to Indie
A few months ago, I got a relatively unassuming e-mail from the band Kingsbury, telling me that I’ve written about some of the bands they like (Calla and Radiohead in particular) and that, perhaps, I would like their tunes as well. As luck would have it, I do. Perhaps this is because they actually let the bands they like influence their music, which is a good thing to do when you have good influences. Corpse is a very Calla-esque song, Desert Inn sounds influenced by both, and The Great Compromise is back to Calla again. Some could take that to mean that since Kingsbury is arguably derivative of these bands that they’re somehow less talented. I, for one, would disagree with that. To make music at the quality necessary to be considered derivative of those bands takes a level of talent that most bands can’t even imagine. Judging by the state of music today, most bands don’t even try. Not only does Kingsbury try, but they clearly succeed.
Downloads
From The Great Compromise
Corpse – (MP3, 3 MB)
Desert Inn – (MP3, 2.4 MB)
The Great Compromise – (MP3, 2.7 MB
Posted by Hugh on Jun 17 2008 to Indie
This just in, I have way too many bands I want to write about. After this post, there’ll still be ten bands bookmarked, and that is just outrageous. I’ll try to whip through at least a couple over the next few days. First up is Thee More Shallows, a band hailing from one of my favorite musical cities, San Francisco. 3hive classed them into slowcore rock, which I suppose fits fairly well. You can tell it’s rock music, but it’s certainly not rock ‘n roll. It will not get anyone excited on the dance floor. In fact, it has about as much intensity and vigor as that of a confused turtle. On the other hand, there isn’t much that’s more lovable than a confused turtle.
Downloads
From More Deep Cuts
Freshman Thesis – (MP3, 4.6 MB)
2 AM – (MP3 4.5 MB)
Posted by Hugh on Jun 14 2008 to Rock
I wrote about The Interiors nearly two years ago, but things have changed since then, as well they should. Back in those days, they only had a three-song demo, but what a demo it was! Songs like The Bug and I’m So Happy blew my mind in the greatest of ways. As for the present, their self-titled debut will be released in a mere ten days on 54-40 or Fight (who released a great Pseudosix album, among others). As I am with every band that starts with a demo and then moves on to a full-length, I was worried that they’d take the good songs from the demo, add in some mediocre songs, and call it an album. Thankfully, that isn’t the case!
That isn’t to say there aren’t some songs on the album that I don’t particularly care for, but at least they’ve added some great ones. Wingman and Ghosts, for instance, are completely awesome rock songs. Highly intense songs that don’t go over the top, and not going over the top is very important if you don’t want to annoy people. Modern classics like The Bug and I’m So Happy are for those who get rocked most by lyrical prowess. All in all, expect to see this on my great albums of ’08 list, assuming I ever get around to making one!
Downloads
From The Interiors
Wingman – (MP3, 4.9 MB)
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