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Wednesday, December 05, 2012
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Vertical Twin - 'ElectroSonicMotherphonic'
Vertical Twin's 'ElectroSonicMotherphonic' is now released. Vertical Twin blends sonic musk with filthy electronics into a sensual labyrinth, a fist of justice, a jamming inferno of glory with instant impact. Played loud, played proud -- it's an ElectroSonicMotherphonic. All basic tracks were recorded live in the band's practice shed. Vocal overdubs, Hammond organ, and some backwards guitar were added later. Melissa Kievman and 75orLess Chanteuse Jodi Treloar lent their voices to the project as well. Providence artist Ryan Lesser provided the cover image. The CD artwork is black & white. A pack of crayons will be provided for the listener to color in the cover themselves! Ten tracks, you can buy a copy of the cd at the label webpage or get the digital download at at their bandcamp page.
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Released 12.05.2012
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Monday, December 03, 2012
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Vertical Twin - 'ElectroSonicMotherphonic' Silkscreen Poster and Album Download Card
Vertical Twin's 'ElectroSonicMotherphonic' was released in December and a limited number of posters were printed to celebrate the release. Providence artist Ryan Lesser drew the cover image. Fifty glow in the dark 19"x 25" hand silk screened 3 color posters, featuring the cover image, will be offered for sale and include a digital download code for the album. You can pick up a copy of the poster at the label webpage.
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Released 12.03.2012
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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Vertical Twin's Geezer Wheelie is now released.
This is Vertical Twin's second release. Geezer Wheelie is a hard rocking trip down memory lane visiting Psychotic ex-lovers, Rick Nielsen's guitar collection, marital aides, traps and rainbow unicorns. A three piece from Providence, RI doing more rocking and less talking. Only $6.00 postpaid for the cd, you can also stream or purchase the digital downloads here.
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Released 01.11.2012
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Thursday, July 14, 2011
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Vertical Twin - self titled EP
This is Vertical Twin's debut release. A dynamic three piece from Providence, RI with a rock/punk & blues mix. No talking, no tuning, just heads-down non-nonsense-mindless boogie at 90MPH. Think fast cars, faster women, and giving the finger to your boss. Their song cloud drips motorcycles, mental illness & sex. You can download the track POS Jones. Digital downloads are available here or you can purchase a copy at the label website.
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Released 07.14.2011
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Monday, January 10, 2011
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John Vanderslice is now taking pre-orders for his new album with the Magik*Magik Orchestra called White Wilderness. There are four different pre-order options, with special bonuses but (each with an immediate mp3 download of the album). While the vinyl is limited to 1000 copies, you can also opt for signed photos, limited silkscreened posters, rare tour only cds and singles. For someone who gives as much music away for free as he does, and records as many good bands as he does, this should be a no brainer.
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Released 01.10.2011
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Monday, September 06, 2010
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Mike Viola & Kelly Jones - Melon (self released) [upcoming shows] [audio]
The five songs recorded live for Melon may sound familiar to fans of Viola and Jones. "There Goes My Baby," an upbeat pop song penned by the pair, gets reworked as a mournful ballad with the two harmonizing quietly over an acoustic guitar. That intimacy continues on Fleetwood Mac's "Steal Your Heart Away" and Hunters & Collectors' "Throw Your Arms Around Me," both evocative of Viola's previous live recordings. The record concludes with "A Way to Say Goodbye," an oft-performed Viola tune written for a duet that's never sounded better.
- cormac
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Released 07.02.2010
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Friday, April 09, 2010
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Various Artists - Greenberg Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Virgin)
James Murphy is sort of boxed in by LCD Soundsystem at this point, so spreading out into other styles with the music for the film Greenberg had to be liberating. It's almost uniformly low key, but he moves among sounds similar to Brian Wilson's Smile to flamenco guitar and on to piano bits like Harry Nilsson. All of this music connects the contributions from other performers like Steve Miller Band and Galaxie 500, and very nearly creates a movie of its own without pesky visuals.
- sam
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Released 03.23.2010
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Friday, September 25, 2009
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The Vaselines - Enter The Vaselines (Sub Pop) [audio]
This impolite, sex-obsessed, anti-twee twee-band spent the late '80s making only two EPs and an LP, but what The Vaselines lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality. They combined elements of fuzz rockers like Sonic Youth, alt-folk originators a la The Velvet Underground, and peers like Beat Happening. Collected are all the songs Nirvana fans know, songs they should know, a few demos, and messy live tracks. It's sloppy, it's fun, and it's all in one package.
- cormac
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Released 05.05.2009
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Thursday, August 13, 2009
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Various Artists - Porno Groove: The Sound of 70's Adult Films (Secret Stash) [audio] [video]
"Bam-chicka-waw-waw" is the universal sound for pornography, and it's become a joke all on its own that has nothing to do with the actual music from the vintage films. When listening to this compilation of unearthed soundtracks, sex probably won't be the first thing that comes to mind. There's some hard, gritty funk and expertly composed rock and soul sounds to be found here. My only complaint about Porno Groove is that, at 11 tracks, it's just way too brief. I'm looking forward to future installments in the series.
- paul
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Released 07.28.2009
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Friday, August 07, 2009
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Various Artists - "Radio Riot!" Volume One (Brown Bag Propaganda) [audio]
A collection of 26 tracks from locations as diverse as the U.S., Spain, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and Sweden. There's no shortage of amusing band names (Cooter Punch, Americans UK, Bitch Slap Barbie, Lugosi's Morphine among others) on this collection of garage and punk rock tunes. Plenty of old school punk with shout-along choruses, lots of swear words, with a couple of good ol' "1-2 fuck you!"'s thrown in for good measure. Overall, great sound, production and sequencing, and highly recommended for fans of the Ramones, Misfits and The Cramps.
- mark
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Released 04.28.2009
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Tuesday, August 04, 2009
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Various Artists - New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets (Arsenal) [audio]
If you are a fan of (or ever even cared about) Love and Rockets, skip this. Sure, Frank Black covers "All in My Mind" and The Flaming Lips take on "Kundalini Express" half-cocked, but they're just the window dressing for the most uninspired tribute I've ever come across. Hell, when Better Than Ezra turns in one of the set's best performances with "So Alive," you know you've wasted your money. With 26 tracks to pick from and not one of them worth hearing a second time, the only truly good thing about this is Shepard Fairey's artwork.
- paul
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Released 07.28.2009
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009
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Various Artists - 500 Days of Summer: Music from the Motion Picture (Sire) [audio]
Even without seeing the movie, I have a good idea how some of these songs are probably used... and that's okay. It's the music from a love story without a happy ending. Alongside usual staples like The Smiths (used twice), Regina Spektor (also used twice) and Simon & Garfunkel, we find previously released tracks from Black Lips, Doves and the late, great Mumm-Ra, all of whom may benefit from finding a larger audience. Conveniently, She & Him wrap it up with a Smiths cover of their own, giving the soundtrack an unhappy ending too.
- sam
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Released 07.14.2009
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Monday, June 29, 2009
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Various Artists - Not Given Lightly: A Tribute to the Giant Golden Book of New Zealand's Alternative Music (Morr Music) [audio]
NZ's first DIY scene birthed some brilliant music, so expectations were high when I found out Morr was compiling covers by their own artists; maybe too high. The spark of the originals gets extinguished by the drowsy sounds of Lali Puna, B.Fleischmann, The Go Find and others. Still, it's not a complete loss. Masha Qrella brightens up The Chills' "Pink Frost" considerably and The American Analog Set whisper The Clean's "Anything Could Happen" like a secret. If anything, this might steer people towards the original bands and songs.
- paul
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Released 05.26.2009
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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Various Artists - MT6 Records Sampler: Early 2009 (MT6) [audio]
No one but Jason Sigal would have predicted Baltimore emerging as a haven for underground garage, punk and DIY indie rock, but with the 29 tracks here, there is plenty of poorly recorded punk, electronic glitch rock and indiciperable screaming present to make that case. Legendary weirdo Jad Fair and Jason Willett are the known names here, but bands such as Herschel Hoover, Bad Liquor Pond, Chin Forces and Decapitated Hed have standout tracks that should serve as an inspiration to explore their back catalogs.
- mark
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Released 02.17.2009
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Friday, February 13, 2009
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The Vibrarians - Red Light 7" (K Records) [audio]
All three of these songs teeter on a razor-thin wire between complete awesomeness and maddening beginnerism. "Red Light" is the most developed of the bunch, with a rumbling marriage of bass and drums and riffy breakdowns. But like both "Modern Walker" and "The Woods" which follow, the vocals are distant and ghostly and the production is about as lo-fi as lo-fi can get. Even working against itself in these ways, this is a charming little single. The Vibrarians are probably the life of any house party.
- paul
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Released 02.17.2009
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009
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Various Artists - Sub Pop 300 (Mojo)
Twenty years after Sub Pop 200, Mojo continues the series with a reflection of all things Sub Pop. It begins with classics from Green River and Mudhoney, then shifts to oft-overlooked '90s bands like Tad and The Afghan Whigs. Then it goes crazy, making a bee-line for today's hit-makers Iron & Wine, The Postal Service (you'll NEVER guess which song!) and The Shins. With twenty-five minutes of unused disc space, it seems loopy to leave out Beat Happening, Soundgarden, Hazel, Nirvana, Dwarves...etc...etc...etc...
- cormac
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Released 08.26.2008
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
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The Vince Noir Project (12 Stone) [audio]
With their name nicked from The Mighty Boosh, I knew ahead of time The Vince Noir Project was going to be a little bit camp and a lot of fun. This Filipino quintet has an ever-present lounge quality, but isn't timid about incorporating guitars and electronic elements into every song they've got. Bouncing between straightforward pop and dark Euro grooves with spoken vocals, the album is more like a multi-artist compilation than the work of a single band—but it works.
- paul
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Released 09.30.2008
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Friday, November 14, 2008
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Various Artists - Rachel Getting Married Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Lakeshore) [audio]
I can only imagine how the music might be used in the story without having seen the movie, but it's an eclectic mix; many incidentals anchored by more complete songs, evenly splitting the running order. Robyn Hitchcock's two new originals rank with the best of his recent work. Sister Carol East provides a reggae bounce with "Dread Natty Congo". The best thing here, though, is the opener. TV on the Radio's Tunde Adibimpe (also a cast member) sings Neil Young's "Unknown Legend" a cappella, and it gives me a shiver.
- sam
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Released 11.11.2008
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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Various Artists - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Atlantic) [audio]
Another Michael Cera movie, another achingly hip soundtrack to go along with it. And while I'm sure the movie has its charms, the soundtrack contents read like any random week's worth of posts at Stereogum. Among the familiar songs are new tracks from Vampire Weekend and Mark Mothersbaugh, both worth hearing—but it makes me wonder who's supposed to buy this. Those who know these songs already own them, and those who'd want to hear them would just download them from blogs. A moneywaster.
- paul
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Released 09.23.2008
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Monday, September 29, 2008
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Various Artists - Bones Original Television Soundtrack (Nettwerk) [audio]
Everyone knows Bones is a really bad show. A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad substitute for a television program. Its terrible acting and writing has caused most viewers to either change the channel or experience mild nausea. And I'm basing all this on the four minutes I watched once (by mistake). One might imagine that the harebrained idea to manufacture a soundtrack for such litter would result in a mess of big names and unknowns handing out their worst material just to make some easy cash. It is.
- cormac
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Released 09.02.2008
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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The Very Sexuals - Post-Apolcalyptic Love (Subroutine) [download]
In the great tradition of not-quite-psych, not-quite-pop bands like The Flaming Lips and Super Furry Animals comes The Very Sexuals. Too bad I found Post-Apocalyptic Love so late in the summer, because tracks like "Bowie Eyes" and "Wrecked This Century" are made of 100% sunshine and the album's centerpiece "Anti-Valentine" is a big wet goodbye kiss in grandiose Phil Spector fashion. I'm crushing so hard on this right now, I'd make my girlfriend jealous...y'know, if I had one.
- paul
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Released 05.06.2008
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Wednesday, July 09, 2008
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Various Artists - Life Beyond Mars: Bowie Covered (Rapster) [audio]
Simple premise: 12 primarily electronic musicians and bands cover 12 mostly unfamiliar deep cuts (with some exceptions) from David Bowie's catalogue. I had hoped coming into this that these two factors working together would produce some interesting results. They don't. Maybe I'm being too hard? It's really not all bad; especially the contributions from Au Revoir Simone and Joakim, but considering the provocative source material and the über-modern artists covering it, this album should be amazing. It's not.
- paul
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Released 07.08.2008
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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Various Artists - The Green Owl Comp: A Benefit for Energy Action (Green Owl) [audio]
Hate global warming but love indie rock? Sure, we all do. Green Owl Records presents a jam-packed compilation that'll have you thinking green and saving the planet in no time. Heavy-hitters Bloc Party and Muse provide the requisite skippable tracks, while ol' favorites Juliana Hatfield, Feist and Deerhoof contribute some of the album's best. The fun of this compilation is the ample number of standout songs from the new and the previously unknown, like Harper Simon, The London Souls, The Appletrees and many more.
- cormac
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Released 04.08.2008
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Thursday, June 05, 2008
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Various Artists - Chamber Music: James Joyce (1907). 1-36. (Fire) [audio]
36 tracks over two cds paying tribute to the 1907 James Joyce poem. Established acts such as Minus 5, Mike Watt, Bardo Pond, Mercury Rev, Flying Saucer Attack, Califone and Kinski deliver as expected. The biggest surprises are Mountain Men Anonymous, who contribute a spaced out piano ballad (possibly with extra-terrerestial vocals), and Venture Lift, who channel their inner Spacemen 3 by using salt shakers for percussion and layered guitar vibes. A few pieces utilize some spoken word. Over all a sullen, but quality collection of tunes.
- mark
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Released 05.13.2008
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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Various Artists - Jerome Derradji Presents: The American Boogie Down (BBE Music) [audio]
Unlike many archival compilations which dig songs up from nowhere that may not even be any good, this Jerome Derradji-curated album unearths some fantastic urban disco that coulda/shoulda/woulda been commercially hot in the late '70s had it ever been heard by anyone. In its continuous mix form, it's a non-stop good time. But as a bonus, the second disc features these same tracks individually for when you don't have time to dig them out yourself—like The Fabulous Kings' "If You Like What We're Doing". I do, I like it.
- paul
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Released 04.29.2008
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Monday, April 21, 2008
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Various Artists - Wayfaring Strangers: Guitar Soli (Numero Group) [audio]
A missing link this ain't. Some of it is noodly puppy puke. One composition sounds a whole heck of a lot like something written specifically for The Weather Channel. Hold on now, though! About half the record is just terrific! Some of it is best described with the word "haunting." "Brilliant" even (if you're some kinda pervert). Clearly the whole thing owes its entire existence to John Fahey and his ilk, but this is still a truly enjoyable compilation of solo guitar formerly lost to those sweaty weirdos you see crouched on the floor at Goodwill.
- muffin
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Released 01.15.2008
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Friday, March 07, 2008
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Various Artists - A State of Blue (Blue State) [audio]
This compilation takes a look at the present state of music in Rhode Island and also brings back the regional stars of the past. Hardcore legends Verbal Assault contribute a live version of "On", the subjects of an upcoming documentary Neutral Nation play the Rocky Point theme and the mid-eighties brought major label alternative rock from Rash of Stabbings. Representing the present is the buzzsaw punk of Benny Sizzler, The Masons, Hope Anchor, The Brimstone Assembly and others. One hour south of Boston is a place where music has always been flourishing.
- mark
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Released 01.22.2008
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Whatever you've read about Vampire Weekend sounding like Talking Heads playing Paul Simon songs is false. Pure twaddle! The inclination of writers to triangulate a band's sound between two familiar points is common, but Vampire Weekend seems to confound them all. Afrobeat and art punk influences are there, sure, but this band is more than the sum of its parts. Just listen to the record yourselves and draw your own conclusions, okay? "A-Punk" and "Oxford Comma" are exemplary, but the whole thing's a keeper.
- paul
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Released 01.29.2008
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
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Mike Viola - Lurch (self released) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Luckily for us, Mike Viola has made an annual tradition of releasing wonderfully impressive records. This year finds the singer/songwriter returning to the straightforward power pop sound of his early Candy Butchers releases; a mix of Beatles and Beach Boys inspired tunes with a money-back guarantee for getting stuck in your head. Lurch has it all: power pop rockers like "When I Hold You In My Arms", acoustic ballads like "Dangerously Close" and exceptional pop humdingers like "So Much Better".
- cormac
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Released 12.04.2007
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008
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Various Artists - Music from the Motion Picture Juno (Rhino) [audio]
While watching the wonderful Juno, I found myself surprised at how much I enjoyed the Kimya Dawson songs. Could I have misremembered her oeuvre? Then I listened to the unedited songs which comprise nearly half of the official soundtrack, and I was like, "Oh, right." We're talking lyrics more cringe-inducing than the Rainn Wilson cameo here. Though mostly by the numbers as far as indie movie soundtracks go (do you even have to ask if there's a Kinks song included?), this one is mostly harmless and contains enough gems to warrant a cursory listen.
- troy
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Released 01.08.2008
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Thursday, November 22, 2007
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The Vision of a Dying World - And the Grammar Lamb (Single Screen) [audio] [upcoming shows]
The Vision of a Dying World is back with yet another album of acoustic, post-apocalyptic, carnival campfire music for fans of Okkervil River and The Danielson Famile. Another album showcasing their clever and idiosyncratic mix of folk and pop that is not entirely unrivaled, yet strangely difficult to pin down. With four impressive releases in the last three years, these California boys are destined for a life of financial success and public esteem beyond their wildest fantasies.
- cormac
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Released 07.31.2007
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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Various Artists - For the Kids...Three! (Nettwerk) [audio]
Indie favorites Rogue Wave, Mates of State, The Format and many others join hit-makers Moby and Barenaked Ladies to make children's music that is shamelessly abhorred by all children and instantly irritating to all parents. Imagine a collection of silly songs and kid-friendly covers made for God-knows-who's enjoyment by some of the best bands out there...then add some crappy bands, and you've got yourself a compilation. Exceptions to the claptrap include the tolerable contributions from Of Montreal and Rosie Thomas.
- cormac
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Released 10.02.2007
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Monday, November 12, 2007
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Various Artists - I'm Not There Original Soundtrack (Sony Music) [audio] [more audio]
The Bridge may still be the king of tribute albums, but this is perhaps the most critically lauded line-up of any compilation since. Thirty-four Bob Dylan covers from the I'm Not There soundtrack, led by The Million Dollar Bashers which includes Nels Cline, Steve Shelley, Tom Verlaine and Lee Ranaldo. Also tracks by Stephen Malkmus, Eddie Vedder, Calexico, Jim James, Iron & Wine, Willie Nelson, Sonic Youth, Cat Power, John Doe, Mark Lanegan, Yo La Tengo, Sufjan Stevens and many more.
- mark
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Released 10.30.2007
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007
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Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers (Nonesuch) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Chic-geeks, baristas and NPR listeners of the world...unite! The magnificent Laura Veirs is here to assuage your weary, modern-day minds with wonderful music that manages to be poetic and acoustic, yet non-minimalist. Over the past eight years, Ms. Veirs has made six very decent studio records, each with their fair share of fantastic songs. New tracks like the Sufjan-friendly "To the Country" and the pop-rock stunner "Wandering Kind" will soothe your listening ears while you shine your thick-rimmed glasses.
- cormac
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Released 04.10.2007
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Thursday, September 13, 2007
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Various Artists - Music from the Motion Picture Ocean's Thirteen (Warner Bros.) [audio]
Although there are other artists on the soundtrack, it's dominated by the pounding future car commercial electronica of David Holmes. You'll be taken back to the days when The Chemical Brothers and Crystal Method still played rock n' roll. Holmes makes everything seem more exciting and dramatic. Get behind the wheel of a car and you'll drive 90 without even realizing it. Put this on while doing household chores and you'll fold your towels like never before. Others on the soundtrack include the legend himself Frank Sinatra, Puccio Roelends and Isao Tomita.
- mark
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Released 06.05.2007
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Monday, May 21, 2007
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Voxtrot (Playlouder/Beggars Group) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Coulda. Shoulda. Woulda. For a couple of years now, Voxtrot have promised some great and not-so-great things through a string of eps that ranged in quality from OMG to WTF. Now it's clear the band really needed the space provided by a full lp to stretch out and keep some of those promises. Ramesh Srivastava's previously direct songwriting style is obscured at times, but that's far from a bad thing. In actuality, it shows Voxtrot is a band with many moods never revealed before by the one-dimensional nature of those eps. They could, should and finally did.
- paul
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Released 05.22.2007
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Friday, April 06, 2007
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Various Artists - PLAY (Desoto Records) [audio]
If you want a baby genius, play some Bach. If you want a baby hipster,
play PLAY. Not only will (s)he learn good lessons (e.g. Mock Orange tells
us "healthy snacks are where it's at"), but there is a much better chance
your infant will be the youngest kid wearing dark-rimmed glasses and
handing out zines at local all-ages shows. Mary Timony, Mudhoney, Georgie
James and others make this compilation well worth the adults' time.
- cormac
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Released 04.17.2007
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Thursday, March 08, 2007
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Various Artists - Labrador 100: A Complete History of Popular Music (Labrador) [audio]
If you've been paying any attention whatsoever, you've noticed we're pretty big Swedophiles here at 75 or Less. One of the Swediest labels of the all the Swedish labels these days is Labrador, home to faves like The Radio Dept., Acid House Kings, Sambassadeur and a host of others. Labrador 100 marks the label's hundredth release in a grand way, featuring one track from each and every prior release over the span of four discs. Never before has a history lesson been this much fun. It's sure to keep us busy until Labrador 200 arrives, at least.
- paul
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Released 02.20.2007
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Thursday, January 11, 2007
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Villebillies (Universal) [audio and upcoming shows]
It's as if all the white kids at Nappy Roots High School just barely got cut from the varsity hip-hop squad, and are trying to muscle their way onto the team for next year. This distinctively Southern (read as Arrested Development, not Master P) album presents a good mix of mid-tempo beats and songs one would enjoy getting hammered to. A fun disc all around, this will be one I will enjoy having around come summertime.
- bob d.
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Released 09.26.2006
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Friday, October 13, 2006
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Various Artists - An Idiot To Not Appreciate Your Time: The Songs of Silkworm (self released) [audio] [info]
Although this 29-song tribute was planned before the tragedy that took Michael Dahlquist's life, it now serves as a bittersweet farewell to an underappreciated, prolific band. Best are The Bills' "Garden City Blues", The Bismark's "The Cigarette Lighters" and "Couldn't You Wait" by Mirror America. While some stick to faithful renditions, others reinvent their choices, like the radical bluegrass interpretation of "Grotto Of Miracles" by Suzanne The Plan. Many others appear, including The Kadane Brothers, Treasure State, The Soft Drugs and Steve Albini.
- mark
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Released 09.12.2006
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Wednesday, September 13, 2006
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Chad VanGaalen - Skelliconnection (Sub Pop) [audio and upcoming shows]
What is going on here? Indie-Alt-Rock-Pop-Electro-Folk-Post-Punk sounds alternate through 15 songs, each seemingly written to sound different from the last. This is pick and choose both in quality and in genre (i.e., "Viking Rainbow" is a crumby synth-heavy instrumental, while "See-Thru-Skin" is an enjoyable acoustic folk-pop ballad). It could be edited into a much better album, but somehow remains decent despite its shortcomings. Worth sifting through for gems when you get the chance.
- cormac
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Released 08.22.2006
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Tuesday, July 25, 2006
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Vanessa and the O's - La Ballade d'O (Rushmore Recordings) [audio] [upcoming shows]
Former Espiritu vocalist Vanessa Quinones happened to meet former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha and a new musical partnership was formed. The resulting album La Ballade d'O is a lush offering adorned with chiming guitars and bright arrangements strung together by the sultry vocals of Quinones (more charismatic than Nico ever was and sexier than Laetitia Sadier ever tries to be). If the first Velvet Underground album had been recorded in the present day and was narrated primarily in a French tongue, this is ostensibly how it would sound.
- paul
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Released 05.23.2006
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Monday, July 24, 2006
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Various Artists - Invaders (Kemado) [audio] [more audio]
Finally, the soundtrack for my tacky, ultra-violent, ironically hip sci-fi movie, which is like a cross between Starship Troopers and He-Man. Music will be provided by Danava (opening credits), Diamond Nights (hero's theme), Warhammer48k (enemy's theme), Pelican (revelation scene), Wolfmother (sex scene!), High on Fire, The Sword, Big Business, Saviours (battle scenes), Night After Night (celebration scene) and the Fucking Champs (closing credits). Okay, so there's no film. If there were, we'd have another Last Action Hero on our hands: shitty film, decent music.
- jason m.
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Released 04.25.2006
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Friday, June 09, 2006
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Various Artists - Panama! Latin, Calypso and Funk on the Isthmus 1965-75 (Soundway Records) [audio]
When examining the music of Panama from 1965-1975, you will find yourself at a crossroad of extreme diversity. "Let Me Do My Thing" shows the influence of Sam Cooke, with mid-song breakdown and handclaps while James Brown also gets props on "New Bag" by The Exciters. Victor Boa y Su Musica should have been contracted to perform the soundtracks for those bad mid-sixties Sinatra movies, while groovy hippy rock Los Fabulosos Festivals on "El Mensaje". There are still plenty of mambo rhythms to displace this white boy's hip.
- mark
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Released 04.26.2006
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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
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Venice is Sinking - Sorry About the Flowers (One Percent Press) [audio] [shows]
This music is stunningly gorgeous: quiet boy/girl harmonies set against drowsy guitar, keyboards and drums with lovely viola lines running around and through. Think Eleventh Dream Day on sedatives or Low on uppers; in the 75orless ocean, they're bobbing along next to Everything Is Fine and A Northern Chorus. I want to go swimming in the codas to some of these songs ... "Tours" and "Arkansas" dissolve into loveliness that makes your heart ache. The only negative is that the release date took so long to get here.
- meredith
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Released 06.20.2006
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Friday, April 28, 2006
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V for Vendetta - Soundtrack (Astralwerks) [audio]
Marianelli conceived the auditory atmosphere in the Wachowskis’ futuristic action film based on the Alan Moore graphic novels. Set in a parallel reality in 2020, the score is ominous; low-droning portents abound with infrequent crests of Darth-Vader-ish torrential drum and brass. Evey’s themes provide a hopeful reprieve; techno-classical elements as in “Valerie” captivate. The three “forbidden-track” cuts enchant, although the omission of the Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” is disappointing. The flow is abruptly detoured by the non-score tracks and the disparity is distracting.
- betty
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Released 03.21.2006
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Wednesday, February 01, 2006
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Voxtrot - Raised by Wolves EP (Cult Hero Records) [audio]
I was surprised to find out Voxtrot hails from Texas, but then I read that frontman Ramesh Srivastava spent time in Scotland, so we can pretend they come from there. The sound is a less-throaty Morrissey backed by the jangle of early R.E.M. and the boxy piano of Belle and Sebastian. With a dash of various other 80s Brit bands, especially in the soaring fiddle line in "Wrecking Force," which brings me back to Big Country or the Levellers with the anthemic line: "And you can be your own god if you want to."
- meredith
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Released 10.10.2005
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Wednesday, August 10, 2005
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Volebeats - Like Her
(Turquoise Mountain)
[audio]
I've been wasting countless hours on Jayhawks and Teenage Fanclub records, convinced the songs I was hearing on them was the closest I'd ever get to modern versions of what the Byrds and the Hollies had originally recorded back in the '60s. I wish someone would've told me about the Volebeats, fer chrissakes! Like Her, the band's newest record and their first proper release in over five years, might have more cascading harmonies and amplified 12-string guitar lines than I can even handle (but I welcome the challenge).
- paul
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Released 07.12.2005
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Thursday, July 07, 2005
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Various Artists - Burn the Street Vol. IV (Daredevil)
The fourth aggro-rock scene profile in the Burn the Street series seems to have been a victim of a strange conspiracy, because nearly every one of its tracks is eerily run-of-the-mill. However, the few towering flames it does offer, including those by Spiritu, Dove, El Caco, Mastodon and Couldron, do a commendable job of warding off the bucket of water it would take to extinguish this otherwise small bonfire. Best when experienced in desperate times.
- jason m.
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Released 03.28.2005
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Monday, June 27, 2005
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Various Artists - The Sexual Life of the Savages (Soul Jazz) [audio]
This entry from the illustrious Soul Jazz vaults finds the label unearthing an impressive array of US and UK-inspired post-punk from São Paulo, Brazil. Clocking in at just over an hour, it's a stellar listen from start to finish. The 18 tracks making up the comp showcase the absolute best of this short-lived and often overlooked scene, which took place throughout the 1980s. It encompasses stylings from the entire post-punk paradigm and on a whole comes as an easy recommendation for fans of Talking Heads, ESG, Suicide and Gang of Four.
- will
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Released 05.09.2005
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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
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Tom Vek - We Have Sound
(Tummy Touch)
[audio/video]
[upcoming shows]
For an Englishman, Tom Vek is very much a student of recent trends in
American music - especially New York's contributions. Following a pair of well received singles in the UK, he makes his first proper
statement with We Have Sound. Less self-consciously buried in the art than The Rapture and more quizzical than LCD Soundsystem, Vek makes the most of our willingness to embrace most anything new that sounds old. And, in the process, he's made a record tied neither to past nor future trends.
- paul
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Released 04.04.2005
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Wednesday, January 12, 2005
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Viva Voce - The Heat Can Melt Your Brain (Minty Fresh) [mp3/video] [upcoming shows]
If actual heat stroke sounded this good, I would move to the desert
post-haste. Husband & wife team Kevin and Anita Robinson mix and match grimy lo-fi textures, sunshine-y harmonies, '70s disco-funk moments, indie-folk strums, cryptic lyrics and monumental song structures through a shoegaze film to amazing effect. If this were the least bit self-conscious, it would be horrible, but somehow everything here feels organic and genuine.
- jeremy
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Released 09.14.2004
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Monday, November 29, 2004
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Gina Villalobos - Rock 'n' Roll Pony
(Kick Music) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Gina Villalobos is the real thing. A fair amount of alt.country
artists seem to have studied the mechanics of the genre well enough to
get by, but Villalobos approaches the music from a deeper place. Her
raspy, crackling vocals ride along top of rock solid material like
"Why" and the cover of World Party's "Put the Message in a Box" as
though she's been doing this for thirty years. She's forcing nothing;
this is what she was born to do and it comes across so effortlessly.
- paul
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Wednesday, November 10, 2004
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Vincent & Mr. Green (Ipecac) [mp3]
You're in a bar. You don't smoke, but you ask your friend for a cigar. You puff it like a pro. Then you grab the nearest lady/guy and dance like Travolta and Thurman in Pulp Fiction. You've never danced before and you're quite shy, but you plant a kiss on her/his lips and slink away, touching everyone, buying them rounds. Suddenly reality intervenes. Everyone stares, mouths agape. You feel weird, but you want to do it all over again. So you do.
- jason m.
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Wednesday, July 21, 2004
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Velvet Revolver - Contraband (RCA) [audio/video]
Let's get this out of the way, right now: Despite the hype, despite the past members of that great band, Velvet Revolver is NOT Gun 'n' Roses. Velvet Revolver goes more for the power chords. The punk riffs. Fine and dandy, as long as we have some rippin' Slash solos, right? Oh yeah... I forgot the other important point: Scott Weiland? Horrible fucking voice. Deep lyrics about his battles with drug addiction don't matter if I can't stand to hear his chump ass sing 'em.
- brian
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Monday, May 03, 2004
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The Veils - The Runaway Found (Rough Trade) [audio] [upcoming shows]
At 19, Finn Andrews (son of former XTC and Shriekback member Barry Andrews) is head and shoulders above most other performers his age. The Runaway Found possesses a sentimental depth that even older peers like Coldplay's Chris Martin and the Verve's Richard Ashcroft have spent the better part of a decade trying to harness. The Veils don't create Britpop in the modern sense, but epic and timeless music without a hint of posturing. And then there's that voice—you've never heard anything like it.
- paul
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Monday, February 02, 2004
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John Vanderslice - Cellar Door (Barsuk) [mp3s] [upcoming shows]
Remember the first time you ate brie? It felt weird in your mouth and you weren't sure why your friends were so insistent you eat some, but you grudgingly chew and swallow. Eventually, you decide maybe something there is worth revisiting. Your third trip to the table, you're passionately convincing someone else how they absolutely had to try it because it was so awesome? That's Cellar Door.
- leslie
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Friday, October 10, 2003
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The Desert Sessions 9 & 10 - Various Artists (Ipecac/Rekords Rekords)
Is it a Queens of the Stone Age album or a PJ Harvey album? Sort of both, really. Josh Homme from QOTSA brings a bunch of people out to the desert, records insane music, and releases it into the world. This time around he brought along a bunch of interesting guests, ranging from Miss Polly to Dean Ween. The results are fantastic, making it a must have for fans of QOTSA, PJ Harvey, and those who just like good music. You know who you are.
- robert
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Wednesday, July 02, 2003
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Swami Sound System Vol. 1 (Swami Records)
If you're anything like me, you'd pick this up just for the unreleased Hot Snakes song. There's also new and unreleased stuff from Rocket From the Crypt, the Sultans, the White Apes, Sonny Vincent(!) and more. It provides way more rock than its $5.98 list price would seem to indicate, so go get it if you can find it. Hell... I'd pick up your grandma if I thought she had a new Hot Snakes track hidden on her somewhere. I'd be praying she's not hiding it in her ass, though.
- brian
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Monday, June 16, 2003
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NY: The Next Wave (Kanine Records)
Wouldn't you know it - Long Island's My Favorite puts out a great album four years ago and here they are, stuck back on a CD with up-and-comers. But they're in good company on this buzzing compilation featuring other NY notables like Aerial Love Feed, stellastarr* and Mommy & Daddy. Like the Yes, New York album, NY: The Next Wave is a great sampler of Gotham's indie scene, and the collection gives you a good taste of what's going on. Unlike the major label release, however, there's a better chance that you won't recognize some of the names. And that's a good thing.
- ryan p.
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Thursday, June 05, 2003
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Yes New York (Vice/Atlantic) [stream the album]
The cool kids might think this is old hat, but come on guys. It's a friend's mix CD, the one with the impeccable taste, and it has a ton of killer songs on it. They just happen to be New York rock bands. Groan if you will, but they picked the best songs by the ones you know (Walkmen, Interpol, Ted Leo), and you might even find a new favorite (The fever, The witnesses, perhaps?). Oh, and that sweet, acoustic version of "Our Time" by the YYYs (billed as "Unitard") is essential.
- catherine
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Wednesday, January 08, 2003
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Twenty Years of Dischord (Dischord)
I saw this in the store a couple of months ago and thought "Huh... that's finally out?" I didn't end up picking it up, but I did get it for Christmas, for which I will be eternally thankful. You should pick this sucker up for the book alone. But 50 tracks from 50 bands and a disc full of other rare and unreleased stuff (Fugazi's "The Word"... amazing), this thing is easily worth the measly $25 bucks you'll spend on it. Throw it on and get taken for a sweet ride through the history of one of the most influential punk/indie scenes in the world.
- brian
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Wednesday, December 11, 2002
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Rise Above - The West Memphis Three Tribute To Black Flag (Sanctuary Records)
A varied cast of heavy hitters including contributions from Chuck D, Lemmy, Mike Patton, Iggy Pop, & Ice T singing their favorite Black Flag tunes, from pre-Rollins material until the quasi-metal years of the band's later years. How this is different from the typical tribute album is that Henry Rollins sings seven or so of the new versions, with a band that sounds identical to Black Flag, especially on their later material. Many of these Rollins led songs come off as not so much covers as rerecorded versions of older songs.
- mark
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Thursday, October 17, 2002
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Various Artists - Bonnaroo Music Festival 2002 Live (Sanctuary Records)
Twenty-one artists are included in a release from the Summer's biggest and best festival. This release captures the soul, the rock, the funk, the groove, and the jam. If you are a fan of any of the bands on the disc it is a must own. If you have never heard any of the artists, or have ever said "jam bands are boring", it is a must listen the next time you are at the record store - you might be pleasantly surprised.
- neil
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Thursday, October 10, 2002
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Various Artists - One Big Trip (Red Urban Records)
Billed as the first ever single-disc DVD/Album combo, One Big Trip is an ode to drugs, the open road, and…um…drugs again. The film is just an overindulgent, trustafarian home video, but the accompanying soundtrack is 13 stellar tracks from a who's who of underground hip-hop. J5, Dilated, Lootpack – they're all here, and – surprisingly enough – even doper than usual. Highlights include repeat lyrical headcracks by Del The Funkee Homosapien, and the Hieroglyphics crew's head-nodding exhortation "Get Up Off My Dick."
- nick
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Tuesday, July 16, 2002
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The Vines - Highly Evolved (Capitol) [audio]
Next Big Thing hype is hanging heavily around the neck of Aussie foursome The Vines. Is it worth it? Perhaps. The band doesn't pigeonhole itself like other NBT artists do (The Strokes = '70 art-punk; The Hives = Detroit-style garage punk). Instead, The Vines leap around from angry two-minute blasts of grunge-punk (yes, like Nirvana) to bouncy Beatlesque pop (on the fab "Factory") to cloud-soaring shoegazing bliss ("Mary Jane"). I'm buying it hook, line and sinker.
- chip
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Wednesday, June 12, 2002
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Various - T.H.C. The Hip Hop Collection (High Times) [audio]
Rap and weed go together like ugly and your friend's sister, so this comp was a no-brainer. Pharcyde and The RZA are predictably "dope," contributions by MF Doom and Lootpack prove that indie rappers get blunted too, and High and Mighty get bonus clever points for their "oops, uh oh, I forgot the chorus" hook. The egregious omission of both Redman AND Snoop is forgiven, if only for the near-pornographic cover shots of some niiiiiiice sticky icky icky.
- nick
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Monday, March 04, 2002
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V/A - Rock Music/A Tribute to Weezer (deaddroid Records)
What's the point in putting out a Weezer tribute when all of the bands sound like Weezer and contribute pretty straight forward covers? I'd rather burn myself a "Best of Weezer" CD and include a few tracks off the new CD which, for some reason, wasn't touched on the tribute. The kids will buy it though for the tracks by Dashboard Confessional, Midtown, and The Stereo. My question is where is Ultimate Fakebook and the Get-Up Kids?
- chip
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Friday, January 18, 2002
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Various Artists - I Am Sam soundtrack (V2 Records)
A friend said to download "Revolution" by Grandaddy. The next day I bought the record. I thought, how could an album of Beatles covers not be good? The source material is great. But then I thought how easy it would be to fuck up. Thankfully, most of these tracks are covered by great artists who did an astounding job. Even the fucking Wallflowers get kudos.
- kate
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Thursday, January 17, 2002
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VPN - For Nearby Stars (Evil Teen Records) [mp3: 1 2 3]
Off-kilter pop with angular rhythms and haunting vocals. VPN – Very Pleasant Neighbor – is comprised of four artsy New Yorkers who aren't exactly fresh out of college. Ten years of playing together while releasing only two albums hints that VPN is very calculating in what they do, wasting no time on throw-away songs. Perhaps it's what Built to Spill would sound like had late-period, drugs/psychedelic-era Beatles been a bigger influence than Neil Young.
- chip
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Wednesday, December 12, 2001
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Vanilla Sky - Soundtrack (Reprise)
Damn it, Cameron Crowe has me in his grip. Of course, it's not an entirely unpleasant grip. The man certainly has done his homework for a soundtrack of love and confusion: REM, Radiohead, Red House Painters, the Monkees, Sigur Ros, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, and a delicious Looper track. But something about liking the soundtrack from a movie with Tom Cruise in it (when he isn't a vampire) makes me feel a little dirty, and not in a fun and kinky way.
- kate
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Tuesday, October 23, 2001
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Various Artists - Anticon Gigasingle
After hearing Jay-Z and Nelly for the 8 millionth time, the fine folks at Anticon have finally decided to take the law into their own hands. Consider this your hand-delivered invitation into the world of indie hiphop. Catchy beats, great samples and lyrics deep enough to put a left-wing feminist poetry slam to shame. Not the most polished hiphop you've ever seen, think of it more as a look at what's to come.
- jon
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