Darker My Love - S/T

(Request)

Somebody has really been clamoring for this one for the last couple of weeks. Well psych rock obsessed anonymous shoutbox poster, Ongakubaka is like the Make a Wish Foundation but with fewer terminally ill children, which means this is your lucky day. Breath that sigh of relief. Darker my Love is psych rock band out of L.A. featuring a couple of guys that have played in The Fall (awesome) and a few guys that played in The Distillers (we all make mistakes). I'll echo Dan here and say that on any given day I'd probably just throw on a Black Angels record, but that is in no way a shot at the level of talent and mature songwriting displayed by Darker My Love. Like them or not, these guys have chops and an ability to let some of their youthful punk rock energy bleed into the tracks. I also think that a lot of the people that read this blog will really like this record, so I'll give it my stamp of approval.

- Steve

Download S/T

Xiu Xiu - Remixed & Covered

(LINK FIXED 2/2/09)

(Request)

I've always had a soft spot for some of the tracks on Fabulous Muscles but much to the dismay of my Xiu Xiu superfan friends, I just can't get into this band. Oddly enough, I like this record a lot, and even though it isn't a real Xiu Xiu record per say, it's probably my favorite. Kid 606 absolutely kills it on his tracks, while Devendra Banhart, Oxbow, and Grouper somehow find a way to make Jamie Stewart's delicately crafted songs more creepy than they already are. I know Xiu Xiu can have a polarizing effect on people, but I would recommend checking this out to fans and non-fans alike.

- Steve

Download Remixed & Covered

Mi Ami - Echononecho 12" + Ark of the Covenant 12"

Picked up this 12" earlier today. The b-side is an alternate and dancier version of the a-side/opening track from their upcoming full-length LP. Worth a listen. Maybe Touch and Go will let this link last a little longer than the Watersports link from last week....but probably not. I also picked up their Ark of the Covenant 12" but don't have the means of ripping vinyl, so I'll be keeping an eye out for a download. Ark of the Covenant is another solid pair of tracks with vocals that remind me of what it might sound like if Gonzo of The Muppets (not H.S.T.) took speed for the first time. This 12" follows the same lines as Echononecho with an alternate version as the b-side.

- Dan

Download Echononecho 12"


Download Ark of the Covenant 12"

Prussia - Blessed Be, Yours Truly In Spirit & Soul

Blessed Be, Yours Truly In Spirit & Soul, the follow up to Prussia's 2008 album Dear Emily, Best Wishes, Molly, is a free download courtesy of Common Cloud Records. With their debut album last year, Prussia established themselves as the much needed breath of fresh air within the Detroit music scene, and this EP is a step further in the right direction. It's still their personal interpretation of 60s garage-pop, but these tracks are darker and looming lullabies appropriate for a prom night in a Tim Burton-esque world. Each track plays as a perfect waltz to bring out your inner Sweeney Todd or Headless Horseman. I could certainly, for the sake of comparison, imagine a band like Liars contriving a record like this. Very good stuff. I just hope that they're able to press this on vinyl in the future. If you're in or around Michigan, be sure to check them out at their FREE record release show at The Crofoot on Feb. 7th.

- Dan

Download Blessed Be, Yours Truly In Spirit & Soul

Casy and Brian - Catbees

(Request)

I'm not entirely sure of what I think about Casy & Brian (who are also known as "Catbees"). It's about as obnoxious as it is entertaining, and they rely entirely too much on their whiney, snotty, and uncontroled vocals. Every once in a while, however, they'll drop the fractured and awkward structures and they'll fall into a groove that is much more appealing. It's a mixture of the keyboard-driven-simple-but-dancable sound of Numbers (In My Mind All the Time days) and the uncontrollable, barbaric, and animalistic vocals of Black Eyes or Blood Brothers. Althouth I'm sure their live show is quite entertaining, I can't help but think that I've heard this all before. All I know is that 14 year old emo kids and scenesters will think this is the greatest thing they've ever heard.

- Dan

Download Catbees

Secret Mommy - Very Rec

If you've never heard this album, you'll be amazed what Andy Dixon was capable of doing with field recordings he obtained during various recreational activities (although I don't think "Daycare" is a valid recreational activity) using a condenser mic. With a little manipulation, a bouncing ball, grunt, or even a zamboni becomes the bassline. A few of the tracks are heavy on the ambiance of that particular activity, but a majority of the tracks are glitched and dancable wonders. Conceptually, this one of the greatest electronic albums ever made.

- Dan

Download Very Rec

Box Elders - Hole in My Head 7"

(Request)

Debut 4 track EP from this Omaha, Nebraska trio. Instantly likable "cave pop" that will get stuck in your head the moment you hear each track. They'll be releasing a full-length LP in the future through Goner Records (surprise, surprise), and there are still some of these 7''s available through Grotto Records. I suggest picking one up immediately.

- Dan

Download Hole In My Head 7"

Mi Ami - Watersports + African Rhythms 12"

Mi Ami consists of half of former Dischord noisemakers Black Eyes. The title of their African Rhythms 12" really sums up the band's sound well. Fans of Boredoms should cream their jeans over this one. These guys are touring like crazy for the next three months so make you sure you check them out when they roll through your town.

- Steve

Download Watersports

Download African Rhythms

Phosphorescent - To Willie

(Request)

An entire album of Willie Nelson covers, much like Nelson did in his 1975 homage to Lefty Frizzell, To Lefty From Willie. It's a little too country for my liking, which is why I haven't given it too many listens since I downloaded it when it first leaked, but if I decided to rapidly drink a fifth of Wild Turkey, this would be my go-to album. Good stuff.

- Dan

Download To Willie

Harlem - Free Drugs;-)

(Request)

I'm glad someone requested this one because I had heard a band called Harlem, but it wasn't this one. I like this one. Catchy throwback garage pop duo. A little Velvet Underground and a lotta Black Lips. And what would a throwback record be without a song about a girl named Caroline?

- Dan

Download Free Drugs

Ruins - Early Works: Live & Unreleased Tracks

I tried tracking this one down today and couldn't find a link on any blogs, so thank goodness for Soulseek. Sometimes I can't quite put into words how much I love early Ruins. I'll never understand how they were capable of creating a sound so incredibly badass. Anyways, it's an essential download for fans and actually isn't a bad starting point for those who have never heard the band before. The first track is a recording of their first ever live gig in February of 1986. You'll recognize most of the tracks from their 1986-1992 album I posted a while back. John Zorn also makes a saxophonic appearance on a few of the tracks. Here's the tracklist for the live gig...

1a		Love
1b		Slash
1c		Outburn
1d		Entropy
1e		Body & Soul
1f		Macarom Iyaike
1g		Birth Controll
1h		Embryo
1i		Universe
1k		Camvodia

- Dan

Download Early Works: Live & Unreleased Tracks

Grampall Jookabox - Ropechain

Less than 10 days into 2009 and Dan already has the jump on me. It's time to stop slacking and actually post something that won't get taken down in two hours (I did my best with Animal Collective). Ropechain is the second release from Indianapolis based Grampall Jookabox on Sufjan Stevens's Asmatic Kittie label. Since coming across it at work a month ago I've had it in and out of my stereo a dozen times. This album is tough to love, but impossible to dislike. The eerie combination of crazy sound samples, vocal manipulation (with the accompanying maniacal lyrics) , and who-gives-a-fuck-the-first-take-was-fine production makes for a strange listen. Grampall gets big bonus points for his mad scientist locked in a basement sound. Somtimes sheer ambition can really add something to an album. Ropechain is rarely triumphant in what it's trying to accomplish, but it is constantly intriguing, which makes it worthy of a download.

- Steve

Download Ropechain

Zu - Carboniferous

Holy Balls. First off, just click download now. There's no need to actually read any of the following sentences. There's a few links for this on various blogs already, but a post on this blog is far too appropriate. I've heard a handful of Zu's other material, but they have certainly outdone themselves for this February '09 release. These Romans decided to stop playing around, and start rocking the fuck out. It's the same heavy instrumental experimental avant-garde free jazz, but much more epic. Battles meets Noxagt meets Mike Patton meets my testicles, and now that we've all met, get it now.

- Dan

Download Carboniferous

Dead Man - Euphoria

These Swedes bring the same sort of organic psychedelic rock & roll that you would here from other modern bands like Howlin Rain and fellow Swedes, Dungen, but it's much easier to compare them to the founders of their sound. There are moments on this album that will remind you of virtually every band to come out of the 1970s. Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Soft Machine, Lynard Skynard, Blue Cheer, and the list could go on. Yes, this isn't the most original thing you'll ever hear, but they are damn good at it, and it deserves to be heard. These guys are on a large US tour, and I'll hopefully be catching them with Radio Moscow in a few weeks.

- Dan

Download Euphoria

Squadra Omega - Tenebroso

Thank you, Italy. This release is actually a free download that you can also find through their myspace if you'd prefer to download it from them. There's also a second download that is equally as awesome, and I suggest grabbing that one as well. This is spacey drugged-out free jazz improv, but with the right amount of structure. It's one 20 minute track that utilizes its time wisely. Just sit back, close your eyes, and watch the planets align.

- Dan

Download Tenebroso

Gary War - New Raytheonport

I've been pretty addicted to this one for the last few weeks, and if I had had more time to process it, it's likely to have made our top 10 list rather than just our honorable mentions list. There isn't very much legitimate information on this guy, other than the fact that he's from New York, but I have a feeling that I'll be hearing a lot more from this guy in the near future. Like quite a few artists we post on here, it's hard to plug him into a certain genre. It's a strange mix of garage, psych, synth, shoegaze, and a sort of late 80s/early 90s avant-pop. This LP is pretty incredible. Only 500 of these were released through Norfolk, Virginia's own Shdwply Records, the same label responsible for bringing you Teeth Mountain. He'll be playing 2 shows with Wavves and Woods in Brooklyn in early February, so if you're anywhere within a 100 mile radius, you better get your ass there. And if you do make it there, don't ever tell me.

- Dan

Download New Raytheonport

Girls of the Gravitron - Malthusian Lovesong 7"

This Memphis band shows loads of promise with their debut 7" from Boom Chick. They craft distorted, fuzzy, acoustic, and catchy little tunes that remind me of Black Lips with a Times New Viking approach to recording. If you enjoy all of the other loud and messy, yet organized bands that I tend to post, you'll love it. There's an awesome track on their myspace that isn't found on this 7", so check that out too. I look forward to hearing more from this band in the future.

- Dan

Download Malthusian Lovesong 7"

Black Mountain - Lucy Brown 7''

It's mostly what you would expect from the band, which means a solid pair of tracks, a synth cameo appearance, and drug references. Released back in November courtesy of Sub Pop. Limited to 1500 copies on green wax. It's sold out already, therefore making it a guilt-free download.

- Dan

Download Lucy Brown 7"