while The Little Hands of Asphalt is still sensitive and tender folk rock like on the previous release (Spit Back at Rain – also available on this site if you scroll down), this album is vastly different from the previous effort. it has a much less synthy Pulp-ish sound, and much more southern rock and Americana-influenced music. it is obvious that this kid knows his Bruce Springsteens as well as his Paul Simons. and it’s not such a bad thing at all. because this album has everything from emotional ballads to epic folk rock anthems where The Little Hands of Asphalt pushes the borders with so much going on at once that it’s magical. this is a magical release. it’s rocking perfection! so you need to give this a go, and be mesmerised by the imaginative and bright lyrics as well as the honest but far from modest music, by the always unwrapped The Little Hands of Asphalt. remember to buy his music from http://www.howisannierecords.com if you really dig this. :)
Benjamin Finger – Woods of Broccoli
ohh… this is a tough one to write about. how can I possibly explain this? it’s ambient, but at the same time not. it’s atmospheric? it’s melodic? I could just as well say “this is music”, because I do not really know how to describe this. all I can do is describe the feeling it gives me… well okay, I can’t really do that either. but let me assure you, it does provoke feelings. perhaps way too many? I think that’s why I am having trouble describing this album. it is so emotionally challenging to listen to. and that is a very powerful feature when it comes to ambient music. it creates all kinds of different moods, all at once. it really has to be heard to be believed, let alone understood. this is a true gem. get it! and buy it from http://www.howisannierecords.com if you have the funds.
Safehouses on Fire – So We Fell in Love With All of Our Pro-longed Goodbyes
anyone familiar with Fighterpilot or Youth Pictures of Florence Henderson should understand me when I say that this is progressive rock with a touch of ambient from How Is Annie Records. but Safethouses on Fire are not as ambient as Fighterpilot, nor as emo as YP. it has its own, very atmospheric style. the songs flow beautifully, and really dig into your brain, refusing to let go of it. you might be puzzled by this wonderful journey. and you will certainly have to listen to it several times to really fathom all its complex layers, due to the sheer amount of layers. this is deep and wild music. get into it. if you really like it, you can buy it from http://www.howisannierecords.com – which I highly recommend you to. if this is a dream, don’t let it end.
Rudi Simmons – Heart Attacks
Rudi Simmons album Heart Attacks sound nothing like heart attacks. it sounds more like summer. it’s a tasteful and classy take on the indie pop genre. from oompas to bare acoustic numbers, Simmons manages to create interesting atmospheres. add clever and amusing lyrics to the mix, and you have these catchy and intelligent folky melodies with words that sparkle with wisdom. it is a modest but still ingenious interpretation of pop music. it is however way too many filthy words and unconventional (or at least not-conventional-enough) melodies in here to make this a true pop album. if you ask some dumb music journalist of allmusic or such, this would probably be tagged “Adult Contemporary” (with capital letters) or “Singer-Songwriter”, or whatever made up genre is in at the moment. but whatever you choose to call this: at least give it a listen! because this is honest music that deserves a listen – your listen. and not only that, it even deserves a purchase! on CD! http://www.howisannierecords.com
The Ergs! – Acoustic LP
you like The Ergs!, one of the most catchy and consistent punk rock bands of all time, right? then you will love how they sound acoustically! their sweet lyrics and hypnotising riffs are intimate and more cosy than ever. this is one of the cosiest albums ever actually. and you will have to get it. it’s like those few really awesome Soul Asylum and Goo Goo Dolls tracks, only this sparkles with optimism and happiness. download this and sing a long! then go to http://www.myspace.com/theergs and support the band by purchasing some records. :)
Andrew Jackson Jihad/French Quarter – Fresh Quarter/French Jihad
more heartfelt and truly genuine and honest to the core folk punk from Andrew Jackson Jihad. but this time it’s mixed up with the dark, creeping tones of French Quarter and their country tinged folk. and they’ve obviously influenced AJJ, because they are sounding more Americana and country than ever. perhaps especially on the beautiful “Skipping Stone”. the bands play four tracks each, and they are – while similar enough to make this split work – very different. they create vastly different atmospheres, emotions and moods. they are however equally impressing to listen to. so get in on this timeless classic! take especially notice of the Dead Prez cover by AJJ.
Railway Ghosts – Railway Ghosts
if your playlist has Daniel Striped Tiger, What Price Wonderland? and various other hardcore/emo on it, you might want to step up and download this. Railway Ghosts play upbeat and semi-chaotic punk with a lot of shouting most of the time. but quite a few times they slow down in order for those skram guitars to do what they were always meant to do – twinkle. there’s quite a bit of dynamics on this record. but despite of this it still has a somewhat inherent monotone expression. this is not a bad thing at all though. it gives this a distinct sound. I mean Dinosaur Jr. are pretty fucking monotonous, but no one is going to argue with me when I say that the three first albums and Beyond are four of the most awesome albums ever, eh? so get into this South-Wales band here. get into the frantic drumming on the very mellow and pleasant drum kit, the monotone guitars and shouting, and how they manage to be both semi-chaotic and semi-catchy at the same time. this album is like flying a kite in a thunderstorm.
The Ergs! – Hindsight is 20:20 My Friend
if you are lacking splits, EPs and other nice non-album things by The Ergs!, you need to download this. and it’s not just a bunch of tracks from different records packed together, no no no! it’s remastered and remixed (maybe some of it is even rerecorded?) to perfection! the tracks sound better than ever here. so if you actually have those non-album tracks, you still should download this. because chances are you won’t ever listen to them again in their original forms, if you have this compilation accessible instead. it’s mindblowingly good. for those of you who don’t know these tracks or The Ergs! altogeher – get to know them! now! if you like anything even remotely punk or punk-influenced, you will love this. it doesn’t matter if you are into Sugar, blink-182, AFI, Weezer or actual punk and hardcore bands such as Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, One Last Wish or Cap’n Jazz – you will like this either way. so get it. “because you’re worth it”. no matter what you are expecting of it – this will surprise you! buy it and support the band at http://www.myspace.com/theergs
The Ergs! – It’s A Celebration, Bitches
a compilation like this is definitely a celebration. a celebration of one of the greatest modern punk rock bands to ever play. there’s a Nirvana cover (not a coincidence at all, seeing as how The Ergs! sound a great deal like Nirvana at times), a Joe Jackson cover, some upbeat and punky alt-country tunes, some this, some that. most of it is hardcore or Minutemen and/or Replacements influenced. one unifying factor though is all of the tracks’ awesomeness. it’s fast, it’s melodic, it’s catchy – what’s not to like really? get this! and support the band by ordering stuff from http://www.myspace.com/theergs
The Ergs! – Upstairs/Downstairs
Upstairs/Downstairs one of the most defining albums a band has ever released. this album sees The Ergs! succeeding in everything they attempt. from alt-country bar tales to hardcore punk to sweet ballads to noise rock to whatever, it is all fantastic! and it all fits together incredibly. you would expect an album this diverse to sound somewhat awkward, as if there were multiple bands on it rather than one powerhouse of writers. but The Ergs! flabbergasts everybody with this truly unique album. an honest, passionate and admirable effort that needs to get the attention it definitely deserves. please listen to this. I assure you that you will not regret it, ever. you should also very much consider purchasing it from the band at http://www.myspace.com/theergs
The Ergs! – Jersey’s Best Prancers
Jersey’s Best Prancers is one of the most catchy albums you will ever hear. it also proves numerous times that the verse-chorus-verse formula is all but necessary to make catchy music. the different parts of the tracks don’t have to repeat themselves two or three times each if the parts are all equally awesome, and as long as they fit well together. this is proven again and again on this album. and in addition to being catchy, The Ergs! showcase brilliant guitar solos and a keen sense of harmonies. the album title is an obvious tribute to Lifetime’s Jersey’s Best Dancers. but where that album sounded like east coast emo (Falling Forward, Elliott and so on), this album sounds more like Hüsker Dü’s latter days combined with The Get Up Kids (both their punky efforts and their more alt-country-ish sound). intelligent yet joky. you will have to download this! and if you like it, buy it at http://www.myspace.com/theergs
The Ergs! – DorkRockCorkRod
The Ergs! are a very rare band. playing with Hüsker Dü tattooed in their foreheads, and an obvious Descendents and Queers influence, they rock harder than most. and DorkRockCorkRod definitely proves this! with funky riffs, upbeat drumming and the extremely distinguishable vocals, this band has got a good thing going. punk songs about love, relationships and other personal issues. not exactly emo, but there’s probably no one who will kill you if you call it emo anyway. but whether you call it emo, punk, hardcore, rock, alternative, pop-”punk” or whatever – it’s awesome nevertheless. call it what you will, as long as you listen to it. if The Beatles was a 2000s band, they would sound like this. and everybody loves The Beatles. so get this! you can buy their albums and support the band at http://www.myspace.com/theergs
sleepmakeswaves – in today already walks tomorrow
sleepmakeswaves are punking it up. while the demo (see post #90) is mostly slowly creating this soft atmospheric music, or droning the shit out of the listener with distorted guitars and cymbal-heavy drumming, this release starts of with a mostly very upbeat piece with rocking harmonic guitars. of course the band can’t help but fill the mid-part with some progressive goodiness that builds up with a faster and faster hitten snare, melodic guitars and mellow bass – all of which eventually climaxes in an explosion of powerful melody alike to Mogwai on their finest. this really sounds like City of Caterpillar sans the screaming, only more patient and with more instruments. kind of like Envy. it’s big and it’s good. and everybody should download it.
Dominic & The Third Memory split
Dominic has always struck me as on of the most unique hardcore/emo bands out there. they are so distinct in their sound that it’s not hard to recognise how different and great they are. a simply awesome band. and the two tracks they contribute to this split is nothing short of awesome either. the dramatic approach to screamo present in their style is spectacular. it’s progressive, noisy and beautiful. and not to be missed out on. while most intense screamo bands (this rules out the math rock twiddle/noodle bands) are either very brutal or equally brutal but with the occasional melodic approach for ten seconds or less. Dominic manages to get the best of both worlds at all times. truly impressive. especially given how progressive their music is. it takes great song writing to achieve music as good as this. The Third Memory are a vastly different band. yes they have semi-similar guitars at times, and are definitely melodic and progressive as Dominic – but this band are noticeably less noisy. while incorporating intensively screamed vocals, the music is essentially very soft. the guitars are kind of twinkly like Dominic’s, but not even half as distorted. and while the drummer beats the shit out of the snare from time to time, it’s generally not very heavy. it’s a bit weird listening to this band, because they are so fast, progressive and technical – but they never get carried away and just climax into a big bunch of noise. and that is admirable, the way they contain themselves. but it’s by no means reserved or anything like that – it’s passionate alright. it’s just diciplined as well. and it’s awesome. get this split!
sleepmakeswaves – sleepmakeswaves
sleepmakesnowaves have no vocals, but that doesn’t mean they have no voice. they are in fact highly vocal, despite lacking a vocalist. they are an instrumental rock band that play a great deal on ambience. it sounds like they are trying to capture Mogwai’s magic ambient twinkling, and then completely destroy it with distorted drone guitars in the vein of Isis every now and then. they succeed at this. very much. this demo sounds very dark and meek, yet there is this optimism and power inherent in the music. especially the parts with distorted guitars and an overall loudness. the twinkly ambient bits come off as sort of passages into these great climaxes of honest, humble and very *awesome* music.
Manhattan Skyline – Tarantula Arms E.P.
Manhattan Skyline are one of the best band I’ve ever seen live. their extremely aggressive music and intense performance is marvellous. this band plays Orchid-style hardcore/screamo, and mixes it up a bit with mathcore influences. it reminds me very much of The Crinn, which again sounds like a more insane version of Dillinger Escape Plan with cooler vocals. Manhattan Skyline can probably also be compared to DEP. though not as obviously as The Crinn, because this band isn’t as jazzy. it’s more in your face screamo with obvious metalcore and plain hardcore influences. more The Spectacle than DEP. on the other hand, if you’ve ever heard Kaospilot or Dominic and digged them, you will probably welcome Manhattan Skyline as a different, but equally awesome band. equally awesome, but definitely unique in their sound. they thrash around like no one else, both live and on record. the lyrics are perhaps not all that intelligible at the first listen due to the mad screaming and loud music, but once you pay attention they are every bit as great as the music. they are definitely a vital organ in the Manhattan Skyline body, and I recommend paying attention to them, once you get over the whole stroke-thing you’ll get after listening through this for the first time with the stereo cranked up at 95db. this is loud shit. enjoy.
Arctic Monkeys – Don’t Believe the Hype
I suppose the world’s biggest band or so at the moment does not need any introduction, but still – let me pretend it still is 2004 or whenever I downloaded these off of SoulSeek. the band was admittedly not as famous back then, but they were definitely as good as they are now. these demos shows a new band in town, eager to show off their newly discovered skills at composing and performing music. the music is in fact extremely eager. they play fast, intense and energetic punk tracks, with several tracks clocking in well under three minutes – some even under two. the waililng guitars are loud as can be. the whole sound picture is generally fast and loud. crashing drums, distorted and crisp guitars, shouted vocals and fast bass. but what perhaps makes Arctic Monkeys stand out the most are their intelligent and observant lyrics, penned by guitarist/vocalist Alex Turner. some have even compared him to Jarvis Cocker (that might be a bit over the top though), due to how he manages to put down what’s going on in his world to paper. there’s no “bigger picture” here, it’s just Turner and the way he sees the world. what’s going on in his head. whether it’s clever observations on the youth cliques, patronizing words on a scumbag, or simple straightforward tunes about love – Turner knows his shit when it comes to writing. and so does he when it comes to killing his guitar, like Jamie Cook also does his fair share of. so if you’re into crisp and deadly guitars, loud and fast drumming, melodic and hasty bass and shouted vocals that tells stories – this is for you. download it!
Engerica – Unreleased, Unleashed
Engerica released one of the best metal-influenced screamo/punk affairs of 2006. this is not it. this is a demo session sometime before that. and it’s golden! while it has not yet fully developed the screamo anxiety, and the quirky/serious/insane balance isn’t yet perfected, this is four sleazy rock tracks with humorous lyrics and desperate melodies. definitely worth getting your hands on.
Come What May – Demo
two frantic experimental emo tracks filled with despair and chaos. shouting, heavy drums with plenty of cymbal rape, guitars that reminds me of Paper Moshay by Antioch Arrow, weird synth effects and so on. all of this comes together… well to say “nicely” would be a bit of a lie, because this is simply chaotic artsy and angsty punk rock that probably would fit in on Gravity records in the early ninetees or even late eightees. it’s hypnotic, claustrophobic and nervous, with a dark edge to it. also this band is slightly obscure as far as I know, because they kind of disappeared after I got this demo from them. they don’t even log into their MySpace, let alone answer messages from it – so yeah. score eliteness points today! download this gem. :)
1099 – Machine! Fire! Ghosts!
1099 are a band that plays very atmospheric music. the guitars are twinkling nicely, whilst the strings are ensuring the music is constantly flowing like a waterfall. the drummer makes use of the entire kit, at the right times. cymbals galore to create intense moments, snare to create suspension and a nice utilization of toms to make sure the music doesn’t run away. where Yndi Halda’s songs are so different that they could just as well been split up into several tracks, 1099’s tracks are definitely single pieces that are so sewn together, you wouldn’t dream of replacing – let alone removing – a single bit of them. where Explosions in the Sky generally tend to have long intros that lead into this one climax – 1099 are a constant flow of climaxes, making the tracks less tiring than Explosions in the Sky’s. the songs go from downbeat moments with toms and the infamous Indian Summer guitars, onto the same Indian Summer guitars only with snare instead of toms. then the strings come. then the cymbals come, increasingly louder and louder and louder. the snare is hit faster and louder as well. the guitars go higher and higher. the strings are constrasting slower and slower. everything breaks. the twinkly Indian Summer guitars are alone. then comes the upbeat drumming, the distorted guitars, the everything. there’s climaxes all over the place. everything is alive with beauty, power and passion. this ep is awesome, and you should get it. I’m not generally into bands without vocals, but this is simply awesome.
august hell – Life Without Germs
I was contemplating whether to put this in the who knows section, or whether to simply put it in this ambient category. the ambient category barely won due to the way this album makes you visualize a story – an epic tale. I view this album as a soundtrack to a war. it has it all. the initial anger when the war breaks out. the hopelessness when there seems like no end to it. the losses that affect everyone in it. the uprising. the underground parties. the passion. the uplifting optimism and hope for an end to not only this war, but every war ever. the sheer happiness of victory, of end. I mean this album just generally succeeds in so many ways when it comes to evoking feelings. it’s a roller-coaster. get on it.
Beowulf – A Rock Operetta
this has a great intro that’s just so “right”. really sets the mood. haunting. the violin, the percussion, the vocals… mysterious-like, dark atmosphere. then a more “orthodox” melody starts rockin’. and it really does rock. funky yet sensitive stuff. it’s spaced out track with f’ucked up vocals and punchy, distorted guitars. but it’s also fantastic folky stuff, complete with flutes and what sounds like some sort of goblet drum, like a djembe or whatever. then it’s also Dr. Dre-ish hip-hop with awesome beats and great vocals. it’s an opera. and it allows itself to do whatever the fuck it wants to. and all of it is awesome. also there’s a Ray Charles impersonation. what’s not to love? if Green Day has made you think that a “rock opera” is equal to major suckage – get this, and Beowulf change your opinion on rock operas all together. if you on the other hand *like* rock operas… then why are you still reading this? DOWNLOAD IT!