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Rogue Wave - Descended
Like Vultures
Listen -
10:1 stream via myspace
Ive noticed that this blog has included some extrordinary
and fairly absolute claims. It seems when expressing interest
in my new favorite records I tend to use like best ever and
most wicked awesome. That being said, Rogue Wave's new album
is the most best ever wicked awesome. This album is solid
front to back and will be included in my favs of 2005.
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| 11/2/2005 1:11:00 PM
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American Analog Set
- Set Free
Listen -Cool
Kids Keep mp3 via Neighborhoodies
Those of you who know me, know that the AmAnSet is a long
time favorite of mine. The new album settles back a bit. A
perfect lights out under a blanket listen for the season.
Tracks like "Cool kids" keep the album moving. Heres
hoping the kids continue touring at least til ive seen em
once.
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| 11/2/2005 1:09:00 PM
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Broken Social Scene - Broken
Social Scene
Listen -7/4
Shoreline mp3 via Cloak and Dagger
Bss return with their third full length (Beehives excluded)
breaking a fundamental rule of rock. You only get one chance
at a self-titled album; your first. If you dont self-title
your first album thats it, you forfeit your right to self
title. sorry. its a rule look it up.
About the Album: Its good, it just lacks the cohesion that
previous efforts did so effortlessly.
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| 11/2/2005 1:08:00 PM
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Swords - Metropolis
Listen -The
Mark mp3 via Scissorkick
Swords, previously the swords project, are a purveyor of what
im considering new sound. Straying from the form of 4 piece
band, the band truly epitomizes band and each part holds its
own, together creating more of a musical landscape with backing
synth and strong keyboard, violin parts.
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| 11/2/2005 1:07:00 PM
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Dios (Malos) - Self Titled
Listen - I
want it all mp3 via Band Site
"I am into older shit.
It was good. It was new. Everything now is the flavor of
the month. We got a really weird review from NME that said
we
listen to our dads' records too much. But they're talking
about other bands listening to their older brother’s
shit and it's OK." -dios
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| 11/2/2005 1:05:00 PM
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Wolf Parade - Apologies
to the Queen Mary
Listen - You
are a Runner .mp3 viaSub Pop
A floating city awash in elegance, the Queen Mary in Long
Beach, listed on the National Register of Historic Places,
remains one of the most famous ships in history. In 2004 Wolf
Parade played the boat that was host to the modest mouse currated
ATP event.
"When we played the All Tomorrow's Parties festival out
west, we'd been drinking hard alcohol and there was an, uh,
incident with fire extinguishers and we got kicked off the
boat"
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| 11/2/2005 1:03:00 PM
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Sufjan Stevens
- Live from Somewhere
Listen -One
I Love R.E.M. cover mp3 via No Picasso
Forget Illinoise this is the most beautiful new folk song
youre going to hear this summer or any other for that matter.
Found sounds at No
Picasso which host a slew of other great covers for their
post of Now! thats what I call indie covers: volume 1. Also
worth checking out is David Byrne's "wanna dance with somebody" and Of Montreal's cover
of the who.
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| 7/28/2005 2:35:00 PM
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Tom Vek - We have
Sound
Listen -
I aint saying my Goodbyes video via band site
I apologize for the neglect here at the ol mp3 blog. Ive been
quite busy with new undertakings and what not, but I havent
stopped listening to the best music you never have. and mr.
Vek is a shining example. this london-born one man band has
been spending high rotationi on the ipod and "goodbyes"
has become my summer jam.
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| 7/28/2005 2:27:00 PM
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Archers of Loaf
- White Trash Heroes
Listen - One
Slight Wrong Move mp3 via akena
Recently reccomended to me by our friends at TAN! I picked
up this loafer's cd and havent put it down yet. Posted is
wrong move on which the robots will make you poop your pants
and rethink 100 million people.
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| 7/1/2005 3:17:00 PM
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Oneida - The Wedding
Listen - Run
Through my Hair mp3 via catbirdseat
Another of the Indie kid favs, Oneida is a genre defying collective.
They are as ecentric as eclectic and move easily from string
arrangements and synth to crunching guitars and melodies.
This record while a bit everywhere is worth the sum of its
parts.
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| 7/1/2005 2:47:00 PM
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silversun pickups
- Pikul ep
Listen - dream
at tempo 119 stream via myspcace
Proud member of the LA scene and its ship collective, silversun
pickups have been gathering fans by opening shows for the
likes of earlimart, autolux, midnight movies, and the secret
machines. The sound is expansive but keeps in mind melodies
and warmth of sound.
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| 7/1/2005 2:27:00 PM
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Pontiak - White
Buffalo ep
Listen - It
takes One mp3 via organ grinder records
Pontiak is comprised of three brothers from the mountains
of Virgina. Their second ep starts off where the threesome
left off with slow crooning songs but picks ups throughout
the cd to give an idea of new direction.
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| 7/1/2005 2:17:00 PM
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Clap your Hands Say
Yeah - Clap your hands say yeah
Listen - Home
on ice mp3 via banana nutrament
The buzz from hometown Brooklyn is huge and growing. Id wanted
so badly to beat Pitchfork to the punch on this one, but I
guess theres a reason they get the big bucks. CYHSY added
today to best of new music. The poppy sound is one that will
grow on you.
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| 6/22/2005 10:01:00 AM
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Brendan Benson
- Alternative to Love
Listen -Alternative
to Love mp3 via the crutch
Brendan Benson is garnering much fame through fellow Detroit
rocker and friend Jack White. The two are planning a 5 piece
band called Raconteurs with material supposedly ready by year
end. In the meantime Brendan has released this beautiful solo
album of pretty pop songs.
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| 6/15/2005 3:58:00 PM
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Love as Laughter
- Laughter's Fifth
Listen - Dirty
Lives mp3 via subpop
LAL is a mixed bags of familiar sounds. Dirty Lives in particular
could quite easily be mistaken for Stephen Malkamus. Not much
for pretense the vocals wabble, the guitars are rough, but
the sound draws you in.
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| 6/15/2005 3:45:00 PM
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Team Sleep - Team
Sleep
Listen - Ever(Foreign
Flag) mp3 via insound
Team Sleep is the side project of Def Tones front man Chino
Moreno. Partnering with the likes of Mike Patton, Rob Crow (pinback),
and Melissa Auf Der Mar the "experimental" line
up build layered soundscapes that tap and may very well penetrate
the subconsious and create lullaby music for new goths.
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| 6/10/2005 2:23:00 PM
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The White Stripes
- Get Behind Me Satan
Listen -Take,
Take, Take. mp3 via Akena
If you havent heard our hero Jack White was recently married
at the "Encontro das Aguas", the intersection of
the Rio Negro, the Rio Solimones and The Amazon, in a canoe
by a traditional shaman. Whos the lucky girl you ask? Super
model Karen
Elson who you might recognize from the new Stripes Video
for Blue Orchid. Is this all a nose-thumbing at an all to
eager big-story paparazzi or a quiet true love? Lets just
say, if shes not up to it we would happily have Jack's Child.
Also reccomended: The White Stripes Live: Under Blackpool
Lights
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| 6/8/2005 11:37:00 PM
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Live Show Review
Pinback - Live at Sokol Underground
Listen -Fortress
mp3 via insound
Pinback is at its best when the vocals cross. With contorted
face, singer rob crow would seem to unhinge his bearded jaw
unleashing the most beautiful sounds and then crossing with
his pinback partners sometimes seemingly unrelated vocal outbursts.
The music was magnificent, the crowd was much more mature
and knowledgable of the band than most of the saddle creek
shows, and the tempertature surprisingly cool for the basement
shows sokol is known for. BTW the band's newest Summer in
Abaddon is also wicked awesome.
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| 6/6/2005 2:56:00 PM
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Black Mountain -
Black Mountain
Listen -Druganaut
mp3 via insound
Black Mountain is another highly hyped band of Summer 2005.
Heralded by Pitchfork and Insound as the "it" band
the mountain has an eclectic sound throughout their self titled
album. Think Zepplin meets Dirty South rockers Kings of Leon
meets pretty pop backup vocals for starters.
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| 6/6/2005 2:37:00 PM
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Animal Collective
- Prospect Hummer EP
Listen -Prospect
Hummer mp3 via the gorilla vs bear
The follow up to the amazing Sung Tongs is this four track
acoustic EP. The collective team up with 60s folk musician Vashanti
Bunyan and her haunting vocals, to create more of the most
beautiful background music youre used to from this collection
of animals.
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| 6/1/2005 3:08:00 PM
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Spoon - Gimme Fiction
Listen -I
turn my camera on mp3 via the napkin
If you havent heard the buzz about Spoon's "gimme fiction"
then you might want to invest in a pair of those dorky ear
plugs you see the Def Leopard roadies wearing at the show.
Reviews have popped up just about everywhere. Plain and simple
this is a great album full of the sounds that have brought/continue
to take Spoon this far.
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| 5/17/2005 4:33:56 PM
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Commenting Enabled
!Ive finally gotten off my ass and dumped content into a
db and written the scripts to enable commenting and permalinks.
Id love to know if anyone is reading or if youve got some
feedback for akena. Happy Listening.
hot flashes and hysteria,
Kenny the Hammer
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| 5/12/2005 7:20:00 PM
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Gorillaz - Demon
Days
Listen -Feel
Good Inc. stream via Myspace
Let me the first to say that I was first to say that this
is the best album of 2005. The most anticipated album of the
year lives up to its cartoon hype and manages to sound a bit
more fantastic and fairy tale than its 2001 predecessor self
titled release. A fitting sound for an animated foursome set
on revolutionizing the way you hear music.
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| 5/12/2005 3:44:44 PM
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Sufjan Stevens
- Come on Feel the Illinoise
Listen -Man of Metropolis
mp3 via Stereogum
!Special request post for long time reader Billiam Arth!
Sufjan remains true to banjo twanging and lullaby soft vocals
and releases the second of his lofty goal of 50 albums dedicated
to each state. This album may have been a collection of b-sides
from earlier works had its content not centered on the new
concept state of Illinois.
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| 5/6/2005 3:44:44 PM
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Ryan Adams - Cold
Roses
Listen -Magnolia
Mountain stream via Band Site
Ryan Adams is a lot of things, but slouch aint one. With the
release of Cold Roses Ryan returns to a roots sound and puts
the twang back in alt country. Hats off to the Cardinals for
hanging around and putting up with Ryan long enough to finish
this double disk. Expect not one but two more full lengths
from Ryan by Nov. For pretty photos of the Sokol Adams/Cardinals
show go here.
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| 5/4/2005 2:32:00 PM
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The Helio Sequence
- Love and Distance
Listen -Blood
Bleeds mp3 via Subpop
The two piece; Helio Sequence definitely march to their own
drum. This synth driven sound uses irregular beats and signatures
to construct errie melodies that could be the backdrop of
the subconcious.
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| 5/3/2005 12:34:00 PM
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Thunderbirds are Now! - justamustache
Listen - From
Skulls Flash Player via Band Site
"Bursting out of Detroit’s pollution-and-crime-ridden
streets like Robocop after one too many Yellow Jackets"
- Band Bio at FrenchKiss Records
Thunderbirds will be playing O'Leavers 5/2.
Update: Somebody call Vh1 behind
the music the Thunderbirds are about to explode. The show
last night at O'Leavers (not big enough to qualify as small
apartment) was up front and loud and by up front I mean
guitarist, Ryan Allen, quite literally in my lap. Which
begs the question of etiquette: What is the appropriate
response to a rocker getting up on your table and rocking
you? Show included kicked chairs, thrown percusion items,
and plenty of tamborine shaking rock kicks. Cant wait to
see ya in June. 2:19PM 5/3/2005
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| 4/27/2005 3:45:00 PM
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Caribou - Milk
of Human Kindness
Listen - Yeti
Quicktime Video via Band Site
After some US litigation Dan Snaith's Manitoba dons a new
moniker, Caribou. Check out this video which captures the
sound too well. All I can say now to describe the sound is
crazed carousel ride.
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| 4/25/2005 1:46:00 PM
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Autolux - Future
Perfect
Listen - Subzero
Fun.mp3 via Akena
This disk has been high rotation on my stereo since I found
autolux when they were announced as the first confirmed act
for coachella 05.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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The Books - Lost
and Safe
Listen - Be
good to them always.mp3 via Tomlab
Assembled Schizophrenic Beautiful Noise. This album like other
Book lps is made of abstraction and sound clips that should
never make music; but do perfectly.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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Rogue Wave - Out
of the Shadows
Listen - Endless
Shovel.mp3 via Subpop
Aptly named Rogue Wave, with a big push from subpop, step
from the shadows of obscurity into every indie lovers "best
of " lists. Shin-esque with flowing harmonies.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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Okkervil River -
Black Sheep Boy
Listen - For
Real.mp3 via Band Site
"Then I really miss what really did exist when I held
your throat so tight"
Black Sheep Boy dives head first into the dark places of an
unbalanced mind. The sound is erratic, wavering, fragmented,
sometimes out of tune and beautiful.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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Beck - Guero
Listen - E-pro
stream via MySpace
Pink is the new Black and Beck is the new Beck. Never one
to disappoint, Beck's Guero returns to the funky-get-up-and-dance
sounds of Vultures and unstoppable force of Odelay.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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The National - Alligator
Listen - album
stream via Band Site
Think Leonard Cohen meets the French Kicks. The National pull
off the non-chalance the Walkmen would like to. If its cool
not to care this might be the new scratched cd to leave on
your stereo.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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Of Montreal - Sunlandic
Twins
Listen - Wraith
Pinned to the Mist.mp3 via Leaf and Lime
"I was a landscape in your dream and all my mountains
were on fire."
Of montreal returns with its infectious harmonies and Pet
Sound inspired happiness. The perfect record for summer. Enjoy
with a nice glass of lemonade.
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| 4/18/2005 8:10:00 PM
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archive>>
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