Back to Black.

The December Sound.


I can't stop listening to this band. Top notch psych music from Boston. It reminds me of Trail of the Dead in the sonic capacity of the guitar but with much better songs underneath. Great melody, almost haunting, but very powerful rock. Must have.

The December Sound - No Heaven like Hell.

The Whitsundays.

These fellows from california should be on a nuggets comp. Poppy garage with some very airy production value. The vocals are really fab and smooth over the crispy drums. Everything is well played and sticks in your head.

The Whitsundays -- It must be me.

Propagandhi.

Always a big favorite of mine.

"I guess life is just a popularity contest
Success, the ability to perform within a framework of obedience
Just ask the candy-coated Joy-Cam rock-bands
selling shoes for venture-capitalists,
silencing competing messages,
Rounding off the jagged edges"

Wed already.

The Depreciation Guild.



If you enjoyed Slowdive but wish they had some smart drums, or remember how great Medicine was, this band will make you happy. The aptly titled Depreciation Guild is Shoegaze with programmed drums. Sounds great. Not only that but you can download the entire album for free.

/thedepreciationguild/


The Cinematics.


I Really love this track. It has a bit of an 80's big pop sound in the production. The Cinematics have had an album out for almost a year, but that doesn't mean you can't jump in and love them too. If you like the editors and want something less Joy Division.

The Flirtations.


Such a great song. Three girls from South Carolina belting out the soul in England.
The way her voice drops during "he's got me all won, Can I get him?" gets me every time.

Step Back.

Talk Taxis.


Somebody is channeling Stiff little fingers. Or is it Gang of Four? With a bit of The Wedding Present? Smashing good stuff anyway. Talk Taxis is from london and doesn't have anything out yet, so go lurk their myspace page.

Talk Taxis - Liverless.

And some video fun:


I May never. That has to be Jake Burns singing there doesn't it?

The Numbers.


Psych Rock with a bit of a twist. Mostly it's just really good pop songs with some fuzzy guitar/organ and nicely produced drums. I think I like Fantasy Life the best because the vocals are so clear, but I want to Believe has a really nice build to it. Also, worst name in the world if you're trying to find them on tha internets.

The Numbers - I want to Believe.
The Numbers - Fantasy Life.

Xiu XIu.


Xiu Xiu actually pulled off a cover of under pressure where the bass isn't the focal point. Pretty nifty trick. This is off the new one Women as Lovers.

Xiu Xiu - Under Pressure.

The Gossip.

I'm not a huge fan of the gossip. I feel like they need a good remix to bring out their full potential as a band. More over the top Disco please.

The Gossip - Yr Mangled Heart (Guns N Bombs Trashbags Remix)

Robyn.


Go! Go! Ocelot! Decent video, just give it a second.

Monday night.

Prinzhorn Dance School.


This is all about sparse clean bass and not much else. The vocals sell it with warm rich tones and guitar high points here and there. It kind of reminds me a bit of a very stripped down Huggy Bear trying to sound like the white stripes. Very minimal and repetitive pop. Maybe it's just the accent though. They have a nice page too. No myspace slacking for these two.

Prinzhorn Dance School - Worker.
Prinzhorn Dance School - Eat, Sleep.

The Harlem Shakes.


"Think Housemartins meet the Shins with Beach Boys harmonies and a dash of Eno-style weirdness. "

That's what their website say.
I couldn't be bothered to think up my own and I'm not a huge shins fan (Sorry.), but I dig this.

The Harlem Shakes - Sicko!

Malsain.



Norway still has some fine black metal. I really like all the new strains and expansions that the genre is taking. Malsain is very mid-tempo and creepy, but with just enough power and force to make it fun. Also, the singer is named Skumring. Also, check out that bald fella.... is he not disturbing? Dig around on their website and I promise you'll find a great picture of him.

Malsain - Cement Forest.

Dark at 5:30.

Centurions Ghost.


Entombed beating up conversion while Celtic Frost watches and detunes their guitars. Fun stuff from England. The vocals take time to grow on me, but the music is highly enjoyable. Thick and heavy with plenty of twists.

Centurions Ghost - Black Hearts Will Break.


Heads we Dance.




A poppy britsh magnetic fields. Very pet shop boys. Not much else to say but a great track sing along with. The production is very top 40 80's.

Heads we Dance - Heart is Set on you.



The Raveonettes.


Danish pop with fuzzy guitars and a nice beat. The video is pretty creepy.......until that guy starts dancing.
I could really do without that.


Phil Ochs.





This is a strange clip with some very serious looking kids in the background. One of the best anti-war songs ever written. I'd take Phil Ochs over bob Dylan any day. His collection of political folk is stark, powerful, and even a bit funny sometimes.

How great were they?

I remember the first time I heard poptones on the radio. Maybe 2 am on this "alternative" late night radio show. Of course, I love bass and the bass was amazing, it was pretty much the entire song. Then with lydon doing his thing but in a much more minimalist impersonal sort of way. The ultimate minimal band.

Poptones: The actual song goes on for a good 8 Minutes, but its cut down here in a nice way.




Flowers really took the openness to a new level with almost nothing but drums and sporadic noises coming in and out.



Public Image Limited is an amazing track and not bad for dancing if you have to. The bass is so singular and heavy but poppy at the same time. Perfect. I've always been obsessed with the ability of the British to write simple and effortless pop music. It's not as easy as it looks.




Covered comes from the early 90s and isn't nearly as powerful in the music department. I liked it mainly because it was annoying and saying "I Give" over and over sounds like, "Fuck you." It's a fun song more because it's classic Lydon than anything else.



A fun mashing of MSTRKRFT and This is not a Love Song.



And an interview that shows that Lydon never stopped pissing people off.

Cover up.

The Boss.


I remember a girl from Chicago who loved Bruce Springsteen. She had glasses.
She moved out west and I haven't heard from her in 5 years.

I found two great covers of "I'm on Fire" today. It is a pretty good song but damn...

Bats for Lashes - I'm on Fire.

Chromatics - I'm on Fire.

Anyway, I'm partial to the BFL cover, but the chromatics aren't that shabby either. Both have great female vocals and are pretty slow.

Perfect Pop Song.


I'm always ready to listen to Enjoy the Silence. For my money it's pretty much the perfect pop song. Lots of space, simple yet amazingly powerful hooks, and the ability to bond to your memory and never forget the first time you heard it.

I've never really listened to Division Day, but I admire their efforts on this cover. I was hoping the eerie record warble sound would stay for the whole song and that the entire sound was creepy, but close enough.

Division Day - Enjoy the Silence.

Be Strong. Be White.



The dead kids are very british yet they make me think about New York. I think they could do a bit better on the chorus but it's fun for your ears. They have a new single coming out monday.

Dead Kids - Fear and Fluoride.


SEXY MF!



It appears that prince is back and he is a white swedish guy.



Nice hair fella.
I can't tell if this last clip is lip synched or not... but it looks really Top of the Pops meets eurotrash American bandstand. Fab.

Grind for the Grind God.


One of the most consistent and heavy death metal bands ever, Bolt Thrower rarely disappoints. Not to mention a large amount of their material is influenced by Warhammer, which you just can't beat.
It's the sound of war made flesh.

While you're still listening to Maiden and catching up with 2001...

SkeletonWitch.


This is probably the best thrash release I've heard since Japan's Bereaved dropped "The spirit Driven by Hate". It's the perfect mix of speed, thick riffs and energy without being too complex and change up happy. I even like it more than Municipal Wastes last record, which I think is a bit of a drop off from the last one. The vocals are almost dipping their toes into black metal which sounds great with the aggression (fands of aura noir take note), and sometimes the music goes that way too with some more mournful and longer passages. But it quickly picks up the the thrash assault to puncture your face. The good news is the entire album is great quality and you should seek it out. Their art has an amazing style too, so get it on vinyl!

Highly recommended.

http://www.myspace.com/skeletonwitch

SkeletonWitch - Upon Wings of Black


Evile.


Evile is another great thrash revival act, out preaching the word with Municipal Waste. You can really hear their influences (Slayer and Exodus) but damn if it doesn't sound fresh. The vocals are very Destruction, clear and growling. Throw in Flemming Rasmussen on production duties and you have one killer thrash record.

http://www.myspace.com/evileuk

Evile - Thrasher


Insect Warfare.


If you haven't heard of these guys yet...
... you suck, or maybe you don't know much about grindcore.
I loved their older releases but this one really kicks up the intensity a notch with the production value. The best blast of grind I've heard since Nasum said goodbye, but lots of dirty thrashy bits and double bass work to keep you tapping along.

http://www.myspace.com/insectwarfare

Insect Warfare - Manipulator



Yelle.


In case you thought I forgot those electro heads out there, here is a sweet Yelle mix by Rolf Honey.

http://www.myspace.com/rolfhoney
http://www.myspace.com/iloveyelle

Yelle - Tristesse/joie (Rolf Honey Rmx)

Do they call it a hiatus?

CB.


“We are Culture Prophet. We play the shows, you supply the dance.”

They are from North Carolina and apparently they know what they're doing. Very nice Digitalism Remix.

Digitalism - Idealistic (Culture Prophet Remix)


BRT.



If you like old school death metal you should be listening to these fellows. Gone is the mathematical approach to death, and instead we have some grooves and memorable riffs. Basically it sounds a lot like old Cannibal Corpse, but with an energy of its on. I hear bits of bolt thrower rifts in there too.

Blood Red Throne - Deranged Assassin


Laura Veirs.



This song really got wedged into my grey matter. I can't really say why I like it so much. The drums and bass are a perfect staccato back beat to the airy guitars and her lighter than air voice. It makes me think of somebody.

Laura Veirs - Don't Lose yourself.

Cryostasium



Cryostasium is black metal in its most primal form, lashing out in a dark seething abyss. They take elements of industrial and ambient along the same lines as Xasthur (who they have a split with.) and create some very pitch dark sound scapes.
Music to get creeped out by.

Cryostasium - Asylum C

if your colours are starting to run...

Bloc. party.




A really good song hooks you in the verse. It's almost as much pleasure as the chorus, so when it comes back down you're still in love with it. The new bloc party single does that for me. I really can't stop listening to it. It's sweeping, a bit pleading, and just great British pop.

Bloc Party - Flux

Perspects.



This is a great little track off an old Adult. Remix single for Hand to Phone. On the A side was a little know band called the Perspects, who are still around and kicking. I love the ghost like sounds over the hard electro beat. Oh yes.

Ah... 2001. Where did you go?

Perspects - Stepwise.


I am Robot and Proud.

A nice long video. This is I am Robot and Proud, A fellow from Toronto who makes great IDM. It's very uplifting for the most part and fun for the whole family. Reminds me a bit of Plaid in places or a less drummed out U-ziq.

Good Quality sound on this video.

Something about it reminds me of Chapel Hill.