tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201054300514745312024-02-06T21:33:05.609-05:00mxmsoundmxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-29305315527860364832011-06-01T19:22:00.000-04:002011-06-01T19:23:23.506-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMOdxW5uV7_v6gwfxpf7IvXp-GX4PRkKHkICcMq1-ycy83pjfDgAAByCm2Pqt3OexVqTanWITZQJoDgkUCNUkseI_xHEttC4-oRaEAPA0vZ_dFU587E1Az8BI6KLzrDPQlSA1DqgpCeM/s1600/image001.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 16px; height: 16px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMOdxW5uV7_v6gwfxpf7IvXp-GX4PRkKHkICcMq1-ycy83pjfDgAAByCm2Pqt3OexVqTanWITZQJoDgkUCNUkseI_xHEttC4-oRaEAPA0vZ_dFU587E1Az8BI6KLzrDPQlSA1DqgpCeM/s200/image001.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613395972905604818" /></a>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-50180368389310122682011-06-01T19:16:00.000-04:002011-06-01T19:17:40.909-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02xzt2BQhvZFaJig13U0wfVPCPA2OudsL5qdiG3M_-obf2UpPf1vot608yhUWEJU4fW8d0xPug6oqrkFKb4CtLZwHA5YbEKxlOdZY8WVKkuMfQixheM_PkV1Goa5POL6dzWktbqlHLjM/s1600/image002.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 16px; height: 16px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02xzt2BQhvZFaJig13U0wfVPCPA2OudsL5qdiG3M_-obf2UpPf1vot608yhUWEJU4fW8d0xPug6oqrkFKb4CtLZwHA5YbEKxlOdZY8WVKkuMfQixheM_PkV1Goa5POL6dzWktbqlHLjM/s200/image002.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613394457018024402" /></a>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-48697476096964946162011-03-28T00:01:00.003-04:002011-03-28T23:10:53.155-04:00Yeah, We Pulled a Geographical..<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">We have moved </span><a href="http://www.mxmsound.org"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">. Let's go there now.</span>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-3406680416161303022011-03-25T17:12:00.004-04:002011-03-25T17:25:44.816-04:00Propagating the Conspiracy..<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WZWTBYn5ih9wWuYFc0BBdH78kkz-jie3N7mgIzs56burMct8fEhw2dg5oUUlmUdKEse4eDIQVEzFCA2EDpMWO40xb6MnXPfH9QUEJXPhhP5l5IDUiWIjirHIIysrPuZfEWQH3v18unc/s1600/wesc.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588131385442790530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_WZWTBYn5ih9wWuYFc0BBdH78kkz-jie3N7mgIzs56burMct8fEhw2dg5oUUlmUdKEse4eDIQVEzFCA2EDpMWO40xb6MnXPfH9QUEJXPhhP5l5IDUiWIjirHIIysrPuZfEWQH3v18unc/s400/wesc.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#cccccc;">Just in case you didn't know, WeSC men's and women's clothing is now available at</span> </span><a href="http://www.mxmcty.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">mxmcty</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">. You're welcome.</span></div></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-90244961837332332702011-03-22T20:05:00.010-04:002011-03-23T08:25:45.693-04:00Yuck<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpYGqE3H5AD9EfY-JeWxc3DNnTRzu1uUesBGNliW1QmDI9bRgtB1oxZq0T_fotvW0VgiS7Z3frM2q8VyS4sfCuIxRhseFBy_QIpn3hrr718c8kHxnyaQ417hqnZNdFHkMc4WchlDKxAs/s1600/Yuck.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587070136173812274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRpYGqE3H5AD9EfY-JeWxc3DNnTRzu1uUesBGNliW1QmDI9bRgtB1oxZq0T_fotvW0VgiS7Z3frM2q8VyS4sfCuIxRhseFBy_QIpn3hrr718c8kHxnyaQ417hqnZNdFHkMc4WchlDKxAs/s200/Yuck.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Yuck</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Yuck</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Fat Possum, 2011</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/yuckband"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/yuckband</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.fatpossum.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.fatpossum.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">So, 2011 is upon us. Well, I guess it technically has been for three months now. But this is the first record I've listened to that was actually released this year. Or that was released this year and has been worth listening to. Ooo, burn..</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">First impression of Yuck: horrible name. Although a name shouldn't influence the way I feel about a band, it does. I'm shallow like that. These guys were lucky to get even a fleeting nanosecond of my overly critical attention after glancing at that trainwreck of an album cover. "Judging from their name, these guys obviously don't make good decisions and I'm sure that applies to their music as well," I quipped to myself out loud. Alas, it was mostly worth my time. Mostly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Yuck are from London and Yuck play indie/alternative rock that sounds like Superchunk and Dinosaur Jr. Yuck's songs are good when they're fuzzed out and upbeat, but Yuck's cleaner, slower songs are mostly boring. Mostly. Yuck, yuck, yuck.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">It's good to hear music like this and this is not a bad record by any means. But if I want to listen to music like this, then I'll go listen to Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr. or Pavement.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">It just occurred to me that Yuck are playing this kind of music because they're young and now everything from the 90's is vintage and retro. It's like when bands in the 90's played classic rock and looked like Jethro Tull. Yuck...</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-4472333432842886012011-03-21T19:10:00.006-04:002011-03-22T21:03:52.927-04:00The Jezabels<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m10Sf7hcU4Ozo7dzwX92J9lokC7LWXm7oA2_c7fR8sWWIfpYHwieVmWPgCQvfRG7dkw53PRfW7VfExMX9XTlF5hzXhQb7WJG8m6IqGpC5zhhkaN4Mgm_V5EuWx-4um-bPnkEEAmgY9A/s1600/The+Jezabels.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586689416159865346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m10Sf7hcU4Ozo7dzwX92J9lokC7LWXm7oA2_c7fR8sWWIfpYHwieVmWPgCQvfRG7dkw53PRfW7VfExMX9XTlF5hzXhQb7WJG8m6IqGpC5zhhkaN4Mgm_V5EuWx-4um-bPnkEEAmgY9A/s200/The+Jezabels.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The Jezabels</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Dark Storm</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">101 Distribution, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.thejezabels.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.thejezabels.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.101distribution.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.101distribution.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">I may be slightly biased on this one. I really like Australia and most things from Australia. It's just a quirk of mine I guess. The Jezabels are, as you may have guessed, from Australia. Sydney to be exact. And if you're not Australian or weren't just at SXSW, chances are you've probably never heard of them. That's a shame.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">To me, The Jezabels sound like The National with Marie Fredriksson of Roxette fronting. I know what you're thinking: "Impossible. Brilliance such as what you describe is unfathomable." Fathom it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">This band hits every one of my musical pressure points and cripples my cynicism like an Aussie Tony Jaa. Echoey, Coldplay-like guitars? Yup. Dark, sulking atmosphere? Believe it. Female vocals? Of course. Bedroom music? Absolutely. You honestly can't lose here.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The standout track hear is without a doubt "A Little Piece". Seriously, it would be worth paying the $4.45 it costs to download this entire EP from Amazon just to have this one song. The rest of the tracks are solid, but "A Little Piece" is on another level. And that level is like sweet ambrosia for my ears.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Now, I'll be the first to admit that any of these songs could easily play during the ending montage of an MTV reality show of your choice. But don't write them off because they're marketable to the mainstream. The Jezabels are way better than 95% of the dreck that's passed off as music here in the States.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">If you have a hankerin' for music that's well-crafted, melodic, conducive to sexual encounters and largely non-offensive, then I give you The Jezabels. </span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><br /><div></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-46974327826807682042011-03-10T19:14:00.003-05:002011-03-22T21:03:52.927-04:00Daughters<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLt4S-vHSgg1JGjQkWIBgxgPAlRf786zkUP6efidnVZRRwVbQJzEad9kSA9cA4QxT63SlyqQfaPyRFLYwnl-AHP9RL7GhFUXQWsiT_IXxYlOxopuKXxwuXpXXDXYVUx1llNO3D1oIQDw/s1600/daughters.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582624042782965938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLt4S-vHSgg1JGjQkWIBgxgPAlRf786zkUP6efidnVZRRwVbQJzEad9kSA9cA4QxT63SlyqQfaPyRFLYwnl-AHP9RL7GhFUXQWsiT_IXxYlOxopuKXxwuXpXXDXYVUx1llNO3D1oIQDw/s200/daughters.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Daughters</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>Daughters</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Hydra Head, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/daughters1"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/daughters1</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.hydrahead.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.hydrahead.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Sometimes certain albums just give me.. an uneasy feeling. I remember when I was young, it was <em>In Utero </em>and <em>The Downward Spiral</em>. More recently, it was Lustmord's <em>[O T H E R]. </em>Looking back now, being creeped out by <em>In Utero</em> is laughable, <em>The Downward Spiral</em> is questionable and the Lustmord record is completely understandable. It's horrifying.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">When music can affect me the way all these records did, I know they're really good. <em>Daughters</em> is really good. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">I think I know why this record in particular gives me such an uncomfortable feeling. It's because this is what it sounds like to lose your mind. Seriously. These guys from Rhode Island have successfully recorded <em>insanity</em>. The pounding double-bass drums, the frantic guitars. It's nuts. And the great thing is that this is their most accessible album. This is, like, <em>mainstream</em> Daughters. Check out <em>Hell Songs</em> or <em>Canada Songs</em>. They will ruin your life. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">On <em>Daughters</em>, Alexis Marshall drops the screaming and actually sings, but he's got some kind of terrifying rockabilly/David Yow/Coney Island carnie voice going on. The songs are more structured than their previous work, but just as brutal. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#cccccc;">All that having been said, this is a really enjoyable record. I've tried and I can't think of any one else out there that sound like these guys. Unfortunately their future is uncertain at best with the departure of Nicholas Sadler (Fang Island) and Samuel Walker. But hey, they left us with a truly disturbing and original record. Salud.</span> </span></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-8018566725496985562011-03-08T20:01:00.004-05:002011-03-22T21:03:52.928-04:00Rosetta<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabw4QIHAQd0ACzduRVf59vamzJ5ywYIdAfoclfoC3diD_IxuY9XRdX_-8Br8i6f27lA8M0Eb1z_mkbARBM1jIcopE9QnKi7aAxuYCnYr2cXvrZAc1ndeZmDIoswvZI9y6TmkkXrUWdrQ/s1600/Rosetta.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581887139958698210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiabw4QIHAQd0ACzduRVf59vamzJ5ywYIdAfoclfoC3diD_IxuY9XRdX_-8Br8i6f27lA8M0Eb1z_mkbARBM1jIcopE9QnKi7aAxuYCnYr2cXvrZAc1ndeZmDIoswvZI9y6TmkkXrUWdrQ/s200/Rosetta.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Rosetta</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">A Determinism of Morality</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Translation Loss, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.rosettaband.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.rosettaband.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.translationloss.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.translationloss.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">These guys just continue to amaze me. Just when I thought they couldn't top <em>The Galilean Satellites</em> and <em>Wake/Lift</em>, SNAP! They drop some science like this on me. Now, both of the previously mentioned records are amazing, but this is just more straightforward. You can't mention Rosetta without drawing comparisons to Isis. But these guys are WAY more interesting than Isis. They're like one part Explosions in the Sky, one part Old Man Gloom (yes, I know, another Aaron Turner reference), and all f**king rock. Plus, it always amazed me that they're only a four-piece. Their sound is so dense and layered that it seems like it would be impossible to recreate live. But they do it, and if you've ever seen their live setup you could probably see how. They tour with their own Guitar Center.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">This whole record is phenomenal, but I find myself drawn to "Release" and "Revolve". Bassist David Grossman's vocals on "Release" are ridiculous. You know a band is serious when their bass player can out-sing pretty much any other band's frontman. "Revolve" is just spacey and (I hesitate to say it) "cinematic" splendor. Yes. Splendor. Trust me.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Rosetta have always been ahead of the curve and this is less experimental than there other stuff. But that's not a bad thing at all. Post-Metal, Progressive-Metal, whatever you want to call it. These guys kill it.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-64691971227084527042011-02-24T19:52:00.005-05:002011-02-24T20:50:20.879-05:00Failure<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKhtf0qTh6PUAsry6hrcAQF8HnGuJ8NMLgpmL5noztd3UA7fEOxN3EIDJDTyIRQRPncqzXgs8Sr8cDlzA7f0HvYrI18vI_QXXuE6veW2KzEn7SL4IJAVPx8qts0HBxCG4bHddIVBcsRo/s1600/Failure.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577437128560871362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKhtf0qTh6PUAsry6hrcAQF8HnGuJ8NMLgpmL5noztd3UA7fEOxN3EIDJDTyIRQRPncqzXgs8Sr8cDlzA7f0HvYrI18vI_QXXuE6veW2KzEn7SL4IJAVPx8qts0HBxCG4bHddIVBcsRo/s200/Failure.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Failure</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>Fantastic Planet</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Slash / Warner Brothers, 1996</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Ahhh. The 90's. Who would have thought I would look back on a decade, in which I labored through so many awkward adolescent years, with such fondness. I've said it before and will continue to do so. The best music, all genres included, was produced during the 90's. Failure's <em>Fantastic Planet</em> is no exception. This is an album that I recently rediscovered while sifting through my iTunes, and I have been listening to it quite a bit. Quite a bit meaning that it's pretty much melted itself into the CD player in my car (except for when I dislodge it to rock some Botch.) This was their third and final record and it is one of the most solid and consistent albums, beginning to end, that I have ever heard. I guess you could label these guys "alternative", but that's way too easy and a total cop out. Failure as a band was so superior to similar bands of that era that it's a crime they never made it big. It seemed like every band with a distortion pedal and greasy hair could get a record deal in the 90's, while truly talented bands like Failure, Hum and Walt Mink were lost in the shuffle and banished to obscurity, only to be revered by the odd hipster or music nerd.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Failure's heavy, laboring riffs and spacey lead lines are f**king heaven to these jaded ears. Failure and Andrews painstakingly produced this record themselves, fine tuning and tweaking every aspect and in doing so created a "space rock" masterpiece. This kind of music truly just doesn't exist anymore. The dark, ethereal feel of the album is most likely a result of Andrews' drug use at the time, with many songs serving as metaphors for heroin. God, that is <em>so</em> 90's.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">It's a shame that most people today think that "Stuck on You" is a Paramore song. But don't judge these guys by the bands who covered them. With tracks like "Saturday Saviour", "Smoking Umbrellas", "Blank", "Stuck on You" and "The Nurse Who Loved Me" (which was covered by A Perfect Circle), this thing's a winner. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Maybe the 90's weren't as special as I like to think they were (although I highly doubt it). However, this record <em>is</em> special and anyone who appreciates music from that time should own it.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-75532567894710944872011-02-17T20:06:00.004-05:002011-03-22T21:03:52.928-04:00Whatever Brains<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNaBE-B2-Fc8RowvQdewlrSB9u7JrErmyFcIB-QyViYAfdwftDp3yXHDywaHnqmxp6JErEBVhPZ_cBMulOQ1OPpQKg8gUayWDReA85NgGoMjEu5GLb6dz0Y7Q1TfUKKWkue5M7K-bEHs/s1600/4636_large.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574834448246786914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNaBE-B2-Fc8RowvQdewlrSB9u7JrErmyFcIB-QyViYAfdwftDp3yXHDywaHnqmxp6JErEBVhPZ_cBMulOQ1OPpQKg8gUayWDReA85NgGoMjEu5GLb6dz0Y7Q1TfUKKWkue5M7K-bEHs/s200/4636_large.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Whatever Brains</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Rapper's Delight II 7"</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Funny/Not Funny Records, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/whateverbrains"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/whateverbrains</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.funnynotfunnyrecords.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.funnynotfunnyrecords.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">So, admittedly, I'm fairly behind the curve on this one. As I searched for great music from all over the country, I slept on what was slowly festering in my own backyard. I'm ashamed to admit that for a long time I thought Whatever Brains was a f**king reggae band. I don't know why, it was just an assumption. Perhaps it had something to do with the peace frog logo. I don't know. I thought they were like a Toots and the Maytals cover band or something. Lame. Whoops. But what I do know now after doing myself the favor of actually giving these fellas a proper listen is that I haven't been as excited about a local band since Superchunk. I'll keep this short. Whatever Brains f**king slay. Their songs are more infectious than that guy with the cough at work in the cubicle next to yours. It's actually ridiculous. I know these guys are kind of billed as punk or whatever, but I honestly think they're more in the tradition of the indie guitar rock of the 90's but with the snotiness of 70's brit punk. Whether they like it or not, they write some extremely catchy s**t. Everyone in the Triangle area and beyond would be well advised to follow these guys. They're for real, and I have a new favorite local band. Cheers boys, we are here to do your bidding.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-62588747825367497652011-02-17T18:46:00.006-05:002011-02-17T19:17:42.930-05:00These Arms Are Snakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsTKoxRurjVIIs6zLJRVN_t5Gj711eArp4bCk3xxCRoE6b5gGh2js6pGAvTGWBkOh6QKPAsEZEWrU8i30x3R8lSjNrOP-cPgTu9I9OgSIqnhbhsc8ddIGmngBDUAZ04PONiO7QalMXgY/s1600/These+arms.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574816050486463250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsTKoxRurjVIIs6zLJRVN_t5Gj711eArp4bCk3xxCRoE6b5gGh2js6pGAvTGWBkOh6QKPAsEZEWrU8i30x3R8lSjNrOP-cPgTu9I9OgSIqnhbhsc8ddIGmngBDUAZ04PONiO7QalMXgY/s200/These+arms.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">These Arms Are Snakes</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Tail Swallower and Dove</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Suicide Squeeze, 2008</span></div><div><a href="http://www.thesearmsaresnakes.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.thesearmsaresnakes.blogspot.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.suicidesqueezerecords.tumblr.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.suicidesqueezerecords.tumblr.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">I'm going back a few years on this one. I always have a hard time deciding whether <em>Tail Swallower</em> or <em>Oxeneers</em> is my favorite TAAS record. I'm going to post <em>Tail Swallower</em> though because it's easily the most (gasp) accessible. This is way more straight forward than their other records as far as song structure and overall songwriting. For those who are not acquainted with TAAS, they were essentially a super group of Seattle post-hardcore juggernauts including former members of Botch, Kill Sadie and Minus the Bear. Since they disbanded in late 2009, members have continued to garner respect and remain more than merely relevant by going on to play in projects like Narrows and Russian Circles.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">It's really hard to describe TAAS' spastic, aggressive, yet melodic sound to anyone who has never heard them. And they sound nothing like the respective bands from which they came from. Sometimes I think that TAAS sounds like what Nirvana would have sounded like if they had kept evolving towards the heavier more experimental songs off <em>In Utero</em>. TAAS is way more precise musically and utilize keyboards at just the right times to blow your f**king mind though. <em>Tail Swallower</em> is the place to start if you want to check these guys out. You will not be disappointed. Then check out Botch, Kill Sadie, Narrows, Nineironspitfire, Russian Circles...</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-56718647973463487822011-02-15T19:30:00.004-05:002011-03-22T20:58:21.837-04:00Alcest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SCuz1T2IPulAAulAmK0_Q5WAzi_Jv4QUtAjr0s-R5RQ0kObXOubqeu0qV9ytSOQQbw_VFBBPqjgp8R1C1g-amDL6YLIvvzADmv8vfX-3Kwvmh-HeqlD1r79gMjqbo2Ccdbbv0s6HmG8/s1600/Alcest.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574083362405972210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SCuz1T2IPulAAulAmK0_Q5WAzi_Jv4QUtAjr0s-R5RQ0kObXOubqeu0qV9ytSOQQbw_VFBBPqjgp8R1C1g-amDL6YLIvvzADmv8vfX-3Kwvmh-HeqlD1r79gMjqbo2Ccdbbv0s6HmG8/s200/Alcest.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Alcest</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>Ecailles de Lune</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Prophecy Productions, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.alcest-music.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.alcest-music.com</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.prophecy.cd/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.prophecy.cd</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Shoegaze post-black metal. Yes, that is one of the many descriptions heaped on Alcest, the project of French musician Neige. Yeah, if pressed, I would definitely categorize his other work as black metal. But it's so much.. prettier. Just like <em>Ecailles de Lune</em> (Scales of the Moon). I would hesitate to call it shoegaze. To me, it's more Sunny Day Real Estate than Ride. But then the black metal kicks in and the machine gun snare and strained vocals take over, and yadda yadda yadda. Which is fine. Hey, I like black metal as much as the next guy. But Alcest is already stepping way outside the black metal box, so to speak, by making a record that sounds like <em>Diary</em>, so why try to throw in aspects of black metal that are so predictable? I like this record. It sounds like the soundtrack to a movie adaptation of a graphic novel, which might be slightly lame but the fact that it's all in French totally makes up for it. If you like catchy pop riffs, 10 minute songs and don't mind a little bit of evil, this is your s**t.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-84647750251779765432011-01-22T17:07:00.002-05:002011-01-22T17:34:32.610-05:00Helms Alee<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql4E6UI60uA8Cf9im-PA9LUWJPyMpDvObRl9r5Tc-247sBmz-yBznaxPFi9g3LW_bvcw6REsYK4DuyvxLg8eyZ2x_eHQ8SkAdXmVSpULm7AGgnek3VYLNEGe8KmagCQF-4HTOAVgR2wU/s1600/Helms+Alee.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565142117387376834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql4E6UI60uA8Cf9im-PA9LUWJPyMpDvObRl9r5Tc-247sBmz-yBznaxPFi9g3LW_bvcw6REsYK4DuyvxLg8eyZ2x_eHQ8SkAdXmVSpULm7AGgnek3VYLNEGe8KmagCQF-4HTOAVgR2wU/s200/Helms+Alee.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Helms Alee</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>Night Terror</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Hydra Head, 2008</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/helmsaleemusic"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/helmsaleemusic</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.hydrahead.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.hydrahead.com</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">What the f**k. Is it really 2011? Ridiculousness. It feels like this record just came out. I'm a huge Harkonen fan so naturally I picked up this record because of Ben Verellen. I'm also a huge fan of Hydra Head as a whole, so how could I go wrong? Fortunately, I did not go wrong. <em>Night Terror</em> is very good. Not quite Harkonen good, but good. Imagine Harkonen mixed with the Pixies being played at half speed. I had no idea at first that they were a three-piece. I also had no idea that the bassist was a female, which was a pleasant surprise because Dana James' vocals blend perfectly with the total assault of such songs as "New Roll". I also knew that the drumming was absolutely brutal, so imagine my surprise when I found out that, yes, the drummer too is a woman. For some reason this makes me like Helms Alee more than if they were all guys. Is that sexist? Whatever.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-83993723102312845452010-12-22T20:36:00.013-05:002010-12-22T21:40:37.803-05:00Lil Wayne<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1KicKbPN7vIereJMrtVBE_R0qw83bZaFM5QYmCSKAzu4abCcuDZ6OWum6-tyDJCKBWLkfT2RQoN6ZSrwI_alyiPRtwRtadLILMtLmq_uEfdm_qUAR-BlF4FtEO6agtpJdEqXzAlKzM4/s1600/lil+wayne.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553695887339404610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1KicKbPN7vIereJMrtVBE_R0qw83bZaFM5QYmCSKAzu4abCcuDZ6OWum6-tyDJCKBWLkfT2RQoN6ZSrwI_alyiPRtwRtadLILMtLmq_uEfdm_qUAR-BlF4FtEO6agtpJdEqXzAlKzM4/s200/lil+wayne.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;">Lil Wayne</span></div><div><em><span style="font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;">I Am Not a Human Being</span></em></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;">Cash Money, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.lilwayne-online.com/"><span style="font-size:100%;color:#ff0000;">http://www.lilwayne-online.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.cashmoney-records.com/"><span style="font-size:100%;color:#ff0000;">http://www.cashmoney-records.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;color:#cccccc;">I've never been a huge fan of Lil Wayne and even less a fan of Cash Money. I always felt like Lil Wayne was kind of a douche and Cash Money is known for not paying royalties to producers. Double douchey. I like the fact that he attempts to come across as being absolutely out of his mind and will readily admit that he has some great tracks. I still bump "A Milli" because it's a fantastic track, but that's mostly because of Bangladesh's otherworldly production skills (most recently the work he put in on Nicki Minaj's "Did It on 'Em"). But on the whole, I've never been that impressed. I also find it laughable that some critics are quick to call him "the greatest rapper alive." But most people know that's total garbage. I think. Anyway, Lil Wayne's rhymes are clever, but that's about it. Album sales don't dictate lyrical ability. </span></div><div><span style="color:#cccccc;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>I Am Not a Human Being</em> has some decent tracks. The opener "Gonorrhea" had me thinking "okay, maybe this will be at least as good as <em>Tha Carter III</em>. " Unfortunately, it all quickly began to sound the same. It's not terrible, but not memorable either. It's good music to listen to when I don't want to think about anything. Kind of like Gucci. For mainstream hip hop it's alright, but I'll take Wiz Khalifa over Wayne any day. Turns out this is nowhere near as good as</span></span><span style="color:#cccccc;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <em>III</em> but INFINITELY better than <em>Rebirth</em>, which I'm not even going to touch here. So in the end, I wasn't that surprised. It's pretty much what I would expect from Tunechi. Mediocrity.</span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></div><br /><div></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-75383229056500689952010-11-22T21:29:00.004-05:002010-11-22T21:50:08.841-05:00N.A.S.A.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2wfTX4J_Bz7f3xaTIz-auwRnXecI9unYdmRySOtQZHEX-jBSC89gxpbLbmu0hL0gMRa5YrGE5E3GC5WPaGp19ZouqB7y5Tqh-hlhNtMCiHr9p-XAxts41guy94AFfQk2g7A6IA2hiRU/s1600/n.a.s.a..jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542569275664310546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2wfTX4J_Bz7f3xaTIz-auwRnXecI9unYdmRySOtQZHEX-jBSC89gxpbLbmu0hL0gMRa5YrGE5E3GC5WPaGp19ZouqB7y5Tqh-hlhNtMCiHr9p-XAxts41guy94AFfQk2g7A6IA2hiRU/s200/n.a.s.a..jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">N.A.S.A.</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The Big Bang</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Spectrophonic</span>, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/nasa"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/nasa</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">This is essentially a remix of 2009's <em>Spirit of Apollo</em>. I didn't really like that record, so I don't like this one. The only exceptions would be the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boombotz</span> remix of "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Whachadoin</span>?" and the Treasure Fingers <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Epicwave</span> remix of "Gifted". So basically, I listen to track five and six and then turn this s**t off. It's more of that hipster club stuff which, I'll admit, can be done well in the right hands (Spank Rock, Justice, LCD <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Soundsystem</span>) and is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">atrocious</span> when done poorly (N.A.S.A., Sleigh Bells, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Diplo</span>). It just feels.. dated. I mean, didn't <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Santigold's</span> record drop in early '08? I would skip this one if I were you.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-48674152503624683122010-10-26T20:55:00.004-04:002010-10-26T21:20:41.323-04:00Caribou<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluGlbHRz22JLUnR-3aC19pSsE2_gLU3Phq35iC0OWWKk4wCyL_Sax7NZPx4faimpM0x-6qduKSS68RzJ0HvV9UdrTg_Azk2HWzaZk5w2wPJkev40HJ_ImyRAtd_FsXoORiltJS6oO74Y/s1600/Caribou.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532529044277210066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluGlbHRz22JLUnR-3aC19pSsE2_gLU3Phq35iC0OWWKk4wCyL_Sax7NZPx4faimpM0x-6qduKSS68RzJ0HvV9UdrTg_Azk2HWzaZk5w2wPJkev40HJ_ImyRAtd_FsXoORiltJS6oO74Y/s200/Caribou.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Caribou</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>Swim</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Merge, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.caribou.fm/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.caribou.fm</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.mergerecords.com</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">I really don't like this. To me, this is almost unlistenable. However, the opening track "Odessa" is amazing. Really, really amazing. It almost makes up for the remainder of the record. Almost. It's like an early 80's dance track and Daniel Snaith's voice is tolerable, which is not the case for the rest of the tracks here with vocals. "Odessa" shows how great this album could have been if Snaith would just reign himself in a bit and not confuse creativity with grandiosity. It's probably one of my favorite songs this year even. Too bad the rest of the album is s**t. Yuck.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-1360188435278947962010-10-20T20:28:00.003-04:002010-10-21T08:16:33.661-04:00All the Saints<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB6EG80vt3ZW0FyMf5_4zQavyy5Dhwl9-7qsjY7SfyIqKAY-nKDSy5t98jip1k91cOB2ZVSurTPkYGZckUZB_2yQp6-UoiqTfq0cM3rLKQluIxChH2JseANetj0UL77Gy2xNs8bRpYKY/s1600/All+the+saints.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530472044673699506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB6EG80vt3ZW0FyMf5_4zQavyy5Dhwl9-7qsjY7SfyIqKAY-nKDSy5t98jip1k91cOB2ZVSurTPkYGZckUZB_2yQp6-UoiqTfq0cM3rLKQluIxChH2JseANetj0UL77Gy2xNs8bRpYKY/s200/All+the+saints.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">All the Saints</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Fire on Corridor X</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Touch & Go, 2009</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/allthesaints"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/allthesaints</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.tgrec.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.tgrec.com</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Seriously. I have found my new favorite band. For the moment. I first heard this band on a split with These Arms are Snakes and thought, "Hmmm...maybeee..". Then I bought <em>Corridor X</em>. Well played, sir. It's dark and slightly scary, but not in a nerdy way. It's more like if Washington Irving or Flannery O'Connor had played in a f***ing rad rock band. Okay so maybe that's not the best argument against being nerdy. But it's true, and holy s**t, it works. It's got a touch of American Gothic to it (or maybe that's just because I was driving through bumf**k Virginia when I first listened to it). They bill themselves as psychedelic rock, but don't let that fool you. This reminds me slightly of TAAS, but a bit more laid back and just straight forward rock. It's really impossible to explain so I'm just going to stop now. This is killer.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-19873469944971923812010-10-04T21:57:00.005-04:002011-03-22T21:03:52.929-04:00The Thermals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7FnCmb8BilEJGU0RcrnvffxNrl0km_X7BBZUlVnAkE9cYJuMTo2hMlM8mkKCNFwLUGoASDr-aa35VWuBxHENumhGwtWdw0-qoY5UclN3soIWGMHhvdukpHBteEzQ4WMrpoInB-ZvfCA/s1600/The+Thermals.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524378273830761922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7FnCmb8BilEJGU0RcrnvffxNrl0km_X7BBZUlVnAkE9cYJuMTo2hMlM8mkKCNFwLUGoASDr-aa35VWuBxHENumhGwtWdw0-qoY5UclN3soIWGMHhvdukpHBteEzQ4WMrpoInB-ZvfCA/s200/The+Thermals.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The Thermals</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Personal Life</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Kill Rock Stars, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.thethermals.com/"><span style="color:#ff0000;">http://www.thethermals.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.killrockstars.com/"><span style="color:#ff0000;">http://www.killrockstars.com/</span></a></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">My brother actually introduced me to these guys a few years ago. He gave me <em>The Body The Blood The Machine</em>, and for the most part I really liked it. I felt like it started off really strong, but kind of lost my attention towards the end. I enjoyed the whole anti-religion thing and what not, heavy-handed as it was. Then I obtained a copy of <em>Now We Can See</em>, and, well.. eh. So my expectations weren't exactly high when I decided to pick up <em>Personal Life</em>. Holy s**t. I was blown away. This record is everything that I always felt like this band could be but were either holding back on or felt like they were too cool to make. It's not blasphemous and aggressive like <em>Machine</em>. It's about love. All about love. And it f***ing rocks. It's definitely poppy, but it works for these guys. Seriously, there's a song on here that reminds me of Television's "Marquee Moon". Yeah. This is definitely going on my favorites of 2010 list.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-29811730267773161092010-09-27T19:55:00.006-04:002010-09-27T20:29:39.964-04:00Interpol<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN5-BEfQ5bVyAYNFC_Yn67QINQJQ-DN9t5FLWCi2utUK8SEvCiRuTqMCsfRJ8eagynXxT9BTUXaCJRQQTyUUVUHihhAaWQpDKwqwTfVOkb_8-jxldR07Y0AirOevwiQmW7E-F83QvDZA/s1600/Interpol.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521753580214590850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRN5-BEfQ5bVyAYNFC_Yn67QINQJQ-DN9t5FLWCi2utUK8SEvCiRuTqMCsfRJ8eagynXxT9BTUXaCJRQQTyUUVUHihhAaWQpDKwqwTfVOkb_8-jxldR07Y0AirOevwiQmW7E-F83QvDZA/s200/Interpol.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Interpol</span><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Interpol</span></em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Matador, 2010</span><br /><a href="http://www.interpolnyc.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.interpolnyc.com</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.matadorrecords.com</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The first time I heard Interpol, back in 2002, I absolutely loathed them. I think it was around the time The Killers came out and I just hated what I thought was an 80's new wave resurrection. To be fair, I only heard one song (I don't even remember which one), but I thought they were a total Joy Division rip off. It wasn't until I heard <em>Antics</em> that I realized these guys were for real. I then went back and listened to <em>Turn on the Bright Lights </em>in full<em> </em>which absolutely floored me, and have been a big fan ever since. I still don't think I would like these guys if I met them, but I do recognize that they really are an amazing band. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">So I was disappointed when I bought <em>Our Love to Admire</em> back in 2007. With the exception of the f***<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">ing</span> stellar opener (Interpol's opening tracks are always the sickest), "Pioneer to the Falls", I felt it was a big let down. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">That's how I felt about this record at first. I thought it was old hat and actually pretty boring. But I was wrong. This is a very subtle record. The melodies are there but they don't backhand you to get your attention. Not that Interpol has ever written like that. I feel their albums always take time to grow into. But this one in particular requires repeated listens. It's also very dark and somber. Even by Interpol's standards. But that's one of the reasons I like these guys. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">This is definitely not their best, but not their worst either. That would go to <em><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">OLTA</span></em>. If you're an Interpol fan, chances are you won't be disappointed. If not, then go buy <em>Turn on the Bright Lights</em> to decide how you really feel about this band. We'll see how they're gonna deal without Carlos D. though..</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-48760783560673697922010-09-21T21:51:00.003-04:002010-09-21T21:53:06.636-04:00Coming soon to mxmcty.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb99WzYS_PNcv1976hkbyOf6UduxjIvgKVIwqF5EUKsmcmH2qhjWZLu92Uw787vA4EcUGl7rFi-9z5uErlnxQ1hgSCj8a_cDnaVQc2UpOr1bZ1PkpF927PRjrF53Pn0URjnb0KIrkB3YU/s1600/Blood-is-the-new-Black-5yr.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 138px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519549869471122370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb99WzYS_PNcv1976hkbyOf6UduxjIvgKVIwqF5EUKsmcmH2qhjWZLu92Uw787vA4EcUGl7rFi-9z5uErlnxQ1hgSCj8a_cDnaVQc2UpOr1bZ1PkpF927PRjrF53Pn0URjnb0KIrkB3YU/s400/Blood-is-the-new-Black-5yr.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5cNqPL30Gn3J89xBngNZNhHTj4uWB5TweSSreuB4iGiItyYPvJgcGA3tUj22aPQqToOEMWIuYH4ksEhyPbxEacLI7LPX2q0sKf3Q5DZsoXdARFtHl1OLhqgsrH7YycH1hLI1eIhQJC8/s1600/Blood-is-the-new-Black-5yr.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-31251103020305349462010-09-20T20:03:00.004-04:002011-03-22T21:03:52.930-04:00The Black Angels<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_bCWlU47TG78YjCwlPSW0H0sNwHlxG1EmPqIo6ZCr-BkT-W32nE2m3KdwUUc4JYvHFpuoz3Luc0G1wYwqeHcnWWak3gyJt0q1f3SMg70KonN32zCkbJR2A93TdPAz9Y9u2qkSPGcWzA/s1600/black+angels.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519153694641899218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_bCWlU47TG78YjCwlPSW0H0sNwHlxG1EmPqIo6ZCr-BkT-W32nE2m3KdwUUc4JYvHFpuoz3Luc0G1wYwqeHcnWWak3gyJt0q1f3SMg70KonN32zCkbJR2A93TdPAz9Y9u2qkSPGcWzA/s200/black+angels.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The Black Angels</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Phosphene Dream</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Blue Horizon, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.theblackangels.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.theblackangels.com</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.bluehorizonrecords.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.bluehorizonrecords.com</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">The thing about a lot of these neo-psychedelic bands is that they're f***ing boring. There's a reason that this genre of music died out. Every once in a while you'll get a decent one, like Dead Meadow or BJTM, but even they begin to sound the same.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Enter The Black Angels. This is a breath of fresh air when compared with the stale, second hand THC haze of The Warlocks and the like. There's enough rock to keep me happy and just enough trippiness to make me think that hippies may be on to something. For like a nanosecond. Don't get me wrong, The Black Angels are not a jam band. <em>Phosphene Dream</em> is a rock album. Mostly, this record is just good riffs, good rock, good lyrics. Good times.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-85183004829762786902010-09-15T18:49:00.004-04:002011-03-22T21:03:52.930-04:00First Aid Kit<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv9LYOy-Cw9e6UhFqf-FA_gxsN1fukzvMipPiCT0sqQJrU0_li0pW6rAf-j6NMKS3E99Mr7LWQxxbZ-rfGOZVa0nZQXOFN-727XUGgxiLO6eHpFyiGwqXEM8kZijIBGfjp1Jaomvbynw/s1600/First+Aid+Kit.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517281269827103026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdv9LYOy-Cw9e6UhFqf-FA_gxsN1fukzvMipPiCT0sqQJrU0_li0pW6rAf-j6NMKS3E99Mr7LWQxxbZ-rfGOZVa0nZQXOFN-727XUGgxiLO6eHpFyiGwqXEM8kZijIBGfjp1Jaomvbynw/s200/First+Aid+Kit.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">First Aid Kit</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>The Big Black & The Blue</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Wichita, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.thisisfirstaidkit.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.thisisfirstaidkit.com/</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;"> </span></div><div><a href="http://www.wichita-recordings.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.wichita-recordings.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Finally, after being thoroughly disappointed by The Tallest Man on Earth, my mother country of Sweden has redeemed herself and produced genuinely great folk music. First Aid Kit, aka teenage sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, bring harmonies upon harmonies and, well, really good songs. After gaining attention on You Tube for their cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song", they released an outstanding EP on The Knife's Rabid Records and now <em>The Big Black & The Blue</em>. I promise I don't like them just because they're Swedish, tempting as that may be. This is what folk music should sound like. Just give "I Met Up With The King" a listen and you'll see what I mean. Thank you Scandinavia.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-35128579462534376732010-09-09T19:47:00.003-04:002010-09-09T20:01:52.020-04:00Raised By Swans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXO4xTqvH0J5CNJdn2JFEqmUmvf0uo83fAe2PrF5DEOVNBfKsxiLdohZAHIC2AG5DfhBlkWE4PVkYqIpXhlFbX-RkV2m58ZEdtEn-N3m9G-_7iGtAOPGGvD60SwdIf1c2RpjOG5Xh1rw/s1600/raised+by+swans.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515067757115162226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXO4xTqvH0J5CNJdn2JFEqmUmvf0uo83fAe2PrF5DEOVNBfKsxiLdohZAHIC2AG5DfhBlkWE4PVkYqIpXhlFbX-RkV2m58ZEdtEn-N3m9G-_7iGtAOPGGvD60SwdIf1c2RpjOG5Xh1rw/s200/raised+by+swans.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Raised By Swans</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">No Ghostless Place</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">1101, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.myspace.com/raisedbyswans"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">www.myspace.com/raisedbyswans</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Man, I'm torn on this one. I'm on the verge of really liking these guys, but this music really does only fit certain situations or moods. Most of this record is really pretty and quiet and haunting. It's good for.. uh, walking in the woods at dusk? Or if you want to get laid. Or background music for when you're drinking tea by yourself in the early morning light and doing something really creative. It's good stuff, and with a lot of help from Atom Egoyan these guys are getting the exposure they deserve. It's just not a record that I can listen to all the time. It's too mellow. But that's just me. I still like it though.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-67511067318248807742010-09-06T00:26:00.002-04:002010-09-06T00:36:38.730-04:00Ra Ra Riot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCOfLKc28M7ZO-z97_5cdBbyOXWOcnf3JEjnl2ZdARNpyaaa1xH43NJ-S6uyWJeYoOBV6_5fU4SqYxhL80lzUqHX7HzfKDRub4Wkysd_QtbSb_Qu_xheOewIDD2LxTpnMsfhzrUstqss/s1600/Ra+Ra+Riot.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513654339730187042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcCOfLKc28M7ZO-z97_5cdBbyOXWOcnf3JEjnl2ZdARNpyaaa1xH43NJ-S6uyWJeYoOBV6_5fU4SqYxhL80lzUqHX7HzfKDRub4Wkysd_QtbSb_Qu_xheOewIDD2LxTpnMsfhzrUstqss/s200/Ra+Ra+Riot.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Ra Ra Riot</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"><em>The Orchard</em></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Barsuk, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.rarariot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.rarariot.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.barsuk.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.barsuk.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">I could have taken the seven dollars I spent on this MP3 album and spent it on a bottle of Tylenol PM and cheeseburger Hot Pockets instead. I would have felt the same afterwards: half-asleep, nauseous, disgusted, yet unfulfilled. Download "Boy" and skip the rest of this. Buh Buh Boring.</span> </div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720105430051474531.post-71909811794111269772010-09-02T18:39:00.004-04:002011-03-22T21:03:52.931-04:00Big Boi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqFpiMdEA3jEQPi_cJENJBd_c3QhUMmmERbMwLF9oUt_KT7TTXU9W8oPqZJo2zrkyfJCg2zaLjWKOsW6WFcmXG3YqMlYctFaqWhjy8KXRWv_h27dhEjKfP6NAccKrdcoBLOsKsFZqcD8/s1600/Big+Boi.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512455129814071378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqFpiMdEA3jEQPi_cJENJBd_c3QhUMmmERbMwLF9oUt_KT7TTXU9W8oPqZJo2zrkyfJCg2zaLjWKOsW6WFcmXG3YqMlYctFaqWhjy8KXRWv_h27dhEjKfP6NAccKrdcoBLOsKsFZqcD8/s200/Big+Boi.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Big Boi</span></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty</span></em></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">Def Jam, 2010</span></div><div><a href="http://www.bigboi.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.bigboi.com/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://www.defjam.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ff0000;">http://www.defjam.com/</span></a></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">I ran into the same problem listening to this record as I did with <em>Speakerboxxx. </em>Inevitably, I end up comparing anything Big Boi does with Outkast. It's the same as Wyclef and The Fugees. Although Wyclef is a complete hack and The Fugees were by far the best thing that ever happened to him. Big Boi certainly is no hack, but like Wyclef, I have the sneaking suspicion that nothing he does on his own will ever be as good as what he did with Outkast.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">But this isn't <em>ATLiens</em> or <em>Aquemini</em> or even <em>Stankonia</em>. This is Big Boi solo, and this is good. The beats are original for the most part, and as always, Big Boi is a more than competent MC. And with appearances by Yelawolf, Too Short, Janelle Monáe and George Clinton, it's funky as s**t. Even Jamie Foxx can't sink this record. The song he's on is even one of the better tracks. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#cccccc;">All in all, as far as mainstream hip hop goes, this is about as good as it gets.</span></div>mxmctyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621574266676085576noreply@blogger.com