Sliced Bread is unfortunate in that they have a terrible band name, but fortunate in that they are making some really cool, dark, and original indie rock. Here are two songs culled from their self-released demo EP - they're rough production-wise, but plenty good in the talent department:
Sliced Bread - New Idea/Year Sliced Bread - You're Not A Tool
For more info on Sliced Bread, go to LoavesOfFun.com.
Aubin: It's weird really. I'm not a fan of Bright Eyes, but I did very much enjoy Connor Oberst's collaboration with Denver Dally (among others) in Desaparecidos [review]. Their Pinkerton-era Weezer inspired rock'n'roll was an wonderful mess of loud, energetic music. Soon, Jade Tree will be releasing Denver's full length release, Leave Your Name under the name Statistics. Electronic sounds, thick, driving guitars and catchy hooks a-plenty, it will be a definite highlight for next year.
Statistics - A Number, Not a Name Aubin: Since Scott is away today, here's another, completely different track for you guys to check out. People are calling this one of the best heavy releases since Calculating Infinity [review] and they might just be right. Taking pages from both Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch and yet sounding completely different, Burn By the Sun's The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good will impress all but the most jaded.
Burnt By the Sun - Forlani Adam: We just published our review of the Chunksaah's Sticks and Stones retrospective The Strife and Times here. Here's one of the tracks that the two CD set revisits. "The Lot" was from 1993's Theme Song For Nothing LP on Skene Records. This band was hugely influential in the early 90s New Jersey scene that included bands like Vision, Lifetime and The Bouncing Souls.
Sticks and Stones - The Lot
There are few bands as seemingly cursed as Mock Orange. The band, never content to stick with one sound, has switched up their musical style on almost every release. The bad part is, though, that whatever style they seem to leave blows up in the public's eye [usually with much more mediocre bands] shortly thereafter. Now, the band has recorded the best album of their career but because their label - Dead Droid Records - has gone under, the album is in an eternal limbo, looking like it will never see the light of day. Someone who has more power than me needs to fix this, and quick. Until then, download two songs that are on this missing full-length, entitled Mind Is Not Brain:
Mock Orange - Mind Is Not Brain Mock Orange - Payroll
For more info on Mock Orange, go to MockOrange.net.
Scott: Friday night, I caught a Pedro The Lion show roughly in the middle of nowhere. While I was content enough with just seeing David Bazan and company do their thing, the show was completely stolen by opening band Troubled Hubble from Batavia, IL. Their sound is a sort of mix between Built To Spill, Dismemberment Plan, Modest Mouse, and whatever the happiest band you've ever heard is. These are just some of the many gems on their 2002 LP Penturbia [review]:
» Troubled Hubble - Understanding Traffic
» Troubled Hubble - I Love My Canoe
For more information on Troubled Hubble, go to TroubledHubble.com.
Aubin: Earlier this month, Suburban Home released the debut from the band composed of members of Pinhead Circus and Jedi Five. Now, I don't know too much about either of those bands, but I do like this. It reminds me of The Descendents and Kid Dynamite with a little something different thrown in.
» Love Me Destroyer - Homecoming Brawl
» Love Me Destroyer - Beautiful Switchblade Knives Adam: No Choice has been around since the early 80s but I, and I assume a lot of you, haven't really noticed them on this side of the pond until recently. Here's a few tracks from their new album Dry River Fishing. It's an interesting mix of classic UK punk and the post Leatherface / Pegboy sound that comes out of No Idea.
» No Choice - Sonny
» No Choice - Scale Climber's Revenge
While many of you mourn the loss of Face To Face earlier this week, I personally mourn the loss of Pele. For those of you who don't know, Pele was an instrumental indie rock band out of Wisconsin that provided some of the most soothing yet melodically intense music I've ever had the pleasure of stumbling across. Here's a sampling of what you've probably missed out on for the past 7 years:
Pele - Black Socks Pele - Crisis Win Pele - Egg
For more information on Pele, go to PeleMusic.com.
Scott: So I was watching my copy of the NOISY! live compilation DVD that Punkervision sent me when I stumbled across a band that I had heard of, but never actually heard - Oakland's own Fleshies. This band was absolutely insane, and now I'm completely hooked. Here's a song off their latest album, The Sicilian:
Fleshies - Don't Hate Me For The Reward
For more information on Fleshies, go to Fleshies.net.
Adam: I saw Montreal's The Sainte Catherines open for Fifth Hour Hero and Against Me! on Halloween. From what I remember The Sainte Catherines' lead singer was dressed as the bearded Elvis and their guitarist was Spiderman. Here's a track from their new full-length on Dare To Care Records titled The Art of Arrogance:
The Sainte Catherines - Expensive Cars Chroming All-Star Team
For more information head over to saintecatherines.com (and Scott's right, the Fleshies are awesome)
You know, I really hate doing my MP3s of the week because of someone's death. First Matt Davis of Ten Grand, then Wesley Willis, and now Elliott Smith. Hopefully this will expose some of you to the immense talent the man possessed:
Elliott Smith - Between The Bars
It's impossible to pick just one Elliott Smith song to represent him, however, as there are dozens upon dozens that are just as good as this one. Go explore, you'll be handsomely rewarded with what you discover.
Adam: This works out well, as it's both news and my MP3 of the Week. The new Union 13 website is up to coincide with their upcoming record. The band's new album Symptoms Of Humanity comes out on November 10th via Disaster Records. There are two record release shows set for November, click below for that info. You can get two songs from the release on the band's website, a third can be found right here:
Union 13 - The Future and The Past Aubin: Against Me! is awesome. From somewhere between the Clash and Billy Bragg comes this incredible Florida band. They're releasing "The Eternal Cowboy on November 4th. You ought to check out this track.
Against Me! - Cliche Guevara
Scott: Criteria is the brainchild of Stephen Pederson, formerly of Cursive and The White Octave. This is the first track off Criteria's debut album, En Garde [review here], and it rocks hard:
Criteria - The Coincidence
For more info on Criteria, go to CriteriaMusic.com.
Adam: A little bluebird just left the superb new Joe Strummer album on my doorstep along with the new record from Paul Westerberg's Grandpaboy. This is the lead track from the country / blues album. Expect Dead Man Shake in stores on October 21st.
Grandpaboy - MPLS
For another track and more info check out his page at Anti.
If you never were lucky enough to experience the wonder that was the Dismemberment Plan live, you owe it to yourselves to track down a video of one of their performances. Until then, download this song [off 1999's Emergency & I and easily one of the best college rock songs of the nineties] and imagine just how fantastic it sounded live:
Dismemberment Plan - What Do You Want Me To Say?
I miss you, Dismemberment Plan. To find out more about this now-defunct band, go to DismembermentPlan.com.
I hate hyping bands. I think someone putting all their effort into pushing one particular group down thousands of peoples' throats is ridiculous [even more so when the hype is being paid for, and isn't sincere]. But I'm telling you this right now - Somerset is the new best unsigned band in America. These three songs were recorded last week with producer Chris Fudurich [Rx Bandits, Ozma, Nada Surf, The Hippos, Finch, etc]. Considering they're demos, they sound phenomenonal. Check them out if you're a fan of creative music pushing the boundaries of their genre, with lyrics a cut above the rest:
Somerset - Open Books Somerset - Not Your Sacrifice Somerset - The Tragedy Of Christopher Needs
For more information on Somerset, head on over to SomersetRock.com, and to read the lyrics from these songs, go here.
Adam: So I'm pretty sure it can be scientifically proven that the New Bomb Turks are simply better than most bands. The band recently announced a new album of sorts on Gearhead Records that collects a few unreleased EPs and some other odds & ends. Here's one of the songs from Switchblade Tongues, Butterknife Brains:
New Bomb Turks - Something's Gotta Give
Scott: I've had a busy few days. I've seen both the Cursive and the Blood Brothers twice, as well as catching a killer Rainer Maria show in Grinnell, IA earlier tonight. But the band that stole the entire weekend for me? Denali. This atmospheric rock band fronted by Engine Down singer Keeley Davis' sister Maura [and containing members of Engine Down and Sleepytime Trio] kept my eyes and ears glued to the stage for a good 45 minutes or so. Recommended for fans of Engine Down, Elliott, Radiohead, and the like. This track is off the band's upcoming sophomore album coming out October 28th on Jade Tree Records:
Denali - The Instinct
For more info on Denali, check out Denalimusic.com.
Adam: I've had more than a few people tell me that I've won them over as Clann Zú converts. The band is an Australian / Irish five-piece that mixes celtic instrumentation, electronic percussion, moody goth and a hint of Gaelic vocals. For a more complete description, I'll direct you to my review. This is one of the slower tracks on the record:
Clann Zú - Five Thousand More
Of course, you can just stream the album here.
Scott: In case you haven't read my review of this band's debut EP, I think Bullet Train To Vegas fucking rocks. Here's the first track off said EP:
Bullet Train To Vegas - Bedding With Swine
For more info on Bullet Train To Vegas, go to BulletTrainToVegas.com.
Adam: It occurred to me that I lazily haven't been putting up MP3s as of late. So in place of my 73rd Constantines song, here's one of the many files that's been littering my desktop. This song is from Trapdoor Fucking Exit's upcoming LP Be Not Content, which No Idea will release some day.
Trapdoor Fucking Exit - Everything is Winding Down Aubin: The Lawrence Arms have a new record coming out very soon. I've heard it, and it's amazing. You should grab this song and listen to it until the full-length is out.
Lawrence Arms - On With the Show
Scott: The New Trust include members of The Velvet Teen and Benton Falls, as well as two very talented women. The New Trust is amazing live. The New Trust are amazing people overall. This is a song off their self-released EP, which Slowdance Records is so kindly helping to distribute:
The New Trust - I'm A Sucker For Backwards Drums
The band is currently finishing up a US tour - if you live in Colorado or Utah [or are up for a road trip], click READ MORE for the remaining dates.
Aubin: Not too much to be said about this band, their last record Change is a Sound was an impressive (full length) debut and their follow up is no slouch either. Check out this track from Exit English which shows the more melodic edge of the passionate political melodic hardcore band:
Strike Anywhere - Infrared
The record is out September 30th.
Scott: This is the second week in a row my MP3 of the Week selection was triggered by a musician's death. Let's hope the streak stops here. Anyway, this is one of my favorite Wesley Willis songs, my old car was even emblazoned with a sticker declaring the tune's chorus.
Wesley Willis - Cut The Mullet
Rest in peace, Wesley. Headbutt Joey Ramone for me.
Adam: Joe Strummer's birthday was this week, the 21st of August to be exact. This is a track from his 1989 solo album Earthquake Weather, which as far as I know isn't easily available today. While an uneven and flawed record, it contains more than a few gems. This is a track Joe played live with the Mescaleros up until the time of his death:
Joe Strummer -Â Island Hopping
(track offline, email Adam if you want to hear it)