Saturday, December 31, 2011

Royal Pendletons - Oh Yeah, Baby (1998)

The Royal Pendletons are one of many bands that garage rock musician King Louie Bankston has been involved with. In fact he was a founder of the Royal Pendletons in 1991, who went on to put out a 7" on Goner Records and then this full-length on influential Sympathy for the Record Industry. I highlight King Louie Bankston has he's still out there making music with numerous bands over the years, including the Persuaders, the Exploding Hearts, King Louie's Missing Monuments, which I admittedly know little about. Hopefully I'll fix that soon enough. However, I've had Oh Yeah, Baby for years and periodically go back to listen to it. Each time I am happily reminded how stripped-down and upbeat this group was. There are instrumental tracks along with ones that prominently feature rather comical lyrics, but all of them are heavy on the organ and guitar. If the album art wasn't an indication enough tell you, it all possesses a large nostalgic element. Throws back to popular 60s garage rock and surf but maintains a healthy degree of modern saltiness and punk. A rather enjoyable album for garage fans who like things like the Compulsive Gamblers, Thee Oh Sees, or anything Billy Childish touched.

To be had here:
Royal Pendletons - Oh Yeah, Baby [160 VBR kbps]

Thursday, December 29, 2011

EP Grab Bag vol. 11

Here a few things I found in my inbox along with an extremely wild EP I dug out of my hard drive. Sorry if your submitted material is taking time to appear on the blog, I've been sick lately and now they've got me on some strong painkillers that are knocking me out. Hopefully I get to most all of it soon.

To be had here:

Gills - GILLS IS DEAD (2011)

This is a band that makes what I'd call instrumental math rock or post-hardcore. It is mostly certainly best heard loudly, for the quality of recording doesn't do any favors for mellow listening. Can get awfully close to instrumental metal with the guitar parts, not that there's anything wrong in that. These guys know how to makes exciting and intense rock, perhaps just needing definition.





Sonic Youth & Yamatsuka Eye - TV Shit (1993)

Though this has been around for some time, it is still as avant-garde as shit gets. Boredoms' flamboyantly outrageous vocalist Yamatsuka Eye teamed up with the Sonic Youth to make what is perhaps one of the loudest, most distorted and nonsensical noise rock EPs ever here.







Pale Suns - Dead to Me EP (2011)

This was sent in without any background info, but I think they're of Midwestern origins. Droney/ambient shoegaze that has a gloomy mood. Subtle but effective. Their previous EP from earlier in the year, Here Is, can be gotten too.







DIMENSIONS - Medusa (2011)

This is a strange electronic project that I believe is from Brooklyn. Has tones and vague rhythms building up into oddly futuristic soundscapes. It would make a fine fit for scenes in a sci-fi film. The longer one sticks with listening to it the more mesmerizing it becomes.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Northwest Ordinance - Walk Through Fire (2011)

This is a submitted album from Dayton, Ohio. I once spent one of the most boring weeks of my life in Dayton staying with an aunt as a teenager. It might've been better should I have had access to some garage rock as these fellas are offering up. It is broken down sort of garage rock, with vocals taking a rather prominent role, but musically reminds me of a band that could sound like The Flaming Sideburns or Reigning Sound. At risk of this become an all too common suggestion on the blog, I'll say this album is best heard on high volume. You'll hear all the wild and fun rock all that much more clearer with the distortion buzzing and cymbals ringing in your ears. Pretty good act that as the potential to make some great bluesy garage punk albums. Their previous albums are also available on their bandcamp page, just follow the links on the side.

To be had here:
The Northwest Ordinance - Walk Through Fire

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Love Inks - E.S.P. (2011)

Maybe I should be ashamed that I haven't caught onto this shit sooner, but I am living in what amounts to a glorified prison cell in Detroit, so I must ask your pardon.I just Love Inks when the same day I downloaded Seapony, but it took me a minute or two longer to hear thoroughly. The holiday and shifting between the houses of family members, in addition a very annoying cold, has blocked me from being able to post it up to today. Nonetheless, it is a solid album of sleek indie pop featuring a most amazing female vocalist. If you're a fan of the Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast or the aforementioned Seapony. It is on the chiller side, of course, but this is a fine thing when done this well.

To be had here:
Love Inks - E.S.P. [224 VBR kbps]

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Albino Father - Chrimbus (2011)

A Christmas themed psychedelic/garage rock EP from Albino Father. Felt it might be best to get this out before the holiday rather that other years where I posted Christmas shit on the day of. This band released an album earlier in the year, AGE, which had several varieties of lo-fi rock incorporated. This hold true for Chrimbus, with the addition of comical seasonal lyrics and song titles. If more holiday music was able to use fuzzy guitars like this then I might be inclined to enjoy Christmastime somewhat more. Lord knows that lame Beatles song I have to hear everywhere doesn't do the trick. Oh, do check out that bizarre Star Wars Christmas album I posted two years back, for some reason I was angry when I wrote it.

To be had here:
Albino Father - Chrimbus

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door EP (2011)

A new EP by Crystal Stilts is always welcome news. I play these cats at the coffeehouse all the damned time. Not so much as they seem to think it is wonderful news to cut my hours and then place us all on furlough for a week to boot. Merry Christmas to me, eh? However justified my ranting may be, it is unrelated to the Radiant Door EP. It was a pretty quickly put out after the release of In Love With Oblivion earlier this year. Two of the five songs are covers, namely Blue Orchids' "Low Profile" and Lee Hazlewood's "Still as the Night." Both covers and originals have the same lo-fi, mildy droning sound that Crystal Stilts are masters of. The opening track "Dark Eyes" does have some real neat organ and handclaps that cheered me somewhat up from the funk my employer has placed me in. Yet my favorite must be the EP ending, the Velvet Underground-esque "Frost Inside the Asylums."

To be had here:
Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door [224 VBR kbps]

Friday, December 16, 2011

Los Saicos - ¡Demolición!: The Complete Recordings (2010)

This is a compilation of the singles done by Los Saicos in the 1960s. Coming out of Peru, Los Saicos were on the cutting edge of the garage rock sound of the age, which is all the more remarkable as I read they were aware of the louder, surf-inspired bands of North America or Europe. Rather they likely began with the same raw materials as their counterparts (British Invasion and surf music) and quickly began making wildly lo-fi rock. The songs are written in Spanish, but I am sure they're not easily understood by anyone because of the intensity of the reverb and lo-fi recording techniques. Moreover, the tracks are originals unlike some other non-English garage rockers of the time, such as Les Napoleons. I was blown away at how amazing these guys sound, and you'd hardly be able to place them as a 60s band if you compare them to modern garage rock. Their guitars are awesome and they've got organ on here that really wails. I wish I'd heard of these cats sooner.

To be had here:
Los Saicos - ¡Demolición!: The Complete Recordings [192 kbps]

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Les Sexareenos - 14 Frenzied Shakers (2001)

It was only a matter of time until I got to throwing up Les Sexareenos. This was Mark Sultan's band after the Spaceshits but before his solo albums under the moniker BBQ and rejoining his former bandmate in the King Khan & BBQ Show. As one might suspect, Les Sexareenos does sound like a chain in the evolution of that sound. Toward a more rockabilly, bluesy garage rock that became stronger in later projects and the heavily punk style of the Spaceshits. This is the second of two albums, but the one I'm more familiar with. It is naturally enough loud and distorted, to such a degree that the lyrics are muddled and drums like droning beats throughout. Mark Sultan, even when incomprehensible, is one of my favorite singers. My bread and butter sort of rock and roll.

To be had here:
Les Sexareenos - 14 Frenzied Shakers [192 kbps]

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Seapony - Go With Me (2011)

Finally got my shit together for a minute and looked into what had come out lately that I hadn't the good fortune to have been sent. So even thought this came out in the spring, I just got it this week. Seapony is a band I very quickly came across, and that could be a sign that they're pretty popular already. I'm posting anyway as I did find their debut album, Go With Me, quite charming. Anyone who reads the blog knows how much a love fuzz in any kind of music. Seapony's fuzzed out pop sounds like somewhere between the noise pop of Best Coast or Beach Fossils and the sweet indie pop like one might heard commonly out of Nordic countries. Perhaps some of you are a slow as I've been and might wanna grab this.

To be had here:
Seapony - Go With Me [320 kbps]

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Lou Reed - The Blue Mask (1982)

I love Lou Reed. He belongs small group of people that I consider to be everlastingly cool (allowing for the wreck he recently did with Metallica, no one is free of follies). Lou Reed does something for me that very few artists achieve, I hang on every messed-up, strangely-sung lyric. Sometimes Reed is quite straightforward, but many of the tracks on The Blue Mask are odd as shit. To think this is the album he made after sobering up from drugs and alcohol. Even if I can't figure out why he's singing what he does, it is mighty captivating. Hope some of you like Reed as much as I do, because I've been listening to a different albums of his each morning as I walk to work, and I doubt I am gonna stop posting them now.

To be had here:
Lou Reed - The Blue Mask [320 kbps]

Thursday, December 8, 2011

East-Ra - Cold Summer (2008), Sutra (2009), & Substitute 3 (2011)

These guys dropped a psychedelic bomb on me last week. Three albums of lo-fi psych-rock for writing up at once is a doozey, and normally might've taken longer for me to post it up if it wasn't that I enjoyed the albums so much I've had no problem listening to them repeatedly. East-Ra are from Croatia, but if you heard their first album, Cold Summer, you could easy be made to believe they're a British psychedelic act that rose and fell in the late 60s. Even reminds me of Detroit's late 60s psych band, The Index. Absolutely mesmerizing and a wonderful representation of what psychedelia can produce. The second, Sutra, has a large difference insomuch that it's sung in their local dialect, which they told me is unique to their town. Also has some recognizable krautrock influences. Finally, there is Substitute 3 sounding more experimental. The exotic instruments and echoing chants caused me to think of the Finnish avant-garde music I love so much. Got hooked with the first track, "Amanita," and though the rest isn't as avant-garde it kept my interest steadfastly. All their albums are free on their label's blog, OSA Media, and I've linked to the albums directly below.

To be had here:




Cold Summer













Sutra











Substitute 3

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

EP Grab Bag vol. 10

This is a real hodgepodge of submitted EPs. None of them the usual lo-fi rock I post, but all worth a try if my description intrigues you.

To be had here:

Smilelove - Live @ Gok Sound (2010)

Japanese twee pop, you know the sort that is as near to cloying as you'd like. It's been a bit since I've gotten any music like this, but some sugary and happy pop sounds are nice treats. This is a live EP from last year. They did write me about their new single, Njajaja, but as this is the free download I'll send you here and let you jump over to the single as you'd like.




Shy Girls - Sex in the City (2011)

This is not the usual fare on the blog either, in fact the only thing I can think of that is close to Shy Girls is the Federer EP I posted back in Grab Bag Vol. 6. They called the music "smooth jamz" and confessed to boy band inspirations. I can't help but think there is a huge level of irony all mixed up with genuine enthusiasm. Strangely alluring, must be why all the kids go nuts for this sorta thing every few years.



Glish - Blast Off (2011)

An alternatively dreamy and poppy shoegaze band out of New Orleans. Features a member of High In One Eye, who I posted up on a previous Grab Bag. Sounds well-produced and has some real fine vocals. A very solid debut EP and should bode well for an album if they release one.





Cutthroat Convention - Peeling the Sea (2011)

Sumbitted by the DYI label Doubledgescissor >8<, this is a rather absurd noise rock EP. I guess most all noise rock would be absurd though. Sampling, hollering, wild instrumentation with horns, electronics and percussion. I'm linking to the label site where it can be downloaded for free by follow the link to "downloads" at the bottom, obviously enough. It can be streamed at bandcamp too though.



Lovers and Reflections - Lovers and Reflections (2011)

As this is only two tracks I might've put this with the singles, but the length of an EP is arbitrary when you're writing your own blog. This is a duo that makes new wave/dream pop in Chicago. One of the pair, Chris Moore, apparently has a good record as producer. Not a free download, but streamable of course.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Demolition Doll Rods - There Is A Difference (2006)

The Demolition Doll Rods are a Detroit garage rock band I've wanted to post up for a long time now. However, like many of these Midwestern garage rock albums that I collected when I was a teenager, most of my albums by this group are lower bit rate than I'd like for sharing. There Is A Difference is the exception, so that's why I picked this album in particular. First, some background on the Demolition Doll Rods, they are main group that Dan Kroha has played with after the Gories, in which is was a guitarist and singer along with Mick Collins. Teaming up with two other musicians, they formed the Demolition Doll Rods and made up a backstory for the group with neat little nicknames. I generally ignore all the jazz save for the music itself, which is some real trashy, lo-fi rock. There Is A Difference is the last album they've released, but I have heard of them playing shows since so I do believe they're still active. Regardless, it's a good idea for anyone that's a fan of the previous Detroit garage I've posted or trashy rock like Pussy Galore to check out.

To be had here:
Demolition Doll Rods - There Is A Difference [192 kbps]

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Doop and the Inside Outlaws - What Am I Supposed Do? (2011)

A new release from this alternative country/roots rock group from Detroit. Again I'll admit I mightn't have gotten turned on to these guys if it wasn't from me having made the acquaintance of a member of the band. However I heard of them, I'm rather happy I know of them now. Luckily in my life I don't have to hear much popular country music, which serves me in not being sour toward country music altogether. So I'll also confess that if any of the popular stuff is half as sincere regarding heartbreak, regrets, and drinking away sorrows as Doop and the Inside Outlaws then I can understand how it is so dominant. This is especially well expressed in the song "Sittin Here" which I immediately liked. Also, there's a rather fine rock song, the aptly titled "You Gotta Rock 'n' Roll Sometimes." Good remorseful music, which can be streamed on bandcamp or bought for $10. Can't get down on Detroiters trying to make a buck too much.

To be had here:
Doop and the Inside Outlaws - What Am I Supposed Do?

Friday, December 2, 2011

MaoTzu - Doodles (2011)

This album is about a pleasant as any I've ever received. MaoTzu is the solo work of member of Forestcousin, whose demo single I posted a little while ago. This is a different sort of music though, one that incorporates nostalgic elements, washed out vocals, and pop-music hooks. Borrows from 8-bit, twee pop and experimental styles nearly equally. The result is that sort of an attractive blend that praised Nate Henricks and Pill Wonder for. MaoTzu is another artist that works in those lo-fi genres I so very fondly enjoy, certainly bearing influence from 90s psych-pop, and does so in a unique style. Perhaps what makes this album stand out is the great difference in the mood expressed on the various tracks, from dreamy and mild to loud and frenzied. There's a drum solo on "Red, Dead, Duck, Goose!" that's the bee's knees. The next track "Life Is Food" is one of my most oddly catchy songs I've heard in some time. I could go on, but instead I'll say that MaoTzu has really charmed me thoroughly with Doodles.

To be had here:
MaoTzu - Doodles