Box Elders - Alice and Friends (2009)

My brain is fucked over from all the alcohol as of late so I stared at a wall until I got the moxie to post anything at all. Box Elders is a band that I was bound to find and love. They've got what I am often looking for in their British Invasion-esque garage rock. The songs aren't complex yet they do have a bunch of sounds swirling about. One neat thing I read is that the drummer serves as the organist simultaneously. Pretty righteous achievement. I do believe Alice and Friends to be their only full-length to date. Basically, the nature of hunting for work in Detroit has lead to considerable lengths of time in the car each day so whatever I can even vaguely hear over my loud engine and open windows is what I'm down with right now. They didn't do anything wrong and this album lends itself to singing along, so even though my mind wasn't blown I am happy these fellas.

To be had here:
Box Elders - Alice and Friends [192 kbps]

Sonny and the Sunsets - Hit After Hit (2011)

Although slow on the news about their charming first album, Tomorrow Is Alright, I kept my eye out for the follow up so I'm only a couple months antedated by the release of Hit After Hit. I'm surprised that Sonny and the Sunsets aren't even bigger in the realm of pop music, as their delightful brand of indie pop is as inoffensive as I can imagine. Like the Beach Boys, who surely are a significant influence on the band, they manage to experiment a little without being any less agreeable. In common with the first album, Hit After Hit is heavily reliant on the quirky songwriting that twists the point of view of the singer if you pay attention to the lyrics. Not that ambitious, it feels like a low-key affair, yet the laid back atmosphere the source of the majority of this album's enjoyable moments.

To be had here:
Sonny and the Sunsets - Hit After Hit [320 kbps]

Crystal Stilts - In Love with Oblivion (2011)

The new album by Crystal Stilts maintains the same qualities that provoked the popularity of the previous releases. Full of jangled guitars, organ and echoed vocals they're a quintessential retro noise pop outfit. While this is hardly a unique position, as we can recall The Jesus & Mary Chain did it in the 80s, Skywave in the 90s, and Girls Names nearly contemporaneously to Crystal Stilts. I don't mean to diminish the band's talent, they've got the sound down to a science. There is not a track on the album that isn't worth listening to. In Love with Oblivion is an excellent album to put on and get down to whatever it is you like. Put briefly, although there aren't really any standout tracks or much innovation, they're damn good at reverberated noise pop, thus worth getting merely for that.

To be had here:
Crystal Stilts - In Love with Oblivion [192 VBR kbps]

Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (1968) & At San Quentin (1969)

Having somewhat brunt myself out on trying to consume new music from submissions and that I sought of my own accord, it is sometimes nice to go back to familiar albums to reset. Johnny Cash has long been among the artists I use to clear my head and reassess why I bother after overwhelming my eardrums. As I am sure many people did, I grew up listening to Johnny Cash on my parents' vinyl records. I'll always remember a summer afternoon when my father got out his copy of Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison and simply said something to the effect of, "Country music sucks but I like Johnny Cash." The couple of albums he cut in the late 60s in California's Folsom and San Quentin prisons are among the very best work he ever produced. Functioning similar to a pair of "best of" albums, the tracks are favorites that he knew would please the prisoners and the record buying public alike. What really makes the albums extraordinary is hearing the howls and applause of the the inmates along with Cash's snide commentary aimed at the penitentiaries. Both are truly intimate and engaging and one of the few things that can make me jealous of those unfortunate souls stuck in the 1960s Californian correctional system. Finally, Cash is one of the few people I'll abide preaching the word of God at me and love it, as those inmates must've if their reactions are any indication.

To be had here:




At Folsom Prison [192 kbps]












At San Quentin [192 kbps]

Tijuana Panthers - Max Baker (2010)

Tijuana Panthers are a Long Beach, California band that makes some modern surf rock. It is lo-fi and doesn't rely super heavily on reverbed guitar as has been the case in the past with surf bands. Rather they do craft some catchy, pop-like songs with quick-paced drums and mildly fuzzed guitar. Generally a pleasant and far from overwhelming affair. The songs where the get a bit more retro in their sound like "New Boots" and "Redheaded Girl" are neat. Almost feels like they could've been doing gigs with the Surfaris and their ilk back in the 60s when really work that way-back machine. They can pick it up and move it too, which is nice to hear both. Plus I saw they're playing a show with Ty Segall soon, so that is pretty rad.

To be had here:
Tijuana Panthers - Max Baker [256 VBR kbps]

EP Grab Bag vol. 2

Another series of EPs I was sent (for the most part). All these are to be had for free on bandcamp so let's do it to do then, pilgrims.

To be had here:

Moon/Ruin - Ocean (2011)

A lovely psychedelic pop EP coming out of Austin, if the tag on bandcamp is to be believed. The guy that submitted it was also in Liquid Skulls but this is a different beast. The psychpop nature of this makes it irrestable for me not to make an E6 reference, but they're certainly doing their own thing here. Very nice.






The Post Riot Era - On Zero Sum Living (2011)

This is some really chill ambient music. Minimal, experimental and quite atmospheric. Easy to lose track of oneself while listening. Interesting and worth the download for sure.








Seabuckthorn - In Nightfall (2011) [320 kbps]

This was sent in by Bookmaker Records, the folks that released Henryspenncer. However, the UK's Seabuckthorn is of another variety of music. In Nightfall is a 23-minute exploration of instrumental psych-folk. Real mellow and melodious. Give this guys a go and support the label should you like what you hear.







Grandpa Was A Lion - Archaic EP (2011)
or Download via mediafire

This one I found on my own just knocking about bandcamp. Pretty decent glo-fi/dream pop. Very soft and sleepy making it rather suitable for a good evening listen. Like let's say get hit by a bus and you're now among the cloud folk, you might hear something like this.

Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk (2011)

Jazzed as all fuck when I caught sight of this album on the Aggregatibacter blog. Even though it is posted up there, I feel compelled to do so over here as well, if simple to stress its majesty. Shannon and the Clams' first album I Wanna Go Home was a wonderful bunch of lo-fi garage punk tracks with deep soulful vocals. Sleep Talk takes that base and works a considerable degree of nostalgia and retro-vibes so as to make the band very Spector-esque or to cite a more modern comparison, very much like the King Khan & BBQ Show. Howling, shouting and crooning are all given a place in the hectic and brassy songs. Where the similarities to something Mark Sultan might record is strongest are in the slower numbers such as "The Woodsman" and "Done With You" which feature an intense throwback style. The softer trilling songs are paired with heavier, distortion-laden retro punk tracks to ensure a fast-paced listen, making the album feel much shorter than it is in reality. This is really topnotch and even though it is well-trodden ground, Shannon and the Clams keep it fresh, lively and most importantly irresistibly appealing.

To be had here:
Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk [192 VBR kbps]

Battles - Gloss Drop (2011)

I was quite the fan of Battles when their debut LP Mirrored came out. I recall seeing that at a festival that same summer and really enjoying it as well. However, they took their sweet ass time coming out with another album, and it isn't exactly what I remember liking about Battles yet it isn't bad. Although Tyondai Braxton left the group last year, there's certainly enough talent left to keep them going. Gloss Drop summoned images of a circus or carnival to my mind when I heard it for the first time. I do think the different style was a intention shift in their sound and it was pulled relatively successfully, especially in the instrumental tracks that make up most of the album. However, they decided to have some collaborative songs with Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead and Gary Numan that I could take or leave. Matias Aguayo's input is a bit more worthwhile, yet the brilliant idea was getting Yamantaka Eye from Boredoms in on one. That song is strange and fantastic as most things involving Yamantaka Eye are. Battles perhaps got overhyped after Mirrored so longish time it took them to follow it up makes hearing them interesting anew and Gloss Drop is a satisfying foray back into the spotlight.

To be had here:
Battles - Gloss Drop [192 VBR kbps]

Rocco Allegrezza-Ruggiero - Neapolitan Songs (1965)

Rocco Allegrezza-Ruggiero has very little information regarding himself floating around on the internet. I guess updating for the times isn't something Allegrezza-Ruggiero was concerned with, if he is even around anymore which is doubtful. Being no expert on the different varieties of Italian folk music, I'm forced to go with the little info implicit in the album. This is a 2004 reissue by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings of the original release from 1965, which lends creditability to the idea that this is legitimate Neapolitan folk music. I am sure there are those that read this that can actually understand him and I do often wonder what he's singing about. Regardless it is stripped down, beautiful acoustic guitar folk. If you can get over any hangups you might have regarding the stereotypical shit they play in Italian restaurant chains it is straight up some wonderful music.

To be had here:
Rocco Allegrezza-Ruggiero - Neapolitan Songs [224 VBR kbps]

Nohopekids - Nohopekids EP (2011)

The submission to this blog always find a way to surprise me. Nohopekids is one guy from Hungary that makes really fuzzed out garage rock that takes cues from Wavves, Ty Segall, and the Stooges by his own admission. For sure the surf influence is easily heard bleeding through the reverb making me think of Charlie & the Moonhearts and Thee Milkshakes as natural comparisons. This EP is astoundingly catchy and even though it just brought to my attention last night I've probably listen to it over half a dozen times. Very good for this hot and humid summer indeed. Nohopekids plays with another band called Piresian Beach on this album, which has lo-fi psychedelic tracks up for grabs.

To be had here:
Nohopekids - Nohopekids EP