Acid Kicks - Live at Silk City on January 11th, 2012

Acid Kicks released this live album straight after their show, the internet and digital recordings are amazing things. There's that sweetly lo-fi aspect that comes with live recordings, but unlike many of the others I've posted this isn't garage rock. Acid Kicks play a sort of psychedelic rock that is shoegazey and ethereal, which they have brilliantly tagged as dream punk. Pretty smooth and hypnotic, and while not instrumental the vocals are incomprehensible and echoing in a fantastic way. Features some tracks they didn't release prior to this gig as well, which always makes a live show all that more neat. Streaming and downloadable in a name your own price scheme.

To be had here:
Acid Kicks - Live at Silk City on January 11th, 2012

Fat History Month - A Gorilla (2011) & Fucking Despair (2011)

The fine gentleman at Sweaters & Pearls Records was cool enough to send me some of their releases on 7" vinyl. First vinyl I've gotten in the mail and was quite jazzed to receive it, so many thanks. Fat History Month was just one of two bands I was given, in particular their A Gorilla EP. However, I felt each band had enough for me to write up separately. Fucking Despair was the full-length that came out before A Gorilla, on Sophomore Lounge Records. It is arty lo-fi rock with spoken word sections mingling with singing, sorta like Car Seat Headrest and Forest Porridge in that sense. Guitars that shuffle between droning and melodies are what stood out most strikingly to me when I first these these guys. The style of A Gorilla is the same, if perhaps a bit more brooding, which is to be expected when it was release right on the heels on the LP. However, they're both finely made releases. The goldenrod colored transparent vinyl that A Gorilla is pressed on is certainly a nice aesthetic touch as well. I'm linking to the bandcamp pages for the releases below where all the songs can be streamed and purchased, or if you want to go directly through the label you can find those links within this posting.

To be had here:




A Gorilla











Fucking Despair

Ty Segall/Charlie & The Moonhearts - 4th of July show tape (2008)

I still make a regular habit of listening to both Ty Segall and Charlie & the Moonhearts, even when customers look me me as if I'm running a nasty feedback loop through the terrible speaker at work. It is worth the horridly fucked up sound to get the intense garage rock these guys excel at. This release in particular has a warped effect, but I really must admit that makes me happier to play it. Recorded live on what I can only assume is the 4th of July in 2008, this was a show wherein both of these wonderful acts shared the bill. I wish I could have been there, for this shit showed righteous even in its remarkably lo-fi quality. Roughly eighteen minutes of garage punk delights. Finally, credit to where credit's due, I found this on iamtheleastmachiavelllian blog, which is filled with great garage rock downloads.

To be had here:
Ty Segall/Charlie & The Moonhearts - 4th of July show tape

Random Singles part 7

This batch could almost as easily be called Random Demos, but in this digital age I can think it is worth my time to split hairs. Anyway, this shit showed up and I dug it.

To be had here:

Greg Cee - Pick Me When It's time For The Slow Dance... (2012)

Another single of frenzied garage punk by Greg Cee. Filled with highly distorted guitar and vocals, panicking hollers, and crashing cymbals. There's a new version of "My Satantrue" which was on the White Moon Digital Single I shared a bit ago, and it nearly twice as long and epic. Should a full-length from Greg Cee be released I'll be ready to hear it.

Stagnant Pools - Consistency (2012)

Shared two of this band's albums several months ago and they've been cool enough to let me know they've got a new single out. Very shoegaze, lo-fi and wall-of-sound. Wonderfully done, hope there's a new album on the way.

Holy Shakes - Demos (2011)

This band sent me their demos for a planned release. They haven't eve

n got this shit streaming anywhere according to what they told me, but I guess they want it passed around nonetheless. So here are the very catchy lo-fi rock of Arkansas's Holy Shakes.

E U N U C H S - Demos (2011)

Two brief and noisy tracks from this UK three-piece. Loud and wild in the fashion of Lightning Bolt, Mindflayer, or Liars. Lo-fi noise rock for sure and I promising start should the put something more lengthy out.

YALL - They'll Say We're Only Dreaming (2012)

The new album by those Texan math/noise rockers, YALL. Features their earlier released single, GUM. It's a blissfully frantic affair to listen to this album for the first time, this is natural with most noisy rock. Moreover, these song sound incredibly lo-fidelity. Thus it mashes everything into a sonic paste. However, it becomes less cacophonous with repeated listens and assumes the invigorating mode the musicians intended. Admittedly, some of the tracks are far more toward math rock, such as the magnificently quick angular guitar playing in "Blastocyst" demostrates. I gotta say I liked the whole damn thing though, and I bet you will to you like any of their other releases. Available for download from the band's own mediafire upload.

To be had here:
YALL - They'll Sya We're Only Dreaming [320 kbps]

Zloty Dawai - Torso Apart (2011)

As promised here is Germany's Zloty Dawai. Submitted by their drummer, who's solo project R3000 I posted in the last Grab Bag. There music is, like R3000, is rather far out. However, it's dissimilar in that instead of being electronic, Zloty Dawai is improvised, free jazz. Now, if you've been following the blog I've been trying to understand and enjoy jazz more lately, and this was like jumping into the deep end, in a good sorta way. It is wild, gloomy, and energizing in a manner that's unique as far as the fare on this blog goes. Moreover, they got play on the influential independent radio station WFMU. There is a previous album from 2006, Dada Work Chant, that is worth checking out as well.

To be had here:
Zloty Dawai - Torso Apart

EP Grab Bag vol. 12

These are the EPs I've gotten around to listen to since around mid-December. A mix of genres in this set, from garage rock to electro-acoustic oddities. Hope you find something you like.

To be had here:

R3000 - Muted Fog Delay (2012)

A strange hybrid of electronic and acoustic instrumentation along with a heavy use of sampling makes up R3000. The solo project of drummer of Germany's Zloty Dawai (on which I plan to post soon). I found the noisey and seemingly chaotic music of R3000 to be take on an ordered effect if given a chance, and is remarkably emotional.




Bear Baiting - Bear Bating E.P. (2011)

A Los Angeles instrumental group consisting of two basses, keys, and drums. I'd call it post-rock, but it does have some very math rock like aspects in the bass playing. It is intense and quick, I'd say good for you if you like Kinski, Lebanon or Maserati. Plus that album art is just grotesquely awesome.





Honeybear Forest - Bloody Bay (2011)

Out of Northeastern Pennsylvania is the electronic/ambient artist going under the moniker Honeybear Forest. The songs are spacey and ethereal, fantastic for chilling out with. I picked Bloody Bay so as to have specific album art, but there are several releases you can hear on the bandcamp site. Physical copies of his music can be gotten at Stress Carrier.




Dusty Mush - Demos (2012)

Dusty Mush is garage rock group from France. They've linked me their demos that were DIY recorded in a friend's attic with two microphones. Influenced by great garage rockers like the Gories, the Mummies, and the 13th Floor Elevators. There's even some surf vibes. Never one to shy from lo-fi techniques I greatly enjoyed these tracks.




Eric Silberberg - The Courtroom (2011)

This is the guy that sent in the Vostok 1 EP that I put on Grab Bag vol. 7. Like that EP this is an experimental eletro-acoustic release. At times it sounds only vaguely musical, so it might fall into the catagory of sound collage or field recording-esque. Much with the beeps, boops, jangling cords, and odd slices of conversation. Eerie in the best kind of way.




G. Zarapanecko - Glitterdämmerung (2010)

Despite the very German title, I believe this fella is from New Haven. Nevertheless, it is more electro-acoustic music. I picked this release as it is an EP to fit the theme, but he's got more releases out you can get to from if you poke around the bandcamp page. This shit has accordion too, that makes me indescribably happy. Washes over me like a prescription-strength painkiller.

Miles Davis - Porgy and Bess (1958)

Only once have I posted jazz before, Lou Donaldson's Blues Walk. That album I lucked upon at the public library as a sixteen year old. However, my knowledge of jazz is still rudimentary. So in new effort to learn to appreciate jazz music I've decided there's likely few better spots jump in at than Miles Davis. Now, I've done my research, I know these songs weren't written by Davis. They're George Gershwin's tunes from his folk opera Porgy and Bess as rearranged by Davis and Gil Evans. Because of this I found it a great starting point. Songs of an old composer played and arranged by musicians of the bebop period. Can't speak to how representative it is of the period's style, but holy shit have I loved listening to it lately. Anyhow, if you've got really good suggestions for an album that may help me get into jazz better let me know.

To be had here:
Miles Davis - Porgy and Bess [192 kbps]

Peaking Lights - 936 (2011)

Can't believe I missed this album coming out. Then again tons of shit slips right by me. So thanks to Somatose for posting this one up, for I adore Peaking Lights. Listened to this album for the first time right after yesterday's posted band, Treasure Hunt, and I was surprised how similar in mood they were. Lightly droning, ethereal vocals, and echoing cords make quite close. Perhaps naturally enough as they're both lo-fi electronic music. However, this is a shift from Imaginary Falcons, which I posted about just after my old car's windows got bust out in this city I still perplexing live in. 936 isn't as darkly droning. Not really upbeat, except perhaps "Birds Of Paradise Dub Version," but as a whole more psychedelic and otherworldly. I also shared their EP released between the albums, Space Primitive, if you wanna grab that.

To be had here:
Peaking Lights - 936 [192 kbps]

Treasure Hunt - Seatec Astronomy (2012)

This is the second Treasure Hunt album posted on Spacerockmountain. Another of the fresh releases to come out with the changing over to a new year. Seatac Astronomy has a far more mellow mood. I'd easily place this as chillwave/glo-fi material whereas the last album was far more experimental, noisy and frantic in style. Nature sounds (largely chirping of birds), squeaking instruments, and light choir-like vocals fading in and out of the background all add up for a hypnotic listening experience. Mostly I find I'm pleased with the music submitted, but this certain exceeded by expectations for the band. To listen to the changing and developing group of artists that've chosen to repeated send in their releases has proven to be the best part of the blog. Top notch, fellas.

To be had here:
Treasure Hunt - Seatec Astronomy