Wizard Oz - Wizard Oz (2014)

I've been listening to this album for a few days now and it is only getting better. Wizard Oz is relaxed and subtle album that mixes elements of chillwave, shoegaze and pop. It is addictively smooth and enticing enough that have been been sneaking away from customers at work to listen instead. The tracks are complex despite them never reaching an feverish pitch, they've layers of sound all gentle piled into some kind of sonic cake (can you tell I am hungry as I write this). Never thought I'd be such a fan of well placed beeps in the midst of shimmering effects and delightfully ethereal vocals. If you've been keen on some of the great Canadian electronic pop/chillwave albums we've posted in the past like Tearjerker or Foxes in Fiction you'll most certainly like Wizard Oz, though I believe they're Australian. Released by the French label, Beko Disques, and mixed by our pal Warren Hildebrand of Orchid Tapes.

To be had here:
Wizard Oz - Wizard Oz

Space Rock Mountain Podcast 9 - "Not Just Phones"

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This episode features:

An interview with Tobi Adams and his crowd sourced documentary, Not Just Phones, about West African music collected by Christopher Kirkley of Sahel Sounds. Help fund the project here.

1.       Tinariwen – Baye

2.       Shit – It’s All Downhill from Here

3.       Sonnyskyes – All You Need is All You Need

4.       Lady Flint – Problems

5.       Martha Ashagari – Nakakkann

6.       Caetano Veloso – Superbacana

7.       Kyu Sakamoto – Sukiyaki

The Gorlons - The Gorlons Live in Concert (2014)

Good news, everyone, a live album by the much-beloved Springfield, MO band, the Gorlons. Their full-length debut album just came out back in February, which has already been featured on this site and on first episode of the podcast. Therefore, the songs will seem familiar to those of you that had the good sense to download and hear that release, but as fans of garage rock know well, the best way to experience the genre is live and if you're not able to attend a show a live album is often the next best thing. This live set delivers what a fan of lo-fi rock and roll ought to hope for such as loud organ, fuzzy guitars and thundering percussion. Naturally, everything is a bit more washed out from the live recording, but who wants garage rock to be crystal clear? It is a sweet, cheap follow up that puts me near to tears wishing they'd come play a show in Detroit.

To be had here:
The Gorlons - The Gorlons Live in Concert

Vintage Cucumber - Sing Sang Sung (2014)

Here's some music that would've been a cool soundtrack to the holiday last Sunday. No, not that holiday. That holiday. You know, the one that gives all the trustafarians in your city a reason to throw their "spare change for beer" signs into the backseat of their Landrovers and head over to the park to futz around with frisbees and devils sticks.

Now, I know some of you are all, "You're a little late, Larry. That was 4 days ago." Believe me, "a little late" is the story of my life. But isn't everyday 4/20 day? Isn't that what people say?

What we have here is a project by a Johannes Schulz, who apparently lives in a small town in Germany. Whoever he is, he's got a great album cover aesthetic, and is quite possibly the most prolific person on Bandcamp. He uploaded 9 albums in 2013 alone, for chrissakes. This EP, titled Sing Sang Sung, is already Vintage Cuke's 2nd release in 2014. Enclosed is some seriously atmospheric psychedelia. Slow jams lasting 5 to 10 minutes throw you into a daze, while the sounds of a babbling brook and chirping birds play accompaniment. These sounds actually accompany this whole EP, and several other Vintage Cucumber recordings, as if they are a member of the band. "Johannes Schulz on guitar. Nature on vibes."

Overall the music is very relaxing, cheesy, trippy, and will undoubtedly make you have to pee. For any non-smokers, Vintage Cucumber would serve as a wonderful soundtrack to your sleepy times.

Just make sure to pee first.

Vintage Cucumber - Sing Sang Sung

Comets - Fire The Wake Up Call (2014)

It is always exciting to get a new project from talents musicians I've already had the good fortune to become familiar with through writing this blog, and here we've got not only one musician dedicated readers of the site with know but two. This is a the collaboration of the two Connecticut-dwelling musical frontmen, Cal McNamara of The Gentle Stunts and Tynan Cooney of Werewolf Police. Each of those bands were among my favorite submissions, and I even got to briefly meet Tynan at a live show of the Inclined Plane show, of which my erstwhile roommate is a member, when I was living in Connecticut. Now that you've read of this incestuous knot of bands hopefully you'll get an understanding of the high hopes I had set for Comets. Happily, they met my expectations with their electronic indie pop that blends 80s, instrumental hip-hop and top 40s music into something they've adorably tagged creep pop. If I ever had a club this the sort of songs I'd play, which might not be ideal for a the club-going crowd but seeing them not understand the darkly composed yet dance-able pop tracks would please me to no end. The lyrics absolutely worth listened to, with their absurd subject matter delivered a bizarrely stylish fashion. Watch out though, the songs'll are genuine ear worms just waiting to make a home in head.

To be had here:
Comets - Fire The Wake Up Call

Space Rock Mountain Podcast 8 - "Urban Crossbow Hunting"

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Music and commentary related to the following songs.

Submissions:

Car Seat Headrest – Homes

Os Noctambulos – Forever

White Coward – MS Dos

Yorkshire Fields – Light Leaks

Fingers of the Sun – Arrows in June

Lost and Found:

Shipping News – (Morays Or) Demons

Life Through Music

Still Caves - Dutch

EP Grab Bag vol. 59

Here's what been coming in lately (for the most part lately at least). A truly international mix again and some really eclectic mixture of genres.

To be had here:

Pueblo People - Sentiero di Guerra (2014)

I know on our last podcast we had some fun at the expense of Italian music, but truth be told I am a huge fan of Italian tunes if not necessarily the disco. Pueblo People is a fine example quality music from the boot-shaped nation that I am digging. This is a 3 track EP but is a longer one nevertheless because of the lengthy tracks. This may sound strange, but it makes me think of a Bright Eyes from 1976, in the best of all possible worlds. The last song is my favorite, an epic, distorted and sprawling number that isn't supremely awesome.

Barry Walker and the Tanks - L.T.D. (2013)

This was the second band I was send by Portland's Snake Handler Recordings, along with Sinthaxis. This group plays alternative country, which is a genre I hold a fondness for despite my intense dislike of modern popular country music, and sadly I post too little of it. It's got what you want out of a good country song, a mournful tale sung in a soulful voice with twangy guitars. I highly recommend the full-length album, but I felt I should share something streamable so what we've got here is the single with two accompanying tracks. Plus the live version of "White Freightliner Blues" is fantastic.

Lady Flint - Lady Flint (2014)

Back to Europe with this EP from Marseille. This French duo plays some rock and roll that is swaggering and sleazy, you know in the complimentary sense. Bluesy, a bit heavy, and full of provocative lyrics it is a minimalistic punk at it's core, but as we know from too many two-piece bands to name it doesn't preclude some amazing and full rock and roll sound which these guys have in spades. If nothing else, check the final, awesomely distorted, very garage final tack "Problems" and I believe you'll be sold.



Wave n400 - Wave n400 (2012)

Another one of the older submissions but something I thought was interesting to share now nonetheless. Based in Bristol these guys were making a strange sort of electronic experimental music with a deeply psychedelic style. It has the slightly unsettling art rock feel of being more sophisticated than perhaps you thought, but really it is playful music with an artsy theme. Again I am gonna recommend the final track here, "Fuss" as it is really pulls together the whole EP and has gotten itself lodged into my head.

Whip Hands - Whip Hands (2012)

As if we've all not heard this enough already, but this is an album I also overlooked in the email submissions from my time in the wilderness (one I hope I am not re-entering by moving back into Detroit). Anyhow, this is a lo-fi garage-ish punk outfit that came out of Portland, Maine. Unlike the quaint, seaside town they hail from, they are rather and rough and tumble sort of rock and roll band for the most part, although they'll surprise you with a slow post-rock tinged song intro. The vocals are howling and the guitar is pretty unrestrained, the punk flows through the tracks, but it isn't a rehash as much as a stripped down and raw formation of the sound for the first several songs. Then it alters into a dark pop, post-whatever avant-garde-ish thing with sorta 80s-like riffs that I really found to be excellent (see "Money Is Honey, (But Licks Stick"). Still lo-fi punk rock throughout, and a good show of it. So sorry for the delay on this one dudes, but I hope you have kept it up.

To be had here:
Whip Hands - Whip Hands

Space Rock Mountain Podcast 7 - "Will You Survive Fuck Mountain?"

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Featuring music and conversation related to the following songs:

Fuck Mountain - Idle Hands
Skull Practitioners - Another Psycho
Pridjevi - Ako Je
Ambsace - Windigo Psychosis
Survival Knife - Divine Mob
Vertical Scratchers - Memory Shards
King Blood - Black Money

Home Alone - There's A Light Coming Through (2014)

Home Alone is Torontonian band, a fancy way of saying big city Ontarians. Canadian demonyms seem funny to me despite growing up on the Ontario-Michigan border, but that is beside the point, which is these mesmerizing songs. I have seen some chatter about this album on the internets already, as there should be. To put it crudely the tracks are lo-fi dream pop. However, as with most all good albums it is a combination of the more subtle factors that create the majestic treat for ears. They've got a perfectly balanced electronically graced sound throughout and some impressively delivered, impactful lyrics. Like emotional lullabies for the self-aware adult. Trust, it is some righteous shit that I feel a fool for not listening to weeks ago. In a hope that this won't undercut the creditability of my recommendation (which I assure you is legit as it gets) I'd like to give some props to Spacerockmountain alumnus, Warren Hildebrand, for mastering this album and releasing it on his laudably curated label Orchid Tapes. Check out what else he's been putting out, because the man's got impeccable taste.

To be had here:

Home Alone - There's A Light Coming Through