the brave little abacus - the split (2008)

The Brave Little Abacus is an awesome band from Southern New Hampshire that are good friends of my band Interrobang!? The trio is made up of Adam Demirjian on guitar, Zach Onett playing keyboards, and Andrew Ryan on Bass, although all three members prove themselves to be competent multi-instrumentalists as well as vocalists. Their music sounds like a more lo-fi, noisy, and experimental Cap'n Jazz, but with just as much emotion. BLA really traverse all sorts of musical territory, from mathy, complex passages to ambient, layered soundscapes, all piled high with samples from Yoshi's Island and a bunch of other Sega Genesis games. Brave Little Abacus play some serious music, but still manage to not take themselves too seriously. For their live show the group play the drums, samples, and other sounds from a small TV equipped with the ever useful Sega Dreamcast. The show is one very cohesive experience; with songs connected by samples, dance party segues, and ambient sound, and it's also a ton of fun.

Download The Brave Little Abacus' half of the split they released with Matt Aspinwall in the winter of 2008 below. Also be sure to visit their myspace to hear other excellent songs not included on the album such as "The Buffalo" and "You're Not Me But Neither Am I," both excellent tunes.

www.myspace.com/thebravelittleabacus

for fans of: modest mouse, cap'n jazz, animal collective

The Brave Little Abacus - The Split

the tallest man on earth - shallow grave (2008)

The Tallest Man on Earth is the moniker of Kristian Matsson, a folk artist from Sweden. His second release "Shallow Grave" has recently garnered some attention in the states and so here it is for your enjoyment. 

The singer-songwriter genre is often a stale one, but every once and a while a gem emerges. I need to give this record a few more listens but so far I like it, and I'm sure a lot of people will like it much more than I do. The album has very minimalist instrumentation, usually just acoustic guitar and banjo, but Matsson's interesting vocal melodies make up for it.

for fans of: the mountain goats, bob dylan, dirty projectors

the tallest man on earth - shallow grave

ponytail - ice cream spiritual (2008)

Ponytail are a noise-rock band from Baltimore, Maryland.  They play really fun, mathy, noisy music. Their signature sound is defined by trebly fuzzed out guitars and screeching inhuman wails from vocalist Molly Siegel. I really like the songs "Beg Waves" and "Late for School" check, check 'em out.

for fans of: deerhoof, lightning bolt, abe vigoda

ponytail - ice cream spiritual

virgin soil at "this is what I do when I'm not with you"

On Friday Virgin Soil performed at Emerson Experimental Art's hiatus show titled "This is What I Do When I'm Not With You." Here are some photos taken by Dan Muchnik. I also performed a spoken word piece called "So Sick." 

MissingNo. - The Clatson Winic (2007)

I linked to this band's myspace from my friend Harrison's, they are very, very cool. MissingNo, yes named after the "pokemon" we all know and love, create cool electronica, IDM, lo-fi stuffz, whatever you want to call it. Their stuff is pretty damn catchy and I love it.

sounds like: the books, dan deacon, prefuse 73

MissingNo. - The Clatson Winic

owen - at home with owen (2006)

Owen is the musical project of Mike Kinsella, you know, brother of Tim Kinsella. 

He has been in bands like Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Owls, American Football, blah blah blah, you get it. You know that Kinsella brothers. You probably know Owen, or you should. 

Owen is a singer songwriter project, but trust me, it's so much different than that! Owen's music really relies on really lush, interesting instrumentation and honest lyrics. A lot of Owen songs have these really interesting acoustic guitar hooks that just get me so excited! Mike Kinsella's voice is soft and fluid (unlike his brother, el oh el!) in fact though, his voice is almost too perfect. Generally I don't like vocalists as much that sing too well, I prefer imperfections as they seem more honest. But Owen's music is already so honest anyway, I can look past that, and I mean, Kinsella is a VERY good vocalist. 

Just listen to the lyrics of "The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi" or "Bags of Bones" and you will know what I mean. Even the tiny guitar solo on "A Bird in Hand" has SO much feeling to it. You can feel Mike Kinsella in every saturated note.

sounds like: owls, kevin devine, copeland

Owen - At Home With Owen

moar black thunder!

Here are some more photos from the Black Thunder and Da Naughtiez show, these are by Dan Muchnik.

It's good to have friends that take such sick photos.

black thunder and da naughtiez secret show

Last night Black Thunder and Da Naughtiez gave an impromptu performance. Here are some photos taken by Kallie Tiffault: 

pelican - city of echoes (2007)

So I've been feeling kind of not so great the past day or so. Yet today, when just being, I started listening to the latest album by Pelican. I've heard it before and it was good, but I realized that it is VERY good. Listen to it!

for fans of: mono, isis, russian circles

pelican - city of echoes

black thunder and da naughtiez - tingling sensation (2009)

Here is the new EP from comedy-rap trio Black Thunder and Da Naughtiez. This release marks a new direction for the group, Black Thunder has strayed from its old-school style to a more polished sound similar to modern hip-hop from the likes of Kanye West and Lil' Wayne.

for fans of: 2 live crew, the cool kids, mystikal

black thunder and da naughtiez - tingling sensation

best albums of 2008: #5 - #1

Here's what you've all been waiting for! The top five albums of 2008:

#5. Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band - Conor Oberst

for fans of: bright eyes, m.ward, kevin devine

So for anyone that hasn't liked the direction that Bright Eyes has been moving in recently you might want to check out this album. While there are some songs that are more country-ish like the recent Bright Eyes stuff, there are also a lot of tracks that bring back the stripped down sound of Oberst's older albums. I wasn't really even anticipating this album that much when it was released but I am glad that it is as good as it is. Some of my favorite tracks are "Get-Well-Cards," "Lenders In The Temple," and "Souled Out!!!"

#4. Maps & Atlases - You and Me and the Mountain

for fans of: tera melos, minus the bear, ghosts and vodka

I don't like this album as much as Maps & Atlases' previous record, "Trees, Swallows, Houses," but this is still a great album none the less. Mathrock is not usually a very accessible genre but with this album Maps & Atlases have changed that. It isn't common to find a band that combines technicality with pop sensibility but Maps & Atlases have done it. With layered guitars and unique vocals "Me and You and the Mountain" is a great record.

#3. This Town Needs Guns - Animals

for fans of: maps & atlases, algernon cadwallader, ghosts and vodka

Okay so this band is preeeeetty similar to Maps & Atlases, but better. For anyone who is bothered by the vocals of Maps & Atlases (I know that this is a controversial issue) then I suggest you take a listen to This Town Needs Guns. The vocals in this band absolutely soar over the complex instrumentation, another key factor to the groups sound. This band is from Britain and I think pretty popular over there right now, I expect them to blow up in the US soon enough. 

#2. Kayo Dot - Blue Lambency Downward

for fans of: pelican, maudlin of the well, oxbow

A few years ago Kayo Dot rose from the ashes of a band called maudlin of the Well. Both bands are fronted by composer and vocalist Toby Driver. And both bands are awesome. Kayo Dot's sound can only be described as avant-garde metal combined with ambient chamber music. The band's instrumentation consists of conventional rock instruments like drums and guitar but also includes others such as violin, french horn, saxophone, clarinet, etc. Blue Lambency Downward is a lot mellower than past releases from Kayo Dot in that the more "metal" moments are few and far between. This isn't a bad thing though, I think where Kayo Dot really excel is in their calm, dark, ambient moments. If you are into forward thinking metal then check out this record. Also make sure to listen to maudlin of the Well.

#1. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak

for fans of: you know what kanye sounds like

Maybe some of you could have seen this coming, but this is an amazing record. With "808s and Hearbreaks" Kanye West has reinvented himself if not mainstream hip hop itself. I think that the release of this album is amazing in that this is not a mainstream record and it is not what one would expect from Kanye West. He has been criticized for his use of auto-tune and his inability to sing but to me, these things only make this album even better. 808s is an album that is really about honesty and it succeeds at that. Finally Kanye has been able to say what he wants to say and put himself out there and make the album he really wants to make. 

Well everyone, this has been fun! I really enjoyed putting this list together and I can't wait to do it again next year. I've never really payed close attention to each years releases but it is an interesting experience to see how each year is different and how different artists grow and change. I didn't listen to a lot of new music this year but making this list was still fun and I'll pay better attention to new music next year.

2009 here we come.

best albums of 2008: #10-#6

Alright so I too will be posting what I think are the ten best releases of 2008. This is difficult because I haven't been listening to too much new music this year, in fact, I've been listening to a lot of older stuff. Well anyway, I did listen to a few new records. So here we go:

#10. why? - alopecia

for fans of: cLOUDEAD, sunset rubdown, xiu xiu

With this years "Alopecia" Why? won the hearts of many. The band has certainly found a formula that works, the blend of mellow indie rock and hip-hop topped with Yoni Wolf's self confessional lyrics. The album has a great vibe and lots of catchy moments, one of these for me is the chorus of the albums second track "Good Friday."

#9. the cool kids - the bake sale

for fans of: little brother, lupe fiasco, a tribe called quest

Alright so maybe The Cool Kids are "hipster" rap, but with two releases this year, "The Bake Sale" and "That's Stupid The Mixtape," The Cool Kids bring hip hop back to its roots. Most of the duos songs are composed of simplistic beats and almost silly rhymes, but it's totally 90s. For anyone tired of gangster rap about girls and money The Cool Kids  got what you're looking for. I would rather hear rap about bikes and video games any day. 

#8. crystal castles - crystal castles

for fans of: digitalism, justice, css

Finally some innovation to the genre of electronic and dance music. I love how Crystal Castles make music thats really noisey but still catchy and danceable. I also have a crush on singer Alice Glass. There's other shit to dance to besides Girl Talk.

#7. genghis tron - board up the house

for fans of: daughters, the number twelve looks like you, psyOpus

With their third release Genghis Tron have earned a lot of fans and a lot of remixes. I haven't listened to any of the recent remixes of "Board Up The House," I'm not really a remix guy, but thats pretty cool that people are remixing grindcore. Alright, well, I guess Genghis Tron aren't really a grindband, but they are the really the first ones to successfully blend it with electronica. Genghis Tron are not just another grind band with a drum machine.

#6. the faceless - planetary duality

for fans of: between the buried and me, necrophagist, as blood runs black

I was a big fan of the first release from The Faceless, but this album might be even better. The band has certainly stepped up their technique for this release, if you want an album that shreds without being pretentious then this is it. The Faceless have also begun to incorporate a lot of different elements into their music with this release; clean vocals, jazzy interludes, and more melody in general. This is one of the best examples of growth I have seen from a band in recent year, I can't wait to see what these guys put out next. 

Check back for number one through five appearing soon! I might do movies as well, maybeee.

between the buried and me - self titled (2002)

After watching BTBAM's new "Colors" live DVD I experienced some of the bands older songs from their first self titled album and was really surprised. For some reason I never bothered to listen to the bands first release, well that was a bad decision, because this album is awesome!

This record is a lot different than the BTBAM's more recent material. The self titled album is much more raw and although I hate to say it, has more of a metal-core vibe. No, but trust me it's good. Really good. 

After listening to this album it makes the bands more recent material even more impressive once you realize how they have progressed. The self titled album also features Tommy Rogers on vocals but he does a lot of different things not found in the bands recent material. In fact, I prefer Roger's vocals on this album.

Especially check out the song "Aspirations."

between the buried and me - self titled

oops! x2

Okay so Domino Records emailed me and was like "wtf?!?!?!" so I had to take down the download of the new Animal Collective album. 

Sowwy guys, but I guess I need to abide by the law. 

It's a really great album though so I suggest you all go out and buy it when it is released on January 6th.

this town needs guns - cats and cats and cats split (2007)

This Town Needs Guns is a math rock band from England. They are different from many other bands in the genre in that their music is pretty poppy. Many math rock bands employ dissonance as one of their staple elements but TTNG seem to generally ignore that.

The band just recently released their new album "Animals" which right now is only available it Europe but is coming to the states soon. I'm sure when it does this band will blow up.

for fans of: maps and atlases, anathallo, ghosts and vodka

this town needs guns - cats and cats and cats (split)

kanye west - 808s & heartbreak (2008)

There has been a lot of controversy over Kanye West's latest release. There has been debate over his use of auto-tune and his decision to disregard rapping all together. Even still, I think Kanye has managed to pull it together and deliver one of the best albums of 2008 and of his career.

Really this album is genius because of the fact that it was even released. For an artist of Mr. West's caliber to put out such a personal record and take such extreme musical chances is amazing to me. The use of the 808 drum machine on every track and use of auto-tune is perfectly fine with me. It creates a very unique atmosphere to the album, one that I have never heard before. I think that this album works better as a whole than any of Kanye West's previous releases.

West has received a lot of criticism for his inability to sing. Well its kinda true, Kanye West is not a great singer. He is average at best, and that's okay. Whether you want to believe it or not, I truly believe that West made this album for himself and this is the record he wanted to make. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

kanye west - 808s & heartbreaks

on the might of princes - where you are and where you want to be (2002)

I have been digging this album a lot lately. On The Might Of Princes really capture that original screamo sound of the early 90s, they are probably most similar to Hot Cross but with more dynamic range. Many of their songs change from a more subdued feel to a more aggressive screamo sound. 

for fans of: hot cross, joshua fit for battle, city of caterpillar

on the might of princes - where you are and where you want to be

barr - beyond reinforced jewel case (2005)

MOAR BARR

After writing all that stuff for the last post I just got really excited about BARR and want to share more of it with you.

barr - beyond reinforced jewel case

barr - summary (2007)

Aside from making music under the pseudonym BARR, Brendan Fowler co-runs Dog Pony Record and co-edits an art magazine known as ANP Quarterly. Below is his second album "Summary" available for download. Overall it is a lot more polished than his previous album, "Beyond Reinforced Jewel Case" from 2005. I guess most of this can be attributed that more of the songs on "Summary" are a lot more like actual "songs". 

BARR's music mainly consists of Fowler talking, yelling, and conversing over minimal compositions usually consisting of piano and drums. On his most recent release Fowler is accompanied by a backing band which I think really helped him a lot. As an educated jazz drummer Fowler does have musical talent, despite what some may think. 

 Personally, I think that the dialogues that Fowler creates are really interesting. I think one of the main things that makes BARR enjoyable is that Brendan Fowler's voice is really pleasant to listen to. His attitude is refreshing and he just seems like a great guy that you would want to hang out with. 

barr - summary

tegan and sara - the con (2007)

for fans of: death cab for cutie, rilo kiley, azure ray

tegan and sara - the con