Hawnay Troof- Islands of Ayle (2008)

Hi, I'm Nathan Rich. You may remember me from such shameless connections like Davy Jones Revival and Dr. Negative. As a special guest blogger for my dear Lara, I'll be sharing with you all Vice Cooler's latest and greatest: Islands of Ayle.

Coming off of the joint release of Dollar and Deed/Community EP, Mr. Cooler began to record his most eclectic offering yet during the massive world tour that led him everywhere and nowhere. Spastic hip pop laced with LSD is what this album sounds like, but don't take my word for it—you'd be surprised how many areas of music Cooler touches upon here. The bouncy glitch of "Front My Hope" starts the album off in top Troof form. "Water" is a bizarre head-nodding cruise that leads into "The Gods Are Crazy," which displays the damaged pop sensibilities in the best context available on Islands. The aptly titled "Out of Teen Revisited" closes the album, effectively showing the ongoing progression of Hawnay Troof's music by taking a previous Dollar and Deed track and rehashing it into a peppy chiptune anthem.

If you're bored with the standards of pop music and sick of amateur hardcore MySpace bands abusing Auto-Tune, this could be worth your time. Vice Cooler is going places as an artist and deserves the recognition for all the time, effort and passion he puts into his craft. Did I mention he's already got another record coming out this year? Get it on!

1. Suspension and Conclusion / Finale
2. Front My Hope
3. Underneath the Ocean
4. Two Week Bruise
5. Zhou Zhong
6. Connection
7. Water
8. The Gods Are Crazy
9. Oblivions
10. Venus Venus Piper
11. Bizarre Triangle
12. Feelings
13. Out of Teen Revisited

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Estradasphere- Buck Fever (2002)

Yes, this is probably the sixth post about Estradasphere that I've done. Yes, I will probably make more. No, I do not believe this is the absolute BEST Estradasphere album, but it's damn close. I, of course, had to spend some time weathering it, though. To Estradasphere virgins, Buck Fever would be a nice place to start if you're willing to delve into the unknown, and I honestly think this album represents the band very well. This is because there are so many classic Estradasphere moments to be had i.e. "Metorite Showers," "Rise N' Shine," "The Bounty Hunter," etc. So I guess if you like crazy instrumental music, and want something a little less John Zorn/Mike Patton, Estradasphere is your answer. While you wait for this to download, you should probably look at this junk, too. And as always, enjoyyy.

1. Buck Fever
2. The Dapper Bandits
3. The Silent Elk Of Yesterday
4. Crag Lake
5. Meteorite Showers
6. The Bounty Hunter
7. Super Buck II
8. Millennium Child
9. Trampoline Klan
10. Burnt Corpse
11. Rise N' Shine (Epic Doobie Nightmare #"1)
12. Bride Of The Buck
13. A Very Intense Battle
14. Green Hill
15. Feed Yo Mama's Meter (Remix 2001)
16. What Deers May Come

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Dinosaur Jr.- Farm (2009)

So today I just found out that Dinosaur Jr. is actually coming to Louisville, and I'm freeeaking out! This is fucking LEGENDARY. It's like, probably more important than when I saw The Mars Volta, but I don't know, maybe it's not. They are too different to really compare.

Anyway, in celebration of this news, I thought I'd share their most recent album that was released on the 23rd, last week or something. Lately with everyone it's been a 50/50 reaction, but given that I'm even posting this album on here is proof enough that it's worth a listen. Of course it's nothing comparable to Green Mind or You're Living All Over Me, but it still definitely shows that Dinosaur Jr. are getting their groove back, beating 2007's Beyond by a long shot. If you want a taste of the glory days, you can reference back to this. But in the meantime, get this album.

1. Pieces

2. I Want You to Know

3. Ocean in the Way

4. Plans

5. Your Weather

6. Over It

7. Friends

8. Said the People

9. There's No Here

10. See You

11. Don't Wanna Go There

12. Imagination Blind

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Morrissey- Vauxhall and I (1994)

For lack of a better explanation, this album gives me chills. Duh, because it's regarded as one of his best and it was the first Moz album that I actually took time to listen to. This was of course before Bona Drag, which was previously posted here. I've also come to agree that Morrissey tends to progress with time, (sort of like Patton), and with another album comes more great songwriting and beauty. Vauxhall and I holds the very essence of that progression, both as a completly breakthrough album and a nod towards what other great works were soon to come. It's basically the eye of the storm, I suppose. Anyway, it's a great place to start if you're not familiar with his junk, and I do personally consider it an essential. So go ahead and click that download link.

1. Now My Heart is Full

2. Spring-Heeled Jim

3. Billy Budd

4. Hold On to Your Friends

5. The More Ignore Me, The Closer I Get

6. Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself

7. I Am Hated For Loving

8. Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning

9. Used to Be a Sweet Boy

10. The Lazy Sunbathers

11. Speedway

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Andrew Jackson Jihad- People Who Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World (2007)

The world needs more angry folk music. Of course we're all inclined to think folk is either depressing or incredibly happy, but what about the angry dome? The duo behind Andrew Jackson Jihad, wielding an acoustic guitar and stand-up bass, show us it's okay pissed about stupid shit, things like landlords and stepfathers, you know? Think of it as folk noir: fast-paced, bard-boiled, dark, nitty-gritty grimey, slimey, and in your face. But that doesn't prevent the songs from misleadingly sounding happy, because initially, they are.
In "Survival Song," they assure us 'we totally ripped off a man named Woody Guthrie,' and maybe it's true, but when they proceed to say 'And I bought a restaurant for his son named Alice,' wouldn't you think they're talking about Arlo Guthrie? Several other lyrics from the album are questionable, but the mystery and wit are charming. This definitely serves as a cool summer album, too. Enjoy! and try not to get too upset.

1. Rejoice!
2. Brave as a Noun
3. Survival Song
4. Bad Bad Things
5. No More Tears
6. Bells & Whistles
7. Randy's House
8. A Song Dedicated to the Memory of Stormy the Rabbit
9. People II: The Reckoning
10. Personal Space Invader
11. People

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(Smog)- Red Apple Falls (1997)

It's a rainy day. I usually hate the rain, really. But today it's so obnoxious and windy, I kind of don't mind anymore. I guess I won't be walking to that thrift store like I planned..

With rainy weather comes rainy music. I'm not for sure if that makes sense, but to someone who is always cooped up in a basement with a rather handsome music collection, it should. (Smog) is the first artist that came to mind as a candidate. Under the hand of Bill Callahan, the project pioneers the lo-fi underbelly of amplified folk music. So, I don't know, a fuzzier Bright Eyes? A less loud Slint? (not that Slint is all that loud, anyway.) But what I notice most of all (Smog)'s presence. I hate when people say things like that, though, what am I supposed to say? He's just there, and you're there, and that's all that matters. "To Be of Use" is a great example of the supposed presence; Callahan just wants to love you.

It stopped raining, by the way.

1. Morning Paper

2. Blood Red Bird

3. Red Apples

4. I Was a Stranger

5. To Be of Use

6. Red Apple Falls

7. Ex-Con

8. Inspirational

9. Finer Days

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Crumb- Original Soundtrack (1995)

A couple weeks ago I watched that Terry Zwigoff film, Crumb, a movie that initially appears as 'David Lynch presents..' but don't let that confuse you. Apparently Lynch helped produce it, though, honestly I'm just taking this information from Wiki. Anyway, it's a documentary about the underground comic illustrator Robert Crumb, containing interviews with the man himself, along with his two freaky brothers and several other individuals connected to him. The soundtrack is basically all miscellaneous artists, performing in the styles of ragtime and light blues. And I only say 'light' because it's not so..heavy, you know? Standout artists include the obvious selections from Jospeh Lamb and Scott Joplin, not to mention a fellow named Craig Ventresco that has sparked my interest -although, finding anything from him on the internet alone would be an epic on it's own. Crumb is a really fantastic movie, btw. So if you like the music you might as well check out the film eventually. Or maybe you've seen the movie and you need the soundtrack. Either way, you should get it.

1. Ragtime Nightingale

2. Sensation Rag

3. Harlem Strut

4. Abraham Washington Jefferson Lee

5. Belle of Phillippines

6. Last Kind Word Blues

7. Radiator Cap Blues

8. Gabby Glide Melody

9. Frog-I-More-Rag

10. Cocaine

11. Won't You Fondle Me Melody/Jessamine/My Tiger

12. Pass the Jug

13. Skinny Leg Dues

14. Buffalo Rag

15. 35th Street Blues

16. Mabel's Dream

17. Wall Street Rag

18. Hateful Blues

19. A Real Slow Drag

20. Comic Montage Stomp

21. Someday, Sweetheart

22. Rag Pickings

23. Black Diamond Rag

24. Ragtime Nightingale

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Birthday

I meant to actually post this on the appropriate date of June 10th, but plans and surprise arrangements are what have been keeping me from updating things as much as I used to.

But it's summer. Meaning I really will have nothing to do but listen to music anyway, with occassional parties, obviously.

Anyway, my parents got me a strawberry cheesecake for the celebration. I'm 17, btw. Cool!

and one more year to go.

Meat Puppets- Sewn Together (2009)

Yap. So this is the latest Meat Puppets record, and it's an amazingly awesome recovery from 2007's Rise to Your Knees, a record which, idk, kind of sucked. Though, it's faults can be excused, especially since it was the puppets' first record from a seven year absence, poor Golden Lies dangling like an unsatisfied prostitute. Needless to say, the Meat Puppets had unfinished business. It's a standard cycle: good album, amazing album, shitty album, shitty album, ok album, amazing album, amazing album, etc. The puppets just needed to find their groove again, and I think they hit the mark. Sewn Together is just..so good. Even if you've never even heard of them (which would be surprising given the disgusting amount of Nirvana "Plateau" wankery), this album really wouldn't be a bad place to start; a gateway album, if you will. Let me know how you feel. And enjoy. 

1. Sewn Together

2. Blanket of Weeds

3. I'm Not You

4. Sapphire

5. Rotten Shame

6. Go to Your Head

7. Clone

8. Smoke

9. S.K.A.

10. Nursery Rhyme

11. The Monkey and the Snake

12. Love Mountain

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Nomo- Ghost Rock (2008)

 

More for the afrobeat fiend! Nomo is an eight piece band with an afro sound that derives more from electronic influence and amplified instruments. The band still includes traditional instruments i.e. congas, cajon, what have you, but there's still this definite avant-funk kind of shit going on: electric guitar and bass, and a free flowing and comanding horn section. So while Antibalas is more of the walking-down-the-boardwalk-and-fighting-the-power kind of shtick, you could say Nomo is it's less agressive and more fun loving counterpart. A really great example of this is the album's title track, as well as "Last Beat," a favorite from the record. It's Africa at its finest! Enjoy. 

1. Brainwave

2. All the Stars

3. Round the Way

4. Rings

5. My Dear

6. Ghost Rock

7. Last Beat

8. Three Shades

9. Nova 

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