Honorable Mentions: Indi Edition!

A name, a description, and a song. Can you tell I'm both not sure what to say and bored of this already?
To be clear, that is bored of this list, not of music.
Though: I think I will make this a list of things that you will not find easily.

DEER AND THE HEADLIGHTS -- SMALL STEPS, HEAVY HOOVES
There is something magical about this band. It is straight up rock, but composed by some of the best musicians ever.

HOOSIER POET -- SELF TITLED
From the great land of Hamilton (ew), this three piece dared to bring something different to Cambridge at a time when everyone seemed to bring the chugs. I believe they are broken up, and I know they did not go as far as I wish they did, but if you can find this album, it is so good.

THE JUNCTION -- & With This Comes Tomorrow
By far, one of the best live shows I have ever seen. Also, one of the poppiest bands I have sat through. Brilliantly tight and way too talented.

KRAEHMER -- IT WAS THE FASTEST I EVER RAN, IT WAS THE FURTHEST I EVER SAW
This album introduced me to technical progressions. Keep in mind, everything they ever did was with a single kick. Fuck that.
I CANNOT FIND ANY FUCKING MUSIC. IF YOU FIND SOMETHING, SEND IT TO ME, PLEASE?

LAMBS -- SELF TITLED I used to work with Sean (the lead singer) at a music store. I also recorded his old punk band many years ago. This was quite the shock, in the best ways.
I do not own this album, but I could not find the song online.

SLENDER LORIS -- WORLD TOUR
I got this CD after my band opened for them from my friends Kevin and Mike. This CD is everything that punk should be. Except, you know, good.
Check out teir BandCamp. Free music, or do what I recommend and support them. Keep in mind, the entire set is this short. Fuck yeah.

TUGNUT -- ODE TO PETE
This album is important. Everything about this album is both amazing AND loud!

the other elephant is on the ROAD

Farewell To Freeway -- Weekdays Seldom Wake To Victory
Take that, some semblance of alphabetical order, kind of! This band has a soft part of my heart because they were part of the first local show I ever saw. There is an atmosphere to this album that few have ever been able to recreate. To be fair, I do not think this band found that feel again until they released Only Time Will Tell in 2009. It came out JUST before the breakdown became a thing that ever band used, and it will forever be what I think punk can be. This short album brought me through high school and constantly reminded me that, with perseverance, a music career is possible.

FOR THE MATITATICS -- WE IMPEND
If AT THE DIVE IN never broke up, and became less thrashy(?). I consider this to be one of the greatest albums ever.

THE REDFLECKS -- THE STORY CANNOT END
This band took the ideas Metric had and made them less, Canadian maybe? Or the ideas behind U2 but performed them, less shit? I am not sure what to compare them to, but it is a very good, very short album.

That is it for these amalgamation lists. They are a lot of fun, and they are a great way to cut my work down, but I feel like I am taking a cheap way out. Please support everyone making music you love, but independent artists are working from their own financial reserves. I have done that the wrong way for years, but I have also witnessed the difficulties of those doing it right. If I do not update, have a great New Years. Otherwise, see you soon!

Honorable Mentions (PART TWO)

I really wanted to avoid doing another one of these, but I feel as if my loyalties are better served this way from time to time. We just got through the Christmas season. I am sure there at a couple of people looking to use a gift card up. So, this list will contain things that are not too hard to find but HOLY FUCK you should own them.

Beastie Boys -- Ill Communication
This is a great example of a punk band turning their attention towards something else. Beastie Boys started as a hardcore punk band but decided to do hip hop instead. Releasing the first album in 1986 and continuing on until 2011 (when Adam Yauch died of cancer). This album has everything from straight-up rap tracks to almost-punk like parts and pieces. It also takes credit as being the first hip hop albums I review ever. This album also sits very high on my "you should really own and love" list. Yes, everything I am currently writing about is on that list, but this is very VERY high on that list, even though I'm not saying much about it.


Blink-182 -- Enema Of The State
This is one of the earliest album I have ever listened to of my own accord. This album inspired me to consider being in a band, and showed me that you can write songs just to write songs. Here's to you, Blink 182. (as much as I did not mean to rhyme, that was awesome)



Every Time I Die -- Hot Damn!
Well fuck; this album is very deserving to be on this list. It is also deserving of the intro "well fuck."



The Hives -- Tyrannosaurus Hives
This band has, I feel, been overlooked by people for FAR too long. This album is intelligent and methodical. It is also intelligent and biting. There is nothing more fun.


Hot Hot Heat -- Future Breeds
Who would have thought that the band that brought you the song "Bandages" would also bring one of the catchiest, and quite frankly, the best albums of all time? It has been four years and I HAVE LISTENED TO THIS ALBUM AT LEAST ONCE A WAKING DAY. Seriously: So good.

throw grenades instead of baby showers..



Incubus -- Make Yourself
In the list of "First ten albums I bought for myself." This album is both one of the most beautiful and brutal things I have ever heard. The guitar. The vocals. The Bass. The drums. The DJ. This album really is the best of every world ever. I have yet to find better in most regards, without being metal or showcasing someone.



A Life Once Lost -- Hunter
Probably the most cliche metal bands that I am into. They were also one of worst shows I have ever seen. This doesn't mean I don't love this album any less. I would recommend this album to any hardcore fan or metal head.



Mars Volta -- Deloused In The Comatorium
This is an album that proved, to me, that you can do what you want, when you want. I am still blown away by two facts: that this album contains both Televators and Intertiatic E.S.P., and that this band was spawn from At The Drive In. Seriously. Good Show. Good fucking Show.



Modest Mouse -- Good News For People Who Love Bad News
Easily one of the most depressing bands that have ever existed. It really seems like everything they speak of is how everything is wrong and how nothing will ever fix it. You are meaningless. Your life is meaningless. BUT HERE IS A SONG TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT BEING USELESS. This was the last album they did before the beautiful Johnny Marr (of The Smiths) joined for an album and an EP. I really do think it is a good album by this band to start with. The overall subject matter is less nihilistic. compared to everything else they have done, anyway. At least the music of the songs is happy. It is kind of sick, in a way. Depress you with lyrics to a song that catches you with a happy, quirky line. Then, BAM! Depressing lyrics everywhere.



Panic! At The Disco -- A Fever You Can't Sweat Out
I hate that I love this band so. Even more because THIS has to be one of the best albums ever written. All the circusy goodness one could ever want. I have heard that the live show surrounding this album was amazing, as well.

Bibio

I was talking about this tirade of updates I am doing with my girlfriend the other day. I was stumped on whether I should do my next piece... Yeah: piece... on something everyone knows, or if I should do something a bit more obscure, or if I should do another mass update with five short reviews, to cut my list down a chunk again. I think I have come to a decision to do Ambivalence Avenue by Bibio, simply because I feel like it perfectly encapsulates a big part of my life. How I was, how I am, and how I will be again.

A few of my friends know this album best as "The CD I Was Always Playing Whenever I drove Anywhere." I listen to this album A LOT. I find it rather haunting in all the right ways. Some tracks are folk. They tend to be the tracks that more closely resemble contemporary music lyrically and they also tend to be very short. The acception is the song Lovers Cravings with its runtime coming just shy of four minutes. My personal favourite is the track Sugarette because it plays with being dub step from almost an ironic angle.

This an electro album, clean and simple. I really can't recommend this album highly enough.



Every song is great. Enjoy.

Maximo Park

Hello hello hello and blah blah blah blah blah...

HI THERE! Enough of being strange: on with the review!
This post, I want to talk about an album I have literally listened to too often for a few of my friends and my entire family.
Maximo Park || A Certain Trigger
It is a pop/rock album. I was trying to figure out some other description for it, but that is what it is. It is pop the same way The Arctic Monkey's are pop: inappropriately. The story goes as follows: There was a band. They were looking for a singer. As they were giving up, a mutual friend of theirs got fucking LOADED and started singing Bohemian Rhapsody at the bar they frequented. Later that night, or maybe the day after when he slept off the alcohol, they asked him to give it a go as front man. Fuck me sideways, it was a good choice.
There is something refreshing about his lyrics: It almost feels like there is a story being told. Nothing else really stands out, but that can be good at times. I know that I listen to a plethora of bands who all have one person at a focal point. It is nice to not have to deal with that for once.
At the end of the day, this album is host to at least one of my favourite songs. Potentially two. Not entirely sure.



(As you watch this, picture me thrashing about. That will guarantee the full experience)

Honorable Mentions

To quote one of my favourite Maximo Park songs: "THAT'S ENOUGH! I can't take anymore..." By that, I mean I wont do all 40 reviews I had lined up. I will still do most of them, but I am going to do a quick one-line "buy this record" sort of thing. Or, links to reviews in the past.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE- SONGS FOR THE DEAF
The drumming on this album is really cool. The song writing is varied and unique. It also has some of the most inappropriate lines hidden in the madness.



JIM GUTHRIE- SWORD AND SWORCERY LP | THE BALLAD OF THE SPACE BABIES
I consider this one of the great video game soundtracks and one of the greatest soundscape records of all time. It could be used as a hip hop backtrack or it is just something great to put on in the background. It doesn't help that is also belongs to one of the greatest indi games ever made. I may be biased.



MILIEU - EUFLORIA
Great ambient electronica. Four discs worth of greatness. I really don't have the time to listen to all of this, but fuck, it is so good.



PROTEST THE HERO - KEZIA
By far, one of the most technical albums that ever existed. It is my favourite that this band has produced, as well as a great time on drums. I enjoyed many hours trying to learn "Blindfolds Aside."


U.N.K.L.E. - PSYENCE FICTION
I feel like this may be one of the greatest electro/hip hop albums that have ever existed. Unfortunately, I no longer have this album in my library. I say unfortunately, but it's probably for the sanity of everyone around me. I would not stop playing it.

This took forever to find.


WEEN - QUEBEC
The only reason I have this album in a short review form is because I don't know how to have one opinion for such a diverse album. I can't decide whether I take this band seriously or not, but damn this album is cool.


SILVERSUN PICKUPS - CARVANUS
Basically, they want to be the Smashing Pumpkins. It is okay, though, because this album is still fantastic. It has the same drive that has been missing from rock for years.



SAMSARIS - ST
I already did this. I will say that everyone should look into this album.



THE CURE - KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME
80's alternative punk. Such a fantastic snapshot of the era.


That is all you get this time. I'll do a proper review next week. Until then, I wish thee farewell and much love!
Let me know some how if you have checked out an album I have written about! I would like to hear your opinion and I thrive on discussion!

AS I REACH UP MY HANDS TO THE SKY

Goddamn I love this album. I am currently listening to Control by Misery Signals. I was introduced to this band because Pat Hussey said "Are you fucked? You are a drummer and you don't know this band?!" Well, my drunk and/or stoned friend, thank you. He showed me Mirrors, which I love very much, but I picked up Control on the release date and I never looked at music the same way again.

I don't want my love for this album to be taken as misplaced. I really wish that one of my favourite albums was not metal. My goodness, I wish I did not spend days, if not weeks, trying to learn the drum line to "A Certain Death" and only gave up when my hands were raw and bleeding. My throat has been thrashed from screaming along to "Labrythnian" and I did not even care. I wore the scars I have gained from this album like a fucking trophy. I really wish that I wouldn't fanboy over this one, but damnit I can't help it.

Okay; I am done gushing and now, I will write the review part. The guitars are haunting. Even when this band is doing the obligatory early 2000's breakdown, there seems to be some level of beauty. Not to say that the album is not heavy. I think most people would be hard pressed to find a heavier album.

Note on the drums: They Are Fucking Stupid. By stupid, I mean that I an surprised that anyone could ever come up with them. They follow the guitar lines most of the time. That is not saying the guitar lines would be easy to follow, and it is far from a copout.

The song I picked to share off this album is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. It is called "Coma." Please enjoy.