Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

MP3: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Not Worth Fighting


First and foremost, bravo to Polyvinyl. This 7 inch is on beautiful clear green vinyl and comes with a code to download the songs. I've seen this with 12 inches but 7? Amazing.

The other bravo is thrown to Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, for writing such fantastic pop rock songs. This is their first new material in 2 years (the other being their fantastically catchy "Broom" lp) and these 2 songs show nothing but further promise for such a promising band (seriously, how have they not exploded?!).

"Not Worth Fighting", the lovely A side, is powered mostly by clever guitar play and seems to be gone before it ever fully came. But those are the best songs, the ones with the great parts that go so fast they require multiple listens. This is one of those songs. Seek this one out asap.

{buy someone still loves you boris yeltsin recordings from polyvinyl}

Acid House Kings

MP3: Acid House Kings - This Heart Is A Stone


It's best that I make this post and not Matt. He'll just tell you about the time that he "almost hooked up with the chick from the Acid House Kings". Me? Spring has sprung, smiles are blooming and hearts are bursting and these guys are the perfect soundtrack.

"This Heart Is A Stone" has always been the highlight for me from their superb "Do What You Wanna Do" ep and a really good jumping on point. So jump on or enjoy an old favourite from a band who sounds like your old friends.

{buy acid house kings recordings from insound}

Jana Hunter

MP3: Jana Hunter - Babies
MP3: Jana Hunter - Valkyries
MP3: Jana Hunter - Vultures

Believe me, I've been trying to make this post since the Friday before "There's No Home" came out, but the words were impossible to find.

This is not the case for Jana Hunter. She has lots of words, "stories" if you will, that weave themselves about the lp (save for the instrumental and thankfully not entirely pointless "(Guitar)" tracks) that make for a delightful romp. With so many great releases coming out, I still find myself coming back to "There's No Home" to collect my thoughts, sit down and take it in over and over. Never a dull listen and highly recommended.

{buy jana hunter releases from gnomonsong}

A Weather

MP3: A Weather - The Feather Test
MP3: A Weather - One More One Night Stand

A Weather is a Portland band that I discovered like a minute AFTER I moved. Rats! They just released a 7 inch inch for the song "The Feather Test" on Team Love and if you ever needed proof that vinyl sounds better, get this. The songs certainly are special and beautiful on their own, but on wax they just get beyond warm. It's touching.

The real gem here is when you flip over the lp to the b-side "One More One Night Stand", a true harmony injected gem that sounds so good it's like they're singing it into your ear while you slumber (but in a non creepy way).

So here it is, the entire 7 inch. Enjoy it, but do try to pick it up. It's cheap and really does flourish in the vinyl format. A full length is planned for release in early 2008. We're all stoked.

Also, here is a live video of the band playing "The Feather Test" live in Seattle earlier this year.

{buy a weather recordings from team love}

FUCK YEAH: The Fucking Champs

MP3: The Fucking Champs - Fozzy Goes to Africa

Happy 50th! In honour of our 50th fucking post, I'm introducing one of three new regular features here on the blog. I can't say how often they'll be posted, but when they appear they'll leave a mark. So here it is, the very first post of many...

FUCK YEAH!

Drag City has a big release week coming tomorrow. I know every blog is posting from the new 3 song Joanna Newsom ep (which is superb and recommended for sure) but I'd rather not be a dick. I'd like to support another release.

What better way to introduce the new "FUCK YEAH!" feature here at Fuck yeah! Go team! then to kick it off with the Fucking Champs! They drop "VI" on us tomorrow and it will seriously blow your ass out. 12 songs of non-stop shredding that will make you want to drop what you're doing and party.

"Fozzy Goes to Africa", today's FUCK YEAH! track, in particular will make you shout this particular phrase. I find myself testing my car's speakers when it comes on and the whole city falls to it's knees, thanking the sky for the FUCK YEAH! to hit their ears.

If you feel like some harp action or even Bill Smog solo action, do it up. You'll be happy. But if you want something to get your day going just right, I highly suggest storming the shelves for the Fucking Champs' "VI". You won't be disappointed.

{buy the fucking champs recordings from insound}

The New Amsterdams

MP3: The New Amsterdams - Full Thunder Moon (old)
MP3: The New Amsterdams - Full Thunder Moon (new)

I can say I enjoyed "Killed Or Cured", The New Amsterdams' internet only/scraped album in favour of the uneven "Story Like A Scar". It was a depressing look at the evolution of leaving one band and creating another all in the same record. This Tuesday, Curb Appeal gives us the original KOC, as well as a new version with the full time band behind songwriter Matthew Pryor.

From the beginning, it's something familiar but presented very different. The replacement of the original opening of concert goers discussing someone getting shot is now sounds of water and birds. Immediately it almost sounds like a cover album: the original sadness is gone, as you can see Pryor feels great about his current direction with many songs becoming upbeat and full band, even sprinkled with a cheerful trumpet.

The only time he actually sounds melancholy is in my 2 favourite songs of the previous lp: "Maybe I'm A Fool", fueled by deep bass strings, slide guitar and lo-fi vocals. The other being "Full Thunder Moon". This song was one of the few upbeat gems on the original, now replaced with a harmonica, acoustic guitar and Pryor sounding at his best.

The records as a whole will have you picking and choosing different versions from each, but it's interesting to see a transition, and a rebirth of a man. It's amazing what certain players can do to change a song's direction.

{buy new amsterdams recordings from insound}

Laura Gibson

MP3: Laura Gibson - Hands In Pockets
MP3: Laura Gibson - Country, Country

As we say goodbye to cold weather, I suggest taking a listen to Laura Gibson. Her debut "If You Come to Greet Me" came out on Hush earlier this year and is very winterish album. While it can survive in warm weather, it is complimented by the briskness of the air around you. Put it on at night, while it's still chilly in your room and fall asleep to a gentle voice and guitar, telling you enthralling stories to dream to.

{buy laura gibson recordings from insound}

The Radio Dept.

MP3: The Radio Dept. - The Worst Taste In Music

NOTE: Today's blog comes from the legendary Matt Giordano. Fuck yeah.

There are always bands who's name I am familiar with but who's music it just took a while to get around to, and usually this is a result of someone recommending them to me, as was the case with The Radio Dept. for me. My friend Arnulf mailed me a couple of mp3 cds about two months ago with a lot of their stuff on it, and I began to really enjoy it. It's very mellow and somewhat melancholy, but easily likeable nonetheless. Anyway, I'm posting this because I wanted to be clever. This track is called “The Worst Taste In Music”, because frankly, if you didn't like my Laakso post (or this one for that matter), then you really do have the worst taste in music. Enjoy.

Laakso

MP3: Laakso - Norrköping

NOTE: Today's blog comes from our long lost friend Matt Giordano. Fuck yeah. Also, this record comes highly recommended from myself as well and is the probable album of the year.

About a month or so ago I got a copy of the upcoming Laakso album in the mail, as I had been anticipating it since hearing it was finished in January from the band themselves. Laakso had been a band I held in high regard since stumbling upon them when their debut album was released in 2003. It's about four years later and their third album, Mother Am I Good Looking?, is releasing next week in Scandinavia, specifically 18 April. The hardest choice for me thus far has been to decide which song to contribute to the blog, as each track is so strong in its own right. I've chosen the track “Norrköping”, which in my mind is one of the best coming-of-age songs to surface in the past few years—and perhaps ever. Enjoy.

{import laakso's mother am i good looking from bengans}

Dark Meat

MP3: Dark Meat - Angel Of Meth

"Universal Indians" has fucking blown my mind. I don't even remember how this band came to my attention, but their album would stare at me at work constantly to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. I put it on and fell in love hard. But Dark Meat doesn't want a relationship. They just want to screw around... a lot. It's okay, really: I'm fine with that. I don't know if I'd want them to meet my parents anyway, but I'm always down for a bite to eat and maybe go to a show or something. Call me, Dark Meat. I miss you. Let's do mad drugs.

{buy dark meat recordings from insound}

Dntel

MP3: Dntel - Breakfast In Bed (featuring Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes)

Dntel's new record "Dumb Luck" hits later this month, chock full of hype and guests. It's not very good but I dig the track with Conor of Bright Eyes. It's not exciting by any means and I'm not really the biggest fan of either project, but it reminds me of Oberst's 2005 album "Digital Ash In A Digital Urn", an lp that I felt was a step forward (he's since taken that step back).

"Dumb Luck" hits stores April 24th on Sub Pop.

{buy dntel recordings from insound}

Maritime

MP3: Maritime - Down to the River
MP3: Maritime - Birds Of Ireland
MP3: Maritime - In Your Arms
MP3: Maritime - Future Is Wired
MP3: Maritime - I Used to Be A Singer
MP3: Maritime - Before You Were Born
MP3: Maritime - Call Me Home

Happy Easter! Here's a shit ton of Maritime b-sides. The first 3 are from the now out of print "Adios" ep, the middle 2 are a demo for a song that has yet to surface and one that was in a magazine and the last 2 are from the Japanese edition of the "We, the Vehicles" lp. Enjoy!

{buy maritime recordings from insound}

Elk City

MP3: Elk City - Little Brother

Elk City will be releasing "New Believers" later this month on Brooklyn's Friendly Fire (home of the United States David & the Citizens releases). This is their 3rd release, and while they feature a guitarist from seminal "dream-pop" (I guess) outfit Luna, the album is all rock. Some have been saying it's nostalgic, calling to mind everything from Love, Patti Smith, David Bowie, 60's girl groups and Mazzy Star.

Judge for yourself. I personally don't entirely see it. I think those comparisons kinda of hurt more than help, if you're as let down (not that I'm an uber fan of any of those bands) as I was. Let down, but then surprised by something else unique and wonderful to the pop genre; something rare: quality pop music with a hint of rock flavour.

{preorder elk city's new believers from friendly fire}
{buy other elk city recordings from insound}

Selections from Eccentric Soul

{Sorry for the absence of posts. I seriously did not want to leave off with an "Animal and the Muppets" post. Things should be good and consistent all this week and maybe forever. Things to look forward to? Tons of mp3s, new guest posts and a monthly feature. Fuck yeah!}


MP3: Stormy - The Devastator
MP3: Annette Poindexter & the Pieces Of Peace - Mama

The Numero Group's Eccentric Soul series managed to stay under my radar for 13 volumes. Not to say it's not out there, in fact once found, it seemed to everywhere. I've since went back and played catch up as much as I can.

The 13th edition focuses on Chicago's Twinight Records, which ruled the radio with many singles produced by their hit maker Syl Johnson. I've provided the one-two punch from the collection's first disc.

In 1967, John Colley, under his moniker of Stormy, released his single for the ballad "I Won't Stop to Cry" to the airwaves. The real gem was on the b-side, where the 17 year old's track "The Devastator" could be found. Recorded with a collection of Chicago's all star musicians, Stormy is as out in the open as he could be. He does not hide his age, boasting cocky/confident lyrics about being a "smooth operator" with the ladies.

It's funny that the follow up track in both this post and the cd is Annette Poindexter's string driven "Mama", with her lamenting to her mother about being used by a man she's in love with. Released in 1970 and backed by the Pieces Of Peace, "Mama" is devastating mostly because we never really heard from (or really ever in general) this great artist ever again.

{buy eccentric soul releases from insound}