GO TEAM: The Appleseed Cast - Great Lake Derelict [MP3]

MP3: The Appleseed Cast - Great Lake Derelict

On the 23rd, The Appleseed Cast will release their 8th album Illumination Ritual. It's a record full of the lush soundscapes that they've been building all of these years, but with a mix of maturity and new blood. Very accessible and very essential.

GO TEAM: Kelly Hangauer - I Can Almost Feel [MP3]

MP3: Kelly Hangauer - I Can Almost Feel

My former Ladyparts bandmate Kelly Hangauer has finally embraced the internet, and I feel like if it doesn't embrace him back we're going to lose him.

He's hard at work on a semester in Prague, recording some new tracks along the way including the 5 day old "I Can Almost Feel". He probably hates the song by now, but I loved it and I just wanted to say that I miss him and I hope he's having a blast.

Keep up with him on his Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/huntersandgatherers

GO TEAM: Say My Name Triumphant

 

MP3: Say My Name - La Cygne

ALBUM STREAM:

Say My Name returns with Say My Name 2, an album that finds the Kid utilizing a grandiose pallet of intentions and ideas that hit the mark every single time.

Each track tells a story unique to your imagination, bursting with back handed pimps, gash fountain babes and drugs that haven't even been invented yet... or at least that's what I hear. Honestly what is so fascinating about SMN's music is that it's entirely open to interpretation, but is so brilliant that even the biggest village idiot has boost towards "getting it".

Take for example two of the Kid's all-star collaborators on this LP: Kenneth Kupfer's long fingered, skull cane ladden artwork for the cover makes complete sense, as does Range Life Records honcho and not-frequently-enough FY!GT! contributor Zach Hangauer's Wonder Woman vs. injustice video for single "La Cygne" (available for viewing below). It's seriously worth investing in a project of Say My Name inspired art projects, but in the meantime it's beyond worth investing in Say My Name 2 - and you can September 20th when it's available for digital consumption.

The trailer

MP3: White Flight - Children of the Light

The vid for this WF track is coming soon I guess. Enjoy the trailer above and buy the single that just came out on Make Mine. 2011 y'all!!

FY!GT! PREMIERE: Crying Shame

MP3: Fourth of July - Crying Shame

Lawrence, Kansas takes Fourth of July for granted.

While living there, I never saw them play a bad gig or write a mediocre song. I would argue that they are the most talented band in that city, if not the entire Midwest and come August 31st I fully believe that this will be realized by the masses (oh, plus I got to sing with a group of Lawrence's finest on "Tan Lines" and a few scatter shots all throughout the LP. So that shit makes this post officially a GO TEAM. Believe it.).

"Before Our Hearts Explode!" is FOJ's sophomore record and a lot has changed with the guys besides haircuts. While you could easily write this whole thing off as a breakup record (which it is PROUDLY) there is so much more going on. Brendan Hangauer's lyrics have gotten more precise and clever, keeping the songs selfishly about himself while weaving incognito tapestries that any listener could easily relate to. Yes, it's a "man"'s record, but the situations are so genderlessly universal that if you are human and you feel, you're in hook, line & sinker. It goes back and forth from sweet to ugly within the blink of an eye.

Today's premiere "Crying Shame" is the perfect example of that: it sounds like a relationship hanging on by a thread where both parties involved do everything they can to screw with each other but come the choruses it returns to the routines of the past and the fear of truly being alone.

So yeah, Lawrence takes Fourth of July for granted, but I think very highly of this album and I bet they will too to the point that it'll be worn like a badge of honor. Bravo FOJ, bravo Range Life Records.

Koufax chime in on the struggle.

MP3: Koufax - Any Moment Now

Koufax is back atcha with tales of class struggle, celebrity, parties, politics and flats (or apartments as we call them) on September's "Strugglers". It's awesome and like all of their albums, it sounds familiar while changing the sound enough to give you a new & unique experience (this one has saxophones!), though at one point you'll swear you're hearing a b-side from "It Had to Do With Love" on "Name of Love".

A half hour later and you'll want to listen to it again. Look out for this new classic from Koufax, you won't regret it. And get the "Any Moment Now" digital single from your favourite digital retailer for only .99 cents with the bonus non-album track "George Michael Issues" which is just as awesome as the album. No runt of the litter here!

Well done Robert Suchan and company. Well done.

"Strugglers" is out September 23rd from Doghouse Records.

{purchase and pre-order koufax recordings from insound}

Ghosty

MP3: Ghosty - You Are A Big Screen

It's fucking Springtime mother fucker, and here is a great sunny pop record for you to enjoy while the Sun is your friend: Ghosty's "Answers". Lawrence, Kansas' all-stars come back with another round of audible goodness for your ears to have sex to. Don't ever stop. Word up.

{purchase ghosty recordings from blue collar distro}

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}

The songwriting of Justin Roelofs

MP3: The Anniversary - The Ghost Of the River
MP3: Justin Roelofs - Why do I have to take my pants off when you're the one who lied?! (featuring Pink Nasty)
MP3: White Flight - Solarsphere

The White Flight record has been getting a lot of well deserved attention lately from mp3 bloggers and various reviewers. That's probably what brought everyone over to the songwriting of Justin Roelofs, except a select few like myself who were huge fans of the Anniversary.

So today's (late) entry is dedicated to the songwriting of a Mr. Justin Roelofs. I made a post about the Only Children, the new project of Josh Berwanger, the other songwriter of the Anniversary. Feel free to check that out.

Choosing an Anniversary penned Roelofs cut (or any cut) was hard. In the end it was between this and another, but "The Ghost Of the River" won because it really showcasing a band working around him. He still very much owns the song with his unique voice and lyrics but the rest of the group really gives it depth. "Your Majesty" is an all time favourite for me, and though Vagrant has it out of print, it's still pretty easy to find. Take advantage of that asap.

After the band split, 3 tracks surfaced from a now solo Roelofs. The humourously titled "Why do I have to take my pants off when you're the one who lied?!" is very folksy. It has some really great backing vocals from Pink Nasty (who is worth seeking out).

White Flight, the current project from Roelofs? It's really and truly unclassifiable. I dare you to try. I can only say it's great, bright yet dark and will mostly get you off your seat and on your feet... or something.

White Flight's self titled record comes into physical form on March 6th on Range Life, but the kind folks who distribute the album (a little label called Saddle Creek) will give it to you 2 weeks early if you preorder.

{buy the anniversary recordings on insound}
{buy white flight recordings from saddle creek}