FUCK YEAH: Purling Hiss - Mercury Retrograde [MP3]

MP3: Purling Hiss - Mercury Retrograde

My biggest regret of my year living in Philadelphia was never seeing Purling Hiss live, despite many opportunities. I hope 2013 will bring them on a tour that hits PDX, but in the meantime I'm gonna jam the fuck out of Water on Mars. This record is A+++: what it lost in fuzz it gained in rock 'n roll. Download "Mercury Retrograde" asap and begin to truly enjoy your life.

Also I want to give a handshake to Drag City, who have been making cassette editions for most (or maybe all, I'm not sure) of their new releases. Way cool, this is gonna go great with my other 3 Hiss tapes.

FUCK YEAH: Pissed Jeans - Bathroom Laughter [MP3]

MP3: Pissed Jeans - Bathroom Laughter

I've long been hoping for a new Pissed Jeans record and it finally looks like that's what I'm getting: Honeys, their 3rd Sub Pop full length release, comes out February 12th 2013 and the opener, "Bathroom Laughter", shows a band out from the swamp and at the top of their game. This was pulled out the trash, and it will fucking kill you. Enjoy.

FUCK YEAH: Spacin' - Empty Mind [MP3]

MP3: Spacin' - Empty Mind

I finally got an opportunity to hear Deep Thuds, the way killer debut by Spacin'. Why are they worth checking out? There's a dude from Birds of Maya in the band, the album has a nice warm/rusty sound to it and has a goddamn rock and roll heart!

The album, out on Richie, is sold out though. So uh, try google!

New Kurt Vile: The Creature

MP3: Kurt Vile - The Creature

Looks like come November 8th Matador Records will re-release this year's great Smoke Ring for My Halo because... um? But the bright side of such a pointless endeavor is that it's being packaged with (and thankfully available on it's own 12 inch vinyl release) So Outta Reach, a new ep of 6 songs from those sessions, touched up upon and thrown at an adoring public. Oh and one of the songs is a cover of Boss classic "Downbound Train". You know, this one:

Maybe it sounds like this?

New Meg Baird: The Finder

MP3: Meg Baird - The Finder

Some people release too much music, some just enough and too many not much at all - it's the Goldilocks theory. Meg Baird totally falls into the latter category, though now we're all lucky enough to anticipate a new album called Seasons on Earth, coming out on Drag City next month.

Everyone is older and wiser in the world and I guess this LP's is gonna reflect that - "The Finder" certainly makes me believe it. While her Philadelphia peers like Purling Hiss and Kurt Vile are painting the USA the color Philly one city at a time, 2011 seems prime for a lovely overtaking. All hail Queen Baird, mother fuckers.

FUCK YEAH: Crisp

MP3: Leather - Novitiate

Here's one from Philadelphia's Leather. From this year's Sterile 7 inch (on Jade Tree of all places), this one is already old news snooze: Fan Death just released a new 7 inch from them called Wretch, but I don't have it yet. I'll keep you posted, but this one is very nice for BBQs.

FUCK YEAH: Who do you think you are?

MP3: Clockcleaner - Blood Driver
MP3: Clockcleaner - NSA

Philadelphia's Clockcleaner just had their seminal 2006 debut "Nevermind" issued on vinyl for the first time from the good folks at Fan Death Records and the world is much better for it. Certainly the band has only improved since it's release (their last ep on Load especially is a gigantic highlight), but for a starting point it's pretty right on and way better than most anything else. So yeah, it's more punk than sludge but that's fucking great, so check it out and snag yourself a copy.