David, you're a fucking gem.

MP3: The Radio Dept. - David

Seeing as this blog has made so many return trips from the dead, I try to make sure we come back strong and fierce. I mean, in it's downtime, you'd hope I would have been climbing mountains or walking kittens. Not so much...

But in the Radio Dept.'s downtime, they've made a 3rd record and released an ep/single/masterpiece in "David". Here is the title track. You'll love it if you already love this band and will fall in love with it if you don't. Remember the first time you heard the Radio Dept.? What a great day that was. Good luck to those so lucky!

Grimes Golden

ZIP: Further - Grimes Golden
MP3s:
01. California Bummer
02. Inert Pieces
03. Quiet Riot Grrrl
04. Summer Shorts
05. Artificial Freedom
06. 20 Pages
07. This Time Around
08. Teenage Soul
09. ...v.s. (Livingston Seagull)

We did this before about a year ago with "Time Fades Away", the out of print live Neil Young record and it got one of the biggest responses I've seen on the blog. I'd been toying with the idea of posting Further's "Grimes Golden" record for awhile now and when I saw Matt a month back, he mentioned that we should do it again and now it's history.

Further are one of the best bands ever, a little bit of fuzz and a lot of heart. I posted about them during Beachwood Sparks week way back when and have tracked down a good number of their records since. Sadly, their catalogue is criminally out of circulation, begging for a label to re-press them all. Until then, we offer you "Grimes Golden", a 9 track masterpiece from 1994. The hit here is obviously "Quiet Riot Grrrl", but the whole lp is indeed as golden as it promotes itself.

The world has been lucky enough to see a BWS reunion, and now the ball falls into Further's court. What do you say fellas? Give us a one night only event to cherish until our dying days? Fingers crossed, and until then, please enjoy this record and seek out whatever else you can from there. Consider this your starting point... good luck.

You will all die slow.

MP3: Health - Die Slow

Health has been mighty good to this blog over the years, getting us a lot of hits/downloads and even thanking us in their remix cd that came out last year. I'm pretty sure we'll always try to be as good to them too forever, and it's not hard when they churn out hit after hit.

The gods has returned with a new single for their greatest song yet, "Die Slow", a salivating taste from their in-progress full length "Get Color", which every blog ever is pre-hyping as the greatest album of all time before even hearing it. I'm going to join them: "Get Color" is light years beyond fantastic and a big breath of fresh air for this year, as 2009 has lacked anything resembling originality. Thank a high fucking power for Health. Shine on, friends.

The "Die Slow" 7 inch is out now from Lovepump United.

FUCK YEAH: Rock N Roll Adventure Kids

MP3: Rock N Roll Adventure Kids - Elvis Carborator Blues

Rock N Roll Adventure Kids are fucking great! I caught these dudes here at a house gig in Lawrence earlier this month on tour with Nobunny. They were beyond awesome and slayed hard when they played. You're going to love it.

Return to Latveria.

MP3: DOOM - Microwave Mayo

DOOM may not be advertising his metal fingers anymore, but inside the liner notes in the production credits, they were all over this beast. It's been far too long since we got any new DOOM, but we've got it now and are better for it. He sounds fucking hungry, and today we get to eat with him, sampling a little Microwave Mayo... whatever the fuck that is. Welcome back friend, we beg you: please don't disappear anytime soon.

Skulls and clouds with Mark Sultan.

MP3: Mark Sultan - Hold On

This is a no brainer: I'm a huge King Khan & BBQ Show fan and Mark Sultan has beyond proven himself as a brilliant songwriter and his newest release, the "Hold On" 7 inch, projects him further towards complete genius.

I've posted the A side here today and it is not to be missed. The B side, a cover of Joe Meek's "I Hear A New World" makes for a flawless piece of wax, adding to the fact that the vinyl itself is bright pink and the sleeve is a sweet cutout. Seriously, you'll feel great owning this. Thanks Sub Pop.

Oops.

Hey friends. Our server is down for the week, which means all mp3s are temporarily unavailable until then. Also, you may have seen some posts appear this week with inactive mp3s: I will repost them next week when the server returns and we can pretend this never happened. Deal?

Thanks for your patience!

Bill Callahan and the enveloping gloom.

MP3: Bill Callahan - Faith/Void

NOTE: Today's contribution comes from the Matt Giordano, who sent in this post in perfect conjunction with my recent Smog/BC kick. Extremely enjoyable? Fuck yeah!

It's been a while since I've gotten an album that I am initially floored by. Perhaps it's the gloom that envelops New York for nine months of the year, but this album fits perfectly with it all. Perhaps, though, it's the album itself—dare I say it...perfect? With Bill Callahan one expects quality, but this record exceeds that highly set bar. Beautifully arranged and calm, with his voice as steady as ever. This is the best album I've heard in the first few months of this year—and it could also be Bill Callahan's best work.

Get Loney.

MP3: Loney Dear - Airport Surroundings
MP3: Loney Dear - I Got Lost

Frequent contributor Matt Giordano pointed out a little while back that it was insane how this blog hasn't posted anything about Loney Dear's newest record "Dear John", which came out this past January. It's true: it's insane. I think that he's our most posted artist (or close to) and we've gushed over this music so many times. We haven't been sitting on it: I know that I've had the vinyl at my home since it's release and am really into it. Let us forgive the mistakes of the past and make nice on internal promises: here it is, at long last, the "Dear John" post.

Every review I've read has pointed out how sad this one is, and yes that's true. Your mood will drop at least 10% when giving this a spin, but hopefully your taste will be sharpened and you will notice how precious this record is. It's Loney Dear's most everything: sad, focus, cohesive and fully realized music. That doesn't matter: it's every bit as exciting and infectous as this was when you first discovered it. Don't give up on this just yet, as is the curse with early year release dates, give it a listen with fresh ears. It'll work wonders.

The mighty return of Montt Mardié.

MP3: Montt Mardié - Bang, Bang (Echo In Warsaw)

NOTE: Today's contribution comes from the Matt Giordano, who might like fine carpeting. Do you? Fuck yeah!

After an excessively unneeded "Best of" compilation (the three new songs are killer and serve as a segue to this) which took from two albums, Montt Mardié's proper label delivers us his third album. Out on the 9th April via Hybris, Skaizerkite finds Montt bidding adieu to the big band leanings of his first two albums in favor of a more refined, yet still luchly arranged, sound. The pop is turned up a few notches, and if you could call this anything it would be his arena-rock album. I expect the shows in support of this to be equally triumphant and huge.

The Best Song Ever: Give Him A Great Big Kiss

MP3: The Shangri-Las - Give Him A Great Big Kiss

Golly, I wish I was on top of great music in my high school years, because "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" by the Shangri-Las has all of the instructions of landing a bad ass woman: shades, be tall and be good bad, not evil. Then you can dance close all night long and make her wanna shout "L U V!".

If you dig this (and why wouldn't you), seek out anything by one of the best girl groups of all time.

Bonus:

Pow! Pow! Ow! (A closer look at Gun Outfit)

MP3: Gun Outfit - Troubles Like Mine
MP3: Gun Outfit - The Valley

Holy shit, I wanna party with Gun Outfit! I posted on their 7 inch last year and loved it a ton, and now they're back with "Dim Light", 8 songs that rip through and rule just as much as the 7 inch if not a little more. Real relaxed and gnar, just how everybody loves it.

Don't miss this one from PPM, cd comes with the 7 inch songs for your digital obsessions and materials. Fuck yeah!

Nite Jewel, you burned my eye.

MP3: Nite Jewel - What Did He Say

Man, how I wish Nite Jewel's "Good Morning" lp was better than it is. Still, it's pretty okay and there's a couple of rippers like "What Did He Say" (mp3 above) and "Artificial Intellegence" (radical video below). Maybe I'll plant it and hope it grows...

Women Women Women

MP3: Women - Shaking Hand

I was certainly a casual observer of Women before I saw them live last week with Abe Vigoda, now I am a convert. Digging the album, but REALLY digging "Shaking Hand". What a fucking ripper eh?

FUCK YEAH: Children round 2.

MP3: Children - Power Spirit

What the fuck: We haven't done a 'FUCK YEAH' post since October. That is weak, though it isn't my fault as music has been particularly vagina-like for a good bunch of months now. In fact, 2009 hasn't really delivered anything worth jamming hard at all... until now.

Children are the most exciting new band ever. I wanked off about their "Death Tribe" one track lp back in July of last year and had been anticipating anything and everything from them since. Here it is: Kemado delivers "Hard Times Hanging At The End Of The World" on May 12th and we are frothing at the mouth until our hands can grasp it.

In the meantime, "Power Spirit", the first teaser from the lp will be rocked as loud as technology will allow repeatedly until ears bleed and minds burst wide fucking open. It is on.

Hard Times Hanging At The End Of The World (Kemado Records)

Release Date: May 12, 2009

Tracklisting
1. Advanced Mind Control
2. Nuclear Bummer
3. Power Spirit
4. Hard Times Hangin . . .
5. Subterranean Cities

Beware!

MP3: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I Don't Belong to Anyone

Holy shit, here it is: mp3 post #250:

We love Will Oldham and his Bonnie 'Prince' Billy records, so much so that I bought his newest record "Beware" on all 3 formats. Jeeeeez. Completely worth it though, and what an album it is. It certainly is his most accessible which would explain the massive press push Drag City is doing behind it, but accessible doesn't mean terrible. It's interesting to hear Oldham's definition of pop music and he shines all throughout "Beware", with his passion on it almost as strong as all of the pedal steel playing.

On a related note, I've got tickets to see him here in Lawrence on April 7th and am quite excited. The Granada is no Apollo Theater, but it'll do.

The Best Song Ever: Cunts Are Still Running the World

MP3: Jarvis Cocker - Cunts Are Still Running the World

NOTE: Today's contribution comes from the Matt Giordano, whom I just saw in the flesh about 2 weeks back. He exists? Fuck yeah!

Some people are always ahead of the mass trend, and such has always been the case with Jarvis Cocker. Nary three years after he released his debut single, which you can download above, it's come to be much more relevant than it was when authored, which is quite a feet by the world indeed. As faith is losing in the current world structure at a faster rate than the economic slide, it's this impressive and witty retort to them all that's becoming truer by the day. Indeed, Jarvis, cunts are still running the world. And if you (or your publicist or manager) happen to be reading this, next time you're in New York, send an email and let's get a drink.

Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak...

MP3: Susanna - Jailbreak

I've been sitting on this song forever. Seriously, I've moved it down on my uploaded mp3s list on the server countless times, hoping to one day write a post to do it justice. I uploaded it on October 29th of last year... jeez.

So I don't know if I can finally fulfill my self impossed obligation to "Jailbreak", but it's time to dust it off. Here is what you need to know: Susanna has a beautiful voice and put out a beautiful record of covers from all the best bands. She opens with this song, which is by Thin Lizzy who is honestly one of my favourite bands ever. Finally (and here's where it gets perfect) she gets Bonnie 'Prince' Billy to sing on it with her. Fuck yeah. You can't beat it.

Have a great weekend everybody, it felt really fucking good to do a full week of posts again. It's been... who knows how long. Hope to keep up the momentum even a little bit. See you soon!

The hottest boyz.

MP3: Casiotone For the Painfully Alone w/ Dear Nora - Hot Boyz

A collection of b-sides and singles from Casiotone For the Painfully Alone is a dream come true for any fan, and the recently released "Advance Base Battery Life" is everything you could hope for.

The biggest gem that had gone over my head in my collecting days was "Hot Boyz", a Missy Elliot cover that showed up on a States Rights Records comp way back when. It's a collaboration with the criminally underrated Dear Nora, who takes on lead vocals for one of the most awkwardly charming and completely sincere genre bending takes I've ever heard. It's a sore thumb and has been on heavy repeat for as long as I've had it.

Don't forget to be on the lookout for "Vs. Children", the next great Casiotone masterpiece coming next month. I already like it a whole bunch myself.

Wives b-sides for you & yours.

MP3: Wives - Facelift
MP3: Wives - Wives Hate Police
MP3: Wives - Fun Fun Fun

I bought the Wives' record "Erect the Youth Problem" from a seller on Amazon and ended up getting the import version. Radical. It came with 3 b-sides from 7 inches. Wives are ex-No Age, eat it up.