Musings Of An Indie Kid

I felt free. And I felt lonely. And I felt scared.

2006-08-27T16:47:00.000-04:00

So I kind of want to relaunch this thing, soon. I know I've slacked off, but ideally I would like to come back with a new layout (i.e. not generic), constant updates, and at least one new blogger, if Dave Lav wants to get in on this with me. I feel like this is a good thing for me and my interests, and I haven't been giving it the attention it deserves.

But I'll give you an update, now.

The Mountain Goats - Woke Up New Sendspace... follow link

This new album is depressing, but awesome. While there initially weren't any songs that stuck out and really grabbed my ear, the more I listen to it the more I realize just how awesome this album is. This song should represent a feeling we are all at least a little bit used to; the feeling of being fresh out of a relationship. There are things you're happy about, things you're miserable about, but for the most part you're just scared. The entire album conveys a similar feeling throughout it, but never really comes off as whiney or emo.

The Mountain Goats new album went on sale August 22nd. I have yet to actually find a physical copy for sale, but rest assured that when I do, I will purchase it. Also, on October 1st they will be playing in New York City. I advise all of you to go see them.

To my people who don't wanna go to work; Thank god it's friday.

2006-06-23T02:37:00.000-04:00

The Decemberists - Kingdom of Spain (Version Prescot) Sendspace... Follow link

You will desire this song. When you first hear it, it won't wow you too much. But you'll want to come back to it over and over again. It will call to you, and you'll eventually realize just how beautiful it is. Want to know the answer? Very. It's very beautiful.

Also... weigh in... Sendspace or Rapidshare? Once I started liking Rapidshare's interface, I fell out of love with everything else. But Sendspace just seems more convenient. My files are more likely to get lost, though. So what would you rather have... an easier time downloading, or have the files stay up longer?

I'm seeing Paul Simon on July 9th. I'm excited.

Also, has Questionable Content jumped the shark? I'm wondering. I don't crave it like I once did. But I no longer crave DS, but undoubtedly that comic is still going strong.

I'm trying for two comments this time. Wish me luck.

Say it and I will listen.

2006-05-15T01:17:00.000-04:00

Yeah, how about we just ignore the length of time it's been between updates, and we just accept this for what it's worth.

I didn't lie. I owe you guys this song.

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats Rapidshare... Follow link

This is a cover. I can't remember who does the original, and I love this one too much to actually care. Think you've heard this song before? Maybe you've heard it here. This song and this video will both stay with you for months following this blog entry.

That's all I can do for right now, because I've got to think up what to share with you next time. Angels & Airwaves? New Sufjan Stevens? Old hip hop?

Only time will tell. Until then, go to Muppet Pastor and download Snow Patrol's cover of Crazy in Love. It's interesting, and very listenable... but not necessarially good. Worth checking out, though.

I've failed for so long. Here's a peace offering.

2006-03-22T13:41:00.000-05:00

I need to do a pathetic, embarassingly bad entry to hopefully inspire me to start writing in this again. So here goes... no write up, just songs from SXSW.

The Grates - Sukkafish

Blackalicious - Supreme People

Gingerbread Patriots - Wax Lips and Hummingbirds

Jose Gonzalez - Crosses

Ok, slight write-up... Jose Gonzalez is fucking amazing. My next update will probably feature a cover of his that was used in a Sony Bravia commercial... and it'll change you forever.

Concert Review: Head Automatica

2006-02-25T00:46:00.000-05:00

Head Automatica / Morningwood (02-23-2006) New Haven, CT

This was, without a doubt, one of the best concerts I have ever attended. And without a doubt the most surprising. The only reason I was going was Head Automatica, having absolutely no idea who Camu Tao was, nor having ever heard of We Are the Fury. And frankly, despite the hype Morningwood has been getting, I just didn't care much about them.

I was in for a treat. Camu Tao opened up the show, and I'd heard nothing about him, nor did I have any clue who he was. And he was pretty good; great stage presence, fun rapper, and he's apparently on Def Jux, hands down one of the best record labels in today's music industry. Second only to Kill Rock Stars, in my opinion. Anyways, he was good. The sound was weird, leading me to have trepidation about the Webster Theater, but it all turned out ok.

My boy Rob went to the lobby to get a shirt, and by the time we got back, We Are the Fury were on. And I was instantly blown away. They are fucking rockstars, despite their lack of money or recognition. I cannot wait until I get to see them again, and I see they're starting a tour with Matchbook Romance soon, so I'm hoping that they're still on tour when I go see Matchbook Romance and Chiodos in April. But hands down the best surprise I've ever gotten from a concert. Their music is like getting kicked in the chest, and then getting up and wanting to dance. And while I can't vouch for the entire band, three of the guys are some of the nicest motherfuckers you will ever meet in your entire life; they signed my CD, talked to me, and introduced themselves to me, all while operating their own merch stand. I guess no one's told them that they're too good for that shit. Even if I had been disappointed by Morningwood and Head Automatica, I would have been glad I went simply because I got to see them.

If you take one thing away from this post, download this track, and be introduced to your new favorite band.

We Are The Fury - Soap Opera (Rapidshare... Follow link)

Then onto Morningwood. Low expectations and a phenominal show made for a great goddamn time. There were some assholes who insisted on moshing even when the band informed them that the song just wasn't appropriate, but the Connecticut hardcore scene is a bunch of confused boys trying to prove they aren't gay by hitting each other. Hard.

The lead singer has better stage presence than most front-men (or front-persons in this case, though she doesn't strike me as the anal/feminist type) will ever get in a career in the industry. From her outfit to her dancing to the fact that she came out into the crowd and just started straddling and griding some lucky boy... Morningwood will be headlining full tours within a year. I'm just glad I got to see them this soon into their careers. Also seeing them perform this song, Nth Degree, is one of the most fun experiences you will ever have in your life.

Morningwood - Nth Degree (Rapidshare... Follow link)

Finally... we have arrived. You could tell Head Automatica was up by the sheer number of people who started pouring in. And I was absolutely in awe as to what a great front-man Daryl Palumbo is. Crowd control, singing voice, screaming voice, and stage presence... the man has it all. I would find myself watching him dance while his bandmates performed their solos, transfixed on just how fun he is. All the while the entire room was dancing. Watching Head Automatica is like going to Disneyworld; no one's sad, your problems leave you, and it's impossible not to have a good time. The fact that Head Automatica tickets cost $10 doesn't do that band justice. This band should be selling out stadiums.

But then people wouldn't be able to dance. The best part came during the encore. I assumed it would only be two songs, since the crowd went NUTS after they played their second encore song, The Razor. But then a possibility I had entertained, but not seriously considered, came into fruition; Cage came on stage and they performed a duet of Shoot Frank, a song from Cage's album featuring Daryl. The reason this seemed so impossible was because Cage was playing another show that night at a college in a different part of the state. Well, apparently the towns were only about 20 minutes away from each other, and my local geography knowledge sucks. But that was the highlight of my night right there, even though most of the scene kids didn't really understand how to react; Daryl Palumbo doing hip-hop? They accepted his transition from Glassjaw to Head Automatica easily, but hip-hop's an entirely different story. I loved it, though, and I know a bunch of other people in the audience did. It made my fucking night... I lived the dream.

Head Automatica - Beating Heart Baby

Perfect.

Remember when you said that I was all you ever wanted?

2006-02-13T00:48:00.000-05:00

I'm back in school. So while I'm not exactly busy 24/7, I'm far less motivated for this, and I apologize to the two or three people who actually try and keep up with this.

On the bright side, I got Thunderegg's complete discography (in sweet mp3 CD format!), Open Book. Remember getting a new videogame when you were a kid? The first thing you did was read the instruction book. It didn't matter how inane the controls were, or how pointless the information they gave you was; it was just essential that you read that instruction book cover to cover, so you didn't go into that game like a chump.

That's what Open Book is like. It comes with a 108 page booklet of lyrics and fun drawings, and I'll just find myself reading it. Sometimes with the music, sometimes not. The lyrics read like a story in most cases, which is rare for a band.

It also shows me how much they've evolved over the years. Right now I'd compare them most to Iron & Wine in terms of similar sounding music. But back then they still had some of those moments, but they were a lot like They Might Be Giants, just having a bunch of fun, pointless songs that went nowhere, but were still enjoyable. There are some songs I wrote off initially but now have become a regular staple in my playlist.

Enough with the kissing ass. Oh, but I am Thunderegg's number one fan. Ok, now I'm done, I swear.

Here's a quick song from Reeve Carney, an incredibly interesting artist. Checkout his MySpace, and the music genre he's in; folk, blues, jazz. It doesn't make sense now. It will when you hear this song. Like it or hate it (initially I was the latter, but faster and faster I'm becoming the former), it's something you're going to want to hear.

Reeve Carney - Now That You're Mine Rapidshare... Follow link

And I'm too lazy to do a writeup on it, but listen to this, too.

Harvey Danger - Little Round Mirrors Rapidshare... Follow link

Gotta love a free album.

It's got a samurai on the disc. No joke.

2006-01-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

By the time I'd gotten Point Juncture, WA's new album, Mama Auto Boss, I'd already heard the whole thing. When they first told me they were planning to send a copy for me to review, I figured I should do some research on them so that I would at least seem like I knew what I was talking about when I wrote this. Then I saw that they had their entire album streamable, and I decided to check it out, just to get a feel for the type of music.

I didn't expect to listen to the whole thing in that first sitting. This album is stunning. You'll listen to it all, and you'll show it to all your friends.

That's not to say it's perfect, but it is definitely better than a "local band" (I use that phrase grudgingly) has any justification being. When searching for a musical comparison, I realized how difficult this was going to be; certain songs sound like the best of Broken Social Scene, while others may remind you of Sigur Ros. There will be a couple songs that remind you of Bjork, and then you'll have music that sounds like Bloc Party. So, when trying to come up with a genre to explain all of this to you, all I can come up with are "Experimental" and "Progressive," along with the obvious "Indie." But experimental and progressive aren't genres of music; they're excuses. If you don't expect someone to like a certain song or artist, you preface it with "They're very experimental, so it might seem a little weird."

I'll leave it up to their description of themselves.

"Counting among their influences bands like Yo La Tengo, Broken Social Scene, and Blonde Readhead, Point Juncture, WA build their "ethereal dreampop" on layers of dub-like beats, melodic/dissonant guitars and droning keyboards with vocal performances from three of the band's members and accents from a rollicking vibraphone and the occasional trumpet blast."

Yeah, that's the best I can do. But from the opening track, Duodecimo, you can tell there's something special here. It's an album that can be listened to start to finish without a need to skip tracks, but at the same time there's really nothing that truly stands out. That may not necessarially be a bad thing. They're not radio rock, and probably won't ever be, but I doubt that's what they're going for. Cardboard Box and Chlorine are probably their most "accessable" songs, but where's the fun in that?

If you have the money lying around and are in the mood to try something new, definitely give these guys a shot. They will impress the hell out of you. You may not love every song (there's too much going on for most people), but you'll probably end up loving the band.

Download These Tracks
03. Cardboard Box
04. Happy Ending
07. Cello

Back to Massachusets

2006-01-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

Beck - Girl (Octet Remix) Rapidshare... Follow link

This isn't the best track off Beck's Guerolito album. But it's certainly the biggest change. Listening to the original versus this version. The classical piano sound combined with the inevitable freakout at the end makes for some quality listening. After listening to the original, 8-Bit, and now this remix... this is one versatile as hell song.

People in Planes - Talk Too Much

This song's making the rounds on the indie blog circuit because Joaquin Phoenix is directing the music video for it. The song itself is good, but not really my kind of music. It does make me interested to hear what else can come from People in Planes becuase they're definitely an interesting sound. It makes sense that they'd be on tour with the Bravery, and their album comes out on March 28th, so we'll hear more of them, then.

In my next update or two, I should be doing an album review, so look forward to that.

Everybody wants theme music, right?

2006-01-05T16:21:00.000-05:00

My boy Rob got a kickass video camera for Christmas, so naturally we're planning on filming movies. Not just porn, either. We're currently in the process of writing a script, but more importantly for me is the soundtrack to the movie.

The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me Rapidshare... Follow link

Ok, first of all, this is one of the best songs I've heard all year. Secondly... this song is the closest I'll ever come to having theme music. I know there are some of you who will write this off as whiney emo bullshit, but it fits me. A song about a dude's feelings getting hurt that makes you actually want to dance? That's rare.

Buckra - Shake Your Baby Fat Rapidshare... Follow link

Casey is going to have this as his music, and it will be amazing. This track comes from a Blender free CD, and it's just well put together, and fun to listen to. Unfortunately, it doesn't inspire me to look up Buckra and find out everything else they've done... but this is a really good song. Enjoy it.

The moment's sweet, but it's all wrong.

2005-12-30T01:59:00.000-05:00

Well, we're fast approaching the end of the year. I figure I should get another update in. Plus, Daniella seems to enjoy reading this shit, and I love her for the support. Not to discredit the people who have been supporting this all along... she's just the first person who found it without me pushing it on her. Without further adieu, here's my update.

Let's look at decent emo these days. You know, I don't mind Bright Eyes all that much. Connor's voice bugs me, but so does Bob Dylan's. The man knows how to get a girl's pants off by making her feel like she's not the only one who cuts herself. But bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy... get the hell off the radio. You're catchy, but you serve no purpose in being alive. Learn from these bands; figure out how to whine without coming off as whiney.

Mae - The Ocean Rapidshare... Follow link

Mae might have a MySpace. In fact, they might have a webpage, too. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no way of looking them up, because I search for Mae on MySpace, and all I get is cute bitches. I search Google and they give me lyrics, and fucking charities, but they won't give me the band's page. Thank you Mae, for being a fairly decent band and giving me absolutely no way to look up more information about you.

Oh yea, and the song is kickass.

Armor For Sleep - Awkward Last Words Rapidshare... Follow link

An easy to search for webpage. An easy to search for MySpace. That's the shit I like. They call themselves "Rock," but "Hardcore" and "Emo" should also follow it. I love 'em, though. Also, make sure you check their upcoming shows. See one on January 29th, with Chiodos? I'll be there with my boys Casey and Rob, and I'm gonna fit right in, because I have a mohawk right now.

Also, this album... genius. Definitely go to their website and download the other song they're offering in .mp3 format, Car Underwater. Depressing, eh? The entire fucking album is about death. You'll love it.

He looks at her and says "We're going to a party!"

2005-12-23T14:55:00.000-05:00

I know... I know... I suck at this. Eventually I'll get around to posting my favorite CDs of 2005, but for now, let's just try to get through one more goddamn update. Who knew this would be such a daunting task? This update is going to be different from any other because I absolutely hate these tracks. I think these are two of the worst covers I've ever heard, and I ridiculously like both bands.

Something Corporate - Just Like A Woman Rapidshare... Follow link

Yeah, same old Something Corporate that you're used to hearing, just with a song that absolutely doesn't fit for a second. Listen and cringe.

Death Cab For Cutie - Earth Angel Rapidshare... Follow link

Like nails on a fucking chalkboard... This track comes from the Stubbs The Zombie soundtrack, and if you like indie music, it's well worth checking out. If you guys want, I'll do a highlight of it, and post a few of the better tracks. Basically, the entire thing is indie artists covering old 50's bubblegum pop songs. Genius.

Also, I hope you're all watching Subterranean on MTV2. It's the best thing on MTV, hands down. This week's lineup alone was amazing, and I watched it with my friend Kate, who is absolutely not into indie rock at all. But I enjoyed it. Look at this week's lineup and tell me it's not great.

The Chemical Brothers - Believe
The Strokes - Juicebox
The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Bright Eyes - At The Bottom Of Everything
Interpol - C'mere
The Living Things - Bom Bom Bom
Pinback - Fortress
Metric - Monster Hospital
eels - Trouble With Dreams

Everything works. Maybe not as well as it should, though.

2005-12-14T23:47:00.000-05:00

Listen to Thunderegg. I know I owe you a decent update, but this is essential. Claire and Kendon... this goes out to you.

Thunderegg - Say We Did

Thunderegg - Even As You Walk Away

Thunderegg - It Was Really Pretty Good

Hopefully the quality of this update can make up for the scarcity in which I update along with the shortness of this one.

Children of DOS? Sure.

2005-12-08T23:57:00.000-05:00

Sorry none of you liked the last post as much as I'd hoped you would... oh well. Quick update, because I'm working early tomorrow morning. So that means I need to get blasted real quick so I'm not up too late.

Kola Kid - Everything is OK When U Drunk Rapidshare... Follow link

Kola Kid - Stage 2 Rapidshare... Follow link

8-bit music. Love it. These are from Kola Kid's new release... find the rest here. It's all awesome, and all worth a listen.

Where is she? I love her.

2005-12-02T13:32:00.000-05:00

Finally! I can share with you the joy that is Linkin Park! Well... not exactly. I'm not a Linkin Park fan. I'm just not. I've bought two of their albums, but I still wouldn't consider myself a fan. But Linkin Park is filled with some of the most talented artists making music today. DJ Hahn, Mike Shinoda, and Chester Bennington are fucking amazing. Their other members are good, too. Linkin Park is a ridiculously solid group, regardless of whether you like their music or respect them. Which is why we have to travel off the beaten path to find their stand-out gems.

Fort Minor - SCOM Rapidshare... Follow link

Fort Minor is actually Mike Shinoda. Shocking, I know... it's like finding out Clark Kent is Superman. And this song comes from the Fort Minor mix-tape, produced by Green Lantern. The real highlighted artists on this are Ryu of S.O.B., Juelz Santana and Celph Titled. I won't even tell you the main selling point of this track, but if you can figure out what SCOM stands for, you'll know. This song is one of the coolest tracks I've heard all year, and is easily the biggest surprise. This is going the be the track that you show all of your friends.

Z-Trip - Walking Dead (Feat. Chester Bennington) Rapidshare... Follow link

First and foremost, if you haven't picked up Z-Trip's album, Shifting Gears, just go out and do it. Hands down one of the best hip-hop albums of the year. Secondly, this track is sick. It reminds me a lot of what Handsome Boy Modeling School did with their song "Breakdown," on their album last year; they threw a beat behind Jack Johnson while he was singing so it became almost as if Jack Johnson was rapping. They do the same thing here, but Chester's a much better singer. This song shows you the kind of music you won't hear on the radio anytime soon, but it should be. Can you imagine anyone not liking this shit?

Linkin Park - Rnw@y (Backyard Bangers feat. Phoenix Orion) Rapidshare... Follow link

Reanimation was one of the sickest albums ever, and no one respected it. People didn't like it because here was a band that was at the forefront of the redefinition of "pop music," and they made a remix album with a bunch of people no one knew. This entire album is the perfection of mixing hip-hop and rock. Perfection.

I hoped you would have the potential I didn't.

2005-12-01T02:05:00.001-05:00

For some reason, my CD Ripper isn't ripping tracks right, so you'll have to wait another update on that Linkin Park highlight. Until then...

Death Cab For Cutie - 405 (Live) Rapidshare... Follow link

I have four versions of this... studio, acoustic, and two seperate live versions. I like this one the best, because it's the simplist. This one comes from a live performance back in 1998, back when I listened to Korn, Limp Bizkit, and thought Offspring's album "Americana" represented punk music. I learned better, and I wish I'd known about music like this back then. There's no attempts at harmony or any unnecessary bullshit like that. It's just a straight up performance. And with that, it feels the most intimate. Like it's your bar mitzvah all over again and instead of some lame DJ, you've got Ben Gibbard. Fucking awesome. I'm not jewish, though... so I never got a lame DJ.

The Mars Volta - Son Et Lumiere Rapidshare... Follow link

It's 1:35 long, but it's gonna be the best 95 seconds of your life. My experience with The Mars Volta hasn't been fair, because I've played out this song, and Televators more than anything else. And they have too much to offer for that to be my only exposure. Love them... love their fucking faces.

When you're indie, you have to look cool.

2005-11-28T00:47:00.000-05:00

You have to. You can't risk looking like an idiot, which usually means trying to act better than everyone else at at least something. I work to be as disinterested as humanly possible so that people will look at me and think "Wow, he doesn't care what's going on... neither should I!" It's a gift. Being indie is all about trying to stand out without having anyone realize you're trying to stand out.

Also, thanks to Kendon for being awesome enough to comment on just about every one of my entries so far. He's better than you, and don't ever fucking forget it. Be friends with him on MySpace. All the cool kids are doing it.

Clor - Gifted Rapidshare... Follow link

If you haven't heard Clor yet, you're in for a goddamn treat. This particular track sounds a lot like the Former Cities track I posted a few weeks back, but don't let that fool you. Usually they are much, much more electronic sounding (like Stars with a little more synth), but this is a good track to introduce people to. Eventually, I'll get around to posting more Clor, but for now you'll have to settle for this.

The Mountain Goats - Standard Bitter Love Song #7 Rapidshare... Follow link

As you can tell by now, I sweat the Mountain Goats. You will too, eventually.

But I know you'd kill me if you could stand the sight of blood

Why am I all to close to those kinds of girls?

Tonight's update had to be extremely indie, because next update I'm going to do something that not too many of you are gonna support; I'm gonna do a highlight on Linkin Park. Trust me, it'll be good.

I fell for the first girl who could hurt me.

2005-11-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

System of a Down - Lonely Day Rapidshare... Follow link

I've been waiting two weeks to post this track, but I knew I couldn't until the album absolutely came out. Well, I made sure to pay for it as soon as I got a chance to, but I know other people don't share my same philosophies on early music. Needless to say, this track is going to get you laid from cute emo girls. Give it time... the stupid emo kids are gonna sweat it like none other and play it out before you get a chance to. Just like Vindicated. Awesome song, but it was already too popular to listen to by the time you first heard it.

Dashboard Confessional - Tonight I'll Take What I Can Get (Full Band Version)

I saw this get performed when I first heard it at the Dashboard concert I went to about 3 years ago. And I loved it... I felt like it was about time he was giving happy music a chance. Other "hardcore" fans begged to differ, and seemed to take it as a personal attack when his life wasn't absolute horseshit anymore. They're listening to My Chemical Romance now, and still don't get the attention they want. It's a sad life.

Anyways, enjoy this lo-fi rock fest.

Loaf of dead

2005-11-17T02:01:00.000-05:00

I'm exhausted, and I have school tomorrow, so I'm sorry I can't give you guys a decent write up for these. But enjoy them anyways. Also, go see Harry Potter tomorrow night at midnight. I'm seeing it on IMAX, because travelling across state lines to see a movie on a huge screen... nothing screams "cool" more than that.

Menomena - Strongest Man In The World Rapidshare... Follow link

Teenage Fanclub - Cells Rapidshare... Follow link

Solid choices this week. Enjoy!

High expectations usually lead to heartbreak

2005-11-12T01:24:00.000-05:00

Two of my friends couldn't figure out Rapidshare, so let me just make sure you guys understand it: all you have to do is follow the link, click "Free" down on the bottom, and wait in line 20 seconds. I use this because I like it more than most sites, even though you have to wait in the line. It's simple.

Duane Hopwood (not an mp3)

I fully expect to absolutely love this movie.

And now for enough music to make this post relevant.

Broken Social Scene - Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl Rapidshare... follow link

My friend Tara got me into these kings of indie rock. While I'd always known about them, and heard a few songs from them, it was by her glowing recommendation that I took the leap to check out a few of their albums. Well worth it, I say. Thank her if you see her on the street.

There's something epic about this song. Something that makes you want to listen to it when you achieve something awesome. When you accomplish something hard. When there's a huge weight off your back. When one of those things happens, listen to this song. It'll seem to make more sense.

Maybe it would make sense all the time if I was a 17 year old girl.

Never say that I haven't even tried.

2005-11-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

I kept meaning to mention it, but I'm dumb, and continually forgot. November is National Solo Project Month, and as such I should be trying to highlight some interesting solo projects. This is a lot harder than National Side Project Month, which might not exist... but if it does, I'll have a lot of fun that month.

Ben Gibbard - Farmer Chords (Live) Rapidshare... Follow link

I've been trying to find the album this is on, Home Vol. 5, to no avail. But this song is awesome. A great song of longing and love, and it manages to pull at my heart every time I hear it. And it manages to do that while maintaining a real simple set of lyrics.

I can't begin to compete with you and everyone knows I know you know it, too. It's a complicated fear that grows with every year and it's walking on it's own finally. All I can offer are farmer chords, these simple rhymes and you painted in words. You can sing this when alone or whistle it through your teeth and it will feel like home no matter how far you'll be from my lonely arms outstretched just beyond your reach singing "ooh, baby, please..."

That's it... that's the entire song. Then again, it's only two and a half minutes, so I doubt anyone's shocked.

Jeff Mangum - Up And Over Again Rapidshare... Follow link

They address this song as being called "Up And Over Again", but truly we know it as being "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 3." It probably just wasn't finished at this point (He even sings "This is the part of the song that I didn't write lyrics for" at one point), but it's nice to hear where it started, and compare it to where it ended up.

I know this is an MP3 blog... but don't go see Saw 2. It's delightfully mediocre. And it's NOT A HORROR MOVIE! In the same way zombie movies aren't horror movies in most cases, this relies on heavy, gross images rather than actually scaring people. It's very weak on plot, the acting is worse than in the first one, and it's absolutely filled with plot holes. It's worth seeing, but at a time when I could have seen Jarhead or The Weather man, I'm sorely disappointed.

Life is waiting for you.

2005-11-07T17:47:00.000-05:00

I try not to take too much from other blogs, especially not so soon... but thanks to My Old Kentucky Blog for this awesome track.

Soft - Higher

As someone who readily admits his lifelong obsession with pop radio, lead singer, Johnny Reineck instead sees the present not as something to savor, but rather as merely paving the way to Soft's ultimate destiny. "These songs [that we're writing], I envision them being played in a soccer stadium filled with 80,000 fans," he says without a trace of irony. "Our goal for the record is for it to be like INXS's Kick. We'd like every song to be a huge Top 10 single." - Read more...

I think they deserve it.

Only one track today, mostly because I want every last one of you to hear this song. And then love it. I can't imagine anyone not liking this song.

Let's go Phishing! Get it... it's a pun! My humor is lost on you.

2005-11-05T16:52:00.000-05:00

No one's really indifferent about Phish. I mean the people who love them are fucking insane with their adoration for them. But the people who hate them... man do they despise them. I have a friend, Harry, who loves Dispatch and Guster, but absolutely can't stand Phish. I hypothesize that he just hasn't heard enough of them, but I've done what I could to convert him in the past. Now everyone listen to my two favorite Phish songs!

Normally, I'd write a nice writeup for each of them, but I'm short on time. Just know that they're beautiful and I love them.

Phish - Brian & Robert Rapidshare... Follow link

Phish - Wading in the Velvet Sea Rapidshare... Follow Link

Enjoy! I'll try to get one more update in this week... worst case scenario I'll update on Monday, though.

Throw stones at me if you wish

2005-11-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

I've been kind of a failure at this lately, and I apologize. I've been short on time, but I'll do my best to give you two more updates before Sunday, if I can. Not that anyone really reads this... but I'm sure Claire's probably upset at my lack of updates. So, on with the music!

Former Cities - There's This Thing I Just Can't Quit Rapidshare... Follow link

I got an email from Chris of Former Cities, asking me to check this song out. And at first I was a little turned off, but about 30 seconds in the song really picks up. Comparisons can definitely be made to Pinback, but there seems to be a little Neutral Milk Hotel and Bright Eyes in there, too. It might just be the lo-fi acoustic guitar that reminds me of NMH, though. Either way, after a few listens, you find yourself singing along with it and quite enjoying this song which should be shrugged off as repetitive. The music's a little bland, but that's not necessarially a bad thing; look at Iron & Wine or something along those lines.

Definitely worth checking out. Not everyday you get to hear some experimental acoustic rock.

The Mountain Goats - Color in Your Cheeks (Iowa City Trance Mix)

I wish I could find more remixes of Mountain Goats music. This is just phenominal. Not better than the original, but definitely not worse, either. My friend Casey's not a big Mountain Goats fan, but he loves this remix. So be like Casey. Love this.

Also, go to StG to find a nice remix of a Stars song. I still prefer the original, but variety is always welcome.

Scene kids smoke cigarettes

2005-10-29T04:22:00.000-04:00

So it's official; Laura, Kendon, Claire, and Dennis are my four best friends, ever. Why, you ask? Because they're the only people who have left comments on my blog so far. Damnit people, I need comments. I put myself out here on the interweb looking for praise or criticism, not just apathy.

I got my first sign that this whole "mp3 blog" thing might be working about a week ago. Spasticated Records emailed me to let me know that one of their artists, Dsico That No-Talent Hack, had a new EP out, and invited me to listen to it. Anytime a band offers me a free album, it's worth listening to, because at least during that moment, they just want to be heard, and want recognition. That's what the music industry is missing. Sure, there are going to be plenty of artists who just want to get rich and famous, but too many artists these days don't have a passion for making music.

So, if you know a band I might not have heard of, or want to promote your own band, send me a message. I promise you I will at least listen to it. If I like it, I'll plug you guys here. Right now, that means absolutely nothing, but I hope someday I'll have enough readers that that might seem like a good incentive. I'm currently trying to win a contest to get my friend's band on Said the Gramophone, because that's a big deal to me.

Anyways, onto today's selections...

Dsico That No-Talent Hack - Swimmingly Rapidshare... Follow link

Ok, so I liked them enough to plug them. This song seems like the bastard child of The Bravery and LCD Soundsystem, which is tough to get used to. Add to that it sounds like the lead singer for the Hold Steady got bored and decided to do this as a side project... and this is real obscure shit. But never bad. Nothing original can ever be all bad. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I promise you, it will grow on you. I wish that at least in some songs the lead singer would... you know... sing, but you can't get your way all the time. And I've only listened to 5 songs of theirs, so I can't pretend to be experts on them. But buy their EP, Fool, and enjoy something new. You can pick it up directly from their website.

The Hold Steady - Charlemagne in Sweatpants Rapidshare... Follow link

This song is useless. I kid you not. That's not to say it's not good... it's fucking epic. But on its own it won't do you any good. Listening to The Hold Steady one track at a time is the worst idea in the world, because you absolutely won't get used to them fast enough. I assure you, they are well worth checking out. Look for more songs, buy their albums and spend a few weeks formulating an opinion on them. Take your time. This will be hard.

The Hold Steady - Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Here, check this out too. Oh, and thank Kendon for these, because he introduced me to them. He's a good man. He'll make a good father someday.

You should have never trusted Hollywood.

2005-10-26T01:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Laura, everyone can comment on my entries, now! And by "can," I mean "should, or else I'll be heartbroken." Claire gave me my first Haloscan comment, and I adore her for that. She even plugged my epic wang. She's good like that.

So when I considered starting this blog, I immediately started thinking about doing certain entries for certain people. I've got tracks lined up for just about everyone I know. Sometimes to show the world their taste, sometimes to try to introduce the specific person to new music. One of the people I had lined up was Cortney, a good friend of mine who loved The Postal Service and Death Cab. We're no longer friends (I have my reasons and I'm sure she has hers), but I have these fucking songs lined up, so they're getting used. It'll probably be easier to get around to doing this update now as opposed to in a few months, anyway. Here are a couple of Postal Service rarities for you, guys. Enjoy them.

The Postal Service - Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) Rapidshare... Follow link

Take everything you know about the Postal Service, and their sound... and completely throw it out the window for the first 1:25 of the song. And then, for the rest of the song, watch as they abandon their typical uber-electronic sound in favor of a more traditional simple guitar line to drive the song. This awesome cover comes off the Wicker Park soundtrack, which if you haven't checked out, I suggest you do so. An indie kid's wet dream, if I do say so myself. All this song does is make me want to hear more covers from The Postal Service. They can make almost any song their own, and that's a fucking accomplishment.

Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (Postal Service Remix) Rapidshare... Follow link

The sad thing is, I hadn't even heard of Nina Simone until Said the Gramophone posted the original version of this song a few months ago. Shocking, I know. But the idea of a famous jazz singer sampling a classic song like Old King Wenceslas is fucking mindblowing. She sings it beautifully, with the soulful, heavy, breathy voice every good jazz singer should have.

This track comes off an awesome album called The Verve Remixed (Volume 3), which is well worth a purchase if you get a chance. This track isn't even close to being the best on the album. If it's not worth taking the risk on, feel free to pick and choose some songs to download off iTunes. It's well worth it. I won't even make my suggestions... you won't be disappointed with anything you pick.

BONUS TRACK: Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue Rapidshare... Follow link

Just to see what The Postal Service did. Enjoy!

Let's run the Sigur Ros gamut together!

2005-10-22T14:46:00.000-04:00

I did my first link exchange today! Huzzah! Everyone go check out the bubble death, an mp3 blog setup by a nice person named Laura. Aside from that, I don't know much. She's quite nice, though. I'll vouch for that.

This post is mostly dedicated to Kendon, who enjoys Sigur Ros, but has only heard ( ). While still a great album, he needs to be exposed to more. It's weird how I know him... back when I knew him, he was Kal Petterson. Now he's Kendon Luscher. How he made that change, I may never know. I'm pretty sure it's the same boy, though. Either that, or I know nothing.

Sigur Ros - Svefn-G-Englar Rapidshare... Follow link.

This is my favorite Sigur Ros song, ever. Which is weird, because it's Casey's least favorite. He's one of the people I got into Sigur Ros, and there are quite a few. This song comes off their Agaetis Byrjun album, and was also featured in the movie Vanilla Sky. When I first heard this song, I was so swept away it's pathetic. I nearly had tears in my eyes from just how beautiful it was. Which I know sounds unfathomable, but the music just touched me that much.

And that's the power of Sigur Ros. They're either singing in Icelandic or Hopelandish (a made up language), but it doesn't detract from their music at all. You can make the song mean anything you want, and take away anything you want from the song.

Sigur Ros - Track 3 Rapidshare... Follow link

My favorite instrumental track of all time. I probably put this track on more mix CDs than any other, because I want every person alive to experience the joy that is this track. This song comes from their album, ( ), where none of the tracks were titled. I know... weird.

Sigur Ros - Saeglopur Rapidshare... Follow link

At this point, if you aren't convinced that Sigur Ros is an amazing band, nothing's going to do it. This is the perfect song to assign your own meaning to. Maybe this song is about something specific, but that defeats the purpose of them. This song means something special to me, and looking up the translated lyrics would destroy that. I've heard one complaint about Sigur Ros, and that was from a stupid, stupid person who wished that they sung in English.

Quite possibly the dumbest shit I've ever heard.

Also, I'm looking to figure out if there's any way I can setup a comment system that isn't exclusive to Blogspot members... anyone know how I could go about doing that? I'm not great with HTML, and am just getting by on self-taught knowledge from 7 years ago.

An unconnected duo...

2005-10-20T00:55:00.000-04:00

Sage Francis - Sun vs. Moon Rapidshare... follow link

Probably my favorite song off Sage Francis' new album, A Healthy Distrust, and that's saying a lot, because it's a phenominal album. Then again, you can probably see why I've already posted two Sage Francis tracks even though I'm supposed to be an Indie Kid. Not much can really be said about the man that I haven't talked about before, but this song is Sage Francis stating his opinion on god, while making commentary on religion. And he doesn't pull any punches... I'm agnostic, and he says shit even I don't have the balls to say. Give it a chance, though, regardless of your stance on religion. It's an amazing song with a well thought out message.

If nothing else, look up the lyrics.

Harvey Danger - Diminishing Returns Rapidshare... follow link

This track comes off Harvey Danger's new album, Little by Little. The song's pretty good, and the album's pretty good. But what makes it spectacular is that the entire fucking album is free. They put it out for free, encouraging you to share it. And while it might not be the best album I've heard all year, it's damn sure the best free album I've heard... ever. If you enjoy this track in the slightest, download the entire album. It's ten tracks which are all good. There are some better than others, but you can listen to the entire album start to finish, and that's a good sign.

I'm a failure

2005-10-17T12:34:00.000-04:00

Neutral Milk Hotel - April 8th Rapidshare... follow link

So I'm not gonna be good at this whole mp3 blog thing, I've accepted. The point is to introduce people to new music, but while I'm posting a broad range of music, it's rarely "new." This song comes from NMH's earlier album, On Avery Island. It was a good album, but it didn't have the appeal of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, in my opinion. But this song... even though it's old, it still manages to find its way onto just about every mix CD I make, and everyone seems to enjoy it. The whole song is a beautiful crescendo, and lyrically it's one of my favorite songs ever; it's straight forward with no chorus, and just tells a beautiful story.

Kind Robot - I Can't Hold it Down Rapidshare... follow link

Fine, you guys talked me into it. Here's a little bit of new music... don't get spoiled, though. Kind Robot is a band (?) that has decided to put out free music, which makes supporting them just that much easier. While I believe artists should be compensated for what they do, sometimes it's nice to give back to the community that built you. Their music is far too weird for me, for the most part... but this song I love. If you like them, download the full EP.

"(Kind Robot tracks have also been spotted on Shareaza, Bearshare and Ares.. which we LOVE)"

That quote's on their MySpace, and that's a good sign for things to come. A band that truly loves recognition... you can't argue with that.

Don't be gay... Athena Surrender all day!

2005-10-16T01:21:00.000-04:00

The Deftones - Please Please Please (The Smiths cover) Rapidshare... follow link.

Today's post is in honor of the newly broken up Athena Surrender. They've only been broken up for a few hours, but I'm already hoping it was only temporary. So today's songs are going to be songs I know, and love, thanks to my friend Casey. Keyboardist for Athena Surrender, a great local Norwalk hardcore band that ended its reign far too soon.

This cover is just amazing. I might think that even if it were complete shit, because the original was so good... but trust me, this is one amazing fucking song. They even forgot a verse, but it's still fucking sick. It's a lot harder, but not so hard that it loses the original feel. Morrissey would definitely be proud, I think. The singing is so strained it's beautiful, but never manages to annoy for even a second.

Chiodos - To Trixie and Reptile: Thanks for Everything Rapidshare... follow link.

This song has it all. It's a step away from being hardcore; it has its share of screams and wails, but for the most part the singer sings and you can pick apart each instrument with ease. Lyrically, it's extremely emo, but like the best emo lyrics... they're damn good.

I'll keep dreaming
Not another word sweetheart
Nothing is perfect, but this has to be someday
So I'll keep dreaming
We have to be someday
...
If you believed what you felt you would be in love

Like every good emo song, there are people and events that this song reminds me of. But this isn't the time or place to get into that. Love this song for how beautiful it manages to stay even at the decibel level it achieves. Remarkable. And finally enjoy what is one of the most amazing endings to a song ever.

Head Automatica - King Caesar Rapidshare... follow link.

This is Head Automatica. If you haven't heard them, prepare to want to dance. New school hardcore disco dance music is amazing. Have fun with this.

So go and beat your crazy head against the sky

2005-10-14T12:52:00.000-04:00

Meet Matt Costa. He's currently on tour with Jack Johnson, and it makes complete sense why these two would tour together. Hell, they seem like the type to hang out just looking at them.

Matt Costa - Darling Be Home Soon

Matt Costa - Sunshine

He's the type of artist that makes me want to learn to play guitar. It's just that easy... if I could play guitar, everything I have to say would suddenly make more sense. I'm sure that's not how it would actually go, but it feels like that sometimes.

And now for a song that wasn't MOKB inspired...

The Mountain Goats - Dialudid (Marrtronix Version) (Rapidshare... Follow link)

Just enjoy this. It's much better than the original, in my opinion. The original has its own flavor, but is kind of like two conflicting sounds in one song. This is streamlined.

A spoken word treat

2005-10-12T23:35:00.000-04:00

Today's song comes from the wonderful Sage Francis, though I guess song would be kind of a weird way of describing it. It's an acapella version of his song, "Hey Bobby," and it basically works out as a spoken word song.

Sage Francis - Hey Bobby (Acapella) (Rapidshare... follow the link)

You can absolutely hear his fucking anger during this, and without any backing track, it works as pure fucking poetry. It's political, as all good hip hop is... but even if you lean right, you'll be able to appreciate something like this. There's absolutely no ambiguity when it comes to Sage Francis. He says exactly what he needs to say in as much time as he needs to say it.

Then he's on to something else.

A decision made out of pain.

2005-10-11T22:35:00.000-04:00

So here's my new web log, or "blog" as the cool kids seem to be calling it. I hope to eventually turn this into an mp3 blog once I figure out hosting, and bullshit like that. I'm an indie rock kid, for the most part, but that doesn't mean it's all I listen to. I'll surprise the hell out of you.

For now, songs I post will most likely be from other blogs. Even though I'm new to the blogging world, I know what a cardinal sin direct linking without permission is. So, for now it'll be a little bit harder.

The Diskettes - How Bizarre

This song is oddly listenable. It's calm, and never manages to annoy with even a hint of the fervor the original manages. The Diskettes are a type of band that you secretly hope never take themselves too seriously, because it will kill all the fun that they are. These guys are weird... even though all their songs are entirely acoustic, they still manage to all sound completely different, for the most part. Sometimes they're completely rocking out, and sometimes they're singing a soft, melodic song. And sometimes they're covering annoying 90's rock music.

But it always works.