Ganglians – Captured Tracks 7″

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Pop

California’s Ganglians are a band you may have already heard of. Last year was a good one for the band, seeing that they released two full length albums, one being a self-titled 12″, and the other album “Monster Head Room”, which was a step up from the original self-titled. If you haven’t heard either of those albums yet, you shouldn’t waste any more time. Follow the links and get listening.

If you haven’t heard Ganglians at all up until this point, then today is your lucky day. Basically I just linked you to their entire discography (as far as I know). If you end up listening to everything, you might notice how the band begins to solidify their sound by the time you listen to “Monster Head Room”. When they finally are comfortable with their sound, that is when they can really start to deliver their contagious blend of psychedelic-pop music. This becomes noticeable on their most recent release, which is what I have here for you today. It’s two songs that were released on 7″ vinyl only, and the Captured Tracks website description doesn’t beat around the bush. These are by far the best songs we have heard from Ganglians up til this point. Let’s hope they keep following this pattern in the future.

Captured Tracks 7″: Tracklist
1.) Blood on the Sand
2.) Make It Up

Ganglians on Myspace
Captured Tracks 7″: BUY

My Bloody Valentine – Loom (Live in Vancouver)

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Live, Shoegaze, Alternative

The other day on the discussion board in our Last.fm group, a user who goes by the name of “perturbantecoi” suggested that some material from the catalog of My Bloody Valentine be put up on the blog. With much consideration, I came across quite a tremendous live recording of My Bloody Valentine from back in their days after releasing the LP we all know and cherish, “Loveless”. This recording took place on July 4th, 1992 in the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. I think I speak for us all when I say “Damn, I wish I was there.” This recording is phenomenal, and it’s loaded with tracks from various releases by the band, but most notably their already mentioned album “Loveless”. Three tracks from their first LP “Isn’t Anything” are included in the show, as well as a few tracks from their extensive collection of EP’s. Whether you’re the most avid My Bloody Valentine fan (which probably means you already have this), or you’re just looking for some new MBV material, look no further. The final track of the show, “You Made Me Realise”, would be worth downloading all on it’s own. It’s over 17 minutes long, and it starts as you would expect, but about two minutes in they stop everything and let the instruments feedback for over 10 minutes, before suddenly coming back to life to finish off the remaining two minutes of the song. Oh. So. Super.

It’s a long download, but you’ll be glad you waited. You should head on over to the Last.fm group and join up in the meantime, and maybe do some chatting! You could even put up another suggestion for posting here on the blog, because that’s what today’s entry was. A suggestion! So please, suggest away! Thanks!

Loom (Live in Vancouver) Tracklist:
1.) When You Sleep
2.) I Only Said
3.) Only Shallow
4.) Slow
5.) Nothing Much to Lose
6.) [noise]
7.) You Never Should
8.) Feed Me With Your Kiss
9.) Soon
10.) To Here Knows When
11.) Honey Power
12.) You Made Me Realise

Loom (Live in Vancouver): TRY
MBV on Myspace
MBV Official Website (Who the hell is pretending to be Bilinda Butcher?)

Television – Marquee Moon

My Rating: 10/10
Genre/ Tags: Post-Punk, Punk, New Wave

Good afternoon! So once again, I must apologize for post-slacking. It’s been difficult to find time while the new semester is getting started, but once things are settled, I should be posting daily again. Today’s album comes from back in 1977, when punk rock and similar genres were just beginning to develop in places like the United States and United Kingdom. While this album did come out during these punk developments, that does not mean it is going to stick strictly to the textbook agenda of punk rock. The album I speak of is called “Marquee Moon”, and it was the debut release from the New York City band Television. While some punk rock elements do come through, their sound is often dominated by a more complex form of improvisation, which almost always includes a face-melting guitar solo, either played by Tom Verlaine or Richard Lloyd. This would be most prominent on the title track “Marquee Moon”, which just passes the 10-minute mark. Between these two guitarist, it’s almost impossible to not be floored by the guitar work. If you find a moment where you’re not mesmerized by the far-out guitar sounds, take a moment to notice Verlaine’s frantic and nervous vocals. When listening to him, I always get this feeling of urgency.

Over the years since it’s original release, the album has continued to receive glowing reception, often being called “one of the best debut albums of all time”. Here is a list from Uncut Magazine listing the 100 greatest debut albums of all time, with Marquee Moon coming in at an impressive 2nd place. Hopefully that fact will make the album a bit more interesting to listen to.

Do yourself a favor and listen to “Marquee Moon” on YouTube: MARQUEE MOON

Marquee Moon: Tracklist
1. “See No Evil” – 3:53
2. “Venus” – 3:51
3. “Friction” – 4:44
4. “Marquee Moon” – 10:40
5. “Elevation” – 5:07
6. “Guiding Light” – 5:35
7. “Prove It” – 5:02
8. “Torn Curtain” – 6:56
9. “Little Johnny Jewel (Parts 1 & 2)* – 7:09
10. “See No Evil” (Alternate Version)* – 4:40
11. “Friction” (Alternate Version)* – 4:52
12. “Marquee Moon” (Alternate Version)* – 10:54
13. Untitled (Instrumental)* – 3:22

Television on Myspace
Marquee Moon: BUY

Spider Bags – A Celebration of Hunger

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Acoustic, Country, Rock

Well hello! I sort of missed a few days this week and didn’t post anything. You could blame that on the new Spring Semester that started this past Tuesday. So I apologize for that, and to make up for it, I brought with me today quite a special album. It’s called “A Celebration of Hunger” and it’s by the Spider Bags. This album came out back in May 2007 on Birdman Records, and it contains 14 fantastic tracks. This was the Spider Bags debut release, and since then, they have put out another full length titled “Goodbye Cruel World, Hello Crueler World”, and a 7″ single called “Hey Delinquents” on Daggerman Records. “A Celebration of Hunger” is one of those albums that I can turn on and not interfere with for the entire duration, because each track is just as good as the next. The opener “Bad Complexion” with it’s twangy guitars slowly builds up to a welcoming break down that certainly leaves you thinking that this album has a whole lot more in store for you. I could probably go on about every track from this album, but I just wouldn’t have the time. While I did say all the tracks are exceptional, some still stand out above the rest. These would be “Waking Up Drunk” which you’ll find is a great track to chant along with. Others include “Blood for You”, “It’s You”, “Alphabet City Blues”, “So Long a Rope”, “The Bottle”, “Bleed for You”, and “I am Sorry I”. Seriously, they’re all good though. If you don’t have the time for the whole album, at least listen to “Bad Complexion”, “Waking Up Drunk”, and “The Bottle”. You’ll get the idea with those three tracks. Enjoy.

A Celebration of Hunger: Tracklist
1.) Bad Complexion
2.) Waking Up Drunk
3.) Blood for You
4.) It’s You
5.) Alphabet City Blues
6.) So Long a Rope
7.) Summer’s Waltz
8.) The Bottle
9.) Bleed for You
10.) I am Sorry I
11.) Wide Open
12.) Darkness in my Heart
13.) Devil When I Go
14.) My Oh My

Spider Bags Official Myspace
A Celebration of Hunger: BUY

Tycho – Past is Prologue

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Ambient, Electronic, Electronica

Scott Hansen is the name of a San Francisco based design artist who some people might already know as ISO50. As ISO50, Scott produces his own personal designs, and then they’re put onto things like t-shirts, hoodies, and posters. When Scott isn’t concentrating on his design career, chances are he’s putting his time into his moonlighting profession: music production. As a music producer, Scott is known to the world as “Tycho”. His music could be described most easily as electronic, but that’s a bit too easy. Along with electronic, some other accurate words to describe the music would be ambient, atmospheric, spacey or dreamy, not to mention that his music would make the perfect soundtrack to anybody’s dreams at night. The songs never contain any lyrics, but that doesn’t mean there are no words. Instead of lyrics, you can hear bits of people speaking in the background, whether it’s a little boy shouting his age, or a weather man telling you the forecast. Listen closely and you’ll definitely hear what I’m talking about. I always thought maybe there was a story that could be pieced together with all the different voices that can be heard, but I don’t think that is the case. A good example with many of these voices would be on the track titled “PBS”. Check that out here and listen for yourself. In this song you most often hear the voice of a woman and a young boy, and unlike most of the songs, the voices actually become part of the song rather than just clips of someone speaking thrown into the background. I’m not entirely sure why Tycho has so many clips of people speaking in his music, but I can assure you it makes for an interesting listen. A lot of times I find myself listening to Tycho when trying to sleep or attempting to do homework, and every time I swear I hear something new, whether it’s a voice or a sound effect. If you’re still not convinced enough to listen to Tycho, be sure to listen to this track, which is titled “Could Generator”. This track is without a doubt one of the highlights from the album, so if that doesn’t do the trick, I don’t know what will.

Past is Prologue: Tracklist
1.) From Home
2.) Sunrise Projector
3.) Dictaphone’s Lament
4.) PBS
5.) Send And Receive
6.) Brother
7.) A Circular Reeducation
8.) Past Is Prologue
9.) Cloud Generator
10.) The Disconnect
11.) A Circular Reeducation – Dusty Brown Remix
12.) Send And Receive – Chachi Jones Remix
13.) Sunrise Projector – Nautilis Remix

Scott Hansen’s Official Blog
Past is Prologue: BUY (You can also purchase some of Scott’s design work here)

Soul Coughing – Ruby Vroom

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Jazz, Rock

Soul Coughing formed in New York City back in 1992, and they remained active until 2000 when they broke up over disputes about songwriting credits and things of that matter. It’s a shame when a band dies off due to arguments, but hey, that’s how the cookie crumbles. Before breaking up in 2000, the band released three different studio albums, and they managed to gain moderate mainstream success. Their first album “Ruby Vroom” was released back in 1994, and it is the album I have here with me today. A lot of the songs found on the album are dominated by heavy, jazzy bass lines and lead singer Mike Doughtys crazy “stream-of-consciousness” poetry, which many times leaves you thinking, “What did he just say?” If you’re listening carefully enough, you will also notice that he is constantly making references to things in his lyrics. The song that first comes to mind would be the opening track “Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago”. It’s almost like it’s his goal to name as many places as he can while he sings, because he mentions Chicago, Saskatoon, Palmyra, New York, Washington, Pyongyang, and Cairo. There is probably even a few I missed, or possibly some I’m not even aware of. Either way, you should make an effort to check out the funky goodness that is Soul Coughing. Be sure to check out songs like “Sugar Free Jazz” with it’s beachy sound effects, “Casiotone Nation” which is chock-full of more references, “Blueeyed Devil”, “Supra Genious” and “Screenwriter’s Blues”. Enjoy!

Ruby Vroom: Tracklist
1.) Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago
2.) Sugar Free Jazz
3.) Casiotone Nation
4.) Blueeyed Devil
5.) Bus to Beelzebub
6.) True Dreams of Wichita
7.) Screenwriter’s Blues
8.) Moonsammy
9.) Supra Genius
10.) City of Motors
11.) Uh, Zoom Zip
12.) Down to This
13.) Mr. Bitterness
14.) Janine

Unofficial Website – Soul Coughing
Ruby Vroom: BUY

13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Psychedelic, 60s

Although it is widely disputed, the 13th Floor Elevators were quite possibly the very first band to describe their music as “psychedelic”. These guys were active back from 1965 to 1969, and they only released a few albums in their short existence. Their first album came out in 1966, and it is titled “The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators”. Included on this album was their first and only charting single, “You’re Gonna Miss Me”. This song peaked at #55 on Billboards Pop Singles Chart in 1966, and after that they never had much luck with getting another song on the charts. But this certainly does not mean they’re not a good band, and I have brought the album here with me today to prove it to you. Songs like “Thru the Rhythm”, “Don’t Fall Down”, “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, and “Tried to Hide” all make the album worth listening, but my personal favorite would have to be “Roller Coaster”. This song is intense, with lead singer Roky Erikson continually urging you to trip and “Open up your mind” and to “Let it happen to you”, all the while that crazy “electric” jug never ceases to mystify. Do yourself a favor and listen to the 13th Floor Elevators. You won’t regret it.

13th Floor Elevators – Roller Coaster

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators: Tracklist
1.) You’re Gonna Miss Me
2.) Roller Coaster
3.) Splash 1 (Now I’m Home)
4.) Reverberation (Doubt)
5.) Don’t Fall Down
6.) Fire Engine
7.) Thru the Rhythm
8.) You Don’t Know (How Young You Are)
9.) Kingdom of Heaven
10.) Monkey Island
11.) Tried to Hide

13th Floor Elevators Official Website
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators: BUY

Last.fm Group – The ball is rolling (slowly!)

So as you may or may not know, I made a group on the website Last.fm with the idea that people could join and discuss any of the happenings here on the blog. Not only can you discuss, but I’m open to any suggestions like features for the blog, or music to post…ANYTHING. Any idea that you think is even half-way decent, let’s hear it. Join the SD Group right here, and start chattin’.

John K. Samson – Live at CBC Studios

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Acoustic, Live, Singer-Songwriter

Hello! How are we all today? Hopefully better than ever. Today I have something that I hope everyone will enjoy. It’s a live session featuring John K. Samson, the lead singer and guitarist from The Weakerthans, and also a former member of the band Propagandhi. He was an active member in Propagandhi from 1991 to 1997, and shortly thereafter, he went on to form The Weakerthans. The Weakerthans then formed in 1997, and have been continuing to rock since, releasing their most recent album entitled “Reunion Tour” in 2007.

Aside from working with The Weakerthans, John has released some material as a solo artist. His first release came back in 1993 when he was still a member of Propagandhi, and it was a cassette tape featuring 15 songs that was called “Slips and Tangles”. Two years later in 1995, six of those songs from the “Slips and Tangles” release were re-released on a new EP, titled “Little Pictures”. This would be Johns last solo release until recently in October 2009, when he put out his second EP “City Route 85”. According to the info on the Anti- Records page, “Samson’s solo record entitled City Route 85 will be the first in a series of recordings exploring the atmospheric streets and highways surrounding the musician’s home in Winnipeg, Canada.” Interesting! Music that explores the streets and highways of Canada? I am beyond interested. But if this City Route 85 wasn’t good enough for you, you’re in luck, because they plan to release at least three of these new singles. I have yet to hear this new single, but I will, very, very soon. In the meantime, check out this awesome live session from John at CBC Studios, and be sure to check back regularly, because I love John K. Samson and the Weakerthans way too much (just check my Last.fm charts) to not post anymore of their material. I promise. The man just has such a way with words; it’s amazing. If you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe this quote from The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn, who straight up admitted that John K. Samson “is the lyricist that I can say, without hesitation, is better than I am.” I rest my case. Enjoy your day.

John K. Samson Live @ CBC Studios: Tracklist
1.) Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call
2.) One Great City
3.) Reconstruction Site
4.) Utilities

The Weakerthans on Myspace
John K. Samson Live @ CBC Studios: TRY
John K. Samson Stuff: BUY

Last.fm Group – Come chat!

I recently made a group over at the wonderful website Last.fm. This way we can chat and discuss any music that comes up here on the Styrofoam Drone, or talk about anything for that matter. Just click the link below, and then join the group! If you already have a Last.fm account, it’s very simple. So join up, and get chatting. Check back for more real soon!

The Styrofoam Drone group at Last.fm