Woods – I Was Gone 7″

What’s up people. I thought this stuff here would be perfect for the Halloween weekend. It’s something I forgot about for awhile, but it’s still awesome and it still came out pretty recently. It’s a 7″ from Brooklyn’s own WOODS – a band I’m sure many of you have already familiarized yourself with many moons ago. This 7″ comes from the Woodsist label, and although it’s been out since Feburary, I’m pretty sure you can still buy this one in most places. But you should do it sooner than later, because they say they’re only doing a one-time pressing of 1,500 copies. You can still get it right here, here, and here.

The first track “Days Gone By” might leave you in a bit of a curious state. The song changes up significantly a few times throughout. It starts with some hair-raising electric guitars, and then quickly changes to a much more delicate acoustic section. Howling vocals, yelps and complex guitars then come through within the final two minutes of the song, building it up into a huge, mysterious wall of sound. Next up is “I Was Gone”, which is probably the most accessible track from this 7″. It’s definitely an eerie track, and it has an obscure dark mood weaved in through it’s breezy chords. Last up is “Hang On”, which definitely takes the cake for being the most inexplicable song on the 7″. It’s increasingly tribal like, almost as if you’re on a spiritual pilgrimage in
the dead of the night in a forest somewhere, and there’s nothing around but an open fire and the fear of uncertainly around every corner. Check out the three songs from the 7″ below, and have Happy Halloween!

Days Gone By/ Untitled/ Days Gone By –

I Was Gone –

Hang On –

My Rating: 6.8/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Lo-Fi, Folk
I Was Gone 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Days Gone By/ Untitled/ Days Gone By (continued)
2.) I Was Gone
3.) Hang On

Woods on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Midheaven Mailorder

Crystal Stilts – Shake the Shackles 7″

Hey! Tons of new music just keeps pouring in these last few days. First we had Kurt Vile and his new 7″, and then there’s Real Estate with their new single, and don’t forget about the new Beach Fossils 7″ either.

All these better known bands are currently hard at work putting their new albums together for us (not sure if they all have new albums coming), most of which are set to come out in the new year, and CRYSTAL STILTS are certainly no exception to this happening. Although the band has been silent since their last release in 2009, that doesn’t exactly mean you should just forget about them. Crystal Stilts are indeed back on the scene, and these two new songs of theirs just might be their best.

Without any new material for most of 2009 and basically all of 2010, one might imagine that when a band comes back with new recordings, they might not be so special. That is FAR from being the case with this new single from the Stilts. And even though they weren’t putting out new stuff, that doesn’t mean they weren’t still touring and playing together as a band.

These two new tracks are stunningly awesome, and both have a darker, brooding tone, which is exactly what the Crystal Stilts are best at. Crunchy, noisy guitars, otherworldly keyboards, jangly drumming, a moody sounding Brad Hargett – they bring it all back to the table right from where they left off, only they do it bigger and better this time. If these tracks can garner this kind of praise, just imagine what their full length is going to be like come 2011. I can now say without regret that one of my most anticipated albums of 2011 is definitely whatever comes from these guys (and Woodsman).

Shake the Shackles –

Magnetic Moon –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Lo-Fi, Pop
Shake the Shackles 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Shake the Shackles
2.) Magnetic Moon

Crystal Stilts on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Slumberland Recs – Only $4 on white vinyl !!

Levek – Look on the Bright Side 7″

Here we go – it’s the next installment to the already flourishing artist line-up at Father/ Daughter Records! They’ve had the pleasure of putting out debut releases from some of 2010’s favorite acts, such as tooth ache. and Family Trees. This time they’re back with the debut 7″ from David Levesque, otherwise known as LEVEK. His splendid new 7″ definitely broadens the artist horizon over at Father/ Daughter, complete with a spacey, seductive atmosphere and a provocatively groovy mood – forcing me to say the word ‘sexy’ could definitely be used to describe this one man band’s sounds.

When it came to putting a tag on this stuff, I had quite a difficult time coming up with anything. Part of me doesn’t want to bother trying to come up with anything – the other part wants to say it’s just a huge mash up of many different types of music, including elements of jazz and funk. While there’s really no way of ‘correctly’ answering that question, it’s probably best to just have you guys listen for yourself and come up with your own answers. “Mickey Mouse tribal sounds” works to some degree, but I don’t think a lot of people are even going to understand what that means. The Last.fm description is probably the most fitting for an artist bio, followed by the more mysterious “About” section on the Levek Myspace.

If there is anything I should make sure I say, it’s that this stuff is beyond unique – possibly being some of the most creative and thought-provoking music I’ve heard all year. “Look on the Bright Side” forces you to paint a vast, luscious landscape in yr mind, bringing you to a peaceful, faraway space-land where all your worries literally melt away. Put on your headphones, turn up the volume, and let the bliss take you away as you float up towards the heavens, never to come back down.

Grab this gem at the Father/ Daughter store before it’s too late – it’s limited to 400 on red vinyl, including a download card with three bonus tracks, and a free button set! A free button set?! Yeah, in case you weren’t aware, Father/ Daughter Records is indeed that cool. Please people, don’t sleep on this stuff, you WILL be sorry. See ya tomorrow.

Look on the Bright Side –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Jazz, Funk, whathaveyou
Look on the Bright Side 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Look on the Bright Side
2.) Slow

Levek on Myspace
PRE-ORDER the 7″ right now from Father/ Daughter Records – 400 pressed on red vinyl !

Beach Fossils – Face It 7″

BEACH FOSSILS started to make their way onto the scene last year in 2009. First they had a 7″ single called “Daydream”, and then there was the self-titled full length, both of which came from the Captured Tracks label. Now the boys of Beach Fossils are back once again, this time with a new 7″ featuring two never before heard songs. According to the Captured Tracks website, this is where “Phase 2” of the Beach Fossils catalog begins. Everything they’ve done up to this is now a thing of the past, and it seems as if they’re really trying to get that point across.

While we don’t know exactly why they’re going for a bit of a change up, we can always try and figure it out for ourselves. Also stated in the Captured Tracks description of the 7″, they say “Gone is the ‘lo-fi’ and the comparisons that go with it.” While Beach Fossils definitely had some lo-fi qualities on the material before this 7″, there are still plenty more bands out there going above and beyond when it comes to the lo-fi sound. With that being said, I think it’s more appropriate to let those bands keep working at their lo-fi sounds, while Beach Fossils backs away from it. I say this because listening to these new Beach Fossils songs, it’s almost like these guys should have been this way from the beginning – it’s like they didn’t really want to come off as a lo-fi band, it’s just what people ended up thinking.

So this new 7″ was their first chance to really change things up and get people to change their outlooks on the band. If you ask me, they’ve done a hell of a job. Two crystal-clear and equally addicting new tracks fill both sides of this 7″, and if “Face It” doesn’t keep you wondering how exactly these guys go so catchy, I don’t know what will. Punchy (almost funky!) bass lines, deliciously memorable guitar hooks, and an eerie change up about half way through the song…FACE IT, this shit is awesome. And that middle part (right after 1:30 til 1:47ish) seems so necessary and natural that it’s actually haunting. You can check out “Face It” right below – I’d highly recommend you do so – and then head to the Beach Fossils Myspace to hear the B-side “Distance”.

Face It –

My Rating: 7.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Pop, Surf Rock, Indie Rock
Face It 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Face It
2.) Distance

Beach Fossils on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Captured Tracks

Royal Baths – Baths 7″

ROYAL BATHS is a three piece band hailing from San Francisco, California. Their name was originally just The Baths, but they changed it up to avoid confusion with the other California band Baths. If you ask me, Royal Baths sounds better anyway, so good move. These guys just put out their debut LP from the Woodsist label in September, which means slowly but surely this band will start clawing it’s way up the popularity scale – because that’s what awesome labels do, right? Speaking of awesome labels, they also have an upcoming 7″ from Hozac Records as well. But the 7″ we have here today is different – before the LP that just came out, this looks like it was their only official release.

The 7″ we’re talking about today comes from Rad Key Records, and it doesn’t look like you can pick this one up anywhere besides Royal Baths shows. It’s got two songs – neither of which are on the new LP – and their both equally dark and menacing, with lyrics like “learning to laugh at the black in my soul,” and “I think of death and murder, all the time.”

While that’s certainly depressing even out of context, just wait until you hear it paired with the music. This is foreboding, downer-rock at it’s finest, and the added factor of morbid lyrics only helps progress the authenticity of the lifeless, decaying moods found within the songs. Strangely enough, if you can get past the downer qualities, these jangly songs will find their way under your skin. Which is a great thing, because now I want to check out that full length from Woodsist – which is exactly what a 7″ should make you want to do. Maybe we can talk about that soon. Check out the A-side “Be Afraid of Me” right below, and then head to their Myspace where you can hear the B-side “Black Sheep”. One more thing – it sounds like these guys could put on a rad live show.

Be Afraid of Me –

My Rating: 6.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Garage Rock, Lo-Fi, Drone
Baths 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Be Afraid of Me
2.) Black Sheep

Royal Baths on Myspace
Royal Baths on Last.fm
Check out their debut full length from Woodsist

Circle Pit – Bruise Constellation

Hope everyone’s weekend went well! Unfortunately the Phillies couldn’t help make mine any better than it was, but hey, what’s done is done. Now it’s time to focus on some music, because let’s be serious, it’s everybody’s favorite thing 😉

Today’s music of focus comes all the way from Sydney, Australia, from a band you might already know as CIRCLE PIT. This looks like it’s their first official full length, coming from the local Siltbreeze Records label, which couldn’t be a more fitting home for the album. Besides this new full length, the only other material you can find from the band is either this 7″ right here, or the stuff they have for sale in this Myspace blog post.

So when listening to this stuff, a lot of different thoughts and describing words might come to mind. Some of the more prominent descriptors would be scrappy, trashy, scummy, scratchy…most of which stem from the grainy, sandpaper-like guitars that dominate the entire album. These abrasive guitars drive the songs, being impeccably heavy at times, and freakishly psyched-out at other times.

Their high energy approach also helps add to the madness, and when it’s mixed with their strangely rewarding slacker-esque type vocals, it makes for quite an interesting combination. The raspy, “I don’t give a fuck” tone of voice is definitely part of the sound, and once it’s paired with the boy-girl vocal harmonies, you’ll see how well it all fits together. This is definitely the kind of album that you will like at first listen, but keep at it and you’ll notice that the shit’s grown on you like no other, way more than you ever expected – the excellent guitar work, angsty vocals, and a driven attitude (not to mention an interesting cover art) will certainly keep you coming back for more and more.

Just about every last song on the record could count as a highlight, but the ones that stood out the most for me were Wave Machine, Dead Meat, Infinity (which is strangely different than anything else on the album), Hurricane, Another Trick, Drowning in the Dark, and Beginning and the End. Definitely don’t sleep on this stuff, because I must warn you that you will be sorry if you do. Check out the songs I left ya below, and soon you’ll love Circle Pit. And if that’s not enough for you, I’d recommend listening to Top Surprise – there’s definitely some similarities between the two.

Infinity –

Another Trick –

Drowning in the Dark –

Beginning and the End –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Post-Punk, Psychedelic, Indie Rock, Australian
Bruise Constellation: Tracklist:
1.) Wave Machine
2.) Dead Meat
3.) Speed Limits
4.) Infinity
5.) Hurricane
6.) Another Trick
7.) Drowning in the Dark
8.) Shallow Grave
9.) Strange Blue
10.) Beginning and the End

Circle Pit on Myspace !
Follow Circle Pit on Tumblr
BUY the LP directly from Insound

Real Estate – Out of Tune 7″

Look – it’s the new Real Estate 7″. I saw this gem in the record store yesterday, and I didn’t really think twice after seeing it – naturally it suddenly ended up in my hands. After that I brought it back home and put in on my record player. Then I ripped the songs, and now I’m here sharing it with you lovely people out there on the interweb. Funny how that works out. So in case you weren’t already aware, this is the new 7″ from Real Estate, complete with two fresh songs called “Out of Tune” and “Reservoir”. Not sure if this one is a limited pressing or anything like that, but it comes from the True Panther Sounds label, and you should probably get this one sooner than later – if it’s like other Real Estate singles, it won’t be around forever.

First song up is the crystal-clear “Out of Tune”, and this one also goes great with the weather and feel for this time of year. Joyous, delightful guitars change back and forth, going from clean cut to swirling and intoxicating, all while the bass line continues to punch through, keeping the song in line from beginning to end. There’s a slight psychedelic/ folky tone mixed into the song, but it doesn’t overshadow the poppy/ indie vibes. Lead singer Martin Courtney sings about watching the cars pass by on I-95, which is a major highway spanning the whole East coast, also passing through our fine city of Philadelphia. Now flip that shit for the B-side “Reservoir”.

Another crystal-clear track, this was a song Real Estate played on one of their more recent visits to Philadelphia. If you can remember back to April, this was that ‘new song’ that Real Estate played back @ the Barbary. At that point in time, the song was still unnamed, and it was only their third time playing it live, but they did say it would be out soon enough on a new 7″, so at least they kept their promise! Six months later it finally saw a physical release, and I’ve got it here for you all today. Check out the songs below, and if yr bored, check out Real Estate live in Philadelphia.

Out of Tune –

Reservoir –

My Rating: 7.2/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Alt-Country, Pop
Out of Tune 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Out of Tune
2.) Reservoir

Real Estate on Myspace !
BUY the 7″ directly from Insound
Watch Real Estate & Family Portrait do their thing live in Philadelphia
Also related: Alex Bleeker & the Freaks 12″ from Underwater Peoples

Big Search – Lay of the Land

What’s up people. Today’s music of focus comes from a man you may already be familiar with. If you’ve ever heard bands like Foreign Born and Fool’s Gold, then you’re already halfway there.

BIG SEARCH is the moniker for recording artist Matt Popieluch, who is indeed the lead man in Foreign Born, and who also records with Fool’s Gold. Big Search is more of a solo project for Popieluch, unlike the other two bands I just named. According to the SC Distribution website, Popieluch has been working on and off on Big Search projects since as early as 1999, dating back to when he was still in college, spanning an array of “90-minute ‘albums’ destined for the vacuum of obscurity.” While most of these albums probably won’t ever see the light of day, this one here made it through the process, and it’s called “Lay of the Land”. It’s a nine-track album, spanning just over 35 minutes in length, and it was put out in vinyl and digital format from the St. Ives label – with the vinyl format being limited to just 200 copies, coming in hand-made covers designed by no other than the people behind the music – click the picture above and zoom in for more detail.

Before you jump to any conclusions, it’s probably a good idea to let you know something up front. If you’re expecting this to be exactly like anything from Fool’s Gold or Foreign Born, then you might be a bit upset. Parts of the album here and there might give nods back to Popieluch’s other bands, but for the most part, this album would fall into the ‘experimental’ category. Two of the most prominent songs that would fit into this category would be the guitar and banjo instrumental tracks.

“Banjo Instrumental” (which you can hear on the BS Myspace), is a constantly growing song, with layers of jangly, barnyard sounding banjo. Pretty much the same goes for “Guitar Instrumental” (only it’s a guitar this time), but the reason I even bother saying this is because they’re both genuinely interesting and certainly make for a unique listen – they paint an abstract picture in your mind, but the focus of that picture is up to you, depending on how these two songs make you feel. I think that’s part of the premise with these two tracks, too. They’re included in there to throw you off balance and get you thinking – not about anything in particular – but nonetheless to get some thoughts brewing, either about the music or what have you. Leave some comments on the post and let us know how these songs make you feel, because I’d love to hear your side of the story.

Aside from these two instrumental tracks, there’s still plenty more musical paths to be taken on this record. I’ve left you guys with as many songs as I possibly can, just make sure you check out “French Doors” and “Flyer’s Fall”, which are both equally awesome tracks. The Myspace has even more from the record, so with the exception of a few songs, you can pretty much hear all 35 minutes of this record on the web. And other than that Myspace page and this post on the Styrofoam Drone, I don’t know of any other place where you can hear these songs, so I think that’s what you’d consider to be somewhat of an ‘exclusive’. Oh yeah! So please enjoy, and leave some comments!

Lay of the Land –

French Doors –

Flyer’s Fall –

Guitar Instrumental –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Pop, Folk
Lay of the Land: Tracklist:
1.) That’s All (Light On)
2.) Lay of the Land
3.) French Doors
4.) Grades
5.) Banjo Instrumental
6.) We Know
7.) Flyer’s Fall
8.) Guitar Instrumental
9.) Listen Up, You Understand

Big Search on Myspace
BUY the LP directly from Insound – Limited to 200 w/ hand made covers

Kurt Vile – In My Time 7″

Yo dudes. Last we heard from KURT VILE, it was back in the beginning days of June when he put out his Summery good times EP called “Square Shells”. Now the local Philly bro is back once more, this time with a brand new 7″ from Matador records. This 7″ is like a preview for Vile’s upcoming studio album, which they say should be hitting the shelves during 2011. According to the words in that link, we’ll probably hear at least one of these songs on the new album, but it doesn’t seem like anything has been set in stone just yet. Until we know more, this new 7″ will have to keep us satisfied – which is due out digitally on October 25th, and in limited edition 7″ format, due November 7th.

“In My Time” is a warm, nostalgic song featuring Kurt’s unique playing styles, and just like anything else from him out there, it’s certainly “worthy of recognition”. For the most part, the song has an acoustic folksy vibe, reminiscent of the early days of Autumn when the leaves start to fall and it begins to get cold out. With that being said, his music always seems to go great with the weather, but this guitar driven song isn’t just acoustics and folk. Things change up a bit when the lead guitar gets a make-over and suddenly turns into a psyched-out mess – something we already know Kurt is highly capable of, only this time we probably didn’t see it coming. The song fades out on this guitar, and chances are it’s going to make you put the song on for another spin. Now if only we could hear the rest of the songs from the 7″. I don’t think I’ve ever featured something without hearing the full tracklist, so consider this post an exception. Enjoy.

In My Time –

My Rating: none-haven’t heard the whole 7″
Genre/ Tags: Folk Rock, Psychedelic, Alternative
In My Time: Tracklist:
1.) In My Time
2.) Early Dawnin’
3.) Sad Ghost

Kurt Vile on Myspace
PREORDER the 7″ right now @ Matador Records
Videos of Kurt Vile & Fucked Up live in Philadelphia – check it out
Kurt Vile – Square Shells EP previously posted on the Drone

Moon Women – Listen Closely Cassette

It’s always nice to have clarification on things you weren’t entirely sure about. Waaaay back this past April, I went to a show at the Danger Danger Gallery in Philadelphia to see the Strange Boys. One of the opening bands that night was a local Philly band named MOON WOMEN. Now I didn’t know this at the time, but it turns out that that was their very first show performing as Moon Women. In my write-up from the show, I mentioned how the lead guitarists amp broke in the middle of their set, but I was never totally sure that’s what had happened. Sure enough, that was the case, and go figure that it happens during their very first show together – what a bummer. The dudes in the band recently got in touch me with regarding their debut release, a cassette-single (cassingle, if you will) featuring two brand new original songs, and it’s a hell of a first effort.

“Listen Closely” starts off on a mysterious note, and shortly after the rhythm section joins in to give the song it’s structure. Right away the bass line forces you to bob your head along to the beat, and the heavy, textured guitars are right up in your grill. They help create a huge wall of sound for the song, incorporating psychedelic qualities as well as some nods to shoegaze. There’s even an out-of-this-world organ worked into the mix, which gives the song it’s third-world qualities, and once it’s joined with the guitar, you’re not going to know what hit you (and now I understand why the amp broke that night – just listen to this stuff).

This song becomes an instant classic, and that infectious bass line still continues to rock on, keeping you in it’s grasp for the better part of the entire song. Not every band has much success putting qualities like this together in one single song, but Moon Women certainly made it work this time. Check out the awesome music video for this song, featuring clips of old, grainy VHS tapes found in local Philadelphia libraries, and don’t forget to check out the other side of the tape, “A Collection of Thought” – it has some awesome guitar progressions and more of that enormous Moon Women sound that I am now extremely fond of. Hopefully you will be too – check out the whole tape below, and also the video.

Listen Closely –

A Collection of Thought –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Post-Punk, Garage Rock
Listen Closely Cassette: Tracklist:
1.) Listen Closely
2.) A Collection of Thought

Moon Women – Official Website
Send $3 and yr address to mooncommand@gmail.com for your very own Moon Women tape – Limited to 50 !