Pavement – Perfect Sound Forever

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Noise Rock

Since I love Pavement so much, and so do you (you do love Pavement, right?), I have decided to post MORE Pavement today! How exciting! Today I have an EP for you that comes from the very early Pavement days, dating back to April 15th, 1991. This EP was the third release from Pavement, and it was put out by the label Drag City. Good luck finding this EP though, because it has been out of print for years. Your best bet would be eBay…or Philadelphia’s Punk Rock Flea Market (when in season), where I happily scored my very own copy. I already posted a bit of information on this release for the “Band of the Week” feature today. Basically, because this an early Pavement release, it’s not going to sound exactly like the Pavement you and I love and cherish so much. Most of the songs from Pavement’s early days can easily be considered nosiy, rackety, strange, and possibly even mysterious.

The best (and most ridiculous) example of one of these songs would be “Drive-By Fader”. Seriously? Come on. What is that? It’s just a 28 second song that sounds like a distorted piano/ keyboard that if you listened to long enough would eventually become a headache inducer. Seriously. Listen for yourself on YouTube. Not all of these noisy tracks are so bad though. The opening track “Heckler Spray” is a much more accessible noise track than any of the others, with its heavy guitars and steady drum beat. I actually wish this song was much longer, because it would probably turn out to be quite a bad ass track. Check it out on YouTube right here. See what I mean? They could have kept that going, man! Aside from these noisy tracks, there are a few more traditional songs found on the EP, like the track “Angel Carver Blues/Mellow Jazz Docent”. This is a great song with a sick introduction, but the best part comes within the last 3 seconds when Malkmus utters the word “Fuck.” No other word could have been more appropriate here. Other tracks surely worth checking out are “Home”, and my personal favorite, “Debris Slide”, with it’s silly chants that are fun to sing along with. Check those two songs out right below, or here. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check-in again tomorrow.

Pavement – Debris Slide

Pavement – Home

Perfect Sound Forever: Tracklist
1. “Heckler Spray” – 1:06
2. “From Now On” – 2:03
3. “Angel Carver Blues/Mellow Jazz Docent” – 2:30
4. “Drive by Fader” – 0:28
5. “Debris Slide” – 1:56
6. “Home” – 2:23
7. “Krell Vid-User” – 1:26

Pavement: Official Website
Perfect Sound Forever: You definitely can’t buy this record anywhere but eBay. You could just buy the “Westing (by Musket & Sextant)” compilation which includes all the tracks from the EP and more! – BUY!

Joe Jackson – Look Sharp!

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: New Wave, Punk Rock/Ska, Singer-Songwriter

Okay, so if you don’t think you know who Joe Jackson is before reading this post, then go to YouTube and listen to THIS song for a second. Yeah, that’s Joe Jackson, and personally, I hate that song. You may even know another Joe Jackson song thanks to the folks over at Taco Bell, because I’ve recently seen a Taco Bell commercial featuring THIS song. I know what you’re thinking. A Joe Jackson song is being used for a Taco Bell commercial? Yeah, very weird. At least that’s what I thought. But moving on…

These two songs I have already mentioned above come from Joe Jackson’s debut album, titled “Look Sharp!”. This album came out back in 1979, and it features one of Joe Jackson’s best known tracks, called “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”. As I already mentioned, I don’t really like this song, but the rest of the album is surely worth your time. Most of the albums lyrics are about love, break-ups, and women, but I assure you, it’s still a good album. For example, the 2nd track “Sunday Papers” is undeniably catchy, with it’s ever-changing bassline. “Happy Loving Couples” is another solid track, and I like how Jackson continues to say “You ain’t no friends of mine” at the end until he is cut off by some dude that says, “Alright that’s enough!”. Moving onto the titled track “Look Sharp!”, this track switches back and forth from a punk rock song to a reggae song, and then it takes another unexpected turn around 1:40 when the piano comes in to break things down. The next track “Fool’s in Love” is definitely a reggae/ ska song in itself, while the guitar in the next track “(Do the) Instant Mash” makes it a rock song before anything else. If any song from the album is going to get stuck in your head, it’s the next track called “Pretty Girls”. Thanks to the spastic bass line and Jackson’s “doo doo wopa doo doo wopa” chant, I can guarantee you this song will get stuck in your head. Find out for yourself right now, the track is just below. Be sure to also listen to the albums closing track “Got the Time” with its fast paced, upbeat action and the funky bass solo. Don’t forget to give the bonus tracks some lovin’ too. Hey, that’s all for today! Thanks for reading, and check back yet again tomorrow!

Joe Jackson – “Pretty Girls”

Look Sharp! – Tracklist
1. “One More Time” – 3:15
2. “Sunday Papers” – 4:22
3. “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” – 3:33
4. “Happy Loving Couples” – 3:08
5. “Throw it Away” – 2:49
6. “Baby Stick Around” – 2:36
7. “Look Sharp!” – 3:23
8. “Fools in Love” – 4:23
9. “(Do the) Instant Mash” – 3:12
10. “Pretty Girls” – 2:55
11. “Got the Time” – 2:55
12. “Don’t Ask Me” – 2:44 (bonus)
13. “You Got the Fever” – 3:37 (bonus)

Joe Jackson – Official Website
Look Sharp! – BUY

Oneida – Preteen Weaponry

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Krautrock, Experimental, Psychedelic

Here today I have something that is a bit different for you than anything I’ve posted so far. The name of the band is Oneida, and they are from Brooklyn, New York. Unlike most bands, Oneida definitely has an obsession with the idea of repetition, which is quite obvious if you just listen to the music. Luckily for you, you CAN listen to the music, because I have the album “Preteen Weaponry” here for you today. This is a 3 track album that clocks in at just under 40 minutes, with each song passing the 10 minute mark. The first track begins with some mysterious feedback sounds and drum rolls, which slowly escalates into a steady drum beat. If I had to put myself in a situation where this music was the soundtrack, this would be my scenario: you’re walking towards the entrance of a giant colosseum as the momentum builds up, and right near the 3 minute mark of the song when things kick up, is when the colosseum doors are locked behind you, and all you have now is a fight to the death. People are cheering like crazy in the audience surrounding you, and they just let a tiger loose that only wants YOUR blood. Yeah. It’s the intense.

The second track of the album starts off with some heavy sound effects, along with a slow, tribal-like drum beat. This track also brings up another scenario, this time being much more horrifying. Picture this: you’re walking through a dark, deserted town with old, run-down shacks and an old church that nobody uses. The haunting vibes are unbearable as the game “Resident Evil” comes to mind. Occasionally, you run into a blood sucking zombie who tries to attack you, but you always escape by the skin of your teeth. The lyrics that start around the 6 minute mark would represent these zombies.

Moving onto the final track of the album, this is probably my personal favorite from the album. I think that would be due to the sprawling and continuous drumming that never ceases throughout the entire 14 minute track. I also like the sound effect towards the end of the track; it brings to mind the sound that a submarines sonar would make underwater. It’s just a steady beep that fits perfectly into the mix. That’s enough of what I think. Now it’s time for you to check out the album. Thanks for reading, and check back tomorrow!

Preteen Weaponry: Tracklist
1. “Preteen Weaponry, Pt. I” – 14:30
2. “Preteen Weaponry, Pt. II” – 11:26
3. “Preteen Weaponry, Pt. III” – 13:53

Oneida’s Official Website
Oneida on Myspace
Preteen Weaponry: BUY

Pavement – Stray Slack

Back in September, some very exciting news was announced that many people had been waiting to hear for nearly 10 years. This exciting news was the confirmation that the band PAVEMENT would reunite in 2010 to play their first shows together in over 10 years. Woo! Since the big announcement, they have booked shows all across the globe, in places like Australia and Japan, they are headlining a few (1, 2) different festivals in 2010, and now they have even announced a new “Best-Of” compilation that will simultaneously be released with some of the first shows on the Pavement world tour (March 9th to be exact). Along with the “Best-Of” compilation, which is cleverly titled “Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement”, the record label Matador is holding a contest to see if anybody can correctly guess the track listing for the new compilation. More details on that contest and the compilation right here.

So 2010 is definitely looking to be the year of Pavement…but putting all of this reunion stuff aside for a second…

Today I have an album for you that could be considered a bootleg before anything else. It’s a mostly-live album from Pavement that probably came out sometime back in 1993 before “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” was ever released. This bootleg rules, and the best part is I found it for a $1.00 at the Punk Rock Flea Market in Philadelphia. The album contains 22 songs, with most of them being from the “Slanted and Enchanted” days of Pavement, but songs from other earlier releases are found on this bootleg as well. Don’t waste any more time…check it out right here!

While you wait for the album to download, please take a minute to view the new “Band of the Week” feature here at the Styrofoam Drone. Each day of the week, I will add a new song from the said band, so be sure to check back daily!

Stray Slack: Tracklist
1.) Conduit For Sale
2.) Fame Throwa
3.) Home
4.) Perfume – V
5.) Summer Babe
6.) Frontwards
7.) Angel Carver Blues / Mellow Jazz Docent
8.) Two States
9.) No Life Singed Her
10.) So Stark, You’re A Skyscraper
11.) Box Elder
12.) Baby, Yeah
13.) In the Mouth A Desert
14.) Greenlander
15.) Here
16.) Trigger Cut
17.) Black Walls
18.) Texas Never Whispers
19.) Teenage Piss Party
20.) Zurich Is Stained
21.) Kentucky Cocktail
22.) Feed Them to the Lions

Pavement: Official Website
Stray Slack: TRY
Stray Slack: Can’t really find a place to buy this one. Here is an auction for the album on vinyl > BUY

Vermillion Sands – Mary 7″

It’s always a great feeling when a band catches you off guard and you’re thinking, “Wow, I didn’t think these guys were going to sound like this.”. That’s exactly what I was thinking when I first heard these songs here. The band I have for you today is called Vermillion Sands, and they’re quite good. The band is currently made up of 4 members, and they all come from Treviso, Italy. Up to this point, there are only a few 7″ records and a 12″ EP that the band has put out. You can check out their latest 12″ EP over at Insound. If you’re interested in the 7″ records, you can probably find more information about those here, here, and here. As far as the music goes, these guys make an infectious blend of garage rock and folk rock that’s just great. The opening track “Mary” has more of the garage rock feel and also some crazy sound effects, while songs like “Wake Me When I Die” and “Would You Kindly Direct Me to Hell” are a bit more on the folk side of the fence. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention they have a female singer. Her name is Anna.

Mary: Tracklist
1.) Mary – 3:33
2.) Wake Me When I Die – 2:16
3.) Would You Kindly Direct Me to Hell – 2:47

Vermillion Sands on Myspace/Facebook
Mary 7″: BUY! from InterPunk

Syd Barrett – Barrett

Perhaps one of the most interesting and reclusive figures in musical history, Syd Barrett (January 6th, 1946 – July 7th, 2006) was the original driving force behind the band we all already know as PINK FLOYD. Syd Barrett was present in Pink Floyd from their very beginnings, but he only lasted in the band for a short time. The band began to form back in England in 1964, which is when Syd Barrett would be considered the leader of the band. After a few line-up changes and a few band name adjustments (Syd gets credit for coming up with the name “Pink Floyd”), the band was ready to release their first album, which was titled “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”. This album came out back in 1967, and it was the only Pink Floyd album to be made fully under the leadership of Syd Barrett. In the midst of all the commotion surrounding Pink Floyd after their first release, Syd Barrett had been continually experimenting with drugs like LSD. This led to a very unpredictable and frightening Syd Barrett, who would eventually be replaced in the band by the guitarist David Gilmour. Before finally “leaving” the band, Syd also helped out on their second release in 1968, entitled “A Saucerful of Secrets”.

After leaving Pink Floyd, Syd was certainly not finished with his musical career, and he had much more up his sleeve for us. His solo career began in 1968, with his first solo album release being in 1970. This first album was called “The Madcap Laughs”, featuring many wonderful tracks like “Terrapin”, “Octopus”, “Golden Hair”, and “Dark Globe”. The second and final solo studio album we would get from Syd Barrett is the one I have for you today. This album came out originally back in 1970, and sadly was the last studio album we would get. The album starts off with a bluesy guitar intro on the track “Baby Lemonade”, which soon escalates into a delightful song, with Syd begging for some lemonade. Skipping ahead to the extremely drone-y and almost-haunting track titled “Dominoes”, this is certainly one of the tracks worth hearing from the album. The track ends with an all too appropriate keyboard solo from Pink Floyd member Richard Wright (July 28th, 1943 – September 15th, 2008), which is probably why it sounds so familiar. A few other highlights from the album include “Gigolo Aunt” with its funky basslines, “Effervescing Elephant” which is great to sing along with, the somewhat creepy sounding “Maisie”, “Waving My Arms in the Air”, “Rats”, and “Wined and Dined”. Happy belated birthday Syd, and also: Rest in Peace Syd Barrett and Richard Wright!

Barrett: Tracklist
1. “Baby Lemonade” – 4:10
2. “Love Song” – 3:03
3. “Dominoes” – 4:08
4. “It Is Obvious” – 2:59
5. “Rats” – 3:00
6. “Maisie” – 2:51
7. “Gigolo Aunt” – 5:46
8. “Waving My Arms In The Air” – 2:09
9. “I Never Lied To You” – 1:50
10. “Wined And Dined” – 2:58
11. “Wolfpack” – 3:41
12. “Effervescing Elephant” – 1:52

Syd Barrett: Official Website
Barrett: BUY

The Strange Boys – And Girls Club

Hello, hello. Today I have an album for you that I wish I had known about much, much sooner. This album surely would have been included in my “Best of 2009” lists, but it’s a bit too late for that now, huh? This album is called “The Strange Boys and Girls Club”, and it was released by In The Red Records on March 3rd, 2009. Before initially listening to the record, I didn’t think it was going to be anything special, but I was sadly mistaken.

The Strange Boys, like many bands these days, come from Austin, Texas. Their roots can be traced back to 2001, when lead singer/guitarist Ryan Sambol and the now former drummer Matt Hammer used to be a punk rock duo back in 8th grade. More on that here. Since the 8th grade, the members have continued to concentrate on finding their very own sound, and this was most prominent on their 2007 EP, which is called “Nothing”. The EP contained just 4 short songs, and it was released on Dusty Medical Records. Unfortunately, this EP is no longer available, but hopefully they’ll press it again someday. The Strange Boys continued to work, self-releasing another EP in 2008 that they called “The Strange Boys Will Now Forever Be Known As the Martin Luther Kings EP”. It was a bit more difficult to find any information on this release, considering it was self-released by the band. Moving on to 2009, this would end up being the best year for the Strange Boys yet. Most importantly, they released their first full length album, which brought in some positive reviews from places like NME, Pitchfork, and the Austin Chronicle, amongst many others. While playing the album, many different genres might run through your head that you could tag The Strange Boys with, but once you pin one down, The Strange Boys are already making you change your mind. You might be thinking country music one second, and then all of a sudden you’ll be listening to striped down garage rock song with a bluesy guitar twist. One such song would be “This Girl Taught Me a Dance”, which appears on their full length album. Like this song here, every song has it’s twists and turns, and every song is just as good as the next. Some other album highlights would be “Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up”, with it’s insanely catchy first line “I’m in trouble with another man/I did something I shouldn’t”. I found myself singing this line all day yesterday. Singer Ryan Sambol continues in the song with “I didn’t do anything you wouldn’t”, which is 100% true. Listen to the song…you’ll know what he’s talking about! I could sit here and type all day, because each track is good in its own way. Seriously. Just download the album and find out for yourself. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!!!

The Strange Boys and Girls Club: Tracklist
1. “Woe is You and Me” – 2:13
2. “They’re Building the Death Camps” – 2:51
3. “Should Have Shot Paul” – 1:55
4. “MLKs” – 1:49
5. “This Girl Taught Me a Dance” – 3:06
6. “For Lack of a Better Face” – 3:15
7. “Heard You Wanna Beat Me Up” – 2:09
8. “No Way for a Slave to Behave” – 3:11
9. “Poem Party” – 1:53
10. “To Turn a Tune or Two” – 2:25
11. “Most Things” – 1:36
12. “A Man You’ve Never Known” – 2:00
13. “Then” – 2:11
14. “Who Needs Who More” – 2:18
15. “Probation Blues” – 2:14
16. “Death and All the Rest” – 2:39

The Strange Boys on Myspace.
And Girls Club: BUY

Double Dagger – More

Double Dagger is a post-punk band from Baltimore, Maryland. Currently they are a 3-piece band, consisting of Nolen Strals on vocals, Bruce Willen on bass guitar, and Denny Bowen on drums. You might be wondering who plays guitar in this band, and believe it or not, there is no guitarist. Instead, the bass player plays exceptionally loud all the time, making up for the absence of the guitar. Before hearing the music, the fact that the band doesn’t have a guitarist may turn you off, but I assure you, these are some tracks certainly worth hearing.

Double Dagger have been active since late 2002, and since their beginnings, they have had several releases on various labels. There first “full length” (it’s only about 23 minutes long) album is simply titled “Double Dagger”, and it was released back in 2003 on Hit-Dat Records. There sophomore effort came out 4 years later in 2007, and this time they called the album “Ragged Rubble”, releasing it on Stationary (Heart) Records. You can still buy Ragged Rubble in LP format, which is in a limited edition of 300 on clear vinyl, which I know I am going to buy before today is over. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can still buy it in CD format…but really? Who wants that? Just buy the LP for $12 and be happy. Double Daggers next and most recent release is entitled “More”, which could easily be named after their hometown of BaltiMORE. This release was put out by Thrill Jockey Records, and it brought in a bunch of positive reviews for Double Dagger. The city of Baltimore named it there favorite album of 2009, which is certainly an accomplishment for Double Dagger. This album was also one of my personal favorites from 2009.

More: Tracklist
1.) No Allies
2.) Vivre Sans Temps Mort
3.) We Are The Ones
4.) Camouflage
5.) The Lie_The Truth
6.) Surrealist Composition With Your Face
7.) Helicopter Lullaby
8.) Neon Gray
9.) Half-Life
10.) Two-Way Mirror

Double Daggers Official Website
Double Dagger on Myspace
MORE: BUY – the LP format is limited to 1,000 – get it while you still can.

Hilltop Hoods – The Calling

The Hilltop Hoods are a 3 piece hip hop group, hailing from Adelaide, South Australia. That’s right, Aussie hip hop. The group is comprised of two MC’s, Suffa and Pressure, and their sole DJ, DJ Debris. Hilltop Hoods might not be a name you’re familiar with, but over in Australia, Hilltop Hoods have surely made their name known. Their album titled “The Calling” was released in 2003 and it has achieved platinum status in Australia, and two of the tracks from the album were included in the years best 100 tracks. Those two tracks were “The Nosebleed Section” and “Dumb Enough”, coming in placed at 9th and 44th. This was certainly a huge turning point for the group, and it was also a big change for the underground Australian hip hop scene. With the success of “The Calling”, people began to support the underground hip hop genre, and thus, the name Hilltop Hoods became much more prominent. Most of this success came from the track mentioned above, entitled “The Nosebleed Section”. The group themselves claim that this track was definitely the turning point for their career, and it landed them countless festival gigs and show offerings, amongst other things. See what else they had to say about the track right here. If you’re not convinced and don’t really care to check out the album just yet, you need to check this track out here, which you already know is titled “The Nosebleed Section”. If that’s got you curious, make an effort to listen to this track titled “The Sentinel”, this one titled “Testimonial Year”, or this last one titled “Dumb Enough”. If you’re STILL not interested after hearing those tracks, then I suggest you check back for more tomorrow.

The Calling: Tracklist
1. Incoming (Interlude 1)
2. Testimonial Year
3. The Calling
4. Dumb Enough?
5. Illusionary Lines
6. Tomorrow Will Do
7. Laying Blame
8. Shimmy and the Gravysplitter (Interlude 2)
9. The Nosebleed Section
10. Down for the Cause
11. Mic Felon
12. Walk On
13. The Certificate
14. Hilltop Hoods (Interlude 3)
15. Working the Mic
16. Outgoing (Interlude 4)
17. The Sentinel

Hilltop Hoods on Myspace
The Calling: BUY

Shlohmo – Hot Boxing the Cockpit

Hello! I don’t have much time to post today, so I only have a song for you. This song comes from a 19-year old producer named Henry Laufer, who many of you may know better as Shlohmo. Hailing from Los Angeles/San Francisco, California, this young producer mixes a wide range of sounds, creating a lo-fi, abstract type of instrumental hip hop that’s a tinge on the psychedelic side. When listening, it brought names like Madlib and Flying Lotus to mind. The name of the song I have here today is entitled “Hot Boxing the Cockpit”. The very beginning starts off with birds chirping, which kind of leaves your wondering what this is going to sound like. You should check it out for yourself though, because if anything is true, it’s the fact that I would totally hot box any cockpit to this track. Check back for more tomorrow and more Shlohmo in the near future. Enjoy!