Tammar – Tammar EP

Hello y’all. Today’s post comes from a record I just picked up from the record store over this past weekend, and I feel like this stuff is going to be new for you since it was for me. The name of the band is TAMMAR, and they’re from the unexpected Bloomington, Indiana. Their self-titled EP came out sometime back in 2008, which probably means this poor record was sitting in the record store for over a year! Poor thing. It’s all good though, because it has a home now, and it just so happens to be loved very much! I didn’t know what I was getting into when I bought this EP, but the main reason I picked it up that day was because it’s from the St. Ives imprint. As of lately, these St. Ives records have really hit the spot (See Radical Sons or Friendo), so I can’t help myself but pick up another one when I see it. You can mark my words that there will be another one up here sooner or later, I just have to find it first 😉

So who are these Tammar folk you ask? Well, for starters, I’m pretty sure this is their only official release, so the chances of finding this band any other way seems pretty slim. The EP is just under a half an hour long, and it’s filled with Tammar’s head spinning blend of wobbly indie pop – going from the headline on their Myspace page that reads “Wobble-Pop”. The first track “Summer Fun” fits this description best in my opinion, as the song’s sounds brings words like “confusing” and “amnesia” to mind. Amongst the pulsating bass lines and hazy sound effects, there’s plenty of things going on in these songs. The guitar comes in heavily about halfway through this track until the dizzy fade-out at the end of the song. This leaves us at the beginning of the next track “Weddle On”, which starts off with a fun intro that is sure to leave the listener guessing what direction this song is going to take. The song starts off somewhat slow and very quiet, but as time goes on the song picks up some speed, definitely gets louder, and it actually gets more and more complex over time. Come to think of it, a few of these songs take a similar form where they’ll start out slow and quiet, but as time goes on they get bigger, louder, and more intricate.

The following track goes almost hand-in-hand with what I just said, and it’s called “Dig A Hole”. This just so happens to be the longest song from the EP, as it clocks in at over seven minutes. The song starts out on a slow bass line with some eerie sound effects, and you’ll see as time passes that the song starts to form into it’s own. The steady drumming and the buzzing bass lines are always present as more and more begins to come out in the song, but they never break the song off into a different direction – they stay focused throughout and keep it moving forward without ever looking over their shoulder to see what could have been.

Skipping ahead to the final track of the EP called “Hot Juice” (just a quick thought – hot juice definitely doesn’t sound refreshing). But moving on. “Hot Juice” is definitely a highlight from this EP, and it starts out on some groovy keyboards. The drums and guitar slowly join in on the fun, and before you realize it they’re building up their song again as you listen to it. During the second minute the song turns into a fast-paced acid jam filled with lots of cowbell and more bouncy sounds. In other words, it’s just a long, intense jam out with enough sound effects and cowbell to keep you happy for days.

That’s the end of their EP, and unfortunately I don’t think these guys ever put out anything else. It doesn’t seem like Tammar ever gained the popularity they could have achieved, which is probably why there isn’t anything else to listen to, but I’ve been wrong many, many times in my life. Trust me. Listen to the songs below, and thanks for coming by again!

Summer Fun (3:57) –

Weddle On (5:13) –

Hot Juice (6:53) –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Pop, Indie Rock
Tammar EP: Tracklist:
1.) Summer Fun
2.) Weddle On
3.) Dig A Hole
4.) Emily’s Army
5.) Hot Juice

Tammar on Myspace
Tammar on Last.fm
Download the EP digitally from OtherMusic.com

Jacuzzi Boys – Bricks or Coconuts 7″

So these Jacuzzi Boys have been around for a couple of years now, but only about a week ago did I first listen to them. Yeah, you could say I was a bit late to the Jacuzzi Boys game, but it really doesn’t make a difference. The only thing I won’t have much luck in is picking up all of their early 7″ records, but those are the prices you pay when you’re late to the game on good, new bands these days.

Since their formation as a band, the Jacuzzi Boys have released at least five 7″ singles, and then they have one full-length LP that you can get more information on right here. The most recent of their singles comes from the Mexican Summer imprint, and it was just released sometime during May or June. The 7″ features three brand new songs, none of which can be found on any other release from the band. If you’ve heard any of their full-length or any of their other 7″ records, then you already know what to expect from the Jacuzzi Boys – fun loving, head spinning garage rock with scuzzy, shredded guitars and the feeling of a rocking good time. If you haven’t listened to these guys yet (like me about 5 days ago), then I highly suggest you check out these songs. Finding their physical releases proves to be a difficult task now, but I’ve started you off on the mission by finding the “Bricks or Coconuts” 7″ from Midheaven Mailorder and then the “Island Ave.” 7″ from HoZac Records. Good luck with the rest!

Bricks or Coconuts –

Freakazoids –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Lo-Fi, Punk
Bricks or Coconuts 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Bricks or Coconuts
2.) Freakazoids
3.) Sing Along

Jacuzzi Boys on Myspace
You can still by the “Bricks or Coconuts” 7″ from Midheaven Mailorder
BUY the mp3s directly from Mexican Summer – Sorry folks, this one’s sold out.
BUY the Jacuzzi Boys full-length LP “No Seasons” from Insound
BUY the Island Ave. 7″ from HoZac Records

Wild Nothing – Evertide EP

So the post for today wasn’t originally supposed to be this EP. Last night Twin Sister played in Philadelphia, but after a series of unfortunate events, I was unable to make it to the show and capture any footage of the band. You can probably guess that I was a bit upset, but that’s okay, because I’m sure Twin Sister will be back in Philadelphia in no time. As of now I don’t see any dates, so we’ll just have to wait for them to come back around. But moving on. Instead of show footage today, I give you the brand new EP from the one-man, bedroom-pop-band WILD NOTHING. The EP was put out by the UK label Warmest Chord, and they just released it about a week ago.

The EP features three brand new, unheard songs from Tatum and his Wild Nothing outfit, and they’re sort of a continuation of the songs we heard from his debut LP “Gemini” that came out earlier this year. The EP is just shy of 12 minutes long, and it’s equally parts poppy and dancey, but Tatum still does it all with his undying love for nostalgia and the buzzy sound of classic 80’s pop music. All three of the songs have their moments, but the real prize from this EP comes on the last track “Take Me In”. It’s a straight up jam-out with a shape shifting bass line and a glitchy guitar riff all over top of the glistening sound effects you would expect from a Wild Nothing song. I’ve uploaded the track below for you to listen to, so please check it out!

Take Me In –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Pop
Evertide EP: Tracklist:
1.) Your Rabbit Feet
2.) Golden Haze
3.) Take Me In

Wild Nothing on Myspace
BUY these tracks directly from Warmest Chord
Wild Nothing – Gemini previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone
Wild Nothing – Summer Holiday 7″ previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone

Weed Hounds – Beach Bummed 7″

Hey guys, listen up. You should really do yourself a favor today and check out this band called WEED HOUNDS. Earlier this week they released their debut 7″ record “Beach Bummed” from Iron Pier Records, and it’s proving to be quite an awesome 7″.

Their music is like heavy, atmospheric psychedelic rock with a tinge of the lo-fi pop/punk goodness mixed in (don’t forget shoegaze!), and lead singer Laura Catalano uses her gorgeous voice to sway over the mix, and it’s equally healing and haunting at different parts in the songs. These guys sound like they’re going to have even more awesome stuff for us down the road, so you might want to snag their debut 7″ before it’s too late. I say this because according to the Iron Pier website, there’s only 300 copies of the 7″ to go around, so yeah, get on that quick. If the songs below aren’t enough to keep you going, you should head on over to their Myspace page, because they have a handful of other tracks for your listening pleasure.

Beach Bummed –

Skating Away from the Cops –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Punk, Shoegaze
Beach Bummed 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Beach Bummed
2.) Skating Away from the Cops

Weed Hounds official Tumblr page
Weed Hounds on Myspace
BUY the brand new 7″ directly from Iron Pier Records

New Family Trees Video – No One Will Ever Know

Hey guys. About two weeks ago we made a post here for the release of “Dream Talkin”, the debut 7″ from the brand new band FAMILY TREES. They’ve successfully released their 7″ to the world, and now they’re going a step further by releasing a brand new music video for the B-side song “No One Will Ever Know”. It’s a lazy sounding strung out beach jam, and the hazy/grainy video quality really works wonders for their sound.

Follow this link right here so you can check out for the video for yourself, and if you haven’t listened to Family Trees yet, you should check out their Myspace page AND this post that came up not too long ago. If you like the music, you should consider buying the 7″. Not only will you have a crystal clear and brand new, limited edition record, but the good people over at Father/Daughter Records will love you forever! They told me personally! So now that you’ve been attacked by this link-infested post, you can carry on with the rest of your day! Farewell!

FAMILY TREES – NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW

Girlfriends – Gov’t Seizure 7″

Hailing from the beautiful Boston, Massachusetts comes the trashy, three-piece surf-rock band GIRLFRIENDS. Their debut 7″ single was just released yesterday (July 1st) on the Aurora7 label, and now they’re setting out on quite a long trek across the United States in order to promote their fantastic new 7″. They’ve got dates lined up from now until about halfway through August, so chances are Girlfriends are playing a show in your town. You probably won’t want to miss this one either – they’ll be in Philadelphia on July 3rd, so hopefully I can make it out to the show. For those of you who won’t be able to make the show, that’s why I am here today, and I am glad to be introducing this band. Their new 7″ is just six minutes of twangy, hectic garage rock that also takes a shot at the surf rock sound, but either way this little gem is sure to get stuck on repeat.

The 7″ kicks off on the A-side with the self-titled track “Gov’t Seizure”, and right off the bat you’re already thrown into the midst of a gritty guitar hook attack. The relentless guitars keep at it for awhile before a nasty guitar solo about halfway through, and then they slow/quiet things down about 3/4 of the way through until they ride the rest of the song out into a huge, head spinning finish. Next would come the B-side track called “Creep Stuff”, and the pounding drums and guitar kind of give it a menacing sound in the beginning. They have a bluesy-sounding breakdown just before the halfway mark, and then they suddenly speed things up, only to slow them down again pretty quickly. Still curious? Listen and find out for yourself right below! Why not buy their 7″ while you’re at it? It’s only $6!

Gov’t Seizure –

Creep Stuff –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Pop, Surf Rock
Gov’t Seizure 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Gov’t Seizure
2.) Creep Stuff

Girlfriends Official Website!
Girlfriends on Myspace
BUY their 7″ directly from Aurora7 Records – it’s cheap!
Check out tons of free downloads on the Girlfriends Last.fm page

Sleepies – Sleepies LP

Yo yo. The name of today’s band is SLEEPIES, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the word ‘the’ is not part of their name. Unsurprisingly, this three-piece band hails from the ever-populated Brooklyn, New York, and the band is made up of singer/guitarist Thomas Seely, Josh Intrator on the bass guitar, and Max Tremblay behind the drum set. Unlike most things that have been coming through here on the Styrofoam Drone (with the exception of a few posts), these guys take on a heavy, pop/punk style that definitely leans much further to the punk side before anything else. This self-titled LP (with the intriguing “naked people waving” cover art) just came out recently, but they have been playing shows together since May of 2008, and above all else, SLEEPIES would be delighted to play a show in your basement!

So when I received an e-mail from these guys, I had no idea what to expect – and that’s usually how it goes in a situation like that. When things go down this way, that usually sets you up to totally be caught off guard, which is probably my favorite thing when it comes to listening to brand new music. Sure enough, these guys did just that. Their LP hits all sorts of lows and highs – whether it’s from a relentless, fast-paced punk rock song or from a grimy, electrified guitar solo – these guys really know how to do the punk thing, and they know how to do it good. The first track “Get Fucked” sort of sets the tone for the rest of the LP, as it starts things off with heavy guitar distortion, crashing cymbals, and frantic, yelling vocals. After listening to this song, you should have a rough idea of where the rest of the album will be going, but in no way will it reveal everything they have in store for you.

The next song “Monolith” is only the beginning of the punk fueled madness you’re about to endure, but that’s certainly not meant in a bad way. It’s an electrified punk song with shards of scuzzy guitars, and about halfway through they slow everything down and then suddenly pick it all back up again with a frantic drum roll before they bring you to the end of the song. The following song “Backbone” is another fast-paced, head-spinning punk song with grungy bass lines, and it’s followed up by a second one called “Dome”. Towards the end of “Dome” there’s some nice lead guitar work, and it all comes to an end with a spastic breakdown before the following track “Good Hunting” starts. I’m going to leave you guys with a good chunk of songs from the LP to listen to, including the sprawling final track from the LP called “Housewife”. If these tracks don’t do the trick, you should check out their Myspace because they have much more to offer over there.

Monolith –

Dome –

Housewife –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Punk, Pop
Sleepies LP: Tracklist:
1.) Get Fucked
2.) Monolith
3.) Backbone
4.) Dome
5.) Good Hunting
6.) Unfortunate Faces
7.) Hypochondriac Blues
8.) Carpultunia
9.) Squirrel Guns
10.) Polylith
11.) Summer Bummer
12.) Huh
13.) Housewife

Sleepies on Myspace!
Sleepies on Last.fm!
BUY the Sleepies LP directly from their store!

Endless Wave – City Walls EP

To start things off today, I would like to apologize for not posting anything the past few days. I was visiting the beach for the weekend and didn’t really have the time to post anything (except for Monday), and finding a free internet signal proved to be quite difficult, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to let a few days pass without a post. But don’t worry, I have something new for you guys today, and hopefully you’ll enjoy it. The name of the band is ENDLESS WAVE, and they’re a three-piece band coming from Boston, and they just released their debut EP called “City Walls” from a record label called Fort Point Recordings. Endless Wave take on that familiar atmospheric shoegaze sound, but they do it in their own special way in which the music gives you a feeling that you’re soaring through the sky. Hence the descriptive word “skygaze” I’ve been seeing when looking up some information on this band.

As I already said, these guys play a familiar sound, and I’m sure you can name bands from the past that these guys sound like. There music is full of heavenly, crystal clear guitars (Ocean Drive), fuzzy distorted bass lines (Last Phase), and sudden bursts of energy from start to finish that are bound to catch you off guard. Songs like “Triangular” and the epic seven-minute “Premeditated” include many of the things I just mentioned, but do you really want to hear it from me? Listen to the songs below yourself and see what you think!

Ocean Drive –

Triangular –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Alternative, Pop, Shoegaze
City Walls EP: Tracklist:
1.) City Walls
2.) Last Phase
3.) Ocean Drive
4.) Triangular
5.) Premeditated

Endless Wave on Myspace
Endless Wave on Last.fm

Spider Bags – Hey Delinquents 7″

It’s been a good chunk of time since this last one came out, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good one! This little gem of a 7″ came out over a year ago now (I think), which means it’s been sitting in my shoebox of 45’s for quite some time. I’m not exactly sure why I’ve failed to get it up here up until this point, but that doesn’t really make a difference.

If you’ve heard Dan McGee and his Spider Bags already, then you probably know what to expect – and you’re probably already a big fan of this 7″. But if not, then let me fill you in real quick. Dan McGee is the frontman, and his band plays heavy, shambolic, rootsy punk music that’s got a tinge of the country twang mixed in, along with a bit of that traditional garage rock sound you already know and love. And let me tell you one more thing, although you’re going to figure it out for yourself in just a minute: this stuff is good.

The 7″ kicks off on the A-side with the song “Hey Delinquents”, and my description of the music above pretty much covers this track. It’s about as twangy as a country song gets, with short little guitar licks coming up throughout the song that give it that country feel. Dan McGee howls about not being able to pay the rent without the ransom, which definitely makes me giggle a bit. Towards the end of the song he tells his girl to shut up multiple times, which again makes me giggle a bit. This guy is great – he’s not afraid to do anything. If you haven’t listened to anything else from the Spider Bags, I highly recommend you get on that…right now.

Now we’re flipping over to the B-side. This song is called “Professionals”, and it’s just a little bit different than the A-side, mostly due to the production quality. This song has this increasingly scuzzy, lo-fi sound, and I’m sure that has something to do with the note they left on the description page of the record over at Daggerman Records. Apparently it was produced by a guy named Camero Werewolf? They whip out the harmonica in this song, and there’s also a quick little keyboard solo in there somewhere towards the middle of the track. So why not head on over to the Daggerman Records store and snag up the 7″ before it’s gone? There’s only 100 copies, so I’m sure it’s bound to be sold out any day. And if not, you can just listen to the songs below! Enjoy!

Hey Delinquents –

Professionals –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Country, Punk
Hey Delinquents 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Hey Delinquents
2.) Professionals

Spider Bags on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Daggerman Records
Spider Bags – A Celebration of Hunger previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone

Naked on the Vague – Heaps of Nothing

Back in April, Siltbreeze Records released a brand new LP from Australian goth-rockers NAKED ON THE VAGUE. It’s their second full-length LP to date, and I happened to pick this one up the other day while I was at the record store as well. It’s quite an interesting and mysterious listen, as most of the songs sound about as creepy and haunting as music can get. Pretty much all of the songs are dominated by thick, grimy guitars, and then sometimes we get these headache-inducing sound effects that may or may not at times be a bit too unbearable. But either way, the music can still be thoroughly enjoyed by any listener as some tracks tend to get a bit more intense than others.

The LP kicks off on the hauntingly titled “Mysterious Oven”, and right off the bat you’ll see what these guys are going for and where I’m coming from as the listener. The thick, heavy guitars don’t take long to introduce themselves in the music, along with lead singer Lucy Cliche, while her moody, drony vocals come up pretty often. The second track on the album is called “Wrong Room”, and it’s a bit different than the first. They relax a bit in this song, and that becomes noticeable pretty quickly considering that this song sounds much more lazy and strung out than the previous. It might be a bit of a stretch, but one good word to describe the music might be ‘miserable’. I’m not referring to the band members themselves as being miserable – just referring to the way everything sounds. Towards the end of the song there is a sliding guitar solo that gets totally drowned out by everything else in the mix. Heavy stuff right here.

Moving on to maybe the most accessible song on the LP, this one is called “Treading Water”. You can check this one out below as I’ve uploaded it for your listening pleasure! This one definitely starts off with a slightly more welcoming sound than we’ve heard up until this point. Lucy Cliche frighteningly howls over the mix in this one, complete with some sweet keyboard/piano melodies that go a long way for holding the song together. Next up comes the longest song from the album, and it’s called “Sacred Youth”. It’s chock-full of all the noisy effects you’ve grown to love at this point, and it’s got a primitive, tribal sound to it that sticks around for more-or-less of the entire song. That endless dirge is probably due to the use of the tom-toms and the slow, strung-out nature of the song. Before the song comes to an end there’s a fantastic guitar solo that kind of sums everything up. These guys have such a staggering sound that it’s probably going to take a good listen or two before it really sinks in, but you should definitely give it a chance. The rest of the album follows a similar path – there’s obnoxiously screeching and crunchy guitars. Lazy, moody sounding vocals, and there is even an instrumental track (Black Lettuce). Don’t shy away, give these guys a chance. Listen to the two tracks below!

These Days –

Treading Water –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Lo-Fi, Psychedelic, Gothic
Heaps of Nothing: Tracklist:
1.) Mysterious Oven
2.) Wrong Room
3.) Treading Water
4.) Sacred Youth
5.) These Days
6.) The Joke
7.) Black Lettuce
8.) Blank Minds

Naked on the Vague on Myspace
Naked on the Vague – Official Website!
BUY the album directly from Midheaven Mailorder or Siltbreeze Records