Category: Still Spinnin’

Basically these are our favorite records/ singles, whether they’re 30 years old or just came out yesterday. You should listen to them.

Heavy Times – Sick Listens 2005-2010

We haven’t covered a cassette here on the blog for a few months now, so I figured now might be a good time to set these gems free to eager listening ears. As far as I know, you can’t find most of these tracks anywhere else on the internet, so I’m very enthused to present you with HEAVY TIMES SICK LISTENS. Continue reading “Heavy Times – Sick Listens 2005-2010” →

Lower Dens – Batman 7″

Hailing from Baltimore comes the haze-rock outfit LOWER DENS. Led by the Texas native Jana Hunter, this is their first release since the 2010 effort “Twin-Hand Movement”, and they continue on beautifully right from where they left off. Continue reading “Lower Dens – Batman 7″” →

Girls Names/ Brilliant Colors – Split 7″

Most recently coming from the Slumberland label (and Tough Love if yr in the UK) is a brand new split 7″ between Ireland’s GIRLS NAMES and San Francisco’s BRILLIANT COLORS. It’s a magical double A-side single featuring a song apiece from each band, and worldwide it’s limited to just 600 copies. Continue reading “Girls Names/ Brilliant Colors – Split 7″” →

Brain Idea – The Survival Scrolls

Hey, hopefully everybody’s been having a good holiday week. With Thanksgiving and Black Friday now past us, it looks like things are finally going back to normal. Well, at least until Christmas gets a little closer anyway. We all know how hectic that gets. To finish up the week I’ve got quite an awesome and interesting record here, and I think yr gonna enjoy it very much. Continue reading “Brain Idea – The Survival Scrolls” →

Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans – The Falcon Lake Incident

What’s up people. Now that the weekend’s over it’s time for another new week in music, so let’s start it off with a bang.

This weekend was a cold one (at least where I’m from, anyway), and I spent a greater portion of it driving around my hometown delivering pizza’s from the comfort of my cars stereo. Being the delivery guy always gives me ample time to check out various new musics, but sometimes I get a little sidetracked if something new and special presents itself. In other words, what I meant was I had a good deal of stuff to check out, but only ended up listening to one thing. Was it because of the cold and how absolutely perfect the music complements the weather for this time of year? Was it because of my undying love for John K. Samson and The Weakerthans? Would you have guessed that a band like Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans would even be on this blog? For some reason my guess is “probably not.”

Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans toured together in the Fall of 2007 (for the Weakerthans “Reunion Tour” album), and I’m not sure if that’s when this whole project began to take place, but it sounds like a good starting point, right? Before this album, that was the Weakerthans last studio effort, while Brysons was 2007’s “Where the Bungalows Roam”. With that being said, it’s about time that both of these acts got back in the studio to lay down some new tracks. There’s just one issue – they didn’t record in a studio. They spent this past January in a cabin in the middle of a -40C winter on Falcon Lake in Manitoba, and the results are quite stunning. To see for yourself where I just got all that information, follow this link to the Jim Bryson website and scroll down to his posts from the beginning months of 2010.

I had never really thought to check out Jim Bryson (even after he opened for the Weakerthans in 2007), but I can tell you right now that I’ll be looking into his stuff after hearing this new album. These Canadian musical masterminds are obviously doing something right, and they certainly deserve a little praise for this record here. Coming from a Weakerthans dominated musical diet (and not so much Bryson), I have to say this – it’s like a Weakerthans album with the country-esque twangy guitar and laid-back approach, but with the addition of Bryson the music gains a little more energy at times than a Weakerthans album normally would have (like in tracks “Wild Folk”, “Up All Night”, “Kissing Cousins”, and “Decidedly”). If you’re familiar with the Weakerthans song “Watermark”, pretend they transplanted the raw energy from that song and spread it out around “The Falcon Lake Incident”. The result would be this album we have here.

One of the songs that first comes to mind that has that natural energy is the fourth track “Wild Folk”. A truly glorious song when driving down the highway, leaving all the other cars in your dust behind you. There’s a constantly pulsing vibe you can grasp in this song, as you can feel the pure energy rush through your veins. There’s even a feeling of comfort worked into the song, which just says that “everything’s going to be okay”. Maybe it’s the blissful “ba-ba-ba-ba” chants from Bryson, or just the reassuring lyrics about staying back at home, which seems like the only place worth being in this song. Coming around within the final minute, the song peaks off as they rock a single guitar chord into the end as the song slowly winds down with a mysterious vibe.

Please guys, don’t sleep on this stuff. There’s something worth smiling about around every corner of this heartwarming album, whether it’s the homely feel or just the way it seems to fight off the cold weather. Jim Bryson and the Weakerthans gang put together quite a project here, and I’m more than happy to be sharing it with you guys today. Listen to the songs below, smile, and enjoy.

PS – Why would you ever grow leaves just to watch them fall off again?

Metal Girls –

Fell of the Dock –

Wild Folk –

Decidedly –

My Rating: 8.6/10
Genre/ Tags: Folk Rock, Alt-Country, Indie Rock
The Falcon Lake Incident: Tracklist:
1.) Raised All Wrong
2.) Metal Girls
3.) Fell Off the Dock
4.) Wild Folk
5.) Constellation
6.) Freeways in the Frontyard
7.) Up All Night
8.) Kissing Cousins
9.) Decidedly
10.) Anything and All

Jim Bryson – Official Website
The Weakerthans – Official Website
BUY the album directly from Kelp Records (LP)
or BUY directly from MapleMusic (CD)
In relation – an older Drone post about John K. Samson

Jaill – There’s No Sky (Oh My My)

Anybody remember when we covered JAILL back in the beginning of September? If not, follow that link in the last sentence so you can fill yourself in. Since that post, I’ve been on the lookout for a copy of their first LP from Burger Records, and I finally got the chance to snag a used copy on eBay a few weeks ago.

I just found the record in my mail yesterday and promptly threw it on the record player. To my surprise, I was absolutely floored. It’s because of this record here that Jaill had the opportunity to release “That’s How We Burn” on Sub Pop, and now it all makes sense. They put down 12 different songs (plus a bonus track) for this record, each combining a completely lethal dose of your favorite elements from pop, punk, garage, and psychedelic, and DAMN does it work well. They even manage to work in their subtle references to pot/ being stoned here and there like they did on the other LP.

I must warn you though prior to listening, because this stuff is highly addicting. Every last track could be looked at as a highlight in its own way, and with all songs going barely past the three-minute mark, there’s no doubt you’ll be putting this thing on repeat for days. Which is exactly why this is the next installment to our new “Still Spinnin” feature! Basically the idea here is to keep you guys up to date with what we like most here at the Drone, whether it just came out yesterday or if it’s been out for thirty years. You should expect to see a more detailed post about this in the near future, so stay tuned.

And that’s where I’m gonna leave you guys for today. Check out this batch of songs from the LP right below and let the infatuation begin. You can still grab a copy of the LP with that link below, but don’t sleep on it for too long. See you guys tomorrow.

There’s No Sky (Oh My My) –

Always Wrong –

No Mindless Love –

Pardono –

We’ve Won –

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Pop, Psychedelic
There’s No Sky (Oh My My): Tracklist:
1.) There’s No Sky (Oh My My)
2.) Beggar Sincere
3.) Always Wrong
4.) Stuffed
5.) No Mindless Love
6.) The Biggest Nugget of Them All
7.) Pardono
8.) We’ve Won
9.) Suave Losin’ It
10.) All it Was
11.) Out of Your Boots
12.) Love Takes Shots
13.) Snake Shake (Bonus track)

Jaill on Myspace
Jaill – Official Website
BUY the album directly from Insound – Limited to 1000 !
Jaill – That’s How We Burn previously posted on the Drone

Total Slacker – Crystal Necklace 7″

Meet Total Slacker, Brooklyn’s bowl-cuttest band about town. Vice blog described Total Slacker as “that band that everybody hates because the skinny guy has a bowl cut”, so if people care this much about the dudes hair, they have to be doing something right. This is the debut release from these new guys, but after hearing the music, you’d probably never think that it was their first. Well, that’s because in a way, it’s not.

The band is filled out by Emily Oppenheimer on bass and vocals, Ross Condon on drums, and Tucker Rountree on guitar and vocals. Rountree, however, is the interesting member of the bunch. Originally coming from Salt Lake City, Rountree first started playing guitar at the young age of 7 years old. He mainly learned from his father, who taught him bluesy guitar licks and such. Coming from an artistic family, Tucker was always surrounded by music and became enamored with jazz thanks to his grandfather Will. As he grew up, he taught himself how to play guitar, constantly honing up on his skills to get where he is today. Before long, Rountree was well known on the jazz scene, and had the chance to put out his very own album under the name “Tucker Rountree Sound”. Don’t believe me all you bowl-cut haters? Check out this link right here. Not only can you still download the album, it gives you some pretty insightful information about Rountree, which is where I got all that information from above.

Okay, so, maybe I went off on a bit of a tangent there. But I feel like you guys needed to know this. Especially since this band doesn’t seem to be getting all the respect it deserves because of one dudes haircut. Background information like that provides awesome insight for a band that is said to be “brand new”, when in fact they’re not entirely “brand new”. In my opinion – who fuckin’ cares about his hair! If anything the hair gives the band some personality, and apparently a reason to be hated.

So yeah, now you’re probably wondering what the hell Total Slacker sounds like since I’ve been neglecting to talk about the band for this long. Let’s keep it simple, shall we? This 7″ comes with two brain-burning tracks with one of each side called “Crystal Necklace” and “Video Store Rental Guy”. Each turns into a smokey, raging psychedelic onslaught right before you ears, and if you’re into psych, this WILL be right up your alley. Coming complete with pounding drums, face melting guitars and throbbing bass lines, it’s no wonder why this Brooklyn trio is catching on so well…orrrrr not so well. Snag their 7″ with the link below before you can’t anymore.

Crystal Necklace –

Video Store Rental Guy –

My Rating: 8.7/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Lo-Fi, Garage Rock
Crystal Necklace 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Crystal Necklace
2.) Video Store Rental Guy

Total Slacker on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Insound
For those still curious about Tucker Rountree & Total Slacker:
Check this out – Words about Tucker on FB
Check this out – Tucker Rountree Sound mp3’s
Check this out – Tucker Rountree Sound Myspace
Check this out – Vids of Rountree playing with jazz dudes (if this doesn’t work just search ‘Tucker Rountree’ on YouTube)
Check this out – Rountree’s other band, the poppy ‘Web Dating’
Check this out, too – Total Slacker: A Brooklyn Love Story