Light Pollution – Apparitions

Light Pollution is a four-piece band that hails from Chicago, IL, and they’re currently in the process of releasing their first full length album, “Apparitions”. “Apparitions” is due out on Carpark Records on June 15th, which means we still have a good bit of time to wait until this one is physically released. The band had one previous release before this, and it was a self-titled, self-released 12″ EP that I can’t seem to find any significant information on anywhere on the web. The best information I found came directly from Light Pollutions Myspace where they show a picture of the EP’s cover art. This band plays a familiar form of indie rock, but they add another element to the music that changes things up. Instead of keeping it simple with the usual instruments, they throw in crazy sound effects and sonic textures that are enough to make your head spin. At times it feels like this band is playing with an entire orchestra behind them.

The album kicks off with the appropriately named “Good Feelings”, and the sound effects that come in go a long way in producing actual good feelings. This can already give you an idea of what the rest of the music might be like, but you don’t want to make any assumptions just yet. This album goes deep with the sound effects in many spots, but on this opening track they do a nice job of keeping the balance between sound effects and the traditional instruments – Neither one of the two overcome each other in the song. Right in the middle there is a nice but quick guitar solo, and the ending of the song is brought by huge drum attacks that are sure to leave you floored. The effects continue on until the very end when the song fades out, and then you’re in the next track, “Oh, Ivory!”.

“Oh, Ivory!” may just be the most accessible song on this album. Alongside of that, this song is also the shortest on the album. It starts off quite unlike any of the other tracks, immediately sounding quite poppy and bubbly. For most of this song they leave behind the heavy sound effects and keep it minimal for the song, never getting too involved with the textures and effects on this one. This is also one of the songs that sounds like they have an entire orchestra backing them up. They build the song up into a hell of an exit, sounding as if they just overcame a monstrous task, and now this is their triumphant exit. Heavenly ending right here. I would love to live in the mood that’s at the end of this song. Next up would be the song “Drunk Kids”, which doesn’t entirely live up to the song we just heard before. Definitely a less ambitious sound on this track. They slow it down significantly with a grooving bass line and a lazy drum beat that hold the song together, while the drowsy vocals work wonders for giving the song more of that lazy feel. There is definitely no sense of urgency in this song like there have been in the previous two. But moving on.

“Fever Dreams” is up next, and they get into the heavy sound effects on this track. The drumming throughout the song is relentless, with little rolls and fills taking any spot they possibly can. After a lengthy outro of effects and splashing cymbals, the next track “Deyci, Right On” begins. This song is quite drawn out and slow in the beginning, but soon the drums come in to start things off. Even after the drums kick things off, it’s still a slow song. The next track “Bad Vibes” starts off like it’s coming up from being underwater, and it continues to build up into some tribal sounding tom-tom action. The song continues to build up into something more, as they progressively get louder and more involved with the instruments and sound effects. There is a fuzzy, hazy-like texture used over this song, which makes it sound like they’re playing from inside a bubble or something, but this is quite an epic ending to the song. They continue on this way until the song suddenly comes to an end.

The next song “All Night Outside” brings us back to familiar territory, as the friendly guitar comes back to start this one off (but not immediately, you gotta get through about 15 seconds of sounds first). They go for more instrumentation in this one and keep the effects at a minimum for now, but that doesn’t mean the effects are absent entirely. A short bit after the halfway mark the song takes an unexpected turn, and then comes a huge guitar solo that’s drowned out by immense cymbal smashing and hazy, wind-like sound effects. Now it seems like these guys are rocking out in the midst of a thunderstorm. Skipping ahead to the last song on the album, “Ssslowdreamsss”. Slowdreams is the longest song on the album, and it’s woozily evocative right from the get go. The swirling, spinning sound effects above your head could easily make you dizzy, and it sounds like you can reach out and grasp the song if you wanted to. As opposed to a traditional song, this moody track is more of a sound scape than anything. Pretend you’re floating through space on this one.

Good Feelings –

Oh, Ivory! –

All Night Outside –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie, Pop, Experimental
Apparitions: Tracklist
1.) Good Feelings
2.) Oh, Ivory!
3.) Drunk Kids
4.) Fever Dreams
5.) Deyci, Right On
6.) Bad Vibes
7.) All Night Outside
8.) Witchcraft
9.) Ssslowdreamsss

Light Pollution on Myspace
Carpark Records Website
Preorder “Apparitions” over at Insound for June 8th!

Twin Sister – Color Your Life

Not too long ago it was announced on the interweb that the band Twin Sister would be touring with Bear in Heaven this summer. It’s really too bad that they’re not going to make it to Philadelphia, because that would kick ass. Unfortunately the closest they’ll be to Philadelphia is when they play in Ohio, and that’s just a bit too far. Oh well. Instead why not just listen to their mesmerizing most recent effort “Color Your Life”, which is due out on May 25th by Infinite Best Recordings?

“Color Your Life” certainly does just as it says. It doesn’t take long for you to realize that either. Right off the bat they’re going for the gold, and if that means we get to listen to more “dream sequence” music like this, then keep it coming! The album starts off on the track “The Other Side of Your Face”, which sort of leaves you on a dreamy, mysterious path right at the beginning of the album. Not long into listening you will notice that the music is drowned in an increasingly atmospheric environment, almost as if you can reach out and grasp the sounds themselves (hence the “dream sequence” comment above). The last minute and a half brings out some entrancing sound effects, and suddenly the song takes a random turn into a land of ridiculously spaced out guitar and an unexpected, almost dancey drum beat. Then it all stops and you’re listening to the next song, “Lady Daydream”, which is probably the most accessible on the album. The twangy guitars that dominate the song do a great job of holding everything together, while the bass guitar does a great job of guiding us through the song. Not only does it act as a guide, but it’s guaranteed to keep your feet tapping along to the beat. Make sure you listen to this one below, you’ll be happy you did.

Next up on the album is “Milk & Honey”. This track starts off slow with the organ until that twangy, metallic sounding lead guitar comes back in to kick off the song. Shortly after the one minute mark the song suddenly takes an unexpected turn in a direction that you probably didn’t see coming at first. The repeating bass line takes charge and pulsates through the rest of the song until it’s suddenly cut short by the intro to the next track, “All Around and Away We Go”. Definitely one of the more accessible songs on the album again right here. Once again, the bass line in this one is sure to keep you moving. Right before the three minute mark everything stops except for some heavenly sound effects, and shortly after the bass line and drums start up again. Now you probably have this unexpected urge to dance, and you’re not really even too sure how it happened. This song sounds like it could have been straight out of the 1980’s.

Next up is the instrumental track “Galaxy Plateau”, but it doesn’t quite serve as an instrumental track – it’s more of a soundscape, or a “dreamscape” if you will. This song sort of came out of nowhere; I wasn’t expecting anything like this, but it’s a hell of an experience. The first minute or so is incredibly creepy, as you can hear a bell ringing far away in the distance. It sounds pretty gruesome, almost as if this were the foreshadowing music to somebody’s death in a movie. This first part really leaves you wondering what direction this song is going to take, but suddenly, right before the two minute mark, it changes directions significantly. You’re greeted by an organ and shimmering, icy sound effects, which almost gives you the feeling that you’re somehow in a wintry atmosphere now. The shimmering sounds you hear remind me of those days when you would trek through the Ice Cavern as adult Link in the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Just listen to the song in this video, you’ll catch my drift. Along with the shimmers you can hear harsh winds, and footsteps trudging through what sounds like snow, with the crunching sound of the snow being mashed up under your feet. It’s almost like you’re in an abandoned snow-town in the dead of winter with nobody else around but the menacing sound of a distant bell calling your name, slowly but surely driving you mad. The way they paint the picture here is bound to leave you speechless, and possibly even begging for more. The last 30 seconds of the song reveals a transition which leads you into the final track of the album, “Phenomenons”. Unlike the previous track, the good vibes really come through on this one. Everything sounds like it’s going to be okay now, almost as if you made it out of that wintry wasteland you were just trapped in. They way the end the album here should leave any listener with high hopes for the next release from Twin Sister. Thanks for reading and check out the mp3’s below.

Lady Daydream –

All Around and Away We Go –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Dream Pop, Experimental, Pop
Color Your Life: Tracklist
1.) The Other Side of Your Face
2.) Lady Daydream
3.) Milk & Honey
4.) All Around and Away We Go
5.) Galaxy Plateau
6.) Phenomenons

Twin Sisters Official Website
Twin Sister on Myspace
Pre-Order “Color Your Life” directly from Infinite Best Recordings

Mi Ami – Steal Your Face

I feel like the word ‘intense’ comes up time and time again when people are talking about music. Most of the time it seems like the word is being overused in all situations, but then there are those times when it’s completely necessary. This is one of those times.

For the past 24 hours I have been listening to Mi Ami’s latest full length effort from Thrill Jockey, and let me tell you people, this one is quite overwhelming, but not necessarily in a bad way. The face-melting trio that is Mi Ami take you on a hell of a journey into their musical world, and once you get sucked in, it might be too late to come back out.

The album kicks off without much time to breath at all – literally right off the bat lead singer Daniel Martin-McCormick is shoving his words down our throat in “Harmonics (Genius of Love)”. This right here might already prove to be too intense, but keep on listening and things tend to become a little less over-bearing. Throughout the song they quiet things down so you can figure out what the hell is going on, but never for too long. By the time you’re in the last minute of the song, the shit just hits the fan entirely. An incredibly noisy, sandpapery, cacophonous guitar drowns out just about everything but the guitar itself, all while Martin-McCormick continues to berate us with his completely unintelligible vocals.

Moving on to the next track “Latin Lover”. This song has a much more welcoming beginning, and perhaps could be the most accessible song on “Steal Your Face” for any listener. The dancey drum beats certainly help make that a possibility, but that decision is really up to you! A bit past the two minute mark of the song and you’ll find yourself in the midst of a metallic, scratchy guitar solo, all while the drums keep guiding you along. By the time you reach the end of the song, you’re forced right into another demonic, shape-shifting electronic mess. I’m not entirely sure what it is that’s making those sounds, but once again the intensity is coming at you full-throttle.

The following track “Dreamers” takes a step back from where the previous two tracks were. They slow everything down significantly, and this is where Mi Ami give you the time to think and put a few thoughts together. This is one of the two longest tracks on the album, so they’re definitely trying to give you some time to catch your breath here. The slow, lazy sounding tom-tom rolls and the echoing bass line can actually be heard in this song, as they’re not being drowned out by ruthless yelping and jarring guitar work. The tribal rhythms continue on this way for the greater portion of this song until the final 2 minutes come into the play. At this point the song slowly gains ferociousness until it’s built up into another huge face-searing guitar solo, which the end result of is an enormous wall of sound that takes us to the end of the song. When the next track “Secrets” starts up, you’ll find yourself back in familiar Mi Ami territory. Martin-McCormick’s squealing vocals and drummer Damon Palermo’s relentless and completely nontraditional drumming styles come back into play, all over top of some screeching sound effects.

This is where I must call it a day. Once again, school work is calling my name, but not for much longer! The end of the year is within sight! Be sure to listen to the songs below if you’re looking to have your face stolen today. OMG band joke!

Latin Lover –

Secrets –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Experimental, Psychedelic
Steal Your Face: Tracklist
1.) Harmonics (Genius of Love)
2.) Latin Lover
3.) Dreamers
4.) Secrets
5.) Native Americans (Born in the U.S.A.)
6.) Slow

Mi Ami on Myspace
BUY “Steal Your Face” directly from Thrill Jockey Records
Mi Ami on Touch and Go / Quarterstick Records

All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors – All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Dream Pop, Experimental, Shoegaze

If there was ever a good time to be a shoegaze band, the 90’s were it. Band’s like My Bloody Valentine, Galaxie 500 and Ride were prominent in those days, along side many other acts. More towards the middle of the decade, a band that never quite reached any sort of mainstream success started to emerge out of the shadows of New Jersey, and they were known as “All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors”. That name is quite a mouthful, too. The band formed originally back in 1993, when member’s Josh Booth and Steve Doherty left their first band “Senepede” to pursue other ideas. This led them to form “All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors”, who remained active until the year 2000.

Their debut LP, the self-titled “All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors” record, was originally released in 1996. This album would mark the beginning of the band, who are sometimes referred to as “L&L” just to keep things simple. The album, originally released with only 8 tracks, was later reissued to include four more songs, which is the copy I am listening to today. The album kicks off with the short but very sweet “Muffin 57”. The song begins with the squeal of the guitar, and shortly after the rest of the band joins in. Around the 20 second mark the lead guitar joins, and it’s pretty much a done-deal after that. That catchy lead guitar hook sticks around for the duration of the song, guiding us through the final moments. Then it turns into that jangly, chicken-scratch of a guitar solo that brings us to the end of the song. Moving on to the longest track from the album, “Saturn Jig” kicks off with that “wahh-wahh” sound that is reminiscent to the parents when they speak in Charlie Brown. Immediately after you’re thrown into a mess of heavy, swirling guitar that’s enough to make your head spin. Then they take a step back and you’re in the middle of that mysterious verse, complete with those “wahh-wahh” sound effects and the intimidating tap of the hi-hat.

During the album you’ll find many mysterious sounds and crazy voices, and it all works wonders for their hazy yet clear sound. Looking back on it, they all tend to have that crisp, refreshing sound. That being the case, it’s no question how they landed on their band name – just think Sprite, with it’s refreshing, crispness. All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors showcases a fantastically refreshing sound that balances on a fine line between mysterious space rock and in-your-face experimental rock and roll. If you’re still not convinced, do yourself a favor and listen to these couple songs below.

Muffin 57 –

Saturn Jig –

ANL&LF: Tracklist
1.) Muffin 57
2.) Saturn Jig
3.) Salad Forest
4.) All the Time
5.) Jayne Baby
6.) String of Stars
7.) How Come?
8.) Tea with Honey
9.) Nice Soup
10.) Yellow
11.) Blue Balloons
12.) Wondered Why

All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors on Myspace!
A post where you can listen to more songs: Built On a Weak Spot

Black Ladies – Naked Caveman 7″ EP

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Instrumental, Punk

Today’s band is a bit more on the obscure side of the fence. I’m not exactly sure how somebody is supposed to find out about a band like this, but I did through their record label. Stationary (Heart) Records put out one of the few releases that the band has ever seen back in 2008, and up until their break-up in 2009, the band hadn’t released much else. I went to Stationary (Heart) to order a copy of Double Daggers “Ragged Rubble” and in the process is when I initially came across the Black Ladies. I had some extra money that day so instead of just buying the Double Dagger LP, I also bought the Black Ladies EP. It’s quite a unique record too. The sleeves were hand-screened and hand-cut by Drug Factory Press, and each record comes pressed on a different color vinyl. On top of that, they’ve limited the release to 500 copies, so if you’re interested in buying this, it’s probably a good idea to get it sooner than later. The EP features three original Black Ladies tracks, two of which I have here for you to listen! I don’t mean to take right from the Stationary (Heart) records description of the band, but they’ve said it quite perfectly…

“Chicago’s Black Ladies make no mistake about what they set out to do. With their brutal attack, stripped down to the point of primitive, these two noiseniks bang out some of the most ferociously raw anthems to ever resonate throughout the basements of the midwest.”

…Raw anthems! Hardcore breakdowns! Drums and bass! It’s all true! Listen for yourself and see what you think! Thanks for reading and check back soon!!!

Taken by the Viking

The Real Jurassic Park

Naked Caveman EP: Tracklist
1.) Naked Caveman
2.) Taken by the Viking
3.) The Real Jurassic Park

Black Ladies on Myspace
Naked Caveman EP – BUY!
More stuff with music by Black Ladies – BUY!

dd/mm/yyyy – Black Square

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Post Punk, Experimental, Canadian

dd/mm/yyyy may or may not be a band you have already familiarized yourself with. If you already have discovered them up to this point, then good job. If not, well then I suggest you stick around and read this post, and then perhaps you’ll be interested enough to check out the band.

Most importantly about the band, their name is pronounced “day month year”. Their first release came out back in 2004, but the members of the band had been practicing together for a year already, beginning the band 2003. dd/mm/yyyy hail from the second biggest continent in the world, Canada, coming specifically out of the largest city in Canada, Toronto. Currently, the band has 5 members, and they are all currently on tour in the UK before they come over to the US for the SXSW shows that are happening in the Texas area.

Depending on who you talk to, you could say that dd/mm/yyyy’s most recent release is their most defined to date, but with the way the band is constantly changing things up, it’s difficult to pin down an accurate statement. Once you have an idea, their music is changing so fast that you’re not too sure if you want to speak it aloud anymore. Some things that can easily and most definitely be said about the band is that the music is usually fast, with frantic guitar licks and urgent vocals – possibly even arguably mysterious or creepy at times with a song like “They” or “My Glasses”. Other songs like the first track “Bronzage” and the final track “Digital Haircut” feature these more rabid and spazzed out guitar licks mentioned above. This really goes to show how the band can go directly from one sound to the next, and this is definitely not something every band is known for doing. Other tracks from the album such as “No Life”, “Birdtown”, and “I’m Still in the Walls” are more or less dominated by the electronic keyboards that sound like they come right from an old school Nintendo or Sega Genesis. Other tracks like “Lismer”, “$50,000 Guitar Gear”, and “Sirius B” might as well leave you saying (or thinking) “Wow”. If you disagree with anything I just said, one thing that I hope we could agree on is that this band surely has it’s own unique sound. Before listening to dd/mm/yyyy, I had never heard music quite like this. The most accurate and short description I came across about the band was found on their Wikipedia page, and it reads “The nature of dd/mm/yyyy’s music is explained as a mess of spastic, specially challenged art rock with jagged, diamondback guitars, ’80s video game synthesizers, and drums that roll with all the punches of the discordant dreamy vocals”. Yeah. Enjoy.

Tracklist: Black Square
1. Bronzage
2. No Life
3. They
4. Infinity Skull Cube
5. My Glasses
6. Birdtown
7. Sirius B
8. lismer
9. Real Eyes
10. $50,000 Guitar Gear
11. I’m Still In The Walls
12. Digital Haircut

dd/mm/yyyy – Official Website
dd/mm/yyyy on the MyyySpaaace
Black Square/ all dd/mm/yyyy releases – BUY!!!

Parts & Labor – Mapmaker

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Experimental

Why does it seem like the best bands always come from New York City? What do they got goin’ on over there that the rest of us don’t have access to? Probably nothing, but it’s still kind of fun to think of it that way. So if you haven’t already guessed, today’s band hails from the Big Apple, otherwise known as the wonderful New York City. They have been known to go by the name Parts & Labor, and yes, you need to use the ampersand. They don’t take too kindly to the word “and”.

Parts & Labor have been an active band since the palindromic year of 2002, and since then they have released a few full lengths on Jagjaguwar Records and a few 7″ records, one of which they split with another band by the name of Big A Little A. More of that here. Their latest effort, entitled “Receivers”, was released in 2008 and it brought in some positive reviews for the band. Now all we have to do is wait around for another release, but my guess is that it’s going to be pretty soon considering their last was in 2008. Whether it’s sooner or later, people are still going to be ecstatic to hear more from this energetic noise rock band. After hearing a song like “Fractured Skies” or “The Gold We’re Digging” (I have “Fractured Skies” uploaded for you below this post), how could you not want to dig further and listen to more from this band? Just about every last song on this album has that constant, in your face speed that just forces you to tap your feet along to the beat. If “Fractured Skies” doesn’t do anything for you (wtf?), or leaves you begging for more, then I suggest you check out songs like “Brighter Days”, “Vision of Repair”, “Fake Rain”, “Unexplosions”, “New Crimes”, and “Knives and Pencils”. Thanks for reading, and always be sure to check back for more! Yesterday was the busiest day here at the Styrofoam Drone since it’s beginning, so let’s look to beat that record again today! Woo!

Parts & Labor – Fractured Skies

Mapmaker: Tracklist
1. Fractured Skies
2. Brighter Days
3. Vision of Repair
4. The Gold We’re Digging
5. New Crimes
6. Long Way Down
7. Ghosts Will Burn
8. Unexplosions
9. Camera Shy
10. King of the Hill (Minutemen cover)
11. Fake Rain
12. Knives and Pencils

Parts & Labor Official Website
Parts & Labor on Myspace
Mapmaker: 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

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!