Cloud Nothings – Leave You Forever 7″

Cloud Nothings have been doing their own thing for quite awhile now. It all started back in 2009 with the release of “Turning On”, the debut Cloud Nothings release from Kevin Greenspon’s Bridgetown Records.

Since then the Cloud Nothings and Dylan Baldi have been hard at work, releasing multiple 7″ records throughout 2010 (see them here), and now they’re finally at the culminating point of all their work. The first Cloud Nothings full length is finally upon us (due out January 25th in 2011), and you can listen to the first track of the record right here. I’m sure it will be beyond exciting to see all that hard work finally pay off with the release of this new full length. While we wait for that, let’s check out these songs from the brand new 7″ that came from True Panther Sounds.

Okay, so – the first thing that probably comes to mind after hearing these songs is one simple word: pop. If that’s what you thought, then I don’t think many would contest. The next thing you might notice is the quality of the songs – exceptionally scratchy and noisy. This definitely gives the songs that undying lo-fi grit, which might be welcomed by some, and shunned by others. Chances are if you’ve been listening to Cloud Nothings this long, you don’t mind the grit, but with these songs it seems more prominent than in other recordings. Listening to that song from the new album, it sounds like they took a step back on the grit, so that kind of gives us an idea of where they’re headed with this new album.

As far as these four other songs go, they’re all as catchy as can be with yearning lyrics and mushy feelings, but none of them appear to be on the new full length. They all feature raw and choppy guitar hooks, complemented by infectious choruses and childish woo wa’s. “Talk to Me” dazzles with it’s addicting chorus (“if you just talk to me, I’ll always listen baby”), while the frantic guitar playing in “Leave You Forever” will keep you coming back for more. Check out these two songs right below, and snag that 7″ before it’s too late. No repress on this one.

Leave You Forever –

Talk to Me –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Pop, Lo-Fi
Leave You Forever 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Leave You Forever
2.) Talk to Me
3.) Weird Son
4.) You Were Scared

Cloud Nothings on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Insound – Limited to 500, no repress !
Cloud Nothings – Didn’t You 7″ previously posted on the Drone

Grass Widow – Past Time

What’s up people, hopefully you all had a good Halloween weekend. Too bad it only comes once a year because it’s always a great time. But what’s done is done, so let’s get this week in music started.

First up to start things off we’ve got the most recent album from GRASS WIDOW. This thing came out right before Summer ended in August – from the Kill Rock Stars imprint out of Portland, OR and Olympia, WA. Grass Widow is comprised of three women known as Hanna Lew (bass), Raven Mahon (guitars), and Lilian Maring (drums). They each bring something special to the table when it comes to their instruments, but the vocals are a different story. The Grass Widow outfit probably wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for these three beautiful voices either. All three of the girls take part in the vocal efforts, and it’s easily probably the most striking and unique aspect to their music. This new album is their longest to date, clocking in at just over 26 minutes, and it’s overflowing with unsettling, fast-paced song structure, beyond-delightful harmonies, and the sure ability to drop your jaw.

If you know about anything from Grass Widow before this LP, then you probably already know what to expect, aside from the music being totally addicting. Short and quick little post-punk outbursts fill the album from beginning to end, never really venturing too far past the three minute mark. They keep it short, and that certainly helps make the music as addicting as it is. Warbled and wonky bass and guitar lines drive the songs as the drumming crashes along behind them, making for some seriously complex sounding music – almost as if there’s stuff flying in all different directions without the time to figure them all out before it’s too late.

The real deal though for these guys comes in the singing. A mess of gorgeous singing voices are always there to guide you through the song, with harmonies so gratifying and complicated it’s actually quite haunting at times. Don’t be surprised if this sends a chill up yr spine, because at times it literally can be haunting, no jokes. Sometimes there’s a strange sense of urgency weaved into the seriously dire tones. They even go as far as getting an orchestral type feel out of some of their songs, like “Uncertain Memory” and “Give Me Shapes”. There’s some violin and other string instruments of the sort in the songs that help give it that feel, and it really complements the serious qualities in their music. Sometimes they have fun, but not always, because it’s important to be determined sometimes. That way people can take you seriously. And it certainly works for Grass Widow – check out these songs below and let the infection begin. And if you’re a Grass Widow fan and have been seeking out their first LP from Make a Mess, this right here might be the last place you can get it.

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Post-Punk, Ethereal, Pop
Past Time: Tracklist:
1.) Uncertain Memory
2.) Shadow
3.) 11 of Diamonds
4.) Give Me Shapes
5.) Old Disguise
6.) Fried Egg
7.) Landscape
8.) Submarine
9.) Strangers Come
10.) Tuesday

Grass Widow on Myspace !
BUY the LP directly from Insound!

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 !!

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

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

Sleepovers – Secret 7″

Does anybody remember being younger back in elementary school times and just straight up hanging out with friends on the weekends? You never had to worry about working, and you usually hung out at local “cool places” like the mall, the bowling alley, and movie theater, where other kids from your age group would walk around in their baggy jeans claiming they were in some sort of “gang” just because they hung out at the movies all day.

While I never thought those kids were cool, I’m sure the good people in the band SLEEPOVERS felt the same way, and I say this because this 7″ of theirs captures that young, happy, innocent and carefree attitude that most kids that age have. Once the movies were over or you finished your game of bowling, you’d head back to one of your best friends houses and proceed to stay up for as long as possible, playing video games and carrying on like there was no tomorrow, most likely keeping the hosts parents awake all night. But you would never show how tired you were actually getting, because everybody fears being the first person asleep at a sleepover. Kind of ironic too.

One of the first words that might come to mind when listening to this 7″ is “fun”, and it probably should! I’m pretty sure that’s what the Sleepovers were aiming for with this single, because when it comes down to it, that’s exactly what it is. Lively, catchy, fun-loving indie-pop with some awesome guitar work slipped in throughout. “Secret” has a beyond satisfying guitar lick that really helps the song hit that high mark, which will most likely force you to spin it for another quick listen. Three of the four members appear to be siblings, which also adds to the seemingly endless amusement that’s brought along with this band. Hell, their Facebook page even claims right from the beginning that they are indeed fun, so even they know what’s good. And if Sleepovers already know it, and I’m just learning it, that leaves one other person to learn – you. Be sure to check out these songs below, and don’t forget to snag their 7″ before it’s gone for good. There’s another track from the 7″ on their Myspace, so don’t forget to check that one out as well – it’s called “Sleepovers are Fun”.

Secret –

Together Forever –

My Rating: 6.8/10
Genre/ Tags: Pop, Lo-Fi, Rock & Roll
Secret 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Secret
2.) Sleepovers are Fun
3.) Together Forever

BUY this 7″ from Insound – Limited to 500 !
Sleepovers on Myspace
Sleepovers on Facebook
More info. on the Sleepovers @ Hozac Records

Soars – Soars

Hey dudes!! It was a busy weekend here at the Drone. After that post with the new Panda Bear 7″, the hit count shot up a significant amount – an amount big enough to shatter our previous record of pageviews (in a 24 hour period) by over 100 hits! So for that, I must thank all of you viewers. If I could personally shake each and every one of your hands, I would. Sadly, that probably won’t ever happen, although I would like it. So now you’re probably wondering what’s in store for the upcoming week. To start things off, we’ve got the debut LP from Pennsylvanian dark-pop band SOARS. This is their first official release, and it comes from La Société Expéditionnaire, also located in Pennsylvania.

For starters, this debut LP comes jam-packed with constantly fluctuating moods and feelings, as songs can go from one extreme to the other within short periods of time. For the most part, there’s almost always a creepy, foreboding feel weaved into the songs. The presence of a dark, murky energy hangs over your head, instigating you to make the wrong decisions – kind of like when the devil and an angel are depicted in movies and cartoons as hanging out on your shoulder, always giving you advice on what or what not to do. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, see this picture right here. While all of this goes on, there’s an uplifting, spiritual ambiance that without a doubt contradicts the other qualities of the music that I just described. Sometimes it’s extremely difficult to decide which one over-shadows the other more – like in the song “Figurehead”. The ambiance comes shining through, and once it does, it may make it hard for you to decide what you actually think of the music.

While all of this is going on, there’s still other qualities to the music. In just about every last song, there’s some sort of repetitive, electronic percussion. Considering that most of these songs fall into the longer category, this percussion tends to get a bit stale, and usually pretty quickly. It doesn’t give the songs that much depth, as it just continues to repeat over and over again, making some of these songs difficult to get into. Tracks like “Young Adult” and “Figurehead” escape this downfall by getting heavier and denser without ever loosening their grip, of course, until the song ends. Find out for yourself with the tracks I have for you below, and as always, don’t forget to come back for more tomorrow.

Throw Yourself Apart –

Figurehead –

Young Adult –

My Rating: 6/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Pop, Ambient
Soars: Tracklist:
1.) Introduction
2.) The Sun Breaks Every Way But One
3.) Throw Yourself Apart
4.) Escape on High
5.) Ditches
6.) Figurehead
7.) Young Adult
8.) Monolith

Soars – Official Website
Soars on Myspace
BUY the self-titled LP directly from the label – Limited to 500 on colored vinyl !

Panda Bear – You Can Count On Me 7″

It’s another 7″ from PANDA BEAR today. That means we must be getting closer to the release of his much-anticipated full length album “Tomboy”, which they say is supposed to drop sometime in the Fall of 2010. Thus far, this is the second installment in a string of 7″ records that are being released up until the full album finally drops. As a quick side note, you can check out the first 7″ right here. With the second 7″ now released, there can’t be that much more time to go, because Winter is just around the corner. Which makes me wonder how many more of these 7-inchers there are still to come. I guess only time will tell, so while we wait, why don’t we check out this new 7″?

Most places across the web already have a decent description of these songs, so I kind of feel redundant going into anything specific. Plus, I have to be at work in under an hour, so I’m not going to go crazy. “You Can Count On Me” is a “gentle duet between Panda Bear and himself, glimmering with third world melodic overtones – an ethereal uplifting number that is over before you become too familiar.” The track barely lasts over two minutes long, so that definitely makes sense. You can hear it for yourself right below. Then flip over to the B-side for the deliciously awesome “Alsatian Darn”. It’s yet another shiny, glimmering track that nearly doubles the length of the first song. Lots of pitter-patter, clapping, and unusually clicking sound effects overshadow the song, bringing thoughts to mind like “What was that?” Be sure to check this one out below too, because it’s shaping up to be quite an awesome full length once it’s finally out. Not sure where you can still pick up this sold out, limited-edition-of-500 7″, but I left you guys with the best links I could find. Good luck!

You Can Count On Me –

Alsatian Darn –

My Rating: 7.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Dub, Pop
You Can Count On Me 7″: Tracklist:
1.) You Can Count On Me
2.) Alsatian Darn

BUY the 7″ from Norman Records – from the UK
Panda Bear on Myspace
Panda Bear – Tomboy 7″ previously posted on the Drone
This is the best I could find on eBay!

The Wedding Present – Flying Saucer 7″

This 7″ we have today was easily the most difficult piece of wax I’ve encountered since I started this blog. For starters, the only clue to anything on the 7″ would be the name of the band, THE WEDDING PRESENT. The name of the record label – Ramona Records – wasn’t even good enough to supply us with any solid information. This meant drastic measures needed to be taken.

The two names on either side of the record weren’t even the actual song names for their respective sides. Side one reads “The world’s least complex pop group”, and the other side reads “It’s what you want that matters,” and you would probably assume that these are the track names, but their not! So Ramona Records is completely non-existent on the interweb, and then they make you guess what the tracks are. Fun! If it weren’t for the lyrics of these songs, I may have never found the names, because to be honest, I snagged this 7″ in the record store just for the hell of it one day. I had no idea what I was getting into or what it was all about – but now I’m glad I picked it up, and for only $3.99! Of course, only after going through the process of figuring out the names of these damn songs!

After some thorough searching, I found that the two tracks were called “Flying Saucer” and “Dalliance”. “Flying Saucer” originally came from a compilation album called “Hit Parade 2”, while “Dalliance” came from their third album “Seamonsters”. Any experienced Wedding Present listener would probably already have known this – hence why I had to do some careful searching myself. Both of the tracks sound as if they were performed in some sort of live setting, because you can hear people cheering and carrying on at the beginning and the end of the songs.

“Flying Saucer” starts out like any song would, but you’ll probably notice right away that there’s a feeling of something bigger and better to come shortly down the road. You can just feel it with the strum of the guitar. Then, sure enough, the song continues to build as the guitars get fuller, more intricate and detailed, and before you know it you’ll be dying to hear this song again. Please don’t miss it, it’s one of those songs that has that power to keep you coming back over and over again. I’m slowly but surely discovering this quality right now.

PS – If I was wrong about anything above, PLEASE correct me by leaving a comment below.

Flying Saucer –