Dunes – Old Souls 7″

Here’s something for you guys to go into the weekend with. It’s the Art Fag 7″ from DUNES, a three-piece band hailing from Los Angeles. This three person group is made up of Kate Hall, who is originally from the now defunct Mika Miko, Stephanie Chan from Finally Punk, and Mark Greshowak from Talbot Tagora.

Together these guys create some dreamy post-punk numbers with a hint towards a darker realm where forgotten souls woefully waste away. The songs generally have a slower, lazier energy, complemented by wonky, punchy bass lines and mysterious lead guitar work. At times I hear slight comparisons to Grass Widow, a band we just talked about at the beginning of the week. Maybe that has something to do with both bands being from California and both having female singers. Either way I’m sure these obscure, echoed-out dream-jams will steadily work their way into your rotation whether you planned on it or not.

Limited to only 500 copies on the first press, this 7″ sold out almost immediately the first time it was put out. There’s a repress from Art Fag in the works, but you can snag a copy over @ Insound right this very moment without waiting for a repress! This way you can listen to gorgeous songs like “Dream House” right from the comfort of your very own record player! The track starts out pretty slow but gains momentum from the guitars as they start to pick things up. A little before the two minute mark things change direction, and suddenly the lead guitar is in complete control as the song continues to get fuller and more tribal like. The guitars here are pretty hypnotizing as they continue to swirl and build above your head until the song finally comes to a close.

Hear this great track for yourself along with “Armor”, which begins with a dark desolate intro quickly transforming into a mystical jangly guitar jam. You can also hear “Little Stems” on the Dunes Myspace if you want more. That is all! Enjoy your weekend and see you on Monday – already got a few gems lined up!

Armor –

Dream House –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Post-Punk, Lo-Fi, Slowcore
Old Souls 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Armor
2.) Little Stems
3.) Dream House

Dunes on Myspace
BUY the 7″ directly from Insound – Limited to 500 !
This article from Oh My Rockness has some info. on the band

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!

Circle Pit – Bruise Constellation

Hope everyone’s weekend went well! Unfortunately the Phillies couldn’t help make mine any better than it was, but hey, what’s done is done. Now it’s time to focus on some music, because let’s be serious, it’s everybody’s favorite thing 😉

Today’s music of focus comes all the way from Sydney, Australia, from a band you might already know as CIRCLE PIT. This looks like it’s their first official full length, coming from the local Siltbreeze Records label, which couldn’t be a more fitting home for the album. Besides this new full length, the only other material you can find from the band is either this 7″ right here, or the stuff they have for sale in this Myspace blog post.

So when listening to this stuff, a lot of different thoughts and describing words might come to mind. Some of the more prominent descriptors would be scrappy, trashy, scummy, scratchy…most of which stem from the grainy, sandpaper-like guitars that dominate the entire album. These abrasive guitars drive the songs, being impeccably heavy at times, and freakishly psyched-out at other times.

Their high energy approach also helps add to the madness, and when it’s mixed with their strangely rewarding slacker-esque type vocals, it makes for quite an interesting combination. The raspy, “I don’t give a fuck” tone of voice is definitely part of the sound, and once it’s paired with the boy-girl vocal harmonies, you’ll see how well it all fits together. This is definitely the kind of album that you will like at first listen, but keep at it and you’ll notice that the shit’s grown on you like no other, way more than you ever expected – the excellent guitar work, angsty vocals, and a driven attitude (not to mention an interesting cover art) will certainly keep you coming back for more and more.

Just about every last song on the record could count as a highlight, but the ones that stood out the most for me were Wave Machine, Dead Meat, Infinity (which is strangely different than anything else on the album), Hurricane, Another Trick, Drowning in the Dark, and Beginning and the End. Definitely don’t sleep on this stuff, because I must warn you that you will be sorry if you do. Check out the songs I left ya below, and soon you’ll love Circle Pit. And if that’s not enough for you, I’d recommend listening to Top Surprise – there’s definitely some similarities between the two.

Infinity –

Another Trick –

Drowning in the Dark –

Beginning and the End –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Post-Punk, Psychedelic, Indie Rock, Australian
Bruise Constellation: Tracklist:
1.) Wave Machine
2.) Dead Meat
3.) Speed Limits
4.) Infinity
5.) Hurricane
6.) Another Trick
7.) Drowning in the Dark
8.) Shallow Grave
9.) Strange Blue
10.) Beginning and the End

Circle Pit on Myspace !
Follow Circle Pit on Tumblr
BUY the LP directly from Insound

Moon Women – Listen Closely Cassette

It’s always nice to have clarification on things you weren’t entirely sure about. Waaaay back this past April, I went to a show at the Danger Danger Gallery in Philadelphia to see the Strange Boys. One of the opening bands that night was a local Philly band named MOON WOMEN. Now I didn’t know this at the time, but it turns out that that was their very first show performing as Moon Women. In my write-up from the show, I mentioned how the lead guitarists amp broke in the middle of their set, but I was never totally sure that’s what had happened. Sure enough, that was the case, and go figure that it happens during their very first show together – what a bummer. The dudes in the band recently got in touch me with regarding their debut release, a cassette-single (cassingle, if you will) featuring two brand new original songs, and it’s a hell of a first effort.

“Listen Closely” starts off on a mysterious note, and shortly after the rhythm section joins in to give the song it’s structure. Right away the bass line forces you to bob your head along to the beat, and the heavy, textured guitars are right up in your grill. They help create a huge wall of sound for the song, incorporating psychedelic qualities as well as some nods to shoegaze. There’s even an out-of-this-world organ worked into the mix, which gives the song it’s third-world qualities, and once it’s joined with the guitar, you’re not going to know what hit you (and now I understand why the amp broke that night – just listen to this stuff).

This song becomes an instant classic, and that infectious bass line still continues to rock on, keeping you in it’s grasp for the better part of the entire song. Not every band has much success putting qualities like this together in one single song, but Moon Women certainly made it work this time. Check out the awesome music video for this song, featuring clips of old, grainy VHS tapes found in local Philadelphia libraries, and don’t forget to check out the other side of the tape, “A Collection of Thought” – it has some awesome guitar progressions and more of that enormous Moon Women sound that I am now extremely fond of. Hopefully you will be too – check out the whole tape below, and also the video.

Listen Closely –

A Collection of Thought –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Post-Punk, Garage Rock
Listen Closely Cassette: Tracklist:
1.) Listen Closely
2.) A Collection of Thought

Moon Women – Official Website
Send $3 and yr address to mooncommand@gmail.com for your very own Moon Women tape – Limited to 50 !

No Joy – No Summer 7″

I was having a difficult time finding any solid information on this band, but then I found this, which gives us a little more insight than we had before. According to Best Coast it’s two hot blonde girls just shredding away, and it sounds pretty accurate going by the music – the only problem is we don’t know who the girls are. But what we do know is that this is their first 7″ record, and it’s unexpectedly awesome.

The 7″ begins on a song called “No Summer”, and if you ask me that’s quite a depressing name for a song, because everybody deserves a summer. Heavy, atmospheric guitars rule the mix as one of the “hot blondes” sings amongst the swirling, moody haze, and they’re led by an energetic drummer who changes up the beat to keep things moving right along. Flipping over to the B-side gets you into another mess of heavy guitar and crashing drums. It’s called “No Joy”, and the scuzzy guitars that introduce it continue to grow and grow, giving this song a huge, ever-growing sound that doesn’t stop until the song finally comes to an end. The drums follow along in the madness and destroy everything in their path while anybody who is watching is sure to have their jaw drop. The song changes pace about halfway through, but they don’t lose that momentum for a second.

That’s all the music from the 7″, and unfortunately for us I don’t know of any other No Joy songs besides these two. But either way, lets hope that these shreddin’ hot blondes continue to serve up their raw, high-energy, face-melting psych rock until we can’t handle it any longer – although I don’t think that’s going to happen. They’ve got some shows coming up in Brooklyn according to their Myspace, and I’m telling you this because they seem like one of those bands you have to experience in a live setting.

No Joy –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Post-Punk, Dream Pop, Ethereal
No Summer 7″: Tracklist:
1.) No Summer
2.) No Joy

You can buy the 7″ @ Insound! – It’s only $4.77!
No Joy on Myspace
Listen to the 7″ on the No Joy Bandcamp page

Banned Books – Man Maker EP

Just two days ago I had an e-mail in my inbox from the wonderful spaz-rock trio BANNED BOOKS. They’re making the rounds on the internet and sending out their brand new EP “Man Maker” to the masses, and it’s already proving to pay off for these guys. If you can remember back to last time, the album of interest was the fantastic “Mission Creep” mini-LP, and now they’re back once again with another batch of ridiculously strained and rigid songs, which includes even less time to breathe than we had on “Mission Creep”! Seriously! These guys are relentless, and it fucking rules!

So this time around the Banned Books sound is slightly different from the last, but you would still know it’s Banned Books. One of the biggest contrasts I noticed from “Mission Creep” is that they take a step back on the quiet parts on this EP – instead of changing things up from madness to silence like they did on “Mission Creep”, this time they just ditch the quiet and give you the full-throttle surprise, all the time (well, most of the time).

The EP features five brand new, unheard songs from the band, and they’re about as tense and frantic as they come. Each track is a well organized mess of guitars, drums, and bass, and you can tell that the band puts a shit-ton of time and effort into their music, and it definitely shows. The guitars are staggeringly heavy and screeching at just about every possible chance, while lead singer Zane Kanevsky acts as our tour guide through the EP. His soft, delicate vocals can go from one extreme to the other in a matter of seconds, and they go hand-in-hand with their relentless style of music. One of the quietest moments on the EP comes during the title-track “Man Maker”, but it doesn’t stay this way for long before it all goes to shit during the final minute. Screeching, spiny guitars then take over the mix, and the poor listeners (us!) are left wondering what the hell just happened! You’ll probably need to rewind the song a bit just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

Perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping moments comes towards the end of the EP, and it’s called “The Meat that Eats Itself” (Kind of a horrifying name, don’t you think? Just picture that in your head). Right from the get-go this song is already sprawling in all directions, and it doesn’t loosen it’s grasp for all two minutes and eighteen seconds. Kanevsky howls over the mix while it sounds like everybody else in the band just beats the piss out of their instruments – and the face-destroying madness is good enough to force you to put the track on for another spin. I’ve uploaded this track for you guys below, so please don’t miss this one. You guys really need to hear this and see what you think, because I’m sure you’ll all have different opinions. One thing I am sure about though is this: Banned Books love to surprise us, and that’s just what they did here with this EP. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to their next release…

PS – You can download their new EP entirely for FREE!!!

Man Maker –

The Meat that Eats Itself –

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Experimental, Noise Rock, Post Punk
Man Maker EP: Tracklist:
1.) Intergalactic Singalong
2.) Man Maker
3.) Human Head
4.) The Meat that Eats Itself
5.) The Dress

Banned Books on Myspace!
DOWNLOAD their entire EP completely for free – courtesy of Banned Books!
Check out “Mission Creep” by Banned Books that was previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone

Rare Grooves – Cause for Concern 7″

Just last night I had an e-mail in my inbox from Papermade Music about one of their bands named RARE GROOVES. Rare Grooves are a brand new band, and they’re just now putting the finishing touches on their debut 7″ to be released by Papermade. Rare Grooves formed out of the ashes of a previous band called the Window Babies, and now they’re ready to share their new music with the world. The band is made up of three members (Danny, Tabor and Chris) and they had heavyweight-bassist Mike Watt play bass guitar on record.

As for the music, Rare Grooves certainly have their own sound. They play these calypso-sounding island jams that could probably be best described as a groove, and that works perfectly considering the name of their band. Most of the time it sounds like finger picking on the twangy guitars, and the lead singers anthemic, chant-like vocals give the songs a punkish feel. Not to mention it makes the songs great to sing along to. During the B-side “No Garden” they break it all down with a gritty sounding lead guitar, but no matter what I hear I’m still having a hard time figuring out what to call this stuff. You can check out the B-side “No Garden” right here, and then you can head on over to their Myspace where you can hear the title track “Cause for Concern”. Please listen and enjoy! If you like this stuff, head on over to Papermade Music, because the 7″ only cost $5 – what a nice deal!

No Garden –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Post-Punk, Experimental
Cause for Concern 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Cause for Concern
2.) No Garden

Rare Grooves on Myspace
BUY their debut 7″ directly from Papermade Music

Navies – Seeing Hands 7″

Now here’s something I don’t think you’re going to be too familiar with. This is exactly why I like going to my local record stores to dig around and find something new and fairly unknown. I didn’t know a thing about what I was buying that day, but it was only $2.99, so I almost felt like I had to buy it.

What I speak of is a beautiful 7″ record by none other than a band called NAVIES, and believe it or not, I almost can’t find ANYTHING about this band anywhere on the web. The furthest I got was with this entry over at the Discogs database, which means somebody else out there has this 7″. I wish I had found that sooner, because I actually went downstairs to scan the cover art for blog-entry purposes because I didn’t think I would find it anywhere else on the web.

But this awesome 7″ comes on a beautiful slab of clear yellow (or gold) vinyl, complete with an insert giving some background information on the release and also the lyrics. If it wasn’t for the insert, I would be completely lost on what to say. And I’m just noticing this now, but apparently this 7″ came out in 2004. So how long was this sitting around in the record store without a home? Well, I gave it one, and without further to say, I give you Navies.

The 7″ only has two tracks (as you probably expected), with one song on each side. The total time is just shy of 8 minutes, and it’s 8 minutes of noisy, sloppy, shambolic post-punk with nods to bands like Double Dagger or any other punk-related band who bring the action full-throttle all the time. The best part about that is Double Dagger frontman Nolen Strals is mentioned on the insert included with the 7″ for credits on the design and printing of the record. Awesome. But moving on.

Navies seems as if it’s a 3 piece band, consisting of members Sean McGuinness, Ed Brant, and Mike Petillo. I’m just going by what this insert tells me. The music was recorded and mixed on 4 tracks during January and Feburary of 2004 by none other than the Navies boys at places called Eternal Life and Invisible Hand in Washington D.C. The name of the record label is FOLIAGE, and they actually have a website listed for the band (www.naviesband.org), but that shit don’t work. I went to even greater lengths to share the music with you guys, and I ripped the music right from the vinyl so you could listen to it below, so please enjoy! If you want to see more pictures of the record or pictures of the insert, just send me an e-mail!

Seeing Hands –

A Surveyor’s Measure –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Lo-Fi
Seeing Hands 7″: Tracklist
1.) Seeing Hands
2.) A Surveyor’s Message

Navies on Last.fm
Navies – Seeing Hands 7″ on the Discogs Database
Edit (Nov. 30th, 2010) – just found this stuff below
Found this about NAVIES too
Navies – An Estate LP
Navies – 2 Song 7″

Friendo – Cold Toads

Friendo is a 3-piece band who hail from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. If you already know about Friendo, chances are it’s because Michael Wallace, drummer of the band Women, plays guitar and takes singer/songwriter duties in Friendo. This is his first time ever coming out from behind the drum set to take the necessary duties to be the frontman. He is backed up by band mates Nicole – who I am assuming takes the bass guitar – and then Henry, who holds down the drumming. It also happens to be Henry’s first time playing behind the drum set in any band, so most of these guys seem to be going into uncharted territory when it comes to making music. After listening to the record, you probably never would have guessed these kinds of things either.

They used whatever recording equipment they could find around the house for the recording process of this oddly named “Cold Toads” record, such as tape decks, four-tracks, and just about anything else you can imagine. The result? This wonderful new record that comes from the St. Ives imprint – a division of Secretly Canadian – in which each record goes through a very specific process, just read their Manifesto. With that being said, it’s absolutely appropriate that “Cold Toads” was released by St. Ives.

As for the music, “Their songs range anywhere from breezy, effortless jams, to pulse-pounding post-punk outbursts. The multi-instrumentalist members love to mix harmony with noise, creating their own seasonal landscape,” said in the artist description on their Last.fm page. One perfect example of Friendo mixing harmony with noise would be on the gem “Oversees” or the closer “Young Fellows”, while the song “Callers” definitely fits into the “breezy, effortless jams” category – although they’re not effortless in the literal meaning of the word. The track “New Sibley” is arguably a “pulse-pounding post-punk outburst”, so whoever wrote that short description did a hell of a job. Do yourself a favor and check out the songs below, because I think you’re going to like them.

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Post-Punk, Noise Rock
Cold Toads: Tracklist
1.) Counter/Time
2.) Liner
3.) Callers
4.) Oversees
5.) Hailey Omen
6.) New Sibley
7.) Young Fellows

Friendo on Myspace
St. Ives Official Website
St. Ives Mailorder
Secretly Canadian Mailorder
BUY “Cold Toads” on cassette tape directly from Bart Records

Double Dagger – Masks EP

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Post-Punk, Noise Rock, Drum & Bass

Last we heard from Baltimore’s own Double Dagger, it was their latest full length record “MORE” that was put out by Thrill Jockey back in 2009. Now, in 2010, Double Dagger have a new EP for us, and it’s best described as a continuation of songs from their “MORE” LP. The EP features 5 new and unheard Double Dagger tracks that’s just shy of 19 minutes long, and its sound is just as ragged, angry, raw, and discontented as the songs from their “MORE” LP.

The EP kicks off with a bang on the first track “Imitation Is the Most Boring Form of Flattery”, which sounds like the Double Dagger sound you’re already quite comfortable with. Vocalist Nolen Strals warns us immediately that “We’re all in danger! Our history has no future, don’t be just another repeater”, referring to the state that our nation is in, claiming that it’s in an “unhealthy” state and everywhere he looks, “everyone is just spewing”. Somebody is definitely upset with that current status of our nation, and that is quite clear when reading the lyrics to this one. Strals goes on to say that “You don’t see the past as a source of inspiration, you just have it set as your final destination” which calls out anybody who tends to live in the past. We all know living in the past is fun, but it can also be unhealthy. The other song on the A-side of the record is “Pillow Talk”, which comes with a nice bass solo about 1 minute and 25 seconds in, while the rest of the track includes Strals singing about gross/weird encounters of his friends sexual mishaps that don’t quite leave you with the idea of a pretty sight. Next up is the strangely titled “Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing”, which might generate a funny picture or two in your head. This song makes me wonder how on Earth this band gets by with just a drummer and a bassist. Some of the sounds that come out on this track sound like everything but a bass guitar, but that minimalistic property is all part of the deal when it comes to Double Dagger. This goes on to make me wonder how these guys perform live. I guess I’ll just have to wait until May 3rd.

Flipping over to the B-side starts with the longest track included on the EP, “Sleeping With the TV On”. It’s just under 7 minutes long, and it starts out way too slow to be a Double Dagger song. Strals comes in with “When you live two lives, which is your own? When you live two lives, where do you call home…” while the song begins to speed up and take form. Before you know it, you’re again in familiar Double Dagger territory during the 2nd minute, and this time Strals is giving us insight into his dreams at night… “All my dreams look like TV shows, they’re full of stars that everyone knows, my life is like a secret episode, it’s full of plots that never unfold.” It sounds like somebody is looking for a bit of a change. Not only is a major change in order, but something must be done about all the “past-due bills”, “jacked-up rent”, and the fact that the taxman is coming because he wants “us to pay for what we’ve spent”. These are certainly all pressing issues that should be dealt with as soon as possible. This would bring us to our last track, the instrumental and most relaxed song found on the EP, “Song for S”, which is just an easy flowing bass line on top of some crazy industrial-sounding sound effects. All in all, this is definitely a solid effort from a solid band who I hope to hear more from very soon. May 3rd won’t come soon enough! Thanks for reading friends, and be sure to check back tomorrow. I’ll hopefully be making it to the JAPANDROIDS show at the Barbary tonight…

Tracklist: Masks EP
1.) Imitation Is the Most Boring Form of Flattery
2.) Pillow Talk
3.) Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing
4.) Sleeping With the TV On
5.) Song for S

BUY the new Masks EP directly from Thrill Jockey
MORE Review previously posted on the Styrofoam Drone
Double Dagger on Myspace