Pocahaunted – Threshold 7″

In case you weren’t already aware, I’ll fill you in. Pocahaunted is no longer a band. Sorry for being so blunt, but yes, it’s sad and true. They announced their break up back in August, and as that article states, “the band has been going on for four years in multiple configurations and after all this time we’ve just decided to move on.” There you have it, folks. You can read the rest of that article if you want more details, but nonetheless, that was certainly some crushing news when it was first announced. Now, about two months after the initial announcement, they’re putting the final nail in the Pocahaunted casket. This 7″ we have here today would be the final actions from Pocahaunted, coming from their premier label Not Not Fun out of Los Angeles, CA.

This final release from Pocahaunted comes with two songs, starting with “Threshold” on the A-side, and “Echolocation” on the flip side. Totaled together, both of these songs make for over ten minutes of pure Pocahaunted bliss. “Threshold” incorporates a complete mess of swirling sounds, dub-like bass lines, and a polished lead guitar that keeps you in it’s grip from beginning to end. During the final two minutes of the song is when things unquestionably start to get crazy, and then it all changes up again before the final minute of the song. After some tribal-like chants that intoxicating lead guitar comes back to do no other than force you to get up and move, and shortly after this you’re going to be aching to hear the song again. A great track indeed with unusual song patterns that evokes thoughts like “I wonder what’s coming next.” Without a doubt, a perfect fit-in with the rest of the Pocahaunted catalog. Flip that 7″ over for the slowed down and much more relaxed “Echolocation”. Check them both out right below!

Threshold –

Echolocation –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Psychedelic, Experimental, Trance
Threshold 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Threshold
2.) Echolocation

BUY this 7″ directly from Insound – Limited to 500 !
Pocahaunted on Myspace
More info. on the 7″ over @ Not Not Fun
Check out their extensive discography at Discogs

Kid Icarus – Imaginary Songs & Aluminum Hits

Yo! I have something slightly different for you guys today. I didn’t have to use that ‘lo-fi’ tag yet again for this post, which was definitely a great change of pace. So much coming out these days has that gritty lo-fi production, so it’s kind of nice to hear music like this for a change. I’m not gonna lie – I kind of forgot this stuff existed! Obviously joking, but this album is certainly a refreshing burst of music with a fuller sound and with overall better production. You get rich and warm layered recordings – definitely a quality that is lost with all of this upcoming ‘lo-fi’ stuff we’re always seeing. So let’s get on with it.

KID ICARUS is a band based out of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, and believe it or not, these guys have been around for longer than you might think. Eric Schlittler is the lead man, and it’s been this way since the bands inception way back in 1996. These guys have got at least seven different full length albums, including this one we’re talking about today. “Imaginary Songs & Aluminum Hits” would be the most recent, which is actually the first LP to come from Kid Icarus in over five years. It has a little bit of everything you’d want to hear, with the basis being mostly guitar-driven indie rock. On top of that, the band manages to work in their own unique blend of psychedelia, alongside an equal amount of a twangy folky flair. A few of these tracks have a good amount of heart ache weaved into the mix, as there is definitely a longing feeling in a few of these songs like “Encased” and “A Good Place to End”. Other times it seems like Schlittler is singing about what is happening right in front of him, almost like he’s giving us a play-by-play of exactly what his own two eyes perceive. It helps paint a nice picture as you listen to the songs, and it’ll definitely help you pay attention to the music, because you’ll be wondering what happens next.

Then there’s other songs on the album that were put down just to rock out. Songs like “Dig Architecture”, “Disappearing Act”, “Projection Loop” or “Figure A”, which features a metallic, screaming guitar that may or may not catch you off guard upon first listen. These are the songs that help you forget about the sad times. Then along comes a song like “Who’s Blues”, which kind of sits out of the loop with the rest of the songs in this. It’s like a quick trip to outer-space to record a song real quick and then come back down to Earth to finish the rest of the album. Shortly after this starts the pounding rhythm on “In My Windowed Life”.

These final three songs on the album play into each other almost perfectly, making quite a nice ending to this album. “In My Windowed Life” acts like an intro to the song “Victory Smokes, Victory Gin”, which is another song on it’s own on this album. It has an extremely heavy feel to it, almost like Schlittler has some burdens to unload before it’s all said and done. Heavenly guitars and lyrics about police intrusion make for an interesting story. Then comes “PA Year Zero”, which starts up with some delightful acoustic guitar. This song will definitely put a smile on your face if you’ve been having some hard times lately. Check out the songs I’m leaving for you guys below, because I think yr gonna like them. Whatever you do, don’t forget to listen to “Disappearing Act”. It rocks.

Dig Architecture –

Disappearing Act –

In My Windowed Life –

PA Year Zero –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Folk Rock, Psychedelic, Pop
Imaginary Songs & Aluminum Hits: Tracklist:
1.) Dig Architecture
2.) A Good Place to End
3.) Disappearing Act
4.) My Mother the Car
5.) Figure A
6.) Encased
7.) Projection Loop
8.) Who’s Blues
9.) In My Windowed Life
10.) Victory Smokes, Victory Gin
11.) PA Year Zero

Kid Icarus – Official Website
Kid Icarus on Myspace
BUY this LP directly from Summersteps Records – Limited to 250 !!!
More info. on Kid Icarus right here !

Far-Out Fangtooth – Pathways 7″

Hailing from Philadelphia, PA is the one and only FAR-OUT FANGTOOTH. These guys just put out their debut 7″ on Philadelphia label Ian Records, and it looks like it’s their first official release to be unleashed on the world. The blog in that link hasn’t been updated in quite some time, but it looks as if another Ian Records release is due out soon enough. The only problem is I couldn’t really find a link to buy this Far-Out Fangtooth single anywhere. I happened to stumble upon it during a record store trip just the other day, so unless you have time to get to yr local record store, I don’t how else to get this one. Especially if yr not from Philadelphia. I’m sure they’ll have a way to buy it soon enough.

So for starters, I was slightly confused when I first went to listen to this 7″. I’m pretty sure they have the label stickers on the wrong sides. The side that says “Pathways” plays “Why Don’t You Cry”, and vice-versa. It’s not anything Earth-shattering, but I’m sure they didn’t mean to do this. “Pathways” is supposed to be the A-side (I think – might be wrong about that), and it starts out on kind of a slow note. It’s going to take a few listens for this stuff to grow on you, that is if you think you can get into it. Until about 30 seconds in, this sounds like just another scuzzy lo-fi song, but then an ambient and invigorating lead guitar takes control, as things begin to liven up a bit. Good thing too, because the singing probably wasn’t going to help change that. That lead guitar is complemented by other twangy guitar rhythms and bass lines alike, on top of relentless, crashing cymbals. Check out the other side of this 7″ right below – it’s a heavy, grungy guitar-driven jam out. Then you can hear “Pathways” right on the Far-Out Fangtooth Myspace.

Why Don’t You Cry –

My Rating: 6.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Psychedelic, Punk
Pathways 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Pathways
2.) Why Don’t You Cry

Far-Out Fangtooth on Myspace
Far-Out Fangtooth on Facebook
Download some Far-Out Fangtooth tracks right here
I don’t think there is a place to buy this yet online – check yr record stores in Philly

Fungi Girls/ Indian Wars – Split 7″

Hey there, how are we today? I hope all is well. If not, hopefully that will change after you check out what I’ve got lined up for you guys today. It’s the brand new split 7″ between your favorite scuzzy lo-fi act outta Texas called FUNGI GIRLS, and then another band called INDIAN WARS who hail straight outta Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. We’ve covered a good bit of the Fungi Girls discography here at the Drone, but this is the first time we’re talking about Indian Wars. This looks to be the second 7″ from these rowdy Canadian rockers, and I’m sure it won’t be their last. They also appear to be friends with another Drone favorite, the Dead Ghosts, considering that both acts hail from Vancouver. At first glance you may wonder why these two bands are splitting a 7″ together, but those questions are put to rest immediately after the first listen.

So. We start off on the A-side (duh), which is a gritty new track from the Fungi Girls called “Sun Blues”. Bouncy, elastic bass lines and a headache-inducing guitar scratch dominate this song from beginning to end, complete with that all-too-familiar Fungi Girls howl that you (and I myself) have become extremely fond of. They even managed to work a surfy sounding transition into the song, which definitely causes you to double-listen. Kind of like a double-take when you turn yr head, but this time you’re turning to your music player to rewind the song a bit to hear that awesome shit again. DOUBLE-LISTEN!!! Then after a quick face-melting guitar in the last minute (otherwise known as an authentic Fungi Girls psychedelic freak-out), it’s time to flip that shit over to the B-side for some Indian Wars action.

This is the first I’ve ever heard of these bros, but it won’t stay that way for long after hearing this song. Oh no! The first 30 seconds kind of start off on a different level, which I guess acts as an intro for the song. Then a galloping drum beat takes control of everything and there’s no turning back. After this the song has a mixed feel between a rowdy county-punk song and a bluesy guitar shuffle – it’s almost impossible to pick just one, because they both work so well. The lead singer (name unknown? is it Brad Felotick?) sounds like he’s got some mighty burdens to unload before this song comes to an end. Wait for the final 40 seconds and you’ll be in the middle of a nasty, twangy guitar solo that sums up the raw energy of this song quite perfectly. There’s almost a Black Lips feel to this song now that I’m thinking about it.

This 7″ absolutely rips, and I highly suggest you go buy it from Rough Trade, because I think that just might be THEE last place to get it. I’m probably wrong though – get in touch with the dudes at Psychic Lunch or CMRTYZ to find out for yourself. Either way you decide to go, it’s limited to 300 and pressed on some nice white vinyl, so you’re going to be happy no matter what. Just get it before that other scumbag does! Hurry!

Sun Blues –

Pick You Up –

My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Garage Rock, Psychedelic, Punk
Split 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Fungi Girls – Sun Blues
2.) Indian Wars – Pick You Up

Fungi Girls on Myspace
Indian Wars on Myspace
The 7″ is still available from Rough Trade! Get it quick because this thing is SOLD OUT everywhere else!
Fungi Girls – Turquoise Hotel 7″ previously posted on the Drone
Fungi Girls – Seafaring Pyramids previously posted on the Drone

Dead Luke – Record One 7″

Can you remember when we covered DEAD LUKE back in July? Probably not, but I do! It was his full-length LP “American Haircut”. This time around, we’re going to go back in time a little bit and check out some of his earlier 7″ singles that came out before “American Haircut” was probably even an idea. But what do I know? I do know that this was the first Dead Luke single to be put out on vinyl, and he had two other 7″ singles that came out later in 2008. So there’s three of them total. Two came from the Sacred Bones imprint, while the 3rd came from Sweet Rot records. There’s also some cassette tapes that were put out somewhere in the mix of things, but basically all of this material led up to the release of the “American Haircut” LP that was put out by Florida’s Dying earlier this year. So let’s talk about the music that led us to such a wonderful LP…

Kicking things off is a song called “I Want You”. Right away you’re face-to-face with some electronics that don’t exactly give any hints to where the song might be going. Then about ten seconds later some buzzing bass lines join in to help give the sound some direction and substance. Shortly after this our main man ‘Luke’ (who is definitely not dead) comes in with a creepy, zombie-like voice that certainly works wonders for the dark, sludgy sound. I wish I could figure out this dudes name, because I don’t think it’s Luke, but I can’t seem to find any other information. If you know, leave a comment or something. But moving on!

Wait for a short bit after the one minute mark, and ‘Luke’ fucking wails a blood curdling scream into the mic, and then some guitar reveals itself for a nicely done and unexpected short solo. This certainly helps create a fine balance between the electronics and the instrumentation of this song. Upon first listening, I definitely didn’t expect any guitar like that. The somewhat trippy sound effects continue on until the song ends, where you’ll hear more horrifying screams before it’s all actually said and done. Now it’s time for the B-side, which is a song called “Waste of Spaces”. Again this one starts with some inviting electronics – possibly with the intentions to make you get up and dance. ‘Luke’ comes in with a little more subtlety this time around, ditching the screaming for this song. But once again there is a great balance of guitar and electronics in this song, but the guitar is somewhat-less noticeable than it was from “I Want You”. Probably because it’s not a solo. But this stuff is awesome and you should definitely listen to it. If you like this shit, you should definitely check out the full-length too, because you’ll probably like that batch of songs even more.

I Want You –

Waste of Spaces –

My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Electronic, Lo-Fi, Psychedelic, Slowcore
Record One 7″: Tracklist:
1.) I Want You
2.) Waste of Spaces

BUY the 7″ directly from Insound – $4.80 is a damn good price
Dead Luke’s “American Haircut” previously posted on the Drone
Dead Luke on Myspace
More info. on Record One at Sacred Bones

Jaill – That’s How We Burn

If you haven’t heard JAILL just yet, you should probably stick around for a bit and read this post. Their story is quite an interesting one. Apparently these guys have been making music together since like 2002 or something like that, and if it wasn’t for their efforts before this Sup Pop release we’re talking about today, we probably wouldn’t be talking about this album at all right now. Relatively unknown to many people, Jaill actually had a first full length record before this one from Sub Pop, called “There’s No Sky (Oh My My)”. It was originally released on cassette by Burger Records in California, and then they recently re-released it in much-needed vinyl format. So as the story goes, if it wasn’t for that first record, they probably never would have caught the seasoned ears of the people over at Sub Pop, who in turn made plans to release “That’s How We Burn”, the second full length effort from these Midwestern poppy-psych rockers. Oh yeah, one more thing: they didn’t always have that second “L” in their name.

So for starters, this is quite the addicting release. Each song is unique and has a mind of it’s own, and once you get into some of these songs, it’s going to be really hard to forget them. Sub Pop has a knack for signing bands who are capable of this (see also: Happy Birthday). Lead singer Vincent Kircher takes vocal duties in the band with quite a unique singing voice, and he’s backed by his “rarely sleazy” group of guys Austin Dutmer, Andrew Harris and Ryan Adams who together make up Jaill.

These guys would probably agree that their music takes many different forms at many different times, bringing different genres and sounds to the table from track to track of the LP. At times they sound blissfully poppy (Everyone’s Hip, She’s My Baby), but they can switch it up pretty quickly with a hair-raising psychedelic tinge with face-melting solos and lightning fast drum fills that are undeniably awesome (On the Beat, How’s the Grave). Then there’s a song like “Summer Mess”, which is kind of on it’s own on this LP. It’s a highly enjoyable acoustic number, with a story about attempts to cheer up a friend, and it slowly builds up as the song progresses. An absolutely perfect and uplifting lead guitar comes in about 3/4 of the way through, and it’s a done deal after that. I just wonder if this song wouldn’t be such a “mess” if Kircher wasn’t always getting high and looking for his lighter. Seriously though, the albums called “That’s How We Burn”…and he’s always singing about being high. These guys definitely smoke a good amount of weed.

PS – More songs from the LP on their Myspace

On the Beat –

Summer Mess –

How’s the Grave –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Psychedelic, Pop
That’s How We Burn: Tracklist:
1.) The Stroller
2.) Everyone’s Hip
3.) On the Beat
4.) Thank Us Later
5.) Summer Mess
6.) She’s My Baby
7.) Snake Shakes
8.) Demon
9.) Baby I
10.) How’s the Grave
11.) That’s How We Burn

BUY the LP directly from Insound, you can even buy their first LP.
JAILL on Myspace

Deerhunter – Revival 7″

Yo, happy LABOR Day! So over the past few days I’ve gone to the record store, gotten stuff in the mail (and I’m waiting for even more), and even had a really awesome friend send me some records that I otherwise never would have gotten. What does this mean to you? Well, simply that I have enough new music put aside to share with you guys for at least a whole week. I don’t know about you, but that makes me pretty psyched for the upcoming week. Not only that, but I may or may not have a VERY exciting announcement coming in the next few days, but we’ll see – nothing has been decided just yet. When the time comes you can be sure I’ll fill you in. In the meantime you can check everything we’ve got in store for the week. First up – the brand new 7″ single from the upcoming DEERHUNTER album “Halcyon Digest”.

In case you weren’t already aware, the album comes out on September 28th (which isn’t too far off), and it’s being released on the 4AD label. The closest we’ve got to hearing the album so far would come from two different sources – the first one is this music video for the song “Helicopter”, and then this 7″ I have here today. The 7″ comes with a song from the new album called “Revival”, and then an exclusive B-side track called “Primitive 3D” which won’t be on “Halcyon Digest”. This little slab of 7″ wax comes pressed on gorgeous white vinyl in a limited edition pressing of 350, so you’ll probably want to snag that one pretty quickly if you’re interested in having this 7″. I was lucky enough to find it in my local record stores this weekend, so be sure to check yours too. So if you haven’t heard either of these songs yet, be sure to check them out right below. The uplifting guitars in “Primitive 3D” are enough to make you wish that this song was going to be included on the album when it comes out. Enjoy.

Revival –

Primitive 3D –

My Rating: 7.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Indie Rock, Psychedelic, Experimental
Revival 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Revival
2.) Primitive 3D

BUY this 7″ directly from Insound – White vinyl and limited to 350 !
Deerhunter on Myspace
Deerhunter (and more) on Blogspot

Creepoid – Yellow Life Giver 7″

You always gotta show love for your local bands. They’re usually in need of all the support they can get, and they’ll be much more appreciative of your help than say, a big band name like Fall Out Boy, or something like that. I couldn’t really think of a good band example, but I think you’ll catch my drift. I say this because CREEPOID is still a fairly new band, coming straight out of the basements (literally) of Philadelphia, and they’ve just unleashed their debut 7″ to the world this past April. Now they’re hard at work trying to get their music out there and heard by people like you and I, and so far it seems like they’ve done a hell-of-a-job with this. I found this gem of a 7″ in the record store just yesterday, and I’m glad I came across it when I did. I remember when these guys played their record release show with Best Coast back in April, but for whatever reason I couldn’t make it. Now I’m wishing I could have been there. That’s okay though, because we’ve got the 7″ to share with you here today, and share it we shall.

So for starters, this 7″ comes with four brand new songs, with each song being equally as slow and as sad as the last. This stuff would go perfect while you’re looking out the window with your hand in your cheek on an exceptionally dreary day when the sky is gray with a light rain covering the ground around you. The coarse textures of their sound and the gloomy, moody howl of lead singer (name unknown, but it would go here) are the perfect match for each other, hereby proving that Philadelphia definitely has some noteworthy bands storming the lo-fi scene. If you were ever a fan of grunge music, or if you just like bands who spend their time recording obscure, spaced-out heroin-jams in their basement, then Creepoid is surely the band for you. Especially if you’re from Philadelphia, because you’ll be able to see them as many times as you need to. I bet you could find a shit-ton of drugs at one of their shows, too. Well, that goes for any show really. Except straight-edge shows and shit like that. That’s enough of my rambling – check out these songs below, and you can hear more from the 7″ on their Myspace.

Pink Tag Sale –

Magic Drum –

My Rating: 8/10
Genre/ Tags: Slowcore, Psychedelic, Dream Pop, Lo-Fi
Yellow Life Giver 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Rotten Tooth
2.) Pink Tag Sale
3.) See-Through
4.) Magic Drum

BUY the 7″ right here, it won’t be around forever.
Creepoid on Myspace !
Creepoid on Bandcamp
Creepoid on Blogspot
Check out another project from some Creepoid members – The G
and watch them play w/ the Japandroids in Philadelphia!

DOOMSTAR! – Rainbow Bloodsucker EP

Yo dudes. I’m SUPER stoked on this band we have here today. I hope most of you are unaware of these guys, because when you give it your first listen, chances are your ass will be sent straight to the floor. If only I could see your reactions upon first hearing. Too bad that’s not going to happen. All I know is that I was totally into this stuff right from the start. My first intentions were to buy absolutely everything they had for sale, which only turns out to be a brand new cassette tape single, but that’s enough, right???. If these guys keep doing what they’re doing, I’m sure they’ll have PLENTY of more releases for us somewhere down the road. Of course, I am speaking of Cambridge, Massachusetts own DOOMSTAR! (capitalization and exclamation necessary).

It would seem as though DOOMSTAR! has been hard at work for the year of 2010. Their EP that we have here today came out just this past February, and they just put out this cassette tape in July. So with this EP, you’ll probably figure out pretty quickly that this band is far from shy. They don’t beat around the bush or anything like that. Nothing too pretty or too fancy, no glam, no chillwave – just straight up IN YR FACE gritty guitar-driven psych-rock jam outs with a bit of the moody, punk flare mixed in for good measure. But they’re not always pummeling you full-throttle – parts of the song “Sharon Mitchel” get a bit quieter than the rest, but certainly not for too long before they’re back to destroy you some more. Other songs like “Gimmee Some” and “Handsome Man” tend to lean a little more to the pop side of things, but they still don’t forget to bring along that staggering guitar sound for the ride. Then there’s songs like “Rainbow Bloodsucker” and “You Can Hide”, which serve no other purpose than to make your jaw drop straight to the floor. For a good portion of the song (Rainbow Bloodsucker), the same two guitar chords go through a hell of a beat down, getting absolutely crushed by epic guitar solos and relentless, crashing drums. This was the first song I heard from the EP, and it was a HELL of a way to be introduced to this band.

Do you understand why I’m so stoked on these guys now? Hopefully you do. If not, listen to these songs below to help add a little excitement to your day. Let’s help spread the DOOMSTAR! name, because these guys deserve to be heard.

Handsome Man –

Rainbow Bloodsucker –

You Can Hide –

My Rating: 8.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Psychedelic, Punk
Rainbow Bloodsucker EP: Tracklist:
1.) Handsome Man
2.) Kitty Kitty
3.) Lily Face
4.) Rainbow Bloodsucker
5.) Sharon Mitchel
6.) Gimmee Some
7.) Ronald Ray-Gun
8.) You Can Hide

BUY DOOMSTAR! releases directly from their Bandcamp page
DOOMSTAR! on Myspace
DOOMSTAR! on Muxtape

Golden Triangle/ The Fresh & Onlys – Split 7″

Remember when I said I’ve been giving Hardly Art quite a lot of love lately? Well here’s why – this is the third single from the label that I am posting in under a week, with the first two being from Woven Bones and Unnatural Helpers. This just goes to show that this label is churning out some hella-good tunes, and hopefully they will continue to do so! While we wait for their next release (whatever it may be), hopefully these 7-inchers and everything else they got over in their catalog can keep us satisfied until something new comes out.

So on this 7″ we’ve got four songs. Two of them come from the Golden Triangle camp, while the two on the B-side come from the San Francisco psych-poppers the Fresh & Onlys. Before listening, I was already familiar with the Fresh & Onlys, so Golden Triangle was the only mystery with this single. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but that doesn’t matter anyway. What matters is that these guys passed the test with flying colors. “Cold Bones” has dominated my listening for the past 24 hours or so, while the other song “Jungle Jim” goes a long way to give you the feeling that you’re actually in the middle of a jungle. Parts of the song get extremely swampy and murky, and they even work some monkey shrieks into the jungle-y sounding parts. Certainly makes for a unique listen. To top it all off, the guitar leads over those parts with a mysterious, airy sounding lick that is just perfect. Flip on over to the B-side to find yourself in Fresh & Only territory – fast paced, high energy, psychedelic-garage-pop with high pitched, jangly guitars. I’m uploading one song from each band below before I leave for work, so check’em out.

Cold Bones –

Head of Steam –

My Rating: 7.5/10
Genre/ Tags: Lo-Fi, Garage Rock, Psychedelic, Pop
Split 7″: Tracklist:
1.) Golden Triangle – Cold Bones
2.) Golden Triangle – Jungle Jim
3.) The Fresh & Onlys – Head of Steam
4.) The Fresh & Onlys – I’m Not Myself Today

BUY the 7″ directly from Insound
Golden Triangle on Myspace
The Fresh & Onlys on Myspace