WUT UP PLAYBOIZ?!

WRANGLER BRUTES - ZULU

Sam MacPheeters of Born Against on vocals with a cameo from Keith Morris. Sounds like the '80s. Fast, spastic, and fun. Also, recorded by Steve Albini. I think that just about covers it.

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MENEGUAR - I WAS BORN AT NIGHT

Here's where it becomes abundantly clear that I am not a music journalist. The only descriptors I can think of for this band would turn me off in two seconds flat if I were to read them: "mid-tempo", "indie-rock", and -- wait for it! -- "from Brooklyn". But that's what Meneguar is, and they completely nail it. Whiny, intricate, and catchy as hell. Maybe I should have just used those words instead. Features members of Gospel (whose record I posted months ago, if you recall).

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I, ROBOT - MISC. TRACKS

Jack recommended this to me because one of the dudes in Get Bent was wearing their shirt when we caught them. Maybe he's better suited to write this. Right now, all I can think about is how one of the dudes doing melodic vocals sounds like Nikola from Millencolin, which is very funny to me. I should find all my old Millencolin records and upload them. Good idea.

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I HATE MYSELF - 3 SONGS 12" EP

I Hate Myself reunited in 2004 to release an epic swan song in the form of this concept EP about one man's relationship with lightning. Might actually be my favorite EP of all time. Get it, get it.

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DRIVE LIKE JEHU - YANK CRIME; BIG BLACK - THE RICH MAN'S EIGHT TRACK TAPE; TALK TALK - LAUGHING STOCK

Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime

I have to thank Nirvana for getting DLJ on a major for Yank Crime, the better of their two albums. I'm sure the royalties were even worse from Interscope than they are whenever this is rereleased on a new indie, but it just rocks that there was a band as good as this on a major label as recently as... 1995.

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Big Black - The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape

Think about this: I am giving you the opportunity to download digital files of songs that make up a compilation meant to illustrate the worthlessness of the CD. Indeed, we have moved past that, and Steve Albini's still furious.

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Talk Talk - Laughing Stock

Man, girls will give it up for post-rock these days. Like the smallest mention of Godspeed will get you laid twice, maybe three times in one night. Silver Mt. Zion or (gasp!) ExPlOSiOnZ iN THe SkY will have you looking at a MFFFFFFFFFF or something. Not the same attention is paid to Talk Talk, a band only somewhat well-known for their contributions to synthpop. Then WHABAM, they whipped out Spirit of Eden like my dick after namechecking F#A#∞: unexpected, but not unwelcome (except at first). This was post-rock before post-rock existed, and that album, much like Laughing Stock, has garnered much acclaim in its wake. Laughing Stock is where it all comes together, though, like I defy you to listen to it twice and tell you this isn't fucking genius. None of that ten-minute-buildup and emotional loud part here bullshit (which, admittedly, is a turn-on), just some of the most complex music ever laid to wax.

Apologies for making this sound like a joke or something. It isn't.

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ANTIOCH ARROW - GEMS OF MASOCHISM; BLACK EYES - COUGH; JEROMES DREAM - COMPLETED 1997-2001

Antioch Arrow - Gems of Masochism

I could probably write an essay on how important this album is, but I'm going to leave it at this: a great band on a label known for putting out dark, weird music (Gravity) makes a record that is so dark and weird that the label won't touch it. Other bands (like The Horrors) have actually made money and gotten famous doing a subpar job of aping this. Fuck.

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Black Eyes - Cough

I may not be doing Black Eyes any favors by uploading their second album, Cough, instead of their self-titled. That album is much, much more accessible, and is arguably the better of the two. I honestly prefer it to Cough, and I may post it on here at a later date, but I think of this as the most experimental Dischord release out there, and hearing this, it definitely sounds like Black Eyes had a few more great albums in them.

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Jeromes Dream - Completed 1997-2001

I always love it when a great band puts all their material on one release. Usually it's a single disc, but the fact that a band as prolific as JD were willing to leave nothing off in my mind set this release apart. Apart from that, I found it great that these guys were able to do the whole screamo thing as effortlessly as they did. Great musicianship here, to be sure. The screaming on 3/4 of this is pretty bad, so I honestly prefer the departure in vocal style on the first half of Disc 1, which is their last full-length, Presents. Honestly one of the only things I own that makes me want to start a band every time I hear it.

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CAPSULE - S/T; CAREER SUICIDE - CHERRY BEACH EP; END OF A YEAR - SINCERELY

CAPSULE - S/T

Just found this on the internet the other day, and I only vaguely knew what to expect. I've heard really good things about this band, and I knew that one of these guys was in Tunes for Bears to Dance To, who are one of my favorite bands, period. Suffice to say that this is the best thing I've heard from any ex-Tunes dudes, and I'm big on Torche and Tyranny of Shaw. YOU WANT IT.

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CAREER SUICIDE - CHERRY BEACH EP

A lot of people love Fucked Up. I am one of those people. I had heard that their drummer, Jonah, was in another punk band that was pretty good, Career Suicide, so I checked 'em out. I listened to this. CS is one of my favorite bands right now. Do the math?

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They're supposedly rerecording this with new tracks. This kills, though.



END OF A YEAR - SINCERELY

I'm not honestly sure if you're getting the total "End of a Year experience" by just downloading this one. I doubt they care, since they aren't making shit off this band thing either way, but by snagging the digital files of this, you're missing out on some of the best liner notes I've ever read. Patrick's lyrics absolutely rule, something the casual listener will definitely miss. The references at the end of each song are excellent, and have actually turned me on to a few good bands and people since I picked this up. The music itself definitely isn't for everyone, but I have to think there's a reason I've listened to this record a gazillion times.

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