Vetiver

Cabic and crew don't fail to impress with their interim project of covers, Thing of the Past. Though I'm anxious to hear some new Vetiver originals, this album gives a great perspective on the influences and sounds that have touched Cabic's songwriting. Feeling very much like an evening spent sitting in Cabic's living room listening to the kind of songs that can be played over and over; this release is almost autobiographical in nature. Some covers come as no shocker, with Townes Van Zandt, Loudon Wainwright III and 70's chanteuse Elyse fitting in amiably next to Vetiver's sun-soaked A.M. folk on your record shelf, but Cabic's real skill here lies in making tracks like the breezy opener, to Hawkwind's first album lie in perfectly right alongside these troubadour's classics. This album acts as a true curatorial project, it shows Cabic's personal taste as much as it show's how those tastes are integrated into his songwriting and for the most part he makes each song his own leaving this collection with an uncanny resemblance to an album of Vetiver originals. This just peaks my interest even further for that new full length (coming in '09) and leaves me feeling like Cabic and co. have shared something personal with us.

Download:
[MP3] Vetiver - Houses
[MP3] Vetiver - Road to Ronderlin

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Two very different sides to the San Francisco rock explosion that show the diversity that was borne from that scene. The first is young and brash with a sound rooted in the garage but looking to the future. The second formed out of the city's connection with the arts and poetry scene, merging the literary and rock movements.

	Savage Resurrection - Savage Resurrection One of the youngest groups to come to any prominence in the San Francisco scene, a few members were barely sixteen at the time they recorded this album. The band infused a more raw garage sound at
a time when most bands often focused on more sprawling psychedelics. This may have been what attracted Abe "Voco" Kesh to their sound, as he is responsible for signing one of the scene's other major diversions from the core psychedelic style, Blue Cheer. The band produced only this single album for Mercury and broke up shortly afterward with very little touring supporting the album, and thus it sunk for the most part into obscurity. It's most noted among collectors for the calm amongst the clatter track "Tahitian Melody" which does boast some interesting themes. Elsewhere their hard edge shines through making it a fairly decent listen and though the playing can sometimes be derivative the group shows much promise for their age and its certainly well worth checking out, especially for those interested in the San Francisco sound. Download: [MP3] Savage Resurrection - Tahitian Melody [MP3] Savage Resurrection - Thing in E Support the artist. Buy it HERE
	The Serpent Power - The Serpent Power Though most of the lyrics on The Serpent Power's album are derived from leader David Meltzer's poetry, by combining them with an easy sort of West Coast blues rock they don't entirely come off as pretentious as it sounds (or could
have been). The band do trip slightly down the path to pretension on the album's 12+ minute closer "Endless Tunnel" but honestly not much more so than a lot of their contemporaries at the time. The general vibe of the album remains laid back and much in the same vein as "Electric Music" era Country Joe and the Fish, which is apt as they were signed to the same label (Vanguard) and discovered by The Fish's manager Ed Denton. The album only really received local acclaim and eventually they dissolved, with David and his wife Tina releasing another record under their own name. A live jam recorded by Meltzer and co. in 69 for KPFA called Ourobouros was released last year on Locust, shedding a new light on this otherwise obscure band. This isn't quite as interesting and tends to ramble, but the S/T album is definitely worth a listen. Download: [MP3] The Serpent Power - Don't You Listen To Her [MP3] The Serpent Power - Gently, Gently Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Festival

Beautifully harmonic folk from this pair of siblings who craft lonesome American choruses that sound equally at home alone in the forest as they would on bygone vaudeville stages. Lindsay and Alexis Powell's voices intertwine and play off one another in that special way that only two members of the same family can achieve. On Come Arrow Come they wind and twist their way through breezy Americana with a touch dark maudlin wistfulness, choral folk that haunts like the ghost of forgotten yesterdays and just a bit of pure carefree pop. Somehow though, it all seems to fit into the same wicker basket; held fast at the arm of the sisters as they wander down the endless mossy trails that inhabit their imaginations. Of course folk of this caliber could only end up one place, another feather in the cap of Language of Stone. If you aren't on board there I can't imagine what you could be waiting for. My only gripe with the house of Stone is that music this fine aches for vinyl. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed for now.

Download:
[MP3] Festival - Valentine
[MP3] Festival - Fair and True

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

A pure slice of unadulterated evil from the Raccoo-oo-oon camp in the form of Andy Spore's primitive Youth of the Beast.

	Youth of the Beast - Lantern 7" Lantern's two sides are pure basement electronic skree but as with anything out of Raccoo-oo-oon territory it has a certain driving pulse that keeps it from being just a wall of noise. With a clatter of percussion pulsating like tribal rhythms beaten into dented
pots and pans and the high mournful wail of distorted tones this one harkens like the war call of a tribe of abandoned electronics then devolves into the tortured squeal of their kill. Download: [MP3] Youth of the Beast - Lantern Pt. 2 Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Arborea

A beautiful and stirring second album from the Maine duo of Buck and Shanti Curran, known better as Arborea. Lilting and desolate folk that's as beautiful as it is lonesome; and as their name might suggest tinged with dark earthen overtones. The eponymous album feels almost disconnected from urbanity, the calm dry heat of songs like "Ides of March" choke your throat with the dust of stretched gravel roads, the endless repetition of wheat. Elsewhere the pair turns decisively off the path, with rolling clouds replaced by a canopy of trees and twigs underfoot. The sweet loneliness of isolation mixed with the creak of oaken chairs on floorboards and the smell of wet dirt. The pair aren't totally isolated, however, as they enlist the help of fellow traveler Helena Espvall of Espers whose mournful cello adds nicely to the mix. The album is quite an accomplishment and it's often hard to believe that this is only the group's second offering but as with their first album (which is also well worth tracking down) it's the natural ease and unpolished edge that makes it most alluring.

Download:
[MP3] Arborea - Red Bird
[MP3] Arborea - Seadrift

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE and buy their debut as well: HERE

Tape

Luminarium, the latest full length from Swedish trio Tape has me fully engrossed in its crystalline concoction of electronics and calm purposeful composition. Tape last reared their head around here teaming up on that Tenniscoats album that sat firmly in amongst the best releases of last year; and this album holds them in no lesser standing. Luminarium feels like the aural equivalent to a negative utopia; this is 1984 or Brave New World summed up in perfect soundtrack. On the surface the album is beautiful, calming with spots that are pure sonic bliss, flecks of dubbed percussion and peacefully strummed guitar fold you into a state of glossy tranquility. But the edges are frayed. The electronics bend and distort just when you let your guard down, sweet notes warble sour just for a moment giving a sense of strange unease just below the surface. Frankly that they're able to pull this off so effortlessly is nothing short of a testament to Tape's prowess as musicians. This comes away as one of the most beautiful and yet eerily complex albums out this year and you'd do well to pick this up when it comes out in early May.

Download:
[MP3] Tape - Beams
[MP3] Tape - Fingers

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Pocahaunted

I've been meaning to work up a post on Pocahaunted for a little while now but the band move so quickly between projects its hard to pick. The last time they were mentioned here was in their astoundingly good collaboration with Robedoor. So instead of being picky I'm lumping their last three releases into one post because they're all equally wonderful if not essential. The band released a split LP with Christina Carter on Not Not Fun that saw both sides moving the psycho-spiritual bar up several notches. Christina's tracks are, as usual, superb slices of dark natured midnight folk incantations, while on the flip Bethany and Amanda bring new meaning to the term other-worldly. The pair's use of vocals as instrumentation really brings a sense of swirling haunted doom to their work and over the top of their dark-flayed guitar churnings the two voices swim as if locked in tortured damnation. Where the split leaves them some time to weave their magic, the spells become even more intricate on longer releases like their first "Official" solo release Peyote Road on Woodsist and their dark entry into Night People's tapes series Beast That You Are. On both of these releases the duo work out serious shards of noise gnarled spectre echoes that creep far past the 15 minute mark. Both releases are perfect accompaniment to moonless nights spent lost deep in foreign woods. It's usually wise to jump on their releases quickly as they tend to sell out fast, but not to fear as their prolific nature always promises that another gem is just around the corner.

Download:
[MP3] Pocahaunted - Sweat Lodge (from CC/Pocahaunted Split)
[MP3] Pocahaunted - Side A (from Beast That You Are Cassette)

Support the artist. Buy it:

Christina Carter/ Pocahanted Split HERE
Peyote Road HERE
Beast That You Are HERE

As could only be expected of the Jukebox, there's a heavy smattering of garage tracks this week but just for balance or maybe good measure it finishes out with a bit of a breezy gem from the West Coast. What's not to like about that?

[MP3] The Golden Earrings - Now I Have
The Dutch band that later became famous for "Radar Love" (as Golden Earring) is a bit lighter here but no less affecting. A sinister garage number with some impressive action on the guitar. That the band evolved and lasted so long is a testament to their abilities, though I'm still a sucker for their early teenage rantings like this.

[MP3] The Birds - Leaving Here
Not to be confused with the West Coast Byrds, this British group helped usher a harder era into the garage sound and this unrelenting number is no exception. A heavy punch of rumbling bass and a clatter of drums propel this track way outta obscurity and roaring through your speakers. This was definitely a sorely overlooked combo.

[MP3] The Eyes - Not Fade Away
More great stuff from The Eyes. This later single kicked out a shuffle blues side to the band and with that Bo Diddly stutter beat and the chug of harmonica this was a great slice of garage-blues from these Mod stalwarts.

[MP3] The Artwoods - Things Get Better
Speaking of great Brit/Mod groups, the sorely uncelebrated Artwoods, brainchild of Ron Wood's brother Art Wood could keep up with any competition from the fervent club scene at the time. They just couldn't really break out of it. Ah well this track is a pure stomper that shows just why the band deserved more attention and acclaim.

[MP3] Country Funk - Apart of Me
And just to keep the box from being too mired in the garage, here's a bit of West Coast flavor to end things light. Country Funk isn't exactly the most telling name for this group, who in truth shared more with the Byrds or CSN than any funk group. But light harmonies and an alternation between breezy acoustics and heavy leads make this a great shot of harmonious 70's rock.

Indian Jewelry

On first listen I'd have little trouble believing that this is not the same band that created Invasive Exotics, and I suppose for the most part that could be true. It seems that members come and go, add and subtract amongst the group and though that particular piece was my entry to the collective and a favorite of their output, I won't hold it against them. "Free Gold!" the collective's official follow-up to said Exotics is a warmer, hazier affair that brings out some of the band's Sangles era buzzier guitars, hot flash vocals and heat wave synths. Rhythm is in some cases non-existent, folding instead into the steamed tropics of songs like "Walking on the Water" and "Overdrive". In other cases the beats fall like hammers behind the bubble of bass and synth quaver that cascade over the majority of "Free Gold!". Ultimately though, it seems that the sinister touch of nihilism washed through the burned wires and nicotine clouds of this album still closely echoes the band's past. On the whole I'd have to say I miss the disjointed beats and strangled guitars of the last album but I applaud the band for not feeling a need to recreate it.

Download:
[MP3] Indian Jewelry - Temporary Famine Ship
[MP3] Indian Jewelry - Overdrive

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

The "Secret-Eye House Band" Black Forest/ Black Sea returns to shred their strings for your amusementt and general state of higher consciousness.

	Black Forest/Black Sea - Portmanteau 10" Seems like all has been quiet on the BF/BS front for a while so this 10" comes as a pleasant return. The A-Side is a caterwauling din of strings and scuzz that plays out like
a clean psychotic break; tumultuous and calming in the same instant. While the flip side, delves deeper into the broken consciousness quasi-spiritualness of eastern strings and dissonant twangs. The release features their same line up from last year's Terrastock and is released in nifty silver-screened covers. Ltd. to 500. Download: [MP3] Black Forest/ Black Sea - Gemittarius Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Gangpol Und Mit

Gangpol & Mit cut and paste broken toy beats and speed soaked cartoon collages like the mocking bastard shadow of Jason Forest gone loose in a nursery school. The duo craft dizzying assaults of aural tweak that twist you like Absinth-flavored pez. The concoctions start out mostly on the overly cute side but quickly spiral into an area where the cuteness starts to blur into a delightedly wicked set of claws straight out of the most horrifying anime. Cutting voices faster than Prefuse 73 at his height and eating at your brain like creepy temporal lobe leakage from the clouded past the duo certainly have a knack for bending more than circuits. Not to shed this entirely into the creepy light though, Tournent en Rond does have its share of beautiful moments but as I said under the right conditions they act as respites between the chaos of the rest of the album. The duo's cut and paste aesthetics seep into their graphic design and video work as well, making them a media assault to be reckoned with, and speaking of sorts, this 12" also wins for creepiest accompanying cover.

Download:
[MP3] Gangpol & Mit - Police vs Pharaon
[MP3] Gangpol & Mit - Le Panorama/ Elect(R&B)ic M[e_i]ssy Pandaiiï v2

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Ilyas Ahmed

After a string of highly praised CD-r's and a recent reissue/repackage on Digitalis, Ilyas Ahmed finally stamps out a proper full length. Vertigo of Dawn is everything that his fleeting CD-r output promised, its full of dark, moody woven guitar tracks whose vocals resemble wordless chants more than true expressions; floating above the pluck and din of his music. Though Ahmed has common ground with pickers like Jack Rose or more closely James Blackshaw, his delicate string work is more often ensconced in buzzing harmonic drones and draped under the call of his enchanting and chilling voice. The line between sinister and holy is definitely blurred through his music and Vertigo is without a doubt the best entry for anyone who hasn't yet been exposed to his craft. The CD and LP are both out in limited forms on Time-Lag, who have outdone themselves in mirroring the beauty of this album with the care and detail in packaging. Both are wrapped in gold-tinged cloth with blood-red printing.

Download:
[MP3] Ilyas Ahmed - Under the Singing Sea
[MP3] Ilyas Ahmed - Moon Falling


Support the artist. Buy it HERE and HERE

Crystal Antlers

From the sounds of things, Crystal Antlers have been tearing up and down the left coast and since they've been sharing stages with the likes of RSTB faves Magic Lantern, Wooden Shjips and Darker My Love; it seemed about time to check them out. For the record I'm pretty damn glad I did, with a sound that's rooted in crazed organ psych and the golden throat of Johnny Bell, whose screams can mix it up with Ethan Miller any day; this band is more than deserving of any acclaim being heaped upon them. I only regret that they're camped on the wrong side of the country for me to see their celebrated live shows. The EP is ringed in equal parts smolder and flame with huge builds and walls of noise blasted psych-o-blues culminating in the epic "Parting Song for the Torn Sky". I highly suggest picking up the eponymous EP and I think I might be headed back for their previous two 7"s. Can't wait 'til this commotion gets laid down on a full slab of wax.

Download:
[MP3] Crystal Antlers - Untill the Sun Dies (Part 2)
[MP3] Crystal Antlers - Vexation

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

As the influence of psychedelia crept into the music scene it seemed that every two-bit band was mining the east for sounds to make their music seem more exotic. However it was the reverse influence that sometimes seems to have produced the best results; as the western music crept into the east, mixing with local folk traditions to produce some extraordinary results.

	Erkin Koray - Elektronik Türküler Koray is sometimes referred to as the father of Turkish rock music, he had a natural flair for mixing Turkey's bountiful folk music with rock touches from the West. Koray's natural taltent shines through all his work, with a strong voice and more
than accomplished guitar work marking all his albums. His second album is a wonderful mixture of psychedelic sounding instrumentals and Turkish language vocals with some nods to his later progressive work. Koray was scrutinized at first in his home country for his use of Turkish vocals but this work is reported to have been quite influential on a number of bands at the time and would lead to a number of others embracing the practice. He certainly didn't receive much stateside acclaim at the time of its release but with wider availability now people are beginning to take notice. Download: [MP3] Erkin Koray - Karlý Daðlar [MP3] Erkin Koray - Ýnat Support the artist. Buy it HERE
	Selda Bagcan - Selda If Erkin Koray was one of the most influential male figures in Turkish pop from the 60's and 70's then Selda is easily his female counterpart. This album has fetched high collector's prices for some time and for good reason. It's mixture
of folk, heavily progressive guitar and Selda's soaring voice are beyond comparison. Following political imprisoment for a few years Selda finally bought back the rights to her music, allowing its wider distribution outside of Turkey. This album has become notable of late for a rather sizeable sample that turns up in the recently released Oh No album, in fact some tracks from Koray also get the sample treatment on that one. This album is definitely a must for fans of the Turkish scene. Download: [MP3] Selda Bagcan - Ince Ince [MP3] Selda Bagcan - Yaylalar Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Thomas Function

Celebration, Thomas Function's debut album is one of the most fun releases I've come across this year. This Alabama crew built up a bit of a reputation from a couple of EPs and 7"s littered over the past year but this is the culmination of everything that early groundwork laid. Exuberant choruses, a penchant for 70's punk vocal inflections and downright catchiness are all in Thomas Function's corner. Mixing punk spirit with southern jangle-pop and blues into a tight squirming mess that tumbles out of your speakers in unabashed basement fervor. Coming out of Huntsville, Thomas Function's shamble pop sounds natural and unpretentious, its the kind of earnestness that most bands can't even begin to fake half as well, and I'd be lying if I said that this one hasn't been stuck in my head like an old favorite for weeks. The record's crashing your stereo at the end of the month (4/29) and if I were you I'd grab it on clear vinyl while they last - only 500 pressed!

Download:
[MP3] Thomas Function - Snake In The Grass
[MP3] Thomas Function - Peanut Butter and Paranoia Jam

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

The first taste of the upcoming No Age definitely leaves me anxious for more. Nice to see the duo switch it up with some covers, even if they sound fairly new to me.

	No Age - Eraser 7" This record is shaping up to be another greatly anticipated release of the year and this first 7" does little to quell the fervor built up around the band's move to pseudo-major Sub Pop. The covers fit in nicely with the title track, which is a slowed hazy
version of the band's usual mix of noisy-electrospasms. "Don't Stand Still" gets a murky pop rundown and the end cap of an instrumental in the form of The Nerves' "When You Find Out" is eerily tranquil, at least by No Age standards. Keeping my ears perked for the full length and its reported 64-page accompanying book. Gotta hand it to the band, they have a flair for packaging. Download: [MP3] No Age - Don't Stand Still Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Ilya E. Monosov

Yet again, Greg Weeks' Language of Stone label continues to skim the best and most interesting folk releases, placing Ilya Monosov's full-length in great company amongst the other dark gems he's put out in the last year. The Rocky and Bullwinkle-esque title of Seven Lucky Plays, or How to Fix Songs for A Broken Heart seems almost lighthearted compared to the hushed, dark delivery that awaits within. Monosov's voice feels so close to your ear that you can almost feel his breath with each note adding nicely to his twilight song-writing style. Aptly aided by some choice Language of Stone past and current contributors, Seven Lucky Plays sees Weeks lending guitar, Jesse Sparhawk adds mandolin and harp and Margaret Wienk (Fern Knight) brings a touch of strings to the album. This fourth entry into the plaintive and yet somehow brooding works that make up LoS is just another brick in the foundation of what I hope will be a longstanding tradition for Philly label.

Download:
[MP3] Ilya E. Monosov - The Burning Flame
[MP3] Ilya E. Monosov - I'll Live My Live Without Pain

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

The Drift

It seemed to me like The Drift's debut Noumena and accompanying 12"s fell too hard on deaf ears, which is a shame because they've totally eked out a sorely needed niche in the instrumental rock cavern. Though their fluid dub is not entirely akin to their Temporary Residence brethren, their penchant to keep their instrumentals sprawling doesn't exactly keep them out of the party either. However, where some of the rest of the roster tend to focus on tessellations of tension and release, The Drift soar along on an ashen cloud of horns and jazz inflections that play out like a long lost noir film score. On Memory Drawings it seems that the sun is always just descending on the horizon, and though there is tension; it is always overshadowed by a knowing coolness of temperament that cruises with one arm on the wheel, hat brim low and tires buzzing on the pavement. The years on the road separating these two albums have only made the band tighter and more intuitive to each others nuances, and quite honestly I hope that Memory Drift doesn't fall by the same wayside as its predecessor.

Download:
[MP3] The Drift - Uncanny Valley

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Blank Dogs

Oh Man, after some serious anticipation and a bit of a delay the first Blank Dogs album is upon us. On Two Sides mines the very same nauseous deep space rot that his slew of 7 and 12"s laid down in the past year. Still chock full of drain pipe synths and tin-foil scorched vocals but with that ever-present burble of a catchy melody just brimming under the surface; each second of this album reverberates like tarnished chrome and nerve gas shocked into life by a low current bleed from bare wires. Seeing as up 'til now Blank Dogs rarely scratched the 4 track mark its great to see how cohesive he is on the long player. Chem-roasted synth punk bleeds its way into tortured bouts with narcoleptic dance paranoia up to its knees in yesterday's blood. This is the second release of the year and its only April (though this was slated for March), and I've no doubt in my mind that the dominance of '08 by Blank Dogs begins here.

Download:
[MP3] Blank Dogs - Ants
[MP3] Blank Dogs - Three Window Room

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

A little touch of the garage from the East to the West. When the wave took over no country was safe from the effects and these two bands were prime examples of the best rising talents in any language.

	The Eyes - The Arrival of The Eyes Though the Eyes owed quite a debt to the moves of The Who, their brash take on the Mod form was in many ways younger, louder and dirtier than Townsend and Co. ever let themselves get. Maybe the best part of this dependence/debt though
is that the band make no attempts to distance themselves even penning the mock reaction "My Degeneration". This was only the band's debut EP but it delivered a ferocious punch right to the jugular. If there were ever a batch of songs that aptly brings across the Mod/Freakbeat era it is contained right here. The primal thump of battered drums, the skitch and stretch of strings alternated with brash hooks. The originals fetch a heavy sum but there have been some decent CD reissues containing the sum of this release. If the Eyes aren't in your collection they damn well should be. Download: [MP3] The Eyes - I'm Rowed Out [MP3] The Eyes - When The Night Falls Support the artist. Buy it HERE
	The Mops - Colezo! The Mops A bilingual explosion of Japanese pop, garage and anything scattered between. The Mops take the influences of their American and British counterparts and spit back the Cultural Explosion of the 60's through Japenese eyes. Featuring
some great takes on classics from The Doors, Jefferson Airplane and others that sound as foreign as they do familiar interspersed with the band's originals that kick with humor, fuzz and rumble bending further into a psychedelic syrup. The band's goofy theme song "I'm Just a Mops" is pure psych-soul fire and and a bizzaro twist on the Doors "Light My Fire" is more than worth the price of admission. The band went on to open up doors for a host of bands to follow them and still they sound surprisingly relevant today. Pick this one up. Download: [MP3] The Mops - I'm Just A Mops [MP3] The Mops - Somebody To Love Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Thee Oh Sees

This is turning out to be a surprisingly good year for a return to rock (not that it ever really left, I guess). Monotonix, Jay Reatard on the Horizon and this latest from Thee Oh Sees. A far cry from his days as OCS, but not so far off from his last, Sucks Blood, John Dwyer's hitting his stride with the lengthily titled The Master's Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In. Striking up a garage beat and burrowing through psych scorched vocals and a rag-tag bit of surf on the fringes, Masters Bedroom chugs on a full tank of propane. Dwyer and co. pump out garage stompers like the shit was made for them and honestly it makes me wonder what took him so damn long. The A.M. crackle of this album deserves to be tossed on and blared out of car speakers long after the drive-in closes but before the sun even thinks about rising. With a little help from Chris Woodhouse, Dave Sitek and a few others thrown on to produce this came out one fuzzed chunklet of record.

Download:
[MP3] Thee Oh Sees - Ghost In The Trees
[MP3] Thee Oh Sees - Maria Stacks


Support the artist. Buy it HERE

After making some deserved waves last year, Jay Reatard releases his first in a series of 7"s for his transition to Matador (who have really been picking up the good talent these days) and as they've stated it does not disappoint.

	Jay Reatard - See/Saw b/w Screaming Hand 7" The first taste of the new Reatard is slow burning on both sides, but sometimes those turn out to be the best tracks he's done. A-side "See/Saw" starts at a walk and builds to a mid-anthem refrain, fist in the
air and just riding fray. B-Side rides similar vibes with a pounding beat and squeezed keys. This promotion for the upcoming album is brilliant: release a bunch of 7"s in dwindling quantities and then pack some but not all onto an album. I'm definitely in line to grab up the rest of these. Download: [MP3] Jay Reatard - See/Saw Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Sean Smith

Must be something in the air, or just the imminent season change, but it seems like the perfect time for the sweet hum of acoustic strings. Sean Smith has been serving up great solo guitar pieces for a little while now, even adding a few tracks to Tompkins Square's Berkeley Guitar album back a bit, but now he finally lets a few others into the fun and crafts one of his best albums yet. Eternal, out now on Gnome Life Records, is Sean's first collaborative effort. This time 'round he's joined by Spencer Owen, Adam Snider, Fletcher Tucker, and Angela Hsu and while the sound is fuller and the forest vibes deeper that's not to say its become in any way cluttered. The addition of new voices only further buries Sean's tradition deeper into the psych drenched vibes reminiscent of so many of SoCal's best artisans. A gentle scutter of percussion, the lonesome wail of cello and the occasional burst of ozone fried distortion added to Sean's plaintive and strident picking make this a very welcome addition to the genre. The LP is limited to 300 so if you want to hear this in its most complimentary environment I'd hurry, otherwise the album will soon be issued on CD as well.

Download:
[MP3] Sean Smith - Polak Paneer
[MP3] Sean Smith - Holly


Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Crystal Stilts

Brooklyn's Crystal Stilts have been working their way around the city's small venues tearing up the opening slots for a while now and following a string of bad luck and missed connections they finally they have an EP to show for it. The four song EP is fully representative of the band's shuffle by way of shoegaze song style. Somehow full of equal measures of space and murky haze, the band pull the disaffected pop card like pro's while never sounding too aloof or disconnected from the full-stomp jangle of a beat that brims under their songs. Purposefully stripped back, the band let the simple melodies and frazzled din speak louder than any over complicated arrangement possibly could and with surprisingly catchy results. I'm keen to see how the band stacks up with a bit more breathing room so hopefully an album will follow in the works.

Download:
[MP3] Crystal Stilts - Converging the Quiet

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Billy Bao

Nigerian ex-pat Billy Bao wound up in Bilbao, Spain with an intense urge for song-writing and a brutal style. However, it wasn't until he hooked up with the ferocious pound of Alberto Lopez and the blistering noise of Mattin and Xabier Erkizia's guitars that "Billy Bao" the band was fully formed. Take punk, or your notion of punk in its grittiest most visceral form and inject it with the dirt and sweat of frustration, a primal notion of song form and very little regard for anyone who may be listening and the results are a return to rock n' roll. This is rock as the Godz saw it; talent bows to sheer intensity, and listening to Dialectics of Shit I know that somewhere in his grave Lester Bangs is smiling while this screams on the speakers. Mattin's guitars are harangued at best, strangled and shredded more often until they become another percussion instrument right alongside the pummel of Lopez' skins. Bao on the other hand delivers in total atonality, there's a melody, but it's the sheer conviction and what might only be described as catharsis that comes through. This is one of the damndest things I've heard all year (and remember the Goslings appeared here not more than a month ago) but seriously as off-putting as this description may be you've got to hear this because Billy Bao couldn't give a shit if you do and that in itself is beautiful.

Download:
[MP3] Billy Bao - Tight Ass Bleeds
[MP3] Billy Bao - My Life is Shit

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

The Jukebox grabs more from the garage this week. The box careens around the U.S., takes a dip south of the border and ends up with a psychedelic take on an American Legend who didn't fade into total obscurity but you've probably never heard him like this.

[MP3] Human Beinz - Two of a Kind
This Ohio group traded in some of the same gritty garage fodder that was omnipresent in America in the early 60's but they take a sunny detour on this jangle down rocker of a tune. Very pleasant but utterly driving and catchy, country pleasantries meet youth catharsis as this one ends in the destruction of the Honky Tonk piano that drives the track along.

[MP3] Creation of Sunlight - Seven Times Infinity
Creation of Sunlight take the sunny vibes to a natural environment. This California fuzz pop band rollick with the best of them on this high harmony pumper that devolves from pop to blues with a decent guitar/piano break and back again with the flick of the horn section. The band didn't cause much of an impact but this one's got gusto.

[MP3] Rupert's People - Hold On
Rupert's People really only released 3 singles and are known to most collectors for their psych-pop hit "Reflections of Charles Brown". Hold on skews away from the light trappings of Charles Brown and into much harder territory. With heavy leads and an surging organ this is the track the band should have gained fame from. Guess it just got lost in a sea of other hard chuggers in 68.

[MP3] Laghonia - Glue
A long overlooked South American band that while rooted in Beatles/Yardbirds styles, obviously had the power and potential to kick it up and melt some wires. This track from their LP of the same name benefits from some great wah-wah work and impassioned leads in the guitar department, turned sweet and sweaty by a driving rhythm section and classic rock vocal affectations. This LP has demanded collectors prices but as a whole this is really the top of the album.

[MP3] Cubby Checker - Stoned In The Bathroom
Ok so Chubby Checker, familiar territory right? The guy penned "The Twist", passé been there eh? Well in the early 70's Checker, urged by Ed Chalpin, the producer/"businessman" who made quite a living off of some purloined Jimi Hendrix residuals entered the studio with the idea of crafting a psychedelic album. What came out of these sessions were some mixed results that can be considered nothing short of an oddity and the lazy Sunday ode "Stoned in the Bathroom" is right up there with any of the bizarro products of the 60's. This ain't your mommas Chubby Checker.