raven sings the blues

Help Kickstart Ad Hoc

2012-01-31T13:36:00.004-05:00

As you might recall we were part of the Altered Zones collective until its untimely demise earlier this year. Since then several of the contributors have regathered under the former editors with the new name, Ad Hoc. A collective of ten music blogs from all over the world, Ad Hoc is a daily destination for MP3s, videos, mixes, interviews, artist's writings, and cultural commentary-- curated for quality, and with an emphasis on emerging artists and musical movements that best exemplify the new grassroots, Internet-fueled DIY.

Ad Hoc is also a quarterly zine-- available in electronic and paper formats, and full of original art work and long-form features. Resurrecting the curatorial logic of zine culture, Ad Hoc will paint a dynamic, living landscape of the underground music world at large, setting the reflections of professional journalists and critics alongside artists, promoters, and other music-world personalities.

In order to cover costs the site has begun a Kickstarter campaign and you can help support us HERE. Plus you can see me awkwardly talk to the camera, proving once again why I'm better in writing than in person. Anyway, check it out and you can nab great bonuses like a tape compilation or bundles of records from some great labels for your support.

2012-01-31T08:23:00.002-05:00

	Téléphone - Crache Ton Venin A couple of weeks ago we featured the great lost album Different from The Dogs, one of a rare exceptions to the notion that French bands couldn't compete on a level with their U.S. and U.K. counterparts. Well, an even stronger argument
against such rumblings can be made after on listen to Téléphone. The band came together with former members of Sémolina and some fortuitous stand-ins that included the exhilarating guitarist Louis Bertignac. The band opened for several well known touring bands including Eddie & the Hot Rods and Television. This, their second album, was the point at which they achieved triumphant success in their homeland. The album is full of taught punk sneer and classic rock swagger. Unlike many of the bands that appear in this feature, Téléphone enjoyed a great deal of success, albeit mostly in France and the surrounding area. The band dissolved in 1986 with members of the original Sémolina reuniting to record some more funk oriented projects later on. This, however, remains a pinnacle of their career and indeed French rock itself. Download: [MP3] Téléphone - Fait Divers Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch

2012-01-30T08:29:00.000-05:00

Dutch lutenist Jozef Van Wissem has always lent a unique strain of spirituality to the acoustic folk song. His ability to skirt the lines of Baroque and experimental, edging one genre into the folds of the other, has long been lauded and it’s been celebrated in the entirety of his catalog. Here Van Wissem hooks up with previous collaborator Jim Jarmusch, a pairing that seems on paper an abstract connection if Jarmusch's credit is seen only as a filmmaker. In truth Jarmusch's guitar playing is sorely under appreciated and here it adds a stormy dissonance to Concerning The Entrance Into Eternity's mystic shell. Jarmusch weaves layers of feedback between the measured plucks and runs of Van Wissem's lute making this one feel as at home alongside James Blackshaw as it does with Tetuzi Akiyama or even Keiji Haino. The album acts as a continuation of the themes the two explored on Van Wissem's The Joy That Never Ends album, dragging the two even further into the ritual catacombs of Baroque spirituals than ever before. It’s not an easy journey but when the skies are scarred and menacing it makes for a great companion.

Download:
[MP3] Jozef Van Wissem & Jim Jarmusch - Concerning The Entrance Into Eternity

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Expo '70

2012-01-27T08:10:00.000-05:00

Justin Wright returns with another floating vabrational anthem under the Expo '70 moniker. His latest release comes from small run masters Sound of Cobra and features two cuts of dark, driven Kosmiche marked with the usual high quality musicianship that we've come to expect from Wright. The title track is a definite highlight, underpinned by an ominous drone and Wright's snaking guitar only building the inky tension to a white-knuckled height. The second cut injects an Eastern raga template to Expo's usual adherence to the Space Rock/Kosmiche axis and its a fittingly ornate counterbalance to the title track's dark spirals. It seems that in our opinion, Wright can do little wrong and this Hovering Resonance is further proof of this theory. It is, however, extraordinarily limited so be sure to pick one up in its handsome vinyl packaging as soon as possible.

Listen: Expo '70 - Hovering Resonance

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Perispirit

2012-01-26T08:18:00.000-05:00

Ricardo Donoso is a name that might ring familiar to regular RSTB readers, the ambient artist has hooked up with sound sculptor Luke Molodof and the two have christened themselves Perispirit. Spiritual Church Movements is the first full length vinyl release for the duo following some cassette releases for Hospital Productions and Ricardo's own Semata label. The duo digs deep into the recesses of sonic divination. Donoso harnesses the stratospheric vibrations of field recordings provided by Molodof and processes them into an amalgamation of deep space transmissions and noise juxtapositions that feel pulled from the pages of science fiction or even field studies of electromagnetic recordings of the dead. It’s easy to imagine how this fits right in with the Hospital Records aesthetic but also nice to see that Digitalis has done a wonderful job of packaging the duo's first vinyl release into a beautifully bound art object. As the months grow colder Perispirit feels like a perfect accompaniment to the isolated depths of winter to come.

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Terry Malts

2012-01-25T08:17:00.002-05:00

Slumberland newcomers Terry Malts caught our ears last year with a pair of singles that mixed crackling hooks with a fuzzed out garage style that'll feel pretty familiar to most RSTB readers. The album acts as an extension of the redlined fizzy pop that those singles traded in but overall ends up feeling a lot more coherent than either. Its a simple formula but when a band does it so well and with such a delightful exuberance then its hard not to get swept up in ensuing wave of crunchy fun. The lyrics bounce all over the map from religious autonomy to the usual woes of love and personal neurosis, all blanketed under a coating of their self administered chainsaw pop signifier. Definitely another great addition to the Slumberland roster.

Download:
[MP3] Terry Malts - Tumble Down

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2012-01-24T08:29:00.002-05:00

	Teenage Head - Teenage Head Canadian punks Teenage Head never achieved their deserved level of success outside of their home country. Though often seen as Canada's version of The Ramones, the band seemed to not be able to cross the border and bring the
bounce stateside. The band actually formed after some local gigs by The New York Dolls and The Ramones and picked up their name from the classic Flamin' Groovies track. After an initial single they recorded this debut packed full of taught rockers that never feel as loose as their U.S. counterparts but burn with a sound that borders both the punk and new wave movements. Following this album the band would go onto record Frantic City which was bolstered by press from a riot at one of the band's recent gigs. The press opened them up to opportunities abroad but like so many of these lost classics, fate intervened. A car accident injured band members causing them to miss their New York showcase. Sadly the band skewed more rockabilly on their third album but the first two are solid reminders of their prowess. Download: [MP3] Teenage Head - You're Tearin' Me Apart Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Rene Hell / Pete Swanson

2012-01-23T08:43:00.001-05:00

Sharing two sides of a limited slab of vinyl, Pete Swanson (breaking out of the Yellow Swans mold) and synth master Rene Hell aka Jeff Witcher create a dichotomy of destruction and bliss. Swanson keeps things noisy as is expected but breaks from the total devastation that usually comes associated with anything bearing his Yellow Swans moniker. His side, a one track build that starts from a field of sonic debris and crescendos into a well constructed noise carving that bears a softer yet still jagged impact from one of noise's masters of the form. The flip sees RSTB favorite Rene Hell emerging from his suited release The Terminal Symphony with three new synth excursions that plunge down the well of sonic soup that brings to mind the analog wonderlands of the 70's. Hell is in fine form here bouncing between the wires and feting out a sort of negative Utopian bliss that feels as calm as it feels uneasy.

Download:
[MP3] Rene Hell - Walking In Tune

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Bleached :: Searching Through the Past Video

2012-01-20T15:14:00.003-05:00

Here's a nice Friday treat. RSTB singles faves Bleached have worked up a sweet video for their song "Searching Through the Past". The Clavin sisters are quickly making a name for themselves post Mika Miko and with each piece of the Bleached puzzle that drops we're more anxious for a full length. Hopin there's new of that soon.

Suport the Artist. Buy it HERE.

2012-01-20T08:40:00.001-05:00

Young Governor – Where It's Quiet 10"
Ben Cook's solo endeavor as Young Governor has always swung close to pop but his latest outing wraps up four tracks of pure cane sugar crunch that's an undeniable pop treat. Utilizing the bastard son of vinyl

formats, the 10", Cook cleans the usual fuzzed edges of Young Guv's sound with the title track sounding like its ripped right from the soundtrack of any number of 90's indie movies. Pining and jangly, the cut is one of Ben's best yet. The rest of the EP takes no slouches either, pulling his fuzzed punk through Westerberg and Lemonheads territory with equal measure. Its good to see Cook refining his pop palette and it begs the question of where he's headed next.

Download:
[MP3] Young Governor - Where It's Quiet

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Kane Ikin

2012-01-19T08:18:00.000-05:00

Better known as one half of Australian electronic duo Solo Andat, Kane Ikin sets out on his own for an EP of guitar centered pieces that swing away from his formerly computer obsessed recording procedure and further into the blurred nuances of analog tone. The four pieces on the Contrail EP flutter through the consciousness in pulsating waves of nostalgia, crackling with the hiss of tape and time. Ikin adds some flourish with a wealth of field recordings that peek around corners like shadows in an old house. The EP comes immaculately packages in a chipboard sleeve with clear vinyl making this a piece well worth tracking down in the physical form (ltd to 300).

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Rhyton

2012-01-18T08:38:00.000-05:00

Gotta admit, this one kinda had us from the start. After seeing the combination of names involved - Dave Shuford (D. Charles Speer, No Neck Blues Band), Jimy SeiTang (Psychic Ills) and Spencer Herbst (Messages, Matta Llama)- Rhyton almost seemed tailor made for RSTB. Happily the collaborative results more than surpass the expectations laid down by those involved and the record settles into a blissful psychedelic groove that finds welcome company among some of Thrill Jockey's current roster, namely Eternal Tapestry, Barn Owl and Wooden Shjips. The entirety of Rhyton's self-titled debut exists in a sun flayed desert mindset, full of dust-throated blues and heat refracted visions. The trio pushes from slow crawling oil slick meditations to fierce, crumbling excavations of the psychedelic core. That the whole endeavor was laid to tape at Black Dirt Studios raises little surprise as the whole thing is pristine and cavernous from start to finish.

Download:
[MP3] Rhyton - Stone Colored

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

2012-01-17T08:34:00.001-05:00

	The Dogs - Different The derision usually associated with French rock is often well placed but there are several arguments against such a line of thinking in the form of early 80's punk and power pop entries like The Dogs and Téléphone. The former made
their mark on the French punk scene with the highly underrated Different, a pounding bit of punk with a pop soul and a sour lyrical streak that garnered it comparisons to The Only Ones. Well deserving of the comparison too, Dominique Laboubée's songwriting carries the same weary edginess that marked the best UK punk of the time. Despite great reviews in their home country and a great follow-up, Too Much Class for the Neighborhood the album remains only a cult favorite that's long overdue for further praise. Download: [MP3] The Dogs - A Different Me Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Gross Relations - "Cut The Final Scene"

2012-01-16T14:54:00.002-05:00

Brooklyn's Gross Relations, who you might remember as having a great little EP out on RSTB Records last year, have thrown this gem of a tack our way. "Cut The Final Scene" is another slice of fuzz wrangled pop that skates through your speakers on a foam wave of keys and woodchipped guitar blasts. The band is in the process of putting together a full length for release sometime in 2012 so keep your ears perked for that.

Download:
[MP3] Gross Relations - Cut The Final Scene

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

White Faces

2012-01-16T08:36:00.000-05:00

L.A. trio White Faces have brought some serious sneer and swagger to the garage punk plate. The band's debut for Windian is packed full of sweat soaked rockers throbbing with the kind of infectious energy that can't be denied. Hell they even throw in a cover of RSTB faves Milk n' Cookies' under sung pop nugget "Nots" so you know they had us from the start. The album burns from run in to run out with the kind of danceable garage that's always a welcomed addition to a Saturday night. Ripe with the smell of denim and dirt but with a touch of the pop soul and jangled edges that keep your feet moving and the choruses lodged firmly in your brain. It’s good to see DC stalwart Windian moving themselves out of the singles market and into album territory and this record is a great start. Keep your eyes on them for sure.

Download:
[MP3] White Faces - Ain't Havin' Me

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Royal Baths

2012-01-13T14:17:00.004-05:00

Back when we frist got wind of Royal Baths' cassette debut it hooked us in with its dark spirals of downer guitar and overcast lyrics that somehow lodged themselves between the folds of the brain and sat to fester. It was no surprised that the album was given a second life, rebranded Litanies and released by Woodsist. The band then jumped ship on their San Francisco roots, feeling a disconnect with the ever spreading garage scene there and moved to NY. Their sophomore album, on NYC label Kanine, shows few signs of tempering the dark guitar clouds that formed on the debut. In fact, Better Luck Next Life may be even further down the well in terms of strung out lyrics and itchy guitar snarls and its all the better for its sour disposition. The record seethes with heatsick vibrations and a VU-styled sour heroin shakes that seep out of the record and right under the skin. This one's fast crawling up our most played of 2012 list. Definitely pick one up.

Download:
[MP3] Royal Baths - Darling Divine

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

The Doozer

2012-01-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Seems the Woodsist roster now has a case of contention for which artist is more likely to grab the Syd Barrett comparisons. Like his labelmate Tim Presley of White Fence, The Doozer has a seemingly endless love for the off-kilter pop sensibilities that made Barrett such a unique soul. The fourth release sees The Doozer heading away from his previous lonesome, one man approach; roping in 11 collaborators for the album and fleshing out the psych-folk palette that showed such promise on his last full-length for the venerable Siltbreeze. Each listen reveals new layers of pluckish charm via a swarm of strings, thrift store brass and a grassy knoll witticism that feels like a trip through the rosy colored glasses of the 60's mindset. If you like your Floyd with a sidecar of acid and kaleidoscopic perspective then The Doozer is certainly one to put on your 2012 list.

Download:
[MP3] The Doozer - Fold Up Chair

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Instant Action @ K&M in Williamsburg

2012-01-11T08:06:00.000-05:00

If you're up for a night of garage, power pop, glam and 70's era punk and you're in the NYC area, come on out to K&M in Williamsburg tonight where I'll be DJing our third installment of this monthly series.

2012-01-10T12:36:00.003-05:00

	The Dwight Twilley Band - Sincerely If there's a case for Big Star never quite getting their due for locking down the power pop template and dosing it with a heavy helping of Memphis soul then its undeniable that Dwight Twiley and by
extension his writing partner Phil Seymour have really never gotten their fair share of acclaim. Any fan of #1 Record or Radio City owes it to themselves to check into Twilley's Sincerely. The record was fleshed out after Seymour and Twilley had an unstoppable hit in the form of "I'm On Fire," a song that's undeniably one of the anthems of Power Pop. And though much of the album is forced to live in the shadow of their hit, there's no denying that it’s a force of blue-eyed soul grit and southern charm. Despite the success of "I'm On Fire" by the time the album was finished the band had hit a streak of bad luck that proved too much for the pair. Distribution woes and a follow-up single (“Shark”) that was rejected because of its title seeming a little too close for comfort to the just released hit film Jaws sunk the band's chances. After a similarly unsuccessful follow-up Seymour left to pursue a solo career but was tragically cut down by Lymphoma. Still this album stands as one of the great injustices of the Power Pop movement. Download: [MP3] Dwight Twilley Band - I'm On Fire Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Donovan Quinn

2012-01-09T22:32:00.005-05:00

On his third solo album away from the meadow of Skygreeen, Donovan Quinn drops the 13th Month moniker and heads out again just under his own name. Quinn has truly found his voice this time around, dusty tongued and besieged by the double edges of bittersweet melancholy and sun dappled euphoria that's always drawn the Leopards close to our hearts. Honky Tonk Medusa shares the summoner’s tale troubadour vibrations that former stagemate James Jackson Toth has employed under the many folds of his Wooden Wand habit proving Quinn to be quite the songwriter in his own right. There are some surprising moments that really pull the album out to the forefront of Quinn's work, not the least of which are the eerie Twin Peaks vibes that surface on "My Wife" and the breezy elegance of "Shadow on the Stone." Its been too long in our opinion since the Leopards have shared a stage but its hard to complain when their side journeys are so enjoyable.

Download:
[MP3] Donovan Qunn - Shadow on the Stone

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Karl O'Connor

2012-01-05T08:41:00.000-05:00

So technically this one might fall under a re-released heading but it just didn't seem right. Released when Karl O'Connor, now known as Regis, was working under the alias Sandra Electronics and it’s a bit of a departure from those expecting the techno skitter that's become synonymous with his Regis alias (check out the EP on Blackest Ever Black for a good taste). These early recordings fall into the crevices occupied by Throbbing Gristle or even Cabaret Voltaire. It’s a hard edged, nihilistic valley of grey jagged beats intercut with the clang and scrape of noise floor fallout; occasionally even touching on a bit of post-punk that seems far stretched from the producer's later leanings. Hell, "I Understand" might even appeal to fans of newer noisemakers like Pop. 1280 and Puerto Rico Flowers. No matter how you approach White Savage Dance - time capsule, historical document, lost gem or just damn fine music that's finally getting its due; its clear that this will feel at home in any brittle collection.

Download:
[MP3] Karl O'Connor - Here and Now (English Version)

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Shannon and the Clams

2012-01-04T08:29:00.001-05:00

Another one that slipped away from us this year. Shannon Shaw, she of Hunx and His Punx fame, has quite a good thing going in her own regard with the fuzz licked doo-wop leaners that The Clams pump out. Not as swooningly candy coated as the gems that she's become such an integral part of with Sir Hunx, but the touch of grit does her well. I'm said to say that her past releases have escaped me, perhaps it was the name, then again RSTB is no stranger to a plethora of tongue in and out of cheek band names so what was the hesitation. Anyhow it’s a good thing this landed on the Raven turntable, even if it was a bit too late to really get into our 2011 rotation. Also of note are a few of The Clams' latest videos, brought to life with a campy touch by Grass Widows' own Hannah Lew. Check out the video below and do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Sleep Talk when you get the first chance.

Download:
[MP3] Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2012-01-03T08:38:00.001-05:00

	Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill Its hard to understand sometimes how every college freshman owns a copy of Dark Side of the Moon and maybe a few even go so far as to throw in Yes or a little King Crimson, but Hawkwind fails
to wind up on the recommended listening list. Hall of the Mountain Grill, widely considered one of the band's pinnacles at least as far as studio albums go, is perfectly positioned to nab the most ardent Floyd fans. Its a superb mix of the space rock template and harder territories that would be explored by followers such as Blue Öyster Cult and their prog brethren. The album sees Lemmy getting more comfortable with his role in the band, penning the excellent "Lost Johnny" and enjoying a relatively stable period before he'd choose to exit the band after this album's follow-up Warrior on the Edge of Time. Thankfully much of the Hawkwind catalog is now finding its way back onto vinyl via the superb Plastic Head label. If your collection lacks this essential piece of the psychedelic puzzle. I'd highly recommend picking it up. Download: [MP3] Hawkwind - D-Rider Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

No UFO's

2012-01-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

Konrad Jandavs released Soft Coast on cassette in 2010 and now Spectrum Spools has given it a well deserved vinyl edition. Blending synth flutter and Kosmiche drift with a psychedelic touch that guides both halves, the album manages to make itself stick out amid a plethora of similarly minded synth projects. Jandavs has a keen sense of space and texture, blending noise elements and dropping beats out entirely to great effect. Adding to the already potent mix is Jandavs' use of some dry guitar crunch, which lends a bit of the raw nerve of punk that quivers down the VU/Spacemen/Suicide axis. Definitely a unique record that's well deserving of a second look and a vinyl presentation and one to keep an eye on in 2012.

Download:
[MP3] No UFO's - 00/00/2010

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-12-30T08:24:00.002-05:00

Mikal Cronin – Tide 7"
Mikal Cronin broke out of the background of the garage punk underground with a wonderful solo debut this year and its been a constant on the RSTB turntable ever since. Not one to rest easy, Cronin is back already with a new single for

Goner; two new gems very much in the vein of the LP. The A-Side is a bit tighter and buzzier than his standard fare but still catchy as hell. The B-Side's a breezy bit of pop that conjures summer breezes and carefree days. It goes without saying that we're primed for what Cronin does next and with all the critical praise rolling in for the Trouble in Mind album it seems that he'll have plenty of options. Pick this one up while you can!

Listen: Mikal Cronin - You Gotta Have Someone

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

U.S. Girls

2011-12-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

Well as best of lists abound here at the end of the year, there naturally arise albums that we overlooked in the last 12 months (there are many, we're sure). Meghan Remy's latest turn as U.S. Girls definitely falls under this category. U.S. girls on KRAAAK is Remy's most pop effort to date, even including a cover of Brandy and Monica's "The Boy is Mine" that comes off like a dark love call from the shadows. Its proof that Remy can't be pinned down by the expectations of noise pop. She bounces from soul to country to pop all filtered through the dark, lonesome corners of her semi-lo-fi trappings. But even those could be lifted in the future. It seems U.S. Girls aren't tied to any aesthetics and she certainly won't let anyone paint her into a corner. If you haven't gotten your hands on this one, its about time.

Download:
[MP3] U.S. Girls - Island Song

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Pop. 1280

2011-12-28T12:25:00.004-05:00

Pop. 1280 bring the same visceral crunch to their full length that they unleashed on their first Sacred Bones EP. The band's world view seems to have grown no brighter in the intervening months, still grounded in the dystopian notions of a post-punk post-apocalyptic future. The band's core of Chris Bug and Ivan Lip still traverse the scorched remains of their mythical world, "The Grid" and it seems that the reigns have only been pulled tighter and the body count only grown higher over time. The Horror is wrought with chewed glass rhythms and tar caked melodies that burn as much as they bind. Damn fine work and a hell of a follow-up to one of our favorite EPs from the last few years. Now if you'll excuse us, we've got an overwhelming urge to queue up Blade Runner, Logan's Run and The Running man and maybe cap it off with a trip to the Thunderdome.

Download:
[MP3] Pop. 1280 - Bodies in the Dunes

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Veronica Falls - Six Covers

2011-12-20T15:29:00.000-05:00

Veronica Falls certainly charmed our hearts this year and their record was certainly one of our favorites. The band has an uncanny knack for folding in influences while sounding tip-of-the-tongue nostalgic without fully recalling past records. They have that charming ability to make you yearn for the originals like they do and in that very same vein, they're also awesome in the covers department. Unfortunately this is long out of press but rapidly filling up the ebay shelves (ahem if anyone needs a last minute x-mas suggestion for me). On this limited run, aptly titled Six Covers the band rope in their now famous Roky Erikson cover with additional homages to The Rolling Stones, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, The Verlaines, Slumber Party and The Eurythmics. The set's popped up digitally here and there but its well worth seeking out if you can.

Download:
[MP3] Veronica Falls - Thorn In My Side

Discogs: HERE

Golden Calves

2011-12-19T13:34:00.005-05:00

It's no secret that we're fairly large Wooden Wand fans around here but due to timing, RSTB's documentation doesn't span much further back than the Vanishing Voice days. Well now, thanks to Woodsist, the world's getting another chance to check into Toth's early days as Golden Calves. Money Band LP + Century Band 12" collects the early days of Toth's first LP recorded at a practice space called The Cave in Purchase NY. The album's got a noise/free folk strain running through it that recalls (admittedly by Toth) a debt to Jandek, Tower Recordings and The Godz. It's definitely the sound of someone enraptured by where music can lead a listener. It's full of underground echoes and tonal studies crusted with the lonesome whisper of noise shadows. The album caught the ear of quite a few underground critics and appreciators including Byron Coley, Clint Simonson from De Stijl and Thurston Moore; the latter of which Toth would release a three-way split with. This split is also included in the release and show's Toth pushing his boundaries even further.

For those as caught up as we are in the WW/VV axis and trajectory this remains as a key part of the puzzle finally available to fans but its just as enticing to any and all who've gotten hooked on Jandek or Tower Recordings over the years. This one's limited (though not as much as its original run, naturally) so best not to sleep on this one.

Download:
[MP3] Golden Calves - Mod Bacteria (for Fred Neil)
[MP3] Golden Calves - In The Centre Of The Ring They Are Torturing A Bear

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-12-13T08:30:00.001-05:00

	The Boys - Alternative Chartbusters The Boys had a habit of always being declared on the brink of stardom and always falling short. Their first album mixed punk's edge and pop's bounce into a potent kicker of an album. Their second,
at the time, was somehow dismissed as sounding derivative of themselves. Though in later years it’s become something of a fetishized power pop gem (and rightly so). This reissue not only wraps up the great full album release but some great b-sides and even one of their holiday stints as "The Yobs". Some lineup changes after their third album led to rocky territory and after '81 the band drifted apart. But their reputation remained solid and eventually demand produced a series of reunions. Naturally this one is essential to any fans of the late 70's early 80's punk/power pop axis. Download: [MP3] The Boys - Do The Contract Hussle Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Nothing People

2011-12-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Nothing People are always a welcomed return around here. The band has a proven knack for churning out dark punk deconstructions that somehow still seem to bury a few pop nuggets in the rubble. Smells Like Metal is no exception in that regard; a post-fallout, charred embers laden rocker with their pitch perfect nods to The Twinkeyz and Chrome fully intact. In dire times (or modern times actually) Nothing People's dark, squirming brand of rock seems to make sense. They brandish squall and anxiety like weapons against the ever encroaching tide of the world. They turn their backs on the light and embrace the coming darkness. Someday more than a few parties on the detention block will be soundtracked by their acerbic sweat. And you know that's just fine with us.

Download:
[MP3] Nothing People - Cathode Ray Tube / Gut Wind

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Instant Action @ K&M in Williamsburg

2011-12-07T09:55:00.001-05:00

If you're up for a night of garage, power pop, glam and 70's era punk and you're in the NYC area, come on out to K&M in Williamsburg tonight where I'll be DJing the second of what will hopefully a monthly series.

The Steve Adamyk Band

2011-12-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

After getting sick of the bands he was in imploding, breaking up or dissolving Adamyk (Million Dollar Marxists) went for the self-monikered setup, which seems like a damn fine idea. Revolving players? No problem, as long as you remain the core, your name lives on! Adamyk's initial efforts quickly sold out and the sophomore release for Dirtnap is just as infectious as the early singles and album. Rolling the shattered remains of 80's power pop, 90's garage and recent shreds of garage punk together into a whirlwind of catchy melodies and enough guitar crunch to rot your teeth. The Ottawaians (is that a word? It is now) definitely know their garage pop turf and even pay some homage to past masters with a Dickies cover on the second side. Winter needs a few fun releases like this, if nothing else to keep the blood moving and melt away the chill. A recommended addition to your December.

Download:
[MP3] Steve Adamyk Band - Landslide

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-12-06T09:50:00.003-05:00

	The Chords - So Far Away It's no secret that we've got an affinity for the loves of John Peel around here, so the fact that The Chords recorded not one but two Peel sessions early on in their career comes as a major plus. Growing out of the 70's Mod revival
in the UK, the band was a favorite of Paul Weller and Sham69. They signed themselves to the latter's production company but fell out soon after over some of the personal opinions of Sham's Jimmy Pursey. The split with Pursey led the band to an album for Polydor which was well received. Despite the critical praise the band has come to be dismissed by some latter day critics as merely a Jam copycat, but the band's sneering lyrics were often far more critical of mother England than their predecessors. Sadly the band split shortly after a falling out at a show in 1980 and despite a short lineup substitution, they were never able to recover momentum. This, however, stands as a prime example of their contributions to the fertile grounds of British punk. Download: [MP3] The Chords - Maybe Tomorrow Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-12-05T12:26:00.007-05:00

2011 turned out to be a really fun year for music. The RSTB top 20 is full of our favorites from the past year (in no particular order whatsoever). It seems like the list weighs heavily on the garage track but then again it was a particularly great year for the genre. If you've been keeping an eye on Raven over the past year most of the picks should come as no surprise. Some great new favorites angling their way into our hearts (Veronica Falls, Wax Idols, Barreracudas, The Caretaker, Mazes, Mikal Cronin) and plenty of past faves putting in some of their best efforts yet (Bare Wires, Woods, Peaking Lights, Sic Alps, Jacuzzi Boys, Grouper, Real Estate, etc.) We've collected a mix from the whole lot that you can stream below.

RSTB Top 20 of 2011:

Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls (Slumberland)
Mikal Cronin - Mikal Cronin (Trouble In Mind)
The Barreracudas - Nocturnal Missions (Douchemaster)
Bare Wires - Cheap Perfume (Southpaw)
Woods - Sun And Shade (Woodsist)
Peaking Lights - 936 (Not Not Fun)
Sic Alps - Napa Asylum (Drag City)
Wooden Shjips - West (Thrill Jockey)
Moon Duo - Mazes (Sacred Bones)
Jacuzzi Boys - Glazin' (Hardly Art)
Grouper - Alien Observer/Dream Loss (Yellow Electric)
The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World (HAFTW)
ADR - Solitary Pursuits (Public Information)
Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread (Drag City)
Wooden Wand - Briarwood (Self-Released/Fire)
Mazes - A Thousand Heys (FatCat)
The Skull Defekts - Peer Amid (Thrill Jockey)
Wax Idols - No Future (HoZac)
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo (Matador)
Real Estate - Days (Domino)

Support the artists. Buy RSTB 2011 favorites HERE.

Video: Wax Idols

2011-12-05T11:11:00.002-05:00

Wax Idols have been one of our favorite new bands this year. Heather Fedewa and co.'s album No Future has spent a considerable amount of time on the turntable and now they've worked up a nice video accompaniment to standout track "Gold Sneakers". Check it out above and pick up No Future HERE if you haven't already.

Jakob Olausson

2011-12-02T10:07:00.001-05:00

Jakob Olausson's been pretty quiet for the last few years. His album Moonlight Farm arose out of the Swedish countryside as a surprise jewel amongst an onslaught of psychedelic folk at the time of its release. Olausson's record felt ripped out of time, a lost artifact from the private press era, hung quickly with labels like loner folk and lost classic. That same feeling of stumbling on a hushed treasure from a lost soul is readily apparent from the first listens of Morning and Sunrise. Olausson, it seems, has kept the world's influences at bay and wrung out another soul weary album of folk songs from his dusted strings. Songs that seem destined for dawn reflections and lonesome meditation. Its easy to see why the current folk elite have praised Olausson for so many years (he's opened in the past for Wooden Wand, been written up by Ben Chasney and stands to open for Woods next year), there seems to be a kindred spirit in his attention to folk's past. His ability to channel echoes of Skip Spence or Gary Higgins feel effortlessly timeless in an age when genrefication seems to date everything. As I said earlier this week, don't count 2011 done yet. There are still more surprises at the end of the year.

Listen: Jakob Olausson - Riding on the Wind

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Vladislav Delay

2011-12-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

The latest album from Sasu Ripatti's Vladislav Delay comes close on the heels of his last, one which broke the mold he's set and ventured further into jazz and power electronics than ever before. Vantaa on the other hand is just what we've come to love from the Finnish artist; full of dub-wise atmospherics and skittering beats. Its an edgy (in the paranoid sense, not the buzz-word sense), minimal wonderland that draws the listener into its mechanical, acetic charms. It seems that Ripatti's time with Moritz Von Oswald has been spent wisely. The dubplate dessert that he's created on more than a few tracks recalls the tone of the Trio's last few records. Similarly fans of the Basic Channel acetic have much to celebrate here and those unfamiliar with Vadislav will quickly find Vantaa occupying much of their time, drawing the listener deeper and deeper into a sonic rabbit hole with each listen. It seems winter may have an early contender for a soundtrack.

Listen: Vladislav Delay - Narri

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Ensemble Economique

2011-11-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years Brian Pyle's (Starving Weirdos) solo project has begun to blossom into a force of atmospheric synth propulsion. Evolving from early sound sketches into fully formed soundtracks filled with longing, paranoia and encroaching darkness; his songs have come to exemplify the current synth resurgence while also rising above it to achieve a larger vision. Crossing The Pass, By Torchlight is undoubtedly Pyle's most complex and complete album to date. It unfolds as a narrative landscape that's as dense as the most poured over musical scores and equally as emotionally complex. The swelling single "To Feel The Night As It Really Is", which first appeared on its own, is now entwined in a album wrought with cracked glass emotions, wire wrapped tension and a bittersweet ebb of ennui. Though there is no companion script, it feels as if characters rise and fall, weep and sigh throughout the course of the album. Pyle has rendered a tensile world of feeling through his score and in the end you're left wondering what will happen to his and your own imaginary characters next.

Listen: Ensemble Economique - Heat Wave

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-11-29T08:26:00.003-05:00

	The Drones - Further Temptations Long before the Australian newcomers appropriated the name, Manchester's The Drones were cutting their teeth on the grit of 70's punk. The band started a few years prior to the break of punk but quickly switched from pub rock
to punk with the addition of a new drummer in '77. The band held some local popularity and had ties with man about Manchester (and Art of Noise member) Paul Morley who managed the band for a short time. Following a self-released single and the split of Morely, who chose to air his grievances with the band in the press, the band recorded this album containing both sides of their first couple of singles. The album wraps plenty of disenchanted sneer and scowl and did well enough to get them noticed by Island offshoot Fabulous who signed them after its release. Though the band would never be able to finish the sessions for their second album as they split before any of them could be released. This one stands as a testament to their impact and strength at the time though and should fit in nicely amongst your early punk collection. Download: [MP3] The Drones - Just Want To Be Myself Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Swiftumz

2011-11-28T08:35:00.002-05:00

As the end of the year draws close there's still plenty of gems to pluck out of the pile and Swiftumz has recently jumped up the stack over here. If your copies of the last few releases by Ariel Pink and James Ferraro are getting worn then its time to add Chris McVicker to your list of favorite R. Stevie Moore acolytes. McVicker's past pop pedigrees (he's been a collaborator and songwriter for Hunx and His Punx) grow clear from the first few tracks on Don't Trip. The bubblegum glitz gets a home taped make over here but the hooks stick just as hard into the cracks and crevices of your brain. Though it seems that on his own McVicker's more at home sweeping up bits and pieces of 80's British dance pop than he is on the punk-eyed soul that his boy Hunx invokes. Still the driving tempos and chewy pop center of this record have it quickly eking into the rotation more and more. Don't count 2011 down and out yet, there's still one more month to find a few favorites.

Download:
[MP3] Swiftumz - 4EVA

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Video: Dirty Cupcakes

2011-11-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

This video came out a while ago but the band hadn't gotten the singles pressed yet so I'm reminding you of how adorably awesome Dirty Cupcakes are. Chances are if you've read RSTB you're aware that anything Matthew Melton is involved in, we're usually fans of. Well he and Rob from Southpaw recently started Fuzz City records and the Cupcakes are the inaugural release. It’s a pretty great song and a really great video so pick up the single below!

Support the artist: buy it HERE.

RSTB will be out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday but we'll be back in full force next week.

2011-11-23T14:27:00.005-05:00

	Secret Affair - Glory Boys Secret Affair met with a barrage of Jam comparisons on their arrival in 1979 but after the release of Glory Boys which showcased a much less dour attitude than anything in Weller's canon, most of those were dismissed. In fact, the band's
decision to add brass to several songs actually prompted The Jam to do the same sometime later. The album's full of Mod rockers that have an upbeat feel and a couple of the songs enjoyed time on the charts in the UK. Unfortunately for them the Mod revival began to wane in the next year when they released their sophomore album and the band's strong alliances to the scene made it difficult for them to distance themselves in the wake of its implosion. In 1982, after their third album they decided to call it quits but Glory Boys will always stand as an essential time-piece of the Mod sound. Download: [MP3] Secret Affair - Let Your Heart Dance Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Video: The Jameses

2011-11-21T15:27:00.002-05:00

The Jameses have just unleashed a video (directed by Sunset Television/Weird Days' Drew Blatman) for the chaotic b-side to their "Caribou" 7". The visuals are a fitting blur to the song's candy-coated A.D.D. pop and it only makes us want to sit down and listend to that single over and over again. If you don't have it already pick it up below and check out the video above.

Support the artist: buy it HERE.

2011-11-21T13:57:00.010-05:00

Ty Segall – Spiders 7"
Ty fires back after a pretty packed year with a follow-up single to Goodbye Bread that packs three great tracks onto on scrap of plastic. The A-side's a trip to fuzzier territories than Segall's recently been encamped in, but any fan of his past

work should find themselves in familiar territory. On the flip, in true TS fashion, there's a cover that gets a nice stamp of the Segall signature sound. The fact that it was already a stellar Groundhogs original only makes it more enticing. Chances are you know the drill by now, if you're a fan, then you know that your collection won't be complete without this one. Pick it up!

Listen: Ty Segall - Cherry Red

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Magnetix

2011-11-17T13:21:00.004-05:00

Slovenly Records continues to bring the fire from foreign shores. As if this year's release of that Acid Baby Jesus record wasn't enough, they've also unleashed this unbridled stomper from Magnetix. The band hails from Tula, an industrial center south of Moscow famous for gingerbread and accordions but there's no sweetness and even less accordion to be found on their latest, Drogue Electrique. Rooted in the nihilistic garage of The Mummies and The Gories and shot through with a sinister rockabilly sneer, the album is full of rough edges and jagged punches. Perfect for the coming onslaught and grim realities of winter, I've got a feeling this one will be the soundtrack to our grey days for weeks to come.

Download:
[MP3] Magnetix - Comme De Bêtes

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Ulaan Khol

2011-11-16T14:04:00.004-05:00

Another great bit of cinder and smoke from Stephen R. Smith's Ulaan Khol. La Catacomb acts as a proper follow-up to the impressive Ceremony trilogy that saw release over the past few years. Like those releases, this too is entrenched in strata of guitar noise and ambient flake. The release unfolds with the behemoth pacing of lumbering doom, or perhaps the sooty calm of its wake. Tenterhooks seem to be a favorite of Smith's as the album leaves the listener hanging on them, constantly waiting for the explosive fury to drop. But the genius of Ulaan Khol has always been in its restraint, constantly under the ax but fading before the chop. La Catacomb is definitely recommended for all who loved the trilogy or the darker elements of Elm and Barn Owl.

Listen: Ulaan Khol - Paraiah Dogs

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-11-15T14:53:00.007-05:00

	The Toms - The Toms I've been on an unabashed power pop kick lately and with those grey clouds swirling, little else can scare away the early winter blues like the sunniest of genres. The Toms (or rather just one Tom, Tom Marolda) have secured a place in most Power
Pop collectors hearts from an inclusion on the heralded Yellow Pills compilations but long before those days, The Toms self-titled LP fetched high prices due to its solid wall to wall pop hooks. The album has seen a couple of CD reissues with the second installment fleshing out the album with quite a few extras that rival the simple pop charm of the album tracks. The album is all the more impressive knowing that Marolda recorded the whole thing himself, overdubbing the parts for drums and bass long before the current conveniences of home recording made it so accessible. The album wafts in and out of print still and is in sore need of a vinyl reissue but for now you can pick it up digitally. Download: [MP3] The Toms - You Put Me Up To This Support the artist. Buy it: HERE On a similarly minded note; if you're up for a night of garage, power pop, glam and 70's era punk and you're in the NYC area, come on out to K&M in Williamsburg tomorrow night where I'll be DJing the first of what will hopefully a monthly series.

Lee Noble

2011-11-14T13:03:00.002-05:00

Caught up with Lee Noble a few times in the past but always just on the tail end of tape runs that were about to extinguish. His hushed specter pop is on full display on his vinyl debut. Swirling through ethereal planes, memories and the low frequency murmur of electronic voice phenomena; Noble harnesses the creeping darkness into his own shadowy world. While tethered to pop in the leanest sense, Noble wanders off the recognizable grid often, burying his mournful croon in puddles of static, click and amplifier foam. Unfortunately copies of these are becoming scarce as well but the digital is readily available and a few distros are still holding onto lingering copies. You'd be well advised to pick one up.

Download:
[MP3] Lee Noble - Desire Isn't Suffering

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Wounded Lion

2011-11-10T13:19:00.004-05:00

After a video teaser last week we finally got our hands on the full Wounded Lion album and its as wonderfully weird and intense as we could hope. Jumping off of the movement made on the band's ferocious debut, IVXLCDM adds the talents of Lars Finberg of The Intelligence/A Frames/Oh Sees fame and his bombastic drumming only winds their sound tighter. Though, at the heart of the Lion is and always will be Brad Eberhard's off-kilter vocals and intense lyrics sprikled with heart and humor and there are plenty of prime examples littered all over IVXLCDM. It's clear that something's brewing in the underground caverns of Los Angeles and Wounded Lion have tapped the well deep.

Download:
[MP3] Wounded Lion - Roman Values

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

King Blood

2011-11-09T13:27:00.003-05:00

Late to the party on this one but damn glad to have arrived in time for the crushing aftermath. King Blood's Eyewash Silver was issued in a scant run of 100 copies in late 2010 only to disappear as quickly as it reared its fuzz addled head. Recently Chicago's Permanent Record repressed and reintroduced this guitar storm back into society, but even at a run of 300 those are going quick as well. The man behind the blood is Ryland Wharton head of the undersung labels Skulltones and Twonicorn. The LP is full of fried guitar slabs that capture the same lone stalker on the edge of the apocalypse feeling that early Wooden Shjips and Purling Hiss releases were wrought with. Eyelash Silver is a one man fuzz-humbucking blues kicking the roads with and amplifier strung low on the hip. Doom-boogie freaks get excited, because there's a new lost son on the horizon.

Download:
[MP3] King Blood - End of a Primitive

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-11-08T08:44:00.001-05:00

	Tubeway Army - Tubeway Army Gary Numan would become gain more footing with this album's follow-up and become a household name with The Pleasure Principle, released under his own name but this is where it all began. The band cut a previous single for Beggars
Banquet called "That's Too Bad" that followed a tried and true punk palette but immediately following its release Numan fell in love with the sound of the Moog and decided to apply synthesizers to the punk aesthetic. Incorporating a fair amount of icy cool via Kraftwerk's influence on the time, Tubeway Army were able to push the nihilism of punk through the dystopian valves of Krautrock's clockwork universe. The album rarely flags in its ability to create the sound that would come to be synonymous with Numan and though their next album would rank higher on a list of favorites if pressed, the debut is an often overlooked classic that shows the band really coming into themselves. Download: [MP3] Tubeway Army - My Shadow in Vain Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

The Barreracudas

2011-11-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

There's something about 2011 that just seems perfectly aligned for a massive influx of garage punk with a heavy dose of power-pop glitter and plenty of glam swagger. Sitting on the shelf next to your newly purchased Bare Wires, Bad Sports and Mickey releases you'll need to clear a slot for the latest offering from The Barreracudas. The cheekily titled Nocturnal Missions sounds carved straight out of the 77-81 reign of wide-eyed power poppers, even going so far as to cover a nugget from the Cheap Trick catalog. The biggest contrarian arguments I've seen against the current crop of garage pop-a-teers seems to be that they're not breaking any new ground. To that I say, "I'm sorry I can't hear you, this Barrercudas record is way too loud." New ground or not, these are some damn fun records that deserve your feet to be dancing and your worries packed away for tomorrow.

Download:
[MP3] The Barreracudas - Don't Roll Your Eyes

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-11-04T14:56:00.008-04:00

	Max Capote – Ana 7" Though the information on this single is minimal its hard to resist a good cover paired with a great record label. Spain's Munster Records is responsible for some great reissues of Spanish garage along with classics like The Cramps and The Gun Club. This time
around they take aim at Uruguay's Max Capote, a current day garage/beat/lounge sensation who offers up a cover of Los Saicos' "Ana" and pairs it with an original B-side that kicks just as much as the cover. Defintely a fun little package. Download: [MP3] Max Capote- Si Nena Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Video

2011-11-03T17:26:00.003-04:00

Denton TX's Video contains a few names familiar around these parts, chalking up another great release from members of the Wax Museums/Bad Sports/Silver Shampoo axis. Leather Leather is a tougher and weirder offering than many of the other projects its members inhabit, though. There's an element of Chrome run through the punk gutters of '84, though not quite to the degree of some recent punk outposts like Total Control or Nothing People. Though mostly there's just ball out, ripped kneed, massive headwound punk that's got not use for pop pretentions or pretty perfections. Adding to the fun, the record was recorded by Bad Sports/OPN III's main man Orville Neely in an all analog fashion, bathing the record in rough-etched grey and black hues and cementing the core of Video's rough chewed punk output.

Download:
[MP3] Video - Prison

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Thee Oh Sees

2011-11-02T14:58:00.003-04:00

Seems like we were just talking about this one and now its on the speakers. Thee Oh Sees kick out their second long player of the year and its a true burner. Originally intended to be released as two EPs (hence the split title) the album is surprisingly cohesive and definitely a little less sprawlingly ambitious than its predecessor. Carrion Crawler/The Dream is a true to form, full-steam Oh Sees album. Fans of Dwyer and co.'s red-lined, yelp strewn thunder-punk will no doubt find refuge amongst the tracks here. Castlemania proved they can push the boundaries but this follow-up proves that the boundaries can push right back. Thee Oh Sees are one of the current great live garage acts and sometimes the fury just has to be put down on tape. Carrion Crawler/The Dream goes a long way towards bringing the live energy to tape. Reportedly this one was meant to "pummel and throb". Seems like a goal well accomplished.

Download:
[MP3] Thee Oh Sees - The Dream

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Video Premiere: Sic Alps

2011-11-02T10:19:00.002-04:00

Sic Alps have captured a fair amount of our attention this year with an undeniable album and two equally captivating follow-up singles. Napa Asylum has seen its fair share of video accompaniment so far but now the band tackles the track "1/2 Rabbit Sandwich with Fries" from the Breadhead 7" and the clip flies by in a flurry of blinking, bedraggled imagery that seems to sum up the track's shambolic qualities quite nicely.

If you're on the West Coast the band has shows coming up in Pomona and LA, the latter of which is with Sun Araw. That one's not to be missed.

Pick up the Breadhead 7" HERE

Blues Control and Laraaji - FRKWYS

2011-11-01T13:36:00.004-04:00

The FRKWYS series has facilitated quite a few unlikely but brilliantly inspired pairings in its short run and its always a treat to see what they'll come up with next. Volume 8 sees RSTB favorites Blues Control go into the studio with Laraaji, master of amplified zither and a collaborator of Eno's, whose name may be a bit more unfamiliar around these parts. The collaboration yields a languid soundworld filled with delicate spaces, bubbling synths and ripples of zither. The session yielded almost four hours of improvisations, deftly cut down into an album by the artists and as RVNG points out its almost impossible to believe that the two parties had never collaborated prior to the sessions. The resulting album is a pulsing, tonal landscape that reveals more depth and structure on each subsequent listen. In a series this consistent its hard to pick favorites but FRKWYS 8 is certainly one of the best and most essential they've produced yet.

Listen:
Blues Control & Laraaji - Awakening Day

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Video: Wooden Shjips

2011-11-01T13:31:00.002-04:00

Wooden Shjips have a new video for the quiet cool burner "Crossing" from their latest album West. The vid shows the band in their element live, but with a nice psych twist on the visuals. The band's on tour now so catch them if they come through your town. They're not to be missed!

The Spits

2011-10-31T12:53:00.002-04:00

Can it be true that The Spits have really been going strong for fifteen years!? Indeed it is and these punk juggernauts have cranked out their fifth self-titled album, another potent concoction of Ramones inspired burners and twisted sci-fi squalor. They may not be completely rewriting the book but sometimes innovation isn't so bold faced. The band is the stuff of live legend and each new release secures their place further and further into the punk history books. Unabashedly weird and unapologetically spastic, The Spits' 5th is a shredded and frayed affair that sweats blood out of your speakers before it collapses breathlessly onto the floor.

Download:
[MP3] The Spits - My Mess

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Video: The Soft Moon

2011-10-28T15:44:00.002-04:00

It's a good day for videos around here, with RSTB favorites The Soft Moon unleashing a new vid for the title track from their upcoming EP Total Decay. A natural extension of the dark vibes coursing through their self-titled LP, the new 12" is essential listening for 2011. Check out the hypnotic FX that accompany the track, styled in a way that will fell very familiar if you've ever caught the band live.

Pre-Order Total Decay HERE

2011-10-28T13:08:00.006-04:00

Thee Oh Sees / Total Control – Split 12"
Well if anything can be counted on, its for Thee Oh Sees to deliver, and deliver they do on this split with RSTB faves Total Control. As if there weren't enough excitement with one album already out and one on the

way, this ought to tide over anyone with Oh Sees withdrawal in the interim. For their side, Dwyer and crew bring the spastic energy that's usually synonymous with their live shows, even retooling an older number from Dog Poison into a frantic sweat inducer. On the flip, Total Control continues their dominance of 2011, providing a sinister counterpoint to Thee Oh Sees jubilance. An essential entry into both catalogs to be sure.

Download:
[MP3] Thee Oh Sees - Dead Energy

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Video: Wounded Lion

2011-10-28T10:32:00.003-04:00

The first video from Wounded Lion's upcoming In The Red release IVXLCDM has landed and it sounds like the West Coast crew have tightened and darkened their usually irreverent garage antics. Not sure what the occult disclaimer and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar montage have to do with each other but who cares when the song behind it is this strong. Here's to hoping the whole album has moved in this strong new dirction.

Pre-Order IVXLCDM HERE

True Widow

2011-10-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

True Widow reach for length in more than just album titles on their new EP. At 14+ minutes, the title track of their new EP I.N.O. is one of the most expansive statements in their catalog, but aside from indulging in a doomscraping jam of epic proportions, the band also brings a few of their most unencumbered and dare we say, accessible tracks to date. Aside from the shoegaze romp of Night Witches their previous album seemed to stick to the shadows and mists, but three tracks here elevate the band to a plateau of clarity previously left untouched. Here the band rides the edge of lonesome desert blues and swamp doom that has usually been left to the likes of Barn Owl and more recent offerings from Earth, while thrusting themselves further into the dark corners of shoegaze they'd just begun to explore on their last effort. Highly recommended that you pick this one up!

Listen:

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Pangea

2011-10-26T08:37:00.000-04:00

L.A. punks Pangea had a limited but totally ravaged cassette out on Burger Records this year and for most (RSTB included) this meant that it came and went without being able to snag a copy. Thankfully Burger, in conjunction with OlFactory Records, have taken pity on the suckers and reissued this raucous chunk of fun on vinyl. Threatening to tear itself apart at every corner, Living Dummy is short on fidelity but heavy on scrappy, catchy garage punk that befits their upcomming opening dates for the likes of Mikal Cronin whose sense of kitchen sink stylistic approach the band seems well versed in. Underneath the layer of fuzz and sweat the boys fold in acoustic strums, backwards tapes, giddy background vocals and girl-group drum pops. Each spin 'round renders it more endearing and necessitates a volume bump for dancin's sake. Don't be left in the dust a second time around, pick it up!

Download:
[MP3] Pangea - Shitty

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Steve Hauschildt

2011-10-24T14:20:00.005-04:00

Nowhere near as prolific as his bandmates in Emeralds but no less integral to the sound and scene that the band has come to represent, Hauschildt steps out from behind the curtain for a practiced, precise and more importantly, gorgeous, solo release. Tragedy and Geometry's is "a treatise on the idea that technology is becoming more disposable as it's becoming more accessible;" a theme that might seem perfectly suited to an artist as enmeshed in the analog past of music technology as Hauschildt. He seems to strike a balance with this legacy while obviously embracing the forward movement of electronic music here. The two beacons of the album's namesake hover over every note of Tragedy and Geometry and becomes a precision delivery of the former as refracted through the technological prism of the latter. Here, Hauschildt has taken his step out from the fold of Emeralds and truly created something that stands alone; a pulsing, bittersweet sweep through the kosmiche wires of the heart.

Download:
[MP3] Steve Hauschildt - Batteries May Drain

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-10-21T10:00:00.002-04:00

Ketamines – Line by Line 7"
Ketamines are a meeting of the minds from several Calgary bands, with members from Myelin Sheaths, Endangered Ape, Fist City and Mammoth Cave Recordings all gathering their talents for this debut 7". With catchy harmonies and an

array of effects, the band picks up the psych-punk torch and brandishes it like a weapon. The A-side is a syrupy serving of psychedelic pop that will have you yearning for your Twinkeyz and Simply Saucer records all over again. They show no signs of slippage on the flip and all in all, this makes for a very intriguing debut.

Download:
[MP3] Ketamines - Line by Line

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Kitchen's Floor

2011-10-21T09:45:00.001-04:00

Two great indicators of noise punk excellence, Australian roots and Siltbreeze Records, combine on the sophomore release from Kitchen's Floor. Look Forward to Nothing retains the gritty noise floor of their debut while adding just a touch of clarity from cleaner production and a thunderous new pound courtesy of new drummer Joe Alexander. The band runs the gamut of Aussie noise heroes from X to Rejex and its clear that they'd play along nicely with current Southern Hemisphere punks like Naked on the Vague, Slug Guts or UV Race. Fans of any of the above would be well advised to pick this one up.

Download:
[MP3] Kitchen's Floor - Regrets

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

The Strange Boys

2011-10-20T10:08:00.001-04:00

The Strange Boys have long been favorites around here and their classic rock swagger meets punk sound has fueled more than a few of RSTB's days and nights. Ryan Sambol's impassioned croak has anchored the band through the swells of change of the past few years but in a surprising turn of events its used to express a great deal of pain and exhaustion on the latest Live Music. Their last album showed inklings of slowing their pace but the majority of this latest from the Texas crew is a downtempo, road worn romp through much more of that classic rock terrain than they've covered than ever before. Harmonicas and piano's take the front seat with their typical jangles slowed to a strum. It's a mature side of the Strange Boys and a nice counterpoint to their other two albums. Though while a welcomed change of pace, I secretly can't help but hope after catching their breath, the boys return to former tempos on the next one.

Download:
[MP3] The Strange Boys - Me and You

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Premiere :: The Skull Defekts

2011-10-19T10:06:00.005-04:00

The Skull Defekts recent album with Daniel Higgs is one of the band's rawest, most visceral recordings yet and the ensuing tour brought that sonic fury to many stages across the country. On the tour the band hooked up with Higgs' former Lungfish bandmate Asa Osborne (aka Zomes) as an opener. The two groups ended up finding harmony on stage and Osborne began playing a few songs with them, eventually resulting in a new track built on the road. After a cancelled date, the band was able to turn misfortune into kismet by using the time to slip into Rhode Island's Machines With Magnets studio to lay down a few tracks that would become 2013-3012. The EP contains three new tracks, the one they worked out with Osborne on the tour alongside two written in the studio that day. The A-side consists of the three songs recorded during the session. The B-side is meant to be played from the inner-most groove out and plays the same tracks backward. Below is a composite of the A and B-side versions of "Children of the Skull Defekts".

Download:
[MP3] The Skull Defekts - Childrenerdlihc

Support the artist. Buy it: Insound or Thrill Jockey

2011-10-18T07:37:00.003-04:00

	Quill - Quill This is one of those albums that I've been looking for on and off since I was a kid. The eye-catching cover art graced those inner sleeve advertisements on copies of a few of my parents' records and I was always intrigued to hear what sound lay
behind the cover. Years later I learned that the band had played Woodstock, only to be cut out of the following film and album due to their film crews not being set up in time to film them on Saturday, and thus their legacy has been rather obscured by time. The band was even hired by the festival's promoters to play a series of goodwill shows in NY state prisons and mental hospitals leading up to the event in order to quell some fears about the impact Woodstock would have on the surrounding community. Not sure how psychedelic rock for prisoners quells any of those fears but that's what happened anyway. Their Woodstock appearance had fueled much of buzz around their record deal and their failure to appear in the post-festival film put a damper on the record's promotion. Though the band recorded a follow-up it was not released by Cotillion and the band dissolved in 1970 with the band's Jon Cole going on to produce and Roger North joining a later version of the Holy Modal Rounders. Download: [MP3] Quill - The Tube Exuding Here's some of the only surviving footage of the band playing at the festival, from the outtakes of the film. Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Nathan Salsburg

2011-10-17T13:18:00.002-04:00

A folk historian who has spent time presenting and documenting music for East Village Radio, Drag City and The Alan Lomax Archive, Salsburg has finally put his study into practice with his first album, Affirmed. Built around bare, solo picking with a bittersweet lilt that's fitting of its subject matter, Salsburg's opus of racehorses is one of the most accomplished displays of fingerpicking we've heard in the last few years. Its bound to get him lumped in with the inevitable Fahey and Basho comparisons but his playing bears much of the soul of Suni McGrath and the studied pacing (though maybe not the complexity) of Leo Kottke. Any fan of the style would be well advised to pick up Salsburg's long incubating account of a horse's burden.

Download:
[MP3] Nathan Salsburg - Sought & Hidden

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-10-14T10:56:00.006-04:00

	Elvis Christ – Elvis Christ 7" Having the pedigree of being a touring member of Nobunny's band will carry you pretty far around here, but back it up with some serious garage punk with a power pop soul and you've certainly got us listening. Jason Testasecca unleashes his debut 7" as Elvis Christ.
Jason's also popped up in Mandy + Jason, his project with Mandy Mullins of Garbo's Daughter. The pair released a sweet, lo-fi tape for Burger Records last year. The new jams, however, bury those sweet ditties in the sand. Fans of Nobunny or RSTB faves Bare Wires should take notice. Check out the infectious bounce of "Wild at Heart" below. Listen: Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Acid Baby Jesus

2011-10-14T10:25:00.003-04:00

Grecian psych-punks Acid Baby Jesus jumped onto our radar with a killer EP for Slovenly Records and they've completely blown any expectations away by following it up with their new album, the sparsely titled LP. The album ropes in quite a few sounds sympathetic to RSTB's ears, crawling from gnarled sci-fi punk that could give Human Eye a run for its money, to slow swagger spacedust blues hopped up on mercury swirls and lead poisoned pacing. Each listen opens this one up a little more, cracking new influences and pulling out into a wide angle focus that snaps their ups and downs into a Monet-like clarity when taken as a whole. Its been a while since a debut hit us this hard and its definitely recommended that you wrap your heads around this one soon. Also available from the crew at Slovenly.

Download:
[MP3] Acid Baby Jesus - Tooth to Toe

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Real Estate - Studio Session

2011-10-13T10:20:00.005-04:00

Real Estate head into the Insound studio for three new tracks off of their upcoming album Days. Check out the woodsy, fall vibes above and head over to Insound to download "Green Aisles" from the session. The new album is defiitely one to get excited about. Pick up the LP here.

Andy Stott

2011-10-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

A companion piece of sorts to Passed Me By, his EP from earlier this year, Andy Stott's follow up is just as densely packed and pressurized as its predecessor. We Stay Together opens with a head-in-vice boiler that is only a warning of the humid textures and undulating beatscapes that are about to unfold. If anything this EP is more mechanical than the fist but never in an industrial sense. Stott's work is a bastard fusion of nature and machine fused in a symbiosis that feels tenuous at best. Its a resentful partnership that comes off reeling with old-school dystopian tendencies of dependence on and repulsion of technology; cyborgian in nature but hateful of the circuits that keep the skin alive. The atmosphere is fraught with tense energy and minute movement fluttering below a loose organic fog that breathes slowly. Its clear to see that both EPs have elevated Stott's craft and each are as inextricable from each other as they are indispensable.

Download:
[MP3] Andy Stott - Posers

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-10-11T08:03:00.001-04:00

	Dirty Looks - Dirty Looks Dirty Looks have long been overshadowed by a lesser, though identically named metal band that gained some popularity in the wake of their demise. The band was a fixture for a short while at Max's Kansas City and were signed to Stiff
Records who put out their debut single "Let Go" along with a well-received eponymous debut in 1979. The label also released a follow up, Turn It Up, the next year that didn't fare quite as well and subsequently dashed Stiff's hope that the band would become a swift success. Still the first album is a solid bit of power pop that grips the cleaner sound that rumbled through the NYC punk clubs at the rollover between '79 and '80. The poor reception and almost non-existent distribution of their second album almost certainly lead to their demise. Stiff has reissued both albums along with some excellent bonus material and it sits nicely alongside your Milk n' Cookies and Quick reissues. Download: [MP3] Dirty Looks - Let Go Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Heavy Times

2011-10-10T12:40:00.003-04:00

Another solid platter from the HoZac crew. Following up their previous 7" for the label, Heavy Times pull the full length conversion and repeat their knack for marrying a ferocious punk pound and rough cut sonics with a ballistic catchiness that keeps you coming back for more. Though much of Bo Hansen's lyrical content is oftentimes submerged in the screaming squall of the band's dual guitar attack its easy to translate the bulk of Jacker into the kind of fist pounding, rally cry anthems these were obviously meant to be. Still, no one ever said clarity was a requirement to light a stage on fire and from all outstanding reports the Times are a sight to behold live so if they swing through your town be sure to head out and shout along.

Download:
[MP3] Heavy Times - Skull Hair

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Balaclavas

2011-10-06T08:11:00.000-04:00

Dull Knife picks up the second album from post-punk doomsayers Balaclavas. The Texas crew hovers perpetually in the darkest corners, slinking with knives and shades equally drawn. The band has an aptitude for weaving insistent rhythms, twisting with sickness, with a nail scratched doom-punk that befits titles like "Shit Meridian." The second time around the tape spool hasn't left the boys any less intense. Snake People gnaws on bad vibes like raw wire, spits blood and shrugs it off like just another day. Their fist record always felt like it should come from a place more barren than Houston and the second installment takes no detours in that respect. This is the soundtrack to Flint, MI or Gary, IN; the kind of places where the sun only occasionally shines through the smoke to bake you to a miserable crisp. This is the sound of pavement stretching to chain link for miles. Still no matter where they're from and what's channeled into it, the band have found a way to record the gnash of teeth well.

Download:
[MP3] Balaclavas - Legs Control

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

ADR

2011-10-05T08:47:00.000-04:00

Just beginning to fully soak in this engrossing early entry from new British label Public Information and its heavy dose of retro-futurist synth is definitely a good place to start. Aaron David Ross (nee ADR) is better known to most as one half of the more beat inclined Gatekeeper but here he's in full on 70's soundtrack mode. Some elements of Ross' haunted sci-fi skitter cross over in the ominous tones and tape-melted analog tones that inhabit Solitary Pursuits but for the most part its a much more meditative offering than we've heard from him previously. There have been no shortage of synth pioneers of late but it certainly seems that Ross has the genre's heart tapped and he seems to be bringing a sense of Library soundtrack funk to the table that evokes the highest end of the 70's incarnation of the genre. One for the turntable, so track this down on vinyl as soon as possible.

Download:
[MP3] ADR - Jupiter Rising

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-10-04T08:05:00.001-04:00

	Bloodloss - Lost My Head For Drink Not reaching nearly as far back as most records in this column but a great one all the same. Bloodloss were formed in Australia in the early 80's and maintained an ecstatic, sax fueled brand of post-punk/sleazy blues craziness. Midway through
their career they were sidetracked when the two founding members of the band were recruited into Lubricated Goat and the fate of Bloodloss was put on hold. However, following this hiatus the band hooked up with Mudhoney's Mark Arm and made him a full time member of the band. Three albums followed shortly after his addition and Lost My Head for Drink has always remained as the mythical last album, recorded in '96 but never released due to monetary concerns. Well thankfully someone got together the scratch and here lies that final album in all its ragged, jerky, frantic glory. Definitely a hard-hitting, bile fueled release that stands up to the majority of the band's catalog. Download: [MP3] Bloodloss - Chocolate Cake Factory Blues Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Psychic Ills

2011-10-03T13:36:00.004-04:00

Its been a while since we've heard from Psychic Ills. Their last album wandered far of the charts and into the psychedelic jam territory, with lengthy space-outs and little tethering them to the ground. The arrival of Hazed Dream sees the band wandering back towards concise song form; though not as jagged and dark as their early rumblings but definitely reigned in from the exploratory impulses that fed Mirror Eye. The album has a soft focus hangover and sunbaked blues shuffle that seems to be reflected in the desert dream cover art. Its as if the band has woken up from the bender of their last few years' indulgences and is slowly taking in their new state of mind amidst the arid heat of the Mojave hills. Its a good resolution for the arc of their psychedelic journey; from the bitter narcotic pool of Dins to a wizened and calmed essence of where psychedelia stands today in the hindsight of age.

Listen:
Psychic Ills - Mind Haze

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Dead Luke

2011-09-30T09:38:00.000-04:00

Dead Luke's American Haircut was one of our favorites from last year and in quick order he's followed it up with the equally engaging Meanwhile... In the Midwest. Where Haircut was a densely layered psychedelic creep, the follow-up peers its head above the haze. For the first time since we've had Luke on our radar, his voice is clear and free from the murk of heavy processing. The album is full of early morning space-blues and rising sun jams with the man himself prosthelytizing out front like he means it. Being from Madison, WI, Luke was around for the political turmoil that unfolded recently and the album's lyrics reflect the struggle and unrest of the Midwest climate. Though not necessarily the route we saw him taking, the Woody Guthrie under the Brightblack Morning Light sound he's dug into is definitely working. Let there be no confusion though, this is still very much an album wandering through the psychedelic creek. His voice may be crisper but musically the album is run through a quivering heat haze of open space grooves, heavy handed strums and electronic ambience that floats like smoke rings. Definitely an essential one!

Download:
[MP3] Dead Luke - Paranoia Is a Flower of the Mind

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Premiere :: Bare Wires Video

2011-09-29T13:27:00.002-04:00

Its been no secret how much we love Bare Wires around here and the imminent arrival of their Cheap Perfume LP has done nothing to stem the tide of accolades we'd love to heap on them. Now the band, along with Rob from Southpaw, has filmed a video for the album's wistful cut "Never Gonna Change." Check it out above and be sure to get your pre-order in for Cheap Perfume. You're gonna want one of these as soon as possible. Your turntable will thank you.

Buy Cheap Perfume HERE.

Wax Idols

2011-09-29T09:04:00.002-04:00

Heather Fedewa's got quite a legacy in the current garage-punk pantheon. She's held past and current tenure in Bare Wires, Hunx and His Punx and Blasted Canyons, all favorites around these parts. A few months ago we got a listen at her new band Wax Idols and the initial single left quite a bit of anticipation for her debut full length. Well No Future has arrived and it definitely lives up to expectations. Built on 90's indie girl snarl and early punk grit, the album would do well for fans of Super Wild Horses or even Sleater-Kinney. Though comparisons fall short because Fedewa's proving to be an excellent songwriter in her own right, with hooks in her back pocket and plenty of attitude clenched tightly in her fists. Add to the concoction backing help from Sic Alps' Mat Hartman and a couple of members of The Splinters and this one is hard to resist.

Download:
[MP3] Wax Idols - Gold Sneakers

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Ty Segall - Singles 2007 - 2010

2011-09-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

The past few years have seen a glut of limited singles flowing out of the U.S. garage punk hubs, from Memphis to San Francisco to Chicago and on down to Florida. And as the popularity of artists rises in inverse proportion to the availability of those early slabs, it only seems natural that rounding up the out of print tracks onto a compilation should ensue. With everyone from Jay Reatard to Thee Oh Sees already having their collections bound back to vinyl it does seem that Mr. Segall is in line for a set of his own. Goner has combed through a stack of out of print 7"s and limited compilation tracks for the upcoming Singles 2007 - 2010. Previous RSTB faves like Ty's cover of Simply Saucer's "Bullet Proof Nothing" rear their heads alongside forgotten nuggets like "I Think I've Had It" which saw light on the Yeti 8 comp. Both sides of the rougher, original "My Sunshine" single for Trouble in Mind appear alongside the covers split with Thee Oh Sees and even a few songs that haven't seen the light of day for good measure. The only omission seems to be the "Universal Momma" single but I'm not going to shed any tears. It seems like a well built overview of what you may have missed from Segall.

Download:
[MP3] Ty Segall - Bullet Proof Nothing

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Wooden Shjips - Lazy Bones Video

2011-09-27T17:32:00.003-04:00

Black Dice have created a video for Wooden Shjips' album cut "Lazy Bones" that's one of the most lysergic things we've seen in a while. Like tumbling through a solarized fever dream the clip is a pretty good match for the Shjips' psychedelic fury. Check it out above and be sure to pick up a copy of West if you haven't already.

Buy West HERE.

2011-09-27T08:42:00.002-04:00

	Don Gere - Werewolves on Wheels B-Music has a penchant for finding the gems amongst the cultural rubble of b-movie soundtracks and 60's and 70's psychedelic hangovers. Their latest find, the soundtrack to the cult biker werewolf movie Werewolves on Wheels is
definitely no exception. The soundtrack was composed by Don Gere, a country devotee who became entranced in the pools of psychedelic ephemera that were just beginning to wane when this film was released in 1971. His take on the genre mixes groove heavy, Krautrock leaning instrumentals with a loner-psych bit of folk and country that serves the picture's desert setting. The result is a massive chunk of unheralded psychedelic soup that seems to lend itself well to the b-grade shtick of bikers and Satanists and werewolves that monopolize the screen. Download: [MP3] Don Gere - The Devil's Advocates 2 Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Circuit Des Yeux - Twenty & Dry Video

2011-09-26T14:41:00.003-04:00

A gorgeously raw video from Circuit Des Yeux to accompany her recent record Portrait out now on De Stijl. The bedgragled immagery in "Twenty & Dry" fits Haley Fohr's world beaten tale like a filthy lace glove. We highly recommend checking it out and, if you haven't already, picking up Portrait on LP and shutting all the blinds for a reflective afternoon.

Buy Portrait HERE.

Yussuf Jerusalem

2011-09-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

Its been a while since Yussuf Jerusalem's first record quietly crept into consciousness. Wrapped in lo-fi pop and folk but with that odd spot of black metal at the front, it was definitely an unexpected joy when it hit our ears back in '08. Benjamin Daures has backed down much of the soft focus nostalgia in favor of crisp concoctions with a dusted country touch. There's still a blast of metal to rock your moorings before the record gets moving (seems to be his calling card) but from there things even out into some genuinely fine troubadour moves. Good news is that time doesn't seem to have affected Daures' ability to craft a catchy hook and Blast From the Past is full of a few but supplanted with a newfound sense of grit, snarl and roadwear that feels like a natural progression from his first record. Coming at you courtesy of the folks at Florida's Dying once again.

Download:
[MP3] Yussuf Jerusalem - At The End Of The World

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Jacuzzi Boys - Automatic Jail Video

2011-09-24T12:32:00.003-04:00

Check out the new Jacuzzi Boys vid for the album cut "Automoatic Jail." A nice POV piece in which a mutt pulls a reverse shaggy dog by tripping out on some antifreeze. Which is exactly what happens when drinking antifreeze... its just science. Needless to say he gets a date just by wearing an ill gotten Jacuzzi Boys tee and cruises around NYC.

2011-09-23T13:20:00.007-04:00

	Sic Alps – Battery Townsley 7" There haven't been a ton of singles that have really ignighted us this year but Sic Alps' run of post-album 7"s has been one to watch. As we mentioned before the band tend to use their short format recordings to explore past the simple fuzz blues and the
acoustic strummer on the A-side here is no exception. The flip's called "Cambridge Vagina" and that should be all you need to know, but if you're aching for details it runs further back towards the blown out terrain of classic Alps. Its a two shot that should be an essential pickup for 2011 along with that Breadhead single. Listen: Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Bill Orcutt

2011-09-22T08:12:00.002-04:00

There have been a fair number of acoustic, fingerpicked albums on RSTB and though most of them run through the territories that would run experimental on most listener’s charts, for the most part they're pretty melodic sons of bitches. Bill Orcutt has never been a man accused of lulling anyone into melodic territories. His history in Harry Pussy is a testament to free rock chaos and the subsequent solo work on Editions Mego was an assalt on the acoustic guitar and the idea of what sounds might coming out of it. His follow-up, How The Thing Sings, again on the Editions Mego imprint is a frantic, possessed record that tears a rift into the histories of acoustic blues and feeform noise. It’s a ball of frustration and expression and exuberance and anger and joy. Orcutt's playing feels like a trapped animal allowed freedom only if it can express its pain through a guitar thrown into its cage. From the sound of things it’s damn well time to let that man free.

Download:
[MP3] Bill Orcutt - Til I Get Satisfied

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

OBN III's

2011-09-21T08:06:00.000-04:00

You'd think with one great album from Bad Sports already under his belt this year Orville Neeley would be spent, but it seems that Mr. Neely's a tireless sort and thus we're treated to the debut full length from his OBN III's project as well. Acting sort of like the more raucous, rebellious little brother to Bad Sports, The One and Only strips away some of the glossier bits of power pop from Neely's songwriting palette and leaves the gritty, sweat-soaked leather and denim crunch of punk with a Stooges swagger and a glint of mischief in both eyes. Decidedly higher fidelity than the rash of pre-album singles but still stripped to the bare essentials. This one's for those who dig their urges primal and their rock ripped to the teeth. A damn fine rock record indeed.

Download:
[MP3] OBN III's - New Innocence

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-09-20T08:24:00.002-04:00

	JW Farquhar - The Formal Female This is one of those odd rarities that seem to make sense how it could have become lost to the ages, but its resurrection is more than welcome. Farquhar recorded this acid dampened opus on Teac four track in his apartment, sealed off
from the noisy streets below by soundproofing foam. The album acts as a disjointed rock opera centered around Farquhar's recent messy divorce. As such the album is full of bitterness and quite a bit of misogyny but at the same time proves to be quite an enthralling spiral into darkness and outsider psych. There are definitely times on the record when you can see that the dude is losing it, but you just can't look away. Backed by primitive beats that loop like an early drum machine and foreshadowing everyone from R. Stevie Moore and Bobb Trimble to even farther reaches like James Ferraro's hot glued rants. This is definitely not for mass consumption but for the right kind of ears its definitely a unique listen. Download: [MP3] JW Farquhar - Where Have You Been Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Omma Cobba

2011-09-19T10:08:00.000-04:00

Omma Cobba peaked some interests around these parts due to their connection with Canadian fuzzsters Omon Ra and an early single on Craft Singles. Now Dan Miller has taken Omma Cobba to the long format with an LP for Sweet Rot. Full of hangover blues and bedraggled folk maneuvers, the album rides the same Sic Alps/Skip Spence axis that showed up in early inklings. Recorded on the road in Europe; the album is soaked with the sound of road weary, late night rumblings that burn themselves clean under bare light bulbs in back rooms. Each listen peels away another layer from the toasted canvas of Miller's songwriting and reveals the weary catharsis beneath his lo-fi film. As with most gems on Sweet Rot, this is limited (to 300) so hesitation will only leave you wanting more.

Download:
[MP3] Omma Cobba - Some People Say You're No Good

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-09-16T13:31:00.009-04:00

Bleached – Carter 7"
I've really been enjoying some of the newest batch of Art Fag releases but this single from former Mika Miko members Jennifer and Jessie Clavin. Like their former project this stays true to punk's heritage but it certainly softens the blow from

their MM days, wandering into bubblegum and classic pop territories in a way that instantly sticks in your head. The A-side's the ballsier of the two cuts, with a head-bopping back beat and some crunch on the guitars. The B-side could easily supplement for the lead off on this one with sunny harmonies and dreamy pop pacing paired with the kind of hooks that inspire thousands of teens to jump around in their bedrooms with hairbrush microphones. This pair is one to watch.

Download:
[MP3] Bleached - You Take Time

Support the artist. Buy it HERE

Ricardo Donoso

2011-09-15T13:33:00.004-04:00

Those who only know Donoso's name as a member of avant-metal peddlers Ehnare may find his solo work a bit of a departure. Following in the same trend as many of the current analog resurrectionists he's crafted Progress Chance into a bubbling, atmospheric monolith that's on par with anything that Emeralds, OPN or Mist has put together. Heavy on the atmospherics but also intriguingly rooted in dance, Donoso's compositions tend to feel as if the air's been sucked out of massive dance party leaving only the burbling high ends and the dubbed out feeling of beat nudging the back of your ears. The record's atmospheres lend it a foreboding nature that brings to mind the ominous soundtrack works of Vangelis or John Carpenter. Definitely not one to miss out on!

Download:
[MP3] Ricardo Donoso - The North Quadrant (Ascension)

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

Royal Headache

2011-09-14T13:17:00.006-04:00

In the past few years there's been a lot of garage that's ebbed into the punk and noise and pop territories but there have been scant few releases that really tap into the garage-soul basis that permeated quite a few early 60's bands and reared its head in the previous wave of revivalists like The Dirtbombs and The Detroit Cobras. Well apparently all eyes on Detroit and Chicago should have shifted their gaze to Syndey as Royal Headache have brought plenty of AM radio soul back to the garage fold. Produced by Eddy Current's Mikey Young, which always acts as a seal of quality, the band's debut record is just further proof that the Aussie punks have definitely got a good thing going and R.I.P. Society, who've put out the album, are right in the midst of it.

Download:
[MP3] Royal Headache - Girls

Support the artist. Buy it: HERE

2011-09-13T08:26:00.005-04:00

	White Heaven - Out Last week's review of Miminokoto gave me reason to revisit this classic of Japanese psychedelia and if this is one you don't own then let this be a wake up call. Formed around 1984 White Heaven was a heavy mainstay in the Japanese live
psychedelic explosion that began crystallizing around the same time, reviving the tenants that were built up from the late 60's. The original lineup featured a revolving cast of players and a live release titled Electric Cool Acid available on cassette at the time. After that release the band recruited Michio Kurihara, known to most as the man behind Ghost. Kurihara along with founder You Ishihara manned the guitar duties on this, their most widely acclaimed album (in close standing with its follow-up Strange Bedfellows which does not feature Kurihara). The album is a prime example of the soft, Velvets inflected talking blues style mixed with white squall guitars that's become a sort of touchstone in the latter day Japanese psychedelic scene. This is PSF records at its best and like I said before, if you don't have this its probably about time to fix that. Download: [MP3] White Heaven - Blind Promise Support the artist. Buy it: HERE or HERE