Earlimart Come Home

After returning from their never ending tour for last years Mentor Tormentor, Aaron and Ariana headed back to their Ship studio to record Hymn and Her.

In fact after 10 years of being in the band, Aaron and Ariana have made a vow to release at least one record every fiscal year for the next 10 years. Or, unless Aaron and Ari decide that they don't want to.

"We recorded the new album (Hymn and Her) really quickly. We didn't wanna wait another 3 years to make another record. We just wanna keep makin' stuff," says Espinoza.

Hymn and Her was written and produced by Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray at the band's Ship Studio in Eagle Rock, CA. The making of the record was quick compared to the two years of work that went into Mentor Tormentor, and it proves to be more organic and diverse than anything the band has done before. The band has over the years metamorphosed into a two piece an introspective songwriting team whose recordings have lush production quality.

Despite the "down and dirty" approach, the album still has a very layered and rich sound, which is due in large part to Lynch's contribution. He"s credited in the liner notes as "engineering w/ additional production, music, and magic-making," and nothing seems more apt to describe the sonic manipulations that give the album its unique and varied

This new offering will be Earlimart's second on Majordomo, an imprint formed as a partnership between Earlimart and Shout! Factory, offering the band greater creative freedom. Majordomo will also sign and produce other like-minded artists.

Download: Song For

This Week (May 22nd) at POP! at Eclipse

This week we actually don't have any bands playing the night, but we do have a lot of stuff going on including a Polyvinyl Records listening party.

One of the coolest labels around, they've released records from Owen and Mates of State as well as classics from Rainer Maria and a little band called Of Montreal. So they have a pretty good track record.

We'll be featuring the new records from Headlights, The M's, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and of course we'll be giving away stuff. We have over 100 drop cards (think gift cards), CD's, stickers, and buttons to give away. You'll get something, I promise. All you have to do is come by and hang out. In between me showering you with free stuff, I will of course be DJing and playing your requests until the amp's die or I pass out.

Until Thursday night, you can check out some tunes from Polyvinyl...
Download: Headlights - Cherry Tulips
Download: The M's - Don't Be Late
Download: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin -Think I Wanna Die
Download: Rainer Maria - Artificial Light
Download: Owen - Bad News
Download: Of Montreal - Disconnect The Dots

Tokyo Police Club Hide In A Cave

Tokyo Police Club was formed in 2005 by David Monks (vocals, bass), Josh Hook (guitar), Graham Wright (keyboards), and Greg Alsop (drums). Elephant Shell is the sound of these four early-20-somethings, now seasoned by hundreds of shows from tiny clubs to the festival throngs at Coachella and Glastonbury, delivering on every bit of promise in their rapid-fire barrage of material to date.

The opening one-two of "Centennial" and "In A Cave" barely evaporates before "Graves" and "Juno" pack innumerable hooks and "what-does-that-remind-me-of" glimmers into meager 2-minute-and-change frameworks, while first single "Tessellate" and "Sixties Remake" encapsulate everything great about the manic TPC live experience: soaring guitar signatures and keyboard figures, driving backbeats and irresistible singalongs abound.

Seeing them live last year, open for Cold War Kids at Cafe 11, reaffirmed my belief that these kids are fricking amazing. They slaughtered Cafe 11 and with only a handful of songs to play, they left the crowd salivating for more.

Should they return to Florida on tour, you should do yourself a favor and see these guys live. In the meantime...

Download: In A Cave
Download: Tessellate (Tom Campesinos! Remix)

The Presets Tour...Skip South Altogether!

What's that growling future funk racket coming from down under? That howling, spurting aggro techno? That rockcandy dancefloor pop? Well its none other than Australia's finest tectonic techno exports, The Presets, stopping hearts and pounding floors in clubs all over the world.

Sounding something like VNV Nation on lithium or Depeche Mode on even more heroin, The Prests are riding high on the triumphant wave of Apocalypso, the duos highly anticipated sophomore release, Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes are letting the flood gates open with heavenly pagan house anthems and grinding electro ecstasy.

New single, "This Boys in Love" leads them all forth, with its motorik drums, corosive synths and chiming piano.

Oh and if you want to see The Presets, pack your bags and head to DC. They play there on June 7th at the Rock and Roll Hotel and that's the closest to the South they get.

Dowload: This Boys in Love

My Insurance Doesn't Cover The Pharmacy

Scott Yoder and Brendhan Bowers made plenty of noisy racket in the local garages and teen centers while growing up on Vashon Island, Washington. They moved across the Puget Sound to Seattle and booked their first tour as The Pharmacy (with then-member Joey Seward) in 2003 and have kept the show pretty much on the road ever since.

In 2006 Joey left for more metal pursuits and classically trained pianist and fellow Vashon kid Stefan Rubicz joined on keyboards. Since then The Pharmacy have transformed from the synth-heavy overdrive of their 2005 debut album B.F.F. through the drizzly sunshine of the “Overcast Summer” 7-inch at last landing on the off-kilter psychedelic pop of Choose Yr Own Adventure.

Replete with epic instrumentation - viola, violin, cello, harpsichord and horns all make an appearance - Choose Yr Own Adventure has been years in the making, re-vamped re-recorded and re-written over time.

Download: Mirror
Download: Little Toys on a Shelf
Download: Adieu, Adiu

Tall Firs for Free!!!

Tall Firs have pioneered 'rental-sedan rock' and it is amazing to see a whole band and gear squeeze into a candy apple red Dodge Charger. It's an apt analogy for the Tall Firs live experience: Three fellas up there with miniature amplifiers and a distinctive lack of guitar pedals, playing your mom's kit if it's already onstage and no hassle. Yet the Firs rule a living room or a 2000 seat theatre, college-campus shed or dive bar. Tall Firs are the canned expanding foam of rock bands: Once you pop that bitch open, they precisely fill any given space with a lather of creamy dual savant guitar and lead drumming, plus the trademark world-weary vocal stylings and wiseacre goofing. Now you can have their latest album for free, Too Old to Die Young; the whole thing in a Radiohead what were we thinking fashion. So get crackin', it'll only be free for a week!

Download: Too Old to Die Young (the whole thing)

Amplive Caught In A Remix!

In March, Oakland producer and Radiohead-remixer extraordinaire Amplive was asked to join a host of musicians at the blogger-curated Hot Freaks party at SXSW. His time in Austin led to some new and fruitful collaborations. Following in the tradition of his Rainydayz Remixes, Amplive has sliced and diced the work of Of Montreal, MGMT and Jealous Girlfriends, turning rock songs into squelching, thumping hip hop beasts. Here, Hissing Fauna deep-cut “Fabrege Falls For Suggie” finds itself pressed against the Oracular Spectacular closer, “Future Reflections” on the first track below. Meanwhile JG’s “Hieroglyphics” gets an Amplive makeover on the second. In other news, the reaction to Amplive’s Radiohead remix project has been nothing short of overwhelming, you can check out “Videotape” below.

Download: Of Montreal vs. MGMT - Fabrege Falls for Suggie (Amplive Remix)
Download: Jealous Girlfriends - Hieroglyphics (Amplive Remix)
Download: Radiohead vs. Amplive - Videotape (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien)

This Week (May 15th) at POP! at Eclipse

This weeks featured live performance is from a band that remains a mystery; Slowcode. Little is known about them except that they dwell in a server room somewhere in the heart of Jacksonville creating music that doesn't pay tribute to the PC at all. Imagine Office Space with guitars instead of hammers and amps instead of fax machines. All this mystery should make for one heck of a performance. I'll also be DJing until the cows come home or I pass out. Of course the show and the dance part of the night are 18+. So if you're in Jacksonville, come out and hang out with us. It's fun, it's cheap, we give you whisky at 12am! The fun starts at 10pm.

For those of you that didn't know, if you call the Wallpaper number on the flyer I was passing out last Thursday, the guy from Wallpaper will call you back! Lisa got a phone call from the guy, who apparently has fled California. Watch out Lisa.

This Week (May 8th) at POP! at Eclipse

This week at POP! we have a whole slew of bands playing including Fruit Machine, Celestials, and Muscles. Plus we have Wallpaper swag to hand out all night long.

For those of you panicking at the idea of three bands invading your dancing time, fear not, Muscles set is rumored to be a record 9 minutes long!!! That means, you'll have plenty of time to dance, drink, swing around the poll, and then have me take your picture. Just like the past couple of weeks. So come out and hang out. It barely costs a thing, we give you American Honey Whiskey shots at 12am AND you'll probably get a free CD to boot.

For those of you wondering who the hell Wallpaper are here's some details. The Wallpaper project began in early 2005 as tweaked satire, Frederic funneling his earliest influences (P-Funk, New Jack, East Bay rap) into two EPs of diced, digital beats and lyrics caricaturing the pop vernacular. But as the Hyphy hip-hop movement crested in Frederic's backyard, something changed. "I saw that classic Bay Area sound resurfacing," he says, "that same psychedelic, drippy, care-free, funky approach that reigned from Sly Stone to Digital Underground." He needed to pay tribute, and in a hail of house parties and homemade discs, Wallpaper was reborn as Ricky Reed, Frederic's disco-smashing doppelganger.

Download: Wallpaper's Evrytm We Do It

Trent Must Be Happy

He must be, because why else would he be giving away his latest album for nothing? Actually, Trent says on NIN's official site, that its for, "your continued and loyal support over the years." He then added, "This one's on me."

So what the hell, its free, he wants you to have it, and if you ever even thought of liking Nine Inch Nails do yourself a favor and download the damn thing. It might not be Pretty Hate Machine but it's not half bad and the ol boy still has some unresolved issues he's trying to work out and that always makes for great listening.

PS: this might be a wee bit old, I just happened to stumble across the link and figured I'd pass it along.

Dowload Link to NIN: The Slip

Free Kitten Grows Up

A decade and one year ago, Free Kitten released their third album, Sentimental Education. On it, one heard Kim Gordon's vocals and guitar. One also heard Pussy Galore's Julie Cafritz's vocals and guitar. Drums were played by the Boredom's Yoshimi; bass: Mark Ibold, formerly of Pavement. There were guest stars, too, but for the post-punk, indie, noise uninitiated, the draw of this album,--and 1994's "UnBoxed," and "Nice Ass" after it--was less its pedigree than the music's ability to challenge or even stop the movie lies that generally play in all our heads, such as: I am happy, my family is whole and happy, etc.

Now ten years later, Free Kitten is releasing its fourth studio album. Titled "Inherit," it reacquaints us with Gordon, Cafritz and Yoshimi. On the disc, then and now are collapsed into the present. And it is our present that is most effected by songs like "Erected Girl," which reminds one of bossa nova rhythms run through a Kosher meat grinder. And then there's "Free Kitten on the Mountain," which amounts to a travelogue of sorts--but through a Lord Buckley-like subconscious mind but you'll have to hear the whole album to judge for yourself. In the meantime though...

Download: Seasick

Tag Team Bandmates

Following a successful co-headlining U.S. tour in February (which didn't come here...don't worry you didn't miss either band), the upstate New York multi-instrumentalist artists Quitzow and Setting Sun are poised for release both bands’ forthcoming albums on Young Love Records on June 10th, 2008. The two groups share more than a label, release date and tour schedule, however. Quitzow, the namesake of songwriter/singer/multi-instrumentalist Erica Quitzow features Setting Sun songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Gary Levitt alternately adding bass, drums and vocals to its live shows. Likewise, the Levitt-led Setting Sun band includes Erica Quitzow on violin and backing vocals.

Along with this kinship, both groups share an open interest in cross-breeding musical forms, merging classical strings (violin and cello especially), folk, chamber pop and hints of early electronic rock. The results are truly refreshing. Setting Sun has been compared to Merge artists The Radar Brothers, Elliott Smith at his darkest and early Nick Drake. Quitzow invites nods like “Solex meets Liz Phair” and “combining the fun of Peaches with the intelligence of Lori Anderson.”

Download: Quitzow's Sponsor (It Didn't Mean A Thing)
Download: Setting Sun's No Devil Me No More

Dexateens Release FREE Album, Hit Jax with Drive By Truckers

The new Dexateens record, Lost and Found, was recently released for free as an internet download (with a pay-if-you-want option) . You can grab a quick listen to the country-meets punk-meets classic rock band’s style before they open up for Drive by Truckers on Friday May 16th at Freebird.

The Dexateens recorded Lost and Found over two sessions at Old Capitol Recording in Tuscaloosa with engineer Shane Lollar, sandwiched in between the recording of their fifth studio recording, the forthcoming Singlewide. The band features Elliot McPherson (vox, guitars), John Smith (vox, guitars), Matt Patton (bass), and Nikolaus Mimikakis (guitar). The band’s long-time drummer Craig “Sweet Dog” Pickering left the band before the second session to form a new group, the Sweet Dog Experience, and Brian Gosdin was recruited to fill the void behind the drum kit.

Download: Lost and Found (the whole damn album)