Takehiko Honda - "I Love You [1969]"

1. I Love You
2. Here's That Rainy Day
3. Sunny
4. Willow Weep For Me
5. Autumn Leaves

Amazing Japanese jazz pianist. He has a vibrant, expressive style of playing and never runs out of improvisational ideas. One of my favorite piano trio albums.


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-Tyler

Lucero- 1372 Overton Park

Genre: Country alt. bluesy punk rock

My friend Suzanne gave me Lucero's "Tennessee" a couple weeks ago, and it got me interested in the band. This CD proved to me that they know what they're doing. The addition of a horns section really sets this album apart as more than just a bar-rock band, although the singer's voice could fool you. If you can get past that, this is a very enjoyable album.

http://www.mediafire.com/?lmtlm0dihzf

-Sam

P.S. I wanna be cool like Tyler and post album art, but this album isn't out yet so I can't find it :(

P.P.S. I don't know about tracks 5 and 6...

Helios - "Eingya"

Shimmering, delicate indie electronic/ambient music from Portland, Oregon. This entire album is such a pleasantly soothing experience. Painstaking care is taken to create a dense, organic texture, rather than just piling on droning synths and glitch noises. Field recordings are cleverly placed within smooth drum rhythms to construct an unconventional framework, like a quirky house that looks as if it could crumble at any second, but is actually exquisitely designed on a solid foundation. The production is fantastic as well. Every plucked string and pressed piano key proclaims its message brightly and beautifully inside your headphone space.

Myspace


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-Tyler

Andrew Bird Cemetary Gates session

Genre: indie, folk, neo-classical

Do you know how good Andrew Bird is? These videos might give you a clue. I maybe like these stripped down versions of tracks from "Noble Beast" better than the album versions.

http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/episode/1999-andrew-bird/1

-Sam

New Volcano Choir song- "Youlogy"

Second released track off "Unmap," my highlyest anticipated album of September. This song is definitely way weirder than the first one, like some kind of alien "Amazing Grace" or somethin. I don't really know why they chose to release this particular song, but it certainly shows that this album will be unique.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112178240&ft=1&f=4703895

-Sam

Mock Orange "Nines and Sixes"

1. Growing Crooked
2. We Work
3. Does It Show
4. Window Shopping
5. Paper
6. All You Have
7. Poster Child
8. Dictionary
9. Drinking Song
10. Goodnight Raddick


I have listened to this album so many times that I can pretty much consider it an actual physical shard of my late youth. I still remember when my friend Garrett first showed it to me, and I listened to the first track 5 times before I moved on to the rest of it. It is an incendiary blend of youthful passion and driving intensity that just really meant something to me when I was 18 years old. The best "other band" comparison I can make would be sort of a cross between between Sunny Day Real Estate and Drive Like Jehu, but I say that just for the sake of reference. Anyway, this a fantastic album by a very under appreciated band that I can't recommend enough.

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-tyler

Hi. My name is Tyler

I am going to be helping my buddy Sam keep this guy updated and add a bit of extra variety. I like to put little stars by tracks I think are extra neat. Dig? kword.


The John Scofield Trio "EnRoute"


1. Wee*
2. Toogs*
3. Name That Tune
4. Hammock Soliloquy
5. Bag
6. It Is Written
7. Alfie
8. Travel John*
9. Over Big Top

I sort of consider EnRoute a jazz record for people who don't really like jazz. Why? Because of Bill Stewart's utter beastlyness at drums. Even if you don't particularly care for the pile of spaghetti that Scofield and Steve Swallow (a fantastic bassist) dole out, anyone can appreciate a dude who is sick as fuck at drums, and this guy is. Check out the drum solo in Hammock Soliloquy where he is all like squiddle diddle biddle on the snare and shpliga boom bop on the toms and shit. yea.


Prt. 1
Prt. 2






Cowboys Aren't Indians - Demo



1. I Found It
2. Thunder
3. Jr. Jazz*
4. Bob the Builder


I am not going to necessarily say that this band sounds kinda like American Football, because most bands to which you would apply this comparison sound like, you, know, shitty, amateurish, uninspired rehashes of what Mike Kinsella was doing 10 years ago. Nope. This music is much more tasteful and well constructed than that. Jr. Jazz is by far their best song.

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Colditz Gilder - "Properties of Light"


1. Who Blew up the Brill Building?
2. Properties of Light
3. Moment in the Sun
4. Halfmoon Bay
5. Up Past Midnight
6. Audrey

Don't even read this first. Just click the download button. Done? K now by the time you get to the bottom of this paragraph you will be that much closer to having in your possession one of the most breathtaking instrumental rock records you'll ever hear. The closest thing I can compare this album to would be the first two Don Caballero albums, except 10 times more epic and without all the unnecessary dissonance. Its not really "math rock" or whatever either. Its not wanky. Its not pretentious. Its just a good solid, emotionally intriguing, instrumental ass beating. The only negative things I will say are that some of the parts are a bit too drawn out and and one of the songs sounds kind of like Carlos Santana (you get to guess which one;). But you know, no recording of music is ever going to be perfect for everyone. There. The progress bar should be at least, like, 20% done right now. Get stoked.

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Jason Dejesus - "West Coast Blues



1. Harmonica
2. Wes
3. Subtlewarmer
4. Da da durr*
5. Ums
6. Makebelieve
7 hxc***********
8. Pop*

This guy plays in a band called Stage Kids, but also makes guitar oriented computer music. If you tab click bands before you read blog posts like I do, then you should already be hearing why this album is worth your attention. This is aboslutely not jazz, but there is definitely jazz influenced guitar technique. There are lots and lots and lots of instrumental guitar bands on popular labels with widespread recognition that claim to be jazz influenced, and this album is 10 times better than all of them. This guy is really talented, so go do the myspace friendage thang, share this record, go here and buy his bands ep (its real cheap) and just do whatever you think is appropriate to support a deserving musician.

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Aerial- Black Rain from the Bombing

Genre: post rock, ambient

This isn't really post rock because it has quite a few lyrics, but it sounds very much like a slightly more complicated Caspian or This Will Destroy You. Tracks 2 and 4 are realllly excellent. I highly recommend their second CD as well, "The Sentinel," which is a little less ambient and more post rock-y.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ycmtymnkjwg

EDIT: Here's "The Sentinel" too, by request:

http://www.mediafire.com/?jndikzurkyu

The Cave Singers- Welcome Joy

Genre: folk, indie

Very similar to the first album. Gravelly vocals, lots of shaker, and sparse percussion make an enjoyable, if somewhat forgettable, listen. Seems like the best songs are just using techniques that have been done before by better bands/songwriters. Definitely more accessible than the last album though, I can see myself coming back to some of the songs for a while.

http://www.storage.to/get/lkGLPitl/Cave%20Singers%20-%20Welcome%20Joy.rar

Best Tracks: "Summer Light," "Leap," "Beach House"

New Weezer Single- "If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To)"

It may make me uncool, but this song is pretty addicting. I really like the production and mixing.

http://hypem.com/search/weezer%20i%20want%20you/1/

My Top 5 Albums

Daniel was asking me to do this the other day and I couldn't. So I thought I'd just make a list to share and for future reference. This was super hard because it's difficult to separate favorite bands from favorite albums, you know? I based ratings on album cohesiveness, musicianship, how much it has affected my own playing/recording of music, and slight nostalgia. And maybe use of panning? I really like creative panning.

(In no particular order)
-Toe The Book About My Idle Plot On A Vague Anxiety
-Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
-The Appleseed Cast Low Level Owl Pts. 1 & 2
-Further Seems Forever The Moon is Down
-Don Caballero What Burns Never Returns/American Don (tie)

Honorable mention (some of which might should be in the actual top 5):
-Between the Buried and Me Alaska
-mewithoutYou Brother, Sister
-Pedro the Lion Control
-The Microphones The Glow, Pt. 2
-Joan of Arc How Memory Works

WHAT ARE YOURS???

Swims- S/T EP

Genre: math rock

I can't believe I've never posted this EP. Bass and drums duo in the vein of Piglet. "Pegasus" is like...the jam. Also of highlight is "Beauty in Battle."

http://www.mediafire.com/?nn5w2whymry

ALSO: If anyone can get me a Toe DVD, CD, t-shirt, or poster, I will pay you or send you any album on Earth. thanks.

Taken by Trees- "Watch the Waves"

Genre: folk, world, indie

This whole album was recorded in Pakistan with local musicians using two microphones and a MacBook. And it sounds really neat. The Pakistani music influence really makes things interesting. Give this first single a listen, I think you'll like it.

http://gvsbchris.com/Watch%20The%20Waves.mp3

Volcano Choir debut song!

Genre: experimental, ambient

The first song out from the Bon Iver/Collections of Colonies of Bees collab. It's a pretty neat track, although I wish it would let loose a little more than it does. And the vocals are too loud. I'm very excited for the full album now.

http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/islandis.mp3

Bon Iver/ Friendly Fires Mash-up- "Lump Sum of Paris"

So The Hood Internet is my new favorite thing ever. This remix is soooooo good.

http://thehood.raptorhideout.com/bon_iver_friendly_fires.mp3

Fleet Foxes/Beyonce Mash-up- "Single Foxes (Put A Wood On It)"

BEST SONG EVER

http://cdn.stereogum.com/mp3/The%20Hood%20Internet%20-%20Single%20Foxes%20(Put%20A%20Wood%20On%20It)%20(Beyonce%20vs%20Fleet%20Foxes).mp3

Loose Lips Sink Ships- S/T 7"

Genre: math rock, chillout

We played with these guys a couple weeks ago and they really blew me away. The interplay between guitars is great and the drums are blistering. Think of a chiller Tera Melos or something.

http://rapidshare.com/files/262566270/LsLpsSnkShps.zip