tideland - lull (2012)

another one of those bands i probably should've known about (considering that they are ex pg99, and now by far my favorite recent ex pg99 project)  but who i just wasn't aware of for whatever reason......i will say playing catchup on this band's work has been an almost unparalleled pleasure, all of their records are so fucking good......anyways, "lull" is their latest offering, recorded late in 2012 and released at the end of that year, this record is alot more smooth, fluid and laid back than the previous two, up to this point, the band's formula consisted of  amazing rough edged melodies over a tight rhythm section with nasally, and at times, snotty sounding vocals.....think dinosaur jr, city of caterpillar and  treepeople fused into one beautiful beast......however this new album is on a different path, yet it sounds as good as anything they've released so far....shimmering shoegazy guitars crafting amazing melodies over rather calm vocals, all under an overarching clear, awesome production.....i cant stop listening to this (and the rest of their stuff) and i don't think you'll be able to either....one of the best things ive heard this year....A fucking + effort.

tideland - lull

speedy ortiz - sports ep (2012)

this is a record i discovered a while back (maybe 5 months ago or so) and have been jamming a hell of alot recently.....speedy ortiz is one of a rather sparse, but growing number of bands who have their eyes set squarely on  early-mid 90s indie rock and are carrying the style intact though the 21st century. loud, catchy awesome tunes that make me think of the breeders and archers of loaf, but somehow with more power behind it than either of those two bands.....these dudes and dudette are professional songsmiths who know exactly how to write a memorable tune that hits you in the brain and heart, meaning music AND lyrics are always on point, unlike so many other bands in this vast sea of mediocrity that passes for popular music nowadays.......speedy ortiz are among the most excellent bands going today and this record is a fucking home run. if i was less socially inhibited, id probably be running through the streets slipping copies of this album to everyone i met......its that good.

speedy ortiz - sports ep

goddard / giraffes? giraffes! split "10 (2013)

here we have a split "10 from 2 Massachusetts bands, one who i know well and one who until recently, id only heard of.......anyways lets start with the one im familiar with, goddard from worcester  MA, who bestow us with two new songs "midwest 95" and "thrushes"  both moody math rock numbers that remind me of anne and jason's former band, calumet hecla, even more so when anne sings......driving, taut rhythms that dissolve into spacey atmospheric wanderings......really good stuff, as ive come to expect from this band..........on the flipside we have giraffes? giraffes!  from amherst MA who i hadn't heard before this record.....their song is chock full of thick murky fat riffs that are almost shoegazey at times, then exploding into tight rhythmic passages with pinpoint drumming which giveway eventually to the big riffs again....very much in the prog-math vein, at least to my ears, somewhere between don caballero, lighting bolt and dinosaur jr, the land of giraffe? giraffes! resides very comfortably....all in all, its a great record, worthy of many many spins. very recommended.

goddard / giraffes? giraffes! split "10

hate vacation s/t (2013)

its a sunny tuesday morning and yet another record is on my plate.......this time its the debut from the philly band hate vacation, this band consists of members of gods and queens, storm the bastille and several other bands that i cant recall at the moment......anyways its really good rockin metallic stuff with a weird slant......one part karp, two parts endeavor with maybe a little breather resist or black cross in there somewhere....i haven't heard anything like this in years and its a breath of fresh air when the "scene is currently  being smothered into oblivion by all of these 80s influenced hardcore and "noise punk" bands.....excellent excellent stuff...

hate vacation

animal lover - fundango (2013)

two days, two reviews, maybe im getting back into the swing of it........anyways this is the latest release from the st paul, minnesota band animal lover, its also my first exposure to them and their sound.......it definately harkens back to the amrep days, thick, noisy, dirty with blaring vocals, but with a little melody poking through the smog here and there.....one of the better recent bands i've heard doing this kind of thing and up there with condominium as far as good recent minnesota bands go for me. will assuredly be hitting this bands' backcatalog in the near future......top end record, top end band. check it out.

animal lover - fundango

diane rehm demo (2013)

well after a few weeks im back with another new record....this one is a demo from a brand new band from grand rapids and lansing michigan called diane rehm (named after the NPR matron with a lets say "unique" voice),  dylan from oily menace is behind the kit for these guys (and girl)......its fast out-of-breath hardcore with frantic female vocals. the lyrics are kinda atypical of the style, probably because there arent that many bands of this style writing lyrics from a female perspective...in any case its a wonderful start and i cant wait to hear more from these dudes/dudette,  6 songs that fly by and leave you wanting more........their playing the DAAC with touch and jowls (not huge on the latter band) in a few days but i wont be able to make it down =(.............highly recommended.

diane rehm demo