overdue library books

stuff to remember

the clean-i keep forgetting i like them. basic first wave punk/glasgow kinda sound (though no from glaslow or very punk) very simple, stripped down sound with fun melodies. the perfect thing to put on when not doing much of anything and you want to play something to ignore.

Capsule-japanesse pop/lounge at its finest (or the finest i can find chillin' here in america) bubbly and poppy with an air of going on vaction to some distant shore. they have a pretty good range of impala lounge to dance floor beats that have hard to find melodies.

st.vincent-actor. singer annie clark from brooklyn, was the guitarist of polyphonic spree. oh wow! shes really good! a sort of strange awe and eerie sounds undermask thoughtful and beautiful sounds. great voice, excellent arrangement, and amazing sound.

mos def-The Ecstatic. mos def is good again! not that he was ever terrible, but this album goes back to something that seems hard to obtain. it has a loud and rough sound (electric guitars blistering on top of heavy but smart beats) with honest, confrontational and insightful lyrics that dont seem to be intended to be marketed an mass distributed, but for something more. awesome

madeline-white flag. new madeline adams! though she is still only my age (or younger!) she seems to be resting comfortably into a more mature, relaxed sound. the album has a full band with piano and all, and has a much more southern country sound, but with the same beautiful melody and lyrics. a solid step in the a new, fun direction.

camera obscura-My Maudlin Career. new CO. still the same catchy tunes and wistful spirit of the the other albums, but this one with a lot of strings or almost ochrestra sound pushing the emotions to be a bit cheezy. will they ever find love? who knows!

The Marked men- ahhhhh!!!! so good! a modern punk/indie band that has a solid sound and a maturity or long ago, (but not in a snobby, im better than you, kind of way) its kinda like of ted leo was split into a few differnt guys who formed a band and untied together to bring out the awesome sound they have with in, but with no one front man.

fuck the ba-ba-ba-ba-bank!

more music for me to remember. i totally swear-

野宮真貴 (Maki Nomiya) - Lady Miss Warp japanese pop/lounge. super sweet sweeping sounds. this one of those things ive been looking for a while, a certian sound that sweets you in and give you a nostalgic feeling of a peaceful meadow on a breezy day. sweet j-pop lounge.

frances gall-baby pop. old french ye-ye on a simple, sophomoric, almost adolescent kind of sound. great voice, a little rough at times but really endearing. definitely the style of 1966 france.


dead to me-Cuban Ballerina. great punk rock with catchy choruses. very off with their heads with a bit more of a main stream appeal, in that really good way. these guys have their own thing going on despite the area of punk they are playing in can get a little muddy. very talented guys.


Coeur de pirate-self titled. french Canadian singer. fun, soft, a little sad at times, but in that "life is still good" kinda way. if regina specktor was consistently good, and you know, from canada. great piano player too. the kind of artist you learn about through your girl friend and end up really liking (which is exactly how i learned about her)

Asobi Seksu-hush. new album! great release, they have gotten a little more up beat and over all more appealing, the album has a stange start with jumping right in to the mess of the sound, still fantastic, this progressing. quiet lovely.


sam cooke-night beat. one of the very few "albums" by sam cooke before he left us. a nice step away from the tons of classic hits, this album has a bit more personal feel, a great look at the inner workings of a soul singer working out rhythms and sounds privately, but in a refined kinda way (no demo tapes here) not as poppy as his singles, you can really feel the influences from other music, his past, and his faith. awesome.

doreen shaffer-adorable. i have been trying to find this for ages, finally got my hands on the files. not too too exciting, but still what i was expecting for the queen of jamacian ska. pretty sure shes singing with the skatalites on these records, all the songs ive lost or have been searching for are on this, so while its not the longest album, it is very consistent, with lulls or flat songs. ska at its finest, most traditional sense.

low blows are a thing of the past

oh my goodness, it has been forever since i last updated this thing. so heres whats new.
the softies-its love
talk about twee, the girl from AGSFB and the girl from tiger trap and go sailor. the duo make music that sounds like the name, super softy. no drums or keys or anything extra, very nice, simple guitar and singing, perfect for late at night when you dont want to wake up your roommates.

the stereo-three hundred
pop rock and roll that takes me back to high school mix tapes and awful car speakers. the guys from animal chin and the impossibles got together and made this band (in my opinion a little bit better than the other bands, but only by a little) and under fueled by ramen records. songs about girls, understanding what you're going through, and more girls. a tang of emo, garage rock and lots of feelings. great rhythms, and some piano ballets. wheres my anniversary hoodie covered in patches and pins?

best fwends-Alphabetically Arranged
two dirty kids from texas making super funky fresh beats with overly catchy beats and samples sliced up for something that you cant really categorize but can dance crazy to. i love these guys!

Vic Ruggiero-solo albums!
finally! ive been able to find these solo albums from the vic from the slackers. very new york folk/ska/blues style, feels like if bob dylan grew up listening to laurel aitken and prince buster, and, you know, wasnt overly popular and a house hold name (but that doesnt make him suck though, since vic is awesome!, also a nice guy, i got to meet him years ago at a slackers show)

totally michael-self titled!
ahahahaha! finally there is an album! this guy is the definition of fun! dancable pop sings coming from a DIY background. songs about being a kid, the prom and other awesome things, this is guaranteed to make you shake your butt.

heculese and the love affair-self titled- the singer from antony and the johnsons with some other new york based people, make a set of strangely cool, funky, new york noise/dance songs. it feels like stepping into a gay and lesbian club in the late 80's and feeling completely at home.

there have obviously been a ton of other bands ive recently been listening to, but i will have to write about them later. in the mean time so i dont forget, heres a list.
tiger trap
the max levine ensemble
the carrots
Marnie Stern
School of Seven Bells
France Gall
The Clean
Rocketship
Mummy The Peepshow
Off With Their Heads
Wayne Shorter
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble