Album Review: Aficionado - Aficionado

In today’s music scene, many feel the need to have some kind of gimmick in an effort to have a defining trait that separates one from the rest. Whether it be technicality, an intentional lack of technicality, edgy lyrics, or some other crutch, bands often feel like they’re compensating for a lack of substance. Albany, NY natives Aficionado subscribe to no such mentality. Aficionado’s latest effort, a self-titled full length release on July 26th through No Sleep Records, maintains a less is more approach with none of the pretentiousness that often goes hand in hand with such an attitude.

Interview With The Bigger Lights

To me, The Bigger Lights are one of the bands that make my local area proud. From getting signed to Doghouse Records to creating their latest record entirely DIY. That latest record, Battle Hymn, received a great review from me and showed off what the band had been truly capable of creating.  The band agreed to spend some time answering questions right before their first of two record release shows in their hometown of Vienna, Virginia. Some of the topics discussed were the reception to Battle Hymn, what happened with Doghouse Records, the reasons why the band reinvented their sound, lyrics on the new record, the future of The Bigger Lights, and much much more that you can read below.

Live Review: Maps and Atlases

San Francisco is a city of thriving arts and culture. Artists from all over the world love coming to such a supportive musical community because there is such diversity, and a crowd for almost any kind of music. Even despite this, we were lucky to have Maps & Atlases in SF tonight, along with two California-based bands in a fantastic indie show tonight.

Artist Spotlight: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

I'm always cautious when I see something labeled as lo-fi. It's not an aesthetic I dislike, indeed some of my favourite albums hold such qualities, but to me too much music with such a tag is simply throwaway and uses it's stripped down charm to mask the fatal flaws in other aspects of its creation. Thankfully, this is not the case with Unknown Mortal Orchestra. As well as knowing their way around a good hook, this Portland trio display an adventurous streak, melding indie rock, psychedelica and hip hop into a heavily distorted treat. Their self-titled debut album is gaining them a steadily growing fanbase in the indie underground, and if it's anything to go by, this could be just the first step towards far wider recognition.

You can stream Unknown Mortal Orchestra here.

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Interview With The Narrative

The Narrative is currently one of the best dual vocalled indie-pop bands out there right now. So it may surprise you that they are unsigned. Even without the support of a label, the band released one of the best records of 2010 with their self-titled record, and has received critical acclaim by quite a few publications. The band is currently on the Vans Warped Tour, promoting themselves on one of the smallest stages. The two members agreed to sit down with me and answer a few questions, on topics such as labels, Kickstarter, the costs of touring and recording, Warped Tour, and much more that you can read below.

Album Review: The Dangerous Summer - War Paint

A group of young men release a pop-punk/indie rock album and the world keeps on spinning. Well, a lot of times that is the case. Needless to say, musicians in the age between adolescence and adulthood usually produce pseudo-thoughtful, contrived and convoluted music which to sing about relationship problems. Here's a surprise--The Dangerous Summer aren't like those bands. They truly are thoughtful, and display enough musical and songwriting prowess to convince this reviewer that they are actually able to stand head and shoulders above the glut of nameless pop-punk acts.

Coldplay-Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

Oh the days when one could rely on Coldplay to make borderline melancholic alternative rock that was introspective, deep, and tinged with drama and mellow emotions. Sadly those days have come and gone, as is evidence of the band's last album and latest single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.

Now that isn't to say that Viva la Vida was an excursion into joy and optimism, but certainly there was an undertone of more positive emotions, bolstered by a much bolder, exciting approach to songwriting. Well, those newer feelings are tenfold on "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall." Chris sings with passion and flair, and the rest of the band feels frighteningly invigorated. The energy flows freely, making the whole track feel alive.

"Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" is one of the most interesting and engrossing pieces of music Coldplay has put out in sometime. This could very well be a new direction for the band. However, we'll have to wait until October 24th, when their yet untitled album will hit stores.

Listen here

Album Review: Iceage - New Brigade

It's become a fad in music nowadays that the ineffably bizarre and mindbogglingly unconventional is cause for not only praise, but for hyperbolic claim of artistic revolution. Rarely, however, do this outwardly strange albums ever amount to anything more than a flash in the pan, and that for every WU LYF, we receive ten forgettable works that amount to very little. However, Iceage's debut, New Brigade teeters on either side of both camps, creating an interesting, and wholly fun album, whilst not really achieving much else at all.

Album Review: Kindlewood - Desiderium

First things first—Desiderium may be the most charming record of 2011. It’s not without its faults, that much is sure, but I’ll be damned if my heart wasn’t slightly warmed with every listen of Kindlewood’s debut record. Everything from the minimalist, pseudo-folk instrumentation, to the absolutely sublime vocals just screams charm, and the album is all the better for it.

Album Review: Restorations

Diversity in genre is a fantastic thing when it comes to music. When it comes to Restorations, their influences come from, effectively, just about everything from hardcore to shoegaze, hitting stoner metal, roots rock, hardcore, post-punk, and everything therebetween. The Philadelphia outfit exemplifies how you can have such diversity in sound, and still create a fantastic record. After a hard-hitting release on their Strange Behavior EP, Restorations comes back around for even more on this self-titled full length, keeping true to their keeping true to their punk / post-rock / indie sound.

Album Review: Trophy Scars - Never Born, Never Dead

Let’s get one thing out of the way—Never Born, Never Dead is expectedly excellent, and overall, an EP that displays how truly fantastic Trophy Scars really is when they are “on.” Their latest follows their last year’s rather phenomenal, Darkness, Oh Hell, a dark, grimy EP that delved into the desperation and ugliness of a man living through the darkest moment of his life. Never Born, Never Dead sort of compliments this, as it feels more hopeful and optimistic. Sure, it delves into the themes of death and relationships, but it comes off as much more beautiful, touching on the brighter aspects of said themes. The lyrical content, however, takes a backseat to the musical content, as Trophy Scars are absolutely at the top of their game, making Never Born, Never Dead one of the strongest releases from the band.

Album Review: The Coma Recovery - Goddverb

Of all the things that come out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, spacy-progressive-post-rock group The Coma Recovery is certainly one of the most unique. A recent Deep Elm-sign on, the musical influence and developed style of the band takes the new album, Goddverb, to very dark places in the genre of post-rock at times, but can also be much more uplifting and light than comparative artists as well.

Woodson

A young band out of Youngstown, Ohio, Woodson plays far above their years. Even though the members are still in college, the band formulates indie-rock songs in the style of Manchester Orchestra or Kevin Devine that show maturity far beyond the quality expected of a band releasing their debut album. While upcoming bands are usually fairly safe with their ordering of tracks, Woodson instantly takes a risk in putting the six minute long emotional blow "Heavy Heart" right at the beginning of the track list, but they succeed in showing the maturity, confidence, and talent of the group. But along with the slow, tearjerking tracks like "Heavy Heart", "Bad Man", "Young Love", and "Leave", Woodson also shows a skill for Americana based rock and roll tracks ("July 4th") and even some keys led tracks similar to Happy Body Slow Brain ("Distorto", "Johnny). While the statement that Woodson is a "long awaited debut album" may be a bit of a stretch, it's impossible not to say that this record will put Woodson on the map. If they keep funneling their musical ambition, well, maybe "long awaited" wasn't an unworthy statement. You can download the entire album for free on their Bandcamp page here.

Album Review: Bomb the Music Industry! - Vacation

Is there any band out there quite like Bomb the Music Industry? For years the ska-punk collective, led by the ever eccentric Jeff Rosenstock has been tearing up conventions one messy, chaotic song at a time. The group has been so frenetic, so disorganized, that it’s quite shocking to think that they’re easily one of the most consistent acts in music today. From their debut, Album Minus Band in 2005, to last year’s two EP’s, Bomb the Music Industry has astounded with each and every release. Well music lovers, BTMI! have done it again, as Vacation is not only one of their strongest releases thus far, but one of 2011’s defining records.

Kashiwa Daisuke - 88

Like his Japanese contemporary, World's End Girlfriend, Kashiwa Daisuke has a penchant for the maddeningly bizarre, as well as the breathtakingly beautiful. However, unlike WEG, Daisuke utilizes a more straightforward type of neo-classical/post-rock. Sure there's some glitchy electronica thrown in for good measure, but typically that takes a back seat to the swelling strings and jazzy keyboards.

Daisuke's newewst effort, 88 will mostly utilize, you guessed it, the 88 keys of a piano. It's said to be much more stripped down, which for fans is a relief, as 2009's 5. bDec was seen as an inconsistent mess of electronics and misguided ideas. 88 looks to be a complete 180 in this respect, being more melodic and minimal. Fans have been waiting patiently (this one in particular)for a spiritual successor to his 2007 masterpiece, and the way things are looking, 88seems to show promise of that. Only time will tell if it will live up to his instant classic, Program Music I,but thankfully, that time will becoming sooner rather than later, as 88 drops July 29th.

Check out his newest song here:
Kashiwa Daisuke - Coto

Album Review: Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain, In The Cloud

Portugal. The Man, a quartet based in the frigid corner of our continent that is Alaska, is set to release their sixth full length album, daringly titled In the Mountain, In the Cloud, on July 19th via Equal Vision Records. Since 2006, the release of a full length has been a yearly ritual for Portugal. Historically, Portugal. has managed to throw together surprisingly strong work in the short period of time they give themselves for writing and recording their records. In the Mountain, In the Cloud follows suit, being both well-constructed and slick as ever.

Death Grips

Today's coverage may startle you a little bit. Because seriously, how many music blogs (or more rarely, individual writers) go from giving away a signed CD and poster for a well known cutesy pop-rock band to an experimental hip-hop group that contains war references? But I pride myself and the site on variety, and thus, you see coverage on Death Grips. Hip-hop isn't my most preferred genre, so when Death Grips immediately stood out with their grimy, dark, and spastic electric beats, I immediately knew I had found something special. Though the rough vocals are hard to adjust to and may instantly repel fans of mainstream rap, there's something alluring about the militaristic feel of the shout-raps.  Along with the cryptic, yet bluntly explicit lyrics, Death Grips are bringing another fresh breath to a hip-hop scene in need of one. You can download (for free) and stream the entire Exmilitary mixtape right here.

Live Review: Bright Eyes, The Sage Gateshead, 12/07/2011

I don’t really like proclaiming things ‘the best.’ It basically dismisses everything that has come before as secondary, and can seem like a pretty rash judgment especially in the immediate aftermath, but sometimes they’re just so stupendously brilliant that you’re left with little choice other than to declare them as such. This was the dilemma that I found myself in while being utterly floored by Bright Eyes on Tuesday night. During the break before the encore, I started raking my mind, thinking of the best live shows I’ve ever witnessed and how they compared to what I was experiencing. Arcade Fire at Leeds Festival were pretty special, as were Placebo in France and Frightened Rabbit last year, but all factors considered, I can honestly say that this was not only one that topped them all, but one which did so by a considerable distance.

MuzikDizcovery Now On Spotify!

As many of you may know, Spotify is now available in the US. In order to make use of this amazing tool, I have started a Muzik Dizcovery playlist, in which I will place a song of every artist we cover. As it is a lot of work, I only have it updated through July, but eventually I hope on getting it at the very least through all of 2011. Be sure to follow the playlist, which you can access here.

Artist Spotlight: The Horrible Crowes

The Gaslight Anthem are one of the best and most consistent bands of recent times, but when I first heard about frontman Brian Fallon's new project The Horrible Crowes I found it hard to get excited. It's not that I doubted the New Jersey singer's ability, but his collaboration with friend Ian Perkins hardly left me enthused. That changed though with the unveiling of the first track from the duo'd debut LP. The song, "Behold The Hurricane" never strays too far from the template set by Fallon's main band, but sees him take a slightly more direct route with terrific results. It's still a shameless slice of Springsteen-esque Americana, but the chiming guitar that's prevalent throughout gives it it's own unique charm, which is just as strong as anything that he's done before.

The duo's debut album, Elsie is out on September 16th. You can stream "Behold The Hurricane" here.

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Album Review: City of Ships - Minor World

Aforementioned in a previous post, the new release by City of Ships is coming, and this curious walk through a fuzzy, depressive masterpiece will be one to pick up. With vocals phasing in and out of a post-hardcore tonality similar to Thursday's heavier material, and an instrumental sound picking up hints of Rosetta, the minor key is prevalent throughout the release, thusly earning its rightful title, Minor World. The Florida-based trio brings out some amazing material in the new release, experimenting with a montage of different sounds and uses of sound to allow for the creation of a bedeviling air of hopelessness that becomes impossible to turn away from.

Live Review: Eels, O2 Academy Newcastle, 11/07/2011

Some bands love the reputations they have made for themselves, but others seem to spend much of their time trying their best to escape them. Eels are a prime example of the latter. The Californian quintet, the brainchild of frontman Mark Everett (a.k.a. ‘E’) are one of alt-rocks most under-appreciated delights, yet have developed a pretty widespread reputation for audible misery over their career. This presumption comes despite the fact that much of their material is decidedly upbeat, while their least cheery album, 1998’s Electro-Shock Blues, was recorded in the aftermath of E’s mother contracting cancer and his sister committing suicide – so it was hardly going to be a light-hearted affair. One thing that is true, though, is that the majority of their work has a distinctive air of melancholy about it, and so I came into this gig expecting a fairly subdued atmosphere with little in the way of energy.

Album Review: Black Wine-Summer of Indifference

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Black Wine’s Summer of Indifference, and if things keep going the way they’ve been going, I’ll be enjoying it for quite some time. The record is simply amiable—fun, chaotic, and deliciously varied and unpredictable. Summer of Indifference really is one of the more listenable, and more outwardly easy things to listen to this year, making it the perfect companion in your “summer of indifference.”

Artist Spotlight: Pure Love

Last week I was gutted to hear the news that frontman Frank Carter had left British punk band Gallows. The Watford quintet may only have been around for six years, but they’ve long been at the forefront of the nation’s hardcore scene, and in 2009’s sophomore Grey Britain released one of the best albums that the year had to offer. I only got to see them once, but their live show was phenomenal, and it was Carter’s onstage energy and full-blooded aggression which fueled much of that success. Given that their music was always so uncompromising, it perhaps comes as a surprise that disagreement over the direction of their fourth album was what led to the singers departure, and even more so that Gallows plan to continue despite losing what essentially was their strongest weapon.

Fear not, though, Carter’s absence won’t be felt for long. No sooner had he quit than he disclosed details of a new project, called Pure Love with his friend Jim Carroll, who also operates in Suicide File, Clouds and the Hope Conspiracy. They are set to enter the studio in September to record their debut album, and have announced their intention to tour extensively in support of it come the end of the year. Weak name aside, the initial signs of this new musical venture are promising. A short audio clip has already surfaced, and although hardly conclusive it hints at both a melodic and atmospheric leap forward from Gallows, without sacrificing any of the anger or volume. I, for one, can’t wait to hear more.

You can keep up with their progress on the bands website.

Album Review - The Bigger Lights: Battle Hymn

For once, artistic integrity has prevailed over living the easy life. Rather than continuing to work with Doghouse Records for the follow up to their eponymously named debut full length, The Bigger Lights decided to self produce and self release their brand new LP Battle Hymn. Though The Bigger Lights had some catchy moments, the lyrical and musical content was generally poor, and the album seemed to cater to the high school aged female, a crowd that could easily spring The Bigger Lights to superstardom. But although the band's DIY attitude with Battle Hymn may be a financial burden to the band, The Bigger Lights have easily released their strongest material to date.

Army Navy

I'd like to welcome Cody Nelson to the posting club here on MuzikDizcovery. Cody has been a great friend and musical acquaintance of mine for a while now, and I'm extremely happy to have him offering up his talents here. Love beautiful female singers or guilty pleasure pop music? Then you may want to follow Cody's posts in the future.

Now I've known about these guys for a few months thanks to the great music taste the Sklar Brothers have, but Army Navy is probably unknown to most people. An indie pop trio hailing from Los Angeles, Army Navy is the 1 part Steel Train, 1/2 part Beatles, and 3/4 part garage rock summer band that everyone has been looking for (and just hasn't realized yet). Infectious melodies in songs like 'Ode To Janice Melt' and 'Ignite' mesh perfectly with the oddly entrancing voice of Justin Kennedy, who, in two albums (the newest being The Last Place, which dropped today), has mastered the sad lyrics/happy music balance. Kennedy also shines on more bare bones songs such as 'The Long Goodbye,' that really focus on pushing the musicianship into the background, and pulling his vacant tones into the forefront. So for those of you who enjoy listening to music just because it puts you in a good mood, and you're not interested in listening to what's actually being said, give Army Navy a try. They're great at writing fun, infectious pop rock tunes that just happen to include deeper meaning for those looking for an added bonus. Check out a few tracks on their Soundcloud, and pick up their newest album The Last Place on iTunes.

Album Review: Patrick Wolf - Lupercalia

Wild, outlandish, and flamboyant pop stars are a dime a dozen nowadays. We’ve got Katy Perry gallivanting around in her videos dressed like an alien, singing of bi-curious explorations and whatnot. Then we get Lady Gaga, a woman whose fashion ranges from dresses made from bubbles to dresses made of meat. However bizarre these musicians may be, there is really only one Patrick Wolf, and he’s absolutely one of a kind. While Wolf more than often indulges in the extravagant, his unpredictably strange image is bolstered by something neither Gaga nor Perry have: substance.

He Is We Acoustic Session

He Is We graciously offered their time before their 7/10 headlining show at Jammin Java to play two acoustic tracks for us. Check out the session below.

Album Review: Beware of Safety - Leaves / Scars

Walking a thin line between post-metal and post-rock, Los Angeles-based instrumental project Beware of Safety comes crashing into the scene with their sophomore full-length, Leaves / Scars. Having recently uncovered the fairly recent band, I enjoyed discovering their heavy, progressive style established in their releases, sounding something like a crude mash of God is an Astronaut and North. The thing that really defines Beware of Safety is their lack of trepidation to make some noise and to show off their raw power, but at the same time, add their superb musicality and throw on a healthy dose of contrast, mixing blasts with mellow acoustic bridges.

Live Review: Frank Turner, Whitley Bay Playhouse, 07/07/2011

Music is a divisive art, so it’s virtually impossible to be liked by literally everyone. Saying that, I for one can’t think of any act that has attracted such universal adoration as former Million Dead frontman Frank Turner in his increasingly successful career as a solo artist. Currently riding high on the back of excellent recent album England Keep My Bones, Turner has been a cult hero in some circles for a few years now, all while slowly edging up festival bills and converting more followers. Such success is usually met with a backlash of some sort, but that hasn’t materialised for Turner, perhaps because the man – and the music he makes – is virtually impossible not to like.

Gregory Attonito (The Bouncing Souls) - Natural Disaster

Legendary punk band The Bouncing Souls are known for their short, brutal tracks full of menacing guitars, vicious drumming, and Greg Attonito's powerful vocals. Attonito's solo album is a totally separate entity, leaving behind all aspects from his main project. The songs are acoustically based, with horns and keys sporadically placed into the tracks. However, the biggest change is the fact that Attonito's voice seems surprisingly fragile, a huge change for someone who usually sings with an endless fire. His emotions regarding love are poured out, especially in the extremely stripped down "Sexiest Girl", which reads as a 15 year old's diary, yet still feels powerful. Female harmonies increase the amorous feelings in "Teardrops", as even the most sophisticated arrangements on the EP are downplayed, leaving the main focus on Attonito's voice and lyrics. Even the toughest men have hearts, and Attonito succeeds with flying colors in putting down those misconceptions. Natural Disaster just reassures Attonito's place in history as one of the most important frontmen in the last twenty years, as his legacy is moved beyond just punk music. You can pre-order the EP on the Chunksaah website here.

Artist Spotlight: Mogwai - Earth Division EP

It looks like Glasgow-based post-rock band Mogwai is having a good year. With their 7th studio album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (review here) receiving critical acclaim, the band sets off to continue to impress and improve with the Earth Division EP. According to a Sub Pop release, we can expect the EP to be somewhat of a departure from their standard, pounding guitar riffs to a quieter, more hazy and less focused sound to include classical instruments like violins, violas, cellos, and double bass. With lots on the horizon, we hope that Mogwai will retain at least a portion of their classic, beloved sound, but as with experimental bands, it never truly is the same every time. However, the post tells us that the EP "might offer the listener something different, but it still carries the band's hallmarks", so until September, all we can do is sit and wait.

The EP comes out September 12th on Rock Action and September 13th on Sub Pop.

Girls-Father Son Holy Ghost

Critically acclaimed indie act, Girls, have announced their upcoming second proper album, entitled Father Son Holy Ghost. The album follows their 2009 debut, Album, which garnered glowing praise from notable sites and publications, such as Spin and Pitchfork.

Information regarding the album has been rather scarce, as it was revealed on facebook through a very obscure sort of "magic widget." The band urged those who were interested to "keep checking," with more of the puzzle being revealed each. It's speculated that these are the album's song titles.

Regardless, Girls' hotly anticipated sophomore album drops September 13th, so be sure to check it out!

Artist Spotlight: Trees Above Mandalay

While at a local showcase brimming with indie pop bands sporting no personality and painfully bad metalcore acts, I was lucky enough to stumble across New Jersey natives Trees Above Mandalay. Despite the fact that I was one of twelve in the crowd, Tress Above Mandalay grabbed my attention with their high energy performance. Though eclectic in sound, Trees Above Mandalay manages to pull together a polished and professional identity, which can be loosely described as progressive pop punk with a jazzy feel.  Their debut LP, Palace, was rereleased in 2010 with fantastic production and the same great musicianship. Check it out on their Bandcamp here.

Coyote Theory

Technical bands and fun bands are usually thought of as opposites. You don't usually find an extremely catchy math-rock band, while most pop music stays within conventional structures. Coyote Theory destroys all misconceptions that technical and poppy can not go together. Single "Vibe" combines jazzy piano patterns similar to those played by The Reign Of Kindo while vocalist Colby Carpinelli shows off his Nate Ruess-like vocal range, easily soaring up into the highest registers. "This Side Of Paradise" holds more of a Circa Survive feel within the technical guitar riffs, and "It's A Trap" embraces more of a straightforward rock feel, while still feeling unique. Coyote Theory is one of the most unique bands I've heard in quite a long time, easily satisfying my need for catchy hooks while remaining technically proficient. Color is excellent in showing off every one of the band's talents, and is easily a frontrunner for the best EP I've heard this year. Stream "Vibe" and purchase the album on the band's Bandcamp page here.

Album Review: The Horrors - Skying

We all love stories of bands who have made a change for the better; the type with enough awareness to condemn what they have been doing and take steps to correct their wrongs, and in the past few years there have been few greater tales than that of The Horrors. When they formed in 2005, the Southend quintet bore closer resemblance to The Adams Family than a serious band, with ridiculous haircuts, an obscure fashion sense and frankly juvenile stage names. Their music was hardly terrible, with their debut LP Strange House proving a mildly passable dose of arty garage-punk, but you always got the overwhelming sense that the bands themselves valued their somewhat comical image over the substance of their actual compositions. All of that changed, though, with 2009’s sophomore Primary Colours. Engaging in a total career U-turn, the band cast aside their gimmicky extras in favour of a more serious and altogether more rewarding shoegaze direction. It wasn’t quite as good as some would have you believe (the NME even went as far as to name it their album of the year), but it was nevertheless a key turning point, and forced the previously disapproving musical community to sit up and take them seriously.

Album Retrospective: Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

For anyone who was ever sixteen, Taking Back Sunday’s rather groundbreaking Tell All Your Friends is for you. While the term “groundbreaking” may be a bit much, it’s tough to deny that Taking Back Sunday set the scene on fire for much of the last decade. Finally, there was an album and a band that captured teen angst in a less melodramatic and less agonizing way, combating the painful amount of forgettable, comparable acts of the mid 2000’s. Sure, Simple Plan whined and wailed about the pains of being a teenager (surely those years must have almost killed them), but Taking Back Sunday casually romanticized the coming of age theme. Tell All Your Friends was not angry, caustic, nor depressing, but dramatic in a somewhat jovial way. Tell All Your Friends was fun, exciting, and something you could waste an entire summer away to.

Album Review: Giles Corey - Giles Corey

Innumerable comparisons of Giles Corey to Have A Nice Life are going to be made, and really, it’s hard not to see why. After all, both projects share one man, Dan Barrett. More importantly, however, is the ability of both bands to create uncompromisingly dense, dark, and riveting musical compositions. This is where the comparisons should end though, as Giles Corey’s eponymous debut is an entirely different kind of beast; an album rife with complexities, but stripped down, making it real, raw, and visceral.

Album Review: Cat's Eyes - Cat's Eyes

While there are undoubtedly some pairings in music that seem made for eachother, you often find that it’s the least likely match-ups which prove to be the most interesting. Nas with Damien Marley, Shane McGowan with Kirsty McColl and Robert Plant with Alison Krauss are among the unlikely successes which initially spring to my mind, and this year’s Faris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira pairing can also be added to that list. This is a hook-up which is so unorthadox due to the widely different stylings of the pair - Badwan is the gangly frontman of noisy British art-punks The Horrors, while Zeffira is a classically trained Canadian vocalist, - but these approaches interact wonderfully on this, the duo’s debut full-length.

Fourth Of July Free(dom) - Junior Battles

Today, us Americans are celebrating our freedom. And while most of you are out getting drunk, barbecuing, and setting off fireworks, the ones that see this post will receive another form of freedom, as Junior Battles' latest full length Idle Ages is up for pay-what-you-want download. The dual-vocalled pop-punk band plays their own special brand of witty pop-punk,  but has definite similarities to bands such as Punchline. The band's Paper + Plastick debut was just released on June 28th, and today is the last day you can get this album for free. Be sure to go stream and download tonight on their Bandcamp page here.

Fan Deep Elm Records for Free Music

Us at MuzikDizcovery love Deep Elm Records (if it wasn't apparent from the massive amount of posts we've done about their bands). Moonlit Sailor has already topped Mat's midyear top 5 list, and I won't be surprised if that record enters mine as well. Well, Deep Elm Records recently posted on Facebook that if they get 2000 fans on their page by July 15th, they will give away an album for free every week for the rest of 2011. I have honestly never heard a record released by the label that is poor, and a deal like this can not be found anywhere else. Please, please, please go to the label's Facebook page and fan them here.

Artist Spotlight: City of Ships

A much awaited sophomore release is coming in hot from City of Ships, a Los Angeles-centralized avant-rock trio that came to fame with a critically-acclaimed debut, Look What God Did To Us. On the new release, Minor World, we can expect as much creativity as the debut, with a triple dose of experimentation. The band met with producer Andrew Schneider, who also worked with Rosetta and Pelican, and used a veritable armada of different amps, mics, guitars, and even drum tones "in order to highlight the individuality of each track". And with the premiere of "Low Countries" streaming online, anyone would say the band has a hard time disappointing fans, absolutely keeping an ethereal, impassioned sound throughout the four-minute epic. Post-metal and art-rock fans rejoice, for City of Ships is coming back, and they're coming back hard. The album will not disappoint.

You can download and listen to "Low Countries" here, and Minor World hits stores on July 19th.