Monthly Archive for August, 2009

We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls

Published
by
billy
on August 24, 2009
in album, indie, mp3, music and we were promised jetpacks
. 7 Comments

I do apologize for the lack of posts during this past week.  I really must apologize.  But I fear I was busy scoring tickets to see the upcoming Sufjan Stevens mini tour (yes, I’ll be there in Bloomington to see him play), galavanting about the countryside for an all to brief weekend, and listening continuously to the latest album by my new Scottish obsession We Were Promised Jetpacks.

I would have killed to see these boys play with their compatriots (my other favorite Scottish band Frightened Rabbit - who is absolutely insanely good in concert), but alas they did not come close enough to central Indiana on their tour.  Fortunately they have released These Four Walls (amazon) (itunes) and quite honestly, it is brilliant.  It’s the type of brilliant that lets you know that these boys, will, in fact be on the top ten list at the end of the year.  It’s the type of brilliant that blacks out all other albums for a solid week while you attempt to sate your addiction on these eleven songs.

mp3 : We Were Promised Jetpacks - It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning
mp3 : We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quite Little Voices

Not only are those two songs catchy, driving, Scottish rock, but there’s also a track on the album entitled Moving Clocks Run Slow.  If I’m a sucker for anything it’s allusions to principles of physics in song titles.  You got me good We Were Promised Jetpacks (wonderful band name by the way), you got me good.  Get the album, thank me later.

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Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

Published
by
billy
on August 14, 2009
in album, indie, miles benjamin anthony robinson, mp3 and music
. 2 Comments

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson is a singer/songwriter out of Brooklyn who released his self titled debut, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (amazon) (itunes), in July of 2008.  If I had to pare down my review to as few words as possible I would say the following.  Miles sounds like an urban version of a one man band.  It’s as if Bon Iver holed up in a bustling New York borough instead of an isolated cabin.

mp3 : Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed
mp3 : Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - The Debtor

Overall it’s a great first album.  Granted there are some rough bits, possibly even some songs that you won’t absolutely love when you first meet, but overall this is a solid debut album and I’m looking forward to what he produces next.

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Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Published
by
billy
on August 12, 2009
in album, mp3, music and phoenix
. 4 Comments

I first heard an album by Phoenix a few years back as I was hanging out in a giant mall in downtown Bangkok.  I was bored, my traveling mates were all busy doing something else, and I used my free time to listen to a load of albums in a large music store.  I loved their album in Bangkok so much that I bought it and gave it to my little sister for her birthday that year.  I’m not sure if she ever really got into their music like I did, but it says a lot if I think an album is good enough to buy and give to someone else as a gift.

Then along came 2009 and Phoenix released a new album called Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (amazon) (itunes).  And again I am taken with the sound they create.  The album is great and I’ve been listening to it on and off for at least a month now and I still think it’s good.  Overall Phoenix has captured modern pop music and made it something clever and captivating, avoiding the ubiquitous banalities that drag down so many other bands.  Enjoy the two tracks I’ve put up here and rest assured the remainder of the album is just as addicting.

mp3 : Phoenix - Lisztomania
mp3 : Phoenix - 1901

I would honestly post almost every single track from this album.  They remind me a lot of The Strokes by way of a california/across-the-pond surf rock.  Really nice.

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Throw Me The Statue - Moonbeams

Published
by
billy
on August 10, 2009
in album, indie, mp3, music and throw me the statue
. 0 Comments

There are two words that immediately jumped into my head the first time I listened to the debut album by Throw Me The Statue.  The first word is giddy.  Giddy because that’s how this music makes me feel.  It’s heartfelt, genuine, indie pop.  At times they’re acoustic Weezer, at times they spark like The Anniversary, and in other moments they are Band of Horses.  Overall they’re a solid band with interesting music.

The second word is disbelief.  This album, Moonbeams (amazon) (itunes), is solid from opening to close.  Every song has something of interest, some little slice of creativity that you’ll find you enjoy.  I’m going with disbelif because I honestly can’t belive it took me two years to finally hear this album.  It was released/recorded in 2007 and I’m just now, finally, hearing it.  Where have all my music loving friends gone?  Why was I not force fed this album years ago?

mp3 : Throw Me The Statue - Young Sensualists
mp3 : Throw Me The Statue - About To Walk

These tracks are but a taste of how great this album is.  I can’t wait to hear their latest effort (which dropped just last week, August 4th 2009, so I’m not that far behind anymore).  Trust me though, this is an album to add to your collection.

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The Raveonettes - Lust, Lust, Lust

Published
by
billy
on August 4, 2009
in indie, mp3, music and raveonettes
. 2 Comments

Lately I’ve been listening to a load of bands that I had never heard of before I got a job that keeps me sitting down for the better part of the day; parked behind a computer screen.  Internet radio is a lifesaver after lunch and it’s been quite a treat to get to listen to loads of new music (none of which I actively have to pursue).

This album, Lust Lust Lust (amazon) (itunes), was released in 2007 by The Raveonettes.  It starts off moody, packs in a lot of guitar fuzz and distorted wall of sound, and honestly feels a bit depressing by the end.  But it’s the good sort of depressing.  Ok, so that sounds a bit awkward, but that’s honestly how this album feels.  Moody, somewhat depressing, solid throughout the entire album, and drenched in a melancholic haze of guitars and lo-fi distortion.  It’s almost as if you’re standing at the back of the bar after a long night of drinking and music and this is the last act on stage for the night.

mp3 : The Raveonettes - Hallucinations
mp3 : The Raveonettes - Sad Transmission

Hallucinations is the second track off of the album and I’m leaning towards admitting it’s my favorite song by The Raveonettes.  Sad Transmission, however, comes in a close second for two reasons.  First of all even the title sounds depressing.  Secondly it sounds as if they sample the bass line from Duke of Earl throughout the entire track.  Brilliant.  And they’re from Denmark too.

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The Long Winters track Scared Straight

Published
by
billy
on August 3, 2009
in indie, long winters, lyrics, mp3, music and track
. 6 Comments

I did some driving today.  And, oddly enough, driving is where I listen to old music.  Yes I have a decent car. No I don’t have disposable income that would support an mp3 player and hookup to go with said car.  Sad really.  But it does allow me to listen to older tracks and albums while I’m driving about the countryside.

Today I put a track on one song repeat and listened to it over and over again.  It’s just that good.  The track hails from The Long Winters album When I Pretend to Fall (amazon) (itunes) and in all honesty is sublimely brilliant.  The music is catchy without being overdone and the lyrics, seriously, the lyrics are really where the brilliance of this track sets it.  Especially the bridge.  It’s so good I’m not afraid to tweet random snippets of this song on a regular basis.  It’s so good I’m still listening to it on one song repeat right now.  It’s so good you’ll download the track and then immediately buy their entire discography.

mp3 : The Long Winters - Scared Straight

It’s so good I thought I would simply include the lyrics here.  Enjoy.

Washington’s on the one
I’m in the middle of speaking
And you’re under the gun
Seething, leave it to the lone nut
It’s unappealing in someone so young

Plaintive, you’re feeling so washed up
And you mean it when you say you’re done
Five lanes of freeway
But it’s all gone dark
You called to say you’re gonna run

Well, Can you wait?
Can you stand it?
Are you brave or are you scared straight?

She didn’t want you to:
Speak right, be strong, act nice, take so long
Call time, seem tired, leave mad, get so wired

Maybe you belong to someone
Maybe you have finally met them
Maybe smoke belongs in the sky
Maybe I hate it when you cry

You were hurt so you got hard
You were cursed and scolded and scared
You were searched for, then ignored
You want to burn the liars?
You’ll set us both on fire

You’re faking, so I’m pretend sleeping
Waiting for this to be fun
It’s true little miss mean mini-bar guard
We’re gonna have to try something new

Let me breath fire down on you

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