Baby, You Got A Stew Goin'!

MP3: Inspector Owl, “We Are An Ocean”

Steve — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:32:23 +0000

Fantastic new track from Chicago’s Inspector Owl. Can’t wait to hear the band’s new record, which was recorded with Josh Miller of the dearly-departed Troubled Hubble.**

The band is scheduled to play at The Burlington, 3425 W. Fullerton, on Friday, February 10th with Geronimo! and Deserters. You should join me there.

** Sidenote: Inspector Owl’s Corey Wills is also in the excellent Kid, You’ll Move Mountains, which features two other former members of Troubled Hubble. So if you’re a Troubled Hubble fan and you aren’t listening to either of these bands, well, fix that shit.

Stand Against SOPA

Steve — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:26:08 +0000

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MP3: The Explorers Club, “Run Run Run”

Steve — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:58:25 +0000

Charleston, South Carolina’s The Explorers Club are set to release their second LP, Grand Hotel, on February 14th.

You may remember the band from their excellent 2008 debut, Freedom Wind, but let me be amongst the first to say that that record really won’t prepare you for how good the band’s new album is. It’s fantastic, and includes at least two songs – “Go For You” and “I’ve Been Waiting” – which will almost certainly end up on my Best Songs of 2012 list if I actually do one.

I can’t post either of those songs for you yet, but I can post the still-excellent lead single from the album, “Run Run Run”. Check it out below.

The band will be touring on the East Coast in February, and I’m told we can expect midwestern dates – hopefully including Chicago – in March. Can’t wait.

Oh, and if you click the album cover, it’ll take you to a site where you can pre-order the album. I highly recommend it.

The Explorers Club – Run Run Run (album and single mixes) by expclubmgmt

VIDEO: The Frames, “God Bless Mom” (from Irish TV)

Steve — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:16:10 +0000

Ireland’s The Frames (remember them?) recently recorded a set for Irish TV’s excellent Other Voices series. The show will air sometime in 2012, but they’ve released video of the band performing the always wonderful “God Bless Mom”. Check it out:

Apparently we can also expect a Glen Hansard solo album sometime this year, though I haven’t heard much in the way of details on it yet. Sure hope there’s new Frames record coming before too long too.

VIDEO: Wussy, “Little Miami”

Steve — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:10:36 +0000

From one of my top 10 albums of 2011:

My Favorite Albums of 2011

Steve — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:20:10 +0000

Too lazy to do much in the way of discussion of this list. Besides, you’ve likely already read about 300 top-whatever lists. So I’ll just say a couple of things. First, this list is, of course, entirely subjective, and simply a list of my favorite albums of 2011. Second, if you haven’t heard Quiet Company yet, you’re missing a band that has put out two of my favorite albums of the last few years. I have no idea how they’re not better known at this point (well, lack of touring has something to do with it), but if they can manage one or two more albums at this level, we’re looking (IMO) at one of the great modern American bands. No pressure, guys.

OK, that’s it. Here’s the list.

#1: Quiet Company, We Are All Where We Belong

You, Me & the Boatman by Quiet Company

#2: Apex Manor, The Year of Magical Drinking

Apex Manor: Southern Decline by TheMusicFile

#3: Crooked Fingers, Breaks In The Armor

#4: Title Tracks, In Blank

Clench Your Fist (A Little Closer To Me) by Title Tracks

#5: Centro-matic, Candidate Waltz

Only In My Double Mind by Centro-matic

#6: Leatherbag, Yellow Television

02 Yellow TV by Leatherbag

#7: High Tension Wires, Welcome New Machine

High Tension Wires – Backbone by stereomacko

#8: Fucked Up, David Comes To Life

#9: Wild Flag, Self-Titled

#10: Wussy, Strawberry

Pulverized by Wussy

##10-20 (un-ordered):
David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights, Left by Soft
Jason Isbell and the 500 Unit, Here We Rest
Maritime, Human Hearts
Mind Spiders, Self-Titled
Office of Future Plans, Self-Titled
The Wrong Words, The Wrong Words
The Heavenly States, Oui Camera Oui EP
More Humans, Demon Station EP
Tereu Tereu, NW EP
Wye Oak, Civilian

Honorable Mention
The Caribbean, Discontinued Perfume
The Cheniers, Drift EP
The Dears, Degeneration Street
Deleted Scenes, Young People’s Church of the Air
Fucked Up, David’s Town
J Mascis, Several Shades of Why
Low, C’Mon
Pangea, Living Dummy
The Poison Control Center, Stranger’s Ballet
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Departing

VIDEO: More Humans, “Mason-Dixon”

Steve — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:35:42 +0000

Brand new video by a band you really need to know more about ASAP. If I ever finish my Best Of 2011 list, you may (err, will) see the name More Humans again.

Mason-Dixon by More Humans from NIGHTTIDE on Vimeo.

New DC Label BAD FRIEND RECORDS Launches!

Steve — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:58:46 +0000

Can’t tell you how happy I am to finally announce the launch of a brand new Washington, D.C.-based record label called Bad Friend Records. The label was started by my good friend Ryan of Tereu Tereu and Tommy from Jukebox the Ghost, and is geared toward giving voice to a lot of great young bands that haven’t had a chance to be heard… yet.

Anyway, the first two projects for the label are pretty incredible. First up is a 7″ release from none other than Travis Morrison of The Dismemberment Plan and The Hellfighters. And soon to follow is the debut LP from Raw Feels, a band made up of former members of one of my favorite young bands of the last few years, Carlos, I’m Pregnant. They’re just as talented now, but the music has grown in leaps and bounds (and CIP were damn good in their own right).

Here’s what Tommy and Ryan have to say about the label, and click here to help the label’s Kickstarter campaign for the Travis Morrison 7″.

Positive Force Has a Kickstarter

Steve — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:50:17 +0000

Strongly, strongly recommend you help out with this if you can. Positive Force is one of the coolest organizations around and a HUGE part of Washington, DC’s music scene and overall community. Your donation will help fund what looks to be a fantastic documentary about Positive Force’s work over the past 26 years, and a portion will also go to the We Are Family senior outreach network.

PS: As of this writing you’ve got just 57 hours left to contribute!

MP3: New Twilight Sad, “Kill It In The Morning”

Steve — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:38:16 +0000

The Twilight Sad have announced that their brand new, third LP entitled No One Can Ever Know will be released on February 7, 2012. That’s the artwork on the right.

The band leaked the first track from the album, “Kill It In The Morning” (actually the last song on the album), a couple of weeks ago, and you can listen to it below. You can also stream the track “Sick” over at Pitchfork.

There definitely seems to be a shift in the band’s sound this time around… less in-your-face and a little more textured and quiet. I like it so far.

The Twilight Sad – Kill It In The Morning by Fat Cat Records