Trophy Scars - Bad Luck

Trophy Scars released a terrible album in 2006's Alphabet. Alphabets. However, their most recent album, Bad Luck, is a complete turnaround that attains unexpected synergies between the post-hardcore success of their early discography and the wayward experimentation that ruined A.A. This album reminds me a lot of Cursive in its ability to work horns and strings into a post-hardcore/indie framework without veering into a bombast or melodrama that isn't designed and intended. Hopefully, these guys will only continue to develop their new sound in coming releases. They asked me to remove the links from their previous albums so I'm not going include a link to a free download here, but instead link to a page where one can purchase the album.

Bad Luck [2009] - Purchase - Review

Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

It seems like Cursive have really been mislabeled by the press and as a result by potential listeners who are squeamish about genre tags like emo or indie. Cursive's early career found them taking many left turns away from the sound developed by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Christie Front Drive and creating a brand of indie that was heavier and had much more intricate guitar arrangements (Domestica) than that of their peers. As a result they got lumped in with the early 2000s resurgence of post-hardcore that grew out of Grade's and Refused's multi-faceted legacies. They were always outliers from both of those crowds and eventually aligned themselves more with their labelmates Bright Eyes by embracing introspective indie (The Ugly Organ) that was influenced by the singer-songwriter genre. They took off and ran with indie's textural and orchestral possibilities and became a parody of their previous styles by writing abstract pop songs (Happy Hollow) that attracted the attention of the pitchfork crowd after years of being championed by Alternative Press as an (ugh) emo band. Their newest album, Mama, I'm Swollen is a return to form circa 2002 (in between Domestica and The Ugly Organ that has been indelibly altered by their forays into indie, pop, and singer-songwriter. Lead songwriter Kasher is self-flagellating in his typically maudlin fashion, but the backdrop reconciles the experimentation of their recent albums with the potent immediacy of their earlier style. Mama, I'm Swollen is a rare kind of album in that encapsulates Cursive's entire career without feeling like a rehash. Forget about any unwarranted labels attributed to Cursive and lay your prejudices down; they are a genre unto themselves and deserve a listen.

Mama, I'm Swollen [2009] - Download - Review

Sholi - Sholi

Sholi is a band that really flies under the radar despite being signed to the relatively high profile and soon to be defunct Touch and Go / Quarterstick Records. Their style is a combination of a lot of different bands. To distill it to something concise, they sound like a lot of late 90s indie artists like Karate or Cursive but with more willingness to experiment with being more abstract in the instrumental performances as well as more conventional in their harmonic progressions. The singer / guitarist Payam sounds quite a bit like the singer from Minus the Bear, and there is definitely something shared between the two bands. This album has really impressed for with its diversity and instrumental performances. Definitely worth checking out.

Sholi [2009] - Download - Review

Tera Melos - Idioms vol. 1

Tera Melos lost their drummer Vince in 2008 and only recently picked their replacement John Clardy (aka Dolphin Starbeam) from the drummer store. Instead of releasing a new LP, they're "getting tight" by playing a covers album. Instead of rendering all of the songs in the crazy Tera Melos style, they actually keep it pretty simple (relatively speaking) and produce a fast indie / punk album out of songs originally by The Beach Boys, The Clash, The Pixies, Weezer, and Polaris. Surprisingly enjoyable if only a palette cleanser / appetite whetter for whatever new original material these guys put together.

Idioms vol. 1 [2009] - Download


I feel like this is also a good time to mention the lunacy that is Snakeville, a film produced by Nick Reinhardt of Tera Melos and some other friends. The film is a 75-minute ensemble of characters interacting in a small, rural town (transparently based off of their hometown area in Roseville, CA). Its style is pretty similar to Kids in the Hall, with a few actors playing 3/4s of the roles, often in drag or absurd outfits. The sense of humor is even stranger than that found in similar sketch comedies (thanks to the inclusion of lactating male high school athletes and an obese (also male) guardian angel squeezed into a tutu). Snakeville is its own beast rather than a tribute to offbeat sketch comedy and definitely deserves to be checked out. Maybe the best part of it all is that there are a few moments where beautiful cinematography or surprisingly profound dialogue enters into the mix, sort of like Brad Neely's "Babycakes" series. The movie is rough around the edges and is fairly anti-climactic (really the plot is super thin), but there are moments of lucidity and lunacy alike that make this worth checking out. The trailer is embedded below.


Snakeville Trailer

Feral Children - Second to the Last Frontier

There's always one indie band every year that "does it right." That is, they're not trying too hard, are good songwriters, and generally know how to play their instruments / are good at production. It's looking like Feral Children will take the cake this year. They sound like a combination of The Blood Brothers, Modest Mouse, Animal Collective, and Meneguar. Enjoy the midtempo jams.

Second to the Last Frontier [2008] - Purchase - Review

Algernon Cadwallader - Some Kind of Cadwallader

This album sort of snuck up on me. I had never been one of those Cap'n Jazz fanboys (always liked them though), and I didn't expect to be hooked so hard by a revamping of the Cap'n Jazz style. Overdone vocals, a lot of hammer and pull clean-tone guitar riffs, and an upbeat drum and bass combo. It's pretty great and has a shot at being on some year end lists if people pay attention. As of right now it has sort of flown under the radar and has been categorized as more of a fun or nostalgic release.
Some Kind of Cadwallader [2008] - Download - Review

Giraffes? Giraffes! - More Skin With Milk-Mouth

Math rock from Santa Cruz with a good mix of melody and psychodelia in the mix as well. In the spirit of Norcal math-rock it feels both jam-packed, as if it's an endless listen, but then ends all too soon. The band is just a drummer and guitarist, both of whom can play the other's instrument, which likely leads to nicely interwoven composition strategies. I've only listened through once but it sure is fun.
More Skin With Milk-Mouth {2007] - Download - Review

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

My apologies for letting this blog fall off the face of the earth. I've been graduating from college so I haven't been paying much attention to the music world. I'll be picking it up again for the summer. But more to the point, My Morning Jacket is a surprisingly major label indie/rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. They have the typical reverby vocals of indie bands like Band of Horses but have a heavier, more rock and roll centric sound, though southern rock influences do emerge a la BOH. My Morning Jacket also have a nice psychedelic edge at times, which makes them appealing to Pink Floyders. This album is recommended though it still hasn't sunk in for me quite like their previous two albums, Z and It Still Moves did.

Evil Urges [2008] - Download - Review

Son Lux - At War With Walls & Mazes

Son Lux's At War With Walls & Mazes is right now my top album of 2008 (probably tied with Have a Nice Life's Deathconsciousness). It's a compelling mix of soul, pop, glitch, and trip hop composed by solo artist Ryan Lott. The production is gorgeous. Highly recommended.

At War With Walls & Mazes [2008] - Download - Review

Murder By Death - Red of Tooth and Claw

Murder by Death released their fourth LP (if you count the LP released as Little Joe Gould) this past Tuesday. The album is a continuation of their idiosyncratic Johnny Cash meets Cursive style. This album is worse than their amazing 2003 LP, Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them but is still a welcome addition to their discography. Download password is mp3zzz.blogspot.com.

Red of Tooth and Claw [2008] - Download - Review

The Cape May - Glass Mountain Roads

I heard about The Cape May by way of a press packet. I like Steve Albini and he was producing this album so I decided to give it a few whirls. I'm glad I did. It is really subdued and powerful not unlike an indie version of Engine Down. This band has a wonderful sense of how to brood without being dark or depressive. As far as I know this is their first LP but something tells me it's their second. The second track, "Old & Early Numbers" is one of my favorites of the year.

Glass Mountain Roads (2007) - Download - Review

Meneguar - Strangers in Our House

Meneguar is a slick ass indie band from Brooklyn, NY. This was my 9th favorite release of 2007 (I may yet get links for this entire list), beating out The Dirty Projectors' Rise Above as my favorite indie album. These guys play a highly guitar-centric brand of riff-rock. They are really fun not unlike a more serious, genuine version of The Strokes.

Strangers in Our House (2007) - Download - Review

Karate - Unsolved

Karate is a midwest indie band in the spirit of Mineral and Boys Life, except some of the chord progressions and guitar inflections are jazz influenced. I've only listened once but I'm really liking it. Thanks to Astronation for this recent update.


Unsolved (2000) - Download

Maps and Atlases - Trees, Swallows, Houses

Maps and Atlases are an indie band from Chicago. However, instead of donning American Apparel gear and dicking around with banjos and electronics, the members of this band spent their time practicing two-handed tapping and listening to midwest indie from the late 90s. Imagine if Minus the Bear's old sound was sped up and jammed together with the rhythmic intensity of a band like Hella or Tera Melos. That is, all with acoustic guitars interspersed with the electric, making them sound like a technical version of Braid more than anything. Maps and Atlases are great. Exhibit A: their only formal release, Trees, Swallows, Houses. I saw them live this past summer with The Fall of Troy and Rx Bandits and they played a few new songs from their upcoming LP that pretty much shred as well so look out for that release.

Trees, Swallows, Houses (2006) - Download - Review