Another Break Up

Absolutely Kosher sent me this tip about their ex-boyfriends...oh, I mean about the Ex-Boyfriends...or something like that...




These guys know how to write a catchy song:

Ex-Boyfriend - HimForMe

Wow....that voice...there's a young Danny Elfman somewhere in there, isn't it?

Nice stuff. Pop-meets-rock with a bit of a throwback...isn't everybody doing that these days? But when it works, it works so well. What can I say, I like it. It's not everyday that the formula adds up to something good. Not convinced by that lost song? Try this one:

Ex-Boyfriend - Willingly

Their new album just hit the stores yesterday. And they're from San Francisco, what more could you ask for? I'm going to have to check these guys out live.

Check out the linkage:

Their home at Absolutely Kosher, their own web site and the REQUIRED myspace plot.

the NOW! sounds again!

Whenever I put this CD on I always had this feeling that I had really put on some vinyl...the feeling and sound of Shig & Buzz takes you to that time when instrumental guitar rock was the in sound, when guys like Duane Eddy were rocking hard and slow...



Shig & Buzz - Lost Train

When I pulled this CD out I had no idea this guys were still kicking around...but they are...they've re-released this CD with four additional tracks, you can get it over at CDBaby.


They've got a small site and a groovy shirt for sale. Seems like they've altered their name a bit, too. It's now The Shig & The Buzz.

Check out Big Boy Pete's site as well, he's the lead guitarist on this album and he's handing out loads of tracks from his many years in the music business. Like these gems:


Bonny & Buzz - Thunderbird Road



Baby I Got News For You (from the Story of Oak Records)

And thanks to his site for all these tracks!

Interesting side note, the artwork for the original release is credited to Josh Agle, otherwise known as Shag.

TechTag: Music

There's always going to be some bitterness...

"We haven't all been in the same room together in 10 years..."

LOL...

Well, for anyone who's interested, here's a video interview with Gary Kemp, the guitarist and songwriter for Spandau Ballet...He talks about the band ending, chances of them getting back together again (not likely) and his various film roles. This is part two.



I don't know who that chap is...but don't worry, it's not Gary. He's still looking pretty good.

There's more on google video if you're so inclined.
TechTag: Music

bored

Damn, Damon looks bored...and how weird to see the whole crowd singing the song...i don't know, strange, eh?




TechTag: Music

I'm speechless

Check this out, kids:



From EarthVsMe

That's Hammerfall, with the Swedish National Curling Team.


TechTag: Music

Steal this Rekkid

Damn...sometimes you happen upon something that's to hard to not want to share...so here it is...

Rhythm Collision's 1995 release, Clobberer is only $.25 over at Dr Strange Records. That's brand new kids, still sealed. Wow...what have you got to loose? Only .$25 for an album of pure POWERPUNK!! See where all that garbage you're listening to on the radio came from! Wow...sorry about that, didn't mean to come off so rudely...

And well, what kind of post would this be without a couple of tracks? And you know what? I'm going to give them to you as AAC files, none of this wimpy mp3 stuff. Complain if you want and I might listen, but for now, enjoy.



From the 1992 CD release of Now/Pressure
Rhythm Collision - Irrepressible REMOVED
Get it for $.01 over at Amazon!!!!



From the much stronger collection of singles, Collision Course:
Rhythm Collision - Subway REMOVED
Rhythm Collision - She Drives Me Crazy (Fine Young Cannibals cover) REMOVED
Get it for $1.94 over at Amazon!

That last one cracks me up...oh boy...

Dead Nude Girls!

Sometimes, i get lucky. Like getting my hands on the pre-release of the Sugarcubes live DVD release, "The Sugarcubes, Live Zabor." I've been a fan of the Sugarcubes since their first domestic release back in 1988. For those of you that don't know, this is band that spawned Bjork. The Sugarcubes live were a force to be reckoned with...between Bjork and Einar' Orn's performances and singing they definitely were captivating.



This DVD captures the band during 1988 and 1989, at two different locations. The biggest disappointment with this release is that it's basically a re-release of the VHS version of the concert. The footage is all video, and as such the quality isn't spectacular. It's a testament to the times. The menu is very basic and utilitarian as well. The sound quality is better than the VHS release, I don't know if that's due to a re-mastering or just the higher-quality of the DVD. That being said, it's hard to fault the DVD otherwise. The performances are wonderful, full of energy and it's always a treat to see the genesis of the Bjork we know and love now. A lot of great songs are performed, including some of my favorites, "Motorcrash," Delicious Demon," and two versions of "Birthday." The DVD, like the original release, is peppered throughout with short interviews/performances by the band members. Some of these are attempts at something that doesn't quite work for me, but for the most part are interesting and funny.

Overall, a recommended release for fans of the Sugarcubes or Bjork!

Rhino's been kind enough to offer some quicktime video of the performances as well, check 'em out:

The Sugarcubes - Birthday (Live) - quicktime

The Sugarcubes - Plastic (Live) - quicktime

Here's the official info on the DVD:

SUGARCUBES: LIVE ZABOR DVD
Street Date: February 7, 2006
Total Running Time: 59+ minutes

CONTENTS
1. Einar Interview
2. Planet
3. Cowboy
4. Magga Interview
5. Mamma
6. Siggi Interview
7. Cold Sweat
8. Bragi Interview
9. Cat
10. Birthday
11. Bjork Interview
12. Delicious Demon
13. Thor Interview
14. Motorcrash
15. Plastic
16. Eat The Menu
17. Speed Is The Key
18. Deus
19. Luftgitar

And at $13.99 over at Amazon, it's quiet the bargain. You can also find it over at Rhino as well, and they've got some more info on the release there.

TechTag: Music

My heart swelled with...

The Guillemots have posted 4 tracks in honor of Valentines Day, they're only up till the end of the month, so run, don't walk, over here and grab 'em:

Guillemots - Valentine's tracks!!!

I've blogged these guys before, and well, they're swell!

UPDATE:
Damn them...these tracks are PC only...Argh...anyone know how to make them work on the mac?

It's a big old house and there's not much room

It's Valentine's Day and, well, here's a Valentine's treat for you. Not one, but two versions of the song, Valentine...originally written by Lois Maffeo back in 1993....

Lois - Valentine REMOVED

And although I love Lois' version, the original, there's something about this other version that just grabs me...

Small Factory - Valentine REMOVED



Lois has this past...well, her first band was called Courtney Love, before there was a Courtney Love. Apparently they were room mates and the other Courtney, the person, loved the name so much, she, well, took it as her own. I've heard Lois referred to as the Grandmother of the "Riot Girls" and such, and well, she's not that old, is she? This track is from her first "Lois" release. She's worked with lots of indie-hipsters, like Donna Dresch, Brendan Canty, Ian McKaye, Heather Dunn (Dub Narcotic) and others. You can get another track from Lois over at Epitonic, as well as some more bio info on her.

You can find and buy tons of her stuff over at kpunk. I highly recommend that you do!



This Small Factory track is from the 1993 Spin Art release, I Do Not Love You, or Lemon, I do not love you! Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending, it's only available on vinyl through Spin Art anymore. You can still get it used for around $7 over at Amazon, though.Some great info on the band over here at TweeNet.

So, have a great Valentine's Day!

And well, this one's dedicated to the one I love...Cris.


TechTag: Music

Pending Lawsuit Pt. 2

I've talked about the Attorneys before. John from the band sent me their latest release, "Sparrow Gardens/Pencil Factory."



The first 12 tracks of this album were described by John as being "a bit lo-fi and meditative" while tracks 13-17 are "hif-i and rockin."

It's hard to be critical of a band who's stepping out on a limb and releasing tracks like the first portion of this album. The first 12 tracks are definately something more personal and intimate. One can imagine them being recorded in their bedroom, rain pouring down outside. And you wouldn't be far off. They were, apparently, recorded in the USS Winged Lady, a ship docked off the coast of Port Rene. At times the tracks work, coming together to make something better, something more heart-felt...Tracks like "Hello, I need to be here" seem like they were made for someone specific, like you're listening in on something you wouldn't normally be privy to...but sometimes it falls a bit short, becomming to experimental and cold.

The second part of the album is where they shine, though. They band knows how to write power-pop. They know how to create melodies that hearken back to something you know, but to take it somwhere it hasn't been yet.

The Attorneys - Stay






The Attorneys - The Way I Want

And head over to their website for more info and some streaming sound, the've also got a presence over at Sonic Bid as well as their own MyPlace home

TechTag: Music

Land of Milk and Honey

I get quite a few e-mails requesting me to listen to bands and provide links...when I get busy, I tend to neglect these e-mails, and, as you can probably tell, I've been busy lately.

But This recent e-mail stood out for some reason, and I clicked the links and was pleasantly surprised.

Slaraffenland - Shuto-Uchi

Maybe it's the jazz meets electronic that's intriguing...there something new here, something a bit different - Kinetic and freeform. Maybe it's the name: Slaraffenland.


Maybe it's this swell photo!

But regardless, if you're into jazz and free-form music, take the time to check these guys out.

From their press release:

The music is unashamedly borrowing elements from all styles that attracts the band: post-, shoe-gaze and alternative-rock, noise and freeform jazz and hereby is created a unique expression that is hard to catagorize...Slaraffenland is based in Copenhagen and found its final formation in 2002. The unstrument park consists of guitars, bass, saxophone, trombone, drums, lap steel, keyboards, sampler, loops and various effects shared amongst the five members of the band.



Slaraffenland - Cockaigne

Visit their site and their myspace page as well for more info.

TechTag: Music