Neko Case - Canadian Amp EP

Neko Case plays amazing alt-country solo and with a band called the New Pornographers. If you've never listened to Neko Case, fix them shits and jam this EP. It's 6 covers (including a Hank Williams and a Neil Young) and one original. These songs are beautifully written and beautifully sung. Get down on it.


Neko Case - Canadian Amp EP

Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs

So here is another personal favorite I've been holding out on for a little while. Amesoeurs is a French atmospheric black metal band with heavy post-punk and shoegaze influence, formed with the purpose of creating music that reflects the dark side of the industrial era and modern civilization.. Male and female vocals, sometimes clean, sometimes screaming, sometimes just gibberish and vocal noises ran through lots of psychedelic effects. These guys put out 2 short EPs, then this one full-length and broke up when the 2 singers (who were dating at the time) started having relationship trouble. Damn shame broken hearts gotta come in and ruin some truly unique and well crafted music. Even if black metal ain't your thing, you may dig this record, so give it a shot.

Blackened Spacegaze

Low Discography

I already did a small blurb on Low a few posts back, but in case you missed it:


In 1993, when grunge and post-punk ruled the masses, the slowcore/shoegaze scene was gradually churning and collecting velocity. My Bloody Valentine and Ride had found their way into hipster's tape players, and in little ol' Duluth, Minnesota, Low was also starting to think similarly. Singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk and his wife, drummer Mimi Parker, joined with one of Alan's previous band mates, John Nichols to create a very quiet, minimal music that still demanded attention, without being fast, loud and aggressive. And since Low's first release in 1994, they've been building layer after layer upon that idea. Low has evolved considerably from the very quiet and solemn debut, I Could Live In Hope, but with each album they seem to explore a slightly different side of themselves. Every record however shares the common thread of Sparhawk and Parker's amazing vocal harmonies. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes haunting, their vocal blend is always interesting. You'll find that Parker often sings the lower register of a harmony, with her husband singing the higher parts of the harmony in a beautiful almost-falsetto.

Don't wanna get too pretentious here, so I'll leave it at what I wrote there, but PLEASE don't pass over this. This is one of my personal favorite bands of all time. Here is one of my favorite Low songs, although their sounds varies widely, maybe it will pique your interest in getting these records.



I Could Live In Hope (1994)
Long Division (1995)
The Curtain Hits The Cast (1996)
Secret Name (1999)
Christmas EP (1999)
Things We Lost In The Fire (2001)
Trust (2002)
The Great Destroyer (2005)
Drums and Guns (2007)
C'mon (2011)

You may also be interested in Alan Sparhawk's blues band ('blues' in it's truest form, we're talking Mississippi juke joint style) Black Eyed Snakes.

Enjoy.

Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band EP

For Joy, even though she used to make fun of Joanna Newsom ;)

Long story short, Joanna Newsom plays harp and some keys. I posted her first full length a little while back. While on tour in 2007, she had to cancel 3 shows after losing her voice. To give back to her fans, she recorded this demo with some other folks, reworking 2 of her older songs and writing one song that's exclusive to this record. The version of "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" on this record is one of my favorite recordings she's ever done. Here's a youtube video of that song and below that is a link to the record. GET THEM SHITS!!!!!!



***Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band EP***

Glasses

I came across these guys yesterday while blog surfing, and I was so impressed and stoked I had to repost this for you guys. Glasses is a genre-blurring German hardcore/crust band in the vein of Tragedy, Ghostlimb, and Kylesa. While thrashy and punk as fuck, these dudes drop some unexpected riff bombs every few minutes, giving a much appreciated changeup from your standard paint-by-numbers hardcore. Though female-fronted, I don't think any listeners will complain, as her scream is pretty fuckin' filthy. If you are into hardcore, punk, or the metals, I highly recommend checking this band out. They are a serious standout in a sea of Discharge clones.

Here is their self titled debut from 2009, and the follow up from late 2010. Dig it.

Glasses - Glasses
Glasses - The Ills of Life

Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender

If you haven't heard Joanna Newsom yet, you best-tah make it so, right now. Her voice may take some getting used to, but her songwriting is absolutely phenomenal. Composing mostly on harp, and sometimes various keyed instruments, her music is what I've described many times as 'chord architecture'. With moods ranging from ecstatic and bubbly to slow and melancholy, there is something for everyone on this record. Please do yourself a favor and give this a shot.

GET IT