Singles & Bands to Watch: by The Great American Novel,  Afghan Whigs, wyd:syd  & Otherkin

Singles & Bands to Watch: by The Great American Novel, Afghan Whigs, wyd:syd & Otherkin

SINGLES/ BANDS TO WATCH: We’re going to try and keep this weekly post going. Give us a chance to say our peace about the latest singles that have been slamming our inbox without going on too deep. An extension of one of our awesome tweets if you will.

The Great American Novel - singles
The Great American Novel – We don’t know why “bushwick nights” didn’t make their previous record either because this has some elements of The Who we dig on the track. In a way we’re glad this is a single so we can enjoy it all on it’s own. “Anthem for Beer Cans” was also apparently cut because it had 1 too many choruses but equally as good as they thought it sound similar to Bulldog Skin. Maybe the whoo who part and pete townesend parts. Seriously dudes, what good rock does not sound like a Guided by Voices or The Who when you put it into perspective. Name your price on their site.

RELATED: Yes sad face is the name of this album

The Afghan Whigs – “The Lottery” from their coming album ‘Do to the Beast‘. Greg Dulli is sounding like one too many cigarettes on this first cut released by Sub Pop. We do like the bands sound as it fits nicely between Gentlemen era guitar thronging and 1965. Which for us is their super sweet-spot.

wyd:syd – “Yesterlove” – pronounced as “wide side. This music is made by 5 guys from Singapore playing light shoe-gaze pop and recommended if you like guitar delays and spacey rock music you shall enjoy this. Very Brooklyn sounding. So we guess there are hipsters everywhere.

Otherkin – “SLN” – Good bass playing on this track from this Dublin based band. We really dig it because they remind us of music like Interpol meets The Dismemberment Plan. Very alternatively affirmative in the right places. Oh and by the way SLN is not an abreviation for “Special Local Needs” at least until the band gets out of their keeping a secret mode. Good song either way. Check out their video below.

RELATED ARTICLES:
SINGLES: Here’s some swirly guitars: Champ vs Lazyeyes
Single of the Day: “Bird” by Tim Foljahn
SINGLE REVIEWS – Esom vs New Manic Spree

July Crop of rock-n-roll singles

July Crop of rock-n-roll singles

Fang Island Live Ogilvy New York

Fang Island


Asunder MP3 by Fang Island. When they played here at office for me I was impressed. Here’s a track from their newest album called Major. It’s heavy and melodic when it counts with their sense of prog rock.

Headache MP3 by METZ. As we exchanged tweets back and forth the other day with @Obits on the awesomeness of this band. We compared them to Janitor Joe & GvsB. They are dirty and probably will never make even close to what a actual Met makes but rock-n-rollas can dream. This is the good shit all AM/REP.

Lovecrimes MP3 by The Afghan Whigs (Frank Ocean Cover). This is sounding in the vain of their slick album 1965. All Whig fans should be pretty stoked with this studio cover. Looking forward to some sexy dancing at the coming shows on the east coast.

Playlist – Songs about Water, Devastation & Rain

Playlist – Songs about Water, Devastation & Rain

Hurricane Irene Space photo music playlist We won’t call out some of the obvious one’s in this playlist but we will say this weather channel business is really put the scare in the upper North East. The sheer scale of it has people literally running for the hills to seek higher ground. Anyway this play list goes out to user @daanvanrossum because he asked me what was on my Hurricane playlist and i just told him Idaho’s You Were A Dick was a good rain record and walked away. That was sort of rude but I told him I’d work on it so here it is.

01: Impaler MP3 by Idaho from You Were A Dick (2011)

02: Turn On The Water MP3 by The Afghan Whigs from Congregation (1992)

03: Ocean Rain MP3 by Echo & The Bunnymen title track (1984). Seven Seas on this record is also an amazing song.

04: Thunderstorm MP3 By Buzzkill (NJ) from I Feel Like Myself Again (1994) – Classic debut track from New Brunswick college rock punks who later ended up with releases on Alternative Tentacles.

05: The Sea Is She b/w Water Is Better MP3’s by Bubble/Gum s/t (2004) – Great Jersey Shore duo. If you download anything you never heard of before make it these two tracks from their debut recorded at Technical Ecstasy by Chris Gobo Pierce from Doc Hopper. They were truly a awesome short lived band – like the kin of Pavement & Dinosaur Jr which Gobo the punk rock clown captured beautifully.

06: Tread Water MP3 by De La Soul from 3 Feet High & Rising (1989)

07: Treading Water MP3 by Nada Surf from Let Go (2002)

08: Smoke On The Water MP3 Cover by Pat Boone from In A Metal Mood No More Mr. Nice Guy. (1989). This record is a classic collection of big band interpretation. Freak out your friends and slide this in the playlist.

09: Ship Of Fools MP3 by Fucked Up from David Comes to Life (2011)

10: Surf City (revisited) MP3 by Black Angels from Exit EP / Another Nice Pair (2011) This is no Surfin Bird but it’s dark, slow and evil rock so pretty much the opposite.

11: Wet Work MP3 by Q and Not U from Power (2004)- “Keep splashing in the wet work wet work, so they can cash in on the network network” Great buzzy keyboard groove bass part on this one.

12: End Of Days MP3 by Black Wine – From Summer of Indifference (2011) If you like All/Decendents type thumbing & bumping rock. Check this Jersey band out.

13: The World (Is Going Up In Flames) MP3 by Charles Bradley Featuring The Menahan Street Band from No Time For Dreaming (2011) This is new soul and it sounds like old soul. Amazing shit.

Crop O’ Singles August 2011 – Rock Tornados

Crop O’ Singles August 2011 – Rock Tornados

Crop of Single reviews Aug 2011 As this summer comes to a near close and stages are getting blown down by the mighty winds killing concert goers and Cheap Trick is getting their set shortened to 7 songs in Cooney Island due to crazy lighting; I’d say things are looking pretty grim for music. Natural disasters aside it’s mostly because somebody was hitting the super suck button with music submissions in my inbox. Well until this past week. I was hoping the fall submissions were going to shape-up. I honestly do try and listen to everything that comes over and I try to be fair so I can share better jems with you but if you are feeling charitable please do give to the Red Cross. We only review stuff that catches our ears but any way here’s a few. Enjoy!

Dave Rave Live With What You Know

Dave Rave - Live With What You Know

Anne-Marie MP3 by Dave Rave from his new release Live With What You Know This is a official Power Pop alert! This brightened my August of inbox releases that were getting smashed and trashed faster than a PABT street walker because before I knew it I streamed the whole record. If done well this genre of guitar rock never gets old. Catch Dave Rave live Aug 20 Hotel Utah Saloon San Fran buy his shit.

Bones Howell Hair on The Dog (Bauhaus Cover) b/w Nephritis (Daniel Ash Remix)

Bones Howell - Hair on The Dog 7"

Hair of the Dog MP3 by Bones Howell 7″ If New York grit and burned meat on the grill is your thing then you might actually appreciate this anti-hipster band. This is a Bauhaus cover done at a fast pace that would have a chick running as fast she could in her  pair of trampy glittery gold Roman like heels in the meat packing district all away across the bridges. The flip is called “Nephritis” which was remixed by thee Daniel Ash. [Buy]

Talkdemonic - Ruins revival single review

Talkdemonic - Ruins

Revival MP3 by Talkdemonic from their new one Ruins – Instrumental folk-art with some nice bass noodling mixed with some cello alla hugo largo meets Calexico in a strange alley with just a tinge of dust with the smooth edges massaged by the string arrangements. Hailing from Portland this is the 4th recorded collaboration between Kevin O’Connor & Lisa Molinero. Get the deal over from the fine folks at Glacial Pace.

The trews Single review Hope and Ruin

The Trews - Hope & Ruin

One By One MP3 by The Trews from Hope & Ruin. This track is as about country alternative as I’ll go but I got to say the vocals and harmonies are great on this track. If your a timid Wilco fan or just like the Goo Goo dolls this should be the sounds in-between. Ripe for the plucking into your next playlist. I like the way the vocals follow the guitar riff on this track and electric guitar tethers right underneath the singer yammering on about North Ontario. You can feel the wind-burn on this seasoned band when the slide kicks in alla The Afghan Whigs like a sunrise beaming on the high-way with just a hint of Greg Dulli swagger. They know what the hell they are doing. [Check them out]

Random Music Reference Goodness:

Antonin Artaud MP3 by Bauhaus from Burning from the Inside (1988)
In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul MP3 By The Clean from Mister Pop (2009)
Falling From Sleeves MP3 (instrumental) | Fractured Air (Tornado Watch) MP3 by Calexico from Carried to Dust (2008) Great g*ddamn record this is. Yes.
Slide MP3 by Goo Goo Dolls from Dizzy up the Girl (1998)
Now You Know MP3 by The Afgan Whigs from Gentlemen (1993)

Some more past Singles:
Crop O’ Singles June 2011 – Techno-ish singles

Le Butcherettes Sin Sin Sin in Female Sin

Le Butcherettes Sin Sin Sin in Female Sin

Le Butcherettes Sin Sin Sin


ALBUM REVIEW: Le Butcherettes Sin Sin Sin is some sabroso (delicious) rock via nuevo feminist and the multi talented Teri Gender Bender (Vocals/Keys/Guitar). Originated as a experimental duo with drummer Auryn Jolene in Guadalajara Mexico in 2007. They made it about the show complete with real pig head props (Which I thought you could only get away with that shit in Tijuana). When she slops the blood around her face like she got cut in a Rob Zombie movie in the seemingly anti-male video “I’m Queen” it quickly reminded me of the Australian singer from the Divinyls Christina Amphlett live performances (when they were punk) slopping lipstick all over her face. Le Butcherettes are a lot less pop and this breed of punk are not exactly touching themselves. The lyrics are equal part titillating as they are taunting. This is a female driven brain game though for sure. I know I’m going back but her look reminds of her voice (see Divinyls Roxy Music cover below) really too. This band is as edgy as they were in their early days. And luckily Teri has been empowered with more talent than Bikini Kill could ever had dreamed of with a nice share of literary references sprinkled about in the songs. One of my favorite songs on the record is “Dress Of” which is her just ranting and singing with just the drums wailing “take my dress off, take my fucking dress off- honey- honey o-o-o”. Who says songs need other instruments? Right after that one she adds a keyboard to the mix with the drums on “Empty Dimes” that has a Spoon thing going on with no guitar to be found.

This music is about the uncomplicated deep honest parts. Fuzzed out keyboard sounds and simple rock akin to Greg Dulli(The Afghan Whigs) but the female version with a sultry delivery of which maple trees will just pore out their sweet nectar if she happened to walk by. When she gets vicious from the ladies side of bar like on a track like “Bang!” You can’t help but think there is some Courtney Love angst of course (but not the fake crazy kind). But I think you need to look beyond the man killer because Teri is doing it from her soul and sure it’s dark like most young artists. If she were locked in some dismally lit room her soul would blow it up with her writing & playing and escape. What may seem like random episodes of passion orchestrated directly at you are in fact a fuck you to Judy Blume. Look what you did Teri like on “Henry Don’t Got Love” is great follow-up lead single to “I’m Queen” so fasten your pants. I can only imagine what the Henry video is going to be like!

Teresa Suaréz (Aka Teri Gender Bender) is US born to parent actors, moved to Mexico, started a band, had some differences with Jolene, moved permanently to LA and is now with her third drummer and a bass player. The coming long player via Rodriguez-Lopez Productions features all new songs since their debut EP Kiss & Kill (2008). All of the elements are in place for her success with some serious management in place most bands would kill to have behind them. It will be interesting to see how intensity builds-up. A whole load of shows are coming. With her in this round she has drummer Gabe Serbian and bassist Jonathan Hischke to help round out Le Butcherettes as a trio. Anyway, SIN SIN SIN is coming your way this May. Don’t say I didn’t warn you but in meantime if you get a chance check them out live and report in.


Get some:
New York MP3 Short and sweet ode to golden whiskey and your hate. Ah the old grungy romantic nyc. Track 2 on SIN SIN SIN.
Henry Don’t Got Love MP3 She gives a shout out to Henry Miller on this #1 hit from SIN SIN SIN.
Kiss & Kill MP3 EP Title track

Sorta sounds like the naughty bits of:
Love Is The Drug MP3 Roxy Music music cover by Divinyls
66 MP3 by The Afghan Whigs from 1965.