Song of the day: Smart Went Crazy - A Halo and A Nosebleed

Rarely can music find a median of presenting both perversion and grace in equal amounts without sounding like a parody of either. "A Halo and A Nosebleed" from Smart Went Crazy's debut EP Cubbyhole is the perfect introduction to the band's graceful and lifelong sarcasm and wit. With Chad Clark's distinctive cigarette smooth vocal and the sinister use of cello and crunchy guitar and bass, it's hard not to become addicted. With lyrics that describe a narrator having his relationship turn inside out and outside in: "She's at your mercy, she wears your coat. She's at your disposal, she's at your throat.", you just can't shake the feeling that Chad Clark is warning us to not get too high off possessiveness. Well said.

Song of the Day: Blonde Redhead - Here Sometimes

If I had a 'missed connections' list with various "eras, albums or songs" from artists that I loved; it'd be a really jumbo huge list. One of the most recent came in the form of Blonde Redhead's post-Misery Is A Butterfly material. It's not that I hated 23 or Penny Sparkle, it's just I was content enough being mesmerized by the their noisy art rock style and the later refining and expanding of their signature sound in the trilogy of Guy Picciotto-produced albums. But with a greater examination I came to see that their last two efforts were good ol' Blonde Redhead in a fresh new package. 'Here Sometimes' serves not only to show Kazu's new confident vocal delivery, but the incorporation of layering organic and electronic textures in ways that have only been hinted at in earlier releases. This and more (the goddamn bass and moog synth creeping in!) results in a smart slice of surreal pop that reveals itself seductively to the listener, something I'm more than happy to oblige to.

Catalyst or not

Here's the 'setup' for the collaborative project between Starlon and I; Mister Ugly. Consists mainly of me using the floor tom, hi-hat, and guitar while providing some much needed delayed vox. Starlon handles the drum machine (barely pictured), bugle, vox, and additional percussion. We both interchangeably use the horrible mid-90's keyboard thank you very much! While still in the infantile stages and with little hope of having an audience in the local area, we trudge on with early Saturday afternoon practices despite great sleep deprivation. More to come.

Song of the Day: Cold Body Radiation - A Change of Pace

I have been a quiet fan of Cold Body Radiation's shoegaze/slowcore inspired black metal sound for about a year now after I discovered The Great White Emptiness. It is a shame though that it took me a little bit longer to get into last year's Deer Twilight. It is a joyful revelation though, as "A Change of Pace" serves as one of the faster songs on CBR's slower sophomore effort and contains some extremely cool guitar progressions that leads to a nice breakdown accompanied by a sparse synth and chill bassline. Lovely and dynamic black metal.

The most avant-garde Christmas ever!

It's been a relatively short time since The Drift came out in 2006 and the onset confusion I've had ever since I first heard it. (Avant-garde meat punching just wasn't my thing when I was 13) I honestly wasn't expecting to hear another album by pop singer-turned-experimental-mastermind Scott Walker until I was 30. Imagine my surprise when this trailer pops up shortly after the announcement of a new album! Prepare for the sharp knives my friends.

Song of the Day: Boredoms - Acid Police

This is what a mid-90's Trout Mask Replica would sound like if were a million times more fun to trudge through (burn, not really). Highly recommended noisy, musical, Japanese dadaism. It also helps that the musicianship is raw AND top notch and makes you want to destroy things. Try and figure out how many words you can substitute in the refrain!

Song of the Day: Shrek - Lord Farquaad's Festering Fetal Fairy Tale Feast

Straight from Riverside, CA comes some of the most lo-fi and satirical Black Metal I've ever come across. Shrek provides the heaviness and distorted electronic drums to the forefront and never lets the listener go. Expect the debut and sadly, final album soon this year. Shrek on Facebook

Fall Mix #1: Before Leaves Sink

Sorry for the momentary silence, college has been increasing in demand of my and Starlon's time so we haven't really been able to post updates or new reviews. In fact I haven't really been able to sleep well since about a month ago, so I'm slowly trying to adjust everything to its correct flow in life. But who cares about that, let's get to the point of this post. Every month from until the end of this year I am going to post at least one self-made mix for our reader's ears. Ever since I really got into music in middle school I've always enjoyed making mixes for myself and friends; it's a great way to introduce people to music they may not have known about and it lends itself to a sort of thematic creation. Generally though it's just a really nostalgic past time for me as it lets me reminisce on particular experiences associated with certain tracks and new experiences associated with listening to it now in a new context. Blah, blah, blah.

Anyways, here's the track list, I'll do a micro review of each one for the sake of explanation! (Link to acquire is below the picture)

Before Leaves Sink

Right Here

01. Sun Kil Moon - Bay Of Skulls (from Admiral Fell Promises)

One of Mark K's best late and current period songs, the sparse instrumentation and Kozelek's always sweet vocals create something that couldn't be replicated with an orchestra. The record itself came to me when the winter was the whitest and the mornings were coldest. Watch out for the beautiful classically influenced guitar parts.

02. The Teeth - Oh, Bessy (from Carry The Wood EP)

The Teeth always makes me sad, even in their upbeat songs their lyrics hit home a bit and remind me a lot of juvenile experiences. The instrumentation is very 1960's, a more sentimental Velvet Underground? Lovely underrated band that shouldn't have broken up after one album.

03. The Mabuhay Singers - Kapantay Ay Langit (from Pista)

Oh boy. This band is a popular singing group from the Philippines who sing a bunch of old standards. The only reason I even have the CD is because my friend Mark happened to have it playing in his car after his mother left it in the tray. Either way, it's nostalgic as hell, the cheesy arrangements, the vocals, the mood; all perfect for the coming cold days.

04. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where... (from Shut Up I Am Dreaming)

Back when Spencer Krug first got a band together for Sunset Rubdown the appeal was immediate, the dare I say mid-fi production, grand lyrics, magical prog instrumentation and nervous energy led to a unique sound that was Krug's own. This closing number encapsulates all that and blows it up right in your face -twice.

05. Animal Collective - Street Flash (from Water Curses EP)

There's a certain charm to this song with Avey Tare's childish and abrasive vocals, they sound a little sad. The guitar ust shifts in and out as rhythmic sound effects and a creepy screaming sample flood in. It's perfect. But when Avey starts screaming, I tear up, he's losing his sanity or something. I don't know what else to say, it's a sentimental song.

06. Plexi - Star Star (from Cheer Up)

Last year I went on a road trip with my friend Mark to Long Beach to visit another close friend. Since my hometown of Carson was on the way and I had to purchase a gift for my girlfriend's birthday, I stopped by an old plaza that I would frequent in my childhood. Most stores were gone and the bookstore I'd usually frequent was gone as well but was having a liquidation sale. I found this album there. A mix of noise and alternative rock, the album surprised me with this sweet string filled end. I always remember that whole adventure with this song.

07. Yoko Shimomura - Someone calls me... Someone looks for me... (from Parasite Eve OST)

When Parasite Eve came out and I was a easily scared child I would be freaked out by its chilly trailer that I'd see in my local EB Games (RIP). It would take me until winter 2010 to actually play the game when I borrowed it from Mark. The cold days spent playing the game were a nice cozy time, and the fact that the game is set during Christmas season just nailed this association into my head. This lovely little piece plays in one of the final secret boss battles, which I haven't got to yet. Maybe this year.

08. Scott Walker - On Your Own Again (from Scott 4)

"You're on your own again, and you're your best again. That's what you tell yourself. I see it all the way as far as anyone can see. Expect when it began I was so happy I didn't like me." The dread of the end of the year nearing in song.

09. Teenage Cool Kids - Beg to Differ (from Denton After Sunset)

This was one of my absolute favorite songs from last year and the record itself grew on me with repeated listens. The mood of the lyrics, the mood of the melody and instruments, it fits that early morning feeling of being somewhere you don't want to be. The chorus just lets it all out with a hailstorm of distortion and frustrations. My first semester of adjustment to college mornings/mourning(s).

10. Grizzly Bear - I Live With You (from Veckatimest)

"You brought us this far, we'll do what we can." An eerie and beautiful song that fits the falling of the leaves in autumn. As the approaching end of the year follows along it's hard for me not to adapt this twisted love song to the end of a year's worth of living. The song plays to the strengths of Grizzly Bear's ability to subtly build a song with many mismatching elements; a real underground powerhouse. 

11. Koko Komine - After the Red Poppy Journey (from Mobile Suit Victory Gundam: Score II)

Victory Gundam is by far the slowest and most depressing of the myriad of entries in the franchise to watch. It has a certain charm with its terrible early 90's animation style and the overly sentimental writing, not to mention the underlying themes of ecological preservation. It's a sad show and this song is sad too. But there is something about the flute and the strings, both hopeful of the new season that approaches.

12. Bottomless Pit - Pitch (from Congress EP)

Crushingly uplifting is how I'd describe this song from Bottomless Pit, an East Coast post-punk band that formed from the ashes of Silkworm. The song opens with a tired vocal delivery by Tim Midgett with slowly driving instrumentation until it explodes into "When you KNOOOOOW". It's heartbreaking really, he sounds strained in the higher registers but it makes all the difference as the band plays more intensely throughout the rest of the track until ending abruptly. It perfectly captures both the melancholy and hope for the ending seasons of the year and what is left to come.

What is water?

Recently there has been a lot of talk over the author David Foster Wallace (DFW) since the biography by D.T. Max, Every Love Story is a Ghost Story reveals many different personal and frankly strange things that you wouldn't expect from a writer such as DFW. One being that he was a womanizer that even said to Franzen that he was put on the Earth to have sex with as many women as possible. Not only that but also there is the whole whine fest going on with Bret Easton Ellis (the writer of American Psycho (note I have to tell you who he is. We see who is going to be remembered in 20 years)) who keeps complaining about all the attention Wallace gets compared to him. 

One of Ellis' main problem with DFW is that he considers him a pretentious dick which is a very ubiquitious argument that to me is faulty. If anyone has ever read any of his nonfiction it is clear that he writes with the utmost sincerity and this is most exemplary in his "This is Water" speech. In the speech he cuts the bullshit that most graduaton speeches have about the real world. He doesn't tell them that the roads are painted with gold and their dreams will materialize purely based upon the hard work they put into things. He doesn't tell them about how great and fun life is going to be and when they wake up they will face the suns loving rays with gleaming white teeth. He cuts to the chase and tells them their once hedonistic and solipsistic lifestyles is not a sustaining one.

Part one:

Part two:

Finished The Pale King a while ago ,but since I have a lot of homework I have postponed my review as well as the second half of my experience at FYF.

About 100 pages into The Marbled Swarm and I am loving and I advise all two of our readers to check it out. It is a very clever little book. 

Song of the day: Animal Collective - Moonjock

There are certain sounds that we all can attest give us goose bumps and essentially make us feel a sense of excitement that cannot be matched by anything else. I think for me personally, the most exciting tracks fall between “Lost Outside the Tunnel” by Aztec Camera to "Carlotta Valdez" by Harvey Danger to “Southern Point” by Grizzly Bear (these are completely impulsive choices and I’m sure an academic sensed introspection would last pages). Regardless of your choices, the tracks essentially encapsulate a sense to physically run and jump around; i.e. get hyped motherfucker.

Now I usually never find a track that gets me this excited nowadays, if anything I’ll find this joy in music that was released a few or many years back, it’s a plague of discovering next to zero excitement in recent releases, and that’s not counting ‘genuine’ excitement; that kind that doesn’t wear off after the initial misleading hype. So color me surprised as hell when I find myself returning to Centipede Hz, probably the most hyped and anticipated release of this goddamn year.

And while I do love a great majority of the tracks on the album (dat fucking first half holy shit) the track that prepares me for everything is opening track “Moonjock”. Starting up with some creepy vocal loops that eventually lead to a repeated “One… One… One…” and explode into the hard hitting snare and hi-hat, it’s just fucking exciting. This continues into a glorious build-up of delayed guitar, distorted organ and bass, and sound effects until Avey Tare begins to sing a deliciously catchy melody and leads to this schizophrenic stuttering that blends into the chaotic soundscape.

Emphasis on the chaotic by the way, the song and majority of the first half of the album doesn’t relent on the sheer amount of sound effects and textures that just fly around like flocks of deranged birds. And while many could call the messy and layered sound of “Moonjock” and Centipede Hz as directionless or just plain ill-composed, when the final chorus of “We ran it out, ran it out” begins repeating in all it’s chaotic glory at the end of “Moonjock”, you realize none of that even matters and you proceed to get lost in the midst of the happy noise. Excitement like that just can’t be faked.

FYF Day One: Deadly Dust Clouds

After three days of reflection, I must say that FYF was one hell of a music festival. Though the crowd was filled with "rebels" (note the quotes. I know most people would recognize them but I really want to emphasize this) it was still none the less extremely fun. The first day was great starting with "Fidlar", a drug fueled skate punk band with very loyal and very "rebellious" group of followers that recited each line and smiled from ear to ear each time the chorus came to scream, "I drink cheap beer so what? fuck you". Here the fans continued to push and stomp in a camaraderie sort of passion which sent up dust that coated absolutely every exterior part of your body and worst of all your lungs. Once the you inhale enough dust it only came out towards the end of the day, when the sun was completely down and you wished you had a jacket and then and only then do you get to feeling of absolute pressure on your chest. Each breath in is a struggle to not sneeze, but once you do your hands would be filled with black mucus that looked like it came from the film "Prometheus". Though this wasn't common only to this particular show by "Fidlar" it was in fact an ongoing problem at FYF in the past years.

Since that FYF takes place in some crummy park near Chinatown, the grass is already nearly dead and the places that don't have dying grass is filled with lazily tossed wood chips over dirt which is where most of the punk shows unfortunately take place. Really no matter where the shows take place (except in the large tent designated for electronic music and comedy) you are most likely going to be hit by airborne dust. So last year when "Death From Above 1979" played to a massive audience on the main stage positioned on a dying patch of grass, I and many other festival goers almost passed out due to the inability to find clean air. Something they considered this year when they passed out free bandannas at the "Fidlar" show. I have now realized I have digressed and I am far too lazy to work this into a larger picture.

After the great reckless fun of "Fidlar", Bryan and I made our way over to see "Moonface", a kraut rock band fronted by Spencer Krug known mainly for his work in Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade (both projects that I am vaguely aware of. Both known by Bryan). From a ignorant point of view the jams were long, equally proportionate and absolutely emotional. The last song, "Quickfire, I Tried" is a perfect example of this with its strong emotional content and its huge finish in which Krug pulls out the book (I haven't read it myself but it is very famous) "The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao" and begins reading frantically from the first paragraph.

Next we swung by to see the Men do the last part of their very country set which to me was pretty boring. Their last song was actually noise rock song that was really sloppily done. In fact it was pretty big turn off to not only me and Bryan but to the whole crowd who quickly left. 

We went back to the punk stage once again to see the "Cloud Nothings" but we came in towards the end of Red Kross' set which was pretty much derivative hardcore. Though I am a big fan of hardcore music and even emo music (might as well make this digression as large as humanly possible) I am really adverse to revivals because in the end all people do is re-do the good and bad parts of a genre of music in this strange ode like fashion. With "Red Kross" all of their music was all taken directly from hardcore, as in, they were using exactly the same chords from bands during the 80s. So much so that I believed they were a cover band which deeply saddens me since the whole punk ethic was supposed to do something new and fresh that no one else was doing. This brings me to "Cloud Nothings". Their brand of emo is very new, but at the same time very stale. They appeal to the basic conventions of the genre and add a few things in. This was clearly shown with their set which was filled with "passionate" moments which neither moved me or provoked me to look deeper. Then their extremely long instrumental intermissions seemed to be just frustrated wankery. There was nothing really "great" about it, it was just plain boring. (this is all my opinion of course)

After the disappointing show, we swung over to the stage where we seen the Men to hear the Vaselines and reflect on what has happened so far. As the song "Molly Lips" played in the background everyone was fervently awaiting last year's favorite act, "Future Islands". To explain "Future Islands" in simple terms is to do the band an injustice. Though their music is not terribly complicated the whole dynamic of the band live is. In reality the music is really just simple synth pop with a distinctive synth sound, but the lead singer, Samuel Herring's, voice and stage presence is an anomaly. At points in a song he may sing something with a strong voice but once the chorus hits (or some emotionally charged part of the song hits) his voice turns into this weird lion like growl which fits his equally strange and demon-like stage presence . At one point he would be just standing there with his hand in the air looking at an invisible (and metaphorical) piece of his ex-girlfreind then the next moment he would be on the other side of the stage with his hand in his mouth swallowing it with a demonic stare. It is something that cannot be easily transmitted into text by such an awful writer as myself.  So without tarnishing what this show was I will not go any further detail  and move onto "Hot Snakes".

Bryan and I caught only a small part of "Hot Snakes" so we could watch "James Blake" and for guys that are well into their 40s they were pretty great. The lead singer that is well known from the post-hardcore band, "Drive Like Jehu", Rick Froberg, did not sound his age at all. He sounded just as good as his days in "Jehu". Once again this is a situation in which Bryan knew the band more than me.

James Blake was the conclusion of the night and (for me) the best act at FYF. It might have been the constant haze of marijuana or the absolutely tiring day of music, but it was an entrancing act. The whole set list was well put together and not once was there a moment where I cringed at something being off or boring. The transition from record to live was great. The live band all contributed equally to the overall sound of the music. There wasn't a moment where there was something unncessarily added. Even the vocal effects weren't too bothersome. To my (and possibly Bryan's surprise) the set did not only consist of his music from his critically acclaimed debut album ,but he also played two songs from his more future garage EPs.  One being the grand "CMYK". He ended his set perfectly with "Wilhelm Scream" which also wrapped up the first day of the festival.

I will post my thoughts on the next day and overall my idea on the whole festival in the future for all four of our readers.

Pedal passion

Recently I was very lucky to obtain three new pedals for my extremely low budget pedalboard, if you can even call it that. I initially started out with a used chorus pedal around 2007 because I liked Andy Summers' (of The Police) tone and wanted to play along with some songs. I eventually came to realize that while that was all good and fun, it wasn't really an effect that I utilize much and still don't to this day.

Eventually I settled for a cheap Boss ME-20 multi-effect pedal since I was pretty low on cash and didn't have any clue what craigslist was. The most influential factor though probably came from borrowing my friend's unused digitech multi pedal. It was a pain switching between effects cause it only changed through numbered presets. It did go to 99 though, but switching between 1 to 34 with only a few seconds between song transitions was a bit of a pain.

Anywho it appears that it has taken me the better of five years to finally obtain an addition in the form of a Boss DD-3 delay earlier this year. It was an essential purchase as it finally gave me some freedom in terms of delay shaping. So now finally I was able to make a major revision to the amount of pedals at my disposal!

Here is my newly acquired amount of pedals:



I've already used the RV-5 extensively for a little secret project. The RV-5 reverb is extremely versatile compared to the limited options on the ME-20 and I really enjoy the ethereal sounds from the modulate setting. The TU-2 is mainly going to be used for it's daisy chaining option but it's good to have such a standard pedal handy. The RAT by far is the pedal I will need to experiment with the most as it is a very versatile distortion that can really go into mega fuzz territory or be a nice noisy overdrive.

It also helped that I was able to snatch the pedals all for under $200 considering one of them costs that much new. The guy who sold me the RV-5 and TU-2 was a really cool guy and had his own in-home studio with a shit ton of great equipment (grand piano, tons of pedals, sweet guitars, keyboards upon keyboards, antique organs, etc). Apparently he also sold a microphone to the The Mars Volta's touring bassist, Silver Lake is a sweet area.



The only thing I am aching to get now is a Electro-Harmonix POG, which is a super awesome polyphonic octave pedal. I've been skimming craigslist for days looking for something but it's always tough to throw down more than $100 for something used, not including gas usage. Either way, this has been a great week for gear additions and it'll definitely help in coming up with new sounds.

Song of the Day: Xiu Xiu - The Pineapple Vs. the Watermelon

My first introduction to Xiu Xiu was through their second album and very scary(or sad. In reality I have no clue what emotion you can place on it. Listen to the opening track, "Sad Pony Guerrilla Girl" to understand what I mean) album "A Promise". After a few listens I fell in love with Jamie Stewart's songwriting and absolutely crazy range. He could go from a seeming whisper kind of singing into an intense scream. Unfortunately for about a year Xiu Xiu remained hidden in my large library of music until I eventually had the urge to listen to more of the project which lead me to find the absolutely amazing "The Air Force".

The whole album is filled with self-deprecating lyrics, crazy synth sounds and extremely catchy sad tones. Tthe entirety of The Air Force (to me anyways) has no bad song, but if I was to chose my favorite it has to be "The Pineapple Vs. the Watermelon."

Right when the song starts you get drawn in with this very smooth bass, soft guitar arpeggios and a constant bass drum kicks. When Jamie Stewart starts "whisper singing" you get this up close emotion that is unavoidable. The lyrics tell the tear jerking story of someone praying for the return of someone that has killed themselves and because of the minimal song structure you get hit with every single emotion.

Pretty sweet album cover right? Slowly truckin' along with The Pale King (you could check my progress on Goodreads), I should be done with it by the end of this week and hopefully be starting (when it actually arrives) the Marbles Swarm by Dennis Cooper (whom has a great blog that I have recently been posting on. He is such a very nice guy that will respond to your comments (no matter how asinine and poorly written they are)) or if that comes in too late White Teeth by Zadie Smith. She is widely known for being a funny and talented writer from Britain. For her extremely intellectual discussion about her book and literature in general with Michael Silverblatt (the world's greatest reader) from KCRW's Bookworm click here.

HAHAHA oh God, I was going through the labels and seen Harry Potter.
God help you Bridgette, God help you. 

Song of the Day: The Dismemberment Plan - Superpowers

The Dismemberment Plan have always been a band that had great amounts of empathy towards its subjects. Songs like 'Tonight We Mean It', 'The Things That Matter', and 'Gyroscope' presented their relatable subjects of isolation, loneliness, rejection, living as a young adult and general humanity with a sense of self-awareness that is modest and honest. It's that sense of songwriting that would grant them their immense cult status among their loyal fan base and set them apart from other peers.

Yet it's the cut 'Superpowers' from their 2001 album (their last so far) Change that exemplifies the band's empathy to new heavenly extremes and showcases their late-career songwriting complexity. With a dreamy synth and persistent drum beat that never relents but never overbears, the song is accompanied by The D-Plan's signature funky bass lines and melodic guitar lines. But the most revealing are Travis Morrison's quiet sweet vocals proclaiming various contrasting experiences that continue for the rest of the song:

"I have seized with the ice cold rage of a lover betrayed,half a million miles away.

I have cried so hard for hours and not known why, I never do."

But the most telling of these lyrics comes from the chorus resigning that "I guess you could call it superpowers/But no one is going to save the world with what I've got", revealing a self-awareness of the limitations of empathy, a proposed 'superpower' by many but that doesn't quite get anything accomplished beyond its acknowledgement.

Perhaps 'Superpowers' signals a maturity of self-awareness for The Dismemberment Plan that acknowledges a futile attempt of empathy for all humankind: one that clearly couldn't be handled by the narrator of the song, and with descriptions of 'an indigo light from silvery towers surrounded by rocks and stones as far as the eye can see', it wouldn't be far off to speculate that the only one who would is God himself. Luckily, we can only relate.

FYF Fest (My chance to brag about what I want to see)

I am going to FYF Fest this year, Starlon is going too, and so are a bunch of my friends. Here is what I want to see.

Day One


Day Two


I'm unsure whether I will catch Liars or Dinosaur Jr., I love Liars more but I saw them already this year. The possibility of a different set is tempting but I also wish to see Dinosaur Jr. for what might be my last chance. Oh the humanity.

Song of the Day: Bloc Party - Positive Tension

Since the critically acclaimed debut album "Silent Alarm", all of Bloc Party's later work has always been compared to it and with good reason; it is album an amazing. With the recent release of "Four", their fourth (hence the name) and latest album after their hiatus, and once again music reviewers bitch and moan about how they wish they had another “Silent Alarm”. Though Bloc Party has never really been on my radar, after a discussion with Bryan, he suggested I give “Silent Alarm” another listen because he said, “it is the kind of band that I would make”. As much as I would want to bitch and moan about how he is wrong, he is absolutely right.


The way Kele Okereke writes and sings his songs are just so similar to everything that I ever wanted or done in Old Soybu. His lyrics are rife with this existential questioning  that I always have in my lyrics and the song 'Positive Tension' is exemplary of this. Not only does he sing and write similar to me but the overall sound of the songs are exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to make. The instrumentation on this track (and the album) is a smart and forward thinking interpretation of post-punk revival (a genre based purely on nostalgia). This song features a really nasty sounding synth an ethereal guitar and a really dance-y drum beat.

I haven't listened to their other albums, but I am ready to hear the progression of this amazing band.

Oh, and since that this is going to be a revival of the blog I plan to write a lot about the recent fiction I have been reading and might drop a few posts about some influential writers that I really enjoy.
Right now I am towards the end of The Pale King by David Foster Wallace (my first and definitely not my last Wallace)  so look out for some of my thoughts on the famous unfinished tome.

Thanks for reading guys (the few of you that actually care).

- Starlon H

Song of the day: R.E.M. - Catapult

It's an immense wonder why I haven't featured R.E.M. in any of the previous installments of 'Song of the Day'. The band is both an immense influential source for much of my music since the very early '08 days and is an absolute presence in my favorite bands of all time list.

With that said, R.E.M. is a band of various 'eras' due to their immense catalog, and with such comes the never ending 'best album/best song/best anything' debate among fans with themselves and others. It's all a fun slippery slope once you create your own definitive favorites from their fifteen (!) albums and whatever else you may find.

'Catapult', coming from their 1983 debut album Murmur (considered by many to be their best early period work), is an excellent testament to the unique formula of the band's early songwriting; melodic bassline, jangly guitars mixed with acoustic guitars, harmonizing backing vocals from Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe's mumbling nervous yet soaring vocals.

Perhaps to the newcomer it's not as impressive with the huge onset of bands that would pretty much copy and paste this style throughout the late 80's and much of the 90's. But when you listen to any material dating from their first EP to their two subsequent albums you discover the genuine excitement and timeless youthful energy of a band creating their own path, and you realize you just can't top the pioneers.

New Release: How Scandinavian - People's Perfume (Music Video)

The Pity Won EP has been pushed back to next week for release but in the mean time enjoy this music video for the song 'People's Perfume' from the very same EP. Directed by my good old friend Andrew Henry; I feel the video perfectly captures the essence of the song and even throws in a few twists and turns for the viewer. Enjoy!

Madrugada Eterna

My friend from Pittsburgh, Andrew Henry, released this 51-minute film earlier this year. It's a great study of that essence you get when you are with your friends. I highly recommend anyone with the time to chill out and watch this, the soundtrack is superb and the editing is inspiring. Give it a shot!

New Release/Announcement: How Scandinavian - Bryophyte (Music Video) / Pity Won EP

Chief Tizo Records is proud to announce that How Scandinavian will be releasing a brand new EP entitled Pity Won on May 12th! It will consist of five tracks (track list is below) and run about twenty minutes long.

This release serves as a bridge between the mourning sound of Dolorous and the future directions that will be found on the sophomore LP in the works. Below you can have a sneak preview of lead track 'Bryophyte' below in our very first homemade music video! I hope everyone enjoys what will hopefully be a tradition for every new major release that the label is able to put out!



Pity Won EP Track List:

1. Marconi
2. The Fox and the Grapes
3. Miscreants
4. Bryophyte
5. People's Perfume

Song of the Day: Chavez - Wakeman's Air

Chavez is one of those bands that you 'kind of' have to dig around about in the confines of the internet to really find out about. It's ironic that one can make such claims when it is already an immense step up to what might have been an impossible search in the past when they were still around.

The reason I bring this up is because the sound that Chavez have is particularly timeless, it's not obviously 90's post-hardcore and it's not really too modern sounding to be considered a recent release either. I always see this as a blessing because it allows much of the song's context to be focused on in a more specific manner; it allows for a unique listening experience because it literally 'sounds' unique.

But to cut the inane attempt at describing, I'm just going to say that Chavez knew how to really balance their sound between moods as they allow for a certain amount of tension to build up unknowingly to just throw you off a little when the song itself actually 'quietly' explodes.

'Wakeman's Air' is a great example of this skill and really lends itself to several moods (it opens with a heavy riff, goes into a rather bleak verse, has a noisy bridge and morphs into an uplifting chorus, goddamn!) that are only exemplified by that timeless feel and their almost post-hardcore/metal hybrid sound. A real treat of balance and attention to arrangement that makes for repeated listens.

Favorite 2012 Releases Thus Far

I have a few favorites that differ from Bryan's ,but mostly he got all of my favorites. Just to list the ones I share with Bryan first

Death Grips - The Money Store

Dark. Erie. Noisy. Catchy. Fun. So far it is my AOTY

Portico Quartet- s/t

This album is probably going to be the best jazz release of this year. The saxophone on some of these tracks is so warm in contrast to the somewhat cold electronics on the album, which is shown clearly on my favorite track on the album, Ruin.
This is THE album to chill out to everything just works.


Now for the albums that I liked, starting with another jazz album, BBNG2
BADBADNOTGOOD-BBNG2

BADBADNOTGOOD is a jazz band from Canada that takes hip-hop beats from Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Tyler, the Creator and even does a rendition of James Blake's Limit To Your Love .They take these simple beats and add their own flare, which is not only influenced by jazz , but a large amount of genres. They even have a cover of "You Made Me Realise" which is great.
They don't only re-do people's beats either they even have a few of their own songs, which are actually some of my favorites on the album. This album is a grower, with each listen it gets better and better.
The album is free on their website



Loma Prieta - I.V.

This is a Screamo band that is made up of members of Beau Navire (they made my list last year with their album Hours), Archeopteryx, Punch, Sailboats, and us, haunted bodies. Together the band makes some of the most abrasive hardcore music to ever come out this year. Starting with the opening track Fly By Night, which comes in hard and then later in the track the band turns more and more melodic, something I really loved from Beau Navire's Hours album.
My favorite tracks comes from the Trilogy (Trilogy 4 "Momentary", Trilogy 5 "Half Cross",Trilogy 6 "Forgetting") in which the noisy guitars seems to stack on and on with these crazy riffs. The sound is massive, fast and antagonistic.
Altogether this album delivers the most aggressive music I have heard this whole year.


Children of the Night - Queens... Revisited

Children of the Night delivers everything I like in a hip-hop group. They all have diverse styles they all have great rhymes and luckily they have some great beats. The way the group collectively rides a beat is very amusing especially on "Kids From Queens", which was the first song I heard from them.  The chemistry on the album with the producers and the rappers is strong and it is seen in the tracks.
The album is free on bandcamp

Favorite releases of 2012 so far, in no particular order

Death Grips - The Money Store



Obvious choice really, but I'll be damned if I haven't heard another release that has exceeded all my expectations. I enjoyed Exmilitary quite a bit last year but I credit The Money Store in only adding to my appreciation for that release.

But aside from that, The Money Store itself is an excellent release that is worthy of its hype and praise. Essentially expanding upon the noise hip-hop sound that their previous release touched upon, this album simply pushes the boundaries of what is actually considered 'hip-hop' all while being catchy as fuck. I guarantee this will be on my end of the year list and the best part is Death Grips have one more album to release this year.

Favorite tracks: Lost Boys, Hacker, Get Got, Double Helix, Bitch Please, The Fever (Aye Aye)

Protip: I pretty much love the entire thing.

Moonface - With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery



I had a huge revival of Spencer Krug's sadly in-hiatus band Sunset Rubdown just recently this year while replaying both Shut Up I am Dreaming and Random Spirit Lover and grew a huge new love for Dragonslayer after previously only enjoying a few tracks. Needless to say, I never really cared much about his Moonface project, thinking it was just something to pass the time while he would eventually return to Sunset Rubdown in a year or so.

Well it's been about three years and Sunset Rubdown is indefinitely stuck in 2009 while Moonface is releasing their second album, Heartbreaking Bravery. Color me surprised when I find out that this new release bears no resemblance to Sunset Rubdown's mythical prog rock leanings. Well I wasn't actually surprised, but what did was the sheer emotional nature of this album. I have to say, this is a SAD record (I dare you not to feel anything on the album closer 'Lay Your Cheek On Down').

Krug sings directly and the songs are huge, muscular, and repetitive until you get the picture of no hope. While I can understand if this isn't a hit at parties, it certainly gives me something to party about as I await the next evolution for Spencer Krug's musical career.

Favorite Tracks: Heartbreaking Bravery, Yesterday's Fire, Shitty City, Lay Your Cheek On Down

Portico Quartet - Portico Quartet



A nice blend of electronics with modern jazz sounds, Portico Quartet's self-titled album is complex and layered as it is organic and effortless. This album provides some very memorable songs and soundscapes that incorporate a healthy mix of electronic and acoustic instruments that will capture your imagination. One of the earliest releases that I got into this year and will definitely be heard throughout the rest of it.

Favorite tracks: Rubidium, Spinner, Lacker Boo, Steepless

Kayo Dot - Gamma Knife



The latest release by experimental band Kayo Dot was actually one of the earliest new releases I heard this year and while I really want to consider it an album that is more than the sum of its parts, there are a lot of things from keeping it from being memorable. The production is very flat due to being recorded mostly from live performances, and if that isn't enough, the majority of the album is mixed too messily to really piece out what is going on. These factors sadly make much of the album seem like a giant blur rather than separate songs.

Yet even with these setbacks there are good points throughout, the unique brand of experimental metal that Kayo Dot is known for is pretty much present and is still enjoyable, the opening track 'Lethe' is extremely beautiful and is easily the best track, and the album itself doesn't overstay it's short welcome. All in all, a decent release that for some reason holds a soft spot in me.

Favorite tracks: Lethe, Mirror Water Lightning Night, Gamma Knife

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile EP



A short and sudden release by Department of Eagles/Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen, Silent Hour/Golden Mile serves as a sort of snapshot for the singer-songwriter's current direction. Filled to the brim with bright, beautiful and punchy acoustic guitar, shimmering woodwinds and brass, and Rossen's rich vocal, the release could easily pass off as either of his two projects.

But what sets this release apart is this paradoxical sense of intimacy that you wouldn't expect from what sounds like 'full band' songs. Personally, I'm reminded of Elliot Smith's 'full band' releases on some of the tracks and the unique personality that Rossen puts into his guitar playing really nods to Smith's own skills. It's tough to say whether this is simply a one-off or the beginning for a solo career since Grizzly Bear is actually rumored to release a new album this year. One thing is clear though, we'll be hearing from Daniel Rossen in one form or another and for that I am excited.

Favorite Tracks: Silent Song, Saint Nothing

You Slut! - Medium Bastard



Coming in at just barely over 25 minutes, You Slut! provide a quick jab to the ears with their instrumental math rock. Memorable, complex and not over-bearing, the band arrange their songs in an effortless manner that kept me both satisfied and wanting more at the same time. Some of the songs are extremely gorgeous and literally made me stop in my tracks at times to question if what I was hearing was really going on. On the other side of the spectrum You Slut! also create some very heavy sounding songs, so the balance of the album is kept and saves it from monotony. Overall a great release that I will hopefully grow to appreciate more.

Favorite Tracks: Fifzteen, Let's Do 'Do The What Now?' Now, Shopping Placenta

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory



The closest thing I've heard that resembled 90's emo and post-hardcore to an almost eerie extent. I'll never fathom how exactly Cloud Nothings came from, what I think was, shitty lo-fi indie pop into the fully fledged beast they CAN be. Granted, not all of the songs here are amazing or in-your-face as I'd like, some even annoy the fuck out of me ('Fall In'). But if this album is just a taste of what is to come, I can wait.

Favorite tracks: No Future/No Past, Wasted Days, Stay Useless

Song of the Day: James Blake - Once We All Agree

I really enjoy the sound of a piano, but don’t confuse the typical sound of a piano with the sound of a piano that I’m referring to. I enjoy a very melancholy, slightly reverberated, and filled with ‘dark’ sounding chords sort of piano; something that I try my best to emulate with my shitty Casio keyboard that leads to poor results and terrible dynamics. Fortunately, James Blake’s ‘Once We All Agree’ from 2011’s Enough Thunder really feeds my sweet tooth for this particular delicacy of sound.

But I wouldn’t simply call this a typical melancholy piano ballad by any means, in fact James Blake employs his masterful, ahem, ‘post-dubstep’ sound to the track by adding whirring low bass tones and a haunting sound that I can only describe as the owl that follows you in your bleakest noir-esque dreams. It’s not all dark black melancholy though, as James Blake’s sweet vocals add a glimmer to the tonal sadness and ultimately allow the track to achieve a heart-aching success.



Couldn't find the studio version, sorry!

Song of the Day: Cocteau Twins - Glass Candle Grenades

I'm fairly new to the Cocteau Twins' expansive discography and really only listened to parts of Heaven or Las Vegas and the song 'Crushed' on the 4AD Lonely is an Eyesore compilation (which is excellent by tHe way). But the lack of Dream Pop in my listening had encouraged me to dig deeper into the band's music. While I haven't been able to listen to all of their material I can attest that Cocteau Twins were definitely the flagship band of 4AD for the duration of their stay.

'Glass Candle Grenades' is one of the songs, that to me, really displays a rarity in the Cocteau Twins' grandiose style. Mixing heavily reverberated drum machine, layered and heavily processed guitar and Elizabeth Fraser's famous vocals, the song is one of the highlights of 1983's Head Over Heels for successfully containing both heaviness and ethereal, sometimes even alien, tones.

Those 'alien' tones don't pertain to just the guitars either, it's evident in the melodies, harmonies and incomprehensible sound that Fraser vocalizes. This is something I don't see mentioned often in their music, a shame because much of Cocteau Twins' material is very foreign-sounding, unique and ultimately indescribable until you really pay close attention. Maybe 'Dream Pop' is an apt definition after all; events that happen in slumber often transcend the familiarity of reality. In others words, they are- otherworldly.

Untitled 5 / The Shape of this Label to Come

Lately things have been pretty apathetic in the state of what exactly is going on with the label. I'll be the first to admit that perhaps not updating the blog on the once weekly basis was a pretty fucked up way to just slam the door on any readers we may have once had, if any. But I'd like to explain myself on why this is the way things were (note 'were').

Things out here in the local residence of the label's activity have been essentially dead these past few months, from the very start of the year there just hasn't been anything going on in terms of shows or musicians popping up. We've run out of contacts and friends who are even making music anymore and those who are still around obviously don't want to be a part of the label or make it in general.

So we've hit a very big rut of plain old nothing.

Personally, I can't think of any way to really keep things interesting if only my own projects are the ones that keep making and releasing material on here.
I mean I'm still going to do it, but where's the variety? Where is the small music collective I sought to create with this? Who exactly has the same amount of effort and desire to do this?

Probably no one that I know of.

But who could be put to blame? It's silly to think that much could be done with such a small, and now single person run label. And yet...

Too stubborn to really give up and wanting to put forth effort into something that I made, even if the reasons are beyond logical, I will continue posting my own work and anybody else's who wishes me to do so.

Onward and onward again. Updates on the blog will return to being twice a week if not more depending on what happens. Hope you'll stick along with me.