for mad men only

pick up and pack up the place

2009-12-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

Movin' on up, movin' on out. Found a new place to stretch my legs.

Hope to see you there.

And where will we go?

2009-12-07T07:39:00.000-08:00

I don't expect that I have many, if any followers, but I want to apologize for leaving you with a post indulging my guilty pleasures (shit was pretty cash though), which provided an active link for no more than maybe an hour or two, and then running off for however long it's been. It's just that life caught up with me, and that's really about the size of it.

I wanted to make this post though not only to apologize, but to also give any possible readers a fair warning and say that I don't exactly know what will be happening with this. Right now it's hard to say, but if there is a continued commitment things are going to be a little different, as I'm sure plenty of people have noticed that it's not exactly happening around here too frequently, and though I'm happy for anyone who made new discoveries, it also isn't exactly thrilling for majority of the people who probably already have most of what's on here in their collections.

So where will we go? To be honest, fuck if I know. But we'll certainly be taking a step in a new direction, and I guess that counts for something, doesn't it?

Monster

2009-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

( lul )

disregard that, the file has been removed.

Headphones - Self Titled

2009-10-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

The good ol' CC and successive illnesses have been keeping me scarce, so I apologize for not updating this thing in quite awhile, if there are any devout followers at this point that is (if there ever even were, really). What musical archive I once had has also gone missing, so picking out something to feature has become difficult. But, I'm still going to try to do my best.

Many of you are probably familiar with this indie trio (more of a duo though, really), featuring David Bazan (Pedro The Lion), Frank Lenz (Starflyer 59), and at some point or another Nick Peterson (Fleet Foxes) was involved in some way, shape or form. It's a drum and keys outfit, and the project was only active long enough to produce this single slef-titled debut, but it's a nice little gem of melancholy and rhythm that always seems to find its way back into my playlist.

Andrew Douglas Rothbard - Exodusarabesque

2009-10-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

I've been scouring google's blogsearch off and on for a good couple of months, trying desperately to find a downloadable copy of this utterly fascinating, mesmerizing album, and until yesterday my hunts had proved fruitless. I can't for the life of me remember how I caught word of this, I hadn't even heard of Rothbard, but something about that incadescent mass of pluming shapes and colors called out to me like a strange light in the dark, and upon arrival I was not at all dissappointed by my findings, but totally entranced. Like many others, I find myself at a loss for words, and am not certain that any explanation I provide would do justice to this beautiful monster. Exodusarabesque is a wondrous dreamscape, so unique in its composition that it would be an absolute shame to pass it up. Give it a spin and get lost; you may not come back.

Buy

(link removed. please purchase.)

Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Xenophanes

2009-09-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

His second release of 2009, Xenophanes surprisingly finds Omar in a far more traditional, refined approach as the album travels quickly through an energetic, uplifting frame of rock that seemed far beyond the grasp or attention span of this particular artist. He's even managed to finally find an appropriate setting for that long list of effects his music has become so accustomed to in the length of his career, with strange, sweeping pulses, and whirring, vibrating electronics providing a nice undercurrent, never crowding or overpowering the compositions. Also featured on the album is Latin singer/songwriter Ximena Sariñana, providing backing vocals and appearing on the long awaited studio version of "Flores De Cizaña".

Xenophanes is another much welcome breath of fresh air in Rodriguez Lopez's very extensive catalog, and brings with it, for the first time, not a single undesirable moment.

--I've been forgetting to put this in, but click the image for the download link--

The Bird and the Bee

2009-09-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Updates are probably going to be doled out like rapidfire for the next week or so, so let's get down to business.

This duo has been described as a short list of equally silly subgenres, all of which carry their own negative connotations in just about every circle, so I'll skip the categorization and just tell you that they make hip-shaking, pleasent little pop songs that seem to carry, and yet at the same time are lead by vocalist/songwriter Inara George's almost heavenly voice.

I was first introduced to these two albums over a winter break, so the music always has that association for me. But it's good for all seasons, and is gauranteed to delight.

The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

2009-09-22T18:06:00.001-07:00

I promised myself I was actually going to make an effort to keep this thing active, so here's a treat for my only visitor. I hope this gets you through hours of shitty essays, transcribing sheet music, and hanging out with your bromate, or you know, whatever.

It's only 160kbps, but shit is noisy and lo-fi as fuck to begin with, so I'm sure you can still rock this at all the sweet shindigs and midnight keggers. Get ready to immerse your faggoty ass in the warm embrace of Wayne Coyne's smooth vox amidst those sonic, shrieking howls and haunting keys, all of which is sprinkled atop a cake of total-fucking-awesome. There's some heavy bass in that batter boy, so I hope the taste ain't too rich for your delicate palette.

Fuck yeah. Click that picture.

Portugal! Portugal! Portugal!

2009-07-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

This just arrived at my doorstep yesterday, and so to help restrain myself from unloading all of my pent up excitement and anticipation all over the wonderful packaging, and of course just to spread the love, I decided a celebratory dump of Portugal's discography was in order.

For any newcomers--comprised of a few leftover members of Anatomy of a Ghost, Portugal. The Man is a little group from Wasilla, Alaska, that has slowly transformed themselves into a fairly diverse and experimental rock outfit. Since their debut back in '06 they've managed to produce a pretty impressive catalog, which you can now sample right here (and hopefully purchase later after enjoying it immensely).

(click album covers for link)

Waiter: "You Vultures!" (2006)

"How the Leopard Got Its Spots" – 3:59
"Gold Fronts" – 3:27
"Stables & Chairs" – 3:16
"AKA M80 The Wolf" – 3:56
"Marching With 6" – 3:02
"Elephants" – 4:03
"Waiter" – 3:23
"Chicago" – 4:13
"Bad, Bad Levi Brown" – 3:29
"Kill Me. The King" – 3:05
"Tommy" – 4:27
"Horse Warming Party" – 3:44
"Guns.Guns...Guns" – 8:30

The Pines & The Devil EP (2006)

"The Pines" – 3:13
"The Devil" – 2:29

It's Complicated Being a Wizard EP (2007)

"It's Complicated Being A Wizard" - 23:00
"Opal Magic" - 0:50
"Ruby Magic" - 4:04
"Sapphire Magic" - 2:19
"Amethyst Magic" - 2:18
"Emerald Magic" - 2:31
"Amber Magic" - 3:25
"Gold Magic" - 2:27
"Crystal Magic" - 1:27
"Black Magic" - 3:37

Church Mouth (2007)

"Church Mouth" - 3:13
"Sugar Cinnamon" - 3:04
"Telling Tellers Tell Me" - 3:10
"My Mind" - 3:50
"Shade" - 3:58
"Dawn" - 3:17
"Oh Lord" - 3:23
"Bellies Are Full" - 4:08
"Children" - 5:03
"The Bottom" - 3:46
"Sleeping Sleepers Sleep" - 3:59
"Sun Brother (excerpt)" - 2:11

My Mind/Seventeen (2007)

"My Mind" – 3:45
"Seventeen" – 3:48

Censored Colors (2008)

"Lay Me Back Down" - 3:50
"Colors" - 5:03
"And I" - 5:40
"Salt" - 4:18
"Created" - 2:53
"Out and In and In and Out - 4:46
"Intermission" - 1:50
"New Orleans" - 5:04
"Never Pleased" - 3:46
"Sit Back and Dream" - 1:21
"Hard Times" - 2:35
"Our Times" - 1:45
"All Mine" - 3:46
"1989" - 4:12
"Our Way" - 2:31

The Satanic Satanist (2009)

"People Say"
"Work All Day"
"Lovers in Love"
"The Sun"
"The Home"
"The Woods"
"Guns and Dogs"
"Do You"
"Everyone Is Golden"
"Let You Down"
"Mornings"

**Just as a small note, if you enjoy what you hear, please do your best to actually go out and purchase any of the artists work you see on this blog. We need to support them in order for them to continue making what we love.**

Cryptomnesia - El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez (first official entry)

2009-04-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

Cryptomnesia is the first in what is supposed to be an album trilogy, consisting of material written and performed by Omar Rodriguez Lopez (Mars Volta), Zach Hill (Hella), Johnathan Hischke (Hella), and Juan Alderete (Mars Volta), along with Cedric Bixler Zavala providing vocals, all of these being released under the name El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez. Depending on who you ask, Omar as a solo artist isn't really known for his quality releases, with each album usually offering up only a few memorable treasures, all of which seemed to burried at the very bottom of a barrel full of monotonous, predictable soloing, which usually ends up becoming indescernable as he runs it through his arsenal of effects. Of course, this is all left to subjectivity; to each his own after all. (Personally, despite all of his imperfections as a musician, I still kind of dig the guy, and can't help but continute to give him the benefit of the doubt) But disregarding all of it's flaws, Cryptomnesia surprisingly shines through as what I would probably say is his best release to date.

This album's a bit of a cluster fuck, and is at it's best moments completely insane. At best I could describe this as a milieu of ideas and sounds, competing for attention in a strange but harmonious way. It's bizarre, irritating, badass, intriguing, and thankfully short and sweet, clocking in at a little over a half hour. Another highlight, and what I would say basically makes the album, is, for a change, Cedric. His vocal delivery on the past two Volta releases (and live) has been a little stale; falsettoing nonstop and hiding behind vocal effects wherever he could. But the man has made a decent come back, and without his laudable contribution (Half Kleptos, Puny Humans, and Warren Oates standing out the most) Cryptomnesia just wouldn't be quite the same, or as impressive for that matter.

Overall, Cryptomnesia packs quite a punch, and for a lack of better words, is fun as fuck. Check this shit out, as I don't think you'll regret it.

download link

*(thanks to whoever ripped this)*

2009-04-04T11:18:00.000-07:00