russell peters - outsourced (2006)

russell peters is one of the few comedians i truly enjoy. most of his stand-up sets are filled with unrelenting jokes about the many stereotypes the world has grown to love. in a sense, he has a lot of confidence to be able to go up on stage and deliver extreme doses of stereotypes and racism, accompanied by a mastery of accents and facial expressions. add that, and the fact that we are both brown, and you can consider me a fan.

russell peters on the web.
buy outsourced.

download outsourced:


- grizzly

pompeii - assembly (2006)

it's always nice to come across a local band that you actually want to listen to. most of the local bands around this part of texas make you want to come to shows late and avoid local shows at all costs (see wut i did there?) pompeii is an indie-rock band out of austin, texas and have the smooth vocal stylings and pop sensibilities similar to those of death cab for cutie and stars. another one of pompeii's selling points is their incorporation of the cello. their debut lp, assembly, was one of the better records to come out in 2006.

pompeii on myspace.

lawlz.

- grizzly

the snake the cross the crown - like a moth before a flame (2003)

before signing to equal vision and before taking a more folk-rock approach, tstctc released an ep on indie label. and i'm sorry in advance, but i'm going to be "that guy" and say i enjoy this release over their more recent releases cotton teeth and mander salis. like a moth features beautiful and driving melodies over a smooth blend of outer space and rock music. i still jam this ep from time to time, and it's a great winter-time album most suitable for your headphones.

the snake the cross the crown on myspace.

download like a moth before a flame:


- grizzly

youinseries - outside we are fine (2006)

youinseries is a five-piece from las vegas, and released their debut lp, outside we are fine, sometime last year on equal vision. outside is a solid rock album with just the right amount of ambience to lay back and the right amount of bite to not bore you. this band is still pretty young, but i think they have a lot of potential to turn some heads with a sophomore release.

youinseries on myspace.

download outside we are fine:


- grizzly

the stryder

from helping pioneer the long island post hardcore sound, to creating an album full of genre defying hip hop/soul influenced indie rock.. the stryder were quite the innovators during their time. almost completely overlooked in their time, they released two full lenghts and two ep's before calling it quits. if you remember, i made a post about their former lead singer peter toh. former drummer (on masquerade) and guitar player/vocalist (on jungle city) scottie reddix has also gone on to solo greatness, with his soulful project cassonova brown. drummer (on jungle city) durijah lang has gone on to drum in many amazing long island bands, including his current projects saves the day and glassjaw. you seriously won't be disappointed if you download these (especially if you're a drummer.. both albums.. wow). do yourself a favor.

the stryder on myspace.
cassonova brown on myspace.
peter toh on myspace.

download masquerade in the key of crime (2000):


download jungle city twitch (2002):


- paaaaaanda

the stiletto formal - masochism in the place of romance (2005)

the stiletto formal know what it takes to make you dance. this includes keyboards, cowbells, tambourines.. even a cello. garnering comparisons that include everyone from at the drive in (which is easily the most justified) to cursive.. the stiletto formal play a rhythm controlled brand of indie rock that'll have you swinging your hips in no time. be on the look out for these guys (and gal) in 2K8, as they're currently in the studio working on their debut full length.

the stiletto formal on myspace.

download masochism in the place of romance:


- panda

the photo atlas - no, not me, never (2007)

the photo atlas is a pretty solid band out of denver, co. if i had to describe their sound, i'd say they try to mix a heavy at the drive in influence with a dancefloor and even worse haircuts. and for those of you that automatically hate me for using at the drive in, i'm sorry.

the photo atlas on myspace.

download no, not me, never:


- roshan

oh, sleeper - the armored march (2006)

oh, sleeper is a five-piece ______core band on solid state records, and features ex-members of terminal and between the buried and me. these dudes have a very tight and cohesive sound, and bring something new to a very stale and played out genre. but get your black shirt, tight jeans and bandanas out as soon as possible, anyway.

oh, sleeper's full length, "when i am god," came out on solid state today.

oh, sleeper on myspace.

download the armored march:


- roshan

union of knives - violence and birdsong (2006)

what happens when three scottish producers get together to make an album? apparently you get an album full of heavy synth lines, dirty electronic beats, and the finest blend of massive attack, placebo, and muse.. the way it seems only the UK can bring it. if this isn't enough to convince you.. the band can do it in only thirty seconds:

get on it.

official union of knives website.
union of knives on myspace.

download violence and birdsong:


- panda's back.. tell a friend.

foxy shazam - the flamingo trigger (2005)

i'm pretty sure foxy shazam as an entity are insane.. or at least, they should be declared so. musically, the band remind me of what would happen if mr bungle and the blood brothers decided to put on a musical.. or a circus (apparently hanging from rafters and standing on keyboards are the norm at a foxy shazam show). in one of the odder signings of the year, the band signed with ferret records earlier this year. be on the lookout for their casey bates produced, ferret debut in early 2008.

foxy shazam on myspace.

download the flamingo trigger:


- panda

as tall as lions - as tall as lions (2006)

i'm gonna try not to kiss this band's ass anymore than i have in the past year.

ok, so i'm lying. both bears of this blog have been graced with this brilliant masterpiece via last summer. it topped both of our album of the year lists in '06. basically, if you don't like this record, then you must hate music. ATAL play a melodic and beautiful jazz/soul/pop infused brand of indie rock, and singer dan nigro will soothe your soul with his vocals. the album art is amazing, they dress well, they put on incredible and energetic live shows (and i'd say that's a big deal considering the style of music they play.) to be honest, i can't tell you a single thing i dislike about this band or this album. not to mention, i've listened to it about 200 times, and i can still play it through from start to finish.

atal > what you're listening to.

as tall as lions on myspace.
as tall as lions on the web.

download as tall as lions:


here is a video of them playing 'be here now' in nyc (soundboard recording):



- grizzly

simian mobile disco - attack decay sustain release (2007)

SMD are an english electro/production/remix duo. from the ashes of simian (a similar group, but more on the rock side of things), SMD are a more electronic based version of simian, and attack decay sustain release is their debut record on kitsune. good shit.

simian mobile disco on myspace.

download attack decay sustain release:


- grizzly

colour revolt - colour revolt (2006)

colour revolt are an indie-rock outfit out of mississippi. their small-town indie rock is gritty yet remains somewhat meloncholy. vocalist jesse c. can move up and down the scales, from raspy yells to falsettos in no time. i can't really compare CR to any other band, or say much else about them. they're currently in the studio recording a follow-up to their self-titled ep, due out sometime in 08. i recently caught these guys live, and they played a handful of new stuff, and it sounds incredibly promising.

colour revolt on myspace.

download colour revolt:


- grizzly

manchester orchestra - you brainstorm, i brainstorm, but brilliance needs a good editor (2005)

manchester orchestra have been on the rise lately, touring constantly in support of their lp, "i'm like a virgin losing a child." they've toured with the likes of kevin devine, brand new and kings of leon in the past year and have been starting the create a buzz. this ep was released before 'virgin' and although it's not out of print, it can be hard to come across. this ep is worth checking out for 'the procession' alone, the standout track on a pretty solid ep.

manchester orchestra on myspace.

download you brainstorm, i brainstorm, but brilliance needs a good editor:


- grizzly

sneaker pimps - becoming x (1997)

everybody remembers '6 underground,' or i'd assume has heard it at least once. unless you had your doors and blinds shut since 1997. i remember seeing the video for 6 on mtv and being completely into the song. i also remember borrowing this record from one of my cousins and making a tape out of it. i mean, at the age of 11, it was unlike anything i had ever heard in my life.

anyways, the sneaker pimps play a very smooth style of trip-hop/pop that sits very well with me. becoming x was the outfit's first record, which singer/songwriter kelli dayton laid vocals down for. the pimps would later make a very awful choice and release singer dayton from the group. good call...


sneaker pimps on the web.

download becoming x:


- grizzly

unkle - war stories (2007)

unkle is an electronic/trip-hop group of of london, england. they've been around for quite some time, but i've recently gotten into them after they released war stories earlier this year. the newer release is a little more guitar-driven compared to previous releases, but the beats and grooves are still strong.

unkle on myspace.

download war stories:


- grizzly

bloc party - another weekend in the city (2007)

you know their name, and you probably have an opinion on their latest album, a weekend in the city. i still don't understand why there was so much negative reaction to awitc.. it's flat out a better album than silent alarm. most probably just wanted them to make silent alarm part two. well for those of you that did enjoy awitc, here's a nice treat. a collection of b-sides from the album (12 songs), plus three remixes of the prayer. as an added bonus, i added the bands newest single, flux (which is one of the best songs they've written to date). you might be hesitant to get this since it's just b-sides, but trust me, these songs absolutely hold up on their own. this collection could easily be released as its own album and do quite well. get on it.

official bloc party website.
bloc party on myspace.

download another weekend in the city:


- pandsa;djfk

mew - and the glass handed kites (2005)

imagine what would happen if sigur ros listened to way more my bloody valentine, then decided to take their sound and morph it into a seamless, stadium friendly, form of indie-dream-rock. excited? look no further.. some dudes from denmark have already mastered the sound. this is a perfect fall/winter album, as well as something good to put on at night. each song flows into the next effortlessly, giving the album an almost a concept feel. there are plenty of surprises along the way, so prepare to be properly swooned.

official mew website.
mew on myspace.

download and the glass handed kites:


- panda

city and colour - sometimes (2005)

city and colour is the brainchild of alexisonfire's guitarist/vocalist dallas green. although i can't say much about alexisonfire, i do know that city and colour is a complete departure from the music alexisonfire writes, and green steps up as the singer/songwriter, and recorded all the instruments. although city and colour has hardly dented the american music scene, "sometimes" has gone platinum in canada. sometimes is a ten-song lp of mostly acoustic jams to serenade your lady with.

fun fact or captain obvious:
the name "city and colour" comes from dallas green's name.
city - dallas
colour - green.

go figure, right?

city and colour on myspace.

download sometimes:


- grizzly

justice - waters of nazareth (2006)

although justice just released their debut lp earlier this year, they have been building hype for a few minutes. before the release of †, justice released an ep for the track 'waters of nazareth' (which also appears on 07's †) along with a few remixes and demos, and the track 'carpates.' wamp wamp.

justice on myspace.

download waters of nazareth ep:



here's a pretty ridiculous recap video of the cd release show:

- grizzly

the kinison - what are you listening to? (2004)

can't stop, won't stop the rhythm goin'
don't stop, won't stop the rhythm goin'

remember a few years ago when dance/post-punk was really big? well the kinison were poised to be the "next big thing" to come out of that scene. instead they released an album on a major label, got no promotion, essentially went under the radar, and later broke up. but the one full length they released is actually really good. imagine a dancier version of at the drive in with screechier vocals. recorded in just fifteen days, the best thing about this album is the rhythm section. the drum and bass combinations are insane. pounding yet intricate drumming, and some of the grooviest bass lines on an album of it's type. pick this one up if you like your music loud, but still want to shake it.

the kinison on myspace.

download what are you listening to?:


video for "you'll never guess who died":

- pands

monument, monument - call off the roses (2006)

monument, monument is a four-piece unsigned group out of detroit, mi, and their bringing the soul and rhythm back to pop-rock music. steve branstorm's smooth vocal stylings on 2006's call off the roses ep bring something different to the table of a genre that is old and stale. enjoy.

monument, monument on myspace.

download call off the roses ep:


- grizzly

saul williams - self titled (2004)

saul williams could very well be the most underrated artist in music.. and i stress the word artist. in my eyes, the man's already a legend. a true emcee, poet, and spoken word icon, williams takes what hip hop is.. and isn't, to a new level. he's worked with the fugees, kanye west, trent reznor (who is co-producing saul's upcoming album), krs-one, allen ginsberg, sonia sanchez.. the list is incredible. he's also been published in the new york times, esquire, bomb magazine, and has had several of his own works published. do yourself a favor and download this album. your mind will thank you.

saul williams on myspace.

download saul williams:


- panda

wax tailor - hope and sorrow (2007)

french dj/producer wax tailor has finally made his place alongside his contemporaries (most notably dj shadow, portishead, and rjd2). this album is has very cinematic feel, drawing on movie samples throughout and providing what almost sounds like the soundtrack to an indie made physiological epic. several guest vocalists and emcee's help provide the score to your new favorite headphone album. i'd also definitely recommend picking up his first album, tales of the forgotten melodies.

wax tailor on myspace.

download hope and sorrow:


- panda

soji hats

as if common wasn't already on fire in 2007.. earlier this year, he launched his own designer hat line. now, anyone that knows me, knows that i love two things: newsboys, and common. so needless to say when i heard about this, i lost my shit. partnering with italian designer line lacoppola storta, common has created a line of high end, hand made hats that will give you automatic game. i'll be picking up one or two of these myself before the years out. get on your hustle, because after all:

a hat is another way to put on a crown.
- common

official soji website.



- panda