More Humans - "Dracula"

Keeping up with the Halloween cheer, here's a killer cut from DC's own More Humans—the angular guitar-driven bloodsucking funk of "Dracula." The track comes off the band's Demon Station EP, due out shortly on 10" vinyl via local label Cricket Cemetery. The record release show for Demon Station is this coming Saturday, November 5th at St. Stephens Church in Columbia Heights. Analog Edition's own Breakfast In Fur will also be on the bill, making the journey down from New Paltz, New York to DC as part of their string of east coast tour dates. If you're in the area, be sure to stop on by. We'll have plenty of Breakfast In Fur's beautiful debut 10" on hand. More info on the show here.

Buy Demon Station on vinyl and digitally via Bandcamp.

Video: Ducktails - "Hamilton Road"

Ducktails, the solo side project of Real Estate guitarist Matthew Mondanile, has slowly been winning me over since the release of Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics back in January. Given my lukewarm appreciation of Real Estate, I was surprised how much I've been digging on Mondanile's Woodsist debut. One reason may be that the sounds are all warm and lo-fi homemade concoctions, which remind me of my own experiences playing around with a flanger pedal and an 8-track in my parent's basement. But there's also something vibrant and sunny about these songs, none more so than "Hamilton Road." While Mondanile's low even-tempered singing voice here as me thinking Kurt Vile, the lyrics and bright acoustic guitar riffs leave me recalling American Beauty-era Grateful Dead—and that's a beautiful carefree spot to be. "We sit by the water," he sings, "and feel the ripples of the tide." Jerry reborn? Maybe not, but the video for "Hamilton Road" couldn't capture the track's mood any better: just a couple of friends having a genuine good time, undisturbed by the mess of the outside world.

Thee Oh Sees - "The Dream" & "Carrion Crawler"

Considering Thee Oh Sees' Castlemania is a 16-track double album, it's hard to imagine the band had time to record and release a whole other record in 2011. But then again, Thee Oh Sees are a wildly prolific bunch of weirdos—and that's why we love them. Cut to live tape in Sacramento back in June, Carrion Crawler/The Dream was originally envisioned as two separate EPs, now combined as one purple intestine-covered LP. You can now hear both title tracks below. According to John Dwyer's Castle Face Records homepage, this won't be the band's last release in 2011. Look out for a split 12" with Total Control later this year with art by longtime collaborator William Keihn, which you can check out right here.

Thee Oh Sees - "The Dream" (from Carrion Crawler/The Dream)
Thee Oh Sees - "Carrion Crawler" (from Carrion Crawler/The Dream)

More:
Must-have vinyl: Castle Face Records :: Group Flex
Thee Oh Sees cover The Creation: "If I Stay Too Long"

Misfits - "Astro Zombies"

It's easy to pick out my favorite Halloween song, because it's also one of my favorite all-time tracks: The Misfits' "Astro Zombies." It's a great sing-along number with Glen Danzig at his operatic best belting out those epic room-filling "whoas." Word is the track gets its name from the 1968 cult horror flick Astro-Zombies (on your left). The song, initially released on the 1982 album Walk Among Us, was also later unofficially released on 7" vinyl as an EP. I mention this latter release because of its fantastic artwork, which features an angry Hulk-like Franken-zombie in the lab of a mad scientist. Absolutely classic.

The Misfits - "Astro Zombies" (from Astro Zombies 7")

Chromatics - "Kill For Love"

Chromatics, a band under the Johnny Jewel and Italians Do It Better umbrella, recently released the title-track from the group's forthcoming LP Kill For Love. The dark synth-fueled ballad "Kill For Love" is as hypnotic and day-dream-enducing as anything the Chromatics have released to date with singer Ruth Radelet's plain and unaffected vocals lying at the center of the magic. What's an additional treat here is the simple and upbeat rhythmic guitar lines, which add another layer of warmth and movement to the mix. The 13-track album will be released in January on 12" vinyl. Kee up to date with the release on the Italians Do It Better blog and the band on Facebook.

Stream the track and watch its video after the jump.

Mixtape #18: Headrush Thunderdome

Stone Darling - "Baby Come Home"

Los Angeles band Stone Darling—whose first 7" we released on our own Analog Edition imprint this past August—have posted a new song, "Baby Come Home," on Bandcamp. The track is the first taste of Stone Darling's debut EP, due out in November. Paige Stark's pristine vocals—boosted here by a backing coat of sugary harmony—cut beautifully through the mix of electric guitar, drums, and organ, creating a sense of longing and loss that recalls classic love-torn country anthems. That's what this is after all—classic.

Buy the band's I Stopped Missing You Today 7" from Analog Edition.

The Bandana Splits - "Sometimes"

Apparently, it's Sam Cohen week on the ole blog. Tuesday, I posted about the former Apollo Sunshine musician's psychedelic-infused solo project Yellowbirds. Now today, we have The Bandana Splits: a doo-wop flavored girl-group project produced by Cohen. The trio of singers is comprised of Brooklynites Lauren Balthrop, Annie Nero, and one of Everybody Taste's favorite folkies, Dawn Landes. Try a single serving of the fabulous debut via "Sometimes"—an irresistibly upbeat harmony and tambourine smothered gem that immediately lifts the spirits. The album, Mr. Sam Presents The Bandana Splits, is out now and you can snag your digital copy right here. After the jump, check out the  1950s diner and pharmacy set video for "Sometimes."

The Bandana Splits - "Sometimes" (from Mr. Sam Presents The Bandana Splits)

The Lovely Bad Things: Bonfires & Surf-Garage-Fuzz

La Mirada, California's The Lovely Bad Things do a pitch-perfect job of fusing surf-rock guitar tones with jangly garage fuzz and ear-pleasing harmony-glazed vocal melodies. Songs like "Cult Life" and "I Just Want You To Go Away" belong at a beach party right beside a blazing bonfire and a mass of jubilant dancing and singing party-goers. To put it simply, this is feel good music. To date, the band has put out two cassette tapes: one on Ultravivid Recordings in 2010 and a follow-up on Burger Records this past July. As soon as this band releases something on vinyl, I'm buying. (via R&G)

While Shark Week is sold out, you can still buy the S/T cassette from Burger Records.

The Lovely Bad Things - "Cult Life" (from Shark Week)

The Lovely Bad Things - "I Just Want You To Go Away" (from S/T)

Yellowbirds - "Beneath The Reach of Light"

Sam Cohen of the great Apollo Sunshine released his solo debut The Color as Yellowbirds this past February. However, solo is a bit of an understatement, as this is no one-man band: pedal steels sparkle, drums pound, walls of guitar wail, and psychedelic washes of warm tone permeate through every second of music. Yet, this grandly produced work is also a surprisingly intimate one thanks to the steady voice of Cohen. As far as the music pushes and travels, Cohen remains in place as the even-toned voice of reason and only ticket out of Wonderland. Below, check out the album's intoxicating free single "Beneath The Reach of Light," and after the jump, its beautifully colored video.

Yellowbird - "Beneath The Reach of Light" (from The Color)

Bleached - "Searching Through The Past"

Bleached might just be 2011's best new band. Sisters Jennifer and Jessie Clavin have already released two burning hot 7"s this year— the Francis EP on Ooga Booga and Carter on Art Fag—and now have a third en route via Seattle's exquisistely tasteful Suicide Squeeze. If you thought "Think of You" and "You Take Time" sounded like instant classics, you ain't heard nothing yet, as brand new jam "Searching Through The Past" is pure fucking gold. In fact, the Clavin's might have sold their souls to the devil in exchange for a set of songwriting chops, as "Searching Through The Past" sounds like it was stolen right out of the history books: a head-banging sing-along with enough groove and attitude to burn all through the night.

Pre-order the 7" from Suicide Squeeze.

Bleached - "Searching Through The Past"

Bleached - "Think of You" 
Bleached - "Dazed"

Mixtape:
Bleached's DJ Set On Aquarium Drunkard's Sirius XMU

Drive :: Italians Do It Better // Valerie Collective

Like much of the rest of the world, I saw the movie Drive, and yes, I loved the music. While the movie had its flaws, the cinematography was unquestionably beautiful and director Nicolas Winding Refn’s choice of a synth and electro-pop driven soundtrack provided the perfect glossy sheen for the film's 80s-drenched palette. What was most surprising personally for me was the inclusion of two different Johnny Jewel projects—Desire and Chromatics. I've been a huge fan of Jewel for some time, and his Portland-based label Italians Do It Better has long been cranking out classic dance records, so this spotlight is particularly deserved. According to an interview with Box Office Magazine, it turns out Jewel was actually asked to put the entire soundtrack together himself—and he did, recording 3 hours of original music—but due to miscommunications, none of the new material was used. That music won't be going to waste though: Jewel will be releasing it as part of an imaginary film project called Symmetry via Italians Do It Better.

Big Star :: Documentary Trailer & Covers

I've been on a Big Star kick all week, thanks to the trailer for Nothing Can Hurt Me, a new documentary about the band's "massive critical acclaim, dismal commercial failure," and enduring legacy as "pop music's greatest cult phenomenon." The movie's tagline sums it up: I never heard Big Star on the radio, or even at a record shop. I listened to Big Star because other band's told me to via cover songs and tributes. My introduction to Alex Chilton first came through Elliott Smith's hushed cover of "Thirteen" (there are countless takes on "Thirteen," but like Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah," Smith's is the definitive cover version). Later, as I dove more into Replacements' lore, I was pushed more into the world of Big Star, always remembering Paul Westerberg's line from "Alex Chilton": "Never travel far, without a little Big Star." So today, while I play #1 Record, Radio City, and Third/Sister Lovers on repeat, I thought I'd share my favorite Big Star covers by some of my favorite bands. And maybe even turn a few readers on to one of rock's greatest songwriters.

FIDLAR - "Oh"

Los Angeles delinquents Fidlar have released another track off the band's DIYDUI 7", which has been out for a bit on White Iris. To date, I've raved about two tracks from the 7"—"Wait For The Man" and "Wake Bake Skate"—and "Oh," with its juggernaut drumming and overblown slop of guitar, continues this single's case for a place amongst the year's best.

FIDLAR - "Oh" (from DIYDUI 7")

Wild Flag - "Oh Yeah"

I'm not sure how "Oh Yeah" missed the cut for Wild Flag's debut and ended up as a bonus track, but it's recently moved into favorite song territory for me thanks to Mary Timony's hypnotic ear-catching vocals and Carrie Brownstein's bubbling and rhythmic lead guitar work. Though the song lacks a prominent bass, "Oh Yeah" reminds me a bit of a Kim Deal-sung Pixies track: fuzzy, sharply melodic, and relentlessly uptempo pop music that leaves you hitting the play button over and over again.

Buy Wild Flag on vinyl from Merge Records.


Wild Flag - "Oh Yeah" (from Wild Flag Bonus Track Version)

Wild Flag - "Beast of Burden" (Live Rolling Stones cover)

Nobunny - "Vicious Circle"

This past winter, the vinyl and cassette connoisseurs over at Burger Records pressed Nobunny's Raw Romance—a cassette-only release from back in 2009— to vinyl with new (and awesome) artwork and freshly re-mastered tracks. Below, check out one of my favorite cuts off the LP—the bluesy acoustic fuzzball and album-closer "Vicious Circle." I'm not sure where the audio clip is culled from that's spliced into the end of the track, but man, it's pretty hilarious. "I'm shaking with hunger. No more!"

While the purple vinyl is unfortunately sold out, you can still snag Raw Romance on classic black wax from Burger Records.

Nobunny - "Vicious Circle" (from Raw Romance)

Johnny Thunders - "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory"

I'm a Replacements fanatic. I've got every album, bootleg, and cover. I even own the oral biography, (though I haven't yet watched the new documentary). And the more you listen to and learn about Paul Westerberg and the rest of the 'Mats, the more you appreciate the band's two major influences: Alex Chilton and Johnny Thunders. Thunders—born John Genzale and later renamed after the DC comic book hero when he joined the New York Dolls—was one of those talents that burned bright, but for a tragically short period of time. Recently, I've become particularly enamored with Thunders' 1978 solo outing So Alone, which features an all-star cast of supporting musicians like The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde and Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott. The album also boasts what is perhaps Thunders' signature track: "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory," a classic anthem that lifts its title from a line on the 1950s sitcom The Honeymooners. The song, which has aged beautifully with time, also happens to feature slashing lead guitar work by Peter Perrett of The Only Ones, who's track "Another Girl, Another Planet" was a live favorite of The Replacements.

Johnny Thunders - "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory" (from So Alone)

Bill Baird - "We'll Meet Again Someday, or We Won't" / "Burn Burn Burn"

Los Angeles painter David Phillips recently shot a video for two tracks off Bill Baird's excellent Goodbye Vibrations LP, which I reviewed glowingly back in August. The video is a two-parter, lightly depicting a couple's date in the woods to "We'll Meet Again Someday Soon, or We Won't" in the first half, before devolving into more experimental territory ("...a disturbing testament to 60s and 70s experimental films such as Holy Mountain and The Trip," says Phillips) in the latter half, along to "Burn, Burn, Burn"—a tale of love-inspired self-destruction. If you haven't heard Baird's record, do yourself a favor and download it or nab the vinyl here. Filled with the warm analog glow of tape hiss, soft introspective vocals, and sparse finger-plucked guitars, Goodbye Vibrations is an honest and truly intimate portrait of an artist.

Watch the video after the jump.

Watch: JEFF The Brotherhood play "Diamond Way" on Late Night

JEFF The Brotherhood made their national TV debut last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. "Hello America," said Jake Orrall to the crowd, before launching into a typically fiery rendition of We Are The Champions standout "Diamond Way," all while a friend of the band sat casually in front of the stage chowing down on a burger. Aside from touring around the world and conquering late night, Brothers Orrall recently released a Blues Series Single on Jack White's Third Man Records imprint, featuring the bruising 6 and 1/2 minute A-side "Whatever I Want" and a raucous cover of Tiger B. Smith's "Everything I Need" on the flip side. You can snag that vinyl right here.

JEFF The Brotherhood - "Diamond Way" (Live in Melbourne)

After the jump, watch JEFF's Late Night performance and a twisted video for new single "Whatever I Want."

Future Islands feat. Jenn Wasner - "The Great Fire"

Future Islands newest LP On The Water is brimful of great singles—see "Before The Bridge" and "Balance"—and moving moments—see synth-master Gerrit Welmers' cinematic 80s-tinged intro to "Where I Found You"—but no track hits me quite as hard as "The Great Fire." Perhaps it's because frontman Samuel T. Herring's melodramatic and manic vocal work finds a formidable costar in Wye Oak's Jenn Wasner. Not only does Wasner go blow for vocal blow with Herring in this emotive relationship-centered slow-burner, but taking the lead in the latter half of the duet, she momentarily takes control of the track, making the listener forget that this isn't in fact her own band. Though Future Islands knock every one of On The Water's ten tracks out of the park, "The Great Fire" leaves me wanting more from this truly devastating vocal pairing.

Future Islands feat. Jenn Wasner - "The Great Fire" (from On The Water)

Delayed Reaction: Pure X :: Pleasure

Have you ever played a wah-wah pedal? The pedal moves the peak response of a filter up and down in frequency, as if opening and closing a doorway between low and high tones as they travel and evolve to and from in waves of distortion. I think of the wah-wah as a bit like the shutter of a camera, as everything centers on a constantly changing measure of light and the effect it has on a landscape, or in this case, the soundscape. That’s the magic of Pure X’s Pleasure: through a dark mess of tones and ominous layers of distortion, there’s a bright wandering sliver of light. That light’s pop music: deeply melodic hooks buried underneath a sea of blown-out guitars and cavernous dark swirls of tone, that through extreme levels of contrast, shine all the more brilliantly.

I remember an interview where someone once marveled how Tom Petty could write albums worth of classic material with just three or four basic chords. On Pleasure, Austin's Pure X similarly use simplicity and repetition to transform a limited selection of ingredients—gain-heavy shoegazey ripples of guitar, deeply-toned bass lines, and steady lifeboat-in-a-storm drumming—into extraordinarily dynamic elements, where here, mood, texture, and a slowly evolving sense of time are emphasized over more standard pop elements like key changes and verse-chorus structures.

While Nate Grace's reverb-coated howls and hushed words propel this record towards truly classic territory, at its heart, Pleasure is really a guitar album. Recorded completely live, the guitar play is unhurried, natural, and very much alive at every turn, rising into one song like a cool incoming tide and splashing about in the white wash of waves in the next. Though incredibly engrossing and instantaneously re-playable, this Austin trio's debut long-player can't be properly digested in a quick or even single listen. Pleasure is a lingering affair: a 10-song 37-minute atmospheric trip into the clouds, space, and beyond, where colors appear most vibrant the third and fourth time around, often when you're half-paying attention, lost in the music, and lost in your own daydreams. It's taken me a couple months to come around, but Pleasure may just be the best record I've heard in 2011.

Buy the the vinyl from Acephale Records. First pressing is sold out, second pressing is limited to 500 copies.

Pure X - "Dry Ice" (from Pleasure)
Pure X - "Twisted Mirror" (from Pleasure)

Eternal Summers - "Pure Affection"

I caught Roanoke, Virginia's Eternal Summers live for the first time this past July in an opening slot for Sonny & The Sunsets. Between drummer Daniel Cundiff's ferocious pounding rhythms and bandleader Nicole Hirschmann's confident ear-catching vocals and assertive guitar play, I was quickly converted into a superfan. There's traces of everything from clean-toned punk to power-pop and dream-pop in the group's repertoire, but the most apt descriptors are infectious and wildly fun. This past spring, Eternal Summers released what's easily one of the year's better EPs on Forest Family, and on it, one of the year's best tracks—"Pure Affection." Perhaps because it's slower than most Eternal Summers' songs, the rhythmic elements and groove of "Pure Affection" feel particularly dynamic and really propel out into the forefront of the mix. The drifting and at times Luna-recalling track recieved the remix treatment from Beach Fossils back in July. While I'm often dismissive of remixes, the Beach Fossils guys do a superb job of emphasizing and experimenting with the dreamier threads of "Pure Affection," while leaving the mood unchanged. If the original is comprable to lying down in a field of sunflowers, the remix is akin to lying down in a field of sunflowers after ingesting just the right amount of acid.

Forest Family is sold out of the Prisoner EP, but you can still nab the vinyl from Insound.

Eternal Summers - "Pure Affection" (from Prisoner 12" EP)
Eternal Summers - "Pure Affection (Beach Fossils remix)"

New Lord Huron - "She Lit A Fire" (Live)

Everybody Taste favorites Lord Huron—whose debut EP we named the best of 2010 and artwork we featured in the inaugural issue of our Analog Edition Zine—recently performed a brand new track as part of Rollo Grady's Los Angeles-based live session series. The track, "She Lit A Fire," is a typically reverb-heavy and harmony-drenched work of surreal pop music that's become frontman Benji Schneider's M.O. Head over to Rollo Grady to watch live clips of the band performing "She Lit A Fire" and the great "Stranger." Stay tuned for news on Lord Huron's forthcoming debut long-player.

Buy Lord Huron vinyl here.

Lord Huron - "She Lit A Fire" (Rollo Grady Sessions)

Delayed Reaction: Air Waves :: Dungeon Dots

I'm not sure how I've overlooked Air Waves—the project of the once Brooklyn and now Austin-based Nicole Schneit—for this long: too much music, too little time I guess. Dungeon Dots, Schneit's debut LP as Air Waves, was recorded at the Walkmen's old Marcata Studios and released last year on Underwater Peoples. If I had known this LP existed back in 2010, there's no question it would have been one of my favorites of the year. Schneit's pop arsenal is comprised of extremely simple and subtle elements—strummy guitars, clear and mellow androgynous vocals, natural yet insistent rhythms—but the barbs on her hooks are fiercely sharp, and once they dig in, there's no letting go. Many writers before have described Air Waves as warm and inviting, and it's true: there's a comforting intimacy and sincerity here that seemingly envelops the listener. But it's not solely comfort, as there's also something distinctly uplifting about Schneit's songs. When you put on "Knockout" or "Lightning," you can't help but tap your toes, bob your head, or maybe even do a little jig. Much of the songs, at least in tone, remind me of Yo La Tengo, especially a record like And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out. There's a backdrop of sadness, but it's slowly painted over, rewritten, and turned into something better and brighter with each newly repeated melody and chorus. Oh, did I mention that Sharon Van Etten guests? Yep, still not sure how I missed this record.

Air Waves - "Knockout" (from Dungeon Dots)
Air Waves - "Waters (Feat. Sharon Van Etten)" (from Dungeon Dots)

After the jump, check out an excellent live take of "Lightning" shot by our buds at Quit Mumbling.

Albino Father :: Age

The exceptionally tasty Part-Time Music, who earlier this year introduced me to the great Allah-Las, recently pointed me towards another great hidden gem of a band: Salt Lake City's Albino Father. The psychedelic-tinged rock outfit revels in swirls of hypnotic riffs, pounding rhythm, and a scuzzy born-in the-garage glaze of amplified fuzz and distortion. Albino Father's latest offering is a full-length released this past September dubbed Age. From the opening blast of jarring bass on 70s psych-rock throwback "Meth Truck" to the creeping guitar line on country-inflected toe-tapper "Deth Jam," Albino Father's songs sound like they belong out on dark empty highways: lonesome and mysterious, but nevertheless determined to make some noise.

Grab the band's album via a pay-what-you-want scenario on Bandcamp.

Albino Father - "Meth Truck" (from Age)
Albino Father - "Deth Jam" (from Age)