Tigers on Trains - Grandfather

If you haven't heard this album, you need to. It's acoustic indie-folk, and definitely one of the best I've heard (and I've heard quite a bit). Tigers on Trains are now part of the larger Republic of Wolves, but the Long Island duo have really hit their mark with Grandfather. The layered vocals of Mason Maggio and Christian Van Deurs provide variation that solo acoustic artists sometimes lack in indie-folk records, yet don't push the instrumentation out of the way. It's a delicate juggling act, and the band does it very, very well. I guess Cassino is the closest I can compare them to with a band I've reviewed. Go to their myspace page, check it out. It's awesome. Mature lyrics dash in and out of acoustic chords and harmony, to create a smooth, quiet album that never breaks the steady cadence that is intertwined throughout the album. Listen to it and you'll know what I mean. It just "flows."

I'll be honest up-front: the link below takes you to Simple Stereo to buy the album (instant digital download). It's $6.50, which for an album nowadays is legit. I don't have any monetary stake in Simple Stereo, it's one of my best friend's site, and if you haven't checked it out, please do so; lots of stuff related to the music you all listen to (based on you reading this), plus art and more.

There's no corporate record company standing behind any of this, just two guys making music, and my friend's appreciation of their work. Do them a solid, help them out.

1. The Grammarian
2. Sea Weed
3. Ship Shape
4. Muhammad
5. False Teeth
6. Silk Road
7. Reverend William Buckland
8. Painted Face
9. Just Be Glad That No One Saw You
10. A Year In The Garden Shed

Link:
http://www.simplestereo.com/?p=123

Matt & Kim - Grand

The duo of Matt & Kim were bequeathed onto me by a co-worker of mine who realized after a year that I'm into the same music she is. It's actually sort of embarrassing that I haven't heard of them before now, as they are somewhat big. Full of energy, this particular flavor of electric-infused dance-punk pulls from both new wave and punk, but combines it into one tight little package. More punk than LCD Soundsystem, the duo really pushes the electricity through the album, sometimes overwhelming the vocals and chorus which tend to ride on the beat of the percussion. The vocals are perhaps my favorite part as I have a special place in my musical heart for guy-girl vocal duos. Kim beautifully provides a harmonious background track while Matt's punk sneer punctuates the air, on beat, on-cue. The synergy between their two voices is almost enough to carry the album, and the ridiculously addictive beat is merely a cherry on-top. Definitely a toe-tapping album, and if you're not, you might want to check if you're alive.

1. Daylight
2. Cutdown
3. Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
4. Spare Change
5. I wanna
6. Lessons Learned
7. Don't Slow Down
8. Turn this Boat Around
9. Ginders
10. I'll Take us Home
11. Daylight Outro Remix

Link:
Comments

More music...

Hey everyone, sorry for the hiatus, I could make up excuses due to travelling, work, etc...but really, I just fell behind the scene. I haven't found anything completely mind-blowing, but fear not, I am looking. Thanks to all who have made recommendations and requests to the right. As soon as I go through all of them, I'll start uploading again.

If some downloads are down, I apologize...the blog is continuing to grow, and I'm spending roughly $120/year on Mediafire for the traffic I feel like I can afford. I'm not complaining, but I don't get a cent from this blog, nor do I ask for donations. Income from ads isn't worth cluttering the damn thing, so I try and do the best I can with the funds I have, and of course, your support for the music and the blog.

Keep up the suggestions for music, and thanks for continuing to explore even when there wasn't anything new.

B.o.B. - The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Just to mix it up, and since I haven't posted anything in quite some time, here's an awesome hip-hop album that's fun and features everyone from Lupe Fiasco to Hayley Williams (Paramore). Hailing from Atlanta, B.o.B takes his love of all music, and blends it together into one great album. It's almost interesting that the track with Rivers Cuomo sounds like it could be on the next Weezer album, or that Hayley Williams is sandwiched between T.I. and Lupe Fiasco. The beats and lyrics are smashed against a great rock overtone, blending rhythm and blues, often mutually exclusive of each other. The featured artists are arranged throughout the album to provide a variation and creative approach to the conventional hip-hop album. A great album, well-mixed, well-produced.

1. Don’t Let Me Fall
2. Nothin’ On You (featuring Bruno Mars)
3. Past My Shades (featuring Lupe Fiasco)
4. Airplanes (featuring Hayley Williams)
5. Bet I (featuring T.I. and Playboy Tre)
6. Satellite
7. Ghost in the Machine
8. The Kids (featuring Janelle Monae)
9. Magic (featuring Rivers Cuemo)
10. Fame
11. Lovelier Than You
12. 5th Dimension (featuring T.I. & Ricco Barrino)
13. Airplanes (Part II) (featuring Eminem and Hayley Williams)

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?gynbja2zzju

Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

This is one of my most anticipated albums of the year, only because I thought '59 Sound was brilliant, and my favorite album of last year. Brian Fallon's voice is remarkable, and with time, I believe could be influential in the genre. The band's unique blend of blues and country creates a brand of rock 'n' roll that hasn't been heard in quite some time. Luckily, Fallon merely improved on what worked from their last album, and fine-tuned some of the production. The guitars are still set for the '50s growl, with the rest of the band following suit. The Americana feel of the album resonates through the lyrics as well; hell the title track is a saturated home-spun American rock story, with a unique punk edge a la a "less-edgy" Against Me!. Fallon uses an echo chorus backing many tracks, and it works to create a fuller sound that carries from track to track. The ONLY complaint is that the album ends way too quickly, as each track moves effortlessly into the next, and before you know it, DONE. My favorite tracks include the intro on "The Diamond Church Street Choir," which really shows the rhythm/blues ability of the band; plus the guitar riffs are straight addicting, and only reinforces Fallon's story. It's a great album, and definitely one of my favorites of the year, so far. Let's see how long the link lasts...

1. American Slang
2. Stay Lucky
3. Bring it On
4. The Diamond Church Street Choir
5. The Queen of Lower Chelsea
6. Orphans
7. Boxer
8. Old Haunts
9. The Spirit of Jazz
10. We Did it When We Were Young

Link:
RIAA Nazis...

Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind

Mono's 5th album is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's an epic post-rock experience. While also a lengthy album, I think you really need to listen to the entire thing without skipping around to get the whole experience. Completely brilliant. Short of that, there's not much to say.

1. Ashes in the Snow
2. Burial at Sea
3. Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn
4. Pure as Snow (Trails of the Winter Storm)
5. Follow the Map
6. The Battle to Heaven
7. Everlasting Light

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?znj2m4zjy3w

Rocky Votolato - True Devotion

I completely missed the release of this album, partly because I'm a horrible Rocky fan, and partly because I've been in and out of the scene for the past few months. This album is just about is slower and quiet than Bragg and Cuss, and with less production value, but it's still solid. That's the beauty of Rocky, and the genre: it's minimalist. Acoustic guitars, a whiskey battered voice and throw in a harmonica every now and then...bam, you have an album. Since everything is so basic, the lyrics are what make the difference, and at this, Rocky excels. The lyrics are by no means hopeful, in fact, these are some of his more depressing lyrics, especially "Sparklers." This is a great album, and my only qualm is that it's too short (33 minutes or so). Great for studying for finals, or just lounging with some whiskey.

1. Lucky Clover Coin
2. Fragments
3. Red River
4. Eyes Like Static
5. Sparklers
6. Instruments
7. What Waited For Me
8. Sun Devil
9. Don't Be Angry
10. Where We Started

Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/?xc25oelmyxm