Capsule is a three-piece, post hardcore, punk rock band that I stumbled across the other night while searching for music. They play hard and fast, almost as if each member is trying to out do the other. “Neuralize So Numb”, the opening track, clocks in at a blazing 1:05. The song is angry, aggressive, and very catchy. It ends almost as quickly as it starts, and it will punch you in the face, so you have to pay attention. I really like this song, and I hope you enjoy it too.
The Devil Whale
The Devil Whale is a great band out of Salt Lake City. The music they play is a blend of 60’s and 70’s era folk, garage, and pop. They self-released their new full length Teeth at the end of May. It’s an excellent album as you can hear from the taste provided below, it has been on constant rotation since I got it. After enjoying the song we have shared, head on over to their bandcamp page and give the entire album a try, you will not be disappointed.
The Devil Whale – Standing Stones
http://thedevilwhale.bandcamp.com/
Black Lips
The Black Lips are releasing a new album titled Arabia Mountain with Vice Records on June 7. The new songs they have made available (below) seem a bit more polished than previous releases. Now don’t go and have a heart attack, or start calling them “sell outs” just yet, the cleaned up sound is definitely not a bad thing. They still rock, and sound like they are still having a blast doing it.
Shan’s original post from 01.05.2007:
Lester Bangs’ favorite song was “96 Tears” the Mysterians. John Peel’s favorite was “Teenage Kicks” by the Undertones. Both were love songs by garage bands that could barely play chords and likely couldn’t read music any better than I can. The message is clear: for the most vaunted of audiophiles, “bad” is the best kind of rock music because the whole point is that it’s supposed to sound bad to somebody, hopefully your parents and/or local law enforcement officials and church leaders. By those standards, the Atlanta group Black Lips is pretty damned good. Granted, their really-old garage sound is slightly more preening than authentic, but that seems to be purely a matter of birthdates. You don’t get the sense that they’re being anything but their goofy-ass selves when they sing about having a bad day or set off on some epic live shows of Brian-Jonestown-Massacre proportions. For that, we salute them.
Seapony
Seapony is a three-piece band from Seattle, WA. Their music is pretty simple, mostly three chords with all drum beats coming from a drum machine. The guitars are fuzzy and have that “surf-rock” sound, while the vocals are breathy, and sound like they are being sung through a pay phone. I’m really digging both of the songs included below, they have a very chill summer time feel to them. I hope you enjoy them as well.
Pearly Gate Music
Spring showed up and left in a matter of a few days. Anyone who lives or has lived in Utah knows that the weather here changes at a moments notice, and as we had a beautiful clear day yesterday, today is gray and wet. This change in the weather will not get me down though, I have found Pearly Gate Music.
The band is Zach Tillman and, according to Barsuk, “he records and usually plays live with a stylistic variety of full-band options”. The folk music he creates is warm and sunny, just like the weather we had in Utah yesterday. The song “Bad Nostalgia” sounds like it could have been recorded at a religious revival. The songs below are perfect for any summer mixtape, but also excellent for the rainy days when there is nothing better to do than lay around the house and listen to music. Enjoy.
Shabazz Palaces
I don’t know much about Shabazz Palaces. I know that one of the members, Placeer Lazaro, is otherwise known as Ishmael Butler from the hip hop group Digable Planets. I also know that Sub Pop will release their new Album Black Up on June 28.
The song “An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum” is very cool and original sounding, using spaced-out samples mixed with a slow deep beat, definitely not your average hip hop track. Check it out.
Shabazz Palaces – An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum
The Cave Singers
The Cave Singers is a three-piece folk band from Seattle, Washington. The band consists of guitarist Derek Fudesco (former Pretty Girls Make Graves bassist), along with drummer Marty Lund (formerly of Cobra High), and vocalist Pete Quirk (formerly of Hint Hint). They formed in 2007 just after the demise of PGMG. They have released three outstanding albums to date. No Witch, their third release and first on Jagjaguwar, is a departure from their two previous releases in that most of the songs are now electric.
The two songs below are a great illustration of the transition they have made from their past acoustic sound to their new electric sound. “Swim Club”, with it’s sweet and warm acoustic roll, conjures the feelings of working out in the yard on a nice summer day while the kids ride their bikes up and down the street. While “Black Leaf” brings the rock, and brings it good. The hand claps, tambourine and chunky guitar really make this song move. These songs are so good, when you have finished listening to them, you will immediately go out and buy this album. It may even become THE soundtrack to your upcoming summer. Enjoy.
Tune-Yards
Two days ago I had no knowledge of Tune-Yards. I stumbled upon them while searching through the webs looking for something new. I came across a description on Pitchfork.com of their music, calling it a mixture of folk, R&B, funk, Afro-pop, and rock. That combination of genre’s peaked my musical curiosity. I had to check them out.
Tune-Yards newest album, W H O K I L L, is even cooler than I imagined, and the song, “Bizness” is a great example of the album as a whole. The song is full of layers, like a musical trifle if you will. Layers of saxaphone, drums, background vocals, and what I think is a keyboard, but can’t tell for sure. All those components are held together by a driving bass line, from new member, Nate Brenner, that really moves the song along. Singer (and sole member before the addition of Brenner) Merrill Garbus seems to strain as she sings/yells/almost raps at times the lyrics. This is a great song to put on repeat while in the car and blast it for all the passers-by to enjoy with you.