MP3: The Worst Is Over
Artist: Stillman Website
Album: The Weightless EP Buy Now
Genre: Indie

Yet another Big Contact Open Channel find: Stillman says: Described by Glasswerk.co.uk as - 'A beautiful ep indeed, the best I can describe it would be if Coldplay married the Doves and adopted Thom Yorke and Grant Nicholas. It's sublime and truly beautiful, its rare to find songs that make you feel happy and sad at the same time.' Content courtesy of Big Contact Open Channel.
Thu, 2 Jun 2005 15:12:45 GMT



Soft - You Make Me Wanna Die

MP3: You Make Me Wanna Die
Artist: Soft Website
Album: Single
Label: Self-Released Website
Genre: Rock

And yet even more Soft. Content courtesy of Big Contact Open Channel.
Fri, 27 May 2005 11:03:15 GMT



Soft - Lucky Jam

MP3: Lucky Jam
Artist: Soft Website
Album: Single
Label: Self-Released Website
Genre: Rock

Yet more Soft. Content courtesy of Big Contact Open Channel.
Fri, 27 May 2005 11:02:32 GMT



Soft - Droppin

MP3: Droppin'
Artist: Soft Website
Album: Single
Label: Self-Released Website
Genre: Rock

More Soft. Content courtesy of Big Contact Open Channel.
Fri, 27 May 2005 11:01:26 GMT



Soft - All That You're Shown

MP3: All That You're Shown
Artist: Soft Website
Album: Single
Label: Self-Released Website
Genre: Rock

Soft added a handful of songs to the Big Contact Open Channel recently - and somehow, every single one of them is damn good.
Fri, 27 May 2005 11:00:32 GMT



Bullette - I Can't Tell You Why I'm Smiling

MP3: I Can't Tell You Why I'm Smiling
Artist: Bullette Website
Album: The Secrets Buy Now
Label: Emelkay Inc. Website
Genre: Indie

This Delawarean reminds me of Edith Frost.

Content courtesy of Big Contact Open Channel.
Fri, 27 May 2005 10:58:09 GMT



The Stygians - Candlestick Park

MP3: Candlestick Park
Artist: The Stygians Website
Label: Concrete and Clay Website

Another from Concrete and Clay label's posting on the Big Contact Open Channel. "Quirky summertime indie-pop" it states. Yes it's a cheerful tune. Not sure if the tinny sound is from the encoding of the mp3 or their recordings/samples. Too bad. Other than that a good-time of an instrumental...
Tue, 17 May 2005 11:55:39 GMT



The Black Squirrels - Barn Owl

MP3: Barn Owl
Artist: The Black Squirrels Website
Label: Concrete and Clay Website

London's Concrete and Clay have a handful of really good, mostly instrumental, cut-and-paste and hip-hop meets indie-pop artists. And most seem to share a slightly sloppy, fuck-it-all, drunken, anti-commercial attitude. That's the sense I get anyway. I dig it much. Nice genre-juggling. My hat goes off to the artists there... Content from Big Contact Open Channel. The description for this artist and their mp3 says: "Hip-hop meets snooze-core."
Tue, 17 May 2005 11:08:44 GMT



VW - Reakes and Shapiro

MP3: Reakes and Shapiro
Artist: VW Website
Label: Concrete and Clay Website

There is a handful of good stuff from London-based label Concrete and Clay on the Big Contact Open Channel today.
Tue, 17 May 2005 10:48:58 GMT



Man On Earth - Come In Closer

MP3: Come In Closer
Artist: Man On Earth Website
Album: Disposable Sounds For The Fickle Mind Buy Now
Label: Forward Thinking Records Website

Got this one from Big Contact Open Channel.
Mon, 2 May 2005 20:36:32 GMT



Codachrome - Sometimes Baby

MP3: Sometimes Baby
Artist: Codachrome Website
Label: Mother West Website

You may know Paolo from NYC's The Deli magazine. This is his band. This track is also on the Big Contact Open Channel.
Mon, 2 May 2005 20:34:25 GMT



The Honorary Title - Bridge and Tunnel

MP3: Bridge and Tunnel
Artist: The Honorary Title Website
Album: Anything Else But The Truth Buy Now
Label: Doghouse Records Website

Really good Brooklyn-sounding music. Brooklyn-sounding? You know what I mean.
Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:24:47 GMT



The Perishers - Sway

MP3: Sway
Artist: The Perishers Website
Album: Let There Be Morning Buy Now
Label: Nettwerk Website

One of the nice things about this Hellthy format is that the music is here for you to hear for yourself. Why do text reviews exist? Because magazines and some zines don't let you hear for yourself - so they have to put into words the sounds of music. Why bother when you can hear it now and know now. I say this because I don't plan on writing anything worth a damn for this entry.

Oh yeah, another use of text is to put the music in context. But, come on, how useful is that?..

Ok, this is a Swedish band with an inoffensive, agreeable pop sound. (Why do the Swedes often seem to offer just enough subtlety to make standard, straight-forward tunes sound a little more interesting? If you put the same song in 99.8% of anyone else's hands to perform it will probably sound like any forgettable barroom garbage. Is it just because they are foreign? Or is it something in the make-up of their northernly environment allowing their antenna to pick up quieter tones?) Ok, I've said more than I intended.
Wed, 27 Apr 2005 11:49:29 GMT



Okkervil River - For Real

MP3: For Real
Artist: Okkervil River Website
Album: Black Sheep Boy Buy Now
Label: Jagjaguwar Website

Another example supporting my theory that indie music makers are getting antsy in their pantsy for a little more bombast, a little more shake, a little more rock n' roll. The door is slamming closed on the Will Oldham era of indie music it seems. Austin's talkie Okkervil River shifts gears slightly to give us this 80's pop-rock tinged number.
Wed, 27 Apr 2005 11:10:46 GMT



The Elected - Greetings In Braille

MP3: Greetings In Braille
Artist: The Elected Website
Album: Me First Buy Now
Label: Sub Pop Website

Agreeable pop from Sub Pop Records.
Tue, 26 Apr 2005 10:05:16 GMT



The Innocence Mission - Tomorrow on the Runway

MP3: Tomorrow on the Runway
Artist: The Innocence Mission Website
Album: Befriended Buy Now
Label: Badman Recording Company Website

Drumless Innocence Mission from 2003.
Tue, 26 Apr 2005 10:02:52 GMT



The Shins - So Says I

MP3: So Says I
Artist: The Shins Website
Album: Chutes Too Narrow Buy Now
Label: Sub Pop Website

Yes this is an older track too - from The Shins' 2003 Chutes Too Narrow. But here you go.
Tue, 26 Apr 2005 10:01:17 GMT



Summer at Shatter Creek - Ever Changing Mood

MP3: Ever Changing Mood
Artist: Summer at Shatter Creek Website
Album: All The Answers Buy Now
Label: Badman Recording Company Website

I thought I wouldn't post much more "Indie-Lite" music. But here you go. Latest release from San Francisco's Badman label.
Tue, 26 Apr 2005 10:00:34 GMT



Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Bang

MP3: Bang
Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs Website
Album: Self-Titled EP Buy Now

This is an older song I played to death when my mp3 player had 4 songs on it. It's probably because I heard it so much those couple of years ago that listening to it now the song seems so dated - seems so NYC 2002. Ha. That and it was part of that innocent time before Garage music was played incessantly on VH1 and MTV. The Deli Magazine reports that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are in the studio now recording their latest. Here it is for your enjoyment.
Tue, 26 Apr 2005 09:05:22 GMT



These Arms Are Snakes - Angelas Secret

MP3: Angelas Secret
Artist: These Arms Are Snakes Website
Album: Oxeneers or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home Buy Now
Label: Jade Tree Website

I was just thinking how bored I am with Green Party cry-baby music when I get this email from Jade Tree saying, hey check this out. I've heard TAAS before - and yes, seen all the ads and articles etc - and I can't recall if I've posted them before or no - I don't think I did. The other tracks didn't hit me like this one. This track is hot.
Fri, 15 Apr 2005 11:50:27 GMT



Diamond Nights - Destination Diamonds

MP3: Destination Diamonds
Artist: Diamond Nights Website
Label: Kemado Website
Genre: Glam Rock

I first heard this on the The Deli Magazine. We are seeing the next trend in indie-ville: rock n' roll with testicles. The Green-Party weepy music era is soon to draw to a close I predict.

Yes, the punk-tinged garage sounds came and went - but that just points to the fact that the kids are restless - they want Rock but they haven't tasted IT yet. They haven't found IT yet. They want IT!

Right now there's a kind of Bring-Back-Dokken kind of trend. And, as most things in Indie-ville, its tongue-in-cheek with a big dollup of style and pretense wrapped around stolen nostalgic hooks: "Ha-Ha. Look at us being silly and 80's glam." Comedy music Tenacious D whetted our whistles and then came The Darkness, Japan's DMBQ I posted a couple days ago, Black Mountain... All lifting late 70's and 80's riffs, squealing the vocals and not taking themselves too seriously because they really don't trust The Rock.

I predict, that some day, the sky will part and down from the mountain a band will come and rock the balls off every boy and girl in the land... and they will be happy... IT is what The People are waiting for.
Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:19:44 GMT



DMBQ - Smoker

MP3: Smoker
Artist: DMBQ Website
Label: Estrus Records Website

I don't normally put un-full clips up but I'm always on the lookout for a) Japanese bands and b) something good and loud. S0 here you go. Teasers from Japan's DMBQ.
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 11:33:58 GMT



DMBQ - Milk and Sugar

MP3: Milk & Sugar
Artist: DMBQ Website
Label: Estrus Records Website

I don't normally put un-full clips up but I'm always on the lookout for a) Japanese bands and b) something good and loud. S0 here you go. Teasers from Japan's DMBQ.
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 11:22:10 GMT



The Diplomats Of Solid Sound - The Cuber Bake

MP3: The Cuber Bake
Artist: The Diplomats Of Solid Sound Website
Album: Let's Cool One Buy Now
Label: Estrus Records Website

Retro-boogaloo for you from The Diplomats Of Solid Sound. Aping basic Booker T structures (is this a Booker T song? Sounds familiar?). Nothing new here but that's ok. God bless the Hammond organ eh? It's got to be the coolest instrument since man began smacking stretched animal skins.
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 11:21:34 GMT



Magnolia Electric Co. - Leave The City

MP3: Leave The City
Artist: Magnolia Electric Co. Website
Album: What Comes After The Blues Buy Now
Label: Secretly Canadian Website

Another from Jason Molina and his new Magnolia Electric Co. album.
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 10:58:11 GMT



Weird War - Illuminated

MP3: Illuminated
Artist: Weird War Website
Album: Illuminated By The Light
Label: Drag City Website

Fuzzed-out 60's retro goofiness with some cheap 80's drum machine highlights.
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 10:53:32 GMT



Nomo - Better Than That

MP3: Better Than That
Artist: Nomo Website

Some Michigan-made Afrobeat for Spring.
Tue, 12 Apr 2005 10:35:42 GMT



Magnolia Electric Co. - The Dark Don't Hide It

MP3: The Dark Don't Hide It
Artist: Magnolia Electric Co. Website
Album: What Comes After The Blues Buy Now
Label: Secretly Canadian Website

Jason Molina and his Songs: Ohia has always hit me where it's nice getting hit. Absolutely great stuff. There are few craftsmen who pitch less bullshit than Molina. He picks up the tempo (all the way up to mid-tempo!) with a newly named outfit: Magnolia Electric Co.
Fri, 8 Apr 2005 11:56:52 GMT



Timonium - Crushed Discs

MP3: Crushed Discs
Artist: Timonium Website
Album: Resist Education Buy Now
Label: Pehr Website

I've played some Timonium back in the early days of Hellthy. Think it's time to show off more. Some members from this band also run the label Pehr out of L.A. which is known for great downtempo indie sounds. They are also the blokes distributing my outfit Argentine's first record.

This track is actually from a previous album Resist Education. They have a new album out Until He Finds Us - but I'm a sucker for the slimey 70's keyboard sounds of this tune.
Fri, 8 Apr 2005 10:35:27 GMT



High On Fire - 10,000 Years

MP3: 10,000 Years
Artist: High On Fire Website
Album: The Art Of Self Defense Buy Now
Label: Tee Pee Records Website

Lest yee have forgotten the Rock - not Post-Rock. Rock. Taste these riffs.
Fri, 8 Apr 2005 11:49:28 GMT



Enon - Kanon

MP3: Kanon
Artist: Enon Website
Album: Lost Marbles And Exploded Evidence Buy Now
Label: Touch And Go Website

I was happy to find Enon's first album a handful of years ago. The instrumentation seemed inventive to me. The way they mixed hook-filled rock n' roll with the cut and paste Pro Tools funky weirdness without losing any motion was nice to hear. But John Schmersal's lyrical content was not engaging. He did not want to risk saying anything. Over the course of a few albums I think more of the vocal duties were handed over to Toko Yasudo where lyrical content still doesn't connect - but at least it's wrapped up in the excuse of a Japanese's inflections - which is a little more fun.
Fri, 8 Apr 2005 10:56:34 GMT



Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland 1945

MP3: Holland 1945
Artist: Neutral Milk Hotel Website
Album: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea Buy Now
Label: Merge Records Website

While my new mission is to present more of the latest and greatest releases from various bands - I'm going to occasionally present a few classics from back in the day for those who haven't heard.

Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is one such album. A perversely great album start to finish.
Mon, 4 Apr 2005 09:25:26 GMT