Raooul/Skinned Teen 12"

RIOT GRRRL!

I love it. And i'm a dude. I probably have vagina envy.

I really love it when they speed it up, and get like close to hardcore, sonically. Not alot of bands back in the day did this, and the prime example that I can come up with, is Raooul. Mostly because they only have one major recording, this split 12" with Skinned Teen, they've been forgotten. Well, that's just not fair!

Lots of screaming, amateur playing, roughness, shit-tons of profanity, and a little sass. Yeah! The type of music your mother is guarenteed to HATE.

This shares alot sonically to Yum Yum Tree. I blogged about them earlier, check them out if you like this.

Check out the write up and d/l it here at I could die tomorrow.

Oh Foot- Algernon

Oh foot is a local indie pop duet. Not bad, but not super great or original, in my opinion. They do harmonize with each other well, and that's it's redeeming factor, in my opinion.



It's quieter than most indie pop, and in a lot of ways feels more 60's folky. My favorite is the cover of what is love?, personally.

Felt like sharing music but not like talking much. So here you go, at 320. Hope you enjoy it.

Check out their myspace and help 'em out.

sharebee.com/19995561

The Blue Up?

This morning I have a cd by a band that I just came across. It's odd, pretty obscure and I'm super educated about this new find, but i'm really diggin' it. But, I've been blogging about getting your musical vegetables, so here it is for you to check out.

From what i've found, the blue up? was a rock band from minneanapolis in the early 90's, and it owes a ton to babes in toyland, one of my favorite early 90's female alternative bands. So, I'm into the blue up? a little from the begininng, and while I don't think it's as good as babes in toyland, it's a unique listen with it's own positives.

Ana Voog, the main singer/member has done some solo work and currently has a 24hr art cam project going on.

Here's their main album, at 320 of course.

Check out Ana Voog's interesting website here.

Endive Discog.

You may or may not know that I have a deep love for early emocore/math rock/indie rock. Well, you do now. The problem is, the field was heavily dominated by men, so it makes it hard for me to blog about. A while back I came across an early midwest emo band-Endive- who had a female singer. It made me very happy. It made me less happy to find out they only recorded a couple of songs.

All I know is that they were from Indianapolis and later were involved with this band majhas and some other hardcore screamo bands.

Too bad, I guess. Enjoy what they left here at Globulos Negros:

http://globulosnegros.blogspot.com/2009/04/endive.html

Poppet-Bird's the Word EP

Sorry about the long stretch with no awesome music. I'm back with something amazing- Poppet.

She's a local to sacramento/davis, ca and i've seen her a number of times, and it is just better each time. We've labeled her the "davis' loop pedal princess", which should clue you into what exactly she's up to, basically a cappela stuff with loop pedals and a keyboard. Some of it is cute, some of it is wierd, some of it is melancholic, some just can't be explained. Her voice yelps all over the place, usually something to do with birds (thus the title "Birds the Word"). In alot of ways, she's like Birds Fled From Me, another loop pedalist from Santa Cruz that I blogged about a while ago.

It's very simple, and has a room recording feel (but not in like a lo-fi sense). It's like garage rock (as in the sense that garage rock is really just bastardized rock) but with keyboards and loop pedals.

But what can I say? I'm a wierd guy who sometimes like wierd things. Maybe people who haven't seen her live won't understand it.

Definiately give it a listen at the least.

Download here for free at rainbow destroyer

And check out her myspace

Calling All Girls!

Not to toot my own horn too much, but I just want to post the link to one of the radio shows that I host on kdvs. I cohost a female vocalist show (who would've guessed), and this past week we played mostly twee/indie pop, so I figured I'd share it all with you so you can learn some new bands and enjoy some classics.

Stream at 320kb here for up to 2 months.

There's more info about the songs and some commentary here at the show's page, but below is the shortened version. * denotes new music, so check them out!

Song Order
Heavenly-Stop Before You Say It

-airbreak-

the Pastels-Firebell Ringing
Aberdeen-Sunny in California
the Carosel-Yesterday Boy
Chin-Chin-Dark Days

-airbreak-

Polly Perkins - You Too Can Be A Beatle
Weekend-Weekend Stroll
Simone Jackson- Pop Pop Pop Pie
The Flips-Baby (It's Gonna Be Alright)
Wandering Lucy-Hard One

-airbreak-

Juniper Moon-Volveras?
Strawberry Story-I Still Want You
that dog-Punk Rock Girl
Nosotrash-Hacia El Sur

		Grenadine- I Only Have Eyes For You

-airbreak-

Tiger Trap-Hiding
Pipas-Riff Raff
The Best Wishes-Beautiful Morning
Cat's Meow-Tangle My Shoes
Veronica Falls-Starry Eyes
World of Pooh-Someone Wants You Dead

	Eggplant	- Because Some Things Are

-airbreak-

The Mayfair Set-Desert Fun
Black Tambourine-Can't Explain
Velocity Girl-There's Only One Thing Left to Say
Marine Research-Venn Diagram

-airbreak-

Tender Trap-Oh Katrina
Maylove-In a Tinderbox Love Song
Maybellines-Our Midnight
Maybelines-What About Me
The Corner Laughers-The Commonest Manifesto* (check out their myspace http://www.myspace.com/cornerlaughers)
Pants Yell!* (untitled)

-airbreak-

The Happy Hollows- Faces*

Fanshaw-Diana*

-airbreak-

Princess-Say I'm Your Number One (a suprise, just to mess with you all)

Elefant Records EP Collection

I'm blogging awfully early this morning. I'm patting myself on my back.

Anyways, I've got a lovely little collection of EP's that Elefant Records released on a sampler back in 2000, mostly Spanish (as in from Spain) indie pop from 1994-2000. (The band Supercute is from Wales, and Juniper Moon is more pop-punk).

The whole collection is awesome, especially if you love cutesy female indie pop/twee pop/rock in general. And, if you need to practice your Spanish, this is the way to do it!

Yeah! 90's indie pop!

Ripped at 320 for your sonic pleasure.
http://www.mediafire.com/?ltynrzt5mkh

kc quilty-clover/coriander

So, you may remember me blogging about kcquilty a while back as a band to watch, and after I got around to reading all the blog posts I missed, I found out that their new LP, clover/coriander came out.

Check out my old post about them:
http://balladofaladyman.blogspot.com/2009/12/kc-quilty.html

Also, buy their new album:
kcquilty.com

Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies

I just got back from the trinity alps in northern california (west of mt. shasta) and that's what I would've seen had it not been raining all weekend.

I listened to my fill of Led Zeppelin this weekend with friends in the car ride there, not that I don't like zeppelin, but I dunno I hear it all the time.

So I'm going to post something I don't hear all the time, that most people don't hear ever, and that is oddly enough, not really that different from Led Zeppelin. Who's this, you may ask? Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies.

You may have noticed that cute, trendy photograph of them to the right, in my "who I'm crazy in love with" box. I guess I'll change that now. Plus, i've been in a "I-feel-like-posting-new-bands" kick for some reason, perhaps because i've been listening to more new music than I normally do. I'm sure this is what attracts those magical "bleaders" (yes, i'm making this up, work with me), aka blog readers to my page. Most people read blogs for new bands than old ones, or at least I have this belief in my mind.

Anyways, Violet Vector, (for short) are from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Don't get me started about that town, let's just say if someone put a gun to my head and made me live in the south, it would be there (or perhaps, Athens, GA or Austin, TX (is that the south?)). It's a fun indie pop/garage/girl group sound, it's cute, and so are they.

Not much else to say, really. I've really been into their second EP, aptly titled EPII. Not that their first EP is bad, but the second's artwork is highly superior, and people want new stuff usually. So, without further adeu, here it is, at 320 kb, of course.
http://sharebee.com/f50f2752

Uhh, yeah, still haven't done anything about this comment problem. Sorry.

Gaze- Seedless 7"

I wrote a whole paragraph about how much I love Rose Melberg and then deleted it, because she's not even the leader of Gaze, and I don't want this blog to be some Rose devotional.

Gaze still rules, however, and generally ties with Tiger Trap for my favorite work of hers. Their two main albums, Mitsmeru and Shake the Pounce, aren't too hard to come by, so I'll let you find them yourself. Their 7"s, on the other hand, are pretty hard to come by.

Generally, Gaze is just fairly standard 90's twee pop. But hey, there ain't nothing wrong with that. Believe it or not, Rose Melberg isn't the main singer- she does alot of background vocals for the other members- Miko Hoffman and Megan Mallet.

Hopefully you like this, their first 7'', Seedless. The b-side appears on their first album as well. Ripped at 320, and I know, I haven't fixed the comments. Sorry.

sharebee.com/a6f76232

Frightwig

It's interesting how certain bands become famous during their careers, afterwards, or not at all. Frightwig, for example is an odd case. They were a 80's punk/rock all girl band. You could say they were to Bikini Kill as the Stooges were to the Ramones. And, if that's not enough, some of the great 90's female acts, aka Bikini Kill, PJ Harvey, Hole, etc, have personally indebted themselves to Frightwig. Yet, nobody (even most fans of Riot Grrrl that I've come across) has heard of them.

They are more rocky feeling than actual riot grrrl, but whoever runs this dandy blog called "rebelbass" has already done my job, and better than I could, and posted the majority of their discography.

So hop on over here and get some female music edumacation.

Tomorrow, before I see an awesome house show with Autumn Sky and Meredith Axelrod, which I will record and will hopefully be worthy of your ears, I think i'm going to post Gaze's first 7", so stay tuned for some AMAZING ROSE MELBERG TWEE POP GREATNESS.

That is all.

Ólöf Arnalds- Við og Við

If you're like me, you love Joanna Newsom. You also can't wait until February 23rd for her new album either (it's funny, because that's my brother's b-day, and he doesn't like her at all). To tide us all over, may I introduce you to Ólöf Arnalds.

She's like a less-polished Icelandic version of Joanna Newsom, without all that fancy orchestra backing her up. It's more visceral, intimate, kind of what I imagine having Joanna Newsom play at my house right when the sun's coming up after we've been up all night doing all sorts of 18th century romantic things. Like seeing plays and riding our horses or something.

Track 3 sounds the most newsom-esque, but I'm probably making her sound too much like Joanna. She's definately got her own feel, and overall sounds much more like a 60's acid-folk musician than a modern day folk one.

This album, Við og Við, is actually a couple of years old, but just being issued in the US now. (I know, I know, we never get anything good in this god-forsaken place).

Ripped at 320kb and awaiting your eager ears here.

Also check out her myspace.

Kitten Forever-Magical Realism 7"

Kitten Forever is one of my favorite new riot grrrl/post punk bands at the moment. They've got a really good vibe to them, for lack of any other description. Plus, they list husker du as an influence, automatic points with me.

I guess the best way to describe it is to put all your favorite female punk, post punk, and riot grrrl, (a little extra on the riot grrrl) and hit blend. If you follow this blog at all, you probably know my affinity for this 'sound' of music.

They look like a bunch of transient-psuedo hippies (trust me, I am qualified to make this judgement) and that also makes me like them. The fact that they're from Minneapolis is cool, mostly because it's nice to see riot grrrl post punk stuff coming out of areas that aren't normally associated with it (i.e. the northwest).

I ripped their new 7", Magical Realism (at 320, of course!). It's really magical. Definiately buy it, and check out their myspace.

sharebee.com/b2fe6cb2

Introducing...Pompoir

I still haven't gotten all my hearing back from last night's show in sacto at the hub. First, a local kdvs dj, Julia, played her first live set as Waxy Tomb. Interesting experimental/crimson wave stuff. I'll probably get around to posting her debut cdr sometime, if she doesn't mind. San Kazagascar also played, another sacto local. He does a country/psychedelic rock thing that was pretty good, just not really my thing. The 'headliner' was easily Pompoir, a magical band from that great big thing above us, Canada. (Vancouver, to be exact. What the fuck is up with Vancouver? They've really got some good shit cooking up there these days, don't they?)

Just let me quote their myspace:
"pompoir (also known as "playing the flute") is the practice of stimulating the man's penis solely through use of the woman's vaginal muscles. Both partners remain still, and the woman strokes the man's erection by rhythmic, rippling pulses of the PC muscles, so this practice is best performed in a woman on top position. Performing Kegel or pelvic floor exercises can increase a woman's skill in Pompoir by strengthening the relevant muscles, and allow her to identify, and isolate individual muscles, to contract them in turn to provide the rippling sensation"

Oddly enough, the music doesn't really correlate to what I imagined after checking out their myspace. It's really just melvins influenced grunge. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I love grungey rock, and happened to be in a certain mood that definitely helped. They also really fucking rock-and rock hard. The woman also sings, which gives it almost a gits feel at times, if they were more like the Melvins. I love the gits, and when Pompoir hit their stride (which I feel is when she's singing lead and the guy's complementing her), I felt like I was in Seattle circa 1989, the real fucking deal.

They also did a couple of covers, which were excellent. Normally, it takes me a while to get into bands, and seeing a band live is usually not enough time for me to wrap my mind around it. It's the mark of an unusually talented band when I was completely wrapped into the music by the second song.

The crowd was small, but the hub is ridiculously small to begin with, so it was nice. I got some cool pics and was way too close to the band for my ears' health.

I bought a copy of their new one-sided 12'', "exploding time". It doesn't showcase the band very well, unfortunately. It's very cool though- the other side has a cool silk-screened design. Hopefully, I'll get some of their other releases and give them a spin too. I'm not sure if i'll rip this one for you all to listen to. If you all really want it, perhaps. I do definitely recommend you check out their myspace and buy something, or at least see them live if they ever come around your 'zone'.

Pompoir
San Kazakgascar

Sugar Hiccup- Oracle and Womb

I've probably blogged about how much I love the Cocteau Twins before, so I'll keep my Cocteau Twin worshiping to a minimum. I feel that alot of the bands that cite them as an influence don't really sound like them, but perhaps take the idea, or the soul of the Cocteau Twins. While that's great, what I really love about the Cocteau Twins is the music. That's why I love Sugar Hiccup so much. It doesn't copy their sound, just elaborates it. They sound much more like a band, and have a little rockier edge, but it's still very ethereal. Melody del Mundo, the lead vocalist, has a similar, yet unique voice, that's just as powerful as Elizabeth Fraser. Sometimes, the guitarist and Melody duet, which is a nice touch.

The coolest part is that they're from the Philippines. Who would've guessed?

They've put out three albums, but their main singer left before the newest one (2006), and I've never listened to it, so I can't say if it's any good. I doubt it's bad.

Needless to say, every Cocteau Twins fan should at least hear their first two albums, Oracle, and Womb.

Ripped at 256. Sorry, but it's hard to find their stuff on the interwebs.

http://sharebee.com/303ba8f5

OMGOMGOMGOMG

YOU MUST READ THIS NOW.

Black Tambourine's got a new reissue, but this time, it has UNRELEASED SONGS!!!! (now they get to smack the dumbass who called their last album "complete recordings"). AND, they recorded some songs they never got recorded back in the day!

But, this news is a-fucking-mazing. Like holy shit-fucking-god-damn-jesus loves me amazing. I love Black Tambourine, so so so much I can't find the words to describe it. If you've never heard of Black Tambourine, they were one of the first slumberland records bands, and did a shoegaze/indie pop shtick, in the vein of the Vivian Girls (but better and 20 years earlier). I don't know what to do with myself! I don't think I can wait until March 30th!

If you've never heard of them, now's a good time to start, and ironically, the place to start is their complete recordings...right here

I am totally pre-ordering this on vinyl. I've never pre-ordered anything. ANYTHING.

Yeah, I know this news is kinda old. I'm always behind. Ohhhhh Well.

I'm also going to post an album for you, tonight. So check back.

The Shondes

Wow, I just realized how 80's my blog looks. It's literally like if they had blogs in 1985. That doesn't really surprise me, people (in real life) have commented many times how i'm stuck in the 80's. Oddly, I wasn't even trying to make it look 80's, i'm sure if I had, it wouldn't have worked out so well.

Since I love irony, I don't actually have an 80's band for you today, or even an 80's influenced band, just a 90's/punk/riot grrrl influenced band. Anyways, the Shondes are from Brooklyn and happen to be friends of mine. They're continuing the riot grrrl tradition, but giving it their own little twist. You can tell just by their name, which is yiddish for shame of disgrace. What I really love, however, is the mix of the violins and folk music into the punk mix. Sophisti-punk? I dunno. Sophistipunkicated? Perhaps I should stop while I'm ahead.

At times, it seems like a punkier version of the dresden dolls. At other times, I hear bikini kill, others the smashing pumpkins. I love all of those bands, so i'm not complaining!

Oh, and their new album my dear one drops on May 4th! Soooooo mark your calendars.

Check out a free song here

And their myspace here