Christmas Comes Early For Us Thanks to Jesus

I love Zola Jesus, but since I haven't seen her new EP posted anywhere (maybe I'm just bad at finding things), the internet police may be on top of their shit with this release. So I'll make the post fairly cryptic and those of you that follow my semi-frequent postings will get a treat. Ironically, the music is very cryptic as well...

Anyways, I definitely urge you to listen to her work and her new EP, as it's fantastic, it's so good you'll want to buy it. It's basically a crazy psychedelic freak out mixed with rock, dream pop, darkwave, and more recent sounds, like chillwave, with some synths thrown in for good measure.

Musically, it's kind of a faster, less ominous, more rock based Grouper. This is the perfect weather for fall, dark, eerie, but not too sedated. The album was recorded in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, which clearly comes through on the record. At times, it feels like a darkwave opera, which is fine by me. It also reminds me of what the Cocteau Twins would sound like if they were a new hip band today, although Nika Danilova's vocals (while great) are not quite Elizabeth Frasier's.

I can't wait until her next full length in 2011. Hopefully the stridulum ep will tide us over.

D/L (only 192kb, sorry, but I can get flac if anyone wants it)
Buy it

ESG- Moody

ESG were a funk/dance hybrid. Imagine a NYC club version of PiL, with even better (and more) bass and live drumming. Oh, silly me, I forgot to mention the amazing female vocals. Anyways, ESG is one of the most influential bands on dance/club music of all time, and you've never even heard of them. I have most of their work, so if you want me to post it, just ask. Great shit to dance to. Probably the best, IMO, if you love minimal beats, the 80's, female vocals and funk...

Shannon and the Clams

A great rock/garage/party band from Oakland. A blast to listen to and even more fun live. About a million times better live. Yeah. Just listen. Whatever I say will sell them short.

Download their new 7", Paddy's Birthday, here.

Buy their 7" and album here.

Sleater-Kinney- The Woods (flac)

Not to leave out Sleater-Kinney's newer work, here's their last album (so far), The Woods. For many younger S-K fans, including me, this album served as an introduction. Now that I have, love, and thoroughly listened to all of their albums, I'm still not sure if it was the best place to start then (or now), but never-the-less it is where I started.

The Woods is by far the most "sleater-kinney sounding" album yet at the same time sounds much different than their past work. I probably confused you more than I helped you, and you need to have listened to most of their albums to get this one, to a certain extent. In the fact that this album takes the inner energy, themes, and style of their early work while transferring it to a new sound without losing their distinct (prior) identity is very impressive, and basically what I was trying to say earlier. This album was very well reviewed at its release and so far as held up as one of the most original, important, and great albums not only of their own catalog but of the 00's.

It is to the talent of this band that they can retain their identity while rocking out harder than their first album, writing songs as emotional as those on The Hot Rock, while sustaining a pioneering sound and vision like Dig Me Out. Usually, a band's seventh record is a joke, not even remotely as good as their best work. The Woods is a thrillingly beautiful contradiction to this norm; just take a listen and be amazed.

The sound, you may ask? Well take that classic Sleater-Kinney guitar interweaving, Corin yelping, and Janet's pounding drums and throw in some serious distortion and classic rock sounds and there you have it! By far the heaviest, sludgiest, and most unique of their albums. Not a bad way to start an indefinite hiatus! (now I'm going to go cry to myself a little...)

This album not only changed my life, amongst many things it also led to the creation of this blog, so a thank you (on my part) is in order. Perhaps it will change your life, too.

Download here (in flac).
Pt. 1
Pt. 2
Pt. 3

The Splinters- Southpaw 7"

I finally got around to ripping some of my favorite new 7" singles recently, which is good news for you all.

The first of the 7"s I've been digging recently in the female rock world is the Splinters' new single Southpaw. The a-side is Blood on My Hands, my favorite of the two, and the b-side is Hot Hands. Apparently they have some sort of hand-fascination/fetish? Odd.

I have/enjoyed their most recent album which came out earlier this year. I do like the different sound/direction of this new single however. Their first album was good and welcomed since women in indie rock isn't terribly common, but I wasn't wowed or blown away from it. In my opinion, it wasn't terribly original. Usually, that's one of the biggest selling points to a female band, but not in this case. With this 7", they get a little more of an original sound, which I always like. It's not groundbreaking, by any means, but a fun listen and hopefully a sign of cool things to come! They're also local, which means I should be a little softer on them. Based on the plays it's gotten on KDVS (a whopping 4!*) this single is seemingly hot as fuck.

Download here in flac, of course.

* the top most played song last week on KDVS had 5 plays, so getting 4 plays is pretty damn impressive. It also shows you how eclectic we are :)

Broken Link

The link for part 2 of Dig Me Out was wrong, so I fixed it. Feel free to go back and download it now, sorry. If anyone wants any other Sleater-Kinney in flac also feel free to let me know. Also, I'll be posting a couple cool new 7"s later.

Peace