Wild Flag Pictures

Yep, I finally got around to finishing all those pictures I took from when Wild Flag came through Sacramento. I'll get around to posting the Grass Widow and Eux Autres pictures later (they also played).

I'll post something music-wise tomorrow, (aka later on today) so come on back.

Wild Flag Photos here
ps. the password is catattack

Enjoy!

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

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 :)

Sleater-Kinney- S/T (chainsaw) [flac]

I love Sleater-Kinney's first album.
I also love Riot Grrrl.
Coincidence?
NEVER.

It's true though, back in the old days even Sleater-Kinney was a riot grrrl band. It's probably my favorite riot grrrl band too, since it's basically the best of Heavens to Betsy and Excuse 17 combined. Many of the songs have disctinct styles; corin's are always heavy on the vocals and bass and poppier. Carrie's were more punk, and much more about guitar interplay.

For example, take the first track, Don't think you wanna. Corin's vocals are on fire in this track! Also note the slow tempo- very similar to Heavens to Betsy. However this song has a little more guitar interplay, thanks to Carrie, that makes it much more interesting than most of Calculated. Corin's guitar is so slow and low it clearly acts as a bass. This in my opinion, is my favorite part! I'm a sucker for bass and sometimes miss it in later Sleater-Kinney.

Carrie has her song- How to Play Dead. This song sounds like an outtake of Excuse 17! It's great.


Of course, they start to blend each other's styles to make the future classic sound. This is evident in some of the best songs on the record. The song Be Yr Mama has a little of both bands and a great pop edge. The guitars weave all over the place and each other and Corin belts like no other, like Runaways gone crazy punk feminists!

Don't just sit there and just eat up my shit! Listen for yourself! Make your own ideas! and let me know what you think!

music blog democracy anyone?

(flac)
Download here