2010 In Music

25. Odd Blood- Yeasayer

24. Port Entropy- Shugo Tokumaru

23. Messy, Isn’t It?- Dangers

22. Ecailles de Lune- Alcest

21. Romance Is Boring- Los Campesinos!

20. Diamond Eyes- Deftones

19. Kvelertak- Kvelertak

18. Expo 86- Wolf Parade

17. In Desolation- Off With Their Heads

16. Filth Rations- Trap Them

15. Love Remains- How to Dress Well

14. Year of the Black Rainbow- Coheed and Cambria

13. Cosmogramma- Flying Lotus

12. White Magic- ceo

11. Timestretch- Bassnectar

10. I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone- Crime In Stereo

9. This Is Happening- LCD Soundsystem

8. Fake History- letlive.

7. Contra- Vampire Weekend

6. The Golden Archipelago- Shearwater

5. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy- Kanye West

4. Fang Island- Fang Island

3. The Suburbs- Arcade Fire

2. The Monitor- Titus Andronicus

1. Daughters- Daughters

The College Dropout- Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is overrated. Listen to this. Well, the first half of it anyway.

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?bwjvkcetkmj

Sun, Sun, Sun- The Elected

Really enjoyable poppy folk songs. Anyone with a heart will like this. Listen to these songs and come to love them.

1. "Clouds Parting (8:14 a.m.)" (Blake Sennett) – 0:44
2. "Would You Come with Me" (Sennett) – 2:50
3. "Fireflies in a Steel Mill" (Sennett, Jenny Lewis, Sienna McCandless) – 4:02
4. "Not Going Home" (Sennett, Mike Bloom) – 4:45
5. "It Was Love" (Sennett) – 3:35
6. "Sun, Sun, Sun" (Sennett) – 3:14
7. "Did Me Good" (Sennett) – 4:10
8. "The Bank and Trust" (Sennett, Lewis) – 3:16
9. "Old Times" (Sennett, Bloom) – 3:43
10. "Desiree" (Sennett, Morgan Nagler, Michael Runion) – 2:52
11. "I'll Be Your Man" (Sennett) – 4:23
12. "Beautiful Rainbow" (Sennett) – 2:17
13. "Biggest Star" (Sennett, Brian Klugman) – 7:17
14. "At Home (Time Unknown)" (Sennett) – 0:41

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ben0bm1lwxb

Other Truths- Do Make Say Think

PROCRASTINATION

Listen to this. It's good post-rocky fun.

1. Do

2. Make

3. Say

4. Think

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?cydn2nunttj

Remission- Mastodon

This album opens with a sample of a dinosaur screaming. It doesn't get any less extreme from there on out. One of the most consistent and original metal releases ever. Listen to it.

1.	"Crusher Destroyer"	2:00
2.	"March of the Fire Ants"	4:25
3.	"Where Strides the Behemoth"	2:55
4.	"Workhorse"	3:45
5.	"Ol'e Nessie"	6:05
6.	"Burning Man"	2:47
7.	"Trainwreck"	7:03
8.	"Trampled Under Hoof"	3:00
9.	"Trilobite"	6:29
10.	"Mother Puncher"

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?5mzyiomwibu

Weezer- Weezer

Just to be clear, this is the Blue Album, not the other (unfortunate) self-titled albums by this band. Weezer has always been and still is simplistic, bouncy and sometimes sulky power-pop, but only for two albums did it sound genuine and/or made by humans. I saw this band live and they still kick a lot of ass despite being commercial whores. This album is one of the best of the '90s, maybe one of the better rock albums ever released.

1. My Name Is Jonas

2. No One Else

3. The World Has Turned And Left Me Here

4. Buddy Holly

5. Undone- The Sweater Song

6. Surf Wax America

7. Say It Ain't So

8. In The Garage

9. Holiday

10. Only In Dreams

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?nzytktklblw

But The Past Ain't Through With Us [EP]- Curl Up And Die

I found this in the radio station archives and picked up out of curiosity. One of the guys in this band went on to join Poison the Well, and this band plays a similar experimental screamo/metalcore hybrid. Before you think of Alexisonfire, I would like to add that this band rules. I haven't found something so surprising and enjoyable for a while. The last track is 13 minutes of wandering progcore madness and the three songs before that kick a bunch of ass. Please please check this out.

1. Nuclear Waste? Bring That Shit. (We Want A State Full Of Radiated Super Heroes)
2. If This Band Thing Doesn't Pan Out, We're Joining The Army
3. .. - ... .- ..-. ..- -.-. -.- .. -. --. - .. -- . -- .- -.-. .... .. -. .
4. God Is In His Heaven, All Is Right With The World

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?nzzoqmh2nli

Young Team- Mogwai

"If someone said Mogwai are the stars I would not object." So begins one of the cornerstones of modern post-rock. One of my favorite things about this album is that it's rough around the edges. It doesn't sound perfect. Every song gradually wakes up, and not just in a quiet-loud way. The use of vocals on the album is excellent; there is never anything like real singing, which makes the appearance of occasional human voices feel less imposed upon the music. Favorite songs are "Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home" and "Tracy," although many like the 16-minute closer "Mogwai Fear Satan" best. Listen to it.

1. "Yes! I Am a Long Way from Home" – 5:57
2. "Like Herod" – 11:41
3. "Katrien" – 5:24
4. "Radar Maker" – 1:35
5. "Tracy" – 7:19
6. "Summer" (Priority version) – 3:28
7. "With Portfolio" – 3:10
8. "R U Still in 2 It" – 7:20
9. "A Cheery Wave from Stranded Youngsters" – 2:18
10. "Mogwai Fear Satan" – 16:19

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?zfn1ndz83xi

Filth Rations- Trap Them

The proper word for this music is "merciless." 14 minutes of Trap Them kicking everyone's ass, both in the hardcore scene and in musical history. As far as pure abrasive, throat-shredding fury goes, this band is currently untopped. Unlike bands like Converge that combine hideous rage with emotive passages of lament, Trap Them seemingly exist solely to express brutality and heaviness. This is music that makes Slayer sound stupid. Everything that is not bottomlessly low and grinding is some kind of technical orgy that sounds like The Dillinger Escape Plan playing punk music in drop C. One of the best hardcore releases of the year. Also Kurt Ballou is arguably the MVP of the hardcore scene this year for producing this and Kvelertak's debut.


1. Day Thirty-Eight: Carnage Incarnate
2. Day Thirty-Nine: Degenerate Binds
3. Day Forty: Dead Fathers Wading Through The Bodygrounds
4. Day Seven: Digital Dogs With Analog Collars

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?iidtmmom4d1

Messengers- August Burns Red

Yeah, I know it's really -core, but this band is just plain fun to listen to. If any band manifests a roller coaster in its listening experience, that is August Burns Red. From the very beginning, it's hard not to enjoy the unpredictable breakdowns, the lightning-like lead guitars, the... well, to get past the verbiage, this is basically a standard metalcore album, it's just actually fun to listen to and not really generic Killswitch-lite. It's also interesting to compare this to the following album and see what ways they still hadn't quite grown up. A lot of the breakdowns on this album are a bit more uniform and there are a lot of tempo changes that don't really make much sense (although they still sound cool). Regardless, I think this is super fun jamz.

1. "The Truth of a Liar" - 4:12
2. "Up Against the Ropes" - 5:04
3. "Back Burner" - 3:42
4. "The Blinding Light" - 5:28
5. "Composure" - 4:13
6. "Vital Signs" - 3:17
7. "The Eleventh Hour" - 4:05
8. "The Balance" - 3:20
9. "Black Sheep" - 3:53
10. "An American Dream" - 4:41
11. "Redemption" - 6:16

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?h1mwlzm3m2d

The Monitor- Titus Andronicus

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A LOSER

1. "A More Perfect Union" - 7:09
2. "Titus Andronicus Forever" - 1:55
3. "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" - 5:16
4. "Richard II" - 5:06
5. "A Pot in Which to Piss" - 8:53
6. "Four Score and Seven" - 8:38
7. "Theme From 'Cheers'" - 5:01
8. "To Old Friends and New" - 7:00
9. "…And Ever" - 2:24
10. "The Battle of Hampton Roads" - 14:02

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?erkoynz0zjw

Plans- Death Cab For Cutie

Comfort music. I was chatting with a friend who'd seen them live and that inspired me to relisten to this. There are some amazing textures on this album and it's all just kind of pretty and easy to enjoy and relate to. This was every indie kid's favorite album in middle school, as it should have been.

1."Marching Bands of Manhattan" 4:12

2."Soul Meets Body" 3:50

3."Summer Skin" (Ben Gibbard, Jason McGerr, and Chris Walla)3:14

4."Different Names for the Same Thing" 5:08

5."I Will Follow You into the Dark" 3:09

6."Your Heart Is an Empty Room" 3:39

7."Someday You Will Be Loved" (Gibbard and Walla)3:11

8."Crooked Teeth" (Gibbard and Walla)3:23

9."What Sarah Said" (Gibbard and Nick Harmer)6:20

10."Brothers on a Hotel Bed" (Gibbard and Walla)4:31

11."Stable Song" 3:42

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?oyblzb202m2

The Great Misdirect- Between The Buried And Me

A CONSTANT DETERMINATION TO FIND TRUTH... TO FIND REASON! Between the Buried and Me have great one-liners. Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this album, but it still has a lot of good parts, despite being a sort of regression in many ways (although delving into new territory, certainly). For those who don't know, this band is sort of a cross between Dream Theater, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Mr. Bungle. They play thrash metal, death metal, and metalcore with world music and softer rock stuff under the auspices of the classical/progressive metal banner. On this album, they genre-hop pretty obviously, but a lot of the parts are still pretty good. It's hard to feel as if they weren't trying to replicate the success of Colors. Still, I think this is a good album to listen to, and "Obfuscation" is up there with "Selkies" and "Ants of the Sky" as one of their best songs.

1. Mirrors

2. Obfuscation

3. Disease, Injury, Madness

4. Fossil Genera- A Feed From Cloud Mountain

5. Desert of Song

6. Swim to the Moon

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?4vrx20wjjbz

The Orchard- Ra Ra Riot

Reminiscent of a more pop-punky Shearwater, this band uses indie rock with a strong violin presence. And I mean stronger than Arcade Fire. It's pretty sounding, and these guys are from Syracuse, so support your (almost) local music scene. "Foolish" and "Boy" are two particularly strong cuts.

1. "The Orchard" – 3:29
2. "Boy" – 3:10
3. "Too Dramatic" – 3:04
4. "Foolish" – 4:01
5. "Massachusetts" – 5:38
6. "You And I Know" – 4:34
7. "Shadowcasting" – 3:40
8. "Do You Remember" – 3:31
9. "Kansai" – 4:13
10. "Keep It Quiet" – 3:46

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?lg5hnzqgufls7zs

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel

Hipsters love this record, but there's no reason we can't too. I was relistening to this album and it was way better than I had remembered. The album actually gets better as it goes, although the title track is widely considered the most "perfect" song on here. This album obviously had a huge influence on Arcade Fire, as well as on most of the scene (Jesse Lacey of Brand New calls it the best record of all time), and listening to it, you'll see why. The ragtag band adds a much fuller sound, and there is a much clearer sense of atmosphere than you would expect from such lo-fi production values. My current favorite song is "Oh, Comely," but "Holland 1945" and "Ghost" are great faster cuts, and "Two Headed Boy" is a great campfire song. Actually every song on here is basically a campfire song for WWII buffs/music nerds. One of the best of the 90s.

1. "The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. One" – 2:00
2. "The King of Carrot Flowers Pts. Two & Three" – 3:06
3. "In the Aeroplane over the Sea" – 3:22
4. "Two-Headed Boy" – 4:26
5. "The Fool" – 1:53
6. "Holland, 1945" – 3:12
7. "Communist Daughter" – 1:57
8. "Oh Comely" – 8:18
9. "Ghost" – 4:08
10. [untitled] – 2:16
11. "Two-Headed Boy Pt. Two" – 5:13

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?1jj9iydkbun

The Artist In The Ambulance- Thrice

One of the best post-hardcore releases, and the best album from one of the best modern rock-related bands. Thrice have since taken a much more Brand New-ish direction, but at one time, they were a kickass metalcore/post-hardcore outfit. This is before the experimental flourishes on Vheissu, but the band still shows variability through mathy time shifts, increased use of strings, and most importantly, incredibly consistent songwriting. On this album, Thrice definitively said farewell to their scene by simply conquering it and moving on. I love this album dearly and you probably will too.

1. "Cold Cash and Colder Hearts" – 2:52
2. "Under a Killing Moon" – 2:41
3. "All That's Left" – 3:20
4. "Silhouette" – 3:06
5. "Stare at the Sun" – 3:23
6. "Paper Tigers" – 3:59
7. "Hoods on Peregrine" – 3:31
8. "The Melting Point of Wax" – 3:29
9. "Blood Clots and Black Holes" – 2:49
10. "The Artist in the Ambulance" – 3:39
11. "The Abolition of Man" – 2:46
12. "Don't Tell and We Won't Ask" – 3:59

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?mzjynuywdkz

Destroy Rock and Roll- Mylo

Combining dance, electronica, techno and all those other computer-y genres, Mylo is a famous Scottish record producer and DJ whose sole solo release is this awesome album. The album begins on a lush and trancelike note, but quickly hits its stride with a series of more danceable tracks. The production is great and Mylo has a good ear for fills, color and texture. Every song here is a synesthetic (sp?) dream. He also knows how to use vocal samples well, which is absolutely crucial. This is a must for any listener of modern electronic music.

1. "Valley of the Dolls" – 3:26
2. "Sunworshipper" – 3:26
3. "Muscle Cars" – 3:39
4. "Drop the Pressure" – 4:15
5. "In My Arms" – 3:46
6. "Guilty of Love" – 3:06
7. "Paris Four Hundred" – 3:32
8. "Destroy Rock & Roll" – 4:07
9. "Rikki" – 3:18
10. "Otto's Journey" – 3:58
11. "Musclecar Reform Reprise" – 3:53
12. "Zenophile" – 4:08
13. "Need You Tonite" – 4:51
14. "Emotion 98.6" – 5:36

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?3wie9j99nmm

Travels- Defeater

With lyrics to make even the most regretful son of a bitch reach for the whisky bottle, Defeater are my kind of hardcore band. They make tough, Blacklisted-esque, furious hardcore songs that benefit from the conceptual lyrics about an unwanted child who goes down all the wrong paths in life. "Prophet In Plain Clothes" even has a little Bright Eyes going on at the end. This is a good band, you'll probably like this album.

1. Blessed Burden
2. Everything Went Quiet
3. Nameless Streets
4. Forgiver Forgetter
5. City By Dawn
6. Prophet In Plain Clothes
7. Carrying Weight
8. Moon Shine
9. The Blues
10. Debts
11. Cowardice

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?m1k5jmfd3nm

The Big Dirty- Every Time I Die

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR COME WITH US HOOOOOOOOME

1. No Son of Mine - 3:25
2. Pigs is Pigs - 2:46
3. Leatherneck - 2:08
4. We'rewolf - 3:24
5. Rebel Without Applause - 3:22
6. Cities and Years - 2:57
7. Rendez-Voodoo - 3:15
8. A Gentleman's Sport - 2:34
9. INRIhab (Featuring Dallas Green of Alexisonfire)- 4:04
10. Depressionista - 2:29
11. Buffalo Gals - 3:27
12. Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Battery - 2:29

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?hyny0wzmmxn

Shallow Grave- The Tallest Man On Earth

I'm surprised I haven't posted this yet. An acoustic folk songwriter, very much in the vein of Dylan but with a slightly more sinister lyrical direction. Plus it's just such a great sound. It's hard to express what makes "I Won't Be Found" so magical; you almost think that an orchestra must be playing to produce such a powerful sense of solitude and wonder. The singer's voice is ragged and strained like Dylan's, but has an emotional quality to it that Dylan often lacked in my opinion. Anyway, these are a bunch of awesome acoustic guitar jams that will be stuck in your head for a while. Great for coming home after a long day.

1. "I Won't Be Found" - 2:47
2. "Pistol Dreams" - 3:34
3. "Honey Won't You Let Me In" - 2:56
4. "Shallow Grave" - 2:37
5. "Where Do My Bluebird Fly" - 3:17
6. "The Gardener" - 3:56
7. "The Blizzard's Never Seen the Desert Sands" - 2:01
8. "The Sparrow and the Medicine" - 3:06
9. "Into the Stream" - 2:47
10. "This Wind" - 3:24

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?2nmjktmuzxe

Wilderness Heart- Black Mountain

I've only heard this a few times, but it's already one of my favorite releases of the year. Swamp rock is alive and well in the hands of these Canadians. Channeling bands like Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival and even folksier musicians from time to time, the band goes through a cycle of stomping rockers, hazy folk tunes, and fuzzy jams. The vocalist is just gnarled-sounding enough. Good enjoyable music for driving or social occasions, as well as for personal pleasure.

1. The Hair Song

2. Old Fangs

3. Radiant Hearts

4. Roller Coaster

5. Let Spirits Ride

6. Buried By The Blues

7. The Way to Gone

8. Wilderness Heart

9. The Space of Your Mind

10. Sadie

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?i9atn0fgmxr2dfa

Red Album- Baroness

TURN YOUR BACK ON THE BIRTHING!!!

1. "Rays on Pinion" - 7:35
2. "The Birthing" - 5:03
3. "Isak" - 4:22
4. "Wailing Wintry Wind" - 5:44
5. "Cockroach en Fleur" - 1:50
6. "Wanderlust" - 4:29
7. "Aleph" - 4:21
8. "Teeth of a Cogwheel" - 2:16
9. "O'Appalachia" - 2:36
10. "Grad" - 5:54
11. "Untitled" - 12:11

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?903wtbnzmdv

The Second Stage Turbine Blade- Coheed and Cambria

This album is not perhaps as powerful or dynamic as its acclaimed follow-up, but there is some awesome prog-pop-punk songwriting on this record and Claudio sounds straight up awesome, arguably never more intense and impassioned than on songs such as "Everything Evil" and "Time Consumer." The band was experimenting with certain tendencies such as lo-fi and shoegaze which got phased out in favor of technical metal and 80s hard rock later in their career. For non-Coheed-geeks, basically this album is lyrically and musically original while still kicking ass and being really catchy, almost the perfect combination of things for an up-and-coming band if you will. It's hard not to look back and wish they had gone a little further, but at the time, this album was as good as it fucking get. "33" and "Devil in Jersey City" rank with the best pop punk songs, while "Delirium Trigger" and "Everything Evil" showcase the more prog-influenced side of the band. Definitely worth a listen from any post-hardcore, prog, or pop-punk fan.

1."Second Stage Turbine Blade" 0:532."Time Consumer" 5:423."Devil in Jersey City" 4:484."Everything Evil" 5:515."Delirium Trigger" 4:486."Hearshot Kid Disaster" 5:407."33" 3:298."Junesong Provision" 5:209."Neverender" 5:2210."God Send Conspirator" (song, runs to 12:45 including the hidden track "IRO-Bot" at 6:34)6:33

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?5mq52u2ywow

Frances the Mute- The Mars Volta

This album is fucknuts. Yes, it's me, back on the Interblog with a lazy Monday morning update. Things at Oberlin are good, and I just went to my first concert while there. The band was called Organ Yank, and they killed it. With one saxophonist, one keyboardist, one drummer and one guitarists, their hybrid of avant-garde funk and jazz was really intimidating live. In lieu of being able to post an album of theirs, I am posting what it reminded me of. This album, once again, is fucknuts. It is conceived of on a scale that few albums can even dream of being. The complete oversaturation of awesome on this CD is made more appropriate by the long jazz/ambient interludes, which can be dull to some, but add time for the listener's mind to wander through this ambitious, exhausting experience. The sound is basically prog-funk-jazz-metal-Latin-post-hardcore. Many of the lyrics are in Spanish. I can't explain why this album is really fucking cool. Just listen.

1.	"Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus1" (Sarcophagi / Umbilical Syllables / Facilis Descenus Averni2 / Con Safo)	13:02
2.	"The Widow"	5:50
3.	"L'Via L'Viaquez3"	12:21
4.	"Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore" (Vade Mecum4 / Pour Another Icepick / Pisacis (Phra-Men-Ma) / Con Safo)	13:09
5.	"Cassandra Gemini5" (Tarantism / Plant a Nail in the Navel Stream / Faminepulse / Multiple Spouse Wounds / Sarcophagi)	32:32

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?wn2wyi3nmen

Mean Everything To Nothing- Manchester Orchestra

So I'm headed off to Oberlin for college in a few hours, but I thought I'd offer a last album before my departure. Not sure when I'll be next able to update, but for the meantime, hope you enjoy what I have to offer today and what's been offered so far. This concludes the 'indie rock' trend of albums I've posted lately. Manchester Orchestra actually aren't entirely unlike Max Bemis, just less poppy and self-aware. They're basically a Brand New/Modest Mouse-esque rock band that are just making cool rock songs. The abrasive, heavy parts of this album are really appealing, but they are good at writing catchy songs and there are enjoyable soft parts. The end of the album drags a bit, but the first seven songs are all wonderful and "100 Dollars" is hilarious and self-deprecating. Opinion on best songs varies, but the single "I've Got Friends" is a popular choice. That and "In My Teeth" are wonderful live (they put on a great show). Anyway, check it out and I'll check in again once I'm settled in at college.

1."The Only One" 2:39

2."Shake it Out" 5:11

3."I've Got Friends" 4:57

4."Pride" 5:47

5."In My Teeth" 4:42

6."100 Dollars" 1:50

7."I Can Feel a Hot One" 4:19

8."My Friend Marcus" 3:41

9."Tony The Tiger" 3:09

10."Everything To Nothing" 5:37

11."The River" (contains hidden track "Jimmy, He Whispers")11:33

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ym1mtgatjet

...Is A Real Boy- Say Anything

I was going to upload Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, but I couldn't find a reliable link within a few seconds of searching, so here we have another catchy indie-rock album that rails against hipsters for disaffected hipster youth. Just kidding. Har, har, har! Max Bemis takes on many voices on this album, from a beleaguered traveler to a depressed and rejected romantic to an objective observer of the foibles of those around him to the judge, jury and executioner of hipsters everywhere. His lyrical imagery and turns of phrase add a great deal of depth to the music, which is basically grungey pop songs. This isn't to disparage the instrumental side of things- the backing tracks are surprisingly heavy, and there are many flourishes and changes in rhythm and dynamics to keep even an avowed metalhead interested. (Max Bemis wrote and recorded nearly everything on the album, with the exception of the drums and a few other parts, such as slide guitar and gang vocals.) Anyway, you'll probably like this. I'm not sure if the download link includes the bonus disk, but I'd say that it's a little bit underwhelming compared to the real album, particularly the first nine tracks, which are basically all brilliant one after another.

1. "Belt" – 4:59
2. "Woe" – 3:55
3. "The Writhing South" – 4:46
4. "Alive with the Glory of Love" – 4:15
5. "Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat" – 5:18
6. "The Futile" – 2:45
7. "Spidersong" – 3:57
8. "An Orgy of Critics" – 3:55
9. "Every Man Has a Molly" – 3:05
10. "Slowly, Through a Vector" – 4:40
11. "Chia-Like, I Shall Grow" – 4:56
12. "I Want to Know Your Plans" – 5:12
13. "Admit It!!!" – 6:12

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?lr0yx3xbty1

The Crane Wife- The Decemberists

The Decemberists are a very distinctive, possibly unique band; they incorporate influences from indie and folk for their primary sound, but experiment with disco ('The Perfect Crime #2'), metal ('When The War Came'), classic rock and prog ('The Island'), and sunny pop ('O Valencia!'). The lyrical influences are just as diverse, dwelling on starving Russian scientists, Japanese folk myths, packs of Irish murderers, a Civil War soldier and his lover, and a twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet tale. If that's not enough to interest you, I'll also say that everything on this CD is awesome. This is folk music that actually kicks ass. Not just that it's beautiful and compelling, but that a lot of it is actually music to which you could get in a bar brawl. Colin Meloy is a skilled storyteller and he weaves his tales in a sometimes sly, sometimes haunted voice over rich beds of acoustic guitar, Moog, glockenspiel, etc. (If you buy the album, check out the liner notes; the number of instruments played is remarkable.) Recommended for fans of good music who are open to genre experimentation.

1. "The Crane Wife 3" – 4:18
2. "The Island" – 12:26
   1. "Come and See"
   2. "The Landlord's Daughter"
   3. "You'll Not Feel the Drowning"
3. "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)" (duet with Laura Veirs) – 4:18
4. "O Valencia!" – 3:47
5. "The Perfect Crime #2" – 5:33
6. "When the War Came" – 5:06
7. "Shankill Butchers" – 4:39
8. "Summersong" – 3:31
9. "The Crane Wife 1 & 2" – 11:19
10. "Sons & Daughters" – 5:13

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?tymzfymjv2x

Post-Nothing- Japandroids

I hate lo-fi music. Luckily Japandroids kick ass. These songs are fierce and assertive, but more so than that, they're joyous and extremely sincere-seeming. The thick distorted production is a part of the songwriting like any lo-fi band, but luckily the songs have a great deal of charm and most of them are fantastic. If you like playing loud music in the car, this is for you.

1. "The Boys Are Leaving Town" – 4:01
2. "Young Hearts Spark Fire" – 5:05
3. "Wet Hair" – 3:12
4. "Rockers East Vancouver" – 4:32
5. "Heart Sweats" – 4:25
6. "Crazy/Forever" – 6:04
7. "Sovereignty" – 3:34
8. "I Quit Girls" – 4:55

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?04ze1razmz1

New Junk Aesthetic- Every Time I Die

Another great album of 2009. This album tones down some of the structural complexity and technicality of previous ETID releases, but maintains the dissonance and heaviness while expanding on the band's innate pop sensibilities (already becoming visible on The Big Dirty, their previous album). The hooks are largely rhythmic, but most of the songs here are legitimately catchy. The lyrics are typical Keith Buckley, touching upon loneliness, self-loathing, death and even existentialism and creation myths in certain songs. Highlights include the swaggering coda to "Wanderlust," the quiet-to-loud transition in "For The Record," and the rapid-fire pace of "The Marvelous Slut." A must for fans of modern heavy music.

1. Roman Holiday

2. The Marvelous Slut

3. Who Invited The Russian Soldier?

4. Wanderlust

5. For The Record

6. White Smoke

7. Turtles All The Way Down

8. Organ Grinder

9. Host Disorder

10. After One Quarter Of A Revolution

11. The Sweet Life

12. Buffalo 666

13. Goddamn Kids These Days

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?znmo5mcm4w3

Axe to Fall- Converge

One of my favorite albums from last year, this is a badass example of the viciousness that comes from a combination of hardcore and metal. Converge more or less conquers the entire metalcore genre on the first song on the album, "Dark Horse," and spends the rest of the album kicking even more ass, going faster, heavier, rawer, and more aggressive. The difference between this album and other Converge albums is that rather than being an unfiltered release of hatred and rage, every moment of this album seems calculated in an unhinged, psychotic way. There is a palpable sense of tension and control that does not relent until the very end of the album. If you're interested in learning more about heavy music, this is a great introduction to the ferocity and heaviness of hardcore and metal.

1. Dark Horse

2. Reap What You Sow

3. Axe to Fall

4. Effigy

5. Worms Will Feed

6. Wishing Well

7. Damages

8. Losing Battle

9. Dead Beat

10. Cutter

11. Slave Driver

12. Cruel Bloom

13. Wretched World

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?nyz5mtnz11i

Pink Moon- Nick Drake

This is the somber, chilling opus and final album from the late, great singer/songwriter Nick Drake. These songs challenge the listener's impressions of acoustic guitar songwriting, often eschewing simple chord progressions in favor of intricate rhythms and melodic lines. On the other hand, Drake plays things simple on the mellow interlude "Horn" and the repetitive ditty "Know." The highlight of the whole album is the opening title track, which is the only song on the album to feature any instrument (piano) besides acoustic guitar and voice. One of the best albums of the 70s, this is music that will get you to think and to feel. I can't explain the power of this album. Please listen.

1. "Pink Moon" – 2:06
2. "Place to Be" – 2:43
3. "Road" – 2:02
4. "Which Will" – 2:58
5. "Horn" – 1:23
6. "Things Behind the Sun" – 3:57
7. "Know" – 2:26
8. "Parasite" – 3:36
9. "Ride"^[3] – 3:06
10. "Harvest Breed" – 1:37
11. "From the Morning" – 2:30

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?zutojyebjmm

I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings- Radiohead

After a long silence, I've returned with another blog post. This is worth your time if you are a fan of Radiohead. If you haven't heard these songs, listen to Kid A and Amnesiac first (more importantly Kid A, though). These are live versions of Radiohead songs, and they sound great. The piano version of "Like Spinning Plates" is one of the best moments of their discography, and the more superficial changes to old favorites like "The National Anthem" and "Idioteque" make them sound more urgent in a live setting. Perhaps best of all is "True Love Waits," a beautiful acoustic guitar song that was previously unreleased. If you're a fan of Radiohead, you'll love this album.

1. "The National Anthem" – 4:57
2. "I Might Be Wrong" – 4:52
3. "Morning Bell" – 4:14
4. "Like Spinning Plates" – 3:47
5. "Idioteque" (Radiohead, Paul Lansky) – 4:24
6. "Everything in Its Right Place" – 7:42
7. "Dollars & Cents" – 5:13
8. "True Love Waits" – 5:02

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?bbymgdmmz2l