Crack the Skye- Mastodon

This is the last album I will post to this blog before leaving for two weeks of beautiful Omega Teen Camp. For those of you who have been following, downloading or just deriding my taste in music, it's been a fun journey and I hope you guys enjoy some good jams this summer. The good times come and go, but for now, all is well. In this mood of happiness, I will give you guys... a progressive metal album! With this, I have now posted all of my five favorite albums (the others being Funeral, In Keeping Secrets..., Colors and Kid A). This shit is dope, it's basically Mastodon proving that they are the best American metal band out there by rocking the fuck out and getting away with stupid pretentious lyrical horseshit by the sheer power of metuhl. Listen to it!

01 Oblivion
02 Divinations
03 Quintessence
04 The Czar:

(I) Usurper
(II) Escape
(III) Martyr
(IV) Spiral

05 Ghost of Karelia
06 Crack the Skye
07 The Last Baron

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?mwtjmj5mnm1

OK Computer- Radiohead

Probably the best album of the 90s, widely considered one of the best of all time, only rivalled for Kid A as Radiohead's masterpiece, this is the rock album of its generation. The mood of paranoia and dread permeates even the more upbeat numbers, but the hooks on 'Karma Police' and 'Lucky' are as catchy as any single Nirvana released. It's impossible to say what is so great about OK Computer, but if I had to try, I would say that Radiohead basically took over the rock world by writing a bunch of more or less straightforward rock songs that hadn't been written yet, but kicked a bunch of ass. In some ways this was the last great album before Internet downloading changed music as we know it. Buy it, but if you'd rather not, download it here.

1. "Airbag" – 4:44
2. "Paranoid Android" – 6:23
3. "Subterranean Homesick Alien" – 4:27
4. "Exit Music (For a Film)" – 4:24
5. "Let Down" – 4:59
6. "Karma Police" – 4:21
7. "Fitter Happier" – 1:57
8. "Electioneering" – 3:50
9. "Climbing Up the Walls" – 4:45
10. "No Surprises" – 3:48
11. "Lucky" – 4:19
12. "The Tourist" – 5:24

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

The Downward Spiral- Nine Inch Nails

A classic of the 90s and arguably Nine Inch Nails' best work, this is a bleak techno-rock concept album about the depths to which drugs will take a man. Every song crackles with menace. The slow-burners seethe with hatred and despair ("Piggy," "Closer") and the more direct songs are raging statements of nihilism ("Heresy, ""March of the Pigs"). "Hurt" is one of the best songs ever written, but "The Becoming" and "A Warm Place" are two more underrated favorites of mine. One of the darkest albums ever put to tape, but also strangely accessible and melodic, this is one fucked-up 65 minutes. You should listen to it.

1."Mr. Self Destruct" 4:30

2."Piggy"


4:243."Heresy" 3:54

4."March of the Pigs" 2:58

5."Closer"

6:136."Ruiner"

4:587."The Becoming"

5:318."I Do Not Want This"

5:419."Big Man with a Gun"

1:3610."A Warm Place"

3:2211."Eraser"

4:5412."Reptile"

6:5113."The Downward Spiral"

3:5714."Hurt"

6:13

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?txz2t1tazut

Irony Is A Dead Scene- The Dillinger Escape Plan

The Dillinger Escape Plan has a bit of a spotty track record, but this is a great EP. Recorded with Mike Patton, the music is just as schizophrenic and off-putting as you'd expect, but this inspired combination of musicians yields some of Patton's best material and probably the highlight of DEP as well. Eerily aware of melody amidst the chaos, the band hurdles through breakneck thrash and grind and brings things to a slow boil on the haunting coda of "When Good Dogs Do Bad Things." This is what to do right if you're in a grind band. Check it out.

1. Hollywood Squares

2. Pig Latin

3. When Good Dogs Do Bad Things

4. Come To Daddy (Aphex Twin cover)

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?0cxdm9ced2o

Contra- Vampire Weekend

What is there to say? It's catchy, has cool instruments, very laid-back (well, not 'Cousins,' but that song is also awesome), and makes you feel like you live on a beach. If you don't enjoy this album a little, you're not human. The falsetto on 'White Sky,' the manic, almost punk-y 'Cousins,' the delicate marimba on 'Horchata'... this is just fun summer music for indie fans.

'Horchata'
'White Sky'
'Holiday'
'California English'
'Taxi Cab'
'Run'
'Cousins'
'Giving Up The Gun'
'Diplomat’s Son'
'I Think Ur A Contra'

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?jmyj0octzyl

Songs For The Deaf- Queens Of The Stone Age

This is a total 90s album, no matter what year it was actually released in (2002). Supposedly inspired by a drive Josh Homme took through the desert, this often sounds like the soundtrack to a Hunter S. Thompson story, particularly the sinister "Hanging Tree" and the ominous crawl of "The Sky Is Falling." The radio snippets throughout the album add a sort of context and offer dark humor. Pop music for metalheads, grunge for people who missed Nirvana, good music for everyone, this is a catchy, groovy, heavy, awesome album. "No One Knows" is one of the best rock songs of this decade.

1. You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire
2. No One Knows
3. First It Giveth
4. A Song For The Dead
5. The Sky Is Fallin'
6. Six Shooter
7. Hangin' Tree
8. Go With The Flow
9. Gonna Leave You
10. Do It Again
11. God Is On The Radio
12. Another Love Song
13. A Song For The Deaf
14. Mosquito Song (Bonus Track)

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?etq30mnndk1

Fake History- letlive

This is one of the best post-hardcore releases in recent memory. Although in some ways it's derivative of other bands such as The Receiving End of Sirens, Glassjaw, At the Drive-In, etc., it is not the innovation of this record that appeals, but the power of the melodies and the furious musicianship. Emery, A Day To Remember et al would kill to have written tunes as catchy as "Homeless Jazz" and "Renegade 86." The standout is "Muther," the centerpiece of the album and one of the only good ballads to come out of the post-hardcore scene. This is one of the most enjoyable releases of 2010, and a good segue for scene kids into more brutal styles of music.

1. Le Prologue
2. The Sick, Sick, 6.8 Billion
3. Renegade ‘86
4. Enemigos / Enemies
5. Casino Columbus
6. Muther
7. Homeless Jazz
8. We, The Pros Of Con
9. H. Ledger
10. Over Being Under
11. Day 54

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

Hospice- The Antlers

Comparable to Funeral by the Arcade Fire or For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver, this album was written, performed and recorded by one man in the depths of a two-year isolation. Tragedy often produces great art and this confirms that adage. The album is slow and quiet in general, with very few "rock" songs and many recurring parts and motifs. But it is this deliberate slow pacing that gives the album the distinctive cold sadness that makes it most memorable. Definitely one of the best albums of 2009, with something for everybody, this record is worth many thoughtful and emotional listens.

1. "Prologue" – 2:35
2. "Kettering" – 5:10
3. "Sylvia" – 5:27
4. "Atrophy" – 7:40
5. "Bear" – 3:54
6. "Thirteen" – 3:11
7. "Two" – 5:56
8. "Shiva" – 3:45
9. "Wake" – 8:44
10. "Epilogue" – 5:25

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

Colors- Between The Buried And Me

This album is my second favorite of all time (only surpassed by Coheed and Cambria's In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3). Why? First, let me try to explain the main idea behind this album. Between the Buried and Me plays a very technical and heavy style of metal that alternates quickly between hardcore, death metal, thrash, progressive rock, and lighter parts that recall Radiohead or Counting Crows. This is an awesome idea but it can be done very wrong. Luckily BTBAM refined their approach to this, becoming more and more focused with each record before attempting their most ambitious project yet (this album), a 64-minute record that runs together like one song the whole way through. Although inevitably not every section of this "song" is perfect, BTBAM know their shit and use those parts to let you relax before dropping the next jaw-dropping riff, breakdown, melody, etc. upon the listener. The music has a feel of a constant race to the finish, giving the album a breakneck pace that compensates for its length. People who are not already into metal will not like this album, and the vocals are a bit inaccessible for some. But anybody who wants to test their tolerance should give this album a few listens. If it has the right affect on you, it will change your understanding of music.

1. Foam Born: The Backtrack

2. Foam Born: The Decade of Statues

3. Informal Gluttony

4. Sun of Nothing

5. Ants of the Sky

6. Prequel to the Sequel

7. Viridian

8. White Walls

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?extogj1jmnz

I'm Not A Fan, But The Kids Like It!- Brokencyde

Mostly just to see if anybody reads this terrible STUPID BLOG THAT SHOULD JUST DIE!!!!!

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?eyfq0km1wnt

White Magic- ceo

So obscure that it doesn't even have its own Wikipedia page, this band came to my attention by gaining the Best New Music designation from Pitchfork (squeeeeeeeee!!!). I checked them out, not really expecting much one way or another, only to discover that Pitchfork made a very good call in this case. This is good, vaguely electro pop music with excellent hooks, a running time of less than half an hour, and a great command of melody. This band will hopefully make a name for themselves, and one day perhaps even get their own Wikipedia page. "Illuminata" and "No Mercy" are my favorite tracks currently. Give it a try.

1. all around

2. illuminata

3. love and do what you will

4. white magic

5. oh god oh dear

6. no mercy

7. come with me

8. den blomstertid nu kommer

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?01dtxnuw2yy

Worlds Apart- ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

How to describe this album? Imagine a bunch of kickass grunge rock tunes with orchestras, weird time signatures, and samples. But if that isn't enticing enough, this album has that element of any good rock album, the "these songs are really intuitively catchy and melodic, it's just nobody happened to write them before we did" element. This album experiments in virtually every direction, using all kinds of structures, textures and rhythms, yet pulls off the ultimate feat of any good album; it sounds good and it makes sense. My favorite song is "A Classic Arts Showcase," but many will prefer the badass epic "Will You Smile Again For Me." You've never heard anything like either song.

1. "Ode to Isis" – 1:16
2. "Will You Smile Again?" – 6:50
3. "Worlds Apart" – 2:55
4. "The Summer of '91" – 3:12
5. "The Rest Will Follow" – 3:20
6. "Caterwaul" – 4:52
7. "A Classic Art Showcase" – 5:47
8. "Let it Dive" – 4:45
9. "To Russia My Homeland"† – 1:25
10. "All White" – 1:49
11. "The Best" – 4:47
12. "The Lost City of Refuge" – 3:50

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ynbjdt6ew5y

Mantis- Umphreys McGee

I saw these guys last night at Party in the Park... one of the best shows I've ever been to. These guys play progressive rock, incorporating virtually every style into their music; disco, metal, funk, reggae, and good old rock and roll. They are definitely a jam band and this record really does them no justice... but try it out and hopefully it will come close. Check out their badass cover of Baba O'Riley! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vju8gRc-gJU&feature=related

1."Made to Measure" 3:12

2."Preamble" 0:36

3."Mantis" 11:49

4."Cemetery Walk" 7:30

5."Cemetery Walk II" 2:19

6."Turn & Run" 7:25

7."Spires" 7:41

8."Prophecy Now" 2:47

9."Red Tape" 5:43

10."1348" 4:49

DOWNLOAD: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A4WPMK79

The Eraser- Thom Yorke

Some song from this album was on the soundtrack of pretty much every movie released in 2006 ("The Prestige," why??) but just because these songs don't really invoke images of nineteenth-century London doesn't mean they aren't great. Nothing on this album is as great as Radiohead at their peak, but there are many songs that continue the style of Amnesiac in an interesting, more personal direction. Unfortunately, Hearing Damage isn't on this album, but Black Swan and Atoms For Peace more than make up for that deficiency. Get this if you like Radiohead, The Postal Service, Interpol, or any kind of quiet/electronic/good sounding music.

1. "The Eraser" (Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood) – 4:55
2. "Analyse" – 4:02
3. "The Clock" – 4:13
4. "Black Swan" – 4:49
5. "Skip Divided" – 3:35
6. "Atoms for Peace" – 5:13
7. "And It Rained All Night" – 4:15
8. "Harrowdown Hill" – 4:38
9. "Cymbal Rush" – 5:15

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?2yecdnwhu22

Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada- Godspeed You! Black Emperor

One of the great bands in any genre, Godspeed You! Black Emperor loom large over all post-rock releases today. This album and their later magnum opus F#a#infinity pushed music in new directions and rendered most of the artists in the post-rock scene irrelevant or simply less interesting. The use of samples, field recordings and mechanical noises, as well as a lack of obvious song structure, creates an otherworldly feeling. This record is brilliant. Try it with headphones on.

1. Moya- 10:53

2. Blaise Bailey Finnegan- 17:45

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ccgkl1zwmrm

Kid A- Radiohead

What can I say about this album that the band, the fans and the critical establishment have not already? This is just as good as they all believe. The textures and restraint shown on the songs was far beyond what anybody suspected the band could do, even though OK Computer put them on the map as one of the greats. Never has there been such a great combination of artistic progress, tasteful experimentation, great songwriting, and genuine pathos. Anyone who has listened to this album can tell you that it is like no other. Loved by many, hated by the deaf who will never know its greatness, this is a completely unique and mind-changing album that will stand the test of time. Not recommended as an intro to Radiohead though.

1. "Everything in Its Right Place" – 4:11
2. "Kid A" – 4:44
3. "The National Anthem" – 5:51
4. "How to Disappear Completely" – 5:56
5. "Treefingers" – 3:42
6. "Optimistic" – 5:15
7. "In Limbo" – 3:31
8. "Idioteque" (Radiohead, Paul Lansky) – 5:09
9. "Morning Bell" – 4:35
10. "Motion Picture Soundtrack" – 6:59

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?dybnm5amymx

Tiger and the Duke- The Sound Of Animals Fighting

A scene classic, this album is comparable to early works by Coheed and Cambria and The Mars Volta in that it skillfully combined the fluid, technical riffs and experimental tendencies of prog music with the fierce raw energy and dynamics of post-hardcore. This album was more or less a resurgence of modern post-hardcore which seemed all but dead when Fugazi, Refused and At The Drive-In all folded around the turn of the century. About the music itself, this album will kick your ass. The first track is like Blood Mountain-era Mastodon reinterpreting an Iron Maiden song while Cedric Bixler-Zavala drops in for vocal duties. And by vocal duties I mean ass-kicking with his voice. The quiet parts are great too- just check out the beginning of Act III (one singer doing spoken word, the other singing- at the same time!). There is a reissue of this album with a bunch of remixes of later TSOAF songs, but it's BS (as are most of the interludes). Check it out and rock out! THIS IS HOW I FEEL WHEN I'M ALL ALONE!

1. "Overture" – 1:29
2. "Act I: Chasing Suns" – 5:13
3. "Interlude" – 2:30
4. "Act II: All is Ash or the Light Shining Through It" – 4:19
5. "Interlude" – 2:39
6. "Act III: Modulate Back to the Tonic" – 4:50
7. "Interlude" – 1:53
8. "Act IV: You Don't Need a Witness" – 5:21
9. "Postlude" – 5:54

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?y3r2nd2ynxj

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack

Probably one of the best film soundtracks ever. The CoBros have always made great choices of what music to put in their films (none, in the case of No Country For Old Men) and this is no exception. The liner notes explain how they recruited dozens of authentic country performers to re-record old classics of the true "country" genre (which has nothing in common with modern performers like Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, etc). Best song is probably "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow," the first version that is. The movie is great too if you haven't seen it.

01. Po Lazarus - J. Carter & Prisoners 

02. Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McLintock 

03. You Are My Sunshine - Norman Blake 

04. Down In The River To Pray - Alison Krauss 

05. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan Tyminski 

06. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues - Chris Thomas King 

07. Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental) - Norman Blake 

08. Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites 

09. I'll Fly Away - Gillian Welch & Alison Krauss 

10. Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss & Emmylou Harris 

11. In The Highways - The Peasall Sisters 

12. I Am Weary - The Cox Family 

13. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (Instrumental) - John Hartford 

14. O Death - Ralph Stanley 

15. In The Jailhouse Now - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Tim Blake Nelson 

16. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (With band) - The Soggy Bottom Boys featuring Dan  Tyminski 

17. Indian War Whoop (Instrumental) - John Hartford 

18. Lonesome Valley - The Fairfield Four 

19. Angel Band - The Stanley Brothers 

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

Aim and Ignite- fun.

2009 was a great year for indie pop music. This is possibly the only album I've heard that is more uplifting than Fang Island's self-titled (which I have to post). When I say indie pop, I don't so much mean The Shins as I mean showtunes with the lyrical sentiments of indie music. The arrangements alone are addicting, but Nate Ruess' vocals really make the album. You won't be disappointed.

1. Be Calm
2. Benson Hedges
3. All The Pretty Girls
4. I Wanna Be The One
5. At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
6. Light A Roman Candle
7. Walking The Dog
8. Barlights
9. The Gambler
10. Take Your Time (Coming Home)

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ig4zxzfdzyy

Funeral- Arcade Fire

If you haven't heard and loved this album by the time you've died, your life will have been incomplete. Probably a modern classic. You'll never hear more emotional, beautiful rock music. The layering of simple strong melodies using guitar, bass, violin, etc. creates a depth to the sound of the record that few bands ever attain. It's a total grower, so give it a couple listens if you don't like it at first. Try this to give yourself a taste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEKC5pyOKFU

1."Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" 4:48

2."Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" 3:31

3."Une année sans lumière" 3:40

4."Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" 5:12

5."Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)" 4:49

6."Crown of Love" 4:42

7."Wake Up" 5:35

8."Haïti" 4:07

9."Rebellion (Lies)" 5:10

10."In the Backseat" 6:20

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

Daughters- Daughters

This album has it all. If you like your Southern metal unhinged, barreling out of the gate, critically acclaimed, genre-defying, mind-boggling, full of technical wizardry, and not Southern metal, you will love this. It's one of my favorite albums of 2010 and if you disagree, you are probably really looking forward to the new Kanye West joint.

1	"The Virgin"
2	"The First Supper"
3	"The Hit"
4	"The Theatre Goer"
5	"Our Queens (One Is Many, Many Is One)"
6	"The Dead Singer"
7	"Sweet Georgia Brom"
8	"The Unattractive, Portable Head"

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?nfzjnyniod4

Sound of Silver- LCD Soundsystem

This album received a 9.2 from Pitchfork.com, as well as the prestigious Best New Music distinction. This means that you have to... seriously, this album is a teeny bit overrated but it is still extremely good. The first five songs are basically perfect. Probably the most consistent release by this band. Definitely interesting from a compositional point of view, but first and foremost it is good catchy music to web-browse, exercise or drive with. Try it out.

1. Get Innocuous
2. Time to Get Away
3. North American Scum
4. Someone Great
5. All My Friends"
6. Us v. Them
7. Watch the Tapes"
8. Sound of Silver"
9. New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ohnymaob3vz

The Golden Archipelago- Shearwater

This is one of the better albums of 2010 so far in my opinion. Fans of Grizzly Bear, Vampire Weekend and The National will love it. The singer's voice is excellent and there are a few songs where he's basically doing power metal. "Runners of the Sun" is one of the year's best. Check it out.

1. "Meridian" – 3:37
2. "Black Eyes" – 3:40
3. "Landscape at Speed" – 4:33
4. "Hidden Lakes" – 3:47
5. "Corridors" – 2:46
6. "God Made Me" – 4:23
7. "Runners of the Sun" – 2:53
8. "Castaways" – 3:16
9. "An Insular Life" – 3:09
10. "Uniforms" – 3:49
11. "Missing Islands" – 2:18

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ynxjyj3qjuz

In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3- Coheed and Cambria

For my first post, I will post my favorite album. This record has it all; great hooks, poetic and adventurous lyrics, passionate vocals, sweet guitar riffs, an epic but never tiresome run time, one of the best closing tracks I've ever heard... I'm going to go back to listening to Wizard People Dear Reader.

1. "The Ring in Return" – 2:07
2. "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3" – 8:15
3. "Cuts Marked in the March of Men" – 5:05
4. "Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow)" – 5:10
5. "The Crowing" – 6:40
6. "Blood Red Summer" – 4:05
7. "The Camper Velourium I: Faint of Hearts" – 5:21
8. "The Camper Velourium II: Backend of Forever" – 5:23
9. "The Camper Velourium III: Al the Killer" – 4:15
10. "A Favor House Atlantic" – 3:55
11. "The Light & the Glass" – 9:40
12. "21:13" – 9:50 (hidden track)

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?dvd39jjn4py